by Peter Beaumont Senior international correspondent on (#77AMK)
Riyadh's decision to join US in strikes on Iran-backed militia further complicates widening and unpredictable' warUS-Saudi strikes on Iran-backed militia in Iraq have pushed the region into uncharted territory", analysts have warned.Amid stark warnings of a widening and increasingly unpredictable" conflict, Riyadh's decision to publicly join the US in striking sites associated with Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), killing at least 20 fighters, has added another complicating dimension to the war. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#77AQS)
Transport for London claims polluting diesel vehicles had been able to enter clean air zone without having to payTransport for London is pursuing a potential 1bn legal action against car manufacturers over vehicles that it argues should not have been allowed to drive freely in the capital's clean-air zone.The high court heard that TfL was making allegations of fraud and negligence" against manufacturers including Stellantis, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Nissan over their vehicles' levels of diesel emissions. Continue reading...
Johannes Kongsnes Natland was recruited to murder unknown person by international crime gang linked to IranA Norwegian teenager has been found guilty of travelling to England to carry out a killing ordered by an international crime gang linked to Iran.Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, from Stavanger, Norway, agreed to shoot an unknown person for 25,000 (21,500) in March last year. Two days after he arrived in the UK armed police arrested him in a hotel room in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, seizing two guns and ammunition. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#77AQV)
V&A Storehouse dispute centres on toilet and hydration breaks as employees across V&A in London also vote to strike in wider actionStaff at the V&A's Storehouse site in east London have voted overwhelmingly to strike in a dispute over what they say are inadequate toilet and hydration breaks.They will join staff across V&A sites in London who on Wednesday also voted to strike in a wider dispute over pay, working conditions, and the museum having declined to seek living wage accreditation. Continue reading...
K-pop superstars will not submit Arirang album or its songs for 2027 ceremonyBTS, the biggest pop act in east Asia, have withdrawn themselves from the 2027 Grammy awards, intimating that their decision is due to the addition of a new award for best Asian pop music performance.Writing on Instagram, each of the South Korean group's seven members said: We have decided not to enter the Grammys this year. I hope that music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language." Continue reading...
The prime minister says that current inefficiencies in the system will be tackled first, as he reveals final recommendations will be out by summer 2027Andy Burnham is speaking now.In a reference to how he started campaing for social care reform almost two decades ago, he says it is good to see faces in the room who've been on this journey with me for a long, a long time".When someone in your family is receiving care, you look at everything through new eyes, don't you? You notice things that maybe you didn't notice before because you watch it so closely and so carefully.And I've just been really overwhelmed by their care, the skill in what they do, the professionalism.Can I just remind everybody that nobody thought we could get everybody in off the streets?So we can do difficult in this country and we can do it well. Continue reading...
Authorities fear progress in containing the fires in the Gironde and Madrid regions may be set back by temperatures expected to hit the low 40sin BrusselsThe European Union's crisis-management team is expecting difficult weeks ahead, fearing a further outbreak of wildfires in Italy and Greece as the summer goes on.A firefighter will focus on protecting people. They will focus on protecting houses, protecting a business, a company, because this is something that matters for all our society. And indeed, sometimes by focusing on that, they cannot extinguish fire, [as] they would do it if it would be just forest.So this is new, this is worrying. And of course also, this means that we need to adapt our methods of fighting the fires." Continue reading...
Northumbria police said post by Glenn Gibbins, who was reinstated to the party after internal investigation, referenced Nigerian peopleA Reform UK councillor has been charged with posting a grossly offensive message on social media after allegedly making a racist comment about Nigerians.Glenn Gibbins, of Sunderland city council, has been charged with the offence under the Communications Act 2003, Northumbria police said. Continue reading...
Claimants' insurance might not cover Associated Newspapers' costs for defending phone-hacking case, high court hearsThe Duke of Sussex and his co-claimants could be millions of pounds out of pocket after losing their privacy case against the publishers of the Daily Mail, the high court in London heard.The seven claimants, who include Prince Harry, Doreen Lawrence and Elton John, sued Associated Newspapers Limited over allegations of unlawful information gathering, with their claims dismissed in their entirely by Mr Justice Nicklin on 7 July. Now, their insurance may not cover the costs incurred by ANL defending the case. Continue reading...
Greek authorities identify remains after reported discovery in a derelict building by homeless manA body found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in central Athens has been identified as that of a 38-year-old British woman, with Greek authorities saying she had been dead for several weeks.Eleven days after the macabre find, police shed some light on the mystery of a body that until Wednesday had remained unidentified, after appealing to foreign law enforcement agencies. Continue reading...
Strong corporate results buoy market as investors move money away from tech and semiconductor stocksLondon's FTSE 100 stock index has touched a fresh high, driven by strong corporate results as investors moved money away from tech and semiconductor stocks amid the global tech stock sell-off.The UK's blue chip index rose as high as 10,951 points on Wednesday morning before falling back slightly, its best level since 27 February, the day before the US and Israel began attacks on Iran and sparked stock market volatility. Continue reading...
James Desborough, who also strangled cellmate to death for snoring while awaiting trial, hid body fragments in Cornwall woodsA triple killer who murdered and dismembered the bodies of two of his friends before strangling a third man to death in prison while awaiting trial has been told he will spent the rest of his life behind bars.Mr Justice Saini, who sentenced James Desborough, 40, at Winchester crown court, said the circumstances of the case were unique. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#77AJ6)
BBC documentary reports incidents alleged to have taken place when actor and musician was in 30s and 40sThe actor and singer Jared Leto has been accused in a BBC documentary of criminal sexual conduct by four women, with the alleged offences taking place when the women were teenagers.The incidents reported by the BBC are alleged to have taken place between 2002 and 2016, when the actor was in his 30s and 40s. He is now 54. Continue reading...
Layoffs will come in admin and development divisions in Germany, with production operations unaffectedBMW is planning to cut as many as 8,000 jobs in Germany, according to reports, in the latest sign of Europe's largest carmakers reducing costs under pressure from Chinese rivals.The Munich-headquartered company has started a voluntary redundancy programme agreed with employee representatives, a BMW spokesperson said on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Environment Agency names seven regions affected by unusually hot and dry weather and shortage of waterHalf of England is officially in drought, with July set to be the driest on record after winter floods, the Environment Agency has said.The flash drought" developed quickly because of unusually low rainfall and high temperatures. Continue reading...
French authorities investigate death of musician who performed at Paris Olympics, but say no suspicious elements' at playThe French electronic musician Kavinsky, known for the song Nightcall which achieved iconic status after its inclusion in the Ryan Gosling film Drive, has died aged 50.A police source speaking to French newspaper Le Figaro indicated that the suspected cause of death was a stroke. Kavinsky, real name Vincent Belorgey, had reportedly been complaining of headaches in recent days, and he was discovered at home after a concerned neighbour alerted emergency services. Continue reading...
Rise to 1.1bn in first six months of year for bakery chain largely down to opening of new storesIced matcha lattes and a bigger range of salads and chicken rolls helped Greggs to boost its sales during the string of summer heatwaves, as the bakery chain continues to expand across the UK.Total sales at Britain's biggest fast food business rose to 1.1bn for the first six months of the year, 7.2% higher than the same period a year earlier. Continue reading...
Oil price spikes after flare-up of fighting and claimed Iranian attacks on three tankers in strait of HormuzThe US military said it knocked down an Iranian missile barrage and worked with Saudi Arabia forces to strike sites in Iraq that Tehran-backed militias have used to launch attacks in recent days. The strikes on Wednesday killed at least 20 members of a former paramilitary alliance that includes pro-Iran groups.In what Washington cast as an attempted surprise attack" by Tehran, Iran had launched multiple ballistic missiles at US forces in the Middle East, shattering a brief pause in fighting. Iran's target was a US base in Jordan, Axios cited a US official as saying. Continue reading...
CAA says airport can recoup 320m through higher airline charges, which are usually passed on to travellersHeathrow passengers face decades of higher fares after the airport was given permission to recover early costs from developing its expansion plan.The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced it had permitted Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) to recoup 320m spent on its proposal to build a third runway since the start of last year. Continue reading...
Green party leader says post was inadvertent mistake' after Reform UK accuses him of inciting murder'The Green party leader, Zack Polanski, has said he made an inadvertent mistake" by sharing an Instagram post of a man wearing a T-shirt featuring an image of a guillotine and the phrase we're only making plans for Nigel", but he repeatedly said he would not apologise to Nigel Farage.Polanski told the BBC's Newsnight programme he had accepted a request to collaborate with a photographer on Instagram, with the first photo in a set of 20 showing himself, and the fifth showing the T-shirt. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#77A9Y)
PM's vocational model also takes inspiration from former education secretary Kenneth Baker's visionAndy Burnham's plans to put academic and technical education routes on an equal footing in England have been welcomed by many, but none were more enthusiastic than the former Conservative minister Kenneth Baker.I'm very impressed with what he has said," the 91-year-old former education secretary, home secretary and Conservative party chair told the Guardian. It's a very significant announcement. I'm going to try to persuade the Conservative party to support this." Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: A recent government reshuffle has exposed deep fractures within Volodymyr Zelenskyy's wartime cabinetGood morning. Another week, another diplomatic success for Volodymyr Zelenskyy. On Monday, his first meeting with Andy Burnham as PM confirmed continuity in the UK's steadfast support for Ukraine. We've got your back," Burnham said as the pair spoke in Portsmouth. Yesterday, in Washington DC, after attending the funeral of Lindsey Graham - a once supportive Republican senator - Zelenskyy and Trump held a positive and productive" meeting, as per the White House. Overnight, the US Senate advanced a sweeping Russian sanctions bill.Save for that somewhat shaky start in the early days of Donald 2.0, these well-executed global stage set-pieces have come to define Zelenskyy's wartime leadership. The hundreds of billions he has secured in military, financial and humanitarian aid from the US, Europe, the UK and beyond during a period of global economic unease is remarkable.UK news | Young people will be expected to engage with new support to find work, Pat McFadden has said.World news | At least 13 people have been killed after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Japan, injuring hundreds and knocking out power and water to tens of thousands.Europe news | Nearly 4,000 people have been evacuated from tourist sites on France's Atlantic coast as the return of winds and extreme heat jeopardises firefighters' battles to contain wildfires raging in France and Spain.US news | Donald Trump hosted back-to-back White House meetings with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, as Ukraine seeks more firepower for its air defences and the Israeli prime minister tries to repair his strained relationship with the US president.UK news | Led By Donkeys has received compensation after a giant banner it displayed in Parliament Square saying Yes It's A Genocide" was seized by officials and destroyed. Continue reading...
Potential toxic substance detected in several of 15 elephants found dead in Kenya's Amboseli national parkOfficials are investigating the deaths of 15 elephants over the past month in Kenya's Amboseli national park.The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said 10 of the elephants showed signs of partial paralysis before dying within two days. Continue reading...
Kumamoto shaken by 6.8-magnitude quake, knocking out power and damaging buildings, as people remain trapped inside shopping centreA 6.8-magnitude earthquake has shaken south Japan, killing at least two people and leaving at least 100 people injured. Some are trapped and presumed dead inside a shopping mall.The earthquake hit Kumamoto prefecture on the southern Kyushu island late on Tuesday afternoon, knocking out power to thousands of homes and damaging roads, bridges and buildings. Continue reading...
Prime minister invites Badenoch and Davey - but not Farage - to discuss how to fix decades-old funding crisisAndy Burnham has promised problem-solving, not point-scoring" before a speech on social care in which he will set out his strategy for resolving one of the most intractable problems in British politics.The prime minister has invited Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, and Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, to discuss how to enact urgent reform on social care, as he attempts to find common ground across party lines. Davey confirmed he would attend via video call while the Conservatives said they would send the shadow health secretary, Stuart Andrew, in Badenoch's place as she was having pre-planned minor surgery. Continue reading...
White House has halted changing vaccine schedule as it is unpopular, but anti-vaxx Trump set on alleviating autism'Donald Trump is pushing the longtime vaccine opponent and current health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr to be more aggressive on cutting vaccines in the US, according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal.Trump has a long record of anti-vaccine statements, but the White House recently put a hold on vaccine changes after polling indicated they were a losing issue in the midterm elections. Continue reading...
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 struck the country's Kumamoto prefectureKyushu Electric Power said 48,000 homes had lost power as a result of the latest quake, while railway company JR Kyushu said that it had suspended services, including its high-speed bullet trains.Kumamoto airport also shut its runway, as airlines diverted and cancelled flights. Continue reading...
Pharmaceutical company's move to new 400m research centre accompanied by encouraging news for shareholdersA vote of confidence in British business," trumpeted Andy Burnham, seizing the political gift of GSK splashing out 400m on a shiny new research and development centre in Cambridge.For positive vibes, it definitely beats the early pharma news his predecessor as prime minister received. That was the painful tale of how AstraZeneca, frustrated by indecision in the Treasury, cancelled its intended 450m expansion of a vaccine plant in Speke in Liverpool. Continue reading...
Man already serving life for killing his cellmate while awaiting trial also murdered and dismembered his friends Claudio Aquilino and Daniel ColemanOn a spring day last year, James Desborough marched up to Cornwall's county hall in Truro and began bombarding the offices with dozens of eggs stolen from a supermarket.It was a drug- and drink-addled protest at his plight - homeless, jobless and generally angry at the world. He expected to be arrested and messaged a friend: If I'm going to get nicked, might as well round the charges up." Continue reading...
Data shows Canadians have replaced US vacations with other international trips in apparent rebuke to TrumpCanadians spent $3.3bn less on travel to the US in 2025 than in the previous year, as Donald Trump's hostile policies towards his northern neighbour continue to incur an economic cost, new government data shows.The research also indicates that Canadians are not bucking travel overall and instead have replaced US vacations with other international destinations, in a rebuke to Trump's tariff regime and the president's continued musings on annexing Canada. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#779S1)
Exclusive: King's College London analysis finds diabetes and hypertension are more common in Black African and Caribbean peopleStroke risk factors including high blood pressure and diabetes are rising faster among people from Black African and Caribbean backgrounds compared with their white counterparts, according to analysis.Researchers at King's College London analysed data from more than 8,500 adults over a 30-year period from the South London Stroke Register, one of the longest-running population-based stroke registers in the world. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#779NT)
Waste firm Veolia pays 27k after Yes it's a Genocide' banner taken by Greater London Authority was destroyedThe campaign group Led By Donkeys has received 27,000 in compensation after a giant banner it displayed in Parliament Square saying Yes it's a Genocide" was seized by Greater London Authority officials and destroyed.Representatives of the GLA arrived on the scene in central London and confiscated the 40-metre by 40-metre banner after it was unfurled on 4 December 2024, just under two months after Israel began its assault on Gaza following the 11 October attacks by Hamas. Continue reading...
by Mark Brown North of England correspondent on (#779NX)
Viral video apparently shows a Saltburn 2nd XI fielder clicking his fingers to mimic a batter's nickThe ball is bowled, the batter plays a shot and it's caught by the wicketkeeper to cheers all round. The batter is clearly bemused. Did he hit it? Or ... did a fielder click his fingers to mimic a nick?A row has erupted in the normally friendly, if ultra-competitive, world of English club cricket after footage went viral of alleged cheating. Australian cricket will always have Sandpapergate. The North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League now has clickgate - or, as it has been christened online, Clicky Ponting" - a play on the name of the former Australian captain Ricky Ponting. Continue reading...
Umbrellas, deck chairs and loungers seized in Torre del Greco authorities' crackdown on people reserving spots overnightAuthorities in a coastal suburb of Naples seized umbrellas, loungers and deck chairs during a dawn sweep of a beach aimed at cracking down on the growing trend of people attempting to reserve prime spots overnight.Torre del Greco's port authority said coastguard staff and local police had together collected 40 items as part of a national beach and lake safety operation that targets people labelled by the Italian press as furbetti dell'ombrellone, or umbrella cheaters. Continue reading...
Move comes after the presenter has faced allegations of bullying, but there is no suggestion it is relatedNaga Munchetty is to leave BBC Breakfast after 17 years on the television show to become co-presenter of Radio 5 Live's breakfast show.The current 5 Live Breakfast hosts, Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards, announced on Tuesday's programme that they would step down in December. Continue reading...
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