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National Gallery, the Box in Plymouth and the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge also shortlisted for 120,000 Art Fund prizeThe V&A East Storehouse, the National Gallery and an accessible castle in Norwich are among the contenders for this year's Art Fund museum of the year award, the most prestigious UK prize in the sector.The annual prize offers the winner 120,000, with 20,000 going to each of the other finalists, who the Art Fund's director, Jenny Waldman, said had all innovated in different ways". Continue reading...

Zoological Society of London commissions poet laureate for animation to mark its 200th anniversaryOver its two centuries, acclaimed writers and artists have found inspiration at London zoo, from Edwin Landseer's Trafalgar Square lions, to AA Milne's naming Winnie" after resident bear Winnipeg, and Sylvia Plath's poem Zoo Keeper's Wife.Plath's husband, Ted Hughes, who would become poet laureate, worked at the zoo briefly as a dish washer, an experience said to have helped fuel his inspiration for The Thought-Fox. Continue reading...

As fossil fuel prices soar the era of clean energy security must come of age', energy secretary will sayEd Miliband will double down on Labour's commitment to net zero in the face of the Middle East conflict this week, insisting that as fossil fuel prices soar the era of clean energy security must come of age".The energy secretary is set to announce a package of new policies in a speech on Tuesday in response to an expected energy crisis prompted by Donald Trump's war with Iran. Continue reading...

Report says lack of provision is harmful to health and damaging for high streetsThe number of public toilets in England has fallen by 14% in a decade, harming public health and creating vast swathes of lavatory deserts" and unpleasant environments, a report says.The analysis by the Royal Society for Public Health found a significant shortfall" in provision, with 15,481 people for each public toilet in England. That contrasts sharply with Scotland, where there are 8,500 people for each toilet, and Wales, with 6,748. Continue reading...

Vulnerable children placed in caravans, Airbnbs and holiday camps, with children's commissioner saying practice must stopMinisters must get to grips with the national scandal" of England's shadow child social care system, the children's commissioner has warned, as a shocking new report reveals the number of children in unregulated settings has increased by more than 370% in five years.Some of the most vulnerable children in England are being temporarily placed in unregulated caravans, Airbnbs and holiday camps, which risk the accumulation of increasing levels of harm for children who have already faced enough distress for several lifetimes", according to a new report. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed.UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the killing of a French peacekeeper and the wounding of three others in an attack in southern Lebanon, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement to the Associated Press.The UN peacekeeping force came under attack with small-arms fire on Saturday morning, with two of the injured hurt seriously, France's president and the force known as UNIFIL said. Continue reading...

Blaze struck a water village' that is home to some of Malaysia's poorest residentsA huge fire destroyed about 1,000 makeshift homes, many of them built on stilts over water, and displaced thousands of people in a coastal village in Malaysia's Sabah state on Sunday, authorities said.The blaze broke out early on Sunday morning in a water village" in Sandakan district in Sabah's northeast, where some of Malaysia's poorest residents, including indigenous and stateless communities, live in closely packed, wooden stilt houses. Continue reading...

FC Basel and Polish stadium stop US rapper's upcoming shows, after similar cancellations in France and UK over antisemitic commentsKanye West's upcoming concerts in Poland and Switzerland have been cancelled, as a growing number of European countries have stopped or postponed the US rapper's performances amid a furore over his past antisemitic comments.Swiss football club FC Basel, which is responsible for concerts and events that take place at its St Jakob-Park ground, told Reuters on Saturday that after reviewing a request for West to perform there in June, it decided against it. Continue reading...

Government sources in multiple states say they are worried about the breadth of the changes and possible costs

Catholics around Atlanta share mixed feelings on faith and politics as Trump engages in rhetorical war with popeAlex Sullivan tended to his five children on the lawn after a traditional Latin mass at the Catholic Church of Saint Monica in Duluth, Georgia, and contemplated his faith in the light of God and the shadow of Donald Trump.Sullivan, a self-described conservative who once staffed a libertarian state representative at the Georgia capitol, described his faith as almost medieval. Continue reading...

Shreveport police say suspect Shamar Elkins, who was fatally shot, killed seven of his children and injured their mother in a domestic violence incident'

Retail analysts say breaking up food and fashion group would make sense in challenging business environmentPrimark may break free from Kingsmill, Twinings and the sugar business this week when Associated British Foods announces plans on a mooted demerger.The potential split comes at a tricky time for the group controlled by the billionaire Weston family, with its fashion and food arms facing tough competition and rising costs. Continue reading...

Federal prosecutor says woman is suspected of dealing weapons to Africa on behalf of Iranian governmentA California woman was arrested at Los Angeles international airport after allegedly trafficking weapons on behalf of the Iranian government to contacts in Africa, including Sudan.Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills was detained on Saturday night by federal agents, according to the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles. Continue reading...

Reported response comes hours after Trump announced delegation to Islamabad, having earlier threatened to raze Iran's infrastructure

Exclusive: deputy PM says UK will not join Iran conflict despite Trump's sometimes incomprehensible' social-media barbsDonald Trump's insults towards Keir Starmer are small and petty" and designed to put pressure on the prime minister to change his position on Iran, David Lammy has said, as he insisted the UK would not get dragged into the conflict.The deputy prime minister argued the US president should be able to disagree agreeably" with allies rather than publishing attacks on social media, and that US actions had made things worse, not better" as far as global instability was concerned. Continue reading...

Prime minister to deliver high-stakes statement to MPs over vetting controversy that has put his position in perilKeir Starmer will deliver a high-stakes statement to MPs on Monday as he struggles to overcome fears inside his government that the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal could yet cost him his leadership.In what is set to be a dramatic showdown, the prime minister will set out how Mandelson was able to take up his role as UK ambassador without the Foreign Office revealing it had overruled the decision to fail his vetting. Continue reading...

Ahead of a showdown with MPs, prime minister looks like a man who is not really in control in his own governmentKeir Starmer has spent much of the last 24 hours working on a plan for what senior government figures are already describing as his judgment day": his showdown with MPs on Monday over the latest Peter Mandelson revelations.That the prime minister was apparently not told of Mandelson's vetting failure has provoked incredulity across Westminster and accusations he sacked a senior civil servant to save his premiership. Continue reading...

Take Back Power, which targets the super-rich, says seven members were arrested at a training sessionSeven people from an activist group calling for higher taxes on the super-rich have been arrested by police on suspicion of conspiracy to steal.Police confirmed that six women and one man were detained in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Sunday over what they said was a coordinated plan to steal from high-end stores. Continue reading...

US president's unreliable style sows diplomatic confusion but leaves Tehran clear on strategic value of strait of HormuzDonald Trump's decision to send US officials to Islamabad for further talks on Monday with Iran just 24 hours after Iran once again closed the strait of Hormuz will signal to Tehran that the strategic waterway remains a bargaining asset beyond parallel.It will also confirm in Iran's eyes that the US president's chaotic approach to diplomacy doubles the need for Tehran to act calmly and strategically - two competencies it believes he totally lacks. Continue reading...

Whitehall officials are weighing up unprecedented' disclosure of documents in security clearance scandal

Former Little Mix singer offers 10,000 reward for information about Land Rover taken from Essex drivewayThe musician Jesy Nelson, a former member of the band Little Mix, has pleaded for help after her car, which contained essential medical equipment for her children, was stolen from her driveway in Essex.The black Land Rover is believed to have been taken at about 3am on Sunday in Brentwood. Continue reading...

The government has defended its response, citing the upcoming royal commission and work done by the Islamophobia and antisemitism special envoys

Deputy leader ran shell companies that reportedly did not pay tax on profits from 2020 to 2022, during which time his firm donated 1.1m to partyRichard Tice allegedly failed to pay almost 100,000 in corporation tax to the benefit of his investment company, which in turn made donations to Reform UK, it has been reported.In response to the report in the Sunday Times, the deputy leader of Reform UK posted a lengthy statement on X, in which he said: A long career with multiple businesses is bound to feature some errors. Naturally I am always happy to put things right and if numbers need rechecking, of course I will pay what is owed - be that more or less." Continue reading...

Met police looking into whether series of arson attacks against Jewish sites were carried out by Iranian proxiesThe chief rabbi has said Jews in the UK are facing a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation" after another attempted arson attack on a synagogue in London.The incident at Kenton united synagogue in Harrow, north-west London, on Saturday night caused minor smoke damage to an internal room but no injuries or significant structural damage, according to the Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism and provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK. Continue reading...

Police say 29-year-old arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and drink driving after collision on Soho streetA woman has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a car hit pedestrians in central London in the early hours of Sunday morning.A woman in her 30s is in hospital in a critical condition and a man in his 50s suffered life-changing injuries after they were hit by a car in Argyll Street, Westminster, at about 4.30am on Sunday, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Giorgia Meloni's far-right government to ask MPs to back controversial voluntary repatriation schemeItalian lawyers will be paid bonuses if they successfully convince their immigrant clients to return home under a government plan that has been compared to a wild west-style bounty".The incentive is in the latest security bill from Giorgia Meloni's far-right government and goes to the lower house of parliament for final approval this week. It was passed by the upper house after fiery debate. Continue reading...

Book from Josh Owens tells of punishing work for far-right conspiracy theorist who, far from silenced, broadcasts onDonald Trump gave rightwing media provocateurs Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones a shoutout this week, calling them Low IQs", stupid people", and LOSERS".Jones hit back, saying Trump was committing political suicide on purpose" and had made a deal to sabotage the midterms. America, Jones said, is now under the control of a foreign government" and encouraged followers to fly their flags upside down, because our nation is in distress!" Continue reading...

Agreements would aim to shield British industry from new steel tariffs and stricter rules on electric vehicles due in 2027Downing Street hopes to secure deals on steel and electric cars with the EU as it seeks to upgrade the post-Brexit economic relationship.Amid economic uncertainty caused by the conflict in the Middle East and strains in relations with the US, Keir Starmer is seeking closer economic ties with the EU. Continue reading...

HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest and Santander will this week discuss with chancellor how to limit effects of conflictThe bosses of Britain's big five" retail banks have been summoned to a meeting with the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, this week to discuss how to limit the economic impact of the crisis in the Middle East triggered by the US and Israel's attacks on Iran.The chief executives of HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest and Santander have been asked to attend an emergency summit that comes amid increasing acceptance that a major economic hit from the Iran war is unavoidable. Continue reading...

Exclusive: pendant appears in 1635 painting Sir Thomas Aston at the Deathbed of His Wife that hangs in the Manchester Art GalleryA Hamnet-era mourning jewel has been rediscovered four centuries after it was immortalised in one of Britain's most enigmatic and celebrated 17thcentury family portraits.The heartshaped pendant was depicted in Sir Thomas Aston at the Deathbed of His Wife, the 1635 lifesize, mourning masterpiece that was painted predominantly in black and white by the Cheshire artist John Souch. It hangs in the Manchester Art Gallery. Continue reading...

Actor who worked with the great French auteurs in the 1970s and 80s and starred in Spielberg's Catch Me if You Can died of Lewy body dementia, says familyThe French film star Nathalie Baye, who starred in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can, has died at the age of 77, her family said on Saturday.Baye, a stalwart of French cinema, starred in about 80 films and took home the best actress Cesar, France's equivalent of the Oscars, four times, including three years running from 1981 to 1983. She died on Friday evening at her home in Paris from Lewy body dementia, her family told AFP. Continue reading...

The prime minister's leadership is still in the spotlight after Peter Mandelson was appointed US ambassador after he failed security vettingOur Scotland correspondent Libby Brooks has written this piece on how Scottish voters are being attracted to Reform UK, and how it reflects attitudes to immigration.It's Monday evening in Aberdeen, and George Preston is wearing his union flag suit to the Reform UK rally. He joined the party in 2024 as it gained ground in the north-east of Scotland with its first councillor defections from the Scottish Conservatives. Continue reading...

Police say poison detected in jar of HiPP carrots and potatoes as maker says items may have been tampered withRat poison has been found in a jar of HiPP baby food, police in Austria have said, after a recall of the product from more than 1,000 Spar supermarkets in the country over safety fears.Police in Burgenland said in a statement that a sample from one of the 190g (7oz) jars of carrots and potatoes baby food reported by a customer had tested positive for rat poison. Continue reading...

Shopkeepers charged millions of pounds, including alleged 10,000 penalty for mistake that cost firm 7.08Vodafone incentivised its security staff to increase clawbacks" levied on its own franchisees, as part of a programme that led to the telecoms group fining its own shopkeepers millions of pounds for seemingly small administrative errors.The policy - which included one alleged case of a 10,000 penalty for a franchisee whose mistake cost Vodafone 7.08 - involved setting key performance indicators" (KPIs) for the telecoms group's internal employees to collect total annual fines of 1.5m from the small business people running the FTSE 100 company's high street stores. Continue reading...

In Hamtramck, Abdulrahman Abohatem placed himself between 16-year-old girl and man before police arrestA gasoline station clerk who came to a suburban Detroit girl's defense when she entered his store and mouthed the word help" ultimately had a hand in saving the teenager after a stranger had kidnapped her at gunpoint on her way to school, according to authorities.I believe this could have [gone] a lot worse than it did," said police chief Hussein Farhat of Hamtramck, Michigan, at a news conference addressing a rescue partially attributed to convenience store employee Abdulrahman Abohatem. We have every belief that this could have ended really badly." Continue reading...

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IRGC reportedly fires on tanker as it tries to pass through strait during brief window when shipping lane had reopened

This blog is now closed. Our latest main story on the Middle East crisis is here.Separate to the Pakistani army chief's trip to Iran (see post at 07:53), the Pakistani prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and foreign minister Ishaq Dar also concluded a trip to the Middle East after visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey for talks.We have just concluded the last leg of our engagements following productive and fruitful visits ... where we held meaningful bilateral discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation across key areas," Dar said on X. Continue reading...

The author, who will interview members of royal family for book, says being chosen for role is a profound honour'Anna Keay, a historian whose most celebrated book is about Britain's republican period, has been confirmed as Queen Elizabeth II's official biographer.Keay will interview members of the royal family and the late queen's friends and servants. She will also have access to the monarch's personal and official papers held in the royal archives. Continue reading...

Passengers on flight from Chicago to New York exited via slides as FBI, bomb technicians and K-9 unit responded

The gunman, who killed six people in Kyiv before police shot him dead, was a Ukrainian citizen born in MoscowUkrainian investigators are examining whether a terrorist attack in Kyiv was directed by Moscow after a man shot dead six people on Saturday before he was killed by police.The gunman, 58, opened fire on passersby before barricading himself in a supermarket and taking hostages. Detectives sealed off the area in the Holosiivskyi district and tried to negotiate with him. He refused and was killed after a 40-minute standoff. Continue reading...

Coal Australia denies its donations to the community-driven association' amount to astroturfing, but critics accuse the group of misleading the public

Officers responded after group claimed to have targeted nearby Israeli embassy with dangerous substances'Kensington Gardens in London has reopened after the discovery of several suspicious items including two jars containing a powdered substance that was deemed to be non-hazardous, police said.Officers in protective clothing responded to an incident near the Israeli embassy on Friday after counter-terrorism police investigated a video shared online in which a group claimed to have targeted the embassy with drones carrying dangerous substances". Continue reading...

Deputy prime minister says it is inexplicable' top civil servant kept Downing Street in darkKeir Starmer would have blocked Peter Mandelson from serving as the UK's ambassador to Washington had he known he failed security vetting, David Lammy has said, as he attempted to shore up the prime minister amid damaging fallout from the row.In his first public comments on the vetting affair, Lammy said it was inexplicable" that Oliver Robbins, the former top civil servant who was forced out of the Foreign Office this week, had opted to leave Downing Street in the dark over the outcome. Continue reading...

Met describe similarities' with other recent attacks after business in Hendon was targeted on FridayCounter-terrorism police are leading an investigation into an arson attack on a business in Hendon, north-west London.The force said that, while it was not yet being linked to arson attacks on a nearby synagogue and Jewish ambulance charity, counter-terrorism officers were being deployed owing to similarities" between the incidents. Continue reading...

US president's desperation for war to end has seen him trying to speed through a process he does not fully control

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereOn Friday the Cabinet Office released a template page from the summary document produced by UKSV after Mandelson's vetting. The document would be used by a vetting officer to summarise their findings.It lists three rankings for possible overall concern": low, medium and high. In the next box, there is a space for a vetting officer to list the outcome of the assessment with their overall decision or recommendation". Again, there are three options: clearance approved, clearance approved with risk management" or clearance denied.If it [the vetting process] did amount to failure then that fact, that ultimate conclusion would have to be conveyed to the political level, but the fact that it was not indicates to me that the fact was rather more complicated than No 10 would wish to present. Continue reading...

Rising sea levels and ecological damage caused by heavy use of flood defence system force city authorities to consider next moveThe Arsenale, the colossal shipyard that was the engine of the Venetian Republic's domination for seven centuries, remains the nucleus of the city's control over the water. Its northern section is made up of cavernous brick warehouses called capannoni, which in the 16th century could produce a warship a day through a rigorously ordered assembly line.Now, one of them houses the operations centre of the Mose, the sprawling flood defence system that protects the city. Continue reading...

After the attempted arson attack on a London synagogue, communities remain determined that building higher walls' will not stem rising tide of antisemitismHow good and how wonderful it is when friends sit together," reads a quote from the Psalms painted high on the wall inside Finchley Reform Synagogue (FRS). For the congregation gathering in a cheerful hubbub before its Shabbat service on Friday evening, that felt like an especially apt sentiment.Three days after the synagogue was the victim of an attempted firebombing, hundreds of members made an extra effort to get together in determined if slightly nervy solidarity, joined by guests including local politicians, other faith leaders, police officers - and one particularly special group of neighbours. Continue reading...