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Rightmove says prices dropping as more properties are available and after stamp duty increases in England

In today's newsletter: With just one survivor emerging from the wreckage, investigators work to uncover the causeGood morning. An Air India plane bound for London Gatwick took off from Ahmedabad, India, at 1.38pm local time last Thursday. On board were 242 people. Within moments of takeoff, the airliner crashed, sending up a fireball of exploding jet fuel.Initial reports suggested all passengers and crew had perished. Then, miraculously, there was one survivor - a British man, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who while badly injured was able to walk out of the wreckage by himself. Ramesh, who was returning to his family in London, told the Hindustan Times: I don't know how I survived. I saw people dying in front of my eyes - the air hostesses, and two people I saw near me ... I walked out of the rubble."Middle East | Israel and Iran broadened their strikes against each other in an escalating war that has killed and injured hundreds of people. Donald Trump called for an end to the conflict and warned Tehran against striking US targets in the region.UK news | The government's welfare plans have to be pushed through, Keir Starmer has said, indicating that there will be no further concessions over cuts to disability benefits.UK news | Thousands of university students in the UK have been caught misusing ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools in recent years, while traditional forms of plagiarism show a marked decline.UK news | China and Russia are stepping up sabotage operations targeting undersea cables and the UK is unprepared to meet the mounting threat, according to new analysis.Greenland | Emmanuel Macron has criticised Donald Trump's threats to take over Greenland as he became the first foreign head of state to visit the vast, mineral-rich Arctic territory since the US president began making explicit threats to annex it. Continue reading...

Patients in England will be matched with studies and encouraged to take part via smartphone notificationsThe government is aiming for a significant expansion of clinical trials in the UK, and plans to use the NHS app to encourage millions of people in England to take part in the search for new treatments.Patients will eventually be automatically matched with studies based on their health data and interests, via the app. The plans envisage alerting them to the trials using smartphone notifications. Continue reading...

All-party group concerned about hazards caused by bikes, with focus on use by delivery drivers and risk of fireMinisters must urgently act to stop the sale of illegal and potentially lethal electric bikes, with a particular focus on their use by gig economy delivery riders, a committee of MPs and peers has said.The rapid spread of highly powered bikes or conversion kits causes hazards on the roads and can lead to fires because of cheaply made batteries, the report by the all-party parliamentary group for cycling and walking said, calling it a crisis hiding in plain sight". Continue reading...

The two players are among those collaborating with artists to create the Football City, Art United exhibitionEverybody needs his own ritual or way of preparing," says the former Dutch footballer Edgar Davids. Those minutes that you're in the tunnel is where we're going to start."Davids is talking about a piece he has worked on alongside the artist Paul Pfeiffer in which the pair recreate the tension of the tunnel before a big game. Continue reading...

The Iranian supreme leader is backed into a corner, a situation he has spent his life doing his best to avoidWhen he appeared in public for the first time in five years in October, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, had an uncompromising message. Israel won't last long", he told tens of thousands of supporters at a mosque in Tehran in a Friday sermon.We must stand up against the enemy while strengthening our unwavering faith," the 84-year-old told the gathering. Continue reading...

Rachel Reeves calls Britain's biggest road-building project a turning point for our national infrastructure'The government has pledged a further 590m towards Britain's biggest road-building project, the controversial and long-delayed Lower Thames Crossing.In March, the transport secretary gave formal approval to the new road tunnel under the Thames joining Essex and Kent. The 9.2bn project will comprise more than 14 miles of roads including the 2.6-mile crossing near Thurrock, Essex. Continue reading...

Study finds claimants who challenged payouts after taking advice received huge increases, in one case from 300 to 170,000Survivors of the Home Office Windrush scandal have received significantly less compensation than they may be entitled to, due to the lack of government funding for legal advice during the application process, a study has found.A review of 17 applications to the compensation fund revealed that claimants who challenged their awards after taking legal advice received huge increases in the amount offered. Continue reading...

The Guardian's Latin America correspondent, Tom Phillips, recalls the moment that he and others on the search team found Dom and Bruno's belongings in a hidden area of flooded forest. The team finally discover what has happened to the menWarning: this episode has descriptions of violence and some swearing Continue reading...

New probe and statutory public inquiry will be a means to get truth and justice', home secretary saysKeir Starmer has launched a sweeping national operation to investigate grooming gangs and a statutory inquiry into institutional failure, marking a significant reversal after months of pressure on Labour to act.The National Crime Agency (NCA), the UK's top investigative body, has been tasked with leading a coordinated national push to reopen historic group-based child sexual abuse cases and identify offenders who slipped through the cracks of previous police efforts. Continue reading...

Metreweli, 47, has held series of director-level roles in foreign intelligence service and in domestic agency MI5MI6, the UK's foreign intelligence service, is to be led by a woman for the first time, Keir Starmer has announced.Blaise Metreweli, a career intelligence officer who joined the service in 1999, will take over from Sir Richard Moore in the autumn, becoming its 18th chief. Continue reading...

CSRI finds China and Russia may be coordinating grey zone' tactics against vulnerable western infrastructureChina and Russia are stepping up sabotage operations targeting undersea cables and the UK is unprepared to meet the mounting threat, according to new analysis.A report by the China Strategic Risks Institute (CSRI) analysed 12 incidents in which national authorities had investigated alleged undersea cable sabotage between January 2021 and April 2025. Of the 10 cases in which a suspect vessel was identified, eight were directly linked to China or Russia through flag-state registration or company ownership. Continue reading...

Protesters take to streets in a dozen cities to march against an industry they say is wrecking communitiesCampaigners in at least a dozen tourist hotspots across southern Europe have taken to the streets to protest against touristification".It is the most widespread joint action to date against what they see as the steady reshaping of their cities to meet the needs of tourists rather than people who live and work there. Continue reading...

Lowy Institute report shows trust in the US has tumbled to lowest level since thinktank began polling

Allison Kirkby wants to streamline telecoms company, which is already planning to shed 55,000 workersThe chief executive of BT has said that advances in artificial intelligence could presage deeper jobs cuts at the FTSE 100 telecoms company, which has already outlined plans to shed up to 55,000 workers.Two years ago, the company said that between 40,000 and 55,000 jobs would be axed as it set out to become a leaner" business by the end of the decade. Continue reading...

Chancellor used Barnett formula to fund Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, despite their larger public sectorsRachel Reeves has been accused of shortchanging the UK's devolved nations after leaving the Welsh, Scottish and northern Irish governments with multimillion-pound funding gaps.The chancellor said the Treasury would fully cover the 1.2% rise in national insurance contributions for employers on salaries above 5,000, which came in on 6 April. Continue reading...

Dragging conflict into the Gulf is a strategic mistake, says Iran's foreign minister after drone strike on coastal facility

Alistair Kitchen says he was detained and questioned about views on Israel and Palestine before being deported from LA to Melbourne

When Sirmione became jammed with visitors during a particularly busy May Day weekend, it proved a tipping pointIn the era of overtourism, every popular holiday destination has its tipping point.For Sirmione, a sliver of land lapped by the blue-green waters of Lake Garda, that watershed moment came during Italy's long May Day holiday weekend, and has led the medieval Italian village to introduce street tutors" to manage the visitor flow and ensure good behaviour. Continue reading...

Cross-party consensus on climate appears to have broken down despite polls showing public support for action

Rose Jones, who cared for mother from age of eight, twice wrongly advised by work coach on joining DWP job schemeA young carer who had looked after her disabled mother from the age of eight was forced to repay more than 2,000 when she unwittingly breached carer's allowance benefit earnings rules after joining a government youth employment scheme.Rose Jones, 22, said she was twice wrongly advised by her jobcentre work coach that her wages earned under the Kickstart scheme would not affect her eligibility for carer's allowance. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. You can find our new Middle East blog hereEmma Graham-Harrison, the Guardian's chief Middle East correspondent, has spoken to families who live in a Tel Aviv neighbourhood that was struck by Iran's retaliatory attacks.

This blog is now closedFancy some female rage, interspersed with humour? Tegan Bennett Daylight on the bloke that pushed her over the edge:Anthony Albanese says he doesn't expect Australia to have any military role in the growing Middle East conflict.I wouldn't expect that there would be a request for Australia to play a military role, but we will continue to play a role in terms of looking after Australian citizens. Continue reading...

Alert to politicians and staffers in Austin issued hours after one Minnesota Democrat was killed and another injuredThe Texas department of public safety warned state lawmakers and legislative staffers of credible threats" to their safety, hours after two Minnesota politicians were targeted early Saturday.An alert was issued just before 1pm local time, alerting legislators planning to attend a No Kings" anti-Trump rally at the capitol in Austin. The area was evacuated soon after, according to the Texas Tribune, which first obtained a copy of the warning. Continue reading...

Police in Culpeper, Virginia, and San Francisco detain suspects and report non-life-threatening injuriesProtesters at No Kings" events in Culpeper, Virginia, and San Francisco, California, have been struck by motorists, according to local news reports.The protests are taking place at about 2,000 sites nationwide, from big cities to small towns. A coalition of more than 100 groups planned the protests, which are committed to a principle of nonviolence. Continue reading...

People came to say goodbye to their homes' before the two-year process of dismantling the building beginsGrenfell residents gathered in London to say goodbye to their homes" on what is likely to be the last anniversary of the tragedy before the tower is dismantled.The 72 people who died in the tower block fire in west London in June 2017 were commemorated with a silent walk through the streets of north Kensington on Saturday evening - just months before the two-year process of dismantling what remains of the building is expected to begin. Continue reading...

America's allies fear US policy is risking a global recession but they have to take care not to alienate the presidentThe G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada is likely to be dominated by efforts to persuade Donald Trump to dilute an America-first strategy, which world leaders fear may put the global economy into recession, and entrench the war in Gaza, Ukraine and Iran - three conflicts Trump once promised to solve.The summit represents the first collective opportunity for western leaders to challenge Trump with the consequences of his unilateralism, but with the world on a knife-edge, the six leaders cannot risk being seen to gang up on him and spark a presidential explosion. Continue reading...

Defence minister Israel Katz says Iranian capital will burn' if more missiles are fired at his countryIsrael has claimed to have gained control of the skies over the Iranian capital and warned that Tehran will burn" if more missiles are fired at its territory, but the Iranian leadership remained defiant, vowing a more severe and powerful response" and threatened to widen the war by striking ships and bases of Israeli allies.The mutual threats reflected the risks of a dramatic escalation in the conflict, as US-Iranian negotiations planned before the war in Oman were abandoned after Tehran said they would be meaningless", and Israel appeared to target Iran's gas industry. Israeli rhetoric reflected its leaders' growing confidence that they have gained the upper hand, and raised questions over whether Israeli war aims could go beyond the stated objective of crippling Iran's nuclear programme. Continue reading...

Military assets to provide contingency support' as PM repeats call for de-escalation after Iran's retaliatory strikes

Aviation ministry says Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner reached height of 650ft before rapidly descending and hitting ground 2km from airportMayday, mayday," was the final radio message sent by the pilot of the Air India 171 flight bound for London, moments before it crashed to the ground, killing more than 270 people.In a briefing by India's aviation authorities on Saturday, authorities confirmed that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was piloting the flight, sent a distress call to air traffic control less a minute after it took off from Ahmedabad airport at 1.39pm on Thursday. Continue reading...

Guardian analysis sharply contradicts president's claim that officials are targeting criminals' for deportation from USThe federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency has exponentially increased the arrest and detention of immigrants without any criminal history since the second Trump administration took office, a data analysis by the Guardian shows.The information sharply contradicts Donald Trump's claims the authorities are targeting criminals" for deportation as part of his aggressive anti-immigration agenda. Continue reading...

City leaders claim days-long event will bring in riches but opponents say it will not benefit ordinary VenetiansMarta Sottoriva, a teacher in Venice, has tirelessly campaigned for various causes in her cherished lagoon city, from railing against giant cruise ships to battling soaring rents. Now she is busy preparing banners, handing out flyers and shouting through megaphones in squares as she joins dozens of activists in whipping up resistance to the umpteenth gigantic event" she says that risks turning the world heritage site - which has long suffered from the effects of excessive tourism - into a playground for the rich.Sottoriva is referring to the star-studded nuptials between the billionaire Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, and Lauren Sanchez, a former TV journalist. The days-long shindig, expected to begin from 24 June, will be the biggest wedding held in Venice since George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin in 2014. Continue reading...

Vasili Mitrokhin defected in 1992 after spending years copying top-secret documents on Soviet spies and operationsOne of the most consequential Russian defectors in history was turned away several times by the US before he was eventually accepted by Britain and exfiltrated with his family from Russia, according to revelations in a new book.Vasili Mitrokhin, a KGB archivist who spent years copying top-secret documents on some of the most sensitive Soviet spies and operations, was brought out of Russia in 1992 by MI6. His archive of copied documents was exfiltrated separately. But London got hold of his trove only after Mitrokhin gave up trying to get the US to take him seriously. Continue reading...

Australian prime minister to tell world leaders, including US president, that free trade can help calm rising global insecurity

Northern Ireland faces stark questions over the racism, xenophobia and intolerance that has forced families from abroad to fleeFirst came the shouts as the crowd worked its way through narrow terraced streets, proclaiming its mission to rid the town of scum". Then came the shattered glass as rocks exploded through windows. Then the flames, licking up curtains and spreading to sofas, carpets, books and framed pictures until smoke billowed into the summer night.They might have been scenes from another century, another country, but they played out in Northern Ireland this week in the glare of rolling news and social media, which recorded a soundtrack of glee and hate. Where are the foreigners?" the mob shouted. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Thinktank calls for stronger penalties for corporate negligence in England, including directorship and public-contract bansCompanies responsible for unsafe cladding should face unlimited fines and permanent bans from public contracts, according to a report that also says England's existing laws have not gone far enough to prevent future tragedies.The thinktank Common Wealth said the law fails to effectively hold companies to account for corporate negligence, leaving the door open for another disaster like the Grenfell fire, which killed 72 people in June 2017. Continue reading...

Survivors say careers of many of those involved show there are no consequences for decisions that cost lives'The survivors of the Grenfell fire have condemned a deep and bitter injustice" that many of the officials criticised in the public inquiry in connection to the tragedy have continued working in related fields.We relive the pain every day. They are carrying on with life, careers intact, while we are still here - grieving, waiting and fighting for justice," said a spokesperson for Grenfell United shortly before the eighth anniversary of the fire. Continue reading...

Footage purported to show spy agents launching missiles inside Iran is marked contrast to the intelligence service's history of secrecyIsraelis were celebrating on Friday what many see as a stunning new success by their country's foreign intelligence service, the Mossad.Hours after launching 200 warplanes in a wave of strikes against Iran, Israeli officials released footage they said showed the Mossad agents deep inside Iran assembling missiles and explosive drones aimed at targets near Tehran. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Angela Rayner in race to persuade housing associations to take on social housing projectsLabour is staking everything" on using billions of pounds of investment to reverse Britain's decline, Angela Rayner has said, promising people would feel the housing crisis ease by the end of the parliament.The UK housing secretary is now in a race to persuade housing associations to take on social housing projects, with nearly 40bn for affordable and social homes to be spent over 10 years, the culmination of lengthy negotiations with the Treasury. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed. You can follow our new live blog here

Author Pat Barker and stage star Elaine Paige made dames and Antony Gormley becomes a Companion of HonourThe actor Gary Oldman and Roger Daltrey, frontman of the Who, have been knighted in the king's birthday honours list, which also confirms there is a knighthood for David Beckham, while the Angel of the North sculptor, Sir Antony Gormley, receives the top gong of Companion of Honour.Pat Barker, the author of The Regeneration Trilogy, Penny Mordaunt, the former defence secretary, and the ceramicist Emma Bridgewater are among those to be made dames. Continue reading...

Vehicles swept off road by fast-rising waters after Thursday downpour as Texas authorities focus rescue effort on creekAuthorities in San Antonio on Friday said at least 11 people had died in heavy storms and flooding - and that some remain missing.Rescue crews were still searching for missing people following Thursday's downpour as the flooding recedes, San Antonio fire department spokesperson Joe Arrington said. Continue reading...

Israel says Iran has fired up to 100 missiles in retaliation for surprise assault as both sides threaten escalating hostilities

Brent crude hits highest level since April while airline shares slide amid escalation of conflict in Middle EastThe price of oil and gold has soared and stock markets have fallen after Israel's strikes against targets in Iran.The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, the focal point of global oil production, prompted a sharp increase in wholesale prices. Brent crude surged by more than 7% after news of the attacks broke, briefly moving above $75 (55) a barrel to its highest level since April. Continue reading...

Kim Sajet's departure comes after the Smithsonian Institute rebuffed the president's attempt to fire her over DEIThe director of the National Portrait Gallery, Kim Sajet, has resigned just two weeks after Donald Trump attempted to fire her and accused her of being highly partisan and a strong supporter of DEI".We thank Kim for her service. Her decision to put the museum first is to be applauded and appreciated. I know this was not an easy decision. She put the needs of the Institution above her own, and for that we thank her," Lonnie Bunch, the Smithsonian secretary, wrote in a Friday internal email that was obtained by multiple outlets. Continue reading...

Accord comes as Mark Carney seeks shift in Ottawa's relationship with New Delhi after long diplomatic spatCanada and India plan to share intelligence in a bid to combat the rising threat of international crime and extremism, according to a new report from Bloomberg, days before a meeting between the two countries' leaders.Canadian officials declined to comment on the report, which, if confirmed, would represent a dramatic shift in relations between the two nations which for nearly two years have been locked in a bitter diplomatic spat after Canada's federal police agency concluded that India planned and ordered the murder a prominent Sikh activist on Canadian soil. Continue reading...

Met Office says mercury peaked at Santon Downham in Suffolk, as it issues amber thunderstorm warningThe UK has recorded its warmest day of the year so far, with temperatures hitting 29.4C, the Met Office has said.However, the forecasting service said thunderstorms were pushing into" the Channel, and an amber weather warning for severe thunderstorms in the east and south-east would come into force at 8pm on Friday. Continue reading...

Lightning air strikes have weakened Iran's military leadership, but its nuclear facilities are deeply defended

Next week's final vote finely balanced, with scrutiny growing over loopholes and who will deliver the systemMedics would not be allowed to raise assisted dying as an option with under-18s, and advertising it would be banned under changes backed by MPs before a final vote expected next week.The Commons voted on Friday on amendments to the assisted dying bill, which would legalise the option for terminally ill adults in England and Wales who have been told they have fewer than six months to live. Continue reading...