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Singer trains underwater like Frank Sinatra once did and scientists say it may be useful in maintaining vocal prowessFrank Sinatra did it his way, taking to the pool to boost his vocal prowess, and it seems Rod Stewart is singing from the same songsheet. Now scientists say the approach might not be somethin' stupid.Stewart, 80, is still entertaining fans with his raspy vocals and energetic stage performances and earlier this month he revealed that as well as running and playing some football, swimming also played a key part in his campaign to stay forever young. Continue reading...

Commuters share their views at the junction with the highest number of cycling accidentsIt's 8am in Clapham, the area of south-west London where young professionals and well-off homeowners are crammed into 2 sq miles of buzzy high streets, a leafy common and rows of terraced houses.The popularity of the neighbourhood lies in its proximity to the city centre. A 4-mile hop to central London makes for an easy journey to work, especially for one kind of commuter: cyclists. Continue reading...

Health organisations have written to Keir Starmer urging him to force drinks producers to include warningsCans and bottles of beer, wine and spirits should explicitly warn drinkers that alcohol causes cancer, an unprecedented alliance of doctors, charities and public experts have said.Warning labels would tackle shockingly low" public awareness in the UK that alcohol is proven to cause seven forms of cancer and 17,000 cases a year of the disease, they claim. Continue reading...

A deal freezing frontlines would be unacceptable for Serhiy Serdiuk, who was taken to Georgia in handcuffs with his family after refusing to teach the Russian curriculumEarlier this year, Serhiy Serdiuk was deported from Russia, along with his wife and daughter. He was given a 40-year ban from re-entering the country.Serdiuk's home town of Komysh-Zoria, in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, was part of the territory occupied in the first weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion in spring 2022. According to Moscow, it is now part of Russia. And because Serdiuk, the headteacher of a local school, refused to work for the new authorities, they decided he had no place living there. Continue reading...

A viral video of a barbershop blow-up prompts tales of shear panic. Tell us about your worst haircut experience in the commentsA tradie went viral this week after blowing up at a barber who he claimed left him with a lopsided buzz cut.The tradesman insisted on paying for the allegedly substandard haircut before storming out. The exchange has sparked a conversation online, with some saying they would never be brave enough to complain and others recounting their worst haircut experiences. Continue reading...

The last in a series of increases to employers' minimum contribution from 9% over more than a decade will come into effect on 1 July

Adult websites back online after court suspended decision requiring platforms based in the EU to verify users' agesMajor adult websites Pornhub, YouPorn and RedTube were back online in France Friday after a court suspended a decision requiring pornographic platforms based in the European Union to verify users' ages.The three platforms' owner, Aylo, based in Cyprus, had made its websites unavailable in France in early June as a protest against the French decree. Failure to comply could have lead to sanctions including fines or the blocking of the websites. Continue reading...

Israeli military chief says difficult days' ahead as salvo of ballistic missiles trigger air raid sirens across countryIsrael's military has warned of a prolonged war" with Iran as the conflict entered its second week with no sign of stopping, as Israeli forces targeted Tehran and other areas while an Iranian missile attack wounded many people in the Mediterranean port city of Haifa.The Israeli military said its aircraft destroyed Iranian surface-to-air missiles in southern Iran, as well as killing a group of Iranian military commanders responsible for missile launches. According to the IDF, the strikes prevented launch of missiles scheduled for later on Friday evening. Continue reading...

Trump had set a deadline for diplomacy - but few expected the Israeli sucker punches that have left Tehran reeling

Home secretary plans to proscribe group that broke into Brize Norton, effectively branding it a terrorist organisationThe pro-Palestine group that broke into RAF Brize Norton sparking a major security review is expected to be banned by the government next week in a move which will anger campaigners.Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, is planning to proscribe Palestine Action, effectively branding it a terrorist organisation. Continue reading...

Leaked document marks significant moment in relations with ally but stops short of calling for immediate sanctions

Basically a whole shelf of a mountain came loose' said one person who fled the scene in Banff National ParkTwo people have been killed and another three injured when a major rockfall crashed onto a group of hikers on a popular Rocky Mountain trail in western Canada.The accident happened on Thursday near the Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park, about 225km (140 miles) north-west of Calgary, Alberta. The area is known for its natural beauty and is particularly busy in summer. Continue reading...

A driver who got stuck on the Spanish Steps in Rome is the latest in a series of similar vehicular misadventuresThe 1969 caper The Italian Job spawned a Hollywood remake, helped drive the cool-factor of the Mini and launched decades of dad-jokes about bloody doors being blown off. It may also have inspired one driver who got stuck trying to travel down the Spanish Steps in Rome this week.The film ended with Michael Caine teetering on the edge of a cliff in a coach, claiming to have a great idea". In Rome, the 80-year-old's navigational error on his way to work ended with emergency services having to bring in a crane to winch his vehicle off the Italian capital's landmark. Continue reading...

Proposal would cover uranium enrichment and ballistic missile programmes and aim to end terrorist funding

Fears grow of drought as well as hunger as medics report more killings by Israeli forces of Palestinians seeking aid

Organisers seek an extra 40,000 for a memorial to Mary Clarke, the first suffragette to die for women's rightsThe campaign to commemorate the first suffragette to die for women's rights is facing a funding crisis.Mary Clarke, who was the sister of Emmeline Pankhurst, helped found the Women's Social and Political Union and was imprisoned three times. Continue reading...

High-needs deficits kept off council books for two more years in England, but some say it prolongs financial painCash-strapped councils in England will be hit with hundreds of millions of pounds in extra costs after the government delayed tackling the 5bn deficits spent supporting children and young people with special needs and disabilities.Council leaders and experts said the two-year delay prolongs the financial struggles faced by local authorities as they await the government's overhaul of special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision, and warned it could force more councils into sell-offs and insolvency. Continue reading...

Corporation says talks over how to broadcast Gaza: Doctors Under Attack have reached the end of the road'The BBC has scrapped plans to show a documentary about medics in Gaza after concluding it risked creating a perception of partiality" over the corporation's coverage of the conflict.In the latest controversy over the BBC's coverage of the war, it announced that discussions over how to broadcast the film, or incorporate some of its footage into its news coverage, had reached the end of the road". It said it was now transferring ownership of the project to the independent production company who produced it. Continue reading...

Screening rates are declining, with some parts of England at greater risk due to low uptake of HPV vaccineA third of people across the UK are overdue their cervical cancer screening, while in parts of England some are at greater risk of the disease than others due to a low uptake for the preventive vaccine, experts have warned.Since the coronavirus pandemic, cervical screening attendance rates have been steadily declining, from 72.2% in 2020 to 68.4% in 2024, NHS England data shows. Continue reading...

Fashion publicist and wife of JFK Jr who died in a plane crash in 1999 is seen as US answer to Princess DianaIn fashion, only the real favourites have acronyms. See SJP for Sarah Jessica Parker, ALT for fashion editor Andre Leon Talley and - particularly relevant right now - CBK for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.The wife of John F Kennedy Jr who died in a plane crash in 1999 is sometimes seen as America's answer to Princess Diana. Like Diana, she was loved for her style - dubbed minimalist, chic or quiet luxury". Instagram is full of accounts posting archive images of her, influential brands like The Row, Toteme and Gabriela Hearst design clothes that channel her approach to dressing and there have been books and auctions in recent years. Continue reading...

Retired army officer Roberto Samcam was killed in San Jose by gunmen, the latest of several attacks on Ortega's criticsA retired Nicaraguan army officer in exile turned fierce critic of the country's authoritarian president Daniel Ortega has been shot dead in neighboring Costa Rica.Maj Roberto Samcam, 66, was shot at his apartment building in San Jose on Thursday, reportedly by men pretending to deliver a package. Continue reading...

Family-owned company blames migration of shoppers' to online and higher costs as it tries to stem heavy lossesRiver Island plans to close 33 of its 230 stores and a further 71 are at risk under a restructuring programme that could put more than 1,000 jobs on the line.The family-owned company, which employs about 5,500 people, blamed a migration of shoppers from the high street to online" and higher costs for the need to make the drastic changes to stem heavy losses. Continue reading...

Nancy Pexton appears at Highbury Corner magistrates court charged with murdering Jennifer AbbottA woman has appeared in court charged with murdering her 69-year-old sister who was found stabbed inside her north London home.Nancy Pexton, also 69, appeared at Highbury Corner magistrates court on Friday charged with murdering Jennifer Abbott, also known as Sarah Steinberg, last Tuesday. Continue reading...

Assisted dying bill will pass to the Lords after MPs vote to accept it, with 314 votes to 291MPs have gathered in the House of Commons for the third reading of the assisted dying bill. If approved, it will then go to the House of Lords.There will also be four votes in the Commons on changes within the bill since it was last put to MPs in November.The terminally ill adults (end of life) bill has huge implications for hospices, our staff, volunteers and patients, as well as the health system and society more broadly. But there are still many unanswered questions around how a future assisted dying service would work.Given this lack of clarity we welcome the introduction of new clause 20, which would require the government to consult with palliative and end of life care providers if the bill progresses. It is vital that the access of palliative and end of life care for everyone is increased, and for that we need a better funding model for hospices. Continue reading...

French charity to challenge new Channel migrant interception plans in European courtsPlans by French police to enter the sea to stop small boats carrying UK-bound asylum seekers willcause more deaths and will be challenged in the European courts, a French charity has said.Arthur Dos Santos, the coordinator of the refugee charity Utopia 56, said there would be an increase in the number of people who would take desperate" measures to reach the UK. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Show at The Box in artist's home town spans entire career and includes previously unseen worksShe was a seaside landlady who left school at 14 and who, without any formal training, became one of Britain's most popular artists. Now, 17 years after Beryl Cook's death, her home city of Plymouth will this week announce a major exhibition that will include previously unseen works as well as much-loved humorous paintings with larger-than-life characters.Cook was chronically shy and avoided her exhibition openings - and would probably have stayed away from the show at The Box from January 2026. Continue reading...

Terminally ill people with less than six months to live will have right to choose procedure after approval from doctors and panel

Foreign secretary says government will provide charter flights from Tel Aviv when airspace reopensBritish nationals who want to leave Israel will be offered charter flights from Tel Aviv as soon as airspace reopens, the government has said.With the conflict with Iran continuing, Whitehall officials have been working to organise escape routes for the thousands of British and dual nationals in Israel. Continue reading...

PM Jonas Gahr Store declared Norway's support for the 5% target proposed by Nato's secretary general Mark RuttePoland's EU minister Adam Szapka, who led the country's EU presidency from January, will become the new chief government spokesperson, prime minister Donald Tusk has announced.The move comes ahead of a broader government reshuffle after the ruling pro-European coalition's defeat in the presidential election earlier this month. Continue reading...

Palestine Action members break into Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire and spray military planes with red paintA pro-Palestine protest group has said two of its members broke into the RAF's Brize Norton airbase and defaced two military aircraft with spray paint before escaping the site without being detained.Palestine Action released a short video on Friday morning showing two people driving electric scooters unimpeded inside the airbase at night, in an embarrassing breach of Ministry of Defence (MoD) security at a site where transport planes used by the king and prime minister can be parked. Continue reading...

Transformative' project wins the 2025 architecture medallion as town centres, industrial restorations and residential homes collect other awards of note

Top chefs in this year's World Region of Gastronomy are looking back as they shift from avant-garde cuisine to something more homespunThey revolutionised cooking worldwide with radical techniques and a highly technical cuisine of playful trompe l'oeil - but now many disciples of Catalonia's iconoclastic chef Ferran Adria believe it's time to get back to their roots.Catalonia has been named World Region of Gastronomy 2025 by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism and later this month 60 Michelin-starred chefs will launch a campaign to position Catalonia as a unique and exceptional gastronomic destination. Continue reading...

External consultant appointed to review show's culture after at least two complaints against Richard FredianiThe editor of BBC Breakfast has taken an extended period of leave after allegations of bullying and misconduct.Richard Frediani has been the subject of at least two misconduct complaints since taking over the UK's most-watched morning TV show in 2019, according to Deadline. Continue reading...

Matt Clifford, a tech investor who wrote government's controversial AI action plan, to resign for personal reasons

Tropical Storm Dalila brings flooding to Acapulco, while Hurricane Erick causes disruption in Oaxaca stateWhile the western Atlantic has experienced a quiet start to the hurricane season, the eastern Pacific has recently become fairly active, producing a tropical storm and a category 4 hurricane within a few days.The first and weaker of these systems, Tropical Storm Dalila, developed into a tropical storm late last week. Although this storm stayed off the coast of Mexico and was relatively weak to other storms that have developed in this region, Dalila brought flooding and mudslides to the resort town of Acapulco, in western Mexico. Continue reading...

Culture secretary says Vicky Foxcroft is only frontbench MP she knows who was considering quitting before vote

Letter sent to Perplexity AI but US-based firm calls corporation's claims manipulative and opportunistic'The BBC is threatening legal action against Perplexity AI, in the corporation's first move to protect its content from being scraped without permission to build artificial intelligence technology.The corporation has sent a letter to Aravind Srinivas, the chief executive of the San Francisco-based startup, saying it has gathered evidence that Perplexity's model was trained using BBC content". Continue reading...

This blog has now closedBragg says better value' for taxpayers if Coalition part of Chalmers' productivity roundtableAndrew Bragg, the shadow minister for productivity and deregulation, told RN Breakfast this morning it was up to treasurer Jim Chalmers who sits on an upcoming productivity roundtable but taxpayers would be better off if the Coalition was on the invite list.As you know, we're happy to be productive. We are doing our own policy work on productivity, deregulation, cutting of red tape. ... I think taxpayers would get better value if we were able to collaborate. But ultimately, who goes to this meeting is up to the treasurer. As he says, there'll be a role for us regardless.But I do think that if there is an opportunity for bipartisanship on trying to improve our very anaemic productivity, which I have to say, after three years of Labor, I mean, the government have largely driven a lot of this bad productivity because of their huge commitment to red tape. Continue reading...

Committee seeking warrants for staff from premier and police minister's offices, but they insist they had reasonable excuse or just cause' not to attend

Ex-partner of former premier Gladys Berejiklian misled Icac probe over $48m property development, magistrate finds

Industry professionals gather at civil and military aircraft event further overshadowed by war between Israel and IranEvery second summer more than 100,000 aviation industry professionals gather in Paris for an airshow - a flying display crossed with a vast conference. The mood at the latest gathering this week was more subdued than usual, after the deadly crash a week ago of a London-bound Air India flight in Ahmedabad.Investigators have recovered the black box from the plane to try to work out the cause of the disaster. The aircraft maker Boeing, and GE Aerospace, which made the 787 Dreamliner's engines, both cancelled many of their media-facing events out of respect for the families of the 241 passengers and crew who died, as well as at least 30 more people on the ground who were killed. Continue reading...

In 1992 letter, Mustapha Matura warned of risk to Ladbroke Grove, home to strong Caribbean creative communityA groundbreaking Trinidadian-British playwright who paved the way for modern Black British theatre makers warned about the dangers of gentrification in Ladbroke Grove, which he believed would ruin the writer's paradise".Mustapha Matura was the first British writer of colour to have work put on in the West End, and used the west London area as an inspiration for many of his plays, which were also staged at the Royal Court and National Theatre. Continue reading...

This blog has now closed here. You can follow our new live blog hereThe leader of Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service has said that a directive had been issued to reduce the number of people on the floor that was hit at Soroko hospital in Beersheba, according to the Haaretz newspaper.He added that there had been no hazardous materials incident at the hospital and that for now Magen David Adom was transferring patients to other hospitals in southern Israel instead of Soroka. Continue reading...

Student Loans Company figures show 10% jump in a year as individuals increase borrowing to meet cost of livingStudents in England are finishing their degrees with government loans averaging 53,000, a jump of 10% in a year, as they increase their borrowing to meet the rising cost of living.The Student Loans Company (SLC) has released figures showing individual loan balances were 5,000 higher in 2024-25 than a year earlier, when the average in England was 48,270. Continue reading...

Exclusive: first store opens in Spinningfields, Manchester, two weeks before band's first gig in 16 years in CardiffWill the truce between the Gallagher brothers hold out? Will the most-hyped reunion in British rock history actually come off? And will fans be able to bag themselves an official Oasis tea towel?The answer to that final question, at least, has arrived. The first Oasis merchandise store will open in Manchester on Friday, two weeks before the band perform their first gig in 16 years at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Research by the General Medical Council found doctors opting for US, Australia and Canada insteadDoctors are choosing not to come and work in the UK because they are put off by low salaries, the high cost of living and poor quality of life.Research by the General Medical Council (GMC) shows that doctors who shun the UK are opting to move instead to the United States, Australia and Canada to earn more and have a better life. Continue reading...

In the phone call, Thai prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra discusses a border dispute with former Cambodian leader and calls him uncle'Thailand's prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, apologised after a leaked phone conversation with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen prompted public anger and threatened the collapse of her government.In the leaked call, Paetongtarn - daughter of the populist former leader Thaksin Shinawatra - discusses an ongoing border dispute with Hun Sen, who is known to be a friend of her family.

Anahita, a Tehran resident in her 30s, tells of fleeing the city, surging inflation and her hopes for regime change

Items ranged from video cameras and guitars to taxidermy deer heads, props from Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive - and the director's personal coffee machinePersonal effects belonging to the film-maker David Lynch, who died in January, have fetched more than $4m at auction in Los Angeles, with the highest bid of $195,000 going to scripts for his unrealised film project Ronnie Rocket.Wednesday's auction of almost 450 items included props from Lynch's films, personal items such as video cameras and music equipment, his director's chair, two taxidermy deer heads, his 35mm print of his debut feature Eraserhead - and his beloved La Marzocco GS/3 home espresso machine, which fetched $45,500 and presumably produces a damn fine cup of coffee. Continue reading...

Operators of trial insist age assurance can be done' but preliminary report finds age verification tools not guaranteed to be effective'