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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...

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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...

Airline's maintenance regime will also be scrutinised as experts offer theories for cause of disasterThe official investigation into Air India flight 171 is focusing on the Boeing 787's engine thrust, wing flaps and landing gear, with the airline's maintenance regime also coming under scrutiny.With one black box now retrieved from the wreckage of the plane, the Indian government's Air Accident Investigation Branch is looking at whether the aircraft's engine thrust and wing flaps failed, and why the landing gear remained open. Continue reading...

Whips increase pressure on MPs and No 10 drawing up contingency plans for ministerial changes as vote nearsThe government is intensifying efforts to quell a growing rebellion over welfare cuts, with whips stepping up contact with MPs and strategists drawing up plans for a mini-reshuffle in case of resignations.Ministers are taking a carrot-and-stick approach by laying out extra support for people who face losing their benefits, while also warning mutinous MPs of the consequences of voting against the plans. Continue reading...

Another motion on agenda at party's state conference calls for withdrawal from Paris agreement

Critics say history shows recreational shooting is not as effective as evidence-based baiting and aerial shooting programs

India's ministry of civil aviation orders airline to carry out safety inspections on fleet with GE Aerospace GEnx engines after crash of flight 171

Foreign ministers condemn strikes amid fears of wider war, but reaction from Iran's proxies is relatively measured

Bishop of Kirkstall says C of E has people deeply resistant to any funding for racial justice' after budget halvedThe Church of England is susceptible to the influence of extreme views from abroad and at home", a bishop has warned after church officials made a brutal" cut in funding to tackle racism.There were people in the C of E who were deeply resistant to any funding for racial justice", said Arun Arora, the bishop of Kirkstall and joint leader of the church's racial justice work. Continue reading...

PM calls for de-escalation as No 10 also indicates RAF did not take any part in downing retaliatory Iranian drones

James Mukhwana prosecuted after death of Albert Ojwang, a teacher arrested after criticising police on social mediaA Kenyan police officer has appeared in court in connection with the death of a teacher in police custody in a case that has caused rage and protests and brought renewed scrutiny on the country's security forces.Constable James Mukhwana is the first police officer to be arrested over the death of Albert Ojwang, a secondary school teacher who was arrested on 6 June in Homa Bay county in western Kenya after criticising a senior police official on social media. After his arrest Ojwang was driven about 350km to Nairobi, where he died two days later. Continue reading...

Officers say 265 bodies found so far as families queue at Ahmedabad hospital to identify loved ones

Many who engage are discriminating and value-driven', with a minority consuming extremely misogynistic content', study for Ofcom suggestsMen who engage in the online manosphere" and the content of Andrew Tate are often able to express a strong commitment to equal treatment and fairness", according to research commissioned by Ofcom.Prompted by growing concerns about internet misogyny, researchers for the UK communications regulator followed the journeys of dozens of men through online content ranging from the US podcaster Joe Rogan to forums for incels" (involuntary celibates). They found that while a minority encountered extremely misogynistic content", many users of the manosphere were critically engaged, selective and capable of discarding messages that did not resonate with their values. Continue reading...

Local authorities say a 5bn shortfall in special needs funding could leave dozens effectively insolvent within monthsCouncil leaders in England have warned that a multibillion pound deficit from years of overspending on special educational needs has become a burning platform" that will push scores of councils into bankruptcy within months.They say time is running out to resolve rapidly growing shortfalls and are concerned the government gave no indication in Wednesday's spending review how it will deal with Send debts, which are expected to exceed 5bn by next March. Continue reading...

Israel has struck dozens of targets inside Iran, including nuclear sites and military installationsIsrael launched a widespread attack on Iran aimed at targets including its nuclear facilities, military commanders and scientists, claiming it took unilateral action because Tehran had begun to build nuclear warheads. Israel said 200 Israeli fighter jets participated in the operation, striking 100 targets. Continue reading...

Transaction tax acceptable' to EU is part of deal to allow greater freedom of movement and link with customs unionGibraltar will apply a 15% sales tax on goods to avoid unfair competition with Spain, as a result of the agreement on the post-Brexit future of the British overseas territory, it has emerged.The territory has agreed to ensure a 15% minimum transaction tax" on goods within three years of the ratification of the agreement, according to a senior European official. Continue reading...

Vishwash Kumar Ramesh says he thought he was dead as plane exploded but escaped through opening in fuselage

Temperatures over 40C recorded in Portugal and Spain, while China endures heatwave conditions in high 40sTemperature records for early June are being broken across large parts of Europe, with the mercury reaching 40.5C (104.9F) in Mertola, Portugal, on Sunday. On the same day, several weather stations in Spain recorded temperatures in excess of 42C, with dozens of sites at record levels for early summer. Across the Balkans, temperatures reached 37C. On Monday, 37.6C was recorded in Tirana, Albania, while in Greece night-time minimum temperatures have stayed mostly over 30C for much of this week.Hot conditions are to intensify across central and western Europe over the next few days, with temperatures across large parts of France, Benelux, Italy and west Germany expected to reach the low to mid 30s celsius. Highs of up to 35C are expected in Paris on Friday, with up to 38C forecast in Rome. Conditions will ease somewhat, but a heatwave will soon develop across Iberia, with Madrid expected to reach the high-30s celsius each day next week. Continue reading...

Penny Wong says government alarmed' by strikes which risk further destabilising a region that is already volatile'

Wissam Haddad does mean to cause offence' and should be ordered to stop maligning Jewish people, the federal court is told Australia news live: latest politics updates

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Narendra Modi visits Ahmedabad crash site where at least 265 people died, with one passenger on Boeing jet surviving

Christopher Luxon's visit to Beijing comes as former NZ PMs warn the country must not become part of defence arrangements explicitly aimed at China'New Zealand's prime minister will meet Xi Jinping on a formal visit to China next week, his office has confirmed, a week after an open letter signed by some of his predecessors warned against positioning New Zealand as an adversary" of its biggest trading partner.Christopher Luxon is scheduled to travel to Shanghai and Beijing, before going to Europe. His office said he will meet Xi and China's premier, Li Qiang, for a visit focused on trade, but which would also discuss the comprehensive bilateral relationship and key regional and global issues". Continue reading...

Knee was not applied to Gaurav Kundi's neck, SA force says, but use of restraints will be closely examined Australia news live: latest politics updates

In today's newsletter: Israel takes unilateral action against Iran, which was in the middle of negotiations with the US, taking the Middle East to the brink of all-out warGood morning. After threatening to do so for decades, Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran, which hit dozens" of targets including its nuclear facilities, military commanders and scientists. Israel claimed it took this unilateral action because Tehran had begun to build nuclear warheads.Iran responded by launching 100 drones towards Israel. The region now stands at a precipice of a catastrophic, all out war.India | Teams of sniffer dogs have combed the wreckage of Air India Flight 171, which crashed shortly after takeoff in Ahmedabad, killing at least 265 people on board. One man, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, miraculously survived.UK politics | Rachel Reeves is a gnat's whisker" away from raising taxes this autumn, the director of Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul Johnson, says.Northern Ireland | DUP minister Gordon Lyons has rejected calls to resign after social media posts claiming people who fled Ballymena were housed in a leisure centre in Larne, which was set on fire.Bangladesh | British property belonging to former land minister of Bangladesh worth 170m has been frozen by the National Crime Agency amid a crackdown on allies of Sheikh Hasina.Environment | Yorkshire has entered a drought after the county recorded its driest spring in 132 years. Continue reading...

Anonymous messages questioned judgment of senior managers in dealing with Greensill, says Swiss regulatorBosses at Credit Suisse were warned against dealing with the Australian financier Lex Greensill's eponymous company three years before the collapse of his Greensill Capital, which once employed the former UK prime minister David Cameron as an adviser.The character judgment" of senior Credit Suisse managers was challenged in anonymous messages they received as early as 2018, which raised concerns over the Swiss bank's dealings with Greensill, according to a report by the Swiss regulator Finma, released under a London court order after a request by the Guardian and other media. Continue reading...

Olorato Mongale, allegedly killed by man she went on date with, is latest victim of violence against womenA wave of anger and frustration has gripped South Africa after the murder of 30-year-old Olorato Mongale, allegedly by a man she went on a date with. It is the latest in a series of high-profile cases of violence against women and children in the country.Friends of Mongale, a former journalist who had been studying for a master's degree in ICT policy, raised the alarm when she stopped checking in with them while on a date in Johannesburg on 25 May. Her body was found that day. Continue reading...

Christian Tein, who denies accusations of instigating violence in the French territory in 2024, will remain under judicial supervisionA French court freed an independence leader from the overseas territory of New Caledonia who had been detained for a year over deadly riots in 2024.Christian Tein, who is indigenous Kanak , was charged and incarcerated over the rioting on the Pacific archipelago in May last year that left more than a dozen dead. Continue reading...

Cause of blast in Lidcombe unit unknown, with one person taken to hospital

Government announces 9m funding to make specialist blood machines more widely available across NHSPeople living with sickle cell disease in England are to benefit from quicker and more accessible treatment due to a 9m investment, the government has announced.Apheresis services, which are a type of treatment that removes harmful components from a patient's blood, are to improve across England through the funding of more specialist treatment centres. The funding will ensure the wider availability of machines that remove a patient's sickled red blood cells and replace them with healthy donor cells. Continue reading...

Gordon Lyons rejects calls to resign after posting information about leisure centre hours before it was set on fireNorthern Ireland's first minister has accused a DUP politician of inflaming tensions after a leisure centre in Larne was set on fire.Gordon Lyons, the communities minister, should consider his position", Michelle O'Neill said. Hours before the centre was set on fire by a mob of masked youths on Wednesday, Lyons had posted on social media that the building was being used to accommodate several people who had fled from Ballymena, about 20 miles (32km) away. Continue reading...

Sweeping raids underway across California as part of Trump's immigration crackdown, creating havoc and fear'With the US military deployed on the streets of Los Angeles, federal immigration authorities have been conducting sweeping raids across California, arresting people at their homes and at workplaces as part of Donald Trump's promised immigration crackdown.Agents have apprehended people outside churches, in fields in the California agricultural heartland, in residential Los Angeles neighborhoods and at Home Depot parking lots and car washes. Ice agents have been seen near LA schools, prompting some students and their families to skip graduation events. A woman who was nine months pregnant and a US citizen was detained during a sweep over the weekend. Continue reading...

Republicans target public broadcasters in rarely used gambit while also slashing global health programsThe House narrowly voted on Thursday to cut about $9.4bn in spending already approved by Congress as Donald Trump's administration looks to follow through on work by the so-called department of government efficiency" when it was overseen by Elon Musk.The package targets foreign aid programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides money for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, as well as thousands of public radio and television stations around the country. The vote was 214-212. Continue reading...

Fears of possible Israeli strike against Iran and retaliation after IAEA issues strongest rebuke of Iran in 20 yearsDonald Trump has warned that a massive conflict" could break out in the Middle East soon if talks over an Iranian nuclear deal break down, amid concerns over a possible Israeli strike against Tehran.Trump said on Thursday he was worried that an Israeli strike could blow" the negotiations, and he confirmed he had ordered some US personnel to evacuate from the Middle East in case of an Iranian counterattack that could include missiles flying in their buildings". Continue reading...

Governor condemns federal deployment of troops in Los Angeles as theater' in interview with the Daily podcast