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Burnham in Kyiv as Russia tensions escalate, government targets pub tax rates
Ministers promise to overhaul business-rate valuations for pubs and hotels as Burnham travels to Kyiv amid escalating Russia tensions and Reform UK unveils a social housing pledge. Also: Iran’s sanctions warning, a Nevada wildfire and Maradona’s ball sells for £2.5m.
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US threatens sweeping financial campaign against Iran and its trading partners
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has vowed to launch what he called the “single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary” against Iran, describing it as an “economic D-Day” in a Financial Times op-ed. The threat, echoing similar language from President Trump, is aimed at pressuring Tehran back to the negotiating table by targeting…
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If walls could talk… just where have Parliament’s missing artworks gone?
More than 65 artworks are missing from the Houses of Parliament, including a photographic portrait of Benjamin Disraeli and a 19th-century print of anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce, it has emerged. The items, which also include images of former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett and Labour minister Barbara Castle, have gone unaccounted for since 2024, with parliamentary…
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Iran rips Trump’s ’empty talk’ while issuing blistering ultimatum to neighboring nations
Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, has dismissed Donald Trump’s economic threats as “empty talk” and warned neighbouring states against helping Washington tighten its sanctions campaign, saying Tehran would “target their interests” and could block oil flowing through the Persian Gulf. The remarks come as Trump prepares to intensify economic pressure on Iran, with the US…
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Arriva North London Bus Drivers Strike Next Week Over Hot Working Conditions
More than 1,500 bus drivers employed by Arriva in North London will strike next week after negotiations with management collapsed without resolution. The industrial action centres on concerns about excessive heat in buse
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Arriva bus strikes return, Trump slams Canada, Thailand hit by arson wave
London bus drivers plan fresh strikes over hot working conditions, Trump lashes out at Canada after trade talks collapse, and Thailand faces over fifty co-ordinated arson attacks, plus Iran’s economic woes, Premier League kick-off and Mateta’s Palace contract battle.
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‘I wanted to die’: Husband and wife kidnapped on October 7 reveal hell they endured in Gaza – from seeing girls ‘beaten to pieces’ and sexually assaulted to being starved and tortured
Aviva and Keith Siegel, an Israeli couple abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023, have spoken publicly about the brutal treatment they endured during their captivity in Gaza. Aviva, held for 51 days before her release in November 2023, described witnessing young female hostages beaten and sexually assaulted by…
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Iran’s president says country faces ‘many problems’ as US ramps up sanctions
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly acknowledged that the country faces “many problems,” including inflation and unemployment, as the United States prepares to intensify economic sanctions it describes as unprecedented in severity. The admission is notable given Iran’s history of mass protests over economic hardship, including unrest at the end of last year that authorities…
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Hunter Biden is stopped in his tracks by Bill Maher’s reality check as they argue about Iran war
Bill Maher challenged Hunter Biden’s criticism of the US approach to Iran during an appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, pushing back with reminders that Democrats had also opposed Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and that Israel had long sought military action against Tehran. The exchange matters as a rare moment of pointed scrutiny from…
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Robot beats Bolt as US midterms rocked by scandal and Iran claims war win
A humanoid robot at the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing recorded 9.39 seconds for 100 metres, faster than Usain Bolt’s official human world-record time of 9.58 seconds. More than 2,000 humanoid robots were reported to be taking part in the five-day event, which included athletic and team-sport competitions. The result demonstrates rapid advances in…