Call for vote on inquiry into claims Starmer lied over Mandelson dismissed by Labour grandees – UK politics live

• UN International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez stated that the blockading of ships in the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Iran conflict has turned international shipping and seafarers into leverage in geopolitical disputes. • The crisis highlights how vessels and crews, not involved in the conflict, are being caught up in hostilities between the United States and Iran, disrupting global trade routes. • This development underscores critical weaknesses in global shipping networks, potentially leading to supply chain disruptions, higher costs, and risks to maritime security worldwide.

Enough family reference samples collected to identify at least 60% of disinterred USS Arizona crew membersThe United States government could move to disinter the remains of unidentified USS Arizona crew members who were killed in the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 after the clinching of a key DNA-related milestone, officials recently announced.Before that announcement, officials determined enough family reference samples had been collected for comparison with DNA taken from remains – along with medical and dental records – for the individual identification of at least 60% of the battleship crew members to be disinterred, said a statement on Friday from the agency tasked with identifying US military personnel who are unaccounted for after past conflicts. Continue reading...

Secret Service director says security succeeded in stopping shooter before he could do further harm but others disagreeThe shooting in the White House correspondents’ gala has prompted questions over security with some asking how a shooter was able to get close to where Donald Trump and many other senior administration officials were gathered and many others praising the actions of law enforcement that swiftly stopped the attack.As details about the shooting at the Washington Hilton continued to surface, the alleged shooter Cole Tomas Allen, 31, mocked an “insane” lack of security at the Washington dinner in a manifesto reportedly send to his family 10 minutes before his assault started. Continue reading...

US president says there’s ‘no reason to meet’ Tehran unless they agree never to have nuclear weaponsWelcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.Donald Trump has said Iran can telephone if it wants to negotiate an end to the war and that it must agree never to have a nuclear weapon, while Pakistan’s leaders have sought to revive the stalled peace talks between Washington and Tehran.Iran gave the US a new proposal on reopening the strait and ending the war, with nuclear negotiations postponed for a later stage, according to the news site Axios. The US state department and White House did not immediately comment on the Sunday report, which cited an unnamed US official and two sources.Araghchi’s talks with Pakistani officials on Sunday had included “implementing a new legal regime over the strait of Hormuz, receiving compensation, guaranteeing no renewed military aggression by warmongers and lifting the naval blockade”, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. In the talks with Omani leader Haitham bin Tariq al-Said, Araghchi called for a regional security framework free of outside interference.Araghchi would meet with Putin “in continuation of the diplomatic jihad to advance the country’s interests and amid external threats”, Iran’s envoy in Russia, Kazem Jalali, said on X.Two US air force C-17s carrying security staff, equipment and vehicles used to protect US officials flew out of Pakistan after the latest diplomatic trip was called off, two Pakistani government sources told Reuters on Sunday. Continue reading...

Alleged shooter expected to appear in federal court and could be charged with trying to assassinate TrumpThe suspected gunman who tried to storm the White House correspondents’ dinner was expected to appear in federal court to face criminal charges on Monday.The alleged shooter, identified by law enforcement agencies as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old man from Torrance in southern California, faces charges including assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer. Continue reading...

Heatwaves reach 45C across India as unseasonably cold weather affects parts of central CanadaWidespread heavy rain is sweeping over southern China. By Wednesday, rainfall totals are expected to exceed 100mm across many parts of Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces, and in some areas as much as 150-200mm.As a result, the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management have been holding meetings with meteorological and hydrological departments to emphasise the importance of reinforced patrols and emergency responses to mitigate against the probable flooding that the intense rainfall is expected to bring. In particular, reservoirs with known safety concerns must remain empty during the period, as well as through the coming rainy season. Continue reading...

Images in Helen Polley’s post included a marching band, people laying wreaths and ex-serving members giving speeches set to a track by US rapper ChingyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA federal Labor senator has deleted a social media video which mistakenly included audio of an explicit rap song over a carousel of photos of Anzac Day commemorations.Senator Helen Polley, a former shadow minister and current chair of parliament’s committee on law enforcement, posted a video compilation of images paying respect to Australia’s defence forces. Continue reading...

Booing by right-wing groups of Indigenous leaders giving speeches marred Anzac Day ceremonies for a second year runningGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn anti-immigration group asked followers how loud they would be booing welcome to country ceremonies at Anzac Day dawn services before multiple events were disrupted on Saturday. But the group has denied orchestrating a campaign, despite doubling down on its criticism of what it called “woke rituals”.Booing by right-wing groups of Indigenous elders giving welcome to country speeches marred Anzac Day ceremonies for a second year running, and sparked another public debate about their role at public events. Uncle Ray Minniecon, who served in the armed forces nd was booed while giving a welcome at Sydney’s dawn service, said the mocking was “unexpected and unnecessary, but it happens”. Continue reading...

Conservatives expected to push for privileges committee involvement in a Commons vote on MondayA series of senior Labour figures have dismissed calls for a new investigation into what Keir Starmer told MPs about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as political point scoring, before a possible Commons vote on the issue.The Conservatives have called for the cross-party privileges committee, the remit of which includes examining whether MPs broke rules, to look at whether the prime minister misled parliament when he said normal procedures were followed with Mandelson’s appointment. Continue reading...

Hundreds of senior staff in territory benefit from nearly £30,000-a-year grant per child not available to staff in group’s other hubs HSBC is reportedly reviewing a perk that covers school fees for bankers in Hong Kong as part of a big overhaul of the bank under chief executive Georges Elhedery.Europe’s largest bank is considering whether to scrap the perk for new employees or make changes to total compensation, Bloomberg News reported. No decisions have been made yet. Continue reading...

Suspect in Saturday evening’s shooting – Cole Tomas Allen – expected to be formally charged in court todayGood morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.The suspected gunman in the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday evening, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, from Torrance, California, is due to appear in court later today.He is expected to be formally charged with using a firearm during a violent crime and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. Continue reading...