UK supply chain unprepared for major shocks such as war, report warns
Research by National Preparedness Commission calls for āworst-case scenarioā planning by European statesBritainās vital supply chains are unprepared for the prospect of a major shock such as war with Russia, and bold steps are needed to catch up with āworst-case scenarioā planning by European states, ministers have been warned.Donald Trumpās āAmerica Firstā transformation of the US, which has made what was once a trusted UK ally a much less reliable partner, should also feed into that planning, according to a new report. Continue reading...
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What is included in the Iran ceasefire deal?
Proposed framework hinges on a 60-day truce, reopening strait of Hormuz, and revived talks on limiting Iran nuclear programme⢠Middle East crisis: live updatesDonald Trump has said a āmemorandum of understandingā in talks to end the US-Israel war on Iran āhas been largely negotiatedā.Official details of the deal are scant and it remains possible that some aspects of the memo could change. Here is what we know so far about the potential agreement that could bring an end to the war. Continue reading...
Read original Ā· theguardian.comIrish gangland figure fails in Dublin byelection bid for seat in parliament
Gerry āthe monkā Hutch comes fourth in contest won by Daniel Ennis of Social DemocratsThe Irish gangland figure Gerry āthe monkā Hutch has failed in his bid for a parliamentary seat in a Dublin byelection.The 63-year-old came fourth in a contest won by Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats, a victory for progressive politics after a campaign dominated by concerns over the cost of living and immigration. Continue reading...
Read original Ā· theguardian.comUK judgeās decision not to jail boys for rape like a ārock straight in my faceā, says victim, 16
Boys, aged 15, given youth rehabilitation orders for two separate attacks against two girls in Hampshire A judgeās decision not to jail two teenage boys who raped two girls has been described by one of the victims as a ārock straight in my faceā.A trial at Southampton crown court heard the girls were raped in two separate attacks in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, the first attack on 26 November 2024 and the second on 17 January 2025. Continue reading...
Read original Ā· theguardian.comTreasury rejected ministersā plan to cut VAT on public EV charging to 5%
Department for Transport is understood to back reducing levy, which critics have called a āpavement taxāBusiness live ā latest updatesGovernment officials considered cutting the VAT charged on electricity used at public EV chargers from 20% to 5% at the last budget, but the Treasury under chancellor Rachel Reeves rejected the proposal amid disagreement between departments.Officials in the Department for Transport encouraged electric car charge point operators to write to the Treasury explaining how they would respond to a VAT cut, according to three industry sources. The charger companies said that they would pass the tax cut on to consumers. Continue reading...
Read original Ā· theguardian.comHunger increasingly used as weapon of war as āfood-related violenceā surges, analysis shows
More than 20,000 attacks on markets, farmland and food distribution systems have been recorded since 2018Hunger is being increasingly exploited as a weapon of war with more than 20,000 documented incidents of āfood-related violenceā in the past eight years, new analysis reveals.Attacks include 1,261 strikes on markets used by families for daily groceries and 863 incidents in which food distribution systems were targeted and workers killed. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.com£600 for cheese? The Brazilian beach scams that cost visitors dear
Travellers warned to beware of debit card cons after one was charged £1,500 for a kebab and another £3,000 for corn on the cobWhen Lisa Selby* used her debit card to pay for two slices of barbecued cheese from a beach vendor in Rio de Janeiro, she expected to pay 40 reais (£5.90) for the snack.But shortly after the payment had gone through, she realised that she had been charged 4,000 reais (£590) after the vendor added two extra zeros to the card reader. Continue reading...
Read original Ā· theguardian.comāAI washingā: firms are scrambling to rebrand themselves as tech-focused
PR executives say UK companies are forcing them to present ordinary automation as artificial intelligence UK companies are performing āyoga-levelā stretches to describe themselves as AI specialists in an attempt to capitalise on the buzz around the technology, public relations firms have said.Weary communications executives tasked with securing media coverage for brands have complained that bosses in low-tech industries or running businesses that use automation but not generative AI, are increasingly demanding they are pitched to journalists as artificial intelligence companies. Continue reading...
Read original Ā· theguardian.comShark attack: man dies on Great Barrier Reef in far north Queensland
The 39-year-old was reportedly fishing at Kennedy Shoal between Cairns and Townsville when emergency services alerted about middayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man has died after a shark attack on the Great Barrier Reef south of Cairns.The 39-year-old had reportedly been fishing at Kennedy Shoal, a shallow reef about 50km off the Queensland coast, between Cairns and Townsville. Continue reading...
Read original Ā· theguardian.comSqueals of horror over price caps ā but how are we going to fix our broken food system?
Global events and the climate crisis have left Britainās food system dangerously exposed and in desperate need of an overhaulThe news that the Treasury was asking UK supermarkets to cap price rises on essential foods was greeted with predictable squeals of horror this week. Supermarkets were reportedly āfuriousā, while luminaries from the former head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies to the former chair of M&S could be found harrumphing about the evils of price controls.But this caterwauling is a distraction from two unpleasant facts. Firstly, the food price surge over the summer and beyond is likely to be significant ā and will come on top of a near-40% rise in the price of food since 2020 ā due to a devastating combination of the Iran war and a forecast record-breaking El NiƱo, which will hammer global food production. And secondly, Britainās food system is painfully exposed to such shocks. The long-held assumption that a global food system can be relied on to meet the nationās needs, at a reasonable price, no longer applies. Continue reading...
Read original Ā· theguardian.comFormer prosecutor calls for EU statute blocking US sanctions on ICC members
US imposed sanctions on nine judges and a prosecutor after ICC issued arrest warrants for members of Israeli cabinetA former prosecutor at the international criminal court has called for an EU-wide statute blocking what she describes as āthuggishā and ābullyingā US sanctions imposed on members of the court that are designed to send the court into oblivion.In February 2025, the US imposed sanctions on 11 ICC officials, including nine judges and the chief prosecutor as well three Palestinian organisations, in response to the ICC decision in 2024 to issue arrest warrants for members of the Israeli cabinet, including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Continue reading...
Read original Ā· theguardian.comAustralia news live: Queensland police shot dead man north of Brisbane; gunshots heard near White House
Shooting of man who was allegedly armed with a firearm at a house in Narangba to be investigatedGood morning and welcome to another Sunday morning Guardian Australia live blog.Queensland police have shot dead an alleged domestic violence perpetrator who was armed with a firearm at a home north of Brisbane. Continue reading...
Read original Ā· theguardian.com