Taz Ali

The UK is experiencing another period of extreme heat, with temperatures forecast to reach 36–38C in parts of England as drought and wildfires spread. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is considering a ban on disposable barbecues and chaired an emergency Cobra meeting, while authorities issued wildfire warnings and continued fighting major fires in the New Forest, Scotland, London and Suffolk. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said NHS England must begin preparing annually for summer heatwaves, which have already been linked to thousands of excess deaths and an estimated £4.4bn in lost economic output. Farmers warned that drought is damaging crops and called for reforms to make on-farm reservoirs easier to build. Climate experts and campaigners said worsening heat, drought and fire risks are driven by global heating, criticized the government’s limited adaptation capacity and urged faster progress toward net zero.

The UK government says more than 17,000 people have been arrested for illegal working since the July 2024 general election and 2,357 deported, while minister Anna Turley calls enforcement activity historically high. The Conservatives propose removing social-housing eligibility from foreign nationals and say the measure could free nearly 230,000 homes, but Shelter condemns it as divisive and potentially disruptive to families and pensioners. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting condemns violent anti-immigration protests in Thetford, while arguing that legitimate immigration concerns should not be equated with racist violence; he also criticizes the possible early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers. Alan Milburn’s review is expected to recommend earlier identification and support for children at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training, drawing on Ireland’s sharply reduced youth worklessness rate. Turley separately defends Andy Burnham’s informal football-and-pub-focused social-media style as authentic. Other updates cover Conservative guidance on single-sex facilities and turmoil within Scottish Labour.

Iran says negotiations with Oman over reopening the Strait of Hormuz are nearing an agreement, potentially giving Tehran control over inbound shipping and Oman oversight of outbound traffic, although Iranian sources say key details remain unresolved. Iran has warned Gulf states that attacks on its infrastructure would prompt retaliation against their energy and strategic facilities, while the US continues its blockade and President Donald Trump claims the strait will reopen soon. Elsewhere, Houthi attacks killed dozens of Yemeni government troops and targeted Saudi oil tankers, intensifying the Yemen conflict. Israeli-Lebanese talks continued amid renewed Israeli strikes, the deaths of two Israeli reservists and further civilian casualties. Arab and Muslim states condemned Israel's attacks in Gaza, while rights groups described an Israeli strike that killed a Lebanese journalist as a war crime.

Iran and Oman have agreed on the geographic coordinates for a proposed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz and are finalising a joint statement, although Iran says the arrangement would not itself guarantee safe passage or reopen the waterway. Tehran insists that the United States must end its naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Washington opposes Iranian control of the route and the charging of service fees. The potential agreement could provide a temporary framework for shipping and revive US-Iran nuclear negotiations. Elsewhere, Israel launched strikes in southern Lebanon after accusing Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire, killing at least one person and injuring 11. Houthi attacks or claimed attacks on Saudi oil tankers pushed oil prices higher, with Brent crude rising above $80 a barrel and UK petrol and diesel prices reaching new wartime highs.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said talks involving Washington, Tehran and Muscat had made progress toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz, though no final agreement had been reached; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a deal could come within a day. Iran and Oman were reportedly discussing designated shipping lanes, while disagreements remained over Iranian control, tolls and the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports. Qatar said diplomatic efforts were continuing, and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian denied threatening to resign. Elsewhere, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected withdrawal from Gaza before Hamas disarms, while US-facilitated Israel-Lebanon talks resumed in Rome over Hezbollah disarmament and Israeli redeployment. Reports also said US missile-defence stocks had been heavily depleted, shipping was attacked in the Red Sea, oil prices remained elevated, and the conflict continued to cause civilian and economic losses across the region.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the EU offered Spain support from the outset of the Ceuta border crisis and that no migrants reached mainland Spain or the wider EU after most returned to Morocco. Her comments followed Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez’s criticism of what he called selfish and polarizing reactions from some European countries, particularly Italy, which temporarily suspended Schengen travel arrangements with Spain. EU officials scheduled emergency discussions on a coordinated response to irregular migration. The live coverage also reports rising deaths from a Russian attack on Ukraine, worsening wildfires in France and Spain, threats to Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant from low Danube water levels, and a Ukrainian drone attack that reportedly sank a Russian-owned container ship in the Black Sea.

Donald Trump declared a breakthrough agreement involving Hamas’s complete disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, but he did not clarify which would happen first. Israel has not formally accepted the plan and officials insist that genuine, complete disarmament must precede withdrawal, while Hamas says it will surrender heavy weapons only alongside an Israeli withdrawal and an end to hostilities. The proposed Gaza administration and international force would oversee implementation, but major disputes remain. Trump also threatened to strike Iran “very hard” and said he was losing faith in negotiations. The live report further describes civilian casualties, Israeli operations in Gaza and Lebanon, settler violence in the West Bank, and concerns that US reductions in civilian-harm protections may have contributed to wartime deaths.

Iraq denies prior knowledge of US-Saudi strikes on its territory and says it neither authorized attacks nor received evidence that Iran-backed groups launched drones against Saudi Arabia. The strikes reportedly killed at least 20 members of Iraq’s Iran-aligned Popular Mobilisation Forces, prompting the Iraqi prime minister to postpone a Saudi visit. The live coverage also reports continued US-Iran hostilities, including Iranian claims of a drone attack on a US base in Kuwait, US strikes on Iran’s Qeshm island, and severely reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, Donald Trump claims Hamas has agreed to disarm under a Gaza plan overseen by the Board of Peace, but Hamas ties disarmament to an Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction, while Israel insists on complete demilitarisation before withdrawing. Pakistan says negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain ongoing, and Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing a broader offensive against Yemen’s Houthis.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake, measured at 6.8 by the US Geological Survey, struck Japan’s southern Kyushu island, killing at least 13 people and injuring hundreds. Rescue teams searched collapsed homes, an Aeon shopping centre damaged by a subsequent explosion, and a Nippon Paper Industries factory where a chimney fell. Several people remained missing, while tens of thousands of homes lacked electricity or gas and more than 9,000 residents moved into shelters. Authorities warned of further earthquakes, extreme heat and difficult recovery conditions; Toyota and Honda suspended local factory operations.

Wildfires in France and Spain have forced about 267,000 people to evacuate, including 197,000 near Bordeaux and 70,000 west of Madrid. Spain declared a national emergency as high winds and extreme heat complicated firefighting, while one person died near Valencia. France deployed 1,500 soldiers, specialist equipment and military aircraft to support emergency services. The fires also continued in Scotland’s Cairngorms national park, prompting a request for UK military assistance. The EU pledged additional aircraft, helicopters and emergency mapping support.

Prime minister Andy Burnham opened No 10 North in Manchester and defended its cost against London-based critics, arguing that a second government centre would rebalance power and support growth across the UK. He held a national economic council meeting there and highlighted policies including a £2 cap on English bus fares, removing VAT from household electricity bills and business-rates relief for pubs, clubs and live-music venues. The government faces criticism from the SNP over the limited impact in Scotland and from Jeremy Corbyn over its rejection of rent controls. Ministers are reviewing the early prisoner-release scheme, while the Liberal Democrats urged Burnham to challenge Donald Trump’s new tariffs. Energy-sector representatives also pressed for approval of the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gas projects, despite environmental opposition.

The US carried out its 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting military command centers, drone facilities, communications networks and coastal surveillance sites. UN secretary general António Guterres warned that the Middle East was nearing an “unimaginable” and widening confrontation, while Donald Trump said he was considering a larger attack and threatened Iran over Houthi strikes on Saudi oil tankers. Washington also said Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear agreement would depend on the kingdom joining the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations with Israel. The conflict pushed Brent crude above $100 a barrel, disrupted key shipping routes around Hormuz and the Red Sea, and weighed on Asian markets. Iran rejected a reported US ceasefire proposal, Britain faced threats over US use of its bases, and rights groups warned that Iran could intensify executions of political prisoners amid the renewed war.

The Trump administration announced new tariffs of 12.5% on imports from 85 countries and economic blocs, claiming they had failed to prohibit or enforce bans on goods made with forced labor. Democratic lawmakers, Brazil and other affected governments rejected the justification as a pretext for reviving tariffs after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s earlier tariff program. Canada warned that all response options were available, while Mexico avoided directly addressing the measures in a statement about trade talks. The live coverage also reported discrepancies in the Pentagon’s tally of US service members killed in the Iran war, renewed questions over congressional authorization for military action, Trump’s claims about frozen Iranian assets paying damages, and his White House event with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The government defended its plan to cap bus fares in England at £2, with transport secretary Heidi Alexander insisting the scheme is fully funded through reprioritised spending and changes to international climate finance. Ministers also maintained that a cut to VAT on electricity bills is properly financed despite criticism from former cabinet minister Darren Jones and Conservative shadow chancellor Mel Stride. Wes Streeting backed Donald Trump’s call for higher European defence spending while announcing new defence investments at the Farnborough airshow. Protests targeted the new energy secretary over the Rosebank oilfield, and UK inflation fell to 2.6%, supporting the government’s cost‑of‑living agenda. The prime minister said the main perpetrator in the killing of PC Andrew Harper will not be eligible for early release under new sentencing rules.

The US military completed its 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, targeting aircraft hangars and drone-storage facilities, while Donald Trump threatened further action against the deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said the war has cost the US $37.5bn, nearly $8bn more than the previous estimate, and more than 500 US personnel have been wounded; 18 service members have died. Iran reported strikes and explosions across several provinces and warned that attacks on sensitive facilities would widen the regional war. Yemen’s Houthi rebels declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, prompting tanker rerouting and raising concerns about disruption at both the Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz chokepoints. Oil prices rose above $90 a barrel as shipping, trade and energy supplies faced increasing risks, while the US also announced plans to resume direct airline flights to Lebanon.

US forces expanded airstrikes across southern Iran, reportedly hitting six bridges, a railway station, a port control tower, energy infrastructure and Iranshahr airport. Iranian authorities reported eight deaths and 20 injuries, while human rights experts warned that attacks on civilian infrastructure could constitute war crimes. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against countries hosting US bases, including Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan; Kuwait reported damage to a power and desalination plant, and Jordan said it intercepted three missiles. The Revolutionary Guard threatened further escalation, while UKMTO investigated an incident involving a tanker and military forces off Oman. The widening conflict pushed oil prices higher and raised concerns about disruption to Gulf and Red Sea energy routes.

The Guardian’s live coverage reports that Iranian media attributed fresh US strikes to areas around Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran accused Washington of attacking near a children’s cancer hospital in Ahvaz and forcing the evacuation of 211 chemotherapy patients; the US had not responded. Kuwait reported intercepting renewed Iranian drone attacks, a drone struck a ship near Iraq’s Basra port, and Syria said it seized weapons allegedly bound for Hezbollah. Yemen’s Houthi leader threatened Saudi energy infrastructure, while Iran warned of wider regional consequences. Trump’s Board of Peace has reduced its Gaza reconstruction ambition to a small pilot camp that is unlikely to begin before year-end. Lebanon said it intends to end Hezbollah’s military presence, India restricted crew deployment through the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices rose, and Pakistan urged Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations.

The United States said it had completed another wave of strikes against Iranian command centres, air-defence and missile capabilities, coastal surveillance sites and facilities around Bandar Abbas and Greater Tunb Island, citing efforts to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran reported deaths, injuries and damage from the attacks, including at an army barracks and near a cancer hospital, and threatened or carried out retaliatory drone and missile attacks against US-linked sites in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and elsewhere. The escalation follows the apparent collapse of a ceasefire, while Donald Trump warned Iran to return to negotiations or face wider attacks, including possible strikes on bridges and power plants. Iran’s parliamentary speaker said Tehran would not honour an agreement without benefits but urged a combination of resistance and diplomacy. A detained dual US-Iranian citizen, Dena Karari, was allowed to leave Iran, while regional governments reported missile and drone interceptions and the US said it disabled an oil tanker attempting to breach its blockade.

The US and Iran exchanged their most intense strikes since a ceasefire was extended, with Tehran reporting casualties from US attacks and launching missiles and drones at targets in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan. Iran also accused the US of striking near the Bushehr nuclear plant and disrupting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, while US officials said Iranian attacks caused no significant injuries or damage to American personnel. Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz warned that Israel was prepared to attack Iran again with greater force, and Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran had been weakened but that the campaign was not over. The escalation has raised uncertainty over Donald Trump’s peace deal, disrupted shipping concerns and pushed up energy-price and inflation risks, while regional officials continued diplomatic contacts to prevent further escalation.

The fragile US-Iran truce appears to be collapsing after Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the US launched retaliatory strikes on Bandar Abbas and Bushehr. Donald Trump declared the memorandum of understanding effectively over and threatened further attacks, while Iran said US and Israeli actions had made the deal ineffective. The escalation disrupted shipping, left nearly 6,000 seafarers stranded and pushed Brent crude above $78 a barrel. Kuwait reported intercepting Iranian missiles and drones, while violence continued in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah. Separately, rights groups said an image of a bound Palestinian detainee supported allegations of systematic torture; Israel’s military confirmed the image and opened an inquiry. Diplomatic efforts remain uncertain, with Lebanon conditioning participation in Rome talks on an Israeli withdrawal from two areas.

Andy Burnham signalled he may adjust certain taxes, such as increasing business rates on warehouses to ease costs for high street firms, while maintaining Labour’s pledges not to raise income tax, VAT or national insurance. The National Police Chiefs’ Council criticised the government’s late decision to extend pub opening hours for England’s World Cup match, citing safety concerns. Hollie Ridley announced she will step down as Labour general secretary, and Lisa Nandy confirmed her department will quit X over rising misinformation. A study indicated that reallocating funds from infrastructure to defence could result in a net loss of UK jobs. A campaign in Parliament Square highlighted calls for improved support for bereaved parents.