News 30/07/25

Canada is planning to formally recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September, according to Prime Minister Mark Carney.

But the move depends on conditions being met, including a commitment from the Palestinian Authority to reform its governance and to hold elections in 2026 — with Hamas excluded from the process.

Carney says he spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas earlier this week. He also criticised Israel, accusing it of allowing a catastrophe to unfold in Gaza.

An aspiring rapper has been jailed for life for murdering a charity worker in front of his young son.

Renai Belle stabbed 33-year-old Josh McKay in the neck at a barber shop in east London after he refused to fund his music career.

The Old Bailey heard Belle spotted his former friend entering Hollywood Cuts on Lea Bridge Road and then left with his ex-girlfriend to collect a knife and balaclava from another man.

He returned to the barbers wearing the disguise and carried out the fatal attack.

Flights have now resumed after a technical fault at air traffic control caused widespread delays.

The issue was reported at the National Air Traffic Services control centre in Swanwick at 4.05 this afternoon, with systems restored around twenty minutes later.

But Ryanair’s operations boss Neal McMahon says passengers are once again paying the price for poor management, calling for the resignation of NATS chief Martin Rolfe.

The US Federal Reserve has held interest rates steady, resisting pressure from President Donald Trump to make a cut.

The rate remains in the range of 4.3 percent — where it’s been since a series of reductions last year.

President Trump has criticised the Fed’s decision, claiming it is hurting Americans trying to buy homes. He’s refused to say whether he plans to replace Fed chair Jerome Powell.

South Yorkshire Police should be barred from investigating allegations that its own officers abused children in Rotherham, according to senior Conservatives.

Chris Philp and shadow safeguarding minister Alicia Kearns say any inquiry must be impartial and independent.

Five women who were victims of grooming gangs have now come forward to say they were also sexually abused by police officers at the time.

The Home Office and South Yorkshire Police have been contacted for comment.

A 20-year-old man has been found guilty of attacking two female police officers during a violent incident at Manchester Airport.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court after a three-week trial, relating to a large disturbance that was widely shared on social media.

He was found guilty of assaulting PC Lydia Ward, causing actual bodily harm, and assaulting PC Ellie Cook. The jury couldn’t reach verdicts on other charges involving a third officer.

The High Court has approved a judicial review of the government’s decision to label protest group Palestine Action a terrorist organisation.

Co-founder Huda Ammori brought the case, with the judge ruling that parts of the legal argument are “reasonably arguable” and should proceed.

Officials in Washington state say tsunami waves are still being recorded along the coast, days after a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake triggered alerts across the Pacific.

While some countries have lifted their warnings, parts of the US remain under threat. A regional branch of the National Weather Service says coastal areas west of Seattle are still experiencing severe wave activity.

People are being urged to avoid the shoreline and not attempt to watch the waves.

The High Court has granted permission for a judicial review into the government’s decision to ban the protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.

The ruling follows a legal challenge by co-founder Huda Ammori against Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s move to proscribe the group.

On Wednesday, Mr Justice Chamberlain said two parts of the legal argument were “reasonably arguable” and allowed the case to proceed.

Tsunami alerts have been downgraded across multiple countries following the huge undersea earthquake, the sixth-largest ever recorded.

Initial fears of widespread coastal destruction have not materialised in most areas. However, parts of Russia, particularly the Kamchatka Peninsula and the nearby Kuril Islands, were struck by waves up to four metres high. Some injuries have been reported, and warnings there have now been eased.

In the US, the first tsunami waves reached Hawaii around 7am UK time, with later surges hitting parts of California and Washington State.

Thousands of fans lined the streets of Birmingham today as Ozzy Osbourne’s funeral procession made its way through the city.

The cortege travelled down Broad Street towards the Black Sabbath Bridge, with supporters chanting “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy” and applauding as it passed.

The hearse paused to allow his wife Sharon and children Kelly, Aimee and Jack to view tributes and lay flowers.

A private family funeral will take place later this afternoon.

YouTube is now the UK’s second most-watched media service, overtaking ITV and Channel 4 and trailing only the BBC.

Ofcom’s latest report shows YouTube is the first choice for many younger viewers when they switch on their TVs. One in five smart TV users aged under 35 turn to the platform first.

Even viewers over 55 are now watching nearly double the amount of YouTube content compared with two years ago.

Scheduled TV is becoming “increasingly alien” to younger audiences, according to Ofcom.

National Lottery services will be offline for around 36 hours this weekend due to a major technology upgrade.

Operator Allwyn says all draw-based game sales and prize claims in shops will be suspended from 11pm on Saturday night until late Monday morning.

The website and mobile app will also be unavailable during that time. Allwyn says the disruption is necessary to carry out the biggest tech update in the lottery’s 31-year history.

Two British boys have drowned while swimming off the coast of eastern Spain.

The boys, aged 11 and 13, got into difficulty in the sea near Llarga beach in Salou on Tuesday evening. Their father entered the water to try and help and was later rescued.

Local authorities confirmed a yellow flag was flying at the time, which permits swimming but advises caution due to possible hazards. The tragedy is now being investigated by Catalan police.

Tsunami alerts have been scaled back in Japan and the Philippines following earlier concerns.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency has downgraded the tsunami alert to an advisory in coastal areas south of Fukushima, though warnings remain in place further north.

In the Philippines, authorities have cancelled their tsunami advisory after confirming no significant sea disturbances.

Birmingham is preparing to honour Ozzy Osbourne with a funeral procession through the city.

The route begins at 1pm along Broad Street, passing the Black Sabbath Bridge — a tribute to the band he co-founded. The heavy metal legend’s family will be present.

Broad Street has been closed since early this morning, and public transport is being diverted. Visitors are being encouraged to arrive early, follow stewards’ instructions, and use public transport.

A women’s safety app has turned off messaging after a cyberattack exposed thousands of private images, comments and posts.

The app, called Tea, is based in the US and allows women to run background checks on potential dates. It first reported a breach in late July.

In a new statement, the company confirmed some direct messages were also accessed. With 1.6 million users, the platform says further updates will follow as the investigation continues.

England captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of England’s fifth and final Test against India due to a shoulder injury.

The match at the Kia Oval will see four changes to the England side. Alongside Stokes, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse all miss out.

Jacob Bethell comes into the team and will bat at six, while Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue also return to the squad.

The Philippines has lifted its tsunami advisories after earlier warnings were issued for several coastal areas.

Officials say no significant sea level changes or dangerous waves have been detected. The Department of Science and Technology confirmed the all-clear in its latest update.

Meanwhile, waves have reached the west coast of the United States. In northern California, a 3.6-foot wave was recorded in Crescent City. A tsunami warning remains in place from Cape Mendocino up to the Oregon border.

The population of England and Wales has risen by over 700,000 in the space of a year — the second-largest annual increase in more than 75 years.

The Office for National Statistics estimates the population reached 61.8 million by June 2024, up from 61.1 million the year before.

The increase has been driven mainly by international migration, with natural change — the difference between births and deaths — playing only a small role.

Sainsbury’s is working with Visa to fix a payment issue that has affected online grocery customers.

The supermarket says some shoppers have experienced failed card transactions, though its website and app are still functioning normally.

The company ruled out a cyberattack but acknowledged concerns remain high across the industry following a series of recent digital threats.

A car fire in Slough sparked an early morning emergency response.

Crews from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue were called to Eagle Road at 1:58am on Monday. One car was found ablaze, and firefighters used hose reels and breathing apparatus to bring it under control.

The scene was handed over to Thames Valley Police. No injuries were reported.

Hawaii’s governor has warned residents not to become complacent after initial tsunami waves appeared less severe than feared.

Josh Green said the state had “not seen a wave of consequence” so far but stressed that danger remains. Hawaii’s civil defence agency echoed that, warning larger waves could still be on the way and urging people not to return to evacuated areas until the official all-clear is given.

Initial impacts have measured several feet at monitoring stations, but follow-up waves could be stronger.

Gary Neville has criticised the recent rise in National Insurance, saying it could discourage businesses from hiring.

The former England footballer, who now runs a number of hospitality and media companies, said the government should have delayed the increase given the current state of the economy.

He argued that small businesses in particular are being hit hard by the hike in employer contributions, and warned it may have a knock-on effect on job creation.

A rape crisis charity at the centre of a long-running debate over transgender inclusion has announced a new support service exclusively for biological women.

The Brighton-based Survivors’ Network says it will now offer separate sessions for women born female who live as women, while continuing to run inclusive groups for trans and non-binary participants.

The move follows a legal case brought by a woman known as “Sarah,” who said she felt unable to speak about her abuse in a mixed group.

The charity says the decision reflects a Supreme Court ruling allowing single-sex services in certain circumstances.

Police are investigating after multiple sheep were killed by dogs at a farm in Slough.

Five sheep died and two were seriously injured in the attack. Officers from the rural crime taskforce made the discovery after an unrelated arrest operation at Gatwick Airport.

Enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

The government has pledged to build up to 40,000 new homes on disused railway land across England.

Sites include former goods yards, stations and industrial plots in cities like Manchester, Nottingham, Cambridge and Newcastle.

The £1 billion plan is part of a wider “brownfield first” approach, but just 15,000 homes are expected to be built in the first five years — a small share of the 1.5 million promised before the end of the current parliament.

Tsunami warnings have been issued across the Pacific following a major undersea earthquake.

Alerts are in place for Japan, the Philippines, Hawaii, and parts of Alaska. A tsunami watch has also been extended to parts of the US West Coast, including California, Oregon, and Washington.

In New Zealand, the Civil Defence Agency says strong and unusual currents are expected along the coast, with unpredictable surges possible. While there is no need to evacuate at this stage, people are being urged to stay off beaches and away from the shoreline.

Donald Trump has claimed Jeffrey Epstein “stole” Virginia Giuffre and other young women from his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Giuffre is best known for accusing Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, saying she was trafficked by Epstein when she was a teenager. The Duke of York has denied the claims and settled out of court in 2022 without admitting liability.

Trump’s comments come amid renewed pressure on his administration to release files related to Epstein, something he pledged to do during his 2024 campaign.

Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to recognise Palestine has drawn sharp criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He labelled the move “appeasement towards jihadist terrorists” after Starmer said the UK would recognise a Palestinian state by September unless Israel takes meaningful steps towards ending the war in Gaza.

The plan includes demands for a ceasefire, the return of UN aid, and no annexation of the West Bank. Around 250 MPs, including many from Labour, have backed immediate recognition.

A Lithuanian businessman has died after taking drugs while on a work trip to Cookham in Berkshire.

Mindaugas Jakutis, aged 43, was found unresponsive in the bathroom of his hotel room at the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

An inquest heard he had alcohol and drugs in his system. His body was identified by a friend and business partner.