US forces have carried out strikes on sixteen mine-laying boats near the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, Donald Trump said ten inactive mine-laying boats had already been destroyed, adding there was “more to follow” in an update posted at 8:24pm. The announcement came less than an hour after the president indicated uncertainty over whether mines were present in the strait. He said Washington had “no reports” confirming Iran’s involvement, but insisted that if mines were present they should be removed immediately.
At least six people have died in a bus fire in Switzerland, which police and local media say was started by a man inside the vehicle.
The blaze occurred in Kerzers, in the western canton of Fribourg, at around 6:25pm on Tuesday. Five others were injured, including an emergency responder, with three taken to hospital in critical condition. Authorities have not confirmed how many passengers were on board when the fire, which completely engulfed the bus, began. The identities of the victims have not been released.
Iran’s police chief Ahmadreza Radan has warned that anyone protesting against the establishment at what he called the enemy’s bidding will be treated as the enemy.
Speaking on state television, he said those taking to the streets would not be regarded as protesters and would be dealt with in the same way as hostile forces. He added that security units had their fingers on the trigger ready to defend the revolution. The warning comes after Israel’s prime minister urged Iranians to stand up to their leaders.
Dozens of hereditary peers are set to lose their seats in the House of Lords after a bill ending their role in Parliament was passed.
The House of Lords Hereditary Peers Bill was approved after ministers offered a compromise to opponents of the reform. Most hereditary peers lost their automatic right to sit in 1999, and the new law removes the remaining ninety two. Lords Leader Baroness Smith described the move as historic and said it delivers Labour’s promise to end the voting rights of hereditary peers.
Government plans to reduce the number of jury trials have passed their first stage in the Commons.
MPs backed the Courts and Tribunals Bill at second reading by three hundred and four votes to two hundred and three, meaning it now moves on for further changes to be considered. Some Labour backbenchers were unhappy with the proposals but many chose to abstain. Most opposition MPs voted against, with parties from across the benches joining together to challenge the plans.
HMS Dragon has set off from Portsmouth to the eastern Mediterranean to join UK defensive operations in the region.
The Type 45 destroyer, recently returned from maintenance, will be the only British warship in the area upon arrival. Its main role is to protect RAF Akrotiri, which was struck by an Iranian-made drone earlier this month. The deployment follows the government placing the naval support ship RFA Lyme Bay on heightened readiness to assist British nationals in the Middle East if required.
A public inquiry has heard that triple killer Valdo Calocane violently assaulted two colleagues weeks before killing three people in Nottingham.
On 13 June 2023, he stabbed to death Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both nineteen, and 65-year-old Ian Coates, and attempted to kill three others. The inquiry heard that on 5 May, police were called to a warehouse in Kegworth, Leicestershire, where Calocane had punched a man and assaulted his wife. Officers did not visit the victims or witnesses to take statements, instead sending a follow-up email three days before the fatal attacks.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces mounting pressure from opposition parties to reverse a planned fuel duty rise as tensions in the Middle East continue.
The tax on petrol and diesel is set to increase from September, when a five pence cut made after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is phased out. Reform UK, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats argue the ongoing conflict in Iran means the cut should remain in place. Energy prices have risen since US and Israeli strikes, amid concerns the war could disrupt supplies for a prolonged period.
The UK’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon is set to leave Portsmouth for the Eastern Mediterranean today, following a government announcement last week.
The deployment comes after an RAF base in Cyprus was targeted with drone attacks. There has been criticism over the speed of the British armed forces’ response, with other European nations having already sent ships to the region.
An Iranian official has appeared to threaten Donald Trump after the US president criticised Tehran over its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said he would strike Iran twenty times harder if trade through the key shipping route in the Persian Gulf was stopped. Ali Larijani, Iran’s national security council chief and a senior adviser to the supreme leader, responded in a post on X, warning of consequences after the remarks.
A man has been charged with murder after the death of Ian Huntley following an incident at HMP Frankland in County Durham.
Police say emergency services were called to reports of an assault in a prison workshop on the morning of Thursday February the twenty sixth. Huntley, aged fifty two, was taken to hospital with serious injuries but died on Saturday March the seventh. Durham Constabulary confirmed a man has now been charged in connection with the incident.
The recent spring like weather is expected to change, with heavy rain and snow forecast in parts of the UK later this week.
The Met Office says some southern and eastern areas may keep sunny spells, but many places should prepare for colder and unsettled conditions returning on Thursday. Strong winds, cloud and outbreaks of rain are expected, with the heaviest downpours over western hills, while blustery showers and snow are possible on Scottish mountains.
Scotland’s busiest railway station remains closed after a major fire destroyed a neighbouring building in Glasgow.
The blaze began in a vape shop on Union Street on Sunday before spreading through a B listed Victorian property close to Central Station. Network Rail says staff and fire crews are continuing to work at the site and disruption will last for several days, although early inspections suggest the station itself has avoided serious internal damage.
Former footballer Joey Barton and another man have been charged after an assault near a golf club on Merseyside.
Police say officers were called to Fairway near Huyton and Prescot Golf Club on Sunday evening where a man was found with injuries to his face and ribs. Barton, aged forty three, from Widnes, and Gary O’Grady, aged fifty, from Huyton, are due before magistrates charged with wounding with intent.
More than three thousand two hundred lawyers, including three hundred senior barristers and retired judges, have urged the government to drop plans to abolish some jury trials.
In a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer they say there is no evidence the proposals will reduce record delays in criminal courts. The changes would allow a single judge to hear some cases where a convicted defendant could face up to three years in prison. Justice Secretary David Lammy says reforms are needed to cut the backlog.
Business owners say they are heartbroken after dozens of retail units were destroyed by a major fire in Glasgow.
More than two hundred and fifty firefighters tackled the blaze which began in a vape shop on Sunday before spreading through the B listed Victorian building next to Central Station. Independent traders have been left without premises after the property collapsed. Rail operators warn disruption will continue while safety inspections at the station are completed.
Eton Town Council has announced details of this year’s May Day Fete, taking place on Monday May 4th at Eton Recreation Ground between midday and 4pm.
The event marks two hundred years since the Glorious Majority act secured Lammas Land for the people of Eton and Eton Wick, keeping it in community ownership. Celebrations will also include the reopening of the refurbished pavilion and new information boards explaining the history of the land.
Donald Trump has threatened to launch harder strikes against Iran if it disrupts global oil supplies any further, after prices reached a four year high this morning.
He said he would not allow what he called a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage or attempt to stop the globe’s oil supply. He also claimed supplies would be more secure without the threat of Iranian ships, drones and missiles, adding the Strait of Hormuz will remain safe.
MPs have voted against a proposal to ban under sixteen year olds from using social media.
The Conservatives had put forward the plan as an amendment to the government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which is currently going through Parliament. The measure had been backed by the House of Lords but was defeated in the Commons by 307 votes to 173 on Monday night after debate.
The government has announced a new definition of anti Muslim hate which includes violence, harassment and prejudicial stereotyping, while insisting the move will not limit free speech.
Ministers say the description is a working definition to help organisations understand and prevent hostility. The guidance is non statutory and has no legal force. Discrimination because of religion or belief is already unlawful under the Equality Act.
A hospital in Slough has been given national recognition for its commitment to patient safety in joint replacement surgery.
Spire Thames Valley Hospital has received gold level status as a National Joint Registry Quality Data Provider after completing a national audit programme. The registry collects orthopaedic data to improve safety and care standards. The hospital director said improving patient safety remains a top priority for staff.
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