The Guardian

Survey shows businesses ‘struggling to absorb latest economic shock’, while data says April vacancies down 7.7% The worsening fallout from the Iran war is forcing businesses to halt their UK investment and hiring plans, bosses have warned, as Britain enters a renewed period of political and economic instability. More than two months into the US-Israeli war on Iran, leading surveys of UK employers…

Two campaign groups claim that change to how NHS treatments are approved amounts to ‘unlawful power grab’ Campaigners against the UK’s controversial drug pricing deal with Donald Trump are threatening the government with legal action unless it scraps a key element of the plan. They claim that a change to how drug treatments are approved for use by the NHS, which could lead to it paying even highe…

Justice secretary’s white paper will overhaul youth justice rules and could end lifelong criminal records for under-18s David Lammy has promised to cut the number of children kept in jail while they await trial by a quarter as part of an overhaul of youth justice rules that could also end lifelong criminal records for under-18s. The justice secretary is publishing a white paper on Monday that he …

Body says, on average, British women approaching retirement have half private pension savings of men – £81,000 versus £156,000 A shake-up of pensions in Britain must involve measures to close the gap in retirement savings between men and women, the revived Pensions Commission is to tell ministers. According to the government-backed body, women approaching retirement have on average half the priva…

Police laid 2,063 charges and conducted 1,847 bail compliance checks in operation targeting offenders with a history of domestic violence. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Albanese on three-state blitz to tout budget tax changes The prime minister, Anthony Albanese , is speaking on Triple M Hobart this morning about the budget plans, continuing…

British Chambers of Commerce survey shows firms ‘are dealing with rising levels of theft, fraud and cyber-attacks’ UK business leaders have warned that crime is becoming an increasingly “serious barrier” to growing Britain’s economy amid a rise in shoplifting, fraud and cyber-attacks against companies. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), which represents tens of thousands of businesses across…

Tim Walz, the state’s governor, calls blazes ‘unpredictable and fast-moving’ as dry, windy weather fuels them Minnesota ’s national guard has been activated to help battle wildfires burning in the northern part of the state after the department of natural resources requested additional support. Governor Tim Walz authorized the deployment by issuing an executive order that declared a peacetime eme…

Emergency crews responding to incident involving aircraft during weekend air show at military base in western Idaho Emergency crews responded Sunday to an incident involving aircraft during a weekend air show at a military base in western Idaho, officials said. The Mountain Home air force base said in a social media post that it was locked down following the unspecified incident during the gunfig…

Abu Dhabi denounces ‘dangerous escalation’ as Iran war ceasefire grows more precarious The United Arab Emirates has blamed a fire near its nuclear power plant on a drone launched by Iran or one of its proxies in what the UAE called a “dangerous escalation”. The fire was just outside the Barakah nuclear plant and caused no injuries or radiation alerts, but it came at an extremely tense moment in t…

White House-backed event billed as ‘One Nation Under God’ criticized for blurring lines between church and state Thousands of people streamed onto the National Mall for a daylong prayer rally on Sunday billed as a “rededication of our country as One Nation Under God”. Against the backdrop of the Washington Monument, worship music blared from a stage that made clear the event’s Christian focus. Ar…

Canal+ head says he will not work with hundreds of actors and directors who signed protest against Vincent Bolloré’s political sway The head of France’s biggest film producer, Canal+, has said the group will no longer work with hundreds of cinema figures who signed a petition voicing concern over the growing influence of the rightwing billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré. The open letter, published …

US president writes ‘vote the bum out’ as congressman faces close race against Trump-endorsed Republican With two days to go before the next big test of Donald Trump ’s iron grip over his party, the president went head-to-head on Sunday with his nemesis, Thomas Massie the Kentucky congressman who is in a fight for his political life in Tuesday’s Republican primary. Over an eight-hour period start…

Bulgaria’s first ever win in European song contest delivers ray of hope at turbulent time after years of political instability Bulgarians have rejoiced in their country’s first victory at the Eurovision song contest as fans welcomed home the singer whose party anthem Bangaranga proved an unexpected breakthrough hit. “Dara is yet more proof that Bulgaria can win,” declared the new prime minister, …

Cigarettes kill 66 Australians every day, coalition says, criticising MPs who heard evidence from Philip Morris in secret Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Big tobacco is exploiting fears of the illicit market to unwind longstanding health policies, leading health campaigners have warned, amid a parliamentary inquiry which took secret evidence from the cigarette manufac…

Humpback stranded on sandbank was unlikely to survive, experts had said, recommending it be left to die in peace German authorities have defended their decision to allow a risky rescue attempt of a stranded whale to go ahead, despite experts warning it was “inadvisable” because the animal was hurt and unlikely to survive. The saga of the whale, known as Timmy, had gripped Germany since the beache…