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Babcock and BAE Systems benefit as markets hope former defence secretary will increase spending on sector Business live – latest updates Shares in defence companies have risen sharply after Andy Burnham appointed John Healey as chancellor, prompting hope among investors of increased spending on suppliers to the military. Defence stocks were among the biggest risers on the FTSE 100 on Tuesday morn…

Board of UK government contractor recommends deal with private-equity owned rival Business live – latest updates The outsourcer Mitie has agreed to a £3.1bn takeover by its private-equity owned rival OCS Group, ending nearly four decades on the stock market and making it the latest London-listed company to be acquired this year. On Tuesday, the government contractor said its board has recommended…

Neustrashimy suddenly announced it intended to fire its guns and conducted 30-minute drill south of Plymouth A Russian warship conducted a rare live-fire exercise in the Channel 45 miles south of Plymouth on Monday, the day Andy Burnham was appointed as prime minister. The Neustrashimy suddenly announced it intended to fire its guns and requested that a British warship, which had been tracking it…

Christopher Popps, 54, arrested in Michigan on second-degree murder charge in death of Patrick Dearth A Michigan man suspected of having murdered a co-worker in Alaska in 1993 was arrested recently after he called in what he intended to be an anonymous tip revealing where had hidden the victim’s long missing body, according to investigators. Christopher Popps, 54, faces charges of second-degree m…

Prosecutors seeking to try musician, born David Anthony Burke, for murder over death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez Singer-songwriter D4vd is set to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday as prosecutors aim to prove sufficient evidence exists for him to stand trial for the murder and sexual abuse of a minor, Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The preliminary hearing is expected to conclude on Thursday. T…

Move is expected to save households around £45 a year in effort to tackle cost of living Burnham to cut VAT on electricity bills in first cost-of-living move Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. Andy Burnham has announced an £850m tax cut on electricity bills to help ease cost of living pressures in his first significant policy announcement as prime minister. It means tha…

Residents of Deir Jarir say raids late on Sunday, also involving security forces, are part of pattern of violence Even by the brutal standards of militant settler violence in the West Bank, the raid on Deir Jarir late on Sunday night that killed two Palestinians and left another in hospital with a gunshot wound was extreme. Palestinians in the town said settlers from a nearby outpost arrived afte…

Unemployment holds steady at 4.9%, underlining the challenge facing the new prime minister Business live – latest updates Employers cut the number of job vacancies in May, according to official figures that highlight the UK’s “fragile” economic outlook amid the conflict in the Middle East. Job vacancies fell to 712,000 – almost half the level in 2022 – as employers put off hiring new staff in the…

Maps of Hope has been certified by Proudly Human, a company led by former chief scientist, Dr Alan Finkel Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A collection of speeches and writings by Pope Leo XIV has been certified as human-authored less than two months after Leo declared artificial intelligence the greatest threat to…

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news The removal of VAT from electricity bills is positive but it does not address the scale of the problem that British households are facing, campaigners at the End Fuel Poverty Coalition have said. Simon Francis , coordinator of the group, said: Removing VAT from electricity bills is a positive statement of intent by the new administration.…

George Foster tells royal commission Australia’s democratic institutions fundamentally different, ‘but I can’t ignore certain disturbing parallels in the social atmosphere’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A rise in antisemitism across Australia has “disturbing parallels” with the social climate of Nazi Germany, th…

People gather at cafes and outdoor screenings to support team after Spain’s backing for Palestinian rights The Spanish football team’s World Cup win has been celebrated in the streets of Gaza, where Spain’s support for Palestinian rights and Israel’s backing for the Argentinian team turned the competition into more than a football showdown. Gathered at cafes and outdoor screenings, Palestinians d…

Revolutionary Guard claims attack on oil tanker and two other ships; Houthis in Yemen say they are imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea Full report: Almost 100 troops injured in recent weeks, Pentagon admits, as Iran launches reprisals on US allies Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is saying it has launched an attack on a US military site in Jordan . Earlier Jordanian s…

Interim report not able to draw ‘nexus’ between matters referred to child protection and circumstances leading to five-year-old’s alleged murder •Warning: This story contains references to Indigenous Australians who have died Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Kumanjayi Little Baby’s mother was “effectively” left alo…

Research during Hungary election shows AI recommended parties not running and gave highly volatile answers to identical prompts AI chatbots provide inaccurate, inconsistent and unreliable guidance to voters asking which party they should back, a study suggests, often recommending the wrong party, not mentioning the right one, or listing parties not even running. “The results raise serious concern…