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HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills

The announced move to collect some self-assessment tax through payroll will begin while liabilities under the existing system are still due, raising cash-flow concerns for affected taxpayers.

Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony

The Republican-led committee referred the matter to the Justice Department after Fauci declined to answer more than one hundred questions about the COVID-19 response; Senate investigators have also received a copy of his pandemic-era phone.

Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials

Arday stepped down from Cambridge and Jesus College after fresh questions emerged over his qualifications, career claims and academic work; he denies plagiarism and says the scrutiny became unbearable.

Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday

A brief external electricity-supply failure at the city’s rail control centre disabled signalling, causing hundreds of cancellations and delays for services across Greater Manchester, the North West and parts of the Midlands.

Lightning Strike Kills Yala FC Player During Match in Southern Thailand

Safwan Awae, 24, died after lightning struck the pitch during the Golok FA Cup in Narathiwat; 12 other players, including a Malaysian, were injured.

Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing

A hearing led by Senator Josh Hawley examined whether companies can use browsing, location and purchasing data to charge different customers different prices for the same product.

Spain Seeks Mainland Transfers for 1,100 Children Stranded in Ceuta

The unaccompanied minors remain in the Spanish enclave after a deadly mass crossing from Morocco, overwhelming a child-protection system built for only 29 places.

Spain and Morocco Trade Blame After 72,000 Migrants Enter Ceuta

Madrid says criminal networks drove the mass crossing into the Spanish enclave, while a Moroccan official points to a court ruling that curtailed summary returns at sea.

Met Police Investigated Journalist Who Questioned Cambridge Professor

A four-month harassment inquiry into an education reporter’s emails to Jason Arday was closed without action and without the reporter being interviewed.

Badenoch Defends Tory Candidate Jailed for Antisemitic Abuse of Luciana Berger

Kemi Badenoch says Joshua Bonehill-Paine has been rehabilitated, while Jewish groups and the former MP he harassed urge the Conservatives to remove him from a Somerset council race.

NHS Spends £240m a Year Storing Paper Records Despite Digital Push

More than 200 NHS sites still rely entirely on paper files, exposing the distance between England’s plans for a single patient record and daily clinical practice.

Apple Seeks Court Order to Stop OpenAI Using Alleged Trade Secrets

The iPhone maker has asked a federal judge for an injunction, accelerated evidence-gathering and broad forensic access in its case against OpenAI and former Apple hardware employees.

Breaking With the Past: One of the World’s Smallest Countries Changes Its Name

The Pacific island nation formerly known as Nauru has adopted its traditional name, the Republic of Naoero, to reflect its language, heritage and national identity.

Quote of the Day

If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you.
Eric

AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices

The race to build data centres and buy advanced chips is lifting investment, construction and stock values, while increasing debt, import demand and pressure on technology supply chains.

Comcast: Tied to a Chair and Hit in the Face With Cake: The Regular Humiliation Ritual at the US Corporate Giant

A former Comcast Xfinity sales adviser alleges that the lowest-performing employee at a Connecticut store was tied to a chair and hit with whipped-cream cake as part of a monthly ritual.

Aston Martin Faces Legal Threat Over £550m Rescue Deal

Bondholders say the luxury carmaker’s plan to use branding and intellectual-property assets in a new financing package could weaken their claims on the company.

Reform UK Wants the Royal Navy to Return Channel Boats to France

Nigel Farage’s proposed “Operation Fortress” would use naval vessels and Royal Marines to intercept small boats, but France and legal specialists question whether it could be carried out.

US and Japan Step In to Support the Yen in Rare Joint Intervention

Washington joined Tokyo in buying yen after the currency fell to a four-decade low, raising the stakes for global bond markets as well as Japan’s economy.

The AI Pricing Problem: Companies Cannot Predict Their Own Bills

Falling model costs are colliding with soaring use of AI agents, leaving software firms unsure whether to charge by subscription, usage or results.

Europe’s Heat and Drought Are Now Disrupting Power, Shipping and Tourism

Record-low rivers are restricting freight on the Rhine and Danube, straining nuclear and hydropower systems and deepening the economic damage from wildfires across the continent.

Apple’s OpenAI Lawsuit Becomes a Public Fight Over AI Hardware

OpenAI has answered Apple’s trade-secrets allegations with published emails and messages, turning a dispute over former employees into a test of both companies’ device ambitions.

UK Man Jailed After Keeping His Mother’s Body in a Freezer and Claiming £78,000

Christopher Phillips concealed Sylvia Phillips’s death for nearly three years at their home in south Wales while her pension and benefits continued to be paid.

A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch

A discarded Falcon 9 stage is expected to hit the lunar surface on Wednesday at more than 5,400 miles per hour, creating a fresh crater and a plume of dust that may be visible through telescopes.

World War II munitions discovered after wildfires in southern France

The discovery of 400 historic shells follows intense burning in Le Porge, where explosions were mistaken for gas cylinders.

BP profits reach four-year high amid Middle East conflict

Surging oil prices driven by supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz propel quarterly earnings to $5.73 billion.

Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies

Extreme heat and prolonged drought are disrupting nuclear and hydroelectric generation, river transport, agriculture and industrial production from Britain and France to Hungary, Romania and Serbia.

Nigel Farage Expresses Openness to Potential Alliance with Restore Britain

Reform leader considers talks following an unconventional approach from Rupert Lowe regarding a potential pact.

Triple Lock Lifts UK State Pension but Leaves a Wider Retirement Gap

Britain’s 4.8% pension rise outpaced inflation in 2026, yet the country’s state provision remains modest beside many European systems and relies heavily on private saving.

Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown

Record-low river levels have halted Paks for the first time in 44 years, triggering emergency measures to protect Hungary’s power grid.

Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response

At least seventy-two people have died in the mass crossing from Morocco into Ceuta, where Spain is tightening controls while accusing fellow European governments of exploiting the crisis.

Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens

A nationwide blackout has darkened the island for the sixth time this year, exposing the strain imposed by ageing power plants, fuel shortages and an economy now being pushed towards limited reform.

Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana

Eleven European tourists and two Peruvian crew members died after a sightseeing aircraft reported a mechanical emergency before crashing near Nazca; investigators are examining the wreckage and final radio call.

Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame

At least five women who say they were abused by Mohamed Al Fayed have received formal recognition as victims of modern slavery, adding official weight to the trafficking dimension of the wider investigation.

FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game

Gianni Infantino has abandoned a private-investment plan for football’s most valuable commercial rights, but the revolt it provoked has widened into a dispute over FIFA’s power, process and future leadership.

Two Firefighting Crew Members Die in Helicopter Collision West of Athens

A Danish pilot and a Greek fire-service liaison officer were killed while tackling a major wildfire near Psatha; a British pilot and a second Greek crew member survived with minor injuries.

Ceuta Border Surge Recasts Europe’s Migration Debate

A mass crossing from Morocco into the Spanish enclave left at least seventy-two migrants dead, triggered rapid returns and intensified pressure on Spain’s government and the European Union.

Burnham Promises a Harder Channel Response as Crossings Test His New Government

The prime minister says expanded enforcement and safe routes will curb people-smuggling, while opponents demand sharper legal and military measures despite a year-on-year fall in arrivals.

Five Dead After Ferry Fire Off East Java as Search Continues

The Mutiara Sentosa 2 caught fire while sailing from Surabaya to Makassar, forcing passengers and crew into the sea and prompting a multi-vessel rescue operation.

Finland Deploys Commercial-Scale Thermal Batteries Using Crushed Rock to Store Renewable Grid Energy

A 100-megawatt-hour thermal storage system in Pornainen has eliminated the municipal heating network's reliance on oil, as engineers test bidirectional power conversion.

Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California

Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California

An advanced stealth aircraft went down in an open field near San Diego, prompting a Class A military accident investigation after the pilot safely ejected.

Andy Burnham has Announces Plans to Redistribute Income Tax Revenue to English Mayors

The decentralization initiative aims to grant city region leaders greater control over local finances and services.

Early-Release Scheme Faces Fresh Scrutiny as Reoffending and Prison Recalls Rise

Official figures show a record 31.9% proven reoffending rate for a 2024 offender cohort, while the government has paused planned changes to early release pending a safety review.