Lib Dems call for review of law after Palestine Action arrests – BBC

Addressing reception marking 80th anniversary of VJ Day, prime minister says he spoke to Zelenskyy about allies’ values as Trump prepares to meet Putin

Asylum seekers locked in detention centres as part of Labour’s “one in, one out” deal have said they had not heard of the scheme before arriving in the UK on small boats and were terrified of being returned to their home countries.

The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said the plan to send one small boat arrival back to France in exchange for accepting another to live in the UK would deter the thousands from crossing the Channel.

We did not understand what was happening to us when the Home Office moved us from Manston [the former military base in Kent] where we were processed, straight to this place which is like a jail.

When we asked why they were bringing some who arrived on the same boat as me here but letting others go free, they did not answer us. They just said it was because we crossed the Channel illegally.

I am very frightened here. There are people who have committed crimes in the UK locked up with us. We have done nothing wrong apart from trying to find a safe place.

Green party (Matt Youde) – 24%

Welsh Labour (Khuram Chowdhry) – 22.7%

Plaid Cymru (Neil Roberts) – 18.7%

Reform UK (Joseph Martin) – 14.5%

Propel (Vincent Yewlett) – 9.6%

Independent (Ahmed Samater) – 4.6%

Welsh Conservative party (James Hamblin) – 4.1%

Welsh Liberal Democrats (Irfan Latif) – 1.8%

Iceland says it will pay customers £1 if they report a shoplifter

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Admin

Grocery chain employees will verify the incident and the reward will be adding to the shopper’s loyalty card

The grocery chain Iceland is offering customers who shop a thief a £1 reward on their loyalty card.

The frozen food specialist said that anyone who spots a suspected shoplifter in its stores should inform the nearest Iceland employee who will verify the incident before adding the reward to the individual’s loyalty card for immediate use.

Exposure to some common Pfas changes gene activity, new study finds

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Admin

Findings help decipher mechanisms through which ‘forever chemicals’ cause disease, aiding in treating health problems

New research suggests exposure to some common Pfas or “forever chemical” compounds causes changes to gene activity, and those changes are linked to health problems including multiple cancers, neurological disorders and autoimmune disease.

The findings are a major step toward determining the mechanism by which the chemicals cause disease and could help doctors identify, detect and treat health problems for those exposed to Pfas before the issues advance. The research may also point toward other diseases potentially caused by Pfas that have not yet been identified, the authors said.

Kingsmill owner to buy Hovis in £75m deal to create UK’s biggest bread brand

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Admin

Jobs expected to go if competition watchdog approves takeover by Associated British Foods

Business live – latest updates

The owner of Kingsmill has agreed to buy its rival Hovis in a deal worth an estimated £75m that could create the UK’s biggest bread brand if the competition regulator approves it, but also put jobs at risk.

The deal comes after decades of decline in the popularity of the packaged sliced loaf, with Hovis, owned by the private equity company Endless, and its rival Kingsmill – part of Associated British Foods (ABF) – struggling to get out of the red for some years.

Global plastic talks collapse as countries remain deeply divided

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Admin

The latest round of UN-led talks have ended in deadlock, with disputes over plastic production and recycling.

Global plastic talks collapse as countries remain deeply divided

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Admin

The latest round of UN-led talks have ended in deadlock, with disputes over plastic production and recycling.

Spain at ‘extreme risk’ of new wildfires as 14 blazes spread

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Admin

Temperatures remain high across southern Europe with wildfires also affecting Portugal, Greece, France and the Balkans.

Spain at ‘extreme risk’ of new wildfires as 14 blazes spread – BBC

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Admin

Spain at 'extreme risk' of new wildfires as 14 blazes spread BBC
Wildfires fanned by heatwave and strong winds rage across Europe Reuters
What to know about the heat wave and wildfires in Southern Europe The Seattle Times
Spain, Portugal, and Greece battle wildfires as heat wave is expected to last for days AP News
Photos: Wildfires Rage Across Southern Europe The Atlantic

Mali’s junta arrests generals and French national over alleged coup plot

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Admin

Development comes as the military continues to crack down on dissent after a pro-democracy rally in May

Mali’s military rulers say they have arrested a group of military personnel and civilians, including two Malian generals and a suspected French agent, accusing them of attempting to destabilise the country.

The security minister, Gen Daouda Aly Mohammedine, who announced the arrests on the local evening news on Thursday, told viewers an investigation was under way and that the situation was “completely under control”.

UK rights watchdog warns against ‘heavy-handed’ policing of Gaza protests

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Admin

EHRC calls for clearer guidance for officers to avoid a ‘chilling effect’ on freedom of expression

The UK’s official human rights watchdog has written to ministers and police expressing concern at a potentially “heavy-handed” approach to protests about Gaza and urging clearer guidance for officers in enforcing the law.

In the letter to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, and Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan police, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the perception that peaceful protest could attract disproportionate police attention “undermines confidence in our human rights protections”.

First Thing: Newsom says California hopes to redraw maps in response to Texas plan

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Admin

Republican redestricting move aims to win House majority in midterms. Plus, plastic pollution talks fail in Geneva

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Good morning.

California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has said lawmakers would proceed with a redistricting plan to counter the Republican-led map drawing effort in Texas aimed at securing a House majority after the midterm elections.

Will Newsom go ahead if Texas stands down? No. The California plan will only take place if Texas, or another Republican-led state, redraws its map in favor of the GOP.

What else do experts say about Bhattacharya’s “public trust” claims? That the issue is not whether the vaccines have public trust, but whether they are safe and effective, which they “clearly” are and this must be communicated.