UK government unveils £275m investment in training and apprenticeships in England

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Labour makes funding centrepiece of its industrial strategy in bid to counter Reform’s surge in so-called red wall

The government will present a £275m investment in technical training and apprenticeships as the centrepiece of its long-awaited industrial strategy, in a direct challenge to Nigel Farage’s growing influence in England’s manufacturing heartlands.

The package, announced by the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, on Sunday, includes funding for new technical excellence colleges, short courses in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital manufacturing, and major capital upgrades to training providers across England.

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Three people killed in North Dakota after tornado hits upper midwest

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Officials say two men and a woman killed around town of Enderlin as region experiences powerful winds and hail

Powerful winds – including a tornado – that swept across parts of the upper midwest left three people dead and a regional airport heavily damaged, while nearly 150 million Americans were under a heat advisory or warning as the weekend warmed up in much of the US.

A complex storm system wreaked havoc in parts of North Dakota, northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, with reported tornadic activity, large hail and strong wind gusts, according to Brian Hurley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

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Brazil: Eight killed, 13 injured in hot air balloon crash – DW

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  1. Brazil: Eight killed, 13 injured in hot air balloon crash  DW
  2. At least 8 dead after hot air balloon accident in southern Brazil  CNN
  3. Fiery hot-air balloon tragedy kills at least 8 people: 'We are in mourning'  Fox News
  4. Hot-Air Balloon Crashes in Brazil, Killing at Least 8 People  The New York Times
  5. At Least 8 Dead After Hot Air Balloon Catches Fire Mid-Air, Forcing Passengers to Jump to Escape the Blaze  People.com
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Kneecap’s Glastonbury performance not ‘appropriate’, says Keir Starmer

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UK prime minister criticises band’s inclusion in festival lineup after Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displayed flag supporting Hezbollah

Kneecap’s Glastonbury festival performance next Saturday is not “appropriate”, Keir Starmer has said.

Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in court on Wednesday after allegedly displaying a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah and saying “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a gig in November last year.

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Belarus opposition leader’s husband Sergei Tikhanovsky freed from prison – BBC

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  1. Belarus opposition leader's husband Sergei Tikhanovsky freed from prison  BBC
  2. Lukashenko frees husband of exiled Belarus opposition leader in US-brokered deal  Reuters
  3. Ukraine approves Termit ground drone for battlefield deployment  The Kyiv Independent
  4. Belarus opposition leader Siarhei Tsikhanouski freed from jail, says wife  Al Jazeera
  5. Belarus frees opposition leader after visit by US envoy  politico.eu
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Queensland MP calls for return of vagrancy laws to allow police to prosecute homeless people

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LNP member for Mermaid Beach says absence of legislative power to remove tents set up in his electorate is ‘unacceptable’

A Gold Coast Liberal National party MP has called for the return of vagrancy laws to allow police to prosecute homeless people amid an ongoing crackdown on tent cities in Queensland.

Ray Stevens, the member for Mermaid Beach, made the call in a speech to parliament last week.

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Federal Labor ministers at odds over contentious NT gas pipeline decision, internal document shows

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Exclusive: Agriculture minister Julie Collins and Indigenous affairs minister Malarndirri McCarthy expressed concern over Sturt Plateau pipeline’s construction

Senior Albanese government ministers disagreed over whether a controversial Northern Territory gas pipeline should be allowed to go ahead without being fully assessed under national environment laws, an internal document shows.

An environment department brief from February shows representatives for the agriculture minister, Julie Collins, and the Indigenous affairs minister, Malarndirri McCarthy, were concerned about the impact of the Sturt Plateau pipeline’s construction on threatened species and First Nations communities.

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Ukraine: Russia Repatriated Remains of Its Own Soldiers – Newser

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  1. Ukraine: Russia Repatriated Remains of Its Own Soldiers  Newser
  2. Ukraine received at least 20 bodies of Russian soldiers in recent exchanges, Zelenskyy says  AP News
  3. Ukraine war briefing: Russia repatriated at least 20 of its own dead soldiers in recent exchanges, Zelenskyy says  The Guardian
  4. Russia and Ukraine swap more POWs in second exchange in two days  Reuters
  5. Putin Sending Dead Russian Soldiers to Ukraine To Hide Losses: Zelensky  Newsweek
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Sunken superyacht lifted from waters off Sicily as crews complete salvage operation – PBS

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  1. Sunken superyacht lifted from waters off Sicily as crews complete salvage operation  PBS
  2. Photos of luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing 7, being lifted from the ocean  Yahoo
  3. Bayesian Yacht Hoisted Out of Water Months After Sicily Sinking Killed 7  People.com
  4. Watch: Sunken British superyacht raised from seabed  BBC
  5. Superyacht that sank with British tech magnate Mike Lynch on board recovered by salvage crews  CBS News
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