Can Starmer’s late-night World Cup openings help Britain’s struggling pubs?

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Admin

While venues could stay open until 2am, rising costs remain a far bigger concern for many landlords

Picture the scene: it’s 1am on a sultry July night and Jude Bellingham has just scored the decisive penalty to send England into the World Cup semi-final. Cue wild celebrations among millions of pub goers, fuelled by the realisation that there is still an hour until closing time.

Keir Starmer may have imagined a national morale-boosting spectacle such as this when his government told hospitality venues that they could stay open until 2am on some World Cup match days.

Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Admin

Exclusive A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’

Antarctica’s west coast is missing an area of winter sea ice the size of France, sparking concerns for threatened penguins other marine life and global sea levels.

One expert said the loss of ice in the Bellingshausen Sea was “depressing” and the failure of ice to form could have intensified a heatwave over the continent’s peninsular last week that saw daytime temperatures peak at 15.4C which is more than 20C above average.

NDIS changes ‘retrogressive’ and out of step with review, MPs say

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Admin

Report by Labor-led joint human rights committee says cuts to the $50bn scheme could limit support for those in need

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Sweeping changes to the NDIS appear “retrogressive” and lack alignment with a landmark independent review to improve the $50bn-a-year scheme, a Labor-led committee has found.

The 57-page scrutiny report from the joint human rights committee, released on Friday, examined the proposed changes under the Albanese government ahead of a separate report due next week by a Senate inquiry. The Labor-chaired committee questioned the human rights implications of winding back access for more than 200,000 participants in the coming years, which could leave many without sufficient disability support.

Watch: Four UFO videos newly declassified by US government

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Admin

The eyewitness footage shows bright orbs in the sky over an undisclosed location in the northeastern US.

Defence row exposes tensions over how to keep UK safe – BBC

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Admin

Defence row exposes tensions over how to keep UK safe BBC
Laura Kuenssberg: John Healey's gone, but more threats for PM will follow BBC
Keir Starmer says he's staying put after defense secretary's departure hammers his authority ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
UK defense secretary resigns in protest of government spending plan Defense News
Britain’s defence secretary falls on his sword The Economist

Tornadoes rip through central US while extreme heat and humidity creep into the north-east

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Admin

One man died in Iowa after a tree fell on him as nearly 700 severe weather events were recorded over three days

An Illinois man whose home was destroyed by a tornado on Thursday was pulled from the rubble by a police officer and a photojournalist, who captured the terrifying storm and subsequent rescue in dramatic video footage.

Scott Lasker, who describes himself as a storm chaser, recorded the tornado ripping through the town of Streator and was filming the damage it inflicted when he came across the man trapped in the debris of his house.

US withdraws long-range military capabilities from NATO – Euronews.com

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Admin

US withdraws long-range military capabilities from NATO Euronews.com
U.S. Plan Is Said to Pull a Third of Fighter Jets It Provides NATO for Europe The New York Times
US to cut air and naval assets deployed for NATO operations in Europe Al Jazeera
Defense decoupling is no longer just a European fear — it’s Trump’s policy politico.eu
US plans major cut to jets, warships for NATO operations in Europe, NYT reports Defense News

Trump’s Energy Chief Says Half of Hormuz Stoppages Restored – Bloomberg.com

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Admin

Spain’s former PM faces tax fraud inquiry as police find €1.3m of jewellery

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Admin

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, already under investigation for alleged influence-peddling, facing questions over items found in office safe

The former Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is being investigated for possible tax fraud and smuggling after police discovered jewellery valued at more than €1.3m (£1.1m) while searching his office safe as part of a separate inquiry.

Zapatero, who led two socialist governments between 2004 and 2011, is already under investigation for alleged influence-peddling and other offences relating to the state bailout of the Spanish Plus Ultra airline during the Covid pandemic. He is alleged to have overseen “a hierarchical structure of influence-peddling”, whose purpose was “to obtain economic benefits through intermediation and the exercise of influence before public bodies in favour of third parties, mainly Plus Ultra”.