UK manufacturers expecting boost in second half of 2024

Make UK survey foresees growth in sector, but warns next government must tackle skills shortage

Britain’s largest manufacturers are expecting orders and output to increase dramatically in the second half of the year, even as a chronic shortage of skilled workers is threatening the ability of some companies to do business.

Manufacturing is returning to normal business conditions after wild swings in demand during the pandemic, disruptions in prices after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the effect on supply chains of blockages and conflict around the Suez canal, according to a survey of 320 companies by the trade body Make UK.

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Campaigners hope Labour will scrap two-child benefit cap once in No 10

Manifesto has no pledge to end rule Angela Rayner called ‘inhumane’ but there have been hints at more to come

Senior Labour figures have been crystal clear in the past about the two-child benefit limit, with Angela Rayner saying it was “obscene and inhumane” and Jonathan Ashworth calling it “heinous”.

Yet, as expected, Keir Starmer’s safety-first manifesto lacked any promise to reverse it, and shadow ministers have been wheeled out to underline the need to make “tough choices” and avoid unfunded promises. Rayner has said Labour has to “prioritise”.

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Starmer faces further calls for Labour to axe two-child benefit cap

IFS research shows 670,000 more children will be hit by policy by end of next parliament if limit stays in place

Keir Starmer is facing renewed pressure to scrap the two-child benefit limit, as research reveals that 250,000 more children will be hit by the policy over the next year alone.

Labour’s manifesto for government, published last week, included the promise of an “ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty”, but no mention of the two-child limit.

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Reform UK candidate resigns over previous comments backing BNP

Grant StClair-Armstrong will appear on the ballot paper but be an independent if he wins against Kemi Badenoch

The Reform UK candidate Grant StClair-Armstrong has resigned after it was discovered he had previously encouraged people to vote for the far-right British National party.

StClair-Armstrong, 71, is standing for election in North West Essex, challenging the business secretary, Kemi Badenoch.

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Third UK sandwich maker recalls product, saying it is a precaution

Plant-based food company This has not detected E coli in the wrap but is concerned about possible contamination

A third sandwich and wrap manufacturer has recalled one of its products after an E coli outbreak that has left 67 people in hospital and more than 200 in total seriously ill.

On Sunday evening the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said This had “taken the precautionary step of recalling its This Isn’t Chicken and Bacon wrap because of possible contamination with E coli”.

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Labour’s green plans will create 650,000 jobs, says Rachel Reeves

Party begins week of campaigning on economy under pressure to say if it will raise taxes to pay for £7.3bn plans

Labour will create more than 650,000 jobs with its green investment plans, Rachel Reeves has said, as the party kickstarts a week of campaigning on the economy.

The UK shadow chancellor has revealed new details about the £7.3bn green investment vehicle that Labour intends to create after the election, saying it will help create hundreds of thousands of new industrial jobs.

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US tourist found dead on Greek island near Corfu and three others missing

Body of missing man found on Mathraki beach in string of recent cases of Greek island visitors dead or gone missing

A missing US tourist has been found dead on a beach on a small Greek island west of Corfu, local media reported.

The body of the man was found Sunday on a rocky, fairly remote beach on the island of Mathraki by another tourist. He had been reported missing Thursday by his host, a Greek American friend. The tourist had last been seen Tuesday at a cafe in the company of two female tourists who have since left the island.

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Hajj 2024: At least 14 pilgrims die from sunstroke – The Associated Press

  1. Hajj 2024: At least 14 pilgrims die from sunstroke  The Associated Press
  2. Six Hajj pilgrims die from heatstroke in Mecca, as temperatures head for 118 degrees Fahrenheit  CNN
  3. Holiday draws thousands to celebration of Eid al-Adha  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
  4. At least 14 Jordanian pilgrims have reportedly died from sunstroke during the Hajj pilgrimage  NBC News
  5. Pilgrims commence final rites of Hajj as Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha  Euronews
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First Pride march since Russian invasion takes place in Kyiv – The Guardian

  1. First Pride march since Russian invasion takes place in Kyiv  The Guardian
  2. Ukraine: LGBT soldiers rally for legal right  The Associated Press
  3. Kyiv to hold first Gay Pride in Ukraine since beginning of Russian invasion  Gwara Media En
  4. LGBT soldiers in Ukraine hope their service is changing attitudes as they rally for legal rights  Spectrum News NY1
  5. LGBTQ soldiers in Ukraine hope their service is changing attitudes as they rally for legal rights  The Messenger
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Russian soldier says army suffering heavy losses in Kharkiv offensive – The Guardian

  1. Russian soldier says army suffering heavy losses in Kharkiv offensive  The Guardian
  2. NATO explains how Russia manages to replenish huge losses  Ukrainska Pravda
  3. Russo-Ukrainian war, day 841: Russian losses in Kharkiv Oblast reach astronomical levels amid renewed offensive  Euromaidan Press
  4. ‘Everywhere is dangerous’: Russia’s attacks on Kharkiv’s homes, shops and resorts  The Guardian
  5. Kharkiv, city on the edge  The Economist
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Military ‘pause’ on Gaza road inflames divisions in Israeli government – BBC.com

  1. Military ‘pause’ on Gaza road inflames divisions in Israeli government  BBC.com
  2. Israel Announces Daily Pause in Fighting in Part of Southern Gaza: Latest News  The New York Times
  3. Has Netanyahu deflected Ben-Gvir on Gaza? - Israel Politics  The Jerusalem Post
  4. Israeli military says it will begin a daily "tactical pause" to allow for humanitarian aid into southern Gaza  CBS News
  5. Netanyahu opposed to Israeli military ‘tactical pauses’ for Gaza aid  Al Jazeera English
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California wildfire forces 1,200 people to evacuate and burns over 16 sq miles

Cause of blaze, named Post Fire, unknown as two buildings damaged and nearby valley and lake reservoir close

A wildfire that forced the evacuation of at least 1,200 people in southern California has burned more than 16 sq miles, officials said Sunday.

The blaze, named the Post Fire, started Saturday and was burning near the Interstate 5 freeway in Gorman, about 62 miles (100km) north-west of Los Angeles, according to the California department of forestry and fire protection.

California state park services evacuated 1,200 people from the Hungry Valley recreation area in Gorman and both Hungry Valley and the Pyramid Lake reservoir were closed as a result of the fire threat, the Los Angeles county fire department said.

The flames broke out at around 1.45pm, authorities said. The cause isn’t known.

No homes were threatened by the fire but two commercial buildings have been damaged, the Los Angeles county fire department said Sunday.

The fire was moving south-east toward Pyramid Lake and crews were constructing perimeter fire lines while aircraft worked against limited visibility to stop the fire’s progress, the fire department said. Fire lines had been built around 2% of the perimeter as of Sunday morning, the Los Angeles county fire department said.

Strong winds will impact firefighting efforts, especially after 8pm, the department said.

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Democrat Khanna: Biden is ‘running out of time’ with young voters over Gaza war

Representative Ro Khanna says he will skip Netanyahu’s address to Congress and that young people want war to end

Progressive California Democrat Ro Khanna warned Sunday that Joe Biden is running out of time to win over young voters opposed to his administration’s handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict and that he will not attend Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress next month.

In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Representative Khanna said the erosion of support that the US president is seeing among young voters is a “challenge for our party” and the Democrats could be “running out of time” to restore support with “more people dying” in the conflict.

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80 countries at Swiss conference agree Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be basis of any peace – The Associated Press

  1. 80 countries at Swiss conference agree Ukraine's territorial integrity must be basis of any peace  The Associated Press
  2. Russia's ghost loomed over Ukraine peace summit  POLITICO Europe
  3. Ukraine War: India, Brazil, Mexico Don't Sign Statement at Swiss Summit  Bloomberg
  4. Peace summit stands behind Ukraine, calls for dialogue to end Russia war  Al Jazeera English
  5. Major Ukraine summit ends with fresh plea for peace but key powers spurn final agreement  CNN
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