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A TOP Putin crony has warned the Kremlin might seize the “valuables of the British Crown” if the UK supports Ukraine with money from frozen Russian assets.
Ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused “British thieves” of giving Russian money to “neo-Nazis” in a deranged rant on social media.
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Close Putin ally Medvedev accused Britain of giving Russian money to ‘neo-Nazis’Credit: Reuters
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The former Russian President also called Foreign Secretary David Lammy an ‘English idiot’Credit: PA
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Medvedev is a close ally of Russian tyrant Vladimir PutinCredit: AFP
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It comes after Britain announced a fresh £1 billion support package for Ukraine’s fight against Moscow.
The money for this aid boost was raised using frozen Russian assets, Defence Secretary John Healey revealed.
But in a chilling post on Telegram, Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, threatened revenge from Moscow.
In his bizarre ramblings, he even referred to Foreign Secretary David Lammy as an “English idiot”.
Close Putin ally Medvedev accused Britain of giving Russian money to “neo-Nazis” – in reference to a false Kremlin claim that Ukraine is run by Nazis.
“Consequences? Britain committed an offence,” he posted.
“But given that this money cannot be recovered through legal proceedings for obvious reasons, our country has only one way to return the valuables.
“Return what was seized in kind.”
He further threatened to take hold of additional Ukrainian land “and movable property located on it”.
Medvedev has long been one of Moscow’s most vocal cheerleaders for Russia’s monstrous invasion of Ukraine.
Defiant Defence Sec ‘sends two finger signal’ to ‘weaker than ever’ Putin from Ukraine in midst of Russian missile blitz
The Putin lackey added that the Kremlin would respond to any “illegal seizure” of frozen funds by “confiscating the valuables of the British Crown”.
“There are still enough of them in different places, including those located in Russia,” he said.
The UK and other Western nations have imposed bruising sanctions on Russia since Putin ordered his forces to invade Ukraine.
Medvedev’s comments come as members of the pro-Kyiv “Coalition of the Willing” held talks yesterday over future security guarantees for the war-torn nation.
Around 30 leaders came to Paris or joined via video link to hash out plans for what comes next if a peace deal is reached.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among those to join the summit remotely.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister emphasised that the group had an unbreakable pledge to Ukraine, with President Trump’s backing.
“And it was clear they now needed to go even further to apply pressure on Putin to secure a cessation of hostilities.
“The Prime Minister also welcomed announcements from coalition of the willing partners to supply long-range missiles to Ukraine to further bolster the country’s supplies.”
Medvedev’s ramblings are not the only recent threats against Britain from Kremlin mouthpieces.
Another Putin propagandist has threatened to sink the UK with a new high-speed torpedo.
Vladimir Solovyov called for a Poseidon nuclear torpedo to unleash a tidal wave over Britain and drown the entire population.
He said on Russian state television: “I am not calling for anything, about anything, in any way, I am simply stating – the British say their task is to inflict strategic defeat on us.
“Well, let them say it from underwater.”
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Medvedev is now the deputy chairman of Russia’s security councilCredit: EPA
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Medvedev has long been one of Moscow’s most vocal cheerleaders for Putin’s monstrous invasion of UkraineCredit: Alamy
The United Arab Emirates warned Wednesday that Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank would cross a “red line,” and end “the vision of regional integration,” Anadolu reports.
“Annexation would be a red line for my government, and that means there can be no lasting peace,” Emirati Special Envoy Lana Nusseibeh told The Times of Israel news outlet.
“It would foreclose the idea of regional integration and be the death knell of the two-state solution,” she said.
In 2020, the UAE signed US-sponsored agreements with Israel to normalize their relations. Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco also followed suit.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said early Wednesday that Israel plans to annex 82% of the occupied West Bank to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“Israeli sovereignty will be applied to 82% of the territory,” Smotrich, the leader of the far-right Religious Zionism Party, told a press conference in Jerusalem.
The far-right minister called the West Bank annexation “a preventative step” against moves by many countries to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Several countries, including Belgium, France, the UK, Canada, and Australia, announced plans to recognize Palestinian statehood during the upcoming meetings of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 8-23, joining 147 nations that already do.
On Aug. 20, Israel approved a major settlement project, called E1, which aims to split the occupied West Bank into two parts, cutting off the northern cities of Ramallah and Nablus from Bethlehem and Hebron in the south and isolating East Jerusalem.
The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In an advisory opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The University of California’s top leader has raised the “distinct possibility” that financial losses due to the Trump administration’s funding cuts could amount to billions of dollars and extend beyond UCLA to the entire 10-campus system, telling state legislators Wednesday that “the stakes are high and the risks are very real.”
In a letter to dozens of lawmakers obtained by The Times, UC President James B. Milliken said the university is facing “one of the gravest threats in UC’s 157-year history” after the Trump administration cut off more than $500 million in grants to UCLA before demanding a $1.2-billion fine over allegations of campus antisemitism.
Milliken outlined the potential losses at the nation’s preeminent public university system under Trump’s higher education agenda in his strongest and most detailed public words since starting the job Aug. 1, days after funding troubles hit UCLA.
UC “receives over $17 billion per year from the federal government — $9.9 billion in Medicare and Medicaid funding, $5.7 billion in research funding, and $1.9 billion in student financial aid per year,” Milliken wrote in the letter addressed to Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. If such funds were lost, Milliken wrote, “we would need at least $4-5 billion per year to minimize the damage.”
“A substantial loss of federal funding would devastate our university and cause enormous harm to our students, our patients, and all Californians. Classes and student services would be reduced, patients would be turned away, tens of thousands of jobs would be lost, and we would see UC’s world-renowned researchers leaving our state for other more seemingly stable opportunities in the US or abroad.”
Milliken, who met with lawmakers in Sacramento last month, penned his message in response to an Aug. 31 letter from Wiener and 33 other legislators, who urged UC leaders to “not to back down in the face of this political shakedown” from President Trump, whose actions the lawmakers said were “an extortion attempt and a page out of the authoritarian playbook.”
In a statement about the letter, a UC spokesperson said the university “is committed to working with leaders in Sacramento and across the country to ensure we have the resources we need to continue generating jobs, life-changing discoveries, and economic opportunity in the face of historic challenges.”
In addition to grant cuts and the $1.2-billion fine demand from UCLA, the Trump administration has also proposed sweeping changes at the Westwood campus. They include the release of detailed admissions data — the government accuses UCLA of illegally considering race when awarding seats — restrictions on protests, and an end to race-related scholarships and diversity hiring programs. The Department of Justice has also called for a ban on gender-affirming care for minors at UCLA healthcare systems.
The Trump administration accuses UCLA of violating civil rights law by not taking antisemitism seriously. Although there have been complaints of antisemitism on campus since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s ensuing war in Gaza, a number of influential faculty members, staff and students, including many in the Jewish campus community, have said UCLA has made progress on addressing the campus climate.
“Free speech, academic freedom, scientific research, and democracy are values that have led to Jewish flourishing. These attacks on California, on our immigrant communities, on science, and on LGBTQ people stand in stark contrast to Jewish values,” Wiener wrote in the letter whose signatories included members of California Legislative Jewish Caucus, of which Weiner is co-chair.
Wiener’s letter urged UC leaders to fight the government’s demands as the university negotiates with the DOJ.
“Acceding to these reprehensible demands won’t stabilize the UC system; it will betray our values of protecting and celebrating our most vulnerable communities. Giving in will only encourage further unconstitutional behavior by this administration,” said the letter, addressed to Milliken, the UC Board of Regents and UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk.
“Concessions by UCLA would establish a damaging precedent for extorting public schools in states with leadership that does not bow down to this President,” Wiener and others wrote, who described federal demands as “extortion,” echoing statements by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“We must resist Trump’s extortion to protect public higher education, the economy, our students and California’s values,” the lawmakers wrote.
Although the university has engaged with the Trump administration to restore UCLA funding, no settlement has been reached and there is a wide gulf between the two sides on what terms would be acceptable.
Newsom has called the government’s proposed fine “ransom,” saying he wants UC to sue the administration and not “bend the knee” to Trump.
But the decision over a lawsuit rests with the independent UC Board of Regents. The governor has appointed many but not all of the regents and sits as a voting member on the 24-person board. Newsom can exercise political sway over its moves but, aside from his vote, has no formal power over the body’s decisions.
Enormous damage would be caused if the 15 per cent tax paid by bookmakers is brought into line with online gaming which is taxed at 21 per cent.
Horse racing will go on strike next Wednesday when four race meetings are put on hold in protest at the proposed changes.
The horse racing industry would be dealt a £66 million a year hit and threaten thousands of jobs.
Ministers have been warned that any such move will have be catastrophic for racing’s fragile finances with punters also being driven to illicit markets.
READ MORE ON GAMBLING TAX
A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council said: “Hiking gambling taxes would backfire spectacularly.
“Far from boosting the Treasury, it will push punters towards the unsafe black market, which pays no tax, backs no sport and has zero standards.”
They add that it would shrink the legal market and damage sport.
The industry says it already pays £4 billion in taxes, supports 109,000 jobs and pumps £6.8 billion into the economy.
Ex-PM Gordon Brown has called for an increase on gambling taxes to help take children out of poverty.
The Treasury has previously said: “We are consulting on bringing the treatment of online betting in line with other forms of online gambling to cut down bureaucracy – it is not about increasing or decreasing rates, and we welcome views from all stakeholders including businesses, trade bodies, the third sector and individuals.”
Rachel Reeves faces crunch autumn budget amid £50bn black hole
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Hiking gambling taxes at the Budget would ‘backfire’ and push punters to the unsafe black market, warns sector bossesCredit: PA
Bridget Phillipson told the BBC that the start of the year was a crucial time for pupils and parents
The education secretary has warned parents of the dangers of poor attendance at the start of the school year, as children return for the new term this week.
It comes as BBC analysis reveals more than half of pupils who missed some of the first week of school went on to become “persistently absent” in 2024, compared with just 14% of pupils who fully attended the first week.
Bridget Phillipson said schools and parents should “double down” to get children into classrooms at the start of the 2025 term.
She told BBC Breakfast: “What we know is if children miss a day or two in the first couple of weeks of term, they’re more likely to go on to be persistently absent.”
She continued: “That means they’re more likely not to be going to school on a regular basis, and all the consequences that has for their life chances.”
Phillipson said parents had to pull together with schools and government to get their children “off to a good start”.
Data first seen by the BBC showed about 18% of pupils were persistently absent in the 2024-25 school year.
This was down from a peak of 23% in 2021-22, but higher than the pre-Covid levels of about 11%.
Schools have always grappled with attendance issues, but they became much worse after the pandemic in 2020 and schools closed to most pupils during national lockdowns.
Attendance has improved since, but it remains a bigger problem than before Covid.
The Department for Education (DfE) said the data from the first week of the 2024-25 school year showed the start of term was “critical” for tackling persistent absence.
The Conservatives said Labour’s Schools Bill had dismantled a system that had “driven up standards for decades”.
A head teachers’ union said more support was needed “outside of the school gates” to boost attendance.
Karl Stewart, head teacher at Shaftesbury Junior School in Leicester, said his school’s attendance rates were higher than average and but there was a “definite dip” in the two years after Covid.
“I get why. Some of that wasn’t necessarily parents not wanting to send them in. It was because either they had got Covid or other things, they were saying, ‘We’ll just keep them off now to be sure’,” he said.
The school has incentives like awards and class competitions to keep absence rates down, and Mr Stewart said attendance had more or less returned to pre-Covid levels.
“When we have the children in every day the results are just better,” he said.
“If you’re here, that gives you more time for your teacher to notice you, for us to see all that good behaviour [and] that really hard work – and that’s what we want.”
But, like lots of schools, he said some parents still took their children on unauthorised term-time holidays to make the most of cheaper costs.
Others, he said, have taken children for medical treatments overseas to avoid NHS waiting lists.
Head teacher Karl Stewart says results are “just better” for pupils with high attendance
The education secretary said that while attendance improved last year, absence levels “remain critically high, putting at risk the life chances of a whole generation of young people”.
“Every day of school missed is a day stolen from a child’s future,” Phillipson said.
“As the new term kicks off, we need schools and parents to double down on the energy, the drive and the relentlessness that’s already boosted the life chances of millions of children, to do the same for millions more.”
Parents can be fined upwards of £80 if their child misses five days of school without permission. Last year, a record number of fines for unauthorised family holidays were issued in England.
Phillipson told BBC Breakfast that fines remained “an important backstop within the system”.
“It’s not just about our own children, but the impact it has on the whole class – if teachers are having to spend time covering work they’ve already done, it is disruptive,” she said.
But the education secretary stressed that schools were asked to take a “support-first” approach and work with parents where there were wider issues affecting a pupil’s attendance.
The DfE said 800 schools were set to be supported by regional school improvement teams – through attendance and behaviour hubs.
These hubs are made up of 90 exemplary schools which will offer support to improve struggling schools through training sessions, events and open days.
It said it had appointed the first 21 schools that will lead the programme.
However, Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said attendance hubs were not a “silver bullet” and a more “strategic approach” was needed.
“I think the government has worked really hard to improve attendance and it continues to be a priority for them, but there’s certainly more to do,” he told the BBC.
“So many of the challenges that [school leaders] are facing come from beyond the school gates – children suffering with high levels of anxiety, issues around mental health.”
He said school leaders wanted quicker access to support for those pupils and specialist staff in schools, but pupils also needed “great role models” in the community through youth clubs and volunteer groups.
Shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: “Behaviour and attendance are two of the biggest challenges facing schools and it’s about time the government acted.”
She added: “There must be clear consequences for poor behaviour not just to protect the pupils trying to learn, but to recognise when mainstream education isn’t the right setting for those causing disruption.”
BRITAIN must ramp up missile defences – like Israel’s Iron Dome – or risk its nuclear bases being obliterated in the first hours of a war with Russia.
Moscow would targetRAF jets and Royal Navy nuclear submarines if it launched a surprise attack, a report by the Rusi think tank has warned.
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Britain must beef up missile defences like Israel’s Iron Dome or risk nuclear bases being obliterated, report warnsCredit: AP
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The report urged Keir Starmer to buy space based sensors and long range radars that can see 3000km awayCredit: AFP
A pre-emptive strike could “cripple” Britain’s nuclear deterrent and conventional military power – as most of the UK’s best weapons are “concentrated on just a few sites”.
The report warned a single Russian Yasen-class submarine could launch 40 cruise missiles from the Norwegian Sea with “relatively low warning”.
Yet the UK lacks both the radars to detect them “skimming over the sea” – or the weapons to shoot them down.
The report’s author Sidharth Kaushal said the immediate threat comes from sub-sonic Russian cruise missiles which can be launched from planes and submarines.
By 2035 the main risk will come from intermediate range ballistic missiles, like the Oreshnik blasted at Ukraine last year.
By 2040 the UK will need to defend against “hypersonic glide vehicles” which can travel at 20 times the speed of sound.
He also warned short range drones could be smuggled close to targets and launched from sea containers – like Ukraine’s Operation Spiders Web – or launched by Spetznaz special forces.
Kaushal said calls for a British Iron Dome were warranted by Russia’s focus on “long-range conventional precision strike” weapons.
He said: “The initial priority is the expansion of its capacity for the defence of critical military installations against what is primarily a cruise missile threat.”
The report urged Keir Starmer to buy space based sensors and long range radars that can see 3000km away, the equivalent of Lands End to Moscow.
Moment Israel’s Iron Dome blasting Iranian missiles in aerial battle
He said “long-range precision strikes” was central to Kremlin military doctrine.
He said: “The destruction of aircraft on the ground is particularly salient. The destruction of nuclear attack submarines that carry submarine-launched cruise missiles is also described as a priority.”
Russian targets would likely the Royal Navy Bases at Devonport and Clyde and RAF Marham in Norfolk, where the nuclear capable fleet of F-35 stealth jets is based.
Air Commodore Blythe Crawford said: “It was not a pretty picture.”
The drills suggested bases would be blown to smithereens and £100 million fighter jets could get blitzed before they could hide.
Air Cdre Crawford, who was head the RAF’s Air and Space Warfare Centre at the time, said it showed the UK “home base” was no longer safe.
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The only British missiles that could intercept Russian ballistic missiles are based onboard the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyersCredit: Reuters
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Russian targets would likely the Royal Navy Bases at Devonport and Clyde and RAF Marham in NorfolkCredit: Alamy
The drills used a £36 million wargaming system to test the UK’s responses to “hundreds of different types of munitions” attacking from multiple different directions.
It exposed multiple vulnerabilities including a chronic shortage of airfields and a lack of hardened shelters for protect and hide jets on the ground.
The government sold off scores of airfields and watered-down the RAF’s powers to commandeer civilian runways.
The Armed Forces rely on RAF Typhoons, which scramble from RAF Lossiemouth, to shoot down incoming drones and cruise missiles.
The only British missiles that could intercept Russian ballistic missiles are based onboard the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers.
Air Cdr Crawford warned Britain had got lax by standing at the edge of Europe and “feeling as though the rest of the continent stood between us and the enemy”.
He said: “Ukraine has made us all sit up.” The government announced last week it was buying six more launchers to for its Sky Sabre air defence systems.
The weapons, used by the Royal Artillery, can shoot down targets the size of a tennis ball at two times the speed of sound.
How Israel’s defence mechanisms work
Iron Dome
The Iron Dome is Israel’s most famed missile shield.
It intercepts short-range rockets as well as shells and mortar.
Iron Dome batteries are scattered across Israel, with each base having three or four launchers.
Each launcher has 20 interceptor missiles.
A radar system detects rockets and calculates the trajectory, while a control system estimates the impact point.
An operator then decides whether to launch rockets to intercept.
David’s Sling
David’s Sling destroys longer-range rockets, cruise missiles and medium or long-range ballistic missiles.
It started operation in 2017 and like the Dome, only stops missiles that threaten civilians and infrastructure.
Arrow 2 and Arrow 3
Arrow 2 wipes out short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles while they are flying through the upper atmosphere.
It is able to detect missiles up to 500km away.
Missiles from Arrow 2 can travel at nine times the speed of sounds – firing at up to 14 targets at once.
Arrow 3 meanwhile intercepts long-range ballistic missiles as they travel at the top of their arc outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
Thaad system
Thaad is a US-made system, designed to work in a similar way to David’s Sling and intercept missiles towards the end of their flight.
It can stop missiles inside and outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
Thaad batteries usually have six launchers, which each contain eight missiles.
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office has issued a warning to Brits who are planning to travel abroad, urging them to declare one detail or risk paying thousands
You should purchase appropriate travel insurance when travelling abroad, according to the Foreign Office(Image: Getty Images)
The Foreign Office has issued a stern warning to Brits, advising them to declare a crucial detail on their travel insurance or risk facing potential bills exceeding £150,000.
It’s no revelation that securing your travel insurance is an essential part of holiday planning, providing financial protection if you encounter any issues while abroad. Travel insurance is designed to cover unexpected hospital bills, lost or stolen items, trip cancellations and even emergency transport. Without it, these costs can be incredibly steep when in a foreign country.
However, when applying for coverage, neglecting to disclose any past medical conditions could completely invalidate your insurance.
Insurance providers may want to know of medical conditions or visits for medical attention within the last three, four or five years(Image: photobyphotoboy via Getty Images)
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) stated: “If you travel internationally you should buy appropriate travel insurance before you go, covering you for existing physical or mental health conditions (including those currently under investigation) and any activities you will be doing whilst you are away.
“If you do not have appropriate insurance before you travel, you could be liable for emergency expenses, including medical treatment, which may cost thousands of pounds.”
More specifically, it advised: “Declare existing conditions or pending treatment or tests so that you are covered if there are related complications during your trip; failing to declare something may invalidate your travel insurance.”
The FCDO provided examples of how much this could ultimately cost you if it nullifies your insurance:
Fall and break your leg in Spain, you will need hospital treatment and possibly medical evacuation/repatriation – £25,000+
Quad bike accident in Greece, and you need surgery and medical evacuation/repatriation – £80,000+
Stomach bug or infection treated in a hospital in the USA and possibly medical evacuation/repatriation – £150,000+
Money Saving Expert (MSE), the brainchild of Martin Lewis, highlights that some insurers may request a comprehensive medical history spanning several years.
The site advises: “It’s important to carefully read the questions asked by the insurer – they may want to know of medical conditions or visits for medical attention within the last three, four or five years, and some insurers may even want to know your medical history even further back, as you’re usually considered to be more likely to make a claim.”
The FCDO advises Brits to have their insurance policy details at hand when travelling(Image: John Lamb via Getty Images)
As reported by the Express, MSE also lists some of the most common medical conditions that need to be disclosed when buying travel insurance, although this list is not exhaustive:
Epilepsy
Heart conditions (including high blood pressure or cholesterol)
Mental health conditions (including depression, eating disorders, anxiety)
Arthritis
Gout
Crohn’s disease
Price comparison giant Money Supermarket points out that travel insurance could be pricier if you have a pre-existing condition. It explains: “Yes, you can get travel insurance if you have a pre-existing medical condition, although it might be more expensive than standard travel insurance. This is because an insurer sees you as a higher risk of making a claim on the policy.
“However, there are still lots of policies to choose from for those with pre-existing conditions. They cover a wide range of health problems and there are also specialist insurers who can help.”
Before jetting off, the FCDO advises holidaymakers to have their insurance policy details at hand, including the policy number and emergency contact number for your insurer.
“Share your policy details with people you’re travelling with and friends or family at home, in case they need to contact your insurance company on your behalf,” it suggests.
ITV boss Kevin Lygo has lifted the lid on upcoming cuts to the channel’s daytime offerings, admitting that certain shows are a huge expense to make
20:38, 21 Aug 2025Updated 20:38, 21 Aug 2025
Lorraine Kelly’s breakfast show will be affected(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
ITV boss Kevin Lygo has insisted the channel will try to make their daytime shows look the same next year but admitted it will be “challenging” – as he spoke out about the budget cuts to daytime.
From January 2026 Lorraine Kelly’s morning show on ITV will be cut from an hour to 30 minutes as more than 220 jobs across the station’s daytime output are being cut, the broadcaster announced in May.
Asked directly if the best days of daytime TV were behind them at ITV, ITV managing director Lygo said “no, I don’t think so” but admitted there would be changes.
He admitted that although ITV’s daytime shows are “brilliant” they are expensive to make(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
He said: “As a commercial broadcast you earn most of your money with big audiences in peak time. That is what advertisers want and the cost of those has gone up and up and up. Those are the things that drive us commercially.
“Those morning shows have been on forever and they are brilliant and they are watched and they are seven hours of TV a day but they do cost a great deal of money.
“So we thought, is there a way of keeping those long standing brands on air and keeping the familiar faces on that give comfort to people? So the editorial brief was if you have a lot less money, which you will do from January, to try to make it so the audience isn’t shocked. They should look more or less the same, they are less funded so that will be challenging to the producers. But unfortunately that means people doing a perfectly good job will lose their jobs because we need fewer people making them.”
Good Morning Britain will see big changes(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Lygo also defended the decision to keep Torode’s John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen on air on ITV after he was sacked from MasterChef following an independent report.
Questioned over this decision to let him remain on screen, Lygo said he “felt it was a bit much for us to jump on the bandwagon and just deny these shows to go out.”
He added: “We don’t know the details, the BBC haven’t come out with that. We pre-recorded those shows. We did ask the producers of our shows if there were any incidents and they said everything was fine.”
Torode was sacked after the report, initially examining allegations against Wallace, upheld a complaint against him for use of racial language. Torode has apologised but denied the incident took place.
In a separate session at the Edinburgh TV Festival, the BBC’s chief content officer said the corporation “acted fast” after misconduct allegations against former MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.
Wallace, 60, issued an apology saying he was “deeply sorry for any distress caused” and that he “never set out to harm or humiliate”, after a review said 45 out of 83 allegations made against him were upheld.
Speaking at the Festival, Kate Phillips said: “I think when complaints came to me about Gregg Wallace, which was 2019, when I dealt with it, I always dealt with it straightaway.
“So there were two complaints. I dealt with them. I acted on them fast.
“I think we weren’t as joined-up in the BBC as we are now, so I didn’t know about some of the historical things that had taken place. So if I’d known about those at the time, yes, I may have acted differently, but I acted on the information I was given.
“I think I acted responsibly. I left him in no doubt of the expected behaviour that we expect at the BBC, if you like. I stand by the actions I took at the time with the knowledge that I had.”
ITV staff working on daytime were told in a meeting in May that 220 production staff out of 440 will lose their jobs
On the other daytime shows as previously revealed in the Mirror there will be cuts to Loose Women which will see less panelists needed than the current rota of 26.
One insider insister 8-10 might leave in the New Year and it would mean the next six months would see panelists being more outrageous and bold with their comments than normal to keep the spot on the show. ITV have insisted there will be no widespread cuts when it comes to panelists.
Good Morning Britain will also see big cuts and changes but the one constant will be Susanna Reid. A source previously told the Mirror: “When there are cuts this big normally no one is safe but Susanne Reid is someone ITV want to build the show around and is seen as an essential part of daytime. She is 100% safe from the cuts but will be very worried for friends she has on GMB and what the cuts mean for the quality of the programme on screen.”
Hundreds of staff are now in a consultation process at ITV.
Walmart’s second-quarter results are showing that United States consumers across the spectrum are still flocking to the retailer’s stores despite economic headwinds, but its shares have dipped as the company’s margins ebbed and inventory costs rose.
The world’s largest retailer has scooped up market share from rivals as wealthier consumers frequent the store more often, worried about the effects of tariffs on prices, the company’s results on Thursday showed.
That has fueled an 85 percent surge in the stock over the last year-and-a-half that some analysts say has made its valuation too lofty.
Shares were down 4 percent in midday trading in New York, as its second-quarter profit was lower than expected, registering Walmart’s first earnings miss in more than three years.
Investors also focused on Walmart’s gross margins for the quarter, which fell short of their expectations, even though the company raised its fiscal year sales and profit forecasts.
Overall gross margins were about flat at 24.5 percent versus 24.4 percent last quarter, missing consensus estimates of 24.9 percent, according to brokerage DA Davidson.
“Expectations were high for a margin beat and we didn’t get that, so we’re getting a little bit of a pullback on the stock,” said Steven Shemesh, RBC Capital Markets analyst.
Still, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based chain’s results showed it has continued to benefit from growing price sensitivity among Americans, earning revenue of $177.4bn in the second quarter. Analysts on average were expecting $176.16bn, according to LSEG data. Adjusted earnings per share of 68 cents in the second quarter fell short of analyst expectations of 74 cents.
Consumer sentiment has weakened due to fears of tariffs fueling higher inflation, hitting the bottom lines of some retail chains, but Walmart’s sales have remained resilient. Companies have been able to withstand paying those import levies through front-running of inventories, but as those products are sold, the next shipments are pricier, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said.
“As we replenish inventory at post-tariff price levels, we’ve continued to see our cost increase each week,” he said on a call with analysts, noting those costs will continue rising in the second half of the year. The effects of tariffs have so been gradual enough for consumer habits to change only modestly.
Walmart had warned it would increase prices this summer to offset tariff-related costs on certain goods imported to the US, a move that drew criticism from President Donald Trump. Consumer-level inflation is increasing modestly, while wholesale inflation spiked in July to its fastest rate in more than three years.
According to an S&P Global survey released on Thursday, input prices paid by businesses hit a three-month high in July, with companies citing tariffs as the key driver. Prices charged by businesses for goods and services hit a three-year high, as companies passed along costs to consumers. A day earlier, rival Target warned of tariff-induced cost pressures.
Walmart got a boost from a sharper online strategy as more customers relied on home deliveries. Its global e-commerce sales jumped 25 percent during the second quarter, and Walmart said one-third of deliveries from stores took three hours or less.
Shoppers adjust to higher prices
McMillon expects current shopping habits to persist through the third and fourth quarters. He noted middle- and lower-income households are making noticeable adjustments in response to rising prices, either by reducing the number of items in their baskets or by opting for private-label brands. This shift has not been seen among higher-income households, which Walmart defines as those earning over $100,000 annually.
Walmart expects annual sales to grow in the range of 3.75 percent to 4.75 percent, compared to its prior forecast of a 3 percent to 4 percent increase. Adjusted earnings per share are expected in the range of $2.52 to $2.62, compared to its previous range of $2.50 to $2.60.
Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said the company is looking at more possible financial outcomes than before because of trade policy talks, uncertain demand, and the need to stay flexible for future growth. Based on what it saw in the second quarter, Walmart expects the impact on margins and earnings from the higher cost of goods to be smaller in the current quarter than it previously thought, Rainey said.
“Broad consumer and macro trends remain favourable to Walmart, especially in the shape of consumers wanting to maximise bang for their buck,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of retail consultancy GlobalData.
Walmart’s total US comparable sales rose 4.6 percent, beating analysts’ estimates of a 3.8 percent increase. The company noted strong customer response to over 7,400 “rollbacks,” its term for discounted prices, with 30 percent more rollbacks on grocery items.
Average spending at the till rose 3.1 percent from an increase of 0.6 percent last year, but growth in customer visits fell to 1.5 percent from 3.6 percent in the year-earlier period. Walmart logged 40 percent growth in marketplace sales, including electronics, automotive, toys, and media and gaming.
Two-thirds of what Walmart sells in the US is domestically sourced, executives had said last quarter, which gave it some insulation from tariffs compared to competitors.
According to Andrea Platania of Transfeero, while most guests assume everything is spotless when you enter a hotel room, kettles are rarely checked thoroughly by housekeeping
10:30, 21 Aug 2025Updated 10:31, 21 Aug 2025
Kettles are not check as regularly as one might hope(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
When you arrive at a hotel, the last thing you want to do is think about germs, creepy crawlies or unhygienic habits left behind by past guests.
Most of us throw our bags on the bed and head out to enjoy the holiday. But, according to the germ-conscious travel professionals at Transfeero, skipping a couple of quick checks could be a mistake.
“People book holidays to make memories, not to deal with unpleasant surprises. That’s why it’s worth taking two minutes to check your room properly before settling in. Trust me, hotel staff see far more than you’d imagine,” Andrea said.
Make sure to check your kettle(Image: Getty Images)
One of the less glamorous tips is to open the kettle before you use it. According to Andrea, while most guests assume everything is spotless, kettles are rarely checked thoroughly by housekeeping.
“There have been cases where guests have put things inside kettles that should never be there,” he said. “I’ve heard of everything from socks to much worse. Unless you want your morning tea tasting like regret, always check before boiling.”
And it’s not just the kettle that needs a second look. Platania warns that minibars can also hide unpleasant surprises.
“A hotel worker once told me a guest urinated into a minibar bottle, screwed the cap back on, and left it there. The next person opened it thinking they’d found a refreshing drink,” he revealed.
For that reason, the expert recommends making sure the seals on all minibar bottles are intact before taking a sip. “If the seal looks tampered with, avoid it. It’s not worth the risk. Buy your drinks at the bar instead, so that at least you know what you’re getting.”
If your trip takes you somewhere hot, another unexpected danger could be hiding in the toilet. Andrea explained that the porcelain bowl and the underside of the seat are ideal hiding spots for insects.
“In warmer climates, it’s not unusual to find spiders or cockroaches setting up camp in the toilet bowl,” he said. “The safest thing to do is flush before you use it, especially if you’ve just checked in or returned after a day out.”
It may sound like an overreaction, but those who’ve had an unexpected encounter with a spider on the loo seat will know it’s advice worth taking.
The government of the United Kingdom has warned Irish novelist Sally Rooney against funding Palestine Action after she pledged support to the campaign group banned by the Labour-led government as a “terrorist” group last month.
The prime minister’s office said on Monday that “support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act” and warned against backing such organisations.
“There is a difference between showing support for a proscribed organisation, which is an offence under the Terrorism Act, and legitimate protest in support of a cause,” a spokesperson was quoted by PA Media.
In an opinion piece in the Irish Times on Saturday, Rooney, the author of best-selling novels such as Normal People and Conversations with Friends, criticised the government’s move to ban the pro-Palestinian group.
“Activists who disrupt the flow of weapons to a genocidal regime may violate petty criminal statutes, but they uphold a far greater law and a more profound human imperative: to protect a people and culture from annihilation,” she wrote in the article.
Palestine Action was banned after its activists broke into a military base in central England in June and sprayed red paint on two planes in protest against the UK’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children.
What’s Palestine Action?
Since its founding in 2020, Palestine Action has disrupted the arms industry in the UK with “direct action”. It says it is “committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”.
Israel has been accused of widespread abuses in its 22 months of war on Gaza. The International Court of Justice in January 2024 said Israeli actions in Gaza were plausibly genocide. Since then, multiple rights organisations have called Israel’s war a genocide. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes.
Rooney said she chose the Dublin-based newspaper to publicise her intention rather than a UK one as doing so “would now be illegal” in Britain after the government banned Palestine Action.
“The UK’s state broadcaster … regularly pays me residual fees. I want to be clear that I intend to use these proceeds of my work, as well as my public platform generally, to go on supporting Palestine Action and direct action against genocide in whatever way I can,” she wrote.
Hundreds arrested
More than 700 supporters of Palestine Action have been arrested in the UK, mostly at demonstrations, since the group was outlawed under the Terrorism Act 2000.
“I feel obliged to state once more that like the hundreds of protesters arrested last weekend, I too support Palestine Action. If this makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it,” Rooney said.
The spokesperson from the prime minister’s office said Palestine Action was proscribed “based on security advice following serious attacks the group has committed, following an assessment made by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre”.
The government ban on Palestine Action came into force on July 5, days after it took responsibility for a break-in at an air force base in southern England that caused an estimated 7 million pounds ($9.3m) of damage to two aircraft.
The group said its activists were responding to Britain’s indirect military support for Israel during the war in Gaza.
Being a member of Palestine Action or supporting the group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. It places the campaign group on the same legal footing as ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda.
More than 500 people were arrested at a protest in London’s Parliament Square on August 9 for displaying placards backing the group. The number is thought to be the highest ever recorded number of detentions at a single protest in the capital.
At least 60 of them are due to face prosecution, police said.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has defended the proscription of the group, stating: “UK national security and public safety must always be our top priority.”
“The assessments are very clear – this is not a nonviolent organisation,” she said.
In her article, Rooney accused the UK government of “willingly stripping its own citizens of basic rights and freedoms, including the right to express and read dissenting opinions, in order to protect its relationship with Israel”.
If you’re heading out to Benidorm soon, then you may want to heed the advice of a Brit abroad in the Spanish city, as he warned you may want to just get a transfer and not a hire car
He shared that you shouldn’t hire a car in August (Image: Jam Press/@harrytokky)
A Brit abroad shared if you’re going to Benidorm in August, you should try to avoid renting a car. Harry, who posts on TikTok as @harrytokky, revealed the “warning” for anyone who may be considering driving around the city, because parking is such an issue.
Harry explained that “right now in Benidorm it’s absolutely rammed” because kids are on their school holidays and their parents have taken them away – plus the weather is glorious. But this does mean that parking has become a nightmare, and Harry’s pal said it’s better to get about on “little scooters” as an alternative.
“So, if you’re coming out to Benidorm, especially for the month of August, then I don’t recommend renting a car,” Harry shared.
Harry described the parking as “unreal,” saying it took him “one hour to get a space,” likening it to a “nightmare” situation.
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It’s high tourist season, with peak occupancy in the city, and there are also limited spaces.
The city is rammed full of Spanish and international visitors during this time, leading to increased demand for parking spots. While free parking areas exist, they can be difficult to find and access due to the crowds.
Harry’s pal also revealed a “lot of entertainers are late for their shows” because they simply cannot find anywhere to park.
He also claimed they’re having to “park half an hour out of town,” which is causing chaos.
They also shared the prices of renting cars is “ridiculous,” so Harry said his “important message” is that “it’s just not worth it,” and you should “get a transfer”.
In the comments, someone wrote: “What Harry hasn’t told you, a lot of Spanish head to the coast in August, so it affects parking. It’s ‘tourist’ parking, but it’s Spanish people who have driven to the resorts.”
Harry replied: “Lots of Spanish, 100% lots of Europeans too, either way, there’s definitely no parking in Benidorm at the moment. Took me an hour to get parked.”
Another penned: “Free at the bus station or on that car park just before you come into town, or only €16 a day for one of the car parks. Rented a drop top for pride.”
Thankfully, not everything in Benidorm is expensive, however, as Harry shared in a previous video that McDonald’s meals are seriously cheap.
Sitting outside, he said: “And just like that, the food has arrived. Now you will not believe how cheap this was. We’ve got two meals here. Guess how much this costs? €11 (£9.53).”
Harry continued, explaining there are two fries, two burgers, two drinks, and some chicken nuggets on the side as well.
He gushed: “I mean, €11? What do you think, guys? I think that’s an absolute bargain, let’s be honest. €11? In the UK, that’d probably be at least £20.”
In the UK, a large Big Mac meal costs around £7.69, depending on location. Meanwhile, six chicken nuggets cost around £3.49, depending on location.
So Harry is right, it is significantly cheaper in Benidorm. The whole meal would cost roughly £18.87.
Spain on Friday warned of “very high or extreme fire danger in most of the country,” as firefighters there continue battling 14 blazes in temperatures up to 104 degrees. Photo by Eliseo Trigo/EPA-EFE
Aug. 15 (UPI) — Spain on Friday warned of “very high or extreme fire danger in most of the country,” as firefighters there continue battling 14 blazes in temperatures up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
“The danger will remain at very high or extreme levels during the weekend and Monday, days when the heatwave affecting us since the beginning of the month continues,” AEMET, the state weather association, said on X Friday.
Wildfires in the European country have already consumed approximately 580 square miles of land, leading to seven deaths.
“Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires,” Spanish President Pedro Sanchezwrote on X Friday.
“The government remains fully committed with all resources to stop the fire. Thank you, always, to those who fight on the front line to protect us.”
The flames have forced the closures of highways and rail systems in parts of the country, including the train connecting the northern Spanish region of Galicia to the capital of Madrid.
Neighboring Greece and Portugal are dealing with similar weather conditions.
Spain’s total makes up around a quarter of the 2,429 square miles burned by wildfires across Europe, roughly the size of the state of Delaware.
On Thursday, the European Union sent two planes to help fight wildfires in Spain, under a reciprocal agreement. Spain is the fifth country so far this year to ask for help under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania also seeking assistance.
One of those countries, Greece, is dealing with a fire on the Greek island of Chios, which is largely without water and electricity.
Katie Price and Peter Andre have had many clashes over the years since their shock split – and now their decades-long feud has boiled over with bombshell new statements
11:18, 15 Aug 2025Updated 11:18, 15 Aug 2025
Katie Price and Peter Andre have had a turbulent relationship over the years
Katie Price and Peter Andre’s whirlwind romance began in front of millions on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and quickly turned into one of Britain’s most watched love stories. With a lavish wedding, a growing family and a string of joint TV shows, they became the ultimate reality TV power couple – until it all came crashing down.
Their 2009 split shocked fans and triggered a years-long saga of public rows, barbed interviews and court battles. Now, with Peter hitting out at his ex-wife in a new bombshell statement, their decades-long feud has ramped up again.
Katie Price and Peter Andre split in 2009(Image: Getty Images)
Split announcement – 2009
Following a rocky romance after meeting on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2004, Katie and Peter split in 2009. The TV couple had been married for four years, and had welcomed children Junior and Princess.
A statement from the couple’s management company, Can Associates Limited, said at the time: “Peter Andre and Katie Price are separating after four-and-a-half years of marriage… They have both requested that the media respect their families’ privacy at this difficult time.”
The joint statement marked the last time the exes would ever put on a united front. Katie and Peter, who remained with Can Associates Limited, embarked on multiple public spats as they moved on.
Katie pays Peter libel damages – 2011
Katie was forced to pay libel damages in 2011(Image: Getty Images)
Two years after their split, Katie issued a public apology to her ex-husband, admitting she had been wrong to suggest he had cheated and been insincere about his feelings during their marriage.
Peter had launched defamation proceedings in 2009, soon after their break-up, in response to remarks Katie made during interviews with Heat magazine and on The Graham Norton Show.
She agreed to pay “substantial” damages, which Peter’s solicitor confirmed would be placed into a trust fund for Harvey Price – Katie’s eldest son from her relationship with footballer Dwight Yorke.
Social media spat – 2013
During Christmas 2013, Katie appeared to take a swipe at Peter in a series of tweets. She wrote: “What kind of Dad doesn’t let their children see their mum not even 1 day over Christmas when the children want 2 c their mum #fakefamilyman.”
In another message to a follower, she reportedly added: “From Xmas Eve am to NYE am. I had them last Xmas Day, he had them in the eve onwards. So selfish. Can someone remind him he has a son called Harvey that calls him dad or was that just for show too.”
Katie brands Peter’s new wife Emily ‘disgusting’ – 2022
Katie took aim at Peter’s wife Emily in 2022(Image: peterandre/Instagram)
At the start of 2022, Katie sparked controversy with a quickly-deleted Instagram Story in which she launched an apparent unprovoked attack on her ex-husband’s wife, Dr Emily Andre, who he started dating in 2012.
Sharing a magazine cover featuring the mother-of-three, Katie branded her a “disgusting person.”
“My mouth has been shut for so long but I’ve had enough of people selling stories on me and particularly this so-called woman @dr_emily_official,” Katie began.
She went on to accuse Emily of courting the media despite claiming she didn’t want to be famous, adding: “So cringe she has used my children to make money in photo shoots yet covers her own children’s faces up!”
Writing a year on from her drug-drive crash, Katie also claimed Emily was “jealous” of her relationship with her eldest daughter, Princess.
“She claims to be a doctor who clearly doesn’t have a clue about mental health,” Katie alleged, further accusing Emily of stopping Princess from visiting her at The Priory.
The mum-of-five ended the post by saying: “Emily you are not and never will be my kids’ parent so mind your own business, you’re so two-faced and definitely not the person you portray to the public. I think you’re a disgusting person so stop trying to interfere in my life.”
‘Pete was a nobody’ – 2024
The former couple in happier times (Image: WireImage)
Katie reignited tensions with her ex during an appearance on the podcast Anything Goes with James English, where she claimed Peter’s career had been reignited by their relationship.
“When we did jobs together I’d always get more money, make sure we had separate contracts,” she told the host, suggesting Peter “found that a bit hard.”
“I was like, well hang on, you’ve just turned up in the jungle, I’ve already got a career going on. You had a song like, how many years ago? You need to earn it. This is the truth, I don’t care what anyone says – I made Pete again. I made him,” she continued.
Doubling down on her comments, Katie said: “He was no one before he went in the jungle and that’s the truth, that’s not me being a b****. He done that one hit, like 10 years ago, and I think he forgets where he came from.”
‘Don’t speak to him’ – 2024
During an appearance on the Louis Theroux Podcast in an episode released last year, Katie once again took aim at her ex-husband Peter. She claimed she had been “worth more” than him when they married and explained that the pair had always insisted on separate contracts.
Reflecting on his career before I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Katie remarked: “Who was he? I was already established. He met me and it was his lucky day. So we always had separate contracts. There’s no way I’m splitting half and half – no thanks.”
When asked about their relationship today, she told Louis: “[I] don’t speak to him.” Pressed further on why, she replied: “Just don’t. It’s all through legals.”
She also alleged that Peter “was quite jealous” of her work commitments during their marriage.
Princess Andre speaks out – 2025
Princess Andre’s new docu-series has stirred up some more drama(Image: princess_andre/Instagram )
Princess Andre has unveiled her very own ITV2 series, The Princess Diaries, chronicling her step into adulthood, exploring the worlds of fashion, beauty, and life under the spotlight.
The fly-on-the-wall series includes footage of her modeling debut in Ibiza and offers a candid look into her personal journey toward independence. Alongside her father Peter Andre, sister Junior, and stepmother Emily, the documentary follows Princess as she carves out her identity in the industry.
Katie has been noticeably absent from the series – something she described as upsetting and hurtful in posts on her podcast and social media.
She alleges her exclusion wasn’t a personal choice, but enforced by producers aiming to preserve Princess’s independent branding and “middle-class influencer” image.
Despite speculation of a feud, Princess herself has pushed back on these rumours, insisting: “The show is not actually about any of my parents. It is about me.” She also clarified that Katie is featured via a voice note in the premiere episode, although filming restrictions kept her out of on-camera appearances.
Bombshell statements – 2025
Just hours after Katie Price appeared to extend an olive branch to her ex-husband by suggesting a ceasefire in their years-long public disputes, Peter Andre responded with a blistering statement that left little doubt he has no interest in reconciliation.
Posting on Instagram, the father-of-five broke what he described as 16 years of silence, writing: “For sixteen years, I have stayed silent in the face of repeated lies from my ex-wife and her family, out of respect for my children and loved ones, but staying silent has been incredibly frustrating. That ends today.
“The latest comments about my children’s welfare and living arrangements compel me to set the record straight. For well-documented reasons, and for their safety, Junior and Princess came into my care in 2018 and remained with me until they reached adulthood. In 2019, the family courts issued a legally binding order to enforce this arrangement. I have never made this public before, out of respect for my children.
“In 2011 and 2015, publicly documented court cases found my ex-wife had made false claims. She was ordered to pay substantial damages and legal costs, and to apologise to me and my management. The same falsehoods are being repeated today. Unfortunately, there are many more lies and baseless accusations I have yet to address. Those will now be dealt with in the coming months.”
In response to the statement, a spokesperson for Katie told the Mirror: “Kate is in a much better and clear headspace and is at peace with the situation. This was in the past and she doesn’t feel the need to bring up tit-for-tat comments, but more importantly, she’s dealing with this the right way and it’s now in her lawyers’ hands. Kate will no longer be gaslighted and bullied as she once was…”
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EUROPE’S car industry is “heading at full speed against a wall” and risks collapsing if the EU doesn’t rethink its ban on new petrol and diesel cars, the boss of a huge car firm has warned.
In a stark intervention, he said a “reality check” was needed before the 2035 ban on combustion-engine sales is locked in.
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Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Källenius says a ‘reality check’ is needed before the 2035 ban on combustion-engine sales is locked inCredit: AFP
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Europe’s car industry is ‘heading at full speed against a wall’ and risks collapsing if EU doesn’t rethink ban on petrol and diesel cars, says bossCredit: AFP
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Electric cars remain far from dominating the market, with EVs making up just 17.5 per cent of sales across the EU in the first half of this yearCredit: EPA
Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Källenius told German business paper Handelsblatt: “We need a reality check. Otherwise, we are heading at full speed against a wall.
“Of course, we have to decarbonise, but it has to be done in a technology-neutral way. We must not lose sight of our economy.”
The luxury brand — once gung-ho about going fully electric in Europe — has already dropped its ambitious 2021 pledge to stop selling combustion cars “where market conditions allow” by the decade’s end.
Källenius, who also heads the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), now warns the EU’s policy could trigger a last-minute rush for petrol and diesel cars before the cut-off, which “doesn’t help the climate at all.”
Electric cars remain far from dominating the market.
In the first half of this year, EVs made up just 17.5 per cent of sales across the EU, UK, and EFTA countries, while plug-in hybrids took 8.7 per cent.
Traditional hybrids accounted for 35 per cent, but that figure includes mild-hybrids, which critics say aren’t “true” hybrids.
Mercedes’ own figures show EV sales slipping — just 8.4 per cent of its global deliveries in the first six months of 2025, down from 9.7 per cent last year.
Even with plug-ins included, electrified models made up just 20.1 per cent of shipments.
The EU’s 2035 ban is due for review in the coming months, but Brussels has so far signalled no U-turn, reiterating in March its commitment to zero-emission new cars by the mid-2030s.
Tesla’s Cybertruck Graveyard: Hundreds of Unsold EVs Abandoned at Shopping Mall
Europe chief Jean-Philippe Imparato said the Franco-Italian group faces fines of up to €2.5 billion within “two-three years” if it fails to meet emissions rules.
Without a regulatory rethink by year-end, “we will have to make tough decisions,” he told a conference in Rome.
“I have two solutions: either I push like hell (on electric)… or I close down ICE (internal combustion engine vehicles).
And therefore I close down factories,” he said, pointing to the risk for sites such as Stellantis’ van plant in Atessa, Italy.
The warning comes amid fresh turmoil for Stellantis, with its new CEO Antonio Filosa inheriting the fallout from Donald Trump’s 25 per cent US import tariffs and a crisis at Maserati, which has seen sales plunge from 26,600 in 2023 to 11,300 last year.
With EV targets biting, petrol and diesel models under threat, and luxury brands cancelling investments — including Maserati’s £1.3bn electric MC20 Folgore — Europe’s car bosses are sending a clear signal to Brussels: ease off, or risk slamming the brakes on the continent’s auto industry.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres puts both countries ‘on notice’ over documented pattern of sexual violence.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has put Israel and Russia “on notice” that their armed forces and security personnel could be listed among parties “credibly suspected” of committing sexual violence in conflict zones.
The warning on Tuesday resulted from “significant concerns regarding patterns of certain forms of sexual violence that have been consistently documented by the United Nations”, Guterres wrote in a report seen by the Reuters news agency.
In his annual report to the UN Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence, Guterres said that Israel and Russia could be listed next year among the parties “credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence”.
In his warning to Israel, Guterres said he was “gravely concerned about credible information of violations by Israeli armed and security forces” against Palestinians in several prisons, a detention centre and a military base.
“Cases documented by the United Nations indicate patterns of sexual violence such as genital violence, prolonged forced nudity and repeated strip searches conducted in an abusive and degrading manner,” Guterres wrote.
Because Israel has denied access to UN monitors, it has been “challenging to make a definitive determination” about patterns, trends and the systematic use of sexual violence by its forces, he said, urging Israel’s government “to take the necessary measures to ensure immediate cessation of all acts of sexual violence, and make and implement specific time-bound commitments.”
The UN chief said these should include investigations of credible allegations, clear orders and codes of conduct for military and security forces that prohibit sexual violence, and unimpeded access for UN monitors.
In March, UN-backed human rights experts accused Israel of “the systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other gender-based violence”.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel said it documented a range of violations perpetrated against Palestinian women, men, girls and boys, and accused Israeli forces of rape and sexual violence against Palestinian detainees.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, dismissed the Secretary-General’s concerns as “baseless accusations” on Tuesday.
Danon, who circulated a letter he received from Guterres and his response to the UN chief, said the allegations “are steeped in biased publications”.
“The UN must focus on the shocking war crimes and sexual violence of Hamas and the release of all hostages,” the Israeli ambassador said.
Danon stressed that “Israel will not shy away from protecting its citizens and will continue to act in accordance with international law”.
In July 2024, the Israeli military said it had detained and was questioning nine soldiers over the alleged sexual abuse of a Palestinian detainee at the infamous Sde Teiman prison facility, which was set up to detain people arrested in Gaza.
Israeli media reported at the time that a Palestinian prisoner was taken to hospital after suffering severe injuries from what was an alleged gang rape by military guards at the prison.
In the case of Russia, Guterres wrote that he was “gravely concerned about credible information of violations by Russian armed and security forces and affiliated armed groups”, primarily against Ukrainian prisoners of war, in 50 official and 22 unofficial detention facilities in Ukraine and Russia.
“These cases comprised a significant number of documented incidents of genital violence, including electrocution, beatings and burns to the genitals, and forced stripping and prolonged nudity, used to humiliate and elicit confessions or information,” he said.
Russia’s mission to the UN in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
Guterres said that Russian authorities have not engaged with his special envoy on the matter.
With Democrats lining up for a bare-knuckle match on redistricting, Gov. Gavin Newsom has offered President Trump a cease-fire proposal: No redrawing congressional maps in red states and California will stand down, he wrote in a letter sent to Trump on Monday morning.
“If you will not stand down, I will be forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California to offset the rigging of maps in red states,” he said. “But if the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will happily do the same. And American democracy will be better for it.”
Newsom’s latest play comes as the drama around redistricting heightened over the weekend. Democratic leaders in other blue states argued on Sunday morning political shows that they were ready to battle head-to-head over the congressional district maps, which are normally tied to the census taken once a decade.
“Donald Trump is a cheater. He cheats on his wives, he cheats at golf, and now he’s trying to cheat the American people out of their votes,” said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on “Meet the Press” Sunday.
Newsom has been at center stage in this national political fight that could determine the outcome of the midterm elections and, by default, the strength of the president’s power. The Republican-led Congress handed Trump “the big beautiful bill” that will supercharge immigration enforcement — his signature issue. And it has been deferential to his whims, but the Republican Party losing control of the House and Senate would be a major blow to his agenda.
The national political fight is gearing up with much at stake for both parties. Last week, Newsom hosted Texas Democrats who — under threat of arrest and daily $500 fines — had left the state in a bid to prevent their Legislature from altering the congressional maps. And he vowed to “nullify” what happens in Texas.
“You are playing with fire, risking the destabilization of our democracy, while knowing that California can neutralize any gains you hope to make,” he told Trump in the letter. “This attempt to rig congressional maps to hold onto power before a single vote is cast in the 2026 election is an affront to American democracy.”
Trump has been pushing the Texas GOP to redraw congressional district maps, saying they are “entitled” to five seats. And he argued on CNBC last week that California was “gerrymandered,” pointing out the congressional delegation didn’t match the presidential vote results.
But, unlike some states, California has an independent redistricting committee.
On Friday, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung called Newsom “a loser of the highest order” who would “never be president no matter how hard he prostitutes himself to the press.”
The California’s redistricting plan may be a risky gambit.
The plan calls for the state Legislature to approve a constitutional amendment establishing new congressional voting districts crafted to make GOP members vulnerable. The bill would create a Nov. 4 special election in which voters would decide whether to temporarily pause congressional boundaries created by an independent redistricting commission in 2021 and adopt new maps for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections.
If approved by voters, the measure would include a “trigger” specifying that it would take effect only if Texas or other Republican-led states followed through with redrawing their maps to boost GOP seats before the midterm election. California would revert to its existing redistricting law after the next census and before the 2032 election.
Times staff writers Taryn Luna and Seema Mehta contributed to this report.
SEOUL, Aug. 11 (UPI) —North Korea‘s defense chief on Monday condemned the upcoming large-scale Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea and warned of “negative consequences.”
The North “strongly” denounces the allies “for their provocative moves of clearly showing the stand of military confrontation with the DPRK and making another serious challenge to the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” Defense Minister No Kwang Choi said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.
“[We] solemnly warn them of the negative consequences to be entailed by them,” No said.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which includes live field maneuvers, computer simulation-based command post exercises and related civil defense drills, will be held from Aug. 18-28.
No called the exercise “not only a direct military provocation against the DPRK but also a real threat to amplify the unpredictability of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.”
The North will “strictly exercise the sovereign right of the DPRK at the level of the right to self-defense in a case of any provocation going beyond the boundary line,” No said.
Pyongyang regularly condemns the allies’ joint drills as rehearsals for an invasion and has at times reacted with missile launches and other provocations.
A representative of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command on Monday emphasized that the exercise, which will involve around 21,000 personnel, is “defensive in nature.”
“All professional militaries train,” the representative said in a background briefing with reporters. “North Korea trains, we train. Our training is designed to protect everyone living inside the Republic of Korea. They fire missiles and rockets — it’s not the same.”
The CFC representative noted that the tone of No’s statement was relatively measured, however.
“If you actually look at North Korea’s statement, it’s a little bit tame compared to historical norms,” the representative said. “They basically said: ‘Whatever you do, just don’t go across our border.'”
The exercise comes amid efforts by the administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to improve frayed relations with Pyongyang.
Last week, the South’s military removed loudspeakers that had been installed along the DMZ to blast anti-Pyongyang messages across the border. On Saturday, North Korea began removing its own speakers in some forward areas, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message to reporters.
Half of Ulchi Freedom Shield’s 44 planned field training exercises have been rescheduled to next month, the CFC representative confirmed Monday, citing an ongoing heatwave and flooding damage to training areas as the primary reasons. According to local media reports, the move is also being made in an effort to avoid provoking Pyongyang.
The CFC representative said that the changes would have “minimal impact.”
“There shouldn’t be any loss in readiness or defensive posture from rescheduling those events,” the representative said. “The most important training is being conducted as planned.”
