Author: staff

Published on 01/06/2026 – 15:34 GMT+2•Updated 15:40 An international court rejected a claim by Rwanda on Monday for Britain to pay more than £100 million (€115 million) it said London still owed from a scrapped deal to deport migrants. Judges from the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled that Britain was not liable for two years of outstanding costs from the scheme that was shelved in 2024. “The UK robustly defended its position and the tribunal has now ruled in favour of the UK on all grounds,” a government spokesperson in London said. “We are now focused…

The world is getting more uptight about lending money to President Donald Trump’s government — causing interest rates to climb in ways that are worsening affordability pressures, hampering economic growth and creating a new risk for Republicans in November’s midterm elections. The rise in energy prices following the Iran war has fed into bond markets that help finance the US government. Yields on 10-year US Treasury notes have climbed above 4.44%, up from 3.95% before the conflict began in late February. Mortgage rates have risen to their highest level in nine months, while auto sales have weakened. The trend is…

LONDON — The British government on Monday began releasing a second batch of documents covering Peter Mandelson’s appointment as U.S. ambassador to Washington despite his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Keir Starmer’s embattled administration vowed to begin releasing files related to Mandelson’s controversial — and ill-fated — appointment as envoy after U.S. disclosures showed he continued to correspond with the sex offender for years after his conviction. The second tranche of documents is intended to include extensive caches of emails, text messages, and WhatsApp logs passing between government officials, ministers, and special advisers concerning Mandelson’s time in the role — and direct correspondence with…

Published on 01/06/2026 – 14:59 GMT+2 A powerful explosion at a fireworks factory in Malta on Monday injured two, sending a massive plume of smoke and debris into the air, police said. The blast and subsequent explosions at the Ta’ Lourdes fireworks factory on the north side of the Mediterranean island shook buildings and shattered glass, according to videos posted by local newspapers the Times of Malta and Malta Today. A first blast occurred at about 6:35 am and was followed by a second powerful one, according to witnesses who spoke to the papers. Two men who suffered minor injuries…

Published on 01/06/2026 – 13:23 GMT+2 Japanese technology investment group SoftBank announced plans to develop and operate 5 GW of AI data centre capacity in France, in an investment worth €75 billion. The project forms part of a broader wave of technology-related investments coming to France. President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the country was expecting €93 billion in foreign investment commitments at this year’s Choose France summit, including projects in artificial intelligence, data centres, semiconductors, critical minerals, transport, steel and healthcare. It would include an initial €45 billion by 2031 from Softbank for the first phase of its…

British travellers heading home from Europe this summer could face significantly longer airport waits, with Wizz Air warning passengers to arrive up to three hours before departure as new post-Brexit border checks continue to cause disruption. The budget airline says some travellers have already missed flights due to lengthy passport control queues linked to the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires non-EU visitors to register biometric data when entering and leaving the Schengen Area. Across Europe, airports have confirmed that there have been significant queues, which are getting worse as the busy summer season approaches. While the European Commission has…

European countries and the U.K. have carefully avoided any direct military role in the Iranian conflict, and their refusal to allow American bases on the continent to be used for combat operations caused major transatlantic strains, frustrating U.S. President Donald Trump. However, Kallas argued that the EU — which played a major role in negotiating the now-lapsed non-proliferation deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — can now step forward to help solidify the ceasefire and address the nuclear issues. “With Pakistan’s help, there is now a tenuous diplomatic push underway to extend the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and reopen…

Published on 01/06/2026 – 13:43 GMT+2 British low-cost airline easyJet said it had noted possible takeover interest from US-based private investment firm Castlelake, in a statement released on Monday. The airline’s shares surged by more than 12% in early trading following the news. Castlelake confirmed rumours on Friday, saying that it was “in the early stages of considering a possible offer” and stressed that no approach had yet been made to easyJet’s board. “There can be no certainty that any offer will be made, nor as to the terms of any offer.” The British low-cost airline said in a statement…

Published on 01/06/2026 – 12:34 GMT+2 The world record for most people with the same surname gathered in the same place has been broken. Previously held by the Gallaghers, wrote themselves into the Guinness World Records on 9 September 2007 – when 1,488 Gallaghers gathered in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, Ireland – the record has been smashed by the O’Sullivans in County Cork. O’Sullivan Clan Gathering organiser Jim O’Sullivan, from Castletownbere in west Cork, told The Irish Times that more than 3,350 O’Sullivans or Sullivans registered to attend the gathering, which began on Saturday and lasts until tomorrow. “Our numbers are…

The prime minister had demanded the president’s resignation immediately after winning the national election in April. Sulyok, a little-known judge, was elevated to the presidency in 2024 after his predecessor, Katalin Novák, stepped down due to her implication in a child sexual abuse scandal. The incumbent prime minister alleges the current president failed to protect the rule of law, and set a May 31 deadline for his exit. But Sulyok on Sunday said he would not step down, insisting “the dignity of the presidential mandate demands of me steadfastness.” His presidential term runs through March 2029. The European Commission has…