Author: News Desk

U.S. President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated rhetoric amid the Israel–Iran war, calling for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and warning Tehran civilians to evacuate.

Jodie Comer portrays Isla, a mother grappling with an undiagnosed illness in a post-apocalyptic setting, as revealed in a new min-trailer.

In a landmark free vote, the House of Commons passed an amendment to the Crime & Policing Bill by 379 to 137, removing criminal penalties for women who end their own pregnancies outside the legal framework.

Government to announce another delay to HS2 Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will tell Parliament that the London–Birmingham section of HS2 will miss its already postponed 2033 opening and face at least a two-year further delay, with no new timeline given.  Two independent reviews—led by HS2 CEO Mark Wild and infrastructure guru James Stewart—have revealed a “litany of failure”, including poor governance, contract mismanagement, £37 billion cost overruns, £2 billion wasted on the cancelled northern leg, allegations of subcontractor fraud, and aborted station plans. The government is responding with a “reset”: accepting 89 recommendations, appointing former TfL chief Mike Brown as HS2 Ltd…

Wednesday’s UK newspaper front pages are dominated by the Middle East crisis, with Donald Trump’s hints that US troops could soon join Israel in the war on Iran leading the way. Many papers pick up on the US president’s call for Iran to ‘surrender’ and his comments that they won’t kill Iran’s leader, for now. 

Elsewhere, there’s some front-page coverage of the House of Commons vote on decriminalising abortion in England and Wales, the delay of the HS2 train project and, for the tabloids, continued coverage of the grooming gangs scandal. 

R. Kelly’s lawyers have accused prison officials of administering an overdose of medication, claiming it constitutes an assassination attempt against him.

Melbourne Renegades title-winning coach Simon Helmot has re-signed for a further three years after helping the club claim their first-ever WBBL trophy last season.

Wednesday’s headlines continue to be dominated by the latest from the Middle East as Donald Trump appears to signal US troops could be entering the war. The potential arrival of the Americans comes as Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear energy sites.

The G7 summit has ended, with Donald Trump leaving early and skipping the arrival of Ukraine’s Zelenskyy – commentators suggest a calculated move from the US president, who continues to cosy up to Russia’s Putin. Much of the summit’s key talking points were sidelined due to the Israel-Iran war.

A little closer to home, MPs have overwhelmingly voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, a milestone moment, that marks the biggest change to abortion laws for nearly 60 years.

The UK is set to enjoy a heatwave this week, with temperatures reportedly hitting 33C in England. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning, telling the public to make sure they remain safe.

The HS2 railway project is set to be delayed beyond the target date of 2033, according to a report from the BBC. The transport secretary is expected to tell Parliament on Wednesday that there is no way to deliver the railway line on schedule and within budget.

New stats show that UK inflation has held at 3.4% in the year to May. It’s come as a bit of a surprise, as many analysts expected to see a bit of a dip, owing to the impact of the timing of Easter on transport costs.

The Israel–Iran conflict has escalated sharply after five days of Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear, military, and energy infrastructure, reportedly killing at least 224 Iranians and wounding around 1,400.

A domestic heatwave is set to hit the UK this week, with temperatures reaching up to 32 °C in southern England by Saturday, according to the Met Office.