The Makerfield by-election could return Andy Burnham to Parliament and open the door to a Labour leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Polls suggest Burnham leads Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon, but the race is close.
Posts published in “World”
Brent crude fell to its lowest level since early March as markets anticipated a US-Iran framework agreement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping groups and analysts warned that restoring normal energy flows could still take weeks or months.
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon continued after President Donald Trump urged Benjamin Netanyahu to be more restrained. The attacks have added pressure to an undisclosed US-Iran agreement that mediator Pakistan says includes Lebanon.
Iranian oil tankers have crossed a U.S. blockade line near the Strait of Hormuz ahead of planned U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland. The emerging memorandum has triggered disputes over sanctions relief, Lebanon and the future of Iran’s nuclear program.
Brazil’s Supreme Court convicted Eduardo Bolsonaro of lobbying the United States to interfere in his father Jair Bolsonaro’s coup trial. He was sentenced in absentia to four years and two months in prison and called the ruling “baseless and senseless.”
Deadly Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon have tested a fragile ceasefire understanding between the United States and Iran. Displaced families are returning to devastated towns, but Israeli occupation, Hezbollah’s weapons and reconstruction remain unresolved.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence is investigating reports that a Russian frigate fired warning shots near a UK-registered yacht in the English Channel. No injuries or damage were reported, and officials are treating the episode as isolated.
Trump has declared the Strait of Hormuz open and safe under a pending U.S.-Iran agreement, but shippers say they need proof that vessels can transit without danger. Ship-tracking data shows only limited movement as concerns persist over security, mines and possible fees.