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Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe prime minister and foreign minister have issued a lengthier statement welcoming the agreement made by the US and Iran, and called for continued restraint to avoid further escalation.President Donald Trump made the announcement he had signed a deal this morning, saying the strait of Hormuz would be reopened.Continued restraint and constructive engagement will be essential to prevent further escalation and secure a lasting agreement. We are pleased the agreement between the US and Iran includes steps to reopening the Strait of Hormuz …We encourage all parties to use this opportunity to pursue a durable and lasting peace through dialogue and diplomacy. Iran must address longstanding concerns about its nuclear program and the threat it poses to international security. Continue reading...

‘Pointless’ reviews are wasting public money and ‘significantly harming’ the mental health of claimants, charity says Disabled people with lifelong conditions are repeatedly being put through “pointless” benefit reassessments, contrary to official guidance, new analysis suggests.A study by the anti-poverty charity Z2K has found that hundreds of thousands of disabled people are going through “unnecessary” personal independence payment (Pip) reviews, “wasting” public money and “significantly harming” the mental and physical health of claimants. Continue reading...

Former Ofcom chair says he welcomed arrival of rightwing news channel five years ago in name of ‘plurality’Critics of GB News are part of a “liberal, Islington consensus” bent on limiting freedom of expression, Michael Grade, the recently departed chair of Britain’s media watchdog, has said.The Conservative peer, whose time at Ofcom has been criticised over the handling of the rightwing news channel, said he welcomed the arrival of the broadcaster five years ago in the name of “plurality”. Continue reading...

Make UK says manufacturers’ feedback shows sector at risk of collapse as it calls on Treasury to take actionBritain’s industrial sector is at risk of collapse as thousands of companies warn that they could face bankruptcy within the next year because of high energy prices, according to an industry survey.The manufacturers’ body Make UK said the latest feedback from its members found that many would not be able to cope for much longer with energy costs that were twice the average in continental Europe and four times higher than in the US. Continue reading...

Punjab police said an officer mistakenly opened fire at the Ahmed family, who were victims of a robbery at ChakwalA Pakistani police officer has been stood down and arrested after mistakenly shooting dead a young Australian girl who was on holiday with her family.Australian-born Hania Ahmed and her family were visiting a relative at Chakwal, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, when they were robbed while in their rental car late on Wednesday night (local time). Continue reading...

NSW police say suicide note and ‘other evidence’ suggest six-year-old’s death was an act of domestic violenceFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA suicide note has been located after the bodies of a young girl and her father were pulled from the Parramatta River on Saturday.The six-year-old may have been deliberately thrown in the water by the man from a hired boat in what police believe was a horrific act of domestic violence. Continue reading...

Helen Pidd goes to Makerfield where the Labour candidate and would-be prime minister Andy Burnham faces Reform UK in a crucial byelection. With reporting from Josh HallidayOn Thursday, Makerfield is hosting what is surely the most consequential byelection in memory.If he wins, Andy Burnham will challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership – and attempt to save the party and the government from its current malaise. Continue reading...

The United States and Iran have reached an interim deal aimed at ending their war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz