England will get a bank holiday if the men’s football team win the World Cup, Sir Keir Starmer has signalled.
The Prime Minister said he did not want to “jinx” the Three Lions by confirming a bank holiday if Harry Kane’s team triumph in the tournament, but in a heavy hint, added: “Ask me again if we get to the final.”
England are facing Norway in the quarter-finals in Miami on Saturday, with the final due to take place on July 19 in New Jersey.
Shorts
Scroll to previous short
Scroll to next short
Trump says ceasefire with ‘cuckoo’ Iran is over – what happens now?
The US President said the ceasefire with Iran is over after the two countries traded strikes overnight. Donald Trump said it was “a waste of time” dealing with the Iranians – calling them “sick people” and “cuckoo”.
Donald Trump has come out swinging at the Nato summit in Ankara, with the Tehran regime and Sir Keir Starmer both on his target list (Photo: Filip Singer/AFP)
What you need to know
An aerial image of the latest US strikes on Iran. (Picture: Handout/Reuters)
US strikes
US forces launched a wave of strikes on Iranian targets in response to the targeting of tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran fires back
Iran said it had retaliated with strikes against targets in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The war in the Middle East has sent energy costs spiralling, with strikes on oil and gas facilities such as this Iranian drone attack in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, pushing up wholesale prices (Photo: AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, File)
Caption: FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Persian Gulf, Iran, July 25, 2005. To match Exclusive OPEC-OIL/ REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/File Photo/File Photo
Photographer: Raheb Homavandi
Provider: REUTERS
Source: X01475
Oil license pulled
The strikes came after Washington also pulled Tehran’s license to sell oil – issued after the interim ceasefire deal.
What Trump said
I don’t want to deal with them any more – they’re scum.
Speaking at the Nato summit in Turkey, Trump told the media: “I think it [the ceasefire deal] is over.”
He said the Iranians were “led by sick people and they’re vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it.”
Caption: ANKARA, TURKIYE – JULY 8: US President Donald Trump attends the North Atlantic Council meeting held as part of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkiye, on July 8, 2026. (Photo by Rasit Aydogan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Photographer: Anadolu
Provider: Anadolu via Getty Images
Source: Anadolu
How did Nato respond?
Sitting alongside Trump, Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte told him: “I think what you did last night was absolutely necessary.”
Rutte said the US response was needed because “Iran is basically violating the ceasefire” by targeting tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump berated Iran’s leaders during a press conference with Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte in Ankara (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
WORLD
4 min read
What happens next
The initial ceasefire deal reached only secure toll-free passage of the Strait for 60 days, pending the outcome of a final agreement on Iran’s disputed nuclear plans.
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson urged the sides to “get back to focusing on the talks”.
Analysis
3 min read
NEWS
1 min read
HEATWAVE
The much cheaper alternatives to aircon
Caption: Tired exhausted young woman sitting on floor in front of electric fan, cooling down refreshing during heatwave. Summer heat, Air Conditioner Problems
Photographer: MementoJpeg
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Fans use up to 50 times less electricity than built-in air conditioning, say experts who advise that they remain a good option for those trying keeping cool in the heat.
The benefits of fan usage
(Photo: Petra Richli/Getty).
Price is right
The cheapest way to keep cool is to buy a fan. These can cost as little as around £20.
Low energy use
They only cost between 15p and 31p to run over a 24-hour period – less than daily aircon costs of between £4.84 and £6.00.
If your room temperature has not crossed 35°C, experts are clear that fans are a very cost-effective way to keep cool (Photo: Maria Korneeva/Getty)
Use a fan to stay cool (Photo: Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty/Moment RF)
Low CO2 emissions
Their low energy use also means they produce minimal CO2 emissions, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
Fans vs aircon
Fans don’t lower the room temperature. But they help keep your body temperature down by creating air movement that helps sweat to evaporate.
The effect of a fan is intensified if you wet your skin, which mimics the powerful cooling effect of sweat evaporation, without the dehydration of using our own sweat.
Air con units mounted on apartment blocks can be considered an eye sore by some (Photo: David Taljat/Getty)
Suffering from summer heat at home, exhausted young woman sitting near electric fan enjoying fresh air, cooling down during heatwave – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
‘Humid heat is harder heat,’ one expert says (Photo: Getty)
READ THE FULL STORY
Why it’s worth looking at aircon alternatives
Given that most of us live in homes not fit for heatwaves, it’s worth exploring the best options for keeping cool and what different devices cost.
Caption: Da Ali G Show
(c) Channel 4
Note to editors: Usage Rights:
FOR BRITBOX RELATED EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
IF YOU USE REPRODUCE THIS IMAGE, YOU MUST SPECIFICALLY MENTION THE PROGRAMME IN EDITORIAL COPY AND NOT REPRODUCE SIMPLY TO PROMOTE BRITBOX AS A PLATFORM. THIS IS DUE TO AGREED USAGE RIGHTS BY COPYRIGHT OWNERS.
This image is under copyright and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes in your print or online publication. This image cannot be syndicated to any other third party.
BritBox Press Picture Publicity enquiries to iwona.karbowska@itv.com
TV Still
Britbox/ITV
ENTERTAINMENT
Sacha Baron Cohen completes filming for new Ali G movie
The comedian has finished a new film based on the streetwise, shellsuit-wearing character which made him famous.
What you need to know
Caption: ALI G INDAHOUSE – Ali G unwittingly becomes a pawn in the Chancellor’s plot to overthrow the Prime Minister of Great Britain. However, Ali is embraced by the nation as a voice of the youth, making the PM and his government more popular than ever. BSkyB SEAC
Film still
Copyright: ? 2002 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
- Ali G, a wannabe gangster rapper from west Staines, first appeared as a character on The 11 O’Clock Show.
- A new movie has reportedly completed production, filming in Oxfordshire and the US.
- It is the first film with the character since Ali G Indahouse in 2002.
FILM
4 min read
Ali G’s famous victims
Some of the famous people interviewed by Ali G include David Beckham, Donald Trump, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and intellectual Noam Chomsky.
Ali G spends “a good deal of time in the circus that is America” for the new film, according to The InSneider. But Baron Cohen’s reps have not yet confirmed the project.
Donald Trump sat down for a chat with an in-character Sacha Baron Cohen. And he was not amused (Photo: Channel 4)
OPINION
2 min read
What to expect as second phase of Southport Inquiry begins
The inquiry into the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024 has started its second phase. It will examine how to deal with individuals who pose a risk of extreme violence.
Caption: Chair Sir Adrian Fulford sitting inside the hearing room at Liverpool Town Hall, Liverpool, ahead of publication of the findings of the inquiry into the knife attack by Axel Rudakubana who murdered Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29, 2024. Picture date: Sunday April 12, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Photographer: Peter Byrne
Provider: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
Source: PA
What you need to know
- Young people “must be diverted” from the impluses that motivated Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, said public inquiry chairman Sir Adrian Fulford.
- The inquiry began with a minute’s silence for the victims: Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
- The second phase will look at the role of the internet and social media in influencing “violence-fixated individuals” where ideology is not the primary driver.
NEWS
2 min read
What the inquiry chair says
All too often, they will be acting entirely alone, having spent endless hours in solitude, relentlessly, online.
Sir Adrian Fulford said there was a “growing challenge from violence-fixated individuals, who all too often are not acting out of an adherence to a particular ideology”.
Sir Adrian Fulford will chair the inquiry (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
What happens next
Sir Adrian’s 763-page report for the inquiry’s first phase set out 67 recommendations. The attack “could and should have been prevented” if public bodies had taken steps to stop murderer Rudakubana, he said.
The Government has accepted the recommendations for public bodies. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “We will do whatever is needed to protect the public.”
NEWS
3 min read
CRIME
2 min read
Virgin Media is experiencing issues with email connections (Photo: Getty)
TECH
Why Virgin Media has been fined £28m
Ofcom hit Virgin Media with the record fine because the firm stopped or delayed customers from switching to different providers.
There was “widespread” and deliberate mishandling of calls, said the regulator.
Why Virgin Media was fined
- Virgin Media caused customers “unreasonable effort, hassle or undue difficulty” when trying to cancel from January 2022 to September 2024, said Ofcom.
- This included pressuring customers to stay, keeping callers on hold, deliberately dropping calls and failing to process cancellations.
- Virgin Media also failed to comply with attempts to get information in the investigation, said Ofcom.
POLITICS
3 min read
What Ofcom says
The facts are clear – Virgin Media made it harder for customers to cancel their contracts and then did not fully co-operate with our investigation.
natalie Black, Ofcom group director
Ofcom offices
Photographer: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Source: PA
Virgin Media says sorry
We apologise to the small proportion who experienced an issue.
Virgin Media said it has overhauled its customer service operation. A spokesperson apologised to “the small proportion who experienced an issue when contacting us”.
Virgin Media has been fined by Ofcom (Photo: Virgin Media)
HEALTH
What sleeping in intense heat does to your body
Senior bed woman problem pain headache home elderly mature pain bedroom upset unhappy female caucasian adult relationship retirement old difficulty ache head sick migraine hangover sleep – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Britons are struggling to get proper shut-eye during the hot summer weather.
Experts have explained why it’s so difficult – and what you can do about it.
Why we’re struggling to sleep
Mid adult man sleeping with hands behind head on sofa in living room – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Body temp
Core body temperature – between 36.5°C and 37.5°C – falls by as much as 1.5°C when we sleep.
Metabolic processes
When it remains too warm at night, the body struggles to power down its metabolic processes.
Caption: Man looking upset at his girlfriend who is sleeping with her back turned, showing relationship difficulties and problems in communication
Photographer: LordHenriVoton
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
Photographer: Alistair Berg
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Digital Vision
Sleep cycles
The heat can also stop the brain from cycling through stages like rapid eye movement (REM).
Naps – good or bad?
- Opinion is divided on topping up with daytime naps.
- It is generally recommended to avoid them, to help make sure you’re feel tired enough at night.
- But naps can be helpful for staying sharp in the daytime when sleep has been disturbed by the heat, says Dr Victoria Garfield.
WELLBEING
3 min read
How we catch-up after heatwaves
We shouldn’t worry too much about the longer-term effects of heatwaves. That’s because, when we build up too much sleep debt over several days, the brain changes its progression through the stages of sleep to get proportionally more REM.
Sleep tourism in hotel. Exhausted woman sleeps sweetly in bed in the morning – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Caption: Sleeping man with smartphone in bed close-up
Photographer: Mariia Demchenko
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Watch more from The i Paper
Caption: Flag of United Kingdom and Iran on wall with crack. Iran and Great Britain conflict. UK and Iran conflict, war crisis, relationship, economy, trade concept
Photographer: Ruma Aktar
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
IRAN
Inside Iran’s secret war on UK soil
The stabbing of a journalist in London by paid proxies of the Iranian state is part of an ongoing campaign of violence and intimidation, warns MI5.
What you need to know
Stabbing attack
- A journalist from the Iran International news channel was stabbed outside his London home in 2024.
- Jailing two men who carried out the attack, a judge said last week that the stabbing “was a targeted and funded act of serious violence”.
- It is part of a pattern of threats, cyber activity and extortion targeting Iran International staff over several years, says the channel.
20 Iran plots foiled, says MI5
- There were 20 “potentially lethal Iran-backed plots” foiled in the past year, said MI5 director general Ken McCallum.
- The Iranian regime is “frantically trying to silence its opponents around the world, including in the UK,” said McCallum.
- The MI5 boss described attempts “to kill, kidnap and harass” the country’s perceived enemies.
NEWS
1 min read
A rally in January in solidarity with protesters, calling for the UK to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Photo: Alishia Abodunde/Getty)
READ THE FULL STORY
Iran’s secret war in UK: Kidnap plots, covert filming and arson
The stabbing of an Iran International journalist in London was just the latest incident in an intensifying campaign of intimidation orchestrated by the Iranian state.
CRIME
Last woman hanged in the UK to be granted conditional pardon
Caption: File photo previously issued on 01/01/55 of David Blakely (left), the racing driver who was killed by Ruth Ellis (right) in 1955. The last woman hanged in the United Kingdom will be granted a conditional pardon. Ruth Ellis was executed on July 13 1955 after being convicted of murdering David Blakely. Issue date: Wednesday July 08, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: PA/PA Wire
Photographer: PA
Provider: PA/PA Wire
Source: PA
Copyright: PA
The last woman hanged in the UK will be granted a conditional pardon but she will not be declared innocent, David Lammy has said.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the pardon will replace her death penalty with a sentence of life imprisonment “to recognise a profound injustice in this exceptional case”.
What you need to know
- Ruth Ellis, a nightclub hostess, was executed in 1955 after being convicted of murdering David Blakely.
- The sentence was carried out at Holloway Prison.
- Ellis shot Blakely dead outside The Magdala pub in Hampstead, London, in April 1955.
Newsletter (£)
4 min read
What her family has said
Ellis’s family say she was a victim of domestic abuse.
Her granddaughter Laura Enston said: “This pardon does not undo what happened 71 years ago. It does not restore the lives that were broken – the children left behind, the years lost.”
Caption: Laura Enston, the granddaughter of Ruth Ellis, making a statement to the media outside the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, after the King accepted the Government’s advice to grant Ruth, the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom, a conditional pardon. Ms Ellis was executed on July 13 1955 after being convicted of murdering David Blakely. Picture date: Wednesday July 8, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA Wire
Photographer: Annabel Lee-Ellis
Provider: Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA Wire
Source: PA
Copyright: PA Wire
- “Ruth was a victim of sustained and brutal abuse. Her children, our mother and uncle, never recovered,” her granddaughter added.
What did Lammy say?
We hope this brings a measure of peace to Ruth Ellis’s family…While the pardon does not claim she was innocent, it replaces the death penalty with a sentence of life imprisonment to recognise a profound injustice in this exceptional case
david lammy, Deputy PM AND jUSTICE SECRETARY
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy (Photo: Lucy North/PA Wire)
Starmer is meanwhile expected to stand down as prime minister on 20 July, with Andy Burnham almost certain to be his successor.
Asked whether there would be a bank holiday if England won the World Cup for the first time since 1966, Starmer said: “On the question of a bank holiday, I think I don’t want to jinx it, but ask me again if we get to the final.”
It is not clear when any bank holiday would take place, but it is thought that it is unlikely to be on Monday 20 July because of the lack of notice after the result of the final.
A bank holiday could potentially be organised later in the week to coincide with a victory parade after the England team had returned from the US, with Friday 24 July understood to be the favoured date.
It is also not clear whether there would be a bank holiday for the other UK nations. The Scottish Government gave its own bank holiday to Scotland on Monday 15 June to “mark Scotland’s participation in the men’s football World Cup finals” for the first time since 1998.
The World Cup was a strong feature of the Nato summit. On Tuesday, Starmer and his Norwegian counterpart, Jonas Gahr Støre, posed in their national shirts during a bilateral meeting at the British ambassador’s residence, trading banter ahead of Saturday’s clash.
England’s forward Harry Kane celebrates scoring his team’s third goal at their match with Mexico (Photo: Rodrigo Oropeza / AFP via Getty Images)
The controversy over Donald Trump’s decision to pressure Fifa to lift the suspension of red-carded US striker Folarin Balogun also rumbled on during the summit.
Asked what he made of Trump’s Balogun intervention – which did not stop America being dumped out of the World Cup by Belgium – Starmer joked: “Well, look, I can’t tell you how many messages I’ve had to rescind the red card [for Jarell Quansah] that we received in the early hours of Monday. I hasten to add, I haven’t attempted to do that.”
The devout Arsenal fan heaped praise on 10-man England’s tenacious 3-2 victory over Mexico in the last sixteen match at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
“I thought we were fantastic the other night against Mexico, absolutely,” he said. “I mean, one of the best England performances I’ve ever seen, I think in terms of strength and resilience, and across the squad, across the team as well.”
He went on: “And obviously, I said to Jonas, the Prime Minister of Norway, we’re very strategically aligned. I’m a good friend of his. The Norway-UK relationship is as strong as it’s ever been, and he’s a key individual in the coalitions that we’ve been building. But for 90 minutes on Saturday evening, we’ll have to go our different ways as we go into that match.”
Starmer did not say whether he would fly out to attend the match if England made the final, in what would surely be his final international trip as prime minister. “I don’t want to jinx all this,” he said. “Let’s see what happens if we get there.”