Pep Guardiola has turned down the chance to coach the Italian national side.

Earlier this week, Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Giovanni Malago said talks had been held with Guardiola, who left Manchester City this summer after 10 years, and that “exceptions” could be made for his salary.

On Thursday, FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini said Italy first approached their former player Carlo Ancelotti, who is currently in charge of Brazil.

Ancelotti has agreed to stay in post and now Guardiola has informed the FIGC he intends to continue with his plan to take a break from the game, which will allow him to rest, spend more time with his family and travel.

In addition to a huge salary, the FIGC is understood to have effectively told Guardiola he could shape the job as he saw fit, as they tried to tempt one of the most successful coaches in the game to take charge of a side that has failed to qualify for three World Cups in a row.

However, after taking some time to consider the situation, he has said no.

It means former Italy playmaker Andrea Pirlo, currently head coach of Dubai-based United FC, is the frontrunner to be tasked with navigating Italy through a Nations League group that includes France, Belgium and Turkey in the autumn and then try to qualify for Euro 2028.

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR

Published: 08:14 BST, 24 July 2026 | Updated: 10:42 BST, 24 July 2026

Andy Burnham is spending his first day working from a ‘No10 North’ office as he denies the move is just a ‘gimmick’. 

The PM is making great play of his decision to be based part of the week in Manchester, where his family lives and he used to be mayor.

The so-called ‘King of the North’ wants to use the arrangements as a symbol of his drive to devolve power out of Westminster.

However, construction has not even started yet on the site earmarked to become the premier’s base in the city, and it will not be operational until 2032.

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Instead Mr Burnham is planning to head for Heron House, an existing Government office in the centre that is used by GCHQ. 

Security at the building – which also hosts a pub – has been hugely increased and workers have been busily sprucing up nearby Albert Square. 

No10 has insisted there will be no extra costs to the taxpayer, but experts have warned that the bill for fortifying an office for the PM and providing round-the-clock armed police will be eye-watering.

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Security at the building temporarily acting as ‘No10 North’ – which also hosts a pub – has been hugely increased

Workers have been busily sprucing up the area near Albert Square

Experts have warned that the bill for fortifying a regular office for the PM and providing round-the-clock armed police will be eye-watering

Downing Street and much of the Government estate in Whitehall is entirely closed off from the public (Mr Burnham pictured outside No10 this week) 

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Downing Street and much of the Government estate in Whitehall is entirely closed off from the public.

Ahead of his arrival at the Manchester offices, Mr Burnham said: ‘For 40 years, power and resources have been sucked into the centre, and too many communities have felt forgotten, without the attention and investment they deserve.

‘No 10 North will change that by putting more power into every postcode across the entire country.

‘It will be the situation room for making Britain better – the place we use to get power out of Westminster, into the hands of people at a local level, so that they can turn things around.

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‘The days of Whitehall resisting devolution are over, for good.’

Mr Burnham is expected to speak to leaders from business representative organisations ahead of his first No 10 North meeting, including from the Federation of Small Business and Confederation of British Industry.

The Treasury approved the ‘outline case’ for a civil service ‘digital campus’ in Manchester in March this year, after being in development since the council acquired the disused retail park in 2017. That is now envisaged as the permanent ‘No10 North’.

Construction is due to get going at the five-acre site over the coming years but the ‘target’ for it becoming operational is not until 2032 – three years after the latest date for the next general election. 

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Construction has not even started yet on the site earmarked to become the premier’s base in the city, and it will not be operational until 2032 

An artist’s impression of the ‘digital campus’ slated to be built in Manchester 

Mr Burnham judged mock-ups of his promised ‘No10 North’ on TikTok recently – but he might not even be in power to see it up and running

At that stage around 8,800 civil servants are meant to be based at the 900,000 square foot venue. 

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Earlier this week the PM’s spokesman insisted staff are ‘already working in the new No10 North’. 

The official said: ‘The running of No10 North will be covered by existing Cabinet Office budgets. There is no additional cost to taxpayers.’

On the question of relocation packages for London-based personnel to move there, he said it is ‘standard practice’ for employers to support staff required to relocate.

The spokesman said numbers would be detailed in due course, adding: ‘We already have around 80,000 civil servants based in the North West of England, with around 700 roles moved from London to Manchester last year.’

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Britain faces its fourth heatwave of the year next week as a heat health alert is issued and the extremely dry weather continues with no rain for 36 consecutive days.

The Met Office expects temperatures to reach at least 28C in south-east England between next Tuesday and Thursday – meeting the criteria for another heatwave.

The third heatwave of the year ended last weekend in London after a fortnight, but has continued for 19 days so far at Exeter in Devon and Usk in Monmouthshire.

Temperatures could reach 30C in some areas today and tomorrow, prompting the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to issue six 48-hour yellow heat health alerts.

These will cover regions across the South and the Midlands from 9am today until 9am on Sunday and warn of ‘increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people’.

Officials said there is a ‘greater risk to life of vulnerable people’ while ‘water‑related incidents may increase, including risks from cold‑water shock and drowning’.

The Met Office defines an official heatwave as three days in a row of temperatures above a certain threshold, which varies by UK region but is 28C in London.

The heatwave temperature threshold will be met for only two days today and tomorrow, before conditions turn much fresher across the country by Sunday.

Scorched grass at Blackheath in south-east London yesterday as the dry weather continues

Dried grass at Peckham Common in south London yesterday after a prolonged lack of rainfall

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Holiday traffic at the Port of Dover in Kent today as drivers make their way across the Channel

The Met Office forecast for London shows the heatwave criteria of temperatures at least 28C for three consecutive days could be met between Tuesday and Thursday next week

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Rain is also possible in very dry areas – with Wisley in Surrey now having had 36 consecutive days with no rain. London has had no rain for 27 days since June 27.

But while heavy rain could fall in the North of England, the areas most in need of it in the South and Wales are set to see just a few millimetres at most and possibly none.

Temperatures will get to 27C on Monday, but the fourth heatwave is then set to start from Tuesday with 28C highs in London before 30C on Wednesday and Thursday.

An official drought has now been declared in North Wales and the Upper Severn, after record dry conditions, heatwaves, wildfires and dwindling rivers. This is the first part of the UK to declare drought status amid a summer of record-breaking heatwaves.

Many parts of England are in prolonged dry weather status as the country has received just 3 per cent of its average July rainfall, with hosepipe bans in place for 23 million customers and suppliers warning they may stay in place all summer.

Wildfires have been raging in several places in England, while Scotland has also been hit by a major wildfire in the Cairngorms, and in the Republic of Ireland, a nationwide hosepipe ban is in place in response to the dry conditions.

The South-East has seen the longest no-rainfall spell for more than 30 years. Three heatwaves have brought the UK’s hottest ever days in May and June, while the latest one earlier this month saw 12 consecutive days of temperatures above 30C.

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said rain will move southwards tomorrow, spreading from Scotland and Northern Ireland into northern England and parts of Wales. 

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health alerts from 9am today

Heavy rain could fall in the North on Sunday but the South could see a few millimetres at most

By Sunday, temperatures are expected to turn ‘fresher’ across much of the UK, with rain possible in ‘areas that haven’t seen much’ over the past few weeks, he added.

BBC lead weather presenter Ben Rich wrote: ‘Weather fronts are expected to bring spells of rain in the north and west, with parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and north-west England likely to see their most significant rainfall in a number of weeks.

‘However, high pressure may build to the south-east which would cause those weather fronts to stall.

‘That could allow dry and hot weather to rebuild across many parts of England and Wales, with temperatures potentially climbing back into the 30Cs in places. There is the chance that heatwave conditions could return.’

The heat alerts are in place at the beginning of a stretch in which millions of motorists are expected to take to the roads for summer getaways.

The AA said around 6.3 million drivers are planning a road trip of more than 100 miles between today and Thursday.

Schools have broken up for the summer holidays and the Met Office said areas in England and Wales will see ‘plenty of sunshine’ in the coming days.

Lee Morley, AA expert patrol, said: ‘The roads may not have the same first-day rush as they did when schools first broke up, but holiday traffic is far from over.

‘Families are continuing to head away throughout the summer rather than all leaving on the same weekend, so we expect plenty of busy routes over the coming days.’

RAC breakdown spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘Drivers should be ready for some very busy roads this weekend and expect delays.

‘The best advice is to plan journeys and think about setting off earlier or later in the day to avoid traffic jams.’ 

This Environment Agency graphic shows how little rainfall there has been since mid-June

River flows are also low in many areas of England and Wales – especially those marked in red

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The heatwave threshold is defined as three consecutive days at or above a set temperature

The Port of Dover is expecting another busy weekend but has worked to smooth any delays caused by new EU border checks.

This morning, the port posted on X that there was a 40-minute processing time in the Buffer Zone – the area where traffic may be held in multiple lanes while waiting to pass through French border and security checks.

Ferry company DFDS also said its wait times at Dover were up to 60 minutes at border controls and ‘free flowing’ at check-in.

The Entry Exit System (EES), rolled out fully in April, involves people from third-party countries such as the UK having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen Area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU.

For most UK travellers, the process happens at foreign airports, but it is also carried out at the port, as well as Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal and London St Pancras railway station.

The Port of Dover declared a ‘critical incident’ during the May half-term period after waiting times reached four and a half hours on a day with about 8,500 outbound tourist vehicles.

However, after last weekend, it said in a statement that French border police had ‘performed extremely well’ by ‘maximising their resourcing as required throughout’.

The statement added: ‘We will be preparing in earnest once again with all of our partners for the upcoming weekend, which will be our busiest of the whole summer.

‘Let’s all continue working together to ensure local communities remain clear of disruption, trade continues to flow and everyone can start their holidays well.’

Thousands of tourists have been forced to flee a top French holiday hotspot, with many evacuated by boat to escape a raging wildfire. 

The area of Lege-Cap Ferret in southwestern France – an upmarket tourist destination known as the French Hamptons – is in the middle of a total evacuation with thousands of hectares of forest burning and villas going up in smoke. 

French President Emmanuel Macron has already requested help from the European Union as the country’s growing battle against wildfires intensifies. 

Images showed scores of residents boarding boats this morning as they evacuated the area while a French television report was interrupted by a fireball blast when a gas canister exploded. 

Residents have described the inferno as ‘mega-fire’ and apocalyptic, with few means of escape from the thin peninsula.  

‘France has requested the activation of the European Union’s civil protection mechanism. We will soon be able to count on reinforcements from two Croatian Canadair aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor planes, as well as two heavy Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia,’ wrote Macron on X on Friday. 

Sophie Brocas, the prefect for the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, said on Friday that evacuees from the Lege-Cap Ferret peninsula could leave from piers in four villages in the area between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. local time. 

All those still present in those villages must leave either on the boats or by the only road linking the area with the mainland, she added.

Holidaymakers from Lege-Cap-Ferret disembark from a boat upon their arrival in Arcachon during an evacuation operation of the entire Cap-Ferret peninsula, in southwestern France, on July 24, 2026 whilst a wildfire is spreading across the area

The blaze in south-western France has been described as a ‘mega-fire’ and ‘apocalyptic’ in French social media posts

Patrick Martineau, a 69-year-old resident of Le Porge, south of Bordeaux, said, ‘The gendarmes came and knocked on every door, the fire was about 500 metres away – we grabbed some things and left.’

Footage taken in the south-western town of Biscarrosse captured scenes of chaos, showing several cars rushing down roads to get away from nearing flames. 

A separate video showed horses frantically running down a street as a huge black cloud of smoke engulfed the town. 

Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez said on Friday that the fire in Biscarrosse is ‘difficult to control’, adding that around 100 homes had been burned or damaged by the flames. 

France’s southeast was also being hard hit, with dozens of fires flaring up and being fanned by the Mistral wind around the historic village of Cotignac – officials saying around 25 houses had been destroyed since Tuesday. 

Two firefighters died on Tuesday tackling another blaze near Bordeaux airport.

Skies over Le Porge turned orange as smoke rose from charred and crackling pine trees, while helicopters made repeated runs over deserted neighbourhoods.

Fires in 2022 damaged a massive area of the same forest, forcing around 50,000 people to flee.

The authorities said the fire had been contained on its northerly flank but was not yet totally under control further south.

EU crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib said Thursday that the bloc was providing three water-bombing planes to France.

 In Spain, the government declared a state of emergency in the Madrid region, where more than 10,000 people have been evacuated in recent days.

A volunteer gives indication to holidaymakers from Lege-Cap-Ferret upon their arrival in Arcachon by boat during an evacuation operation of the entire Cap-Ferret peninsula

A firefighter uses a hose to spray water on a burning building of a residential area during a wildfire near Lege Cap Ferret

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Video grab shows an aerial view of the out-of-control fire spreading through the Lege-Cap-Ferret 

The order for a total evacuation of the area of Lege-Cap Ferret underlined the severity of the fire that has been burning since Wednesday

A couple carries a few belongings while evacuating a residential area during a wildfire near Lege-Cap-Ferret, southwestern France, on July 23, 2026

Screen grab of video showing several cars rushing down roads to get away from nearing flames

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People watch smoke from the beach in Andernos-Les Bains during a fire in Lege Cap-Ferret forest

People in Lege Cap-Ferret watch as flames tear through a forest 

One video on social media showed the moment horses ran away from incoming flames 

Emergency services said alert messages had been sent to people in Aldea de Fresno, a town west of Madrid, ordering them to leave.

Eighteen firefighting units with specialist troops were working to contain the blaze near the city of Toledo, close to another wildfire that forced the evacuation of several villages on Wednesday.

Firefighters battled through the night, and most residents were allowed to return Thursday.

Hundreds of firefighters and troops were still struggling to contain a much larger wildfire in Guadalajara province, north of Madrid.

‘Climate change is what kills, what destroys our villages and our natural and cultural heritage,’ civil protection chief Virginia Barcones told Spanish radio.

She warned some fires become so intense that, despite the deployment of aircraft and ground crews, firefighters stand ‘no chance’.

Barcones said conditions at the Guadalajara blaze were improving but that strong winds and extreme heat remained a danger.

Thousands of emergency workers in Italy battled scores of fires in Sicily and in the Calabria region, where a local official said arsonists had started fires by tying rags soaked in flammable liquid to the tails of stray cats to spread the flames.

Along with the stray cats, investigators found candles and delayed ignition devices

Domenico Costarella, of Calabria’s civil protection agency, said: ‘These animals were released into the fields, running around and spreading the fire.’

French President Emmanuel Macron has already requested help from the European Union as the country’s growing battle against wildfires intensifies

A firefighter douses a burned house at a residential area during a wildfire near Lege-Cap-Ferret, southwestern France, on July 23, 2026

A firefighter sprays water on a burning forest close to a residential area during a wildfire near Lege-Cap-Ferret

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Residents in the department of Gironde watch as a massive cloud of smoke billows in the distance

Firefighters respond to a wildfire in Lege-Cap-Ferret in the Gironde department amid worsening drought conditions

Firefighters drive around a burning forest while monitoring a wildfire close to a residential area near Lege-Cap-Ferret

Across Europe, three heatwaves in succession this season have intensified drought, strained water supplies, and left vegetation tinder-dry, helping wildfires scorch more land

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The heat has also been blamed for thousands of deaths. 

France has been particularly hard hit, with the intense heat pressuring its capacity to handle the situation. 

‘Our security forces are engaged in a genuine battle against the wildfires,’ Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Thursday evening. 

‘The nation stands with you.’ The pressure on fire departments in southwestern France has been increased by another wildfire that began on Thursday afternoon near Biscarosse, just 25 miles south of Cap Ferret. 

That fire, which is still not under control, has devastated 2,500 hectares, the prefect for the Landes area, Gilles Clavreul, said in a statement. 

He added that fighting arson would take a ‘shift in mindset… These are inhumane acts. Sadly, men are their own worst enemies’.

One firefighter died after falling ill while battling the flames in Sicily, the interior minister said.

Across Europe, three heatwaves in succession this season have intensified drought, strained water supplies, and left vegetation tinder-dry, helping wildfires scorch more land than the annual average over the past two decades. 

This screen grab from a video posted on the X account of Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit UME (@UMEgob) on July 23, 2026, shows UME personnel fighting a wildfire in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, Madrid

The Spanish government declared a state of emergency in the Madrid region, where more than 10,000 people have been evacuated in recent days

Hundreds of firefighters and troops were still struggling to contain a much larger wildfire in Guadalajara province, north of Madrid

‘Winds are blowing, and the situation remains highly dynamic and unfavourable,’ he said. 

More than 23,000 people were evacuated from the Biscarosse district, mainly in campsites and homes, and a children’s summer camp and a residential care home for the elderly were also evacuated. 

He asked farmers to contribute with water tanks.

European droughts are now more severe, climatologists from the World Weather Attribution group said in a study published on Thursday.

The total area of land burnt so far this year in EU countries is the second largest on record, according to satellite data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). 

Latest energy bill predictions could mean that households do not see any savings from the VAT cut

Money Saving expert Martin Lewis has explained how households will be impacted by the new energy tax reduction announced by Andy Burnham this week. The Prime Minister has confirmed that electricity bills will be exempt from VAT from October 1, that initially predicted a cut of £45 from a typical household’s annual bill.

However since updated predictions for the Energy Price Cap have been published indicating that a Price Cap rise of 5.1% could be seen in October that “will wipe out any household savings from the VAT cut”, says the expert.

The announcement comes amid predictions that energy prices will remain raised throughout the coming winter, following a £221 rise to the price cap which came into effect on July 1, pushing it to £1,862 per year. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here

Andy Burnham said: “I said I wanted to give people breathing space, and that’s what I’m announcing on my second day as Prime Minister. We’re taking immediate action to cut taxes on energy bills, put more money in people’s pockets and bring back hope.”

The energy price cap has been projected for October.

Martin Lewis spoke of the projections saying: “I’ve just got the latest energy bill predictions. The average of three sources show the Price Cap rising 5.1% on 1 October – as the last week has seen very high wholesale rates. An annualised rise of £93 on a typical bill.

“If this happens, it will wipe out any household savings from the VAT cut during that Price Cap period (those on fixes will still see a 4.8% reduction).”

The Money Saving Expert founder contacted major UK energy suppliers to ask if they’ll pass on the reduction to all customers from October. Ten firms confirmed they will including:

• 100 Green
• British Gas
• EDF
• E.on Next
• Fuse
• Good Energy
• Octopus
• So Energy
• Utilita
• Utility Warehouse

Martin Lewis detailed how the the move will work in more detail as he explained that it will see VAT on electricity bills cut from 5% to zero between October 1 2026 and March 31 2027.

He also explained that the cut will only apply to electricity bills meaning those with dual fuel bills for gas and electricity will only see the reduction on the electricity they use.

It will be funded in part by scrapping Sir Keir Starmer’s, digital ID project that had been estimated to cost around £600 million-a-year over three years. Funding for the ID scheme was due to have come from savings within existing departmental budgets, which will now be reprioritised to fund the VAT cut.

The nostalgic DJ event, Hay Day, is coming to Sunderland on Saturday, August 1, at Southpaw Studio in Sheepfolds Stables.

The event promises an energetic throwback to the era of dance anthems, with doors opening at 3pm and closing by 7pm.

Robby Graham, artistic director of Southpaw Company, said: “Hay Day will be full of energy and atmosphere and take away the hassle that often comes with a late night out.

“Whether you’re coming to dance with friends, celebrate a special occasion, or simply relive the soundtrack of your youth, Hay Day will be an afternoon to remember.”

UK-based DJ and producer, Aaron Swales, will be spinning the tunes, a mixture of dance club anthems and feel-good favourites from back in the day.

The early finish means guests can enjoy a night out without the after-effects of a typical late-night rave.

Tickets are selling fast with plans already underfoot to hold the event regularly.

Southpaw Company was established in 2013 under the artistic direction of Robby Graham and blends innovative choreography with compelling storytelling rooted in the lived experiences of working class and marginalised communities.

Southpaw Studio is located in the heart of Sunderland’s Sheepfolds district, a fully-equipped creative space designed to host performances, rehearsals and community activities.

From creating intimate touring pieces to large-scale outdoor spectacles, the company blends innovative choreography with compelling storytelling rooted in the lived experiences of working class and marginalised communities.

Southpaw’s mission is to craft performances that are reflective of the communities it engages with, driven by authentic collaboration and co-creation.

Whether working with local residents on mass-movement pieces, such as RUSH and RISE, or touring narrative-rich productions like Speakeasy, it believes in the transformative power of the arts to spark dialogue, promote empathy and celebrate the diverse cultural voices across the UK.

In addition to its artistic output, Southpaw runs three, free engagement programmes:

• AMPLIFY – A community performance company
• ORIGINS – Breaking barriers and empowering young dancers (aged eight to 18) through breaking and hip-hop styles
• IGNITE – A high level training class for professional working class dancers and advanced students

Erimus, created for the re-opening of Middlesbrough Town Hall, won the Journal Culture Arts Council England Award and National Campaign for the Arts Award for the Best Local Authority Arts Project Encouraging Community Cohesion.

Tickets are available via the Southpaw website at southpaw.org.uk/events.

“We will begin to see a modest change as a weak weather front pushes south across the UK on Saturday bringing some much-needed rain”

Light rain and scattered showers have been forecast for Northern Ireland this weekend after a long dry and sunny spell.

For Friday, July 24, the Met Office say it’s set to turn increasingly cloudy this evening with a chance of a few spots of light rain.

The rest of the night is expected to be mainly dry with clear spells, freshening winds, and a minimum temperature of 14C.

On Saturday, July 25, it’s set to be a cloudy morning with patchy light rain spreading southeast. It’s expected to turn drier and brighter for a time into the afternoon, with a maximum temperature of 19C.

And for the weather outlook for Sunday, July 26, to Tuesday, July 28, the Met Office said: “Bright spells and scattered showers on Sunday.

“Fairly unsettled and changeable Monday and Tuesday with the risk of further showers or spells of rain.”

Ahead of the “modest change of weather type” on the horizon for the UK, Met Office chief forecaster Steve Willington stated: “The high pressure has been a key feature of the UK’s weather forecast over the last few weeks, bringing above-average temperatures and extremely dry conditions for many.

“However, we will begin to see a modest change as a weak weather front pushes south across the UK on Saturday bringing some much-needed rain, albeit it light and mainly concentrated in the north and west. Behind the front a showery air mass will bring potentially heavy showers some of which may be thundery.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

FBI director Kash Patel handed over a collection of looted Indonesian artefacts to president Prabowo Subianto in what Jakarta described as an important step in restoring the nation’s cultural sovereignty.

Indonesian culture minister Fadli Zon said the return of the artefacts from the Papua region was part of ongoing cooperation between his ministry and the FBI to recover cultural objects that had been illegally smuggled into the US.

The recovered items include stone axes and ceremonial objects linked to the Dani, Asmat, and Sentani tribes of Papua.

The ministry said that traditional stone axes from Papua were valued far beyond their practical use as communities in the highlands, including the Dani, regarded them as markers of social status and wealth, used them in marriages and other ceremonial exchanges, and passed them down generations as prized heirlooms.

Mr Zon said the artefacts would be displayed at the National Museum. “Patel brought Indonesian cultural artefacts as part of cooperation between the Indonesian government, through the culture ministry, and the FBI to return cultural objects that had been illegally smuggled into the United States,” he said. “These are very valuable objects because this repatriation process is part of our effort to restore our cultural sovereignty.”

The US previously returned a pair of bronze sculptures depicting the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The 8th-century Buddhist sculptures had been taken from Indonesian archaeological sites and then sold to an American collector through the late antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford.

They were among 34 Southeast Asian artefacts voluntarily surrendered by the collector in 2021 after investigations found that the items had been looted.

The Indonesian government has stepped up efforts in recent years to recover cultural artefacts held overseas, many of which were removed during the colonial period, stolen, or acquired through illegal trafficking networks.

In January last year, Indonesia displayed over 800 artefacts returned by the Netherlands after years of negotiations. The Netherlands ruled Indonesia as a colonial power for almost four centuries.

The collection, which was exhibited at the National Museum in Jakarta, included stone Buddha statues, jewellery, royal objects, paintings and weapons.

The artefacts, returned under a 2022 repatriation agreement, were looted during conflicts, taken by colonial-era scientists and missionaries, or smuggled by mercenaries during colonial rule.

The famous “Java Man” fossil, one of the earliest and most important discoveries of Homo erectus, was also returned to Indonesia last year from the Netherlands, more than 130 years after it was discovered in East Java.

James May has said he disagrees with 120 UK-based millionaires including Gary Lineker who have urged Andy Burnham to impose higher taxes on their wealth.

The group have claimed extra money raised from higher taxes on wealth could be used to reduce inequality, support public infrastructure and back small businesses.

A letter to the Prime Minister from the Patriotic Millionaires UK campaign group, says a 2 per cent tax on wealth over £10million could raise £24billion a year for the UK.

But former Top Gear presenter May has insisted he ‘already pays loads of tax’ and encouraged the wealthy to instead donate the extra 2 per cent to good causes.

When asked on LBC radio whether he agrees with the former Match of the Day host’s stance released in the ‘Proud to Pay’ letter yesterday, 63-year-old May said ‘No.’

Presenter Tom Swarbrick asked him why, and May responded: ‘I already pay loads of tax. Am I supposed to volunteer to pay some more?’ Swarbrick then pressed May, saying: ‘Well, you can do, of course. You can pay whatever you like to HMRC.’

And May told him: ‘You absolutely can. You could pay your whole income to HMRC if you like. And those people who say, I’d gladly, gladly pay an extra 2 per cent tax if it went to the homeless or military veterans or the disabled or whatever. There are plenty of people who will take that extra 2 per cent from you if you wish to donate it.’

Swarbrick asked him: ‘So you don’t feel that there is a patriotic argument for millionaires to pay more in tax, however that is defined or alighted upon? 

Gary Lineker is among 120 millionaires calling on Andy Burnham to impose higher taxes

And May replied: ‘I mean, wealthier people already pay more tax. The rate increases and it’s a greater absolute amount as well if you have more income. ‘

It comes as a Treasury minister declined to say whether Mr Burnham’s Government will heed the call for the higher tax.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds welcomed the offer, but said any announcement on tax policy would be made in the budget.

She would not be drawn into whether Mr Burnham will consider what the millionaires are asking for, telling Sky News: ‘Well, look, it’s day four of this new Government, and obviously any major tax changes would be announced at a budget.

‘I welcome the fact that people of good means are saying that they want to pay more. They can pay more. There is a link on gov.uk, but look, we have to look at tax policy in the round, and we only make major tax announcements at budgets.’

The letter from the Patriotic Millionaires UK group reads: ‘We want you to tax us. We can afford it. We’re not talking about higher taxes on those who get up and go to work for their income every day, but on the very richest whose income is derived from the wealth they hold.’

Lineker said: ‘Paying your fair share is a basic British value, but so many ordinary people are already paying more than they can afford.

‘Our richest people can do more and most want to. Our fantastic country deserves all of us to get behind it. I’m proud to stand with people across the UK who want to live in a more equal society.

‘To live up to our national values our new Government must raise taxes on extreme levels of wealth for a fairer, better, more hopeful Britain.’

Other signatories include crime writer Val McDermid, musician and songwriter Brian Eno, former chairman of Greggs Ian Gregg, economist and former City trader Gary Stevenson, and investor Julia Davies.

In addition to the wealth tax, Patriotic Millionaires also said reforms to capital gains tax could raise a further £12billion.

But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said a wealth levy is not the answer to raising UK living standards.

She told reporters after a London speech: ‘On Gary Lineker, he’s very welcome to pay more tax. He can write a cheque to the Treasury. No one’s stopping him.

‘But right now, we are seeing the people who create jobs leaving the country… If we keep taxing the people who create the jobs, who generate the growth, we’re not going to have any taxes at all.’

She added that tax rises and ‘pennies here and there’ do not increase our standard of living, and that the focus should be on ‘backing business so that they can create jobs and create growth’.

Ms Davies, a member of Patriotic Millionaires, said: ‘We millionaires are here to be taxed more and we urge our new PM to grab this opportunity with both hands and tax our wealth. This is a fresh opportunity for our country.

‘A chance for the Prime Minister to help rebalance power, reduce the shocking levels of wealth inequality which intensifies the cost of living crisis, and raise much-needed revenue for our public services, improving life for everyone.’

Polling from the campaign group showed that 80 per cent of UK millionaires support a 2 per cent tax on wealth over £10 million.

‘As you decentralise political power, you should also disperse economic power,’ the open letter adds.

‘Extreme wealth sitting idle in the hands of a few can be put to work: reducing inequality, investing in sustainable jobs, strengthening hospitals, schools and social care, supporting entrepreneurs with the skills and infrastructure they need, and giving small businesses access to affordable finance.

‘Our wealth is our country’s secret weapon – let’s get serious about using it.’

May presented the BBC motoring show alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond from 2003 until 2015 and was known as ‘the other bloke from Top Gear’. 

He also earned the nickname ‘Captain Slow’ for his performances in challenges.

After leaving Top Gear, the presenting trio went on to make a new motoring show for Amazon Prime Video called The Grand Tour, which ran from 2016 to 2024.