Russian oil tanker Smyrtos, which has been sanctioned following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was boarded by British forces.

British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday, the Prime Minister said. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Royal Marine commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency boarded a sanctioned oil tanker during a six-hour operation – the first UK-led operation of its kind.

The vessel Smyrtos will be provisionally moved to an anchorage off the south coast of England and be monitored for any environmental or safety concerns. According to the MoD, the operation was supported by aircraft from the Maritime Air Group (Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat), an RAF P-8 aircraft, and HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.

Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement: “This operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling (President Vladimir) Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide. I want to pay tribute to all those involved, including our armed forces and law enforcement officers who keep this country safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said: “Operations like this require skill, professionalism and courage. I pay tribute to our armed forces personnel and all those involved. Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund their conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin’s illegal war.”

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The US military launched strikes against Iran on June 9 in response to the downing of a US Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier. These strikes, which the US military called “a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression”, came after Donald Trump claimed he was in the “final throes of what will be a very, very good deal” to end the war.

Iran swiftly carried out retaliatory attacks of its own. The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps branch of Iran’s armed forces says it has struck US bases in Bahrain and Jordan. And it has warned of “even more severe attacks” if the US repeats its strikes.

This episode took place days after Israel and Iran had briefly returned to direct conflict. Triggered by Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, where a ceasefire was supposedly in effect, both sides launched various rounds of tit-for-tat strikes before announcing they would halt hostilities.

At first glance, these incidents appear contradictory. Diplomacy is supposed to be the alternative to war and ceasefires are supposed to reduce violence. Yet with the US, Israel and Iran once again exchanging attacks, and as military operations continue in Lebanon despite ceasefire arrangements, diplomacy and conflict increasingly seem to be unfolding simultaneously.

For decades, policymakers assumed that war and diplomacy were distinct phases of international politics. States negotiated until talks broke down, and fighting followed. Eventually, battlefield realities or international pressure pushed adversaries back to the negotiating table. Diplomacy then functioned as an exit ramp from conflict.

The aftermath of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war exemplified this model. Sustained diplomatic efforts following the conflict culminated in the 1978 Camp David accords, which laid the groundwork for a definitive peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. This treaty was signed the following year and remains in effect to this day.

However, this model is becoming difficult to recognise, with the Middle East nowadays characterised by a different dynamic. Negotiations between warring parties continue during military confrontations, ceasefires coexist with airstrikes and mediators shuttle between capitals even as threats escalate.

The problem is not that diplomacy is failing. Instead, it is that diplomacy is no longer serving its traditional purpose. Rather than ending conflicts, diplomacy is helping to manage them – a distinction that matters because a conflict that is managed is not necessarily a conflict that is resolved.

Managing conflict

The latest escalations between Israel and Iran, and now Iran and the US, illustrate this dilemma. None of these parties appear to want a full-scale regional war, as the costs would be enormous and the consequences unpredictable. Yet each of them is unwilling to abandon what they see as vital security interests.

Israel views Hezbollah’s military capabilities as a major threat and therefore has a strong incentive to weaken the group. Iran, on the other hand, sees defending Hezbollah as critical to its security because the group serves as a key deterrent against Israel and extends Tehran’s regional influence. And the US struck Iran in an attempt to uphold deterrence and signal that attacks on US personnel and assets would carry consequences.

The result of this is a cycle of calibrated escalation. Military force is used not to secure decisive victory but to signal resolve to adversaries, reassure allies and domestic audiences, and persuade opposing leaders that the costs of further escalation outweigh the potential benefits. Diplomacy, meanwhile, works not to eliminate the underlying dispute but to prevent escalation from spiralling beyond control.

This creates a dangerous equilibrium. When diplomacy functions primarily as a mechanism for crisis management, leaders face less pressure to make the difficult compromises that lasting peace requires. Negotiations can continue indefinitely while violence persists, ceasefires become pauses rather than settlements and conflict becomes chronic.

The old distinction between war and peace is becoming blurred in the Middle East. Rival powers do not move neatly from diplomacy to conflict and back again. Instead, they are operating permanently in the space between the two. This should concern policymakers.

Much of contemporary diplomacy remains based on assumptions that no longer fully apply. Negotiations are often treated as evidence of deescalation, while ceasefires are assumed to signal progress towards peace. Yet neither necessarily tells us much about whether a conflict is actually moving closer to resolution.

The latest exchanges between the US and Iran, as well as Iran and Israel, therefore raise a troubling possibility. The greatest danger may not be that the Middle East slides back into a wider war. It may be that it settles into a condition of permanent confrontation in which violence periodically erupts, diplomacy periodically intervenes and neither fundamentally changes the underlying reality.

For decades, the central challenge of international politics has been how to move from war to peace. The challenge emerging today is different, with negotiators grappling with the much more difficult task of ending a conflict when war and peace are happening at the same time.

He played 42 games for the Championship club, scored four goals and made five to ensure he was selected for the World Cup.

Now he has created history for his country and in style, too. His finish was superb after he showed pace and power to create the opening in the 27th minute against Turkey in the Group D clash.

“It doesn’t matter what level of football you play at, in the park or World Cup, that is fantastic speed,” former Australia and Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou told ITV.

It meant he was the first player born outside of Australia to score a World Cup goal for the Socceroos.

He has in the past mimicked Michael Jackson in celebrating goals, even donning a white glove in March when he netted against Curacao.

This time he opted to copy former Australia and Everton midfielder Tim Cahill by giving the corner flag a couple of punches.

“Timmy Cahill is my biggest inspiration when it comes to football,” Irankunda said after the win over Turkey.

“Him and Lionel Messi. Tim Cahill, Australia’s greatest in my opinion. I just thought if I scored, I’ll do the same as him and I got to do it.”

Postecoglou believes the goal may have an impact on Irankunda’s future career.

“A massive moment,” added Postecoglou. “Sometimes in World Cups, you just need a good couple of weeks and your whole world can change. Let’s hope that is the start for him.”

These are extraordinary times we are living in, and we just have to savour every moment.

History has been made. Again.

First, we celebrated reaching our first World Cup in 28 years. Now we have our first win at the tournament since 1990.

These are extraordinary times we are living in, and we just have to savour every moment. The scenes at the Boston fan zone when the final whistle was blown on Saturday night will stay with me forever.

We have waited far too long to enjoy moments like these. And the Tartan Army don’t want them to end any time soon.

Fans have been making the most of every second out here in the States. On the morning of the opener, we met excited supporters heading off on a three-hour party boat cruise. More than 200 passionate foot soldiers boarded the vessel in the blazing sunshine, as stunned locals stopped to take pictures and videos of the chaotic scenes.

On Sunday, celebrating fans were then due to march to Fenway Park to watch the Boston Red Sox take on the Texas Rangers in baseball. This has been described as a “trip of a lifetime” by many of the dozens of supporters we have spoken to out here – and that’s exactly what it is.

Our fans were already on cloud nine just being able to travel across to watch us play football on the world’s biggest stage. Now we’re sitting top of our group after the first match.

It all feels surreal, and when this is over, we can only hope it won’t be another long wait until the next World Cup adventure comes along.

In the meantime, though, no one is taking anything for granted. Every single moment out here is being embraced – and not one single person wants to wake up from this glorious dream any time soon.

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Terrington Choir is marking three decades of singing and community spirit in the village and surrounding area with an event as part of the villages’s flower festival and scarecrow weekend.

Formed in 1996 by the late John Goodwill, the choir has grown into a much-loved local group, performing regularly at concerts and community events.

Over the past 30 years, the choir has raised nearly £30,000 for local charities and good causes, supporting organisations close to the hearts of its members and audiences.

John’s widow, Janet Goodwill said: “John would have been so happy to see the Terrington choir still going strong after all these years. Although not a choir member myself, I am a keen follower and try to get along to as many concerts as I can.”

The choir’s Musical Director, Kerr Wilson, said: “Reaching our 30th year is a wonderful milestone. We are proud not only of the music we have shared, but also of the support we have been able to give to local charities and the friendships formed along the way.”

The anniversary will be celebrated at 7pm on Saturday, June 20, at All Saints Church, Terrington, as part of a Flower Festival ‘Magic of Musicals’ weekend, bringing together music and floral displays for a special evening of celebration.

The concert will focus on songs from the musicals, showcasing the choir’s repertoire and reflecting on its history of supporting good causes in the local area.

The concert promises to be a highlight of the village calendar and a fitting way to celebrate 30 years of Terrington Choir.

Everyone is warmly invited to join in celebrating this significant milestone and the key role the choir continues to play in the local community.

The Flower Festival Weekend takes place from June 20 – 21, 10am – 4pm, with a preview evening on June 19 at 6.30pm, £5 entry, at All Saints Church, Terrington. The beautiful floral designs, celebrating musicals across the decades, will come from the specialist skills of Malton and District Flower Club. While the two schools in the village, Terrington C of E Primary School and Terrington Hall Preparatory School are getting involved with their own displays.

The Scarecrow Trail will also take place on Sunday, June 21, 12 – 4pm, around Terrington. The Trail starts and finishes in Terrington Village Hall where there is parking for those who need it and refreshments served.

Donations received are for the upkeep of the Church and the Village Hall Playground Project.

Our taste tests compared supermarket own-brand sausages, beans, bread, ketchup, fish fingers and steak from Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and more to find the best buys

Following numerous taste tests conducted over recent months, we have compiled a definitive list of the finest sausages, bread, baked beans and other kitchen essentials available across UK supermarkets. These are staple food items found in every UK supermarket, with most retailers stocking their own-label varieties.

While they may appear broadly similar at first glance, they can differ enormously in terms of taste, texture and overall quality. This is precisely what we discovered when putting staples such as pork sausages, baked beans and steaks through their paces. Interestingly, the more budget-friendly options frequently outshine their pricier counterparts.

Aldi and Lidl have consistently performed strongly, while Tesco and Sainsbury’s excel in certain areas. As for M&S and Waitrose, they generally live up to the high expectations we bring to the table. Overall, results differ considerably, and the supermarket with the best sausages won’t necessarily stock the best baked beans.

Sausages

In a recent head-to-head comparison, Aldi’s own-label pork sausages came out on top. They performed impressively across texture, appearance and overall flavour, achieving a near-perfect score of 19.5/20.

The flavour struck an ideal balance between meat and herbs, while the satisfying meaty texture was effortless to cut through and thoroughly enjoyable. Sainsbury’s also impressed and scored well, though Aldi’s sausages were noticeably more substantial once cooked.

At £1.79 for a 454g pack, it came as a rather pleasant surprise to discover just how tasty these sausages turned out to be.

Baked beans

Baked beans are a quintessentially British staple, and virtually every supermarket offers its own take on them. When compared to well-known brands such as Heinz and Branston, own-brand varieties frequently outperform in taste tests.

In our very own taste test of own-label baked bean tins, one retailer emerged as the undisputed victor. Co-op claimed the top spot with an almost flawless score, with the first distinguishing feature being its rich, deep colour.

The sweetness then hit immediately, and the texture struck a perfect balance once the beans were cooked. They delivered the most pronounced flavour in our recent comparison, securing this tin’s place at the top.

Ketchup

In a recent ketchup comparison, Lidl’s own-label variety claimed victory, ranking above the likes of M&S, Tesco and other own-brand offerings, as well as surpassing Heinz. Priced at £1.05 for 650g, it struck the ideal balance between sweetness and strength, making it a perfect condiment that complements rather than overwhelms a meal — precisely what a condiment should do. Furthermore, it contains less sugar than Heinz, which is a bonus for those mindful of maintaining a healthier diet.

Fish fingers

Fish fingers are another household staple that can be found in the freezers of countless British homes. They are a fairly no-frills frozen food, popular for their simplicity. That said, some are undoubtedly superior to others. In fact, our recent fish finger taste test revealed clear winners and losers, with some of the highest-ranking options proving to be among the most affordable.

Sainsbury’s 10 Breaded Omega 3 Pollock Fillet Fish Fingers claimed top spot, costing just 93p for a pack of 10. The breadcrumbs delivered a remarkable flavour, while the fish itself struck the ideal balance of fishiness. It also boasted the finest texture of all the fish fingers tested, offering a perfect combination of slight crunch, smoothness and flaky fish.

Steak

Supermarket steak remains a firm favourite amongst shoppers during the summer months. If you’ve been pondering which retailer offers the finest cuts, we put them through their paces this year.

Lidl emerged as the champion, priced at £5.49 for 195g, equating to £28.15 per kilogram. The 21-day matured British beef proudly displayed the Red Tractor logo and showed an attractive marbling before cooking.

It delivered a burst of flavour once cooked, clinching the top spot despite numerous other steaks carrying considerably heftier price tags.

Sourdough bread

While some Britons prefer to bake their own sourdough at home, the overwhelming majority purchase it from their local supermarket. Having recently compared five loaves to determine the finest option, Tesco emerged as the clear victor.

It stood out as the undisputed winner, boasting a perfect crust and just the right level of saltiness. It proved delightful when toasted, and its overall flavour surpassed that of Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Asda.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to restore sites changed under an executive order calling for the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks to not display elements that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”

The preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Massachusetts also orders a pause on any additional changes, writing that the plaintiffs have shown that these efforts are meant “to rewrite the Nation’s history with a white-out pen.”

“History cannot be faithfully told while excluding the experiences of communities whose contributions, struggles, and achievements form an important part of our Nation’s story,” the judge wrote.

The Trump administration must also provide a status report every week describing the progress they’ve made with these changes, the judge wrote.

“Under the guise of promoting American dignity, this Administration seeks to share a limited history by ordering the removal of all signs, displays, and interpretive exhibits at National Parks that do not align with its preferred narrative, thereby telling half-truths,” Kelley wrote.

The order comes in response to a February lawsuit filed by conservation and historical organizations over National Park Service policies that the groups say have forced park service staff to remove or censor dozens of exhibits that share factually accurate and relevant U.S. history and scientific knowledge, including about slavery and climate change.

Many of the changes were at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park, where the administration removed exhibits on the lives of nine people enslaved at the site in the 1790s under George Washington, the first U.S. president. Other changes included removing a sign at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Arizona describing basalt bubbles because it had an image of a visitor holding a Pride flag while films on labor history were removed from the Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts.

President Donald Trump signed the executive order “restoring truth and sanity to American history” at the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks last year. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum later directed removal of “improper partisan ideology” from museums, monuments, landmarks and other public exhibits under federal control.

An email seeking comment from the Interior Department was sent Saturday.

Alan Spears, senior director for cultural resources for the National Parks Conservation Association, one of the organizations that brought the lawsuit, said the ruling will help protect national parks from the administration’s effort “to erase history and science at these one-of-a-kind places.”

“National parks belong to the American people and censorship of any kind goes against the values these places represent,” he said.

Bill Wade, executive director for the Association of National Park Rangers, another organization that brought the lawsuit, said this is especially good news for National Parks employees who “have prided themselves for being able to provide truthful, accurate and unbiased information.”

They were set to stage a four-day walkout from 7am on Monday – the 16th round of strike action since 2023.

But the British Medical Association (BMA) said on Saturday that a last-minute offer had been made, which will be put to members.

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Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the BMA’s resident doctors committee (RDC), said: “We have always been clear that no strikes needed to go ahead if we received an offer appropriate to put to our members.

“This should not have been left to the last moment, but we hold up our end of the bargain when the Government shifts its position.”

“All we have asked for is a fair offer that secures enough jobs to tackle the madness of doctor unemployment and take steps to address the erosion of our pay. Tens of thousands of frontline doctors will now vote in a referendum on whether this offer is sufficient.

“We will always negotiate in good faith and strikes are a last resort that we will only use in the face of complete Government intransigence. When Government moves, so do we.

“Doctors will now have their say. If they say no to this offer, we will have to continue our plans for further escalated action across next month.”

The offer is understood to include standard 2016 resident doctor contract terms for all locally employed doctors and an average 6.6% pay uplift to be fully implemented by April 2027.

Professor Frankie Swords, national medical director at NHS England, had said that the service faced a “triple whammy of pressure” as the planned strike would have coincided with warm weather and the World Cup.

Health Secretary James Murray said: “It is a positive and welcome development – especially for patients – that the BMA have called off these unnecessary strikes.”

He added that after a 28.9% pay rise for resident doctors over the last three years, “the country simply cannot afford to increase the pay offer for this year”.

Professor Ramani Moonesinghe, national clinical director for critical and perioperative care at NHS England, said: “It is extremely welcome news that the BMA has called off next week’s strike – for both patients and NHS staff.

“The BMA has recognised the positive changes we have made for both resident doctors and patients over the last year – but we are not complacent, we know more is needed and that working conditions have not been good enough, and we will continue to do more to make the NHS a desirable place to work.

“I want to thank staff across the NHS who have worked extremely hard to maintain care for patients throughout recent industrial action – and I really hope today is a positive step in the right direction to end strikes once and for all, while we continue to ensure the NHS is the best place to work for resident doctors now and in the future.”

Like millions of us, Labour’s Jess Asato frequents the popular social media site X.

But in the back of her mind, Asato, 45, wonders if the next user she interacts with could be undressing her using AI tools.

In January, the MP for Lowestoft in Suffolk was allegedly among millions of women digitally undressed by people using Elon Musk’s chatbot, Grok.

‘I’ve spoken to many, many victims and what they’ve told me is how I feel,’ Asato tells Metro.

‘A bit more afraid, you don’t know who is out there or what they might be doing to your image.

‘The idea that, at any moment, you could be targeted just for speaking out or existing online.’

Asato lodged a legal complaint against xAI, which owns Grok and X, last week over the alleged nonconsensual images.

‘AI has turbocharged misogyny’

Asato joined X, then called Twitter, in 2009 – just two years after it launched.

‘It was a pretty joyous place,’ she recalls, saying she saw Twitter as a way for people to talk about politics on the ground.

That didn’t last long. One of Asato’s first experiences with misogyny on the platform was in 2014, when she commented on the rape trial of footballer Ched Evans.

‘The abuse I got was awful,’ she says. ‘Misogynistic abuse on social media has been going on for a really, really long time.

‘It’s now turbocharged with this ability to lift any woman’s image, manipulate it through AI, and then use it to demean, degrade, humiliate and create death threats.’

Phoney images of real people, mainly women wearing bikinis or in sexually provocative situations, flooded X in December and January.

Research published on Friday from Malwarebytes reveals that one in three daily AI users think it’s okay to create fake explicit images of people they know.

But women previously told Metro that the realistic AI-generated images, called deepfakes, amounted to digital sexual assault.

One estimate puts the number of sexualised images created of real people between December 29 and January 8 at three million, or 190 per minute, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate.

Asato’s mentions were flooded with such content after she called on Musk to take action.

‘Somebody created this horrible AI video of me being chloroformed and my skirts being lifted as if for a sexual assault,’ she says.

Given that she has campaigned against nudification apps, which create doctored explicit images, none of this is a surprise to her.

‘I became the victim of the very thing I was talking against,’ she says, alleging that X gave her no real ways to protect herself.

‘This isn’t just because of the nature of the content that’s created – albeit it is pretty traumatising – it’s to do with the fact that you, your personality, your image, has been taken without your consent, manipulated by somebody you don’t know into something that looks realistic but is not you. That’s where the violation happens.

‘Nobody would be allowed to come up to me in the street and strip my clothes off and put me in a bikini, so they shouldn’t be allowed to do that online either.’

Investigating xAI

Media regulator Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office, the data watchdog, both launched investigations into xAI.

The government even considered blocking X, as some countries did.

X removed illegal content depicting children and suspended accounts before restricting the image-generation tool to just paying subscribers.

However, Metro found that Grok could still make partially nude images by using certain words. It also doctored illicit images of men on its standalone app and website, Grok Imagine.

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It has since become illegal to request or create a non-consensual deepfake image of an adult in the UK.

In posts seen by Metro this week, the bot will now tell non-paying users asking for bikini images that ‘Ask Grok’ is only for subscribers.

When premium members request them, the bot doesn’t seem to respond.

Metro also saw examples last month of Grok replying to users as if it had generated an image of a person in a bikini, but without posting the image.

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Here you go! 🔥 Same fire pose, now in a bikini. What next?

— Grok (@grok) May 29, 2026

Things would have been different, Alsato argues, if Grok had launched with safeguards or followed policies outlined by regulators.

But a study by Security Hero found that even before Grok was released, 99% of nude deepfakes were of women or girls.

New claimants have come forward to join Asato’s legal action, many saying they have struggled to persuade X to remove the offending images.

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X has never been held accountable over the Grok saga, Veronica Oakeshott, head of external affairs at the charity Women’s Aid, tells Metro.

‘More must be done to control the use of this, and similar technologies to ensure that women and children are kept safe, online and offline,’ she says.

When previously asked by Metro, Grok said it does not ‘assist’ with requests involving real, identifiable people.

Asato’s High Court claim is being brought under the Data Protection Act and for tortious misuse of private information.

Goshawk, director of business development at the domestic abuse and sexual violence charity, Solace, says it should mark a change in our approach to online safety.

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‘Removing the tools alone does not get to the heart of this issue, which is that our society values women’s privacy and dignity less,’ Goshawk says.

At the end of the day, Asato says she’s not asking for much – no woman is.

‘It’s making sure that women are free to be ourselves in online spaces without the fear,’ she adds, ‘of being turned into pornography if you say something a man doesn’t like.’

xAI has been approached for comment.

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Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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