theguardian

The Maha campaign seeks to warn Americans of the dangers of ultra-processed foods

Federal health officials are seeking to launch a “bold, edgy” public service campaign to warn Americans of the dangers of ultra-processed foods in social media, transit ads, billboards and even text messages.

And they potentially stand to profit off the results.

Ultra-processed foods are a fixation for the US health and human services (HHS) secretary,Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine skeptic who believes the US industrialized food supply is a “primary culprit” behind many chronic diseases.

“We need to fix our food supply. And that’s the number one thing,” Kennedy said at hisconfirmation hearing.

Bringing healthier foods to Americans has proved to be one of the most resonant issues of Kennedy’s “Make America healthy again” (Maha) campaign – and arguably the only one that Democrats and Republicans agree on in principle.

Kennedy has spent most of his tenure as health secretary dismantlingkey componentsof USvaccine infrastructure, institutingmass firingsanddefundingchronic disease prevention programs, such as fortobacco use.

The secretary has been less successful in reigning in food makers. Food advocates have described voluntary changes between the government and manufacturers “disappointing”. Kennedy wascriticizedby congressional Republicans for targeting agricultural pesticides in the “Maha” report before it was even released – showing the limits of Republicans appetite for regulation, then thereport itselfwas riddled with errors,likely generatedby AI.

“The campaign’s creative content will turn heads, create viral moments on social media, and – above all else – inspire Americans to take back their health through eating real food,” said a documentpublishedby the federal government that described the campaign.

The campaign is expected to cost between $10m to $20m, according to documents. Anyone seeking to apply for the award will have a quick turnaround – the deadline is 26 June.

“The purpose of this requirement is to alert Americans to the role of processed foods in fueling the diabetes epidemic and other chronic diseases, inspire people to take personal responsibility for their diets, and drive measurable improvements in diabetes prevention and national health outcomes,” it continued.

The new public relations campaign also highlights the Trump administration’s unconventional approach to hiring – including its reliance on special government employees.

A key adviser to Kennedy, Calley Means, could directly benefit from one of the campaign’s stated aims: popularizing “technology like wearables as cool, modern tools for measuring diet impact and taking control of your own health”.

Calley Means is a senior Kennedy adviser, and was hired as aspecial government employeeto focus on food policy, according to Bloomberg. He founded a company that helps Americans get such wearable devices reimbursed tax-free through health savings accounts.

Casey Means is Calley’s sister. She also runs a healthcare start-up, although hers sells wearable devices such as continuous glucose monitors. She is Kennedy’s nominee for US surgeon general, and a healthcare entrepreneur whosebusiness sellscontinuous glucose monitors – one such wearable device. Calley Means’s company also works withCasey’s company.

Due to Calley Means’s status as a special employee, he has not beenforced to divestfrom his private business interests – a situation that has already resulted in an ethics complaint. Consumer advocates, such as the non-profit group Public Citizen, hadwarnedsuch hiring practices could cause conflicts of interest. HHS did not respond to a request for comment about Calley Means’s private business interests, or his role in crafting the publicity campaign.

Although the publicity campaign focuses on the ultra-processed foods connection to diabetes, at least one high profile nutritionist was queasy about its focus.

“The ultra-processed foods – some of those include breakfast cereals that are ultra-processed because they are fortified with vitamins,” said Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of PublicHealth. “Those are good if they’re whole grain breakfast cereals and whole grain breads,” he said.

Ultra-processed foods are generally recognized as sodas, salty snacks and frozen meals engineered to be shelf-stable, convenient and inexpensive. Such foods are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes – or insulin resistance.

The mechanism by which such foods could increase risk of diabetes isunknown, a problem that extends in part from the “heterogeneous category” of foods that the ultra-processed category encompasses. The publicity campaign proposal does not venture into defining the category, even as Kennedy has fixated on it “poisoning the American people”.

“When you say processed foods you don’t envision a Coke in your brain, and that’s the biggest problem,” said Willett, who added that most public service campaigns are carefully crafted and tested for effectiveness.

Police say Arturo Gamboa was carrying a rifle when safety volunteer fired on him and accidentally killed bystander

A man jailed on suspicion of murder for allegedly brandishing a rifle at a “No Kings” rally in Utah before an armed safety volunteer fired and inadvertentlykilleda protester has been released from custody.

Local district attorney Sim Gill’s office said on Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Arturo Gamboa after the 14 June shooting that killed demonstrator Arthur Folasa Ah Loo – but that the investigation into the slaying continues.

Salt Lake City police had said Gamboa brought an assault-style rifle to the rally and was allegedly moving toward the crowd with the weapon raised when a safety volunteer for the event fired three shots, wounding Gamboa and killing Ah Loo nearby.

Gamboa did not fire his rifle, and it is unclear what he intended to do with it. His father, Albert Gamboa, told the Associated Press since the shooting that his son was “an innocent guy” who was “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.

Utahis an open-carry state, meaning people who can legally own a firearm are generally allowed to carry it on a public street. The volunteer has not been publicly identified as investigators work to determine who was at fault.

Judge James Blanch said in the release order that Gamboa must live with his father and is forbidden from possessing firearms. The conditions terminate after two months or if criminal charges against him are pursued, Blanch wrote.

Gamboa’s attorney, Greg Skordas, did not immediately respond to a telephone message left for him seeking comment.

Police said the day after the shooting that witnesses reported seeing Gamboa lift the rifle when he was ordered to drop it – and that instead he began running toward the crowd. He fled but was arrested nearby, accused of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo’s death.

Salt Lake City police said in a statement the next day that Gamboa “knowingly engaged in conduct … that ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member”.

But three days after Gamboa was booked into jail, with no formal charges filed, police acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the shooting remained uncertain. They issued a public appeal for any video footage related to the shooting or Gamboa and said detectives were still trying “to piece together exactly what happened”.

The volunteer who confronted Gamboa was described by event organizers as a military veteran whose role as a safety volunteer was to maintain order.

Experts say it’s extremely rare for such individuals, often called safety marshals, to be armed. They typically rely on calm demeanor, communication, and relationships with police and protesters to help keep order, said Edward Maguire, an Arizona State University criminology and criminal justice professor.

Police said the permit for the protest did not specify that there would be armed security.

Protest organizers have not said whether or how the safety volunteer who shot Ah Loo was trained or explained why he was armed. All attendees, including those in safety roles, were asked not to bring weapons, according to Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for the 50501 Movement. Parker’s organization on Thursday said it was dissociating itself from a local chapter of the group that helped organize the Utah protest.

The demonstration involving about 18,000 people was otherwise peaceful. It was one of hundreds nationwide against Donald Trump’s military parade in Washington, which marked the US army’s 250th anniversary and coincided with the president’s birthday.

Vance Boelter texted family that they needed to flee their house before ‘people with guns’ showed up, filings allege

The man charged in connection with the recent shootings of twoMinnesotalawmakers and their spouses was a doomsday “prepper” who instructed his family to “prepare for war” as he tried to evade capture, according to new court filings.

Vance Boelter, 57, faces multiple federal and state murder charges after allegedly shooting dead the Democratic Minnesota state house speaker emeritaMelissa Hortmanand her husband, Mark, in the early hours of 14 June. Boelter is also accused of shooting and seriously wounding the Democratic state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, about 90 minutes earlier.

In a newly unsealed affidavit first reported by the local news stationWCCOand seen by the Guardian, law enforcement pulled over Boelter’s wife and four children hours after the shootings near Lake Mille Lacs, about 75 miles (120km) north of the Twin Cities, apparently en route to Wisconsin.

Boelter’s wife consented to a search of her vehicle, where law enforcement located a revolver in the glove box and a semi-automatic pistol in a cooler. Police also found a safe, Boelter’s and the children’s passports, and at least $10,000 in cash, according to the affidavit by FBI agent Terry Getsch.

Boelter’s wife told investigators that her husband had recently sent a message to a group text thread with their children, which “stated something to the effect of they should prepare for war, they needed to get out of the house and people with guns may be showing up to the house”, wrote Getsch.

According to the affidavit dated 14 June, Boelter and his wife were preppers – a term which refers to people who stockpile materials such as weapons, food and gasoline. Preppers’ purpose for doing that is to survive a future major disaster or catastrophe such as war or economic or political collapse.

At some point earlier, Boelter had given his wife a “bailout plan” – instructions of what to do and where to go in case of “exigent circumstances”. The plan specified that the family go to her mother’s residence in Spring Brook, Wisconsin.

She also told investigators that her husband “has a business partner from Worthington” who lives in the state of Washington. The two were “partners … in Red Lion, a security company and fishing outfit in Congo, Africa”, the affidavit states.

The deadly shootings took place as millions of people prepared to take to the streets to protest against the Trump administration and its assault on free speech, peaceful assembly and due process rights embedded in the US constitution.

Getsch wrote the affidavit during what became the largest ever manhunt inMinnesotastate history, when he believed the gunman may have fled state lines. Boelter was eventually captured two days later while trying to evade arrest by fleeing into a wooded area close to his home.

The affidavit does not imply that Boelter’s wife knew about her husband’s alleged plans to attack the lawmakers. She has not been charged with any crime.

Boelter was disguised as a police officer and drove a black SUV with a license plate that said “police”. He allegedly ambushed the lawmakers at home in the middle of the night, banging on their front doors armed with a 9mm handgun, and wearing a black tactical vest and silicone mask.

He exchanged fire with police at about 3.30am on Saturday outside the Hortmans’ home but managed to flee the scene, according to a federal criminal complaint.

According to separate court documents obtained by WCCO on Friday, law enforcement found a storage locker rented by Boelter in Minneapolis on 10 June. He had last “used his access code” for the locker the day before the shootings.

Investigators later found empty rifle cases, gun-cleaning supplies and a bike inside the locker.

Law enforcement found a “hit list” of individuals inside what they believe was Boelter’s vehicle. It included Hortman, Hoffman and several other Democratic lawmakers, as well as reproductive rights advocates.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Hoffman family recounted the terrifying attack. The statement said: “We are grappling with the reality that we live in a world where public service carries such risks as being targeted because someone disagrees with you or doesn’t like what you stand for.”

Team, which said it stopped Ice agents entering parking lot on Thursday, makes donation to immigrant families

TheLos Angeles Dodgershave donated $1m to assist families affected by two weeks of immigration raids in southern California.

The World Series champions also said they intend to form partnerships with theCaliforniaCommunity Foundation, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and other organization to continue providing aid to immigrant families.

“What’s happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected,” Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. “We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.”

The Dodgers announced the steps in a five-paragraph news release that was delicately worded to avoid potentially inflammatory political terms, and which stopped short of an explicit condemnation of the federal policy.

The team said only that the financial aid would be provided “for families of immigrants impacted by recent events in the region”.

“I think it’s great,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before his team faced the Washington Nationals. “I’m sure the money is going to be allocated in the right way. I’m happy to hear that the Dodgers have done that, and it’s certainly the right thing to do.”

The Dodgers were briefly at the center of southern California’s opposition to federal immigration policy when the team asked federal agents to leave the stadium grounds Thursday after they amassed at a parking lot near one of the gates.

Dozens of federal agents with their faces covered arrived at a lot near the stadium’s Gate E entrance in SUVs and cargo vans. A group of protesters carrying signs against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrived shortly afterward, and the agents eventually left.

Roberts claimed his players haven’t extensively discussed the situation in the clubhouse, but some Dodgers have been paying attention.

Kiké Hernández, a Puerto Rico native, sharply criticized the raids on social media last weekend. “I may not be born and raised, but this city adopted me as one of their own,” Hernández wrote. “I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.”

Baseball Hall of Famer Jaime Jarrín, the Dodgers’ lead Spanish-language broadcaster from 1959 until his retirement in 2022, also spoke up against the federal actions. “As an immigrant who came to this country 70 years ago, I know firsthand the hope, courage and determination it takes to build a new life in a new land,” Jarrín posted Tuesday on social media. “I have always believed that immigration is not just part of the American story; it is the American story.”

“Los Angeles is my home,” Jarrín added. “This city is my family. And it breaks my heart to see the growing division in our community and across the country. We all deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and humanity.”

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass praised the Dodgers in the team’s news release.

“I want to thank the Dodgers for leading with this action to support the immigrant community of Los Angeles,” Bass said. “These last weeks have sent shockwaves of fear rippling through every neighborhood and have had a direct impact on our economy. My message to all Angelenos is clear: We will stick together during this time and we will not turn our backs on one another – that’s what makes this the greatest city in the world.”

Fans and lawmakers have called upon the Dodgers for several days to make an unequivocal statement of opposition to the raids, given their vast Latino fan base and heavy influence in the region. Other teams in the region have expressed their solidarity with the immigrant community, including LAFC and Angel City FC.

Congressman Jimmy Gomez, who represents the Los Angeles area, went on social media to ask the Dodgers to speak up.

“In a city where 36% of the residents are immigrants and nearly 40% of the team’s fan base is Latino, saying nothing is not just disappointing – it’s a betrayal and an insult,” Gomez wrote. “Silence is not an option. It’s a choice.”

Officials tell Reuters bombers moving to Pacific Island but unclear whether deployment tied to Middle East tensions

The United States is moving B-2 bombers to the Pacific island of Guam, two US officials told Reuters on Saturday, asDonald Trumpweighs whether the United States should take part in Israel’s strikes against Iran.

It was unclear whether the bomber deployment is tied to Middle East tensions.

The B-2 can be equipped to carry America’s 30,000lb GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, designed to destroy targets deep underground. That is the weapon that experts say could be used to strike Iran’s nuclear program, including Fordow.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, declined to disclose any further details. One official said no forward orders had been given yet to move the bombers beyondGuam. They did not say how many B-2 bombers are being moved.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Experts and officials are closely watching to see whether the B-2 bombers will move forward to a US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. Experts say that Diego Garcia is in an ideal position to operate in the Middle East.

The United States had B-2 bombers on Diego Garcia up until last month, when they were replaced with B-52 bombers.

Israel said on Saturday it had killed a veteran Iranian commander during attacks by both sides in the more than week-long air war, while Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear program while under threat.

Israel says Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, while Iran says its atomic program is only for peaceful purposes.

Trump has said he would take up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should enter the conflict on Israel’s side, enough time “to see whether or not people come to their senses,” he said.

Reuters was first to report this week the movement of a large number of tanker aircraft to Europe and other military assets to the Middle East, including the deployment of more fighter jets.

An aircraft carrier in the Indo-Pacific is also heading to the Middle East.

Prosecutors weigh possibility Chinese student who treated his victims as ‘sex toys’ could face further action

Serial rapist Zhenhao Zou is facing a second trial with police and prosecutors preparing to charge the Chinese student with a second round of offences.

Zou, 28, is already serving a minimum 24 years for attacking 10 young women inLondonand China.

Sources say there have been discussions between detectives and lawyers for the Crown Prosecution Service about at least one more trial for the Chinese student.

Zouwas sentenced on Thursday to life imprisonment, even offering to be chemically castrated in hopes of getting a lighter sentence. Since his conviction in March, at least24 women have come forward to British police, several of whom have made formal statements that could be admissible in a new trial.

Zou came to Britain as a student, first in Belfast in 2017 and then in London. While a PhD student in mechanical engineering at University College London he was arrested in January 2024.

Hedrugged and attacked women, videoing most of his crimesfor his own sexual gratification which turned into the compelling evidence that saw him convicted.

One source said: “We expect more charges; we expect a second trial.”

Detectives at the Metropolitan police fear the effects of the drugs used in the attacks couldleave victims with no memory of the assaults.Officers suspect he could be one of the worst sexual offenders in British history after recovering videos of him attacking a further 50 victims.

In total, there were 1,270 videos, 1,660 hours of footage, and 58 videos of Zou raping women, most of whom are still to be identified. There were also drugs, including those used to stupefy his victims. In court, he bragged of having sex with several women a month.

The videos show a male, believed to be Zou, attacking a series of women. Some of the videos do not show the victims’ faces, and about half are believed to have taken place in the UK, with detectives identifying which country attacks took place in by scouring videos for clues, such as the style of plug socket visible in the room.

The drugs can render a victim motionless or barely able to speak, but they can also lead to bouts of euphoria.

Despite the convictions against Zou for attacking 10 women, prosecutors want to be able to counter any defence in any new trial that the women were consenting.

Sentencing Zou the judge, Rosina Cottage KC, said he would “groom” victims over social media, and added: “These women you treated callously as sex toys for your pleasure.”

Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK,Rape Crisisoffers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 inScotland, or 0800 0246 991 inNorthern Ireland. In the US,Rainnoffers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at1800Respect(1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found atibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html

Revelation marks second time crossbench peer may have broken Lords rules against lobbying

A member of theHouse of Lordslobbied the government to get financial support worth millions of pounds for a commercial deal he was steering, documents reveal.

It is the second time thatRichard Dannatt, a former head of the British army, has potentially broken parliamentary rules that forbid lobbying.

He is under investigation by the House of Lords authorities over a separate set of allegations, following undercover filming by the Guardian.

The new documents reveal Lord Dannatt personally pressed ministers and a senior official to give political and financial backing to a venture he was chairing that was seekingto buy a Cheshire factory from a US owner in 2022.

After the owner announced they intended to shut it down, Dannatt increased the pressure, urging the government to help.

The crossbench peer made three key approaches. First, he contacted a minister he knew, asking for an introduction to the minister who was best placed to make the decision. Second, he sent an email pressing a civil servant to set up a meeting. “My intervention is to elevate the discussion to ministerial level,” he wrote.

Less than two weeks later, Dannatt and an executive behind the bid met Lee Rowley, the relevant business minister, to push for government backing.

At issue is whether Dannatt broke the House of Lords rules that bar peers from lobbying ministers and officials in return for payment or financial incentive.

Dannatt said he was not paid for engaging with the government. He said he helped a friend, a leading businessperson in the consortium, attempt to buy the factory as he believed it would save jobs and help the country. “Put simply, I was helping a friend achieve an outcome very much in the national interest,” he said.

Dannatt later received four payments during the period he was chairing the venture. He described these as “honorarium” payments, but would not say how much he received.

He was also the public face and “chairman” of the “embryonic” venture.

Dannatt said his name and position added credibility to the discussions with the US company. “I am not sure how else a retired four-star general who sits in the House of Lords could be described to the Americans,” he said, but he had agreed to take the title despite there being “no board to chair, no meetings to attend or other business to conduct”.

His involvement with the consortium, which was ultimately unsuccessful in its bid, ended in February 2023.

Dannatt hasbeen under investigation by the House of Lords authoritiessince March after the Guardian revealed he had offered to secure meetings with ministers for undercover reporters pretending to be commercial clients wanting to lobby the government.

He had been secretly filmedtelling the undercover reportershe could make introductions within the government and that he would “make a point of getting to know” the best-placed minister.

He is being investigated by the House of Lords commissioner for standards, the watchdog who scrutinises claims of wrongdoing in the upper chamber.

Dannatt, 74, has previously denied the allegations, saying: “I am well aware of … the Lords code of conduct … I have always acted on my personal honour.”

He is one of five peers toface conduct inquiries after a months-long investigationby the Guardian.

The Lords debate project examined the commercial interests of members of the House of Lords amid concerns their activities were not being properly regulated. It revealed that 91 peers had been paidby commercial companies to give political or policy advice.

The new documents regarding Dannatt’s communications with the government in June2022 were disclosed under freedom of information legislation.

At the time Dannatt was fronting a group of investors who wanted to buy a fertiliser factory in Cheshire. CF Industries, the US owners, planned to permanently close the factory after energy prices made it unprofitable.

The consortium of investors argued that their proposal would save 500 jobs and keep important products used in the agriculture and hospitality industries within the UK.

On 10 June 2022, Dannatt emailed a junior business minister he knew, asking if he could tell him who was the minister with responsibility for this area. “If you could point me in the right direction, ideally with an introduction, and I can take it from there.”

Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters

He promoted his UK-based consortium as a better “economic and political alternative” to the closure of the factory.

“The alternative scenario is that a hedge fund buys the factory, sells off its assets and exits with a profit, allowing 500 workers to become redundant, the UK dependent on imported CO2and no increase in fertiliser production thus the price remaining high.”

An introduction to the right minister was made. Six days later, the peer emailed a senior official in the business department, saying: “I am aware that [Dannatt’s friend] has been talking with officials but my intervention is to elevate the discussion to ministerial level. There are some quite key issues at stake here relating to jobs in the north-west and the price of some key commodities.”

On 27 June, Dannatt and Mark Law, his friend who was also leading the consortium, met Rowley, then a minister in the business department.The Financial Times has previouslyreported that the consortium sought a government loan of up to £10m to help restart the factory.

The government refused, arguing that it was purely a commercial matter. The consortium later collapsed.

Dannatt said he had not had any formal arrangements or contract with the consortium, nor had he discussed with Law what his future role might have been if they had managed to buy the factory. “My motivation and purpose was to get a deal over the line, in the national interest,” he said.

He said any assumption that he “would have developed a substantive and remunerated role as chairman and taken an active role in the work of the company” was wrong. He added that if the bid had been successful, “it would have been a very different matter”.

As well as the continuing investigation by the House of Lords authorities, another watchdog has examined Dannatt’s conduct. Last month, it cleared Dannatt of being paid by the consortium to lobby the government.

Harry Rich, the registrar of consultant lobbyists, is responsible for investigating whether individuals have broken the law by failing to declare that they have received money from a third party to lobby ministers or Whitehall’s most senior officials.

However the House of Lords watchdog is considering the matter under a different set of rules which take a wider view of lobbying than the registrar of consultant lobbyists.

The question now is whether, as the consortium’s chair, he advocated for the venture on the understanding that he could at some point benefit personally. This could be a breach of the Lords rules.

Dannatt has passed his correspondence with the Guardian about his involvement with the consortium to the House of Lords commissioner who is investigating his conduct when speaking to undercover reporters.

Man allegedly surveilled RAF Akrotiri and was planning imminent terrorist attack, according to reports

A British man has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and terrorism offences in Cyprus.

He allegedly surveilled the RAF Akrotiri base on the island and is suspected of having links with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, local media reported.

RAF Akrotiri is the UK’s most important airbase for operations in the Middle East.

ThePhilenews websitesaid the man was arrested on Friday after intelligence he was planning an imminent terrorist attack.

The man appeared before a district court on Saturday, which ordered he be detained for eight days pending inquiries, Reuters reported. Police told the news agency they would not be releasing further details, citing national security.

He is alleged to have lived in a flat in Zakaki, Limassol, close to Akrotiri, and was observed near the base carrying a camera with a long lens and three mobile phones.

The suspect is also alleged to have had the Cyprus Andreas Papandreou airbase, in the western region of Paphos, under surveillance since mid-April, the country’s ANT1 news portal reported.

Local reports suggested he was Azerbaijani but the UK Foreign Office said they were working with the authorities over the arrest of a Briton.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are in contact with the authorities in Cyprus regarding the arrest of a British man.”

Security at RAF bases is under scrutiny after Palestine Action protesters entered the Brize Norton base in Oxfordshire and vandalised two aircraft.

RAF Brize Norton serves as the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri.

People report waiting hours in hot carriages after fault near Loughborough Junction brings some services to halt

Scores of UK passengers were forced to evacuate trains and walk along the tracks on Saturday after some services were halted due to a fault on the hottest day of the year so far.

Videos posted on social media showed people walking on the tracks beside Thameslink trains near Loughborough Junction station in southLondon.

Some passengers complained on social media about being forced to wait onboard services without air conditioning for up to two hours.

Angela Lewis posted a video on X of passengers gathered outside Loughborough Junction, along with the words: “After nearly two hours on the stuck train to Gatwick we are abandoned outside.”

A follow-up post said: “Was it entirely necessary to keep us waiting nearly two hours in stuck in an overheated carriage for that? we should have been out within 30 minutes max.”

Another user wrote to Thameslink: “You will have hell to pay. We’ve been stuck on this hot and humid train for over an hour.”

A Thameslink spokesperson replied: “This train will be getting evacuated shortly. Please wait until response staff have boarded and set up a safe evacuation route.”

Govia Thameslink Railway andNetwork Railhave apologised for the delays.

A Thameslink spokesperson said: “Earlier today, a fault on a train near Loughborough Junction brought all services to a halt in the area, three of them outside station platforms.

“Without power and air conditioning on such a hot day, we pulled all resources from across Sussex and Kent to get personnel on site to safely evacuate passengers as quickly as possible along the track.

“This would have been a difficult and uncomfortable experience for our passengers and we are truly sorry.”

The Met Office said there was a provisional temperature of more than 33C recorded in Surrey, making Saturday the hottest day of the year so far.

A yellow warning for thunderstorms covering parts of south-east Scotland, Yorkshire, the Midlands and Wales has been issued for Saturday evening until 3am on Sunday.

Up to 40mm of rain could fall in less than two hours, the Met Office said, as it urged those in the warning areas to consider whether their location was at risk of flash flooding and to prepare accordingly.

An amber heat-health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency for the first time since September 2023, for all regions in England remains in place over the weekend.

UK prime minister criticises band’s inclusion in festival lineup after Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displayed flag supporting Hezbollah

Kneecap’s Glastonbury festival performance next Saturday is not “appropriate”,Keir Starmerhas said.

Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in court on Wednesday after allegedly displaying a flag in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah and saying “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” at a gig in November last year.

In an interview withthe Sun, the prime minister was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury. “No, I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this,” Starmer said. “This is about the threats that shouldn’t be made, I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

Earlier on Saturday the Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, said she thought the BBC “should not be showing” Kneecap’s performance at the festival.

In a post on X, accompanied by an article from the Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group, Badenoch said: “The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act.

“As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.”

Badenoch previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury. Last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK government in Belfast high court after Badenoch tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister in the previous government.

A BBC spokesperson said: “As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.

“Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead-up to the festival.”

On Wednesday, Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh at Westminster magistrates court in “Free Mo Chara” T-shirts.

Ó hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing on 20 August.

After the hearing, the rapper said: “For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday.

“If you can’t be there we’ll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We’ll be at Wembley in September.

“But most importantly: free, free Palestine.”

The charge followed a counter-terrorism police investigation after gig footage came to light, which also allegedly showed the group calling for the deaths of MPs. In April, Kneecap apologised to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been “exploited and weaponised”.