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Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, said Britain was not involved ‘in any way’ in the US strikes on Venezuela. But he tweeted: ‘We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate president and we shed no tears about the end of his regime.’ Earlier that day, Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, had said: ‘Nobody will shed tears over him no longer being in power.’ RAF Typhoon jets joined French aircraft in a strike on an underground arms cache in Syria thought to have been used by the Islamic State group. Britain should consider ‘even closer alignment’ with the EU single market, Sir Keir said. All young children will be offered chickenpox vaccines at the same time as their MMR vaccination. Molly Parkin, the fashion editor for many years devoted to drink and sex, died aged 93.
The government planned a lower drink-driving limit in England and Wales. Eighteen-year-olds were encouraged to become magistrates in a recruitment drive by David Lammy, the Justice Secretary. The European Court of Human Rights questioned Britain’s decision to strip Shamima Begum of her British citizenship. The ‘not proven’ verdict was abolished in all new criminal trials in Scotland. Three people were lost in the sea at Withernsea, East Yorkshire: a mother trying to save her daughter who had been swept in by a wave and a man who tried to save them. Birmingham dustmen celebrated the first anniversary of the walkout that turned into a permanent strike.
Anyone buying cryptocurrency will be required in future to give account details to the tax authorities. HSBC filed a bankruptcy petition against Aidan Barclay, 69, and Howard Barclay, 66, in the High Court in an attempt to recover money owed by their failed parcel delivery venture. Electric vehicle drivers were obliged to pay the ‘congestion charge’ in central London. The FTSE 100 index rose above 10,000 for the first time. Brighton’s Grade II-listed Palace Pier was put up for sale.
Abroad
The US attacked Venezuela with 150 aircraft and 200 military personnel and captured President Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores, his wife, who were indicted in New York on narco-terrorism charges. They appeared before Judge Alvin Hellerstein, aged 92. No Americans were killed but at least 23 Venezuelan deaths were reported and 32 Cuban. Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, said the opposition candidate in the 2024 elections, Edmundo Gonzalez, should ‘assume’ the presidency. President Donald Trump said America would ‘run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition’. Delcy Rodriguez, the Vice-President, was sworn in as interim President. ‘If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price,’ Mr Trump said. He said America was ‘ready’ to make a ‘much larger’ attack on Venezuela. The next day he said: ‘We do need Greenland, absolutely: we need it for defence.’ The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark said: ‘Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations.’
Iran saw days of demonstrations. ‘If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protestors, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,’ Mr Trump said. ‘We are locked and loaded and ready to go.’ The United Arab Emirates said it would withdraw its forces from Yemen, after an attack on a vehicle depot by Saudi Arabia. A fire in Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, killed 40 (15 of them under 18) and left 119 injured, many severely. Dozens were missing after a boat carrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized off the Gambia.
France and Britain signed a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine if a peace deal is made with Russia. Moscow accused Ukraine of targeting President Vladimir Putin’s private home on Lake Valdai in north-west Russia with a drone; President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and US security officials rejected the Russian claims. America pursued from the Caribbean an oil tanker, which is now registered as the Marinera and reflagged as Russian. Finland detained a ship, the Fitburg, sailing from St Petersburg, suspected of damaging an undersea telecoms cable running from Helsinki to Estonia. Bulgaria adopted the euro. China’s BYD overtook Elon Musk’s Tesla as the biggest seller of electric vehicles. China put a 13 per cent tax on contraceptives. CSH
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