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Enjoy all of our award-winning coverage, from politics to international affairs.
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Speedboats skim across the water betweeen Iran and the Arabian shore |
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Adrian Blomfield Senior Foreign Correspondent, in the Strait of Hormuz |
Everyone these days is an expert on the Strait of Hormuz. However, it took me a day in a small boat on its narrowest stretch to grasp why reopening this vital waterway is such a challenge.
I expected emptiness, and to the north, in the Persian Gulf proper, there were indeed large cargo ships lying at anchor, where they have been stranded for weeks.
However, I soon learned that just because vessels cannot pass through the strait, it does not mean they are not moving across it – and therein lies the rub.
Due to its topography, the strait is often shrouded in haze, so we heard them before we saw them. A distant buzz of engines, then an armada of speedboats – dozens at first, then hundreds – skimming across the water between Iran and the Arabian shore. For a moment, it brought to mind the flotilla of Dunkirk.
The boats, known as Iran’s “mosquito fleet”, are mostly part of an informal fuel trade that sustains poorer coastal communities, but the traffic also provides perfect cover. Iranian boats can blend into the swarm and seed the strait with mines – the invisible weapon that has brought global shipping to a standstill.
Adrian Blomfield in the Strait of Hormuz |
This dispatch is available to subscribers only.
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Donald Trump joins the King and Queen, alongside the first lady, in Washington |
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Hannah Furness Royal Editor |
The King will call on the United States and Britain to “come together” even when they do not agree, in a speech to Congress today.
His Majesty, who is in Washington for a four-day state visit to the US, is expected to say that the long tradition of transatlantic friendship benefits not just the two countries, but the world.
The spirit of friendship between the two countries is one of “reconciliation and renewal”, he will say, in carefully chosen words that come at a challenging time for US-UK relations.
The address, which will last about 20 minutes, will include references to Ukraine, the Middle East, Nato and the Aukus defence pact.
It is the more political of the two speeches that His Majesty will deliver in the US, written to reflect the priorities of the Government in the King’s own language, and is ostensibly about the 250th anniversary of America’s independence from Britain.
The King and Queen were welcomed upon their arrival yesterday by Donald Trump, who put on a show that was not quite all-American, but had a distinctly British flavour.
Over tea (a choice of Earl Grey and royal blend), the King, the Queen, the US president and the first lady had a conversation so animated it overran by at least a quarter of an hour.
The King and Queen enjoy afternoon tea with the US president and the first lady |
Then, they spent another 20 minutes talking about bees and honey at the new White House beehives. It has been a gentle start to what may, today, be a testing visit.
The royal guests chat with their hosts about bees, honey and gardens |
The King and Queen have ticked off day one of their four-day trip. The early verdict? The special relationship, on a personal level at least, remains strong.
King: Britain and US must come together ➤
After the chaos, a cup of tea: King keeps calm and carries on with the Trumps ➤
Today’s agenda:
• At 3.30pm (10.30am EST) Donald and Melania Trump will host a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.
• Then the King and the US president will hold a bilateral meeting while the first lady and the Queen take part in a cross-cultural educational event.
• In the evening at 6.30pm (1.30pm EST), the King will address Congress followed by a state dinner at midnight (7pm EST), during which there will be speeches from the King and the US president. |
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Tom Harris Even Starmer’s own colleagues recognise he is simply not cut out for politics Continue reading ➤
James Kirkup McSweeney did not get Labour into this mess – it’s Starmer’s doing Continue reading ➤
Gareth A Davies Fury v Joshua confirmed. People who say it’s come too late are wrong Continue reading ➤ |
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The woman was rescued after soldiers saw her struggling to walk down a crater-scarred road in Donetsk |
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We launched Cables, The Telegraph’s international affairs newsletter, at the beginning of this month, writes Jamie Johnson, our Deputy Foreign Editor.
It has already established itself as the best vantage point for taking in our coverage of Iran, Ukraine, Donald Trump and the gyrations they are causing in the world economy.
Every weekday, Cables collates and distills our latest international news and analysis for readers who know conflict, power and money are not contained by national borders.
It is a team effort. The newsletter brings together journalism from The Telegraph’s foreign, business and features desks to give you every angle of the big international stories.
When Iranian delegates arrived for peace talks in Pakistan, we told Cables readers their real motives. When Ukraine used a British drone to blow up a bridge being held by Russia, we were there.
Our journalists are on hand to bear witness and tell you what each event means, and what is coming next. They want to hear from you, too. Sign up here ➤ |
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“Unexpected item in the bagging area”. Most of us are familiar with the misery of malfunctioning self-service checkouts, but now researchers have discovered exactly why they are so loathsome. It turns out they make us feel exploited, like unpaid labourers slaving for the supermarket. Harry Brennan, our Consumer Affairs Editor, dissects this new study. Continue reading ➤ |
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Wendy Gregory says ‘it’s a nuisance we don’t know how long we have to live’ |
Many of those approaching retirement are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They are likely to live to an old age but they may need to set aside some money to help their children and grandchildren. However, this presents a dilemma: how should they spend their money now? We are interested to hear your retirement strategies in the comments. Continue reading ➤ |
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Parents are coming to my counselling practice at their wits’ end, terrified of their own toddlers, writes an anonymous counsellor. Their children are biting, punching and starting school without basic skills like toilet-training. The culprit? An obsession with “gentle parenting”. I see loving parents desperately negotiating with toddlers, terrified of the word “discipline”. However, raising children as equals is breeding a feral generation... Continue reading ➤ |
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A brewing jet fuel crisis driven by the Iran war threatens to plunge summer holidays into chaos. As Christopher Jasper, our Transport Industry Editor, reports, Lufthansa has already cut 20,000 short-haul flights while industry bosses plead for emergency government intervention. Worse still, the EU’s transport chief suggested carriers might be exempt from paying compensation, leaving stranded passengers out of pocket. Continue reading ➤ |
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In 1966, the Mini was a best-selling car. Now, models like the Jaecoo 7 are in demand |
It’s not simply nostalgia; cars used to be distinctive, and even non-car lovers could distinguish a Ford from a Vauxhall. However, the evolution of lookalike SUVs (invariably painted grey) has led to a soul-sapping uniformity in car parks and on roads across the land. James Innes-Smith explores where it all went wrong for idiosyncratic car design. Continue reading ➤ |
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There are few things in life as glorious as a nap. However, a new study suggests regularly nodding off during the day could increase your risk of death by 13 per cent, with morning nappers having a 30 per cent greater risk than afternoon snoozers. From weekend lie-ins to nighttime tipples, here are the red flags to watch out for.
Continue reading ➤
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Venison meals are served to those in need by Sussex Homeless Support |
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Patrick Galbraith Environment Correspondent |
Venison was once the preserve of kings, with William the Conqueror, who was very keen on his deer, threatening to have ordinary subjects’ eyes poked out if they ate “hart or hind”.
However, a millennium on, the deer scene in Britain has changed somewhat. We now have more than two million, and they are wreaking havoc in the countryside by eating woodland understory and destroying hedges.
The Country Food Trust has found something of a solution. The charity is busy turning venison into bolognese, which gets sent to food banks.
The Country Food Trust liaises with shoots to acquire venison and other food |
Jim Deans, who runs a number of food banks in Sussex, after years of being a rough sleeper himself, says “it kind of makes our menus look like a posh restaurant”.
He believes venison is adding years to Britons’ lives, stating quite simply that “if a diet is better, people last longer”.
Continue reading ➤ |
Venerated viewpointsEvery weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
Telegraph readers hold strong views on many things – including, well, views. Yes, our roll call of the greatest sights this country has to offer has prompted much discussion.
I’m afraid I’ve been watching proceedings from the fence: I don’t have an outright favourite, though Porthmeor Beach in St Ives at sunset (I've rarely been virtuous enough to see it at sunrise) and Hampstead Heath on a hazy summer afternoon can be found jostling towards the top of my list.
For Martin Edwards, meanwhile, it’s hard to beat “watching the sun rise from Symonds Yat Rock in the Wye Valley, as the heat burns the mist off the river. I took my wife there a couple of years back, as she had never been, and nothing had changed since my childhood. Pure magic”.
Lindsay Gaskell was sorry to see no mention of “Salisbury Cathedral viewed from the A36, especially when there is a fog and the spire rises above it into sunshine”.
Michael Cox argued: “On a clear and sunny day, the view from the beer garden of The Churchillian on Portsdown Hill – looking south over Portsea, with the Isle of Wight in the background and Hayling Island to the east – is a must-see.”
I’m all in favour of an impassioned debate on Britain’s finest beer gardens at a later date.
Finally, Harry Chown put in a word for “the view from the top of Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire, looking out over the sprawling Vale of York below. This was dubbed the ‘finest view in England by James Herriot’, and is still well up there for me. Google it”. Not bad, I must say. What have we missed? Send your responses here and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
Lisa Fox says the disease outbreak on her farm left her ‘living in a nightmare’ |
Seven llamas have been culled and 27 are in isolation following an outbreak of what at a farm in Gloucestershire?
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Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was DICTATING. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. |
Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. |
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