Harvard sues Trump administration over international student ban

Harvard University has launched a legal challenge against the Trump administration’s decision to stop the institution from enrolling international students, arguing the move is unconstitutional and retaliatory.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday in a Boston federal court, alleges the government’s action breaches the First Amendment and will have a “devastating effect” on Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.

Harvard’s legal action contends the administration’s decision effectively “erase[s] a quarter of Harvard’s student body,” compromising the university’s identity and mission.

The university emphasized the significant contributions of its international students, saying: “Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard.”

It is seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the Department of Homeland Security from implementing the ban.

The Trump administration’s move has thrown campus into disarray days before graduation, Harvard said in the suit.

International students who run labs, teach courses, assist professors and participate in Harvard sports are now left deciding whether to transfer or risk losing legal status to stay in the country, according to the filing.

The impact is heaviest at graduate schools such as the Harvard Kennedy School, where almost half the student body comes from abroad, and Harvard Business School, which is made up of about one-third international students.

Along with its impact on current students, the move blocks thousands of students who were planning to come for classes in the summer and fall.

The Ivy League school says it is now at a disadvantage as it competes for the world’s top students. Even if it regains the ability to host students, “future applicants may shy away from applying out of fear of further reprisals from the government,” the suit said.

If the government’s action stands, Harvard said, the university would be unable to offer admission to new international students for at least the next two academic years.

Schools that have that certification withdrawn by the federal government are ineligible to reapply until one year afterward, Harvard said.

Harvard enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Most are graduate students and they come from more than 100 countries.

The department announced the action on Thursday, accusing Harvard of creating an unsafe campus environment by allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” to assault Jewish students on campus.

It also accused Harvard of coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, contending the school had hosted and trained members of a Chinese paramilitary group as recently as 2024.

Harvard President Alan Garber said earlier in May the university has made changes to its governance over the past year and a half, including a broad strategy to combat antisemitism.

He said Harvard would not budge on its “its core, legally- protected principles” over fears of retaliation.

Harvard has said it will respond at a later time to allegations first raised by House Republicans about coordination with the Chinese Communist Party.

The threat to Harvard’s international enrollment stems from a 16 April request from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who demanded that Harvard provide information about foreign students that might implicate them in violence or protests that could lead to their deportation.

Noem said Harvard can regain its ability to host foreign students if it produces a trove of records on foreign students within 72 hours.

Her updated request demands all records, including audio or video footage, of foreign students participating in protests or dangerous activity on campus.

The suit is separate from the university’s earlier one challenging more than $2 billion in federal cuts imposed by the Republican administration.

How Gaza was reduced to rubble and starvation while the world watched

Amid an apocalyptic humanitarian crisis in Gaza and mounting global pressure, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed ahead with a deeply controversial new plan to deliver supplies to the besieged Strip.

In a rare press conference on Wednesday night, Netanyahu said that in the “coming days”, they would enact the scheme, which would replace the existing UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza with a new arrangement under full Israeli control.

He said his forces would begin corralling the two-million-strong population of Gaza into a “sterile zone” in the south of the Strip, free from Hamas militants, where the Israeli military would oversee the delivery of supplies at a small number of distribution hubs directed by a private US-backed group known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Armed private contractors would guard the distribution. The UN and other humanitarian groups say it enables Israel to use aid as a weapon and forcibly displace civilians.

The situation in Gaza, after Israel imposed a full three-month total blockade on supplies and launched a renewed “intensive” expanded operation, is so catastrophic that it has pushed the entire population to the brink of famine, according to the UN’s global hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). So far, only a handful of trucks of supplies have been let back in.

This has sparked rare global action from Israel’s allies, as the country increasingly becomes a global pariah.

This week, UK foreign secretary David Lammy described Israel’s blockade and intensified fighting as “monstrous” before announcing a formal pause in free trade negotiations with Israel and summoning Israel’s ambassador to London.

The UK, which is an arms supplier to Israel, also imposed sanctions on three Israeli citizens, two illegal settler outposts, and two organisations supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Canada and France also issued statements saying they were poised to take concrete action.

Yet these responses have been criticised in some quarters as too little, too late.

In 19 months, Israel’s unprecedented bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The United Nations says that over 90 per cent of homes in the besieged 25-mile-long Strip have been destroyed or damaged. It estimates it could take as long as 80 years to restore the destroyed housing units — and that is if the conflict were to stop now.

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which reached new, unimaginable levels this month, has been “intolerable” since the earliest weeks of the war.

From the second day of the conflict in 2023, the Israeli government made clear its intention to collectively punish the population of Gaza for the events of 7 October, primarily through cutting off aid.

On 9 October 2023, Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant said he had ordered a “complete siege” on Gaza in the wake of the horrific and bloody attacks by Hamas militants on southern Israel, during which over 1,000 people were killed and more than 250 taken captive to Gaza.

He said: “There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel. Everything is closed. We are fighting human animals.”

Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has repeatedly reiterated that the goal is for Gaza to be “totally destroyed” and, aside from a tiny patch of land into which two million people would be corralled, it would be “empty” of its population – echoing Netanyahu’s new “aid” plan.

The aim – as Smotrich framed it a few weeks ago at a conference – was to make Gazans so “totally despairing” and devoid of hope that they would seek relocation elsewhere to “begin a new life”, according to Israeli media.

Israel’s first total siege on Gaza began on 9 October 2023 and was only alleviated on 21 October when aid trucks were first allowed through the Rafah border crossing to the south. But six days later, Israel launched a ground offensive into Gaza.

Aid was again allowed into Gaza in larger numbers during a seven-day ceasefire in November, when around half of the hostages were released. But that was short-lived; the war resumed on 1 December, along with renewed restrictions. Desperation reached such catastrophic levels that, at the start of 2024, foreign states began attempting to airdrop aid into northern Gaza and open maritime corridors – both of which proved largely unsuccessful.

By 25 June last year, the global hunger monitor (IPC) stated that Gaza remained at high risk of famine.

Ahead of his inauguration, the then US president-elect Donald Trump applied pressure for a ceasefire, warning there would be “hell to pay” in the Middle East if hostages in Gaza were not freed before his 20 January swearing-in.

Finally, on 15 January, negotiators reached a deal for a Gaza ceasefire after 15 months of conflict. The phased agreement included hostage and prisoner releases, and a massive surge in aid delivery.

But that expired on 1 March without agreement on a second phase. Israel blamed Hamas for scuppering the talks and cut off Gaza aid as a pressure tactic, to massive international criticism.

Now, after the IPC announced famine-like conditions again, with half a million people facing starvation, the Israeli government is pushing ahead with plans to put all supply deliveries under Israeli control.

Israel, which has defended its actions by accusing Hamas of stealing aid to “fuel its war machine”, this week boasted that it had allowed nearly 100 trucks containing baby milk and flour – among other goods – into Gaza.

But UN officials and humanitarian workers told The Independent that the number was woefully small, especially given that thousands of trucks with supplies were poised to enter.

“What can five or nine or even one hundred trucks do for a population that has been made to suffer from hunger as a weapon of war?” asked Tamara Rifae, spokesperson for the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA.

“To avert famine, at least 500 to 600 trucks of food, humanitarian, and commercial goods must enter Gaza every day. This is the minimum required. Right now, there are goods sitting in warehouses in Jordan and Egypt that could be brought into Gaza within hours – if Israel allowed their entry.”

Amed Khan, a humanitarian who has coordinated aid into the besieged Strip, said that the problem was “the system – if one could even call it that – is set up to fail” and accused Israel of paying “lip service” to the Trump administration.

“The whole thing is smoke and mirrors. People need the war to stop, the genocide to stop. People need a ceasefire,” he told The Independent.

“It’s hard to see how any real volume of trucks will be distributed in this system because they are constantly carrying out operations everywhere. There are no secure, reliable routes that trucks full of food can take.”

Netanyahu, meanwhile, has shown no indication of changing direction, despite widespread international condemnation. Trailing in the opinion polls and facing trial at home on corruption charges he denies, as well as an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, he has made clear the war will continue.

After he claimed Israel had probably killed Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar at a press conference this week, he added: “All of Gaza Strip will be under the security control of Israel.”

Netanyahu launches attack on Starmer, Macron and Carney after embassy shooting

Israel’s leader has accused Sir Keir Starmer and other world leaders of “being on the wrong side” of justice, humanity and history after two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead in Washington DC.

The UK prime minister, French president Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Mark Carney were “emboldening Hamas to continue fighting forever”, Benjamin Netanyahu claimed, by giving them “hope to establish a second Palestinian state from which Hamas will again seek to destroy the Jewish state”.

A gunman shot young diplomat couple Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim from close range after they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum. The suspect then walked into the building chanting “Free Palestine” before he was stopped by security staff and arrested.

On Monday, the UK, French and Canadian governments said in a joint statement they were committed to recognising a Palestinian state “as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution” to the war.

Mr Netanyahu said Hamas had thanked Sir Keir, Mr Macron and Mr Carney for demanding that Israel end its war in Gaza immediately, claiming the three had shown they effectively wanted Hamas to remain in power.

He said in a video on social media: “I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer: When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you’re on the wrong side of justice. You’re on the wrong side of humanity and you’re on the wrong side of history.”

The three leaders, he claimed, wanted Israel to stand down and accept that Hamas’s mass murderers would repeat the 7 October 2023 massacre.

Hamas wanted to annihilate Jews, he said, adding: “I could never understand how this simple truth evades the leaders of France, Britain, Canada and others.”

Sir Keir condemned the shootings, saying antisemitism was “an evil we must stamp out wherever it appears”. He said: “My thoughts are with their colleagues, family and loved ones, and as always, I stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.”

Mr Netanyahu also dismissed as a lie claims that Israel was starving Palestinian children.

Other Israeli ministers have also suggested that the condemnation by Western leaders of Israel’s aid blockade and resumed offensive in Gaza was partly to blame.

“We must also hold to account the irresponsible leaders in the West who give backing to this hatred – whether through appeasement, double standards, or silence,” said Amichai Chikli, Israel’s minister for the diaspora and combatting antisemitism.

“French president Emmanuel Macron, British prime minister Keir Starmer, and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney have all, in different ways, emboldened the forces of terror through their failure to draw moral red lines. This cowardice has a price – and that price is paid in Jewish blood,” he added in a post on X.

In a press briefing later on Thursday morning, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar expressed similar views.

“There is a direct line connecting antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder,” he said. “This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organisations, especially from Europe.

“Their words are the modern blood libels. Blood libels about genocide, crimes against humanity and murdering babies paved the way exactly for such murders. This is what happens when leaders in the world surrender to the Palestinian terrorist propaganda and serve it.”

Mr Netanyahu described the shootings as “the terrible cost of the antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel”.

“My heart grieves for the families of the young beloveds, whose lives were cut short in a moment by an abhorrent antisemitic murderer,” he said. “I have directed that security be increased at Israeli missions around the world and for the state’s representatives.”

The Israeli government has come under strong criticism for the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza after this week ending an 11-week aid blockade which caused widespread hunger and desperate sanitary conditions in the strip.

In the past week, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed – including dozens of women and children – after intensified airstrikes on Gaza and the launch of a new ground offensive from the north and south of the strip, named Operation Gideon’s Chariots.

On Sunday night, the UK, Canada and France issued their strongest condemnation yet of Mr Netanyahu’s government. A joint statement with Canada and France demanded that he halt his “egregious” actions in Gaza, threatening “concrete actions” over the “intolerable” human suffering inflicted on the enclave.

The next day, Sir Keir spoke out against the “utterly intolerable” situation in Gaza, as foreign minister David Lammy announced the UK would suspend trade negotiations with Israel and introduce sanctions against a number of settler individuals and entities in the West Bank.

Describing Israel’s actions as “monstrous”, Mr Lammy announced that Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely had been summoned to the Foreign Office by Middle East minister Hamish Falconer.

Following the joint statement by Sir Keir, French president Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Mark Carney, Mr Netanyahu hit back, accusing the leaders of “offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities”.

In Washington DC, police cordons remained around the site of the shooting, which took place at around 9.15pm local time on Wednesday (02.15am BST).

Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said Elias Rodriguez, who was not previously known to police, was seen pacing outside the venue before the attack.

“Once in handcuffs, the suspect identified where he discarded the weapon, and that weapon has been recovered, and he implied that he committed the offence,” she said.

US President Donald Trump condemned the shooting on Truth Social, writing: “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”

Haunting moment Oceangate CEO’s wife hears Titan submersible implode

New video reveals the harrowing moment the wife of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush listened live as the Titan submersible imploded during its deep-sea voyage to the wreck of the Titanic.

Footage recently obtained by the U.S. Coast Guard shows Wendy Rush, an Oceangate company director, attempting to contact Titan on June 18, 2023, as the sub began to dive 2.4 miles towards the Titanic shipwreck, which lies 380 miles from St John’s in Newfoundland, Canada.

On board the sub’s support ship, Rush sat in front of a computer that sent and received text messages from Titan.

“What was that bang?” she said with a smile, unaware that the Titan had just suffered a catastrophic implosion.

Moments later, Rush received a message from the sub stating that it had dropped two eights, which appeared to have led her to believe that the dive was going according to plan.

To Rush, the grim reality of events remained unclear: the message had taken longer to arrive at the support ship than the sound of the implosion.

The video of Rush, first obtained by the BBC for its upcoming documentary Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster, has been presented as evidence to the USCG Marine Board of Investigation, which has spent the last two years investigating the sub’s catastrophic failure.

It took four days for parts of the sub to be discovered following the “catastrophic implosion,” with the sub’s last known position about 1,600 feet away from the Titanic. Debris was found as close as 900 feet away from the ship’s bow, the USCG revealed in a Titan Marine Board of Investigation inquiry in September last year.

All five crew members died, including OceanGate’s CEO, British explorer Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman, as well as French deep-sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who earned the nickname “Mr Titanic”.

Warning signs had been raised prior to the dive, according to testimony from several former employees at the USGC’s inquiry in September.

Matthew McCoy, who worked at OceanGate for six months in 2017, testified on the final day of the inquiry that the company’s engineering department was “full of college interns” at the time, adding that he “doesn’t believe” there was a professional engineer on staff.

Another former employee described the Titan’s design as an “abomination” and said the disaster was “inevitable.”

Titan had never undergone an independent safety assessment, and a key concern was that the main body of the sub, the hull, where the passengers sat, was made of layers of carbon fibre mixed with resin, which was deemed unreliable under pressure.

The USCG said sensors fitted to Titan show that the bang was caused by delamination, the separation of layered materials.

‘I went to hospital with flu symptoms – and ended a quadruple amputee’

A student who went into hospital thinking she had the flu ended up losing all four of her limbs to a rare but aggressive infection.

Lily McGarry, 23, had flu-like symptoms on 14 January when her flatmates took her to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff – but she rapidly deteriorated within hours.

The 23-year-old developed a rash while waiting in A&E, which signalled alarm bells for medical staff, who hurriedly treated her for septic shock. She was later diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia, a severe type of blood poisoning that is caused by the same kind of bacteria that cause the most common form of bacterial meningitis.

The Cardiff University medical student suffered two cardiac arrests, spent two weeks in a coma, and suffered brain, spleen and liver damage. She also had to have all four of her limbs shortened in surgeries that took place over five weeks. She is still in hospital.

Her mother Jo Gorrod, 54, told The Independent of the “terrifying” moment she found out what had happened to her daughter. The 54-year-old was in Melbourne, Australia, visiting her other daughter, having spoken to the 23-year-old on the phone who said she was feeling unwell but being taken care of.

But just hours later, Ms Gorrod, of Jersey, said: “I had a phone call from the hospital asking for consent for her to intubated, and at the time they had to put her into an induced coma.

“We were there within 48 hours with her.

“You don’t sleep – you just, every moment, I’m not a religious person, but pray in whatever way, just thinking ‘hang in, just hang in till I get there’.

“Since that point we’ve lost her probably about five times, she’s been very close to not making it – so it’s not as if you’re going through it once but multiple times.”

The family are now fundraising for Ms McGarry’s treatment, including for prosthetic limbs, having so far raised more than £378,000 on their GoFundMe page.

Ms McGarry was an avid swimmer, runner, and surfer before her illness and is determined to return to doing these sports again – as well as to complete her medical degree.

Her family are also calling on people to ensure they get the meningitis vaccine, including for the B strain, which is not a routine injection.

And they are aiming to raise awareness of sepsis, urging people to look out for the warning signs, such as discoloured skin or a rash that does not fade, flu-like symptoms, and breathing difficulties. Ms Gorrod explained that had her daughter gone to A&E any earlier or later then she may not have made it due to the rapid onset of the infection and how difficult it is to spot.

But the 23-year-old is determined in her recovery journey, described as an “optimist, strong and funny” by her mother. “She has a smile which lights up the room,” said Ms Gorrod. “She is genuinely happy to see people, always asking other people how they’re doing, and grateful for the care she’s had.

“‘Yes, there are going to be challenges, but it doesn’t stop me from trying’ – Lily is of that mindset, she wants to do things herself, she wants her independence.”

You can donate to Lily McGarry’s fundraiser here

Family holiday guide: why the Costa Dorada ticks every travel box

If there’s one thing every parent knows, it’s that children can sometimes (as much as we love them) be hard to please. So the key to any family holiday destination is variety: somewhere you can spend a sunny day by the sea, but where you can also enjoy breathtaking nature, as well as fascinating culture and history.

The brilliant news? The Costa Dorada (known locally as Costa Daurada) delivers all of this in spades, offering everything from theme parks and waterparks to stunning beaches, picturesque hiking and cycling trails, and incredible historical sites. What’s more, with Jet2holidays flying to the Costa Dorada from 12 UK airports and a range of two to five-star accommodation, it’s easy to get your family getaway in the bag. Jet2holidays is always giving you more, to help make planning and booking as smooth as possible. That goes for the PayPal Pay in 3 interest-free payments** option, 22kg baggage and 10kg hand luggage for all the kids’ stuff, and return transfers† that are included. Look out for Free Child Places***, while infants under two go free‡.

Here’s what to look forward to on your family getaway…

With 50 miles of coastline and 26 Blue Flag beaches, families are spoilt for choice when it comes to somewhere to pitch up at with a unicorn-shaped inflatable and a bucket and spade. The stretches of soft sand are long and golden, with safe, calm and shallow waters perfect for little ones. And in many places, water sports and beach activities to suit older children.

Some of the most popular seaside resorts include Salou, which houses the charming Platja Llarga, surrounded by a small pine forest. And there’s Cambrils, where you’ll find Platja del Cavet, which boasts a water sports school and open water swimming channel. Vila-seca, la Pineda Platja, is known for its nearly two miles of fine, champagne-sand beach, fronted by a long promenade, while Tarragona has a range of fantastic options, including Platja del Miracle in the heart of the city. There, you’ll find a great range of bars and restaurants and Platja de la Savinosa, a quieter beach enveloped by imposing cliffs. Many of these can be reached by easy coastal paths.

Another advantage of the Costa Dorada is its many theme parks and waterparks. For a real all-rounder, head to PortAventura World in Vila-seca, la Pineda Platja, a three-in-one park that’s one of Europe’s largest. Here you can enjoy everything from thrilling rollercoasters, rides (don’t miss Dragon Khan, which reaches over 68 miles per hour) and live entertainment. Then pop your swimmers on to enjoy waterfalls, pools and beaches at Caribe Aquatic Park. After you’ve had fun splashing around, head to Ferrari Land, which has a range of spectacular attractions that will make you feel like a real F1 driver.

Get even more thrills at nearby Aquopolis Costa Dorada. It has a range of attractions for all ages, from toddler-friendly and gentle – like the Mini-Park playground and Treasure Island – to more high-octane rides, such as the Boomerang, a speedy waterslide. Or there’s the Kamikaze that older kids will love. Alternatively, Náutic Park offers a range of fun activities and experiences spanning a coastal area of nearly 60 miles including those in Salou, Cambrils, Vandellós – l’Hospitalet de l’Infant and Mont-roig – Miami Platja. Whether you want to rent a sailing boat for the day, try a water bike or even take part in an escape room on the beach, Nàutic Park has it all.

Finally, Aqualeon, near Tarragona, has plenty of enjoyable rides and slides too. The Rapid River is fun for all the family, where you’ll feel like you’re gently ‘flying’ over the water. All the while, the Crazy Race pits you against grown-ups and siblings to see who can get down the slide first. Do you dare to ride the Anaconda? Featuring two intertwined tubes, it’s suitable only for the bravest…

Getting the kids out into the fresh air can sometimes feel like a struggle, but when the scenery in the Costa Dorada is this beautiful, nobody will feel it’s a hardship. Head inland to the striking Prades Mountains, which has a wealth of hiking and cycling trails in the area. These are filled with quaint villages and jaw-dropping viewpoints, where you can get active, immerse yourself in nature, and explore the distinctive, rocky landscape. Don’t miss the Gorgs route, near La Febro, known for its scenic natural pools and waterfalls.

For fascinating grottoes and gorges, head to Serra de Montsant Natural Park, which has dozens of walking trails which offer spectacular views. Back at ground level, in Cambrils, Parc Samà is a lovely botanical garden where kids will enjoy visiting the aviary, filled with exotic birds, as well as looking out for the deer, pheasants and peacocks which also call this place home.

With its rich history, there are stacks of captivating sights in the Costa Dorada that will grab your kids’ imaginations. Take them back to Roman times at archaeological sites, such as the amphitheatre of Tarragona; it was used for fights between wild beasts, races and gladiatorial combat. All these are brought excitingly to life by guided tours and interactive exhibits. Children will also love walking the Roman walls, and exploring the Circus and Forum, with the open-air setting making for the ultimate mix of education and adventure.

In a quiet spot at the end of a valley, nestled under the Montsant hills, you’ll find Cartoixa d’Escaladei (see main image), a 12th-century monastery founded by French monks at a site where a shepherd had dreamt of angels coming down from the sky. Here you can enjoy guided tours around its three cloisters, church and refectory, while learning the history and purpose of each building.

Finally, stoke their creativity with a visit to the Gaudí Centre in Reus, where the architect Antoni Gaudí was born. It offers an interactive and engaging experience that brings his genius to life in a way that appeals to all ages. You’ll find real objects related to him, detailed mock-ups of his iconic works, and a special effects room that immerses visitors in his groundbreakingly imaginative world.

With Jet2holidays, it’s a doddle to book your family getaway to the Costa Dorada. From a low £60 per person deposit* to PayPal Pay in 3 interest-free payments**, 22kg baggage for all the kids’ stuff to return transfers†, it’s all included. Families can make the most of Free Child Places*** and infants under two going free‡. And with flights included and the choice of two to five-star hotels, Jet2holidays is always giving you more. For more Costa Dorada travel inspiration, and to find and book your ultimate family holiday, visit Jet2holidays. Plus, right now, myJet2 members can save £100 per person§ in The Big Jet2 Price Drop (correct at original publish date).

*On bookings made ten weeks or more before departure. Full payment required by balance due date. **Spread the cost over three interest-free payments. Available when booked online, for holidays under £2,000, departing within ten weeks. ***One free child place per two paying passengers. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply, please see www.jet2holidays.com/promotions#FCP2025 for further details. †Unless otherwise stated. ‡Applicable for all infants under the age of two years on the date of return. Infants are not entitled to a flight seat (they must be seated with a parent or guardian) or a 22kg baggage allowance. §£100 per person off holidays for myJet2 members departing until 15 November 2026. myJet2 members will need to be logged into their account at the time of booking for the discount to automatically apply. Book online, via our app, through our call centre or with your travel agent. Please note the discount is not applied to children travelling on a free child place. Terms and conditions apply, please see www.jet2holidays.com/promotions#100APRIL2025 for details.

Outcry as Denmark’s retirement age to become highest in Europe

Denmark will increase its retirement age to 70 by 2040 making it the highest in Europe, after its parliament adopted a controversial new law.

Since 2006, retirement age in Denmark has been tied to life expectancy, which is currently 81.7 years. It is revised every five years and is set to rise to 68 in 2030 and 69 in 2035.

Passed in the Danish parliament with 81 votes for and 21 against, the increase has prompted anger among Danes who hoped the retirement age would not reach a symbolic milestone, forcing many to work until they reach their eighth decade.

Mette Frederiksen, Denmark’s Social Democrat prime minister, has made clear that the policy is not sustainable long term.

“We no longer believe that the retirement age should be increased automatically,” she said, according to the BBC. “You can’t just keep saying that people have to work a year longer.”

Many voters have reacted angrily, fearful of being forced to “keep going” even when their bodies are not up to it.

The policy is “unrealistic and unreasonable”, 47-year-old roofer Tommas Jensen told public broadcaster Danmarks Radio. “We work and work and work, but we can’t keep going.”

While it might be different for those with desk jobs, Mr Jensen added, workers with physically demanding jobs would struggle with the changes.

“I’ve paid my taxes all my life. There should also be time to be with children and grandchildren,” Mr Jensen told outlet DK.

According to the Times, however, surveys show that more than half of Danes want to keep working beyond the state pension age, gradually phasing themselves into retirement over several years during their 60s rather than cutting off entirely once they reach retirement.

Jesper Ettrup Rasmussen, chair of the Danish trade union confederation, said the change was “completely unfair”, according to the BBC.

“Denmark has a healthy economy and yet the EU’s highest retirement age,” he said.

“A higher retirement age means that [people will] lose the right to a dignified senior life.”

Some Danes have angrily noted the retirement age of 60 for many of their politicians on parliamentary pensions, including Ms Frederiksen, 47, and 26 MPs elected before 2007. They need only to have worked as an elected MP for one year to be eligible for this pension.

Two teenagers admit stabbing schoolboy to death with machete on bus

Two teenagers have admitted murdering a 14-year-old schoolboy in a machete attack on a London bus.

Kelyan Bokassa was stabbed around 27 times as he travelled home on a route 472 bus in Woolwich, south-east London, on Tuesday January 7.

Emergency services were called to Woolwich Church Street, near Woolwich Ferry, just before 2.30pm.

Kelyan, an aspiring rapper, had sustained a severed femoral artery and died shortly after medics arrived at the scene.

In an unusual move, Scotland Yard had issued CCTV images and named two boys as part of a public appeal for information.

Two boys, both aged 16, were charged with murder and appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday for a plea hearing.

The pair pleaded guilty to Kelyan’s murder and having a knife on Woolwich Church Street.

Relatives of Kelyan gasped and appeared tearful as they sat metres away from the dock where the two boys sat flanked by officers.

Reporting of the case was briefly delayed after one of the boys’ barristers had called for time to speak to his client in light of what had appeared to be an unexpected plea.

Later, the youth returned to court and confirmed his guilty plea.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC ordered reports ahead of sentencing on July 25.

At an earlier hearing, prosecutor Tom Little KC said the victim was sitting on the back seat of the bus on the upper deck when he was attacked by two youths both armed with “lengthy machetes”.

The defendants knew in advance of the presence of Kelyan when they boarded the bus and walked directly towards him, the court was told.

Mr Little said: “It is clear this is not a form of spontaneous incident. The two defendants must have known the deceased was on the bus.

“They approach him and almost instantaneously, the two of them pull out machetes and attacked the deceased.

“He is stabbed or attempted to be stabbed on a total of 27 occasions before the defendants made their way off the bus.”

One of the machetes was discarded in the River Thames but was later recovered.