If Russia attacks us under the sea, the consequences will be dire

Imagine the scenario. You wake up and there is no power in your home. You can’t turn on the lights or television, the freezer is defrosting, and there is no way to cook anything. The wifi is down, phone networks have ceased to operate, and cash machines don’t function. The shops are shut, there is no power for the railways and airports, and hospitals are running on backup generators – but for how long, nobody knows.

The threat of this happening is no longer imaginary; it is being discussed at the highest levels. At recent conferences (all under the Chatham House Rule), speakers have noted that the loss of data transmission could cause UK supply chains across much of the economy to crash – leading to food shortages and widespread civil unrest. It has been firmly stated: this is no longer a hypothetical threat. An attack on critical infrastructure is not a question of if, but when.

As it is announced that the UK is set to buy a fleet of new fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons, many saw this as a huge win for the Royal Air Force. But others are arguing that we need to pay just as much attention to what’s happening under our seas as we do in our skies.

At its peak, the UK imports up to 15-20 per cent of its electricity from Europe – all of it carried by undersea cables. There are four main European gas pipelines, and 75 per cent of UK gas arrives via undersea routes. More than 60 undersea cables carry internet traffic, telephony, and other data – more than 95 per cent of data/internet flows travel beneath the sea’s surface.

Damage to or destruction of any of these pipelines or cables could have a serious impact on the UK. Protecting them must become a national priority, because this is where a direct attack on our nation is most likely to happen.

The vulnerability of undersea infrastructure is increasingly exposed, and the threat is being raised more frequently. Nord Stream 2, data cables between Finland and Estonia, and internet cables near Taiwan have all sustained damage in attacks in recent years. Some of these incidents can be attributed to known actors – Taiwan’s cable damage, for example, was reportedly caused by a cargo vessel linked to China reported to be dragging its anchor in the precise area of the cables. Other attacks remain unattributed, though there are strong suspicions – such as the Estonian incident being linked to Russia.

The 2025 National Security Strategy, published yesterday, warned: “Critical national infrastructure – including undersea cables, energy pipelines, transportation and logistics hubs – will continue to be a target.” It also provided a staggering estimate: “The cost to repair a single damaged fibre optic cable is up to £1m, and £100m for power cables per incident.”

It now must be assumed that a hostile actor – Russia being the most likely in the case of the UK – will seek to exploit the vulnerabilities of undersea cables during periods of heightened tension, with the aim of at least disrupting, if not crippling, the UK and Europe. In the transition to any conflict, it is highly likely that attacks on connecting cables would be carried out stealthily.

Russia is believed to operate several dozen “intelligence ships” that can monitor or attack undersea cables. The Yantar, for example, spent several weeks earlier this year patrolling the Irish Sea, surveying cables between the UK and Ireland using unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). It’s also believed that Russian submarines have the capacity to launch similar UUVs capable of targeting undersea infrastructure.

So, what can the UK do to counter this growing undersea threat?

The 2021 Integrated Review announced that the Royal Navy/Royal Fleet Auxiliary would acquire a new type of ship: the multi-role ocean surveillance ship (MROSS), designed to protect critical undersea cables.

Briefings suggested that at least three ships would be procured. In 2021, an offshore support vessel was bought, renamed RFA Proteus, and converted at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. It entered full service in 2023, though it has experienced maintenance issues that have limited its operations.

A second MROSS – possibly UK-built – was discussed, but this year’s strategic defence review gave no specific commitment to further vessels or new undersea capabilities, just some vague suggestions.

While Starmer has signalled his intention to create a hybrid Royal Navy using AI and forming a new digital warfighter group, many are concerned that the new systems needed to counter the threat to underwater infrastructure won’t arrive until the early 2030s. The 2025 review also suggested the Royal Navy may contract certain (unspecified) capabilities to commercial partners.

Operating non-combat surveillance ships is one such option. Procuring a fleet of our own unmanned underwater vehicles to protect critical infrastructure was another key suggestion – but again, no confirmed details. Fixed sonar systems, common in the North Atlantic during the Cold War, are being considered again, but plans remain unclear. If the consequences of an attack would be as serious as those being discussed, defensive preparations feel far too vague and slow.

The problem is evident. Despite the rising threat, investing in undersea defence has become less politically and financially appealing than purchasing warships. Using a £500m-plus frigate to patrol oil or gas pipelines is still being seen as wasteful. In times of tight budgets, defence services often prioritise combat ships over support systems that don’t directly contribute to warfighting.

In a febrile “war-footing” atmosphere, it’s understandable that UK defence has many urgent and costly needs. But the threat of an attack on an electricity interconnector or a gas pipeline should not be underestimated. This would have grave consequences for the UK. We not only need increased surveillance of undersea infrastructure – we must also build the capability to repair and recover it quickly, should the worst happen.

We need only look to the Finland-Estonia cable, which remained offline for more than six months – even though its repair was made “easier” by the relatively shallow waters (their maximum depth is around 100 metres). The North Sea (up to 700 metres), and the Atlantic (with an average depth of 3,000 metres), would pose far greater challenges.

Does the UK have the capability to rapidly repair or replace a damaged cable or pipeline? Possibly. But with no real urgency in getting our underwater defences up to speed, all bets are off as to how the country would really cope with an undersea crisis.

Living standards ‘not likely to improve for at least five years’

UK households face a “bleak” living standards outlook for the remainder of the 2020s, with a leading think tank warning that many could end the decade no better off than they began it.

The Resolution Foundation has painted a stark picture, suggesting the current “bust, boom and bleak outlook” could see the 2020s become “the first decade of the modern era to witness no improvement in disposable incomes across Britain.”

The grim forecast suggests that the tough start to the decade, marked by economic volatility, risks leaving typical households in a stagnant financial position.

In its “central scenario,” the think tank projects that the typical annual real income of non-pensioners is set to grow “only slightly” over the five years after 2024-25, amounting to just 1 per cent overall, or a cash increase of around £300 in total.

The immediate future appears particularly challenging. The Living Standards Outlook 2025 report, funded by Nationwide Building Society, states: “Our outlook for 2025-26 specifically remains poor with income flat (0 per cent growth).”

This stagnation is attributed to a combination of factors, including frozen tax thresholds and rising council tax, which are “cancelling out real pre-tax earnings growth for many, even before accounting for water, rent and mortgage rises.”

The report continued: “Taking into account the cost-of-living crisis, the typical income in 2029-30 would remain essentially unchanged (0 per cent growth) compared to 2019-20.

“This would clearly make the 2020s the worst decade out of the past six for living standards growth.”

The outlook for the lower-income half of the non-pensioner population is worse in the years ahead, according to the projection.

The foundation said the average real incomes of this group could be 1 per cent (£200) lower in 2029-30 than in 2024-25.

Within the weak outlook overall, some parts of the population are expected to fare better, the report said.

The typical pensioner income is projected to rise by 5 per cent between 2024-25 and 2029-30, with a £1,500 increase.

Housing tenure also plays a key role in determining the outlook, according to the research, with mortgage holders set to see income falls as they come off fixed-rate deals, while outright homeowners are expected to see a boost to their living standards.

The projection for weak income growth over the second half of the decade follows a “rollercoaster” first half, in which living standards were rocked by Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, according to the foundation, which is focused on improving living standards for households on low to middle incomes.

It said there was a “mini living standards boom” as incomes grew by 4 per cent (£1,300) in 2024-25.

The foundation also said that the economic outlook could improve, with policies potentially offering a “helping hand” to lift living standards for poorer households.

Adam Corlett, principal economist at the Resolution Foundation said: “The living standards story of the decade so far has been bust and boom, with Covid-19 and a cost-of-living crisis followed by a much-needed recovery last year. But the rest of the decade looks bleak, with typical household incomes set to grow by just 1 per cent over the next five years.

“There are winners and losers within this weak outlook, with pensioner incomes set to grow by a healthy 5 per cent over the rest of the decade, while the poorest half of the population are set to see their incomes fall.

“But a stronger economy and the right policy interventions can brighten this outlook. Maintaining strong wage growth and returning to pre-pandemic employment levels would make middle-income Britain far better off, while ending the two-child limit can lift living standards for poorer families.”

Harvey Elliott heroics give England U21s another shot at history

Harvey Elliott spectacularly fired England Under-21s into the European Championship final as they moved one win away from becoming back-to-back champions.

One year on from the men’s senior team beating the Netherlands in the Euros semi-final, the Young Lions followed suit, with Elliott’s second-half double earning a 2-1 win in Bratislava.

The 22-year-old, a Premier League champion with Liverpool, scored both goals, first putting his side ahead just after the hour and then firing a superb 86th-minute winner after Noah Ohio had levelled for the Dutch with his first touch.

Lee Carsley‘s side will meet Germany or France in Saturday’s final when they will hope to retain the crown they won two years ago.

Victory was fully deserved in searing heat in Slovakia as they were the better team throughout, with the Dutch goal coming out of nothing.

Carsley’s men almost took the lead in the fourth minute. Omari Hutchinson caused trouble down the left and sent in a low cross to Elliott at the far post, but the midfielder’s low shot was brilliantly saved by the outstretched leg of Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs.

Roefs denied Elliott again in the 12th minute as England piled the pressure on, again staying big to deny a low shot after Jay Stansfield’s cut back.

The Young Lions stayed on top but the chances dried up until a brilliant move just before the break, when James McAtee set Hutchinson free, he played in Elliott whose cut back was perfect for Alex Scott, but the Bournemouth midfielder’s shot was deflected over.

The Netherlands, who failed to have a shot in the first half, improved after the break and began asking questions.

They tested James Beadle for the first time just before the hour when Aston Villa full-back Ian Maatsen drilled a 25-yard shot through a crowd of bodies, but the goalkeeper was equal to it.

Just as England were being pushed back, they went ahead in the 62nd minute. Elliot Anderson set Elliott clear, he advanced into the box and fired a fine right-footed finish in at the near post.

But the advantage was short-lived as Ohio made the perfect impact from the bench.

Moments after coming on, the former Manchester United and Manchester City academy player scored with his first touch. He latched on to the ball after Charlie Cresswell miscontrolled, spotted Beadle out of position and shot first time from the left wing into the near post.

But England were not going to be denied and some Elliott heroics sent them into the final for just the second time since 2009. He picked the ball up 30 yards out, turned his marker, beat another man and advanced towards the penalty area before whipping a low shot into the bottom corner.

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Inside the twisted world of the Hainault sword attacker

For Daniel Anjorin, 30 April last year started as any normal day would do. The 14-year-old woke up, packed his schoolbag and waved goodbye to his family. He then picked his favourite music to listen to on the way to school.

As he stepped out of his front door, the devoted Arsenal fan – described as a “true scholar” by his school, Bancroft’s in Woodford Green, east London – had no idea of the horror that was about to unfold.

Moments later, Marcus Arduini Monzo unleashed a violent 20-minute rampage that left Daniel dead and five others injured.

Believing that an event “like an Armageddon” was happening, the attacker – who had spent the early hours of his morning consuming drugs and, disturbingly, attempting to eat his cat – ambushed Daniel from behind with a samurai sword, virtually decapitating him. When the ambulance arrived, he swung his sword towards the vehicle, delaying paramedics from reaching the boy’s lifeless body.

Minutes before the attack, Monzo, 37, had used his Ford transit van to mow down pedestrian Donato Iwule before slashing him in the neck.

During his police interviews, Monzo likened the events to the Hollywood film The Hunger Games, and claimed to have “many personalities spread out”, including one of a professional assassin.

Despite his claiming that he had been suffering from a psychotic disorder, the jury has now found him guilty of murder and three counts of attempted murder, wounding with intent, aggravated burglary, and possessing a bladed article. He was cleared of one count of attempted murder but found guilty of the lesser offence of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

While growing up in Brazil, Monzo claimed to have experienced bullying and violence. When he moved to London in 2013, he started smoking cannabis and taking magic mushrooms. Despite quitting in 2015 as it made him feel “unproductive”, he started the habit again a few years later.

Following a mixed martial arts (MMA) injury in 2016, Monzo turned to yoga. He told the court he developed an increased interest in spirituality and began following the YouTube guru Sadhguru.

Over the following years, he would attend a year-long retreat to India to detach from family and friends, and also began to take ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic brew traditionally from South America.

During subsequent trips to remote parts of Brazil and India, as well as attending breatharian festivals – where individuals claim to live without food or water, sustaining themselves solely on “life force” – in Italy and Denmark, he was seen “looking skinnier” and said that he had begun taking ayahuasca in “ceremonies”.

It was following these experiences that he began drinking his urine for “cleaning” purposes, also using it to wash his hair and clean his face.

He and his family fell out over his hygiene and lifestyle, and he ended up living in Newham, where he continued to smoke cannabis regularly.

The court heard how, in the days before the attacks, he “received guidance and communication” in his head that his pet cat Wizard “was being used against me by negative forces”. He took it to a park to get rid of it.

But the cat returned to his flat on the morning of the attack. He told the court he strangled the animal, despite claiming he did not want to.

Asked why it was skinned, he told jurors: “After I strangled him, he (the communication) was telling me that the cat had taken energy from me and to replenish and get the energy back, I had to eat the cat.”

Monzo said he tried to cook it, but became “panicked and rushed”, believing an event “like an Armageddon” was happening.

The defendant told jurors that he “didn’t have time to eat the cat”, so he put it in the back of his Ford Transit and picked up swords, a ball-bearing gun and a backpack containing clothes.

He said: “I had this idea that the world was collapsing… something big was happening, I didn’t know exactly what, I had the idea that I wasn’t coming back.”

After setting off towards his parents’ house, Monzo used his van to knock Mr Iwuale into a garden and attack him while shouting, “I’m going to kill you.” CCTV captured his victim’s terrified screams.

After Mr Iwuale escaped, Monzo attempted to stop a woman and talk to her. But then he caught sight of Daniel and launched his fatal attack.

When the police arrived, PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield chased the defendant through alleyways. Monzo then struck her three times with the sword, which prosecutors said had a 60cm blade.

Monzo then entered a property and attacked a couple who were sleeping in an upstairs bedroom, near to their young daughter, while shouting “Do you believe in God?”

He also struck Inspector Moloy Campbell once with the sword before he was arrested.

The defendant, who claimed he had no memory of what happened until he was tasered, admitted possessing two swords but denied the other charges.

He has now been found guilty of murder, attempted murder, wounding with intent, aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article.

For Daniel’s family, however, no prison sentence can bring back their “beloved son”.

In a tribute last year, they said: “It is difficult for us at this time to process what has happened to him and that he will never come home.

“Daniel had left the house for school, and then he was gone. Our children have lost their loving and precious brother, and we have lost the most loved and amazing son.”

Glastonbury organiser says Kneecap ‘welcome’ after Starmer objection

Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis has offered her stance on the ongoing debate about Irish trio Kneecap’s scheduled performance at Glastonbury Festival this week.

Bandmate Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, of Belfast, was charged with a terrorism offence under the name Liam O’Hanna after allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a London show last year.

The band – who have publicly spoken out against Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza – recently called the terrorism charge a “distraction”.

Some, including Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, have since called for the band to be pulled from the festival. Prime minister Keir Starmer said this week that their performance would not be “appropriate”.

“You are very used to people picking over every aspect of the lineup but the prime minister got involved this time, saying it wasn’t appropriate for Kneecap to be playing, how have you responded to that?” a BBC Breakfast interviewer asked Eavis on Wednesday (25 June) after she opened the gates to Worthy Farm with her father, Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis.

“We haven’t responded to that,” she answered. “At the moment we’re just focusing on bringing the best festival to the people who want to come here. We’re incredibly lucky that so many people want to come to Glastonbury, we have millions of people who want to come.”

Pushed for her reaction to Starmer’s comments, Eavis insisted: “There have been a lot of really heated topics this year, but we remain a platform for many, many artists from all over the world and, you know, everyone is welcome here.”

Asked by The Sun if he thought Kneecap should perform at Glastonbury, Sir Keir said: “No I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this.

“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.”

The band are due to perform at the music festival on Saturday (28 June).

Responding to the prime minister’s comments on Saturday evening (21 June), Kneecap wrote on social media: “You know what’s ‘not appropriate’ Keir?! Arming a f***ing genocide. F*** The Sun and solidarity with Palestine Action.”

Earlier this week, home secretary Yvette Cooper said she is preparing to proscribe the direct action group, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action, prompting severe backlash from human rights campaigners.

Follow the latest updates from Glastonbury Festival 2025 here.

What’s the secret to a truly stress-free holiday?

High-end cruising has entered a new era. Today’s luxury travellers aren’t looking for big flashy experiences. They want slow-paced, intimate travel and authentic cultural immersion. More than anything else, they’re looking for ease: that feeling of being genuinely cared for, safe in the knowledge that they’re experiencing the best of the best.

That means excellent quality food and drink, of course – it’s got to be restaurant standard and cater to all tastes – but also onboard enrichment experiences of the highest calibre. The great beauty of cruising has always been that not a second is wasted. Savvy travellers get to explore a rich and rewarding variety of exotic, off-the-beaten track locations, but instead of spending half their holiday stuck in motorway traffic, they’re honing their swing in the golf net, or sipping on a cocktail on the upper deck as they travel from destination to destination.

When they’re onshore they want genuinely immersive experiences that get them under the hood of a destination: think cellar tours of local vineyards or speedboat cruises to hidden beaches. Done right, a high-end all-inclusive cruise is the ideal form of slow travel, offering a perfect balance of adventure and indulgence, proper pampering and a thrilling sense of discovery.

The world’s most luxurious fleet

First among equals when it comes to the new era of luxury cruising is Regent Seven Seas Cruises, which offers more than 170 different itineraries visiting over 550 ports of call worldwide. Each of the six ships in their fleet is opulently appointed with beautifully designed communal areas and a huge array of amenities, but none of them has a capacity of more than 746 guests, ensuring space and freedom for all aboard.

The all-suite accommodation means that the private spaces are similarly roomy, each having a private balcony and marble bathroom. And service is always impeccable with a crew-to-guest ratio that’s nearly one-to-one, meaning that the team can always go that mile extra for all travellers.

Across the ships, the food is uniformly excellent. As well as Regent’s signature Compass Rose restaurant, with its daily changing menu of bistro classics like lobster bisque and New Zealand lamb chops, the different ships also feature a range of speciality dining venues. These include Prime 7, a New York-style steakhouse, Pacific Rim with its pan-Asian menu (be sure to try the miso black cod), and fine-dining destination, Chartreuse, where the chefs turn out sophisticated plates of upscale French cooking like Beef Tenderloin Rossini and Seared Foie Gras.

With a number of long cruises on their roster, Regent has made sure that each of its ships is akin to an ultra-luxury, boutique floating hotel with an incredible variety of things to do during the day and top-level entertainment at night. There are courts for paddle tennis and bocce, and the onboard spa offers a range of exclusive bespoke treatments. The ships host talks by experts in their field and cooking lessons are also available on some of the ships at the culinary arts kitchens where visiting chefs guide guests in how to make wow-factor dishes that relate to the ports of call. In the evening, the Constellation Theatre hosts lavishly staged productions from a team of Broadway choreographers and artists.

Destinations that match the onboard luxury

Of course, none of this onboard luxury would mean much if the destinations weren’t up to scratch, but Regent’s superbly curated itineraries are up there with the very best. Its week-long trips include culture-packed European tours like Glories of Iberia which sails from Barcelona to Lisbon, and thrilling frontier explorations such as the Great Alaskan Adventure from Whittier to Vancouver.

Longer trips include four-week Legendary Journeys from Athens to Montreal, and fully immersive explorations of the Arctic. Long or short, these itineraries are all underpinned by a commitment to taking guests right to the heart of a destination with the kind of bespoke onshore activities and expert-led insights that mean on a Regent Seven Seas Cruises voyage, adventure is guaranteed.

Visit Regent Seven Seas Cruises now to uncover the true meaning of luxury and start booking your ultimate stress-free getaway

Patient death linked to cyber attack on the NHS

The death of a patient has been linked to a cyber-attack on the NHS last year.

Cyber criminals attacked two major NHS trusts causing more than 1,000 cancer treatment delays, 2,000 outpatient appointments to be cancelled and more than 1,000 operations postponed.

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said on Wednesday; a patient died during the cyber attack as a result of a long wait time for blood test results.

“One patient sadly died unexpectedly during the cyber-attack. As is standard practice when this happens, we undertook a detailed review of their care,” the trust said in a statement.

“The patient safety incident investigation identified a number of contributing factors that led to the patient’s death.

“This included a long wait for a blood test result due to the cyber-attack impacting pathology services at the time.

“We have met with the patient’s family, and shared the findings of the safety investigation with them.”

Synnovis, which offers a range of pathology services, including diagnostics, testing, and digital pathology in southeast London, was the victim of the ransomware attack, understood to be carried out by the Russian group Qilin.

Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College and Lewisham and Greenwich hospitals were all affected by the attack on June 3 last year. Primary care across six boroughs and two mental health trusts were also impacted.

Without this pathology service the NHS Trusts in the area were unable to do work involving transfusions or blood matching. Instead, they had to use O-type blood for everyone – the universal blood type.

However, this then resulted in a national shortage of O-type blood supplies, NHS England explained.

Synnovis also revealed it had to cancel testing for 20,000 blood samples across 13,5000 patients received as it could not test them, so samples “degraded”. As a result, the samples were destroyed, and patients had to rebook tests.

Sensitive data stolen from an NHS provider in the cyber-attack was also allegedly published online.

According to the BBC, the cyber criminal group shared almost 400GB of data – including patient names, dates of birth, NHS numbers and descriptions of blood tests – on its darknet site and Telegram channel.

Spreadsheets containing financial arrangements between hospitals and GP services and Synnovis were also published.

How long will the UK’s heatwave last and where will thunderstorms hit?

Parts of the UK are set to bask in temperatures hotter than Brazil this weekend following the hottest and sunniest spring since records began.

As hundreds of thousands head to Somerset for the Glastonbury music festival, Britons are bracing for what could be the second heatwave in as many weeks.

Changeable weather is expected in the run-up to the weekend, before the temperature could climb above 30C.

The UK recorded its warmest day of the year last week when a provisional high of 33.2C was noted by the Met Office on 21 June in Charlwood, Surrey.

The Met Office said several places in England and one or two areas in Wales, including Cardiff, entered a heatwave on 20 June.

Britons may now get to enjoy a second bout of warm weather and sunshine.

Temperatures are expected to hit 28C on Friday before climbing one degree each day into Monday, where temperatures will top out at 31C.

An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.

Unfortunately, the weather is going to get worse before it gets better.

The Met Office say there is a real “threat of heavy, possibly thundery showers” hitting parts of the UK on Wednesday, though other areas will be “humid and very warm”.

Thunderstorms with “lightning, hail, and heavy rain” may lash the south east of England overnight before clearing on Thursday, forecaster Paul Gundersen said.

He added that rain will likely move eastwards across the UK into Thursday before clearing to showers, with some sunny spells breaking through.

“Friday will start dry in the east, with rain moving in from the west, becoming showery later,” he said.

Mr Gundersen said that many parts of the country will stay dry on Saturday, with a patch of rain moving southeast and easing.

Sunday is due to see “variable cloud and showers” in the north, with “patchy rain and drizzle” in the west, but otherwise stay dry with sunny spells, he added.

The position of this year’s jet stream means the UK will be more susceptible to hot, humid plumes of air from Europe heading into the summer.

The last time the conditions were this favourable was in 2022, when a June heatwave reached temperatures above 40C.

But the Met Office says it is too early to suggest such high temperatures could hit the UK again.