Vladimir Putin is diverting some of his most advanced warships to escort sanctioned and shadow fleet oil tankers near UK waters, including one frigate armed with hypersonic missiles earlier this month.
Experts tracking Russian-flagged and “shadow fleet” ships are monitoring whether the Kremlin will look to sail through the English Channel and North Sea to send a message after making fresh threats of retaliation over Britain’s increasing support for Ukraine.
Open-source evidence reveals that earlier this month the Russian warship escorted a cargo ship through the Baltics before entering the North Sea and heading north past Norway.
The most expensive moving day of the year is this week
August 28 could be four times busier than a normal moving day and as a result, much more expensive.
High demand raises prices
Research by the HomeOwners Alliance estimated that nearly 23,000 households will be moving this Friday, with the surging demand pushing up prices.
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When is it cheaper to move?
Tuesday and Wednesday were generally the cheapest days to move, according to Moving Compared. The research found that costs could rise by as much as £500, depending on when you decide to move.
- Moving Compared also warned that whilst Fridays are convenient, they are the “least forgiving day” because there is no working day afterwards to resolve problems.
Kit Harington joins HBO’s Harry Potter – who else is in the cast?
Kit Harington is joining the HBO TV series as famous author turned Hogwarts professor Gilderoy Lockhart.
He is replacing Nicholas Hoult, who left due to scheduling issues, according to HBO. Here is everyone else currently cast in the show.
The big names we know so far
The veteran actor, with his collection of Emmys and Oscars, will take the role of Dumbledore.
Frost will don the shaggy beard of Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid.
A returning cast member, Davis will continue his original role as master of charms Professor Filius Flitwick.
A closer look at the detail
Cast members have faced some backlash for their decision to join the show, from those who are opposed to J K Rowling’s views on gender identity and trans rights.
The HBO series is expected to take 10 years to complete, as producers plan multiple seasons covering each of Rowling’s seven books, which the eight blockbuster films were originally based on.
The other names to watch
- Harry Potter – Dominic Mclaughlin
- Hermione Granger – Arabella Stanton
- Ron Weasley – Alastair Stout
- Garrick Ollivander – Anton Lesser
- Neville Longbottom – Rory Wilmot
- Madam Hooch – Louise Brealey
- Professor McGonagall – Janet McTeer
- Professor Snape – Paapa Essiedu
- Draco Malfoy – Lox Pratt
The other names to watch
- Lucius Malfoy – Johnny Flynn
- Petunia Dursley – Bel Powley
- Vernon Dursley – Daniel Rigby
- Dudley Dursley – Amos Kitson
- Molly Weasley – Katherine Parkinson
- Cornelius Fudge – Bertie Carvel
- Professor Quirrell – Luke Thallon
go deeper on this topic
The Harry Potter
cast have cursed themselves for ever
A part in HBO’s is an irresistible opportunity for an actor, but I do wonder if any of the cast are regretting their decision to get involved. Any association with Rowling is a drink from a poisoned chalice – a curse that will never lift. Is it worth it?
The seven taxes Burnham could raise to fund his spending spree
Andy Burnham has declined to rule out raising taxes in his autumn Budget, saying he would not be “unrealistic” about the state of the public finances and vowed to take a “careful approach”.
Raising income tax, national insurance or VAT
These are the biggest revenue raising levers at Chancellor John Healey’s disposal, making up 54 per cent of the tax base. But Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto committed not to raise any of these.
- Burnham also pledged to do the same, so going back on his word would be extremely damaging for a Prime Minister who has made much about restoring trust.
This is one of the more likely options and currently sits at 18 per cent for basic-rate income taxpayers and 24 per cent for higher and additional-rate taxpayers.
Raising the tax is popular in the Labour Party; however, predictions on how much it would raise range from £14bn to actually costing the Treasury money if people delayed asset sales or moved overseas.
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Wealth tax
Burnham has faced calls for this from the left and last month Gary Lineker was among 120 so-called “Patriotic Millionaires” who signed a letter backing paying more tax in the form of a 2 per cent levy on wealth over £10m.
Some economists claim that it could raise £10bn a year and only affect the 1,000 most affluent households, but sceptics have said it could lead to wealthy individuals ceasing to be UK tax residents or “gaming” the valuation of their assets.
Pension tax changes
The Government could cut the size of the tax-free lump sum people can take from their pensions, which is either 25 per cent of the amount or £268,275 – whichever is lower.
Another option would be to limit pension tax relief. However, this would be a bold and risky step, with Sir Keir Starmer previously facing a hugely damaging backlash after cutting winter fuel payments.
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Sin taxes
Burnham could target business sectors or activities which he thinks are “anti-social” or damaging for people – with him already focusing on reducing reliefs for vape shops and betting establishments.
Healey could also raise taxes on cigarettes, vapes, unhealthy food and alcohol. These tax raises often incur little political cost but tend to raise trivial sums.
The four signs the UK’s stance towards Russia is escalating
Andy Burnham has faced down threats from the Kremlin over Britain’s increasing support for Ukraine by telling Vladimir Putin he “started the fire”.
Burnham says he won’t back down
The war of words broke out after Moscow warned that the UK sharing long-range missile blueprints with Kyiv would “add fuel to the fire” of the conflict.
During a visit to Kyiv on Monday, to mark the anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union, Burnham insisted there would be no backing down from assistance to Kyiv.
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Tougher rhetoric from Burnham
While Sir Keir Starmer was a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, Burnham’s comments will be seen as more outspoken. They come as the perceived threat from Moscow has increased in the last few months.
With UK-made drones being used against Russia by Ukraine, Tobias Ellwood, a former defence minister, said Britain “should brace [itself] for grey zone retaliation. And for this we are woefully unprepared”.
Increased assistance
Britain has been contributing to Kyiv’s war effort since the start of the Russian invasion, but the revelation that UK-made drones were being used to strike Russia, as well as that Britain has shared blueprints for long-range missiles, reach a new scale of significance.
- Downing Street would not say whether this was a Starmer or Burnham policy, but a No 10 spokeswoman said the UK would continue to help arm Ukraine.
New battlefield data partnership
The latest support, announced on Monday evening, comes in the form of a new partnership between London and Kyiv on AI.
Under the deal, the UK will have access to Ukraine’s Avengers AI Labs database to develop tools for use on the battlefield.
Britain described the platform as a “goldmine of battlefield data”. In return, the UK will offer scientists and tech companies access to develop new battlefield tools.
Sorties by RAF planes
On Monday, an RAF “Rivet Joint” surveillance aircraft was spotted by military observers over Lithuania and northern Poland, near to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
While sorties such as these are not unusual, the timing of the mission – reported by the X account OSINT Defender – could suggest the UK is gearing up for potential retaliation from Moscow for its support for Ukraine.
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How much caffeine is in your favourite cup of high street coffee?
Coffees from high street chains can vary “wildly” in the amount of caffeine they contain, a new study by Which? has shown.
Costa tops caffeine leaderboards
The research found that a medium cappuccino from Costa contains 325mg of caffeine, almost three-and-a-half times that of the same drink at Starbucks, at 89mg.
This caffeine content is around the same amount as four cans of Red Bull. Costa also has the most caffeine in its espresso shots – 100mg per serving – and its flat whites (241mg).
Where the other chains stand
Greggs is second in the caffeine standings, with 235mg in its cappuccino and Caffe Nero third, with 221mg.
Starbucks serves the least amount of caffeine across all its drinks, but levels have increased in its espressos, cappuccinos and filter coffees over three years.
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The areas included in first wave of new housing fund
In an interview with The i Paper, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has said the Government is “tilting” towards council and social housebuilding in a bid to reduce the number of homeless families in expensive temporary accommodation.
A surge in social housing
A total of £10bn worth of funding is going to councils and housing associations to build more than 70,000 homes across England, 60 per cent of which must be social housing, according to Rayner.
- The £10bn announced yesterday is set to be followed by approximately £21bn for council and social housing, which has not yet been allocated.
The areas receiving the funds
Of the £10bn, the following mayoral authorities will receive:
- An additional 33 “strategic partners” that will receive the rest of the money will be announced in due course, the Government said.
- The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, will be given £6bn to spend.
‘Changing order of queue’ will not solve social housing issue
Reform UK has pledged to prioritise British-born workers under 35 when allocating social housing if the party enters government, but charities and experts have warned that “changing the order of the queue” would not solve the issue of social housing.
The is regarded as one of the most advanced warships in the Russian navy, equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles and nuclear-capable Zircon hypersonic missiles, which would have been within range of the UK during this trip.
Flight tracking software shows that it was being followed by the RAF’s P-8A aircraft, which spent around 90 minutes circling as it sailed past Norway, surveilling the two vessels.
English Channel a ‘risky’ route for Putin’s shadow fleet
The shadow fleet has become a lifeline for Putin’s war effort, with ships suspected of sailing under false flags in order to evade blockades and continue to make money from sanctioned oil. Around 75 per cent of Russia’s crude oil is transported by Putin’s decrepit and ageing fleet of ships.
In June, the UK captured the shadow oil tanker , which spooked the Kremlin and led to a four-day freeze of Russian-linked vessels passing through the Channel. Days later, another of Putin’s warships, the , fired “warning” shots at British couple Alan and Jane Kelvey’s sailing boat, the .
However, since 18 June, when the vessel passed through the Channel en route to China, illicit ships have resumed regularly passing through the busy waterway.
One recent example noticed by military analysts was the Russian cargo ship . The company which owns the ship is sanctioned by the UK and US, with US documents raising concerns it may be used to transport military hardware. The vessel left St Petersburg on 7 August and was captured leaving the English Channel and sailing towards the Atlantic Ocean on 14 August.
An open-source expert monitoring the vessel, who did not want his identity to be published and who goes by Russian Forces Spotter on X, said that since around mid-June, roughly 75 per cent of the sanctioned crude tankers he was tracking had avoided the English Channel, instead routing north via the Faroe and Shetland corridor.
“Many of the same vessels were previously using the Channel routinely,” he said. “I would be cautious about attributing this to any single event, including the seizure of Smyrtos, but the persistence of the routing change suggests that operators increasingly perceive the Channel as the riskier option.”
British military ships and helicopters spent 21 days monitoring Russian activity in UK waters and the North Atlantic throughout July, an increase of 25 per cent compared to last year, according to the latest available Ministry of Defence Data.
UK in missile-range of Kremlin warships
Other Russian-linked ships are taking pains to avoid sailing close to the UK in other waters.
In August, the was tracked leaving the Portovaya LNG terminal, a small gas export facility near Vysotsk, northwestern Russia. The ship, accompanied by the , hugged the coast of Norway, passing the UK but giving a wide berth.
The hypersonic missiles have a range of 625 miles, while its cruise missiles have a range of up to 1,550 miles, meaning the UK will have been within range of the warship during parts of its journey.
The boats were tracked sailing north past Norway on 19 August at around 3pm UTC (4pm UK time), while flight tracking data shows the RAF took off from Lossiemouth, Scotland, at around 5.30pm UTC (6.30pm UK time). The maritime patrol aircraft followed the route of the boats for around 90 minutes.
The use of the is notable, according to the open-source expert Russian Forces Spotter. “Russia increasingly appears willing to dedicate high-end naval assets to protecting its maritime trade.”
He added: “The routing data suggests continued caution around British waters, while the escorts show that Moscow considers protecting these maritime flows important enough to commit valuable naval assets to the task. Whether that reflects nervousness, stretched resources, or both is harder to prove, but the behavioural change is quite visible.”
It is the second Russian warship to be seen in the Baltic in recent weeks, according to , following the deployment of the destroyer in late July.
The Royal Navy’s Portsmouth-based minehunter was dispatched to keep watch over Russian frigate as it passed the UK on 22 August.
The location of the , the warship which fired shots in the English Channel in June, is not known. Many Russian warships do not allow their location to be tracked, but the frigate was last seen around 11 June, when it was tracked by Starboard Maritime Intelligence off the coast of the UK.
Russia spread thin as UK monitors
Experts say Putin is deploying his high-end ships despite Russia’s maritime strength being stretched.
The naval tracking company Starboard Maritime Intelligence told that in July no Russian warships were recorded in the Mediterranean for the first time since 2013.
A number of factors may have been at play here, the company said, including shipping lane closures and that warships “are tied up escorting vessels around UK waters and occasionally firing warning shots at yachts.”
A further blow to the Kremlin’s navy was the successful Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian port, which hit four vessels, including two ships similar to the .