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Monday evening UK news briefing: Rail strikes to go ahead as talks fail

Your evening briefing from The Telegraph
Your evening briefing from The Telegraph

Evening briefing: Today's essential headlines

PM's operation | Boris Johnson had a successful, "routine" operation on his sinuses today, Downing Street announced, leaving his deputy Dominic Raab in charge. The operation took place at 6am in a London hospital, under general anaesthetic, and was pre-planned, the Prime Minister's spokesman said. It left Mr Raab to step in on some duties.

The big story: Rail strikes to go ahead as talks fail

Britain is braced for the biggest rail strikes in 30 years after last-ditch talks failed to resolve a row over pay and conditions.

Thousands of staff affiliated to the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at Network Rail and 13 other train operators will walk out tomorrow, Thursday and Saturday.

Services have begun to be affected this evening, and are likely to be disrupted throughout this week as the impact of the staggered stops cause an impact even on non-strike days.

Talks had continued this afternoon, but the two sides could not reach a deal.

Sources close to the negotiations said Network Rail was prepared to offer striking unions a five per cent pay rise to settle the dispute.

Here is a reminder of all the closed routes and partial services that will be running tomorrow.

Use this tool to see if trains will run from your station.

Ben Marlow analyses why the unjust rail strikes prove the RMT does not care about workers.

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, gives a statement on the national rail dispute in London - YUI MOK/PA
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, gives a statement on the national rail dispute in London - YUI MOK/PA

Grant Shapps has defended the Government for not intervening in talks, even though the Transport Secretary admitted the industrial action will cause "total misery".

He said ministers have not been directly involved in rail talks "since the 1970s" when deals were agreed between the prime minister and unions over "beer and sandwiches".

The RMT's assistant general secretary called for greater support from the Labour party.

More walkouts

The confirmation of the rail strikes may soon feel like the start of a domino effect on British workforces this summer.

Barristers are to walk out from next Monday in a strike over pay that could bring the courts to a halt.

Members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) have voted by 81.5 per cent to refuse to take on new cases from Monday June 27.

Meanwhile, schools face nationwide chaos if a teachers' strike goes ahead, the UK’s largest union warned as it said industrial action could lead to up to three-quarters of staff walking out.

The National Education Union (NEU) said it would ballot members on industrial action during the autumn term if they are not given a pay rise that matches inflation.

Airports hit

This week's national rail strike will not only impact commuters.

The walkouts will also hit travellers trying to get to and from the airport between now and Sunday.

Read how the rail strike will open up a Pandora's box of holiday hell.

It comes as Heathrow called for airlines to cancel 10pc of their flights and easyJet announced swingeing cuts to its summer schedule.

The UK's busiest airport has given airlines the option of consolidating flights to get passengers moving.

It has been wracked by escalating problems with its baggage handling services.

Greg Dickinson went to the airport to find out how bad the chaos has become.

Comment and analysis

Around the world: Russia 'strikes Odessa in revenge'

Explosions have rocked the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa, in what a Ukrainian politician said was "revenge" following claims by a pro-Russian official that Ukraine launched a missile strike on offshore oil rigs off Crimea. A spokesperson for the regional administration confirmed there had been blasts in Odessa but gave no further details. It comes as Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia as China's biggest oil provider as Beijing seeks to take advantage of the crisis by snapping up cheaper supplies. Read how China's crude imports from Russia jumped. Meanwhile, two ex-US servicemen taken prisoner of war by Russian forces in Ukraine have appeared in an hour-long video interview published on a British website known for hosting Far-Right content.

Monday interview

'My neighbours were so noisy I bought their house'

Gyles Brandreth - Clara Molden for The Telegraph
Gyles Brandreth - Clara Molden for The Telegraph

The author and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth talks to Dan Moore about his best and worst financial decisions - and how his famous sweaters have turned him into a global brand

Read the full interview

Sport briefing: Forest signing - Billy Vunipola is back

Nottingham Forest are set to make Union Berlin forward Taiwo Awoniyi their first major signing since clinching promotion to the Premier League. Awoniyi, 24, impressed in the Bundesliga last season, scoring 15 league goals, and is expected to become Steve Cooper's first significant capture of the summer. Meanwhile, Roman Abramovich ally Marina Granovskaia is set to become the next big-name exit at Chelsea after the club confirmed Bruce Buck has agreed to stand down as chairman. In rugby, England head coach Eddie Jones has brought back the exiled pair of Billy Vunipola and Danny Care in his 36-man squad to tour Australia. Read why the recalls signal that England will revert to "Bodyline bash".

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Business briefing: EU plot to punish the City backfires

Mairead McGuinness, the EU's financial services commissioner, is a woman on manoeuvres. A former farming journalist, her rise to become Ireland's top political representative in Brussels has singled her out for greater honours. The 63-year-old is favourite among bookmakers to become Ireland's next president but for now she is focusing on a campaign to boost the EU's financial services industry, in part, by engineering a raid on the City of London. Since Britain left the EU, the bloc has been determined to punish Britain's key economic engine: the Square Mile. Yet read why the power grab has raised questions about whether the EU is damaging its own reputation in the process.

Tonight starts now

Barry Manilow, review | Harry Styles was not the only sequinned pop icon wowing his generation in London on Sunday night. Across town from his Wembley Stadium show, Barry Manilow served up a series of evergreen hits at the O2 Arena in a concert that resembled a karaoke party in a retirement home. He may be cheesy as they come, but the mutual affection between him and the crowd was something to behold. As the 79-year-old pop icon tours the UK, James Hall reveals how Britain's love affair with easy listening's greatest showman blazes on.

Three things for you

And finally... for this evening's downtime

Adding salt to the wound | George Kruis' backheel conversion for the Barbarians against England has entered the showboating pantheon. Luke Edwards rounds up the other sporting stars who have pulled off something different - often to their opponent's fury.

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