General secretary of TUC calls Reform proposal ‘a smokescreen for slashing women’s rights’

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A law proposed by Nigel Farage to “strengthen women’s rights” could cost female workers money by removing equal pay for work of equal value, unions have said.

A proposal, made by Reform UK days before the Makerfield byelection, to introduce a “women and motherhood protection act” that it says will restore equality before the law has been described as “shameless and deceptive”.

Russia may have violated UN convention on the law of the sea but says it took ‘all measures to prevent the incident’

The Ministry of Defence has said it is investigating the events that led to a Russian warship firing a warning shot at a British-flagged yacht in the Channel. It is probable that the inquiry will extend to questioning the owners of the yacht but the laws of the sea will sharply limit its scope when it comes to the Russian vessel.