What happened
UK warships have tracked a Russian task group as it passed through British waters, reported the Royal Navy. It was the third time in six weeks that Russian ships returning from Syria had been closely watched by British ships and helicopters.

Who said what
Speaking of the operation, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said he was "grateful" to all the personnel who shadowed the Russian convoy.

This was not the first time that Russian ships had been "spotted or monitored in UK waters", said the BBC. In January, Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs that the Royal Navy had monitored a Russian spy ship called Yantar, which he said was being used to gather intelligence and map the UK's underwater infrastructure. And in June last year a Russian submarine was spotted off Scotland's west coast before it arrived in Havana, Cuba a week later.

What next?
Following this latest operation, Pollard stressed: "Russia should be in no doubt that the UK will defend our waters."

What happened
London's black cabs might disappear by 2045 at their current rate of decline, according to a report by the think tank Centre for London.

The number of taxis licensed by Transport for London dropped from 22,810 in 2013 to 14,470 in 2023 amid the rise of Uber and other transport companies. Just 104 new licences were issued last year, compared with 1,010 in 2016. The report blamed the cost of the now-mandated electric cars and the difficulty of "The Knowledge" test requirement.

Who said what
"Black cabs are a fundamental part of London's cityscape," said Antonia Jennings, chief executive of Centre for London.

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, added: "We've been here since the time of Oliver Cromwell and we aren't going anywhere soon." But he said the taxi trade faced "very real existential threats".

What next?
TfL said it would soon publish a new taxi "action plan".