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Lenders increase borrowing rates by 0.25%; pro-Palestine meeting barred from council venue goes ahead outside in Darlington. Follow updates live

UK maritime trade agency report comes as US is keen to portray Project Freedom' as defensive rescue effort for mariners stuck in Gulf

Conflict appears to have reached impasse, but leaders in Tehran and Washington seem to think victory is nearThe month-old ceasefire between Iran and the US appeared to be in new peril on Tuesday with a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles reported to have targeted the United Arab Emirates as US naval forces pressed ahead with efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz.The Iranian strike on the UAE was the second in 48 hours, and came shortly after the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, insisted the shaky truce which has paused the war in the Middle East was intact, despite the new increase in violence. Continue reading...

Secretary of state defends Trump administration over spike in pump prices, saying US is insulated to some degree' compared to other countries

US secretary of state says US is better off than other countries hit by disruption in oil suppliesMarco Rubio has argued the US is in a very fortunate" position as fuel prices continue to climb nationwide amid disruption sparked by the US-Israel war on Iran.With average US fuel prices now approaching $4.50 a gallon - their highest level in four years - the US secretary of state was asked on Tuesday how long Americans should accept them at such levels. Continue reading...

Serious side-effects from vaccines were rare, scientists found in studies funded by US taxpayer moneyThe US Food and Drug Administration has blocked the publication of several studies that found Covid-19 and shingles vaccines to be safe, according to a spokesperson from the Department of Health and Human Services.Agency scientists conducted the studies by analyzing millions of patient records and found that serious side-effects from the vaccines were rare, the spokesperson confirmed. The studies - funded by taxpayer money and costing several million dollars - included research examining the safety of Covid-19 vaccines in 2023 and 2024. Continue reading...

Green party leader also accused of incorrectly stating he was a full member of the National Council of HypnotherapyZack Polanski falsely claimed to be a spokesperson for the British Red Cross while campaigning for the Green party leadership, the charity has said.The claim was also mentioned on his personal website in 2020, where he said he was really proud of the work we do". Continue reading...

Briton and Dutch colleague to be removed from MV Hondius, as ship sets course for Canary Islands after deal struck with Spain

US president directs fresh criticism at pontiff days before secretary of state Marco Rubio's visit to Vatican

Pledge ahead of local elections dismissed as not a serious policy' and profoundly un-British'Coming just days before millions go to the polls, Zia Yusuf's announcement that a Reform government would prioritise' the citing of migrant detention centres in areas with Green MPs or councils was certainly eye-catching.That means areas like right here in Brighton," Reform's shadow home secretary said with barely concealed relish in a video in which he paced the beachfront at the constituency which elected Britain's first Green MP. Continue reading...

New immigration enforcement package could fund security of $400m East Wing modernization project'Senate Republicans have released a new immigration enforcement funding package that includes a proposed $1bn that could go to security measures related to the $400m ballroom that is part of Donald Trump's East Wing modernization project".Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate judiciary committee, released the funding plan on Monday, as part of a wider bill the Republican party plans to pass along party lines to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies involved in the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts. Continue reading...

Fulton county is trying to fend off federal prosecutor's demand for information on 2020 election workersFulton county, Georgia, is trying to fend off a subpoena from a federal prosecutor in North Carolina seeking contact information for thousands of poll workers from the 2020 election.The subpoena, issued in April by Dan Bishop, the interim US attorney of North Carolina's middle district, demands the county provide rosters of election staff members who served in the November 2020 election, including their identification by name, position, residential and email address and personal telephone number. Continue reading...

Disclosure made at preliminary hearing for civil case in which four women accuse the influencer and his brother of rapeAndrew Tate sought written assurances from prosecutors that he would not be arrested if he returned to the UK for a civil case in which he is accused of rape, a court has heard.Lawyers for the influencer and self-described misogynist, who has been charged with 10 criminal offences and is under investigation by various forces, made the submission last year. Continue reading...

Agreements with Microsoft, Google DeepMind and xAI focus largely on recognizing cybersecurity, biosecurity and chemical weapons risksThe US government has struck deals with Google DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI to review early versions of their new AI models before they are released to the public.The Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), part of the US Department of Commerce, announced the agreements on Tuesday, saying the review process would be key to understanding the capabilities of new and powerful AI models as well as to protecting US national security. These collaborations will help the federal government scale (its) work in the public interest at a critical moment", the agency said in a press release. Continue reading...

Staff told to prosecute as quickly as they can, rather than waiting to gather all evidence, to tackle climate of fear' felt by Jewish communityProsecutors in England and Wales have been told to fast-track" hate crime prosecutions after a spate of antisemitic attacks that the prime minister on Tuesday called a crisis for all of us".Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, issued guidance to his staff on Tuesday telling them to bring forward prosecutions against any sort of hate crime as quickly as they could, rather than waiting until they had gathered all possible evidence. Continue reading...

Jonathan Pollard, who served 30 years for selling US military secrets, advocates forcible removal' of PalestiniansJonathan Pollard, a former US navy intelligence analyst jailed for 30 years for spying for Israel, has said he will stand for election to the Knesset this year on a platform of ethnic cleansing.Speaking to Channel 13 television, Pollard said: I personally prefer the forcible removal of all current residents of Gaza, and the annexation of Gaza and its repopulation by us." Continue reading...

Plan promotes deprescribing' as psychiatrists warn crisis stems from lack of access to care, not overuseThe federal health department will begin a series of steps intended to curb antidepressant use in the US, Robert F Kennedy Jr announced this week.Antidepressants, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, have long been a target for Kennedy, the Trump administration's health secretary, who talked about the plans at an event on Monday hosted by the Make America Healthy Again Institute, an organization focused on advancing the Maha agenda. He has claimed without evidence that the drugs are linked to a rise in school shootings and has expressed concerns about weaning off the medications and withdrawal symptoms. Continue reading...

Tom Watson, who had role in attempted coup against Tony Blair in 2006, said move would go down extremely badly with votersLabour MPs have been urged to stop plotting to remove Keir Starmer by Tom Watson, who as a junior minister spearheaded the last attempted coup against a Labour prime minister, when Tony Blair faced a revolt in 2006.Watson's warning came as Steve Reed, the housing and communities secretary, and a key Starmer loyalist, said Labour would risk annihilation" if it decided to try to change leaders. Continue reading...

Russian pavilion to stay closed as outcry over Israel's inclusion also grows - but nesting seagull provides some light reliefThe 61st Venice Biennale vernissage began on Tuesday under grey clouds and rain showers, as political tension, parties and protest dominated proceedings at one of the art world's biggest events.Lubaina Himid, the British entrant, who has spent a career creating work that picks at her country's colonial past, took over the UK's pavilion with her large-scale paintings and sound collage that recalls a perfect British summer's day". Continue reading...

John Andrew Spillman was part of an external screening security detail for the PGA Championship, which Trump is attendingA US Secret Service officer has been placed on administrative leave after being arrested for allegedly exposing and fondling himself in a public area of a Miami hotel.Local sheriff's office deputies say they arrested John Andrew Spillman, 33, on Sunday after he was found naked while off duty on the sixth floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel Miami airport & convention center, according to a sworn law enforcement statement reviewed by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Kyiv lambasts Moscow's request for ceasefire while carrying out missile and drone strikes every single day leading up to it'Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused the Kremlin of utter cynicism" for seeking a truce so it can stage a military parade in Moscow as 23 people were killed in attacks on Ukraine.At least 12 people were killed on Tuesday in a strike on southern city of Zaporizhzhia, the regional governor said. Russia ended the life of 12 people," Ivan Fedorov posted on Telegram. Five people were killed in a Russian attack on the eastern city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk, which Zelenskyy said hit right in the city centre, targeting civilians". Continue reading...

Researchers say findings are not reason to shy away from restrictions as MPs consider ban in England's schoolsStrict bans on mobile phones in schools have close to zero" impact on student learning and show no evidence of improvements in attendance or online bullying, a study has found.Researchers at US universities including Stanford and Duke looked at nearly 1,800 US schools where students' phones were kept in locked pouches and found little or no differences in outcomes compared with similar schools without strict bans. Continue reading...

Inquiry set up by rightwing politician recommends merging major channels and slashing TV entertainment budgets by 75%French politicians on the left and centre have criticised a parliament inquiry report that recommends sweeping cuts to public broadcasting, with a row over culture wars building before next year's presidential election.State broadcasting is a key topic in the run-up to April's vote, with the far right, which is leading in the polls, highly critical of public TV and radio and vowing to privatise it. Continue reading...

Tory leader says the protests are not the same'Kemi Badenoch has questioned whether the undisclosed 5m donation given to Nigel Farage by a crypto billionaire shows that he has been bought".In an interview with the Today programme this morning, the Conservative leader asked whether the donation was linked to Farage's support for cryptocurrencies, and she said the donation showed why Farage could not be trusted as a political leader.Let's see, I believe that people should look at the character of an individual.You look at Nigel Farage's fishy 5m. I think that's a very, very concerning story. No one gets 5m directly. This was not for his party. He kept it a secret. What was that money for? Who's bought him?Well, I don't understand why somebody who works in crypto gives this sort of personal gift, as Farage calls it, and then all of a sudden Farage is promoting crypto.He should have declared it. We've already made a report to the standards committee. He should have declared it because those are the rules in this country. Continue reading...

Kremlin tightens security before Russia's biggest national celebration on 9 May amid fears of Ukrainian drone strikesRussia shut down airports and temporarily cut mobile internet access for many users in Moscow on Tuesday, as it tightened security before the 9 May Victory Day parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany.The parade - Russia's foremost national celebration - has already been scaled back and will proceed without heavy military hardware for the first time in nearly two decades, amid fears of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes. Continue reading...

Two-month-old Elmer, painstakingly saved by canola oil baths, finds home with volunteer Leah Owens, 72A two-month-old kitten whose life was saved when he was rescued from a bucket of glue has bonded with the foster parent who helped him to recover - and is sticking with her permanently.Staff at the Humane Society of North Texas say they were swamped with applications to adopt tiny Elmer after the non-profit shared on social media in mid-April the story of how the cat was found dehydrated and close to death in a pot of glue - before being painstakingly nursed back to health with canola oil baths and hours of massages. Continue reading...

Review finds force missed clear signs 21-year-old's death was result of violent predator's grooming and degradationA catalogue of police failures in handling the suspected murder of a young woman in Northern Ireland reflected institutional misogyny, a report has found.The Police Service of Northern Ireland missed clear warning signs that Katie Simpson's death in August 2020 was not suicide but the result of abuse and control, an independent review said on Tuesday.In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org

No confidence vote sees PM ousted and puts the country's access to EU funds at risk and it could take weeks until a stable majority can be assembledin BucharestPresident Dan is set to issue a statement at 6pm local time (4pm UK). Continue reading...

Chris Minns' chief of staff launched legal action to avoid giving evidence. Since the court ruled in his favour, others are doing the same

Company pushes for lower excise and claims threats warrant secrecy, while critics say it has no interest in public health or safety'

Nir Golan was told that there was not much police could do and the case would get thrown out

UK chancellor said to have told US treasury secretary she did not like his tone during meeting in Washington in April

Sightline Intelligence sent AI-supported tool to company that provides drones to Israeli military, research group saysAnti-war activists in Portland, Oregon, are pushing city authorities to ensure no local resources, tax breaks or investments support a local company that appears to be supplying artificial intelligence software to the Israeli military.The company, Sightline Intelligence, manufactures AI-supported video technology that is used in drones to interpret target movements and make quick decisions based on the perceived threat level. Cargo documents appear to show Sightline has shipped its technology to Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer that provides drones to that country's military and exports to others. The activists argue that such sales violate the UN's arms agreements. Continue reading...

London-headquartered bank's shares slide as it sets aside an extra $300m to cover effects of Middle East conflict

Alzheimer's Research UK says patients at risk of being left behind as lack of formal or accurate diagnoses closes door to trialsPeople with Alzheimer's disease are missing out on experimental treatments because they are not diagnosed early or accurately enough to be enrolled in clinical trials, a UK charity has said.Trials of Alzheimer's drugs reached a record high this year, according to data published on Tuesday, but Alzheimer's Research UK said too few UK patients were taking part because their diagnoses were delayed or were not specific enough. Continue reading...

Fahad Ansari says it was chilling' that police equated him with his client' after he was stopped on return from family holiday in IrelandA lawyer who filed Hamas's challenge to proscription in the UK was recorded by police as being a member of the banned group, equating him with his client".On a risk assessment form, a detective inspector, who authorised the detention of Fahad Ansari under the Terrorism Act on his return from a family holiday in Ireland, wrote Hamas" in the space reserved for membership of a known group". Continue reading...

Appeal launched to buy Nottinghamshire cottage, where tree was planted in 19th century, and turn it into heritage centreCampaigners have launched an appeal to try to save for the nation the mother tree of perhaps the most popular cooking apple in the world.The original bramley apple tree, which grows in the garden of a cottage in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, is for sale, with the cottage put on the market by its owners, Nottingham Trent University. Continue reading...

Seven Republican state senators battle for re-election against candidates backed by Donald TrumpIndiana voters go to the polls today in a test of the Republican party's staying power after the party's state lawmakers resisted Donald Trump's bruising campaign to pressure them into redrawing the congressional districts.The vote has turned into a statewide referendum on political retribution. Continue reading...

Counter-terrorism officers investigating blaze at former synagogue in Tower HamletsCounter-terrorism police are investigating a fire at a former synagogue in Tower Hamlets, east London, the Metropolitan police have said.More details soon ... Continue reading...

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison agrees to sell 49% stake as it attempts to reshape its portfolio

WhatsApp group has bought tens of thousands of meals for people via Facebook pageCarl used to own pubs - several of them - and a string of hotels. Then two years ago, rising costs forced him into bankruptcy. Now he sleeps on the beach in summer, and in winter sits in an all-night McDonald's nursing a single cup of coffee.Carl's daughters are in a different part of the country with his ex-wife. To maintain the illusion that he lives a normal life, Carl is careful only to video-call them from the local Wetherspoon's with a meal and a drink carefully positioned in shot. That way, he reasons, he looks like a man with somewhere to be. Continue reading...

Robert Cyr Jr, a US navy airman, had gone missing in 1944 when his seaplane crashed in the Segond channelThe remains of a US military aviator who went missing after his crew crashed during the second world war were recovered and identified through DNA analysis and his family recently laid him to rest in Florida, according to officials.US navy airman Robert Cyr Jr's burial in Clearwater, Florida, brought to an end a decades-long saga that began on 22 January 1944, when he and eight fellow crewmates crashed while they were aboard a seaplane as it took off in the Segond channel in what is now the south Pacific's Republic of Vanuatu. Continue reading...

Broadcaster's lawyers say NSW police should reveal which officers accessed or downloaded material from Jones's phone

Lewis, 47, did not appear at first hearing since being charged over death of girl, 5, who was allegedly abducted from an Alice Springs town camp

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Reserve Bank of Australia raises cash rate for third consecutive meeting as governor says increases are not going to do anything for inflation' in next six months

Project to refurbish Angels' hailed huge success as dean says it will lift spirits and rekindle hope'Sam Kelly admitted there had been some nights of broken sleep as he led a two-year project to restore one of Salisbury Cathedral's treasures, a stained-glass window by Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris.It would be wrong to say I didn't lie awake sometimes," said the head glazier. You are working on something that is very precious and if it fell on the floor, it would be very bad." Continue reading...

Labor's 2026-27 budget shows $727m operating surplus for this financial year as debt forecast to soar by decade's end

In today's newsletter: With the use of facial recognition skyrocketing, there are calls for the rapid development of safeguardsGood morning. Over the last couple of days, the Guardian has been reporting that facial recognition technology is being rolled out across the UK at a pace that appears to be outstripping the rules designed to govern it. Police forces are increasingly using live systems to scan members of the public in real time, while retailers are deploying similar tools to identify suspected shoplifters.Advocates of the technology argue that facial recognition is effective and here to stay. Critics warn it risks creating a system where people are monitored - and sometimes wrongly flagged - without clear safeguards.Middle East crisis | Donald Trump has threatened that Iran will be blown off the face of the earth" if it attacks US vessels trying to reopen a route through the strait of Hormuz.Delivery industry | More than 7,000 Just Eat couriers are taking legal action against the food delivery company in an attempt to gain better employment rights, including the minimum wage and holiday pay.Europe | At the European Political Community summit in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, Keir Starmer has called on Europe to face up" to tensions with the Trump administration, as heads of government gathered to discuss the EU's loan scheme for Ukraine.UK news | Keir Starmer will call for a whole-of-society response to rising antisemitism on Tuesday, saying that it is not enough simply to condemn the scourge, but people must show it" through their actions too.Cost of living | Food prices are set to be 50% higher by November compared to 2021, according to research by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. Continue reading...

Foreign minister Penny Wong visits Fiji this week to progress the security and economic agreement