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Interest rates as high as 4.45% and a steep cut in next year's allowance fuel forecast of last-minute rush

Millions are dipping into savings or borrowing to get by as the Iran war drives up prices, survey showsThe Iran war has led to a surge in pessimism in the UK as half of households are already struggling to afford everyday essentials.The escalating conflict in the Middle East, which has driven the price of oil, gas, crop fertiliser and other raw materials sharply higher, threatens to cause another cost of living shock. Continue reading...

Four masked men entered Magnani Rocca Foundation villa, near Parma in northern Italy, and made off with artworksThieves stole paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse from a museum in Italy a week ago, police have said.Four masked men entered the villa of the Magnani Rocca Foundation, near Parma in northern Italy, and made off with the artworks on the night of 22 March, a police spokesperson said, confirming a report on the Rai television network. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia actively pursue regressive policies, watchdog findsGovernments in five EU member states are consistently and intentionally" eroding the rule of law, Europe's leading civil liberties group has warned, while democratic standards are deteriorating in six more, including historically strong democracies.Drawing on evidence from more than 40 NGOs in 22 countries, the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) described the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia as dismantlers" that were actively weakening the rule of law. Continue reading...

Charity believes Middle East crisis may lead to even busier spring and summer in 2026The number of people helped by RNLI lifeguards on the beaches of the UK and the Channel Islands doubled last year and the charity believes the Middle East crisis may lead to an even busier spring and summer in 2026.While RNLI lifeguards went to the aid of about 18,000 people in 2023 and 2024, this leapt to more than 35,000 in 2025, the spike put down to a combination of good weather and an increased interest in seaside pursuits. Continue reading...

Even after electoral disaster, Iran war gives many MPs pause for thought about timing of leadership contestA week after Labour's election victory in July 2024, officials at Labour HQ held their first crisis meeting about the May 2026 local elections.The party had just secured a 174-seat majority and already strategists were predicting it would be very tough, though none were assuming the prime minister's own position would be vulnerable. Continue reading...

Apology published in News Corp paper as part of agreed joint statement to resolve legal dispute over undercover' story, with Cairo also apologising to activist Ofir Birenbaum

Injecting $1.5bn via petrol subsidies into an inflated economy may change things for the Reserve Bank board at its next meeting

Anthony Albanese shares four-point plan after national cabinet and urges public transport usage

Dinesh Gourisetty has been called a pedophile supporter' for providing court reference for a friend convicted of sexually assaulting a child

This live blog has now closed. Our coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and the wider crisis in the Middle East continues hereIran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has condemned Israel's killing of three journalists in Lebanon on Saturday.On his Telegram, Araghchi said the killings amounted to targeted assassination" and flagrant violation of international law". He said they were a way of silencing the voices of those who tell the truth". Continue reading...

Tehran says it will confront any land attack, as Trump says regime's export hub on Kharg island could be taken very easily'

The factories, which buy cheap crude and turn it into fuel, are struggling as higher oil prices threaten their razor-sharp marginsThe towns that are the bulwark of China's energy security can, at a moment of global crisis, appear deceptively quiet. Trucks carrying oil trundle along wide-open highways that have little traffic, while a few boarded-up shops in crumbling low-rise buildings hint at a long-forgotten local buzz.A ramshackle noodle shop serving hand-pulled ribbons of dough was empty at lunchtime, save for a few construction workers and a teacher watching videos on Douyin, the social media platform, with his meal. Continue reading...

PM will also cite Iran war as reason to stick with Labour, as party adopts new slogan: Pride in Britain'Keir Starmer will say that a vote for Reform UK will put at risk progress Labour is making on the cost of living, arguing that Britain's values are being tested in a volatile world.Launching the party's local elections campaign with a new slogan: Pride in Britain", Starmer will urge voters to stay the course with Labour. A dire set of results are predicted for the party in Wales, Scotland and English councils, especially in the north-east of England and London. Continue reading...

Model posted pictures of herself naked and in her full power' to celebrate Mother's Day, before Meta took them down for breaching nudity guidelinesThe model Erin O'Connor has spoken out about the need for social media platforms to apply clearer, more context-sensitive guidelines" after Instagram repeatedly removed two nude photographs she had posted on Mother's Day, celebrating her heavily pregnant body.The photos - which were removed, reinstated and then removed again by the platform - were taken in 2014 when O'Connor, who is 48, was eight and half months' pregnant with her son Albert. Continue reading...

Health secretary still confident of success but critics say scrapping of NHS England has been a total car crash'

Fresh attacks on Red Sea shipping would be devastating - but the Iranian proxy has reasons to be cautiousThe true significance of the long-awaited entry of Yemen's Houthis into the Iran war depends on whether the Tehran-backed proxy group is intending to send a few missiles and drones from a distance towards Israel or will instead capitalise on its proximity to the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait to effectively close off the Red Sea to shipping, just as Iran has in effect shut the strait of Hormuz.The combined effect of both waterways being shut to commercial traffic from countries that neither the Iranians nor Houthis favour would be devastating. Napoleon Bonaparte's remark that the policy of a state lies in its geography" has never seemed more apt. Continue reading...

Conflict shows signs of entering new, more dangerous phase as additional 3,500 US troops arrive in the Middle EastUS lawmakers responded to reports that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, as thousands of US troops assemble in the Middle East and the conflict showed signs of entering a new, more dangerous phase.Officials told the Washington Post that a ground operation in Iran could be limited to raids by Special Operations forces and infantry troops, but it was unclear whether Donald Trump would approve any of the Pentagon's plans. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Health secretary's pledges in doubt as analysis shows health service will not deliver key improvementsThe NHS is set to miss key targets to shorten waiting times for help at A&E, cancer care and planned hospital treatment, leaving millions of patients facing persistently long delays.The health service in England will not deliver a series of milestone improvements in its performance that ministers demanded it achieve by the time the fiscal year ends on Tuesday, a Guardian analysis of the NHS's most recent data has found. Continue reading...

Weak and sick mammal has become stuck in shallow bays and experts say prognosis doesn't look good'The fate of a humpback whale stuck in shallow bays off Germany's Baltic coast hangs in the balance after it became stranded for a third time.The roughly 10-metre-long (33ft) mammal appeared weakened and sick on Sunday and was struggling to find a route back to the Atlantic when it ran into fresh difficulty. Continue reading...

Police say seven people sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries' and they are keeping an open mind about motives'A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a car struck several pedestrians on one of Derby's busiest streets.Derbyshire police said seven people were injured, sustaining a range of serious but not life-threatening injuries", in the incident in Friar Gate at about 9.30pm on Saturday. The force said that contrary to online speculation" there were no deaths.

Lebanese government calls the killings a blatant war crime' while Israel says primary target was a Hezbollah terrorist'

Exclusive: Pubs, restaurants and hotels warn of mounting pressure days before rates rises and higher wage bills take effectOne in five hospitality businesses fear collapse in the next 12 months, according to an industry-wide survey that comes days before rises in tax and employment costs kick in.From Wednesday, many pub, restaurant and hotel companies face the prospect of a higher bill for business rates paid to their local authority, while an increase in minimum wage thresholds takes effect on the same day. Continue reading...

Following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, gas prices, grocery bills and mortgage rates have all climbedThe US-Israel war against Iran has sent shockwaves through global markets, leaving many Americans grappling with a growing financial squeeze on everyday living costs.Following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran - prompting retaliatory attacks on US allies in the region and Iran's decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime passage - costs have surged across the US. Gas prices, in particular, have spiked sharply, with the national average rising by roughly 30% over the past month. Grocery bills, mortgage rates and fertilizer costs have also climbed. Continue reading...

Fossil-fuel burning at Ohio facility could burn longer, leaving Middletown residents to face environmental risks

Attendees at Conservative Political Action Conference express support and concerns amid rift over Trump's actionWherever you go, there you are, the saying goes. It was a lesson Donald Trump's Maga faithful may have been reminded of last week when they gathered in a convention center near Dallas for a revival of the president's political movement, only to find that there was no escape from the problems it faces.The annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is usually a place of optimism, if not, triumph. It was on its stage last year that Elon Musk pumped a chainsaw in the air amid his abortive foray into clear cutting government bureaucracy, and where JD Vance named undocumented immigration as the greatest threat" facing the United States and Europe. Trump is a regular, regaling the audience with lengthy monologues about his accomplishments. Continue reading...

Peaches, strawberries and grapes were almost always found to be contaminated with forever chemicals' in the analysis

Brent crude jumps 51% since start of March and gold suffers fifth-largest monthly fall in 50 years

Forthcoming rules mean debilitating conditions may not meet strict severe and lifelong' criteria, say charitiesHundreds of thousands of severely ill and disabled people making new claims will have their benefits cut if the government assesses that their condition might improve, charities have said.In April, the health element of universal credit - an extra payment for people assessed as too unwell to work or prepare for work - will be halved to 50 a week and frozen for new claimants unless their condition is found to be terminal or severe and lifelong with no prospect of improvement. Continue reading...

Sara Ziff, founder of Model Alliance, said business leaders need to be hauled before House oversight committeeA top modeling industry activist has called for business leaders to be hauled before lawmakers in Washington to investigate what role modeling agencies may have played in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal.Sara Ziff is founder of the Model Alliance, a non-profit advocacy group calling for fair treatment, labor rights and safe working conditions for fashion industry workers. Continue reading...

Five months after a ceasefire was announced in Gaza, airstrikes are still killing civilians and the humanitarian situation remains direThere is little left that connects Palestinians in Gaza with their prewar existence. The contours of life have become darker and far more brutal, as if the population has been stripped of its past.Drones never stop buzzing overhead, gunfire and shelling continue almost daily and naval boats fire towards fishermen," said 56-year-old Ahmed Baroud, a father of five displaced in Deir al-Balah. Continue reading...

Ban on junk food adverts has cut advertising spend and prompted a debate over the policy's impactThe UK will have its first Easter without the traditional barrage of TV ads for chocolate eggs and hot cross buns as the ban on junk food advertising makes the sweetest tradition of the year a sugar-free viewing experience.New regulations, which came into force at the beginning of the year, prohibit products high in fat, sugar and salt from appearing in TV ads before 9pm, as part of efforts to tackle rising childhood obesity. Continue reading...

Critical Western Australia agriculture region counting cost of brutal cyclone as flooding risk persists for low-lying communities

Conviction revealed during questioning of Rob Hastings about a second woman whom he deceived into intimate relationshipAn undercover officer who deceived a woman into an intimate relationship was later convicted and dismissed from the police for assaulting his long-term partner, the public inquiry into undercover policing has heard.Rob Hastings, who infiltrated pro-Palestinian and left wing protest groups for three years during his covert deployment, was convicted of assaulting his now ex-partner and mother of his three children in 2014. He was sacked by the Metropolitan police for gross misconduct as a result. Continue reading...

Moderate-backed Dinesh Gourisetty won nomination for upper house seat

Nigel Farage has called Tate an important voice' for young men and held back from criticising his misogynistic viewsReform insiders are becoming increasingly irritated by the party's association with Andrew Tate and other extreme online celebrities whose views are too toxic for the mainstream voters Nigel Farage needs to win over.Insiders have revealed that as Reform prepare for power they are trying to end their association with more controversial figures on the right such as Tate, whose extreme and misogynistic content could taint the party's credibility. Continue reading...

Islamabad is attempting high-wire diplomacy between US and Iran, but Israel could spoil any chance of successIntensifying Israeli bombing of civilian targets in Iran and an expanding US military force in the Gulf are casting a dark shadow over Pakistan's hopes of hosting peace talks between Iran and the US.Pakistan is attempting high-wire diplomacy, using its relative neutrality as a country with good relations with Iran and the US, to provide a venue for negotiations. It is not a player in the Middle East and does not host any American military bases, so it does not bring the baggage of other potential regional mediators. Continue reading...

Minister's decision to ditch town's colonial-era identity and honour anti-apartheid activist divides residentsA South African town is divided over changing its name from the colonial-era Graaff-Reinet to Robert Sobukwe, after the anti-apartheid activist, in a debate that has inflamed racial tensions.Petitions have been signed, rival marches held and a formal letter of complaint sent to the sports, arts and culture minister, Gayton McKenzie, who approved the name change on 6 February. Continue reading...

Allan government says measure is temporary as energy shock from Middle East conflict sees petrol prices soar

National Education Union poll finds 89% feel class sizes in England are too big to be properly inclusive'Oversized classes and inadequate staffing levels are hindering teachers' capacity to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), according to a large survey of state school teachers in England.Nine out of 10 (89%) of the 10,000 teachers who took part in the poll by the National Education Union (NEU), before its annual conference in Brighton which starts on Monday, said class sizes were too big to be properly inclusive". Continue reading...

Escalation represents dangerous spread of war and brings threat of even more damage to the global economy

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Vice-president received about 53% of votes at Conservative Political Action Conference held in Texas this yearOne of the biggest conservative gatherings in the US ran a poll showing vice-president JD Vance is the top choice this year to be the next Republican presidential candidate.The poll from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), released on Saturday, was taken during this year's gathering. About 53% of the more than 1,600 attendees who voted in the poll chose Vance, Reuters reports. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, came in second with 35%. Continue reading...

A 26-year old man died in a cell in Darwin on Saturday morning, and a 25 year-old man died in a police car on Tuesday

Conservative leader expected to call for government to lift suspension on licences in drive to reduce energy pricesKemi Badenoch is peddling a dangerous fantasy" about North Sea energy in her attempt to reverse a ban on new oil and gas licences, a leading campaign group has said.The Conservative leader is expected to call on the government to lift its suspension of the licences as part of a drive to reduce energy prices, as the party launches a new campaign aimed at boosting the fossil fuel sector. Continue reading...

Tolkan, known for portraying authoritarian figures, died peacefully' in Lake Placid, New York, his agent saidJames Tolkan, known for his roles as an authoritarian figure in the Back to the Future and Top Gun films, has died. He was 94.Tolkan died Thursday in Lake Placid, New York, where he lived, his booking agent, John Alcantar, said Saturday. A brief obituary published on the Back to the Future website said Tolkan died peacefully", but no cause of death was given. Continue reading...

Teenager alleged she faced racism from teacher who told her to go back to her country' for refusing to stand for pledge of allegianceA Palestinian middle school student in Michigan who was publicly admonished for refusing to stand for the pledge of allegiance as part of a personal protest against the war on Gaza has settled with her school district following a lawsuit around her first amendment free speech rights.The teenager, identified as DK in court documents, said she faced racism from a teacher at the West Middle school in Canton, Michigan, after she did not participate in the pledge. The teacher reportedly told DK to go back to her country", Fox 2 Detroit reported. Continue reading...

Treasury department said Financial Times article about Scott Bessent's views on Fed oversight was manufactured'The US treasury department demanded on Friday that the Financial Times (FT) retract a report on treasury secretary Scott Bessent's views on the Federal Reserve, accusing the newspaper of publishing false claims" in a formal complaint escalated to the outlet's parent company, Nikkei Inc.The email from treasury officials, addressed to senior editors at the FT and Nikkei, disputed multiple claims in the story and criticized the headline as misrepresenting the underlying reporting. Continue reading...

Thieves made a break for 413,793 units of the company's new F1 line bars which could cause shortage before EasterA large shipment of KitKat candy bars was stolen while in transit to distributors, a major candy crime right before the Easter holiday that could cause shortages for customers.The truck carrying 413,793 units of a new chocolate range", about 12 tons of chocolate bars, was pilfered while driving through Europe on 26 March, Agence France-Presse reported. Continue reading...