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Markets spooked as US president appears willing to keep up naval blockade and Iran keeps Hormuz strait all but shut

Move comes as airline industry reacts to uncertainty over Iran war and increase in price of Brent crude

Amber Davidson-Orozco said the family had lost Dodger, their cat, during their move out of CaliforniaA family cat who got lost amid a move from California across the US is said to be settling back into his old ways with his humans at their new home in Georgia after experiencing an unlikely - but long hoped for - reunion more than seven years in the making.As owner Amber Davidson-Orozco put in an interview Wednesday, her cat Dodger still responds to his name and allows her sons to flip him playfully over their shoulders despite an absence from them that to the cat lasted the equivalent of roughly 24 years. Continue reading...

Mother of Kumanjayi Little Baby, whose body was found after five-day search near Alice Springs, says it's going to be so hard to live the rest of our lives without you' Warning: This article contains references to Indigenous Australians who have died

Media tycoon honoured in absentia as critics decry his 20-year sentence under national security lawThe jailed media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai has been awarded Deutsche Welle's freedom of speech award for his contribution to Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement.The German public broadcaster said on Thursday that Lai would be presented in absentia with the 12th iteration of the award on 23 June at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn. Continue reading...

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Former deputy PM has walked a line between loyalty and interventionism since resigning last SeptemberIt is nearly eight months since Angela Rayner quit the cabinet because of her tax arrangements, but some might argue her influence on the government has not gone away. And soon she might return, whether as Keir Starmer's saviour or, perhaps, his usurper.There is increasing speculation that the prime minister could carry out a small-scale reshuffle, primarily to bring back Rayner, his former deputy and one of Labour's political heavyweights. Continue reading...

Fadi Saqr is accused of mass killings of civilians in Tadamon, Damascus, where people say he must face justiceA Syrian rights commission is preparing a case accusing Fadi Saqr, a militia leader within the Assad regime, of involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes, a senior Syrian official has told the Guardian.Saqr is a former commander of the National Defence Forces (NDF) militia and is widely accused of involvement in the mass killing and forcible disappearance of civilians in the Tadamon neighbourhood of Damascus, as well as other parts of the Syrian capital. Continue reading...

WPP accused of breaching its climate policy after report reveals firm linked to twice as much oil advertising as US rivalsA British advertising conglomerate has helped the oil companies ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and BP spend an estimated $1.5bn (1.1bn) on adverts in the US since the 2015 Paris agreement to tackle the climate crisis, a report shows.London-based WPP was the leading advertising group serving the US's oil industry over the past decade, according to analysis by the climate investigations platform DeSmog. The figure is nearly twice the respective amounts linked to its US rivals Omnicom and Interpublic Group (IPG), which merged in November. Continue reading...

Some travellers spent hours in lines at airport, with kiosks not working, little seating and few staff on hand to helpSome travellers passing through the new EU entry-exit system (EES) have faced huge delays at border checks, with some waiting for up to three hours, airports say.The new rules have gradually been introduced in Europe since October 2025, and came into effect on Friday in the Schengen countries - 25 of the EU's 27 states plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Continue reading...

Consumer insight tracker shows 85% are worried about food prices and a majority think the economy will deteriorateThree million UK households are being forced to skip meals as consumers resort to drastic measures to deal with rising costs, according to a Which? report published on Thursday.The conflict in the Middle East and subsequent surge in oil and raw material prices has led to businesses preparing to raise prices, putting more pressure on household finances and hitting consumer confidence. Continue reading...

Learn Cornish launched few months after language given new level of protectionListeners tuning in to the BBC's latest podcast offering on Friday may find themselves saying dydh da to a language that is enjoying something of a resurgence. The new programme called Learn Cornish will be fronted by the Radio 1 host Danni Diston and includes guests such as the Bafta-winning director Mark Jenkin.Diston, who is from north Cornwall, said that she initially did not know any Cornish other than small words that I've learned growing up and mainly dialect ... [but] the idea would be to learn alongside other people". She will be joined by co-presenter Sarah Buck, a fluent Kernewek speaker, throughout the weekly episodes that are designed to introduce basic phrases in the Cornish language. Continue reading...

Elusive nightingale doing well' at Northward Hill, Kent, but experts cite concerns around loss of habitatThe dawn chorus at RSPB Northward Hill in Kent is a riot of sound: the melodic robin, the two-tone cuckoo, the whitethroat's scratchy warble. Even the garbling geese and mooing cows from the neighbouring Thames marshes add to the symphony.But in late April one energetic singer hogs the limelight. For a few weeks after arriving from West Africa, the nightingale spends the night - and early morning - in complex song. As it searches for a mate and marks its territory, its song is at times as sweet and tuneful as a soul singer, at others as frantic as a car alarm. Continue reading...

The Pitch Perfect star is being sued for defamation by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actor of Wilson's directorial debut, The Deb

Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslims said poor mental health made him admit to crimesThe Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 has been prevented from appealing against his guilty pleas, after one of New Zealand's highest courts said his bid was utterly devoid of merit".Brenton Tarrant, who is responsible for the worst mass shooting in New Zealand's history, asked the court of appeal in February to allow him to appeal against his guilty pleas, claiming harsh prison conditions had affected his mental health and compelled him to admit to the crimes. Continue reading...

Interim report contains 14 recommendations, after inquiry examined agencies' actions before the attack in which 15 people were killed

Treasurer tells Commonwealth Bank podcast that he aims to recognise the decisions that people have taken in the past'

Painting by self-taught artist was chosen by Art Gallery of NSW staff who hang finalists for exhibition, ahead of main prize announcement on 8 May

Indictment accuses high-level officials in Sinaloa of offences such as drug trafficking, weapons offences and kidnappingThe US justice department has charged the governor of Sinaloa and nine other current and former officials for alleged ties to the Sinaloa cartel, accusing them of aiding in the massive importation of illicit narcotics into the United States .Some officials were members of Mexico's progressive ruling party, Morena, posing a political conundrum for Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum as she seeks to offset mounting pressures from the Trump administration. Continue reading...

Human rights commissioner says alleged jailing highlights the growing risks of transnational repression' in Australia

US president's threat comes after Germany's Friedrich Merz suggests Trump team is being outplayed in its negotiations with IranThe US may reduce its number of troops deployed in Germany, Donald Trump has announced, days after the country's chancellor said America was being humiliated" by Iran.In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said his administration was studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time". Continue reading...

Actor and presenter broke his hip, right leg, pelvis and ribs when he gave a talk at CogX festival at O2 Arena in 2023Stephen Fry is suing two companies that organised a tech conference where he was injured in 2023 after falling off the stage, high court documents show.The actor and presenter broke his hip and had multiple breaks in his right leg, pelvis and ribs when he attended the CogX festival at the O2 Arena, where he delivered a talk on artificial intelligence on 14 September 2023. Continue reading...

HAYI has taken responsibility for a string of incidents targeting Jewish sites, but investigators say the latest claim may be opportunistic rather than state-backed

People with meniscus tears who underwent surgery had poorer knee function and worse osteoarthritis after 10 years than those who did notA common knee surgery for cartilage damage does not benefit patients and may lead to worse outcomes, a 10-year trial suggests.The study tracked outcomes for patients treated for a meniscus tear, who were given a partial meniscectomy, one of the most common orthopaedic surgeries. Their trajectories were compared with patients who had randomly been assigned to receive sham surgery", in which no procedure was carried out. Continue reading...

Decision gives mapmakers in Republican states power to crack districts into pieces and dilute votes into oblivionThe Voting Rights Act was a political peace compact written in John Lewis's blood.The Callais v Landry decision by the US supreme court, which set aside much of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, whitewashed that blood from history, along with that of thousands of other Americans who fought segregationist white supremacists at lunch counters and bus stations and courthouses for political equality. Continue reading...

Chair planned to exit after inquiry into building renovations but will now oversee remaining steps in the process'

As defense secretary testifies before House, Trump posts AI-generated image of himself with weapon and caption: NO MORE MR. NICE GUY'

Russian president welcomed decision to extend Iran ceasefire in what US president said was a very good conversation'Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed the war in Iran and floated a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine in a phone call on Wednesday.In the call, which lasted more than 90 minutes, the Russian president said Moscow viewed the prospect of a US ground operation in Iran as dangerous, while welcoming Trump's decision to extend a ceasefire in the region, according to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy adviser. Continue reading...

Sophie Corcoran challenging 10,000 Interns Foundation, which works with people from under-represented groupsAn influencer is taking a charity that organises internships for black and minority ethnic people to court because they do not organise schemes for white people.Sophie Corcoran, a GB News commentator, applied to a programme the 10,000 Interns Foundation was running with the Bar Council. She said she was shocked to discover that the scheme is restricted to applicants of a particular racial background". Continue reading...

Nine justices were hearing Trump administration that it has authority to strip immigrants' temporary protected statusThe US supreme court heard oral arguments on Wednesday over whether the Trump administration can strip the temporary protected status (TPS) of hundreds of thousands of immigrant Haitians and Syrians, under a program that has shielded them from deportation owing to safety concerns in their countries of origin.During the arguments, justices in the conservative-leaning majority appeared sympathetic to the Trump administration's attempts to strip humanitarian protections for the Syrians and Haitians in this case. Continue reading...

PM chairs Cobra meeting after condemning appalling antisemitic attack'; man with history of serious violence and mental health issues' arrestedSpecialist officers from Counter Terrorism Policing are leading the investigation and working with police to establish the full circumstances and any links to terrorism, the Met said in a statement.Head of counter terrorism policing Laurence Taylor said:Whilst I must stress this investigation is at an early stage, we are working quickly to understand exactly what happened.Thank you to those who were in the area at the time and supported the response to this terrible incident.Our thoughts are with the victims of this horrific attack. We are grateful to officers who swiftly Tasered and arrested the suspect before he could cause further harm.We are aware of the significant distress and concern this incident is likely to cause in the face of a number of incidents in the local area. A suspect is in custody, and investigators are considering all possible motives.An investigation is under way and a man has been arrested following a stabbing incident in Barnet.At 11:16hrs on Wednesday 29 April, officers responded following reports of people stabbed in Highfield Avenue. Continue reading...

Former FBI director indicted over social media post from last year of seashells arranged into 86 47'

Housing secretary and housing minister latest to criticise idea, which has also been ruled out by No 10Senior ministers have poured scorn on the idea of freezing private sector rents for a year, less than 48 hours after the Guardian revealed Rachel Reeves was considering it.Steve Reed, the housing secretary, and Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, became the latest government figures to criticise the idea, which has since been ruled out by No 10. Continue reading...

Blockade threat in vital strait and Trump's stance lift crude, pushing pump prices to highest level since 2022

England's higher education regulator must rebuild trust with troubled sector after series of blunders under previous leadershipIn its brief and unhappy life, England's Office for Students has been offered a series of challenges it has largely failed to meet. This week the latest and most embarrassing of those was unveiled when the high court decisively rejected the higher education watchdog's attempts to fine the University of Sussex more than 500,000 for regulatory failings relating to Kathleen Stock's time as an academic at Sussex.Stock quit Sussex in 2021, saying she felt ostracised and targeted for her views on gender identity and transgender rights. Here was the highest profile test case that the OfS had seen: a subject of enormous controversy and sensitivity, involving key issues of academic freedom and freedom of speech. But as we now know from Mrs Justice Lieven's ruling, in its rush to intervene, the OfS managed to tie together its own shoelaces. Continue reading...

Assailant reportedly hunting for anyone visibly Jewish' in suspected antisemitic attack in north LondonPolice are treating the stabbing of two men in Golders Green, north London as terrorism, with the suspect described as hunting for anyone visibly Jewish" to attack.The stabbings happened just after 11am on Wednesday with the violence coming after a series of arson attacks on Jewish targets in London since March, including two previous incidents in Golders Green. Continue reading...

Justices in unanimous decision revive federal suit brought by anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers' in the state

Angel Mateos Gonzalez due to play for CD Colunga, making him oldest player to take part in official matchAt an age when many veteran footballers might prefer to be regaling grandchildren, friends and assorted barflies with slightly embroidered tales of their former sporting prowess, 70-year-old Angel Mateos Gonzalez is heading back on to the pitch.The Spaniard, who retired from competitive football 27 years ago, is due to play in goal for the Asturian team CD Colunga in a fifth-tier match this Sunday. If all goes to plan and he pulls on his gloves, he will reportedly become the oldest player to take part in an official match in Spain. Continue reading...

Farage was given 5m by the Thai-based billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before announcing he would stand in the 2024 general election

Justices rule in landmark decision Louisiana must redraw congressional map, largely killing major civil rights law

Fishing companies can also access subsidies in loosening of state aid rules to cover fuel and fertiliser price rises

About 500 officers deployed as part of operation at headquarters of Ahmadi Religion of Peace and LightPolice have raided the headquarters of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light following an investigation into allegations of serious sexual offences, modern slavery and forced marriage.About 500 officers drawn from across the north-west of England were on the ground on Wednesday morning. Police confirmed nine people had been arrested in relation to the investigation and were being held in custody. Continue reading...

The fuel crisis is seeing more voters keen to shift to renewable energy rather than stick with fossil fuels

Bank says it has withdrawn proceedings against former Telegraph owners Aidan and Howard Barclay at high courtThe former owners of the Telegraph have avoided bankruptcy after reaching an 11th-hour agreement with HSBC over more than 140m in overdue debts.At a high court hearing on Tuesday, a lawyer for Europe's biggest bank said it was seeking to dismiss the petitions against Aidan and Howard Barclay, whose family lost control of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph in 2023 over 1.16bn of unpaid debts owed to Lloyds Bank. Continue reading...

Ursula von der Leyen later due to meet new Hungarian leader who is seeking to unlock EU funds in return for reformsAFP is reporting that so far, officials in Brussels are hopeful that Peter Magyar - who once served under Viktor Orban, before turning on his former boss - will genuinely launch a new chapter in ties.But wary of celebrating too soon, they insist they need to see concrete moves and not just kind words.A huge mandate, a strong mandate, a great responsibility!We know our task: we will bring home the EU funds that Hungarians are entitled to. More soon." Continue reading...

Government request follows contingency planning to stop planes being grounded if Iran war supply shocks continue

Four years after president's pledge, his would-be successors are divided on how to tackle rising guerrilla attacksThe landmark 2016 peace deal between the Colombian government and the largest insurgent army in Latin America succeeded in some ways: the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) agreed to lay down their weapons, and the violence that had racked the country was substantially reduced.But the deal alone could not end the decades-long armed conflict for good. Subsequent administrations slow-walked the implementation of the settlement, which was rejected by Farc dissidents and other rebel factions. Continue reading...

New lawsuits allege employees urged company to notify authorities months before deadly Tumbler Ridge attackFamilies of seven victims of a mass shooting at a secondary school in British Columbia are suing OpenAI and the company's CEO for negligence after it failed to alert authorities to the shooter's troubling conversations with ChatGPT.The lawsuits, filed on Wednesday in a federal court in San Francisco, allege that the violent intentions of the shooter, identified as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, were well-known to OpenAI. Employees at the company flagged the shooter's account eight months before the attack and determined that it posed a credible and specific threat of gun violence against real people", according to the lawsuit. Continue reading...

Leader mentions for first time lengths to which troops go to avoid falling into enemy hands while fighting for RussiaKim Jong-un has praised North Korean soldiers who blew themselves up with grenades in order to avoid capture while fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia's western Kursk region, confirming the existence of the extreme battlefield policy.Mounting evidence, including from intelligence reports and testimonies of defectors, has indicated North Korean soldiers are explicitly told to resort to self-detonation or other forms of suicide to avoid falling into enemy hands. Continue reading...

Bank expects its base case for GDP growth to be 0.5% this year, lower than IMF's 0.8% prediction for Britain