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Prime minister said his government had lobbied Canada to reconsider ruling that cafe could not import Vegemite

Lifesavers advised people to heed warnings and stay away from the coastline

Opposition leader also says his migration plan would prioritise tradies and not yoga teachers

Rumeysa Ozturk was taken by immigration officials over what her lawyers say was apparent retaliation for op-edA federal judge on Friday ordered that a Turkish Tufts University student detained by immigration authorities in Louisiana to be brought to Vermont by 1 May for a hearing over what her lawyers say was apparent retaliation for an op-ed piece she co-wrote in the student newspaper.US district judge William Sessions said he would hear Rumeysa Ozturk's request to be released from detention. Her lawyers had requested that she be released immediately, or at least brought back to Vermont. Continue reading...

Fire broke out during onboard cooking before wooden vessel capsized with 500 passengers aboardThe death toll from a boat fire and capsizing in the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this week has risen to 148 with more than 100 people still missing, officials said on Friday.About 500 passengers were on board the wooden boat when it capsized on Tuesday after catching fire on the Congo River in the country's north-west. Continue reading...

Jennifer Vasquez Sura relieved husband is alive but Trump officials say in mocking X post he is never coming back'

Venues to remain open until 1am as PM urges UK to come together to mark 80th anniversary on 8 MayPubs will be allowed to stay open until 1am to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the UK prime minister has announced.The government will allow pubs in England and Wales to close at 1am on 9 May to allow drinkers to continue celebrating into the early hours. Continue reading...

Death toll reportedly hits 80 with 150 wounded in deadliest attack since Washington launched its campaignUS military strikes on Yemen's Ras Isa fuel port have killed at least 80 people including civilians and rescue workers, according to the Houthi-run health ministry, in the deadliest attack since Washington launched its campaign against the Iran-backed militants.The rebels' Al-Masirah TV, citing local officials, said the toll from the strike had risen to 80 dead and 150 wounded". Continue reading...

Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez was detained for two days despite an attorney submitting certificate proving US birth

Site that once provided health information now includes criticism of Anthony Fauci, who led response to pandemic

Trump said he could stop war in 24 hours, but team appears daunted by negotiation with a lot of detail attached to it'One key to a successful negotiation is always being willing to walk away from the table. But it isn't clear whether the Trump administration has threatened to give up on a Russia-Ukraine peace deal as a negotiating tactic or simply because it lacks the concentration for a complicated negotiation - a shortcoming that has dogged the administration's foreign policy through its first three months in office.Standing on a tarmac in Paris, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, issued a threat that the US could simply move on" from mediating the biggest military conflict in Europe since the second world war. That would be the latest about-face for an administration that has already taken a back seat on negotiating a peace in Gaza and retreated on implementing worldwide tariffs that shook financial markets around the globe earlier this month. Continue reading...

Chancellor will push for deal that protects British car, steel and pharmaceutical industries amid tariff uncertaintyRachel Reeves will fly to Washington next week to meet her American counterpart for the first time, as the British government looks to intensify negotiations over a UK-US trade deal.The chancellor will be in the US from Tuesday to Friday for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund. At the heart of her visit, though, will be talks with the US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, whom British officials regard as one of their most likely allies in negotiating a deal. Continue reading...

Margaret Elaine Winn, 58, and Graeme Derek Winn, 65, died with Israeli woman and Italian driver of cable carTwo British tourists were among four people who died when a cable car crashed to the ground near Naples in southern Italy.Prosecutors in Torre Annunziata have opened an investigation into possible manslaughter charges after the crash on Thursday at Monte Faito, a peak about 28 miles (45km) south-east of Naples. Continue reading...

Stop Trump coalition to dust off blimp, hoping demonstrations will surpass those during US president's 2019 visitDonald Trump's second visit to the UK later this year will be disrupted by even bigger" protests than those that coincided with his state visit in his first term, campaigners have vowed.On Thursday Trump let slip that he expects to visit the UK in September, after Keir Starmer handed him a personal invitation from King Charles III during his visit to the White House in February. Continue reading...

Labour says move is hypocrisy since Greens support ban on no-fault evictions such as one served on Labour candidate and her familyA Green party council candidate is attempting to evict his Labour opponent from a house he owns using a no-fault notice, despite his party supporting a ban on exactly such kinds of eviction.William Pedley, who is standing for the Greens in the Victoria ward of North Northamptonshire council, has served a section 21 notice on his tenant and political rival Kelly Duddridge, who has lived in the property for 10 years. Continue reading...

Makers of triangular-shaped almond-and-honey-laced chocolate bar, said it had made difficult decision' to withdraw productMars Delight, Cadbury Dream and Rowntree's Texan are just some of the once beloved chocolate bars that have been discontinued over the years, and now after almost six decades the dark chocolate Toblerone is joining them in the confectionery graveyard.The triangular-shaped almond-and-honey-laced chocolate bar is a staple of supermarkets and airport duty-free shopping, but will be discontinued in the UK. Continue reading...

Enthusiasts gathering on Good Friday - renamed Carfreitag - face curbs on unauthorised tuning, illegal races and pollutionPolice in Germany have announced a crackdown on illegal racing and the unauthorised modification of cars as members of the so-called tuning scene meet across the country for the start of their annual season.The Good Friday holiday marking Christ's death on the cross, called Karfreitag in German - from the Old High German word kara, meaning sorrow - is otherwise known by the extreme car enthusiasts as Carfreitag (car Friday) for its unofficial gathering of the tuners" and car posers". Continue reading...

1.5bn of funding has been granted to transform a hospital into a neighbourhood designed for people to thrive as they ageFuturistic planning for spaces where people can age well and live in an area designed for them to grow old in is accelerating in the UK with a radical project backed by 1.5bn of funding.The plan to transform a hospital into the first neighbourhood in the country designed for people to thrive as they age will be a national testbed for holistic health and social care approaches. It will include hi-tech homes that adapt to occupants' life stage and care needs, transport, a village green and a social calendar to combat isolation. Continue reading...

We're not going to continue with this endeavour for weeks and months on end,' US secretary of state saysThe Kremlin said on Friday that some progress had already been made in talks about a possible peace settlement to end the war in Ukraine but that contacts were rather complicated with the United States.Contacts are quite complicated, because, naturally, the topic is not an easy one," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Russia is committed to resolving this conflict, ensuring its own interests, and is open to dialogue. We continue to do this." Continue reading...

Fatima Hassouna, who had been documenting war in Gaza for 18 months and was subject of new documentary, killed along with 10 members of her familyAs a young photojournalist living in Gaza, Fatima Hassouna knew that death was always at her doorstep. As she spent the past 18 months of war documenting airstrikes, the demolition of her home, the endless displacement and the killing of 11 family members, all she demanded was that she not be allowed to go quietly.If I die, I want a loud death," Hassouna wrote on social media. I don't want to be just breaking news, or a number in a group, I want a death that the world will hear, an impact that will remain through time, and a timeless image that cannot be buried by time or place." Continue reading...

Beijing rejects Ukrainian president's accusation as groundless' and says it is committed to ending the conflict

Man, 27, killed in French ski resort of Val Thorens as severe weather causes chaos across three Alpine countriesA 27-year-old British man has died after being swept away by an avalanche at the French ski resort of Val Thorens after unusually heavy storms across the Alps.The victim, who has not been named, was reportedly at the side of a road at the lower side of the town when he was struck by a wall of snow that carried him 15 metres (50 ft) down the mountain on Thursday morning. He was taken to hospital in Grenoble with cardiorespiratory failure but died in the evening. Continue reading...

Recalcitrance appears to be product of Trump White House's maximalist interpretation of executive powersFaced with a flurry of adverse court orders it would rather not follow, the Trump White House is increasingly deploying a strategy of claiming or even manufacturing its own uncertainty to dodge their effects without appearing to outright defy them.The Trump administration has faced several major legal setbacks in recent weeks, most notably in its efforts to deport illegal immigrants without due process under the Alien Enemies Act or in spite of protective orders. Continue reading...

There were suspicions, legal wheezes and a plan to divert a ship to Gibraltar to seize cargo, as ministers' anxieties roseBy next weekend, a cargo ship carrying more than 50,000 tonnes of coking coal from Australia will dock at Immingham. In other circumstances, its arrival would be unremarkable. But the moment Navios Alegria reaches the Lincolnshire port will be the culmination of the government's high-wire act to keep the UK's last steel furnaces running.MPs were recalled from their Easter recess last Saturday to pass emergency legislation handing the government control over British Steel, which operates Britain's last two blast furnaces capable of producing steel from scratch using coke and iron ore. Continue reading...

Retailers and food producers offer to help efforts to reduce unnecessary red tape' costing industry billions of poundsMore than a dozen of Britain's biggest retailers and food producers, including Marks & Spencer, J Sainsbury and Asda, have called on the EU to reduce checks on food and drink crossing the Channel and Irish Sea, which they say are costing billions of pounds.Ahead of a summit on 19 May that is hoped to reset" trade ties five years on from Brexit, they are urging politicians to hammer out a deal on sanitary and phytosanitary checks. They hope this would include a veterinary agreement and would harmonise food safety rules or recognise them as equivalent. Continue reading...

Militant group says it will not accept deal without guarantee of end to Gaza war or full withdrawal of Israeli troops

Exclusive: Head of Fire Brigades Union calls for statutory body to set national standards amid fears for public safety

Man behind puzzle and pigeon bags, who transformed Loewe, brings buzz to French house as creative directorJonathan Anderson, the designer who brought success, cool and viral fame to the Spanish label Loewe during his 11-year reign, has been announced as the new creative director of Christian Dior's menswear collection. Taking over from Kim Jones, Anderson's first show for the brand will take place in Paris in June.While this is confirmation of news that fashion insiders were long aware of, it will definitely bring new buzz to Christian Dior. Anderson, now 40, has become something of a unicorn in the industry, a designer with boundless energy and ideas who is able to create distinctive and original designs but also sell clothes. Continue reading...

One woman managed to get back to shore after three washed into water near George Bass coastal walk south of Melbourne

People in poorer areas feel frustrated rubbish piles up during strikes, while wealthy households pay for removalIt's very frustrating that the posh areas get cleared and we're just left, very frustrating but we expect it," said Peter Thomas, outside his home in Ladywood, against a backdrop of overflowing bins.Across neighbouring postcodes in Birmingham, the gap between wealthy and deprived parts of the city has been noticeable for residents ever since the bin strikes began last month. Continue reading...

This week, Harvard University, the oldest and wealthiest in the US, defied Donald Trump a list of demands. The Trump administration responded by freezing $2.2bn in federal funding for the Ivy League school.This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Harvard professor Ryan Enos to consider why the university is pushing back, how far this fight may go and why other universities are watching closelyArchive: ABC News, Bloomberg News, CBS News, CNN, National Conservatism, NBC News, Scripp News Continue reading...

Study shows women today are happier being women - but getting up to go to work remains as punishing as everThe mundane tasks of everyday life, such as homework after school and household chores at the weekend, may not have changed in the past 80 years, but societal attitudes towards them could not be more different.A study by the Policy Institute at King's College London (KCL), comparing public attitudes now and in the 1930s and 40s, reveals how significantly views on everyday life in Britain have shifted over the decades. Continue reading...

Palestinians trying to access Christianity's holiest sites in the Old City of Jerusalem face restrictions and hostilityAs the bells rang out across the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the priests began to sing a deep, low prayer. Heads bowed over candles, and escorted by people bearing aloft large gold crosses, they made their way to a platform at the heart of the ancient square.The ceremony on Holy Thursday, in which the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem washes the feet of 12 monastic priests to commemorate the Last Supper, is one of many Easter rituals that have taken place in the Old City of Jerusalem for hundreds of years. For Christians, there is no holier place to commemorate Easter than here, the site where they believe Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected. Continue reading...

PM focuses on threat from across the border as most polls show his Liberals leading Pierre Poilievre's Conservative party in tight raceCanada's prime minister, Mark Carney, faced sustained attacks from his Conservative rival at an election debate on Thursday but the Liberal leader sought to focus attention on what he calls Canada's top threat: Donald Trump, the US president.Most opinion polls show Pierre Poilievre's Conservative party trailing Carney's Liberals ahead of the 28 April vote for Canada's federal government. Continue reading...

Death toll, if confirmed, would make strikes on Ras Isa port one of the deadliest in month-long US campaignUS airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi rebels killed 33 people and wounded 80 others, Houthi-run media said early on Friday, which if confirmed would mark one of the deadliest days of a campaign launched under US President Trump that has involved hundreds of strikes since 15 March.The strikes hit the Ras Isa oil port and were intended to deprive the rebels of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years", the US military's Central Command said. Continue reading...

Woman's two sons in hospital with one in induced coma, as police say they strongly believe' kidnapping was targeted

Under new rules, per tonnage or per container fees will apply to each Chinese-linked ship's US voyageThe United States has unveiled new port fees on Chinese-built and operated ships in a bid to boost the domestic shipbuilding industry and curb China's dominance in the sector.The move - which stems from a probe launched under the prior administration - comes as the US and China are locked in a major trade war over President Donald Trump's tariffs and could further escalate tensions. Continue reading...

The FDA labs that test food to prevent illness have been affected by wider health and human services staff cutsThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is suspending a quality-control program for its food-testing laboratories as a result of staff cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to an internal email seen by Reuters.The proficiency testing program of the FDA's Food Emergency Response Network is designed to ensure consistency and accuracy across the agency's network of about 170 labs that test food for pathogens and contaminants to prevent food-borne illness. Continue reading...

Transport department claims decision to take over project will save taxpayers approximately $120m'The head of the US Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that the Trump administration would be taking over the reconstruction of Penn Station in New York, removing it from the care of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).Alongside the transportation department, Amtrak - which is federally funded - will now helm the project. Continue reading...

Senior diplomats set to meet again in London next week after very productive' Paris summit to revive stalled effortsSenior US, European and Ukrainian diplomats will meet again in London next week, the Elysee Palace has said, after what a French official described as an excellent" day of talks in Paris aimed at reviving stalled ceasefire efforts.We have started a positive process in which Europeans are a part," the spokesperson said after the meetings attended by top British, French, German and Ukrainian officials as well as the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. Continue reading...

Activists had called for boycotting the company after it announced a roll back of diversity, equity and inclusion effortsOn Thursday morning, the Rev Al Sharpton met with Brian Cornell, the Target CEO, to discuss the fallout from the company's decision to walk back its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts earlier this year. The meeting happened in New York at Sharpton's National Action Network (NAN) headquarters, and also included the NAN national board chair Dr W Franklyn Richardson and the NAN senior adviser Carra Wallace.In January, activists in Minnesota called for a boycott of Target following the Minneapolis-based company's decision to eliminate their DEI initiatives. Though Sharpton, one of the most prominent civil-rights activists in the US, did not directly call for a Target boycott, he supported the efforts of others to boycott, and, prior to the meeting, indicated that he would be open to calling for such an action depending on how the meeting went. Continue reading...

One person seriously injured after accident at Monte Faito near NaplesFour people have died and one is seriously injured after a cable car crashed to the ground near Naples in southern Italy on Thursday.A cable broke on the link taking tourists from the town of Castellammare di Stabia, on the Gulf of Naples, to Monte Faito, about three kilometres(1.8 miles) away. Continue reading...

Streaming firm reported a $10.54bn revenue in first quarter, though analysts say consumers could reconsider spendingNetflix exceeded Wall Street expectations for quarterly results and offered a bullish revenue outlook on Thursday, signaling confidence amid the economic uncertainty surrounding Donald Trump's erratic tariff plans.Netflix reported revenue of $10.54bn for the first quarter, edging past analysts' estimates of $10.52bn, according to data compiled by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). Shares of the company were roughly flat in after-hours trading at $970.10. Continue reading...

Two people injured after man took control of plane at knifepoint before being shot by another passengerA US man has been shot dead after hijacking a small passenger plane and injuring two passengers in the Caribbean nation of Belize.Fourteen passengers were onboard the aircraft when the hijacker, identified as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, took control of the flight at knifepoint. Two passengers were injured, including one who was stabbed in the back. Continue reading...

US president says deal will happen but we are in no rush'; Trump and aide send mixed signals of progress on Ukraine minerals dealAs we await further updates from the talks taking place at the Elysee, let me bring you some other stories from around Europe.Meanwhile, Russia's top economic negotiator claimed that some countries were trying to derail" Moscow's talks with the United States, as the two sides work towards normalising ties. Continue reading...

Coroner calls for action to avoid future deaths after four killed by drivers with failing eyesight in northern EnglandAn inquest into the deaths of four people killed by drivers with failing eyesight in northern England has found enforcement of visual legal standards for motorists is ineffective and unsafe".The HM senior coroner for Lancashire, Dr James Adeley, has sent a report to the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, calling for action to be taken to prevent future deaths. Continue reading...

Trump praises Italian PM and accepts invitation that could present chance to meet other European leadersGiorgia Meloni said Donald Trump had accepted her invitation for an official trip to Rome, as the pair met in Washington in an attempt by the Italian prime minister to bridge the gap between the EU and US amid trade tariff tensions.Meloni said Trump's trip could happen in the near future" and could present an opportunity for him to meet other European leaders. Continue reading...

Exclusive: backbenchers may be allowed to abstain, a major climbdown from previous votes when rebels were suspended from the partyMinisters are scrambling to avoid a damaging rebellion this summer when MPs vote on controversial cuts to disability benefit payments, even offering potential rebels the chance to miss the vote altogether.The government is due to hold a vote in June and dozens of Labour MPs are worried it will hurt their constituents and could cost them their seats. Continue reading...

Aix-Marseille University generates interest amid a US crackdown and calls for a scientific refugee' statusNearly 300 academics have applied to a French university's offer to take in US-based researchers rattled by the American government's crackdown on academia, as a former French president called for the creation of a scientific refugee" status for academics in peril.Earlier this year, France's Aix-Marseille University was among the first in Europe to respond to the funding freezes, cuts and executive orders unleashed on institutions across the US by Donald Trump's administration. Continue reading...