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UK's biggest supermarket voices caution for year ahead despite annual profits rising 8.5% to 2.4bn

Resignation announced of Jai Patel, whose liquidated crypto firm was relaunched as Stack BTC this yearThe chief executive of a bitcoin company promoted by Nigel Farage has left his role as the venture attempts to convince investors that it is going to deliver long-term value" for shareholders.Stack BTC was launched to much fanfare in March this year, with Farage and former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng becoming some of its first shareholders. The company says its founder is Paul Withers, a friend of the Reform UK leader who owns a gold bullion company that Farage has also promoted, Direct Bullion. Continue reading...

Map reveals most severe concentrations of ammonia emissions, which are dangerous to health and environmentAmmonia pollution hotspots have been identified in areas with some of the greatest numbers of intensive pig and poultry farms in Britain, research has revealed.A new map for the first time reveals the most severe concentrations of ammonia emissions are clustered in Lincolnshire, Herefordshire and Norfolk. These regions all have a high density of intensive poultry and pig units that drive dangerous levels of ammonia, according to researchers from Compassion in World Farming (CiWF) and Sustain. Continue reading...

Electoral commission to recount votes in electorate of Narungga after Chantelle Thomas won the seat at the March state election

Court finds law - which effectively meant protesters could not march without risk of arrest - is unconstitutional

Transfer of medical services from hospital to former Wilko store is improving healthcare access and boosting footfallIt is a revolution that might just save the NHS - and the high street. Imagine being able to have your eyes tested, mole examined or get an appointment with a consultant without going to your local hospital - and maybe fit in some shopping or a cinema visit afterwards.That, increasingly, is what people in Barnsley are doing after an unprecedented relocation of medical services from the district general hospital into a purpose-built outpatients centre in the Alhambra shopping centre, which is getting a new lease of life thanks to the experiment. Continue reading...

More landlords having to cut prices to secure tenants, Rightmove data showsAverage private rents have stopped rising in Great Britain after almost a decade of increases, as more landlords cut their prices to secure a tenant, data shows.The typical advertised private rent outside London for properties coming on to the market remained flat at 1,370 a calendar month in the first three months of 2026, according to the property website Rightmove. Continue reading...

Missile and drone attacks on the port city of Odesa killed six people, with other fatalities recorded in Kyiv and DniproRussian strikes killed at least 12 people in Ukraine, local authorities have said, after Moscow pummelled its neighbour in overnight attacks.Missile and drone attacks on the southern port city of Odesa killed six people, the head of the city's military administration, Sergiy Lysak, wrote on Telegram on Thursday. Continue reading...

Energy crisis unfolding in Middle East has added political urgency, and more funding, to transform South Korea's solar industryIn Guyang-ri, a farming village of 70 households about 90 minutes south-east of Seoul, people gather for communal free lunches six days a week. The meals are funded by the village's one-megawatt solar installation, which generates roughly 10m won ($6,800) in net profit each month.Residents eat lunch together every day, so we see each other's faces, talk together," says Jeon Joo-young, the village chief. Bonds and solidarity between residents become much stronger. Life becomes more enjoyable." Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. Our latest full report is here: US and Iran in indirect talks to extend two-week ceasefireDonald Trump said the special relationship" between the US and UK was in a poor state but that it will not have impact on King Charle's upcoming state visit to America.In an interview with Sky News, the US president once again criticised Keir Starmer over his policies, particularly on energy and immigration, and reiterated his disappointment that the UK and other Nato allies had not joined his war against Iran when the US needed them". Continue reading...

Exclusive: John Sidoti wins cheers and applause at re-election fundraiser for his successor

Company has received about 8.7bn in renewable energy subsidies since 2012, despite claims wood pellets are not sourced sustainablyThe owner of the Drax power plant in North Yorkshire received record subsidies of almost 1bn for burning trees to generate electricity in 2025, a climate thinktank has calculated.The company was paid 999m last year for generating about 4.5% of Great Britain's electricity from its biomass plant, costing each household 13 a year, according to analysts at Ember. Continue reading...

Proceedings brought to halt as protesters condemn Russ Vought for slashing Pepfar program amid sweeping aid cutsProtesters decrying delays to funding in the battle against HIV/Aids charged into a congressional hearing where the Trump administration's budget czar, Russell Vought, was testifying in Washington on Wednesday.The demonstrators disrupted the proceedings on Capitol Hill and twice brought the hearing to a halt. Continue reading...

Scheme cutting bills by up to 25% expanded to cover 10,000 firms, but they will not be paid until next yearRachel Reeves has announced an expansion of support for the most energy-intensive UK businesses, as they face soaring bills as a result of the Middle East conflict.The chancellor said the long-promised British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) would be expanded to cover 10,000 companies, up from the 7,000 originally announced. Continue reading...

Suit alleges the billionaire's AI company is illegally spewing toxic pollutants from its datacenter in the Memphis areaA new lawsuit accuses Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company of illegally spewing toxic pollutants into residential neighborhoods on the border of Tennessee and Mississippi.The suit, filed on Tuesday in Mississippi federal court, alleges xAI is violating the Clean Air Act due to emissions from its makeshift power plant in Southaven, Mississippi, which powers its datacenter there. The NAACP, represented by environmental groups Southern Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice, says xAI has been polluting areas with homes, schools and churches, including in historically Black communities, by using dozens of methane gas generators without permits. Continue reading...

Woman, 47, and man, 46, held on suspicion of arson endangering life after attempted Finchley attackA 47-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of arson endangering life after an attempted attack on a synagogue in Finchley, north London, as part of an investigation into what the Metropolitan police described as an antisemitic hate crime".The force said the woman was arrested at an address in Watford just after 4.45pm on Wednesday, while the man was arrested at 7.15pm in the Watford area. Both suspects remain in police custody. Continue reading...

Verdict in states' lawsuit says concert giant stifled competition, raising pressure for changes to ticketing marketA jury has found that concert giant Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary had a harmful monopoly over big concert venues, dealing the company a loss in a lawsuit over claims brought by dozens of US states.A Manhattan federal jury deliberated for four days before reaching its decision Wednesday in the closely watched case, which gave fans the equivalent of a backstage pass to a business that dominates live entertainment in the US and beyond. Continue reading...

The S&P breached 7,000 points for the first time in history, in a rally that erased stark losses incurred at start of warWall Street scaled a fresh all-time high on Wednesday amid growing optimism among investors that the US-Israel war on Iran will soon be over.The benchmark S&P 500 breached 7,000 points for the first time in history, after climbing 0.8% over the course of the day, finishing at 7,022.95. The tech-heavy Nasdaq also rose 1.6% to 24,016.02, its own record high, while the Dow Jones industrial average remained broadly flat. Continue reading...

Commons rejects proposal by 256 to 150 to side with government on plan to tackle online harms affecting children

Met seeking two suspects and says overnight incident in Finchley being treated as antisemitic hate crimeA suspected attempted firebomb attack on a north London synagogue was a bid to intimidate British Jews, a leader at the place of worship has said, vowing that they will continue to work to build bridges".The Metropolitan police said a manhunt was under way after two people wearing dark clothing and balaclavas" approached Finchley Reform Synagogue (FRS) just after midnight on Wednesday and threw a brick and two bottles suspected to contain petrol at the building. Continue reading...

MPs and peers say pitting defence and welfare against each other risks losing public support for increased spending on the militarySenior Labour figures have warned that Rachel Reeves must find alternative ways to increase military spending rather than slashing welfare, saying it risks public support for investment in defence.Pressure has been mounting from Labour backbenchers for the Treasury to urgently agree the defence investment plan (Dip) after George Robertson, a former Nato secretary general, said there was a corrosive complacency" on defence funding. Continue reading...

Brian Cole Jr, accused of planting the devices near the RNC and DNC buildings in DC, faces two more felony countsThe individual accused of placing pipe bombs near the headquarters of both the Republican and Democratic national committees on the night before the January 6 Capitol attack is now facing two more felony counts, as detailed in a newly released indictment on Wednesday.Brian Cole Jr, 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, had previously been arrested in December and charged with transporting and positioning two improvised explosive devices outside the DNC and RNC buildings. The updated indictment introduces charges of attempting to use weapons of mass destruction and carrying out an act of terrorism while armed. Continue reading...

UK chancellor steps up criticism, telling Washington event she is unconvinced conflict has made world a safer place

Who wouldn't want to be a king, a footballer, a friend of lions, a maestro and Jesus?

Officials say charity fundraiser that flooded New York with drunk people in Santa costumes every Christmas was a conA SantaCon charity fundraiser that floods New York City with inebriated young people in red and white Santa costumes every holiday season was true to its name: a con, federal authorities said as they arrested its organizer.Stefan Pildes, 50, of Hewitt, New Jersey, was arrested on Wednesday and awaited an appearance in Manhattan federal court, where an indictment charging him with wire fraud was unsealed. Continue reading...

Barratt Redrow blames effects of Iran war and expected impact on mortgages and costs for further reduction

Women using informal warning systems to protect themselves and others, comedian tells equalities committee

President says he gave Britain better deal than I had to' but ally was not there when we needed them' on Iran

Palestine's Mandela' suffers three recent attacks including assault where prison guards set a dog on him, lawyer saysJailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti is at immediate risk in Israeli jails, where he has been attacked three times in as many weeks, including in one assault last month where prison guards set a dog on the 66-year-old, his lawyer has said.Barghouti is often called Palestine's Nelson Mandela. He is respected across otherwise feuding Palestinian factions, has broad popular support across occupied Palestine, repeatedly engaged with Israeli officials before his detention and long backed a two-state solution. Continue reading...

Lelia Doolan, who finished 220km trek at parliament gates, says use of Shannon airport violates Irish neutralityA 91-year-old peace activist has crossed Ireland on foot and arrived in Dublin to petition the government to bar US military flights.Lelia Doolan completed a two-week, 220km trek on Wednesday, ending at the gates of parliament accompanied by throngs of supporters. Continue reading...

Chancellor tells US audience she is not convinced that this conflict has made the world a safer place'PMQs is starting soon.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.I'll be honest, when people would pop up on social media laying those sorts of charges, they tended to be the sort of people who appear in your timeline trolling. And I just didn't think it could be credible that [Mandelson] would have had that kind of relationship.So, the FT did a report, but I don't remember seeing it in other newspapers. Mandelson still had a podcast. He was appearing regularly on really big news programmes. And so, to be honest, the only time I remember seeing stuff, Mandleson/Epstein, you just think, I haven't seen that from a credible news source, he hasn't been questioned, I think that must be overblown'.I think it stems from the same root cause, which is those women [Epstein's victims], those girls, not being taken seriously enough, their experiences not mattering enough and being prioritised. And that is exactly the sort of sexism and misogyny at the root of the issue, I'm afraid. And I think all of us have to take responsibility for that. Continue reading...

This blog is now closedMeanwhile, Nato chief Mark Rutte urged members of the military alliance not to lose sight" of the Ukraine conflict, and to boost their backing for Kyiv to $60bn in 2026, AFP reported.His comments came at the start of a meeting in Berlin of defence ministers from Ukraine's key supporters, including Germany and Britain, with the conflict against Russia now in its fifth year. Continue reading...

Airport body has asked for power to suspend EES checks requiring personal information and biometrics

Confessions II reunites her with producer Stuart Price and is billed as a study of the dancefloor as a ritualistic space where movement replaces language'Madonna has announced the release of her 15th studio album, Confessions II: a sequel to Confessions on a Dance Floor, her disco-fabulous 2005 release regarded as one of the jewels of her discography.The album will be released on 3 July. Details are still relatively scarce beyond that, but like its predecessor, Confessions II is a collaboration with the British producer Stuart Price.When Stuart Price and I first started working on this record, this was our manifesto:We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies. These are things that we've been doing for thousands of years - they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It's a place where you connect with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It's about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people.

Cuts by Snapchat's parent company come in response to a declining stock price and pressure from an activist investorSnapchat's parent company plans to lay off 16% of its employees, around 1,000 people, citing rapid advancements in artificial intelligence", the social media company told staff on Wednesday in an internal memo. The staff reduction is part of a wave of tech industry layoffs in the past year, with many firms blaming AI for the cuts.Snap Inc's layoffs follow demands last month from Irenic Capital Management, an activist investor whose portfolio manager wrote a letter to the Snap Inc CEO, Evan Spiegel, calling on him to reduce costs and headcount while criticizing the company's current strategy. In Spiegel's memo to staff, he claimed that the layoffs would move Snap towards profitability and suggested that artificial intelligence could fill the lack of human labor. Continue reading...

More than 2,200 ants were found in Zhang Kequn's luggage at Nairobi airport, with baggage destined for ChinaA Chinese national has been sentenced to a year in prison and fined by a Nairobi court for attempting to smuggle thousands of ants out of Kenya, a lucrative trade in east Africa that was exposed last year.The insects are mostly destined for China, the US and Europe, where they become pets and can be worth about $100 each. Continue reading...

Several shots - including flu and Covid - lost their CDC recommendations under overhauls from the White HouseSeveral shots lost their recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after a judge's stay against changes made by the Trump administration - which may affect access to the shots in some states. And no new vaccine recommendations may be made as long as the vaccines committee is halted.Access to existing vaccines - and the future development of new vaccines - has been increasingly called into question under the second Trump administration, as the now-halted Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made controversial recommendations and health officials made unilateral changes to routine vaccines, with long-term and global implications. Continue reading...

Ari Hodara initially thought it might be a hoax after winning raffle he found out about by chance while dining outA Picasso painting worth more than 1m (870,000) has been won in a raffle by a software engineer from Paris who thought the whole thing might be a hoax.Ari Hodara learned he was the winner of the raffle on Tuesday when he answered a video call from Christie's auction house in Paris. How do I check that it's not a hoax?" the 58 year-old asked when he was told he was the new owner of the 1941 work by the Spanish master. Continue reading...

The new strategy to be unveiled by Richard Marles will see defence spending rise to about 2.4% of GDP - but US president has urged allies to spend 3.5%

Extension of three-year lifespan for bronze coincides with 25th anniversary rerelease of original romcomA record 149 days have now passed without alcohol, cigarettes or ice-cream for Bridget Jones's statue in Leicester Square in London - and her fast is set to be extended indefinitely.Originally conceived to be in situ for three years, the bronze statue, which was unveiled in November, has now been granted permanent residence opposite the Empire Casino and adjacent to the toilets, where she joins the likes of Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Batman as part of Westminster council's Scenes in the Square initiative. Continue reading...

UK official receiver understood to prefer Blastr as buyer for SSUK's electric arc furnace in Rotherham and site in Stocksbridge

Landmark ruling finds Wright Prospecting successfully made out its contractual claim to 50% of past and future royalties from Hope Downs iron ore project

Former US Fed chair says lowering rates to reduce debt service cost can lead to inflation getting out of control

Beijing may be reaping some diplomatic benefit but Trump's war holds risks for its energy security and economyTwo months ago, China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, promised it would be a big year" for China-US relations. He was right, but perhaps not in the way he expected.Wang was speaking before a planned visit by Donald Trump to Beijing in March, which would have been Trump's first trip to China since 2017. But the trip, and a meeting with China's president, Xi Jinping, was kicked back by several weeks after Trump decided to launch strikes with Israel against Iran, starting a war in the Middle East that has caused a global energy crisis and roiled diplomatic relations across the board. Continue reading...

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Warmer weather has benefited some species in Britain, but others that rely on specific plants or habitats have struggledInsectageddon" has not occurred, but there has been a loss of butterfly diversity over the past half a century, according to the world's largest insect monitoring scheme.More than 44m butterfly sightings scientifically collected in Britain since 1976 show that of the 58 native species recorded, 33 species have declined and 25 have increased in number. Continue reading...

UK motoring group fined 4.2m for not showing full price of lessons at time of bookingThe AA has been fined 4.2m and ordered to make payments to more than 80,000 learner drivers for not showing the full price of lessons at the time of booking, an illegal practice known as drip pricing".The UK competition watchdog, which launched an investigation into the practices employed by the AA Driving School and BSM Driving School last year, said that the AA-owned businesses must repay more than 760,000 as a result. Continue reading...

Food delivery services say the proposed laws will affect their workers, while shared e-vehicle schemes claim the laws could make them uninsurable

Second day of faux-royal' tour sees Duke of Sussex speak candidly about challenges of new fatherhood as amused football fans watch onIt was an unusual sight. As a group of children were rocking out to the Wiggles, Prince Harry kicked a football on Whitten Oval in Melbourne, home of Australian rules team the Western Bulldogs.Just a regular Wednesday," a member of the crowd, dressed mainly in suits and from the advocacy and academic fields, said. Continue reading...

Section of state's electoral act that introduced caps on political donations but created loophole for Labor and Coalition scrapped