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This live blog is now closedThe French government expects President Trump's tariffs to be in the range of between 20-25%, said government spokeswoman Sophie Primas on Wednesday.They risk being pretty powerful. People are speaking of tariffs between 20 and 25 percent," Primas told reporters. Continue reading...

Bloc's options include retaliating with tariffs on US goods and services and forming closer ties with other countries

ONS study of fertility trends suggests birthrate will continue to fall, with women turning 18 this year having babies laterYoung women in England and Wales are likely to have just one child by the time they are 35, according to groundbreaking analysis of past and projected fertility trends by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).Girls who turn 18 this year are projected to have an average of one child each by the age of 35 - unlike their mothers' generation who had an average of one child per woman by the time they reached 31. Continue reading...

Defence minister Israel Katz says large areas of the territory will be seized and added to the security zones of IsraelAirstrikes continued on Gaza on Wednesday morning after the Israeli defense minister announced that Israel intended to expand its war. In a statement, Israel Katz said the offensive was expanding to crush and clean the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and capture large areas that will be added to the security zones of the state of Israel."The move has been condemned by the Hostages Families Forum, who said it appeared that Benjamin Netanyahu's government were making the return of 59 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas a secondary task" that had been pushed to the bottom of the priority list."I wish success to the IDF soldiers who are fighting bravely and powerfully in Gaza for the return of the kidnapped and the defeat of Hamas. The goal of Operation Strength and Sword" is first and foremost to increase pressure for the release of all the hostages in the face of Hamas' refusal.Expanding the operation this morning will increase the pressure on the Hamas murderers and also on the population in Gaza and advance the achievement of the sacred and important goal for all of us. I call on the residents of Gaza to act now to remove Hamas and return all the hostages. This is the only way to end the war. Continue reading...

Susan Crawford defeats Brad Schimel in most expensive US judicial election ever, a major win for the Democrats. Plus, Israel announces plan to seize large areas' of Gaza

China's military continues drills in the Taiwan Strait, practising hitting key ports and energy infrastructureThe US has accused China of putting the region's security at risk after it launched a second day of military drills targeting Taiwan with a rehearsal blockade and attack.China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) began the joint drills without notice on Tuesday morning, sending 76 aircraft and more than 20 navy and coastguard ships, including the Shandong carrier group, to positions around Taiwan's main island. Continue reading...

Plan to quit Aim after review of benefits and drawbacks' is another blow to capital's junior marketThe leisure group that owns the 126-year-old Brighton Palace Pier is planning to delist from the London stock market and return to life as a private company, in the latest blow to the capital's junior market.Brighton Pier Group, which also owns several bars and mini-golf sites around the country, told investors it intends to cancel its listing on the capital's Alternative Investment Market (Aim) after more than 11 years, blaming bad weather, falling consumer spending, rising wage costs and higher interest rates. Continue reading...

Former officer with South Yorkshire force arrested on suspicion of raping teenage girl in 2004A third former South Yorkshire police officer has been arrested as part of an investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.The ex-constable, aged in his 50s, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of raping a teenage girl in the town in 2004. Continue reading...

Known for his roles in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Tombstone, the prolific actor's cause of death was pneumonia

Icelandic brothers' ready meal firm Bakkavor to be taken over by sandwich maker Greencore

Bridget Phillipson warns of difficult period' ahead for trade, but government working through every eventuality'

Indigenous teenager re-admitted to hospital after suffering seizures and in a bad way', doctor tells court

Louise Haigh calls for end to two-tiered system over complaints of sexual misconduct or harassmentBosses should be banned from the improper" use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for low-paid workers in the service, retail or hospitality sectors, a former cabinet minister has warned, as she called for an end of the two-tier system that exists for victims.Louise Haigh, the former UK transport secretary, has urged MPs to look beyond high-profile cases linked to the #MeToo movement and advocate for workers in insecure employment who may not have the means and the confidence to pursue their employers through the courts" who can challenge the NDAs. Continue reading...

Emergency workers mobilise amid fears wild weather and swollen rivers could inundate parts of mid north coast, northern rivers and northern tablelands

Independent senator says axing the majority of Canberra's public servants would throw ACT into recession. Follow today's news live

Rail union wants network temporarily shut down and an investigation into one of the worst safety incidents we've seen'

From Guy Burgess's briefcase to microdots secreted in talc, an exhibition reveals remarkable items from the agency's archives - and the extraordinary stories behind themThe agency that would become MI5, originally known as the Secret Service Bureau, employed just 17 staff in 1914; by the end of the first world war, the number working for Britain's domestic counter-intelligence agency had swelled to 850, including a number of female administrators.While valuable for managing the card index records, noted Edith Lomax, the controller of women staff in 1918, only women under the age of 30 should be recruited on account of the very considerable strain that was thrown on [their] brains". Continue reading...

State government warns industrial action could halt elective surgeries, as doctors seek pay rise of up to 30%

Report finds police mistook girl for missing woman in blunder that has appalled political leadersAn 11-year-old girl was restrained, injected with anti-psychotic drugs and placed on a mental health ward after New Zealand police mistook her for a missing woman, a report found on Wednesday.Health officials and police have scrambled to explain the mix-up, which has appalled political leaders and stoked outrage across the country. Continue reading...

Anti-Houthi air campaign, details of which were revealed in Signal scandal, has brought further destruction to countryA ramped-up US bombing campaign on Yemen has killed civilians and brought further destruction and uncertainty to the poorest country in the Middle East, compounding an already dire situation after Donald Trump cut aid, according to local people, humanitarian workers and rights groups.Now the rampant bombing has started, you never know which way things will go," said Siddiq Khan, who works as a country director in Yemen for the aid charity Islamic Relief. Continue reading...

Opposition leader still won't say which jobs will be cut in plan to slash 41,000 public sector positions

Shadow resources minister tells Sydney conference Coalition would give gas the same status as a critical mineral to boost industry funding

Liberal judge defeats Brad Schimel in the most expensive judicial election in US history, which cost a combined $80m

Premier under pressure as acting police commissioner says he won't apply for permanent job

The US-Canadian dual citizen speculates he may be barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor' after his European tour, after years of speaking against TrumpNeil Young has shared his concerns of being barred from the US after his European tour later this year, thanks to his outspoken critiques of Donald Trump.On Tuesday, on his website Neil Young Archives, the 79-year-old musician - who has dual Canadian-American citizenship - wrote of his fears after the recent spate of people being detained and deported upon entering the US. These incidents have been credited to vague or unspecified visa issues, but have frequently affected individuals who have criticised the Trump administration either publicly or in messages on their phone read by immigration officers. Continue reading...

Defence secretary's trip to Asia shows the Trump administration is engaged with the region, but analysts warn Taipei to tread carefullyOn Tuesday China's military launched joint drills around Taiwan, sending ships, planes and some bizarre propaganda videos across the strait to both warn and punish Taiwan's government over what Beijing calls separatist activity".The purported provocation was recent assertiveness by Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, who in February designated China a foreign hostile force" and announced 17 measures to counter its espionage and influence operations. Continue reading...

Government ministers still in the dark on tariffs as White House dangles hope of good negotiation' with president

London PhD student convicted of 10 rapes may have 60 more victims, force fearsMore than 20 women have contacted police to say they fear they may have been attacked by the serial rapist Zhenhao Zou, with detectives fearing there may be even more victims to come.Zou, 28, was convicted last month of raping three women in London and seven in China between 2019 and 2024. Continue reading...

Recovery mission under way after 11-year-old entered water near London City airport on MondayAn 11-year-old girl who is missing after entering the River Thames in London on Monday has been named by police as Kaliyah Coa.Kaliyah, who had been playing during a school inset day, entered the water near Bargehouse Causeway near London City airport in east London. Continue reading...

Exclusive: State department said to have raised concerns over whether new act infringes on freedom of expressionUS state department officials have challenged Britain's communications regulator over the impact on freedom of expression created by new online safety laws, the Guardian understands.A group of officials from the state department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) recently met Ofcom in London. It is understood that they raised the issue of the new online safety act and how it risked infringing free speech. Continue reading...

Grant Paterson, 54, from South Lanarkshire, was pulled out from rubble on final day of visitA Scottish tourist who suffered severe burns in a suspected gas explosion at a building in Rome has died of his injuries.Grant Paterson, 54, was admitted to hospital on 23 March after the explosion and subsequent collapse of the block of flats where he was staying, in the Monteverde district. Continue reading...

Legal action claims policy breaches rights of children with SEN whose requirements cannot be met by UK state schoolsAdding VAT to private school fees discriminates against children with conditions such as autism whose needs cannot be adequately met by UK state schools, the high court has been told.The legal action against Labour's policy is being taken by parents claiming that VAT on school fees is a breach of human rights law and discriminatory on grounds including religion, nationality, disability and mental health. Continue reading...

CMA found car firms chose not to compete when advertising what percentage of their vehicles could be recycledTen leading car manufacturers - plus two automotive trade bodies - have been fined more than 77m by a UK regulator after admitting breaking competition law in relation to advertising their green credentials.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation after a tipoff from Mercedes-Benz, which allowed the German marque to avoid financial penalties despite also being involved in the cartel. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lebanese Australian artist says nobody should have to go through this torture' in first interview since being dumped from Venice Biennale exhibition

No 10 says deal to cede UK's last African colony now being finalised after months of doubtDonald Trump has signed off the UK's handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, Downing Street has indicated, paving the way for the UK to cede sovereignty over its last African colony after a six-month standoff.Under the terms of the deal, the UK will give up control of the Chagos archipelago while paying to maintain control of a joint US-UK military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia, under a 99-year lease. Continue reading...

Officers responded to reports of person carrying firearm, Thames Valley police say as IOPC launches investigationA man has been shot dead by police responding to reports of a person carrying a firearm at Milton Keynes railway station.Thames Valley police (TVP) officers were called to the station by members of the public at 12.55pm on Tuesday. The man was shot by police in the station square outside the building and died at 1.44pm. Continue reading...

A press conference at Tory HQ at least had some entertainment value even if there was nothing of importance to sayThere was a time when you knew where you were with a press conference. You would go along on the assumption that the person or organisation who had called it had something important to say. Something that might approximate to news.But we live in ever more confusing days. So now we've reached the point where Kemi Badenoch and Mel Stride will do almost anything for attention. Where a press conference is just another excuse for a therapy session where they can unload their familiar grievances on to journalists. It's the only way they can get anyone to listen. Continue reading...

UK energy firm ceases trading and leaves Ofgem to find new supplierA UK energy supplier with about 90,000 customers has gone bust blaming a perfect storm" of surging wholesale prices and squeezed customers, on the day households face another increase in gas and electricity bills.Rebel Energy, which serves around 80,000 households and 10,000 business customers, will cease trading immediately and leave the industry regulator to find a new supplier for its customers. Continue reading...

Financial Conduct Authority tells supreme court the 44bn bill could spook businesses and threaten UK investmentA court of appeal ruling that has left lenders fearing PPI-level compensation bills over the motor finance commission scandal goes too far", the City regulator said on Monday.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) made the comments in a written submission to the supreme court on Tuesday, as part of a high-profile case being closely watched by the government. The Treasury, which tried but failed to intervene in the case, is concerned the standing decision could spook businesses and threaten investment in the UK. Continue reading...

Those who have not already left Grindavik warned nearby eruption could be much bigger than previous 10 since 2021The Icelandic town of Grindavik and the nearby Blue Lagoon tourist attraction have been evacuated after the area was hit by another volcanic eruption.The eruption is the 11th since 2021, when the Reykjanes peninsula, a region south-west of Reykjavik, started its latest eruption period. Continue reading...

Moscow's refusal highlights the limited progress Donald Trump has made on his promise to end the warMoscow has described the latest US peace proposals as unacceptable to the Kremlin, highlighting the limited progress Donald Trump has made on his promise to end the war in Ukraine since taking office in January.Sergei Ryabkov, a foreign policy adviser to Vladimir Putin, said some of Russia's key demands were being addressed by the US proposals to end the war, in comments that marked a rare acknowledgment from the Russian side that talks with the US over Ukraine had stalled in recent weeks. Continue reading...

Judge claimed mistrial in case of Read, 45, who claims she was framed in death of Boston police officer boyfriendJury selection begins on Tuesday in the retrial of Karen Read, who says she was framed by law enforcement in the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend.Read, of Mansfield, is accused of striking her boyfriend, the Boston police officer John O'Keefe, with her SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm outside a house party in Canton. Her attorneys have said that O'Keefe was actually killed by someone else, possibly another law enforcement agent who was at the party. Continue reading...

Veteran lauded for helping preserve history and legacy as well as vital role played during second world warThe Bletchley Park code breaker Charlotte Betty" Webb has died at the age of 101, the Women's Royal Army Corps Association (WRACA) has confirmed.Arriving at Bletchley from the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) aged just 18, Webb spent four years during the second world war at the code-breaking centre working in various roles. Continue reading...

Doctors helping with aftermath of disaster and UN special rapporteur say aid is disappearing or being blocked in some areas

Head of European Commission says bloc would prefer to negotiate but all countermeasures are on the tableThe European Union has a strong plan" to retaliate against tariffs imposed by Donald Trump but would prefer to negotiate, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has said.Trump, who has upended eight decades of certainties about the transatlantic relationship since taking office, has threatened tariffs on goods from around the world from Wednesday. His administration in March put tariffs on imported steel and aluminium and said higher duties on cars would come into effect on Thursday. Continue reading...

Gerald Darmanin stresses court timelines are outside government control as PM admits he has questions over immediate public office bans

Farming groups are starting to voice concerns for Trump's tough approach at a time when they face many challengesIt has been a perilous few years for the Red Fire Farm in western Massachusetts.Since the pandemic, rising interest rates, labor and seed costs on the 200-acre produce farm have made life for owners Ryan and Sarah Voiland a spiraling challenge. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Richard Harris, 71, died last July after series of errors at troubled Royal Sussex County hospital in BrightonA troubled NHS trust has apologised to the family of a man who died after a series of potentially fatal delays to treat a tumour, in a case that is being investigated by police as possible corporate manslaughter.Richard Harris, 71, died last July after a series of errors in the neurosurgery department at the Royal Sussex County hospital in Brighton, which is part of University Hospitals Sussex NHS foundation trust (UHSussex). Continue reading...

Founded in 1983, the restaurant known for waitresses in skimpy outfits has run into financial difficulties latelyHooters, the US-based restaurant chain known for chicken wings and skimpy waitstaff outfits, has filed for bankruptcy protection.HOA Restaurant Group filed the motion for chapter 11 protection Monday in the north Texas bankruptcy court in Dallas. Continue reading...