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Bank of England survey in March shows chief financial officers foresee 3.7% increase over coming year

Simon Dudley fired after his comments were condemned by prime minister and families of fire victims

PM says Farage should do the decent thing', after new housing spokesperson's criticism of safety regulations

Reversal of fortune comes just one week after she was dumped in favour of Dinesh Gourisetty, who then withdrew his nomination

Battlefield outcomes are connected by the sharing of weapons and intelligence as well as the damage to the global economyThe Iran and Ukraine wars are becoming more intertwined with every passing week - to the point that some analysts argue the two conflicts are beginning to merge.Quite how each war will affect the trajectory of the other is hard to predict, but it is already clear that their interconnectedness is drawing more countries into both cauldrons, extending an arc of instability that straddles Europe and the Middle East. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Laurence Taylor says separate scheme needed to report concerns over young people's non-ideological interest in extreme violenceThe scheme meant to identify people before they become terrorists is being overwhelmed" by a large surge in referrals, Britain's head of counterterrorism has said.Assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor told the Guardian that more than 10,000 people would be referred to Prevent this year, up more than a third from two years ago. Continue reading...

Markets sink after president offers little detail on how he intends to wind down conflict over next two to three weeks

Quake with epicentre west-north-west of Ternate island shakes cities and prompts regional tsunami warningOne person has been killed after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Ternate island, damaging buildings and triggering small tsunami waves.The quake, which had a depth of 35km, occurred on Thursday at 6.48am local time, according to the United States Geological Survey. Its epicentre was 127km (79 miles) west-north-west of Ternate, an island in Indonesia's North Maluku province. Continue reading...

The party, whose parliamentary leader is Jeremy Corbyn, will back 250 candidates, focusing on urban areasYour Party is to focus its local election efforts on a number of urban areas with large Muslim populations where Labour support has weakened, throwing its support behind supporting independent candidates and community groups.Party insiders have intentionally narrowed their focus to key targets including the London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge, where locally rooted independent campaigns are already braced to challenge Labour. Continue reading...

Former Labour mayor Jamie Driscoll aims to win central Newcastle ward after defecting to the Green partyThank you very much to all you would-be penguins huddling together for warmth," said Jamie Driscoll to the dozen supporters braving bitingly cold, blustery weather to begin knocking on doors and delivering leaflets.The former Labour North of Tyne mayor is one of the Green party's highest-profile recruits. Standing for Newcastle city council in the central Monument ward, he was giving a pep talk to a group that would probably have been even bigger, were some not in London for a demonstration against the far right. Continue reading...

Talks, convened by the UK, will examine all viable diplomatic and political measures' to get critical waterway open

Deep divisions on Israel mean the union has failed to act over Lebanon, Gaza, or settler violence in the West BankThe human costs of Israel's attacks on Lebanon were plain to see when the Irish MEP Barry Andrews visited Beirut last month. He met people who had fled Israeli airstrikes and complied with evacuation orders in southern Lebanon.At makeshift shelters - converted schools - conditions were even worse than during Israel's last incursion in 2024, he was told. There are dirty mattresses, dirty blankets, [people] are getting infections, they are getting rashes," he said recalling a picture of misery compounded by swingeing aid budget cuts. Continue reading...

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese announces GST revenue on fuel sales to be used to reduce fuel costs by a combined 32 cents a litre

Check how much petrol prices have risen since the US and Israel's war on Iran began in late February

Ukrainian president says ceasefire could show diplomacy works, while Russia dismisses statement as PR stunt'. What we know on day 1,499Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised Russia for responding to an offer of an Easter truce with airstrikes. The Ukrainian president said on Wednesday he had spoken to US negotiators about an Easter ceasefire but Russian forces had fired more than 700 drones - many of them Iranian-designed Shaheds - targeting parts of western and central Ukraine in a rare daytime attack. Zelenskyy said: Russia is responding [to the Easter ceasefire offer] with Shahed drones and continues its terrorist operations against our energy sector, against our infrastructure," adding that he had discussed ways of advancing diplomacy with US negotiators. A silence over Easter could be exactly the signal that tells everyone that diplomacy can be successful." Russia's foreign ministry rejected Zelenskyy's proposal as a PR stunt".The Ukraine president said talks with US mediators aimed at resolving the four-year conflict were positive". The talks were held remotely on Wednesday with the US special envoy, Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and the US senator Lindsey Graham, with Nato's secretary general, Mark Rutte, also joining the call amid the alliance's continuing tensions with Washington. Zelenskyy thanked the US for its efforts to bring about peace and said the Ukrainian and US teams had agreed to strengthen a document outlining US security guarantees for any future peace deal. This is precisely what could pave the way for a reliable end to the war." In recent weeks Zelenskyy said the US had been pressuring Ukraine to make concessions to bring a quick end to the conflict after the US and Israel launched the war on Iran in late February. Talks with Russia are deadlocked over the question of land, with Ukraine refusing to cede to Moscow's demands that it relinquish the eastern region of Donbas.Russia claimed to have full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region on Wednesday, which Kyiv denied. Russia's defence ministry claimed its forces had taken control of the entire Luhansk region - part of the Donbas - but a Ukrainian military official said small areas were still held by Ukrainian forces. Russia has previously made false claims of advances. The Russian defence ministry said in a statement: Units have completed the liberation of the Luhansk people's republic." But Viktor Tregubov, a spokesperson for Ukrainian forces, said there were no changes to report in that region. Unfortunately, we only hold small patches [in Luhansk], but those positions have been held by 3rd brigade for a long time," Trehubov told the Associated Press. Russian claims of progress have in the past proved to be inaccurate. The Moscow-appointed head of Luhansk announced its full capture last June. Ukrainian officials have said that Moscow makes false claims of advances to persuade US negotiators a Russian victory in Ukraine is inevitable.Russia fired hundreds of drones at Ukraine, killing at least five people and destroying a postal terminal, Ukrainian officials have said. Ukraine's Nova Poshta mailing company published an image on Wednesday of a warehouse in the western city of Lutsk in flames, with thick smoke pouring from its roof. As well firing 339 drones at Ukraine overnight, Russia launched more than 360 drones during the day, the Ukrainian air force said. One drone killed four people in the central Cherkasy region, while an earlier drone strike on a car in Ukraine's frontline Kherson region killed a woman and badly wounded two other people, regional authorities said. Continue reading...

Agreement comes after Wellington halted millions in aid to its former colony after Cook Islands formed strategic partnership with BeijingNew Zealand and the Cook Islands have signed a defence and security declaration, ending a year-long diplomatic row that erupted after the Cook Islands struck strategic agreements with China.The Cook Islands was a dependent New Zealand colony from 1901-65 but has since operated as a self-governing nation in free association" with New Zealand. Its roughly 17,000 citizens hold New Zealand citizenship. There are obligations between the two nations to regularly consult on matters of defence and security. Continue reading...

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Actor and comedian known for voicing Gene Belcher, as well as roles in Flight of the Conchords and Archer, has suffered serious injuriesBob's Burgers voice actor and comedian Eugene Mirman has suffered serious injuries after crashing his car into a toll plaza in New Hampshire, before he was pulled from the fiery wreckage by a state trooper assigned to protect the state's governor.The crash happened just before noon Tuesday when a northbound electric vehicle struck the Bedford toll plaza and caught fire, New Hampshire state police said. Republican governor Kelly Ayotte and her security detail came upon the crash soon after, and a trooper and two others pulled Mirman from the burning car through a window, said New Hampshire state police colonel, Mark Hall. Continue reading...

This liveblog is closed, please follow our new liveblog hereHouthi forces in Yemen have claimed responsibility for a missile attack on southern Israel this morning, saying it was a joint operation with Iran and Hezbollah.In a statement, the Houthi movement said it carried out its third missile attack in the conflict in conjunction with Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon". Continue reading...

Defence lawyer, former federal attorney general Christian Porter, says accused Jayson Joseph Michaels was pretender full of big talk'

Mass of spectators cheers dazzling Florida launch as astronauts head to moon for first time in almost 54 years

Follow latest updates as four astronauts begin 685,000-mile trip with millions watching

Prime minister urges Australians to consider using public transport and conserve fuel for critical industry' and others

US understood not to be invited directly to talks that will explore ways of reopening critical waterway

Measure that would fund homeland security but exclude money for ICE could conclude lengthy funding lapseAn end to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may be in sight, after Congress's Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed to advance legislation that would fund most of the agency's operations, with the exception of those involved in immigration enforcement.The pact may conclude the longest such funding lapse in US history, which last month caused security lines to stretch for hours at some airports as employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a subagency of DHS, quit their jobs or called out of work after going weeks without pay. Continue reading...

Four states have now signed such legislation as Trump's Save Act languishes in Senate with little chance of passageThe governors of Florida and Mississippi signed legislation on Wednesday to require documented proof of citizenship to register to vote and to begin a process that will eventually unenroll voters who have not provided citizenship documentation.Four states have now passed proof-of-citizenship laws for voting this year, after South Dakota and Utah's governors each signed proof of citizenship bills into law in March. Continue reading...

Most Americans support the rule that anyone born in the US is a US citizen, and a majority of supreme court justices are skeptical of Trump's efforts to restrict itIt was a surreal morning at the US supreme court.For more than two hours, the nation's highest court considered arguments over whether Donald Trump - via an executive order - could tear down an idea that has been fundamental to the story and trajectory of the United States: that almost anyone born on US soil is an US citizen. Continue reading...

Nearly 2,000 internal files were briefly leaked after human error', raising fresh security questions at the AI companyAnthropic accidentally released part of the internal source code for its AI-powered coding assistant, Claude Code, due to human error", the company said on Tuesday.An internal-use file mistakenly included in a software update pointed to an archive containing nearly 2,000 files and 500,000 lines of code, which were quickly copied to developer platform GitHub. A post on X sharing a link to the leaked code had more than 29m views early on Wednesday, and a rewritten version of the source code quickly became GitHub's fastest-ever downloaded repository. Anthropic issued copyright takedown requests to try to contain the code's spread. Within the code, users spotted blueprints for a Tamagotchi-esque coding assistant and an always-on AI agent, per the Verge. Continue reading...

British Medical Association leaders say PM's threat to cut 1,000 new roles makes next week's strike action more likelyResident doctors have accused Keir Starmer of damaging the prospects of a deal to end their pay and jobs dispute by threatening to cut 1,000 new jobs for medics in the NHS.The claim from the British Medical Association leaders came just before the Thursday deadline given by the prime minister for the union to accept the government's final offer. Continue reading...

PM to focus on European defence and economic partnership for dangerous world' in pivot away from US

Discussion on how to ease impact from Iran war coincides with Food and Drink Federation almost tripling forecastFood inflation could hit 9% in the UK this year even if the strait of Hormuz opens within the next few weeks, figures suggest, as the Iran war pushes up energy prices.The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents 12,000 food and drink manufacturers, has predicted prices will rise by at least" 9% by the end of 2026, almost tripling a forecast of 3.2% that was made before the Middle East conflict. Continue reading...

Crown Prosecution Service confirms support on inquiries after arrests on suspicion of misconduct in public officePolice are receiving advice from prosecutors as part of their inquiries into Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's links to Jeffrey Epstein.The former duke of York and the former UK ambassador to the US were both arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office over their connections with the late financier. They have since been released under investigation. Continue reading...

Elon Musk's rocket company could go public as early as June, Bloomberg reportsSpaceX has confidentially filed for an initial public offering on the US stock market, according to reports from Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal. The IPO is set to be one of the most closely watched and highly valued listings in market history.Elon Musk's company, which has become a dominant power in both space travel and satellite communications, could potentially seek a valuation upwards of $1.75tn. The confidential filing will give regulators a period to review and discuss the company's financial disclosures before investors and the public are able to view them. Continue reading...

The president, a longtime critic of Nato, has stepped up his rhetoric after allies refused to join the US-Israel war on IranDonald Trump has said he is absolutely" considering withdrawing the US from Nato, warning that the matter was beyond reconsideration" after the refusal of US allies to join the US-Israeli war against Iran.The president's threats, his most determined to date, have left the alliance facing its worst crisis in its 77-year history, a former US ambassador has said. Continue reading...

Meteorologists issue yellow weather warning, with gusts of up to 90mph expected in some areasThe northern half of the UK is expected to face gale force winds over the Easter weekend, with forecasters warning of possible travel disruption and power cuts, stemming from a significant cold plunge from Canada into the North Atlantic".The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for very strong winds in Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of north Wales and northern England from 6pm on Saturday until midday on Sunday. Continue reading...

McCartney and her husband faced objections including fears over threat to local otters and hideous' designThe fashion designer Stella McCartney has been granted permission to build a 5m home on a spectacular Highland peninsula after a three year planning battle over the threat to local otters and the hideous" modernist design.McCartney and her husband, Alasdhair Willis, a creative director at Adidas, want to build the split level property with a turf roof and natural stone walls on the rocky outcrop overlooking Loch Ailort, west of Fort William, 30 metres above sea level. Continue reading...

I'm angry that Donald Trump has chosen to go to war in the Middle East,' chancellor saysStarmer says he understands why people are concerned about the cost of living.He says he has already set out a five-point plan to deal with the crisis.Just look at what's happening today. Today your energy bills will be cut because of the action that we took at the budget. And whatever happens in Iran, that price is now fixed until July.The most effective way we can support the cost of living in Britain is to push for de-escalation in the Middle East, and a reopening of the strait of Hormuz, which is such a vital route for energy.To that end, we're exploring each and every diplomatic avenue that is available to us. Continue reading...

FDA planned to fast-track applications for authorization, but agency reviewers raise alarm over addiction riskPopular nicotine pouch products have yet to be cleared for sale in the United States despite a fast-track Food and Drug Administration scheme, as agency scientists hesitate to authorize them due to potential risks to new users, including children, three sources told Reuters.New tobacco products like pouches, which users insert under their lip to get a nicotine buzz, must be authorised by the FDA in order to be legally sold in the US, the world's largest market for smoking alternatives worth some $22bn. Continue reading...

The US president issued an executive order in 2025 that seeks to undo birthright citizenship, overriding the constitution

In an apparent swipe at US, France's president says that with some countries you do not know whether tomorrow they won't... hurt you'Meanwhile, the European Union has sought to ramp up pressure on Hungary to drop its veto on the 90bn loan for Ukraine, with the European Commission saying it will push ahead with its preparatory work for the loan to be paid out.The commission said it would draft a legal text setting out the details of the first payment of 45bn in 2026 and what the funds would be used for, and send it to the European Council to be formally approved by the bloc's 27 leaders.We proposed a ceasefire for Easter - in response, we're getting shaheds.' We also proposed a ceasefire specifically regarding energy infrastructure - the Russians ignore this and once again attempt to strike our substations and transformers.Ukraine is working with partners to expand joint capabilities to protect lives, while Russia continues to prolong the war in Europe, and by sharing its intelligence with the Iranian regime it is openly investing in fueling war in the Middle East and the Gulf.Ukraine proposed a ceasefire for Easter. Russia responded with a swarm of drones targeting civilians. Continue reading...

Joani Reid MP reportedly swapped flirtatious messages with senior officer in charge of nuclear-armed submarineA Royal Navy captain in charge of one of Britain's nuclear-armed submarines stepped back from his duties over his relationship with the MP Joani Reid, whose husband faces allegations of spying for China.The married senior officer was investigated by the navy last year over his contact with Reid after the messages, described as inappropriate, prompted an assessment of a potential blackmail risk, the Financial Times first reported. Continue reading...

The argument for transitioning to renewables seems stronger than ever - and yet, attacks mount on the carbon price scheme that underpins the EU's success at cutting pollution Don't get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereOn the one hand, experts say, Europe is better prepared for this energy crisis than the last. On the other, it is still waging a culture war against the most obvious path out.Fuel prices have soared to ruinous levels since the Iran war left ships of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) stranded in the Gulf. The pain is most acute in Asia, but high energy prices are already causing panic in Europe. Shortages could hit the continent this month, oil company Shell warned last week. Donald Trump's go get your own oil" comments on Tuesday sent prices to their highest level since the start of the US-Israel attack on Iran. They briefly dipped below $100-a-barrel on Wednesday amid hopes that the war may soon end. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Justice Jim Henry published data from his own court revealing recent cases took more than a year to reach committal

Experts say brutal March heat has left critical snowpack at record-low levels - and key basins in uncharted territorySnow surveys taking place across the American west this week are offering a grim prognosis, after a historically warm winter and searing March temperatures left the critical snowpack at record-low levels across the region.Experts warned that even as the heat begins to subside, the stunning pace of melt-off over the past month has left key basins in uncharted territory for the dry seasons ahead. Though there's still potential for more snow in the forecast, experts said it will likely be too little too late. Continue reading...

While Pete Hegseth has mocked the big bad Royal Navy' the First Sea Lord has sounded the alarm about its readiness

Three people arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson, say police investigating Golders Green incidentCounter-terrorism police have arrested two men and a boy in connection with a suspected arson attack last week on ambulances run by a Jewish charity in Golders Green, north London.The three people - a 19 year-old man, a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy - were all arrested early on Wednesday, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Sandhu Ponnachan appears in court on charges of dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harmA 36-year-old man has been remanded into custody after appearing in court accused of dangerous driving after seven people were injured when a car hit pedestrians in Derby on Saturday night.Sandhu Ponnachan, from the Alvaston area of the city, appeared at Southern Derbyshire magistrates court on Wednesday having also been charged with six counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, one count of attempted grievous bodily harm, and one count of possession of a bladed article. Continue reading...

Prime minister to deliver address live at 7pm AEDT as Jim Chalmers says Iran war having extreme impact on global economy'

Judge says in verdict against Ben Jamal and Chris Nineham that conditions imposed were lawful and necessaryTwo prominent leaders in the Palestine solidarity movement in Britain have been found guilty of breaching protest conditions.Ben Jamal, 62, the director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), and Chris Nineham, 63, vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition, were accused of failing to comply with conditions imposed on a protest on 18 January 2025. They were subsequently charged with public order offences. Continue reading...

State department says it is working to ensure release of freelancer as soon as possible' after abduction in Baghdad