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Police say case highlights online dangers to children after Carlo Tritta pleads guilty to making indecent imagesA man who obsessively groomed a 14-year-old girl he met through the online gaming platform Roblox has been jailed for 28 months.Carlo Tritta, now 19, kept indecent images of the girl and travelled hundreds of miles from his home in Eastleigh, Hampshire in order to turn up, uninvited, at her home in Manchester. Continue reading...

Seafarer tells of impossible' situation, with strait still so unsafe that crew would not cross even if told to sail

Prime minister has been in talks with Saudi crown prince and UAE president todayIn interviews this morning Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, declined to confirm reports that a Russian warship has been escorting two sanctioned Russian ships through the English channel.Sanctioned Russian ships carry oil being sold to fund the war in Ukraine, and the UK government recently announced that the armed forces have been authorised to board these ships in British waters to stop them.What I can tell you is that we have given permission now for action to be taken against the Russian shadow fleet. Operational decisions then have to be taken in the right way by the military.There are indications of the way in which not just the Russian shadow fleet is operating, but also the way in which we are seeing increased Russian threats, not just to the UK, but across Europe as well. Continue reading...

Resolution was expected to fail but introduction signals unease on Capitol Hill about conflict with no clear endgameAn attempt by House Democrats to pass a long shot resolution on Thursday curtailing Donald Trump's war powers over Iran failed after Republican pro forma speaker Chris Smith did not recognize lawmakers from the opposite party on the floor.The vote, scheduled for Thursday morning, used a procedure called unanimous consent, which is a shortcut that allows legislation to pass the chamber instantly, without debate or a formal tally, so long as not a single member objects. Any one lawmaker can kill the resolution by simply objecting, and Republicans were expected to do exactly that. Continue reading...

Von der Leyen urged to take action about alleged disinformation and intimidation on behalf of Orban's partyThe European Commission is being urged to investigate whether Hungary's elections are being undermined by Russian manipulation, intimidation of journalists and voter coercion by the ruling party.Three days before decisive parliamentary elections that threaten the 16-year grip on power of the prime minister, Viktor Orban, a group of MEPs have written to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the commissioner responsible for the rule of law, Michael McGrath, calling for action. Continue reading...

Student Finance England tells about 22,000 students their universities wrongly told them they were eligibleMore than 20,000 university students in England who received government maintenance loans and grants worth thousands of pounds have been told they will have to pay them back because their universities wrongly told them they were eligible for the money.About 22,000 students studying for weekend courses at 15 universities and colleges have received letters from Student Finance England, part of the government-owned Student Loans Company, telling them they must hand back the money because their university made an error when providing your course details to us. Unfortunately, they didn't tell us you only attended on [sic] the weekend." Continue reading...

Falling sales end production of condiment created in 1828 - but London restaurant Simpson's keeps it on the menuFans of traditional British cuisine were heartbroken by news that Gentleman's Relish was being discontinued by its manufacturer.But Jeremy King, who last month reopened Simpson's in the Strand, has instructed his chef to create a version of the pungent anchovy-based condiment almost identical to the real thing for the 198-year-old London restaurant. Continue reading...

US vice-president said bloc tried to destroy' country's economy, despite it being a net recipient of EU fundsDuring his visit to Budapest, where he heaped praise on the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, days before the country's decisive election, JD Vance claimed the EU was responsible for one of the worst examples of election interference" he had ever seen.Standing alongside Orban on Tuesday, the US vice-president said: The bureaucrats in Brussels have tried to destroy the economy of Hungary. They have tried to make Hungary less energy-independent. They have tried to drive up costs for Hungarian consumers. And they've done it all because they hate this guy." Continue reading...

The continental US registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to Noaa dataMarch's persistent unseasonable heat was so intense that the continental United States registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to federal weather data. And the next year or so looks to turn the dial up on global warmth even more, as some forecasts predict a brewing El Nino will reach super strength.Not only was it the hottest March on record for the US but the amount it was above normal beat any other month in history for the lower 48 states. March's average temperature of 50.85F(10.47C) was 9.35F (5.19C) above the 20th-century normal for March. Continue reading...

Rhun ap Iorwerth launches party's manifesto and says he is unconcerned by Reform UK threat in Welsh elections

US president suggests alliance needs pressure placed on it to understand anything' as reports suggest he has demanded commitments to help secure strait of HormuzDonald Trump has taken to his Truth Social platform again on Thursday to renew his criticism of the alliance.The US president posted that none of these people" (which people is unclear), including our own, very disappointing Nato, understood anything unless they have pressure placed upon them!!!".

Artificial intelligence company cites high energy costs and regulation as reasons for putting Stargate project on hold

Uncertainty over US-Iran ceasefire pushes price of Brent crude towards $100 a barrel

The 79th edition of the film festival will see work by Pedro Almodovar, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Laszlo Nemes considered for the coveted Palme d'OrGillian Anderson, Rami Malek, Cara Delevingne and John Travolta are expected to walk the red carpet at Cannes this year, as the world's most influential film festival unveiled an auteur-heavy lineup for its 79th edition.Competing for the coveted Palme d'Or will be new films by heavyweights Pedro Almodovar, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Pawe Pawlikowski, Laszlo Nemes and Asghar Farhadi. Continue reading...

Beirut residents and officials say thousand-pound-bombs mainly hit civilians in mission dubbed Operation Eternal Darkness'

John Healey says warship and aircraft forced Russia to abandon activity in North Sea in month-long operation

Almost 2,000 jobs will be created, with retailer vying to overtake Morrisons as Britain's fifth largest supermarketLidl is to open 50 new UK stores in the year ahead as it aims to overtake Morrisons as the country's fifth largest supermarket chain.The German-owned retailer, which now has more than 1,000 British stores, said it planned to invest more than 600m in UK growth, creating almost 2,000 jobs as it expands its warehouse and logistic network to supply its new outlets. Continue reading...

Olivia has been detained for months at the sprawling Dilley center in Texas. She has lost 20lbs, and wakes up every day with a headacheEach day in detention feels like 48 hours for Olivia.The 19-year-old asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas for more than four months. Continue reading...

Revealed: JDL 613 Brotherhood has platformed a convicted terrorist and its video recordings display an obsessive antipathy to New York's mayor, Zohran Mamdani

Divisions between Washington and European capitals fuels concern over US commitment to peace dealAs a ceasefire was declared in the Middle East, Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to draw attention to the war in his own country, posting on social media that Ukraine had consistently pushed for a ceasefire in the war being waged by Russia here, in Europe".Efforts to end the war in Ukraine have largely stalled since the Iran war began, with trilateral talks between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington, which had already yielded little, frozen since February 2026. The war, meanwhile, has continued, with air attacks on Ukrainian cities and heavy fighting on the battlefields as Russia launches a spring offensive. Continue reading...

Wildlife film pioneer has died aged 74 immersed in nature and surrounded by friends', his representatives saidAn award-winning wildlife cameraman renowned for his work with David Attenborough has died aged 74 while trekking in Nepal.Doug Allan, described as a true pioneer" of wildlife film-making, won several Bafta and Emmy awards and was principal camera operator on a number of BBC series including Planet Earth, Frozen Planet and The Blue Planet. Continue reading...

Beijing's powerbrokers are credited with winning Iran over, although one analyst says they were pushing an open door'

Information on drones and other threats being shared but defence chief confirms crew taking active steps' to only contribute to defensive actions

French authorities say situation still being assessed after taxi-boat' sank between France and UKTwo men and two women have died after a small boat sank in the Channel between France and Britain, French local authorities have said.A taxi-boat sinking occurred today. The situation is still being assessed and remains subject to change," local authorities in Calais stated. Continue reading...

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Foreign secretary to address City leaders in London as Israel intensifies bombing and Vance says Lebanon is not part of deal

The high court has dismissed his bid to clear his name of findings that, on the balance of probabilities, he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019

Liberal MP makes first public comments since Australia's most decorated living soldier, whom he served alongside, was charged with war crimes

In court documents, shock jock also says the purported conduct was not persistent, lasting for 20 minutes on a single day

In today's newsletter: The truce offers a reprieve after weeks of turmoil, but unresolved disputes and competing interpretations of what was agreed, threaten to pull the region back toward crisis at a moment's noticeGood morning. On Tuesday, just an hour before the deadline imposed by Donald Trump for Iran to reopen navigation in the strait of Hormuz or face a wave of civilisation-ending" strikes, a two-week pause in hostilities was announced. After weeks of US and Israeli attacks on Tehran, and Iranian retaliation across the region, the news prompted relief among world leaders.But unanswered questions are piling up. Israel's assault on Lebanon continues, with Trump describing that conflict as a separate skirmish not included in the deal, despite Iran seeming to think otherwise. Overnight the US president has used social media to warn that the shootin' starts,' bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before" unless Tehran complies with the real agreement".Middle East | The fate of the two-week ceasefire in the Iran conflict looked in peril as both sides gave divergent versions of what had been agreed. Iran halted the passage of oil tankers because of an alleged Israeli ceasefire breach.Middle East | Israel carried out its largest attack on Lebanon since its war with Hezbollah began, killing at least 254 people and wounding 837.Middle East | The UK has a job" to help reopen the strait of Hormuz, Keir Starmer said on arriving in the Middle East, as Iranian reports said the key shipping route was closed again just hours after the supposed US-Iran ceasefire.Ukraine | The US has ignored compelling evidence that Russia has been helping Iran to target US bases in the Middle East because it misguidedly trusts" Vladimir Putin, according to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Education | Many English universities are taking excessive financial risks with borrowing and expansion of student numbers, threatening not only their own survival but that of others in the sector, the thinktank Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) has warned. Continue reading...

Shipments of fuel into Australia secure until at least the middle of May, energy minister says

Council backs 700,000 plan to save historic landmark at former RAF base in the New ForestA unique RAF watch office that has been crumbling for decades is to be turned into a smart hideaway home to be shared by holidaymakers - and the bats that already use it.The Landmark Trust, which rescues at-risk buildings, has been given permission to convert the ruined property in Hampshire into a holiday retreat with four bedrooms and a roof terrace. Continue reading...

Woman, 46, charged with grievous bodily harm after she allegedly struck 63-year-old RPA patient in head, NSW police say

Local school closes in Daejeon city as hundreds of emergency service and military personnel scour area around O-World theme park where the wolf escaped fromAuthorities are hunting for a wolf after it escaped from a zoo in Daejeon, a South Korean city with a population of 1.5million.More than 300 people - including firefighters, police and military personnel - are taking part in the search operation, an official from the Daejeon fire headquarters said. Continue reading...

White House says only person committing war crimes is actor for his awful movies and terrible acting ability'The long-running war of words between the George Clooney and the White House has ignited again after the Oscar-winning actor criticised Donald Trump's threat to Iran that a whole civilization will die tonight".On Wednesday, in a speech to 3,000 high school students in Cuneo, Italy, Clooney said the US president had committed a war crime with his threat. Continue reading...

Marine Conservation Society warns that fish numbers have reached dangerous point of declineConsumers should completely avoid" buying UK-caught cod, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has said, as it warned that populations have reached a dangerous point of decline despite zero-catch recommendations.The MCS, an environmental charity, publishes a Good Fish Guide to help consumers and businesses make sustainable seafood choices. Continue reading...

Proposal to help people heat two rooms, provide hot water and run key appliances without incurring more debtIn order to cut rising bills all UK households should receive a minimum amount of energy at rates subsidised by the government through North Sea taxes, a thinktank has suggested.Providing all homes with enough energy to heat two rooms, provide hot water and run key appliances such as a fridge and washing machine, at rates frozen at current levels, would require a subsidy of about 4.5bn, according to the New Economics Foundation. Continue reading...

PM calls pause in hostilities a fragile piece' as Australia issues joint call with Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Sierra Leone and UK for aid worker protections

This blog has now closed. Follow the latest ceasefire news and updates in our Iran war live blog here.A genocidal threat, and then the US president, Donald Trump, blinked - without any apparently meaningful concessions from Iran. As in so much concerning the second Trump administration, the two week ceasefire deal" that will see the strait of Hormuz reopened - if it can be described as such - is maddeningly vague and short on detail, apparently kicking the can on key issues down the road.Iran's nuclear issue, Trump said, would be solved perfectly." It was a big day for world peace", Trump posted on Truth Social. Iran can start reconstruction" he added. Big money" could be made. Yada. Yada. Yada. Continue reading...

Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement announce four shows at Wellington venue Meow Nui from next week - their first gigs since 2018New Zealand's self-described fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo-a cappella-rap-funk-comedy-folk duo" Flight of the Conchords sold out their first shows in eight years in minutes this week, sparking a frenzy among fans.Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement formed the musical comedy act in 1998, soaring to worldwide fame off the back of their HBO comedy series of the same name with tunes including Business Time and Hiphopopotamus vs Rhymenoceros. Continue reading...

Prosecutors alleged Gerhardt Konig, 47, had planned to kill Arielle Konig during a birthday trip to HonoluluA Hawaii anesthesiologist who was accused of trying to murder his wife on a cliffside hike last year has been convicted of attempted manslaughter, a lesser charge.A Honolulu jury returned the verdict against Gerhardt Konig, 47, on Wednesday after a day of deliberations. Continue reading...

Courtney Williams accused of sharing material with reporter examining deaths and drugs at US military baseThe FBI has arrested a former military special operations employee accused of providing classified information to the media, the agency's director Kash Patel announced on Wednesday.The US Department of Justice said in a press release that the former employee, identified as Courtney Williams, 40, was arrested on Tuesday and indicted on Wednesday for allegedly sharing classified material with a journalist. Continue reading...

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Mark Rutte praises very frank' talks but declines to say if president discussed potential withdrawal from allianceMark Rutte, the secretary general of Nato, has said Donald Trump was clearly disappointed" that the US's allies had refused to join its war against Iran, following a closed-door meeting in Washington on Wednesday.Speaking to CNN after his private meeting with the US president, Rutte declined to say directly whether Trump raised his threat to withdraw from the military alliance over the Iran war, but described the exchange as a very frank, very open" discussion between two good friends". Continue reading...

Customers make hundreds of thousands of dollars as records show substantial bets made before announcementA group of new accounts on the prediction market Polymarket made highly specific, well-timed bets on whether the US and Iran would reach a ceasefire on Tuesday, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits for these new customers.These bets were made even though, in the hours before a two-week ceasefire was announced on Tuesday, Donald Trump's rhetoric had escalated sharply and there were few signals that a ceasefire deal was imminent. Early in the day Trump had issued a warning on social media that a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran did not meet his demand to open the Ssrait of Hormuz by his 8pm ET deadline. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Transdev undertook coupling project' after teen trapped between carriages in 2023. Trial restarted after second fatality, ex-employee claims, while Transdev denies assessment' ever shelved

Largest coordinated strike' against Hezbollah since war began prompts warnings Iran could pull out of ceasefire

USC student Tucker Collins's attorney accuses homeland security of overt act of repression' at Los Angeles protestA freshman at the University of Southern California has lost an eye after he was shot last month with a less-lethal" projectile by a Department of Homeland Security agent at a No Kings march, according to his attorney.On 28 March, Tucker Collins, 18, took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles to photograph throngs of protesters, who held signs and chanted slogans denouncing the Trump administration's policies, his lawyer V James DeSimone said in a statement on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Threat of losing benefits will be lifted but campaigners say more help needed to tackle hostile workplacesThe government has unveiled its plan to allow disabled people to try work without fear of losing their benefits, but campaigners warn the policy does not go far enough to tackle hostile workplaces.Legislation laid before parliament on Thursday will mean that people who start work or volunteering no longer automatically face a benefit reassessment, a prospect disabled people said was holding them back from trying to gain employment. Continue reading...

AI company says purpose of its Claude Mythos model is to bolster defenses against hacking in common applicationsAnthropic on Tuesday said its yet-to-be-released artificial intelligence model called Claude Mythos has proven keenly adept at exposing software weaknesses.Mythos has laid bare thousands of vulnerabilities in commonly used applications for which no patch or fix exists, prompting the San Francisco-based AI startup to form an alliance with cybersecurity specialists to bolster defenses against hacking and withhold wide distribution. Continue reading...