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
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...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#74TA7)
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...
David Lammy says those affected by a heinous crime cannot be expected to engage with the justice system within the existing 28-day limitVictims and bereaved families will be given six months to challenge unduly lenient" sentences handed to criminals, under changes announced by David Lammy.Relatives of murder victims campaigned for the government to scrap the 28-day time limit to submit a formal request after an offender is sentenced. Continue reading...
Delo, pardoned by Trump after violating US banking law, describes himself as champion of free speechA British billionaire convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate anti-money-laundering controls in his cryptocurrency business has given 4m to Nigel Farage's Reform UK.Ben Delo, 42, who is now based in Hong Kong, wrote in the Telegraph that he had made the donation since the start of the year, before the government's cap on donations to political parties by British citizens living abroad. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent on (#74T4F)
Situation still volatile as Tehran and Washington issue conflicting messages about opening of Hormuz channelA plunge in the oil price, stock market rally and renewed hopes for the global economic outlook. After the announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, the relief in financial markets was palpable. But it is far from absolute.For the past six weeks, the economic damage had been steadily mounting, as the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz by Tehran triggered the worst energy crisis of the modern era. Continue reading...
by Shrai Popat in Washington and Lucy Campbell on (#74T4H)
Over 70 Democratic lawmakers are calling for amendment to be invoked to remove Trump from office amid warDemocratic party leaders have vowed to renew the effort to curb Donald Trump's war in Iran next week after several days of escalating tactics that culminated in a temporary ceasefire on Tuesday evening.In recent months, several war powers resolutions have failed in Congress after a handful of Democrats continued to vote alongside Republicans. But Trump's aggressive overtures this week - including a Truth Social post that said a whole civilization" could be wiped out if Iran didn't agree to demands, have pushed some to act. Continue reading...
Attorney general says court ruling against Chad Bianco reins in the destabilizing actions of a rogue sheriff'The California supreme court on Wednesday ordered a county sheriff and gubernatorial candidate who seized more than half a million 2025 election ballots to pause his investigation into election fraud allegations while the judges review the legal challenge against it.The order came after the California attorney general, Rob Bonta, last month asked the court to step in, arguing the sheriff has no authority over election materials. A voting rights group is also challenging the ballot seizure. Continue reading...
by Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent on (#74T2A)
Record high set on Monday and raised on Tuesday, with 14.4GW of electricity generated in sunny spring weatherBritain's sunny spring weather powered the grid to new solar energy records on two consecutive days this week.Solar farms in England, Wales and Scotland generated 14.1 GW of low-carbon electricity at lunchtime on Monday, surpassing the previous high of 14GW in July last year. Continue reading...
New York Times report claims London-born Adam Back is creator of the cryptocurrency after comparing writingsA British computer scientist has insisted he is not the elusive developer of bitcoin, after a report claimed to unmask him as its creator.A story in the New York Times details a years-long effort to unmask Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious author of the bitcoin white paper which laid the theoretical foundations for modern digital currencies. Continue reading...
High of 26.5C recorded in Kew Gardens in south-west London, but rain and cooler conditions are on the wayMany across the UK witnessed soaring temperatures as the country recorded its warmest day of the year so far - and one of the hottest April days in the last 80 years.Temperatures reached a high of 26.5C (79.7F) in Kew Gardens, south-west London, on Wednesday, the Met Office said. It was the hottest day recorded in the first half of April since 1946, according to the forecaster. Continue reading...
Cheryl Bartley is charged with gross negligence manslaughter after 2023 death of Robert Smith, 61A pastor has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter after the drowning of a 61-year-old man at a baptism ceremony in Birmingham in 2023, the Crown Prosecution Service said.Robert Smith, from Brixton in south London, died at an address in Erdington on 8 October 2023. Malcolm McHaffie, the head of the special crime division, said: We have decided to prosecute Cheryl Bartley, 48, with one count of gross negligence manslaughter in relation to her role as a pastor during a baptism. Continue reading...
Defense secretary spoke to reporters in first press briefing since Trump announced ceasefire deal after 40 days of warAfter 40 days and 40 nights of war, Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, on Wednesday pointed to divine providence while telling reporters that Iran's weapons factories had been reduced to rubble, its military rendered ineffective for years and its supreme leader left wounded and disfigured, all for a temporary ceasefire.Iran begged for this ceasefire, and we all know it," Hegseth said at the Pentagon's first press briefing since Donald Trump announced a two-week pause in hostilities on Tuesday night. Operation Epic Fury decimated Iran's military and rendered it combat ineffective for years to come." Continue reading...
by Helena Smith in Athens and Jon Henley Europe corre on (#74SY2)
Prime minister says ban would come into force next year and calls for united action across European UnionGreece has announced a social media ban for under-15s from 1 January, with the country's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the addictive design of online platforms - although he acknowledged it may incur the wrath of some children.We have decided to go ahead with a difficult but necessary measure: ban access to social media for children under 15 years old," he said in a TikTok video intended to address a young audience. Continue reading...
Airline projected a $2bn increase in fuel costs this quarter amid volatility in oil markets sparked by the warThe CEO of Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian, braced customers for higher fares following the surge in oil prices sparked by the US-Israel war on Iran, amid strong demand from passengers.Though rising oil prices have cost the company an extra $330m in fuel expenses, and it projected a $2bn increase in fuel costs in the current quarter, Delta forecast that revenue would grow 10% as flyers continue to book flights. Continue reading...
With former ministers and party heavyweights being dragged into court, the country is once again confronting the unresolved legacy of political graft and shady backroom deals Don't get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereEaster will not have been a particularly celebratory time for Spain's two biggest political parties. In a quirk of judicial fate, both the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' party (PSOE) and the conservative People's party (PP) are bracing themselves after two high-profile trials involving former senior figures from each party began in Madrid this week.Though vastly different, both cases have the potential to seriously dent each party's claims of having zero-tolerance for corruption as voters in Andalucia, Spain's most populous autonomous community, prepare for next month's regional election. That will be followed by a general election next year. Continue reading...
US vice-president has praised Orban and criticised EU and UK energy policies in speech at private school in BudapestOh, you can see where this is going to go.In his second question, the moderator tries to bait JD Vance into criticising Ukraine, as the chair asks about what he says are Ukrainian intelligence services attempting to influence" elections in the US or Hungary.I've also been told that the vice-president of the United States coming and saying that Viktor Orban is doing a good job and is a helpful statesman to the cause of peace, that's foreign influence.But what's not foreign influence is when the European Union threatens billions of dollars withheld from Hungary because you guys protect your borders; that's apparently not foreign influence.We would never do that because we respect the Hungarian people enough to respect their sovereignty. The fact that so many foreign actors, whether they're transnational organisations like the bureaucrats in Brussels or whether it's foreign governments, are literally threatening the Hungarian people vote this way or we're going to exact our revenge on you - that should make you very angry." Continue reading...
PM will meet leaders in the region to discuss diplomatic efforts to support the ceasefire agreed between the US and IranOpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is proposing the extension of the four-day working week, as a response to AI taking over some of the work done by humans. But for the Conservative party the four-day working week, at least in the public sector, is viewed as a menace. Officially, that's a value-for-money position, but it also overlaps with their opposition to civil servants working from home, which has some of the traits of a culture war obsession.Today the Conservatives have announced that, if they were in government, they would ban councils from letting staff work a four-day working week on full pay. Explaining why, the Tories say in a news release:The four-day working week, as introduced by Liberal Democrat-run South Cambridgeshire district council, has left residents with more council tax for less public service. Bin collectors and social housing officials receive 100 per cent of their pay for around 80 per cent of their originally contracted hours.The Labour government have failed to act. As communities secretary, Angela Rayner scrapped [Whitehall opposition to the South Cambridgeshire policy]. Labour are refusing to legislate against a four-day week, giving councils an effective green light to get away with charging more for less work. Consequentially, Labour-run Cambridge City Council has become the second council to sign up to the four-day week.Those areas which saw a statistically significant improvement include: the percentage of calls answered by the contact centre; the average number of days taken to update housing benefit and council tax support claims; the average number of weeks for householder planning applications to be decided; the percentage of planning applications (both large and small) decided within target or agreed timescales; the percentage of council house repairs complete within 24 hours; [and] the percentage of complaints responded to on time.If performance variations caused by Covid are discounted, every single service monitored either got better or stayed the same. Continue reading...
Executive complaints unit finding relates to broadcast of N-word during awards ceremonyThe BBC breached its editorial standards when it broadcast a highly offensive" racial slur during the Baftas, which was unintentional", a review has found, and made a serious mistake" in not removing it immediately from iPlayer.The broadcast containing the N-word remained on BBC iPlayer overnight before coverage was taken down. It had been said by John Davidson, the Tourette syndrome campaigner, who shouted it as Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan, the stars of the film Sinners, were on stage presenting an award. Continue reading...
Lawyers for Robert Morales's family said chatbot may have advised the shooter' on how to carry out shootingThe family of a man who was killed at Florida State University last year plans to sue ChatGPT and its parent organization, OpenAI, for allegedly telling the accused gunman how to carry out the mass shooting.Lawyers for the family of Robert Morales wrote in a statement they had learned the shooter was in constant communication with ChatGPT" ahead of the shooting, and that the chatbot may have advised the shooter how to commit these heinous crimes". Continue reading...
Struggling pubs reel from rising business rates, wages and energy bills, with customers at limit of what they will payNick Evans is staring in vain at columns of numbers, trying to make them add up to a profit. He is a co-owner of the Old Crown Coaching Inn in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, a pub and hotel whose rich history is etched into its crooked wooden beams and cosy snugs.Oliver Cromwell stayed here in 1645. A room believed to have been used by the notoriously severe hanging judge" Lord Jeffreys to condemn rebels now stages happier encounters: it is the honeymoon suite. Continue reading...
Average price dips back below 300,000 after higher energy costs have knock-on effect on mortgage ratesUK house prices fell in March, as the housing market lost momentum amid uncertainty over the conflict in the Middle East and the impact on the economy and interest rates.Figures from Halifax, which is part of Lloyds - Britain's biggest mortgage lender - showed property prices dipped by 0.5% in March compared with a month earlier. As a result, the average price of a home slipped back below 300,000, to 299,677, after first crossing the milestone in January. Continue reading...
Donald Trump abandons threat for Iran to surrender or face destruction. Plus, why some people are bad texters'Good morning.The US and Iran agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire deal on Tuesday evening, which includes a temporary reopening of the strait of Hormuz.How does the ceasefire affect Israel and Lebanon? The Israel prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel backed the US ceasefire with Iran - but that the deal did not cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,500 in Lebanon.What has Trump said about the Iranian 10-point plan? He has called it a workable basis on which to negotiate". Here's what's in it.Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.How much of a margin do Republicans have in Georgia? The GOP currently holds the state House with a three-vote margin. Continue reading...
Colleagues left anti-Islam leaflet in locker belonging to Parmjit Bassi, who is not a Muslim, and accused him of knife attackA Network Rail worker has won a race harassment case after his colleagues left an anti-Islam English Defence League [EDL] leaflet in his locker.Parmjit Bassi, who is not a Muslim, was found to have been the victim of a racist attack when his co-worker stuffed an EDL leaflet in his locker that asked what individuals were doing to protect their children from Islam". Continue reading...
Orla Wates, 19, who died after incident on popular Ha Giang loop, described as beautiful, independent and very funny'The family of a British teenager have paid tribute to their daughter who died after a motorcycle crash on a popular route in Vietnam.The incident occurred on the Ha Giang loop in the country's north, and Orla Wates, 19, died at the Viet Duc university hospital in Hanoi, according to Viet Nam News. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#74SPK)
Qarsoq Hoegh-Dam aims to use his seat in Danish parliament to shift power from Copenhagen to NuukIt's not the standard motto for a newly elected parliamentarian, but Qarsoq Hoegh-Dam is adamant: if he does his job properly, there will soon be no need for it. I want to make myself as obsolete as possible," he said.Last month, Hoegh-Dam, a Greenlandic politician, became the first member of the pro-independence Naleraq to be elected to the Danish parliament. The new MP is clear that if all goes to plan, the largely autonomous Arctic territory will be the sole responsibility of the parliament in Nuuk, the island's capital. And there will no longer be any need for two seats representing Greenland in Copenhagen, its former colonial ruler. Continue reading...
No-fault evictions made up one in three reports made to renters' union Acorn in JanuaryIncreasing numbers of landlords are evicting tenants at the last minute before the law changes to outlaw the practice in next month, charities have said.The renters' union Acorn told the Guardian that no-fault evictions made up one in five of the reports they received from members in October, rising to nearly one in three by January. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: A Waitrose worker's dismissal after confronting a shoplifter has become a flashpoint in a wider debate over rising retail crimeGood morning. Overnight, the US and Iran agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire, which included a temporary reopening of the strait of Hormuz. It followed a last-minute diplomatic intervention led by Pakistan, but the Israeli government have said the deal does not include Lebanon.You can read our main report here and our live blog will be tracking news throughout the day. My colleague Martin Belam will have more details on what the pause in the fighting means in tomorrow's First Edition. Today, we are covering the scourge of shoplifting in the UK.Middle East | Donald Trump said he had agreed to a Pakistani-brokered two-week ceasefire, shortly before a deadline at which he had threatened to end the whole civilisation" of Iran. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a statement saying: For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordinating with Iran's armed forces."UK news | Millions of graduates will have the interest on their student loans capped at 6% from September as a temporary measure to protect them from the risk of rising inflation driven by war in the Middle East.Entertainment | The Wireless music festival has been cancelled after the artist formerly known as Kanye West was banned from entering the UK amid a deepening political row over his previous antisemitic statements.Politics | Reform UK would stop issuing visas to people from any country that continues to demand compensation from the UK for its role in the transatlantic trade in enslaved people, the party has said.World news | Australia's most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has not applied for bail and will remain in custody after being charged with war crimes. The former SAS soldier and Victoria Cross-recipient is charged with five counts of war crime - murder" in relation to alleged offences in Afghanistan between April 2009 and October 2012. Continue reading...
How much fuel does Australia have left today, and when could we run out? Check how much petrol and diesel prices have risen near you in Sydney, Melbourne and across the country since the US and Israel's war on Iran began in late February
by Ajit Niranjan Europe environment correspondent on (#74SHZ)
More than 33GW of battery capacity approved for Turkish grid since 2022 compared with 12-13GW in GermanyTurkey has given the green light to more batteries to buffer its electricity grid than any EU member state, a report has found, in a further sign of rich countries losing steam in the race to a clean economy.More than 33GW of battery capacity have been approved in Turkey since 2022, according to the climate thinktank Ember, while the total planned and operational capacity in European frontrunners that started deploying them earlier, such as Germany and Italy, is 12-13GW. Continue reading...
Richard Hewett, who was forced to sleep in his car when his relationship broke down, is one of many in the UK hit by rising costs and a lack of social housingWhen Richard Hewett's relationship broke down, he was forced to leave his partner's council house - but found his disability benefits didn't stretch far enough to get him his own flat in his Essex home town. He resorted to the next best option: sleeping in his car.It wasn't what he had expected, aged 59. At 6ft 2in, he squeezed into a Ford Focus and struggled to sleep. When he broke his ankle, he couldn't look after it properly, contracted sepsis and had his leg amputated. Continue reading...
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