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PM's spokesperson says ships carrying materials needed by the steel plant have docked in LincolnshireAlso on the morning media round today was shadow business minister Harriett Baldwin, who endured a torrid time on Sky News while being repeatedly pressed to acknowledge any culpability for the British Steel crisis by the previous Conservative administration that sold the company to current Chinese owners Jingye in 2019.The MP for West Worcestershire was told the appearance was a wonderful opportunity for you here right now, with our viewers on Sky News, to say, look, it was a mistake. We understand that, and we support the government. Do you want to do that this morning?"Well, I think that, you know, I know that it was looked at very rigorously at the time. It was welcomed by the unions. And I think we need to recognise that 2025 is very different from 2019. And we need to focus on the future of this critical national infrastructure in this industry in our country.I think it's always got to be a last resort. But, you know, there was a period when the government owned it, before Jingye came in, and so I think you should never have anything off the table, but I think that does need to be a last resort.It was a deal that was welcomed by the unions and local communities at the time. So can we put that in the past and focus on the future of this critical industry.I think there's a general consensus. If you hear the chancellor today talking about investment in our infrastructure, she's always looking for partnerships with private equity capital. She's looking for your pension and my pension to be investing in some of these infrastructure.I think there is always going to be a role for private capital in all of these organisations. And I think it means that there's less competition in terms of financing for the schools, for the hospitals, which do require exclusive public funding.These situations are different, which is why this interventionist UK government has an industrial strategy that matches solutions to the problems at hand.I would contrast the speed with which they [the SNP] can take to social media and take to the airwaves to air their grievances and the speed at which they move to secure Scottish jobs. Continue reading...

Over 250 former intelligence agency figures back letter urging prioritising return of hostages held in GazaHundreds of former operatives from Israel's intelligence agency have criticised the return to war in Gaza amid growing frustration over the failure to bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas.A group of over 250 former figures from the Mossad - including three ex-chiefs - gave their backing to a letter first signed by air force veterans and reservists that urged the Israeli government to prioritise bringing back the hostages over fighting the Palestinian militant group in Gaza. Continue reading...

Noboa placed the armed forces at the centre of his rule, which initially led to a drop in crime but also a surge in reports of rights violationsIn an election seen as a referendum on his war on drugs", Ecuador's right-wing president, Daniel Noboa, won Sunday's presidential runoff, defeating leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez.With 97% of ballots counted, the incumbent had secured 55.65% of the vote, compared to 44.35% for the former congresswoman. Continue reading...

The Olympian's mother tells champion cyclist that his temper is his downfall' during victim statements in Adelaide court

US army investigates after young private follows the Base, which has vowed to recruit soldiers for so-called race warAn active-duty serviceman in the US army is openly following a proscribed neo-Nazi terrorist group on social media, one that has vowed to recruit soldiers in preparation for a so-called race war.Experts say examples like this shows how under Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon is allowing extremism to go unchecked. Continue reading...

Ageas acquisition will create UK's third-biggest home and motor insurer and unite two complementary' firms

Prime minister accuses opposition of borrowing ideas' and says there's lots of really good Australian music around'

Central Mississippi Turtle Rescue facilitated viral reunion after pet Myrtle was brought to organization with injuriesA pet tortoise who was displaced from its human family's home during a deadly outbreak of tornadoes in Mississippi in March was recently reunited with its people.The reunion - which went viral on corners of the internet dedicated to uplifting news stories - occurred after the Central Mississippi Turtle Rescue organization asked its social media followers on 6 April for help in finding the tortoise's owners after the animal was brought to the group to be treated for injuries. Continue reading...

Actor uses Instagram story to address skit in which SNL cast member Sarah Sherman mocked her appearanceAimee Lou Wood has described a sketch on the US comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) which mocked her appearance as mean and unfunny".The British actor used an Instagram post to criticise a skit of the television series The White Lotus, in which the SNL cast member Sarah Sherman impersonated her, appearing in exaggerated prosthetic teeth. Continue reading...

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Police response to disorder after Southport attack was entirely appropriate', says home affairs committeeThe way police responded to the riots that swept the country last summer was entirely appropriate", a parliamentary report has found.MPs considered accusations that the riots were policed more strongly than previous protests, but said that claims of two-tier policing" were baseless". Continue reading...

Paramedics treated child for serious neck injuries but he died at the scene, police say

China has been flexing its maritime muscle in the Indo-Pacific - moves that pose a challenge for the US presidentIn the space of just five weeks, China held live-fire drills on the doorsteps of Australia, Taiwan and Vietnam. It tested new landing barges on ships that could facilitate an amphibious assault on Taiwan. And it unveiled deep-sea cable cutters with the ability to switch off another country's internet access - a tool no other nation admits to having.China has been flexing its maritime muscle in the Indo-Pacific to send a message of supremacy to its regional neighbours, experts say. But it's also testing the thinking of a bigger rival further afield: Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Former sergeant remains employed by Queensland police in a supervisory role despite ruling his behaviour toward three junior female colleagues was a gross breach of trust'

RAC says 19m leisure trips planned over four-day break with peak congestion expected from Thursday to SaturdayDrivers heading off for Easter getaways face a hat-trick of hold-ups" as the four-day weekend coincides with the end of the holidays for many schools.Traffic will be equally severe", the RAC said, on Thursday, Good Friday and Saturday, with an estimated 2.7 million leisure trips by car planned across the UK each day. Continue reading...

NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad expanded to include trial for patients with advanced type of skin cancerPatients with an advanced type of skin melanoma in England will be given fast-track access to a revolutionary" new cancer vaccine as part of an NHS trial.The vaccine, known as iSCIB1+ (ImmunoBody), helps the immune system recognise cancer cells and therefore better respond to immunotherapy treatment. Continue reading...

Talks between US and Russia continue unabated as attacks on Ukraine's cities appear to have stepped upEven by the warped standards of wartime, Russia's Sunday morning attack on Sumy was astonishingly brazen. Two high-speed ballistic missiles, armed, Ukraine says, with cluster munitions, slammed into the heart of the border city in mid-morning as families went to church, waited for a theatre performance or were simply strolling about on a mild spring day.The death toll currently stands at 34, including two children. Images from the scene show bodies or body bags on the ground, a trolley bus and cars burnt out, rubble and glass scattered around. It was reckless, cruel and vicious and its consequences entirely predictable to those who gave the order and pressed launch". Continue reading...

Ministers call denial of entry for Wera Hobhouse concerning' after she flew there to visit newborn grandsonThe UK government is greatly concerned" and wants an account of why the Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was denied entry to Hong Kong on a family visit to meet her three-month-old grandson for the first time.Hobhouse, 65, the MP for Bath, said she was held at Hong Kong airport on arrival on Thursday, told she was being refused entry and put on a flight back to the UK five hours later. Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy decries attack on ordinary city street' while people were going to church for Palm SundayAt least 34 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in a Russian ballistic missile strike in the Ukrainian city of Sumy as people were going to church for Palm Sunday, in the worst attack on civilians this year.Two missiles landed in the crowded city centre on Sunday morning. One hit a trolley bus full of passengers. Footage from the scene showed bodies lying in the street, burning cars, and rescuers carrying bloodied survivors. Two of the dead were children. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Government is weighing up security concerns against economic benefits of closer ties with BeijingThe government could target parts of China's security apparatus under new foreign influence rules, the Guardian has learnt.Ministers are considering including parts of the Chinese state accused of interference activities on the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme (Firs). Continue reading...

Campaigners warn NHS rules are putting migrant mothers and babies at riskA destitute asylum seeker who was billed more than 10,000 for having a baby could afford to pay just a penny a month, leading to calls for an urgent review of NHS maternity charging for migrants.Kim, 34, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, was invoiced and then contacted by a debt collection agency after having an emergency caesarean section. Continue reading...

Police appeal for information from people living in Worksop as they investigate extremely serious incident'A man has died after an explosion at a house in Nottinghamshire, police have said.Emergency services were called to John Street in Worksop at 7.39pm on Saturday. A major incident was declared and homes were evacuated after the blast, in which a terraced property was destroyed and significant damage was caused to neighbouring properties. Continue reading...

In a marathon 50-minute on stage the opposition leader promised to stop the boats (again), foreshadowed a significant' defence investment and took a jab at Jim Chalmers. Here's what you may have missed

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Leftwing challenger Luisa Gonzalez in statistical tie with President Daniel Noboa who champions iron fist' policyEcuadorians go to the polls on Sunday in a vote seen as a referendum on a war on drugs" offensive that has led to numerous human rights violations, as the incumbent Daniel Noboa faces the leftist Luisa Gonzalez in a tightly contested runoff.Noboa, 37, edged out Gonzalez, 47, in the first round in February by just 16,746 votes (0.17%) from a 13.7 million electorate. Continue reading...

Major incident declared and surrounding homes evacuated after suspected gas explosion in terrace house in WorksopA major incident has been declared following a suspected gas explosion at a home in Nottinghamshire on Saturday evening that partly destroyed the property.Nearby homes in Worksop were evacuated as fire crews and the East Midlands ambulance service worked to account for all residents. On Saturday night, it was unclear if the blast had caused any casualties. Continue reading...

Lord Peter Hendy apologises after being spotted texting behind wheel of vintage Routemaster in LondonThe rail minister, Lord Peter Hendy, has reported himself to the police after he was spotted using a mobile phone while driving a vintage Routemaster bus in London during a charity tour.The former Transport for London commissioner apologised for what has been described as an error of judgment" after a passenger saw him texting behind the wheel of the double-decker last month. Continue reading...

Australia's consumer watchdog says it is investigating complaints of social media ads purporting to be from local boutiques

Iranian foreign minister hails calm and respectful environment' to mediated talks in OmanIran and the US completed a successful opening round of indirect talks in Oman designed to prevent the weaponisation of Iran's nuclear programme. In a sign the talks over a joint agenda had gone well, they agreed to meet again on 19 April.A breakdown would have come if Donald Trump had demanded the complete dismantling of Iran's civil nuclear programme, something that Iran is not prepared to contemplate. Iran insists it is pursuing only a civil nuclear programme, but Donald Trump took the US out of the previous nuclear deal claiming Tehran's regime was seeking a nuclear weapon. Continue reading...

Musician best known for tracks such as Chase the Devil and War Ina Babylon rose to fame in the 1960sMax Romeo, the influential Jamaican reggae artist best known for tracks such as Chase the Devil and War Ina Babylon, has died at the age of 80.The singer, known to his family and friends as Maxie Smith, died after heart complications in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica, on Friday. Continue reading...

Emergency legislation giving government power to instruct British Steel to keep plant open passed unopposed

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereIt's been a busy morning for Sarah Jones, who is now on BBC Breakfast.Asked whether the government had received any private offers for the company's Scunthorpe plant, Sarah Jones said:There is not at the moment, to answer your question, a private company that is there willing to invest at this point.When we came into government, there was a deal on the table with Tata Steel in Port Talbot.We negotiated in 10 weeks a much better deal, but there was a private company willing to invest, who are now investing.We are hoping that the company will co-operate with what we are asking them to do, we hope that we will give them a notice and they will continue.If they do not, we will step in. Now the company will be liable for any costs that we incur, and we will seek to get that money back.We have the 2.5 billion fund for steel which we had in our manifesto, that we will use if necessary, so there will be no extra costs to the Exchequer that we don't already have in our plans. Continue reading...

Senior Kyiv economist describes latest postion of Trump administration in talks as colonial-type' bullyingThe US has demanded control of a crucial pipeline in Ukraine used to send Russian gas to Europe, according to reports, in a move described as a colonial shakedown.US and Ukrainian officials met on Friday to discuss White House proposals for a minerals deal. Donald Trump wants Kyiv to hand over its natural resources as payback" in return for weapons delivered by the previous Biden administration. Continue reading...

Presenter given the all-clear after doctors found a benign colloid cyst during a health checkup last yearDavina McCall announced that her benign brain tumour is not coming back" after recent MRI scans.The former Big Brother presenter had surgery in November 2024 after doctors found a colloid cyst during a health checkup as part of her advocacy work for menopause. Continue reading...

Government introduces measure to prevent spread of foot-and-mouth disease after rise in cases across EuropeTourists from Great Britain who travel to the continent to satisfy their epicurean desires for cured meats and fragrant cheeses will be frustrated in their attempts to bring home some of their favourite foods after a ban on meat and dairy imports from EU countries came into force this weekend.From Saturday, holidaymakers will no longer be able to bring meat from cattle, sheep, goats or pigs, or dairy products, from EU countries into Great Britain for personal use, in a move aimed at preventing the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) after a rise in cases across Europe. Continue reading...

Only a quarter of staff are satisfied with how their department tackles bullying and harassment, FoI requests revealOnly a quarter of staff at Cambridge University are satisfied with how their department tackles bullying and harassment, according to an internal survey seen by the Observer.Cambridge undertook its staff culture survey in January 2024 and is now facing accusations from academics that it tried to cover up the grim" results, which have been released through freedom of information (FoI) requests. Continue reading...

Petition calls for official recognition of the historic and traditional serving method' that is unique to the UK'It is one of Britain's most historic drinks, still sold in thousands of pubs across the nation, but cask beer has long been in decline.Besides suffering from a reputation as an old man's drink" and the divisive debate over the cellar temperature" at which it is served, the number of establishments selling it, and the volume and value of sales, have all dropped dramatically in recent years. Continue reading...

Recall for steel debate is an unusual event but bout of presenteeism has not gone unnoticed by constituents on XFor the millions of people in the UK employed in industries where weekend working is the norm, the X feeds of MPs in Westminster may be a little hard to stomach.For while doctors, nurses, hospitality workers and, yes, journalists regularly put the hours in while others are enjoying their weekends, they rarely feel the need to take a selfie on the commute to prove it. Continue reading...

Trump's tariffs were sometimes played down, sometimes cheered but rarely seriously questioned by the rightWhile Donald Trump recently instituted and paused hefty tariffs, sparking a trade war and chaos in financial markets, most of the country's conservative media either applauded the US president or critiqued the policy but not the person behind it, according to journalists and observers of conservative media.Meanwhile, economists, business leaders, Democrats and even some Republicans warned that the tariffs, which prompted the largest American stock market drop since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, could cause a recession. Continue reading...

Prolific Canadian director also made one of the country's first internationally successful films, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, starring Richard DreyfussTed Kotcheff, the prolific Canadian director of films including First Blood, Weekend at Bernie's, Wake in Fright and The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, has died aged 94. His daughter Kate Kotcheff told the Canadian Press that he had died of heart failure on Thursday in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, where he lived. His son Thomas said: He died of old age, peacefully, and surrounded by loved ones."In an amazingly varied career, Kotcheff's work ranged from hardhitting TV plays and low-budget features in the UK, to hit Hollywood comedies and prestige-laden award-winners and cult films. Kate Kotcheff said: He was an amazing storyteller. He was an incredible, larger than life character [and] he was a director who could turn his hand to anything." Continue reading...

Casual attitude as markets fall suggests man detached from anxieties of ordinary voters - and surrounded by yes menAfter lighting a fuse under global financial markets, Donald Trump stepped back - all the way to a Florida golf course. A week later, having just caved to pressure to ease his trade tariffs, the US president defended the retreat while hosting racing car champions at the White House.Trump had spent the time in between golfing, dining with donors and making insouciant declarations such as this is a great time to get rich", even as the US economy melted down. Continue reading...

Four senior officers say more controls needed, amid claims platforms are fuelling and enabling' crimeSenior UK police officers have called for the government to ban children under 16 from social media, amid claims the platforms are fuelling and enabling" crime.In the most recent development in the moral panic that has gripped the media since Netflix's Adolescence was released, four of the most senior policing figures in the country told the Times that further controls on social media platforms were necessary for public safety, national security and young people's mental health. Continue reading...

Inmates in several prisons given chance to study ethics and rhetoric to inform contemporary life' and skillsA classical education, once the preserve of Eton, Oxbridge and the likes of Boris Johnson, is being made available to inmates serving time in prisons.In a break from the kind of curriculum usually on offer inside - lessons in literacy, numeracy, tiling and decorating - a small number of prisoners are being offered the opportunity to learn life skills from the ancient philosophers. Continue reading...

Duke of Sussex says removal of security after he and Meghan left royal duties was difficult to swallow'Prince Harry has said he is exhausted" by his lengthy legal battle to reinstate his police protection.According to the Daily Telegraph, Harry believes that his UK security was removed to force" him back into Britain and establishment life". Continue reading...

Journalist shares details of broadcaster's dislike for Brummie accent as archives of her life and career to be cataloguedThe BBC had an unofficial league table of the most loved and despised accents, the war correspondent Kate Adie has revealed. And the most hated? Brummie.Geordie was liked, she told an audience in Sunderland, but from one end of the country to the other it was Birmingham that was particularly disliked. Continue reading...

Tehran's nuclear program at stake in Oman after Trump's surprise announcement - can a breakthrough be reached?Historical metaphor refers to them as Nixon in China" moments: diplomatic encounters where leaders representing political systems implacably opposed to each other overcome their mistrust to achieve unexpected breakthroughs.Yet few meetings can have held less obvious prospect of the success achieved by President Richard Nixon's historic 1972 visit to Beijing than that scheduled to take place in Oman on Saturday between representatives of the United States and Iran. Continue reading...

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Exclusive: Police set up taskforce to tackle online violence as young men seek victims on eating disorder forumsYoung men and boys fuelled by strongly misogynistic" online material are hunting for vulnerable women and girls to exploit on websites such as eating disorder and suicide forums, senior officers have said.The threat from young males wanting to carry out serious harm is so serious that counter-terrorism officers are joining the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the hunt for them, fearing they could go on to attack or kill. Continue reading...

Senator channels US president during election campaign event, but says Coalition's government efficiency unit not an ode to Donald Tump'

Golani troops were under command of reservist Armoured 14th Brigade, part of division led by Brig Gen Yehuda VachThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) unit involved in the killings of 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers in the Gaza Strip last month was under the command of a brigade led by a notorious Israeli general previously accused by some of his own troops of having contempt for human life".The IDF has confirmed that troops from Golani, one of the army's five infantry brigades, opened fire on two convoys of ambulances in Rafah on 23 March and dug a mass grave to cover the bodies of those killed until the corpses could be retrieved by a UN team six days later. It has disputed allegations from two witnesses who exhumed the bodies and newly released postmortem results that found several of those killed had close-range gunshot wounds to the head and chest and were discovered with their hands or legs tied. Continue reading...