Fed holds interest rates steady as Iran war drives up oil prices and inflation fears

Former Sinn Féin leader, who is being sued for symbolic damages, also denies any prior knowledge of the attackGerry Adams has told the high court he was stunned by the 1996 Docklands bombing as he denied being at the nerve centre of the IRA’s operations.The former Sinn Féin leader also denied having any prior knowledge of the bombing of the commercial district of east London, which shattered a 17-month old ceasefire. Continue reading...

Romantic poet’s Rydal Mount and Gardens, marketed for over £2.5m, will remain open under Wordsworth TrustIt was the family home where William Wordsworth hosted Alfred, Lord Tennyson, lived as poet laureate and worked on his epic autobiographical poem The Prelude.Now, after a long period of decline in visitor numbers, Rydal Mount and Gardens has been saved from descending into the “half-choked with willow flowers and weeds” state Wordsworth described in his 1814 poem The Excursion – and will be preserved by a charity that will ensure it remains open to the public. Continue reading...

Psychologists at Cardiff University and King’s College London compared children given dolls to those given a video gamesPlaying along with dolls can help boys and girls develop more sophisticated imaginations and better social skills, compared with children who play on electronic devices, according to research.Psychologists at Cardiff University and King’s College London found that children given dolls gained a richer appreciation of other people’s beliefs and feelings, in contrast to those given a tablet loaded with video games. Continue reading...

SEC now classifies crypto into five categories, with securities laws only applicable to one: digital securitiesThe US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday issued an interpretation clarifying which types of cryptocurrencies are considered securities and how a “non-security” digital asset could meet certain conditions to become an investment contract.The SEC’s new interpretation – which the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission also joined – classifies crypto tokens into five categories: digital commodities, digital collectibles, digital tools, stablecoins and digital securities, with the agency specifying that federal securities laws only apply to digital securities. Continue reading...

Senator backed restructuring the disaster agency but dodged questions on staffing, leaving officials uneasy over readiness and leadershipSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe confirmation hearing for Markwayne Mullin, Donald Trump’s pick to replace Kristi Noem as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), left disaster management officials and experts concerned about what his tenure would mean for the future of the main US disaster response agency.The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), which DHS oversees, coordinates federal response efforts to disasters such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires. Continue reading...

Campaigners have been fighting proposals to build traffic tunnel under the world heritage site since 1994A controversial plan to build a tunnel under the Stonehenge site has been officially cancelled after millions were spent on the doomed project.Campaigners have been fighting proposals to dig a tunnel for cars under the location of the world heritage site since the idea was first proposed in 1994. Continue reading...

Finding suggests as many as 155,000 deaths, likely occurring outside of hospitals, not recognized at Covid relatedThe Covid-19 pandemic’s early death toll was much higher than the official US count, according to a new study that spotlights dramatic disparities in the uncounted deaths.About 840,000 Covid-19 deaths were reported on death certificates in 2020 and 2021. But a group of researchers – using a form of artificial intelligence – estimate that as many as 155,000 unrecognized additional deaths likely occurred in that time outside of hospitals. That would mean about 16% of Covid-19 deaths went uncounted in those years. Continue reading...

‘Serious risk of major ecological disaster’ as vessel drifts for weeks after being struck by suspected drone attackA severely damaged Russian tanker carrying liquified natural gas that has been adrift in the Mediterranean for two weeks, raising concerns of a “major ecological disaster”, has floated into Libyan waters, Italy’s civil protection agency said on Wednesday.The Arctic Metagaz was part of a Russian “shadow fleet” used to circumvent sanctions imposed on the country’s oil and gas after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It was struck in a suspected drone attack close to Maltese waters earlier this month, causing a huge hole. The crew is believed to have been rescued between Malta and Libya. Continue reading...

Officials say military planners liaising with US Central Command but situation remains too dangerous for anything to happen soonMiddle East crisis – live updatesBritain has said it remains involved in discussions with the US and European allies over escorting merchant shipping through the strait of Hormuz but the situation remains too dangerous for it to happen soon.Iran is still considered to pose a threat and have a wide range of weapons available – from cruise missiles to sea drones – despite 19 days of US-led bombing of its navy and coastal sites. Continue reading...

PM said to be wary of opening up new divisions among Labour MPs by giving bill time in next session of parliamentSenior ministers believe Keir Starmer will not intervene to give the assisted dying bill further time in the next session of parliament as he is wary of opening up new divisions among Labour MPs.The bill, which was passed by the Commons, is now certain to be blocked in the House of Lords without ever reaching a vote because of the large number of amendments its opponents have tabled and debated. Continue reading...

Just three of Labour’s 20 MSPs in Holyrood voted for bill, despite support for legislation in House of CommonsSupporters of Scotland’s assisted dying bill said they are frustrated a significant majority of Labour MSPs voted against the proposals, despite Labour’s substantial support for the measure at Westminster.The Scottish bill was defeated in a late night free vote at Holyrood on Tuesday, five years after it was first proposed and a year after it was first tabled, by a larger than expected 12-vote margin. Continue reading...

Foreign minister Anita Anand says she has drafted principles to reduce risk of regional spillover and wider shocksMiddle East crisis – live updatesCanada is pushing for a collective G7 and Middle East approach to de-escalating the Iran war, including off ramps that might bring an end to the conflict, the Canadian foreign minister, Anita Anand, has told the Guardian.In London to meet the UK’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, after of talks with the her Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, she said she hoped a G7 meeting chaired by France, this year’s president of the group, might start to build a broader collective approach to the crisis. Continue reading...