France confines more than 1,700 people to cruise ship after suspected norovirus death

Opposition leader to unveil plan to dramatically cut number of migrants in budget reply speech on ThursdayExplore all of our 2026 Australia federal budget coverageGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition will directly link Australia’s temporary immigration intake to the number of new homes built around the country, using housing completion figures as a hard ceiling for overseas arrivals.The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, will outline the plan to dramatically cut the number of migrants arriving into the country in his budget reply speech on Thursday night, while also promising a new $5bn housing infrastructure fund and a weakening of the national construction code to speed up building and reduce cost. Continue reading...

Ronald dela Rosa, accused of crimes against humanity by international criminal court, in standoff with authoritiesGunshots have been fired in the Philippine senate, as a senator who is wanted by the international criminal court (ICC) remained holed up in the building to evade arrest.The Philippine senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is accused of crimes against humanity for his role in overseeing the former president Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called war on drugs, has spent two nights in the country’s senate in a standoff with the authorities. Continue reading...

Ofcom attempting to block UK access to site cited in multiple coroners’ reportsA nihilistic internet suicide forum implicated in over 160 UK deaths has been fined £950,000 by the online regulator in its latest attempt to shut it down.Ofcom said the US-based website remains accessible in the UK despite over a year of warnings. Online safety campaigners have accused the regulator of taking an “interminable” amount of time to act. Continue reading...

Experts say latest move by acting attorney general suggests more cases against foes amid claims of vindictive DoJThe second indictment of ex-FBI director James Comey, a top target of Donald Trump in his drive for revenge against critics, suggests more charges could be coming against other Trump foes as the US president continues to use the department of justice to settle political scores, ex-prosecutors and law professors said.Legal critics also see the new indictment by acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, as “embarrassing” and “ridiculous” and revealing Blanche’s desire to quickly appease Trump and persuade him to make his appointment as America’s top justice official permanent. Continue reading...

CEO admits talks with Chery as other European carmakers discuss plans with Chinese firms to share factory spaceNissan’s chief executive has confirmed he would consider building cars for other manufacturers at the UK’s largest car factory in Sunderland, amid talks with China’s Chery.Ivan Espinosa said Nissan was “looking at options” for Sunderland and its 6,000 workers as the struggling Japanese carmaker on Wednesday reported steep losses for the year to March. Continue reading...

Watchdog to examine whether Reform UK leader should have declared donation received before entering parliamentNigel Farage is facing a formal investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog over a £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.The Reform UK leader received the money weeks before announcing he would stand as a candidate in the 2024 general election. Continue reading...

Suspect was seen on fuzzy security photo running between benches of church carrying skull, police sayCzech police are hunting a thief who snatched the 800-year-old skull of a saint from a display box in a church and ran away with the relic.A fuzzy security camera photo released late on Tuesday appeared to show a figure dressed in black carrying what police said was the skull of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk. Continue reading...

FTSE 100 business ‘minded to recommend’ £60-a-share tilt from company owned by billionaire Wallenberg familyThe laboratory testing company Intertek has become the latest FTSE 100 business to agree to a takeover, backing a £10.6bn approach from a private equity firm owned by Sweden’s billionaire Wallenberg family.After rebuffing three previous approaches, Intertek’s board said it was “minded to recommend” the £60-a-share tilt from the Swedish buyout firm EQT to shareholders, if there is a firm offer. Continue reading...

Facility would require more power than entire state uses and suck up vast amount of water in drought-stricken areaA plan to create one of the world’s largest datacenters, a gargantuan project spanning an area more than twice the size of Manhattan, has provoked a furious public backlash in Utah amid concerns over its vast energy use and impact upon the state’s stressed water supplies.The Stratos artificial intelligence datacenter footprint will cover more than 40,000 acres (62 sq miles) over three sites in Box Elder county in north-western Utah. The facility will require about 9GW of power, which is more than the entire state of Utah currently consumes, and suck up a significant amount of water in an area that has been hit by severe drought in recent years. Continue reading...

Ceremonial event marks start of new parliamentary year, and outlines government policies and proposed legislationUK politics live – latest updates Continue reading...

The Iran war will cast a long shadow over the talks. Plus, the 100 best novels of all timeGood morning.Donald Trump is due to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening, the first visit to China by a US president since he was last there nearly a decade ago, as he seeks to mend power and prestige weakened by the war in Iran.What is the state of US-China relations? The two countries remain locked in a fragile tariff truce, reached last autumn after tensions threatened to erupt into a full-scale trade war. Trump has long complained about China’s trade surplus with the US, while Beijing has opposed American export controls and sanctions.What is the latest with the US-Iran ceasefire? The war has entered its third month, with Tehran tightening its grip over the strait of Hormuz and Washington struggling to turn a fragile ceasefire into a lasting settlement. Behind the scenes, US officials have spent weeks urging China to put pressure on Iran to reopen the strait and accept US terms for peace.What did the Atlantic allege? It reported that Patel’s alcohol consumption had become “a recurring source of concern across the government” which made him a “national-security vulnerability”, citing interviews with more than two dozen people including current and former FBI officials. Patel denies all the allegations, calling them “outrageous” and “malicious”. Continue reading...