Oil on track for record monthly surge as Iran war disrupts markets

• An expeditionary force of American Marines arrived in the Middle East on Saturday as Yemen's Houthis launched an unsuccessful ballistic missile attack on Israel, escalating the US-Iran conflict. • Strikes on Friday and Saturday continued despite President Trump's claims of 'very strong talks' with Iran on a diplomatic solution, with no signs of de-escalation. • The involvement of Iran-allied Houthis raises fears of broader regional war and further economic disruption, particularly to global shipping routes.

• Huge crowds rallied across the U.S. on Saturday for 'No Kings Day' protests against President Donald Trump, expressing fury over his policies amid international tensions. • Demonstrations also spread abroad, including massive marches in France and crowds at NIH headquarters protesting cuts to medical research. • The protests highlight domestic opposition to Trump's leadership, potentially influencing U.S. politics as global conflicts intensify.

Exclusive: Pubs, restaurants and hotels warn of mounting pressure days before rates rises and higher wage bills take effectOne in five hospitality businesses fear collapse in the next 12 months, according to an industry-wide survey that comes days before rises in tax and employment costs kick in.From Wednesday, many pub, restaurant and hotel companies face the prospect of a higher bill for business rates paid to their local authority, while an increase in minimum wage thresholds takes effect on the same day. Continue reading...

Fossil-fuel burning at Ohio facility could burn longer, leaving Middletown residents to face environmental risksSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxIt was just a few months after moving from Louisville to Middletown, Ohio, four years ago that Vivian Adams’s six-year-old daughter’s asthma problem worsened.“My daughter was born prematurely so she already had lung issues,” she says, “[but] it’s gotten worse. She stays sick and coughing and can’t breathe. She’s had to go on everyday medication for her asthma, plus she has a rescue inhaler.” Continue reading...

Following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, gas prices, grocery bills and mortgage rates have all climbed The US-Israel war against Iran has sent shockwaves through global markets, leaving many Americans grappling with a growing financial squeeze on everyday living costs.Following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran – prompting retaliatory attacks on US allies in the region and Iran’s decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime passage – costs have surged across the US. Gas prices, in particular, have spiked sharply, with the national average rising by roughly 30% over the past month. Grocery bills, mortgage rates and fertilizer costs have also climbed. Continue reading...

Attendees at Conservative Political Action Conference express support and concerns amid rift over Trump’s action Wherever you go, there you are, the saying goes. It was a lesson Donald Trump’s Maga faithful may have been reminded of last week when they gathered in a convention center near Dallas for a revival of the president’s political movement, only to find that there was no escape from the problems it faces.The annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is usually a place of optimism, if not, triumph. It was on its stage last year that Elon Musk pumped a chainsaw in the air amid his abortive foray into clear cutting government bureaucracy, and where JD Vance named undocumented immigration as the “greatest threat” facing the United States and Europe. Trump is a regular, regaling the audience with lengthy monologues about his accomplishments. Continue reading...

Peaches, strawberries and grapes were almost always found to be contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’ in the analysisSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA first-of-its-kind analysis has identified Pfas pesticide residues on 37% of conventional California produce, with peaches, strawberries and grapes almost always found to be contaminated with the toxic “forever chemicals”.The analysis coincided with the introduction of California legislation that would by 2035 fully ban Pfas from being used as active ingredients in pesticides, and require warning labels and other restrictions in the meantime. Continue reading...

Experts say verdict gives Trump officials scope to crack down on leftwing views using spurious ‘terrorism’ labelThe conviction in Texas of nine activists on terrorism and other charges earlier this month sets an alarming precedent: the Trump administration can crack down on leftwing groups and label them “domestic terrorists”.The case was widely seen as a major test of the Trump administration’s efforts to punish protesters and leftwing views. The charges came after a protest outside of an ICE facility outside of Fort Worth last year. Activists planned to set off fireworks outside of the facility in solidarity with those detained inside, traveling with a cache of automatic weapons and body armor they said was for self-defense against counter-protesters. Once they got there, a small group broke away and began vandalizing cars in the parking lot, spray painting graffiti, slashing tires on a government van, and breaking a security camera. A police officer arrived on the scene and drew his weapon at those in the parking lot, one of the activists opened fire with an AR-15 and hit the police officer in the shoulder. He ultimately survived. Continue reading...

Model posted picture of herself naked and pregnant, standing ‘in her full power’, to celebrate Mother’s Day It is a black-and-white photograph of a heavily pregnant Erin O’Connor touching her baby bump with an expression of maternal bliss on her face.For the 48-year-old model, who has worked for Dior, Versace, Alexander McQueen and Chanel, it conveys the “abundance of life being right there” under her fingertips when she was pregnant. Continue reading...

Forthcoming rules mean debilitating conditions may not meet strict ‘severe and lifelong’ eligibility criteria, say disabled people’s organisationsHundreds of thousands of severely ill and disabled people making new claims will have their benefits cut if the government assesses that their condition might improve, charities have said.In April, the health element of universal credit – an extra payment for people assessed as too unwell to work or prepare for work – will be reduced to £50 a week and frozen for new claimants unless their condition is found to be terminal or severe and lifelong with no prospect of improvement. Continue reading...

Sara Ziff, founder of Model Alliance, said business leaders need to be hauled before House oversight committeeA top modeling industry activist has called for business leaders to be hauled before lawmakers in Washington to investigate what role modeling agencies may have played in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal.Sara Ziff is founder of the Model Alliance, a non-profit advocacy group calling for fair treatment, labor rights and safe working conditions for fashion industry workers. Continue reading...