Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy reiterates truce offer ahead of Orthodox Easter

• UN International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez stated that the blockading of ships in the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Iran conflict has turned international shipping and seafarers into leverage in geopolitical disputes. • The crisis highlights how vessels and crews, not involved in the conflict, are being caught up in hostilities between the United States and Iran, disrupting global trade routes. • This development underscores critical weaknesses in global shipping networks, potentially leading to supply chain disruptions, higher costs, and risks to maritime security worldwide.

Alan Johnson and David Blunkett say Tory proposal for a privileges committee inquiry is a ‘nakedly political stunt’Good morning. Kemi Badenoch is trying to get Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker, to give MPs a vote on a proposal to get the Commons privileges committee to investigate allegations that Keir Starmer lied to MPs in statements he made to them about the vetting of Peter Mandelson. Other opposition parties may be backing her, but we don’t know for sure because the process is relatively secret; MPs have to write a private letter to the speaker, who then decides whether this is a serious request that should be decided by the Commons as a whole, or a frivolous complaint that should be ignored. (We do know that Karl Turner has written to the speaker about this too, but only because he was daft enough to post his letter on social media last week.) Today we are likely to find out whether or not Hoyle is agreeing to a Commons vote.Boris Johnson was referred to the privileges committee over allegations that he lied to MPs about Partygate (allegations the committee concluded were justified). Badenoch wants to make the case that Starmer is just as dishonest as Johnson. He isn’t, by any stretch, and the claims that Starmer lied to MPs about Mandelson are spurious; they relate to contest intepretations of political language of the kind that are commonplace in parliamentary debate. But the fact that this has even become a live consideration for the speaker is a big win for the Tories.The fact that Kemi Badenoch has changed the accusations she is levelling against the PM on an almost daily basis as her claims have failed to stand up to scrutiny shows what this is really about. This is a nakedly political stunt with no substance ahead of the May elections.Any comparison with Boris Johnson is absurd. When parliament referred that matter to the privileges committee, a police investigation had directly disproved his categoric statements that he knew nothing about the breach of lockdown rules.I suppose our constituents might ask [if a privileges committee goes ahead], have we got the balance right between holding the government to account and seemingly squabbling amongst ourselves when there is so much else going on that perhaps parliament ought to be focusing on as well.I have to say, a really truthful position is, why the rush at the moment? Has it got anything to do with local elections? Continue reading...

Conservatives expected to push for privileges committee involvement in a Commons vote on MondayA series of senior Labour figures have dismissed calls for a new investigation into what Keir Starmer told MPs about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as political point scoring, before a possible Commons vote on the issue.The Conservatives have called for the cross-party privileges committee, the remit of which includes examining whether MPs broke rules, to look at whether the prime minister misled parliament when he said normal procedures were followed with Mandelson’s appointment. Continue reading...

Hundreds of senior staff in territory benefit from nearly £30,000-a-year grant per child not available to staff in group’s other hubs HSBC is reportedly reviewing a perk that covers school fees for bankers in Hong Kong as part of a big overhaul of the bank under chief executive Georges Elhedery.Europe’s largest bank is considering whether to scrap the perk for new employees or make changes to total compensation, Bloomberg News reported. No decisions have been made yet. Continue reading...

Suspect in Saturday evening’s shooting – Cole Tomas Allen – expected to be formally charged in court todayGood morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.The suspected gunman in the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday evening, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, from Torrance, California, is due to appear in court later today.He is expected to be formally charged with using a firearm during a violent crime and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. Continue reading...

Rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid announce new party before Knesset vote expected later this yearTwo of Benjamin Netanyahu’s most formidable political rivals say they are joining forces in an attempt to oust the Israeli prime minister’s coalition government in the election expected later this year.The former prime ministers – rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid – issued statements announcing the merger of their parties, Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid (There is a Future). Continue reading...

Across country, more than 10 people have been injured as Ukrainian prime minister Julia Svyrydenko prepares to visit PolandAnother night of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine overnight left more than 10 people injured, particularly damaging residential buildings in the Odesa region.The strikes caused the biggest damage in the central Prymorskyi district, where residential buildings, a hotel and facilities in the center of the city were damaged, Serhiy Lysak, the head of the local military administration, said on Telegram in comments reported by Reuters. Continue reading...

Owner of Pink Punters vows to reopen club as police call on the public not to speculateA man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a fire at an LGBTQ+ nightclub, police have said.Officers have called on people not to speculate about why the fire may have been set at Pink Punters in Fenny Stratford, near Milton Keynes, saying it is too early to tell. Following the fire, the club’s owner said he was relieved no one was hurt – and vowed the club would reopen. Continue reading...

Queensland and NSW set for lower than usual rainfall in May, June and July, while temperatures in most of the country likely to be higher than normalFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLarge parts of south-east Australia look set for drier and hotter conditions over the next three months as a potential El Niño weather phenomenon takes shape in the Pacific Ocean.Much of Queensland and New South Wales are forecast to have lower than usual rainfall in May, June and July, with almost the entire country likely to experience hotter than average maximum temperatures. Continue reading...

James Sherwin-Smith will be up for election after securing more than 250 nominations to run alongside existing directorsNationwide building society could have a customer on its board for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century after one of its longtime members secured enough support for a spot on the lender’s annual ballot.James Sherwin-Smith will be up for board elections at Nationwide’s annual general meeting (AGM) in July, having gathered more than the 250 peer nominations necessary to run alongside existing directors. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: After the dramatic events of Saturday night, White House security arrangements are under scrutiny and political violence is once again in the spotlightGood morning. On Saturday night the annual Washington ritual of the White House correspondents’ dinner descended into chaos as the US president and first lady were evacuated after the event was interrupted by gunfire.Journalists ducked under tables as authorities rushed Donald Trump and members of his cabinet out of the room. The president and his wife were unharmed, and a suspect is in custody – identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old man from southern California. In today’s newsletter, I will bring you the latest updates on what we know about the incident. First, the headlines.UK politics | Labour figures from across rival factions have begun circulating informal proposals for an “orderly transition” of power away from Keir Starmer, the Guardian understands, shifting their discussions from whether the prime minister could be removed to how.Europe news | Private jets laden with the spoils of those whose wealth swelled during Viktor Orbán’s years in power have been taking off from Vienna, while other individuals are racing to invest their assets abroad.Trade | UK business leaders have called on the government to build an EU-style “trade bazooka” to protect Britain’s economic interests in response to the latest tariff threats from Donald Trump.Middle East | Hopes of a breakthrough in negotiations between Iran and the US faded further on Sunday, amid a deepening sense of a deadlock in the nearly two-month-long conflict.Science | Simultaneous exposure to toxic chemicals and climate change’s impacts likely contributes to the broad global drop in fertility. Continue reading...

Woman’s body found in Iwate prefecture last week, soon after a police officer was injured in bear attack nearbyRested but famished bears emerging from hibernation in Japan are already coming into contact with humans, with the pace of sightings outstripping that seen in 2025, a record year for bear attacks.According to media reports, the animals have been spotted with surprising frequency in urban areas in the country’s north-east, with authorities urging caution among people planning to spend the coming Golden Week public holidays in the countryside. Continue reading...