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• Germany has announced its World Cup squad, highlighted by the surprise return of 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from retirement. • The roster includes key players such as Joshua Kimmich and Florian Wirtz, while Kai Havertz has been selected and Serge Gnabry and Chris Fuhrich have been left out. • The team's success is expected to hinge on critical tactical decisions, specifically regarding the positioning of Joshua Kimmich, who is likely to start at full-back following a record Bundesliga season with Bayern Munich.

UK foreign secretary says urgent pressure needed to get strait of Hormuz reopened and fertiliser and fuel movingGlobal fertiliser supplies must be freed up within weeks to avoid disaster, with harvests suffering and food prices rising, the UK’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said.The war in Iran has frozen shipments of fertiliser through the strait of Hormuz, creating a supply crunch that has already damaged farming in the UK, Europe and the US and is having its worst impacts in the developing world, where farmers cannot afford the higher prices now being charged. Continue reading...

Prime minister will try to convince Labour MPs to back him after suffering major election losses last week Good morning. The news this morning is full of speculation about whether or not there will be a Labour leadership contest. A better way of explaining the situation might be to say that a leadership contest is already under way; Angela Rayner issued what was in effect her manifesto late yesterday afternoon (although she also hinted she would be happy for it to be delivered by Andy Burnham as leader), and Keir Starmer delivers what you could see as a hustings speech this morning.Leaders can survive challenges. In 1995 John Major was widely seen as doomed, but Michael Portillo postponed a decision to stand against him, Major easily saw off a challenge from John Redwood (the Catherine West of his day, in some respects), and Major survived another two years. In 2016 the vast majority of Labour MPs voted no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn, but he survived (because he was adored by Labour members, a benefit that Starmer does not enjoy). In 2006 Tony Blair accepted he would have to go. But he was allowed to work his notice for a year; Gordon Brown and his allies were powerful enough to force him out, but not to force him out quickly.To meet the challenges that our country faces, incremental change won’t cut it.On growth, defence, Europe, energy – we need a bigger response than we anticipated in 2024 because these are not ordinary times. Continue reading...

Federal government chases supply guarantees from countries including Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan amid Iran warGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAsian trading partners have reassured Australia that the “normal supply” of fuel will continue amid the Middle East conflict, as the government prepares to intensify efforts to avert shortages of petrol and diesel.The federal government has been chasing supply guarantees from countries including Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia and Japan as the Iran war and closure of the strait of Hormuz wreaks havoc on the global oil market. Continue reading...

Six-day stoppage in England next week to go ahead and minister confirms offer of extra training places withdrawnThe NHS is bracing for the longest strike yet by resident doctors after last-ditch talks failed, prompting Wes Streeting to accuse the medics of suffering from “delusion”.Many thousands of resident – formerly junior – doctors across England will stage a six-day stoppage over pay and jobs starting at 7am on Tuesday, just after the Easter weekend. A deadline for agreement ended on Thursday. Continue reading...