US president will need to show heavy costs of war were worthwhile while Iran must choose between instant and delayed gratification Middle East crisis ā live updatesIf talks between Iran and the US reconvene within the next few days in Islamabad, Donald Trump will have two major political hurdles to overcome ā first showing that any deal he secures is better than the one signed by Barack Obama in 2015 and from which he withdraw in 2018, and secondly proving the deal is more favourable than the one on offer in Geneva in February before he launched his war.Otherwise he will have inflicted massive damage on the world economy when alternatives were available that were less costly in blood and treasure. He will also have to show that Iran has made no permanent gain by taking control of shipping passing through the strait of Hormuz. These are the yardsticks, or tests, around which his negotiating team will be keeping an anxious eye. Continue reading...
Anas Sarwar says there have been āno stitch-ups, no deals, no backroom chats, no back-channel contact with ReformāUK politics live ā latest updatesAnas Sarwar has dismissed as āa desperate lie from a desperate manā a claim by Reform UKās Scotland leader, Malcolm Offord, that he offered to do a deal with the hard-right party to keep the Scottish National party out of power.Offord made the claim on Channel 4ās Scottish leadersā debate on Tuesday evening, alleging the Scottish Labour leader came ābouncing upā to him at an event in December last year, suggesting they āwork together to remove the SNPā. Continue reading...
President says he gave Britain ābetter deal than I had toā but ally was ānot there when we needed themā on IranMiddle East crisis ā live updatesBusiness live ā latest updatesDonald Trump has threatened to row back on the trade deal the US signed with the UK last year, in his latest salvo against the British government over sharp differences about the USās approach to the Middle East.The US president said the economic deal struck with the UK, which cut some of his tariffs on cars, aluminium and steel, was ābetter than I had toā and that it could āalways be changedā. Continue reading...
Experts say ācautious consumptionā shows households bracing for return to extended period of financial pressure experienced during pandemic yearsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians are choosing chicken schnitzel over more expensive rib-eye steak, avoiding entrees and sticking with tap water rather than a glass of wine amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the fuel crisis and war in Iran.As soon as the numbers on the petrol bowser started climbing last month as the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, the customer response was swift. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Ministers accused of trying to keep investment firmās withdrawal from partnership with NatureScot under wrapsA funding deal to raise Ā£100m from private investors for urgently needed nature restoration in Scotland has fallen through without the Scottish parliament being told.The Guardian has learned that Aberdeen, the investment firm, decided to withdraw from a partnership with the agency NatureScot to raise at least Ā£100m for conservation projects from commercial and private investors late last year. Continue reading...
Record temperatures led to colourful displays of tulips, hyacinths, wisteria and daffodils as gardeners prepare for showsColourful tulips, hyacinths, wisteria and daffodils have made a remarkable display across England after a heatwave followed by a cold snap caused excellent conditions for spring blooms.There were record temperatures last week in many parts of the UK as the country recorded one of the hottest April days in the last 80 years. Continue reading...
JD Vance leads American delegation while Iranās negotiators headed up by Iranās parliamentary speakerPeace talks between Iran and the US began in Islamabad this afternoon, with senior negotiators from both countries meeting face to face at the highest level for the first time since 1979, in the presence of mediators from Pakistan.Pakistani state TV said US and Iranian officials were āsitting directly at the same tableā ā which was later confirmed by the White House ā and discussions were beginning in a positive atmosphere, despite fighting ongoing in Lebanon. Continue reading...
ā¢ The Texas Rangers signed future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer to a four-year, $80 million contract to bolster their 2026 rotation.
ā¢ Scherzer, 41, posted a 3.28 ERA across 28 starts last season with the New York Mets, demonstrating continued durability.
ā¢ The Rangers project as World Series contenders with the addition of Scherzer joining Corey Seager and Kyle Schwarber in their lineup.
Foreign secretary to address City leaders in London as Israel intensifies bombing and Vance says Lebanon is not part of dealMiddle East crisis ā live updatesLebanon must be included in the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, the British foreign secretary will say, as a two-week pause in the conflict hangs in the balance.Addressing an event at the Mansion House in London, Yvette Cooper is expected to say there āmust be no return to conflictā after the ceasefire announced by the US president, Donald Trump, late on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Charlie Taylor, inspector of prisons for England and Wales, says dealers should be isolated and āassertively managedāJailed criminals who are flooding prisons with drugs should be isolated like radical extremists and āassertively managedā, the England and Wales prisons watchdog has said.Charlie Taylor, HM inspector of prisons, said major dealers were living āconsequence-freeā in jail when they should be separated from the majority of inmates, subjected to regular searches for phones, and punished and rewarded according to their behaviour. Continue reading...
Man born in El Salvador has been fighting removal to series of āthirdā countries after mistaken deportation last yearUS government attorneys on Tuesday told a federal judge the Department of Homeland Security still intends to deport Kilmar Ćbrego GarcĆa to Liberia, despite a new agreement with Costa Rica to accept deportees who cannot legally be returned to their home countries.The Salvadoran nationalās case has become a focal point in the immigration debate after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last year. Since his return, he has been fighting a second deportation to a series of African countries proposed by homeland security officials. Continue reading...
President threatens in Truth Social post to annihilate Iran if government ignores deadline to reopen strait of HormuzUS politics live ā latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailDonald Trump on Tuesday morning threatened to completely annihilate the entirety of Iranian civilization should their government ignore his 8pm ET deadline to reopen the strait of Hormuz.āA whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,ā he US president posted on Truth Social about the country with more than 90 million people. āI donāt want that to happen, but it probably will.ā Continue reading...
The partial government shutdown has now lasted eight weeks with Congress on recess until 13 AprilHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The record-breaking partial government shutdown has now entered its eighth week, with little end in sight.Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into a law a bill that allows the state to designate terrorist groups, then punish those who promote them. Critics say the law will threaten free speech, especially on school campuses. The bill specifics bars the stateās courts from enforcing foreign religious laws, specifically naming Sharia Law. Florida courts enforce secular laws passed in the state, however.Representative Yassamin Ansari, an Arizona Democrat, will introduce impeachment articles next week against defense secretary Pete Hegseth. āOnly Congress has the power to declare war, not a rogue president or his lackeys,ā Ansari said in a statement.Donald Trump reiterated his threats to bomb Iranian energy and civilian infrastructure if the White House does not reach a deal to reopen the strait of Hormuz 8pm ET today. āThe entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,ā Trump said during a 90-minute press conference Monday afternoon.District court judges have been increasingly issuing strong rulings challenging the legality of many of Trumpās policies and power grabs, blocking key ones at least temporarily, and sparking angry responses from the president, former judges and prosecutors say.Trump threatened to jail a journalist ā or journalists ā who reported that a second US airman was missing after being shot down by Iran on Friday in an effort to identify their source. The badly injured airman hid in a mountain crevice to avoid capture before being rescued by a US recovery team that received heavy fire. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Animal welfare charities ābitterly disappointedā that Labour plans to backtrack on manifesto commitmentsThe government is to break a manifesto commitment to ban foie gras imports, and has declined to stop fur imports, after the EU made these red lines in its discussions for a trade deal.Animal welfare charities say they are ābitterly disappointedā that ministers are failing to use powers granted by Brexit to restrict the import of these ācruelā items. Continue reading...
Iran launches missiles and drones at Israel and Kuwait after US president says regime will face āall hellāSearch for missing US crew member of downed fighter jet enters second dayIran has rejected Donald Trumpās demand that the regime cut a deal in 48 hours or face āall hellā.On Saturday, the US president posted on social media: āRemember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT,ā referring to an ultimatum issued on 26 March.The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed that Israel attacked Iranās petrochemical plants after reports from Iranian media saying at least five people were killed in an attack on the Mahshahr petrochemical zone.US search and rescue efforts for the missing second crew member of the downed F-15E fighter jet continued into a second day as Iran came under heavy bombing. A pilot had been rescued on Friday after the F-15E Strike Eagle became the first US plane to be downed over Iran during the five-week-long war.American and Israeli fighter jets targeted multiple strategic and civilian sites inside Iranās capital on Friday afternoon, including Shahid Beheshti University, one of the countryās leading academic institutions, Iranian state media reported.The death toll in Lebanon has reached 1,422 since the conflict with Israel began on 2 March, according to data from the Lebanese health ministry and reported by the Associated Press. In just the past 24 hours, Israeli strikes have killed 54 people and wounded 156.The Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that its air defense forces successfully intercepted eight ballistic missiles and 19 drones over the last 24 hours. However, on Sunday a fire has erupted in the Shuwaikh oil sector complex that houses the oil ministry and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation headquarters, after a drone attack, and Kuwaiti state media reported that two power and water desalination plants sustained āsignificant material damageā after being attacked by Iranian drones.A Lebanese security source at the main crossing between Syria and Lebanon, said they were evacuating the crossing after Israel threatened to attack it. The Israeli military said on Saturday it would strike an area near the Masnaa crossing urging residents to evacuate immediately as it continued its attacks across Lebanon.Residents of southern Lebanonās Kfar Hatta were told on social media by Israel to immediately leave the area, and warned that the Israeli military would soon act āwith forceā in the area. Continue reading...
US president warns Iran after strike; UN vote on authorizing the use of ādefensiveā force to protect shipping in the strait of Hormuz delayedFull report: Trump warns Tehran āmore to followā after strike destroys Iranās largest bridge Continue reading...
New tax will hit branded drugs and active ingredients while exempting generics for at least one yearSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump is threatening 100% tariffs on pharmaceutical companies that have not struck deals to lower US drug prices.The new tariff will only apply to branded drugs and their active ingredients. Generic drugs, which make up more than 90% of medicines sold in the US, will be exempted from tariffs for at least one year. Orphan, veterinary and other specialty drugs are exempt if they are from trade deal countries or meet urgent public health needs. Continue reading...
āPartnershipā on drug pricing also gives patients in Britain greater access to potentially life-extending treatments British drug exports to the United States will escape tariffs imposed by Donald Trump as part of a controversial UK-US medicines deal that critics fear will mean less money for the NHS.The deal will also give patients in Britain greater access to potentially life-extending drugs because the rules have been relaxed to allow the NHS to pay more for particular treatments. Continue reading...
Central American country to receive up to 25 migrants a day expelled as part of Trumpās immigration crackdownSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Costa Rican government has agreed to receive up to 25 deported migrants a week from the United States, the latest deal in the Trump administrationās unprecedented efforts to deport scores of people to āthird countriesā.With the new agreement, Costa Rica seeks a closer alliance with Donald Trumpās government, which has been securing cooperation from other Central American countries in accepting deportees from other nations who have been detained by US immigration agents. Continue reading...
Union has reached a tentative agreement for a three-year contract after holding a 24-hour walkout in MarchEmployees of the CBS News streaming channel CBS News 24/7, who held a 24-hour walkout last month amid an impasse in contract negotiations, have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract.About 60 CBS News employees are part of the union. In the coming days, they will vote to ratify the new agreement. More details about the agreement will be provided after the agreement is ratified, the union said. Continue reading...
Senate-passed funding plan for DHS languishes despite agreement between Republican congressional leadersSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US House of Representatives on Thursday took no action on a compromise measure that would end the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), raising questions about how much longer the record-long funding lapse will persist.The department has been without funding since mid-February, after Democrats refused to vote for its appropriations unless Republicans agreed to new guardrails on federal agents involved in immigration enforcement operations. Continue reading...
Offer reportedly put forward by creditors hoping to save struggling firm from being renationalised temporarilyThames Water is said to be close to a deal with its regulator that would allow the company to avoid new fines for four years, as long as it commits to investing in the business.The controversial offer, reported by the Financial Times, has been put forward by creditors who are hoping to save the struggling utility from being temporarily renationalised. Continue reading...
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese announces GST revenue on fuel sales to be used to reduce fuel costs by a combined 32 cents a litreFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTrack Australiaās fuel prices, service station outages and shipments in chartsA deal with the states to return GST revenue on fuel sales will knock another 5.7 cents off the price of petrol for three months, bringing the total reduction to 32 cents a litre after this weekās halving of the fuel excise.The government said the 26.3 cent reduction in the fuel tax and the GST deal would cut the cost of filling a 65-litre vehicle by nearly $23. Continue reading...
Agreement comes after Wellington halted millions in aid to its former colony after Cook Islands formed strategic partnership with Beijing New Zealand and the Cook Islands have signed a defence and security declaration, ending a year-long diplomatic row that erupted after the Cook Islands struck strategic agreements with China.The Cook Islands was a dependent New Zealand colony from 1901-65 but has since operated as a self-governing nation in āfree associationā with New Zealand. Its roughly 17,000 citizens hold New Zealand citizenship. There are obligations between the two nations to regularly consult on matters of defence and security. Continue reading...
Measure that would fund homeland security but exclude money for ICE could conclude lengthy funding lapseAn end to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may be in sight, after Congressās Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed to advance legislation that would fund the majority of the agencyās operations, with the exception of those involved in immigration enforcement.The pact may conclude the longest such funding lapse in US history, which last month caused security lines to stretch for hours at some airports as employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a subagency of DHS, quit their jobs or called out of work after going weeks without pay. Continue reading...
Party, which has neo-Nazi roots, will hold āimportant ministerial posts within immigrationā if four-party coalition wins in SeptemberThe Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has said that he will allow the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) into government for the first time ā and give its members key ministerial posts ā if his coalition wins the next general election.Despite becoming Swedenās second biggest political party after the Social Democrats in the last election, SD currently only play a supporting role in the minority-run coalition. Continue reading...
Head of committee says it was appropriate for government to seek guidance on way out of Ā£330m deal with US data companyClaims by Palantir that concerns over the US data analytics companyās multimillion-pound NHS contract are āideologically motivatedā have been rejected by the chair of a parliamentary committee.It was also appropriate for the government to seek guidance on activating a break contract in the deal, said Chi Onwurah, a Labour MP who heads the science, innovation and technology select committee. Continue reading...
ā¢ President Donald Trump stated on March 31 that the US military campaign against Iran could conclude within two to three weeks, saying 'We'll be leaving very soon' from the Oval Office.
ā¢ Trump emphasized no diplomatic deal with Tehran is required, insisting the goal is to render Iran unable to develop nuclear weapons and 'put into the stone ages' before withdrawal.
ā¢ The announcement signals an extension beyond the initial four-to-six week timeline amid reordered Middle East dynamics, disrupted global energy markets, and impacts on Trump's presidency.
Two-month arrangement aimed at preventing small-boat crossings comes as existing deal expiresThe UK will pay France an extra Ā£16.2m to keep police patrolling Channel beaches and prevent a surge in small-boat crossings after negotiators failed to agree a permanent deal before a midnight deadline.The stopgap arrangement, which will last for two months, comes after French negotiators refused to give in to UK demands for further interventions and patrols to stop asylum seekers from reaching the UK via the Channel. Continue reading...
ā¢ Broadcom announced the acquisition of a major semiconductor competitor in an all-stock transaction valued at $82 billion, marking one of the largest chip industry consolidations in five years and aimed at reducing competition in core infrastructure markets.
ā¢ The deal includes a 28% premium to the target company's 30-day volume-weighted average price and is expected to generate $8 billion in annual cost synergies through manufacturing optimization and R&D consolidation.
ā¢ Regulatory approval is anticipated by late 2026, with both companies maintaining competitive positions in data center and 5G markets, though the transaction signals ongoing industry consolidation pressures amid AI infrastructure buildout and margin compression.
