Lift

Walker Smith, 54, who worked for retailer for 17 years, says he grabbed bag from thief before they escapedA Waitrose employee of 17 years has described his devastation after being sacked for stopping a shoplifter who had ransacked a display of Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs.Walker Smith, a shop assistant at a branch of Waitrose in Clapham Junction, south London, was going about his normal duties when a customer stopped him. “They told me someone had filled up a Waitrose bag with the eggs,” he said. Continue reading...

US moves towards reestablishing working relations between two countries after abducting President Nicolás MaduroThe US has lifted sanctions on Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, in the latest step towards normalising relations between the two countries after US forces abducted her predecessor, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife.The couple were taken to New York after their abduction in January to face charges of alleged drug trafficking, to which both have pleaded not guilty. Continue reading...

Pentagon chief’s remarks come after US army said crews suspended amid investigation into incident in TennesseeDefense secretary Pete Hegseth said the crews of two US army AH-64 Apache helicopters that hovered next to the singer Kid Rock’s swimming pool while he clapped and saluted on Saturday are no longer suspended.“No punishment. No investigation,” Hegseth wrote on social media. “Carry on, patriots.” Continue reading...

Rule change follows high court challenge brought by two doctors prevented from working in specialist fieldsDoctors who have been prevented from working in the NHS while they wait for asylum decisions are celebrating after the Home Office agreed to lift the ban. The changes come into force on Thursday.The changes to the immigration rules follow a high court challenge by two specialist doctors who had the relevant qualifications to work for the NHS but were prevented from taking up work. Doctors who have a break in their practice can quickly become deskilled. Until now, the ban has remained in place despite shortages of doctors and other healthcare professionals in some parts of the NHS. Continue reading...

Outcome suggests that when mainstream parties cooperate they can still block Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally Europe live – latest updatesFrance’s local elections, closely watched for clues to next year’s crunch presidential vote, have given parties of the centre a welcome and unexpected lift as the far right and radical left fell some way short of their ambitions.The 35,000 municipal ballots often focus on local survival and their outcomes do not always reflect national voting patterns, but they do show trends in popularity and suggest what kind of alliances can be struck in a fragmented political landscape. Continue reading...

Treasury secretary Scott Bessent says move will bring 140m barrels to market but insists Tehran will not benefitThe Trump administration has issued a 30-day sanctions waiver for the purchase of Iranian oil at sea to ease energy supply pressures since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said.It is the third time the US has temporarily waived sanctions in about two weeks. Continue reading...

After a 1,088-day wait, a jury acquitted the man Nichols accused. She describes her experience of the system as a complainant – and explains why she went publicWarning: this article contains graphic testimonyCharlotte Nichols on her rape trial ordeal – podcastSitting in the House of Commons, waiting for the speaker to call her name last week, the MP Charlotte Nichols was doing breathing exercises to try to keep calm. “I was just trying to get myself into the headspace where I could say what I wanted to say without either completely garbling it or just crying or bottling it at the last minute.”She didn’t bottle it. She stood up, asked MPs to be gentle with her, and then went public with her biggest secret. Continue reading...

Exclusive: finding out who owns land will become simpler under plans to make the best use of green spaces and hit net zero targetsFinding out who owns land in England is to become much simpler because a paywall will be lifted from large parts of the Land Registry, the government is to announce.A small number of landowners control the majority of land but finding out who owns what is difficult to piece together, even for government departments, owing to the way the Land Registry operates. Freeing up access will make it easier to determine ownership of key areas, such as river catchments, grouse moors and peatland. Continue reading...

EU leaders criticized President Trump's March 13, 2026, decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil, estimating it could provide Moscow with $10 billion for its Ukraine war efforts. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called the move a direct boost to Russia's 'war machine' amid ongoing Middle East escalations. The policy shift exacerbates transatlantic tensions as Poland's President Duda vetoed EU defense loan access. Analysts warn it risks prolonging conflicts on multiple fronts.

EU leaders criticized President Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil, arguing it provides Moscow with $10 billion to support its war against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated the move 'does not help peace in Ukraine' and enables Russia's war machine. The criticism comes amid Poland's President Duda vetoing legislation for €44 billion in EU defense loans, escalating domestic political tensions. US policy shift highlights transatlantic rift over energy and conflict strategies.