Adam Mitula is acting as election agent for Reform candidates in three wards in Tameside area ahead of 7 May pollsA Reform UK activist in the Gorton and Denton byelection who was suspended over racist and antisemitic comments has been named as the election agent for three of the party’s candidates in Manchester ahead of polls on 7 May.Adam Mitula, an interim campaign manager in the Tameside area, confirmed in February that he had been suspended as a party member “pending investigation”. Continue reading...
Governments spending $2.13bn annually on low quality food in public settings, report saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastReptile remains, believed to be from a crocodile, have been found dumped on the side of the road in Adelaide.A spokesperson for the state’s environment and water department confirmed in a statement that department staff had “collected the remains of a reptile at Waterloo Corner.” They said:The remains, which were dumped on the side of the road at Coleman Road, will be analysed in an effort to confirm the species and any other information.“It is not currently known how the remains came to be located at the site.A different approach can increase the use of fresh, local produce, redirect spending to Australian farmers and producers, support the people working in public food service kitchens, and generate real benefits for Australia.Better public food procurement is not about spending more, it’s about spending smarter. The evidence is clear, public support is strong, and the solutions exist. Given the threat to our food system caused by the global fuel and fertiliser crisis, now is the moment for leadership. Continue reading...
• A federal judge ruled that rapper Pooh Shiesty must stay in custody following accusations of kidnapping three music industry professionals along with eight others.
• The incident allegedly involved violence in a dispute over business dealings.
• The case underscores rising legal troubles in the hip-hop community.
• Strait of Hormuz shipping disruptions persist post-ceasefire, exacerbating the largest global oil supply crisis since the 1970s amid US-Iran war.
• Iran's effective closure followed retaliatory strikes after US-Israeli airstrikes on 28 February 2026 targeting Iranian nuclear sites and leadership.
• Ceasefire fails to resolve key stumbling blocks to lasting US-Iran agreement, threatening continued economic impacts on US energy security.
PM pushes back after Trump’s threats to leave alliance and says European members must do more in light of Iran warKeir Starmer has said it is in the best interests of the US to stay in Nato and that Europe must do more to support the alliance in light of the war in Iran.The British prime minister, speaking at the end of a multi-stop trip around the Gulf to discuss the tentative ceasefire and options to fully reopen the commercially vital strait of Hormuz, pushed back against Donald Trump’s threats to leave the defence alliance. Continue reading...
• Initial jobless claims totaled 285,000 for the week ending April 5, slightly above expectations but remaining within the normal range, signaling continued labor market strength despite economic headwinds.
• The four-week moving average for claims declined to 268,000, suggesting underlying labor market conditions remain robust with minimal layoff activity across major sectors.
• Economists noted that while the labor market continues to generate positive employment data, wage growth pressures persist, complicating the Federal Reserve's inflation-fighting efforts.
Opposition candidate Péter Magyar warns supporters against complacency as some voters undecided ahead of Sundayin BudapestWe talked to a few Budapest residents this morning in the city centre at Jászai Mari Square. Continue reading...
Former SAS soldier and Victoria Cross-recipient, who has always denied wrongdoing, did not immediately apply for bail on WednesdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts Smith, has not applied for bail and will remain in custody after being charged with war crimes.The former SAS soldier and Victoria Cross-recipient was expected to make his first court appearance on Wednesday after being charged with five counts of war crime – murder in relation to alleged offences in Afghanistan between April 2009 and October 2012. Continue reading...
Energy minister Chris Bowen says 3.4% of Australia’s service stations had no diesel, as of Monday, after wholesale prices surgedTrack Australia’s fuel prices, service station outages and shipments in chartsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDiesel users in Australia are not enjoying the same relief as unleaded customers, with one in 30 service stations still entirely out of diesel and prices rising again after an initial slump last week.But while the energy minister, Chris Bowen, urged Australians not to participate in a social media trend where people claim to be filling up their fuel tanks with cooking oil, he said the government was keen to support the development of biofuels like biodiesel from fats and vegetable oils. Continue reading...
• President Trump stated US objectives in the Iran conflict are nearly achieved yet simultaneously threatened even more intense strikes in the weeks ahead, creating confusion about American strategy.
• With no declared exit strategy and rising fears of Iranian retaliation, analysts question whether the military campaign is winding down or entering a more dangerous phase.
• UK-led talks planned for next week in London will include plans for possible military actions to clear the Strait of Hormuz, with the US not involved in these negotiations.
DNA testing confirmed bones found on Salmon Creek beach belonged to Walter Karl Kinney, a man last seen in 1999Human remains discovered in the summer of 2022 on a beach in California recently were identified as those of a former banker who disappeared in 1999.The DNA Doe Project (DDP) on Thursday announced that bones found on Salmon Creek state beach in northern California in June 2022 – by a family searching for seashells – belonged to 59-year-old Walter Karl Kinney, a former banker who lived in nearby Santa Rosa. Continue reading...
• Berkshire Hathaway disclosed in SEC filings that its position in Apple has grown to $170 billion in market value, reinforcing Apple as the conglomerate's largest single equity holding at approximately 48% of total equity portfolio.
• The increase reflects both organic price appreciation of Apple shares and incremental purchases by Warren Buffett's investment team amid the company's strong iPhone 16 sales and services segment growth.
• The substantial concentration signals Berkshire's high conviction in Apple's long-term competitive moat, capital allocation discipline, and valuation at current levels, providing a powerful endorsement to institutional investors amid market volatility.
Practice of using apartments to store relatives’ ashes has risen as rapid urbanisation and aging population increases competition for cemetery plotsChina is introducing a law to stop people storing the ashes of their dead relatives in empty high-rise flats rather than paying steep costs for increasingly scarce cemetery plots.China’s new funeral management legislation will prohibit the use of “residential housing specifically for the purpose of storing cremated remains” and the burial of corpses or construction of tombs in “areas other than public cemeteries”. Continue reading...
Flash flooding threatens the wheatbelt region and Perth, as weather system expected to continue south-east from Geraldton on SaturdayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEx-Tropical Cyclone Narelle was downgraded to a tropical low on Saturday morning after making landfall in Western Australia on Friday.Storm-ravaged communities were warned not to let their guard down, however, as residents along the state’s coastline prepared to assess the trail of damage along the Pilbara and North West Cape. Continue reading...
• New York City logged 743 tuberculosis cases in 2025, down 11% from 2024, though numbers stay high compared to prior years, per Health Department data released March 24, 2026.
• The department offers a new 1-month short-course regimen for latent TB, reducing visits from 3-9 months; 337 patients started it in 2025, with 75% completing by mid-February 2026.
• On World TB Day March 27, NYC co-hosts a conference with updates; Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin notes TB killed more globally last year than COVID-19 or HIV.
Frederiksen told supporters she was ‘ready to take on the responsibility of serving as Denmark’s prime minister again for the next four years’Denmark’s King Frederik will meet the outgoing prime minister Mette Frederiksen in about half an hour so she can brief him on the results and the political aftermath of the vote, the Palace just said.Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen hinted she wanted to stay in office after last night’s inconclusive parliamentary election, which will leave the country with lengthy coalition talks. Continue reading...
• The startup and venture investment market remains robust with AI mega-rounds emerging almost weekly, though investors are increasingly selective and focused on companies with technological advantage and commercial discipline.
• Capital is concentrating in AI infrastructure, chips, inference computing platforms, defense tech, European fintech, and healthtech with clear unit economics, while weak placement windows are closing for lower-quality stories.
• The IPO and exit market remains open but uneven, with certain companies still preparing for the public market while others postpone placements due to volatility and stricter risk assessments from investors.
• The S&P 500 declined 0.84% to 6,551.67 in afternoon trading on Friday with 139 equities advancing and 364 declining across the index, indicating broad-based weakness.
• Market rotation continued with only the utilities sector trading in positive territory while all other sectors posted losses amid elevated geopolitical tensions and rising borrowing costs.
• Market volatility remains high as investors grapple with competing concerns about inflation stemming from the Iran conflict and the potential impact on Federal Reserve policy decisions.
Officials say military planners liaising with US Central Command but situation remains too dangerous for anything to happen soonMiddle East crisis – live updatesBritain has said it remains involved in discussions with the US and European allies over escorting merchant shipping through the strait of Hormuz but the situation remains too dangerous for it to happen soon.Iran is still considered to pose a threat and have a wide range of weapons available – from cruise missiles to sea drones – despite 19 days of US-led bombing of its navy and coastal sites. Continue reading...
• UConn enters the women's NCAA tournament as an unbeaten No. 1 seed after winning the SEC Tournament title, defeating South Carolina in the championship game.
• UTSA drew the No. 16 seed and faces the undefeated Huskies in a first-round matchup, looking to pull off a historic upset.
• UConn's perfect record and top seeding position them as heavy favorites to compete for the national championship.
• The U.S. Senate remains deadlocked over President Donald Trump's call for strict citizenship voting requirements, with Republicans in states like Missouri moving ahead independently to implement such measures.
• While the Senate stalls on federal legislation addressing voting eligibility standards, individual states are forging their own paths on citizenship voting policies.
• The legislative impasse highlights the ongoing partisan divide over voting access and eligibility requirements between the Trump administration and Democratic opposition.
