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Islamabad has reportedly switched to lower-profile role but believes peace can make progress without face-to-face meetingsPakistan is passing proposals between Iran and the US to keep talks alive behind the scenes and inch towards a peace agreement, officials and experts say.Pakistani officials say that they are conscious of the fact that at stake is not only regional peace, but the health of the global economy and the livelihoods of millions of the poorest people in the world – including in Pakistan, whose monthly energy import bill has almost tripled as a result of the war. Continue reading...

Winston Marshall, former member of Mumford & Sons, says those crossing are ‘economic migrants’ not refugeesThe son of the Spectator owner, Paul Marshall, has said Britain should construct a mine-laden “floating wall” as a radical measure to stop Channel crossings.Winston Marshall, a former member of the band Mumford & Sons who is now establishing himself as a rightwing online influencer, said that while the idea “might sound ridiculous”, it should be explored because previous attempts to stop the crossings had failed. Continue reading...

Claudia–Liza Vanderpuije has fully withdrawn allegations relating to her former co-host, her lawyers sayThe TV presenter Claudia–Liza Vanderpuije has withdrawn claims against her former Channel 5 News co-host Dan Walker after reaching a “mutual agreement” with the broadcaster and ITN.Vanderpuije, who co-hosted a show with Walker for a year between 2022 and 2023, had filed claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination and harassment on grounds of race and sex, and breach of contract. Continue reading...

Three-year deal includes funding for a riot squad to ‘disperse’ people trying to board small boatsThe UK government has agreed to pay France another £660m to curb the number of asylum seekers travelling across the Channel, including plans to fund a riot squad to “contain and disperse” people trying to board small boats.Under a three-year deal to be signed on Thursday by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, 1,100 enforcement, intelligence and military officers – an increase of 40% – will be employed to track down smuggling gangs and people seeking refuge. Continue reading...

• Chinese military announced a temporary halt to provocative exercises around Taiwan following private diplomatic discussions between US and Chinese officials in Singapore this week. • Beijing stated the suspension aims to create space for constructive dialogue, though military analysts note China maintains its military posture in the Taiwan Strait. • The development provides cautious optimism for regional stability, with US officials emphasizing the importance of maintaining open communication channels to prevent miscalculation.

Program portrayed efforts to wean Australia off fossil fuels as morally bankrupt, trashing rainforests and enslaving Australia to ChinaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChildren sieve mud, workers drop down claustrophobic hand-cut mine shafts, men grimace while others carve out rock with chisels in bare feet to recover cobalt “for our renewable green dream”.These were the dramatic scenes from the Democratic Republic of Congo in a “special investigation” from Channel Seven’s Spotlight program, aired in prime-time on Sunday evening. Continue reading...

Exit of former Newsnight editor after eight years comes after appointment of new chief executive Priya DograChannel 4’s content chief, Ian Katz, who holds responsibility for the broadcaster’s £650m annual programming budget and output, is to leave after almost nine years in the post.Katz, a former senior executive at the Guardian, became the channel’s director of programmes in January 2018, having moved from being the editor of BBC’s Newsnight. Continue reading...

Sudanese national Alnour Mohamed Ali, accused of piloting small boat, is charged with endangering life A man accused of piloting a small boat carrying four people who drowned trying to cross the Channel has been charged over their deaths.Alnour Mohamed Ali, a Sudanese national, was charged with endangering life after two men and two women died trying to board a small boat crossing the Channel on Thursday, the National Crime Agency said. Continue reading...

Two men and two women were swept away by currents while attempting to board dinghy off French coastA man has been arrested on suspicion of endangering life after four people died in a small boat Channel crossing on Thursday.The man, described by prosecutors as a 27-year-old Sudanese national, was arrested by National Crime Agency investigators on Friday. Continue reading...

French authorities say situation still being assessed after taxi boat sank between France and UKFour people have died after a small boat sank in the Channel between France and Britain, French local authorities said on Thursday.“A taxi boat sinking occurred today. The situation is still being assessed and remains subject to change,” local authorities in Calais said in a press statement. Continue reading...

Fears of Easter chaos over scaling up of new EU border system are eased, with no facial IDs for Eurotunnel and Eurostar passengersPassengers crossing the Channel from the UK to France will not face new biometric checks in the coming weeks, despite an imminent deadline for the complete implementation of the EU’s entry-exit system (EES), ports say.Airlines and airports across Europe have feared chaos over the Easter holidays. Continue reading...

First fatal incident this year occurred hours after £16.2m ‘stop the boats’ deal agreed between Britain and FranceEurope live – latest updatesUK politics live – latest updatesTwo people have died and another is missing after trying to cross the Channel from France to the UK on Wednesday morning. It is the first fatal incident in the Channel this year.The deaths occurred just hours after an interim £16.2m “stop the boats” deal was agreed between the UK and France which will be in place until May. Negotiations will continue for a longer-term deal to replace the previous three-year deal, which expired on Tuesday. According to reports, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is trying to secure a “payment by results” agreement to reduce small boat crossings. Continue reading...

Two-month arrangement aimed at preventing small-boat crossings comes as existing deal expiresThe UK will pay France an extra £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...

New agreement delayed amid home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s demands for more interceptions of dinghiesA renewed deal between the UK and France to stop small boat Channel crossings has not yet been signed, with a day to go before the current one expires, raising questions about whether people smugglers will be able to act unimpeded from later this week.Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron announced the previous £468m deal on 10 March 2023, weeks before it came into force. The UK pays two-thirds of the cost of policing France’s northern border and the current agreement expires on Tuesday. Discussions on it began last July at the 37th UK-France summit and British officials travelled to Paris last week for another round of talks. Continue reading...

Charity believes Middle East crisis may lead to even busier spring and summer in 2026The number of people helped by RNLI lifeguards on the beaches of the UK and the Channel Islands doubled last year and the charity believes the Middle East crisis may lead to an even busier spring and summer in 2026.While RNLI lifeguards went to the aid of about 18,000 people in 2023 and 2024, this leapt to more than 35,000 in 2025, the spike put down to a combination of good weather and an increased interest in seaside pursuits. Continue reading...

Former BBC presenter says production company Wonderhood did not check facts with him firstHuw Edwards has criticised Channel 5 for failing to “check with me the truth” before running a drama depicting his downfall.The former BBC presenter was suspended from his role as a leading news anchor in 2023 after a report in the Sun that he had allegedly paid a teenager £35,000 for intimate images and conversations. Continue reading...

Producers say alleged victim of grooming was ready to tell his story and show raises urgent issues around online safetyChannel 5 has defended its controversial drama about the downfall of Huw Edwards, saying it raises the “urgent” issue of grooming and online safety and gives voice to his alleged victim, who worked with the programme to tell his side of the story so “no one who has been silenced feels they are alone”.Starring Martin Clunes as the disgraced former BBC newsreader, the drama charts the claim of a relationship and texts between Edwards and a vulnerable young man who was at the centre of a scandal reported by the Sun in 2023, which alleged the presenter made payments to a 17-year-old for sexually explicit images.Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards will air at 9pm on 24 March on Channel 5. Continue reading...