Hold

• 法廷では、被害女性がファッション界のボスである被告に止めるよう求めたが、彼女が泣き出しても被告は止めなかったとの証言があった。 • 衣料品会社Superdryの共同創設者であるJames Holderは、Gloucestershireの町Cheltenhamで夜を過ごした後、女性を強姦したとして有罪判決を受けた。 • Gloucester crown courtでの公判によると、Holder（54歳）は当初、友人の男性と共にCotswoldsにある自身の邸宅までタクシーで帰る予定だった。

• イラン・アメリカ間の紛争により世界的な供給が脅かされ原油価格が急騰したが、2026年4月29日、VisaとStarbucksの好決算を背景に米国株は最高値圏で底堅く推移した。 • S&P 500は0.1%下落、ダウ平均は286ポイント（0.6%）下落、Nasdaqは0.1%上昇した。Visaの株価は、Ryan McInerney最高経営責任者（CEO）が指摘した底堅い消費者支出を受けて8.3%急騰し、Starbucksは北米での来店当たりの支出額増加により8.6%上昇した。 • Federal Reserve（連邦準備制度）の当局者は、エネルギー価格に起因するインフレを理由に2026年の利下げを行わない可能性を示唆した。これにより投資家の利下げ予測はほぼ消失し、むしろ利上げの可能性すら浮上したことで、債券市場は動揺した。

• Iran war による燃料価格への影響で inflation が上昇している兆候があるにもかかわらず、rate を変更しない決定が下されました。 • Bank of England は、Iran war の影響により inflation が加速し始めている兆候があるものの、UK interest rates を 3.75% で据え置きました。 • Bank の rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC) は、最新の rate-setting meeting を経て、木曜日の正午に borrowing costs を据え置くことを票決しました。

消費動向トラッカーによると、85%が食品価格に不安を感じており、大多数が経済は悪化すると考えている。 木曜日に発表されたWhich?の報告書によれば、コスト上昇に対処するために消費者が極端な手段を講じるなか、英国の300万世帯が食事を抜くことを余儀なくされている。 中東での紛争とそれに続く原油や原材料価格の急騰により、企業が値上げの準備を進めており、家計への圧迫が強まり、消費者信頼感に打撃を与えている。 続きを読む...

• Federal Reserveは水曜日、Iranでの戦争の中でインフレが上昇することへの懸念を理由に、指標となるfederal funds rateを3.5%から3.75%で据え置くことを決定した。 • これは、2025年9月、10月、および12月の3回連続の25-basis-pointの引き下げに続く、Fedによる金利調整停止の継続を意味する。 • Jerome Powell議長は、東部時間（ET）午後2時30分にこの決定について説明するため記者会見を行う予定であり、これはFederal Reserve議長としての彼にとって最後となる可能性のある金利発表となる。

• Matthew Pennycook氏は、住宅供給への打撃や法的な落とし穴を避けるため、制度の終了は慎重に進める必要があると述べている。 • EnglandおよびWalesにおける新規leasehold物件の禁止は、次期選挙後まで施行される可能性は低いと住宅担当大臣は述べ、制度解体に向けた政府の断片的な試みを擁護した。 • 長年約束されてきた制度廃止が実際に「始動」するには数年を要するだろうとMatthew Pennycook氏は述べており、2024年に新築一戸建てのleasehold禁止案が可決され、政府が近く新築フラットへの禁止も可決する意向であるにもかかわらず、時間を要する見通しだ。 Continue reading...

• 赤の広場で行われる例年のイベントにおいて、過去20年で初めて装甲車やミサイルシステムが登場しないことになります。 • ロシアは5月9日にモスクワで規模を縮小した戦勝記念日パレードを実施します。ウクライナのドローンによる長距離攻撃の懸念から、ほぼ20年ぶりに軍事兵器を排除します。 • 国防省は「現在の作戦状況」を理由に、ナチス・ドイツに対するソ連の勝利を記念するこのパレードにおいて、赤の広場に装甲車やミサイルシステムは行進しないと発表しました。

Commons speaker to grant application by Tories for vote on investigation into whether PM misled MPs, say sourcesUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer will face a vote on whether to launch an investigation into claims he misled the Commons over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.Sources have told the Guardian that the speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, is expected to allow a debate on Tuesday on potentially referring the prime minister to the privileges committee. Continue reading...

• VisionWave Holdings (NASDAQ: VWAV) closed a $20 million senior loan in late February and subsequently completed a $60 million–valued acquisition of AI video intelligence intellectual property, strengthening its technology portfolio. • The acquisition adds significant video AI capabilities to VisionWave's platform and positions the company for expanded market presence in computer vision applications. • These transactions demonstrate continued investor confidence in AI video technology sectors and emerging opportunities in automated visual intelligence.

More than 50% of voters at first AGM under new leadership oppose plans to scrap climate reportingBP’s board has suffered a triple climate rebellion in its first shareholder meeting since appointing new leadership to steer the embattled oil company.More than 50% of shareholders voting at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) came out against its plans to scrap its existing climate reporting, and its resolution to replace in-person annual shareholder meetings – a lightning rod for climate protest in recent years – with online-only events. Continue reading...

The findings land before supreme court hearing on Trump bid to end protections for Syrians and HaitiansTemporary protected status (TPS) holders, who have historically been protected from deportation due to safety concerns in their home countries, contribute around $29bn every year to the US economy, according to a new report published this week.The findings from this report, which comes from FWD.us, have emerged one week before the supreme court is set to hear arguments challenging the Trump administration’s attempts to strip TPS status from Syrians and Haitians. It also comes nearly one week since the House passed legislation to protect Haitian immigrants, whose protected status is at risk. Continue reading...

Brussels will relax state aid rules to allow member countries to offer ‘targeted and temporary’ supportEurope live – latest updatesThe EU will cut electricity taxes and provide consumers with fresh incentives to ditch fuel-burning cars and boilers, the European Commission has announced, as the Iran war energy crisis speeds a shift to a clean economy.The plan, which foresees tweaking rules so that electricity is taxed less than oil and gas, aims to bring down bills while encouraging the move away from polluting devices that prolong reliance on foreign fuels. Continue reading...

Human rights groups have warned that the collective prosecutions violate due process and block defendants from accessing legal counselA Salvadoran court on Tuesday began a collective trial of 486 alleged gang members, in one of the biggest mass trials under president Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on gang violence through controversial emergency powers.Prosecutors say the charges against alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, or MS-13, span more than 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including a weekend that was El Salvador’s bloodiest since its civil war. Continue reading...

Sacked civil servant acknowledges ‘debate’ about release of documents after question about alleged ‘cover-up’Olly Robbins responded to a question about an alleged “cover-up” on Tuesday by confirming that government officials had considered withholding Peter Mandelson’s secretive vetting documents from parliament.Robbins, who was sacked by Keir Starmer as the Foreign Office’s top civil servant last week, appeared to confirm a report in the Guardian that senior officials were debating whether to withhold from parliament sensitive documents that revealed the vetting agency did not believe Mandelson should get clearance. Continue reading...

Government looks to rush through laws allowing pavement ‘charging gullies’ to help boost EV take-up and cut dependence on fossil fuelsUK to appeal against tax ruling cutting VAT on public EV chargers to 5%Households without off-street parking could soon be able to charge their electric vehicles from home under new government plans to help households cut their need for expensive fossil fuels.The government has promised to pass legislation this summer that will allow motorists to run power cables through a charging “gully” built into the pavement outside their home without the need for planning permission. Continue reading...

• US stocks demonstrated resilience amid Iran geopolitical tensions and high energy prices, with the S&P 500 up nearly 2% year-to-date by April 14, just 1% below its January 27 all-time high. • The index's maximum drawdown stayed under 10%, cushioned by forward earnings estimates growing at a 17% annual rate despite a 20% drop in P/E ratios. • S&P 500 profit margins hit new highs around 15% in early April, driven by broad fundamentals including AI and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act effects, not just energy sector gains.

Silvia Salis, the leftwing mayor of Genoa and former Olympian, is described as ‘a breath of fresh air’ and potential unifierIt has been a turbulent month in Italian politics.A failed referendum on a judicial overhaul pierced prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s aura of invincibility, triggering government resignations and leaving her scrambling to restore credibility. At the same time, her once special relationship with Donald Trump has frayed after the US president publicly scolded her this week for criticising his broadside against Pope Leo and for not supporting the US-Israeli war on Iran. Continue reading...

Exiled leader to revive push for change amid US backing of Delcy Rodríguez and delays to democratic transitionVenezuela’s opposition leader, María Corina Machado, will seek to revive her push for political change with a rally in Madrid on Saturday, having found herself sidelined by Donald Trump after the abduction of the president Nicolás Maduro.“Venezuela will be free,” the Nobel peace prize winner insisted in an interview on the eve of this weekend’s demonstration in the Puerta del Sol square, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters. Continue reading...

Voters broadly split along generational lines as pro-Russian former president leads in pollsAnna Bodakova’s days tend to be rather hectic at the moment. Hopping between meeting voters on the street, political debates and recording videos for social media, the 23-year-old is standing to become an MP in Bulgaria’s general election.Last year she was among the many young Bulgarians who participated in countrywide mass protests over the government’s economic policies and perceived failure to tackle corruption. Those protests ultimately resulted in the resignation of the prime minister, Rosen Zhelyazkov, and his cabinet in December. Continue reading...

• Netflix reported earnings that missed analyst estimates, yet broader market indices maintained record highs as investor focus remained on Iran ceasefire developments and energy market normalization. • The streaming giant's earnings disappointment was overshadowed by positive sentiment around geopolitical deescalation and reduced energy price pressures benefiting the wider market. • Market participants are weighing mixed corporate earnings results against macro-level improvements in global risk sentiment and supply chain stability.

Lasting peace depends on resolving a border dispute dating back to 2000 and dealing with Hezbollah’s weaponsMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael’s security cabinet first heard about the ceasefire with Lebanon from a social media post by Donald Trump. Hezbollah first heard about the ceasefire from the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon. Each side shot off as many bombs, drones and rockets as they could before the ceasefire – imposed from above – came into effect.Despite the US president claiming it is the 10th war he has ended, the situation on the ground in Lebanon looks anything but stable. Continue reading...

Thieves believed to have escaped into sewers after holding staff and customers in Crédit Agricole branch for two hoursArmed robbers held 25 people hostage at a bank in Naples for two hours on Thursday, before fleeing through a tunnel.The three thieves entered a branch of Crédit Agricole in the southern Italian city at about 11.30am, taking hostage of staff and customers, who were freed by police a couple of hours later. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Opinions split on ‘unprecedented’ release of files, despite demand for ‘all papers’ related to ex-US ambassador’s appointmentSenior government officials have been considering whether to withhold from parliament sensitive documents that show Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting before he assumed the role of US ambassador, the Guardian can reveal.Any such decision could amount to an extraordinary breach of a parliamentary vote which ordered the release of “all papers” relevant to Mandelson’s appointment. Continue reading...

New meeting to come after rare direct talks between the countries mediated by US; Netanyahu earlier says Israel about to ‘overwhelm’ part of southern LebanonUS and Iran in indirect talks to extend two-week ceasefireHello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.Donald Trump says the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will hold talks on Thursday, after the countries’ first face-to-face diplomatic negotiations in decades.Pakistan’s army chief met with Iran’s foreign minister in Tehran on Wednesday in the latest diplomatic move to ease Middle East tensions and arrange a second round of US-Iran negotiations. Trump said earlier that the war was “very close to over”.Leavitt said a second round of US-Iran talks would “very likely” take place in Islamabad again and that Pakistan was “the only mediator” in the discussions.Major Wall Street stock indices extended an upward climb on optimism about a US-Iran agreement.Israel’s security cabinet met to discuss a ceasefire after the Israel-Lebanon talks mediated by the US in Washington on Tuesday. But the Israeli military continues to strike the country, with Netanyahu saying Israel was about to “overwhelm” the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, calling it a Hezbollah stronghold.Four Lebanese rescue workers were killed in consecutive Israeli strikes in the southern Lebanon village of Mayfadoun on Wednesday, paramedic groups said. Six others were wounded.The US military’s Middle East command Centcom said it stopped 10 vessels from sailing out of Iranian ports during the first 48 hours of the US naval blockade. But ship tracking data indicated at least three ships sailing from Iranian ports crossed the strait of Hormuz, though some vessels taking the route later turned back.The finance ministers of 11 countries including the UK and Japan called for “coordinated emergency support” from the IMF and World Bank to help countries hit by disruptions from the Middle East war. Continue reading...

Analysis by IFS shows George Osborne’s mortgage schemes launched in 2013 had little effect on social mobilityHigher-income households were the biggest beneficiaries of George Osborne’s Help to Buy mortgage schemes, introduced in the 2010s, according to an analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) thinktank.Launched by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government in 2013, Help to Buy involved two separate schemes aimed at making home ownership more achievable in a period of rapid house price growth. Continue reading...

Weakened economic activity, soaring fuel prices and rising inflation have created a horror scenario, RBA deputy governor saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAndrew Hauser, the Reserve Bank of Australia’s deputy governor, says the “stagflationary shock” from the Iran war is a “central banker’s nightmare”, as confidence among Australian households crashed to its lowest level in years.Speaking at an event in New York on Tuesday morning AEST, Hauser said the RBA was “judging the balance” between the damage to the economy from “a big income shock” associated with soaring fuel prices, versus a sharp rise in inflation. Continue reading...

Incentives to absorb surplus wind and solar energy could help balance the grid and lower billsThe UK needs more North Sea gas, not greater reliance on US imports | Nils PratleyHouseholds will be called on to boost their consumption of Great Britain’s record renewable energy this summer to help balance the power grid and lower energy bills.Under the new plans, people could be encouraged to run dishwashers and washing machines or charge up their electric vehicles when there is more wind and solar power than the electricity grid needs. Continue reading...