Middle East crisis live: Hezbollah urges Lebanon to pull out of talks with Israel; blockade of strait of Hormuz begins

Hezbollah says it will not abide by agreements that result from the Lebanon-Israel talks in the US; Trump claims Iran wants to make a deal

• US starts naval blockade of Iranian ports after deadline passes

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung has said rising tensions around the strait of Hormuz make it hard to be optimistic about the fallout from the Iran war, warning that high oil prices and supply-chain strains are likely to persist for some time.

Lee told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday the government should treat prolonged disruption in global energy and raw materials markets as a given and reinforce its emergency response system.

For the time being, difficulties in global energy and raw materials supply chains and high oil prices will continue … I ask that we pursue the development of alternative supply chains, medium- to long-term industrial restructuring, and the transition to a post-plastic economy as top-priority national strategic projects.”

Lebanon and Israel have been at war in some form since the early 1980s. You’re not allowed to enter Lebanon if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport. The two don’t have diplomatic relations. So the fact that these talks are happening directly between the two governments is something that’s really astonishing.

Harry and Meghan greeted by hushed ‘hiii’ in Melbourne hospital on first stop of Australian tour

Crowd turns out to welcome duke and duchess, who are combining public visits to worthy causes with private money-making appearances

When Prince Harry and Meghan walked through the doors of Melbourne’s Royal children’s hospital just after midday on Tuesday, a hush came over the crowd of staff and patients gathered to greet them. It was followed by a soft, collective “hiii” – as though the crowd felt that speaking too loudly might scare the duke and duchess away.

The couple walked in almost without ceremony on this first stop on their four-day Australian tour, greeting hospital management in the foyer before making their way around the arc of people gathered to see them, paying particular attention to children.

Mark Carney secures majority government in Canada after special election win

Carney’s Liberals will now be able to pass legislation without the support of opposition parties – and govern until 2029

The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has secured a parliamentary majority for his Liberal government, CBC News reported. The victory will help him push through a legislative agenda he says is needed for an increasingly divided geopolitical world.

Three special elections were held on Monday in Ontario and Quebec, with two in districts – known as ridings – that have long voted Liberal.

‘Huge’ increase in kennelling and vet spending by police after XL bully ban

Data from 22 police forces shows spending has more than tripled since the ban came into force in 2024

Police spending on kennels and veterinary bills in England and Wales has more than tripled since the XL bully ban came into force, with some forces recording an almost 500% spending increase since the new law was enacted in 2024.

Data from 22 police forces obtained via freedom of information requests showed police spending had soared from an average of £137,400 per force in 2022-23 to £423,136 in 2024-25.

José Pizarro’s recipe for nettle (or wild garlic) and goat’s cheese tortilla

Have a forage for buttery and tender young nettles (or wild garlic), and turn them into a cheesy, Spanish-style omelette

When I was growing up in the small village of Talaván in Extremadura, Spain, we never ate nettles. They were wild plants that grew along the edges of the fields, and the sort you tried to avoid: like many children, I learned about them the hard way, brushing against them while playing and getting stung. It was only when I came to the UK that I first saw nettles used in cooking, which surprised me: suddenly, this wild plant had a place in the kitchen. Now, whenever I visit my mum, Isabel, I see them everywhere. It makes me smile to think that at this year’s Chelsea flower show I will be cooking among a world of magnificent plants and gardens. Perhaps not too many nettles on show, but who knows?

Viktor Orbán inspired rightwingers across the EU and in Britain. His defeat could represent a turning of the tide | Polly Toynbee

We must hope this vote will be the start of a wider backlash – and send hard-right populism back to the fringes where it belongs

The forces of darkness rolled back on Sunday. The mighty combined power of Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Donald Trump’s America were defeated in Hungary, as European liberal democratic values triumphed.

The populist-nativist right put their all into keeping Viktor Orbán in power. The US vice-president, JD Vance, mid-war in Iran, took time out to parade his patronage in Budapest, one month after the hard-right US Conservative Political Action Conference took place there. In January, Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in a video endorsing Orbán, with salvoes of support from Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and France’s Marine Le Pen. Herbert Kickl of Austria’s Freedom party declared that “a patriotic wind is blowing across Europe”. Maybe, but not in their direction. Patriotism does not belong to them.

Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist

Guardian Newsroom: Can Labour come back from the brink?
On Thursday 30 April, join Gaby Hinsliff, Zoe Williams, Polly Toynbee and Rafael Behr as they discuss how much of a threat Labour faces from the Green party and Reform UK – and whether Keir Starmer can survive as leader. Book tickets here

Art, sex, nature: why is everything sold to us as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself?

How a reductive worldview is stripping meaning from our most valued activities

• This article was originally published as The six-second hug on Aeon.co

For decades, films out of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios have opened with Leo the roaring lion, garlanded with the motto ars gratia artis: art for art’s sake. Given that MGM is a money-making behemoth, we might doubt the sincerity of this high-minded sentiment. Still, it certainly expresses one of the few legitimate reasons why people should make movies. Art for the sake of anything else – profit, self-promotion, propaganda – isn’t really art at all, or at least not in its purest sense.

It therefore came as a bit of a shock to see a recent advert for the National Art Pass, which gives holders free or discounted entry to galleries and museums around the UK. The tagline “See more. Live more” sounded right: art does indeed enrich our lives. But it turned out that the “more” here was purely quantitative, not qualitative. “Grow some years on to your life with art,” proclaimed the main slogan, followed by: “Spending time in galleries and museums could help you live longer.” Art not for art’s sake, but for your heart’s sake, the fleshy not the spiritual one at that. This messaging around the arts has become ubiquitous, with Arts Council England promoting the idea that “engaging in creative and cultural activities has proven health benefits for individuals and communities”.

African scientists hail mushrooming global interest in conserving fungi

Amid growing evidence of fungi’s key role in ecosystems and storing carbon, mycologists seek greater recognition of the need to preserve ‘funga’ as much as flora and fauna

Madagascar has long been celebrated for its remarkable wildlife, with the vast majority of its species – from ring-tailed lemurs to certain species of baobab trees – found nowhere else on the planet. But when discussing the island nation’s endemic treasures, fungi are often left out of the conversation.

Yet “fungi are some of the most important things in the world”, says Anna Ralaiveloarisoa, a Malagasy scientist. “They feed 90% of terrestrial plants. Without them, there is no life on the Earth.”

On the streets of Dublin I met fuel protesters and the people who support them – yet our leaders still don’t get it | Caelainn Hogan

The Iran war has exposed the country’s reliance on fossil fuels – and its wilful neglect of people’s basic needs

Up in the driver’s seat of a lime green CLAAS tractor, a young man called Dylan told me he was the second tractor to arrive on O’Connell Street, Dublin’s main street, for fuel protests that would bring Ireland to a standstill for nearly a week. The tractor in front of him, belonging to his boss, had a sign warning “No Farms, No Food”. The 19-year-old agricultural contract worker sat with two friends, young women of 16 and 17, out to support him. He had slept nights in the tractor in the biting April cold, along with many other farmers, fishers and truckers whose vehicles lined both sides of the street.

“It’s profit before people,” Dylan said of campaigners’ complaints about the government’s levying of 60% in duties and taxes on fuel continuing during a crisis. “It’s affecting everyone – it’s affecting our businesses, it’s affecting yourselves if you’re running a car or heating your house. Eventually if we don’t get what we want, it’s going to start affecting the price of food on the shelves and no one is going to be able to afford anything.”

Caelainn Hogan is a journalist and the author of Republic of Shame

Palestinian groups launch legal bid to shed light on Australian arms export permits to Israel

Three human rights groups are seeking to compel the release of military export permit documents from Richard Marles

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A trio of Palestinian human rights groups have launched a legal bid to force Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, to shed light on whether the government has approved Israel-bound export permits, which could violate international law.

The groups – the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Al-Haq and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights – will attempt to subpoena arms export documents after filing an affidavit in the federal court last week.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Phil Collins, Oasis, Sade and Wu-Tang Clan among 2026 inductees

Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah and Joy Division/New Order will also be inducted, along with the late Luther Vandross

Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah, Oasis, Sade and Joy Division/New Order will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with first-time nominees Wu-Tang Clan and the late Luther Vandross.

The list was revealed on Monday night in the US, during an airing of American Idol. To be eligible, artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years prior. Nominees were voted on by more than 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals.

U.S. military kills 2 in another alleged drug boat strike in eastern Pacific

The latest strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat brings the contentious campaign's death toll to at least 170.

Maps show where Brian Hooker says wife went missing in the Bahamas

Lynette Hooker went missing after she allegedly went overboard while in the Bahamas.

See messages Brian Hooker sent his friend after wife's disappearance

Brian Hooker exchanged Facebook messages with a friend, which CBS News exclusively reviewed, after his wife vanished in the Bahamas over the weekend.

What Brian Hooker says happened the night his wife vanished in Bahamas

During a nearly 40-minute phone conversation, Brian Hooker told friends​ in descriptive detail what led to the incident where his wife allegedly went missing.

Lynette Hooker told friend in 2024 text: "I can't be out there with him"

Two years before her disappearance, Lynette Hooker temporarily split with her husband Brian, telling a friend, "Our marriage lasted 6 weeks cruising," and "It was bad. I can't be out there with him."

Florida teenager charged with sexually assaulting and killing stepsister Anna Kepner on cruise ship

Kepner’s body was found concealed under bed in a room she shared with two teens, including 16-year-old stepbrother

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A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida in the 6 November death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship, the US justice department said Monday.

Timothy Hudson was initially charged in February and subsequently indicted on 10 March. But the breadth of the case was not known until a seal was lifted Friday, weeks after US district judge Beth Bloom in Miami said he would be prosecuted as an adult at the request of the government.

Guardian staff contributed

4/13: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Trump continues to slam Pope Leo over Iran opposition; Eric Swalwell announces he'll resign from Congress.

Man accused in Molotov cocktail attack of OpenAI CEO's home charged with attempted murder

No one was injured at Altman's home or the company offices, authorities said.

Brian Hooker released from custody after wife's disappearance in Bahamas

Bahamian police say the search for Lynette Hooker has turned into a search and recovery operation. Her husband has been released after days in custody.

Brian Hooker released from Bahamian custody after wife's disappearance

American Brian Hooker was released from custody Monday night after days of questioning by Bahamian authorities about the disappearance of his wife, Lynette, who's been missing since he says she went overboard while boating more than a week ago. Cristian Benavides reports.

Couple's animated discussion at NBA game goes viral

Late last week a couple caught on camera having a lively conversation at a Pacers-Nets game went viral. Tony Dokoupil has the details.

Resurfaced texts indicate Lynette Hooker had concerns about husband 2 years before disappearance

CBS News has obtained messages Lynette Hooker sent to a friend in January 2024 that indicate she had concerns about her husband, Brian, and their life at sea. Brian Hooker is currently in custody after Lynette disappeared during a nighttime boat ride with him in the Bahamas. Cristian Benavides has more.

Trump deletes post with AI image of himself as Jesus-like figure after outcry

The US president’s conservative, Christian supporters decried the Truth Social post, calling it ‘disgusting’

Less than a year after signing legislation that will pull nearly 12 million Americans off health insurance by gutting Medicaid, Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself to Truth Social on Sunday depicting him as a Jesus-like figure, with divine light emanating from his hands as he heals a stricken man in a hospital bed with a demon from hell floating in the background.

The president has since deleted the post, which also followed a lengthy tirade about Pope Leo XIV on the site the same day in which he called him “weak on crime” and blamed the head of the Catholic church for being influenced by Barack Obama strategist David Axelrod. Trump refused to apologize to the pope, saying: “He went public. I’m just responding to Pope Leo.”

Suspect in Molotov cocktail attack at OpenAI CEO's house charged with attempted murder

The 20-year-old suspect is accused of traveling from Spring, Texas, to San Francisco to target OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home and carry out the attack.

Ethics Committee investigating Swalwell over sexual misconduct allegations

The bipartisan House Ethics Committee announced Monday it is investigating Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California.

Eric Swalwell says he will resign from Congress amid sexual assault allegations

"I plan to resign my seat in Congress," Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell said Monday as he faces an expulsion vote.

Trump deletes Truth Social image depicting him as Jesus: 'It was me as a doctor'

President Donald Trump in May 2025 posted an apparent AI image depicting himself as a Catholic pope after the death of Pope Francis.

FBI releases images of suspect in Sam Altman Molotov cocktail attack

The FBI on Monday released the first images of the man they say threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's San Francisco home. Matt Gutman has more.

Eric Swalwell resigning from Congress amid sexual assault allegations

California Congressman Eric Swalwell announced Monday he's stepping down amid multiple investigations for alleged sexual misconduct, sexual assault and ethics violations. Caitlin Huey-Burns has the late developments.

Details on U.S. blockade of Iranian ports

At least 13 U.S. warships are blocking all tankers going to and from Iranian ports in an effort to choke off Iran's economic lifeline and dial up pressure to reach a peace deal. Weijia Jiang reports.

What to know about Trump and Pope Leo's feud over Iran, immigration

President Trump slammed Pope Leo again on Monday over the pontiff's criticisms of Mr. Trump's immigration policies and the Iran war. Norah O'Donnell and Chris Livesay report.

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales to step down as he faces expulsion vote

The Texas Republican faces an expulsion vote stemming from his affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

Clash between Pope Leo and Trump uncommonly public for Vatican

Clashes between U.S. presidents and popes are not new, but they've almost always been handled quietly. Chris Livesay reports.

Trump calls Pope Leo "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy"

Pope Leo has been critical of the war in Iran and other priorities of the Trump administration, but says his comments are "not meant as attacks on anyone."

Trump doubles down on Pope Leo condemnation in exclusive interview

President Trump told CBS News on Monday that Pope Leo is "wrong on the issues" as he continued to bash the pontiff for his opposition to mass deportations and the Iran war. Norah O'Donnell, who spoke with the president, has more.

Trump won't back down from Pope Leo feud sparked by "60 Minutes" report

President Trump told CBS News senior correspondent Norah O'Donnell that Pope Leo is "wrong on the issues" Monday after lashing out at the pontiff late Sunday in a Truth Social post.

Vance says 'the ball is in Iran's court' to move peace talks further, as U.S. blockade takes effect

The U.S. team of Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner made progress with Iran during the Islamabad talks, the vice president said.

Suspect in attack at Sam Altman's house aimed to kill OpenAI CEO, warned of humanity's extinction from AI

San Francisco Police Department officers recovered a document from the suspect that detailed his intentions, according to a filing.

DOJ fires at least 4 prosecutors involved in FACE Act cases during Biden admin.

Among those fired is Sanjay Patel, a longtime federal prosecutor in the Civil Rights Division's criminal section who was placed on administrative leave last month, sources told CBS News at the time.

‘Little progress’ in stopping drug drones at HMP Manchester, watchdog says

Chief inspector for England and Wales says prison remains in ‘precarious state’ more than year after urgent notification

The Prison Service has made “very little progress” in enforcing a formal demand to stop drones from delivering drugs into one of its worst performing jails, a watchdog has concluded.

Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales, said HMP Manchester remained in a “precarious state” after a failure to fix broken windows and install security to stop contraband being delivered to gangs.

UK households to be urged to use more power this summer as renewables soar

Incentives to absorb surplus wind and solar energy could help balance the grid and lower bills

• The UK needs more North Sea gas, not greater reliance on US imports | Nils Pratley

Households 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.

Oracle expands Bloom Energy deal days after receiving $400 million stock warrant

Last week Oracle received a warrant to buy nearly $400 million in Bloom Energy's stock, which jumped on Monday after the companies announced an expanded deal.

Almost 2bn to be affected by metabolic liver disease by 2050, study suggests

MASLD affects one in six people now and is projected to rise because of population growth, obesity and high blood sugar

Metabolic liver disease will affect 1.8 billion people worldwide by 2050, driven by rising obesity and blood sugar levels, a study suggests.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is one of the most prevalent and rapidly growing liver conditions globally, according to the research.

4/13: CBS Evening News

President Trump doubles down on Pope Leo criticism in exclusive interview; U.S. begins blockade of Iranian ports in Strait of Hormuz.

Trump is blockading Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf. What does that mean?

A former Pentagon official said the goal of the U.S. blockade is to get the Iranians to back down and restore freedom of navigation to the strait.

Trump faces backlash over post depicting him like Jesus

The image was deleted from President Trump's Truth Social account, but the president said it depicted him as a "doctor, making people better."

Eric Swalwell will resign from Congress as he faces backlash over assault allegations

Swalwell's resignation follows allegations of sexual assault and misconduct made by multiple women against the California Democrat.

‘Carelessly squandered’: Wisden scolds England’s tumultuous Ashes tour

• Series defeat in Australia ‘a chance so blithely spurned’

• Indian dominance and Starc’s sacrifice recognised

The latest edition of Wisden is ­unsparing in its criticism of England’s Test team, describing their Ashes defeat in Australia as a “wing-and-a-prayer” campaign that ended up “feckless, reckless and legless”.

Published this Thursday, the sport’s longstanding bible has a strong Indian flavour to its awards. Haseeb Hameed, captain of title-winning Nottinghamshire, is the sole Englishman among the five ­players of the year, with Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and ­Mohammed Siraj recognised for their roles in last year’s memorable 2-2 Test series draw in England.

Leeds stun Manchester United after Okafor double and Martínez red card for hair-pull

Chants of “Daniel Farke, Daniel Farke” rang out from the travelling faithful after this seismic Leeds win lifted them six points clear of Tottenham, whose plight darkens further after the visitors pulled off a first league win at Old Trafford since February 1981.

It means Michael Carrick has lost a home game for the first time as Manchester United’s interim manager. His team lacked control throughout, a state not aided by Lisandro Martínez’s silly 56th-minute red card for yanking Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s ponytail, and he is now suspended for three matches, though the club may appeal.

Trump media company drops lawsuit against the Guardian

TMTG drops defamation claim over report that prosecutors were investigating payments received as possible money laundering

Donald Trump’s media corporation has dropped a defamation claim against the Guardian and two other defendants over a report that federal prosecutors were investigating $8m in payments the company received from entities with ties to Vladimir Putin as possible money laundering.

A filing in the 12th judicial circuit in Sarasota county, Florida, on Friday confirmed that Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), the parent company of the president’s Truth Social platform, was withdrawing its claims without prejudice, meaning it could refile the lawsuit at a later date.

Rory McIlroy says preparation at ‘home course’ Augusta aided Masters defence

• Northern Irishman praises ‘good blueprint’ from Nicklaus

• Scottie Scheffler ‘surprised’ by conditions on Friday

Rory McIlroy has explained how weeks of preparation at “home course” Augusta National after advice from Jack Nicklaus played a substantial role in his successful ­Masters defence.

Rather than play in PGA Tour events in the lead up to the Masters and despite a back injury causing him competitive disruption, McIlroy spent considerable time at Augusta in the lead-up to the Masters. On one occasion, it is understood he played the front nine in 29 when playing with a single ball.

Judges fired after blocking deportation of pro-Palestinian students

Immigration judges Roopal Patel and Nina Froes among six judges terminated by Department of Justice

Two immigration judges who ruled against the Trump administration in the deportation cases of pro-Palestinian university students have been fired by the Department of Justice.

The New York Times reported over the weekend that the justice department had terminated six judges, including Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, who oversaw deportation proceedings against Rümeysa Öztürk and Mohsen Mahdawi, two students who were arrested last year as part of Trump’s campaign against the Gaza protest movement.

Fed nominee Warsh clears a hurdle to Senate hearing

Kevin Warsh submitted required ethics paperwork to the Senate Monday.

Terence Crawford fined $75 over incident that led to gunpoint traffic stop

• Crawford fined after Omaha traffic stop at gunpoint

• Boxer ordered to pay $75 plus $49 in court costs

• Police review found officers acted lawfully

Terence Crawford was found guilty of careless driving Monday and ordered to pay a $75 fine stemming from a traffic stop last year during which police ordered the world champion boxer and passengers out of his vehicle at gunpoint.

Crawford was stopped on 28 September, hours after his hometown of Omaha held a parade through downtown to celebrate his unanimous-decision victory over Canelo Álvarez in a super middleweight championship fight. The win made Crawford the first male boxer to capture three unified division titles. He announced his retirement in December with a 42-0 record and 31 knockouts.

DHS orders thousands of employees back to work despite shutdown

The Department of Homeland Security has ordered thousands of furloughed employees back to work, even as the agency technically remains shut down and unfunded by Congress.

Chagos Islands treaty is now ‘impossible to agree at political level’, UK minister says

Stephen Doughty says US withdrawal of support means bill cannot complete passage through parliament

A treaty over ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has become “impossible to agree at political level” and the corresponding bill will not complete its passage through parliament, a Foreign Office minister has said.

Stephen Doughty told the Commons that the agreement with Mauritius was initially negotiated in close coordination with the US, but Donald Trump’s position “appears to have changed”.

‘It’s not finished’: Lamine Yamal pledges Barcelona will fight to the end

As his side look to overturn a two-goal quarter-final deficit against Atlético Madrid, the teenager is ready to give his all

No pressure, kid. Lamine Yamal took the stage here and, he hoped, not for the last time. The 18-year-old, wearing glasses, sat in the press conference room at the Metropolitano where he said he would take inspiration from the basketball legend LeBron James and from Neymar on Wednesday night. He insisted that he welcomes the weight of expectation that has been loaded upon him from the beginning as he tries to lead Barcelona back from a 2-0 first-leg defeat against Atlético Madrid and into the semi-finals of the Champions League.

When Barcelona were knocked out by Inter in last season’s semi-finals, Lamine Yamal promised that he would take them back. A year on, scorer of five goals and provider of four assists in Europe, described by Hansi Flick as “the best in the world one on one”, he is their great hope as they seek to return and try again, his appearance in front of the media a prelude to him leading on the pitch. “Ever since I was little I have had the fortune to have to take on more responsibility than I should,” the teenager said. “I am used to it. All I think about is enjoying it, not taking it as a problem but a virtue. I’m grateful for everything.”

Bahamas police again question US man over disappearance of wife at sea

Brian Hooker says wife Lynette fell overboard from dinghy but family members have cast doubt on that account

Police in the Bahamas on Monday were set to again interview a US man who said his wife fell overboard from their boat.

In a statement on Sunday to the Guardian, Brian Hooker’s attorney, Terrel Butler, said: “The police have requested another interview with [Brian Hooker] tomorrow.”

McDonald's to start selling refreshers and crafted sodas nationwide in May

McDonald's is expanding its cold beverage menu and also plans to introduce energy drinks later this year.

DoorDasher delivers to White House, joins Trump in talking to press

President Trump invited DoorDash delivery worker Sharon Simmons to talk about his "no tax on tips" policy.

Oil price dips below $100 a barrel after Trump claims Iran wants deal

US president’s previous threat to block strait of Hormuz had led to a 6.9% increase in earlier trading

• Explainer: strait of Hormuz blockade

Oil prices have fallen back after briefly rising to above $100 a barrel as Donald Trump claimed Iran had made contact and wanted “very badly” to strike a deal in the face of his blockade of the strait of Hormuz.

The Brent crude international benchmark rose above the key psychological threshold earlier in the day, at one point up 6.9% to $101.70 a barrel on news of the US president’s plan to block the waterway to Iranian marine traffic.

What will the UK’s role be in the strait of Hormuz when the Iran war ends?

Royal Navy has few mine-hunting ships to deploy as world leaders discuss how to safeguard shipping

The UK will co-host an international summit of more than 40 nations this week to discuss how to safeguard shipping through the strait of Hormuz when the Iran conflict finally comes to an end.

Keir Starmer has said the continuing closure of the waterway is “deeply damaging” and that getting global shipping moving is crucial to ease cost of living pressures.

U.S. begins blockade in Strait of Hormuz; Trump warns Iran 'attack ships' to stay away

The U.S. blockade would apply to "any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," President Donald Trump said.

BlackRock raises view on U.S. stocks on belief that war is over, profits are up

The firm, which manages $14 trillion for clients, said in its weekly market note that it raised the rating a notch to overweight from neutral.

The ‘Gaza playbook’: what are Israel’s plans for Lebanon? – video explainer

After fighting erupted once again between Hezbollah and Israel last month after the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Israel launched a bombing campaign and ground invasion of southern Lebanon, displacing more than 1.2 million people and killing more than 2,000. Israel says it will occupy swathes of southern Lebanon and that homes near its so-called buffer zone will be destroyed ‘in accordance with the Rafah and Beit Hanoun model in Gaza’, prompting fears of long-term displacement. The Israeli military has said it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure such as tunnels and military facilities, which it claims the armed group has embedded in civilian homes. Ghia Hajo, who was displaced from her home near Tyre on 2 March alongside her family, does not know when she will be able to return home. Will Christou, who reports from Lebanon for the Guardian, asks what the future might look like for the country and people like Ghia

Former NFL cornerback Chris Payton-Jones dies at 30: ‘Everyone loved him’

• Former Arizona Cardinal dies in head-on collision

• Payton-Jones had built career in content creation

Former NFL cornerback Chris Payton-Jones died in a car accident Saturday night in Florida. He was 30.

Payton-Jones was driving a sedan eastbound in the westbound lanes of State Road 24 in Gainesville when his vehicle collided head-on with a pickup truck, according to News 4 Jacksonville. The three people in the truck sustained only minor injuries.

Vance’s bad week: vice-president risks becoming face of two Trump foreign policy failures

Orbán is out in Hungary and talks have failed to end the war in Iran – ill-fated road trip has been setback for Maga aims

Shortly before JD Vance’s ill-fated week crisscrossing the world, Donald Trump asked him during a private Easter brunch about how the Iran negotiations were shaping up. “If it doesn’t happen, I’m blaming JD Vance,” Trump said to laughs in the room. “If it does happen, I’m taking full credit.”

The joke at Vance’s expense contained an unfortunate nugget of truth: this is not an administration that rewards failure.

Pope Leo says 'I have no fear of the Trump administration' after president blasts pontiff

Pope Leo has condemned the war against Iran by the United States and Israel, drawing the ire of President Donald Trump.

Colombia to cull up to 80 hippos descended from Pablo Escobar zoo

Dozens of feral pachyderms linked to drug kingpin to be killed because of threat to native species and villagers

Colombian officials have authorized a plan to cull dozens of hippos descended from animals brought to the country in the 1980s by Pablo Escobar, after the feral beasts displaced native species and threatened local villagers.

The environment minister, Irene Vélez, said the decision was reached because other methods to control their population had been expensive and unsuccessful, including neutering some of the animals or moving them to zoos. Vélez said that up to 80 hippos would be affected by the measure. She did not say when the hunting would begin.

The Guardian view on Hungary’s election: democracy reclaimed | Editorial

The defeat of Orbánism is a globally significant political moment. But it is, above all, a triumph for the citizens who mobilised to take their country back

Prior to his landslide election victory in 2010, which was to lead to 16 unbroken years in power, Viktor Orbán would tell supporters: “We have only to win once, but then properly.” Achieving a so-called supermajority by winning two-thirds of parliamentary seats allowed Mr Orbán to change the constitution, and begin turning Hungary into a soft autocracy. From the judiciary to the media and universities, the checks and balances of a democratic society were steadily dismantled and minorities were marginalised, as the country became a beacon for the global far right and a nationalist thorn in the side of Brussels.

On Sunday, stunningly, it was Mr Orbán’s centre-right challenger, Péter Magyar, who “won properly”. After a record turnout, his Tisza party is all but certain to win its own supermajority. Given Mr Orbán’s control of state media and gerrymandering of constituencies to favour his Fidesz party, this was a truly remarkable result.

5 things to know about Péter Magyar, Hungary's new prime minister

Magyar ended Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's 16-year grip on power in a landslide victory on Sunday. The former Orbán loyalist burst onto the scene as an opposition leader in 2024.

Jorginho calls Chappell Roan security incident a ‘misunderstanding’

Flamengo footballer previously accused pop star’s security of aggressive behavior to his 11-year-old stepdaughter

• The Chappell Roan security incident raises a bigger question: what do celebrities owe their fans?

The Flamengo footballer Jorginho has clarified his comments on last month’s incident between his 11-year-old stepdaughter and a security guard in Brazil, calling his previous claims against Chappell Roan “a misunderstanding”.

“I made my initial statement in the heat of the moment, after hearing that my child and wife had been approached by an adult male security guard in an intimidating way,” Jorginho wrote on Instagram. “I reacted as any father would. My priority is, and always will be, protecting my family, and that is exactly what I did.”

Péter Magyar vows to pursue those who ‘plundered’ Hungary after election win

Prime minister-elect promises ‘new era’ for country after defeating far-right Viktor Orbán

Hungary’s prime minister-elect, Péter Magyar, has pledged to pursue those who “plundered, looted, betrayed, indebted and ruined” his country, promising “a new era” after a landslide election victory over his far-right predecessor Viktor Orbán.

Magyar, whose centre-right Tisza party won at least 138 of the 199 seats in parliament, said the full election results should be confirmed by 4 May and he hoped his government could be installed the next day.

Man took own life after Turkish dental visit left him toothless, UK inquest hears

Wife of Pawel Bukowski criticises care husband received over depression he suffered following failed procedure

A man who took his own life was suffering from depression after a failed dental procedure in Turkey left him without any teeth, an inquest has heard.

Pawel Bukowski, a 48-year-old forklift driver, had travelled to a private clinic in the country in January 2025 to have his teeth replaced after suffering from periodontal disease, a chronic bacterial infection that can erode the gums and lead to tooth and bone loss.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org

Trump badly needs a way out of this war. Right now, that’s everyone’s problem | Gaby Hinsliff

The looming shortage of medicines and fertiliser is only going to get worse with the latest US blockade. Europe and the UK need to step up diplomatically

Not our war, not our problem.

For weeks now, that has been Europe’s increasingly confident position on the conflict in Iran: that it didn’t ask for this ill-judged fight, can hardly be expected to join in when it has no idea what war crimes Donald Trump might be contemplating next, and certainly isn’t obliged to extricate him from his own wilfully deep hole. For Keir Starmer in particular, staying out of the war and letting slip his exasperation has been that rarest of prizes: a chance to do what the Labour party desperately wants to do, but which also happens to be both the right thing and the popular one. However, the trouble with “not our war, not our problem” is that, as of this weekend, only half of it remains true.

Ben Jennings on Trump and the pope – cartoon

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‘Disgraceful’: anger as World Aquatics allows Russia to compete under flag again

• Restrictions have been in place since 2022 invasion

• Ukrainian athlete says move will spread propaganda

Swimming has agreed to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete without restrictions under their own flag and anthem for the first time since 2022, prompting joy in Russia and outrage in Ukraine.

The decision by World Aquatics, which also oversees diving and water polo, adds further momentum to Russia’s bid to be allowed back for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 following judo’s decision to do the same last year.

King Charles is due to visit Donald Trump. Here are the questions he needs to ask himself first | Zoe Williams

As Trump depicts himself as Jesus Christ, and insults everyone from Keir Starmer to the pope, how can the king hope to keep this state visit on track?

The most awkward thing to happen when King Charles visited President Nixon as a young man – it was 1970, the then prince was 21 – was that officials kept wheeling out Nixon’s daughter, Tricia, to stand next to him at events. Since they were both single, on paper anyway (this was the same year Charles met Camilla), the optics were a little primitive. Here, you’re a young man; how about this young woman as a token of our esteem? I wasn’t alive, but if I know my mother, at least somewhere on Earth, someone was saying: “Tricia is a person, she’s not chattel.”

Visiting Ronald Reagan 11 years later, Charles was unaccountably handed a cup of tea with the bag still in it, and didn’t know where to put himself. Or the tea. Reagan was mortified, and still talking about it years later. You could split hairs about who was more at fault here: the tea-bringer or Charles himself, who met the occasion by merely staring at the tea. It would have been more courteous, surely, to fish out the teabag and drink it. Possibly, no one gave him a spoon; maybe they thought he always travelled with one, in his mouth.

Will Orbán’s defeat in Hungary be a turning point for Europe? – The Latest

Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule has come to an end after the opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, won the Hungary election by a landslide. Orbán quickly conceded after what he described as a 'painful but unambiguous' result. His defeat will come as a blow to Donald Trump, who has repeatedly endorsed Orbán and whose vice-president, JD Vance, had travelled to Budapest days before the election. All eyes are now on Magyar to see how Hungary’s relationship with the EU and Nato could change after years of strained relations. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian's European community affairs correspondent, Ashifa Kassam

Did you solve it? Are you smarter than a Navy admiral?

The solutions to today’s puzzles

Earlier today I asked you these three puzzles. Here they are again with solutions.

1. Battleships

Start small, grow what you like and be realistic: how to start a vegetable garden

You don’t need a yard or balcony to get going. We asked experts for their advice on how to grow your food

Maybe it’s because I’ve lived in cities my whole life, but I can’t think of anything more luxurious than popping out to your garden and eating a fresh tomato straight from the vine. How decadent to enjoy its crisp, bright flavor and the smug satisfaction that you coaxed this food into being with your own hands.

But what does becoming a modern-day Demeter actually entail? What if you don’t have a yard, or even a balcony? And is it worth growing your own food when supermarkets exist?

‘We are totally out of our depth’: experts say whale stranded in Baltic is beyond saving

Male humpback, which has repeatedly stranded and freed itself in Germany in past month, is to be left in peace to die

When a 10-metre long humpback whale became stranded on a sandbar in the Baltic Sea last month, none of those who went to its rescue could have known how it might turn lives and livelihoods upside down.

About a month after the first sighting of the male whale, near Wismar and Timmendorfer Strand on the north German coast, it has repeatedly stranded and freed itself and is now stranded once more, with rescuers saying it is in the throes of death.

Judge dismisses Trump's $10B lawsuit over the Wall Street Journal's Epstein reporting

In the order issued Monday, the judge wrote that President Trump had failed to make the argument that the article, which described a letter to Epstein that the newspaper said bore Trump's signature, was published with the intent to be malicious.

Beef, that all-American food, is getting harder for Americans to afford

The cost of ground beef in the U.S. has soared in recent years and is forecast to jump even further in 2026. What gives?

Why the World Cup should be decentralized | Leander Schaerlaeckens

Expansion and political influence have made soccer’s showpiece too big for one region to handle responsibly

• Sign up for the World Behind The Cup newsletter

In retrospect, the 2018 World Cup in Russia looks like a gentle genuflection, a dainty little bow before its strongman leader. Vladimir Putin and his Russian project of gradual conquest were most definitely centered and validated eight years ago: the tournament showcased his nation and awarded its leader prominence of place.

This summer, we will see something altogether different, as the runup to this edition of the world’s biggest and most popular sporting event has become a monument to Donald Trump.

This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond, helmed this week by Leander in Jonathan’s absence. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email [email protected], and he’ll answer the best in a future edition.

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a Guardian US contributor whose book on the United States men’s national soccer team, The Long Game, is out on 12 May. You can preorder it here. He teaches at Marist University.

The wait is over: Eta’s arrival as head coach breaks barriers for women in football

Marie-Louise Eta has been tasked with saving Union Berlin from Bundesliga relegation in a groundbreaking appointment

For Marie-Louise Eta, it may feel like another day at the office. The wider significance will be greater, though, when she oversees Union Berlin in their crunch Bundesliga match against Wolfsburg this weekend. History will be made and another barrier broken: it will be the first time a woman appointed as head coach of a men’s team has taken charge of a fixture in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Eta was given the reins on an interim basis after Steffen Baumgart, her predecessor, was sacked on Saturday. Union had just lost 3-1 to bottom-placed Heidenheim and, with five games left, could not be sure of a late-season dalliance with the drop zone. They are seven points clear of the relegation playoff spot but a run of two wins from 14 games has equated to freefall. Union needed the best person to arrest it, some form of continuity was key, so the 34-year-old Eta, a richly exciting prospect, was an obvious choice.

SYBAU, WYLL and PMO: what do the latest teen text abbreviations actually mean?

Just when parents thought they could decode teenage text speak, a new list comes along that raises more questions than answers

Name: Confusing text abbreviations.

Age: As old as texts themselves.

I was a professional fairy. The kids made the job magical – but the adults could be a nightmare

My special skills included driving a small car filled with helium balloons, memorising children’s names – and tolerating parents’ behaviour

• Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email

From the age of 16 to 22, I was a children’s entertainer. Most often a fairy, sometimes a witch, ballerina, princess or mermaid – with conspicuous legs underneath her tail. One time, hilariously, a ladybug.

The hourly rate was excellent, the costumes were cute and the tiny customers even cuter.

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Eyes on the prize! Backstage at the Olivier awards 2026 – in pictures

Guardian photographer David Levene was at the Royal Albert Hall to photograph the stars and the special performances at London’s biggest night of theatre

• No need for hard stares as Paddington: The Musical triumphs at Olivier awards

• Olivier awards 2026: full list of winners

• ‘I want to thank my amazing husband, who doesn’t exist!’ – Olivier awards’ best quotes

Karol G at Coachella review – electrifying set destined for festival’s hall of fame

Empire Polo Club, Indio, California
With dazzling choreography and head-spinning set pieces, the Colombian star delivered a victorious statement of Latin pride

Late on the final night of Coachella’s first weekend, after more than a dozen songs, several glorious costume changes and some of the most luscious choreography ever seen in a headliner set, the Colombian superstar Karol G finally introduced herself in English: “I am Carolina Giraldo from Medellín, Colombia, and today, I am the first Latina woman to headline Coachella,” she said to deafening cheers from a crowd dotted with the flags of Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia and other Latin nations. “I’m very happy and very proud,” she added, but “at the same time, it feels late. There has been 27 years of this festival.” Both sincere and pointed, her remarks recalled Beyoncé in 2018, thanking the festival for allowing her to be the first Black woman to headline: “Ain’t that ’bout a bitch?”

Beyoncé is quite the name to invoke – we may never again see a set as virtuosic and culturally significant as Beychella – but on Sunday night, Karol G sure made the case for her inclusion in the festival’s hall of fame. Seeming at once years in the making and effortless, her 90-minute set was, like Bad Bunny’s landmark headliner slot three years earlier, an exuberant statement of Latin pride and pan-American unity as well as the joys of absolutely lethal, ass-shaking music so relentlessly danceable I broke a sweat on the coldest night of the festival. From the minute she first appeared, luminous in a glittering gold bikini and flanked by an army of sinuous background dancers, her hip undulations visible to the naked eye from the back rows – “not even Nascar has these curves,” she boasts in saucy opener Latina Foreva – the fireworks literal and physical barely ceased. If it’s going to take 27 years, well, best throw an undeniable fiesta.

‘That crazy old man should leave Cuba alone’: farmers bear the brunt of Trump’s pressure campaign

In Artemisa, the country’s agricultural heartland, sanctions and fuel shortages have made a tough life almost impossible

Abraham Rodríguez stares at the corn furrows he must plough before the end of the day. It is not even noon in Artemisa, Cuba, but the sun beats down hard and he’s already tired: working the land is a tough job. He has done it for almost half his life, since he was 13 and his mother got a divorce. He is turning 26 this year.

Farming has always been hard, he says, but now it is almost impossible to sustain. “I make 1,200 pesos (£1.80) a day, so I have to work two days to buy a bottle of oil.”

Bollywood classics, rave bangers and Michael Stipe duets: 10 of Asha Bhosle’s greatest recordings

After her death aged 92, we look back on the vast and varied catalogue of one of India’s greatest vocalists, who brought actorly skill to her Bollywood playback performances

• Indian music legend Asha Bhosle dies aged 92

With more than 12,000 songs to her name, Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle is one of the most recorded and well-known voices in Bollywood cinema. Born into a musical family, with her father Deenanath Mangeshkar working as a singer for regional Marathi theatre and film throughout the 1920s and 30s and her older sister Lata Mangeshkar becoming a Bollywood playback singer in her own right, Bhosle entered the industry at just 10 years old with this debut performance in the Marathi film Maze Baal. Duetting with Lata, Bhosle’s melismatic falsetto in the song gives voice to the playful innocence of the film’s central love-child. Keening and crystal-clear, her vocal immediately cuts through the rollicking instrumental and already displays the yearning emotion that would become her signature as her voice matured.

Spring clean in Seoul and tribute to an Indian music legend: photos of the day – Monday

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Hate small talk? You may enjoy that ‘dull’ chat more than you think, say researchers

Participants reported enjoying the human connection regardless of whether they thought the topic was dull

The human aversion to dull experiences was nailed by the author Paulo Coelho when he declared: “I can stand defeats, pain, anger. But I can’t stand boredom.”

But the natural desire to avoid boring conversations comes at a cost, according to researchers, who found that people enjoyed chatting about tedious topics far more than they expected.

Don’t mention the climate: Trump creates ‘beyond absurd’ situation at global finance talks

Developing countries face possible shelving of crucial green action plan at IMF and World Bank spring meetings

Governments desperate for cash to protect their citizens from the growing impacts of the climate crisis are being put in a “beyond absurd” situation this week at global finance talks: they are being urged not to mention the climate, even as they address the current oil crisis.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) spring meetings take place this week amid a fragile ceasefire in Iran and upended geopolitics. One of the priorities was to forge a new “climate change action plan” (CCAP) for the world’s biggest provider of funds to developing countries, to replace the current strategy, which expires in June.

Delta Air Lines unveils first new Delta One suite in premium cabin arms race

Delta and other carriers are ramping up premium seats on board.

Ineos Automotive: Startup backed by a knighted billionaire and soccer mogul wants to rekindle the rugged SUV market

The automaker has plans to grow sales in the U.S. by roughly 30% to 35%, as well as a target to achieve breakeven this year, executives exclusively told CNBC.

Ghanaian winger Dominic Frimpong killed at age of 20 in attack on team bus

• Armed men fired at Berekum Chelsea bus on Sunday

• Frimpong dies of wounds at hospital

Berekum Chelsea winger Dominic Frimpong was killed in an armed robbery on his team’s bus as they returned from a match on Sunday, the Ghana Football Association said.

Berekum Chelsea said six “masked men wielding guns and assault rifles” had blocked the road as the team returned from their Ghana Premier League match against Samartex.

Sunshine Women’s Choir review – weepie prison musical is huge Taiwan hit but drowns in own gloop

This schmaltzy film about a choir of inmates might make you cry – but in exasperation, frustration and disbelief rather than heartfelt emotion

Everyone involved with this feelgood/feelbad prison musical/weepie, and Taiwan’s biggest local box office hit ever, should be put on immediate cinematic probation and banned from film-making until it’s clear they are no longer a danger to the public. Starting out as merely heavy schmaltz, it resorts to increasingly manipulative tactics to wring out every drop of available emotion from the audience, like some merciless warden during exercise hour. There’s so much theatrical crying in the final stages that the inmates could have floated over the prison walls on the rising tide of their own tears.

In a story adapted from 2010 Korean film Harmony, Hui-Zhen (Ivy Chen) has to raise her infant daughter Yun-shi behind bars after murdering her abusive husband. Either this is movie jail or Taiwanese correction facilities are ridiculously plush, as her cell comes with soft-play fittings and supportive cellmates, including former stage diva Yu-ying (veteran singer Judy Ongg, who appeared in Peter Greenaway’s The Pillow Book). Already under pressure from hardass warden Chief Fang (Miao Ke-li) to give up Yun-shi for adoption, Hui-Zhen’s hand is forced when the youngster develops a vision-threatening cataract she can’t afford to treat.