NASA gears up for Artemis II crew's return to Earth

With Artemis II astronauts closing out on-board tests, flight controllers are prepping for reentry and splashdown Friday.

Husband detained in Bahamas in connection to wife's disappearance

As the search for Lynette Hooker continues near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas, the U.S. Coast Guard is taking the lead on the investigative efforts and has launched a criminal investigation, a U.S. official said.

Middle East crisis live: Red Cross ‘outraged’ as Israeli strikes on Lebanon kill at least 254; strait of Hormuz impasse continues

As Israel attacks on Lebanon continue, Abbas Araghchi points to announcement that says ceasefire includes Lebanon while JD Vance says US never promised that

• Middle East ceasefire in serious doubt as Israel assaults Lebanon and Iran blocks oil tankers

• Will shipping in the strait of Hormuz – and oil prices – return to normal?

The Spanish prime minster, Pedro Sánchez, condemned Israel’s latest strikes on Lebanon, and criticised Benjamin Netanyahu.

“His contempt for life and international law is intolerable,” Sánchez wrote on X.

Hundreds search for wolf that escaped from zoo in South Korea

Local school closes in Daejeon city as hundreds of emergency service and military personnel scour area around O-World theme park where the wolf escaped from

Authorities are hunting for a wolf after it escaped from a zoo in Daejeon, a South Korean city with a population of 1.5million.

More than 300 people – including firefighters, police and military personnel – are taking part in the search operation, an official from the Daejeon fire headquarters said.

Oil prices resume gains after Iran accuses U.S. of breaching ceasefire deal

Oil markets rose after Iran accused the United States of violating elements of a two-week ceasefire agreement.

George Clooney calls Donald Trump’s ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ threat to Iran a war crime

White House says only person committing war crimes is actor ‘for his awful movies and terrible acting ability’

The long-running war of words between the George Clooney and the White House has ignited again after the Oscar-winning actor criticised Donald Trump’s threat to Iran that “a whole civilization will die tonight”.

On Wednesday, in a speech to 3,000 high school students in Cuneo, Italy, Clooney said the US president had committed a war crime with his threat.

Teen birth rates hit another historical low in 2025, CDC says

The teen birth rate continues its decades-long downward trend. Researchers say many factors are at play, including less sexual activity and more access to contraception and abortion.

‘I had poked the bear right in the eye’: my fight to renounce my Russian citizenship

When Putin invaded Ukraine, he raised murder to the level of national policy. I felt guilt by association. And I had to act

One morning in May 2025, I walked briskly down Bayswater Road along the northern edge of London’s Kensington Gardens until I reached the gates of the Russian embassy. Its formidable outer wall, already topped with razor wire, now had the additional protection of a crowd control barrier. But there was no crowd, just a lone man feebly protesting from the other side of the road. In the early days of the war, the embassy was besieged by angry protesters. Back then, you couldn’t walk down a British street without spotting the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag. That time was long gone.

Feeling uneasy, I was ushered inside by a guard who patted me down and checked the contents of my backpack before pointing the way inside. I knew this routine from my previous visits. Even the guard – a friendly Nepali man who knew about three words of Russian – hadn’t changed in years. I used to come here to renew my Russian passport and, on one noteworthy occasion, in March 2000, to vote in the Russian presidential elections. This time, I had an altogether different purpose: I was here to renounce my Russian citizenship.

You, Me & Tuscany review – slick romcom offers solidly charming getaway

Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page flirt their way through expected genre tropes in a watchable, if a little unspecific, slice of formulaic fantasy

You, Me & Tuscany is a perfectly wholesome and harmless meet-cute that starts by asking: “What if the Little Mermaid had a Lady and the Tramp-style hookup with the season one heart-throb from Bridgerton, spaghetti and all?”

Halle Bailey is Anna, hopelessly navigating life after the death of her mother, torn between the worlds of adult responsibility and inner child whimsy. A freelance hustle as a house sitter helps make ends meet, but her impulse to fully inhabit her clients’ lives constantly threatens her livelihood. A gig watching over a spectacular Central Park West apartment seems out of a dream. But it quickly goes awry when the lady of the house (Nia Vardalos in a sly cameo) returns early and catches Anna cosplaying as a Park Avenue princess in her premium lingerie. Embarrassed, Anna retreats into the arms of her bestie Claire (Aziza Scott of One of Them Days), the luxury hotel clerk whose barbed sisterly advice is well worth enduring for the one-liners and the potential discount on a short-term residency.

Iran is a turning point for Europe’s liberation – from Donald Trump

The US president’s cry-wolf threats are losing their effect while European leaders are, at last, shifting from sycophancy to opposition

Europeans are on what might be called “a journey” when it comes to the US-Israel war against Iran, now apparently in a ceasefire after Donald Trump’s 11th-hour U-turn, calling off, for the time being, his threat to annihilate Iranian civilisation. The crisis in the Middle East marks the latest painful step, after the shock of the US’s betrayal of Ukraine and Trump’s threat to seize Greenland, in Europe’s emancipation from Washington. The journey is not linear, and it is dreaded by most European leaders. But the direction of travel is undeniable.

Initially, most European politicians in power all but endorsed the illegal US and Israeli attack against Iran. If the sycophantic Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, stood at one end of the spectrum of European opinion and Pedro Sánchez at the other, most European governments were tacitly closer to Rutte’s embrace of Trump than to the Spanish prime minister’s principled opposition.

Nathalie Tocci is a Guardian Europe columnist

Ex-Army employee charged with leaking classified military information to reporter

Federal prosecutors say Courtney Williams divulged classified information to a reporter about her time in Delta Force, according to newly unsealed court documents.

Hit New Zealand comedy duo Flight of the Conchords reunion gigs sell out in minutes

Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement announce four shows at Wellington venue Meow Nui from next week – their first gigs since 2018

New Zealand’s self-described “fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo-a cappella-rap-funk-comedy-folk duo” Flight of the Conchords sold out their first shows in eight years in minutes this week, sparking a frenzy among fans.

Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement formed the musical comedy act in 1998, soaring to worldwide fame off the back of their HBO comedy series of the same name with tunes including Business Time and Hiphopopotamus vs Rhymenoceros.

Hawaii doctor accused of trying to kill his wife found guilty of attempted manslaughter

Prosecutors alleged Gerhardt Konig, 47, had planned to kill Arielle Konig during a birthday trip to Honolulu

A Hawaii anesthesiologist who was accused of trying to murder his wife on a cliffside hike last year has been convicted of attempted manslaughter, a lesser charge.

A Honolulu jury returned the verdict against Gerhardt Konig, 47, on Wednesday after a day of deliberations.

Doctor accused of trying to kill wife on hike found guilty of attempted manslaughter

Jurors delivered their verdict Wednesday in the trial of an anesthesiologist accused of trying to kill his wife during a cliffside hike in Hawaii.

4/8: The Takeout with Major Garrett

U.S.-Iran ceasefire in fragile place; NATO chief Mark Rutte meets with President Trump at the White House.

Nato chief says Trump ‘clearly disappointed’ by US allies’ refusal to join Iran war

Mark Rutte praises ‘very frank’ talks but declines to say if president discussed potential withdrawal from alliance

Mark Rutte, the secretary general of Nato, has said Donald Trump was “clearly disappointed” that the US’s allies had refused to join its war against Iran, following a closed-door meeting in Washington on Wednesday.

Speaking to CNN after his private meeting with the US president, Rutte declined to say directly whether Trump raised his threat to withdraw from the military alliance over the Iran war, but described the exchange as a “very frank, very open” discussion between “two good friends”.

Trump’s rhetoric has become less grounded in reality – Albanese can no longer tiptoe around the madness | Julianne Schultz

The PM’s political antennae finally twitched this week when he felt safe to criticise the US president’s ‘extraordinary’ threat

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When a madman calls out your name you have two choices – pretend you didn’t hear him and hide, or try to reason; explain he had you confused with someone else, he didn’t understand what you were really trying to say and how you were really his best friend.

Australian political leaders, who cling to what seems to be their genetically programmed fear of abandonment, generally opt for the second choice. Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir.

NASA drops Artemis II moon mission playlist with astronauts' wake-up songs

The moon music tradition started more than 50 years ago, NASA said as it shared the Artemis II crew's playlist this week.

Democratic candidate's events with Hasan Piker exposes party rift in Michigan

Abdul El-Sayed's decision to campaign with Hasan Piker has drawn scrutiny from across the political spectrum given comments the popular streamer has made on the Israel-Hamas war.

Newly created Polymarket accounts win big on well-timed Iran ceasefire bets

Customers make hundreds of thousands of dollars as records show substantial bets made before announcement

• Middle East crisis – live updates

A group of new accounts on the prediction market Polymarket made highly specific, well-timed bets on whether the US and Iran would reach a ceasefire on Tuesday, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits for these new customers.

These bets were made even though, in the hours before a two-week ceasefire was announced on Tuesday, Donald Trump’s rhetoric had escalated sharply and there were few signals that a ceasefire deal was imminent. Early in the day Trump had issued a warning on social media that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not meet his demand to open the Ssrait of Hormuz by his 8pm ET deadline.

‘They poo all over the yard’: little corellas are terrorising Kangaroo Island – and nothing can stop them

The birds – not native to the South Australian island – have covered a school in faeces, torn up infrastructure and damaged crops

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Thousands of little corellas that have been terrorising the inhabitants of Kangaroo Island have been culled but it won’t be enough to fix the problem, authorities say.

The birds, which are not native to the island, have covered a local school in faeces, torn up infrastructure, damaged crops and caused mental distress to residents with their screeching.

Anthropic loses appeals court bid to temporarily block Pentagon blacklisting

A federal appeals on denied Anthropic's request for a stay in its lawsuit against the Department of Defense.

Prosecutors to subpoena Tiger Woods' prescription drug records after DUI arrest

Prosecutors are seeking Tiger Woods' prescription drug records from a Florida pharmacy.

Ohio kids run to church leader's door for comfort: "Thank you pastor"

Tony Dokoupil has the story of some Akron, Ohio, boys who looked to a pastor for comfort and security.

How KFC, AKA Korean fried chicken, took over the world

The dish, adapted from one brought by US soldiers after the Korean war, has sparked thousands of variations and sits at the forefront of the K-food wave

Inside a teaching kitchen south-east of Seoul, I coat a whole chicken – cut into eight parts – in batter and dip the pieces carefully into a bowl of powdered mix until covered in a light, fluffy layer.

A chef watches intently. “Don’t rub it,” he says. “Keep it delicate.”

Husband of missing American in Bahamas breaks silence as search becomes recovery mission

The search for a missing American woman in the waters off the Bahamas is now a recovery mission, authorities said. Her daughter suspects foul play, but the woman's husband said it was an accident. Cristian Benavides reports.

NASA releases more dazzling photos, moonshots from Artemis II

The crew of Artemis II is once again in the pull of Earth's gravity on Wednesday as their capsule speeds at 2,000 miles an hour toward a splashdown off Southern California. Mark Strassmann has the latest from mission control in Houston and Rob Marciano tracks the weather ahead of their return.

Gilgo Beach serial killer pleads guilty to 8 murders

Serial killer Rex Heuermann admitted to killing eight women on Long Island over the span of 17 years, ending in 2010. He will now spend the rest of his life in prison. Tom Hanson reports.

California warehouse employee arrested for allegedly starting massive fire

In Southern California, a 29-year-old man is accused of starting a massive fire at a warehouse where he worked. Jonathan Vigliotti reports.

Stocks go up, oil prices go down on ceasefire news

Wall Street appeared optimistic on Wednesday about the ceasefire with Iran, but the situation is delicate. Kelly O'Grady has more.

Meta debuts new AI model, attempting to catch Google, OpenAI after spending billions

Meta debuted its first major large language model, Muse Spark, spearheaded by chief AI officer Alexandr Wang, who leads Meta Superintelligence Labs.

White House disputes Iranian media reports that Strait of Hormuz is closed

The ceasefire with Iran is subject to what President Trump called the "complete, immediate and safe opening" of the Strait of Hormuz, which on Wednesday, Iran said is closed. The White House said those claims are false. Weijia Jiang reports.

Israel launches offensive against Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, ceasefire fragile

Less than 24 hours after the ceasefire with Iran was announced, it's in danger of coming apart. Israel launched a huge offensive against its old enemy, the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah, on Wednesday. Elizabeth Palmer reports.

Personal assistant pleads guilty to swindling $10M from Salomon Brothers partner, wife

New York resident Catalina Corona spent millions of dollars she stole on products from Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Gucci, and as well on Apple merchandise.

‘Excessive’ financial risks threaten survival of many English universities, report warns

High levels of borrowing and rapid expansion among dangers identified by Higher Education Policy Institute

Many English universities are taking excessive financial risks that threaten not only their own survival but that of others in the sector, a thinktank has warned.

High levels of borrowing at some institutions and rapid expansion of student numbers are among the dangers identified in a report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi).

US ignoring evidence Russia is helping Iran because it trusts Putin, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president tells podcast he has tried to draw White House’s attention to collaboration between Moscow and Tehran over strikes on US bases

• How the Ukraine and Iran wars are starting to overlap

• Middle East crisis – live updates

The US has ignored compelling evidence that Russia has been helping Iran to target US bases in the Middle East because it “trusts” Vladimir Putin, according to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Speaking in an interview with Alastair Campbell on The Rest is Politics podcast, Zelenskyy said he had tried to draw the White House’s attention to the close collaboration between Moscow and Tehran.

Once seen as a war hero, Australian ex-soldier will stand trial for alleged war crimes

Until a few years ago, Ben Roberts-Smith was one of Australia's most celebrated war heroes. But now, he will stand trial for alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan.

Medvedev smashes racket then bins it during 6-0, 6-0 loss in Monte Carlo

• World No 10 suffers heavy loss to Matteo Berrettini

• Russian committed 27 unforced errors

Daniil Medvedev smashed his racket several times and placed the remnants in a courtside dustbin during his humbling 6-0, 6-0 loss to the Italian wildcard Matteo Berrettini at the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday.

It was the world No 10’s first tour-level defeat without winning a game and he capitulated in 49 minutes, failing to earn a game point on his own serve and committing 27 unforced errors. Berrettini will face João Fonseca in the last 16 after the Brazilian teenager beat Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Daughter of missing American in the Bahamas seeks answers as search continues

Lynette Hooker's daughter, Karli Aylesworth, described her mother as an experienced swimmer who has been sailing for over 10 years.

4/8: CBS Evening News

Israel launches large offensive against Hezbollah amid Iran ceasefire; California warehouse employee arrested for allegedly starting massive fire.

Bill Gates will testify in the Epstein probe; Pam Bondi testimony postponed

Bill Gates will appear before the House Oversight Committee in June. The Department of Justice said Wednesday that former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not testify for now.

Anthropic keeps latest AI tool out of public’s hands for fear of enabling widespread hacking

AI company says purpose of its Claude Mythos model is to bolster defenses against hacking in common applications

Anthropic on Tuesday said its yet-to-be-released artificial intelligence model called Claude Mythos has proven keenly adept at exposing software weaknesses.

Mythos has laid bare thousands of vulnerabilities in commonly used applications for which no patch or fix exists, prompting the San Francisco-based AI startup to form an alliance with cybersecurity specialists to bolster defenses against hacking and withhold wide distribution.

Republican Clay Fuller to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in House

Republican Clay Fuller faced Democrat Shawn Harris in a Georgia runoff election after Marjorie Taylor Greene stepped down from her House seat.

Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann pleads guilty to 7 murders

Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann pleaded guilty to seven counts and admitted guilt in the death of an eighth woman.

Microsoft developer tools executive Julia Liuson is retiring after 34 years

When GitHub head Thomas Dohmke left last year, three top GitHub executives started reporting to her.

Barcelona on the brink after red card and Alvarez stunner sparks Atlético win

When the final whistle went, the man in black disappeared out of sight and set off running up the tunnel. For the first time since he took over at Atlético Madrid 15 long, transformative years ago, Diego Simeone had just led his team to a victory at the Camp Nou, reviving the dream of taking them back to a European Cup final a decade later.

In 2014 and 2016 Atlético knocked out Barcelona en route to Lisbon and Milan and while there is much to be done at the Metropolitano in six days’ time, they have put themselves in a superb position to repeat that in 2026, maybe even to finally lift the trophy that resists them.

Starmer says UK wants to help with opening of Hormuz strait on Gulf visit

PM meets Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia before further visits to regional allies, who may see him as more reliable than Trump

• Middle East crisis – live updates

The UK has a “job” to help reopen the strait of Hormuz, Keir Starmer has said, as Iranian reports said the key shipping route was closed again just hours after a supposed ceasefire.

The prime minister met British and local military personnel at an airbase in Taif, Saudi Arabia, at the start of what is expected to be a wider trip to Gulf allies, one billed as a mirror to his efforts to pull together a plan for how a ceasefire might operate in Ukraine.

Kvaratskhelia caps victory for dominant PSG as cautious Liverpool cling to hope

The rout anticipated at Parc des Princes did not materialise, at least not in terms of the scoreline, but the gulf in quality between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool was laid bare all the same. Arne Slot’s side leave Paris with a scintilla of hope, having arrived with none, and will need to conjure a stunning Anfield recovery on Tuesday just to lay a glove on European champions worthy of the name.

A deflected strike from Désiré Doué plus a superb second from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave the holders a deserved advantage in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final. It should have been much more. Ousmane Dembélé missed a hat-trick of openings, striking the outside of a post with his final effort, Nuno Mendes and Doué squandered gilt-edged chances and Liverpool survived two penalty claims. A fine display from the visiting goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili also helped keep the margin of defeat respectful.

Michael Jackson: An American Tragedy review – a valiant attempt at balance

The star’s fame, reckoning and resurrection are examined in this nuanced three-parter. It speaks to those who were closest to Jackson but can a story of such wild extremes really be told from the middle ground?

In what way, exactly, is Michael Jackson an “American tragedy”? Does the tragedy to which the title of this three-part BBC documentary refers concern the downfall of the most famous man on the planet into financial ruin, addiction and disgrace? Or does it belong to the children who alleged – and continue to allege – that Jackson sexually abused them? Is it about the bottomless need of a child star who craved the love of an abusive father so desperately he tried to fill the void with the adulation of millions of fans? Is it the sacrifice of a genius at the altar of the brutal music industry? Or is it an American tragedy about race?

As far as Michael Jackson: An American Tragedy is concerned, it’s all of the above, and then some. “The tragedy was that this man who got more attention than any human being was still so utterly lonely,” says Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Jackson’s former spiritual adviser. For childhood friend Michelle Breger, seeing Jackson whiten his skin in the late 1980s was “heartbreaking – Michael was trying to erase something off his face”. For prosecutor Ron Zonen, the tragedy is that the might of the Jackson machine won out over justice: “I felt it was remarkably obvious that he was molesting children.”

Trump wants Strait of Hormuz open 'without limitation, including tolls' during Iran ceasefire: White House

Iran is reportedly planning to demand that shipping firms pay tolls in cryptocurrency to let their oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

What has the U.S. war with Iran accomplished?

Trump's war goals included putting an end to Iran's nuclear program, destroying its military capabilities and creating regime change. That hasn't happened.

Will the Iran ceasefire ease U.S. gas prices? Here's what experts think.

Gas prices in the U.S. continued to edge up on Wednesday even as oil prices fell. Here's how long it could take for fuel costs to recede.

MLB bans Jorge Soler, Reynaldo López seven games for Braves-Angels brawl

• Benches and bullpens cleared in fifth inning

• Players will appeal suspensions and fines

• The two had played together on the 2024 Braves

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler and Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López each received seven-game suspensions from Major League Baseball on Wednesday, a day after they were ejected following their participation in a brawl.

Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice-president for on-field operations, also announced that the players received undisclosed fines. The suspensions were scheduled to begin with Wednesday’s game but will be on hold as each player is appealing.

Dow surges more than 1,300 points as investors embrace Iran ceasefire

Investors cheered the announcement of a two-week ceasefire, which President Trump said is contingent on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Success or surrender? Iran ceasefire exposes rift in Trump’s Maga movement

Loyalists rush to defend president for ‘outsmarting the critics’ but others decry deal as ‘a negative for our country’

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Donald Trump’s acceptance of a two-week ceasefire in Iran has exposed fresh divisions in his Make America Great Again (Maga) movement, with some supporters expressing vindication and others accusing the US president of betrayal.

The US and Iran both claimed victory after the two countries agreed to pause hostilities following more than a month of war. But the strait of Hormuz remained closed on Wednesday and fighting was still taking place as Israel launched its biggest attacks yet on Lebanon.

Rep. Ritchie Torres calls for probe into futures trades placed ahead of March pause on Iran hostilities

Oil and energy futures trading before President Donald Trump announced a pause in Iran attacks in March raises insider trading concerns, Torres told regulators.

This male model sporting a crisp summer shirt isn't real. Will consumers care?

Many brands are turning to AI to advertise their products. Others are rejecting the technology, pledging to lean into "real" images.

Unai Emery warns Aston Villa to respect Bologna before Europa League battle

• Italian side defeated Roma in Europa League last 16

• Emery has won competition four times as a manager

Unai Emery has warned his Aston Villa side to respect Bologna, and the Europa League itself, if they are to continue their progress in the competition with victory over their Italian opponents.

Describing the Serie A side as “a winner team”, Emery said Villa could not be considered favourites for this quarter-final as he sought to ensure his players’ heads are in the game following the extended international break that means Villa haven’t played a competitive match since 22 March.

Pirro's Powell probe faces a difficult road to appeal, former prosecutors say

Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh may be in limbo while the legal process plays out.

Bondi won't appear for April 14 deposition in House panel's Epstein probe

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not appear before the House Oversight Committee next week to answer questions about Jeffrey Epstein, the panel said.

Democrats romp in Wisconsin Supreme Court race, narrow margins in Georgia

Republicans held on to a safe Georgia House seat vacated by former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Why OpenAI bought 'SportsCenter for Silicon Valley'

OpenAI is seeking to shape the public narrative about AI with the purchase of a niche talk show popular with Silicon Valley insiders.

‘Ketamine Queen’ sentenced to 15-year prison term for role in Matthew Perry’s death

Jasveen Sangha had pleaded guilty last year to selling the Friends actor a fatal dose of the drug

Jasveen Sangha, who pleaded guilty last year to selling a fatal dose of ketamine to actor Matthew Perry, was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Wednesday.

Known as the “Ketamine Queen”, Sangha was the fifth defendant to take a plea deal and admit guilt in the case and received the harshest sentence. Federal prosecutors had asked for the 15-year sentence for her role in Perry’s death and that of another individual, citing the “far-reaching scope of defendant’s illegality [and] her callous response to the deaths she helped cause”.

The US stepped back from the precipice in Iran. But what happens next? | Rajan Menon

The chasm between the two sides remains vast. A mega-deal remains the only path to averting a return to full-scale war

Donald Trump styles himself as a peerless tough guy who never backs down. But he doesn’t always make good on his threats. Consider his demand that Denmark hand over Greenland, or his threats to hike tariffs on trade partners. He has even found ways to extend his deadlines for Tehran to reopen the strait of Hormuz, claiming, without evidence, that Iran was “begging” for a deal.

On Monday, Trump outdid himself. He gave Tehran until Tuesday at 8pm ET to reopen the strait – or “a whole civilization will die tonight”. The president’s public threat to commit genocide sent shockwaves through the United States. Some Democratic leaders concluded that “Trump has lost his mind”. More than 70 Democratic members of Congress called for his removal from office. Some politicians and media personalities sympathetic to Maga did the same or roundly rebuked him. Some commentators reminded soldiers that they were required to disobey flagrantly illegal orders. Never in American presidential politics has a spectacle matched this one.

Fed officials still foresee rate cut this year, despite war impacts, minutes show

Policymakers said they would need to remain "nimble" as they weighed the impact the war had on inflation.

Teens accused of bombing attempt at Mamdani home openly discussed plans to kill

Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were arrested 7 March with alleged homemade devices at Gracie Mansion in New York

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Two teen alleged Islamic State supporters accused of trying to detonate explosive devices during a protest outside the home of New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, freely discussed how many people they might kill, with one remarking: “I want to start terror, bro,” according to an indictment unsealed on Tuesday.

The teenagers, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, were arrested on 7 March for allegedly igniting two improvised explosive devices during an anti-Islam protest outside Gracie Mansion. Authorities claim that Balat, 18, lit one device and threw it in the direction of the protesters.

British novelist Gwendoline Riley wins a $175k Windham-Campbell prize

Awarded to writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama, other recipients include S Shakthidharan, Adam Ehrlich Sachs and Kei Miller

British novelist Gwendoline Riley is among eight writers set to receive $175,000 (£130,000) each in recognition of their life’s work.

Australian playwright S Shakthidharan, known as Shakthi, is also among those selected for this year’s Windham-Campbell prizes, which award $1.4m annually to writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama, with the aim of enabling them to focus on their work free from financial pressures.

How Pakistan secured ‘biggest diplomatic win in years’ with Iran ceasefire

Analysts say Pakistani officials’ efforts led to breakthrough that has helped avert catastrophe, at least for now

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Pakistan’s leaders had almost lost hope. After more than two weeks of frantic negotiations, phonecalls and diplomatic summits to try to end the US-Israeli war with Iran, it looked like the conflict might instead be escalating into Islamabad’s worst nightmare.

In a cabinet meeting held at about 5pm on Tuesday, Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, was morose. “We should brace ourselves for the impact of the war,” he told his cabinet ministers. “The situation has really become very bleak. The chance of peace has become dim.”

Delta CEO says airline will 'meaningfully' cut growth plans, sees $300 million boost from its refinery

Delta is scaling back its flight plans as fuel costs grow to reduce its expenses.

The Guardian view on Trump, Iran and the ceasefire: a devastating war has only losers | Editorial

The Middle East’s best hope may be that the US president continues to rebadge strategic defeat as success

Both the US and Iran claimed victory on Wednesday morning. Both were lying. The two-week ceasefire announced by Donald Trump the night before is not the triumph that he declared. It may not be an end to the war, as welcome as the pause is, or even last the fortnight. Mr Trump said that Iran has gone through regime change. It has not. If anything, less experienced, less readable but more hardline figures are now in charge. He said that the strait of Hormuz would be open; Iran said that ships would pass through with permission, and at a price.

By Wednesday evening, Iranian state media said that the strait was closed after Israel unleashed a brutal assault on Lebanon: about 100 strikes in 10 minutes. Iran had insisted that Lebanon was part of the deal, while Mr Trump disagreed. This conflict has killed thousands in the region, including children, and left many more exhausted, terrified and traumatised, while the aggressors have openly boasted of their intent to commit war crimes.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Greetings from downtown Cairo, where unpretentious cafés are part of centuries-old charm

Downtown Cairo, or Wust el-Balad as it's known, is a trove of hidden gems. Imprinted on every high-ceilinged building, arched balcony and iconic roundabout are relics that feel like love letters from the past.

‘It’s not AI, it’s real’: shock as RSPCA releases images of 250 dogs found at property

Dozens of dogs were found crammed into single living room space at property in undisclosed location in UK

More than 250 dogs have been found at a property in scenes so shocking that the RSPCA was forced to deny allegations that the images were faked by artificial intelligence.

The animal welfare charity said it took in 87 dogs from the property at an undisclosed location in the UK and the remainder went to the Dogs Trust, another charity.

Britain breaks solar energy record twice as UK’s biggest solar farm gets approval

Record high set on Monday and raised on Tuesday, with 14.4GW of electricity generated in sunny spring weather

Britain’s sunny spring weather powered the grid to new solar energy records on two consecutive days this week.

Solar farms in England, Wales and Scotland generated 14.1GW of low-carbon electricity at lunchtime on Monday, surpassing the previous high of 14GW in July last year.

British computer scientist denies he is bitcoin developer Satoshi Nakamoto

New York Times report claims London-born Adam Back is creator of the cryptocurrency after comparing writings

A British computer scientist has insisted he is not the elusive developer of bitcoin, after a report claimed to unmask him as its creator.

A story in the New York Times details a years-long effort to unmask Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious author of the bitcoin white paper which laid the theoretical foundations for modern digital currencies.

UK weather: temperature tops 26C on one of hottest April days of past 80 years

High of 26.5C recorded in Kew Gardens in south-west London but rain and cooler conditions are on the way

Temperatures soared in parts of the UK as the country recorded its warmest day of the year so far – and one of the hottest April days in the last 80 years.

A high of 26.5C (79.7F) was recorded in Kew Gardens, in south-west London, on Wednesday, the Met Office said. It was the hottest day recorded in the first half of April since 1946, according to the forecaster.

JD Vance claims US is not interfering in Hungary election

US vice-president says on visit to Budapest ‘we had to show’ support for Viktor Orbán, as opposition leads polls

• Hungary elections: what is at stake and who is likely to win?

JD Vance has pushed back against claims that the US is interfering in Hungarian politics, describing the accusations as “darkly ironic”, as a set of polls suggested the opposition Tisza party could win a supermajority in the forthcoming elections.

After spending his first day in Budapest excoriating the EU and accusing it of being behind one of the “worst examples” of foreign interference, the US vice-president spent part of Wednesday morning speaking at a thinktank and educational institution linked to Hungary’s leader, Viktor Orbán.

Sánchez to Trump: Spain won’t ‘applaud those who set the world on fire just because they then show up with a bucket’

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has emerged as one of the European Union's leading critics of U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran.

‘Every accident at high speed is a shock’: F1 rules guru on response to Bearman crash

As talks begin over fixing the controversial regulations, the FIA’s Nikolas Tombazis says changes to ‘specific aspects’ are needed, not a total overhaul

Formula One has endured a somewhat turbulent opening this season under the sport’s new regulations. Amid the sound and fury of some driver dissatisfaction with the new formula and safety concerns brought sharply into focus by a huge accident at the Japanese Grand Prix, three races in there is now an opportunity to propose changes, with the man who has been at the heart of the process since it began quietly confident that F1 can adapt successfully.

Nikolas Tombazis is the single-seater director for F1’s governing body, the FIA, and has been with the organisation since 2018. He was there when the very first discussions of the 2026 regulations took place in January 2021 and has been central to their evolution since. In his calm and articulate fashion, Tombazis says the noise around the new regulations is overstated.

Israel got away with targeting healthcare in Gaza. It's no surprise it is doing it in Lebanon too | Seema Jilani

As a doctor who has worked in a conflict zone, I’ve seen spaces that were once considered sacrosanct become fair game in war. This has to end

Easter weekend marked one of the most intense moments so far of Israel’s war on Lebanon. At around 2pm on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces bombed a densely populated, residential area near the Rafik Hariri University hospital, Lebanon’s largest public hospital, killing at least five people and wounding 50 others.

When I worked at the hospital in 2020, I treated the most vulnerable people in Lebanese society: migrant workers, stateless Palestinians, Syrian refugees. What happened on Sunday is consistent with what seems to be Israel’s broader strategy in Lebanon: human rights organisations and medical workers say the IDF is crippling healthcare infrastructure, targeting hospitals and medics, sometimes when they are sitting in ambulances or in first aid centres. Israel is also forcing the displacement of civilians on a large scale, rendering parts of the country unlivable, while Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that the two-week Iran ceasefire doesn’t apply to Lebanon tells us that this is far from over.

Seema Jilani is a paediatric physician based in Texas and a member of the Council of Foreign Relations

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann pleads guilty

New York architect admits to murdering eight women, whose remains were mostly found along Long Island’s coast

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Rex Heuermann, a Long Island architect accused of seven murders known as the Gilgo Beach killings dating back to 1993, pleaded guilty on Wednesday – and added an eighth murder to his gruesome tally.

Heuermann, who has been held in custody since he was arrested on a Manhattan street in July 2023, appeared in court in Riverhead, Long Island, New York, and changed his plea to guilty in the murders of women whose remains were found years after they disappeared.

Trump may be using Nixon’s ‘madman theory’ – and similar infamy may await

Nixon’s Vietnam strategy appears at play in Trump’s Iran threats, but he may want to ponder the ex-president’s fate

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Donald Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Richard Nixon, Watergate and leaving office in disgrace be damned.

But the president has taken his tribute act to new levels in threatening to erase Iran as a civilization, only to step back from the brink when the Tehran regime agreed – at a price – to reopen the economically vital strait of Hormuz.

Markets shift back toward potential Fed rate cut this year with Iran ceasefire in place

Odds for a reduction jumped Wednesday morning, hitting about 43%, according to the CME Group.

Democrats keep doing better in elections since Trump returned to office

With elections in Georgia and Wisconsin Tuesday, Democrats continued to overperform, which the party started in 2025 when it regularly improved on its margins compared to the presidential race in 2024.

Gnome unknowns: Masters chair Ridley in dark about ornaments’ Augusta future

• Internal secrecy appears to stretch to Augusta chairman

• ‘It’s not a trivial question … they won’t tell me the answer’

The Masters gnome drama has taken another twist after the chair of Augusta National admitted he is in the dark as to the must-have items’ future. Fred Ridley has repeatedly asked whether 2026 will be the final year ­for gnomes being on sale – as has been widely speculated – but revealed there is internal secrecy even towards him.

Ridley’s annual Masters media address took an amusing turn when a questioner put what was ­suggested as a “trivial” poser towards him: are reports of the gnomes’ demise ­correct? “Number one, the question is not trivial,” he said. “Number two: I’ve been asking that question for ­several years and they won’t tell me the answer. So I can’t help you.”

Human remains identified as pair who vanished after 2013 car chase

Molly Miller and Colt Haynes were last seen on July 7, 2013, and spoke to friends the next morning before vanishing.

A humorist faces life with Stage 4 lung cancer: 'The future disappeared for me'

In 2020, Annabelle Gurwitch went to urgent care for a COVID-19 test and learned she had cancer. She writes about life as a "cancer slacker" in her memoir, The End of My Life is Killing Me.

The Iran crisis is far from over – instead we are entering a new and uncertain phase | Sanam Vakil

The ceasefire is welcome but fragile. Friday’s talks in Islamabad must address Iran’s nuclear programme and avoid sidelining the rest of the region

The ceasefire announcement between the US and Iran has been met with understandable relief. Talks are now set to take place in Islamabad on Friday, offering a chance to step back from the immediate danger of a wider war. This moment should not be mistaken for a resolution – not least as on Wednesday afternoon, fresh news emerged that Iran has not re-opened the strait of Hormuz. It should, more accurately, be understood as a pause – an opportunity to test pathways towards a difficult but necessary political settlement.

Despite claims of success from all sides, the reality is that no party was winning the war. President Donald Trump has framed the conflict as both a military victory and a step towards regime change in Iran. Yet the war was ill-conceived, built on the assumption that it would be quick and decisive. Instead it proved far more costly and damaging to US credibility. It did not produce regime change. Rather, it led to the promotion and consolidation of new, untested harder-line leadership at the head of the same political system. The structure of the Islamic Republic remains intact, demonstrating its capacity to absorb shock and consolidate its authority.

Sanam Vakil is the director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House

‘You can’t take that on the plane for free!’ How Ryanair turned its staff into bounty hunters

Ground staff earn €2.50 for every piece of oversized luggage that they intercept. Meanwhile, passengers who are caught out pay a much bigger penalty

Name: Oversized cabin bags.

Age: Venerable – but prior to the advent of airline cabins, they were simply known as “bags”.

Jimmy Kimmel on Trump’s Iran threats: ‘The most dangerous episode of the Celebrity Apprentice yet’

Late-night hosts discussed Trump’s threat ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ hours before a ceasefire

Late-night hosts reacted to a late-stage ceasefire with Iran, after Donald Trump promised “a whole civilization will die tonight” in an extremely alarming post.

Delta hikes bag check fee by up to $50 as jet fuel prices soar

Delta is the third major U.S. carrier to hike its bag fees, as airlines face surging jet fuel costs and other headwinds from the Iran war.

An irresistible adventure activity for New Zealand visitors? Delivering the mail by boat

In the sparsely populated Queen Charlotte Sound, tourists can accompany the skipper-come-postman as parcels are dropped off via the scenic route. No heart rate check required

For a travel destination famous for offering the adrenaline rush of extreme sports, from bungee jumping to the parachute drop, it’s an unlikely tourist activity – but an irresistible one. If you’re travelling in New Zealand, don’t miss out on the chance to deliver the mail. By boat.

It happens in the Queen Charlotte Sound, part of the Marlborough Sounds in the stretch of water that separates New Zealand’s North and South Islands. For over 160 years, New Zealand Post has ensured the handful of families who live on the bays and inlets of the sound receive the same mail service as every other resident of the country, no matter that they live in isolated homes accessible only by boat. Six days a week, the mailboat leaves from Picton, the skipper doubling as postman for the three- or four-hour voyage – and these days passengers can come along for the ride.

‘Non-survivable’: heatwaves are already breaching human limits, with worse to come, study finds

Analysis of six extreme heatwaves found when temperature and humidity were accounted for, all were potentially deadly for older people

Extreme heat is already creating “non-survivable” conditions for humans in heatwaves that have killed thousands and likely many more, according to new research that warns people are more susceptible to rising temperatures than first thought.

Scientists re-examined six extreme heatwaves between 2003 and 2024 and found that when temperature, humidity and the body’s ability to stay cool were accounted for, all were potentially deadly for older people.

‘When the knife came up through the pool table, audiences gasped’: how Iraq war epic Black Watch conquered the world

It was the play that rocked a nation. The makers of the devastating drama, which transported theatre-goers from a Fife pub to a war zone, recall how it grew and grew

Within six months of its launch in 2006, the National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) produced a globe-conquering hit. Inspired by tragic events at Camp Dogwood in Iraq, Black Watch was a humane portrayal of young squaddies on the frontline. As a pool table transformed into a tank, the audience were transported from a Fife pub to a war zone where nothing was more heartbreaking than a letter from home.

Vicky Featherstone (founding artistic director): On my first day at NTS in 2004, I bought a Glasgow Herald. On the front page was an article saying Tony Blair was going to get rid of Scotland’s individual regiments and turn them into the Royal Regiment of Scotland. On page three, there was a sad story about three soldiers from the Black Watch regiment who had been blown up by an IED along with an Iraqi translator. In the gap between page one and page three was a story that had to be told. I called up Gregory Burke and said, “Will you follow this story?”

GM recalls more than 270,000 cars in U.S. over rearview camera risk

Cameras on some Chevrolet Malibus can display blank or distorted images, posing a risk to drivers, according to safety regulators.

In a war with no winners, Netanyahu looks like the biggest loser

As Iran and US agree fragile ceasefire, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust and, say opponents, ‘a political disaster’

• Middle East crisis – live updates

In a war where there have been no winners, Israel’s prime minister looks set to be the biggest loser entering a fragile and vague ceasefire with Iran.

After years of Benjamin Netanyahu’s threats against Iran, his stunts at the UN’s general assembly, the dodgy dossiers endlessly wafted under the noses of the world’s media, and diplomatic pressure on successive US presidents to agree to a war against Iran, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust.

‘I have to betray them to save them’: how undercover film-makers exposed a sinister polygamous cult

In Netflix’s Trust Me: The False Prophet, documentarians in disguise help bring down a cult leader now serving a 50-year sentence

Film-making effects change. Director Rachel Dretzin, a former investigative journalist for Frontline, will testify to that.

“These films that I’m making,” says Dretzin, “that other documentarians are making, are often more effective than the legal system at effecting change; psychological change and also sometimes systemic and criminal change.”

Are OnlyFans models the best way to explain the climate crisis?

Actor Megan Prescott has joined with Adam McKay in the hope that showing bite-size web videos of women undressing will persuade us to save the world. Will it work?

The world, as we know, is in trouble. The last three years have been the hottest ever recorded. Global emissions are still at record highs. The planet is now consistently flirting with the 1.5C limit it promised not to cross. Increasingly, it feels as if we need a genuine miracle to stop us from sleepwalking into catastrophe. Could that miracle be an environmental warning from a woman in her pants?

This is the stated desire of Headline Newds, a new series of web videos by actor Megan Prescott, film-maker Bree Essrig and “climate narrative strategist” Jessica Riches. Released through the not-for-profit Yellow Dot Studios – belonging to Adam McKay, creator of movies The Big Short and Don’t Look Up – Headline Newds is made up of bite-size videos in which the climate emergency is broken down and raunchily explained to us by a variety of OnlyFans models.

Headline Newds is available via Youtube, Instagram and OnlyFans.

Alarm in health service over Palantir staff being given NHS email accounts

Exclusive: Sources believe AI tech company’s engineers have been granted access to directory of up to 1.5m staff

Health service staff have expressed alarm that engineers working for controversial tech company Palantir have been given NHS email accounts.

Employees using NHS.net email accounts have access to a directory with the contact details of up 1.5 million staff. Sources believe Palantir staff were granted the same access.

Americans expect to work much longer than they would like. Here's why.

Many employees expect to retire later as mounting expenses strain budgets, while others hunker down at work as part of the "great stay."

What does the dark side of the moon sound like? Nasa’s sonifications are helping us imagine

As Artemis II returns from the dark side of the moon, Nasa’s transformations of electromagnetic energy into sound remind us that everything is vibrating – even while the astronauts are listening to Chappell Roan

Jaw-dropping dark-siding exploration aside, it’s the mundane details of the Artemis II mission that connect us with the four astronauts slingshotting their way around the moon and back. The zero-gravity hair, the playing with the microphone when they’re on a call with the President, and the wake-up music that Nasa pipes into their module every orbital morning: a cookie-cutter selection of feelgood choons from Chappell Roan to CeeLo Green.

There are no reports, so far, of Artemis hearing anything like the strange whistling and “outer-space type things” that the dark-siders of the Apollo 10 mission in 1969 documented during the hour that they were out of communication with Earth. Those three men heard an unsettling and unforeseen sound around the other side of the moon that resisted explanation – and inspired conspiracy theories, since the transcript wasn’t made public until 1973. The sound is now known to have been the call-sign of our nearest alien neighbours, the Vum-Jums of planet A4863F.