7-Eleven plans to close 645 stores this year

The chain's North American operator forecast it will open 205 stores in 2026, although those openings will be outpaced by a series of closures.

Air New Zealand's economy Skynest bunk beds set for launch

Passengers can book a four-hour session in the bunk beds from May for Auckland-New York flights but airline cautions against smuggling in children

Economy passengers on Air New Zealand’s ultra-long-haul flight between Auckland and New York can book a spot in the airline’s bunk-bed style sleeping pods from May, which will take to skies in late 2026.

In what the airline says is a world first, six full-length, lie-flat sleeping pods, are squeezed into the aisle of the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The pods, known as “Skynest”, will include fresh bedding, a privacy curtain, ambient lighting and kit with eye-masks, skincare, earplugs and socks.

Ukraine war briefing: Orbán’s defeat in Hungary could unlock €90bn loan for Ukraine, says EU official

Ousted Viktor Orbán had previously blocked releasing funds; Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Iran war means US ‘has no time for Ukraine’. What we know on day 1,512

The change in Hungary’s government could help unlock €90bn for Ukraine and give a “new push” for it to join the European Union, the bloc’s expansion chief said Tuesday. Marta Kos, speaking on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank spring meetings, described the Hungarian election on Sunday – which saw long-ruling nationalist prime minister Viktor Orbán defeated – as a “big win for Europe.” “I expect, personally, that this will have a positive effect on the accession process,” Kos said. She also said it would help unlock a major loan needed to prop up Ukraine’s budget. Orban had an effective veto on the funds, angering other EU leaders. He had tied the veto to a dispute with Ukraine over a damaged pipeline carrying Russian oil.

Britain will announce extra support for Ukraine worth millions of pounds on Wednesday as senior ministers hold a series of meetings with their international counterparts. In Washington DC, chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to confirm a £752m payment to Kyiv ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko. The payment, part of a £3.36bn loan, is intended to help pay for weaponry including long-range missiles, air defence systems and drones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday told a German broadcaster that US peace negotiators “have no time for Ukraine” because of the war in Iran, and bemoaned disruption to deliveries of US arms. Zelenskyy told public broadcaster ZDF that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have helped broker talks with Moscow on ending Russia’s war on Ukraine, were “constantly in talks with Iran” at the moment. Describing the pair as “pragmatic”, Zelenskyy said they were trying to “get more attention from Putin in order to end the war”. But “if the United States does not put pressure on Putin (...) and only engages in a gentle dialogue with the Russians, then they will no longer be afraid”, he said.

Norway and Ukraine will strengthen their bilateral defence cooperation, including by producing Ukrainian drones in the Nordic country, the Norwegian government said on Tuesday. Under the agreement, Norway will support the production of drones in Ukraine, while the latter will share data, information and knowledge with Norway, Oslo said in a statement. Ukrainian drones will also be produced on Norwegian territory, it said. “We can learn from the experiences that Ukraine is making in this hard-won fight against the Russian aggression,” prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a joint press conference with Zelenskyy. “It is crucial that we learn from these experiences,” he said.

US officials announced on Tuesday an extension of sanctions relief on Russian oil company Lukoil for fuel stations outside Russia as the Trump administration seeks to mitigate spikes in crude prices. The action by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) means Lukoil-branded stations in countries like the United States can continue to serve customers through 29 October. The measure allows the gasoline stations to conduct transactions “in the ordinary course of business” such as procuring motor supplies, making insurance payments and processing employee payroll, OFAC said.

Sheinbaum vows to ‘defend Mexicans at every level’ amid anger at Trump over migrant deaths

Sheinbaum has recently been taking a firmer stance with the US, defying pressures where other countries have caved

The Mexican government has voiced concern about the deaths of its citizens in US custody, with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum also pushing back against the Trump administration’s decision to impose an energy blockade on Cuba.

The progressive Mexican leader has walked a careful line with Trump for more than a year, addressing provocations with a measured tone and meeting US requests to crack down on cartels more so than her predecessors, in an effort to offset threats of tariffs and US military action against gangs.

US military says it killed four more people in a boat strike in the eastern Pacific

Strike marks third deadly attack on vessels in region in four days, and the killing of 174 people since September

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The US military said it killed four more people in a boat strike in the eastern Pacific ocean on Tuesday, marking the third deadly attack on vessels in the region in four days.

The US Southern Command, which oversees military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced the killings in a social media post, claiming, without providing evidence, that the men killed were “narco-terrorists”.

US DoJ files for overturning January 6 convictions for far-right groups’ members

Filing seeks to overturn seditious conspiracy charges of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members who laid siege to US Capitol in 2021

The US Department of Justice has requested that a federal appeals judge overturn convictions for members of far-right groups Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, who were previously found guilty of seditious conspiracy in connection with the violent siege of the US capitol in 2021.

Jeanine Pirro, the Donald Trump-appointed US attorney for the District of Columbia, signed separate motions on Tuesday to vacate convictions for a slew of individuals, including the Proud Boys’ leaders Ethan Nordean and Joseph Biggs as well as Stewart Rhodes, a former attorney who founded the Oath Keepers’ militia.

Eric Swalwell investigated for alleged rape of Lonna Drewes, LA County Sheriff's Dept. says

Eric Swalwell already faced a pending criminal investigation by the Manhattan DA's office over an allegation of sexual assault by another woman.

Trump tweets, penguins and human-sized chess: NGV unveils blockbuster 2026 Triennial

Jenny Holzer, Ocean Vuong and Wolfgang Tillmans are among nearly 100 artists from 35 countries taking part in the huge, entirely free Melbourne exhibition

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WTF. It is difficult to think of a more suitable title for an artwork in 2026 but Jenny Holzer’s frantically swinging LED sign, which displays tweets by US president Donald Trump and the QAnon conspiracy theorist Q, made its debut four whole years ago.

The world has just done very little to make it feel less urgent.

4/14: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales officially resign from Congress; U.S. blockade of Iranian ports continues for second day.

Police kill woman accused of kidnapping, slashing child at Omaha Walmart

Omaha police fatally shot a woman they say kidnapped a young boy and slashed him across the face before killing her.

Fourth U.S. strike on alleged drug boat in days kills 4

U.S. Southern Command posted aerial video on social media Tuesday showing a vessel bobbing in the water before being struck by a projectile and exploding.

‘No longer viable’: Super Rugby team Moana Pasifika to be axed at end of season

• Franchise founded in 2020 confirms operations will cease

• Club cites ‘financial, operational, and strategic realities’

Moana Pasifika have confirmed the Super Rugby franchise will fold at the end of the season, citing “financial, operational, and strategic realities”.

“Despite the tireless dedication of players, staff, and supporters, it is no longer viable to continue the franchise at this level of competition,” the team said in a statement.

US-Iran peace talks could resume in next two days, Trump says

US president says negotiations could restart in Islamabad under ‘fantastic’ Pakistani army chief Asim Munir

• Middle East crisis – live updates

Donald Trump has said that US-Iranian peace talks could resume in Islamabad over the next two days, and complimented the work of Pakistan’s army chief as mediator.

The US president was speaking on Tuesday to a New York Post reporter who had gone to Islamabad for the first round of ceasefire talks over the weekend. After an interview discussing prospects for negotiations, the reporter said the president had called her back “with an update”.

Kanye West postpones Marseille concert as France considers blocking him from performing

Interior minister is ‘highly determined’ to block US rapper from performing in the southern city in June due to his past antisemitic remarks, sources say

Kanye West has announced he will postpone an upcoming concert in France, just after reports emerged that France’s interior minister is seeking to block the US rapper from performing due to his antisemitic remarks.

“After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice,” the rapper, legally known as Ye, wrote on X.

House passes aviation safety bill in response to deadly midair collision near D.C.

Earlier this year, the House narrowly defeated a Senate bill on the issue, angering victims' families.

Chevron executive suggests Americans should drive less amid high gas prices

"People should try to drive less. They should try to conserve energies," Andy Walz told CBS News. "We should be doing that all the time. Energy's essential for people's lives, but we should conserve it."

DOJ moves to dismiss Jan. 6 convictions against 12 former Proud Boys, Oath Keepers

The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal court to vacate Jan. 6 convictions against a dozen former members of the right-wing Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, aiming to wipe away some of the final Capitol riot charges that are still standing.

Overlooked football player embodies the meaning of grit

Freddie McGee III, an undersized, overlooked football player from Canton, Michigan, challenges the Detroit Lions. Tony Dokoupil has the story.

Husband of woman missing in Bahamas: "I won't be able to stop looking"

Brian Hooker, whose wife disappeared during a nighttime boat ride​ in the Bahamas, said he wants to believe his wife is still alive and plans to go back out to look for her as soon as possible.

Brian Hooker speaks about wife's Bahamas disappearance: "I won't be able to stop looking"

Brian Hooker, the man who said his wife fell overboard more than a week ago in the Bahamas, speaks with Cristian Benavides about her disappearance following his release from custody.

Influencer known as Ashlee Jenae dies mysteriously in Tanzania days after proposal

Ashly Robinson, better known online as Ashlee Jenae, mysteriously died in Zanzibar just days after her fiancé proposed. Jericka Duncan spoke with the family.

Camp Mystic director overcome with emotion in Texas court

A major legal battle in Texas could determine the future of Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors died in floods last summer. The family of the only victim still missing wants the camp closed after a camp director admitted to sleeping through a flood warning that might have saved lives. Jason Allen reports.

Chevron executive says consumers "should try to drive less" to save money on gas

Lilia Luciano traveled to Chevron's largest oil refinery on the Mississippi coast and spoke to Andy Walz, a president of the company, about what people at home can do to avoid high gas prices.

U.S. hosts Israel and Lebanon for first talks in over 30 years

As talks between Israel and Lebanon took place Tuesday, President Trump suggested that face-to-face talks between the U.S. and Iran could resume within days. Weijia Jiang reports.

Eric Swalwell accuser says, "I'm terrified to speak out"

Two members of Congress have resigned after separate allegations of sexual misconduct. Texas Republican Tony Gonzales had admitted to a relationship with a former aide, but California Democrat Eric Swalwell has denied everything but "mistakes in judgment." Nancy Cordes spoke with two of his accusers.

NAACP sues Elon Musk's xAI over Memphis data center air pollution

Elon Musk, who is the world's richest person, has been counting on the greater Memphis area to serve as the backbone for xAI's buildout.

Purple skies, tornadoes and hail seen across U.S.: Here's the severe weather forecast

Major storms are sweeping the U.S., putting over a third of Americans under some sort of severe weather alert. Rob Marciano has the forecast.

Cuba could beat US energy blockade with $8bn investment in renewables, says thinktank

Report by Common Wealth argues rest of the world should pay for country’s transition as reparative climate finance

Cuba could beat the US’s crippling energy blockade for ever with just an $8bn investment in renewable energy. And the rest of the world should pay for it.

Those are the bold claims of a thinktank analysis of the embattled socialist republic’s energy policy, which claims that Cuba could show its Caribbean neighbours the way to a green energy future.

Chiang Mai’s New Year revelry hit by smog and war-related price spikes

Air pollution caused by wildfires is another blow to northern Thailand’s tourism industry as businesses suffer amid war in Iran

The Doi Suthep temple in northern Thailand is known for its spectacular views of Chiang Mai and the lush forested mountains that surround it. Over recent weeks, though, visitors can see little of the city beyond a thick cloud of grey haze.

Persistent wildfires have caused intense air pollution across the north of Thailand, forcing three provinces to declare emergencies and triggering spikes in pollution-related illnesses.

4/14: CBS Evening News

Millions of Americans are under a severe weather threat; Eric Swalwell accusers break their silence.

Chevron says Venezuelan oil imports are helping curb U.S. gas prices

Venezuelan oil shipped to the U.S. is providing relief from higher prices caused by the Iran war, according to a senior Chevron executive.

Florida doctor indicted after allegedly removing patient's liver instead of spleen

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was arrested Monday after a two-year investigation by local, state and medical authorities.

Lucid names auto industry outsider as CEO, expands Uber deal

Lucid Group has named the former chairman and CEO of Schindler Group, an industrial manufacturer of escalators and elevators, as its new chief executive.

Meadows seeks reimbursement from DOJ for legal fees from Trump-related probes

Mark Meadows is asking the Justice Dept. to reimburse him for legal fees he incurred in multiple federal and state investigations of President Trump, sources said.

Atlético hold off Barcelona comeback after Lookman strike and García red

Defeat never tasted so good. At the end of a battle in which both teams had fought and both had bled, in which they had suffered but above all played, a huge banner was unfurled at the Metropolitano. “We give everything to win the cup,” it said, and, boy, had they. For the first time, Diego Simeone had seen his team lose a Champions League knockout game at home, but it didn’t matter: instead there was delirium, the club’s anthem belted out louder than ever before. “Buah! You don’t know how lovely it is to be among the four best teams in Europe,” the coach said.

They had waited a long time for this. Ten years and one day later, Atlético Madrid eliminated Barcelona to reach the semi-final of the Champions League again. “This is the third time we’ve done this – against Messi’s Barcelona, against Lamine’s Barcelona – and it isn’t easy,” Simeone said; the other two times, in 2014 and 2016, they reached the final to which they are so desperate to return and exorcise the ghosts from Lisbon and Milan. “I’ve been here 14 years and never stop feeling emotional,” Simeone said. “I told the players: thank you, thank you, thank you. For the things we do, the faith we have.”

Dembélé delivers knockout double as PSG end Liverpool’s European dream

It felt routine in the end, the imperious champions of Europe through to another Champions League semi-final, Luis Enrique waving politely to the VIPs up in the Sir Kenny Dalglish stand having cavorted around Anfield following Paris Saint-Germain’s victory here last season, and a despondent Mohamed Salah bidding farewell to the Kop after his final European outing in a Liverpool shirt. But this was no routine departure from the Champions League for Liverpool.

Having exited the FA Cup quarter-final 4-0 and with a whimper, Arne Slot’s side exited the Champions League quarter-final 4-0 on aggregate but with a fight. For 72 minutes they also had hope, went toe-to-toe with the finest unit in Europe and kept on pressing despite the loss of Hugo Ekitiké to a potentially serious injury and a debatable decision to give – and then take away – a penalty with the capacity to change everything. It will be of little consolation to Slot and his team that, for the second successive season against PSG, taking the fight to Luis Enrique’s champions and putting the fright on them brought no reward at Anfield. The damage inflicted in Paris last week proved irrepairable.

New species of glass frog identified in Ecuador

A new type of glass frog has been discovered in Ecuador, and researchers have named it after weightlifter Neisi Dajomes, the first Ecuadorian woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

What a United-American merger would mean, from antitrust hurdles to airfare

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby reportedly floated a potential merger with Trump administration officials earlier this year.

Android users could get money under $135 million Google settlement

Millions of people using Android mobile devices could receive a payout, according to the settlement website.

NFL reporter Russini resigns amid ‘self-feeding speculation’ over photos with Patriots’ Vrabel

• Photos prompted investigation by The Athletic

• Russini seen as one of NFL’s top reporters

NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic less than a week after photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet.

The New York Post last week published the photos of Vrabel and Russini at an Arizona resort and said they were taken before the NFL owners meetings that began in Phoenix on 29 March.

Justice Dept. report accuses Biden-era DOJ of uneven enforcement of FACE Act law

The report claims the Justice Department under Merrick Garland "violated the rights of Americans" by only applying the law to support those in support of abortion rights, not those who worked at anti-abortion rights facilities.

Hemp leads England past Spain to boost Women’s World Cup qualifying hopes

• World Cup qualifier: England 1-0 Spain (Hemp 3’)

• Lionesses win sides’ first meeting since Euros final

A resolute England gave their chances of ­automatic qualification for 2027’s World Cup a ­tremendous boost as they beat the world champions, Spain, at Wembley and demonstrated they are strong enough defensively to hold off the most technically gifted squad in the women’s game.

In a closely fought match in which both teams missed some ­gilt-edged opportunities, the sides were ­ultimately separated by two moments where the ball bounced extremely close to the line; one where it did cross the goalline and another where it did not.

Maps show how Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina and Utah redistricting could affect congressional seats

See maps of how Texas, California, Missouri and North Carolina redistricting pushes could play out, based on the 2024 election results.

Most Americans say they pay too much in taxes. Here's what the data shows.

Six in 10 Americans say they pay more than their fair share in taxes, recent polling shows. Only one-third believe they pay the right amount.

Return trip from NYC to World Cup final stadium could cost $100 during tournament

• NJ Transit says no decision has been finalized

• Trip to New Jersey stadium typically is $12.90

Train tickets from New York City to MetLife Stadium, the New Jersey site of eight World Cup games this summer, are set to increase sevenfold to more than $100 during the tournament, according to a new report.

The Athletic reported NJ Transit’s plans for the ticket increase on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the public transportation provider. NJ Transit told Fox 5 New York that the price has not been finalized. A decision is expected in the coming days, the Athletic report said.

Data centers could spur a utility spending spree. Here's the impact.

A majority of investor-owned utilities surveyed by PowerLines said data centers are a top driver of capital spending.

Swalwell, Gonzales officially resign from Congress, avoiding expulsion votes

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales officially submitted their resignation letters to the House clerk on Tuesday.

Florida surgeon indicted after removing liver instead of spleen

Grand jury brings manslaughter charge over fatal 2024 operation where patient died on table

A surgeon in Florida has been indicted for manslaughter after he wrongly removed a patient’s liver instead of his spleen during an August 2024 procedure.

Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was indicted by a grand jury in Tallahassee on Monday after prosecutors said he botched the surgery of 70-year-old William Bryan, of Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Justice Department says Biden DOJ weaponized law to go after anti-abortion activists

The Trump administration has said that enforcement of the FACE Act by the Biden DOJ represents "the prototypical example" of the weaponization of the law against conservatives.

Disney to cut 1,000 jobs as CEO announces layoffs across company

Studio and television business, ESPN, certain corporate functions and more to see workforce reduced, source says

Walt Disney’s new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro, announced layoffs in an email to employees on Tuesday, as he looks to streamline the company’s operations.

About 1,000 positions will be eliminated, according to a person familiar with the development.

About 250 missing after boat carrying Rohingya refugees capsizes in Andaman Sea

Trawler set off from Bangladesh and reportedly capsized due to heavy winds, rough seas and overcrowding

About 250 people are missing after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals capsized in the Andaman Sea, according to the UN’s refugee and migration agencies.

The agencies said the trawler carrying more than 250 men, women and children reportedly sank due to harsh weather and overcrowding. It had departed from Teknaf in southern Bangladesh and was bound for Malaysia.

Iran war escalation could trigger global recession, IMF warns

Growth forecasts cut for US and global economy, while UK suffers sharpest downgrade in G7

• Reeves arrives at IMF with little leeway to prove its UK downgrade wrong

A further escalation in the Iran war could trigger a global recession that would affect the UK more than any of the other G7 nations, the International Monetary Fund has warned.

Against an increasingly volatile backdrop, the Washington-based fund said the economic damage from the Middle East conflict was steadily rising as it cut its growth forecasts for 2026 based on the impact of the war so far.

Republicans threaten ActBlue CEO with contempt of Congress in fraud probe

The chairs of three GOP-led House committees say ActBlue "may have deliberately" withheld some documents from their probe into fraudulent political donations.

Law enforcement is trying to combat abusive AI. Experts say easier said than done

An Ohio man was convicted of cybercrimes involving obscene AI-generated images of women and children. But experts warn of the difficulties in going after such cases.

Javokhir Sindarov earns world chess title shot with stunning Candidates win

• Uzbek grandmaster wins Candidates with round to spare

• Sindarov, 20, to face India’s Gukesh for world title in fall

Javokhir Sindarov will challenge for Gukesh Dommaraju’s world chess championship this fall after clinching the Candidates tournament with a game to spare on Tuesday afternoon in Cyprus.

The 20-year-old Uzbek grandmaster closed out an emphatic victory in the 14-game double round-robin with a tame 58-move draw playing with the black pieces against Dutch star Anish Giri, moving to 9½ points and leaving the world No 9 two adrift with one round remaining.

Why aren’t Republicans thrilled by the fall in teen pregnancies? | Arwa Mahdawi

In the US, the birth rate for 15- to 19-year-olds dropped 7% last year. But what seems like good news for society has been lamented by some leading Maga figures

Teenagers these days, eh? Instead of having unprotected sex and popping out babies, they’re wasting their time on TikTok, or something. According to a recent report, the teenage birth rate in the US fell by 7% in 2025. While this might seem like a positive development, it has been a cause of dismay among the Maga-adjacent crowd.

Take Fox News, which ran a segment framing the drop in teen pregnancies as alarming. “We still have 3.6 million births a year,” noted the medical analyst Marc Siegel. “But the problem is teens and young adults. From ages 15 to 19, the fertility rate is down 7%, and it’s down 70% over the last two decades, meaning we’re telling people that are young not to have babies, to wait until they’re in a more stable life situation.” I’m sorry, that’s a problem?

Fed nominee Warsh filings detail vast wealth, far exceeding past chairs

Kevin Warsh, nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, detailed his holdings in newly released financial disclosures.

The Guardian view on three years of war in Sudan: a vast humanitarian crisis persists because the fighting does | Editorial

A devastating ‘war of atrocities’ will continue as long as the United Arab Emirates and others back the belligerents

“Bloody unacceptable.” The UN’s top official in Sudan, Denise Brown, abandoned the language of diplomacy in addressing the failure to tackle a devastating three-year conflict which has been overshadowed by Ukraine, then Gaza, and now Iran. The humanitarian crisis has dominated discussions of Sudan, she argued: “How about focusing on finding a solution to end the war?”

The international conference convened in Berlin on Wednesday is intended to inject a sense of urgency, as the conflict enters its fourth year. Since Sudan’s generals turned upon each other, having overthrown the civilian government, tens if not hundreds of thousands of people have been killed. Four million have fled abroad to other fragile nations, and millions more are displaced internally. More than half the population – approaching 30 million people – are acutely food insecure. Much of the capital, Khartoum, lies in ruins.

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.

The Guardian view on defence spending: should the UK’s security rest with Donald Trump? | Editorial

A former Nato chief demands more cash while fixing Britain’s global role. Before billions are spent, ministers must define the purpose of its military

George Robertson’s claims about the prime minister’s “corrosive complacency” over Britain’s safety made headlines. But it is a howl of pain, not a sober security analysis. The former Nato secretary general and author of the government’s strategic defence review (SDR) wants Downing Street to back his view of Britain’s role in the world – as Robin to America’s Batman – with billions of pounds of cash. But his argument takes for granted what should be under scrutiny: Britain’s global military role itself.

Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland, his disregard for international law and his U-turn over the Chagos deal expose the fragility of Britain’s defence assumptions. Before spending billions, those commitments must be re-examined. Lord Robertson’s claim of a £28bn black hole assumes that the current strategy is the correct one. But if that strategy – with its emphasis on global deployment and alliance commitments – is open to question, then the funding gap may reflect overstretch rather than insufficient spending.

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.

The Iran war created a global natural gas shortage — a windfall for U.S. companies

With Qatar's liquefied natural gas still offline, U.S. companies see an opening and are bringing in new investments.

These races could determine control of the Senate

The unpopular war with Iran and stubborn affordability issues have given Democrats cause to be more hopeful about their chances of flipping key seats — and maybe even winning control of the Senate.

‘A pope who uses his brain’: Vatican locals and visitors take sides in Leo v Trump spat

While some US visitors back their president, shopkeepers who serve the papacy and tourists support the pontiff

On the wall of the back room of an optician’s in Borgo Pio, a neighbourhood in Rome that borders the Vatican, hang the photos of five popes dating back to the late 1970s, charting both the recent history of Catholic church leaders and the shop itself.

As its owner, Walter Colantini, who fitted glasses for one of the pontiffs, gestured towards them, he recalled the diplomatic strain between the Vatican and White House over the 1991 Gulf war.

More U.S.-Iran peace deal talks are in discussion, White House says

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a trickle, despite President Donald Trump proclaiming that a ceasefire with Iran depended on it reopening.

Ella Baron on Israel and Lebanon’s peace talks – cartoon

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Historic decline in U.S. overdose deaths threatened by changing street drug supply

Drug overdose deaths are plummeting in the U.S. in ways never seen before. Experts worry new, toxic "synthetic" street drugs could derail the recovery.

Appeals court shuts down criminal contempt probe over deportation flights

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg launched a criminal contempt inquiry after he said officials defied an order to turn around flights of Venezuelan migrants bound for El Salvador.

In a joyful Budapest, I see the chance of an unprecedented transition | Timothy Garton Ash

With the ejection of Trumpian hero Viktor Orbán, Hungarians demanded a restored democracy. Now, Europe must support them

To be in Budapest last Sunday evening was to see history again being made on the Danube. As rapturous crowds gathered on the riverbank opposite the brightly illuminated parliament building, chanting “Ria-ria Hungaria!” and “Hungary-Europe!”, we all knew that the implications of the dramatic election victory for the Tisza party of Péter Magyar go far beyond this one central European country. The result is very good news for Ukraine and the European Union. It’s correspondingly bad news for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the US president, Donald Trump, those twin backers of Viktor Orbán’s regime. The critical question now is whether Hungary can be the first country in the world to emerge from such a far-reaching populist erosion of democracy – the “Orbánisation” Trump is trying to emulate in the US – and whether Europe has the political will and imagination to enable it to succeed.

Already on Friday evening, standing amid a huge crowd of young people at a “system-changer” concert on Heroes’ Square, I felt the energy for change. In the very square where, back in 1989, I watched a fiery young student leader named Viktor Orbán call for the end of the weary old communist regime and for the Russians to go home, I now saw a new generation of Hungarians calling for the end of a weary old regime led by this same Orbán and his Fidesz party. “Filthy Fidesz!” they cried and, yes, “Russians go home!” For everyone knows that today’s Orbán is Putin’s man in Brussels.

Timothy Garton Ash is a historian, political writer and Guardian columnist. His book The Magic Lantern contains an eyewitness account of the young Orbán’s 1989 appearance in Heroes’ Square

BP’s new boss to overhaul structure after retreat from green strategy

Meg O’Neill to return to upstream and downstream divisions after shift away from low carbon push

BP’s new boss has set out plans to reinstate the company structure the fossil fuel supermajor ditched six years ago as part of its failed attempt to reorganise the business to pursue a green agenda.

Meg O’Neill told staff that the 117-year-old company would return to a “simpler, stronger” two-business arrangement including an upstream oil and gas production unit and a downstream business focused on refining and distributing fuels and retail activities.

Trump and Iran in battle of the blockades - The Latest

The US blockade of ships using Iranian ports has come into force but several Iran-linked tankers have passed through the strait of Hormuz since it began. The blockade is designed to put pressure on Iran, whose economy is dependent on oil and gas exports. It comes after peace talks between Washington and Tehran at the weekend ended without a deal.

Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour

Itch! review – skin-crawling body horror meets supermarket standoff in low-budget chiller

A killer itch and a trapped group of strangers make for a tense, if uneven, horror that balances grisly shocks with sketchy character drama

This horror is set in a world where a highly contagious disease causes itching so severe that the scratching proves quickly fatal; finally, a film targeting the under-served eczema community! The body horror elements are realised extremely effectively, with a woman literally tearing at her skin being the most effective set-piece. Alas, the film doesn’t have the scope (on what was clearly a modest budget) to indulge in very many of these. Much of the rest of the runtime is the pressure-cooker conversation that occurs between a motley crew of so-far-uninfected civilians caught out at a department store. While the reason they are trapped is horrific, this makes the film at least as much a character study as it is a horror, with variable results.

Scenarios from classic films which the film-makers may have had in mind include the hard-pressed band of isolated scientists confronting a shape-shifting monster in John Carpenter’s The Thing, the mismatched duo defending a defunct police station under siege in John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13, or even a non-John Carpenter film, Night of the Living Dead, in which survivors hole up in a farmhouse. The key to these types of films is a blend of genre excitement and character dynamics. It would have been great to see more of this from Itch!: on the one hand, a slightly bigger budget for more of the gnarly effects it pulls off so well in some brief scenes, and on the other, a sharper script to serve the human aspect.

Veteran diplomat offers insights into the war in Iran — and thoughts on what's next

The war entered a new phase when President Trump began a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace explains what this means.

CEOs are betting AI will augment work rather than displace all workers

Panelists at the Semafor World Economy conference said artificial intelligence can supplement the work that's already done, improving its quantity and quality.

V&A censored catalogues after demands by Chinese printer

Exclusive: Victoria and Albert Museum has deleted maps and images deemed sensitive by Beijing censors from exhibition publications

One of the UK’s leading museums has accepted demands by a Chinese firm that publishes its catalogues to remove images that fall foul of the country’s censorship laws.

The Victoria and Albert Museum has agreed to requests by the Chinese printing company to delete maps and images from at least two recent exhibition catalogues, according to documents released to the Guardian after freedom of information requests.

Always in crisis mode? You might be catastrophizing – here’s how to stop

When your boss asks to meet, do you assume you’re about to get fired? Experts explain this common pattern

Your boss asks you for a meeting later in the week; you have never received negative feedback, but you automatically assume you’re about to get fired. Thoughts begin to swirl as you imagine the consequences: soon, you’ll be unemployed and unable to pay your rent.

Or, perhaps, when your partner is a little late coming home, you visualize a terrible accident on the motorway, their car crushed in the pile-up.

Jon Stewart on Trump’s Jesus photo denial: ‘Do you even care about lying to us any more?’

Late-night hosts discuss Trump posting an AI-generated image of himself as Christ amid his feud with Pope Leo

Late-night hosts reacted to the breakdown of peace talks between the US and Iran and Donald Trump’s one-sided beef with Pope Leo XIV.

Israeli ambassador to Germany condemns Bezalel Smotrich’s tirade against chancellor

Ron Prosor says verbal attack on Friedrich Merz referencing Nazi regime ‘erodes the memory of the Holocaust’

Israel’s envoy to Germany has criticised a far-right Israeli cabinet member who made historically charged accusations against the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, saying the attack “[eroded] the memory of the Holocaust”.

In a rare rebuke of a top Israeli official by an active ambassador, Ron Prosor said he wished to “unequivocally condemn” Bezalel Smotrich’s tirade against Merz, in which he made reference to the Nazi regime and said: “You will not force us into ghettos again.”

Placeholder partners: are you ‘the one’ – or just being used as a stopgap?

The abundance of choice on dating apps has led to some people discovering that romance is dead and they are just Mr or Ms Right Now

Name: Placeholder partner.

Age: As a phrase, new. As a concept, less so. It’s probably become more prevalent with the abundance of dating apps.

Carney says it’s Canada’s ‘time to come together’ after Liberals secure majority

Byelection wins and defections push Canada’s Liberals into majority government under the prime minister

Mark Carney has said he will govern with “humility, determination and a clear understanding of what this moment demands” after his Liberals swept three byelections Monday evening, forging a parliamentary majority just more than a year after he took power.

Carney has achieved only the third majority government in two decades – and has done so in a highly unusual fashion, cobbling together both ballot box wins and defections from rival parties.

Michael Rosen wins Hans Christian Andersen award

The former children’s laureate missed the announcement of the award in Bologna due to post-Brexit passport rule changes

Michael Rosen, the poet and author known for books such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Chocolate Cake, has won the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen award for writing in recognition of his lifelong contributions to children’s literature.

The former children’s laureate is the fourth Briton to win the award, following Eleanor Farjeon, Aidan Chambers and David Almond.

Mother Mary review – Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel are lost in ludicrous pop star drama

Music from Charli xcx can’t save David Lowery’s dour chamber piece, despite some flashes of dazzling style

For a certain stripe of pop fan, diva worship comes along with having a high tolerance for their unique flavor of psychobabble. So when Anne Hathaway, as the titular singer in David Lowery’s Mother Mary, declares that her new single Spooky Action is about Einstein’s “transubstantiation of feelings”, I ignored the snorts from those in the theater beside me. Finally, I thought, fondly casting my mind back to when Lady Gaga would talk about her music as a reverse Warholian explosion: a pop star who is not afraid to lean into high-concept nonsense. My generosity quickly faded when I began to realize that Mother Mary – the character and the film – was missing a crucial component for any modern pop star worth their salt: self-awareness.

Mother Mary is a one-time music A-lister in search of a comeback after a mysterious event that has taken her out of commission. She seems … haunted, and is experiencing a fashion emergency to boot, unable to find anything to wear for her imminent return to the stage. Three days before she is due to make her big appearance she turns up in the rain at the gothic mansion of fashion designer Sam Anselm (an enjoyably over-the-top Michaela Coel), looking like a rat caught in a monsoon, begging for an outfit that “feels like me”. Sam has moved on considerably since she was Mother Mary’s partner in fashion, and perhaps her lover behind closed doors too. In fact, she entirely loathes the pop star. “You are a carcinogen, you are a tumor,” Sam says in an amusingly ominous voiceover. “The bile is rising.”

‘Cheers, Timmy!’ Royal Ballet and Opera head thanks Chalamet for ‘fantastic’ boost to sales

Actor Timothée Chalamet was credited by RBO’s chief exec with inadvertently boosting ticket sales through his high-profile critique of the art forms

The head of the UK’s Royal Ballet and Opera has thanked Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet for inadvertently boosting ticket sales and engagement through his high-profile critique of the art forms last month.

While promoting his Oscar-tipped film Marty Supreme in March, the star expressed his relief that he was working in cinema, rather than opera or ballet, “where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this any more.’”

UK’s armed forces are in a sad state – and they have only themselves to blame

The MoD shows little sign of learning from its mistakes – no wonder the Treasury is reluctant to agree to its demands

George Robertson, Tony Blair’s first defence secretary, a former Nato secretary general and an author last year of the latest in a series of evasive strategic defence reviews, accused Keir Starmer on Tuesday of a “corrosive complacency towards defence”. He said the prime minister was not willing to make the “necessary investment”.

Lord Robertson could have directed his fire elsewhere. He must know that no government department has been so complacent in the face of years of devastating evidence of waste, profligate contracts, and policy decisions that have avoided confronting new but increasingly clear security threats to Britain and other western countries.

Could AI write this column? In a world of slop-inion, I’m certifying myself human | Peter Lewis

I actually don’t want to make my work easier. We should demand authenticity if we care about the sort of society that comes out the other end of this so-called revolution

I never thought I’d have to write these words but here I am: my name is Peter and I am human.

What seems like a self-evident proclamation needs to be made now because the misuse of AI is transforming considered op-eds such as this into “slop-inion” that is infecting the editorial pages of reputable media outlets.

Miracle Mile: boy meets girl, romcom meets nuclear war

This 80s thriller straddles both a charming love affair and the threat of impending apocalypse. Somehow, it all works

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Miracle Mile is the result of an 80s romcom getting a severe bout of nuclear fear. It’s a uniquely chilling thriller, combining the disparate elements of screwball romance with a paranoid conspiracy to create a beat-the-clock urgency that defies categorisation and expectations.

Jazz musician Harry (Anthony Edwards) meets and falls in love with Julie (Mare Winningham) while visiting Los Angeles, having spent an idyllic afternoon together. Julie rushes off to work and Harry returns to his hotel, with the pair arranging to meet that night.

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You can order your own blood work now. Interpreting the results is another story

Firms like Function Health and Oura market regular blood tests to people wanting to take their health into their own hands. The process often raises more questions for patients than it can answer.

Coachella 2026 highlights: big stars, boisterous energy and millennial nostalgia power windy year

The festival might feel more corporate than ever but enthusiasm remained sky high with Bieber fever, a Demon Hunters surprise and a pop takeover

Even in the best of times, Coachella can be a heavy lift – long drive, perhaps longer lines and, if you do it right, extremely long days of careening between live music sets under the intense desert sun. Every year, North America’s largest music festival generates a round of buzz and scorn in near equal measure for good reason – the sky-high prices, the deluge of cringey social media boasts, the overwhelming vibes of influencer culture. Yet the faithful keep returning (and the agnostics keep tuning in online), forking over a minimum of $649 for a three-day pass or securing a brand deal to witness what continues to be the most expansive and comprehensive music slate in the country, a genuinely exciting mix of up-and-comers gunning for a breakout set and you-had-to-be there moments such as, say, the return of Justin Bieber …

While Bieberchella dominated much of the conversation on the ground this year – his low-key but sufficient Saturday headliner set drew perhaps the biggest crowd in festival history – Coachella 2026 offered plenty of range for those not interested in the comeback of the millennial icon. Coachella may be the one thing in America currently safe from actual inflation – there was no rise in ticket prices this year, though I have to imagine that, like last year, over half of attenders are on payment plans. But the inflation mindset prevails. Following its so-called flop era two years ago, when underwhelming headliner billing led to the slowest ticket sales in over a decade, the festival has returned to conversation-dominating form with a more is more approach: more international artists catering to more potential attenders; more infrastructure (a new underground movie theater, the Bunker, was tailor-made for Radiohead’s Kid A Mnesia audiovisual experience); more investment in an impressive livestream operation, as the festival continues its shift from in-person experience to global event/brand; more surprise DJ bookings – the xx’s Romy! John Summit! – that overflowed the EDM-heavy Do LaB.

After losing loved ones, an Israeli and a Palestinian work together for Middle East peace

An Israeli whose parents were killed on Oct. 7, 2023, and a Palestinian whose brother died from injuries in Israeli custody say they've become like brothers. Their new book is The Future Is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land.

Wholesale prices rose 0.5% in March, much less than expected despite war impact

The producer price index was expected to increase 1.1% in March, according to the Dow Jones consensus estimate.

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.

A 'systemic' jet fuel shortage is brewing in Europe — and flights could be hit hard

'We've seen constraints in countries like Vietnam and Thailand on air travel, but this is also spilling over to Europe,' an ING analyst told CNBC.

‘R&B today is like Brazilian football – the creativity, the skill’: Odeal, the genre’s hottest UK star

After being dropped by his label, the British-Nigerian singer became huge as an independent artist. So why did the Brit awards snub him? Ahead of arena dates, he reflects on his journey so far

“I’m not looking at a crowd tonight,” Odeal says hours before his first ever Brixton Academy performance in late March. “I’m looking at my people; aunties, uncles, friends, peers and supporters.”

Dressed in loungewear and stretched across a leather sofa backstage at the south London venue, the British-Nigerian singer seems calm, as if he’s exactly where he expected to be. The 26-year-old has the type of fame particular to the British R&B scene: adoration and many millions of streams from the genre’s global fanbase, to the point where he’ll soon play arenas across the US in support of R&B megastar Summer Walker – though is yet to have much mainstream recognition beyond that.

Bosses say AI boosts productivity – workers say they’re drowning in ‘workslop’

Workslop refers to AI-generated work that seems polished but is flawed and in need of heavy corrections

Ken, a copywriter for a large, Miami-based cybersecurity firm, used to enjoy his job. But then the “workslop” started piling up.

Workslop is an unintended consequence of the AI boom. It’s what happens when employees use AI to quickly generate work that seems polished – at least superficially – but is in fact so flawed or inaccurate that it needs to be heavily corrected, cleaned up or even completely redone after it’s passed on to colleagues.

Fuel protests have Ireland's government facing possible no-confidence vote

The prime minister announced new tax cuts to try to end the crisis that began after the U.S.-Israel war on Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The government could face a no-confidence vote over its response to the fuel protests.

Naked puppets! Having sex! Lusty, foul-mouthed musical Avenue Q is back

The taboo-busting, Tony-award-winning show has returned. But how will its 00s attitudes land today? Will they still sing Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist and If You Were Gay?

There are certain problems you might expect when rehearsing a West End musical. Then there are the problems arising today, regarding the flaccidity of a prominent performer. “This one’s too floppy,” protests actor Noah Harrison, who is struggling with the choreography because his dance partner lacks backbone. No offence is taken, mind you: the culprit is made of felt. It’s time to swap out this cloth character for a sturdier one, and there are plenty to choose from. Row upon row of Sesame Street-alike puppets flank the room, each awaiting its moment in the spotlight.

This is Avenue Q, the Broadway-to-London hit, with songs by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, and book by Jeff Whitty, now revived to celebrate 20 years since its West End premiere. When it first launched, its mixture of multicoloured kids TV puppets, real-world problems (sex, racism, the housing crisis, existential drift) and outrageous songs felt truly out of the blue, and secured it Tony awards for best musical, best book and best score. But the young people to whom its story was addressed are now all grown up, and a new generation could benefit from the tale it has to tell.

Millions of people are pretending to be AI chatbots — for fun

Websites like youraislopbores.me have become playgrounds for people looking for light relief in a bot-heavy world.

Magazine covers and a Dignity Day march in Caracas: photos of the day – Tuesday

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

Iraola to leave Bournemouth at end of season with Premier League rivals on notice

• Manager’s future has been talking point for months

• Players told of exit after training on Tuesday afternoon

Andoni Iraola has informed Bournemouth he will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season. He is expected to consider his options this summer with ­several Premier League jobs potentially arising.

The 43-year-old’s departure could also open the door for the Basque to join his boyhood club Athletic Bilbao, but the former Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic is thought to be the frontrunner to succeed Ernesto Valverde.

Inside a jubilant DC conference where ‘the climate deniers are in charge now’

Trump’s EPA chief Lee Zeldin’s presence shows how much influence climate deniers now have, experts say

As scientists confirmed that March was the United States’ most abnormally hot month in recorded history, dozens of climate deniers gathered to promote misinformation and tout their newfound influence on federal policy.

At a conference hosted by the prominent science-denying thinktank the Heartland Institute last week, a crowd of mostly middle-aged men in suits claimed the world is finally waking up to the idea that the climate crisis does not exist.

Behold, another second coming. But this one is Donald Trump – WAY BETTER than that Jesus guy | Marina Hyde

The Middle East on fire, a spat with the pope – and he posts himself as Potus Almighty. Will his disciples now see that their messiah has feet of clay?

You hear such a lot from Maga Republicans about how liberals think Trump voters are stupid. But not nearly enough about the far more salient point: that Donald Trump thinks Trump voters are stupid. Naturally, nobody deplores his own people as passionately as a populist, but even by those exacting historical standards Trump really does regard his supporters as a honking great throng of halfwits. How else to explain his seemingly retrofitted claim yesterday that the AI picture he posted of himself as Jesus was “me as a doctor”. Er, no. After it incensed leading figures in the Christian right, which makes up a large part of his voter base, the US president later deleted it, lamenting of these idiots that he “didn’t want anybody to be confused. People were confused.” Yeah, people are stoopid.

Alas, as you’ve no doubt seen, controversy still attends this image Trump shared on his Truth Social/True Sociopath platform. It depicts Trump in Jesus robes and holding a glowing orb of something – presumably heavenly light or radioactive material he omitted to tell Congress about – which he is transmitting restoratively into the forehead of some midwestern Lazarus. I’m sure we’d all love to know how the AI prompt for it could be “show me Donald Trump as a doctor”, or indeed how the LLM of choice would react when called out on its subsequent error. “You’re right – I overstated that. I shouldn’t have implied the US president is a benign deity who can raise the dead. To clarify – he’s a malignant narcissist and a tumour on the world. Thanks for catching that.”

‘We were never friends’: Kremlin plays down loss of ally following Orbán’s election defeat

Loss of closest European ally will force Kremlin to consider whether non-autocratic states can ever be reliable partners

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The Kremlin said on Tuesday it was pleased that Hungary’s prime minister-elect, Péter Magyar, appeared open to pragmatic dialogue, as Moscow adopts a wait-and-see approach after the election loss of its closest partner in Europe, Viktor Orbán.

“For now, we can note with satisfaction, as far as we understand, his [Magyar’s] willingness to engage in pragmatic dialogue,” said the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. “In this instance, there is mutual willingness on our part, and we will then proceed to take our cue from the specific steps taken by the new Hungarian government.”