Cabinet Office suggested Mandelson did not need security vetting, says Robbins as he describes ‘constant pressure’ from No 10 – live

Olly Robbins was sacked as Foreign Office permanent secretary over the Peter Mandelson security vetting revelations in the Guardian

The hearing has started.

Emily Thornberry, the chair, started by saying that Robbins did not tell the whole truth about this process when he gave evidence to it in November.

EU optimistic over approval of €90bn loan for Ukraine following Orbán defeat – Europe live

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirms she expects ‘some positive decisions tomorrow’ on the €90bn loan

German foreign minister Joseph Wadephul also makes it very clear that he is relieved with the change of government in Hungary, calling it “a breath of fresh air” and a promise of hope for Ukraine.

He urged Hungary to drop its “unusual blockade” for policies for Ukraine “as quickly as possible,” pointing to what he argued was a clear pro-European mandate from the electorate in Hungary (it’s a bit more complicated than that, though).

EU’s top court finds Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ law in breach of key values

ECJ says law passed in 2021 discriminatory and ‘contrary to the identity of the union’, in early test for incoming PM

The EU’s highest court has found Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ+ law to be discriminatory, stigmatising and in breach of basic democratic values, setting up an early test for the incoming prime minister Péter Magyar’s government when it takes power next month.

In a wide-ranging judgment, the European court of justice said the 2021 law that bans content about LGBTQ+ people from schools and primetime TV was at odds with a society based on pluralism and fundamental rights such as prohibition of discrimination and freedom of expression.

Sam Neill says New Zealand goldmine supporters have threatened him with violence

Actor, who has publicly objected to plans to fast-track project near his farm, says he has received personal abuse

The actor Sam Neill says he has received threats of violence from supporters of a controversial goldmine that could be opened several kilometres away from his farm in New Zealand’s Central Otago district, after he publicly objected to the New Zealand government’s plans to fast-track the mine.

The Australian mining company Santana Minerals is pushing to expedite a 85-hectare (210-acre) open-cast goldmine, called Bendigo-Ophir, in the Dunstan mountains, an area dubbed “outstanding natural landscape” by the Central Otago district council.

Middle East crisis live: Iran claims it has ‘new cards for battlefield’, and weighs talks in Pakistan

Iranian official stresses no decision made on taking part, as US vice-president JD Vance is set to travel to Islamabad for negotiations

• JD Vance to lead US delegation in Pakistan if Iran agrees to talks

Iran’s armed forces are ready to deliver an “immediate and decisive response” to any renewed hostile action by its adversaries, Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, was quoted by the Tasnim news agency as having said.

He said Tehran had the upper hand militarily, including in the management of the strait of Hormuz, and would not allow Donald Trump to “create false narratives over the situation on the ground.”

The hidden power keeping wages low

For decades, economists gave short shrift to the idea of monopsony — a power employers can have to suppress wages. Now a wave of research suggests it's everywhere, and a new book argues it's key to understanding today's inequality.

British boxer Lawrence Okolie vows to clear his name after failed drugs test

• Weekend bout against Tony Yoka now placed in doubt

• Fighter cites elbow treatment and hopes ‘sense prevails’

The world heavyweight title contender Lawrence Okolie has pledged to “clear my name” after a failed a drugs test before his bout against Tony Yoka this weekend.

The British fighter, a former cruiserweight world champion who moved up to heavyweight, had been scheduled to face the Frenchman in Paris on Saturday but that event is now in doubt. He is the No 1-ranked contender by the WBC, whose belt is held by Oleksandr Usyk.

Java script error: why The Devil Wears Prada 2’s Starbucks tie-in leaves a strange taste

A theatrically released movie about glossy magazines, released at a time when there are minimal audiences for either, has ordered up a no foam, extra shot, venti facepalm

It might, of course, turn out to be a masterpiece. Yet there has been something intangibly depressing about The Devil Wears Prada 2 ever since it was first announced. Somehow, the timing of the film and its subject matter have combined in such a way that you can’t help but feel bummed out to the point of exhaustion just to think of it.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is, of course, a theatrically released movie about glossy magazines, released at a time when nobody goes to see theatrically released movies or buys glossy magazines. And just to really sell the point that the film exists in a vacuum of unrealistic nostalgia, it has just announced a brand partnership with Starbucks.

Here's what to expect from Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh's Senate hearing Tuesday

In a much-anticipated hearing before the Banking Committee, the former Fed governor will face questioning over a variety of subjects

David Squires on … Manchester City, Arsenal and an epic clash of the titans

Our cartoonist looks back at Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash at the Etihad as the title race got even hotter

• Buy a cartoon | David’s favourite works of 2025

• And his latest book, Chaos in the Box: get it now

Nine lessons for the US from Viktor Orbán’s defeat | Kenneth Roth

As US elections approach, the Hungarian prime minister’s loss is a reminder that history does not march relentlessly toward autocracy

Viktor Orbán’s electoral loss was a slap in the face for Donald Trump and JD Vance, who had enthusiastically endorsed Europe’s most visible autocrat but proved unable to salvage his candidacy. But Hungarian voters’ 12 April rejection of Orbán also holds important lessons for Americans who hope to resist Trump’s own autocratic tendencies. As the November midterm elections approach, here are a few takeaways:

Prioritize opposition unity. Orbán was defeated by a broad coalition led by Péter Magyar under the banner of his new Tisza party. The opposition’s unity mattered. As some Democrats remain wedded to purity tests, refusing to make common cause with people who reject one or more progressive tenets, Hungarians from across the political spectrum joined hands in the shared goal of defeating Orbán. For them, the debate between right and left paled in importance compared to the need to redeem Hungary’s democracy. Some political parties even refrained from fielding candidates, sacrificing their immediate interests to avoid dividing the anti-Orbán vote.

NFL draft questions: what should the Jets do at No 2, is Love worth it and will the Cowboys trade up?

Fernando Mendoza is a lock to go No 1, but what happens after is less certain. From a difference-making running back to a polarizing QB, we look at the biggest questions entering draft night

The draft begins with the second pick this year. We know Fernando Mendoza will be the Las Vegas Raiders’ selection at No 1 overall. With the second pick, the Jets have a decision to make: edge-rusher David Bailey from Texas Tech or the hybrid defender Arvell Reese from Ohio State.

How can you make a student happy? Drop them at university – and make a lightning-quick exit | Zoe Williams

The impulse is to hang around meeting their friends, and their friends’ parents, and checking out their room. Maybe you’ll all go to a restaurant in the evening ... But be aware: no teenager or twentysomething wants this

I was driving my niece to university, and my son asked what time I’d be back, which was itself inherently sad. When they’re little and you’re leaving them with a babysitter and they ask in a plaintive tiny voice for your estimated time of return, and your heart is gripped in a vice of guilt and impatience, all you long for is the day when they don’t care whether you go to the pub or not. Then, wham, they’re 18, and they ask in a hopeful, slightly shifty tone, as if wishing for the answer “I’ll be back at 2am, or maybe never”.

You cannot fathom why your absence would be such a benefit – will they have an impromptu party? Start a fire? But that is because you’re avoiding its unspoken centre: it is much more relaxing for them when you’re out of the house.

Ethics panel to decide penalty for Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick over theft allegations

The Florida Democrat is accused of stealing $5 million in FEMA funds for her campaign.

UnitedHealth tops quarterly estimates, hikes profit outlook as insurer manages high medical costs

The nation's largest private insurer expects 2026 adjusted earnings of more than $18.25 per share, up from a previous outlook of greater than $17.75 per share.

The Breakdown | Erin King looks to lift Ireland: ‘It was tough some days to keep showing up’

After overcoming a debilitating injury, the Ireland captain is relishing the prospect of a grudge match against France

Twelve months ago Erin King was not only told she may never play rugby again but faced the possibility of being unable to even run. Fast forward to now and the 22-year-old is ready to lead Ireland in their revenge mission against France this Saturday after their rivals knocked them out of last year’s Rugby World Cup in King’s absence.

King, who transitioned from sevens rugby after the 2024 Olympics, had sustained a serious knee injury against England at the 2025 Six Nations which ruled her out of the global showpiece. It was a blow for Ireland’s campaign with the back row going from strength-to-strength in the 15s game. In 2024 she had been named the World Rugby breakthrough player of the year after standout performances that included scoring two tries in the team’s historic win over New Zealand at the WXV tournament.

This is an extract from our weekly rugby union email, the Breakdown. To subscribe just visit this page and follow the instructions.

US ‘restricts intelligence sharing with South Korea’ after minister identified suspected nuclear site

Washington reportedly limits satellite data after minister spoke publicly about suspected facility in North Korea

The US has partly restricted intelligence sharing with South Korea after the country’s unification minister publicly identified a suspected North Korean nuclear site, according to reports in South Korean media.

Chung Dong-young told lawmakers in March that North Korea was operating uranium enrichment facilities in Kusong, a north-western area that had not previously been officially confirmed as a nuclear site alongside the known facilities at Yongbyon and Kangson.

UK hopes to lure expats back from the UAE as war challenges Dubai's appeal

The U.K. is seeking to lure British residents back from the UAE as war in the Middle East rattles confidence in Dubai’s safe‑haven image.

‘It’s a big loss’: what happens when a beautiful village loses its bus route?

Mousehole in Cornwall once had a butcher, post office and general store. Now it doesn’t even have an ATM – and one of its crucial bus services has been cut. Can residents save this vital resource?

It’s early April and the sun is shining over Mousehole, Cornwall, as an older couple trudge up the hill to their nearest bus stop before sinking into two of the plastic chairs that have been lined up on the side of the road. Until recently, buses would come right to the centre of the fishing village, the couple are soon explaining to a pair of Australian tourists also waiting for the bus. But when the bus route was taken over by the Go-Ahead transport group in February, the small, ice-cream-van-like buses that had been used by the previous bus company, First Bus, were swapped for full-size buses – some of them double deckers – that wouldn’t be safe to drive through Mousehole’s narrow streets. So the route, which has been taking passengers down to the harbour since the 1920s, was cut short, and now ends at the edge of the village.

You don’t have to spend long in Mousehole, described as “the loveliest village in England” by the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, to learn of residents’ dismay over this change. “Save Our Stop” flyers have been stuck in the windows of houses and businesses, while a banner adorns the railing next to where the old stop used to be, inviting passersby to sign the petition to have it reinstated and “make Mousehole accessible to all again” – a petition that now has more than 5,000 signatures.

Why are respected film-makers suddenly embracing AI?

From Soderbergh to Aronofsky, esteemed Hollywood directors are starting to find ways to include artificial intelligence in the production of their films

In Steven Soderbergh’s beguiling new movie The Christophers, a reclusive artist (Ian McKellen) tangles with the quiet art forger (Michaela Coel) who his greedy children have hired to secretly finish further entries in a well-known painting series. The movie is smart and provocative about the nature of artistry and authorship, exploring what it means to create – and to stop creating. It’s especially fascinating coming from Soderbergh, who has made movies with workhorse dependability (The Christophers is his third theatrical release of the past 18 months) and also spent four years retired from directing features entirely.

It also provides particularly jarring context for Soderbergh, in interviews promoting the film, to voice his interest in something that a lot of great artists have pointedly refused to embrace: using AI in films. Soderbergh mentioned in an interview with Filmmaker Magazine that he used what sounds like generative AI to produce “thematically surreal images that occupy a dream space rather than a literal space” for his upcoming documentary about John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He also said that a movie he’s hoping to make about the Spanish-American war would use “a lot of AI”. In a subsequent conversation with Variety, Soderbergh didn’t sound like an AI evangelist, but nor did he back down: “I don’t think it’s the solution to everything, and I don’t think it’s the death of everything. We’re in the very early stages. Five years from now, we all may be going, ‘That was a fun phase.’ We may end up not using it as much as we thought we were going to.”

Experts call for restrictions on pet flea treatments that harm UK songbirds

Chemicals known to affect brains of common garden birds, and to kill unborn chicks, found in most feather samples

Conservationists have called for restrictions on pet flea treatments after research found songbird feathers widely contaminated with substances that can damage the birds’ brains and kill unborn chicks.

Almost every feather sample tested from five common species of UK garden birds contained either permethrin, imidacloprid or fipronil – all insecticides that are banned for agricultural use but still common in pet tick and flea treatments.

Kevin Warsh set to face lawmakers in Fed chair confirmation hearing today

Senators are likely to press Warsh, President Trump's nominee to succeed Jerome Powell as Fed chair, on his views about inflation and interest rates.

She raised concerns about her company's contracts with ICE. Then she lost her job

Billie Little had worked for Thomson Reuters for about two decades. She was fired after questioning whether federal immigration agents unlawfully used their products.

3 things to know about Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh

President Trump's pick to lead the Federal Reserve goes before a Senate committee today — but Kevin Warsh's confirmation could be held up by forces that are outside his control.

Teenager charged with arson after attack on synagogue in London

Boy, 17, charged after footage showed bottle of liquid set alight and thrown through window of Kenton united synagogue in Harrow

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with arson after an attack on a synagogue in north-west London.

The teenager, a British national from Brent, north-west London, who has not been named because of his age, is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday.

Karren Brady steps down as West Ham vice-chair after 16 years on board

• Brady has been target of fan anger with club struggling

• She says Conference League win was the highlight

Karren Brady has stepped down as vice-chair of West Ham. She joined the club’s board in January 2010 and has announced her departure the morning after West Ham drew at Crystal Palace to sit two points above the Premier League’s relegation zone.

Brady and the co-owner David Sullivan have been the target of fan anger. In a statement to the Times, Brady said: “It has been a privilege to work alongside the board, management, players, staff and supporters at West Ham United.

‘Muslim kids are really underrepresented’: the animated movie where medieval maths meets eager young minds

Time Hoppers: The Silk Road is a time-travel adventure whose child heroes must save the legacy of Islamic scholars who shaped modern science. Its makers reveal their inspiration, and reflect on their success

‘Some people said it doesn’t exist – that it’s a fantasy.” So says Flordeliza Dayrit of the silk road, the vast network of trade routes that once connected Asia, Africa and Europe – and the starting location for Time Hoppers: The Silk Road, the animated feature she co-created with her husband, Michael Milo.

Speaking from their home in Edmonton, Canada, the couple describe a project that started with personal intrigue and grew into something far more ambitious. With its theatrical release in UK cinemas, Time Hoppers turns this sense of curiosity into a fast-moving children’s adventure: a story in which four young protagonists travel back in time to the medieval Islamic world, meeting the scientists and scholars whose discoveries shape our current everyday lives.

Rebel Wilson labelled ‘nuts’ by PR team she allegedly hired to attack colleague, court hears

Wilson is being sued for defamation by actor Charlotte MacInnes over social media posts alleging a sexual harassment complaint

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Rebel Wilson was labelled “nuts” by a PR team she allegedly hired to create websites attacking a co-producer of her directorial debut, a court has heard.

The Pitch Perfect actor directed, co-produced and acted in The Deb, a musical comedy set in rural NSW that remained unreleased for two years due to legal disputes.

‘The witches are back’: first look at Practical Magic 2 as Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return for spooky sequel

The Kissing Booth’s Joey King and Game Of Thrones’ Maisie Williams star alongside the original cast members as the next generation of the cursed Owens family

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The midnight margaritas are officially back on the menu. Within 24 hours of its debut, the first official teaser for Practical Magic 2 has surged into the Google Trends top 10, attracting millions of views and signalling an enthusiastic appetite for the return of the Owens family and all things witchy.

Academy Award winners Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman will return as sisters Sally and Gillian, with Kidman sharing a video of her and her fellow star on set last year, captioned: “The witches are back”.

See You on the Other Side by Jay McInerney review – the clumsy finale of a classic New York series

The bright young things of 1992’s Brightness Falls are now in their 60s in this verbose, clunky novel that seems more interested in lifestyle than inner lives

More than 40 years ago, Jay McInerney’s debut novel, Bright Lights, Big City, captured the glamour and desperation of 1980s New York. The book’s spectacular success launched its author’s career, earning him comparisons to F Scott Fitzgerald, another midwesterner with a complicated relationship with the US’s fantasies of wealth and social mobility. In 1992, Brightness Falls introduced readers to a fresh cast of young New Yorkers, but was primarily focused on a central couple, Corrine and Russell. McInerney returned to these characters in two subsequent novels; See You on the Other Side completes the tetralogy.

The book opens at the start of 2020 with the bright young things now in their 60s, coping with erectile dysfunction and marital woes, and fretting about the job prospects of their twentysomething children. In addition to the eternal problem of ageing, Corrine and Russell are about to confront the events of that tumultuous year: the pandemic, protests for racial justice and a bitterly fought presidential election campaign. Russell is the book’s main character, although we spend time with Corrine and make excursions into the points of view of their daughter, Storey, an aspiring chef, and her biracial boyfriend, Mingus.

‘They come right past the house’: learning to live with rhinos as numbers soar in Nepal

The country is seeing an increase in human-wildlife conflict as the number of megafauna, including rhinos and tigers, grows. But there are efforts to tackle the problem around Chitwan national park through education and training

The tourists lining the steep embankment buzzed with excitement, phones out, snapping away in the twilight as a wild Indian rhinoceros grazed below the Nepali village of Sauraha. Climbing to the main street, the rhino ambled down the middle of the road.

Local people warned tourists to give it plenty of space. All manner of wheeled vehicles slowed, then passed. The rhino turned its horn at a cyclist passing too close, triggering gasps from the assembled crowd.

A manager uses torchlight to guide a wild Indian rhinoceros through the grounds of his hotel in Sauraha

Japan scraps ban on lethal weapons exports in major shift of pacifist policy

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that "no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone."

King Charles pays tribute to late mother on 100th anniversary of her birth

Monarch says Elizabeth II would have been troubled by recent events but she believed ‘goodness will always prevail’

King Charles has said his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, would have been troubled deeply by current affairs as he paid a heartfelt tribute to her on what would have been her 100th birthday.

In a video message to honour the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, he said she had “remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served”.

Music executive behind K-pop group BTS faces arrest in South Korea

Police seek warrant for Bang Si-Hyuk over allegations he illegally gained millions in investor fraud scheme

South Korean police are seeking to arrest Bang Si-Hyuk, the chair of the agency behind the K-pop band BTS, as they expand an investigation into allegations that he illegally gained more than $100m (£74m) in an investor fraud scheme.

The Seoul metropolitan police agency confirmed it had asked prosecutors to request a court warrant for the arrest of Bang, the founder and chair of HYBE.

Unchosen review – Asa Butterfield’s creepy cult show is a total waste of all this talent

It’s got amazing names attached, from Christopher Eccleston to Siobhan Finneran – but the new Netflix drama starts off workmanlike then goes downhill. Why would these stars ever sign up?

Unchosen is set in the world of a Christian splinter sect. Everyone lives simply in grace and harmony, following Christ’s teaching of peace and love for all humankind, with men and women sharing equally in domestic and other labour. They exist as shining lights for what is possible when you set aside the patriarchal nonsense and other accretions that gather around religions. Every episode is a delight and nothing much happens because everyone is living such a good and godly life.

I jest! Unchosen is not here to break new ground. It is here to deliver by-numbers drama that has inexplicably attracted the talented likes of Siobhan Finneran and Christopher Eccleston to its cast and you should proceed with your expectations lowered.

Vibrating crotches, anal beads and suspicious minds: the long, strange history of chess cheats | Sean Ingle

The journey from the Von Neumann to the Niemann affair has much to teach us about the changed landscape of the sport

There really is, it turns out, a true story involving cheating in chess and a vibrating crotch. Only this one is a whodunnit that dates back more than 30 years and was only solved last week.

Imagine the scene at the World Open in Philadelphia in 1993 when a mysterious unrated player with fake dreadlocks and headphones, and with a bulge that vibrates in his trousers, shows up. Now multiply it 100-fold when this unknown amateur, who calls himself John von Neumann after the founder of game theory, draws with a grandmaster, Helgi Ólafsson, in round two.

EFL permutations: what’s at stake in midweek for the Championship and beyond?

Leicester City, the champions of England 10 years ago, could be relegated on Tuesday, with plenty more ups and downs to be resolved in the next few days

Promoted: Coventry.
Relegated: Sheffield Wednesday.

Hope, love and trumpets: young Venezuelans – in pictures

She left after being held up at gunpoint. Now Silvana Trevale wants to show a different side to the ‘wounded’ country – with a photography project about the resilience of its youth completed last year

‘Will they kill us too?’ Murder of leading feminist has chilling effect on Iraq’s activists

Yanar Mohammed’s assassination comes amid a number of killings as fellow campaigners warn women’s rights are going backwards

In early March, two unidentified gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on Iraq’s most notable women’s rights activist, Yanar Mohammed, as she stood outside her home in the north of the capital, Baghdad. She had long been the target of death threats from Islamic State and other armed groups.

Her death was the latest of several killings of well-known female figures in Iraq in recent years, who were either prominent advocates for women’s rights or notable individuals. In early April, soon after Yanar’s death, a female lawyer known for supporting girls was also murdered.

Speaking to the Guardian and Jummar Media, women in Iraq say the murders have had a chilling effect on their ability to speak out at a time when women’s rights and freedoms in the country are going backwards.

Scarborn (Kos) review – rumbustuous period epic stirs up trouble in 18th-century Poland

When a veteran of the American war of independence returns to his native country with popular rule on his mind dangerous passions ignite

This Polish historical drama is an odd duck of a feature but there’s definitely a cinematic flair to proceedings. For a start, a lot of it unfolds over one evening in a candlelit setting, so you may have to screw up your eyes in order to make out what’s going on. My advice is to then surrender to its strange tonality and weird flat stretches, because the ending pulls most of the strands together satisfyingly and goes out with bangs, whizzes and a fair few sword thrusts.

The year is 1794, and it’s not long since the American war of independence has finished, in which Polish hero Tadeusz “Kos” Kościuszko (a real historical figure, played here by Chris Pine lookalike Jacek Braciak) fought valiantly on the side of the American rebels. Now he’s back in what’s left of Poland, a nation with particularly elastic borders at that time as various neighbours invade and pull back, especially the Russians. Kos is accompanied by his friend Domingo (Jason Mitchell), a freed slave and top marksman, and together the two of them are hoping to start something in Poland and get the peasants revolting against the oppressive nobility. That sort of social order shake-up would definitely be a boon for folks such as Ignac Sikora (Bartosz Bielenia), the bastard son of a local landowner who has promised with his dying breath to leave Ignac some kind of inheritance in his will.

Gunman shoots several tourists at historic pyramids in Mexico

A man standing atop one of the historic Teotihuacan pyramids opened fire on tourists Monday, killing one Canadian and leaving at least 13 people, authorities said.

Cuba confirms meeting with US officials on island, wants energy blockade lifted

Cuba's government confirmed that it had recently met with U.S. officials on the island as tensions between the two sides remain high over the U.S. energy blockade of the Caribbean country.

‘I’m not the boss’: Lando Norris is articulate, open and intelligent – when he’s allowed to be

F1’s latest world champion speaks with deep candour about overcoming his insecurities but questions about Max Verstappen and regulations? Off limits

There are always complications and difficulties in Formula One, as there are in life and even in this interview. On a beautiful evening at a lavish golf club in Surrey, Lando Norris and I are tucked away in an anonymous yet brightly lit room crammed with a television crew and representatives from his management team and Laureus, the global organisation driven by a belief that “sport has the power to change the world”.

At first Norris talks thoughtfully and honestly about his struggles with profound insecurity before becoming world champion last year. But we reach a low point when a young man from his management company feels sufficiently empowered to answer questions on the 26-year-old’s behalf, as a way of controlling our interview.

England wildlife watchdog ‘has stopped designating special sites for protection’

Exclusive: Report finds Natural England has created no new SSSIs, which protect areas from development, since 2023

The government’s wildlife watchdog for England is failing to save nature because it has stopped giving protection to rare wildlife and habitats, according to a new report.

No new sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) have been designated by Natural England since 2023. SSSIs are nationally or internationally important places for rare wildlife and habitats. Without the designation, endangered species can be at risk of being lost to development.

Mexican magic: Santiago Lastra’s recipes for cheesy mushroom costras and beetroot tostadas

Poppadoms masquerade as tortillas in these tostadas topped with a striking pink mole, and grilled mushroom tortillas smothered in melty cheese and a sharp salsa

Costra, meaning ‘crust’ in Spanish, is a classic dish from the north and centre of Mexico that’s traditionally made with tender cuts of beef and finished with a melted crust of semi-hard cheese (usually Chihuahua or manchego mixed with Oaxaca cheese for texture). The cheese is grated on a plancha grill and allowed to melt and crisp up, and is then draped over the meat. Here, though, I have substituted the steak for mushrooms. Then, tostadas are traditionally made with crisp corn tortillas that are either baked or deep-fried, a technique that was first invented to preserve the tortillas for longer. They’re commonly used to serve lean, light preparations, like ceviches, aguachiles and salsas. Here, I’ve used poppadoms to achieve a similar texture and starchiness; use ready-cooked ones to make this even quicker.

Israeli soldiers using sexual assault to force Palestinians out of West Bank, report says

Experts say attacks, also carried out by settlers, are leading girls to quit school and enter early marriages

Israeli soldiers and settlers are using gendered violence and sexual assault and harassment to force Palestinians from their homes in the occupied West Bank, human rights and legal experts say.

Palestinian women, men and children have reported attacks, forced nudity, invasive and painful body cavity searches, Israelis exposing their genitals, including to minors, and threats of sexual violence.

Country diary: The most magical of frost-coated mornings | Mark Cocker

Knotbury, Staffordshire: A truly special dawn, when last night’s ice lingered on everything, and I was joined by no fewer than six ring ouzels

As I drove to this tiny moorland hamlet, the dawn sky looked so grey that I imagined it must have 100% cloud cover. Actually, there was none, and as the blue slowly crept in overhead, I could see that frost was everywhere.

I also realised that there was no breeze and every sound seemed distilled, so I stopped by the first farm to record my blackbird. He has mastered the sweetest imitations of displaying golden plovers, but this was my first chance to capture them. And there he was, doing his plover notes, but throwing in snippets of curlew as extras, and when he stood in profile at the roof apex, singing, bill wide, throat feathers spiked against the heavens, I knew the morning would be magical.

House GOP touts record fundraising haul in first three months of 2026

The National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans' campaign arm, is touting a record-breaking fundraising haul to start the 2026 midterm cycle, the committee chairman told CBS News.

Japan approves scrapping a ban on lethal weapons exports

The approval clears a final set of hurdles for Japan's postwar arms sales and facilitate its future sale of weapons such as a next-generation fighter jet and combat drones.

Here are the results for Virginia's 2026 redistricting ballot measure

Live election results: Get the latest on Virginia's special election on redistricting.

Almost half of EU’s busiest flight routes are ‘hard or impossible’ to book on trains – report

‘Stone age’ system of booking cross-border rail tickets holding back climate action by consumers, says thinktank

Europe’s “stone age” system of booking train tickets makes it needlessly difficult for travellers to avoid polluting flights, a report has found.

Booking equivalent train tickets is “difficult or impossible” on almost half of the EU’s busiest international air routes, analysis from the Transport & Environment (T&E) thinktank shows.

AI job scams are booming – and I was fooled by one. Here is how to avoid them

Fraudsters are using the promise of fake roles to trick job-seekers out of money, personal information or both, and with the help of AI they are more convincing than ever. But there are ways to spot them

There were clues from the start that it was too good to be true. A headhunter emailed me with a job prospect – a journalist role with “a leading US technology and markets editorial team”. The opportunity, she said, was part of a confidential expansion and hadn’t been publicly posted.

My spidey-sense was tingling, but the timing was auspicious. I was on the lookout for new work as my maternity leave was coming to an end. Initially, the email seemed legitimate. When I Googled the sender, I found a headhunter with the same name and profile picture on LinkedIn, and the message was clearly tailored to me: It referenced several roles I’d previously held and identified my specific areas of expertise. “Your focus on the real-world impacts of AI, digital culture and the gig economy aligns perfectly with an internal, high-priority mandate I’m managing,” the headhunter wrote.

On the trail with the hunters who believe shooting big game can save Africa’s wildlife

One way to pay for wildlife conservation is to allow the rich to bag a few animals for high prices. But critics see this approach as an exercise in neocolonialism

You can kill almost anything if you’re willing to pay. Big or small. Land, water or air. Ten a penny or one of the last of its kind. There’s nearly always a way, though it might not make you popular. The Niassa special reserve, a vast reservation larger than Switzerland, stretches for 190 miles along the northern rim of Mozambique, taking in 4.2m hectares of woodland and rivers. The reserve, one of the world’s largest protected areas, is home to elephants, leopards, hyenas, zebras and about 1,000 wild lions.

That word, however: protected. It applies to some, but not all, of its animal inhabitants. Each year, a specific number are set aside for sacrifice, for the greater good. Not long ago, I joined an expedition in Niassa, with one of Africa’s top game-hunting companies.

Man swept away in Wellington flood waters as New Zealand capital hammered by record heavy rain

Wellington residents have shared stories of surviving landslides and rising flood waters caused by severe storm

A man is missing after severe flooding struck New Zealand’s capital, with other Wellington residents sharing their survival stories after record rain hit on Sunday night.

Philip Sutton was looking after a property for his sister in Karori, in Wellington’s west, when a torrent of flood water smashed through it early on Monday, according to local reports. Sutton has not been seen since.

Canadian woman killed after gunman opens fire at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids

At least four more injured at world heritage site in latest violent incident as country prepares to co-host World Cup

One Canadian tourist has been killed and six other people were wounded by gunfire after an armed man opened fire at one of Mexico’s most famous tourist destinations, the Teotihuacán pyramids near Mexico City.

The shooting – the latest violent incident to affect Mexico as it prepares to co-host the football World Cup in June – took place on Monday lunchtime and was captured in mobile phone videos.

YouTuber investigated for trespassing after footage of Dezi Freeman’s hideout posted online

Several videos of Thologolong property where Freeman was killed by police, including vision from inside the shipping container where he was living, were shared online

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Police are investigating a YouTuber for potential trespass offences after footage of the property where fugitive Dezi Freeman was shot dead last month was posted online.

The YouTuber posted several videos of the Thologolong property in Victoria’s north-east, including vision from inside the shipping container where Freeman was living shortly before he was shot dead by police.

Embattled New Zealand prime minister survives leadership vote and blames media for ‘soap opera’

Christopher Luxon says caucus meeting ‘clearly’ proves he has party support ahead of November national election

The New Zealand prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has survived a tense leadership vote six months out from the election as he battles an ongoing slump in opinion polls.

Luxon, who has served as prime minister since November 2023, said he had called for the vote at a caucus meeting on Tuesday morning.

4/20: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Future of Iran ceasefire unclear as deadline approaches; Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigns.

The beauty of Las Vegas' fakeness

Tony Dokoupil shares his thoughts on the charms of Las Vegas hidden in its inauthenticity.

Singer D4vd charged with murder in death of 14-year-old found in his car

Singer D4vd appeared in court Monday, hours after prosecutors announced he would be charged with first-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Matt Gutman reports.

Tariff refund portal off to bumpy start as some businesses report glitches

Some U.S. importers reported problems filing tariff refund claims after Customs and Border Patrol launched its dedicated portal on Monday.

‘I hope it doesn’t get him down’: Usain Bolt tells Gout Gout to get ready to lose

• ‘It’s all about just learning right now,’ says Jamaican great

• Young Australian due to face world’s best in busy 2026

Like running fast, growing pains are something sprint lord Usain Bolt knows something about. So when he tells teenage phenomenon Gout Gout that his first steps into the world of senior athletics will not be easy, the Australian ought to take heed.

“I know it’s going to be an eye-opener,” Bolt told CNN of Gout’s first year as an adult, and an impending succession of showdowns against the world’s best sprinters. “And I hope it doesn’t get him down, but motivate him to work even harder.”

Businesses start requests for Trump tariff refunds, but glitches reported in new portal

Beginning on Monday, businesses were able to apply for refunds for President Trump's tariffs that were later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Jo Ling Kent reports on some of the issues they're running into.

U.S. soldier's wife detained by ICE in Texas after immigration appointment

The wife of a sergeant first class was detained by ICE at an immigration appointment in Texas. He says he doesn't understand why, and "ICE is out of control right now."

2 Southwest planes came within 500 feet in close call near Nashville airport

Air traffic control told the pilots of a flight aborting a landing to turn right, which put them on a potential collision course with another 737 that had been cleared for takeoff from a parallel runway.

200 stranded on Amtrak train for nearly 24 hours due to Florida wildfire

A wildfire in Florida has brought train traffic to a standstill, stranding more than 200 people aboard an Amtrak train for nearly 24 hours. Cristian Benavides spoke with some of the passengers.

Southwest pilots take evasive maneuvers to avoid midair collision over Nashville

The pilots of two Southwest Airlines jets had to scramble to avoid a mid-air collision over the weekend. Kris Van Cleave reports.

What to know as U.S. seizes Iranian tanker, questions linger about peace talks

Ed O'Keefe and Charlie D'Agata report ont the questions swirling about potential U.S.-Iran talks and the American seizure of an Iranian tanker.

How Trump's messaging on Iran has shifted since saying they "agreed to everything"

Less than 48 hours after President Trump said Iran has "agreed to everything," he threatened the whole country would get "blown up" without a deal soon.

Mixed signals from Trump on state of talks with Iran

On Friday, President Trump was saying Iran had "agreed to everything," including giving up its nuclear program "forever." But by Monday, he had accused Iran of violating the ceasefire and warned that if a deal isn't reached, "then lots of bombs start going off." Ed O'Keefe reports.

Fitness influencer drowns during swimming portion of Ironman Texas

• Mara Flavia Souza Araujo drowns early on Saturday

• Rescue crews locate body after athlete vanished

A Brazilian fitness influencer has died after getting into difficulty during the swimming portion of an ironman event in Texas.

Mara Flavia Souza Araujo was reported as a “lost swimmer” around 7.30am at the Ironman Texas in Lake Woodlands near Houston on Saturday. According to KPRC 2 News, safety crews could not immediately locate Araujo. The 38-year-old’s body was discovered around 90 minutes later in 10ft of water by divers. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

Electricity generators threatened with higher windfall taxes in bid to ensure stable prices

Move marks government’s most radical attempt to weaken impact of soaring wholesale gas prices on electricity costs

• Clean energy generation exceeded rise in global electricity demand in 2025

Electricity generators will face higher windfall taxes unless they sign up to long-term fixed-price contracts under government plans to protect bill payers from future gas market price shocks, as the Iran war pushes up energy prices.

The Treasury will increase a windfall tax on excess profits made by electricity generators in Great Britain from 45% to 55% when gas prices spike. The funds raised will help the government to support households during an energy crisis.

Clean energy generation exceeded rise in global electricity demand in 2025

Output from solar farms rose by a third while electricity from fossil fuels fell, research from thinktank reveals

• UK shifts older wind and solar farms to fixed-price deals to reduce price shocks

All of last year’s growth in global electricity demand was met from renewable sources, while fossil fuel power generation remained flat, research has found, marking what many hope could become a turning point in the drive to phase out planet-heating fossil fuels.

Solar power generation rose by nearly a third in 2025, marking a new record and faster growth. In the decade from 2015, solar output grew tenfold, roughly doubling every three years, according to the thinktank Ember.

Amazon 'strong-armed' Levi's, Hanes to hike prices on rival sites, California DA says

Amazon allegedly coerced major vendors into convincing rival retailers like Walmart, Target and Home Depot to raise prices

4/20: CBS Evening News

Mixed signals from President Trump on state of talks with Iran; Southwest planes nearly collide over Nashville.

Tim Cook to step down as Apple chief as John Ternus named replacement

Cook, who will stay on as executive chair, praises head of hardware engineering, who will take over on 1 September

Apple announced on Monday that it had named a replacement for Tim Cook as CEO after nearly 15 years, with head of hardware engineering John Ternus succeeding him on 1 September. Cook will stay at the company in the role of executive chair.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company. I love Apple with all of my being,” Cook said in a press release.

2 U.S. Embassy officials killed in car crash after Mexico drug lab raid

Authorities initially said the accident happened while the officers were returning from the drug raids, but the Chihuahua state prosecutor later said the Americans weren't involved in those operations.

The Onion has agreed to a new deal to take over Infowars

The Onion says it has a new deal to take over conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars media company. If approved, the satirical news website could turn Infowars into a parody of itself.

Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO. In letter, describes 15 years of emails

The 65-year-old Cook will turn over CEO duties to Apple's head of hardware products, John Ternus, in September. Cook will remain with the company as executive chairman.

Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO, with John Ternus tapped as successor

Apple CEO Tim Cook will step down in August and become executive chairman of Apple's board.

Trump labor secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigns amid misconduct investigation

Chavez-DeRemer, entangled in string of controversies, leaving for private sector, president’s spokesperson says

Donald Trump’s labor secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is stepping down, the administration announced on Monday, after a series of misconduct allegations including having an affair with a subordinate and drinking on the job.

“Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector,” Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesperson, wrote on social media. “She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives.”

Federal agents detain wife of another US army member: ‘ICE is out of control’

Jose Serrano, a sergeant, said Deisy Rivera Ortega, his wife, was arrested at an immigration appointment

A US army sergeant with 27 years of military service – including deployment to Afghanistan – has said that federal immigration agents recently arrested his wife during an appointment at an immigration office in El Paso, Texas.

In an interview with CBS News published Monday, Sgt First Class Jose Serrano said that Deisy Rivera Ortega, a Salvadoran and his wife, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers under the command of the Trump administration despite receiving legal protection in 2019 that bars her from being deported to El Salvador. Rivera Ortega, who wed Serrano in 2022, has been in the US since 2016, he said.

Supreme Court turns away parental rights case over child's gender transition

The Supreme Court turned away a legal battle testing whether a public school violates parents' rights when it encourages their child's social gender transition without their knowledge or consent.

Sen. Mark Warner's daughter dies at 36 after long diabetes battle

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia announced on Monday that his daughter Madison has died following a lengthy battle with juvenile diabetes and other health issues.

Supreme Court takes up religious liberty case over Colorado's preschool program

The legal fight is the latest to land before the Supreme Court in recent years that involve religious entities' participation in state-funded programs.

6 missing after U.S.-flagged ship found overturned following typhoon

An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew confirmed the identity of the vessel as the Mariana, a 145-foot U.S.-registered dry cargo vessel, officials said.

Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for $250 million over story on alleged drinking

FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, saying a recent story about his alleged frequent drinking and absences included "false and obviously fabricated" claims.

Eric Swalwell resignation over sexual misconduct prompts rare House Ethics panel comments

Ethics issues have roiled Congress in recent months, as allegations against Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales led to both members resigning last week.

Trump threatens Iran again as ceasefire deadline looms, U.S. gears up for peace talks

Trump reportedly said Sunday that if Iran doesn't sign a deal, "the whole country is going to get blown up," with its bridges and power plants being targeted.

Hormuz disruptions hit China’s Christmas capital — and holiday spending

Manufacturers told CNBC that shoppers will likely have to pay higher prices to match rising costs of plastic and other materials.

Rivian's factory damaged by tornado amid crucial R2 EV launch

The Guardian view on the EU and Israel: moving beyond mere exhortation | Editorial

Benjamin Netanyahu has brushed aside European concerns over Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. A tougher approach from Brussels is overdue

In recent months, European expressions of concern over the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have regularly hardened into outright condemnation. Last September, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed horror and outrage at aid restrictions that she said created a “man-made famine” in Gaza. Brussels has inveighed against settler violence and land grabs in the West Bank, which undermine the possibility of a viable Palestinian state. Responding to the bombing of Lebanon following the US-Israeli ceasefire with Iran, the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said: “Israel’s right to self-defence does not justify this destruction.”

The angry words and exhortations have achieved nothing. Mr Netanyahu and his ministers have generally treated European critics with barely concealed contempt, presumably reassured by the fact that their chief allies in the White House tend to behave in exactly the same fashion. The EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner, and the academic benefits it confers through Israeli participation in the Horizon research programme are considerable. But internal disunity, and an overoptimistic faith in the power of persuasion, have led to a reluctance by the bloc to use those relationships as leverage.

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8 children killed in shooting in Louisiana as father targets his family

The gunman, who is also dead, shot 10 people in total, according to police. All eight who died were children from 3 to 11 years old, police said.

Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for $250 million over alcohol abuse claims

The Atlantic article said FBI Director Kash Patel "has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences."

John Keats’s love letters returned to owner after being stolen in the 1980s

Romantic poet’s letters to Fanny Brawne, dated between 1819 and 1820, had been stolen from a Long Island estate

Eight original handwritten letters from the Romantic poet John Keats to his muse and “one passion”, Fanny Brawne, were returned to the family of John Hay “Jock” Whitney, the former US ambassador to the UK, on Monday after being stolen from Whitney’s home in the 1980s.

Keats’s letters, including the first letter he ever wrote to Brawne, are dated between 1819 and 1820. Valued at approximately $2m, the 37 letters are held in a gilt morocco-bound portfolio. Brawne was Keats’s neighbor in Hampstead, with whom he became infatuated and elevated to muse and goddess.

My family tried to eat fewer ultra-processed foods for five years. Here’s what we learned

Cutting UPFs from our grocery list was expensive, laborious and time-consuming

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Grocery shopping looks different these days. On Saturday mornings, instead of the local supermarket, I’m at our local San Diego farmers’ market, loading up on fish, meat, apples, cheese and berries – enough for a family of four.

But it’s not a cheap excursion; our weekly grocery spend is now higher than it was when we decided to try to cut ultra-processed foods (UPFs) from our diet five years ago.

In 2021, we spent $158.63 on cereal; in 2025, the total was $34.34.

Our yoghurt costs went from $260.29 in 2021 to $24.27 in 2025.

We no longer buy protein bars, which cost us $261.04 in 2021.

Our peak expenditure on frozen chicken tenders was in 2020, when we spent $159.76. For the past two years we haven’t bought any.

Butter more than quadrupled between 2021 and 2025, to $234.22.

The total in the sugar column went from $9.47 in 2021 to $83.10 in 2025 (I did a lot more baking last year).

The biggest leap was for fruit and vegetables: $2,578.32 in 2021 became $5,706.36 last year.

In 2021, we started buying meat that was humanely raised by farmers and ranchers using regenerative agriculture practices. We spent a lot in this category, almost $2,500 on raw beef and chicken (the previous year, we spent about $1,500). The following year, 2022, we dropped our meat expenditure down to about $1,000 by eating a lot less of it, and more dried beans.

United merger with American Airlines would hurt consumers, senators say

Airlines could hike ticket prices and fees if United and American were to join forces, lawmakers warn.

Kevin Warsh would be the first tech bro Fed chair. How Silicon Valley shaped him

The nominee to lead the Fed is an AI optimist who counts tech titans Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen among his friends.

Sandwich chain Jersey Mike's confidentially files for IPO

Blackstone bought a majority stake in the sandwich chain in 2024 in a deal that valued the company at roughly $8 billion.

Neighbors recall "full-blown shootout" as father targeted kids in shooting

Neighbors who witnessed the deadly mass shooting of eight children in Shreveport, Louisiana, recalled what whey heard and saw as the massacre took place early Sunday.