The Guardian

European Commission says social messaging app is exposing children to grooming and sexual exploitation Brussels has opened an investigation into Snapchat over concerns that the social messaging app is exposing children to grooming, sexual exploitation and other criminality. In a separate decision on Thursday, the European Commission also said four pornographic websites were failing to prevent min…

‘Misappropriation of financial resources’ from actor, 90, tracked to property, vineyards and olive groves in Tuscany Italian authorities have seized €20m (£17.3m) of assets in Tuscany, including property, vineyards and olive groves, allegedly bought with money embezzled from the actor Ursula Andress. Andress, 90, had filed a complaint in her native Switzerland alleging a “progressive and signific…

Aipac-backed lawmakers denounce ‘extremist’ violence in West Bank as support for Israel becomes a political liability As Israeli settlers ramp up violent attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank , often as Israeli forces stand by, denunciations are mounting in the US, even from Democratic legislators and public figures who are typically staunch defenders of Israel. In recent days, dozens…

Campaigners criticise frequent use of storm overflows when parts of the country were in drought for months Raw sewage was discharged into rivers and seas almost 300,000 times last year after the driest spring for more than 100 years and the sunniest and warmest year on record in England. Water companies released raw sewage into rivers and seas from storm overflows – designed to be used in extreme…

Firm’s sales up 54% this month and Good Energy reports doubling of interest in solar after latest oil price shock Solar panel sales have risen sharply since the start of the Iran war, according to Octopus Energy, and households are opting for bigger arrays of roof panels. Sales were up 54% so far this month compared with the same period last month, the company said on Thursday. Continue reading...

Negotiations to end funding standoff sparked by Trump administration’s immigration crackdown fail to find a breakthrough Sign up for the Breaking News US email Donald Trump will hold a cabinet meeting later today, his first since the US started its war with Iran. It is due to be held at 10am ET, with the president and defense secretary Pete Hegseth expected to give a rosy view of the US military …

Iran’s foreign minister has said Tehran has ‘no intention of negotiating for now’. Plus, the AI users whose lives were wrecked by delusion Don’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up here Good morning. Iran dismissed a US ceasefire proposal on Wednesday and responded with its own negotiation plan as intermediaries sought to keep diplomatic channels between the warring countries open. Wha…

Company reported loss of £125m after cyber-security attack hit sales and claims of ‘toxic’ culture Business live – latest updates The Co-op Group has announced that its boss will step down this weekend after a difficult year that included a cyber-attack and recent claims of a “toxic” culture at the business. Shirine Khoury-Haq will step down as chief executive on 29 March, with Kate Allum, a boar…

Documents obtained by Guardian show company increased different fees to ‘offset revenue loss’ from FTC rule change Following a wave of regulations banning the surprise fees that appear at the end of a transaction, Ticketmaster stopped charging the extra few dollars it added to each order at checkout. Typically shared with the venue, the order processing fee was a boon to a global platform that se…

Clear Secure has seen jump in new sign-ups amid the partial government shutdown as TSA workers go unpaid Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox As travelers continue to face sprawling security lines across the US, one company is thriving amid the ongoing chaos. Clear Secure, a biometric firm that allows travelers to bypass Transportation Security Administrat…

One struck a market in North Darfur and the other hit a truck carrying civilians in North Kordofan as the country’s civil war approaches its fourth year At least 28 civilians have been killed in two separate drone strikes in Sudan, according to health workers, as the country’s brutal civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces approaches its fourth year . A strike hit a m…

Government-backed bank in talks about recompensing about 37,000 people whose money was misplaced UK politics live – latest updates Business live – latest updates National Savings and Investments is preparing to repay hundreds of millions of pounds to its customers over missing savings, in what is expected to be the single biggest payout in the bank’s 160-year history. The government-backed saving…

OECD says the Middle East war will test the world’s resilience with Australia expected to suffer from higher rates and inflation Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The world economy is on the brink of a major inflationary spike as soaring fuel prices threaten growth in European and Asian nations, the OECD has warned, and local economists are slashing Australia’s growth p…

The government has launched a consultation on banning social media for under-16s but peers voted to move faster House of Lords pushes for Australian-style social media ban for under-16s Keir Starmer has said it is “far-fetched” to suggest that the theft of his former chief of staff’s mobile phone is somehow connected to a subsequent push for the release of documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s …

EU lawmakers are expected to back a deal but will want to implement safeguards EU lawmakers are set to vote on the bloc’s tariff deal with US president Donald Trump today, after months of delays caused by uncertainty affecting transatlantic trade amid his repeated threats against Greenland and, more recently, Spain . The parliament will vote on whether to cut EU tariffs on some US imports – as a …