The Guardian

US is in weaker position than before war as Tehran has shown capacity to inflict pain on Trump administration Middle East crisis – live updates The announcement of a two-week ceasefire has allowed Donald Trump to hail the reopening of the Hormuz strait as a victorious dawn of a new golden age, but it is Iran that now enters peace talks with the stronger hand. The Tehran regime goes to the negotia…

Tribunal dismisses claim that the Welsh government’s financial package breached competition rules Cardiff airport has won a legal challenge brought by its rival in Bristol over the fairness of a £205m Welsh government subsidy package. A judgment by the competition appeal tribunal on Tuesday unanimously dismissed Bristol airport’s case against the Welsh government, which the south-west England hub…

Chuck Schumer attacks president’s ‘ridiculous bluster’ while Republicans cast decision as shrewd tactical move US and Iran agree to provisional ceasefire Middle East crisis – live updates Political leaders and many Americans breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday evening, when Donald Trump announced a provisional ceasefire deal hours after threatening to destroy Iran’s “whole civilization” if Tehra…

Israeli military announces further action against Hezbollah, contradicting statements from Pakistan and Iran Middle East crisis – live updates Israel said its military operations in Lebanon would continue despite Donald Trump’s ceasefire announcement , with Israeli forces carrying out strikes and telling civilians in the south of the country to leave the areas they are targeting. The office of th…

Freelancer Shelly Kittleson was reportedly held by Iran-backed militia which says she must now leave country The US journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped from a Baghdad street corner last week, has been released, secretary of state Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday. “We are relieved that this American is now free and are working to support her safe departure from Iraq,” he said on social …

Orla Wates, 19, who died after incident on popular Ha Giang loop, described as ‘beautiful, independent and very funny’ The family of a British teenager have paid tribute to their daughter who died after a motorcycle crash on a popular route in Vietnam. The incident occurred on the Ha Giang loop in the country’s north and Orla Wates, 19, died at the Viet Duc University hospital in Hanoi, according…

Qarsoq Høegh-Dam aims to use his seat in Danish parliament to shift power from Copenhagen to Nuuk It’s not the standard motto for a newly elected parliamentarian, but Qarsoq Høegh-Dam is adamant: if he does his job properly, there will soon be no need for it. “I want to make myself as obsolete as possible,” he said. Last month, Høegh-Dam, a Greenlandic politician, became the first member of the p…

US vice-president has repeatedly endorsed Viktor Orbán ahead of key election on Sunday US vice-president JD Vance continues his stay in Budapest, where he is expected to address the conservative Mathias Corvinus Collegium this morning on the back of his yesterday’s “not-at-all endorsement” of the embattled prime minister Viktor Orbán, five days out from the key election on Sunday. His comments ye…

Average price dips back below £300,000 after higher energy costs have knock-on effect on mortgage rates UK house prices fell in March, as the housing market lost momentum amid uncertainty over the conflict in the Middle East and the impact on the economy and interest rates. Figures from Halifax, which is part of Lloyds – Britain’s biggest mortgage lender – showed property prices dipped by 0.5% in…

PM to meet partners in region to discuss effort to ‘support and sustain ceasefire’ and reopening the strait of Hormuz Sarah Jones , the policing minister, has been giving interviews. She has been talking about Keir Starmer’s visit to the Gulf, but hasn’t said anything that really adds to the (rather limited) information about the visit put out by Downing Street. Jones told Times Radio: [Starmer] …

Company earnings expected to soar to between $200m and $700m in first quarter Business live – latest updates Shell is expected to report “significantly higher” profits from its commodity trading desks in the first quarter of this year after weeks of market volatility triggered by the Iran crisis. The surge in energy commodity markets over recent weeks is expected to drive up trading results at Sh…

PM to meet regional leaders to discuss effort to ‘support and sustain ceasefire’ and reopening the strait of Hormuz Middle East crisis – live updates Keir Starmer is travelling to the Gulf to meet leaders in the region to discuss diplomatic efforts to support the ceasefire agreed between the US and Iran. The prime minister’s visit on Wednesday comes hours after a two-week ceasefire was agreed on …

No-fault evictions made up one in three reports made to renters’ union Acorn in January Increasing numbers of landlords are evicting tenants at the last minute before the law changes to outlaw the practice in next month, charities have said. The renters’ union Acorn told the Guardian that no-fault evictions made up one in five of the reports they received from members in October, rising to nearly…

Former SAS soldier and Victoria Cross recipient, who has always denied wrongdoing, did not immediately apply for bail on Wednesday Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Ben Roberts-Smith will remain in jail for at least a week after his legal representatives declined to apply for bail on Wednesday, a day after Australia…

Nationals leader’s solution to the high cost of living is to force us to buy more expensive, locally made goods Matt Canavan’s “economic revolution” is a populist mirage masquerading as an answer to a generational challenge that will define our prosperity in the decades to come. That challenge is: how do we create a new economy that is more resilient, secure and affordable, without undermining ou…