Five Israeli men acquitted of rape charge in Cyprus

The woman told police she was sexually assaulted and raped by the five men in September, 2023.

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Israel orders evacuation of southern Gaza city of Rafah

It is the biggest such order since Israel resumed its offensive in the Palestinian territory earlier this month.

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Australia election 2025 live: Albanese to announce Adelaide healthcare centre funding; Dutton pledges Melbourne airport rail cash

PM in South Australia to commit $150m towards Flinders hospital clinic. Follow today’s news live

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Albanese’s approval rating takes a hit in Guardian Essential poll – but Labor inches ahead of Coalition

Our first Guardian Essential poll of the election period provides some decent news for Anthony Albanese this morning with the regular survey showing the Labor party ahead of the Coalition on a two-party-plus basis.

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Trump ‘running out of patience’ with Putin over Ukraine ceasefire, says Finnish president

Alexander Stubb – who played golf with Trump this weekend – suggested deadline and US sanctions package

Donald Trump is losing patience with Vladimir Putin’s stalling tactics over the Ukraine ceasefire, the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, said after spending nine hours with the US president – including winning a golf competition with him at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday.

Stubb, who also spent two days with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, last week in Helsinki suggested in a Guardian interview a plan for a deadline of 20 April, by which time Putin should be required to comply with a full ceasefire.

Stubb pointed out that a third golf partner on Saturday, the Republican senator Lindsey Graham, already has a bill in the US Senate proposing what he has described as “bone-breaking” US sanctions on Russia if it did not accept an unconditional ceasefire.

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More Myanmar quake survivors pulled from rubble as hundreds still missing

At least 1,700 people have died in Myanmar, and while many countries have sent aid and support, a lack of equipment is severely hampering rescue efforts.

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Trump 'very angry' with Putin over ceasefire negotiations

It marks the first time Trump has seriously threatened Russia with consequences for dragging its feet in Ukraine ceasefire negotiations.

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Taliban releases detained US citizen Faye Hall

The US's former envoy to Kabul said that Ms Hall is now in the care of Qatari officials and would "soon be heading home".

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‘Bile of racism’ and anti-migrant rhetoric spilling into political debate, race discrimination commissioner warns

Giridharan Sivaraman says politicians on all sides must not ‘dehumanise migrants’ in election lead-up

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Australia’s race discrimination commissioner has warned politicians not to “exploit” racist rhetoric against migrants over the cost-of-living and housing crises, and said the country has seen the “bile of racism” spill out during heated political debates.

Giridharan Sivaraman said no politician, regardless of their political stance, should pit communities against one other – against the backdrop of a budget and election campaign where the cost-of living crisis, conflict in the Middle East, and rising antisemitism and Islamophobia have become political battlegrounds.

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Myanmar quake toll passes 1,600 as people dig for survivors with bare hands

An acute lack of equipment, patchy communications and wrecked roads are hampering the search for survivors.

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'It's going to get worse': American car buyers brace for sweeping auto tariffs

"The prices in the wholesale market have skyrocketed already and it's going to get worse," one car seller told the BBC.

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Peter Dutton is painting a grim picture of the past three years. How do his claims stack up?

The opposition leader’s election pitch maintains Labor has presided over a litany of price rises – but experts say some problems began on Coalition’s watch

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The alternative prime minister boldly declared the 2025 federal election was a “sliding doors moment” for the nation.

Peter Dutton’s budget reply speech on Thursday evening was filled with facts and figures to paint Labor as hopeless at managing Australia’s best interests.

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Vance scolds Denmark during Greenland trip

Denmark's prime minister said the visit by the US VP and other top officials  showed a "lack of respect".

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Election 2025 live updates: PM in Queensland as Dutton campaign plane takes off for destination unknown

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are off and on their way on day one of their federal election campaigns. Follow today’s news live

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Good morning, Mostafa Rachwani with you from rainy Sydney, to take you through the latest from the election campaigns.

Coalition’s gas plan unlikely to lower prices, experts say

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French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal sentenced to five years in prison

French president Emmanuel Macron has called for authorities to free the novelist who was convicted in Algeria for allegedly undermining the country’s territorial integrity

French president Emmanuel Macron has called on Algeria to free Boualem Sansal, after the French-Algerian novelist was on Thursday sentenced to five years in prison and fined for allegedly undermining Algeria’s territorial integrity.

Sansal was arrested on 16 November at Algiers airport on arrival from Paris, after saying in an interview with a far-right French media outlet Frontières that France unfairly ceded Moroccan territory to Algeria during the colonial era.

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European leaders agree now ‘not the time’ to lift sanctions against Russia

Support for Ukraine continues with divided opinion on Franco-British plan for ‘reassurance force’ to help ceasefire

European leaders have affirmed their support for Ukraine at a Paris summit and agreed now was “not the time” to lift sanctions against Russia, but with splits remaining on Franco-British plans for a “reassurance force” to help guarantee an eventual ceasefire.

France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, said on Thursday the meeting of more than two dozen heads of state and government had agreed unanimously that sanctions on Moscow should not be eased until “peace has clearly been established” in Ukraine.

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Six dead after tourist submarine sinks in Red Sea

Another 39 people were rescued after the vessel sank in the Red Sea on Thursday morning.

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Malcolm in the Middle's brother recast for revival

Erik Per Sullivan, who played Malcolm's younger brother Dewey, will not return to the show.

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Trump names pro-Israel media activist as US ambassador to South Africa

Leo Brent Bozell III, founder of a conservative media group, is president’s nomination amid rising diplomatic tensions

Donald Trump has nominated a conservative, pro-Israel media activist as US ambassador to South Africa, at a time when the relationship between the two countries is at a nadir.

Leo Brent Bozell III founded the Media Research Center – whose website states it is “a blog site designed to broadcast conservative values, culture, and politics [and] to expose liberal media bias” – in 1987.

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Canada’s ex-spy chief says White House response to Signal leak threatens ‘Five Eyes’ security

Former intelligence head said leak and White House response was ‘very worrying’ to allies of the US

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Canada’s former spy chief has said the Trump administration’s attempts to downplay the leak of top-secret attack plans is a “very worrying” development, with implications for broader intelligence sharing among US allies.

On Wednesday, the Atlantic magazine published new and detailed messages from a group chat, including plans for US bombings, drone launches and targeting information of the assault, including descriptions of weather conditions. Among the recipients of the messages was a prominent journalist, who was inadvertently added to the group.

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Russian strikes show Moscow does not want ‘real peace’, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine’s president says drone attacks just hours after ceasefire talks were ‘a clear signal to the whole world’

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Ukraine’s president has accused Russia of being insincere about making peace as he reported an attack by 117 drones, before he headed to Paris for a discussion with EU and Nato leaders about establishing a post-conflict security force.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that launching nationwide strikes after negotiations over maritime and energy ceasefires was proof of Russia’s true intentions, though the Kremlin insisted the US-brokered talks were proceeding constructively.

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Ukraine ceasefire deal looks like a Russian wishlist tied with a US bow

A moratorium on attacks on ships in the Black Sea seems to be contingent on sanctions relief – a key Kremlin demand

The Kremlin is pressing its advantage with a White House that is impatient to show that Donald Trump is the only leader who can deliver peace in the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine.

At first blush, the deal agreed by US negotiators in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday offers concession on concession to the Kremlin, leaving observers to question whether Russia had given anything to secure its first offer of sanctions relief since the beginning of the war.

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Jim Chalmers’ 2025 budget speech abridged and annotated – the economy is OK and we’re heading into an election

What the treasurer said – and what we can read between the lines of the budget night speech

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Two French air display jets crash in rehearsal

The three occupants of the two Alpha Jets that collided ejected and were "found alive and conscious".

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Friend recalls final moments of South African pilot before air show crash

Decorated test pilot James O'Connell was in a "good frame of mind" prior to the crash, the BBC is told.

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Venezuelan immigrants deported from US to Venezuela via Honduras

In apparent deal between three countries, Venezuelan official said country would resume accepting US deportees

A group of Venezuelan immigrants were deported from the US to Honduras on Sunday, who were then sent to Venezuela, via an apparent deal between the three countries.

The flights came one day after a Venezuelan government official announced on social media it would resume accepting deportees from the US. Deportations from the US to Venezuela, which have rarely taken place, have been a point of dispute for the Trump administration.

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Ekrem İmamoğlu: jailed rival to Turkish president who could emerge stronger

Istanbul mayor has become the only politician capable of challenging Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the ballot box

When crowds of police arrived at the residence of the Istanbul mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, to arrest him in a dawn raid last week, his response was calm and deliberate. The mayor of Turkey’s largest city – a longtime rival of the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – issued a video message to his supporters, filming himself as he put on a crisp white shirt and tie to be dressed for his detention.

“A small group is trying to usurp the will of the people,” he said. “I will stand strong.”

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Russia accused of 'hollow' peace talks as fresh strike injures dozens

Russian missiles hit the city of Sumy as negotiators met the US delegation in Saudi Arabia for talks.

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Israeli strike at Gaza hospital kills Hamas official and aide

Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said medical staff had been injured and some of the hospital destroyed.

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Jim Chalmers says Coalition hints at aggressive NDIS cuts will ‘send a shiver up the spine’ of recipients

Treasurer seizes on shadow finance minister’s comments on ‘out of control’ disability insurance scheme

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The Coalition has hinted at a more aggressive approach to containing the cost of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in comments treasurer Jim Chalmers says would “send a shiver up the spine” of people relying on the $47bn program.

The shadow finance minister, Jane Hume, said on Sunday that there was “more that can be done” to curb the scheme’s rapid growth.

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Australia politics live: survey shows strong support for total ban on gambling ads; budget faces decade of deficits

Three-quarters of Australians support ban on gambling ads as recommended by a bipartisan parliamentary review. Follow today’s news live

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Finance Minister Katy Gallagher is in the hot seat this morning, facing the tv and radio interviews ahead of the budget release tomorrow.

She’s revealed that the government has found an extra $2bn in savings in this budget.

A big chunk of it comes through reducing the reliance on contractors and consultants, which is something that we’ve done in each budget… and that’s a big part of the $2.1 billion. But that is in addition to the savings we’ve found before. So across this Government, we’ve found $95 billion worth of savings, which has allowed us to repair the budget.

Well, that remains to be seen… but every budget that we have done, we have found savings. We found $95 billion worth of savings and that’s helped to get the budget in much better shape.

It is clear that the vast majority of Australian voters support a total gambling ad ban, and yet the government has sat on its own parliamentary report that recommends such an action for almost two years now…

With such a powerful move for change highlighted in this polling, it beggars belief that the two major parties are listening more to the gambling lobby and to other vested interests than they are to families across the country who are angry and demanding.

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Fixing a flawed levy on the banks could leave Australia’s budget billions of dollars better off

Australia’s banks have been given an easy ride at taxpayers’ expense. And economists Chris Richardson argues the banking levy is a fraction of what it should be

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The budget would be billions of dollars better off every year if Australia’s biggest banks were forced to pay taxpayers for an unspoken guarantee that taxpayers will bail them out in a crisis.

Days out from a fourth Labor budget that will show a looming decade of deficits, there is a growing urgency to make bolder decisions as part of a wider audit of how we tax and spend.

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'We will rescue anyone': BBC accompanies Syria's White Helmets after deadly attacks

The BBC accompanies the civil defence group as they respond to violence in Syria's coastal region.

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US blocks Canadian access to cross-border library, sparking outcry

US officials claim move was to curb drug trafficking while Quebec town says it ‘weakens collaboration’ among nations

The US has blocked Canadian access to a library straddling the Canada-US border, drawing criticism from a Quebec town where people have long enjoyed easy entry to the space.

The Haskell Free Library and Opera House is located between Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont. It was built deliberately to straddle the frontier between the two countries – a symbol of cooperation and friendship between Canada and the US.

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Prince William rides in tank during Estonia visit

The Prince of Wales has visited troops at a strategically important army base on Russia's border

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Ignored by Trump and menaced by Putin, the UK turns to the EU for defensive ties

As Trump seeks to withdraw the US from European defence, Keir Starmer is trying to develop closer ties with the UK’s neighbours

Donald Trump’s isolationism and Vladimir Putin’s menace leaves post-Brexit Britain in a delicate position. While the combination of US disengagement from Europe and the reality of Russian aggression has forced a reappraisal of security across the continent, Britain’s half-in, half-out status makes for complications.

The prime minister, Keir Starmer, wanted to showcase Britain’s credentials as a European military leader on Thursday, first with a visit to the Barrow shipyard where nuclear submarines are built and then to look into a meeting of 30-plus military heads, mostly from Europe, as they discuss how to create a post-war stabilisation force for Ukraine.

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Starmer warns Putin of ‘severe consequences’ if he breaches peace deal

UK leader says Russia cannot veto how Ukraine defends itself as western military officials meet to draft security plans

• Analysis: UK turns to the EU for defensive ties

Vladimir Putin will face “severe consequences” if he breaches a peace deal with Ukraine, Keir Starmer has warned as western military planners begin drawing up plans to enforce any agreement between the two countries.

The British prime minister issued his warning to the Russian president after meeting officials from 31 countries at the Northwood military base outside London, where they have started sketching out which western forces might be deployed to protect Ukraine in the future.

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Zelensky tells Russia to drop 'unnecessary' demands ahead of peace talks

Ukraine's leader also says taking Nato membership off the table would be a "big gift to Russia".

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Trump and Zelenskyy share ‘frank’ but ‘very good’ call as Ukraine accepts partial ceasefire

Ukraine’s president says his country is ready to implement pause in strikes on energy and infrastructure

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Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a “very good telephone call” on Wednesday, according to Trump, in the first conversation between the US president and his Ukrainian counterpart since their disastrous showdown in the White House three weeks ago.

Zelenskyy described the call as “positive, very substantive and frank”, and said he had signed up to a partial ceasefire that Trump agreed with Vladimir Putin a day earlier. The White House said Trump had promised to help with a Ukrainian request to source more air defence batteries for Kyiv.

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Canada ministry ‘strongly condemns’ China’s executions of several Canadians

China’s embassy in Canada says it is ‘rule of law’ country and those convicted of breaking laws ‘must be held accountable’

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Canada’s foreign affairs ministry has said it “strongly condemns” the execution of several of the country’s citizens in China this year, highlighting sustained tensions between the two countries.

Global Affairs Canada confirmed on Wednesday that an unspecified number of citizens were executed earlier this year. The revelations were first reported by the Globe and Mail.

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Trump hails 'very good' phone call with Zelensky

The US president says peace efforts are "very much on track" after an hour-long conversation.

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France preparing ‘survival manual’ for every household, report says

Booklet to give guidance on preparing for ‘imminent threats’ including armed conflict and natural disaster

The French government is reportedly planning to send a “survival manual” to every household in the country with instructions on how to prepare for an “imminent threat” including armed conflict, a health crisis or a natural disaster.

If approved by François Bayrou, the prime minister, the 20-page booklet will be sent to households before the summer, French media reported.

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‘It’s a history lesson’: fossil fish up to 16m years old found perfectly preserved in central NSW

Fossils retain microscopic structural features including stomach contents and provide first detailed evidence in Australia for fish called Osmeriformes

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Fossil fish so exquisitely preserved that scientists have been able to reconstruct their final days from up to 16m years ago have been discovered in central New South Wales.

Several fossils of small freshwater fish, embedded in an iron-rich mineral called goethite at the McGraths Flat fossil site, have retained microscopic structural features including their stomach contents and the outlines of cells that determine colour.

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No evidence for Trump claim about 'void' Biden pardons and autopen

President Trump claims 'many' of Biden's pardons are void because they were signed automatically and not by hand.

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Macron says Russia’s permission not needed to deploy troops in Ukraine

French president says France, UK and others could each deploy ‘a few thousand troops’ to key locations to show Ukraine ‘long-term support’

Emmanuel Macron has said France, the UK, and other nations providing security guarantees for Ukraine after any eventual ceasefire would not be aiming to deploy a “mass” of soldiers, but instead could send contingents of several thousand troops to key locations in Ukraine without needing Russia’s permission.

The French president told regional French newspapers, including Le Parisien and La Dépêche de Midi, that “several European countries, and indeed non-European ones” had “expressed their willingness” to join a possible deployment to Ukraine to secure a future peace agreement with Russia.

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Trump and Putin to hold call on ceasefire deal soon, US envoy says

Steve Witkoff, who recently met Putin, says he expects the presidents to have a positive discussion.

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Keir Starmer: ‘Putin is dragging his feet over 30-day Ukraine ceasefire’

Prime minister tells a summit of 29 leaders that the Russian president cannot delay peace talks indefinitely

Keir Starmer accused Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet over agreeing to a ceasefire with Ukraine on Saturday as international pressure grew on the Russian president to enter talks.

The prime minister said there was a limit to the length of time Putin could prevaricate, after he convened a virtual summit with 29 other international leaders who agreed to take plans for a peacekeeping force to an “operational phase”.

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US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis

US President Donald Trump cited the armed group's recent attacks in the Red Sea as justification.

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Tens of thousands attend anti-government protest in Serbia

The collapse of a station canopy that killed 15 people has galvanised anger towards the government.

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Greek PM seeks ‘reset’ with former far-right activist as migration minister

Shaken by rail protests, Kyriakos Mitsotakis brings in new transport minister while tacking right on migration

The Greek prime minister has appointed a former far-right student activist to the helm of the migration ministry as part of a broad reshuffle aimed at “resetting” his government amid public outrage over its handling of a deadly 2023 train crash.

In an attempt to stem declining approval ratings, Kyriakos Mitsotakis placed the self-described nationalist, Makis Voridis, in the sensitive post while selecting a number of younger officials to key portfolios including the transport ministry.

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'Terrifying and exhausting' - passengers describe escape from burning plane

Witnesses share their exhausting and terrifying escape after a plane forced to make an emergency landing caught fire.

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Australia news live: states sweat over new GST carve-up plan; hot weekend ahead for south-east

Commonwealth grants commission to recommend to treasurer how vital tax revenue should be distributed next financial year

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Hello, I’ll be taking you through today’s news until this afternoon. I hope you have a good morning.

Staying with the Coalition and politics, today’s Newsroom edition of the Full Story podcast looks at this very issue.

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Duda: US nuclear weapons in Poland would be 'deterrent' for Russia

Andrzej Duda tells the BBC's Jeremy Bowen he is confident Donald Trump has a plan to handle Russia.

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Donald Trump threatens 200% tariff on EU wine and champagne

US president says levy on alcohol imports would be retaliation for ‘nasty’ 50% tariff imposed on bourbon whiskey

• US politics live – latest updates

Donald Trump has threatened a 200% tariff on wine and champagne from European Union countries, in the latest threat of escalation in the global trade war started by the US president against the country’s biggest trading partners.

Trump said in a post on Thursday on his Truth Social platform that the tariffs on all alcoholic products from the bloc would be retaliation for a “nasty” 50% levy on American bourbon whiskey announced by the EU.

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Is Putin ready for a ceasefire or playing for time?

Russia is ready for a halt in fighting, says Vladimir Putin, but he says there are "nuances".

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UK accuses Russia of driving its Moscow embassy towards closure

Foreign Office responds to expulsion of British diplomat and diplomatic spouse with tit-for-tat move

Russia is attempting to push the UK embassy in Moscow towards closing and has no regard for the escalatory impact of such a move, the Foreign Office has said.

The UK expelled a Russian diplomat and their spouse on Wednesday in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of a British diplomat and a diplomatic spouse over allegations of espionage that UK officials strenuously deny.

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EU hits back at Trump tariffs and warns against trade war

For consumers, higher prices loom on supermarket shelves, but for businesses and industry the risks are higher.

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Romanian court rejects appeal by far-right politician to lift candidacy ban

Călin Georgescu, a Russia-friendly populist, won first round of election before result was annulled

• Europe live – latest updates

A top Romanian court has rejected an appeal by far-right politician Călin Georgescu to lift a ban on his candidacy in a rerun of the presidential election, sparking anger among his supporters.

Georgescu, a Moscow-friendly populist, surged from almost nowhere to win the first round of the election last year, but the result was annulled by Romania’s top court because of suspected Russian interference.

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BBC Verify examines moments before cargo ship and oil tanker collision

Ship tracking data sheds light on what happened before the two vessels, the Solong and Stena Immaculate, collided in the North Sea.

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Greenland faces ‘fateful choice’ says island’s PM as it prepares for election

Poll takes place against backdrop of threats by Donald Trump and growing calls for independence

Greenland’s prime minister said voters face a “fateful choice” as the Arctic island prepares to go to the polls in a pivotal election closely watched by Europe and the US.

The vote on Tuesday has attracted global attention after Donald Trump’s repeated assertions about acquiring the autonomous territory, using military and economic force if necessary.

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Australia live news: flood evacuation warnings in NSW and Queensland as waters rise after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred deluge

Major flooding isolates 1,800 people in northern NSW as evacuation routes cut. Follow today’s news live

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There is a rescue underway, Newmarket Road, Windsor where cars have tried to drive through flood waters.

The QLD government has stressed to use common sense, adjust speeds and not drive through flood waters. There have been some heavy glass overnight, and the roads are dangerous.

We’ve been working on a budget now, in the normal course, and budget submissions have been presented to the expenditure review committee. I sit on that.

And so we’ve been very busy in over the last few months, really, and particularly over the last few weeks, in the lead-up to the budget.

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Romanian far-right presidential hopeful barred from poll rerun

Calin Georgescu took an unexpected first place in December's election, which was then annulled.

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Israel to cut off electricity supply to Gaza, minister says

Eli Cohen's announcement on Sunday came one week after Israel cut off all aid supplies to the territory.

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Pro-Russia Cǎlin Georgescu barred from Romanian presidential election re-run

Far-right supporters of the candidate claim decision is undemocratic and Elon Musk describes his ban as ‘crazy’

Romania’s central election authority has barred far-right pro-Russia candidate Cǎlin Georgescu from running in May’s presidential election re-run.

The rejection of his candidacy, which was announced on Sunday evening and was condemned by far-right party leaders as undemocratic, can be challenged at the constitutional court.

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German election winner Merz moves step closer to forming government

Conservative bloc and SPD to start full coalition talks as chancellor-in-waiting plans to revive ailing economy

Germany’s conservative election winner Friedrich Merz came a step closer on Saturday to forming a government that he says will revive Europe’s top economy and its armed forces with massive new spending.

The bold moves are part of his plan to rebuild Berlin’s standing in Europe, which Merz has said must respond to the sweeping changes driven by US president Donald Trump that have rocked the transatlantic alliance.

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What is hantavirus, disease which killed Gene Hackman's wife?

Betsy Arakawa died from a respiratory illness linked to a rare virus transmitted by infected rodents. Here's what to know about the deadly disease.

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Cyclone Alfred hits islands off Brisbane and weakens as storm winds leave 200,000 without power

Alfred expected to be below tropical cyclone strength when it crosses mainland coast but residents warned to stay indoors

• Tropical Cyclone Alfred LIVE: latest news and updates
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Tropical Cyclone Alfred has passed over Moreton Island and was forecast to hit the Australian mainland on Saturday morning, prompting warnings to millions in Brisbane and the Gold Coast to remain in their homes.

More than 200,000 people in south-east Queensland lost power overnight – more than half of those on the Gold Coast – as destructive winds heralded Alfred’s passage through Moreton Bay.

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Tropical Cyclone Alfred LIVE: latest news and updates

No one is sleeping in Murwillumbah. All we can do now is wait for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the malevolent beast

When and where will the cyclone hit? Everything we know so far about TC Alfred

‘I’m ready’: why John is determined to weather Cyclone Alfred in his tent despite authorities’ warnings

How BoM modelling predicts the path of cyclones like Alfred

Is climate change supercharging Tropical Cyclone Alfred as it powers towards Australia?

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Syrian government still faces threat from Assad loyalists

Clashes between Syrian forces and Assad loyalists in the dictator's former heartlands show the risks ahead, writes Middle East correspondent Hugh Bachega.

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Trump says it is ‘easier’ to deal with Russia and Putin ‘wants to end the war’

US president says Russian counterpart ‘doing what anybody else would do’ as Ukraine faces escalating aerial attacks

Donald Trump has said he finds it “easier” to work with Russia than Ukraine and that Vladimir Putin “wants to end the war”, days after his administration cut off military assistance and intelligence to Kyiv.

“I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine. And they don’t have the cards,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. “In terms of getting a final settlement, it may be easier dealing with Russia.”

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‘Watershed moment’: EU leaders close to agreeing €800bn defence plan

Show of unity over Ukraine may be hampered by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán but desire to ‘rearm Europe’ is apparent

• Europe live – latest updates

European leaders holding emergency talks in Brussels are expected to agree on a massive increase to defence spending amid a drive to shore up support for Ukraine after Donald Trump halted US military aid and intelligence sharing.

Arriving at the summit, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was originally scheduled to join through a video link, said: “We are very thankful that we are not alone.”

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Sudan takes UAE to world court over 'complicity in genocide'

The UAE has strongly rejected Sudan's allegations, calling the case a "cynical publicity stunt."

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Greenland politicians condemn ‘disrespectful’ Trump takeover claim

Prime minister says country not for sale after laughter in Congress at US president’s assertion ‘we’re going to get it’

Donald Trump’s claim in his address to Congress that the US will acquire Greenland “one way or the other” was widely condemned in Nuuk as “disrespectful” and was said to present an “unacceptable view of humanity”.

In his speech on Tuesday night, the US president was met with laughs, including from the vice-president, JD Vance, who was sitting behind him, when he said: “I also have a message tonight for the incredible people of Greenland.”

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US confirms direct talks with Hamas over Gaza hostages

Israel was consulted prior to the talks, according to the White House, after reports said the two sides were discussing the release of hostages.

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Pope still stable after respiratory failure, Vatican says

Pope Francis is off mechanical breathing intervention and is alert, the Vatican's latest update says.

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Don't complain about use of New Zealand's Māori name, MPs told

It comes after the deputy prime minister tried to ban lawmakers from calling the country Aotearoa in parliament.

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UK-France tensions over plan to seize $350bn Russia assets for US arms

Macron fears approach would breach principle of immunity of sovereign assets and undermine efforts to strengthen European defence

Tensions have surfaced between France and the UK over whether $350bn of frozen Russian assets can be seized and then offered to the US to buy defence equipment, binding America closer to the defence of Europe.

The UK’s willingness to seize the assets is longstanding, but its position has become more pronounced in recent weeks, with a high-level endorsement by the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy. The proposal has also had the support of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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What hurdles does Europe's peace plan for Ukraine face?

Whatever words are used to frame the plan, enormous challenges lie ahead, the BBC's Frank Gardner writes.

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Starmer leads with pragmatism and personal touch as Europe steps up

PM takes centre stage amid calls for new era of diplomacy but declines to point finger at chaos in the White House

• Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updates

After Friday’s calamitous scenes in the Oval Office there were immediate calls for quick answers, new eras and pages of history being turned. Keir Starmer, it seems, is the person now forced to say: hang on, it is a bit more complicated than that.

The hastily arranged gathering of leaders at London’s Lancaster House on Sunday was undeniably dramatic, with the UK prime minister at its centre – including in the group photo, where he stood between Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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King Charles meets Zelenskyy after president attends summit in London

Ukraine’s leader invited to Sandringham following gathering of European leaders hosted by Keir Starmer

The king has met Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Norfolk estate, Sandringham, shortly after Ukraine’s president attended the prime minister’s summit for European leaders.

Three days after Charles sent a personal invitation to Donald Trump for an unprecedented second state visit to the UK as part of a charm offensive, the king was again deployed by No 10 on the international diplomatic front.

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Pope Francis remains in stable condition, a day after respiratory crisis

Pontiff, 88, spends long periods off noninvasive ventilation, showing improving lung function as he battles pneumonia

Pope Francis remains in stable condition a day after a respiratory crisis, and has spent long periods off the noninvasive ventilation he initially needed in a sign that his lung function was improving as he battles double pneumonia.

Francis had no further episodes of bronchial spasms, the Vatican said in its late update on Saturday. He had no fever and no signs of new infection, was feeding himself and continued his respiratory physiotherapy, the Vatican said.

The 88-year-old pope had a good response in his blood gas levels even during the “long periods” he was off the ventilator mask and only using high-flow supplemental oxygen. But his prognosis remained guarded, meaning he wasn’t out of danger.

“The Holy Father is always vigilant” and aware of what’s going on around him, the statement said, adding that he received the Eucharist and spent time in prayer.

The comparatively positive update came after Francis suffered a setback Friday in his two-week battle against pneumonia.

Francis had a coughing fit in which he also inhaled vomit. Doctors aspirated the vomit and placed Francis on noninvasive mechanical ventilation, a mask that pumps oxygen into his lungs. Doctors said episode resulted in a “sudden worsening of the respiratory picture.”

The pope remained conscious and alert at all times and cooperated with the manoeuvres to help him recover.

The fact that Francis on Saturday was able to use just high-flow oxygen for long periods, without any significant effect on the levels of oxygen in his blood, was a sign his respiratory function was improving.

The pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has lung disease and was admitted to Gemelli after a bout of bronchitis worsened and turned into pneumonia in both lungs.

The Vatican said the episode was different from the prolonged respiratory crisis on 22 February, that was said to have caused Francis discomfort. Doctors not involved in Francis’ care said it was particularly alarming given his existing lung disease and fragility.

Types of noninvasive ventilation include a BiPAP machine, which helps people breathe by pushing air into their lungs. Doctors will often try such a machine for a while to see if the patient’s blood gas levels improve so they can eventually go back to using oxygen alone. Friday’s statement said Francis showed a “good response” to the gas exchange using the mechanical ventilation.

Doctors did not resume referring to Francis being in “critical condition”, which has been absent from their statements for four days now. But they say he isn’t out of danger, given the complexity of his case.

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Vance took the lead attacking Zelensky. Why?

Is the US vice-president doing Trump's bidding or looking to the future?

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