Labour to back down on foie gras and fur bans to ease EU trade deal

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Exclusive: Animal welfare charities ‘bitterly disappointed’ UK government plans to backtrack on manifesto promises

  • This article contains an image of a duck being force-fed that some readers may find upsetting

The UK government is to break a manifesto commitment to ban foie gras imports, and has declined to stop fur imports, after the EU made these red lines in its discussions for a trade deal.

Animal welfare charities say they are “bitterly disappointed” that ministers are failing to use powers granted by Brexit to restrict the import of these “cruel” items.

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Ukraine defies West by striking Russian oil refinery – Yahoo

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  1. Ukraine defies West by striking Russian oil refinery  Yahoo
  2. Russia’s Key Baltic Port Resumes Crude Loading After Attacks  Bloomberg.com
  3. Russian oil terminals under attack unable to accept shipments for second week, sources say  Reuters
  4. Ukraine hits port in Russia’s Primorsk, oil refinery in Nizhny Novgorod  Al Jazeera
  5. Ukrainian Strike Damages Central Russian Oil Refinery, Baltic Port Oil Facility  The Moscow Times
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Waitrose employee sacked after stopping shoplifter from taking Easter eggs

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Walker Smith, 54, who worked for retailer for 17 years, says he grabbed bag from thief before they escaped

A Waitrose employee of 17 years has described his devastation after being sacked for stopping a shoplifter who had ransacked a display of Lindt Gold Bunny Easter eggs.

Walker Smith, a shop assistant at a branch of Waitrose in Clapham Junction, south London, was going about his normal duties when a customer stopped him. “They told me someone had filled up a Waitrose bag with the eggs,” he said.

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Uproar in Germany over law requiring men get military approval for long stays abroad

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Ministry clarifies clause affecting those up to age 45 that is part of legislation that came into effect in January

A little-noticed clause in sweeping changes to Germany’s military service policy has caused uproar after it emerged that the law requires men aged up to 45 to get permission from the armed forces before any significant stay abroad, even in peacetime.

The legislation, which went into effect on 1 January, aims to bolster the military and demands all 18-year-old men fill out a questionnaire to gauge their suitability to serve in the armed forces, but stops short of conscription.

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Pepsi drops Wireless sponsorship amid criticism of Kanye West booking

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Sponsor pulls out after Keir Starmer calls decision to book rapper who wrote song titled Heil Hitler ‘deeply concerning’

Pepsi has said it is withdrawing its sponsorship of a UK music festival that is due to be headlined by Kanye West after Keir Starmer joined criticism of the event.

The musician is understood to have not yet made an application to come to Britain and could be blocked under powers allowing the authorities to do so if his presence is deemed not conducive to the public good.

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European allies are losing hope of keeping America in NATO – The Economist

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  1. European allies are losing hope of keeping America in NATO  The Economist
  2. The U.S.-Europe Alliance Is Reaching a Breaking Point Over the Iran War  WSJ
  3. Trump says he might withdraw the U.S. from NATO, even though the law says he can't without Congress' approval  CBS News
  4. Trump’s war in Iran puts new strain on alliances. Why this time it’s different.  The Christian Science Monitor
  5. Trump roils NATO as pressure builds over Strait of Hormuz  The Hill
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In Lebanon, more than 50 medics have been killed by Israel. Some say they’re targeted – NPR

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  1. In Lebanon, more than 50 medics have been killed by Israel. Some say they're targeted  NPR
  2. Doctors warn that Israel is targeting Lebanon’s health care system, as it did Gaza’s  apnews.com
  3. Israeli strike kills two medical workers in south Lebanon  Middle East Eye
  4. How Israel is destroying healthcare infrastructure in southern Lebanon  Al Jazeera
  5. Thousands dead and homes destroyed amid fears southern Lebanon could become new Gaza  The Independent
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Mexican art world protests over plan to send Frida Kahlo masterpieces to Spain

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Cultural figures sign open letter asking government for clarity on how long landmark collection will remain abroad

One of the world’s most important collections of 20th-century Mexican art, including works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, is set to be exported to Spain under an agreement with Banco Santander, sparking outrage among Mexico’s cultural community.

Nearly 400 cultural professionals have signed an open letter calling on the Mexican government to offer greater clarity on what the deal means for the masterpieces, particularly the works by Kahlo, which the Mexican state has declared an “artistic monument”.

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