In today’s newsletter: Le Pen’s embezzlement conviction bans her for five years from public office. More on the charges, the sentence and what happens next

Good morning. Marine Le Pen appeared to have been expecting a guilty verdict in her trial for embezzling millions in European parliament funds to pay her party’s workers in contravention of the rules – and even to have anticipated that she might face a period of ineligibility for political office once her inevitable appeal was over. But as she stormed out of a French court yesterday, shaking her head and muttering “incroyable”, it was clear that she wasn’t expecting this.

The judge found Le Pen guilty along with 24 other members of her far-right National Rally party. But whereas a sentence under house arrest and fine were suspended pending the end of her appeal, a five-year ban from public office kicked in immediately. That means she will be ineligible for the 2027 presidential election in which she has been the frontrunner for months.

US politics | Stock markets in Europe and Asia fell heavily on Monday after Donald Trump suggested that new tariffs he is expected to announce this week would hit “all countries”. In the UK, ministers are expecting to be hit by the tariffs, despite having hoped to secure a carve-out.

Israel-Gaza war | Fifteen Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, including at least one United Nations employee, were killed by Israeli forces “one by one” and buried in a mass grave eight days ago in southern Gaza, the UN has said.

Housing | Only 2.5% of private rented homes in England were affordable for people on housing benefit last year, with charities warning that more people will be pushed into rent arrears and homelessness as a freeze on the benefit takes effect.

Taiwan | China has launched large-scale military drills around Taiwan, accusing its leaders of being “separatists” and “parasites” who were pushing the democratically run island into war. The drills, accompanied by a propaganda campaign, were launched without warning on Tuesday morning.

Space exploration | Whatever Elon Musk and Donald Trump liked to insist, astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams were never stuck, nor stranded in space, and definitely not abandoned or marooned, they told the world on Monday. The pair had to stay on the international space station for nine months instead of 10 days after a prototype space capsule had a propulsion fault.