- War on Iran: Three key takeaways from Araghchi’s interview with Al Jazeera Al Jazeera
- Iran’s Foreign Ministry Denies Talks With U.S. WSJ
- Iran rejects Trump's proposal to end the war and lays out 5 conditions npr.org
- Trust level is at zero: Irans Foreign Minister Araghchi rules out talks with US; warns of strength waiting for any ground attack Tribune India
- Iran says it has no plans for negotiations with the U.S. NBC News
High times or low blows? Experts fail to clear air over German drug legalisation
Cannabis policy still divisive two years in, with SPD hailing it while CDU minister says it is risk to young people’s health
It was a landmark piece of legislation passed by Germany’s previous, centre-left-led government: a measure that legalised the personal recreational use of cannabis for over-18s despite warnings from critics it would cause a steep rise in the drug’s use, including by teenagers, and boost criminal gangs.
Two years on, controversy over the move has still not been stubbed out, with critics and proponents at odds over its impact on consumption, youth welfare and organised crime.
Continue reading...Supreme court justices appear skeptical of move to end birthright citizenship as Trump attends arguments
The US president issued an executive order in 2025 that seeks to undo constitutional right to birthright citizenship
The US supreme court on Wednesday appeared poised to protect birthright citizenship, the longstanding policy that babies born in the US are American citizens, in what would be a blow to a key immigration policy for Donald Trump.
The court heard oral arguments with Trump himself in attendance inside the courtroom’s public gallery. A majority of justices asked questions indicating skepticism about the government’s attempt to overturn birthright citizenship. But while some expected the case to be a clearcut win for those challengingthe government, it is unclear how many justices might side with Trump. A decision is expected this summer.
Continue reading...Robotaxi outage in China’s Wuhan leaves passengers stranded in moving traffic
More than 100 of the Baidu driverless vehicles stopped running because of a system malfunction
Some robotaxi passengers were left stranded in the middle of fast-moving traffic in a major Chinese city after their driverless vehicles stopped running, according to police and media reports on Wednesday.
A preliminary investigation indicates more than 100 robotaxis came to a halt because of a “system malfunction”, police in the city of Wuhan said in a statement, without elaborating. No injuries were reported.
Continue reading...Secret Codes and Yuan Fees Get Ships Through Iran’s Hormuz Tollbooth – Bloomberg.com
- Secret Codes and Yuan Fees Get Ships Through Iran’s Hormuz Tollbooth Bloomberg.com
- Inside Tehran’s toll booth Atlantic Council
- IRGC Opens Tolled Passage for Merchant Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Transit Continues to Trickle Through USNI News
- Iran has a new demand to end the war – and it could bring in billions cnn.com
- Iran starts to formalize its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz with a ‘toll booth’ regime AP News
Unsuspecting windsurfer collides with gray whale in the San Francisco Bay
Footage shows a man windsurfing being forcefully thrown from his board as a whale breaches off the California coast
An unsuspecting windsurfer collided with a gray whale on the San Francisco Bay in a startling and rare encounter captured on video.
The footage shows the moment the surfer is forcefully thrown from his board as a gray whale breaches off the California coast, plunging him into the water.
Continue reading...Parents told to ‘take responsibility’ after two days of TikTok-led London disorder
Six teenage girls arrested after hundreds of young people gather in Clapham in ‘swarming the streets’ trend
Police have urged parents to “take responsibility” after scenes of widespread disorder in Clapham, south-west London, on Saturday and Tuesday. Officers said the incidents were fuelled by a TikTok trend for swarming the streets.
Six teenage girls have been arrested so far, and the Metropolitan police said there would be more arrests in the coming days as officers reviewed CCTV and bodycam footage of the disorder. It urged parents not to allow their children to take part in similar events over the Easter weekend.
Continue reading...Two dead and one missing after trying to cross Channel to UK
First fatal incident this year occurred hours after £16.2m ‘stop the boats’ deal agreed between Britain and France
Two people have died and another is missing after trying to cross the Channel from France to the UK on Wednesday morning. It is the first fatal incident in the Channel this year.
The deaths occurred just hours after an interim £16.2m “stop the boats” deal was agreed between the UK and France which will be in place until May. Negotiations will continue for a longer-term deal to replace the previous three-year deal, which expired on Tuesday. According to reports, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is trying to secure a “payment by results” agreement to reduce small boat crossings.
Continue reading...What do Trump’s latest comments on leaving Nato mean for the alliance?
Trump has criticised Nato members for showing a lack of support for US objectives in Iran.
What do Trump’s latest comments on leaving Nato mean for the alliance?
Trump has criticised Nato members for showing a lack of support for US objectives in Iran.
Families cram into Greek court for trial into deadliest train crash
Fifty-seven people were killed when two trains collided in 2023 in the worst rail accident in Greek history, with 36 accused in a trial expected to last years.
Iranian officials ‘laugh’ at Trump’s claim Iran wants a ceasefire
A senior Iranian official has laughed in response to US President Donald Trump's claim that Iran asked for a ceasefire.
Explosions at Burundi ammunition depot kill civilians, witnesses say
Powerful blasts destroyed homes and sparked panic in the city of Bujumbura on Tuesday night.
Kenya’s tea industry suffers crisis caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran
Kenyan tea farmers are facing a crisis after the US-Israeli war on Iran disrupted key export routes to the Middle East.
Gale-force winds forecast across northern UK over Easter weekend
Meteorologists issue yellow weather warning, with gusts of up to 90mph expected in some areas
The northern half of the UK is expected to face gale-force winds over the Easter weekend, with forecasters warning of possible travel disruption and power cuts, stemming from a “significant cold plunge from Canada into the North Atlantic”.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for very strong winds in Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of north Wales and northern England from 6pm on Saturday until midday on Sunday.
Continue reading...History’s biggest census: Why India’s new population count is controversial
The population count, which was delayed by five years, will include caste enumeration for the first time in a century.
Stella McCartney granted permission for £5m home in Scottish Highlands
McCartney and her husband faced objections including fears over threat to local otters and ‘hideous’ design
The fashion designer Stella McCartney has been granted permission to build a £5m home on a spectacular Highland peninsula after a three-year planning battle over the threat to local otters and the “hideous” modernist design.
McCartney and her husband, Alasdhair Willis, a creative director at Adidas, want to build the split-level property with a turf roof and natural stone walls on the rocky outcrop overlooking Loch Ailort, west of Fort William, 30 metres above sea level.
Continue reading...Reeves criticises Trump for starting Iran war with no ‘clear plan’ to get out of it – as it happened
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Starmer says he understands why people are concerned about the cost of living.
He says he has already set out a five-point plan to deal with the crisis.
Just look at what’s happening today. Today your energy bills will be cut because of the action that we took at the budget. And whatever happens in Iran, that price is now fixed until July.
The most effective way we can support the cost of living in Britain is to push for de-escalation in the Middle East, and a reopening of the strait of Hormuz, which is such a vital route for energy.
To that end, we’re exploring each and every diplomatic avenue that is available to us.
Continue reading...Nicotine pouches not yet cleared for sale in US due to concerns over young users
FDA planned to fast-track applications for authorization, but agency reviewers raise alarm over addiction risk
Popular nicotine pouch products have yet to be cleared for sale in the United States despite a fast-track Food and Drug Administration scheme, as agency scientists hesitate to authorize them due to potential risks to new users, including children, three sources told Reuters.
New tobacco products like pouches, which users insert under their lip to get a nicotine buzz, must be authorised by the FDA in order to be legally sold in the US, the world’s largest market for smoking alternatives worth some $22bn.
Continue reading...Trump says he is ‘absolutely’ considering withdrawing US from Nato
The president, a longtime critic of Nato, has stepped up criticism after allies refused to join the US-Israel war on Iran
Donald Trump has said he is “absolutely” considering withdrawing the US from Nato, warning that the matter was “beyond reconsideration” after the refusal of US allies to join the US-Israeli war against Iran.
The president’s threats, his most determined to date, have left the alliance facing its worst crisis in its 77-year history, a former US ambassador has warned.
Continue reading...