Exclusive: The Independent predicts the worst traffic jams will be on the M5, M6, M25 and A303

Many schools across the UK will break for the Easter holidays on Friday, 4 April, with most schools scheduled to remain closed until Easter Monday, 21 April.

Sweet and charming or vibey and bustling? These boutique hotels prove you can stay somewhere small in Ibiza without sacrificing whatas important to you

The Blue Lagoon has closed as the latest eruption begins

Exclusive: As first A380 flights to New York go on pre-sale, founder James Asquith says heas aputting everything on the linea

This area in northern Italy is the latest destination trying to repopulate rural towns

A red alert has been issued for the area

The UK government has issued new guidance to travellers visiting Thailand and Myanmar after the powerful earthquake struck

Portuguese man oa war have been spotted on Spanish beaches, forcing the temporary closure of some popular shorelines last year

Flight JQ-34 made a U-turn back to Bali where the passenger was arrested

Authorities ordered schools on Paros to remain closed while residents were told to stay indoors

Here are the paradise destinations behind The White Lotus season three

No passengers were onboard the easyJet A320 at the time of the collision

You could grab a bargain cruise fare if you can sail outside of the peak winter period

European countries have issued specific travel warnings to transgender and non-binary citizens

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end revealed he would be playing another season in the NFL last month

Mildred Simoneriluto is on a ticking clock, as she has just weeks to find the ticket and claim her winnings

Customers in possession of the product may either return it to Trader Joeas for a full refund or discard it

The Duke of Sussex promoted his sustainable tourism initiative Travalyst from his Montecito mansion in a new video released on Tuesday, 1 April.

Study also reveals which fast food chains are the quickest at handing out orders and which are most accurate

The TV host said last year that head anevera had Botox

The aImpractical Jokersa alum recently announced that he was entering an inpatient facility

Woods revealed he ruptured his left Achilles tendon last month

The actor petitioned to remove his mother and father as his legal guardians when he was 15

aItas a little disheartening that so many of the questions (and comments) were focused on my body instead of my music, my passion, or the decade of hard work that got me here,a Trainor wrote

The U.S. federal holiday calendar includes 11 significant days that Americans observe and celebrate

The restaurant chain is celebrating National Burrito Day on Thursday, April 3

Lawrence and Maroney, who married in 2019, also share three-year-old son Cy

Experts say not all cholesterol is bad; in fact, your body needs it for various functions

The rapper wrote on 27 March: aSheas finally here!! Our little celestial seeda

Abbey Road left Beatles fans aghast by announcing closure of the legendary zebra crossing

Cardi B announced she was filing for divorce from Offset in 2024 right after revealing her third pregnancy

The 65-year-old actor was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkinas lymphoma in October 2024

The joint appearance comes after Sweeney halted wedding planning with her fiancA(c)

aI thought the problem would never reach me,a admitted the WWE icon

Thereas no need to comment or intervene, writes Aimee Grant

This fermented probiotic drink has numerous health benefits, says Emilie Lavinia

The trend could actually cause havoc on your skin

The grandmother sought medical advice after she started afalling over for no reasona and her speech began to deteriorate

As new research this week reveals that almost one in five care homes in England are failing, Charlotte Cripps looks back at her decision to keep her dad out of one, and what it was like being part of the sandwich carer generation, as a single working mum looking after her dad, two children and a dog

The actor shares her two kids a Malcolm Hia>>p and MA(c)i June a with husband John Mulaney

aWeirdly, it does taste and feel like the real deal,a TV star said of luxury food item

Erik Per Sullivan, who played Dewey, is the only main cast member not returning for the reboot

Social media reports that the Chicago Bulls star died caused panic among aWorma fans

Taskmaster star Paul Chowdhry has condemned violence after a fight broke out during his show in Essex.

Country star Wallen also stirred controversy with his aabrupta exit from show

With shows like aStacey & Joea, aThe Dog Housea and aThe Great British Sewing Beea, primetime terrestrial TV has never felt more wholesome. But, wonders Phil Harrison, is that entirely a good thing?

Exclusive: The Grammy-winner tells Caitlin Hornik what inspired her forthcoming music and shares an update on her next Broadway-aimed musical

aI would like people to be held accountable for what theyave done,a Mary Kate Cornett said about the salacious story Pat McAfee peddled on-air. aYouare ruining my life by talking about it on your show for nothing but attentiona

Jon Richardson teased fans that he was swapping comedy for the classroom in an Instagram video posted on Monday, 31 March.

Willis, whoas living with dementia, recently celebrated his 70th birthday

Hackmanas publicist Susan Madore said the star and his wife Betsy Arakawa were fiercely private

a8 Out of 10 Catsa star has announced a surprise career change

Screaming girls. Puppy-love songs. That haircut. As the Canadian superstaras first record turns 15 a the same age he was when he became internationally inescapable a Mark Beaumont takes a look at his fast rise and often overlooked legacy

aThe BBC must answer for enabling such cruelty,a said Peta president

The President has enraged Canadians with his calls for the country to become Americaas 51st state

Mazin confirmed he wonat continue the story beyond the original video game series

Sethu will be the Doctoras companion in the new season

aI didnat know if it was an insult or a compliment,a actor said on confusing career advice

The actoras family had wanted the records kept secret

House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has shared how he feels about George R R Martinas now-deleted blog posts on aeverything thatas gone wronga with the second season of the HBO series.

Showas cast lived and filmed in a luxurious hotel in Thailand for seven months

Each film will focus on a different member of the Fab Four

The 23-year-old Disney star is at the centre of an online asmear campaigna

Completed film was axed by Warner Bros as part of a tax write-off in 2023 in a decision called abulls***a by cast

Jason Momoa says he is reprising role as swordmaster Duncan Idaho in third part of sci-fi blockbuster

Australian parliament passed landmark legislation in Novemeber banning social media platforms from allowing users under 16 to access their services

The Irish comedian presented the show for 17 years

Long-standing aSNLa star described Wallenas speedy getaway as aa spike in the norma

Monsteras Ball star is only Black woman to win best actress Oscar in 97-year-old history of Academy Awards

Amazonas $1bn acquisition has shaken things up

Spider-Man: No Way Home ended on a major cliffhanger for fans

Youall immediately want to add this to your watchlist

Full list of every single title being taken down in next 30 days

The feature-length documentary, released on BBC Two and iPlayer, digs into the story of a concerning modern phenomenon

Condemnation of West for his latest stunt has been swift, with one person on X/Twitter writing: aThis dude just needs to go awaya

aIt wasnat the right way to engage in that conversation,a actor said

The country singer previously performed on the late-night series in December 2020

Kim Sae-ron, the star of Netflix K-drama aBloodhounds,a died by suicide in February

Exclusive: UK willing to placate Trump with lower digital services tax rate also encompassing non-US companies

Big US technology companies have been offered a significant tax cut by Keir Starmer in return for lower tariffs from Donald Trumpas administration as the UK braces itself for a global trade war.

The Guardian understands the UK government is willing to reduce the headline rate of its digital services tax (DST) in an attempt to placate the US president, while at the same time applying the levy to companies from other countries.

London PhD student convicted of 10 rapes may have 60 more victims, force fears

More than 20 women have contacted police to say they fear they may have been attacked by the serial rapist Zhenhao Zou, with detectives fearing there may be even more victims to come.

Zou, 28, was convicted last month of raping three women in London and seven in China between 2019 and 2024.

Senior doctor who saw bodies says men appeared to have been aexecuteda, adding to evidence of potential war crime

Some of the bodies of 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, killed by Israeli forces and buried in a mass grave nine days ago in Gaza, were found with their hands or legs tied and had gunshot wounds to the head and chest, according to two eyewitnesses.

The witness accounts add to an accumulating body of evidence pointing to a potentially serious war crime on 23 March, when Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance crews and civil defence rescue workers were sent to the scene of an airstrike in the early hours of the morning in the al-Hashashin district of Rafah, Gazaas southernmost city.

Democratic senator slams Trump administrationas various policies and beats the all-time US record held by Strom Thurmond (24 hours and 18 minutes)

• Cory Booker holds marathon Senate speech to warn of Trumpas aharmfula policies

US voters are headed to the polls on Tuesday in Wisconsin and Florida in elections that some see as a test of Donald Trumpas popularity and the political clout of his billionaire ally Elon Musk.

The most closely watched contest is a battle for a seat on Wisconsinas seven-member supreme court. Conservatives are trying to flip ideological control of the court, which currently has a 4-3 liberal majority. The contest, which features liberal judge Susan Crawford facing off against conservative Brad Schimel, will have huge consequences in the state.

Financial literacy lessons to be given to pupils at primary and secondary schools

Pupils in England are to be taught how to spot the risks of in-game purchases as well as to scrutinise the claims of influencers in a new suite of lessons designed to improve their financial literacy.

The package of 80 lessons is aimed at teaching pupils aged five to 16 how to navigate online spending, after reports of children spending large sums of their own or their parentsa money online, often inadvertently.

Government wants to spur economic growth and drive housebuilding but charities say nature should be priority

Wildlife groups have expressed alarm after ministers promised a radically astreamlineda approach to UK environmental regulation intended to drive economic growth and speed up new housing, as well as major projects such as airports.

While officials said the plans should boost nature conservation overall, the removal of what one called abat by bata decisions, a reference to the APS100m bat shelter constructed for part of HS2, could water down individual protections.

Tony Blair Institute says enforcing stricter licensing rules for copyright-protected material will threaten national security interests

Tony Blairas thinktank has urged the UK to relax copyright laws in order to let artificial intelligence firms build new products, as it warned a tougher approach could strain the transatlantic relationship.

The Tony Blair Institute said enforcing firm copyright measures would strain ties with the US, which is poised to announce tariffs on UK goods on Wednesday.

Dissatisfaction also at record 59% in Great Britain, with A&E, GPs and dentists causing the most discontent

Public satisfaction with the NHS is at a record low and dissatisfaction is at its highest, with the deepest discontent about A&E, GP and dental care.

Just 21% of adults in Britain are satisfied with how the health service runs, down from 24% a year before, while 59% are dissatisfied, up from 52%, the latest annual survey of patients found.

Trevor Lock tackled leader of 1980 siege and saved life of SAS soldier after he was among 26 taken hostage

A police officer who received a medal for bravery for his heroics during the Iranian embassy siege in London in 1980 has died aged 85.

Trevor Lock and 24 of the hostages were freed after a six-day standoff between members of a dissident Iranian group and the SAS at the building in Kensington.

Research highlights link between low LDL cholesterol and reduced dementia risk, with statins offering additional protection

Lowering your levels of bad cholesterol could reduce the risk of dementia by 26%, a study suggests.

People with low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in their blood have a lower overall risk of dementia, and a reduced risk of Alzheimeras disease specifically, according to research published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

Andry JosA(c) HernA!ndez Romero sent to an El Salvador prison after claim acrowna tattoos proved he was a gang member

For as long as anyone can remember Andry JosA(c) HernA!ndez Romero was enthralled by the annual Three Kings Day celebrations for which his Venezuelan home town is famed, joining thousands of fellow Christians on the streets of Capacho to remember how the trio of wise men visited baby Jesus bearing gold, frankincense and myrrh.

At age seven, Andry became a Mini King, as members of the townas youth drama group Los Mini Reyes were known. Later in life, he tattooed two crowns on his wrists to memorialise those carnival-like Epiphany commemorations and his Catholic roots.

Locals are feeling the impact of the more than 17,000 tonnes of uncollected rubbish in the cityas streets

aIam afraid to open my front door, theyare everywhere,a said Mary Dore, eyeing the ground outside her house in Balsall Heath suspiciously. aThey run out from under the cars when you get in, theyare going in the engines. They chewed through the cables in my sonas car, costing him god knows how much.

aThereas one street I canat walk my dog because they come running out of the grass and the piles of rubbish. One time I screamed.a

The far-right leader has been banned from running for office for five years after an EU parliament fake jobs scam

After a nine-week trial, the French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was this week found guilty of the embezzlement of European parliamentary funds through a fake jobs scam of an unprecedented scale and duration. She was banned from running for office for five years with immediate effect, which could prevent her making a fourth bid for the French presidency in 2027.

She has said she will appeal against the verdict and sentence, which also included a four-year prison term a with two years suspended and two to be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet a and a!100,000 (APS84,000) fine.

Itas not fun to realize you may be an aalways welcome but never inviteda pal. But experts say itas not all bad

Weare hiding behind a dining table, waiting for the birthday girl to arrive.

The door creaks open. aSurprise!a we shout.

A press conference at Tory HQ at least had some entertainment value even if there was nothing of importance to say

There was a time when you knew where you were with a press conference. You would go along on the assumption that the person or organisation who had called it had something important to say. Something that might approximate to news.

But we live in ever more confusing days. So now weave reached the point where Kemi Badenoch and Mel Stride will do almost anything for attention. Where a press conference is just another excuse for a therapy session where they can unload their familiar grievances on to journalists. Itas the only way they can get anyone to listen.

As she reveals her tougher side in a Liverpool gangland drama, and fearfully prepares to tread the boards in New York, the actor talks about body image, big hair and the blind faith that has always driven her

Saoirse-Monica Jackson has done some dramas where everyone was quite sober and all her jokes fell flat. But This City Is Ours was different, not least because of the number of Scousers on set, the Derry Girls star explains. aIt wasnat, like, so serious,a she says. aWe had craic off-camera.a However, while it was fun to make the buzzy new BBC crime drama (the female cast members named themselves the Muffia) the end result isnat fun a although it is gripping. Featuring betrayals, love and a lot of violence, the show stars Sean Bean as a Liverpool drugs boss, while Jackson plays Cheryl Crawford, the wife of one of his underlings.

Cheryl is on the periphery, though her voice-of-experience warnings ring loud. aThereas nothing good about our men,a she tells Diana, the partner of a senior gang member. Jackson has lived in Liverpool for a couple of years now a which helped with the accent a and it was a treat to be back in her own bed at the end of a dayas filming. A lot of hair extensions helped with the look. aIt was so heavy, so hot, to be under it every day,a she says with a laugh. aOur amazing hair and makeup designer, Adele Firth, really wanted to get the picture across of some girls in Liverpool a they take such pride in themselves. Every occasion is an occasion to really get dolled up.a Jackson found herself intrigued by Cheryl. aI think if, like her, you grow up around these types of people, or theyare adjacent to your family, that can blur the danger for you.a

New Zealandas docile, solitary and elusive agod of ugly thingsa does wonders for the forest-floor ecosystem

Are you sick of throwing yourself on the altar of unrealistic beauty standards? Do you long to celebrate the delightfully monstrous, to give the spiny stuff of shadows their day in the sun? Then consider the mighty wAtApunga a an endemic New Zealand insect so revered for its unconventional beauty its name means agod of ugly thingsa.

This forest behemoth is thought to be the heaviest adult insect in the world, with a female weighing as much as a mouse or a sparrow. Its body can grow up to 10cm long (nearly 4in) and its leg span can be as wide as 20cm. Once found across parts of the North Island, the vulnerable wAtApunga a the largest of 70 wAtA species a now resides entirely on a smattering of predator-free islands near Auckland.

Between 24 March and 2 April, we will be profiling a shortlist of 10 of the invertebrates chosen by readers and selected by our wildlife writers from more than 2,500 nominations. The voting for our 2025 invertebrate of the year will run from midday on Wednesday 2 April until midday on Friday 4 April, and the winner will be announced on Monday 7 April.

Could I discover an order that would mark me out as intriguing, charming and strangely sophisticated? I spent a week trying everything from chocolate milk with rum to apple cider vinegar with prosecco to find out

In the little we know of Materialists, the forthcoming film from Past Lives director Celine Song, Dakota Johnson plays Lucy, a successful matchmaker who is herself perennially single and jaded about love. When an as-yet-unnamed suitor (Pedro Pascal) approaches her at a wedding and asks to buy her a drink, Lucyas response is not so much a request as a challenge.

aSure,a sighs Johnson, with that hypnotically flat delivery that saw her named worst actress at this yearas Razzies. aCoke and beer.a

Itas time for a reset! Our fashion guru reveals how you can shake up your wardrobe for the new season

aC/ The best Chanel-style jackets to rival the real thing

In the winter months, I crave the comfort of repetition. I want to make a vat of soup to keep in the fridge and have a bowl for lunch every day. I long to discover a TV drama that I have somehow missed and have seasons to catch up on so that I can watch an episode every night. Hibernation, essentially.

Then, after months of that, the clocks go forward and a like clockwork a I get an itch for novelty. Yesterday I went to refresh the water in a vase of flowers on the mantelpiece; 15 minutes later all the stems were piled up around me on the floor and I was curating a whole new arrangement. Change is good! In the mood to shake something up? Out with the old. In with the newness! Read on for some hot-off-the-press thoughts.

It could be that you really dislike a song, or perhaps the person who sings it. Either way, your DJ needs to know

Name: aDo not playa lists.

Age: Itas probably been a thing for pretty much as long as playlists have been a thing, but itas now more officially a thing because there was just a New York Times article about them.

Itas that time of the year for media and product pranks. Here is our roundup of the best of them

In an era when legitimate news stories range from US officials adding a journalist to a group chat planning a war to a miniature dachshund going feral on an Australian island for 16 months, it is increasingly hard for media outlets to invent ridiculous but plausible hoax stories for April Foolsa Day. Nevertheless, the tradition persists, and brands have been more active than ever in leveraging the one day of the year when outlandish boasts about their products might raise a smile rather than ire.

The nappy brand Rascals claimed to be launching a new range that would play a jingle every time it sensed a tinkle of a different kind. Experienced parents will be well aware that most humans already come equipped with a highly attuned detection system, in the shape of olfactory organs.

As claims pile up about the charity he founded, heas learning that smiling and biting your lip can be quite painful. Hear, hear, as the Windsors might say

Straight faces, please, as we try to look charitably at the toxic row engulfing Prince Harryas charity. Are you up to speed with this everyday story of giving folk? Iam in such a muddle with it all that I canat remember if Iam allowed to say that purely from my observations of her telly interviews, Sentebale chair Sophie Chandauka does seem like a right old loose cannon.

But Iam getting ahead of myself, so letas do a quick recap. Sentebale is a charity to help children and young people with HIV and Aids in Lesotho and Botswana, and was set up almost two decades ago by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, in honour of their mothers. Its current chair is Chandauka, a Zimbabwean lawyer, and something about her stewardship of the charity has provoked its entire board of trustees to judge that their relationship has broken down irretrievably. Accordingly, they have all resigned. Chandauka in turn has said that the charity was riddled with apoor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny [and] misogynoira, and accused Prince Harry of aharassment and bullying at scalea.

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

Forcing the abandonment of commonsense, evidence-based guidelines is a new low for a party that once prided itself on justice reform

A progressive sentencing guideline that was due to come into force today has been shot down in the crossfire of the culture wars. This is devastating news for people whose lives would have been changed by the guideline, such as pregnant women and mothers.

The Sentencing Councilas updated aimposition of community and custodial sentencesa guideline signalled a change in sentencing. It would have required magistrates and judges to consult a pre-sentence report before deciding whether to imprison someone of an ethnic or religious minority, alongside other groups including young adults, abuse survivors and mothers. It would have taken into account structural disparities in sentencing outcomes, such as the high risk of stillbirth that pregnant women face in prison and the damage caused by separating mothers from children. It would also have introduced measures to combat racism in courts. The UN has described our justice system as systemically racist, and a 2017 review conducted by the now minister David Lammy acknowledged its aracial biasa.

Janey Starling is the co-director of gender justice campaign group Level Up

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

So many people and organisations are capitulating to the US president, from Silicon Valley to the Democrats, legal firms and elite universities. How realistic is the prospect of Trump 3.0?

Hell is empty and all the devils are in Washington DC. And, what with devils being immortal and all, it looks as if they might stay there indefinitely. Now, before I seamlessly segue from fun devil facts into talking about Donald Trump threatening to run for a third term, the current political climate compels me to make a few things clear. I recently had to submit my US green card for renewal (impeccable timing!) so Iad like to explain to any United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers reviewing my file that the first line of this piece was just riffing on Shakespeare. Iam absolutely not comparing Trump, the greatest man to walk this Earth, to Satan. Nor am I suggesting evil people seem to live long lives.

On the contrary, I am thrilled that our 78-year-old president has suggested he is looking into amethodsa that will allow him to serve this wonderful country longer. And itas a shame my enthusiasm isnat universally shared. I mean, to quote JD Vance (who is up there next to Shakespeare in the words department), have any Trump detractors SAID THANK YOU ONCE? Trump could be relaxing with his billions; he could be playing golf every day. Instead, the poor man only gets to play golf every few days a costing taxpayers millions of dollars a and has to spend most of his time sorting out the US. The economy doesnat just crash itself, you know? So thank you, Mr President. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Despite social media hype, there is little evidence that the therapies, marketed as pills, shots and IV infusions, have any effects on ageing

The fountain of youth is an enduring legend. Different iterations of the fabled spring a which is said to give anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters the power to defy ageing a have echoed across cultures for thousands of years.

In the modern age, this quest for youthfulness is known as abiohackinga a where individuals take a do-it-yourself approach to enhance their biology, often through supplements a and the latest trend is NAD boosters.

Why the anger? Doubling council tax on holiday homes in England is a sensible, revenue-raising policy for communities in serious need

Should you have the worldas tiniest violin to hand, prepare to play it. This week, English councils gain the power to double council tax on second homes, and the holiday-cottage-owning classes are fuming. aNothing but a racket,a thundered the Daily Telegraph, dismissing a supposedly avindictivea raid on weekenders that was (gasp) asocialista to boot.

Its Sunday sister paper further tugged on readersa heartstrings with tales of homeowners who had inherited a second place somewhere lovely from their parents, and bridled at being asked to pay a few thousand pounds more a year to keep it in the family. In the Times, a retired barrister who felt forced to give up the seaside pad she had bought in her motheras native St Davids complained of the tax adestroying generations of community-buildinga, as though houses sitting empty all winter were the one thing really guaranteed to bring a thriving community together. To which one can only say: people, learn to read a room(s). Youave certainly got enough of them.

Last week, he moved to end collective bargaining rights for 1 million people. And would anyone who cared about workers hire this staff?

If any workers are still holding on to the notion that Donald Trump is pro-worker or pro-union, his move last week to terminate union bargaining rights for 1 million federal workers should disabuse them of that notion. As a candidate Trump often wooed workers by promising to fight for them, but ever since he returned to the White House, he has taken dozens of anti-worker and anti-union actions.

In an unprecedented anti-union action last Thursday, the president moved to end collective bargaining for a million federal employees and scrap union contracts nearly that number, while attacking their unions as ahostilea merely because they were doing what unions are supposed to do: battling to save the jobs of tens of thousands of union members whom Trump and Elon Musk had summarily fired.

Football manager Gary Caldwell thinks he sounds too aaggressivea. But as a fellow Scot, I know the answer isnat to aEnglifya ourselves

The worst job I had was in a bank in Sydney, dealing with a life insurance policy called Lite Life Direct. It was tedious, repetitive and oddly stressful, and involved a lot of time on the phone. What made the situation particularly frustrating was that almost no one could understand my Scottish accent.

aLite Life Direct,a I would say, three, sometimes four times down the line to no avail. Then I would cave: aLoight Loif Direct.a With my faux-Australian pronunciation, suddenly me and the caller would be simpatico.

Catriona Stewart is a Glasgow-based journalist and broadcaster specialising in politics and home affairs

The US president wields tariffs not as a policy tool but as an instrument of pressure, rewarding loyalty and punishing defiance a even among allies

Donald Trump has probably not read much Michel�Foucault. But he appears to embody the French philosopheras claim that apolitics is the continuation of war by other meansa. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his fondness for tariffs. He presents taxing foreign imports as a way to rebuild the American economy in favour of blue-collar workers left behind by free trade and globalisation. Yet he plainly thinks that politics is not about truth or justice. It is about leverage and supremacy.

Britain is learning first-hand that Mr Trump, with his us-versus-them framing and taste for spectacle, is an accidental Foucauldian a using tariffs as tools of loyalty�and dominance, even against allies. If Mr�Trump follows through on his threat to impose a 20% tariff on all imports, UK growth will suffer. The effect depends on the response. No British retaliation would mean GDP 0.4% lower this year and 0.6% next. A global trade war would push that to 0.6% and 1%. Either outcome would wipe out the governmentas fiscal headroom. But while British policymakers fret over the shrinking margins of fiscal rules, Mr Trump sees no need to cloak power in objectivity.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

The arrest of vice-president Riek Machar takes the country closer to a second civil war

After less than a decade and a half in existence, the worldas newest country, South Sudan, appears to be sliding towards a second civil war. A 2018 power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and Riek�Machar, the first vice-president, put an end to five years of fighting. But last weekas arrest of Mr Machar effectively ended that agreement, his party says. The United Nations warns that his house arrest, along with mounting military clashes and reports of attacks on civilians, has brought a fragile peace closer to collapse, posing a direct threat to millions.

The fear is not just of a battle between factions, but�of ethnic cleansing and civilian massacres. Political violence in South Sudan has previously descended into intercommunal conflict between the Dinka ethnic group (to which Mr Kiir belongs) and the Nuer (to which Mr Machar belongs).

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Readers agree with Simon Jenkinsa view that the US is amoving fast and breaking thingsa a but do not see any positive outcome

Simon Jenkins is right: Donald Trump is certainly moving fast and, two months in, the sound of things breaking is cacophonous. His contention that the end result might be a better US, however, is beyond contrarian (27 March).

In rejecting his argument, I would cite the work of several American commentators and academics: the constitutional and legal experts Marc Elias and Joyce Vance, the widely acclaimed historians Timothy Snyder and Heather Cox Richardson, and the Yale philosopher Jason Stanley are all full of apprehension for the future of the country they love. None suggests an upside; all anticipate a long and difficult fight. The risk is existential.
To take two examples of how serious the challenge to American democracy is, I would draw attention to Mr Trumpas relentless efforts at voter suppression and the willingness of his officials both to break the law and to disobey direct judicial instructions. Beyond this, there is the trashing of decades-old alliances, the coddling of Vladimir Putin, the betrayal of Ukraine, the ludicrous appointments, the barefaced lying, the reduction of politics to spectacle and the full-frontal assault on the structures of the federal state. So no, I find it impossible to see how any of this will have the positive outcome Mr�Jenkins anticipates.
John Bailey
Farnborough, Hampshire

Readers respond to the forced entry of a place of worship and arrest of six people at a Youth Demand meeting in London

I represent a non-Quaker spiritual group with a longstanding arrangement to meet twice a week at the Westminster Quaker meeting house in London, from which building six female members of a youth protest group were recently arrested by means of violent forced entry (Report, 30 March).

A symptom often felt by people who are burgled is that their personal space has been invaded. When those who commit violence are those whose role is to protect us, it is doubly shattering. We were not present when the forced entry took place, yet the manner of it leaves us with a feeling of devastation and destruction of so�much of what we have created. Of course it will be argued that the invasion of the space was a necessary evil, but I have to state with force that what we now suffer is real hurt, whereas the prevention of resistance in London is harm as yet not done.

The Arsenal fans had come to see Bukayo Saka and when he took off his tracksuit, primed to enter as a 66thaminute substitute, red shirt vividly lighting the scene, it is fair to say there was a reaction. It was mainly release. The three months without Saka have been hard, AArsenalas Premier League title challenge slipping away as he recovered from a ruptured hamstring.

There was certainly a script to be written and, Saka being Saka, he set about it. Arsenal have an incredible home record in the league against Fulham a 24 wins, seven draws and no defeats before this. They were on their way to another victory thanks to Mikel Merinoas heavily deflected goal on 37 minutes, the latest return from the clubas makeshift No 9.

At the weekend the lasting shot was Ryan Yates haring towards the Nottingham Forest supporters in celebration and here another episode at breakneck speed earned victory. This time the subject was Anthony Elanga, who tore up the City Ground turf, eating up 85 metres in nine exhilarating seconds, to score the only goal of the game against his former club and maintain Forestas unlikely push to qualify for the Champions League.

The other moment that Forest may look back on as pivotal if they go on to earn a place in the gameas grandest club competition arrived six minutes and 18 seconds into stoppage time. Harry Maguire, thrown up front as an unconventional striker, a needs-must move by Ruben Amorim, prodded the ball goalwards but Murillo hacked it off the line with almost the last kick of the game. A few seconds later, with Forestas first league double over United since 1991-92, when Brian Clough was in charge, secured, Rockina All Over the World blared over the speakers and the locals set off a round of fireworks that soared into the sky above Trent Bridge.

• Loans scrutinised by public accounts committee
• aGap in oversighta over APS123.8m paid to rugby teams

There remains a ahigh degree of uncertaintya over whether tens of millions of pounds paid to rugby union clubs and other sports teams during the Covid-19 pandemic will ever be repaid, the House of Commonsa public accounts committee has warned.

In a report published on Wednesday, the committee also criticised the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for being aoverly optimistica in believing it will recover most of the APS474m it paid out to 120 organisations in the sport and culture sectors to help them survive the impact of the pandemic.

Surrey look primed to make it four titles in a row and Lancashire have enough to jump back to Division One

aThree points means three beers,a according to VAtor Pereira. The Wolves head coach and fans can enjoy a few righteous pints after his side moved 12 points clear of the relegation zone with a hard-fought victory over West Ham.

JA,rgen Strand Larsen scored the only goal to open up a greater gap on the drop zone. It was easy to see what the result meant to Pereira and his staff. They spent the final minutes of injury time demanding more noise from the home supporters to see Wolves over the line. At the final whistle the head coach leapt in the air and on to the pitch to celebrate, while the stands erupted, embracing each one of his players to thank them for their endeavours.

• Gjert Ingebrigtsen was secretly recorded by son Henrik
• Former coach denies all allegations of violence

The father of the double AOlympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen accused his sons of a aperfect Acharacter assassinationa on a secret recording made after they fired him, a court has been told.

Gjert Ingebrigtsen also claimed that he had been dragged adown to hella after he was referred to child services following an incident in January 2022 where he was accused of whipping his daughter, Ingrid, in the face with a wet towel.

Appointing a coach whose world revolves around womenas cricket is an ideal first step after a woeful Ashes

Last time the England head coach role became available, in August 2022, Charlotte Edwards did not even apply: she believed that she did not yet have enough experience under her belt. Less than three years later, the England and Wales Cricket Board has concluded that she is such a perfect candidate for the job that it expedited her application, somehow condensing the period between firing one coach (Jon Lewis) and hiring another into the space of three weeks.

Edwardsas record as head coach now speaks for itself: since domestic womenas cricket entered its professional era in 2020, she has led Southern Vipers to five out of nine available titles. She has also won the Womenas Hundred, coached a side to the final of the Womenas Big Bash League in Australia, and (less than three weeks ago) won her second Womenas Premier League in India. It is sometimes said that brilliant players do not translate into brilliant coaches, but Edwards a who during her 20-year playing career won a 50-over World Cup, a T20 World Cup and lifted the Ashes five times a is a notable exception to the rule.

• Turf at Turnberryas Ailsa Course ripped up by protesters
• Course has been closed since October due to renovation

Turnberryas famous Ailsa Course will not open as planned on 1 May after serious damage caused to the Ayrshire venue a owned by the US president, Donald Trump a by a pro-Palestine group. Tour operators and those with individual bookings at Turnberry are in the process of being informed it will be June before the Ailsa, which is routinely ranked among the finest golf courses in the world, is available for play.

The clubhouse at the Ayrshire resort was daubed with graffiti and red paint in the early hours of 8 March. More significant in respect of the championship course a that has staged the Open on four occasions a was the ripping up of greens and on turf approaching them. The course has been closed since October due to planned renovation of the 7th and 8th holes.

Northern Ontario is seeing a ashorter windowa for ice roads that deliver vital supplies to remote First Nations

At first there was no answer on the satellite phone. But on the third call, Donald Meeseetawageesic heard his sisteras voice. aWe need somebody to come and tow us out,a he told her.

It was a warmer-than-normal night in early March and Meeseetawageesic, the elected band councillor for Eabametoong First Nation, was stranded in a 4x4 truck on the dark winter road leading to his community. The tyres were stuck in the deep snow and the temperature outside was below freezing. Help was about 60km (37 miles) away.

Experts say previous economic models underestimated impact of global heating a as well as likely acascading supply chain disruptionsa

Economic models have systematically underestimated how global heating will affect peopleas wealth, according to a new study that finds 4C warming will make the average person 40% poorer a an almost four-fold increase on some estimates.

The study by Australian scientists suggests average per person GDP across the globe will be reduced by 16% even if warming is kept to 2C above pre-industrial levels. This is a much greater reduction than previous estimates, which found the reduction would be 1.4%.

Lucy Osborne tells high court she was ataken abacka at number of people in contact over the actoras alleged sexual misconduct

A Guardian journalist who has worked on high-profile investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct by men said the volume of fresh leads received after writing about Noel Clarke was the most she had ever witnessed.

Lucy Osborne, who, with Sirin Kale, carried out the Guardianas investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against the Doctor Who actor, told the high court that she was ataken abacka by how many people got in touch after publication of the first article.

Group of MPs are concerned billas return to the Commons on 25 April will clash with final week of campaigning

A group of Labour MPs are trying to push back a vote on the amended assisted dying bill later this month, over concerns it will clash with their final week of local election campaigning.

The bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales will return to the Commons on 25 April for debate and a vote on its amendments, if time allows, before it is sent to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.

Legal action claims policy breaches rights of children with SEN whose requirements cannot be met by UK state schools

Adding VAT to private school fees discriminates against children with conditions such as autism whose needs cannot be adequately met by UK state schools, the high court has been told.

The legal action against Labouras policy is being taken by parents claiming that VAT on school fees is a breach of human rights law and discriminatory on grounds including religion, nationality, disability and mental health.

Exclusive: State department said to have raised concerns over whether new act infringes on freedom of expression

US state department officials have challenged Britainas communications regulator over the impact on freedom of expression created by new online safety laws, the Guardian understands.

A group of officials from the state departmentas Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) recently met Ofcom in London. It is understood that they raised the issue of the new online safety act and how it risked infringing free speech.

Recovery mission under way after 11-year-old entered water near London City airport on Monday

An 11-year-old girl who is missing after entering the River Thames in London on Monday has been named by police as Kaliyah Coa.

Kaliyah, who had been playing during a school inset day, entered the water near Bargehouse Causeway near London City airport in east London.

Ministerial revision of privacy rules could allow targeting of voters with political messaging, rights groups fear

Privacy campaigners have warned that votersa personal data could be used to target them with political messaging under new laws.

In a letter written to Chris Bryant, the data protection minister, and the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, campaigners said there was apotential for abuse of new powersa in the data protection legislation, which was introduced to parliament at the end of 2024.

CMA found car firms chose not to compete when advertising what percentage of their vehicles could be recycled

Ten leading car manufacturers a plus two automotive trade bodies a have been fined more than APS77m by a UK regulator after admitting breaking competition law in relation to advertising their green credentials.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation after a tipoff from Mercedes-Benz, which allowed the German marque to avoid financial penalties despite also being involved in the cartel.

Officers responded to reports of person carrying firearm, Thames Valley police say as IOPC launches investigation

A man has been shot dead by police responding to reports of a person carrying a firearm at Milton Keynes railway station.

Thames Valley police (TVP) officers were called to the station by members of the public at 12.55pm on Tuesday. The man was shot by police in the station square outside the building and died at 1.44pm.

UK energy firm ceases trading, blaming aperfect storma of soaring wholesale prices and squeezed customers

A UK energy supplier with about 90,000 customers has gone bust, blaming a aperfect storma of soaring wholesale prices and squeezed customers, on the day households face another increase in gas and electricity bills.

Rebel Energy, which serves about 80,000 households and 10,000 business customers, will cease trading immediately and leave the industry regulator to find a new supplier for its customers.

Moscowas refusal highlights the limited progress Donald Trump has made on his promise to end the war

Moscow has described the latest US peace proposals as unacceptable to the Kremlin, highlighting the limited progress Donald Trump has made on his promise to end the war in Ukraine since taking office in January.

Sergei Ryabkov, a foreign policy adviser to Vladimir Putin, said some of Russiaas key demands were not being addressed by the US proposals to end the war, in comments that marked a rare acknowledgment from the Russian side that talks with the US over Ukraine had stalled in recent weeks.

Rolling Stone interviews with 10 people reveal claims that Jeremy Lewin threatened a girl with a knife and openly shared racist views

• US politics live a latest updates

An employee of Elon Muskas so-called adepartment of government efficiencya (Doge), who was parachuted in as a senior manager at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) as it was being wound up, has been accused of a history of misogyny, racism and violent outbursts.

The claims against 28-year-old Jeremy Lewin were made following an investigation by Rolling Stone magazine, which said it was based on interviews with 10 people who know him.

Mangione, 26, accused of carrying out apremeditated assassinationa of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against the man accused of fatally shooting the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, outside a Manhattan hotel on 4 December, the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, said on Tuesday.

Bondi said in a press release that she had adirected federal prosecutors to seek the death penaltya for Luigi Mangione, 26, because he allegedly committed aa premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked Americaa. The move, Bondi notes, was in an effort to acarry out President Trumpas agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Againa.

Warning: Some of these results *may* shock you a like the plate of dead foot skin after using the foot file.

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In February, the MAGA influencer claimed that Elon had fathered her baby.

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Check all kinds of things off your to-do list.

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"My fellow republicans - this is wrong," she wrote.

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aWhen we judge public figures, it often reveals our personal fears and insecurities along with areas that need our growth.a

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The Proclaimers probably could have trekked another 500 miles if they had Adidas Cloudfoam sneakers on a just saying.

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You won"t even miss "em.

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A "floating" mug, a book-shaped flower vase, and a wine-pouring handbag walk into a bar...

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Including some no-drill Roman blinds that look *so* nice and are super easy to uninstall.

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"The Luigi Mangione - Kyle Rittenhouse double standard is wild."

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I do like the sound of "Temu Elvis" to be honest.

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Trump was the "economy vote." So, as a pro-hater, I"m keeping track of Trump"s economy right here. Every month. Enjoy!

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"Misspelling Department Of Education while bragging about removing it is peak MAGA."

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April deals are here with up to 50% off a Shark robot vacuum, a TikTok-famous lip oil, a pair of Beats Solo 4 headphones, and more.

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"At least with the Republican Party, I know what I"m getting, for better or worse."

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It might not *actually* be your b-day, but that doesn"t mean we can"t still make a few of your wishes come true.

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...OK.

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"I had to drive her to the emergency room while she was on all fours in the back seat."

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The federal charges against Mangione include a charge of murder through use of a firearm, which carries the possibility of the death penalty.

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I had no idea at all.

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Nobody in their thirties can resist the siren call of this $6 "wake up gel" for your poor tired eyeballs.

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Reactions range from debates about the ballot initiative"s name to its potential effects on the healthcare system.

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Educate us, if you will...

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This easy fix will give you more data on your device, so you can go back to screenshotting every "White Lotus" meme you see.

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Thank you for these, Morgan Wallen... I guess.

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Now, these are eggs that I definitely wouldnat mind hunting for!

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This is a junk pile-free zone.

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Consider this your packing checklist a it should cover everything that"ll make trips easier for parents and kids.

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Kelly can really slay any genre.

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Though itas hard to believe today, there was a time when Kourtney and Justin were rumored to be ahooking up.a

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"I"m trying to biohack my body. So anything that will help me age backwards, I"m into it."

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Far from boring toys to keep your furry friends entertained so you could, IDK, maybe get some work done for once.

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A picture speaks a thousand words, though, doesn"t it?

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Oh no. Oh no no no.

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The upcoming biopic about the Beatles will actually consist of four movies, with each focusing on a different member of the iconic band.

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A new season refresh is calling your name.

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If you love *eating* the food, but are slightly less interested in *making* the food...we"ve got you covered.

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"For most of my 73 years, I voted for my preferred president but never worried for the survival of America regardless of which party won. That has changed."

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aThey only lasted for this long because it was hard for her to break it off.a

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In this economy, we gotta save our dollars for a restaurant we KNOW will be good.

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Scratch that "I have to get every little speck" itch, and quickly.

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Dust off your farmers market tote bag and rinse out that salad spinner a spring produce is finally here.

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"That "in sickness and in health" thing is REAL..."

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When Chappell Roan said she was on the stage in her heels, you KNOW it was a pair like these (there"s no time for slipping at the Pink Pony Club).

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The Emmy nominee has admitted the seven-month shoot in Thailand was "more isolating than I anticipated".

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The easiest way to do chores in under a minute below.

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