Ukraine ceasefire back in focus as US security guarantees fade and casualties mount 09. April 2026 (12:55) Divisions between Washington and European capitals over Iran fuel concerns about US commitment to peace dealAs a ceasefire was declared in the Middle East, Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to draw attention to the war in his own country, posting on social media that Ukraine had consistently pushed for a ceasefire in the war “being waged by Russia here, in Europe”.Efforts to end the war in Ukraine have largely stalled since the Iran war began, with trilateral talks between Kyiv, Moscow and Washington, which had already yielded little, frozen since February 2026. The war, meanwhile, has continued, with air attacks on Ukrainian cities and heavy fighting on the battlefields as Russia launches a spring offensive. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bitten by snakes 200 times – on purpose: US man’s quest to help deliver new antivenom 09. April 2026 (12:00) Tim Friede put his ‘ass on the line’ to help stop snakebite deaths – whose numbers appear to be rising amid the climate crisisAs we overheat and degrade our planet, more people are set to come into contact, sometimes fatally, with venomous snakes. One man hopes to provide an unusual solution to this, after subjecting himself to 200 intentional snakebites to his body.For nearly 20 years, Tim Friede, 58, allowed some of the most lethal snakes in the world to bite him so he could build up an immunity that could one day be developed into a universal antivenom. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran cannot ‘hijack’ strait of Hormuz with shipping tolls, says Yvette Cooper – UK politics live 09. April 2026 (12:00) As Keir Starmer continues his Gulf visit, foreign secretary says laws of the sea prevent Tehran from charging for passage of ‘international transit route’In interviews this morning Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, declined to confirm reports that a Russian warship has been escorting two sanctioned Russian ships through the English channel.Sanctioned Russian ships carry oil being sold to fund the war in Ukraine, and the UK government recently announced that the armed forces have been authorised to board these ships in British waters to stop them.What I can tell you is that we have given permission now for action to be taken against the Russian shadow fleet. Operational decisions then have to be taken in the right way by the military.There are indications of the way in which not just the Russian shadow fleet is operating, but also the way in which we are seeing increased Russian threats, not just to the UK, but across Europe as well. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Four people die in Channel small-boat sinking 09. April 2026 (11:59) At least 42 others rescued after incident in strong currents off coast of BoulogneTwo men and two women have died after a small boat sank in the Channel between France and Britain, French local authorities have said.They died after being swept away by strong currents while trying to board a dinghy, according to Francois-Xavier Lauch, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais. The dinghy was described as a taxi-boat, which travels along stretches of the northern French and Belgian coasts, picking up migrants along the shore. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
France accuses Hungary of ‘betrayal of solidarity’ over leaked call with Russian foreign minister – Europe live 09. April 2026 (11:35) France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, condemns call in which Hungary’s Péter Szijjártó appeared to offer to share documents about Ukrainian EU accession But Hungary’s embattled prime minister Viktor Orbán rejected suggestions of close proximity to Russia, telling a rally that “it was not the Russians, but the US vice-president who visited Hungary” to endorse him this week.In a clip from a recent rally, published by his international spokesperson, Zoltán Kovács, Orbán insisted that Hungary remains part of the west, but is “hurt by what we see is happening to western Europe.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Who can claim victory if Iran ceasefire holds? An early winner is China 09. April 2026 (11:22) Beijing’s powerbrokers are credited with winning Iran over, although one analyst says they were ‘pushing an open door’Middle East crisis – live updatesAs the world struggles to make sense of what, if anything, was achieved by the ceasefire deal announced by the US and Iran on Tuesday, one major power that stands to win regardless is China.Beijing’s powerbrokers are being credited with pushing Iran towards agreeing to the ceasefire, bolstering its status as a regional mediator. In China’s tightly censored domestic media, articles basking in the glory of China being the grown-up in the room at a time of international crisis were allowed to circulate. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Oil price rises as markets question durability of Middle East ceasefire 09. April 2026 (11:17) Gas prices also increase, while global stock markets slip back after strong rally on WednesdayBusiness live – latest updatesMiddle East crisis – live updatesOil and gas prices rose on Thursday and Asian stock markets retreated as the two-week ceasefire in Iran looked increasingly shaky, with Israel continuing attacks on Lebanon and the US and Iran threatening a return to military action.A day after the US and Iran announced an 11th-hour ceasefire, including an agreement to reopen the strait of Hormuz, many questions remain and there were signs that the truce was already being broken, causing jitters in the markets. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian spy plane operators in Middle East not sharing intel with US for offensive operations, defence boss says 09. April 2026 (11:03) Information on drones and other threats being shared but defence chief confirms crew taking ‘active steps’ to only contribute to defensive actionsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian personnel operating a state-of-the-art surveillance plane are filtering information gleaned from the Middle East war to ensure intelligence is not shared with the United States for offensive purposes, the defence force chief says.As the federal government extended the deployment of the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft on Thursday, the chief of Defence, Admiral David Johnston, said the crew were taking active steps to only contribute to defensive operations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I’m broken-hearted’: father pays tribute to student, 21, stabbed in Primrose Hill 09. April 2026 (10:31) Finbar Sullivan, who ‘loved movies and making films’, had gone to London park to use new camera, says fatherA film student who was stabbed to death in London’s Primrose Hill was a “beautiful, lovely, outgoing, loving” man, his father has said.Finbar Sullivan, 21, was stabbed in a fight in the north London park in the early evening on Tuesday and was pronounced dead at the scene. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Campaigners demand action to break UK’s ‘addiction’ to herbicides 09. April 2026 (10:00) Use of glyphosate has risen 10-fold in 30 years, raising fears for public healthIt was Scottish farmers in the 1980s who pioneered the practice of spraying glyphosate on their wheat just before harvest. Struggling in the damp glens to get their crop to dry evenly, they came up with the idea of accelerating the process by killing it a week or two before harvesting.Glyphosate, then a revolutionary herbicide that killed everything plant-based but spared animal life, seemed perfect for the job. Soon the practice spread to wetter, colder agricultural regions around the world. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
