Alleged maple syrup scam in Quebec uncovered by Canadian broadcaster 02. April 2026 (21:07) A Radio-Canada reporter noticed his maple syrup tasted odd; testing revealed it was adulterated with cane sugarAn investigation by Canada’s national broadcaster has found that a major Quebec producer has been diluting its maple syrup with cane sugar and selling the fraudulent product to grocery chains.In a sting operation that involved false identities and covert recordings, journalists from Radio-Canada’s Enquête programme found that a low-cost syrup sold in major grocery store chains was heavily diluted. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Children as young as 12 buying and selling knives and weapons via the internet 02. April 2026 (20:53) Government must ‘come down very hard’ on online trade in knives and weapons, says policing and crime minister Sarah JonesChildren are setting up online businesses selling knives in the same way they trade clothes, the policing and crime minister Sarah Jones has said.Jones heard how children as young as 12 were buying and selling the weapons on the internet and social media at the opening of the new National Knife Crime Centre in Bloomsbury, central London, on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump fires Pam Bondi, a loyalist and ally, as attorney general 02. April 2026 (20:29) Bondi earned president’s ire over handling release of Epstein files and failing to prosecute his political enemiesUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US emailDonald Trump has fired Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, dismissing a loyalist who reshaped the justice department, but still failed to please a president fixated on prosecuting political enemies and frustrated with the politically explosive release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sadiq Khan warns of ‘zero-tolerance approach’ to any repeat of Clapham disorder 02. April 2026 (20:01) London mayor says more arrests will be made after young people stormed into shops as part of social media trendSadiq Khan has warned against any repeat of “utterly unacceptable” scenes of disorder in Clapham earlier this week, saying culprits who assault and intimidate shop workers will face the full force of the law.The mayor of London said more arrests would be made in the coming days, and urged anyone considering more violence over the Easter weekend to think again. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
CDC temporarily halts testing for several infectious diseases amid staffing shortages 02. April 2026 (19:52) Federal agency, which normally supports state and local public health labs, has been hobbled by staff departuresSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US federal agency responsible for monitoring diseases has temporarily halted certain diagnostic testing, including those for rabies, human herpesvirus and several other infectious illnesses.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a list on Monday showing that more than two dozen types of testing are now unavailable. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘You have to be serious’: Macron criticises Trump’s mixed messages about Nato and Iran 02. April 2026 (19:34) Speaking in South Korea, the French president defended the transatlantic alliance and called for return to peaceMiddle East crisis – live updatesEmmanuel Macron has sharply criticised Donald Trump’s inconsistent and often contradictory pronouncements on the Iran war and Nato, saying if “you want to be serious” it was better not to come out with a something different every day.“There is too much talk … and it’s all over the place,” the French president said on Thursday during a state visit to South Korea. “We all need stability, calm, a return to peace – this isn’t a show!” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer must call energy summit akin to 2008 crisis response, Labour MP says 02. April 2026 (19:31) Former government adviser Polly Billington urges bigger steps to shield people in UK from effects of Iran warMiddle East crisis – live updatesKeir Starmer should convene a global energy summit of the same order as Gordon Brown’s response to the 2008 financial crisis and put Britain on a “war footing” to reduce its exposure to fossil fuels, a Labour MP and former government adviser has said.Polly Billington, who was an aide in Brown’s government, warned that economic pain was “hurtling down the tracks” and a bigger response was needed to protect the British people from the consequences of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Drip-feed of Reform UK controversies puts party’s policy drive in shade 02. April 2026 (19:24) Sacking of Simon Dudley is latest distraction at a time when party is keen to show it is serious contender for governmentIt was a week that started with a candid admission from Nigel Farage. When asked if Reform UK’s vetting process was finally up to scratch, the party leader said: “I accept that at the last general election basically there was no vetting really.” He was speaking after the latest of what a senior colleague had described as a “series of abhorrent incidents”.That latest incident had involved a Welsh Senedd candidate, Corey Edwards, who was forced to step down last Friday after a picture of him appearing to do a Nazi salute surfaced online. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jewish diaspora leaders urge Israeli president to stop West Bank settler violence 02. April 2026 (19:12) Former UK foreign secretary among 3,000 signatories of open letter to Isaac Herzog after spate of killingsThe former British foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind is among leading members of the Jewish diaspora urging the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, to intervene to stop “attacks by Jewish extremists” on Palestinians in the West Bank.An open letter to Herzog facilitated by the London Initiative – a liberal Zionist network of 360 people, including eminent Jewish, Israeli and Israeli Palestinian figures – has attracted more than 3,000 signatories, including diplomats, philanthropists, rabbis and academics from Australia, Canada, across Europe, South Africa the UK and US. It follows a spate of killings and arson attacks by settlers on Palestinian civilians in March. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘A litany of lies’: Trump’s rambling primetime Iran address sparks backlash 02. April 2026 (18:43) US president’s 19-minute Wednesday address at the White House was met with bewilderment from commentatorsDonald Trump’s primetime nationwide address on the war with Iran caused widespread bewilderment, with commentators voicing shock at his vow to continue bombing to “bring them back to the stone ages”.Speculation before Wednesday’s speech from the White House Blue Room suggested that the president might be about to signal a winding up of the US military effort, which began on 28 February. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
