Starmer rejects accusation Labour is ‘complacent’ on defence funding

15/04/2026 12:40 The Guardian

PM responds to warnings by former Nato chief George Robertson by saying defence spending is increasing rapidlyUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has said he does not agree with George Robertson’s comments about the government’s “corrosive complacency” on defence funding, as the prime minister faced sustained pressure on the issue.Questioned in the Commons about the claims by Robertson, the former Labour defence secretary and Nato chief who co-authored a defence review for the government, Starmer insisted that defence spending was increasing rapidly. Continue reading...

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Middle East crisis live: US says Iran talks ‘productive’; Israel continues Lebanon strikes as pressure mounts for ceasefire

White House denies US asked for ceasefire extension and says negotiations are ‘ongoing’; Benjamin Netanyahu says ‘too early to say how matter will end’Donald Trump said the “special relationship” between the US and UK was in a poor state but that it will not have impact on King Charle’...

15/04/2026 19:54 The Guardian

Scott Bessent ‘confident’ Fed chair nominee will be confirmed as Trump threatens Powell again – live

President has nominated Kevin Warsh to replace Powell, whom he has repeatedly attacked over interest rate decisionsSign up for the Breaking News US emailAt a Turning Point USA event in Georgia on Tuesday, vice-president JD Vance was heckled by a protester who seemed to criticized the conflicts in th...

15/04/2026 19:39 The Guardian

Boosting military spending by slashing welfare is not the answer, senior Labour figures warn Reeves

MPs and peers say pitting defence and welfare against each other risks losing public support for increased spending on the militarySenior Labour figures have warned that Rachel Reeves must find alternative ways to increase military spending rather than slashing welfare, saying it risks public suppor...

15/04/2026 18:49 The Guardian

Reeves tells Americans Trump’s Iran war is a ‘mistake’

UK chancellor steps up criticism, telling Washington event she is unconvinced conflict has made world a safer placeMiddle East crisis – live updatesRachel Reeves has stepped up her criticism of Donald Trump’s war on Iran, describing it as a “mistake” that has destabilised the global economy...

15/04/2026 18:33 The Guardian

Trump needs a better Iran deal than Obama’s – but faces major hurdles

US president will need to show heavy costs of war were worthwhile while Iran must choose between instant and delayed gratification Middle East crisis – live updatesIf talks between Iran and the US reconvene within the next few days in Islamabad, Donald Trump will have two major political hurdles t...

15/04/2026 18:12 The Guardian

Fisa surveillance vote sparks fierce debate as Congress splits on warrantless monitoring

Donald Trump says he is ‘working very hard’ with House Republicans to extend Section 702 without changesUS politics live – latest updatesA controversial law that grants the US government sweeping powers for warrantless surveillance is set to expire next week. Replacing it has inspired fierce d...

15/04/2026 17:59 The Guardian

More than £1bn pledged for Sudan as humanitarian crisis deepens

Donors exceed funding target at Berlin conference but prospects for ceasefire remain distantMore than £1bn (€1.15bn) has been pledged for war-ravaged Sudan at a conference in Berlin, eclipsing the funding target organisers had set to help mitigate the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.The fin...

15/04/2026 17:49 The Guardian

UK’s largest housebuilder to buy less land in blow to Labour’s homes target

Barratt Redrow blames effects of Iran war and expected impact on mortgages and costs for further reductionGovernment’s 1.5m housebuilding target is suffering subsidenceBritain’s largest housebuilder is planning to dramatically cut back on buying new land, blaming the impact of the conflict in th...

15/04/2026 17:30 The Guardian

Sexual harassment is rife on comedy circuit and women lack protections, MPs told

Women using informal warning systems to protect themselves and others, comedian tells equalities committeeSexual harassment and abuse on the comedy circuit is persistent and under-reported, with protections available to women often limited or absent, a comedian has told MPs.Performers and campaigner...

15/04/2026 17:28 The Guardian

Bernie Sanders pushes resolutions to block US weapons sales to Israel

Attempt by independent senator set to test Democratic support for longtime US ally amid Trump’s war on IranAn attempt set for Wednesday by Senator Bernie Sanders to block sales to Israel of bombs and bulldozers will serve as the latest litmus test of support for the longtime US ally among Democrat...

15/04/2026 17:28 The Guardian

Trump warns US-UK trade deal ‘can always be changed’ with relations in ‘sad state’

President says he gave Britain ‘better deal than I had to’ but ally was ‘not there when we needed them’ on IranMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has threatened to row back on the trade deal the US signed with the UK last year, in his latest salvo against the British government...

15/04/2026 17:21 The Guardian

Reeves tells Americans she does not know why they launched Iran war – UK politics live

Chancellor tells US audience she is ‘not convinced that this conflict has made the world a safer place’PMQs is starting soon.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.I’ll be honest, when people would pop up on social media laying those sorts of charges, they tended to be the sort of peop...

15/04/2026 16:47 The Guardian

Pope Leo shares message of unity amid spat with Trump: ‘We can live in peace’

Leo doubles down on his message of peace as Trump and JD Vance continue to squabble with and insult the VaticanThe ongoing squabble between the Trump administration and the Vatican over the war in Iran took another twist on Wednesday when Pope Leo shared a message of peace and healing after the late...

15/04/2026 16:28 The Guardian

‘Don’t lose sight of Ukraine,’ Nato chief tells European allies – as it happened

This blog is now closedMeanwhile, Nato chief Mark Rutte urged members of the military alliance not to “lose sight” of the Ukraine conflict, and to boost their backing for Kyiv to $60bn in 2026, AFP reported.His comments came at the start of a meeting in Berlin of defence ministers from Ukraine...

15/04/2026 16:01 The Guardian

Big US banks rake in near $50bn profit as Iran war shakes markets

Six lenders, including Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan report jump in first-quarter earningsBusiness live – latest updatesBig US banks raked in nearly $50bn (£37bn) worth of profits in the first three months of the year, as they benefited from stock market turbulence triggered by th...

15/04/2026 15:04 The Guardian

Trump threatens to fire Fed chair Jerome Powell amid pressure campaign

US president says he has ‘held back’ on firing the head of the Federal Reserve leading up to end of Powell’s term in MaySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump threatened to fire Jerome Powell if he stays on as US Federal Reserve chair past the...

15/04/2026 14:55 The Guardian

Economic shock from Iran war risks driving up global debt levels, says IMF

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15/04/2026 13:25 The Guardian

Short-term gains for China from US-Iran war may turn to longer-term pain

Beijing may be reaping some diplomatic benefit but Trump’s war holds risks for its energy security and economyTwo months ago, China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, promised it would be a “big year” for China-US relations. He was right, but perhaps not in the way he expected.Wang was speaking be...

15/04/2026 10:45 The Guardian

Civil society groups warn new Charity Commission powers could ‘suppress’ advocacy

Exclusive: Ministers urged to consult sector on proposed social cohesion measures meant to tackle extremismSeveral leading civil society organisations have urged the government to consult the sector before introducing new powers for the Charity Commission, which they caution risks “suppressing leg...

15/04/2026 10:29 The Guardian

Balancing UK’s welfare and defence spending ‘not zero-sum game’, minister says

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15/04/2026 09:06 The Guardian

Labor lashes Coalition immigration plan as Usman Khawaja calls policy ‘appalling’

Burke says Taylor chasing votes lost to One Nation while cricket great urges opposition to admit policy would discriminate against MuslimsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAngus Taylor’s plans to favour immigration from liberal democracies would fundamentally change the ch...

15/04/2026 08:21 The Guardian

North Korea rapidly expanding nuclear weapons capability, UN watchdog warns

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15/04/2026 07:51 The Guardian

Usman Khawaja condemns ‘appalling’ Coalition immigration comments – as it happened

This blog is now closed‘Debased himself’ and risking Australia’s reputation: Liberals torn up about Taylor’s Trumpian immigration planGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is speaking to RN Breakfast after the IMF warned of the potential for...

15/04/2026 07:06 The Guardian

Queensland ebike laws could cripple Uber Eats, DoorDash and shared e-vehicle schemes, industry warns

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15/04/2026 06:42 The Guardian

US talks between Lebanon and Israel end – as it happened

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15/04/2026 00:58 The Guardian

UK to call for end to Sudan bloodshed at Berlin talks on third anniversary of war

British aid to double as 19m people face acute hunger, but summit unlikely to end conflict amid Saudi-UAE tensions The British foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, will urge Sudan’s warring parties to “cease bloodshed” during a major conference on Wednesday, which analysts believe is unlikely to...

14/04/2026 23:01 The Guardian

Chiang Mai’s New Year revelry hit by smog and war-related price spikes

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14/04/2026 23:01 The Guardian

‘Bizarre’ lack of urgency in putting UK on war footing, says defence review co-author

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14/04/2026 21:03 The Guardian

How war in Gulf reveals the ‘cut corners’ on British defence

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14/04/2026 19:01 The Guardian

Iran war escalation could trigger global recession, IMF warns

Growth forecasts cut for US and global economy, while UK suffers sharpest downgrade in G7Reeves arrives at IMF with little leeway to prove its UK downgrade wrongA further escalation in the Iran war could trigger a global recession that would affect the UK more than any of the other G7 nations, the I...

14/04/2026 18:26 The Guardian

BREAKING NEWS

15/04 19:56 - Guterres urges end to arms flow as Sudan war enters fourth year 15/04 19:56 - Guterres urges end to arms flow as Sudan war enters fourth year 15/04 19:54 - Middle East crisis live: US says Iran talks ‘productive’; Israel continues Lebanon strikes as pressure mounts for ceasefire 15/04 19:53 - US Senate rejects another war powers resolution to limit Trump on Iran 15/04 19:53 - US Senate rejects another war powers resolution to limit Trump on Iran 15/04 19:39 - Scott Bessent ‘confident’ Fed chair nominee will be confirmed as Trump threatens Powell again – live 15/04 19:25 - Sudan's forgotten war: three years on, humanitarian catastrophe has no end in sight 15/04 19:03 - Fury over fuel: protests across Northern Ireland (VIDEOS) 15/04 18:58 - US war on Iran was a 'mistake', says Reeves 15/04 18:57 - Pope Leo visits Cameroon with message of peace amid attacks from Trump 15/04 18:57 - Pope Leo visits Cameroon with message of peace amid attacks from Trump 15/04 18:54 - Frank Gardner: What is China's role in the Iran war? 15/04 18:49 - Boosting military spending by slashing welfare is not the answer, senior Labour figures warn Reeves 15/04 18:33 - Reeves tells Americans Trump’s Iran war is a ‘mistake’ 15/04 18:22 - Orban’s exit through global eyes: Who really gains – and who doesn’t 15/04 18:15 - ‘We Cannot Lose Sight of Ukraine.’ Europeans Promise More Aid to Kyiv. 15/04 18:12 - Trump needs a better Iran deal than Obama’s – but faces major hurdles 15/04 18:01 - Claudia Sheinbaum’s War on Crime in Mexico Faces a Grim Reckoning: 133,000 Missing People 15/04 17:59 - Fisa surveillance vote sparks fierce debate as Congress splits on warrantless monitoring 15/04 17:57 - Countries pledge $1.5bn for Sudan crisis as war enters fourth year 15/04 17:57 - Countries pledge $1.5bn for Sudan crisis as war enters fourth year 15/04 17:49 - More than £1bn pledged for Sudan as humanitarian crisis deepens 15/04 17:30 - UK’s largest housebuilder to buy less land in blow to Labour’s homes target 15/04 17:28 - Sexual harassment is rife on comedy circuit and women lack protections, MPs told 15/04 17:28 - Bernie Sanders pushes resolutions to block US weapons sales to Israel 15/04 17:27 - News24 | Elon Musk's father seeking Russian refuge for SA farmers 15/04 17:22 - Has Trump given up on the midterms? 15/04 17:21 - Trump warns US-UK trade deal ‘can always be changed’ with relations in ‘sad state’ 15/04 17:12 - Amid Iran War, Companies Look to Extend a Record Profit Run by Raising Prices 15/04 16:53 - Theatre touring 'in crisis' as performances of plays drop 70% 15/04 16:52 - Stocks Approach Record High as Wall St. Looks Beyond War 15/04 16:47 - Reeves tells Americans she does not know why they launched Iran war – UK politics live 15/04 16:28 - Pope Leo shares message of unity amid spat with Trump: ‘We can live in peace’ 15/04 16:22 - Israel Considering Cease-fire With Lebanon, Officials Say 15/04 16:01 - ‘Don’t lose sight of Ukraine,’ Nato chief tells European allies – as it happened 15/04 15:44 - News24 | Trump says Iran war 'close to over'; army chief of mediator Pakistan arrives in Tehran 15/04 15:29 - Iran warns US naval blockade threatens ceasefire 15/04 15:29 - Iran warns US naval blockade threatens ceasefire 15/04 15:28 - Sudan enters fourth year of war as officials lament 'abandoned crisis' 15/04 15:27 - Starmer says he is 'not going to yield' to pressure from Trump on Iran war 15/04 15:26 - US blockade of Iranian ports 'fully implemented' 15/04 15:25 - Live: Reports of possible Israel-Lebanon ceasefire 15/04 15:06 - 'War on women and girls' : Sexual violence the 'blueprint and strategy' of Sudan's brutal civil war 15/04 15:04 - Big US banks rake in near $50bn profit as Iran war shakes markets 15/04 14:55 - 'If we don't divide the land we're heading to apartheid': Ex-head of Israel's Shin Bet 15/04 14:55 - Trump threatens to fire Fed chair Jerome Powell amid pressure campaign 15/04 14:49 - No rules: Where could the next war erupt? 15/04 14:44 - News24 | Defiant Iran demands $270 billion in US, Israel war compensation ahead of talks 15/04 14:30 - Jessie Ware on the 'hyper-surreal' high of her first arena tour 15/04 14:28 - News24 | Russia’s Sergei Lavrov latest in string of leaders flocking to China, amid Iran war 15/04 14:24 - ‘Erosion of a country’s future’: What has the war cost Sudan? 15/04 14:24 - ‘Erosion of a country’s future’: What has the war cost Sudan? 15/04 14:16 - Battle for Bulgaria: Why Ukraine is so important to Sofia 15/04 14:14 - Trump’s Blockade Risks Upending an Emerging Détente With China 15/04 14:03 - Every 27 minutes, someone is killed in Sudan’s war 15/04 14:03 - Every 27 minutes, someone is killed in Sudan’s war 15/04 13:25 - Economic shock from Iran war risks driving up global debt levels, says IMF 15/04 13:03 - 168 children killed by Israel's strikes in Lebanon 15/04 13:00 - Israel-Lebanon talks: US Rubio hails 'historic opportunity' even amid challenges 15/04 12:59 - Hungary's new PM tells 'unworthy' president to resign 15/04 12:54 - Israel & Hezbollah trade fire a day after historic talks in Washington 15/04 12:53 - Mediators move to extend US-Iran ceasefire, Trump says talks could resume soon 15/04 12:40 - Starmer rejects accusation Labour is ‘complacent’ on defence funding 15/04 12:31 - 'At every single step there is death and danger': The struggle to get food in Sudan 15/04 12:05 - Booking.com customers warned of 'reservation hijacking' after hack 15/04 12:01 - Asian Cup 2027 draw in Saudi Arabia moved to May 9 over Iran war 15/04 12:01 - Asian Cup 2027 draw in Saudi Arabia moved to May 9 over Iran war 15/04 11:52 - Anger in Lebanon as Israel launches deadly strikes despite diplomatic drive 15/04 11:52 - Anger in Lebanon as Israel launches deadly strikes despite diplomatic drive 15/04 11:04 - No, south Lebanon towns haven’t disappeared from Apple Maps 15/04 10:45 - Short-term gains for China from US-Iran war may turn to longer-term pain 15/04 10:29 - Civil society groups warn new Charity Commission powers could ‘suppress’ advocacy 15/04 10:08 - Italian papers united as PM Meloni faces off with Trump 15/04 10:01 - Toddler among 10 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza 15/04 10:00 - The Republicans Who Disapprove of the War, and a Wave of College Closures 15/04 09:56 - Russian Security Council issues US-Israel ground op warning 15/04 09:56 - Journalist detained in Kuwait after posting Iran war video, activists say 15/04 09:39 - After three years of war, exiled Sudanese find their place in Kenya 15/04 09:38 - End of Iran war ‘very close’ – Trump 15/04 09:23 - US urges IMF, World Bank to abandon climate finance goals 15/04 09:19 - Three years of messages at once - a chronicle of Sudan's war pours in as trapped reporter's phone turns on 15/04 09:06 - Balancing UK’s welfare and defence spending ‘not zero-sum game’, minister says 15/04 09:03 - North Korea boosting ability to manufacture nuclear arms, IAEA chief warns 15/04 09:03 - North Korea boosting ability to manufacture nuclear arms, IAEA chief warns 15/04 09:02 - 11 Electric Cars Worth a Look as Gas Prices Soar 15/04 09:02 - Dodging Bombs and Drones, This Postman in Ukraine Still Delivers 15/04 09:01 - He Has a War Chest and an ‘R’ by His Name. Will Enough Voters Like Him? 15/04 08:47 - JD Vance Heckled In Antiwar Protest at Turning Point USA Event 15/04 08:39 - Ukraine's military to get biggest-ever shipment of UK drones 15/04 08:38 - The human cost of the war in Sudan, three years on 15/04 08:21 - Labor lashes Coalition immigration plan as Usman Khawaja calls policy ‘appalling’ 15/04 08:21 - ‘Food is unifying’: How Lebanon’s migrants are feeding the war-displaced 15/04 08:21 - ‘Food is unifying’: How Lebanon’s migrants are feeding the war-displaced 15/04 07:51 - North Korea rapidly expanding nuclear weapons capability, UN watchdog warns 15/04 07:41 - Iran war: What is happening on day 47 of the US-Iran conflict? 15/04 07:41 - Iran war: What is happening on day 47 of the US-Iran conflict? 15/04 07:10 - News24 | Pope Leo warns of democracies sliding into ‘majoritarian tyranny’ after Trump attack 15/04 07:06 - Usman Khawaja condemns ‘appalling’ Coalition immigration comments – as it happened 15/04 07:05 - Trump turns on Meloni, saying she lacks ‘courage’ over US-Israel war on Iran 15/04 07:05 - Trump turns on Meloni, saying she lacks ‘courage’ over US-Israel war on Iran