France votes in mayoral elections ahead of 2027 showdown
Municipal elections will set the scene for next year’s presidential race as the far right looks to gain ground
‘Join our people’s army’: Farage sets sights on local election gains
Reform UK plans high-energy and high-spending campaign in run-up to voting on May 7
Ukraine peace talks fizzle out as Trump’s focus shifts to Iran
US president no longer focused on pressuring Vladimir Putin, European officials say
Military briefing: How mines could tighten Iran’s Gulf chokehold
US navy appears ill-prepared for potential use of relatively cheap and plentiful weapon in narrow Strait of Hormuz
‘Fake workers’ from North Korea use AI to exploit European companies
Pyongyang’s operatives deploy chatbots to undertake tasks, often in multiple roles
Trump’s ‘shock and war’ makes this economic crisis different
Conflict with Iran will leave deeper and more lasting scars than last year’s tariffs crisis
The endlessly fascinating office protected species
Being deemed close to the boss lets you get away with murder — until it doesn’t
All respect, Timothée, art is about more than popularity
Some of the outrage appears disingenuous but the actor is wrong in his dismissal of opera and ballet
The Wild Rover — the drinking ballad that was once a plea for temperance
From Irish pub singalongs and football chants to modern reinventions, it has been performed for centuries with contrasting intentions
Wealth taxes’ design flaws consign them to failure
It may be easier for countries sitting on large deficits to tighten the screws on existing levies
‘Firing off 10 to 15 applications a day’: how UK’s hiring slump hits the young
Ministers’ push to help almost 1mn people not in education, employment or training needs to go further, say analysts
Renewable jet fuel may face price war with China, warns top producer
Neste chief calls for a ‘level playing field’ following heavy investment
A buzz returns to Venezuela’s decayed oil heartland
Private jets fly over dilapidated Maracaibo as executives seek deals and crude prices surge. A real recovery will not be easy
Spies and subsidies: China joins Brazil’s $20bn delivery app war
Local courier group iFood and China-backed Keeta trade claims of corporate espionage and underhand tactics
Retail traders rush into oil bets as Iran war drives wild price swings
The biggest US ETF linked to crude prices has seen record inflows as oil market has ‘meme’ moment
Lithium-ion battery blazes imperil supply chains, warns Los Angeles port chief
Demand for the storage device is expected to double by 2030 as geopolitical risks pile up
US submarine attack brings Iran war to Sri Lanka’s door
Attack on Iranian warship in coastal waters highlights country’s vulnerability to Middle East conflict
Japan loses its thirst for vending machines
Drinks companies cut networks as rising costs and driver shortages undermine business model
Sunday Number 136: US Puzzle
Trump urges China and UK to send warships to reopen Strait of Hormuz
President’s plea for help comes after he told US jets to bomb Iran’s Kharg Island, deepening fears of protracted oil crisis
US oil groups in line for $63bn windfall from Gulf war disruption
American producers will be among biggest beneficiaries if crude prices average $100 a barrel this year
Trump puts Japan’s Takaichi under pressure with call to send warships
US president’s request to deploy navy to the Strait of Hormuz comes as Japanese leader prepares to visit White House
Middle East war day 15 as it happened: Trump calls on China, UK and Japan to send warships to force open Strait of Hormuz
London has declined to deploy an aircraft carrier to the Gulf
Where are the Houthis?
Yemeni militant group is noticeably absent from Iran’s war with the US and Israel