Primark to split from food business despite warning of Iran war impact 21. April 2026 (08:53) ABF to demerge fashion chain from firm that owns Kingsmill, Twinings and Patak’s, plus a sugar companyBusiness live – latest updatesPrimark is to break free from its sister food company which owns Twinings, Kingsmill and Patak’s next year despite warning that the conflict in the Middle East was likely to hit consumer spending.The fashion chain’s owner, Associated British Foods (ABF), confirmed the plan to split off Primark from the rest of the group, first mooted last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Middle East crisis live: Iran weighs Pakistan talks with US, and claims it has ‘new cards for battlefield’ 21. April 2026 (08:27) Iranian official stresses no decision made on taking part, as US vice-president JD Vance is set to travel to Islamabad for negotiations JD Vance to lead US delegation in Pakistan if Iran agrees to talksThe UN security council has condemned the killing of a French peacekeeper and the injuring of three others in an attack in southern Lebanon.The UN interim force in Lebanon (Unifil) said on the weekend that a patrol clearing explosive ordnance along a road in Ghanduriyah village to re-establish links with isolated Unifil positions came under “small-arms fire from non-state-actors”.The members of the security council condemned in the strongest terms the attack ... [and] reaffirmed their full support for Unifil. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK unemployment shows surprise fall to 4.9% as pay growth drops to lowest in five years 21. April 2026 (08:21) ONS data for three months to February is not expected to alter Bank of England’s decision on interest ratesBusiness live – latest updatesUnemployment in the UK unexpectedly fell in the three months to February, according to official figures – but the fallout from the conflict in the Middle East is expected to cause a rise in job cuts.The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that the rate of unemployment was 4.9% in the three months to February. This compares with 5.2% in the three months to January, a rate that economists had expected to also see in February. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man jailed after mimicking Bondi beach terror attack on footbridge and making slurs against Jewish people 21. April 2026 (08:15) Zayne Jason William McMillan’s lawyer says client’s tirade was antisemitic but claims he ‘does not consider himself racist against Jewish community’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man seen mimicking the Bondi beach terror attack before making slurs against Jewish people has been jailed.Zayne Jason William McMillan, 23, was heavily intoxicated when he and a friend went to Bondi beach, six weeks after the shooting, in which 15 people were killed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cattle breed whose ancestors lived with Celts added to priority at-risk list 21. April 2026 (08:00) UK’s Rare Breeds Survival Trust says calf numbers of white park cattle last year were less than two-thirds of 2022 levelAn ancient breed of cattle whose ancestors are thought to have accompanied the Celts as they were pushed to Britain’s fringes by the Romans has been designated as urgently at risk by a UK conservation charity.Publishing its 2026 watchlist on Tuesday, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust moved white park cattle to its “priority” category as new calf numbers sank last year to less than two-thirds of their 2022 level. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
England wildlife watchdog ‘has stopped designating special sites for protection’ 21. April 2026 (07:00) Exclusive: Report finds Natural England has created no new SSSIs, which protect areas from development, since 2023The government’s wildlife watchdog for England is failing to save nature because it has stopped giving protection to rare wildlife and habitats, according to a new report.No new sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) have been designated by Natural England since 2023. SSSIs are nationally or internationally important places for rare wildlife and habitats. Without the designation, endangered species can be at risk of being lost to development. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Palantir manifesto described as ‘ramblings of a supervillain’ amid UK contract fears 21. April 2026 (07:00) Alarm caused by posts of Alex Carp, tech firm’s CEO, championing US military dominance and of AI weaponsThe US spy tech company Palantir published a manifesto extolling the benefits of American power and implying some cultures are inferior to others – in what MPs have called “a parody of a RoboCop film” and “the ramblings of a supervillain”.“Some cultures have produced vital advances; others remain dysfunctional and regressive,” wrote Palantir in a 22-point post on X over the weekend, which also called for an end to the “postwar neutering” of Germany and Japan. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli soldiers using sexual assault to force Palestinians out of West Bank, report says 21. April 2026 (07:00) Experts say attacks, also carried out by settlers, are leading girls to quit school and enter early marriagesIsraeli soldiers and settlers are using gendered violence and sexual assault and harassment to force Palestinians from their homes in the occupied West Bank, human rights and legal experts say.Palestinian women, men and children have reported attacks, forced nudity, invasive and painful body cavity searches, Israelis exposing their genitals, including to minors, and threats of sexual violence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Woolworths engaged in ‘marketing magic’ to trick customers, consumer watchdog tells court 21. April 2026 (06:51) The trial between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the supermarket giant began in the federal court in Sydney on TuesdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWoolworths engaged in “marketing magic” to trick customers into thinking they were getting genuine discounts as part of the supermarket’s “Prices Dropped” promotion, the consumer regulator has told a court.The landmark trial between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Woolworths began in the federal court in Sydney on Tuesday, almost two months after hearings ended in its very similar case against Coles. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Principal and three teachers plead not guilty to assaulting students at regional NSW school 21. April 2026 (06:25) Police allege educators, two men and two women, attacked boys at school between August 2024 and June 2025Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFour teachers, including the principal of a regional New South Wales school, have pleaded not guilty to assaulting two students.NSW police allege the teachers assaulted the boys at school between August 2024 and June 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
