Birmingham is awash with local election candidates – but will result be a ‘coalition of chaos’? 17. April 2026 (16:07) Some fear a fragmented field of hopefuls from Labour, the Conservatives, Greens, Reform and independents could leave city ungovernablePaul Tilsley was 23 when he was first elected for the Liberal party in Birmingham’s council elections in 1968. At that time, the UK had an unpopular Labour government facing an economic crisis, tensions around immigration and US pressure to back military action abroad.Such a backdrop may seem familiar, but this May the local elections in Birmingham could not be more different. Tilsley, now a Liberal Democrat, faces a fragmented field with candidates from Labour, the Conservatives, the Greens, Reform UK and independents all competing for his seat and no party expected to win an overall majority on the council. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
ICE’s hiring spree led to influx of recruits with questionable qualifications, investigation shows 17. April 2026 (15:52) Patchy employment records, bankruptcies and allegations of wrongdoing blemish the records of several new recruitsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxRapid recruitment and expansion by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has led to an influx of employees with questionable qualifications, an investigation has found.The track records of some of the new recruits amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda stand out – and not in a good way. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
More than half of Britons support rejoining EU 10 years on from Brexit vote 17. April 2026 (15:27) Experts say Labour’s ‘halfway house’ approach risks losing support from progressives and ‘red wall’ votersUK politics live – latest updatesSupport for rejoining the EU rather than simply rejoining the single market is growing among British voters, with more than 80% of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green party supporters favouring this option, according to research mapping voter attitudes 10 years after the Brexit referendum.Labour’s “muted” approach to the issue means it risks losing support among progressive voters and in “red wall” constituencies, experts have said as part of research by Best for Britain. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Keir Starmer says it is unforgivable he was not told Mandelson failed vetting 17. April 2026 (14:53) PM ‘furious’ as spokesperson insists Downing Street repeatedly sought facts of the case without being toldUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has said it was “unforgivable” that he was not told that Peter Mandelson had failed his security vetting before taking up his role as ambassador to Washington.The prime minister said he was “furious” about what had happened, as he insisted he had not known that security officials had initially recommended that Mandelson be denied clearance. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Olly Robbins is just the latest: a guide to the high-profile exits under Starmer’s tenure 17. April 2026 (14:47) There has been a steady succession of departures by ministers and senior officials in the past two yearsThe exit of the top civil servant Olly Robbins from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the latest departure of an official or minister under Keir Starmer’s two-year tenure as prime minister. Here we take a look at some of the most high-profile resignations since Starmer came to power. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Average new UK electric car price is now lower than petrol vehicles 17. April 2026 (14:35) Autotrader says average EV cost is £785 cheaper, in an important milestone in the move away from fossil fuelsBusiness live – latest updatesThe price of new battery electric cars has fallen below petrol cars in the UK for the first time, according to the car sales website Autotrader, in a significant milestone in Britain’s transition away from fossil fuels.The average price of a new electric car listed on the website was £42,620, compared with £43,405 for a new petrol model – making the former £785 cheaper based on advertised prices after discounts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
BBC radio DJ Andy Kershaw dies aged 66 17. April 2026 (14:31) DJ spent almost three decades working for corporation, and was best known for Radio 1 show from 1985 to 2000The broadcaster Andy Kershaw, who presented BBC Radio 1 for almost 15 years, has died at the age of 66, his family have told the BBC.The DJ spent almost three decades working for the corporation and was best known for his Radio 1 show, which ran from 1985 to 2000. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why did Michelin snub St Paul in its guide to the best restaurants in the Great Lakes region? 17. April 2026 (14:00) Critics warn smaller and immigrant-run restaurants risk being overlooked as city-funded deal shapes dining mapWhen Michelin announced that it was expanding its world-renowned restaurant guide into the Great Lakes region of the United States, including Minneapolis, one prominent city was left off the map – Saint Paul, the state capital.Despite being just 11 miles apart, the second half of Minnesota’s “Twin Cities” was absent from the highly anticipated announcement. The omission has raised concerns among food critics and locals that Saint Paul – and, more widely, smaller local restaurants in Minneapolis and elsewhere – could be left behind. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
South Koreans breathe sighs of relief as escaped wolf is returned to zoo safely 17. April 2026 (13:49) Nine-day search for two-year-old Neukgu gripped nation and sparked safety concerns for animal and publicThe internet in South Korea erupted in celebration as a two-year-old wolf that escaped from a zoo was captured safely after a nine-day search that had gripped the nation and made the animal a national celebrity.The male wolf, named Neukgu, burrowed out of his enclosure at the O-World zoo in Daejeon on 8 April. Animal rights activists questioned whether the wolf could survive outside the zoo and also worried he might be killed during capture, something that happened to a puma that escaped from the same zoo in 2018. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
French widow, 86, flies home after ICE detention ordeal 17. April 2026 (13:35) Marie-Thérèse Ross was arrested on 1 April and held in a Louisiana facility by immigration officials A French woman in her eighties who was arrested and placed in a US immigration detention centre has flown home.Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Marie-Thérèse Ross in Alabama on 1 April after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to the US Department of Homeland Security. The 86-year-old widow was being held at a federal immigration detention facility in Louisiana. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
