89 m. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia ‘on verge of recession’, Putin minister tells economic showcase

Drone attacks on Kharkiv and Odesa; don’t forget about Ukraine because of Iran-Israel fighting, say Kyiv officials. What we know on day 1,213 Vladimir Putin’s economy minister has warned that Russia is “on the verge” of recession as he spoke on the second day of a signature event meant to bolster economic confidence. The minister, Maxim Reshetnikov, said at the St Petersburg economic forum that his view was based on “current business sentiment and indicators” pointing to a slowdown. “Everything else depends on our decisions,” Reshetnikov said, calling for the central bank to show a “little love for the economy”.Russia’s central bank raised interest rates to an eye-watering 21% in October 2024 to combat inflation and kept them at that level until this month when it eased them to 20%. Russia’s economic growth slowed to 1.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest quarterly figure in two years. Prices are rising across the economy driven up by massive government spending ...

Politics

89 m. ago The bomb from hell... So will the US deploy it? Can it take out Iran's nuclear site? And what would happen next?: MARK ALMOND

Donald Trump loves to back a winner, says MARK ALMOND. The prospect of a quick win must be tempting for a man who has already let it be known he wants a Nobel Peace Prize.

Events

1 hour ago Defiant Iran boasts all its nuclear material is 'in a safe place' after Trump dramatically backed down on war

'Israel hit Natanz, Isfahan, Khandab, and Arak but they were already evacuated',  Iranian commander Mohsen Rezaei said on Thursday.

Events

2 h. ago Changing faces of the Made in Chelsea stars: How show's posh cast have splashed the cash on Botox, new teeth and even salmon sperm facials

When Made in Chelsea first burst onto our screens 13 years ago it featured a sea of young stars in their early 20s as they navigated a life of luxury in SW3.

Politics

2 h. ago United, American, Delta suspending flights to Middle East amid Israel

United Airlines has suspended some flights to Dubai while American Airlines halted flights to Doha, Qatar, on Thursday

Politics

4 h. ago Foreign Office updates travel advice for countries popular with UK tourists including Dubai

The travel advice comes after escalating tensions between Israel and Iran

Society

4 h. ago Coronation Street cast 'left furious over budget cuts as they suffer another blow' after stars axed and episodes slashed

The ITV soap is set to have its episode count slashed by bosses after already seeing a number of stars axed from the programme.

Politics

4 h. ago CNN data analyst says Americans agree with Trump on keeping Iran nuke free: A lot more popular than ‘would think’

Just under 80 percent of US adults surveyed by the broadcaster in April – some two months before the latest escalations in the Middle East – agreed with the president

Politics

5 h. ago Dubya Dubya II: Democrats see echoes of Bush Iraq War push in Trump’s Iran nukes rhetoric

“If this president wants to completely ignore the intelligence community, we are playing in dangerous ground,” one senator warned

Politics

5 h. ago Love Island chaos as Toni's awkward nip slip leaves fellow Islanders stunned

The Love Island cast were left in hysterics after Islander Toni suffered an awkward nip slip while attempting to perform a cartwheel in front of the rest of the villa

Events

5 h. ago War in Middle East 'to push oil price to $100': Experts sound alarm as Israel and Iran trade blows

Brent crude - the global benchmark for oil - reached a five-month high above $78 a barrel as Israel and Iran exchanged missile attacks.

Events

5 h. ago Coronation Street team hit by huge new blow as budget cuts trigger more setbacks

The Coronation Street cast have been hit by a fresh blow amid the ongoing budget cuts - which have seen a number of changes in the long-running ITV soap throughout the year

Events

5 h. ago Cornered Iran could unleash sinister attacks on US soil as it runs out of options against Israel, insiders say

Insiders warn that the Iranian regime's desperation in its conflict with Israel could push them to utilize their proxies to carry out attacks against the US involving cyber attacks and terrorist plots.

Politics

5 h. ago Who will launch nukes first amid WW3 fears, according to experts

Scientists have released a new report, revealing who is most likely to pull the trigger on nuclear Armageddon amid fears of WIII.

Science

6 h. ago Fox News rages that Whoopi Goldberg’s Iran take is ‘as racist as anything’ they’ve ever heard

‘This is not Jim Crow, this is not slavery, and to be making those kinds of comparisons is despicable,’ Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner fumed on Thursday.

Politics

7 h. ago Donald Trump delays decision on Iran strikes as Keir Starmer calls for restraint

The US president said he would decide on military action within the next two weeks

Politics

7 h. ago From Beersheba to Babylon: Netanyahu casts himself as liberator of Iran

Speaking at a hospital hit by an Iranian missile, the Israeli prime minister invoked ancient Persia as he hinted at a historic missionIt was in the Beersheba, about a thousand kilometers and 2,500 years from Babylon, that Benjamin Netanyahu suggested on Thursday that the time had come for the Jews to repay their ancient debt to Cyrus the Great and bring liberation to Iran.The Israeli prime minister had just made a tour of Beersheba’s Soroka hospital which a few hours earlier had sustained a direct hit from an Iranian ballistic missile on one of its buildings. It was for that reason the scene of an escape which was already being dubbed miraculous by Israel’s leaders. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago Israel’s attack has exposed Iran’s lack of firepower – but conflict could yet turn in Tehran’s favour

Iran has struggled to respond effectively after Israel killed many of its top military commandersIt is a week since Israel began its largest attack ever on Iran, and in conventional military terms it is clear that Tehran is under extreme pressure. Israel has been able to achieve superiority over Iran’s skies at extraordinary speed, within hours of launching its surprise assault. Its military claimed on Monday to have knocked out 120 Iranian air defence systems through a mixture of air and drone strikes, about a third of Tehran’s pre-war total.In response, Iran’s most effective weapon has been its stock of high-speed ballistic missiles, estimated at about 2,000 by Israel’s Defence Force (IDF) at the outset of hostilities last week. But the heavy targeting by Israel of launch sites in western Iran, in underground bases such as at Kermanshah – coupled with Israel’s grimly effective targeted killing of Iran’s top military commanders – have left Iran struggling to respond militarily and ...

Events

7 h. ago Tucker Carlson is doing a better job than Democrats of countering Trump on Iran: ‘We’re in such a bizarro world’

ANALYSIS: Carlson’s anti-war advocacy even earned him reluctant praise from his arch-nemesis, Jon Stewart, Richard Hall writes.

Politics

7 h. ago Trump warns Iran: ‘I will make my decision whether or not to go within two weeks’

Sheds first light on a timeline for whether or not president will draw US forces into the conflict between Israel and iran

Events