Buckingham Palace has pushed back against comments from US President Donald Trump suggesting King Charles would take a different line from the British government on the war in Iran.Trump told The Telegraph he viewed the monarch as a courageous figure who had endured much, and said he believed the King would have adopted a stance unlike that of the UK administration.He contrasted that view with...

A Paris court has sentenced Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan to 18 years in prison after finding him guilty of raping three women.The verdict follows a separate conviction in Switzerland two years earlier for a different sexual assault.The case in France surfaced in 2017 amid the wider Me Too movement, when two of the three complainants first went public. The women said the assaults took place in...

The UK is set to experience the steepest slowdown in growth among G20 economies as a result of the war involving Iran, the OECD warns.The organisation now expects UK GDP to expand by just 0.7% this year, a marked downgrade from its earlier 1.2% forecast.At the same time, UK inflation is projected to rise to about 4%, up sharply from previous estimates. Global forecasts were also adjusted.While...

President Donald Trump used his Truth Social account to sharply criticise NATO partners and Britain over their responses to recent tensions with Iran.He accused allies of failing to assist the United States and warned they would be remembered for their lack of support.He also urged Iranian negotiators to accept a settlement quickly, saying delay could lead to irreversible consequences. Trump...

A major industry group is warning the UK it must boost domestic oil and gas production to avoid growing dependence on imported fuel as global tensions push prices higher.Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) says the government should rethink its ban on new North Sea exploration licences, arguing that Britain risks exposure to supply shocks if more home-grown output is not allowed.Energy markets have...

The Irish government will temporarily reduce excise duty on fuel to ease pressure from recent price spikes.From midnight on Wednesday until the end of May, diesel duty will be cut by €0.20 per litre and petrol by €0.15 per litre.Cabinet approval is expected after leaders agreed the measure on Monday. Officials also plan a backdated rebate for haulage companies and bus operators to help...

Slovenia has moved to limit how much fuel each motorist can buy, becoming the first EU member state to introduce nationwide rationing as regional tensions push up prices.The government says the measure responds to market disruptions driven by recent strikes in the Middle East that have shaken global energy supplies and sent pump prices higher.Under the new rules, private drivers may purchase up...

An early-morning blast on a residential street in Bucha, just outside Kyiv, left two police officers with limb injuries after a second explosion detonated as officers responded to the scene.Authorities have described the incident as an act of terrorism and say a 21-year-old local has been detained in connection with the two blasts.He has been formally charged with terrorism. Police say the...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will tell MPs how the UK plans to respond if the war in the Middle East pushes energy bills higher.Her Commons statement will cover three main areas: a short assessment of the economic fallout, measures to bolster energy security, and the principles that would guide any future household support.On energy security, Reeves will recommit the government to building more...

Postal staff around the UK have told the BBC that managers instructed them to remove or stash first-class letters so rounds appeared completed, a practice they say has helped mask missed delivery targets.The claims come from ten postal workers who spoke anonymously to BBC Your Voice.They described mail being put on trolleys or moved out of sight and returned the next day when inspections or...