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‘Be serious’: Macron criticises Trump and says opening strait of Hormuz by force ‘unrealistic’ – Middle East crisis live

The Lebanese prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said there was no end in sight to the war that has killed hundreds of people and left a million more displaced. Marking one month since Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war, with the Israeli military fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants along the southern Lebanese border, Salam said his country was committed to “employing all available means to stop the war”. Speaking at a press conference, he said: “Lebanon has become a victim of a war whose outcomes or end date no one can predict with certainty.” The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued unprecedented evacuation orders for swathes of the Lebanese south, which it claims to be a Hezbollah stronghold. With troops advancing further into Lebanese territory, Israel said it will occupy and destroy the homes along the border to prevent the return of about 600,000 residents. Since the start of attacks, 1,318 people have been killed in Lebanon and 3,935 injured, according to the country’s health ministry. More than 1.1 million people have been displaced, including hundreds of thousands of children, the UN said. “We are called upon to continue our work in strengthening our capacities, obtaining greater support for sheltering the displaced, responding to their needs, ensuring their good hosting—indeed, their embrace—and safeguarding their security as well as the security of their hosts among the citizens throughout all of Lebanon,” said Sawaf. “For these displaced persons are the first and greatest victims of a war in whose waging they had no say or decision.”

Europe should lift sanctions on Russian energy amid Iran crisis, Viktor Orbán says as he taunts Tusk – Europe live

The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, urged Europe to “immediately” lift sanctions on Russian energy to shield its economy from “one of the most severe economic crises in its history” coming as a consequence of the Iran war. In a response to Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk’s warning about Trump and Orbán’s recent activities being like a “Putin’s dream plan” (10:47), the embattled Hungarian strongman seemingly doubled down on his calls for a pro-Russian change in the EU’s policy. “We must think not about Putin, but about our own country and our peoples. Instead of warmongering, love and save your country, Donald,” he taunted Tusk. The pair – once close political allies – repeatedly clashed in recent months over Orbán’s repeated attempts to block further sanctions on Russia and aid for Ukraine, with recent media reporting highlighting close ties between his government and Moscow. Here is Orbán’s post in full: “Europe is heading toward one of the most severe economic crises in its history. The world is facing a serious energy crisis. Europe is in grave danger. The only way out is to lift the sanctions imposed on Russian energy. Immediately. We must think not about Putin, but about our own country and our peoples. Instead of warmongering, love and save your country, Donald!” Orbán’s comments come just 10 days before a key parliamentary election in Hungary, with polls suggesting he could be ousted after 16 years in power amid growing frustration with the country’s economy and political class.

‘Not up to standard’: Macron criticises Trump after comments about his marriage

Emmanuel Macron has said Donald Trump’s comments about his marriage were “neither elegant nor up to standard” after the US president put on an accent and mocked his French counterpart and his wife during a private lunch in Washington. Arriving in South Korea on Thursday, Macron made clear his displeasure at Trump’s comments, which appeared briefly in a video on the White House YouTube channel before being removed. “So I am not going to respond to them – they do not merit a response,” Macron told reporters. There was anger in France after Trump appeared to make fun of Macron and his wife during the lunch on Wednesday, guests at which included faith leaders and government figures in Washington, as he lambasted Nato allies for not joining the war against Iran. Mimicking a French accent, Trump said Macron’s wife, Brigitte, “treats him extremely badly”. Speaking about approaching France for help on Iran, Trump said: “We didn’t need them, but I asked anyway.” He added: “I call up France, Macron – whose wife treats him extremely badly. Still recovering from the right to the jaw.” Trump appeared to be referring to a May 2025 video that appeared to show Brigitte Macron pushing her husband’s face as they prepared to disembark from a plane on an official visit to Vietnam. The video, shot by an Associated Press camera operator, showed Macron appearing in the doorway of the plane at the start of a visit to Hanoi. His wife’s hand appears to shove him, causing him to step back before recovering and waving. At the time Macron denied any “domestic dispute” with his wife, saying that they were “joking as we often do”. At the lunch, Trump continued: “And I said, Emmanuel, we’d love to have some help in the Gulf even though we’re setting records on knocking out bad people and knocking out ballistic missiles. We’d love to have some help. If you could, could you please send ships immediately.” Trump then appeared to attempt a French accent to give Macron’s alleged answer: “‘No, no, no, we cannot do that, Donald. We can do that after the war is won,’” he said. “I said, no no, I don’t need after the war is won, Emmanuel,” Trump said. “So I learned about Nato – Nato won’t be there if we ever have the big one, you know what I mean by the big one,” Trump added, without elaborating. Politicians in France were outraged at Trump’s comments. “Honestly, it’s not up to par,” said Yaël Braun-Pivet, the centrist president of France’s lower house of parliament. “We are currently discussing the future of the world. Right now in Iran, this is having consequences for the lives of millions of people, people are dying on the battlefield, and we have a president who is laughing, who is mocking others,” she told the public broadcaster Franceinfo. Manuel Bompard, the national coordinator of the radical left party La France Insoumise, defended Macron. “You are aware of the extent of my disagreements with the president, but for Donald Trump to speak to him like that and to speak of his wife in such a manner – I find that absolutely unacceptable,” Bompard told the broadcaster BFMTV. The conservative French daily Le Figaro said: “Another controversial outburst from Donald Trump.”

London Pride boss sacked over claims he bought luxury goods with vouchers for volunteers

The boss of Pride in London, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ events, has been sacked after he was accused of buying luxury goods for personal use with vouchers intended for volunteers’ food and drink. Christopher Joell-Deshields, who had been chief executive of Pride in London since 2021, was put under investigation last September and suspended the following month in response to claims of misconduct. They included the alleged misuse of company funds for his own personal benefit, financial mismanagement and bullying. Joell-Deshields appealed against the decision to fire him after the conclusion of the independent investigation into his conduct, but he lost his case on appeal. “As a result, Christopher Joell-Deshields is no longer employed by or affiliated with London LGBT Community Pride (Pride in London),” the London LGBT Community Pride, the body that trades as Pride in London, said in a statement. The findings of the investigation have not been made public. Among the allegations made against him was the potential misuse of £7,125 of the £30,000 worth of food and drink vouchers provided by an unnamed sponsor for volunteers at the Pride march. According to volunteer directors, the sponsor’s head of ethics and compliance had written to the legal director at Pride in London to say that the company’s fraud systems had detected that two accounts had used £7,125 of the vouchers on luxury items. The items included an Apple HomePod, Apple AirPods and cologne, including Creed Aventus, which has a retail price of at least £165, and Burberry Hero, which is £118 for a 100ml bottle. According to the whistleblowers, the sponsor advised the legal director that “the pattern and nature of the transactions strongly suggested personal – rather than organisational – benefit”. One of the two accounts flagged was that of Joell-Deshields. Joell-Deshields was paid his full £87,500 annual salary during his seven months under suspension, it is understood. He remains embroiled in a legal battle with Pride over his alleged retention of its property. In September 2025, a high court judge ordered Joell-Deshield to relinquish control of Pride property, including bank accounts, internal systems and equipment. He returned to court in January accused of two charges of contempt for failing to comply with the order. Representatives for Joell-Deshields told the court he had not returned a company laptop as it was bought for him by the company after his personal device was damaged in his line of work. He admitted the second count of contempt for failing to provide a signed statement confirming he had returned all company property. Lawyers for Pride in London returned to court last week to claim the company property had still not been returned and that Joell-Deshields had failed to file a defence in the case. Matthew Butt KC, the deputy high court judge, made an order that means the court will find in Pride in London’s favour if Joell-Deshields does not file a defence in the next two weeks. The event is funded by corporate sponsors and £175,000 a year from the mayor of London’s office, the Greater London Authority. In response to his dismissal, Joell-Deshields said the Guardian had been “consistent in being one sided” in reporting the saga and that he had not seen Pride’s statement. “I do not have the statement, therefore will not be speaking blindly,” he said.

World’s oldest tortoise caught in viral crypto death scam

At 194 years old, Jonathan the giant tortoise was a youngster when Queen Victoria ascended to the throne – and has now lived long enough to fall victim to a crypto scam. News outlets including the BBC, Daily Mail and USA Today falsely reported his death after an X account posing as Jonathan’s vet broke the news. The post, attributed to “Joe Hollins”, claimed: “Heartbroken to share that our beloved Jonathan, the world’s oldest living land animal, has passed away today peacefully on Saint Helena. “As his vet for many years, it was an honour to care for him – hand-feeding bananas, watching him bask in the sun and marvelling at his quiet wisdom. He leaves behind a legacy of resilience and longevity that inspired millions. Rest easy, old friend. You’ll be missed more than words can say.” Though the post received 2m views and was reported as fact by the UK’s national broadcaster, checks by the Guardian revealed the account was based in Brazil. The real vet, who does not use X, said: “Jonathan the tortoise is very much alive. I believe on X the person purporting to be me is asking for crypto donations, so it’s not even an April fool joke. It’s a con.” The impostor was indeed asking for cryptocurrency donations at the time the BBC published – and later retracted – its report. Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, is the world’s oldest known land animal. He has lived on the grounds of the governor’s mansion on Saint Helena, since 1882, when he arrived as a gift to the South Atlantic island. Nigel Phillips, the governor, was getting ready for bed on Wednesday night when he was inundated with anxious messages. He got up and searched the grounds to check on the tortoise. “Jonathan is asleep under a tree in the paddock,” he told the Guardian, adding that the animal was “very much alive”. On Thursday morning, Phillips joked that Jonathan had issued a press statement: “The report of my death was an exaggeration … Mark Twain, not Oscar Wilde. Jonathan would nonetheless have had the chance enjoy both their works in the original first editions.” Despite being blind from cataracts and having lost his sense of smell, Jonathan remains hale and hearty with a strong appetite for bananas and a healthy libido – he tries to mate with two younger tortoises who also reside on the governor’s property. The governor’s team trudged out into the rain on Thursday morning to take a picture of the sleepy-looking tortoise, who had just woken up from an 11-hour slumber. The twice-weekly local paper would not be out until later that day, so in lieu of that they posed the tortoise with an iPad showing the BBC homepage as proof of life. Lying on the ground, slightly shrouded in shrubbery, Jonathan seemed oblivious to the global furore caused by the false news of his death. His shell was glimmering from the morning rain. He is likely to be in a bad mood; the tortoise much prefers sunshine, in which he basks with limbs stretched out and eyes half-closed. The scam has rocked the community on the small island of approximately 4,440 people, where the tortoise is a local celebrity who has appeared on the reverse of St Helena’s 5p coin. Phillips shed some light on the tortoise’s long life: “Jonathan’s day is mostly spent grazing on grass. One day a week he is fed fruit, veg and salad to ensure he gets essential minerals. He has a sweet tooth. Tourists occasionally come to view him, but that is carefully managed to ensure the animals are not stressed. “Beyond that, there really is not much more to say about his daily routine. Perhaps the simplicity is the key to his longevity!” The real Hollins was momentarily worried about the fake news spread by his impersonator; the islanders are genuinely dreading the day Jonathan dies. He told the Guardian: “It makes one slightly nervous considering he’s at least 194.”

Coordinated conflict: how the Ukraine and Iran wars are starting to overlap

The Iran and Ukraine wars are becoming more intertwined with every passing week – to the point that some analysts argue the two conflicts are beginning to merge. Quite how each war will affect the trajectory of the other is hard to predict, but it is already clear that their interconnectedness is drawing more countries into both cauldrons, extending an arc of instability that straddles Europe and the Middle East. From Ukraine’s point of view, the connection is nothing new. Russia began using Iranian-made Shahed drones in September 2022, seven months into Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion. What is new is Moscow’s return of the favour to Tehran, with a reported flow of intelligence, targeting and drones to Iran after the US-Israeli assault on 28 February. Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s tour of the Middle East over the past few weeks has cemented another cross-regional link between the two conflicts, sealing agreements to provide drone and anti-drone technology and training to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, while initiating security talks along similar lines with Jordan. The two wars are also converging through global energy markets. The initial impact of the attack on Iran, along with Tehran’s response in closing down Gulf shipping through the strait of Hormuz, favoured Russia through a spike in oil and gas prices. For Moscow, the increase in demand has provided an economic lifeline just as its economy was coming under growing strain, prompting the government to drop plans for budget cuts. To stabilise the market, the Trump administration has eased some restrictions on Russian oil exports that were intended to pressure the Kremlin over its war in Ukraine. Furthermore, Asian countries, particularly those hit by the closure of the strait of Hormuz – including Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka – are now lining up to buy Russian oil. In an effort to limit Russia’s windfall, Ukraine has in recent days intensified strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. A Reuters estimate last week said up to 40% of Russia’s oil export capacity had been halted after mass Ukrainian drone attacks. The conflicts have become so interlocked that what happens in one theatre of war now has a tangible impact on the other – a fact emphasised by European states, anxious to avoid being sucked into a spiralling Middle East conflagration. The UK defence secretary, John Healey, pointed to Putin’s “hidden hand” behind Iran’s drone tactics. “These wars are very much interlinked,” said the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. “So if America wants the war in the Middle East to stop – Iran to stop attacking them – they should also put the pressure on Russia so that they are not able to help them.” The Trump administration has been reluctant to acknowledge the linkage, maintaining preferential treatment of Moscow, easing sanctions, allowing a Russian shipment of oil to break the US blockade on Cuba even as ever stronger evidence emerged of Russian assistance to Iran in the midst of the war. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, insisted Russia’s role in Iran was not “impeding or affecting” US operations. “The Americans don’t want to interlink the two wars and punish Russia,” said Hanna Notte, the director for Eurasia at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies. There are signs that the US is putting more pressure on Kyiv for its attacks on Russian oil facilities, keeping the oil price high, than on Moscow for supplying lethal weaponry to Iran to fire at US and allied targets. The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Trump had threatened to cut off weapon supplies to Ukraine if European allies did not help reopen the Hormuz strait. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv had received “signals” from partners urging it to scale back strikes on Russian energy facilities. He insisted that the strikes would continue as long as Russian attacks targeted Ukraine’s own energy infrastructure. Russia’s deepening involvement in Iran’s defence, however, will put new pressure on Trump’s pro-Russian inclinations. For the Kremlin, support to Iran offers a chance to rebuild its geopolitical standing after a series of setbacks. Dragged down by its war in Ukraine, the Kremlin was forced to stand largely on the sidelines as key allies fell – including the toppled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, who was captured in a US operation and removed from power “Once it became clear that the US was struggling to convert military superiority into political gains, Russia saw an opportunity to expose American weakness,” Notte said. “It is in their interests to give the Americans a bloody nose and prolong the war.” Zelenskyy has alleged that Moscow provided Iran with intelligence based on satellite imagery in the run-up to an Iranian drone and missile strike on US planes and personnel at the Prince Sultan airbase in Saudi Arabia on Friday, injuring 12 Americans. Russia is also suspected of sending drones, perhaps including Gerans, Moscow’s own update on the Shahed, in road shipments disguised as humanitarian convoys. Ukraine’s bloodily earned experience of Shaheds and Gerans made Zelenskyy a sought-after guest in Gulf capitals. He has seized the opening, offering to export low-cost, battlefield-tested technologies to help address local shortages of weapons, while showcasing a new global role for Ukraine: no longer just a recipient of aid, but a supplier. Kyiv is not just selling interceptors, but also software, electronic warfare systems and maritime drones. “We are taking a systemic approach to this,” Zelenskyy said. Orysia Lutsevych, the head of the Ukraine Forum at the Chatham House thinktank, said Ukraine’s new security network in the Gulf gives the country more clout with Washington – a riposte to Trump’s repeated jibe that Kyiv has “no cards” in its battle with Russia. “Ukraine is trying to show that our cards are about being a very robust, agile, fast-adapting and producing economy that can both defend against Russia and also defend other countries through weapons system sales,” Lutsevych said. She added that the security relationships cultivated in the Gulf could provide a vital alternative source of desperately needed finance for Ukraine’s arms industry, at a time when EU funds have been blocked by Hungary. “Ukraine has production capabilities but not enough investment. It can produce more, but it doesn’t have enough orders or capital,” Lutsevych said. “So this actually comes as a great opportunity to use these production facilities.” The interconnected regional conflicts are still some way off from becoming a world war, argued William Spaniel, an associate political science professor at the University of Pittsburgh, “but it is further connecting the battlefield outcomes, and it will have longer lasting implications for how the battle lines are divided”. Fiona Hill, a former Russia adviser in the first Trump administration, argued that if modern forms of warfare such as cyber, hybrid and other grey zone operations are taken into account, a world war has been under way for some time and has been brought closer to a boil by the Iran war. “I think it meets that threshold for a system-changing war,” Hill, now at the Brookings Institution, said. “There’ll be all kinds of new configurations of countries that will have sprung up.” She pointed to the unpredictable impact on global stability of oil and fertiliser shortages, giving a wide array of other states motives to become involved in the Middle East, and the question of whether China would take advantage of Washington’s distraction to take action against Taiwan. “We’ve got a ‘four horses of the apocalypse’ going here … and I just feel that people are sleepwalking into it.”

Thursday briefing: Why does Donald Trump have it in for the UK?

Good morning. Another week, another tirade against the UK from Donald Trump. The US-Israeli conflict with Iran has further inflamed tensions in the special relationship, which was already under strain from attacks by the capricious US leader. So far this week, Trump has once again mocked the UK’s navy, instructed allies worried about jet fuel supplies to take it from the strait of Hormuz themselves, and announced that the US is considering leaving Nato. The outbursts have become a pattern since the war with Iran began – and mark a departure from the unlikely friendly relationship Starmer and Trump have enjoyed until now. But why, exactly? To understand why the special relationship has become the focus of Trump’s irritation, I spoke with David Smith, the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief. But first, the headlines. Five big stories Middle East | Donald Trump used a prime-time address to the nation to declare the month-long war in Iran a success “nearing completion”, despite a spiralling conflict that has caused economic turmoil across the globe, fractured transatlantic alliances and eroded the president’s approval ratings. UK politics | The UK will seek an even deeper partnership with the EU because of the instability wreaked by Donald Trump’s war with Iran, Keir Starmer has said, adding that the moment called for a more ambitious deal with Brussels. Nasa | Nasa’s moon rocket Artemis II launched on Wednesday evening, carrying astronauts to the moon for the first time in almost 54 years. BBC | The BBC confirmed in a statement it was first made aware of a police investigation into historical allegations of sexual abuse by Scott Mills in 2017. NHS | Claims by Palantir that concerns over the US data analytics company’s multimillion-pound NHS contract are “ideologically motivated” have been rejected by the chair of a parliamentary committee. In depth: ‘This is not our war, and we’re not going to get dragged into it’ The UK, more than any other US ally, has been singled out for criticism by the Trump administration since the beginning of the war with Iran. President Trump has dismissed British prime minister Keir Starmer as “no Winston Churchill”, repeatedly mocked London’s military capability, and criticised the UK’s hesitance to approve the use of its airbases for US operations in the Middle East. Rather than railing against Vladimir Putin’s Russia, who is believed to be providing support to Iran, America’s allies – Germany, France and Spain – have also earned the US president’s ire: becoming the subject of his irate monologues to television cameras in Washington DC. European nations have been firm in their stance on the conflict: they will not join the US and Israel in their attacks on Tehran. But Starmer’s hesitance appears to have angered Trump above all else. There are obvious parallels to the Suez Crisis in 1956, when Britain and France were forced to withdraw from Egypt under pressure from the US and the Soviet Union after they invaded the key transport route to confront Arab nationalist president President Abdel Nasser. “We cannot, in the world any more than in our own nation, subscribe to one law for the weak, another law for the strong; one law for those opposing us, another for those allied with us,” President Eisenhower said at the time. It seems like the shoe is on the other foot in 2026. Starmer, for his part, has been cautious not to criticise Trump in public, insisting “this is not our war, and we’re not going to get dragged into it”. On Wednesday, he said that the UK would pursue closer ties with the EU in light of the conflict. *** When affection turns to tension David thinks part of Trump’s focus on the UK is because of Trump’s genuine affection for the UK. “I think Britain is the first ally he thinks of. It is the special relationship, supposedly the closest ally,” he says. “Of all the countries in the world, Britain is the one he feels a certain kinship with because his mother was Scottish. He’s of the generation that grew up with second world war movies and he’s locked in with that idea of Britain and America together. He has Winston Churchill’s bust in the Oval Office. There’s Reagan and Thatcher, Bush and Blair. These are the cultural touchstones that he reaches for,” says David. But sometimes with closeness, comes entitlement, explains David. “There is a certain arrogance of taking Britain for granted. Whatever uncertainties there are in the world, there’s a feeling that Britain will unswervingly and unquestioningly back the US in any operation. Trump would be aware of the very close military and intelligence partnership. That makes the perceived betrayal all the harsher when Britain is suddenly not a lapdog,” he says. *** A very fine line A lot does hinge on the special relationship being maintained. On the part of the UK and European countries, there is a fine line to walk. The continent’s collective security remains heavily dependent on the US’s military might – and there is little sign of that changing in the short term. The UK government, like other European countries, does not want to get involved in an unpopular and seemingly directionless war with Iran, but they cannot afford a deeper rupture with the US. For the US, the Iran conflict has been a lesson in the limits of its power: they still need the support of allies in Europe, the Gulf and around the world to project their strength. At the end of this month, King Charles will visit the US. Trump has promised the UK head of state a banquet dinner at the White House to mark the 250th anniversary of the USA. Many diplomats will be hoping that the fighting in Iran has finished by the time the king arrives in the US capital. Whatever the state of the war by the time the banquet begins, King Charles will almost certainly dine with an unpopular US leader. Trump’s ratings sank to an all time low in his second term in March. A University of Massachusetts Amherst poll found his approval rating was just 33%, with skyrocketing prices, a falling stock market and an unpopular war in Iran to blame. Even for Trump, it would be a stretch to blame that on the UK and the US’s European allies. The consequences of the war are becoming apparent to many Americans. *** An unpopular President While the consequences of the fighting in Iran are not biting as they have been in Europe and Asia, fuel prices have risen and the consequences are starting to appear on television news. “You see people interviewed on TV complaining about gas prices, which are now topping $4 a gallon. America is such a car country that’s always an absolutely huge barometer,” says David. But he cautions that the impacts of the Iran war have not cut through with the American public in the same way as Europe. “Anecdotally, Fox News went to a beach in California and people had no idea of the difference between Iran or Iraq. They didn’t know what the whole thing was about. I suspect that a lot of people are not really engaged as it’s far away,” he says. With no sign of a negotiated end to the fighting, Trump signalled this week that the US could exit the conflict without an agreement with Iran, potentially leaving other countries to pick up the pieces. The UK will host talks in the coming days between 35 countries about re-opening the strait of Hormuz as a result of this threat. David says that this appears to be an increasingly likely outcome of the conflict – which might heap further strain on the transatlantic alliance. “I wonder if consciously or otherwise, it becomes very convenient for America to turn on its heels and disappear from Iran, and say ‘OK, you guys get on with it. We’ve done the hard work,’” says David. “On one level, it would be a concession that it’s gone badly for America and they can’t handle it any more. But in a very cynical Trump fashion, he may think to himself in terms of the alternative reality he can project on Fox news where he can say he won the war and it’s not America’s problem any more.” What else we’ve been reading Keith Stuart makes me feel sad I did not attend the Friday Late celebration of video game play and performance at the V&A, where, he says, players get to envisage games placed between renaissance paintings. Martin Although they can be a disaster for wildlife, balloon releases to mark birthdays and special celebrations are more popular than ever in the UK. Is it time to consider a ban to protect nature? Patrick By leaning heavily on rap lyrics and racist dog whistles, Texas prosecutors managed to drown out mitigating evidence that might have spared James Broadnax from the death penalty. Ed Pilkington reports. Martin Love it or hate it, reformer pilates is everywhere. Anita Chaudhuri interrogates the truth behind the divisive fitness trend. Patrick Monocle spoke with mayors from Europe and London’s deputy mayor for housing about the challenges facing their constituents and how they’re working to improve urban living conditions. Martin Sport Cricket | The MCC has ruled out buying or investing in Middlesex as their long-term tenants at Lord’s begin another season in a state of crisis. Football | Lamine Yamal has criticised “intolerable” chants by Spain fans during a friendly against Egypt in Barcelona that police are investigating for Islamophobia and xenophobia. Football | Jacob Steinberg runs the rule over how England’s 2026 men’s Fifa World Cup squad is shaping up after the winless March friendlies. The front pages “Trump ‘absolutely’ considering taking US out of Nato alliance” is the Guardian splash. “Furious Trump threatens to withdraw US from Nato” is top story at the Times, the Mail says “Now Trump goes to war on Nato” and the Telegraph headlines “Trump: US could quit Nato”. The FT leads on “Starmer leans towards Brussels after Trump’s taunts sap transatlantic trust” and the i Paper splashes on “Europe fears Putin will start a new war after Trump’s threat to quit Nato”. The Sun runs “Stacey & Joe’s sham wedding” and the Mirror says “This is amazing” about SMA testing. Today in focus ‘Tinder for Nazis’ and the woman who hacked it Anonymous activist Martha Root on how she hacked into, and took down, a dating site for white supremacists. With reporting from investigative journalist Eva Hoffman. Cartoon of the day | Nicola Jennings The Upside A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad In Mozambique, scientists are turning bat droppings into a powerful tool for conservation – and for local communities. By analysing DNA in guano in Gorongosa national park, researchers can track entire ecosystems without disturbing wildlife. The findings show bats “feed on insects – including mosquitoes … and pests”, helping protect crops and human health. The aim is practical as well as scientific: “We want a scientific base to convince the community” to protect caves and habitats. By revealing bats as allies rather than threats, the project is helping people and wildlife thrive together – proof that even bat poo can play a part in a more sustainable future. Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday Bored at work? And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Martin Belam’s Thursday news quiz Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply

One killed and buildings damaged as magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes Indonesia

One person has been killed after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Ternate island, damaging buildings and triggering small tsunami waves. The quake, which had a depth of 35km, occurred on Thursday at 6.48am local time, according to the United States Geological Survey. Its epicentre was 127km (79 miles) west-north-west of Ternate, an island in Indonesia’s North Maluku province. The US tsunami warning system initially alerted to the risk of hazardous tsunami waves within 1,000km of the epicentre, including along the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, saying waves reaching 0.3 metres to 1 metre (3.2ft) above the tide level were possible on some of the Indonesian coastline. About two hours after the quake, it confirmed the threat of a tsunami had passed. Strong shaking lasting 10 to 20 seconds was felt in Bitung – a coastal city on the north-eastern edge of Sulawesi island – and surrounding areas, as well as in Ternate city, according to Indonesia’s disaster management agency (BNPB). Tsunami waves were recorded in five locations, according to Indonesia’s BMKG meteorology agency, which said the highest – at 0.75 metres (2.46ft) – occurred in North Minahasa in North Sulawesi province. A total of 11 aftershocks were monitored, the largest at a magnitude of 5.5. The authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant. “At this stage, caution is still required, particularly for communities living along the coast,” a spokesperson for BNPB said in a statement, telling residents to refrain from returning to beaches or coastal areas until authorities confirmed it was safe to do so. A 70-year-old woman died in North Sulawesi’s Minahasa district, and another resident was injured after the quake. Images showed a sports complex in North Sumatra that was damaged, with mangled wall panels and metal bars lying across the ground outside. BNPB said initial assessments showed “minor to moderate” damage to buildings in areas of Ternate, which has a population of about 205,000. A church in the Batang Dua Island district was damaged, as were two houses in South Ternates. In Bitung, efforts to assess the damage were continuing, the agency said. The quake was initially recorded at a magnitude of 7.8, the US Geological Survey said. Japan’s meteorological agency said “slight sea level changes” might occur along Japan’s coast but that no tsunami damage was expected. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology later confirmed there was no tsunami threat to their territories. An Agence France-Presse journalist in Manado, North Sulawesi province, said the shaking woke him and others in the city, who rushed outdoors. “I immediately woke up and left my house. People [were] immediately scrambling outside,” he said. “There is a school and the pupils rushed outside.” He said the shaking persisted for “quite long” but he did not witness “significant damage”. Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 280 million people, is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the “ring of fire”, an arc of volcanoes and faultlines in the Pacific basin. In 2022, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake killed at least 602 people in West Java’s Cianjur city, the deadliest one in Indonesia since a 2018 quake and tsunami in Sulawesi killed more than 4,300 people. In 2004, an extremely powerful Indian Ocean quake set off a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia’s Aceh province. This area of the Molucca Sea often experiences moderate to large earthquakes, according to the US Geological Survey. Over the past 50 years, nine other earthquakes with a magnitude higher than seven have occurred within 250km of Thursday’s earthquake, though few have caused major damage because of their location at sea.