6 hours ago Hugh SchofieldParis correspondent France is preparing to vote in town council elections, whose results will be closely analysed for trends ahead of next year's presidential votes. A strong showing for Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) would be a boost for the nationalist right - even as …

Six ships have been attacked in the Gulf in less than 48 hours, bringing the total of vessels attacked since the start of the war to 18, according to reports by UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the maritime intelligence company Vanguard. It comes as Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba …

It has been nearly two weeks since Americans woke to the news that the US had carried out strikes against Iran. Donald Trump has said "we're achieving major strides", but the US president and his administration have offered conflicting statements about what they hope to ultimately achieve. So far, polling …

6 hours ago Danielle Codd ,Business reporterand Jennifer Meierhans ,Business reporter British holidaymakers have told the BBC they are stranded abroad after their flights were cancelled when the US-Israeli war broke out. Airspace remains severely restricted following missile strikes across the Middle East meaning commercial flights through major hub airports …

13 hours ago Jemma CrewBusiness reporter The price of oil rarely makes it into dinner table conversation. But over the last two weeks it has dominated headlines, with huge and unusual rises and falls starting to feel like the new norm. It is currently trading over a third higher than …

6 hours ago Gordon CoreraSecurity Analyst On 9 April 2003 a statue of the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, was pulled down in the centre of Baghdad. The metal plaque at the base of the statue was torn off and the statue's marble plinth attacked with a sledgehammer. Iraqi civilians …

Bank of England chief 'shocked' at Mandelson emails The Bank governor criticised emails between Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein during the financial crisis. Business Watch: 'Mind-blowing' - BBC correspondents react as OBR releases Budget details early In the lead up to the Chancellor delivering her Budget, the Office for Budget …

9 hours ago Richard Wheeler ,Political reporterand Damian Grammaticas ,political correspondent Sir Keir Starmer has said he made a "made a mistake" in making Lord Mandelson US ambassador, as Downing Street denied claims of a "cover-up" in the release of documents relating to the appointment. The prime minister is facing …

5 hours ago Zoe Kleinman ,Technology editorand Emma Calder ,Technology reporter Researchers are calling for tighter regulation of AI-powered toys designed for toddlers, after conducting one of the first tests in the world to investigate how under-fives interact with the technology. The study looked at how a small sample of …

3 hours ago Nadine YousifSenior Canada reporter King Charles III has "expressed his concern" over the Alberta separatist movement in a meeting with Indigenous leaders at Buckingham Palace, according to a delegation of First Nations chiefs that travelled to London. Grand Chief Joey Pete of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 …