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Commons debate begins after Morgan McSweeney tells committee that advising PM to appoint Mandelson was ‘serious error of judgment’ Q: Was there pressure on you to approve Mandelson’s vetting?This is a reference to the claim that Keir Starmer misled MPs last week when he talked about no pressure being placed on the Foreign Office.One is during my tenure. I was not aware of any pressure on the substance of the Mandelson DV case.Question two was there pressure? Absolutely. And I’ve described it. And I also have seen what the Foreign Office said to you last night. [See 8.50am.]I didn’t receive any direct calls from the chief of staff during my time as permanent undersecretary. So there was no call at all. My interactions were always when others were present in a general meeting, there weren’t very many of those either …I’ve really racked my brains and I cannot recall Morgan McSweeney swearing in a meeting at me, or indeed just in general. So I don’t see any substance in that part of it and I think it’s important I say that this morning, given how many people have come to think that might be true. Continue reading...

Big win for Donald Trump, who has accused organisation of ‘ripping off the rest of the world’ by inflating oil prices Business live – latest updatesThe United Arab Emirates has quit the Opec oil cartel in a heavy blow to the group and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, amid the global energy shock caused by the Iran war.The stunning loss of the UAE, a longstanding Opec member, could create disarray and weaken the group, which has usually sought to show a united front despite internal disagreements over a range of issues from geopolitics to production quotas. Continue reading...

Residents in 16 towns and villages are told to evacuate immediatelyUS is being ‘humiliated’ by Iran’s leadership, says Friedrich MerzSaudi Arabia is to host a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Jeddah later today, in what will be first in-person meeting of Gulf leaders since their states became dragged into the war.A Gulf official told the Reuters news agency that the meeting aimed to craft a response to the thousands of Iranian missile and drone attacks Gulf states have faced since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran on 28 February. Continue reading...

Speaking at an event to inaugurate a memorial in Pyongyang for North Koreans who have died in Ukraine, Kim Jong Un twice mentioned soldiers who had "self-blasted"

Scotland Yard says incident in area that is home to large Jewish community is not being treated as terrorism Police are investigating a suspected arson attack at a memorial wall in an area of north London that is home to a large Jewish community.Scotland Yard said the investigation was being led by counter-terrorism policing, but it was not being treated as a terrorist incident. No arrests have yet been made and the memorial wall was not damaged. Continue reading...

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident occurred 6 nautical miles north-east of Garacad, describing it as a hijack.

US generated more power from renewables like solar and wind than gas last month in a firstDonald Trump has wielded the full might of his administration to crush the progress of clean energy, which has called a “scam” and “stupid”. But there are signs this assault is not going to plan.In March, the US generated more of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind than it did via gas, the first time clean energy has surpassed the planet-heating fossil fuel for a full month nationally, according to data from the Ember thinktank. Continue reading...

The nuclear issue has been at the heart of the two-month war between Iran and the United States and Israel.