Oil price hits one month high as Trump plumps for ‘extended blockade of Iran’; Russia hopes Opec+ will survive UAE’s exit – business live
Posted on Wednesday April 29, 2026

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

• UK urged to deploy EU-style ‘trade bazooka’ against Trump’s tariffs

The oil price has hit its highest level in a month, following reports that President Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran.

Brent crude has risen by 1.8% this morning to above $113 a barrel, the highest since 31 March, a week before the US-Iran ceasefire was agreed.

He assessed that his other options—resume bombing or walk away from the conflict—carried more risk than maintaining the blockade, officials said.

Yet continuing the blockade also prolongs a conflict that has driven up gas prices, hurt Trump’s poll numbers and further darkened Republicans’ prospects in the midterm elections. It has also caused the lowest number of transits through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began.

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Revealed: Nigel Farage was given undisclosed £5m by crypto billionaire in 2024
Posted on Wednesday April 29, 2026

Exclusive: Reform leader changed his mind about standing as MP after gift from Thai-based crypto tycoon Christopher Harborne

Nigel Farage was given £5m by the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before announcing he would stand in the 2024 British general election, the Guardian can reveal.

Farage had already stated he did not intend to stand as a prospective MP but U-turned within weeks of receiving the personal gift from the Thai-based businessman.

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Meta found in breach of EU law for failing to keep children off platforms
Posted on Wednesday April 29, 2026

Commission says tech company does not have effective measures to keep under-13s off Facebook and Instagram

The tech company Meta has been found to be in breach of EU law for failing to prevent children under 13 from using its Facebook and Instagram platforms.

Issuing the preliminary findings of a nearly two-year investigation, the European Commission said on Wednesday that Meta did not have effective measures in place to stop under-13s accessing its services.

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Lloyds takes £151m hit from Iran war as it forecasts rise in UK unemployment
Posted on Wednesday April 29, 2026

Bank expects its base case for GDP growth to be 0.5% this year, lower than IMF’s 0.8% prediction for Britain

• Business live – latest updates

Lloyds has said that the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict could cost it £151m amid rising unemployment and inflation and a slowdown in the housing market.

The FTSE 100 group, whose brands include Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, issued a downbeat economic forecast that it said reflected the stagflationary consequences – the double hit of rising inflation at the same time as slower economic growth – for the UK and global economies.

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‘They’re supposed to be handmade’: zine creators fight to resist AI influence
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

Artists and writers argue scrappy nature of self-published booklets is incompatible with artificial intelligence

The self-published zine has long been central to cultural revolutions, from queer activism to Black feminism and the riot grrrl punk movement, producing titles such as Sniffin’ Glue and Sweet-Thang along the way. But now the traditionally analogue art form faces a new shift: artificial intelligence.

AI may seem incompatible with the these cult DIY booklets, but some creatives, designers and artists have begun to experiment with the technology, causing alarm in parts of the underground publishing world. It has been their Dylan-goes-electric moment.

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MacBook Pro M5 review: serious power, still long battery life
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

Apple laptop sets new performance bar with more storage, new chips and plenty of options, but now has two-tier specs depending on processor

Apple’s Macs have been on a roll this year with the brand new budget MacBook Neo and a faster MacBook Air M5, but now it’s time for its workhorse MacBook Pro to be upgraded with the fastest, most powerful M-series chips.

The latest MacBook Pro comes in two screen sizes and a large range of chip and configuration options. The 14in version starts with the M5 chip costing £1,699 (€1,899/$1,699/A$2,699) and then jumps to the more powerful M5 Pro from £2,199 (€2,499/$2,199/A$3,499) before climbing further for the 16in version or the top M5 Max chip. A pricey machine for professional workloads.

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‘I’ve given all I can’: Chelsea’s Millie Bright announces retirement with immediate effect
Posted on Wednesday April 29, 2026

• Bright won eight Women’s Super League titles at Chelsea

• Defender retired from England duty in 2025 with 88 caps

Millie Bright has announced her immediate retirement, ending a trophy-laden career during which she won eight Women’s Super League titles and six Women’s FA Cups with Chelsea.

The defender, who retired from international football in 2025, also helped England win the 2022 European Championship on home soil, and in 2023 – in the absence of the injured captain Leah Williamson – led the side to the World Cup final. She won 88 caps.

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‘The best match I have coached’: Luis Enrique thrilled by PSG’s 5-4 win over Bayern Munich
Posted on Tuesday April 28, 2026

• A record nine goals in semi-final first leg

• ‘We fought and we’re back in the tie,’ says Harry Kane

Luis Enrique called it “the best match I have ever coached”. Vincent Kompany called it “unbelievable”. Marquinhos said it was “crazy”. Harry Kane took a different tack, choosing instead to praise the defending on show after Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-4 defeat of Bayern Munich, the most goal-laden Champions League semi-final first leg ever staged, and perhaps also the most relentlessly exciting.

“It was amazing,” Luis Enrique said. “It had amazing rhythm, trying to play offensive football, trying to show their quality. I think everybody had fun watching the match. I’m happy because we won.”

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