By HUGO DUNCAN, BUSINESS EDITOR

Published: 19:04 EDT, 12 April 2026 | Updated: 22:45 EDT, 12 April 2026

Britain faces a population explosion under the Green Party’s immigration free-for-all, a damning report has warned.

Economists estimate the number of people living in the UK would soar by 4.4million in just five years if Zack Polanski wins power in 2029.

The increase is down to the Green’s open borders immigration policy – with around 900,000 arrivals expected a year.

The report suggests the population would rise by just 200,000 under a Reform UK government – with net migration estimated at 40,000 a year.

An increase of 800,000 has been forecast under the Tories – or 160,000 a year – and between 1million and 1.3million if Labour clings on for another term.

The range in Labour’s prediction takes into account the Home Secretary’s plans to extend the qualification period for permanent residence in the UK from five years to ten years. 

If Shabana Mahmood is successful in having the measures applied to those already in the UK, the population would rise by one million in the next parliament.

The Green Party, expected to make strong gains in next month’s local elections, has said: ‘In an ideal world, most border controls would not exist.’

Economists estimate the number of people living in the UK would soar by 4.4million in just five years if Zack Polanski (pictured) wins power in 2029

An increase of 800,000 has been forecast under the Tories – or 160,000 a year – and between 1million and 1.3million if Labour clings on for another term

Mr Polanski plans to ‘abolish’ immigration detention and grant amnesty to illegal migrants allowing them to stay in Britain – giving them access to free housing and the NHS.

Stating that ‘migration is not a criminal offence under any circumstances’, internal policy documents outline ambitions to ‘establish a system that recognises that all migrants are treated as citizens in waiting and therefore supports and encourages them to put down roots in their new home’.

Opponents of Mr Polanski have branded the plans ‘financially reckless but also dangerous.’

A study by City investment bank Panmure Liberum estimated the population would jump from 71.5million in 2029 to 75.9million in 2034 under the Greens. 

The report found the population would rise to just 71.7million under Reform UK and to 72.3million under the Tories. The UK population is currently 69.5million.

Simon French, Panmure Liberum’s chief economist and a former Civil Service economic adviser, said: ‘The spread of policies from the four leading UK parties could lead to a difference of more than four million in the UK population by the end of the next parliamentary cycle. 

‘That extraordinary spread is because the policies of the Green Party and Reform UK are as diametrically opposite as anything I have seen in 25 years of analysing UK migration policy.’

The Office for National Statistics projects a 1.6million population rise by the next parliament, based on ‘natural change’ averaging a drop of 10,000 a year – as deaths marginally outweigh births – and net migration of 340,000.

Mr French said the population excluding immigration is ‘basically stable’, adding: ‘All the movement is net migration.’

Therefore a surge of 4.4million in the population under the Greens suggests net migration of around 900,000 a year versus around 40,000 under Reform UK and 160,000 under the Tories.

A Green Party spokesman said: ‘These figures are made up nonsense and we’ve been given no idea how they are calculated.

‘The Greens support a fair and managed migration system and successive governments have presided over a broken and unfair system. 

‘The Greens are positive about the economic and societal benefits of immigration.

‘People are concerned about the impacts of immigration because of a massive affordability crisis, but unlike other parties we won’t scapegoat migrants for the unfairness created by our rigged economic system.’

Reform and the Tories were approached for comment.

President Donald Trump has sent US Navy ships into the Strait of Hormuz to create a blockade – something experts warn could put American lives at risk.

Trump announced the move via Truth Social on Sunday, saying the naval assets would ‘begin the process of blockading any all ships trying to enter’ the Strait. 

US Central Command confirmed the blockade of ‘all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports’ will start on Monday at 10am ET.

Vessels using the strait to travel to and from non-Iranian ports will not be impeded, CENTCOM said in a statement. 

The president claimed that the threat posed by the Iranian Navy is ‘gone’ from the key waterway thanks to the US military assault on the nation since February 28. 

However, experts have warned that though much of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ large battleships have been destroyed, the smaller boats that control the Strait are still intact. 

This means the US servicemen sent to the narrow waterway – which is only about 35 kilometers wide – will be sitting ducks for attacks by the IRGC. 

Farzin Nadimi, an Iran-focused senior fellow with the Washington Institute, told the Wall Street Journal that more than 60 percent of the IRGC’s fast-attack craft and speedboat fleet is still operating.

US President Donald Trump makes a fist upon arrival at Miami International Airport in Miami, on April 11, 2026. Trump is traveling to Florida to attend a UFC event and spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago residence

This handout natural-colour image acquired with MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite taken on February 5, 2025 shows the Gulf of Oman and the Makran region (C) in southern Iran and southwestern Pakistan, and the Strait of Hormuz (L) and the northern coast of Oman (bottom)

An Iranian Revolutionary Guard jet boat sails around a seized tanker in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, July 2019 (reissued August 2019)

U.S. Marines, with the Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (3/1), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), conduct a live fire evolution on the flight deck of San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18), while underway, February 11th, 2026

David Des Roches, a former director responsible for Persian Gulf policy at the Defense Department, also noted that Iran’s ‘asymmetrical strategy is working.’

The smaller, more nimble boats are well versed in controlling the crucial chokepoint by deploying missiles and mines, and by harassing commercial ships. 

‘Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,’ Trump announced via Truth Social Sunday morning. 

‘Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!’ he added.

‘Iran knows, better than anyone, how to END this situation which has already devastated their Country. 

‘Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft and Radar are useless, Khamenei, and most of their “Leaders,” are dead, all because of their Nuclear ambition. The Blockade will begin shortly.’

It comes amid a tenuous two-week ceasefire deal Trump struck with Tehran, which agreed to stop fighting in exchange for the opening of the strait. 

Iran warned by marine radio that any unauthorized ships trying to cross the strait in the meantime would be destroyed.  

Only four ships passed on day one, and Iran plans to limit traffic to about a dozen daily, down from more than 100.

Tehran has also warned of possible antiship mines, urging vessels to follow new coastal routes with Revolutionary Guard guidance.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, April 11, as two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers conducted operations

A vessel at the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman’s Musandam province, April 12, 2026

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the Journal that the U.S. had completed ‘the largest elimination of a navy over a three-week period since World War II.’ 

She also noted that the ‘U.S. military has destroyed Iran’s ability to shoot ballistic missiles or produce more, which will help secure the free flow of energy in the long term.’ 

The USS Franklin Petersen and the USS Michael Murphy are the two American destroyers currently in the Strait.

In his Sunday Truth Social post, Trump also said that Iran was ‘unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions’ as Vice President JD Vance returned from peace talks in Pakistan empty-handed.

A US official familiar with the deliberations told The Daily Mail that at the outset of the talks, it was clear that the Iranians did not properly apprehend America’s core objective, which was that any potential deal has and always would have at its center the fact that Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.

Over the course of the deliberations, the Vice President corrected this misunderstanding and used his time with his counterparts to probe their own assessments of their positions, per the US official.

The official also conveyed that the Iranians need to recognize that the realities on the ground do not reflect the assumptions they held when they arrived at the negotiations before they will be ready to entertain a serious offer.

The Vice President still believes that a deal remains on the table, and that it is on the Iranians to accept it.

Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran as Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Peace Missions listen, on Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan

US Vice President JD Vance speaks to journalists as seen in a televised address before he leaves Islamabad, Pakistan, 12 April 2026. The United States and Iran did not reach a deal after long talks in Islamabad, and Washington says it has already made its final offer. The main disagreement is over Iran’s nuclear program, with the US demanding long-term limits and Iran insisting on its right to peaceful nuclear activity and relief from sanctions

U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrives for a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, Pakistan, for talks about Iran on Saturday, April 11, 2026

Vice President JD Vance, left, talks to Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir, right, and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, center, before boarding Air Force Two after attending talks on Iran on April 12, 2026 in Islamabad, Pakistan

US Vice President JD Vance (R) walks across the tarmac during a scheduled refuelling stop at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on April 12, 2026 following his departure from Islamabad after talks on Iran. Iran and the United States failed to strike a deal on April 12 to end the war in the Middle East, but there was no immediate return to hostilities and the region clung to hope that a fragile truce would hold

Trump also noted on Sunday morning that he instructed the US Navy ‘to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,’ Trump added. ‘No one who ​pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.’

‘Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN ⁠TO HELL!’ Trump said.

The President, speaking separately on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures, announced that NATO would ‘begrudgingly’ support the US in securing the Strait. He called NATO ‘shameful,’ claiming that ‘they weren’t there for us, and they won’t be there for us.’

Trump said he was ‘very disappointed’ in the UK, comparing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to infamous Adolf Hitler appeaser Neville Chamberlain. 

‘[Starmer] made a public statement: “We will send equipment after the war is over.” That’s a Neville Chamberlain-type statement,’ Trump told Fox.

A UK government spokesperson pushed back against Trump’s claims, noting that the UK will not be involved in the Strait of Hormuz blockade. 

‘We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home,’ the UK government spokesperson noted. 

The murder of Emma Caldwell was likely not the first killing carried out by Iain Packer, according to a former detective.

Retired detective constable Stuart Hall told a podcast he believes ‘there’s going to be more found out in the future’ about Packer’s offending.

Ms Caldwell, 27, was killed in 2005, but it wasn’t until 2024 that Packer was convicted of her murder, along with a string of sexual offences against other women.

Police had questioned Packer in the weeks after the death of Ms Caldwell, but instead a group of Turkish men were charged in relation to her death in 2007. The case against them later collapsed.

Mr Hall spoke to a podcast series which is examining the deaths of several women involved in prostitution around Glasgow in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The Beware Book podcast examines the deaths of eight women during the period, four of which remain unsolved.

The podcast takes its name from a journal which was used by women involved in prostitution to warn each other about potentially dangerous or suspicious clients.

Mr Hall was asked about the fact that Packer’s offending continued for years after Ms Caldwell’s murder, and whether the full extent of his crimes has come to light.

He said: ‘No – short answer. I think there’s a lot more to be found out about Iain Packer. Personally, I don’t think it was his first murder.

‘I think there’s going to be more found out in the future. I’d love to be involved in something to do with that, but I think there’s far more to it.’

He added: ‘There’s a pattern of behaviour here. As they discovered during the trial, which is now common knowledge, he did the same thing to several girls.

‘Although Emma was the only one we know of at this time who was murdered. I see no reason for there not to be more.’

Mr Hall said Packer’s history of violence against women had emerged in court, and ‘seems to be who is is’.

Packer was jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years after he was found guilty of Ms Caldwell’s murder.

Her body was found in a remote location in Limefield Woods in South Lanarkshire. Other former detectives have previously told the podcast about their certainty of Packer’s guilt.

However, they said their suspicions were dismissed by superiors, with one being told Packer ‘will never be accused’.

A public inquiry, chaired by Lord Scott KC, is due to examine the police investigation into the murder.

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: ‘Emma Caldwell’s family have shown incredible courage and determination following her murder in 2005, and we are absolutely committed to supporting the inquiry and getting her loved ones the answers they deserve.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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A man has died after his BMW crashed into four other cars following a police chase, leaving two other people seriously injured.

The 23-year-old died at the scene after speeding away from officers when they tried to stop him, and ran into the other cars.

He was killed on the A21 in Robertsbridge, east Sussex, on Saturday evening, with more police rushing to the scene after the crash.

Seven people in the other cars were taken to hospital while two are being treated for serious injuries. 

Sussex Police said in a statement: ‘The driver of the BMW – a 23-year-old man from Hailsham – was sadly declared deceased at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.

‘Two passengers in another vehicle were taken to hospital with serious injuries, while five other people involved suffered minor injuries requiring hospital treatment.

‘The BMW had been involved in a police pursuit shortly before the collision, and a referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct who have declared that they will conduct an independent investigation.’

DS Andy Wolstenholme said: ‘This was a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the family of this young man and all those affected.

‘An investigation is underway to understand the full circumstances and there will be increased police activity in the area while this is ongoing.

‘I would like to thank the public for their patience during the emergency response and for their understanding as our enquiries continue.

‘Anyone who has any information that could help the investigation, or relevant dashcam or CCTV footage, is asked to contact police online or via 101, quoting Operation Drummer.’

Because the BMW was being pursued by police before the crash happened, the incident has also been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

A spokesperson for the IOPC said the body is investigating Sussex Police’s involvement in the crash.

They added: ‘Our investigation will look at police actions prior to the fatal collision.

‘After being notified by the force, we sent investigators to the police post incident procedures to begin gathering evidence and declared an independent investigation.

‘Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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By TARYN KAUR PEDLER, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Updated: 10:56 EDT, 12 April 2026

President Donald Trump has warned that US forces will immediately ‘begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz’.

The US President also said in his Truth Social post: ‘I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.

‘No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits.

‘Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL! Iran knows, better than anyone, how to END this situation which has already devastated their Country.’ 

It comes after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged both Iran and the US ‘to find a way through’ following failed peace talks.

In a conversation with the Sultan of Oman, Starmer said a continuation of the ceasefire is ‘vital’ and that ‘all parties avoided any further escalation’.

Discussions between the two nations ended Sunday after 21 hours without a deal.

Breaking:Trump reiterates his conditions in a second Truth Social post

In a second post on Truth Social, Donald Trump threatened to resume the conflict after peace talks failed yesterday, adding: ‘At an appropriate moment, we are fully “LOCKED AND LOADED,” and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran.’

Iran’s refusal to give up its nuclear ambitions resulted in a failure of negotiations, Trump said.

He said that talks between Iran and the US in Pakistan lasted throughout the night and that points had been agreed to, but he said ‘there is only one thing matters — IRAN IS UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS!’

Breaking:US President Trump says blockade of Strait of Hormuz will ‘begin shortly’

Hours after the US-Iran talks in Islamabad failed, President Donald Trump has warned that US forces will immediately ‘begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz’.

The US President also said in his Truth Social post: ‘I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.

‘No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits.

‘Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL! Iran knows, better than anyone, how to END this situation which has already devastated their Country.’

WATCH: The Big Question: Does US-Iran deadlock lead to more escalation?

UK PM calls for US and Iran to ‘find a way through’ after failed talks

Keir Starmer has urged both Iran and the US to ‘find a way through’ following failed talks in Pakistan, Downing Street said.

In a conversation with the Sultan of Oman, Starmer said a continuation of the ceasefire is ‘vital’ and that ‘all parties avoided any further escalation’.

It comes after UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that it is ‘disappointing’ that initial talks to end the war in Iran had broken down without a deal.

Normalcy returns to Islamabad after US-Iran peace talks

Authorities on Sunday removed the barricades, shipping containers, and roadside checkpoints that had been in place since before the rare face-to-face talks.

The normally bustling city had taken on a near-curfew-like atmosphere after the government announced two holidays for security reasons.

Roads in the capital were largely deserted for days, and even ambulances were forced to take longer routes.

Trump claims he could ‘take out Iran in one day’

Defending his planned blockade, the US president said that Iran cannot control which ships go through the Strait of Hormuz, declaring that either every ship should have safe passage or none will.

‘We’re not going to let Iran make money on selling oil to people that they like,’ Trump said on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.

‘It’s going to be all or none, and that’s the way it is,’ the president said.

READ MORE: What has Trump achieved with his war in Iran?

Donald Trump declared a ‘total and complete victory’ as the US agreed a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Wednesday, hours after he warned ‘a whole civilisation’ would die.

The President rowed back on threats to take the country in ‘one night’ and branded his bombing onslaught a resounding success from a ‘military standpoint and from every other standpoint’.

But six weeks after joint strikes by the US and Israel began raining down on Iran and killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the regime remains intact.

Iranian state TV releases video claiming to show US vessel being warned to leave Strait

Iranian state TV has released a video claiming to show a US vessel being warned to leave the Strait of Hormuz.

The captions read: ‘The US Navy is currently circling around the Omani coast towards the port of Fujairah. I am the IRGC Navy, and I am warning you about the dangers of the US Navy.’

Breaking:NATO ‘now wants to help’ with Strait of Hormuz, Trump says

Donald Trump has said ‘NATO now wants to help with the Strait of Hormuz’.

Speaking to Fox News, the US president said peace talks with Iran were ‘very friendly’ towards the end.

‘We’re going to be blockading the Strait of Hormuz, it’ll take a little while,’ he said, adding that ‘it won’t take long to clean out the strait’.

He claimed ‘numerous countries are going to be helping us’ with the strait, adding that the UK and other nations were sending minesweepers.

Iran war has cost Israel £9billion in budgetary expenses, ministry says

Israel’s war ​with Iran ‌incurred £9billion ​in budgetary expenses, ⁠with £5billion ​of that going to defence, ​the ​Finance Ministry said on ‌Sunday, ⁠citing a preliminary estimate.

The amount ​has ​already ⁠been added ​to the ​2026 ⁠budget, it said.

EU urges more diplomatic efforts despite the failure of this weekend’s peace talks

‘The EU remains convinced that diplomacy is key to resolve all outstanding issues,’ the 27-nation bloc’s foreign affairs spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said in a statement to AP on Sunday.

‘The European Union will contribute to all diplomatic efforts, taking into consideration its full range of interests and concerns, in coordination with partners.’

He commended Pakistan for its mediation efforts.

European countries were not consulted on the US-Israeli plans to attack Iran, and are struggling with surging energy prices and other consequences of the war.

Britain and France are leading talks toward a coalition that would secure the Strait of Hormuz, after active fighting is over.

Iranian delegation leaves Islamabad after US talks

The Pakistan government statement on Sunday came hours after US Vice President JD Vance left to return to Washington.

The Iranian delegation included Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi saw off the delegation at the airport amid tight security, the statement said.

Labour’s Wes Streeting today branded Donald Trump’s social media posts as ‘incendiary’, ‘provocative’, and ‘outrageous’ – but suggested Brits should ignore them.

The Health Secretary said the US President should be judged on ‘what he does, not just what he says’ following his expletive-laden comments about the Iran war.

Mr Trump recently vowed to bomb Iran ‘back to the Stone Ages’ if it did not agree to end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. 

He also used his Truth Social site to order Tehran to ‘open the f****’ Strait’, and followed it up with warnings that a ‘whole civilisation will die’ without a deal.

The US and Iran eventually agreed a two-week ceasefire, but huge doubt has been cast over a longer-term deal after a 21-hour session of peace talks, hosted by Pakistan, ended without an agreement being reached in the early hours of Sunday. 

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Streeting said it was ‘obviously disappointing’ there had been no breakthrough in Islamabad, while also admitting the Iran conflict had ‘strained’ relations with Mr Trump’s administration.

But, despite the US President’s regular attacks on the Prime Minister for failing to offer greater military help, Mr Streeting insisted the so-called ‘special relationship’ between Britain and America remained.

‘You have to distinguish between some of the rhetoric which people might find shocking, and then the reality,’ he said.

Labour’s Wes Streeting branded Donald Trump’s social media posts as ‘incendiary’, ‘provocative’, and ‘outrageous’ – but suggested Brits should ignore them

The Health Secretary said the US President should be judged on ‘what he does, not just what he says’ following his expletive-laden comments about the Iran war

Mr Trump has used his Truth Social site to order Tehran to ‘open the f****’ Strait’, and followed it up with warnings that a ‘whole civilisation will die’ without a deal

Keir Starmer spoke with Mr Trump on Thursday night about the need for a ‘practical plan’ to get ships going through the Strait of Hormuz again amid suggestions Iran wants to charge vessels for passage.

In a phone call with the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq al Said on Sunday morning, the PM ‘urged both sides to find a way through’, according to a Downing Street spokeswoman.

She added that the two leaders agreed the US, Israel and Iran should avoid ‘any further escalation’.

‘His majesty updated on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the PM thanked him for Oman’s efforts to rescue sailors from vessels in distress in the region,’ the No10 spokeswoman said. 

US Vice-President JD Vance is in Pakistan for peace negotiations with Iran this weekend, but he said Tehran had refused to commit to not build a nuclear weapon, casting uncertainty over the shaky two-week ceasefire.

Mr Streeting said: ‘It’s obviously disappointing that we haven’t yet seen a breakthrough in negotiations and an end to this war in Iran that is a sustainable one.

‘But as ever in diplomacy, you’re failing until you succeed. So while these talks may not have ended in success, that doesn’t mean there isn’t merit in continuing to try.

‘Clearly when you look at the impact of the war in Iran on this country, on other countries around the world who have no part in this war, it is in all of our interests for there to be a breakthrough and an end to this war.’

Asked about Mr Trump’s frequent social media posts throughout his increasingly-disastrous military action against Iran, Mr Streeting added: ‘Over the course of the last week, President Trump has said some pretty bold – in ‘Yes Minister’ language – incendiary, provocative, outrageous things on social media.

‘I think we’ve all come to learn that you judge President Trump through what he does, not just what he says.’

The Health Secretary admitted disagreements over Iran, Greenland and the Chagos Islands had ‘undoubtedly strained things with the Trump administration’.

But he added: ‘On so many other things our interests as the UK and the US are intertwined.

‘We are old and close friends, and we’ve got a shared outlook as democratic countries, and we’ve got shared security interests.

‘So all of that work, all of that partnership continues to go on. And the point I’m making is you have to to distinguish between some of the rhetoric, which people might find shocking, and then the reality.’

US Vice-President JD Vance is in Pakistan for peace negotiations with Iran this weekend. But a a 21-hour session of talks ended without an agreement being reached

Energy prices have risen sharply during the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil was transported prior to the Middle East crisis

It came as Chancellor Rachel Reeves warned the Iran war will ‘come at a cost to British families and businesses’.

She said that although the scale of the costs were not known, the Government was committed to providing support to those who need it.

Energy prices have risen sharply during the ongoing closure of the Strait, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil was transported prior to the US and Israel’s decision to attack Iran. 

Ms Reeves wrote in The Times: ‘I am going to be straight with people… the war in Iran will come at a cost to British families and business.

‘These are not costs I wanted, but they are costs we will have to respond to. As Chancellor, I have vowed that my economic approach to this crisis will be both responsive to a changing world and responsible in the national interest.

‘We don’t yet know the full scale of those costs, but the immediate priority must be to ensure that the ceasefire holds.

‘That is the best protection we have against higher costs at home and at the IMF meetings in Washington this week I will be working with allies on the action we can take to guarantee freedom of navigation, including the Strait of Hormuz, to keep energy supplies moving again.

‘But I know rising prices are being felt now. So, we are taking action to keep costs down for families and provide support for those who need it most.’

The UK’s most recent general election in 2024 certainly contained its share of drama – think Rishi Sunak’s D-Day blunder, or Nigel Farage’s dramatic return to the fray.

But for truly bizarre politics, Hungary really takes the Dobosh.

Today, after a long and at-times gobsmacking campaign, the eastern European nation will go to the polls for its first parliamentary elections since 2022.

Last time around, incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – a strong ally of Donald Trump with a distinctive centre-parted haircut – achieved a romping victory for his party Fidesz.

He’s spent the last four years yanking his country further to the right and doing his best to stop support being sent to Ukraine in its fight against Russian invaders.

However, a worsening Hungarian economy has hampered his chances of scoring a fifth term as PM.

Polls suggest his party has been overtaken by a relatively new challenger called Tisza, which has rocketed in popularity since Orbán critic Péter Magyar took over as its leader in July 2024.

Magyar – whose surname literally translates to ‘Hungarian’ – was once a loyal member of Fidesz, but resigned in February 2024 with a blistering attack on Orbán’s record.

Unsurprisingly, there is no love lost between the two men, which may explain why the latest election has become a little… messy.

Even before campaigning had fully kicked off, Magyar attracted international headlines with claims his opponents were plotting to blackmail him with a sex tape.

The opposition leader said Fidesz was ‘planning to release a recording, recorded with secret service equipment and possibly faked, in which my then-girlfriend and I are seen having intimate intercourse’.

The accusation stemmed, he said, from a picture of a bedroom that had been shared with journalists, captioned ‘coming soon’.

Fidesz denied any involvement in such a plot, and no such video appears to have been published.

Then, on Sunday, the Washington Post published an explosive story suggesting the stakes in the election were being felt far beyond Hungary’s borders.

As mentioned above, Orbán has made a name for himself as a rare voice opposing support for Ukraine within the European Union and Nato.

That has endeared him to Moscow, who allegedly offered some help to tip the scales of the election in his favour – with extraordinarily melodramatic methods.

Citing an internal report for Russia’s foreign intelligence service the SVR, the US newspaper said officers considered a strategy they called ‘the Gamechanger’.

It involved, bluntly, ‘the staging of an assassination attempt on Viktor Orbán’.

Their alleged plan may have been inspired by the impact of the attempted killing of Donald Trump during the 2024 US presidential election, which rallied support and resulted in an iconic picture.

This report was dismissed by Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó as ‘insane conspiracy theories that are beyond imagination’.

Questions have also been asked about the decision to appoint a former interpreter for Vladimir Putin to a top role monitoring the parliamentary election.

Daria Boyarskaya will help co-ordinate the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe overseeing the democratic process next month.

But in a previous life, she worked for years in Russia’s foreign ministry and helped to interpret meetings including one between Putin and Donald Trump in 2019, according to the Guardian.

The choice was criticised by rights group the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, but OSCE secretary general Roberto Montella said Ms Boyarskaya retains his ‘full trust and confidence’.

A spokesperson for the group added: ‘The Russian government does not pay Ms Boyarskaya’s salary, nor has it done it so in the past.’

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Orbán’s team of ‘inform[ing] Moscow about EU Council meetings in every detail’ in an X post on Sunday.

Political news site Politico reported the EU was limiting the amount of confidential material passed to Hungary’s leaders out of concern it would end up in the hands of the Kremlin.

János Bóka, the Hungarian Europe Minister, described the story as ‘fake news’.

And Russia is not the only source of foreign support for Orbán and his government ahead of the crucial elections – President Trump has his back too.

In a video message shown at a conference on March 21, Trump said: ‘He’s a fantastic guy and it’s such an honour to endorse him.’

The support from across the Atlantic was reiterated in a visit last week from Vice President JD Vance, who accused the EU of ‘foreign election interference’ after travelling to explicitly tell Hungarians to vote for Orbán.

He said: ‘Of course, I want to help, as much as I possibly can, the prime minister as he faces this election season.’

Tomorrow, we’ll learn whether it had any impact – or if there’s time for any last-minute twists.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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JD Vance revealed that Iran has not accepted a deal after a grueling, 21-hour marathon of historic peace talks. 

‘We’ve been at it now for 21 hours. We’ve had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That’s the good news,’ Vance told reporters at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan.

‘The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.

‘So we go back to the United States having not come to an agreement.’ 

Negotiations appeared to end while Donald Trump attended a UFC match in Miami with his family and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Vance said he did not want to ‘negotiate in public,’ but explained that Iran would not commit to stopping its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

‘We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on, and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on, and we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and may have chosen not to accept our terms,’ he said.

‘We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon.’ 

Vice President JD Vance revealed that Iran has not accepted a deal after the almost 24 hours of historic peace talks

Vice President JD Vance met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ahead of Saturday’s meeting

Vance added: ‘That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.’ 

The Vice President did not elaborate on what the next steps for the negotiations are and did not address concerns over the Strait of Hormuz.

‘We leave here with a very simple proposal: a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it,’ Vance said. 

He said he spoke with Trump ‘a half dozen times, a dozen times, over the past 21 hours’ and was in contact with other US leaders during the peace talks.

‘We were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith,’ Vance said before departing Islamabad.

Negotiations began in Pakistan’s capital city on Saturday, following Wednesday’s fragile truce between the two countries after six weeks of conflict.

The US delegation to the peace talks is being led by Vance, along with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy and Jared Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law.

The Iranian delegation is being led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. 

Vance said he did not want to ‘negotiate in public,’ but explained that Iran would not commit to stopping its pursuit of nuclear weapons

Negotiations appeared to end while Donald Trump attended a UFC match in Miami with his family and Secretary of State Marco Rubio

While speaking to reporters outside the White House on Saturday, Trump acknowledged the ‘very deep negotiations,’ but said that no matter what happens during the talks, the United States has already won.

‘Regardless what happens, we win. We’ve totally defeated that country. And so, let’s see what happens. Maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t. From the standpoint of America, we win regardless,’ he said.

‘With all of that, let’s see what happens, but from my standpoint, I don’t care.’

The president then took a dig at NATO while saying his next step is to open up the Strait of Hormuz.

‘We defeated their leaders. Their leaders are all dead. Now all we do is we’ll open up the strait, even though we don’t use it. Because we have a lot of other countries in the world that do use it, that are either afraid or weak or cheap,’ he said.

‘I don’t know what it is, but we were not helped by NATO that I can tell you.’

By MOLLY CLAYTON, INFLUENCER EDITOR

Published: 19:30 EDT, 11 April 2026 | Updated: 21:36 EDT, 11 April 2026

For animal lovers it may ruffle a few feathers – but the latest fashion accessory favoured by the rich and famous is quackers.

A growing number of celebrities are getting ducks for their homes, including Stacey Solomon, 36, who recently introduced her Instagram followers to two new additions: Daisy and Delilah Solomon-Swash.

They live at her Essex home, Pickle Cottage, with husband Joe Swash and their five children. She calls the ducks her ‘soulmates.’

Reality TV’s Luisa Zissman has gone further with 33 ducks, including Cayugas, Pekings, Indian Runners and Aylesburys.

‘One is called Boris Johnson. He’s my favourite. I’ve also got Nicki Minaj and Cocomelon. Rishi Sunak died, I’m afraid,’ she said. 

She documents her ‘DuckTok’ life online and advises other owners including Boris and Carrie Johnson, who sought guidance when one of their ducks fell ill.

For animal lovers it may ruffle a few feathers – but ducks are the new go-to pet for the rich and famous

Luisa Zissman holds aloft her favourite duck Boris – named after former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in an Instagram post from March 9, 2025 

Stacey Solomon (pictured) recently introduced her Instagram followers to two new duck additions: Daisy and Delilah Solomon-Swash

In a picture shared to social media, Stacey’s ducks are perched cosily in her Essex cottage

Carrie, 38, was given duck eggs and an incubator by Boris for her 36th birthday.

The family, who owned five ducks named Twiglet, Gherkin, Black Head, Turbo and Pickle, soon welcomed three ducklings into their Oxfordshire home.

‘Day 2 of ducklings. We’ve got 3 and they’re all still alive!… I’m exhausted,’ Carrie wrote.

David and Victoria Beckham keep seven ducks at their Cotswolds estate.

Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo, recently sharing a video of two newly hatched ducklings scampering over his chest as he lounged on a sofa.

‘My ducklings have finally hatched, any name suggestions?’ he asked followers.

Anna Williamson, presenter of Celebs Go Dating, has become a ‘duck guru’ to the stars.

Since acquiring ducks five years ago after moving to a country home with a lake she has supplied hatchlings to some of Britain’s best-known celebrities.

 Luisa Zissman (pictured) has 33 ducks, including Cayugas, Pekings, Indian Runners and Aylesburys

The former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is another to have had his home invaded by ducklings after his wife, Carrie Johnson, adopted two butter yellow babies into their home (pictured)

American actress Amanda Seyfried (pictured) is also the proud owner of a number of ducks where she lives on a farm in the Catskills Mountains of New York

In the US, actress Amanda Seyfried, 40, keeps ducks on her farm in the Catskill mountains while lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart counts them among her extensive menagerie of animals, which includes everything from horses to peacocks. 

So why ducks? 

Experts suggest they offer a slice of countryside charm, are low maintenance compared to larger livestock – and provide highly shareable social media moments.

Once dismissed as simple farmyard animals, ducks are now waddling their way into the upper echelons of celebrity culture, proving that in 2026, status isn’t just about what you wear or drive, but what you keep beside your garden pond.

Keir Starmer faced a chorus of mockery for abandoning the surrender of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in the face of deteriorating relations with the Trump administration.

The controversial handover, which had been expected to feature in May’s King’s Speech, has been delayed indefinitely because the US has withdrawn its backing.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called it ‘another humiliating U-turn from a government that has no strategic direction’, while Nigel Farage described the capitulation as ‘very good news for global security’ – as the islands include the strategic UK-US military base of Diego Garcia, and Mauritius is an ally of China.

Donald Trump, once supportive of the deal which would see the UK pay up to £101million a year to lease Diego Garcia, changed his mind after relations soured between the two allies over the Middle East. 

Earlier this month, after Sir Keir refused allow US forces to use Diego Garcia or any UK airbases for the initial raids on Iran due to doubts about the legality of the strikes, the US President said he was ‘very disappointed’ by the ‘very woke thing’.

The former head of the diplomatic service said on Saturday that the Prime Minister had ‘no choice’ but to abandon his plan to hand over the Chagos Islands in the face of an ‘openly hostile’ Mr Trump.

Simon McDonald, who was in charge at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office when the UK was advised to hand back the Indian Ocean island archipelago to Mauritius, said the plans would now go ‘into the deep freeze’.

Lord McDonald said: ‘The UK had two objectives. One was to comply with international law. The second was to reinforce the relationship with the United States. 

Keir Starmer (pictured) faced a chorus of mockery for abandoning the surrender of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in the face of deteriorating relations with the Trump administration

The controversial handover, which had been expected to feature in May’s King’s Speech, has been delayed indefinitely because the US has withdrawn its backing. Pictured: An aerial image of Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago

‘But when the President of the United States is openly hostile, the Government has to rethink.’

Mr Farage also criticised Sir Keir for blocking essential life-saving goods from reaching the Chagos Islands, after footage of British police and customs officers intercepting a boat packed with items such as water sanitisers and mosquito nets was shared online. 

The video was filmed by former Conservative MP Adam Holloway, who joined a small number of Chagossians in resettling the archipelago in February.

DONALD? SORRY, WRONG NUMBER! 

Who’s on the phone? 

A narky US President, angered by Sir Keir Starmer’s wretched handling of the Chagos deal? 

Or is the PM, pictured ahead of his beloved Arsenal’s home humbling at The Emirates on Saturday, simply letting his nerves get the better of him as he lays into a hapless aide while the Gunners’ title charge crumbled in a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth? 

Calling it ‘shameful’, Reform UK leader Mr Farage said: ‘This is disgraceful, vindictive behaviour against the Chagossians on the island from a government who supposedly say they are concerned with human rights. 

‘Let the Chagossians resettle their homeland and right a terrible wrong’.

Four Chagossians arrived on the shores of their homeland two months ago, along with Mr Holloway, refusing to obey a removal order issued by British authorities. 

One video showed police and customs officers on a resupply boat, who went through ‘every single box’ and denied the Chagossian sailors items such as an emergency solar water maker, bedding, mobile phones, clothes and an ice maker.

Mr Holloway warned that the confiscation could prove the difference between life and death for those on the island, adding: ‘Are we to die of thirst?’

Barrister Kareesha Turner, who represents the humanitarian mission, called the situation ‘deeply concerning’, while the Chagossian interim First Minister, Misley Mandarin, accused Sir Keir of denying his people their dignity.

He said: ‘Let me speak plainly, there is no justification for denying our people the most basic provisions needed to live safely and with dignity, Keir Starmer. 

‘You call yourself a human rights lawyer, Mr Starmer?’

Speaking at a defence conference in London on Saturday, Ms Badenoch said: ‘This is yet another humiliating U-turn from a government that has no strategic direction. 

‘That deal should have never been on the table – paying £35billion to give away territory we already own, at a time when so many in this country are dealing with the cost of living, shows they were not in any way thinking clearly.

‘This has only happened because Conservatives have been fighting every step of the way in the Commons, in the Lords, making it very difficult for them to pass this legislation. So I welcome the news – we’ve won, we’ve got a U-turn.’