Even for those who follow Donald Trump’s antics closely, Tuesday was an abrupt reminder of just how quickly the US President can change his mind and throw supposed policy and strategy out of the window, leaving those in the US and the rest of the world scrambling to try to keep up.
But the President’s latest U-turn on Iran shows his growing desperation and just how few options he has right now in trying to end the unpopular war he started two months ago.
On Sunday, Trump announced “Operation Project Freedom” would start the very next day. The US Navy, he said, would guide ships trapped by the Strait of Hormuz to freedom, on humanitarian grounds. Details were sketchy, and the plan seemed to rely on simply threatening Iran with unspecified consequences if it did not allow ships through.
Shorts – Quick stories
Pornhub to become accessible again for some UK users
Pornhub’s parent company Aylo said Apple users who had confirmed their age with the company’s updated iOS would be allowed back on the site.
Caption: The Pornhub logo is displayed on a smartphone screen with a multitude of pornographic website logos in the background. The pornographic website announces that it blocks its services to new users starting in February 2026 in response to the age verification requirements imposed by the Online Safety Act (OSA), in Creteil, France, on January 28, 2026. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Photographer: NurPhoto Provider: NurPhoto via Getty Images Source: NurPhoto Copyright: Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto
What’s the latest?
In February, Pornhub limited access for most UK users unless they had previously verified their age.
Parent company Aylo said Online Safety Act age verification rules had not been fairly applied and refused to join in a flawed system.
Now, it said Apple users who had confirmed their age with the latest iOS update would be allowed on.
Aylo argues device-level checks are the best way to stop young people accessing explicit content.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
Has the Online Safety Act worked?
Major platforms have been affected by the landmark Online Safety Act, with Pornhub seeing a 75 per cent drop in UK users since the introduction of more robust age checks.
However, critics have questioned whether people are simply using VPNs instead, allowing them to evade age checks by masking their IP addresses.
Caption: BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM – FEBRUARY 07: In this photo illustration, a age-restriction warning screen for the adult website Pornhub is displayed on a iPhone digital screen, on February 7, 2026 in Bristol, England. Last year UK communications regulator Ofcom issued guidance under the Online Safety Act that required websites with pornographic material to introduce “robust” age-verification measures for UK users by July 2025. Aylo, the parent company of the website Pornhub, has criticised such age-verification measures, saying they simply force users to darker corners of the web that do not require age checks. (Photo by Anna Barclay/Getty Images) Photographer: Anna Barclay Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
POLITICS
3 min read
Caption: The Princess of Wales during a reception at Buckingham Palace in London, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth. Picture date: Tuesday April 21, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire Photographer: Jordan Pettitt Provider: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA
ROYAL
Kate to make first overseas trip since cancer diagnosis
The Princess of Wales is set to make her first official foreign visit since being diagnosed with cancer.
Kate, who revealed she was in remission last year, will travel to Italy next week on a trip with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
Major milestone for the future queen
Kate’s trip to Italy will be the first official overseas engagement in nearly three-and-a-half years. Her last visit was in December 2022, when she went to Boston, USA, with Prince William for his Earthshot Prize award ceremony.
Caption: (FILES) Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, following their wedding on April 29, 2011. Prince William and wife Catherine will celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary on the Scottish island of Mull on April 29, 2025, the latest step on the princess’s road to recovery from cancer. Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed in January that she was “in remission” having announced last March she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of the disease and was undergoing chemotherapy. (Photo by JOHN STILLWELL / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN STILLWELL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: JOHN STILLWELL Provider: POOL/AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Caption: NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 08: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to the Northside Center for Child Development on December 8, 2014 in New York City. The royal couple are on an official three-day visit to New York with Prince William also due to meet President Barack Obama in Washington D.C today. (Photo by Mark Stewart – Pool/Getty Images) Photographer: Pool Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images North America
She has been on unofficial trips to Marseille, France, for the Rugby World Cup in autumn 2023 and to the Crown Prince of Jordan’s wedding in Amman in June 2023.
What’s on the agenda?
The princess will visit the city of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy for two days from 13-14 May to focus on early years child development.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said Kate is “very much” looking forward to the trip, where she will learn about the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy which focuses on children’s self-development.
Caption: TOPSHOT – Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, visit the Harbour Defenses of Boston, Massachusetts, as the city contends with rising sea levels, on December 1, 2022. (Photo by BRIAN SNYDER / POOL / AFP) (Photo by BRIAN SNYDER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: BRIAN SNYDER Provider: POOL/AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Caption: The Prince and Princess of Wales arriving with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, arriving to attend the Easter Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire. Picture date: Sunday April 5, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Aaron Chown/PA Wire Photographer: Aaron Chown Provider: Aaron Chown/PA Wire Source: PA
Kate’s cancer diagnosis
Kate was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer following abdominal surgery in January 2024, sparking widespread speculation.
March 2024: Kensington Palace announces Kate has cancer and releases a personal message from the princess.
June 2024: Kate releases an update, saying her “treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months”.
September 2024: The princess announces she is cancer-free after finishing chemotherapy.
January 2025: Kate reveals she is in remission at an official visit to the Royal Marsden, the hosptial where she received treatment.
WORLD
What is Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ in Strait of Hormuz?
Donald Trump threatens fresh military action as he signals frustration over peace talks with Iran (Photo: Celal Gunes/Anadolu/Getty)
Donald Trump said his operation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz will be paused “for a short period of time” due to “great progress” towards a deal with Iran.
Here is all you need to know about “Project Freedom” and what it means for tense relations between Iran and the US.
What’s the latest?
Trump puts ‘Project Freedom’ on hold
Trump has halted the operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after less than 48 hours.
However, a US blockade of Iranian ports will remain in place.
Trump said the U-turn was at the request of Pakistan and others, and also due to “tremendous” military success and progress towards a deal.
But Iranian state media described the move as a “retreat” after Trump’s “continued failures” to reopen the vital waterway for global shipping.
What is ‘Project Freedom’
Trump announced Project Freedom on Sunday, saying it was a “humanitarian gesture” to help seafarers stuck in the Gulf.
The plan launched on Monday, with US Central Command (Centcom) saying it was “essential” to regional security and the global economy.
Iran responded saying it would attack US forces if they entered the strait.
LIVE
1 min read
LIVE
1 min read
Go deeper on this topic
Is a deal imminent?
Caption: In this picture obtained from Iran’s ISNA news agency on May 4, 2026, vessels are pictured anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on May 4 denied that any commercial ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz, after the US military earlier said two US-flagged merchant vessels had transited through the vital waterway. (Photo by Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images) / Photographer: AMIRHOSSEIN KHORGOOEI Provider: ISNA/AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP
On Friday, Trump said he was “not satisfied” with Iran’s latest peace proposal. Trump has repeatedly called for Iran’s nuclear programme to end, while Tehran has demanded the release of frozen assets. On Tuesday, he said “great progress” has been made on a deal, but it remains to be seen what that looks like.
Analysis
4 min read
Fridge or cupboard?
This is your definitive guide on where and how to store your foods at home to maximise the quality and shelf life, from ketchup and butter to nuts and jam.
Where to store the basics
Keeping butter in the fridge maximises food safety and freshness.
Ketchup and mayonnaise can be stored in the cupboard but once opened, are best in the fridge.
Bread shouldn’t be refridgerated due to the starch molecules. A bread bin at room temparture, or an airtight container is best.
LIFESTYLE
6 min read
How and where to store food items
There is a fine line between ripe or matured and spoilt.
Jam
Keeping it in the fridge will help it last longer.
Eggs
Storing them at a constant cool temperature, preferably in the fridge, will keep them safe to eat.
Berries
Keeping them in the fridge slows down mould growth and keeps them fresh.
LIFESTYLE
5 min read
Where to store your food
Caption: Fresh organic tomato closeup . Photographer: Maria Korneeva Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF
Tomatoes
Ripe ones should be kept on the counter uncovered if you’re going to enjoy them in the first few days after purchase.
Potatoes
They need to be in a dry, dark place like a cupboard. Exposure to light or moisture can rot the skin.
When you cook potatoes the right way they go from being a health burden to a health hero (Photo: Getty)
Caption: A Hand holding a bit brown banana Photographer: bauwimauwi Provider: Getty Images Source: iStockphoto
Bananas
12°C is best, as they will ripen quicker if they are too warm, so a darker space with no direct sunlight is ideal.
Fridge or cupboard?
1Apples are best in cool to cold temperatures so the salad compartment of the fridge is ideal to keep them crunchy.
2At room temperature lemons stay good for a week but in the fridge it stretches to two.
3Ripe avocados should go in the fridge to slow down the ripening process but if they’re firm, a warm sunny spot is best.
4Soy sauce, due to the high levels of salt, is best in the cupboard – even once opened.
Where to store your food
Nuts
Nuts are fine in the cupboard but keeping them in the fridge in an airtight container helps prevent spoilage.
Caption: Cookie jar, tea, wine, nuts, books, lit candles and Christmas decorations on the table. Cozy Christmas hygge at home. Selective focus. Photographer: Jelena990 Provider: Getty Images Source: iStockphoto
Garlic bulbs (Photo: Emma Dahl/RHS)
Garlic
This suits dry, dark places so a cupboard is ideal.
Onions
Low temperatures can transform the starches of the onion into sugars, making it soft, and potentially mouldy.
Close up shot of man chopping onions during cooking class – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Four key takeaways from Starmer’s antisemitism summit
Iran’s attempts to incite antisemitism in the UK “will not be tolerated”, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Here are the main points from the Downing Street summit.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 5: Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a meeting with civic leaders to discuss tackling antisemitism at Downing Street on May 5, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Hannah McKay – WPA Pool/Getty Images) Photographer: WPA Pool Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
Key takeaways
1Starmer said one of the lines of inquiry is whether a foreign state is behind the attacks.
2He announced £1.5m funding to strengthen community cohesion and protect Jews in at-risk areas.
3Ministers are “fast-tracking legislation” allowing them to ban state threats such as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
4Universities must publish the scale of antisemitism on campus and show how they are tackling it.
Go deeper on this topic
The measures to protect the Jewish community come after the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green and a series of attacks at synagogues and other sites in recent months.
Starmer has faced criticism that he has not done enough to keep the community safe, and was heckled during a visit to the north London suburb on Thursday.
Caption: TOPSHOT – Local residents look on from outside a cordoned off area in the Golders Green neighbourhood of north London on April 29, 2026, following the stabbing to two people nearby. Two people were stabbed on April 29 in north London, Jewish groups said, following a series of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites in the area. A man was arrested after he was seen running with a knife “attempting to stab Jewish members of the public”, the Shomrim Jewish neighbourhood watch said on social media. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: JUSTIN TALLIS Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors
NEWS
7 min read
Starmer’s message to Iran
One of the lines of inquiry is whether a foreign state has been behind some of these incidents…Our message to Iran, or to any other country that might seek to foment violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated.
SiR KEIR STARMER, PRIME MINISTER
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 30: Prime Minister Keir Starmer (C) and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood (CR) meet members of Shomrim, the Jewish community security organisation, in Golders Green following yesterday’s attack on April 30, 2026 in Golders Green, England. A 45-year-old British-Somali man was arrested yesterday, after stabbing two Jewish men, Shloime Rand and Moshe Shine, in a terrorist attack in Golders Green. Both victims are in a stable condition, and the suspect was caught by police after being tasered. The government has since pledged ??25 million to improve security for the Jewish community following the incident. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) Photographer: Leon Neal Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
Co-op is confident it’s stores will be ‘back to normal’ within days (Photo: Chris J Ratcliffe/Reuters)
NEWS
The supermarket using invisible spray to combat shoplifting
Co-op has been secretly marking frequently shoplifted groceries with a special forensic spray to tackle the resale of stolen goods.
Here’s how the invisible spray works, and how the company hopes it will make shoplifting less profitable.
What’s the story?
Co-op has been marking items with an invisible spray that contains a unique forensic code linked to the shop where it was originally sold, according to Retail Gazette.
Retail theft on the increase – woman stealing in UK supermarket. (Photo: Andrey Popov/Getty Images Copyright: Copyright (C) Andrey Popov Caption: A shopper walks along an aisle inside a Tesco supermarket in Manchester, Britain, February 5, 2026 REUTERS/Phil Noble Photographer: Phil Noble Provider: REUTERS Source: REUTERS
Co-op has invested £250m in store security, including body-worn cameras for staff, reinforced kiosks for items such as spirits and tobacco, and shelf fixtures designed to stop thieves sweeping products into bags.
How does the scheme work?
Where?
The scheme has been trialled in Manchester and London and will be rolled out across the UK.
Which items?
High-risk items such as alcohol, laundry detergent and confectionary have been sprayed.
Why?
The aim is to help Co-op and the police identify where stolen products are being resold, making theft less profitable.
More than 300 babies have been born with inflatable forceps, the first breakthrough in childbirth assistance in decades.
It is hoped that the device, called the OdonAssist, could reduce birth trauma. It will be rolled out to 40 hospitals across Britain and Europe.
How new forceps could revolutionise childbirth
Around one in eight people will have an assisted vaginal birth using forceps or vacuum extraction.
Women may have bleeding or tears and marks can be left on the baby.
Inflatable forceps work by surrounding the baby’s head with a soft air cuff, allowing doctors to help remove it more gently.
In trials, patients reported no or low pain in more than 95 per cent of births where OdonAssist was used.
Analysis
5 min read
How ‘gentle’ forceps were invented
From a prototype using a jar and a doll to development by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The OdonAssist was thought up by a mechanic in Argentina in 2006 called Jorge Odón.
He created the first prototype using a jar, a cloth and his daughter’s doll.
It was then taken up by Mario Merialdi, of the WHO, who refined the idea for clinical use.
It was created by Maternal Newborn Health Innovations, a public benefit corporation to help reduce avoidable pain.
Are you ready for a change?
One career expert shares the surefire signs you’re ready for the next step in your career, and how to turn fear into excitement for new opportunities.
The research
Our research shows almost half of all workers (45 per cent) are ready for a complete career transition, but 49 per cent feel stuck on what to pursue next. The rapid shifts brought about by AI can be intimidating, but it will also create opportunities…
CHARLOTTE DAVIES, LINKEDIN UK CAREER EXPERT
Young woman at her first job interview with the owner of a coffee shop – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Signs you’ve outgrown your role
(Photo: Getty).
It’s an energy drain
If you’re clocking in and out with zero energy, that could be a sign of burnout by boredom.
You’re not learning
If you can handle all tasks on autopilot, you are not challenging yourself. Instead you’re operating purely on muscle memory.
Education, laptop and typing with student friends in library of university together for learning or study. Computer, development or growth with serious men and women on college campus for scholarship – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
(Photo: DMP/Getty Images).
You don’t feel valued
It can be extremely demotivating, and if it occurs consistently, it’s a strong signal that it might be time to consider moving on.
Your brain has started a side project
Caption: Side hustles Photographer: swissmediavision Provider: Getty Images Source: E+
When you are seeking out professional development and learning opportunities elsewhere that should be happening at work, it’s a huge signal that you need a job that keeps up with your ambition.
LIFESTYLE
7 min read
You don’t see a path to promotion
Medium shot of businessman leading meeting in office conference room – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
If you go into a meeting asking for a growth plan or a promotion roadmap and all you get are vague promises and non-committal language, that’s actually your answer: they aren’t planning for your potential.
A manager who truly values you should be able to list specific training, projects or goals to get you to the next level.
What to do next
You don’t need to make drastic moves.
The very first step is to diagnose the root cause if things feel unsettled, and don’t just assume it’s the job itself.
Find someone trustworthy to talk to. This isn’t a complaint session, it’s about getting perspective.
Refresh your LinkedIn profile and start reviving your in-person network.
Thinking of a new field? Check out a short course or certification to ‘test the waters’ before jumping.
Unsurprisingly, the first day was less than a triumph. Iran claimed – seemingly falsely – to have successfully attacked a US Navy ship. The US reported it had destroyed several Iranian small boats. Civilian ships reported being fired upon. Almost no ships successfully traversed the strait.
On Tuesday, Pete Hegseth, the self-styled Secretary of War, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both gave press conferences trying to explain and defend the operation, only for Trump – with a grim inevitability – to announce it was “paused” shortly after. It is unclear when or even if it will be restarted again.
Iranian state media quickly described the move as a “retreat” from Trump.
The President, meanwhile, tried to claim that the pause was because negotiations were going so well that “a Complete and Final Agreement” between the US and Iran might be in sight. He has claimed this several times before, without anything to show for it.
In fact, neither the US nor Iran even bothered to turn up to the last round of negotiations, which were set to take place in Pakistan. Trump tried to argue that future negotiations would take place by “telephone” to save on 15-hour flights.
The USS George H.W. Bush in the Arabian Sea on 3 May, 2026. US forces have been deployed in greater numbers to the Middle East in recent months (Photo: US Navy/AFP via Getty Images)
Across the world, experts have warned of economic catastrophe and major shortages if the strait is closed even for a few weeks. But stock markets have barely fallen, and while oil and gas prices are up, they are nowhere close to reflecting the scale of the shortages set to hit Europe and most of Asia.
The situation has been likened to Wile E. Coyote running over the edge of the cliff but not yet falling because he hasn’t looked down.
For Trump, the clock is ticking. The rising price of petrol and the cost-of-living crisis comes at an awful time, with November’s US midterm elections on the horizon. He is clearly desperate to declare victory – which he has tried to do on several occasions already, including by saying there has been regime change in Iran since the former Supreme Leader’s son is now in charge – and move on.
The latest about-face for Trump is embarrassing, but it will only become worse if the conflict with Iran drags on. At the moment, it is unclear if the White House has any exit strategy that is remotely feasible, or if it is just relying on wishful thinking and aggressive posturing on the part of the President.
Trump and his team speak of a deal that would fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow the US to seize Iran’s nuclear material and secure a promise of no further enrichment for a decade or more. Iran, meanwhile, says it is negotiating only to reopen the strait – with it able to levy a toll on all ships traversing it – and end the immediate conflict, with any nuclear deal to take place at a later stage.
This would arguably put the US in a worse situation than before the conflict began.
A man holds a picture of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, in Tehran (Photo: Majid Asgaripour/West Asia News Agency via Reuters)
Global markets are in denial about how damaging the prolonged standoff between the US and Iran could be, and Trump seems to be taking the same approach – hoping something will come along that will solve the problem he’s caused, while doing almost nothing to actually make that happen.
Wars never end themselves. Even just claiming victory and walking away without a deal requires Trump to ultimately make a decision. Anything else requires serious and sustained diplomacy.
Trump’s ever-changing approach to the standoff with Iran, like those around Operation Project Freedom, point to his unwillingness to grapple with the complexities of the problems he has created. Instead, he is staying in his comfort zone of trying to govern via social media post.
Iran’s leaders will have taken note of his latest climbdown. Trump has taught them not to take his announcements seriously. With the life and death stakes at play, few things could be more dangerous than that.
Trump cannot simply wish his way through a military, geopolitical and economic crisis of his own making. The alarming thing is that it increasingly seems like no one around Trump is willing to tell him this. For any of this to end, Trump needs an actual plan. The question is whether he’s capable of producing one of those any more.
