UK News
Middle East crisis live: Trump says Lebanon is ‘separate skirmish’ to Iran as Israel launches massive strikes on country | Iran
Lebanon not included in ceasefire deal, says Trump
Lebanon is not part of the two-week ceasefire deal, US president Donald Trump has told the media.
Speaking on the phone with PBS News Hour’s Liz Landers, Trump is reported to have said the Israel-Lebanon conflict is a “separate skirmish”, adding:
Yeah, they [Lebanon] were not included in the deal.
He added:
Because of Hezbollah. They were not included in the deal. That’ll get taken care of too. It’s alright.
Key events
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Erdogan warns of ‘sabotage’ threat to ceasefire
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Lebanon not included in ceasefire deal, says Trump
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Iranian navy threatens ships in strait of Hormuz without permission
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Analysis: US haste could offer opportunity to Iran
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Israel is killing unarmed civilians in Lebanon, says Lebanese PM
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Iran to hand over enriched uranium or US will ‘take it out’ – Hegseth
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US military objectives achieved, says Caine
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Hegseth: Iran ‘begged’ for this ceasefire
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Summary of developments so far
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Ten ships sail through strait of Hormuz, says AXSMarine
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Iran will cease uranium enrichment, Trump claims
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Ship movements resume in strait of Hormuz after ceasefire announcement, says MarineTraffic
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Lebanon president calls for inclusion of his country in ‘regional peace’
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Vance: Iran ceasefire a ‘fragile truce’
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Pakistan PM says Iran has confirmed it will take part in talks in Islamabad
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Iran president says ceasefire in line with ‘general principles desired by Tehran’
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IDF tells residents of southern suburbs of Beirut to flee after announcing continued combat and ground operations
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Oman foreign minister urges both sides to return to negotating table
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Will the ceasefire see a resumption of pre-war shipping on the strait of Hormuz?
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Israeli military ‘continues fighting and ground operations’ against Hezbollah in Lebanon, IDF says
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‘Now it’s time for diplomacy, legality and peace’, says Spanish PM
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Analysis: US learns a hard lesson about the folly of war
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‘Unthinkable escalation has been avoided, but the ceasefire is not yet definitive’, says Spanish foreign minister
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Jet fuel supplies ‘will take months’ to recover, says IATA chief
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Keir Starmer says ceasefire ‘will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world’ as he heads to the Middle East
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Interim summary
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Ceasefire a ‘political disaster’ says Israel’s opposition leader
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Analysis: Trump’s ‘deal’ is a huge strategic failure for the US
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Donald Trump claims ‘a big day for world peace’
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Israel says ceasefire does not include Lebanon
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Summary
The US embassy in Baghdad warned citizens on Wednesday of further attacks after it said Iran-backed armed groups hit a diplomatic support centre at the airport.
“Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran conducted multiple drone attacks in the vicinity of the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center and Baghdad International Airport on April 8,” the embassy said in a statement on X.
“They may intend to conduct additional terrorist attacks against US citizens and targets associated with the United States throughout Iraq,” it added, advising citizens against travelling in Iraq by plane.
A US official said Wednesday that a 10-point ceasefire plan published by Iran is not the same set of conditions that were agreed to by the White House for pausing the war.
“The document being reported by media outlets is not the working framework,” the senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Erdogan warns of ‘sabotage’ threat to ceasefire
Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Wednesday of the threat from “possible provocations and sabotage” to the ceasefire accord agreed by Iran and the United States.
In a message on X welcoming the last-minute accord, Erdogan said:
We hope that the ceasefire will be fully implemented on the ground without giving any opportunity for possible provocations and sabotage.
During a telephone conversation with US counterpart Donald Trump, Erdogan urged “a lasting peace agreement” with Iran, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.
“This two-week window of opportunity, which has opened after 40 days of considerable tension and suffering for the whole world, must be used to reach a lasting peace deal,” Erdogan told Trump, the statement added.
He also called for “this process not to be compromised under any circumstances” and said Turkey would offer its full support to ensure as much.
British prime minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday there was still a lot of work to do to reopen the strait of Hormuz, speaking during a visit to Saudi Arabia.
“We now … have a ceasefire, but there’s a lot of work to do, as you will appreciate, a lot of work to make sure that that ceasefire becomes permanent and brings about the peace that we all want to see,” he told UK and Saudi personnel during the visit.
“But also a lot of work to do in relation to the Strait of Hormuz, which has an impact everywhere across the world.”
Lebanon not included in ceasefire deal, says Trump
Lebanon is not part of the two-week ceasefire deal, US president Donald Trump has told the media.
Speaking on the phone with PBS News Hour’s Liz Landers, Trump is reported to have said the Israel-Lebanon conflict is a “separate skirmish”, adding:
Yeah, they [Lebanon] were not included in the deal.
He added:
Because of Hezbollah. They were not included in the deal. That’ll get taken care of too. It’s alright.
Justin McCurry
Dozens of demonstrations have been held across Japan calling for an immediate end to the war in Iran, with protesters waving light sticks and holding banners lining packed into an area in front of the Diet building in Tokyo on Wednesday evening.
Against a musical backdrop, they chanted antiwar slogans and called on the country’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, to abide by the postwar constitution, which forbids Japan from using force as a means of settling international disputes. Many also demanded her resignation.
Fears that Takaichi, a conservative, could use her party’s huge majority in the lower house of parliament to push for constitutional reform have strengthened since the start of the war.
Last month, she turned down a request by Donald Trump to send Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Forces to the strait of Hormuz, telling him that any military involvement could violate the war-renouncing article 9 of Japan’s postwar constitution.
Trump has since criticised Japan – which is dependent on Middle East oil – and Washington’s other north-east Asian ally South Korea for not joining the conflict.
It was not immediately clear how many people had joined the protest in Tokyo, but organisers said they were hoping to exceed the 24,000 who turned out for a similar demonstration in March.
“It is always ordinary civilians who suffer in wars, so I decided to come here to make my voice heard,” said Setsuko Sasaki, who was attending her first demonstration. “I knew I would regret it if I did nothing.”
Her colleague Haruka Komori said she opposed any Japanese involvement in the US-Israeli war on Iran and voiced skepticism that the ceasefire announced on Wednesday would hold.
“The war has stirred something among Japanese people who oppose war and want to protect the constitution,” she said. “We should never get involved.”
US president Donald Trump said in-person talks with Iran will happen “very soon”, the New York Post reported today.
In an interview with the Post, Trump said vice-president JD Vance might not attend the talks due to security concerns.
Iranian navy threatens ships in strait of Hormuz without permission
The Iranian navy threatened ships attempting to pass through the strait of Hormuz without Tehran’s permission with destruction, adding that transit through the waterway remained shut, according to several shipping sources.
“Any vessel trying to travel into the sea … will be targeted and destroyed…” the message said.
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said the military had carried out a surprise attack on Wednesday targeting hundreds of Hezbollah members across Lebanon.
“The IDF carried out a surprise strike on hundreds of Hezbollah terrorists at command centres across Lebanon. This is the largest concentrated blow Hezbollah has suffered since Operation Beepers,” Katz said in a video statement, referring to a major 2024 operation against Hezbollah involving pager bombs.
Analysis: US haste could offer opportunity to Iran
Dan Sabbagh
Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of war, and Gen Dan Caine, the head of the US armed forces, were eager to declare victory in their press conference, arguing that Iran’s navy, air force and air defences were wiped out and its ballistic missile programme “functionally destroyed”.
To that Hegseth added that the US and Israel had “finished completely destroying Iran’s industrial base” with a final package of 800 airstrikes overnight, though Tehran retains the ability to scare oil tankers from using the strait of Hormuz.
Caine offered some statistics. The general said 450 ballistic missile storage sites were targeted, 800 drone warehouses and 90% of the country’s weapons factories, including every facility that produces Shahed one-way attack drones.
Nevertheless, Hegseth had to acknowledge that Iran retains its 440kg of highly enriched uranium, buried deep underground, though he claimed it was possible to “take it out,” in what would be a high risk operation should the peace talks break down.
Though the phrase was not used, the tone was clearly ‘mission accomplished’, though in reality it was difficult to see how the US-Israeli bombing could have gone much further without deliberately hitting civilian targets and prompting accusations of war crimes.
Nor will it have been as surgical as Hegseth and Caine implied, though Iran’s internet blackout has prevented a full picture emerging.
The haste by the US to declare an end may now give Iran’s regime an opportunity – to finally obtain sanctions relief in return for abandoning nuclear enrichment on terms similar to those nearly agreed in Geneva before the war broke out.
However, it has taken five weeks of bombing to get to this point.
UK News
‘Grumpy’ Guardiola unclear about Bernardo Silva’s Manchester City future: football news – live | Football
Key events
Leeds midfielder Ao Tanaka played a key role in last week’s epic FA Cup semi-final win at West Ham, scoring the opening goal, and could be in line for a rare start in place of the injured Anton Stach in Monday night’s Premier League game at Manchester United.
Daniel Farke praised Tanaka’s “really good performances” of late and said: “I’m very happy with his development because Ao is not the youngest anymore and for him it’s his first season in a top flight.”
Tanaka is a fan favourite at Leeds fans, but has been self-critical of his own performances since helping the club win promotion last season. He hasn’t started in the league since 14 December.
“He has said publicly he’s not yet good enough for this level, but we’ve always believed in Ao,” Farke added. “He produced a really good performance [at West Ham] and proved against a Premier League side that he can play at the top level.
“For Ao there is no limit because he’s a top player. He’s done this in recent weeks and for that there will be more chances for him in the coming weeks to shine. If he produces performances like he did at West Ham then we are all happy.”
The lads and lasses on The Overlap have been asking who is the best centre-back partnership in Premier League history …
Lots of love for Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, which would be my answer, closely followed by John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho. Jamie Carragher said Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson, perhaps forgetting that A) both retired before the Premier League began and B) their contrasting punditry careers.
Drop me an email with your favourite PL CB duo.
What a day of sport we have. The return of the Premier League tonight, county cricket back in full swing and the Masters day two. Lovely.
I’ve received an email from Krishnamoorthy:
“Having successfully completed the exits from Carabao and FA [Cups], and that the Champions league pursuit will probably be over by next week, what wizardry will Arsenal deploy this weekend to surrender the league?”
Despite those cup exits, I feel like Arsenal aren’t quite as weakened as their detractors may think/be hoping. Bournemouth at home this weekend ought to yield three points.
Want some more from Pep on Bernardo? He’s really waxed lyrical about the former Monaco man, despite having the grump with him …
All managers would say how much they love him because he is incredibly competitive, has a fire inside him always. In the toughest moments and on the biggest stages, he is always there.
He has been an incredible signing for us, incredible. I love this club and I would love if he could stay and finish his career here but I do not know. He will decide what he will decide.
He has been an incredible signing with the numbers, minutes, titles. I judge players when everything is difficult and he always steps up
‘Grumpy’ Guardiola asks Bernardo Silva to confirm City future
Pep Guardiola admitted he doesn’t know whether Bernardo Silva will be at Manchester City next season, after his assistant Pep Lijnders appeared to suggest the midfielder was leaving.
Guardiola was asked to clarify Bernardo’s future at today’s press conference, but said: “I don’t know.
“I am so grumpy with Bernardo. A month ago I said I had to be the first [he would tell] and he didn’t say anything to me yet. I do not know if he has already decided. I said jokingly to him to tell me, I deserve it, but he didn’t tell me. I do not know what is going on.
“He is really good in all departments. He plays a lot of games. Nine years we have been together and no injuries. He can play in different positions, he is so smart and reads every moment that the action and game requires. When you play a lot of games, it gives us a lot of trust and confidence how he is going to perform.”
Here’s Pep Guardiola on Manchester City’s hopes of chasing down Arsenal in the final weeks of the season:
Hopefully we can get a lot of points. The situation we are in in the Premier League, we need to get all of them otherwise it will not give us a chance to try until the end.
We need to get a lot of points. We have not been consistent enough in the season. We have dropped points that we should have taken which is why we are now in the position where we cannot do it differently.
We have to win every single game.
Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams is set to return from injury to feature against Arsenal in the Premier League tomorrow (Saturday).
The 27-year-old has missed Bournemouth’s last two matches as well as two USA international friendlies over the recent break with a quadriceps problem.
“I am feeling strong and ready to go,” Adam has told club media. Staying in Bournemouth over the international break to rehab “gave me a period of time to get stronger, get more fit and focus on the objectives with the boys here.” He added: “I’m feeling consistent, I’m feeling strong now and I think it’s just important to finish the season strong.”
Thanks Barry. As a follower of Manchester United, these three weeks without Premier League action have felt VERY long. Thank goodness it’s back.
It’s easy to forget Manchester City are still nine points off Arsenal, for all the talk of the Gunners wobbling. Guardiola’s men do have a game in hand, but they also have to travel to Chelsea on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola is due to speak to the press any minute now and Dominic Booth is here to tell you what the Manchester City head coach has to say for himself.
Bayern Munich: Lennart Karl has been ruled out of the return leg of his team’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid with a hamstring injury. The 18-year-old rising star was an unused substitute in the first leg but will now be sidelined indefinitely.
Scottish Premiership: With six games of the season remaining, Hearts remain a point clear of Rangers at the top of the table but the gap is closing with each passing week. At a time when every match is important, Hearts face another tough assignment when they host Motherwell tomorrow, ahead of an Edinburgh derby at Hibernian followed by a home match against Rangers.
Derek McInnes says Motherwell have been a “breath of fresh air” in the Scottish Premiership this season, echoing the sentiments of many who have praised Jens Berthel Askou’s side. Going into the final pre-split game of the season at Tynecastle on Saturday, they sit in fourth place, 10 points behind Celtic, albeit without a win in their last four matches.
Motherwell are the only side Hearts have failed to beat this season following a thrilling 3-3 draw at Tynecastle in August and a goalless stalemate at Fir Park in November. “I think they’ve been a breath of fresh air and the manager’s done a brilliant job,” said Mcinnes. “The players are responding brilliantly to him. Motherwell are playing with a lot of confidence and you see that in their game, and they’ve had a brilliant season.
“I know they’ve hit a wee sticky spell at the minute, but it’s not going to take away from a lot of the good work that they’ve done. I did say ahead of the game last week that certain teams are probably punching above their weight and kind of getting a bit more than maybe what was expected, and Motherwell is one of them. Very few people have not commented on how good they’ve been this season and you can understand why.” [PA Sport]
EFL Trophy final: Jack Wilshere’s promotion-chasing Luton Town take on Stockport in Sunday’s Vertu Trophy final with renewed momentum, writes Simon Burnton.
Brighton: Scott Parker’s side are 10 points from safety with seven games to remaining and while few people give them much chance of avoiding the drop, Fabian Hurzeler has said Brighton will not be taking them lightly.
“Burnley is a team fighting relegation but they proved in the last weeks that they can win against every team in the league,” he said. “They have individual qualities. They show really good togetherness. That they showed, especially in the last games, really good performances so you can’t underestimate any team in this league. It is a game where we have to reach our limits, our standards, our highest levels if you want to beat them.”
It sounds to me like Hurzeler might be confusing tomorrow’s opponents with some other club because since the end of October, the only Premier League team Burnley have proved they can beat is Crystal Palace.
Tom Garry
Women’s football: Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football, has said their proposed changes to the structure of the women’s leagues are “vital to securing the long-term success of women’s football”, as she defends the plan which would include adding four WSL academy teams to the third tier.
“The purpose of these proposals is to futureproof the women’s game,” Day said. “We are approaching a crucial turning point. Too many talented young players are not getting the opportunities they need to develop, and without action, that risks holding back the future of the sport.
“No decisions have been made at this stage, and consultation is ongoing. We would not be putting these proposals forward unless we believed they are vital to securing the long-term success of women’s football.”
The Guardian exclusively revealed the plans on Tuesday and there has been a mixed reaction, including some heavy criticism from third-tier coaching staff.
Tottenham Hotspur: Ahead of Roberto De Zerbi’s first press conference as head coach scheduled for 1.30pm (GMT), Chris Pauros writes that the Italian’s apology for past comments about his former player, Mason Greenwood, was important but insufficient and adds that if we want things to change in football, we need some accountability. Read on …
Brighton: Fabian Hurzeler’s side return to action against Burnley at Turf Moor tomorrow, having won four (and lost one) of their last five Premier League games before the international break. Brighton currently sit 10th in the table, six points off the final Champions League spot. Following the corresponding international break last season, Hurzeler’s team took just one point from their next four games before winning four and drawing one of their final four.
“I think after a very successful period before the international break and during the international break,” the German told reporters this morning. “Our players were quite successful and that is a very positive thing so they kept the positivity, they kept the confidence and belief.
“Now it is about when they return from their national teams. They come together as a group again, re-emphasising what made us strong, what we need to get back to the standards we reached before the international break. Re-emphasise what it means to play for the badge.”
Hurzeler will be forced to sit out Brighton’s match against Burnley on the Naughty Step, where he will be accompanied by his captain, Lewis Dunk. “We have a other leaders who can solve it on the pitch and beside the pitch,” he told reporters. “Regarding me, we already had a situation against Brentford where my team and my staff did an incredible job.
“Regarding Lewis, of course he played unbelievably well in the last weeks but we have shown we have a lot of options to replace him. Not just options, really good options to replace him. Therefore, we are quite confident that the team are strong enough to handle these things.”
Dunk will miss Brighton’s next two games after picking up his tenth booking of the season, while Jack Hinshelwood is available for selection after recovering from a knee problem that prevented him from joining up with England U-21s.
Newcastle United: Having missed Newcastle’s last 11 matches with a hamstring injury, Bruno Guimaraes is likely to sit out their next two through illness. The Brazilian returned from international duty with mumps and Eddie Howe says he is defintiiely next weekend’s game against Bournemouth too. Fabian Schar remains sidelined having had minor surgery on an infection in his foot, while Lewis Miley is back in training after recovering from an injury that has kept him out since January.
Newcastle United: During an Eddie Howe press conference covering all manner of topics, the subject of Kieran Trippier’s imminent departure from Newcastle was addressed by the head coach who signed him four-and-a-half years ago.
“I think Kieran has handled himself superbly during this period,” said Howe. “He came to see me, we had a discussion. He had a clear vision of what he saw his future looking like and we respected that and wanted him to get the best reception and reaction for his time here.
“For me he goes down as one of the best players that’s played for me, without a doubt. In my time here he has been a model of consistency. He has had that will to win and will to help us prepare the best we can. I think he has been outstanding on the pitch. He has been a really good leader and he deserves to go with all the plaudits. We just hope he can finish the season off on a real high.”
West Ham: Victory over Wolves tonight will lift West Ham out of the bottom three for a couple of days at least and ahead of this crucial fixture, Jarrod Bowen has said it pains him to see his club in trouble. Helping them extricate themselves from their current predicament would “mean the world” to him.
“This club means so much to me,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports. “In the situation that we’re in, it hurts me probably more than anyone else. What I’m trying to do is bring my A-game every single week and also get the team ready to bring their A-game. We know what we have to do in terms of steering away from relegation. We have a massive opportunity to do that.
“We have to keep doing that. Of course you want to score, you want to get assists, you want to be the difference. But also your team-mates as well, they’re so important. They need to keep stepping up like they have been. We all need to keep stepping up and keep changing our destiny and changing our fortunes and win the games that we have. Then we can almost take control of the situation that we’re in. We know what we need to do, so that’s the most important thing.”
Bayern Munich: Vincent Kompany turns 40 today but the Bayern head coach gave extremely short shrift to talk of birthday celebrations during his press conference this morning. Bayern Munich took a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final first leg this week and travel to Hamburg to play struggling St Pauli tomorrow with a nine-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table. They are also in the semi-finals of the German Cup.
“We can only wish for the three points [against St Pauli],” he told reporters who asked if he’d be swinging from the chandeliers tonight. “I always celebrated birthdays at the stage of semi-finals and quarter-finals so it’s a bonus if you get the wins at these moments.
“I am trying to run away from all the birthday stuff. We are in priority mode. At this moment there are enough emotions in the coming days. Maybe some red wine tonight but first prepare for the match.” [Reuters]
Newcastle United: The first signing Newcastle made under their new Saudi owners, Kieran Trippier has confirmed he will be leaving the club this summer when his contract expires. Rumours also abound that Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon could be sold come season’s end. While Howe refused to discuss the future of individual players, he did speak out on the importance of Newcastle managing their fans’ expectations.
“If that’s the reality – and I’m not saying it is – then that’s the reality,” he told reporters. “I’ve no issue working with the conditions the club set and finances dictate. I’ve never had an issue with that all through my career.
“As long as that is made clear to everybody on the outside and the expectations are aligned within that. Because I don’t think you can have expectations that warp reality. Everything has got to be aligned for the players to enter the pitch and play in their best place, where they’re relaxed and not under undue pressure. That’s fundamentally important.”
Howe rejects speculation of Newcastle fall-out
Newcastle United: Newcastle travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday to play their first match since losing the Tyne-Wear derby at home to Sunderland just before the international break. With no shortage of speculation surrounding his own future at the club and the potential summer exit of several key players, Eddie Howe wasn’t short of things to talk about this morning.
“Certainly there’s been no fallings out,” he said, when asked about his relationship with Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson and the club CEO David Hopkinson. “I’ve got a really good relationship with Ross and David. We’re plotting to try and take the club forward in the smartest way possible. I’ve had really good support from both of them, who are the key figures I work with day-to-day at the football club. We’re all totally aligned on what we need to do.
“The long-term prospects for the football club are really strong but certainly these seasons we’ve experienced previously. Not all the forces are with us and we’re going to have to act really smart and try to outperform the budget to try to hit the levels everyone wants.
“What do I need? I just need support. Good working relationships with people around me and a feeling of being able to express myself in the best way possible so you see the best version of myself. And I think if I feel that and the club feels that then they’re getting the best manager they can from me.
“Obviously if that’s not working for whatever reason on both sides then it’s best for the football club. The most important thing in all of this is Newcastle United, not me, not anybody else. I’ll always reflect that in my decision making: I’ll put the club before anybody.”
Liverpool: Arne Slot has told reporters that Alisson is still sidelined but Liverpool fans are unlikely to be too concerned given how well Giorgi Marmadashvili has played in the Brazilian’s absence. Slot also said that some players who started against PSG will be rotated out of the side to face Fulham tommorrow because they cannot currently handle the intensity of playing two big games in four days. “The players I’m worried about for tomorrow will be Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez,” he said.
Aston Villa: Despite the looming World Cup and this season still being very much up in the air for both sides, Bayern Munich have just announced they will be playing Aston Villa in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong on 7 August.
For their part, Villa say they “hope to announce further fixtures in the far east in due course”. Whatever the outcome on the pitch in Hong Kong, you have to say the Bayern Munich club secretary has stolen a march on his or her Villa counterpart early doors. That’s clichéd German efficiency at its finest.
Arne Slot on Andy Robertson: “First of all, he’s had many great seasons here not only as a player but as a great person as well,” he says of the Scotsman, whose departure from Liverpool at the end of the season was announced yesterday. “I got to know him as a great person. Every team-mate of his will tell you how funny he is, how great he is and I think that’s been shown on social media as well.
“But what I remember most about him is the intensity he plays with and we’ve seen and learned something about intensity two days ago but, I can also remember Robbo making a press from the left-back position to the right wing a few years ago and I showed it to my players I was working with back then.
“He’s won everything at this club, served his club and really loves this club. It’s been a great nine years for him. This season he didn’t play as much as he was used to and as a result of that he’s leaving.”
A tip of the hat to Slot for highlighting the fact that Robertson is a terrific character and all round good guy as well as a consumate professional. He seems to be universally liked and one imagines his is a presence that would be sorely missed from any dressing-room. He’s been an outstanding servant for Liverpool over the best part of a decade, even if quite a few people were sceptical about his credentials when he was signed from Hull City. Jurgen knew!
Arne Slot: ‘I feel the support from the fans’
Liverpool: The postponement of their Ligue1 match against Lens means Paris Saint-Germain have been given the weekend off ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg at Anfield on Tuesday, but Liverpool have a crucial match against Fulham to play at Anfield tomorrow evening.
Arne Slot’s side go into it on the back of two chastening defeats and are fifth in the Premier League table. Should either Everton or Brentford win their Champions League qualification six-pointer at the Gtech Community Stadium tomorrow afternoon, they will go level on points with Liverpool.
“I’m repeating myself a lot but I feel a lot of support,” said Arne Slot this morning, upon being asked if he feels he has the backing of the Liverpool club hierarchy. “Not only from the owners but from Richard [Hughes] and Michael [Edwards], a lot of support from them as well. As weird as it might sound I also feel the support from the fans.
“We were going out in Paris when the players went out for the warm-up and after the 4-0 loss [against Manchester City] the fans immediately started singing ‘we love Liverpool’. I think it’s fair to say we were outplayed for 90 minutes and they were still singing and clapping for us. I’ve said many times, the club knows the period of time we’re in and in the mean time I feel complete support.”]
Column: While his “big team who win things” (well, the odd thing) are hovering above the Premier League relegation zone, his small team who never win anything have just dropped out of the League Two automatic promotion places. It’s small wonder the Guardian’s Football Weekly presenter Max Rushden is a bag of nerves …
Tottenham Hotspur: While he has already been interviewed by the club media team, Roberto De Zerbi’s maiden press conference as Spurs head coach is likely to be today’s hottest ticket in town. The Italian is scheduled to speak to the media at 1.30pm (GMT), ahead of his side’s match against Sunderland on Sunday afternoon. If West Ham beat the Premier League’s bottom side, Wolves, at the London Stadium tonight, Spurs will be in the relegation zone when their game kicks off at the Stadium of Light.
Andy Robertson to leave Liverpool after nine years
Liverpool: The Scottish left-back is to bring his illustrious career with the club to a close when his contract expires at the end of the season, with no shortage of big name European heavyweights believed to be interested in securing the 32-year-old’s services. Andy Hunter reports …
Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina
Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg: A sensational performance blew away Fiorentina as Jean-Philippe Mateta scored on his first start since the end of January. Ed Aarons reports from Selhurst Park …
Bologna 1-3 Aston Villa
Europea League quarter-final first leg: Aston Villa were second best for large parts of the game in Bologna but a brace from Ollie Watkins put them in the box-seat. Paul MacInnes reports from Stadio Renata Dall’Ara …
FC Porto 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Europa League quarter-final first leg: A freakish own goal by the Porto defender Martim Fernandes earned Nottingham Forest a draw and fostered optimism of advancing to the Europa League semi-finals. Ben Fisher reports from Estádio do Dragão …
Friday football blog …
Following a hiatus so long some Tottenham fans may have forgotten their team is in grave danger of relegation, the Premier League is back. In the build-up to a weekend schedule that kicks off when West Ham host fellow basement-dwellers Wolves at the London Stadium tonight, we’ll bring you all the news that’s fit to print from today’s round of managerial press conferences. In the time honoured tradition, we’ll also be keeping a beady eye on any tidbits of note from the EFL, Scotland and beyond. You know the drill …
The case was the first prosecution of its kind in Scotland, in that Lee Milne was responsible for killing Kimberly Milne even though she jumped to her death.
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Hungary election campaigns enter final stretch as Orbán fights to remain in power – Europe live | Hungary
Morning opening: Helló Budapestről!
Jakub Krupa
in Budapest
Helló Budapestről!
Or, to those of you inexplicably less fluent in Hungarian: hello from Budapest!
It’s a beautiful if slightly chilly morning here in the Hungarian capital as we enter the final hours of the campaign before this Sunday’s parliamentary vote that could see the end of Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power.
When you look at the polls, they are a bit all over the place – particularly depending on their, erm, affiliation and proximity to the ruling party – but all independent pollsters appear to suggest that Péter Magyar’s Tisza party is on course for victory on Sunday.
But there is plenty time before then, with a number of voters still undecided or not sure if they are even going to vote, despite the expected record turnout.
In his last rallies, Magyar warned his supporters against complacency, stressing the need to fight for every single vote and to get everyone to come out on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Orbán argued that “no election is decided until the people decide it,” and insisted he still expected a victory on Sunday.
Let’s see how it goes.
We will be bringing you updates from Budapest and beyond to get you a sense of what is the feeling on the ground in Hungary.
It’s Friday, 10 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Key events
Orbán seeks to mobilise voters as he warns against change
Meanwhile, Viktor Orbán also issued a rallying cry to his supporters, lauding the achievements of his government over the last 16 years and warning them that a change of government would “threaten all we built together.”
In a Facebook video – which he trailed last night as particularly important – he repeated his usual allegations of interference and collusion with some foreign security services, claiming there was “an organised attempt to question the decision of the Hungarian people.”
“This is not the time for division, anger or hatred. Hungary needs cooperation, unity and security,” he argued.
But in perhaps a hint of vulnerability, he also directly asked voters to speak with “families, friends, and acquaintances” to tell them that “the stakes are high and change is dangerous.”
Fidesz’s attack posters with Zelenskyy are everywhere
Jakub Krupa
moving on Intercity 564 Tokaj train
One of the striking features of this campaign is how much Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy features on Fidesz’s attack posters, alleging his association with the opposition’s Magyar and urging voters to “stop them”.
Okay, that picture isn’t great, so here’s a better shot:
They are plastered all over Budapest, and even en route to Hatvan now, I have seen just as many of them as those showing Viktor Orbán.
Ukraine has been a massive talking point throughout the campaign, with Orbán repeatedly using it to position himself as “the peace candidate,” ready to stop some alleged EU-Ukraine conspiracy to draw Hungary into conflict with Russia.
My colleague Ashifa Kassam, who is also in Budapest for the election, explained it well here – and this rhetoric has only got stronger since then.
Magyar’s campaign moves east of Budapest
Jakub Krupa
moving on Intercity 564 Tokaj train
Meanwhile, I have jumped on the Intercity Tokaj train to Hatvan, where the opposition leader Péter Magyar is expected around 1pm local time.
In 2022, Zsolt Szabó, the candidate from Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party won here decisively with over 50% of the vote, so it’s not exactly a naturally friendly ground for the opposition forces.
But in recent days, his rallies gathered some impressive numbers, so it will be interesting what sort of reception he gets today.
As we get closer to the vote, his campaign moves eastwards towards Debrecen, Hungary’s second largest city, where he is due to finish campaign tomorrow evening.
MEPs raise alarm about possible Russian meddling in Hungary elections
Jennifer Rankin
in Brussels
The European Commission is being urged to investigate whether Hungary’s elections are being undermined by Russian manipulation, intimidation of journalists and voter coercion by the ruling party.
Three days before decisive parliamentary elections that threaten the 16-year grip on power of the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, a group of MEPs have written to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the commissioner responsible for the rule of law, Michael McGrath, calling for action.
The cross-party group want an urgent assessment “before and immediately after” polling day on whether the conditions for free and fair competition are being undermined by disinformation, foreign manipulation, state-resource misuse, intimidation of journalists and unlawful interference with opposition actors.
The appeal came as the European Commission demanded an urgent explanation from Budapest over a leaked recording that appeared to show a further instance of the Hungarian foreign minister covertly helping his Russian counterpart.
Jakub Krupa
in Budapest
As you’re reading this Trump post, it’s probably worth keeping in mind that his VP, JD Vance, spent most of his time in Budapest fuming about the unacceptable foreign interference in the election and declaring it absolutely outrageous.
So, yeah. Make of that what you will.
‘Get out and vote for Viktor Orbán,’ Trump tells Hungarians
Overnight, the US president, Donald Trump, repeated his endorsement of Viktor Orbán ahead of the vote on Sunday, urging Hungarians to “get out and vote” for him and stressing he will be “with him all the way.”
Obviously, it’s not the first time Trump intervenes in this campaign, with the pair going back over a decade.
Earlier this week, the US vice-president JD Vance called him on his mobile while on stage speaking at a “day of Hungarian-American friendship” pre-election rally in Budapest, and Trump earlier also recorded a video endorsing the embattled Hungarian prime minister.
In today’s post on Truth Social, he said:
“Highly Respected Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, is a truly strong and powerful Leader, with a proven track record of delivering phenomenal results. He fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, just like I do for the United States of America. Viktor works hard to Protect Hungary, Grow the Economy, Create Jobs, Promote Trade, Stop Illegal Immigration, and Ensure LAW AND ORDER! Relations between Hungary and the United States have reached new heights of cooperation and spectacular achievement under my Administration, thanks largely to Prime Minister Orbán. I look forward to continuing working closely with him so that both of our Countries can further advance this tremendous path to SUCCESS and cooperation. I was proud to ENDORSE Viktor for Re-Election in 2022, and am honored to do so again.
Election Day is Sunday, April 12, 2026. Hungary: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR VIKTOR ORBÁN. He is a true friend, fighter, and WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Hungary — VIKTOR ORBÁN WILL NEVER LET THE GREAT PEOPLE OF HUNGARY DOWN. I AM WITH HIM ALL THE WAY! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Magyar voters are hopeful for change, but despite optimism he is seen as far from perfect candidate
Flora Garamvolgyi
in Budapest
We talked to a few Budapest residents this morning in the city centre at Jászai Mari Square.
Most of them were rushing to work, but still stopped to chat with us about the upcoming vote on Sunday, which seems to creep into every single conversation here lately – as they say, even at family dinners.
Some of them were not that keen on sharing the exact party they are going to vote for but every single one of them had strong opinions about the two main candidates: Hungary’s far-right prime minister Viktor Orbán, who has been in power for 16 years and Péter Magyar, a young(ish) centre-right figure who emerged from Fidesz circles and turned against the party a year ago.
Talking to people, we got the sense that despite Magyar leading the polls, he is not necessarily seen as the “perfect candidate,” but rather a protest vote against Orbán.
People who are planning to vote for him are hopeful about the vote on Sunday and predict a clear win for Magyar, who has the highest chance so far to put an end to Orbán’s reign.
But we also met a surprisingly high number of Fidesz supporters in the capital who resonated with the ruling party’s message: Sunday is about choosing “between war and peace”. One Fidesz voter called the opposition candidate a “narcissist”; others said they are satisfied with how Orbán supports ethnic Hungarians in the neighbouring countries.
Morning opening: Helló Budapestről!
Jakub Krupa
in Budapest
Helló Budapestről!
Or, to those of you inexplicably less fluent in Hungarian: hello from Budapest!
It’s a beautiful if slightly chilly morning here in the Hungarian capital as we enter the final hours of the campaign before this Sunday’s parliamentary vote that could see the end of Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power.
When you look at the polls, they are a bit all over the place – particularly depending on their, erm, affiliation and proximity to the ruling party – but all independent pollsters appear to suggest that Péter Magyar’s Tisza party is on course for victory on Sunday.
But there is plenty time before then, with a number of voters still undecided or not sure if they are even going to vote, despite the expected record turnout.
In his last rallies, Magyar warned his supporters against complacency, stressing the need to fight for every single vote and to get everyone to come out on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Orbán argued that “no election is decided until the people decide it,” and insisted he still expected a victory on Sunday.
Let’s see how it goes.
We will be bringing you updates from Budapest and beyond to get you a sense of what is the feeling on the ground in Hungary.
It’s Friday, 10 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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