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Fertiliser boss says Iran war puts 10 billion meals a week at risk

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The interruption to supplies of fertiliser and its key ingredients due to the war in Iran could cost up to ten billion meals a week globally and will hit poorest countries hardest, according to the boss of one of the world's biggest fertiliser producers.

Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive of Yara, told the BBC that hostilities in the Gulf, which have blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, are jeopardising global food production.

Reduced crop yields as a result of lower fertiliser use could lead to a bidding war for food, he warned.

He urged European nations to consider carefully the impact of a price war on the "most vulnerable" in other countries.

Although the UK is very unlikely to face food shortages, the increased costs facing food producers are expected to start showing up on weekly food bills in the next few months.

"We're up to half a million tons of nitrogen fertiliser not being produced in the world right now because of the situation we are in," Holsether said.

"What does that mean for food production? I would get to up to 10 billion meals that will not be produced every week as a result of the lack of fertilisers."

Not applying nitrogen fertiliser would reduce crop yields for some crops by as much as 50% in the first season, he said.

Farmers around the world were facing a daunting series of challenges, Holsether added, as the prices they can command for the food they produce had not yet adjusted to cover the higher bills they are facing.

"They're faced with higher energy costs, diesel for a tractor is increasing, other inputs for the farmers are increasing, fertiliser cost is increasing, but yet the crop prices haven't increased to the same extent yet," he said.

The price of fertiliser has soared by 80% since the beginning of the US and Israel's war on Iran.

A continuation of the conflict could result in a bidding war for food between richer and poorer nations, Holsether added.

"If there's a bidding war on food and one that Europe is robust enough to handle, what we need to keep in mind in Europe is, OK, in that situation, who are we buying the food away from?

"That is a situation where the most vulnerable people pay the highest price for this in developing nations where they cannot afford to follow that."

That had implications for "food affordability, food scarcity and hunger" the Yara boss said.

In the UK, the Food and Drink Federation recently forecast that food inflation could reach 10% by December.

The Bank of England this week said it thought food price inflation could rise to 4.6% in September, and could go even higher later in the year.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwp50v4ye7o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

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Trump signs bill to end record shutdown over immigration enforcement

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President Donald Trump has signed a spending bill that officially ended end the 76-day partial government shutdown that caused chaos in US airports.

The House of Representatives earlier on Thursday approved a Senate-passed bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which runs everything from immigration enforcement to airport security.

It comes more than two months after funding lapsed for the department over political disagreements on Trump's immigration crackdown.

The law reopens DHS but doesn't include funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The shutdown led to chaos at airports across the US for weeks due to a shortage of security officers, who went unpaid for weeks, as Republicans and Democrats feuded.

Democrats had refused to fund ICE and CBP, demanding they be reformed following two deadly shootings in Minnesota involving federal immigration officers.

Republicans rejected the demands, instead pushing for full funding for the two agencies, resulting in an impasse.

The two agencies could get funding through another bill, which is currently being considered by the House. Meanwhile, immigration enforcement has been funded with $170bn approved by Congress as part of Trump's tax cuts bill last year.

The DHS, which oversees ICE and CBP, has continued to run without routine funds since 14 February, leading to major disruptions and hours-long wait times at airports across the US.

But Thursday's approval cleared the funding deadlock, ensuring security officers at checkpoints can now get paid on time.

In March, after days of long queues at US airports, Trump signed an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, who are considered essential workers and are required to work without pay during a federal shutdown.

While that eased tensions, the Trump administration warned that emergency DHS funds were set to run out later this week.

Calls for action further intensified after Saturday's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, where prosecutors say a man attempted to assassinate Trump.

The White House budget office warned that homeland security operations not involved in Trump's immigration crackdown could run out of money in May for workers employed in presidential and airport security.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had resisted bringing the Senate-passed bill to a vote for weeks, calling it inadequate and insisting that immigration enforcement be fully funded, eventually relented.

"We were not going to have lines at TSA. Everybody will get their paychecks now," Johnson told reporters after the vote.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin celebrated the end of the shutdown on X.

"To be clear, this Democrat shutdown NEVER should have happened," he wrote.

Democrats said the shutdown was extended for more than a month by Speaker Johnson for "no reason at all".

"This is the same bill the Senate unanimously passed five weeks ago," said Patty Murray, the top Democrat on government funding in the Senate.

Congressional Republicans now turn their attention to approve up to $70bn in funding for ICE and CBP for the remainder of Trump's term, while Democrats continue to demand tighter oversight and limits on enforcement practices.

Last week, Republicans used a procedural manoeuvre to clear the bill in the Senate that did not require the support of opposition Democrats.

It is unclear when House Republican leaders plan to put the Senate-passed bill to the floor for a vote.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3pw5x3z54o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

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King arrives in Bermuda after ending US trip with visit to small town America

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King Charles III has arrived in Bermuda after he and Queen Camilla ended their four-day state visit to the US with a community parade in Virginia.

He made a low-key entrance in Hamilton, the territory's capital, with a ceremonial welcome expected on Friday. The King, who was not accompanied by the Queen, is making his first visit to the island as monarch.

The royal couple had marked their final day in the US in a more relaxed setting of bluegrass music and country rock music in the small town of Front Royal.

It followed days of formalities and diplomatic challenges of Washington DC.

Big cheers greeted the King and Queen when they appeared, which marked their first engagement with the US public as other events were held in tightly sealed security bubbles.

There was high security for this event too, but it looked as though a large part of the population of the town had turned out to watch.

The royal couple watched a marching band and, for the first time on this trip, went on a walkabout to shake hands, which seemed to please the locals out enjoying the Appalachian sunshine.

It was full-on razzamatazz, with bunting and flags, young baseball players and elderly veterans. Cheerleaders were cheering and a parade of classic cars rolled through town.

There was also a demonstration of Appalachian clog dancing, watched keenly by the King and Queen, in a kind of impromptu royal variety show.

This was Front Royal's "block party", a neighbourhood celebration, marking the 250th anniversary of US independence.

There was also a "pot luck" community meal, and in line with tradition, the King and Queen brought their own contributions – a Coronation quiche, a Victoria sponge and honey from the royal hives.

It served as an example of small-town America, with a population of 15,000 and shops with names like Loose Cow Mercantile, Weasel Creek Outfitters and Proctor Biggs Feed Mill.

Bing Crosby sang here once for a fundraiser in 1948. But that landmark occasion could be eclipsed by the royal visitors.

It was a big day for the town, but it also looked like a big relief for the King and Queen – and it was a trip that almost did not happen after the mayor deleted the email containing the proposition, thinking it was a hoax.

It was a cheerful ending for what had proved an unexpectedly successful four days in the US, where the King's speech to Congress had particularly drawn applause.

Before heading to Virginia, and a taste of the countryside, on Thursday morning the King and Queen had said their official farewells at the White House to US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

Then they paid their respects at Arlington National Cemetery, where they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and a gun salute was fired.

The final steps of this carefully choreographed state visit were in Virginia and the countryside of the Shenandoah Valley.

The sounds in Front Royal were not of the chink of glasses in Washington or the small talk of a glitzy reception in New York. Instead, it was the music of a marching band and cheering crowds.

Here was a glimpse of some regular Americans, with plenty of photo opportunities.

But the crowds seemed to love their town's moment in the sunshine. And the royal visitors waved back, perhaps glad that their four-day challenge to rebuild relations with the United States had made such a positive impact.

They got into another convoy of huge black cars, and with lights flashing and a siren wailing, rolled out of town to begin their journey to their next destination – Bermuda.

King Charles arrived at LF Wade International Airport in Hamilton, where he was greeted by an official ensemble of British Governor Andrew Murdoch, Bermuda Premier David Burt and various other dignitaries.

A small guard of honour was formed by the Royal Bermuda Regiment standing attention.

The King will receive a ceremonial welcome of pomp and pageantry featuring a 21-gun salute later on Friday.

Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrpjm47jv4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

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New footage shows how Trump dinner gunman charged through security in four seconds

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A gunman burst out of a hotel doorway and charged through a security checkpoint in just four seconds as President Donald Trump was attending a press gala, according to new footage released by prosecutors.

The CCTV video appears to show a security agent opening fire in the direction of the sprinting gunman, who is carrying a long-barrelled weapon, though it is unclear if he discharges it.

The clip does not show the moment where investigators say the alleged attacker fell over and was arrested at the Washington Hilton on Saturday.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, is charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. He has not yet entered a plea.

The US justice department says the video also shows Allen "casing the area" at the hotel on the day before the dinner, when he allegedly checked in as a guest.

He is seen walking down a Washington Hilton corridor on the eve of the gala and popping into the hotel's gym, according to prosecutors.

The defendant is accused of carrying a semi-automatic handgun, a pump-action shotgun and three knives as he ran through a terrace level, one floor above the basement ballroom where the high-profile press gala was unfolding.

Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, cabinet members and other White House officials were rushed from the venue after gunfire rang out.

The new video, posted on X on Thursday by US Attorney for Washington DC Jeanine Pirro, appears to be a higher quality version of a clip shared by Trump on social media in the aftermath of Saturday's incident.

The latest footage shows nearly a dozen security agents gathered around a security checkpoint at the hotel.

A man wearing a long dark coat walks through the corridor and disappears into a doorway.

A moment later the gunman, having shed his coat, re-emerges and sprints through a metal-detector with both hands on what appears to be a gun.

His coat was concealing a 12-gauge shotgun, according to an affidavit filed by prosecutors.

The footage appears to show an officer fire his handgun at the suspect. Prosecutors have said the agent was hit by gunfire, but the alleged assailant was not shot.

A Secret Service spokesman told the BBC on Thursday: "The officer was struck in the ballistic vest, but was not seriously injured."

Ballistics experts have been investigating whether the Secret Service officer was hit by a bullet fired by the suspect, or by other law enforcement at the scene.

Pirro said in Thursday's post on X: "There is no evidence the shooting was the result of friendly fire."

However, a memo filed by prosecutors on Wednesday, asking a judge to hold Allen in custody pending trial, makes no mention of any officer being shot.

It says that as the suspect ran through the checkpoint, a Secret Service officer "observed the defendant fire the shotgun in the direction of the stairs leading down to the ballroom".

Earlier statements in charging documents alleged that one officer was hit in the ballistic vest by a single shot fired by the suspect.

Defence lawyers for Allen have questioned prosecutors' claims that their client opened fire.

On Thursday the director of the US Secret Service told Fox News that the suspect had fired at a Secret Service agent at "point-blank range".

"All the evidence that I've seen, the suspect shot our officer point-blank range with a shotgun," Sean Curran told the network.

"Our officer heroically returned fire while being shot point-blank range in the chest with a shotgun, he was able to get off five shots.

"It appears that the suspect hit his knee, while being engaged by the officer, on one of our magnetometer boxes and began to fall to the ground.

"That's what appears to be, and at that moment is when officers and agents were able to subdue him and pile on top of him."

Allen faces additional charges, including transportation of a firearm between states to commit a felony and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence – both of which have maximum sentences of 10 years.

📰 மூல செய்தி (Source): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g7rmrlm17o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

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