President Joe Biden desperately needs Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire and faces an increasingly grim scenario if negotiations collapse bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Top locals/mayorals thread here >>

Isabella Ward Andy Street tells me he’s “confident” because “extremely bluntly, do I think I’ve done a good job? Yes.”

But 'it's on a knife-edge' - with YouGov polling showing a gap so small between the candidates, it's within the margin of error.

Andy Street
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NEW Inside the contests in Tees Valley and West Mids, where Rishi Sunak's future may be decided

w Isabella Ward
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Big picture on Channel crossings is they are now rising clearly this year, regardless of Rwanda:

Oh dear

Tories and Labour spat over the Hainault sword killing spree in which a 14-year-old boy was killed

- Kemi Badenoch says Sadiq Khan not taking crime seriously

- Spokesperson for Khan accuses Tories of 'seeking to politicise the awful murder of a child'

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Locals preview Ailbhe Rea Isabella Ward

— Houchen expects to win
— Street toss-up
— Khan should win
— Tories to lose 400-500 councillors say Hayward, Rallings/Thrasher
— No10 think they’ll avoid letters
— but uncertain enough to keep it interesting

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Now a full-on diplomatic row between the UK and UAE over Sudan

— Science minister Andrew Griffith had Emirati visit cancelled this week

— Lord Mayor also snubbed as spat spreads to the City…

Story with Katherine Griffiths Simon Marks @aminsikka >>

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NEW: “You will be part of the greatest comeback in political history”

What Rishi Sunak told Tory staff at a private event at CCHQ last night

With Ellen Milligan >>

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Scoop w/Alex Wickham

Sunak told Tory staffers that they'll 'be part of the greatest comeback in political history” yesterday in a speech ahead of local elections

+ staffers have been told to ramp-up prep for a national campaign. More here:
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Today's Readout! On the diplomatic spat between the UK and Ireland over the Irish plan to send back refugees
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Sunak-Netanyahu call 24 hours out from deadline on Israel-Hamas proposed hostage deal

RedBird/Telegraph questions remaining:

- how much? Can Osborne/Raine sell at a premium?
- how long will auction run? No end date
- what/when will govt decide on foreign state regs?
- does it drag into next govt?
- would Labour take as hard a line on UAE?

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1,034 people have crossed the Channel in small boats in the last 7 days, according to Home Office figures

Russia is planning to target Moldova with a wave of hybrid attacks in the run-up to its presidential election and referendum on joining the EU later this year, according to people familiar with UK intelligence assessments

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🚨Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked President Biden Sunday to help prevent the International Criminal Court from issuing arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials in connection with the war in Gaza. My story on Axios
axios.com/2024/04/29/net…

Scoop: US and some allies concerned ICC may issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials just as getting closer to a ceasefire deal with Hamas -- and potentially jeopardize it. Quiet diplomatic effort has been underway to convey that message to the court, sources told Alex Wickham

NEW: US+G7 allies concerned the ICC may issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials

— they say it could jeopardise a ceasefire they see as getting closer

— quiet diplomatic effort to get message to ICC

Story w/ Jennifer Jacobs Alberto Nardelli

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British taxpayers are paying a record amount for a planning system buckling under the strain of years of underfunding and NIMBYism.

Here's why. 🧵

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