NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market is holding near its record high Thursday as Wall Street waits for more clues about what will happen in the Iran war before making its next big move.

The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1%, a day after topping its prior all-time high set in January for its 10th gain in 11 days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 66 points, or 0.1% after the first half-hour of trading, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% lower.

Stocks have leaped more than 10% since hitting a low in late March, driven by hopes for an end to the war or something that could avert a worst-case scenario for the global economy. Now, the wait is on to see if such hopes were prescient or just wishful thinking.

Pakistan’s army chief is set to meet with Iranian officials in Tehran Thursday in a bid to ease tensions in the Middle East and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran after almost seven weeks of war.

Oil prices climbed, showing that caution still remains in financial markets. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose 3.1% to $97.83. It’s gone from roughly $70 before the war to as high as $119 at times on uncertainty about how long the war will keep oil stuck in the Persian Gulf area and away from customers.

“The key upside risk for the market is that peace talks between the US and Iran break down,” ING Bank strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote Thursday. “This isn’t an unrealistic scenario, given that US and Iranian demands remain fairly wide apart.”

In the meantime, big U.S. companies are continuing to deliver growth in profits for the start of 2026 that’s even better than analysts expected. Such growth is the lifeblood of the stock market, whose level tends to follow the track of corporate profits over the long term.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services rose 5.7%, and Marsh & McLennan climbed 3.4% after both delivered stronger results than expected.

PepsiCo likewise reported better results than expected and rose 2.1%. Customers bought more snacks during the quarter, after the company said in February it would cut prices on Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos chips to win back people frustrated by high prices.

Technology stocks also broadly got some support after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., an industry heavyweight, reported stronger revenue and profit for the start of 2026 than analysts expected. TSMC’s Chief Financial Officer Wendell Huang said the company expects strong demand to continue into the spring.

On the losing end of Wall Street was Abbott, which fell 4.4% even though it reported slightly better results than analysts expected. The health care company cut its forecast for profit over the full year, mostly because of its purchase of cancer-screening company Exact Sciences.

Allbirds slumped 28.7%, but that gave back only a portion of its 582% surge from the day before. The company formerly known for sneakers is pivoting to the artificial-intelligence industry and hopes to rent out the use of high-powered AI chips as a service.

In stock markets abroad, indexes climbed across much of Europe and Asia. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 2.4%, South Korea’s Kospi rallied 2.2% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.7% for some of the world’s larger moves.

China on Thursday reported 5% economic growth for the January-March quarter, an acceleration from the previous quarter. While economists say China has largely shrugged off the initial impacts of the Iran war, some are warning its massive export engine could be hit more significantly in the coming months on slower global economic growth.

In the bond market Treasury yields eased a bit after a report showed fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 4.28% from 4.29% late Wednesday.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

Speaking about his career in south Wales, Fernando Llorente outlines his success at the Liberty Stadium and Snoop Dogg’s investment

Former Swansea City striker Fernando Llorente is hoping his old side can make a return to the Premier League, eight years on from their relegation to the Championship.

Arriving at the Liberty Stadium in the summer of 2016, Llorente would spend a single season in south Wales after signing in a shock deal, helping the club survive relegation, scoring 15 Premier League goals in the process.

Llorente’s notorious injury-time double to clinch a 5-4 win at home to Crystal Palace is a memory Swans fans will always cherish. The World Cup winner would depart at the start of the 2017/18 season for Tottenham, following his superb campaign in SA1.

Reflecting positively on his time at Swansea, Llorente, who was signed on Francesco Guidolin’s watch, said this single season in Landore was one of the best years of his career.

“Wonderful memories, first because it was my debut season in the Premier League and I played as a starter, many games, being important and decisive,” he told Hajper.

“It didn’t go well at the beginning. After the seventh game against City he (Guidolin) was sacked, the game where I scored my first goal, just when I was starting to feel good. Then I got injured in that match (I had fractured a rib in the previous game after a clash with Virgil van Dijk) and missed about a month. Bob Bradley arrived.

“When I came back from injury I had to fight for my place again. Things still didn’t go well and we changed coach again. But then we finished the season flying. In the second half of the season we played at an incredible level, from being bottom and everyone writing us off, we ended up 12th or 13th. In the last five games we won four and drew one. Incredible.”

One thing that Llorente reminisces over from the 2016/16 season is his relationship with the Swans fans – something he says surprised him in comparison to supporters in Spain.

“I was very surprised by how the fans treated us when we were practically relegated — with so much love and support, no shouting, no bad words,” he explained. “In Spain if you’re in that situation, they kill you. So you see two different cultures.”

“I haven’t been back since I left and I’d love to. It’s a place where I felt very loved,” Llorente added.

Llorente was a part of the side that escaped relegation, having been bottom of the Premier League, a time in his career Llorente looks back on fondly.

Despite Llorente suffering a broken rib, which ruled him out for a month, he still scored 15 goals in a struggling side.

But even with these setbacks and difficulties, Llorente said it was a shame to have only spent a year at the Liberty and was full of hope for the Swans’ future – especially with a certain US rapper on board.

“In the end we gave our best in that final part of the season,” he added. “It’s a shame I only stayed one year. In the summer I had offers from Chelsea (Antonio Conte, who I had played with at Juventus) but at the last moment Tottenham came in and, because Chelsea and Swansea couldn’t agree, I went to Tottenham.

“I hope Snoop Dogg helps them build a great team and great group so they can get promoted,” he added.

“For the club and the city, it would be incredible. I hope they return to the Premier League.”

Weddings are a huge life milestone for many couples – and one wedding planner has shared the top five most ‘basic’ couple names he keeps coming across through his years of working in the wedding industry

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A wedding planner has revealed the top five “most basic couple name” combinations he’s encountered throughout his career in the wedding industry. Weddings are a huge milestone for many people, as couples seek to mark their commitment to each other in front of their nearest and dearest.

Given it’s such a momentous occasion with high expectations, weddings often demand extensive planning, preparation and coordination to guarantee everything goes ahead without a hitch and aligns with the couple’s wishes. Choices surrounding the venue, décor, catering, entertainment and more can prove challenging – not to mention the astronomical costs associated with the wedding industry.

As with many things, certain trends and colour palettes become widespread in weddings, and one wedding planner has even identified patterns among couples’ names.

Oliver Stanton, based in the Cotswolds, is a wedding planner “for couples who like to party” working across the UK and further afield. He’s also a freelance musician, performing live as a saxophonist at multiple events.

On Instagram, he provides behind-the-scenes stories, advice and more to thousands of followers, alongside light-hearted videos poking fun at various aspects of weddings and the planning journey. In one clip, he humorously shared a “definitive” list of the most “basic” couple names.

Speaking directly to the camera, Oliver began: “This is the definitive top five most basic couple names. If you and your partner both have these names, then you’re pretty basic – and this is based off of my years of experience in the wedding industry.

“So, I will not be taking any notes or suggestions, okay? At number five, we have Will and Emily. Sorry, Will and Emily, it just is what it is. They are very much a ‘rustic sage’ couple.”

Sage has become an incredibly fashionable colour choice at weddings in recent years.

Oliver pressed on: “At number four, we have Laura and Matt. Now, Laura and Matt are basically Will and Emily but five years older and a little bit more ‘cornflower blue’ than sage, but you see what I mean with this.”

Oliver, who identifies as queer, continued: “At number three, we have Chloe and Chelsea. Now, these aren’t your disco lesbians, these are your common or garden lesbians.”

He placed Lauren and Tom in the runner-up spot, elaborating: “Now, Lauren and Tom, they are basically Will and Emily.

“It’s the same thing and if you saw a picture of Lauren and Tom, and then Will and Emily, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. You would need some high tech facial recognition to tell those two apart.”

Concluding his list, Oliver added: “And then finally, at number one, we have Andrew and Matt. And these aren’t your bougie gays, these are the sage lovers of the LGBT community.”

The clip has since accumulated more than 94,000 views. Oliver posted a follow-up video listing additional couple combinations “because these people are important members of the basic community”.

He rattled off the following name pairings: Charlotte and Tom, Sophie and Daniel, Rebecca and Matt, Jessica and Matt, Ryan and Matt, Christopher and Matt, James and Matt, Rachel and Hannah, Emma and Mark, Olivia and Jack, Becky and Jack, Laura and Andrew, Katie and Sam “as a straight couple and then Katie and Sam as a lesbian couple.”

Passengers have had their travel plans disrupted as services are being cancelled or severely delayed at Manchester Piccadilly Station.

Network Rail says that there has been some damage to overhead electric wires at the station, which has forced the closure of some lines.

As a result, trains running to or from the station may be cancelled or severely delayed by up to 60 minutes.

Manchester Piccadilly says its engineers are on site working to resolve the overhead wire damage.

“We are sorry to passengers for the disruption this has caused and we are working to get people moving as soon as possible,” the station said on X.

The issue started causing disruption just before midday. In an update just before 2pm, the station said most trains in and out of Piccadilly will be delayed or cancelled.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia hammered civilian areas of Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in an attack that stretched for hours from daytime into the night, killing at least 16 people and wounding more than 100 others as terrified residents cowered in their homes, officials said Thursday.

Russia launched nearly 700 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeting civilians, in its biggest aerial barrage in almost two weeks, authorities said.

Tetiana Sokol, a 54-year-old resident of Kyiv, said two missiles hit near her home and she took cover with her dog in the hallway as flashes lit up the night and windows shattered from the blast wave.

“On the third attack everything broke, everything flew, we were shocked, we didn’t know where to run. I grabbed whatever came to hand and ran away with the dog,” she told The Associated Press. “I still can’t find the cats in the house, they climbed out somewhere, I don’t even know. No windows, nothing, the dog is still walking around in stress.”

Moscow’s forces have hit civilian areas almost daily since its all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, with the regular assaults occasionally punctuated by massive attacks. More than 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the strikes, the United Nations says.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation was launched “in retaliation” for Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia, where long-range drones and missiles have hit Russian oil refineries and war-related manufacturing plants. The Russian barrage was aimed at facilities associated with the Ukrainian armed forces, the Defense Ministry claimed.

European Council President António Costa described it as “yet another horrendous attack” while people slept in their homes.

Zelenskyy on a mission to improve air defenses

The latest bombardment came in the wake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 48-hour trip this week to Germany, Norway and Italy in an urgent search for more air defense systems that can stop Russian missiles.

Ukraine has developed a significant domestic arms industry, especially in the production of drones and missiles, but it can’t yet match the sophistication of U.S. Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine’s top diplomatic priority is securing allies’ help to buy and build more and better air defenses, Zelenskyy said this week.

Yuriy Ihnat, the head of communications for the Ukrainian air force, said the Russian attack made extensive use of ballistic missiles, which only Patriot systems can reliably shoot down.

“We desperately need more missiles for the Patriot systems,” Ihnat told Ukraine’s private TV channel 1+1.

Cash-strapped Ukraine also needs the speedy disbursement of a promised loan from the European Union of 90 billion euros ($106 billion) that has been blocked by Hungary.

Ukraine fears the Iran war is burning through stockpiles of the advanced American-made air defense systems it needs, and has argued against a U.S. temporary waiver on Russian oil sanctions that Kyiv says is helping finance the Kremlin’s war effort.

“Another night has proven that Russia does not deserve any easing of global policy or lifting of sanctions,” Zelenskyy said on X.

He thanked Germany, Norway and Italy for new agreements this week on supporting Ukraine’s air defense. Officials are also working with the Netherlands on additional supplies, he said.

At the same time, he noted that some partner countries haven’t followed through on pledges of military support.

“I have instructed the Commander of the Air Force to contact those partners who earlier committed to providing missiles for Patriot and other systems,” Zelenskyy said.

Other areas of Ukraine and Russia were also hit

The bombardment was the biggest in weeks. Last month, Russia fired 948 drones and 34 missiles in the space of 24 hours in the largest assault of the war on civilian areas.

At least four people were killed overnight in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old, with more than 50 others injured, according to authorities. Officials said the attack damaged 17 apartment buildings, 10 private homes, as well as a hotel, office center, car dealership, gas station and a shopping mall in the capital.

Nine people were killed and 23 injured in the southern port city of Odesa, three women were killed and around three dozen injured in the central Dnipro region, and one person was killed in Zaporizhzhia in the south.

“Such attacks cannot be normalized. These are war crimes that must be stopped and their perpetrators held to account,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.

Ukraine’s air force said air defenses shot down or disabled 667 out of 703 incoming targets, including 636 Shahed-type drones and other uncrewed aerial vehicles.

It said 20 strike drones and 12 missiles hit 26 locations.

Meanwhile in Russia, Krasnodar regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev reported that a 14-year-old girl and a woman were killed in Ukrainian strikes in the Black Sea port of Tuapse.

He said that attacks damaged six apartment buildings, 24 private houses and three schools. Drone fragments also fell near Tuapse.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its air defenses downed 207 Ukrainian drones overnight.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

The man was away on a football trip in Madrid when he found out about the win

A Cambridgeshire man has won £250,000 after correctly predicting six football scores. Ironically, while on a football trip to Madrid in Spain, Mark Harris from Bassingbourn, found out he won the jackpot.

Mark, 51, accumulated 30 points in the free-to-play game Super 6. There was one other player left to compete against Mark, and the deciding winner of the prize came down to a golden goal tiebreaker.

Mark said: “My group chat at work messaged me saying, ‘Mark, you’re second in the country on Super 6.’ I said, ‘don’t be daft’. My son got it up on his phone and said, ‘yeah, you’re number two.’ I had no idea how to even get on the website.”

Despite being a lifelong Arsenal fan, Mark had to rely on Premier League title rivals Manchester City to win in order for Mark to secure the jackpot.

Mark added: “We were trying to find a sports bar just to watch the City game, but we couldn’t find one quick enough. When I realised I’d won, I was totally gobsmacked. We found a posh restaurant nearby; we were mixing with the ‘hoity-toity’ while literally in shorts and a T-shirt. I ordered £200 worth of champagne – the first time I’ve ever done that in my life.”

After his win, Mark and his family were invited to a recording of the Stick to Football podcast, where he met football legends Gary Neville, Ian Wright, Roy Keane and Mark Scholes. “I’m a big fan of Ian Wright and the rest of them, so being there was fantastic,” added Mark.

For Mark and his family, the win has been “life changing”. He said: “All I ever talk about is reducing the mortgage. I love touring on my motorbike, but I’m getting older and things are starting to fall off – I’ve been diagnosed with arthritis in my hip, and I need a hip replacement. This has all come at such a good time.”

Mark is the second jackpot winner of this football season. The scores he predicted right were:

• Brentford 2-2 Everton (golden goal in the fourth minute)
• Liverpool 2-0 Fulham
• Sunderland 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
• Nottingham Forest 1-1 Aston Villa
• Crystal Palace 2-1 Newcastle United
• Manchester City 3-0 Chelsea

DWP has made changes as the current rule ‘may not provide claimants with sufficient reassurance’

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has fully endorsed five proposed amendments to the Right to Try legislation, while a sixth recommendation has been ‘partially accepted’. Officials acknowledged that the new regulations may not have provided claimants with ‘sufficient reassurance’.

The Right to Try represents fresh legislation enabling disabled individuals receiving Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payments and Employment and Support Allowance to attempt employment without risking an automatic reassessment. The Social Security Advisory Committee put forward five changes to the legislation for the DWP to implement.

Six month protection

The Secretary of State will be prohibited from triggering a reassessment of the benefit claim for a minimum of six months following a claimant commencing paid or voluntary employment, unless fraud is suspected or circumstances unrelated to work have changed.

Any evidence suggesting a claimant possesses functional capacity based on their work activities or workplace performance throughout this protected timeframe will not be considered alone as proof of sustained capability during any assessment or reassessment.

The DWP accepted this recommendation, though DWP minister Pat McFadden highlighted in the response: “I have asked officials to undertake work urgently to assess how this change could be delivered within my existing powers via secondary legislation. However, implementing this change in full across all benefits would likely require primary legislation, and the Department will need time to review and assess its policy and delivery implications before the policy detail is finalised.”

Leaving work

The Committee urged the Department to revise its guidance surrounding sanctions and conditionality decisions, so that stepping away from employment or voluntary work for health-related reasons within the protected period would be recognised as a ‘good reason’.

It pressed: “This guidance should also address claimants with fluctuating conditions, dual Universal Credit (UC)/ESA and PIP claimants, and UC claimants without limited capability for work (LCW) or limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) whose work attempts later prove unsustainable because of their health due to a deterioration in health or the unsustainability of the role.”

While the DWP accepted this recommendation, it acknowledged that further consideration was needed regarding “how and when” to implement it in practice.

Communications

The Committee pressed the DWP to guarantee its communications, regulations and guidance surrounding the new framework are clear and consistent to prevent claimants being “inadvertently misled”. The DWP acknowledged this point, recognising it is “essential” for Right to Try to succeed.

Guarantee package

The Department was instructed to consult with claimants, organisations and advisers to establish what comprehensive guarantee package would give people adequate confidence that they won’t be disadvantaged by attempting to work.

The DWP accepted this recommendation but noted: “The Department will continue engaging with stakeholders and has already been doing so through the Collaboration Committee. However, ministers must ultimately determine the direction of this policy.”

Guidance for assessors

The Committee called on the DWP to “immediately” publish guidance for assessment providers clarifying that a claimant showing functional capacity in a workplace should not be considered evidence of sustained and reliable capability for PIP or WCA purposes during the initial six months.

The Department partially accepted this recommendation with the minister explaining: “I agree to undertake work to examine how to best protect entitlement for claimants during their first 6 months of work, but require more time before guaranteeing when or how this can be operationalised.”

Responding to the four accepted changes, committee chair Dr Stephen Brien stated: “I am pleased to note that you have accepted four out of the Committee’s five recommendations, with the remaining one partially accepted. While recognising that some aspects of our recommendations will take time to fully implement, I regard your response as a positive step forward in achieving greater alignment with your stated policy intent of giving clearer reassurance to claimants with disabilities or health conditions who wish to explore work without fear of a reassessment or award review. I look forward to receiving updates from the Department as further progress is made.”

DWP secretary Pat McFadden replied, according to Birmingham Live: “I would like to thank you for setting out the Committee’s concerns in your subsequent letter. I recognise the Committee’s view that fear of reassessment continues to present a significant barrier to work. I understand the Committee concluded that, in its view, the Right to Try regulations as drafted may not provide claimants with sufficient reassurance.

“Your recommendations therefore focus on strengthening protections, so claimants are not disadvantaged when taking steps towards work, including volunteering. I agree with the direction of the recommendations and set out below the approach that the Department will adopt in taking them forward.”

Asked whether the PM was confident claims were being scrutinised closely enough, the spokesman added: “The asylum system is built on robust safeguards, so every claim is rigorously and fairly assessed, abuse is actively uncovered, and these procedures are continually reviewed to shut down misuse.”

The Alan Partridge star will have a guest role in the second series of the BBC comedy

The BBC has given Funboys fans a glimpse at the upcoming series while confirming Steve Coogan is joining the cast.

The Alan Partridge actor will have a guest role in the second series of the comedy about young men in small-town Northern Ireland. He will portray frustrated thespian Phillip, who has found himself at a folk museum performing as part of the aristocracy, reports the Irish Mirror.

“Pompous, cruel and petty, the line between Phillip and the land steward he plays is a very thin one and his role at the folk park is more just an excuse to let his pungent sadism run riot,” the broadcaster said.

The BBC and BBC Northern Ireland comedy launched last year and proved popular with audiences. Its second series will track the Funboys of rural Ballymacnoose “as they flounder their way into adulthood”.

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READ MORE: How ’embarrassing’ real-life events inspired new BBC series FunboysREAD MORE: Funboys release date, cast, plot and episode count ahead of BBC release

A synopsis revealed: “The soft bellied boys of Ballymacnoose are back. After last year, tackling the weight of grief, suppository drugs and being a bastard, the gang have come out the other side all grown up.

“Callum’s (Ryan Dylan) trying out a lovely perm, Gemma (Ele McKenzie) and Lorcan (Lee R James) are smooching seven times a day, and it’s been four months since Jordan’s (Rian Lennon) last full throated screaming strop with his Daddies.

“Things are bright in Ballymacnoose. But dark clouds loom! The gang belatedly get involved in Irish history and it’s all down-hill from there. Bigotry, balding and competitive robot combat, if they aren’t careful the funboys are about to become the doneboys. Aghh!”

The synopsis continues: “Will the soft kindness of their teletubby hearts overcome the scars of the past? Is Jordan losing his hair or is it, as he insists, just a double crown?

“Are the close-minded people of Ballymacnoose ready for Lorcan to explore previously uncharted territory in the love department? Is Lorcan even ready? Who’s exploring Lorcan’s departments?”

Rian Lennon, who portrays Jordan, commented: “If Funboys Season One was a freshly born fawn, skittering around in its own amniotic sack, then season two is a sinewy young buck galloping through forests thick, leaping into the unknown and screaming ‘Hawwwwww!’”

His co-star Ryan Dylan, who takes on the role of Callum, urged viewers: “Please take your time with Funboys series two. Enjoy every suck, smack and sniff, and allow this succulent comedy to slide down your gullet and into your soul.”

Amongst the familiar faces returning to the screen are Brian Devlin, Owen Colgan, Paul Bazely and Richard Croxford. Newcomers include Nicky Harley, Saorlaoith Brady, Lalor Roddy, Donal O’Hanlon and Amanda Doherty.

Funboys is set to air on the BBC.

Victoria Beckham has finally spoken out after months of speculation over the family feud with eldest son Brooklyn Beckham.

In January, the aspiring chef launched a brutal takedown of his parents in a statement shared on social media, in which he accused them of ‘controlling’ him and ‘trying to ruin’ his relationship with his wife.

He also claimed that his mother ‘hijacked’ his and Nicola Peltz’s first dance at their 2022 wedding, and ‘danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone.’

He has since completely detached from his family, reportedly asking for no contact while living in the US with wife Nicola Peltz.

While Sir David Beckham did tentatively address the fallout, Victoria stayed quiet after the ‘humiliating’ accusations.

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, the former Spice Girl said: ‘I think that we’ve always—we love our children so much. We’ve always tried to be the best parents that we can be.’

‘And you know, we’ve been in the public eye for more than 30 years right now, and all we’ve ever tried to do is protect our children and love our children. And you know, that’s all I really want to say about it.’

She was asked if she felt guilt or remorse for bringing her family into the spotlight at such early ages.

All of their kids – Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper – have spent much of their childhoods chased by paparazzi and shared on social media.

Victoria continued: ‘I wouldn’t say it comes with guilt, I’d say that there was a lot of adjusting from my mum and dad, when all of a sudden there were paparazzi outside their house.

‘We’ve really taken our families on this ride with us.’

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