WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s approval rating on the economy has slumped over the past month as the Iran war drives prices higher, according to a new AP-NORC poll, with even Republicans showing less faith in his leadership.

The findings from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research show a president who is struggling with unfulfilled promises to tame inflation and testing Americans’ patience with a conflict in the Middle East that has dragged on longer than expected.

Trump’s approval rating on the economy dropped to 30% in April from 38% in a March AP-NORC poll. A similarly low share of U.S. adults, 32%, approve of the president’s leadership on Iran, which is unchanged since last month.

The poll was conducted April 16-20, during which time the Strait of Hormuz was reopened by Iran, then closed again, an example of the whiplash that has characterized the conflict.

The president’s policies and pronouncements have often been at odds with each other. Gasoline prices — which he promised to slash — jumped after the U.S. attacked Iran in February. His tariffs have kept much of the economy in limbo and hiring has slowed despite his boasts of a “golden age.”

Only 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s overall job performance, down slightly from 38% last month.

Trump’s falling approval ratings could create problems for his party as it tries to defend House and Senate majorities in the midterm elections. The poll finds that Trump is especially weak on cost of living, and enthusiasm about Trump’s performance has waned over the past year among his own supporters.

Kathryn Bright, 60, a retired captain in the U.S. Air Force, regrets that she supported Trump in the last election.

“I feel disgusted with myself, I feel betrayed, like he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” she said.

Bright lives in a small town far out on Colorado’s prairie and has several disabling medical conditions. She was initially drawn to Trump because of his vows to support veterans, avoid foreign wars and lower costs.

“It’s like high school class president: ‘I’m gonna promise we are going to get pizza every single day,’” Bright said. “Then as soon as they get elected they are like, ‘Oh, I lied.’”

The vast majority of Americans disapprove of Trump on cost of living

In a sign of just how unpopular Trump’s approach on prices has become, the poll found that only about one-quarter of U.S. adults approve of his handling of the cost of living.

The consumer price index climbed 3.3% in March from a year ago, and inflation is slightly higher than the 3% that Trump inherited upon returning to the White House last year. Yet Trump has shown little interest in inflation and played down the rising energy costs caused by the war prompting Iran to effectively shutter the Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.

The two-week ceasefire with Iran was due to end

US President Donald Trump has once again extended the ceasefire with Iran, announcing the decision only hours before the deadline was due to expire, after reportedly being urged to “hold our attack”.

In a statement, Trump said the decision was driven by his belief that the “Government of Iran is seriously fractured”.

“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” he posted on Truth Social.

“I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”

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Emergency services were called to Milltown Street around 7.15pm on Tuesday

Drone footage captures the moment flames ripped through a derelict mill in Radcliffe.

Police, paramedics and firefighters were called to the fire on Milltown Street at around 7.15pm on Tuesday, April 21.

A cordon was put in place, with dozens of firefighters from across Greater Manchester called to tackle the blaze.

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A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “At around 7.15pm today (Tuesday 21 April), eight fire engines and three specialist appliances from across Greater Manchester were called to a building fire on Milltown Street, Radcliffe.

“Crews arrived quickly and are using jets and turntable ladders to extinguish the fire.

“Residents are asked to avoid the area and close their windows and doors if they live nearby.”

Greater Manchester Police have been approached for comment.

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Chadwick Scott Willacy, 58, was executed in Florida after spending 36 years on death row for the murder of his neighbour Marlys Sather

A convicted murderer on death row, who set his neighbour alight more than three decades ago, used his final statement to deliver a thinly-veiled apology.

Chadwick Scott Willacy was administered a three-drug lethal injection today for the murder of Marlys Sather, who was set on fire after returning home to discover the intruder inside her property.

Willacy, who had broken into the home in a chilling burglary, struck her over the head with a blunt instrument, fracturing her skull, before binding her hands and ankles with wire and tape, reports the Mirror.

Having been found guilty of first-degree murder, burglary, robbery and arson, Willacy spent 36 years on death row in Starke, Florida, before finally being executed on April 21. While the 58 year old offered apologies to his own family and friends and urged his “brothers on the row” to stay strong, Willacy continued to protest his innocence, insisting he would never have killed his friend.

Speaking moments before the lethal injection was administered, Willacy said: “To the victim’s family, I hope this brings you peace. If it does, that’s good. But this is not right.”

This marked Florida’s fifth execution this year, following the death of Michael Lee King, who had raped and murdered a young mother in the state. Both men endured lengthy spells on death row prior to their executions; nearly 36 years in Willacy’s case, following his attack on Ms Sather in Palm Bay, Florida.

When Ms Sather confronted the intruder in her home, he attempted to strangle her with a telephone cord, and when that failed, he doused her in petrol and set her alight, according to records. An autopsy confirmed that Ms Sather had died from smoke inhalation, indicating she was still alive when she was set on fire.

Willacy also stole Ms Sather’s car and other belongings from her home, and used the woman’s ATM card to withdraw cash, officials said. When Ms Sather failed to return to work after her lunch break, her employer contacted her family. Her son-in-law went to check on her and discovered her body. Her killer was subsequently sentenced to death following a 9-3 jury recommendation, after being convicted of first-degree murder, burglary, robbery and arson.

Florida’s fifth execution of 2026 came after a record 19 executions in the state the previous year. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The previous record was set in 2014 with eight executions.

A further execution is scheduled in Florida later this month: James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, is due to receive a lethal injection on April 30. He was convicted of beating and choking his 13 year old niece to death.

The high street giant is expanding its “ReMarksable Value” range with 15 new purse-friendly products as it battles to win over families doing the weekly shop.

Shoppers will now find more than 140 items in the range, all focused on affordable staples.

And it’s not just new additions.

M&S has also cut prices on 19 everyday items, including fresh veg favourites, as reported by creatorzine.com .

Chestnut mushrooms have dropped from £1.40 to £1.30 for 300g, while leeks have been reduced from £2.20 to £1.90 for 600g.

The retailer has also added seven more products to its “Dropped & Locked” scheme – designed to keep prices lower for longer.

The move comes as M&S tries to shake off its reputation for being pricier than rivals.

All items in the ReMarksable Value range are benchmarked against competitors to ensure they stay competitive.

Bosses say the strategy is already working – with more families seeing M&S as better value than before.

Alex Freudmann, managing director of M&S Food, said: “Families want to eat well without paying more, and vegetables are at the heart of the weekly shop.

“By lowering prices on everyday veg staples, we’re making it easier for more families to shop M&S as part of their weekly shop.”

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The changes are part of a wider push to grow its food business and take on budget supermarkets.

Price cuts include:

• Sweetheart cabbage – £0.95 → £0.75 (each)
• Brussels sprouts 500g – £1.15 → £0.90
• Red chillies 75g – £1.00 → £0.65
• Red & green mixed chillies 70g – £1.00 → £0.60
• Chestnut mushrooms 300g – £1.40 → £1.30
• Carrot bag 500g – £0.55 → £0.55
• Tenderstem broccoli 200g – £2.00 → £1.75
• Leeks 600g – £2.20 → £1.90
• Garlic net (x3) – £0.90 → £0.70
• Loose ginger – £6.75/kg → £6.20/kg
• White cabbage – £1.00 → £1.00 (each)
• Loose sweet potatoes – £1.40/kg → £1.30/kg
• Red cabbage – £1.00 → £1.00 (each)
• Loose courgettes – £3.20/kg → £2.85/kg
• Courgettes 325g – £1.45 → £1.45

‘Dropped & locked’ additions:

• Tenderstem tips 125g – £1.40 → £1.25
• Organic garlic – £0.80 → £0.70
• Portobello mushrooms – £2.00 → £1.60
• Bird’s eye chilli – £1.15 → £0.75
• Organic leeks – £2.50 → £2.20
• Finger chilli – £1.30 → £0.80
• Santini tomatoes 340g – £2.75 → £1.70

DALLAS (AP) — Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, a U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday in a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into schools.

It sets up a potential clash at the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue in the future.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said in the decision that the law did not violate the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom and prevents the government from establishing a religion.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, called the ruling “a major victory for Texas and our moral values.”

“The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important that students learn from them every single day,” Paxton said.

Organizations representing the families who challenged the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that they were “extremely disappointed” by the decision.

“The court’s ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority. The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when and if to provide their children with religious instruction. This decision tramples those rights,” the statement said.

The law is among the pushes by Republicans, including President Donald Trump, to incorporate religion into public schools. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state while backers argue that the Ten Commandments are historical and part of the foundation of U.S. law.

The ruling, which reverses a district court’s judgment, comes after the full court heard arguments in January in the Texas case and a similar case in Louisiana. The appeals court in February cleared the way for Louisiana’s law, requiring displays of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 12-6 to lift a block that a lower court first placed on the law in 2024.

Texas law took effect on Sept. 1, marking the largest attempt in the nation to hang the Ten Commandments in public schools. About two dozen school districts had been barred from posting them after federal judges issued injunctions in two cases against the law but went up in many classrooms across the state as districts paid to have the posters printed themselves or accepted donations.

A cordon remains in place on Milltown Street

Firefighters from across Greater Manchester remain at the scene of a derelict mill blaze in Radcliffe on Tuesday night (April 21).

Dozens of firefighters from across the area, along with police and paramedics, were called to the fire on Milltown Street at 7.15pm.

A cordon was put in place and people were urged to avoid the area and keep doors and windows closed.

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In an update at 11.40pm on Tuesday, Leon Henry, GMFRS Group Manager and Incident Commander at the scene, said: “Crews are working hard to extinguish the fire and have made good progress.

“Our firefighters, who have been supported at the scene by colleagues from Greater Manchester Police, North West Ambulance Service and Bury Council, will remain in attendance overnight to fully extinguish the fire.“Residents are still advised to avoid the area with a road closure in place on Milltown Street.”

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When Sir Olly took over at the helm of the Foreign Office in January last year, Lord Mandelson had already gone through the Cabinet Office’s “due diligence” process, the King and the US had given him approval, and he was already being granted access to “highly classified briefings” on a case-by-case basis – without his security clearance being confirmed, he said.

The conflict in the Middle East between the US, Israel, and Iran has caused major disruptions to jet fuel supplies in recent weeks.

This has led to soaring prices and warnings that flights could be affected because of Europe’s reliance on fuel imports from around the world.

The Airports Council International (ACI), which represents more than 600 airports, has warned that Europe could be hit by a “systemic” shortage of jet fuel in the coming weeks if the Strait of Hormuz (which has been effectively closed off by Iran) does not reopen.

Director-general of ACI, Olivier Jankovec, said: “At this stage, we understand that if the passage through the Strait of Hormuz does not resume in any significant and stable way within the next three weeks, systemic jet fuel shortage is set to become a reality for the EU.

“The fact that we are entering the peak summer season is only adding to those concerns.”

Jet2 issues update on upcoming flights

Major airlines around the world, including Air New Zealand, have already responded to the disruption to jet fuel supplies by increasing fares and cutting flights.

Lufthansa has closed its CityLine regional subsidiary, which operates routes between London and Munich and Frankfurt.

Norse Atlantic Airways has also cancelled all routes to Los Angeles, including flights from London Gatwick Airport.

Meanwhile, budget airline TUI has said it is “monitoring” jet fuel shortages.

Jet2 is the latest UK airline to issue an update on its upcoming flights, amid growing concerns about a jet fuel shortage across Europe.

Passengers have taken to social media to question whether flights and holidays, booked with the airline are still going ahead.

One person, posting on X (formerly Twitter), said: ” @jet2tweets Hi there – we are looking to go away for a week to Malaga in June and want to know how concerned we should be about the reporting of lack of airport fuel and what happens to our holiday should something like this happen and impact our holiday. Can you help…?”

Another traveller posted: ” @jet2tweets are holidays going ahead as usual? We’ve booked an all inclusive 10 day to Crete in June. I’m worried about jet fuel prices.”

Hi James, all flights are planned to go ahead as normal. If anything were to change regarding your booking, we would be sure to reach out to you directly to make you aware, and discuss the options available to you. Thanks, Josh

— Jet2tweets (@jet2tweets) April 19, 2026

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Jet2 responded, saying: “All flights are planned to go ahead as normal.

“If anything were to change regarding your booking, we would be sure to reach out to you directly to make you aware, and discuss the options available to you.”

Aer Lingus cancels more than 500 flights

Aer Lingus has also cut more than 500 flights from its schedule due to “mandatory maintenance”.

The cuts are set to cause travel disruptions for “tens of thousands of passengers” over the coming weeks.

The airline is axing a select number of transatlantic flights, internal Aer Lingus documents seen by the Sunday Independent have revealed.

Services to and from Seattle, San Francisco, Minneapolis-St Paul, and Toronto will be impacted by the cancellations, according to the documents.

Departures from Dublin to many European airports, including Berlin, Zurich, Athens, Faro, and Amsterdam, will also be removed from the Aer Lingus schedule, on select dates.

A “small number” of cancellations will affect passengers travelling from Shannon and Cork airports.

Flights to London Heathrow, ­Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, and Edinburgh will also be cancelled, with passengers rebooked onto other services, the Sunday Independent said.

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An Aer Lingus spokesperson said: “Aer Lingus has commenced operating its planned summer schedule.

“A number of recent cancellations have been required due to mandatory maintenance on aircraft, along with a limited number of schedule adjustments.

“Schedule changes apply to approximately 2% of Aer Lingus’ overall schedule.

“Where schedule adjustments are being made, the vast majority of customers are being reaccommodated on same day services.”

Do you have a flight booked with Jet2? Are you worried about jet fuel shortages impacting your holiday? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.

That said, thankfully, gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh has shared simple advice to discourage the rodents from making themselves at home outdoors.

This time of year is ideal for rats, as it’s peak breeding season and they’re actively seeking food and shelter – both of which many gardens unintentionally provide.

However, there is an easy way to make your plot less appealing.

Alan suggests keeping the lawn closely mown so rats have fewer places to hide, reducing the chances of them settling in.

Alan Titchmarsh’s tips for getting rid of rats:

He said in a video of BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine: “Rats are furtive. They like cover and shelter.

“They do not like close-mown grass where they can be seen. They much prefer it longer.”

The simple change of staying on top of cutting your grass can make a huge difference in stopping rats from coming into your garden.

Alan added, “If you have got long grass everywhere, that gives them access.

“Cut it short, have a stripe or two if you want, and that way you can see, no rats.”

Alan said: “Most gardeners, myself included, love encouraging garden birds, so bird feeders are everywhere in this garden. But, they can also be a magnet for rats.”

If you have a compost heap, that can also be a huge draw for rats.

Alan’s own compost heap is made from solid wood with steel sheeting lining the inside.

He said, “Hopefully that goes right down to the ground.

“They can burrow underneath it, but I am really reducing their ability to get in with ease. That’s a start, make the heap with good, strong sides.”

Alan explained you need to be careful about what goes into the compost heap.

He said: “Don’t put processed food, anything you have cooked, any meat, any potatoes.

“Don’t do that because it’s just an absolute open invitation for rats.”

Instead, Alan suggests putting in mouldy apples as they rot down quickly and any green clippings from the garden.”

Do you find rats troublesome? Let us know in the comments