World-leading Great Ormond Street Hospital finds that children CAN take pills and often prefer them – and it could save the NHS millions

The NHS could start giving children tablets instead of liquid medicine and save millions of pounds, research suggests.

Pills cost a fraction of the cost and switching to them could save the health service sometimes tens of thousands of pounds a year just for one patient. A trial at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London found that patients as young as seven were successfully able to switch to pills, and in many cases preferred them to having to take unpleasant tasting liquid medicines.

The world-renowned children’s hospital is now planning to assess whether patients as young as four can successfully switch to cheaper tablets.

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Project co-lead Dr Antonia Dastamani, consultant paediatrician at GOSH, said: “It is common practice to ask patients how they’re finding treatment, or how they feel when they have injections, but we never thought to ask patients about the taste of medicines and whether they like them.”

The initial trial looked at 19 children aged seven to 13 with a condition called congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) which leads to high levels of insulin in the body. Sufferers have to take a medicine called diazoxide multiple times a day depending on their insulin and glucose levels to keep their blood sugar levels stable.

Until now children were given the medicine as a liquid – costing £15.50 per 50mg. In comparison diazoxide in tablet form costs just £1.15 per 50mg. Children were monitored to ensure their blood glucose levels remained stable and asked which form of medicine they preferred.

Researchers found that switching from liquid to tablets could save the NHS £40,000 per patient per year. CHI affects one in every 30,000-40,000 children.

Kate Morgan, Gosh clinical nurse specialist who co-led the project, said: “We knew the potential this trial had for savings, but the scale of the quality-of-life improvements for children and their families we are seeing is something we didn’t anticipate.”

What the kids thought

Jess Manktelow was one of the children who took part in the project and was switched to diazoxide tablets in April 2025. The 11-year-old from Kent explained: “It has made a big difference taking medicine that doesn’t taste horrible.

“There were times where I didn’t want to take it because of the taste. It makes things very easy for me now, I’m able to do it myself and it doesn’t take up as much time at school. When I’m doing things I like, like climbing, it doesn’t have as much impact and that makes me happy.”

Before the switch Jess’s school and family life had been organised around taking liquid diazoxide multiple times a day, which needs to be stored at room temperature in a glass bottle and drawn up with a syringe.

Jess added: “I would always get a lot of questions about the medication when I would go away camping or at airport for holidays. It would always be hard to explain why I need it so much, but it isn’t always an easy condition to explain.”

Mum Steph Manktelow added: “We were so excited when the team told us we could switch to the diazoxide tablets. We’d been hoping for some time, we knew it was a better solution and would allow Jess to have control over her condition and that is very important.”

There is emerging evidence to show that children are capable of swallowing tablets and capsules, particularly if they are taught how to do it from a young age. Previous research has looked at the possibility of establishing a ‘Pill School’ within the NHS to provide swallowing training sessions to children.

The new GOSH trial looking at tablets for kids as young as four could spark a change in the NHS as liquid medicines are more problematic as well as being more expensive. They generally have shorter expiry dates, require measuring the right volume to take and be more inconvenient to store and carry.

Project co-lead Dr Dastamani said: “This has shed a light on key questions we now want to ask children and young people about their care and treatment so they can be more involved and have more independence in their lives.”

Nurse Kate Morgan added: “Children are so much more than their diagnoses – they have full lives and families and their illnesses affect everyone, so it is very important we do all we can to make simple, positive changes that impact everyone for the better.”

The cost differences can be huge with common blood thinning drug warfarin costing £100 for a liquid bottle compared to £2 for 28 tablets.

Older people on PIP with lower rate mobility may be able to ask DWP to review their claim following a tribunal ruling on regulation 27

Certain groups of older people on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) with an award for the lower rate of mobility element may be able to request the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to review their claim following a recent change in legislation. Those over State Pension age may also be entitled to an increased award for the mobility component of PIP, even if they have stopped receiving the benefit.

It is important to note, however, that the change in law solely relates to claimants over State Pension age and their entitlement to the enhanced mobility award. DWP guidance confirms it only applies to PIP claims that were reviewed between April 8, 2013, and November 20, 2020.

This legislative change follows a tribunal ruling on May 22, 2020, which identified an unintentional gap in regulation 27 of the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013.

The guidance states: “DWP did not have the legal powers to restrict the mobility award for claimants who were in receipt of the standard rate of the mobility award and over State Pension age, on the grounds of new medical evidence. New medical evidence is a report from a health professional requested by DWP which recommended the enhanced rate of the mobility award.

“DWP were only able to restrict the mobility award for claimants if a relevant change in circumstances was identified after they reached State Pension age,” reports the Daily Record.

Amendments to PIP regulations came into force on November 30, 2020, to address this unintentional oversight. The DWP is urging anyone who believes they may have been affected to request a review of their claim.

Who may be eligible for PIP enhanced mobility rate?

The DWP previously relied upon a health professional’s report when reassessing claims, and if you had not flagged any change in your mobility requirements, you could be entitled to an uplift in your mobility award.

This is because the DWP should not have informed you that it could not be increased on the grounds that you had reached State Pension age — meaning you may have been entitled to additional funds.

The enhanced mobility rate is worth £80 each week during the current financial year, some £320 every four-week pay period. An award for the enhanced mobility rate could also enable someone to join the Motability Scheme, to assist them with getting around.

Eligibility

You may be entitled to an increased award for the mobility component of your PIP, even if you have ceased receiving PIP, if all of the following apply:

• You had your PIP claim reviewed between April 8, 2013 and November 20, 2020
• Youwere over State Pension age
• Youreceived the standard rate of the mobility award
• Youdid not report a change in your circumstances that affected your mobility needs
• Youhad a health professional assessment
• Youcontinued to receive the standard rate of the mobility award
• Your decision letter told you we could not increase your mobility award because you were over State Pension age

The DWP has also previously confirmed that if you are currently receiving PIP, your award will not be reduced as a result of this change. However, it noted that it is unable to revisit any decisions made by a tribunal.

How to apply

Contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 6579 and say you are enquiring about the ‘Regulation 27 administrative exercise review’.

You will need your National Insurance number.

You can also contact them by post, full details are on the GOV.UK website here.

Full details can be found on the GOV.UK website here.

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Melania Trump is denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his sex crimes, saying Thursday that the “stories are completely false” and calling accusations that she was somehow involved “smears about me.”

Reading an extraordinary statement at the White House, Melania Trump said she and her attorneys were fighting back against “unfound and baseless lies” in regards to her connections to the late financier, a convicted sex offender who leveraged connections to the rich, powerful and famous to recruit his victims and cover up his crimes.

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”

The seemingly out-of-the-blue message came as her husband, President Donald Trump, and his administration had finally seemed to move past more than a year of controversy surrounding Epstein, especially as the Iran war had become all-consuming in Washington. The first lady’s comments almost assuredly served to push the story back into the political spotlight even as the president urged the public and media to move on from the case.

The White House used its X account to reshare a video posted by the first lady’s office of Melania Trump reading her statement. White House officials did not respond to requests for comment on whether the president had prior knowledge of the first lady’s comments.

First lady calls for a congressional hearing for Epstein victims

The first lady spoke for about five minutes, reading her statement in the Grand Foyer, then walked away without taking questions. She did not go into detail on the accusations against her but said they came from “individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name.” She added that they were financially and politically motivated.

Melania Trump also called on Congress to hold a public hearing centered on survivors of Epstein’s crimes, with a chance to testify before lawmakers and have their stories entered into the congressional record.

“Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes,” she said. “Then, and only then, we will have the truth.”

Two of Epstein’s accusers, Maria and Annie Farmer, reacted to the first lady’s comments by saying, “What we want is accountability, transparency, and justice.”

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and onetime fierce Trump supporter who resigned from Congress after a public falling out with the president, posted on X, “I am grateful to the First Lady for her brave statement today about Epstein and his victims.”

In that case, book publisher HarperCollins UK apologized to the first lady and retracted passages from a book suggesting Epstein played a role in introducing her and Donald Trump.

Melania Trump mentioned her husband several times in her comments. She said Epstein did not introduce her to Trump and that she met her future husband at a New York City party in 1998.

The first lady brought Epstein back to the forefront months after federal authorities released millions of pages of documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted after months of public and political pressure that requires the government to open its files on the late financier and his confidant and onetime girlfriend, Maxwell.

Lawmakers complained when the Justice Department made only a limited release last month, but officials said more time was needed to review additional documents that were discovered and to ensure no sensitive information about victims was released.

Melania Trump said in her statement that she was not friends with Epstein or his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, but was in overlapping social circles in New York and Florida. She described an email reply she sent to Maxwell as “casual correspondence” without elaborating.

“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,” she said.

Among the documents released by the Justice Department was a brief email from 2002 with the sender and recipient blacked out. It begins, “Dear G!” and ends “Love, Melania,” and compliments the recipient on a magazine article about “JE.”

“I know you are very busy flying all over the world,” it says. “How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY.”

That email was sent the same month that a New York Magazine article was published about Epstein in which Trump called the financier a “terrific guy.”

Among other documents released was an image from Epstein’s home showing a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. In that image, inside a drawer among other photos, was a photograph of Trump, alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Maxwell.

Epstein killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in New York. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

___

This story has been corrected to show Melania Trump called her correspondence with Maxwell “trivial,” not a “trifle.”

___

Associated Press writers Stephen Groves in Washington and Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report.

The liberated Rory McIlroy that his competitors dreaded following his Masters victory 12 months ago has emerged. And the five-time major winner exuded confidence after an impressive opening round.

With his Green Jacket securely stored in the champions’ locker room at Augusta National’s clubhouse, nothing could unsettle him as he battled through some wayward shots to produce a five-under-par 67, sharing the early lead with Sam Burns.

For over a decade, McIlroy carried the burden of Augusta National’s prestige and the weight of completing the career Grand Slam, but having conquered those challenges with his 2025 victory, he played brilliantly to navigate his way to the summit of the leaderboard.

“I’ve been saying all week that there is a certain freedom. If I hit it in the trees, it’s okay, I’ll go figure it out,” he said. “Wherever I hit it on this golf course, I feel like I’ve seen it all over the past 18 years, and I always feel like I can figure it out and get it to the front of a green, make a par, and move on, and I did that quite a bit on the front line today.

“Then I started find my game a bit on the back nine. I swung freely even when I was missing tee shots on the front nine. I still kept swinging. I didn’t start to get tentative; I kept swinging away, just hoping that sooner or later I’d find it, and I did.”

He added: “It’s a great start. There’s a long way to go, but yeah, I’m right in the tournament, and it’s a lot better than starting from seven behind going into the second round like last year. A great start, but I can’t get ahead of myself.”

McIlroy demonstrated he’s prepared to defend his Masters title successfully. The defending champion posted a five-under-par 67 to share the early lead alongside American Sam Burns at Augusta National.

Last year, 17 years of frustration at Augusta were finally laid to rest, and following months of searching for his next major challenge, the 36 year old is determined to add to his collection of five Major championships this week, reports the Express.

The fact he was some distance from his finest form for much of his opening round will only strengthen his conviction that he can join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in successfully defending at the Masters.

Several rivals felt helpless watching his name surge up the leaderboard during the back nine; close mate Shane Lowry admitted feeling completely outclassed and joked McIlroy could win four consecutive titles.

The world No. 2 thoroughly embraced his role as defending champion this week before competition commenced, enjoying his time at Augusta National and wishing the experience could last forever.

That relaxed approach was evident in his early play. He began untidily, sending drives wayward in both directions, but his short game kept him in contention and prevented significant setbacks. His drive at the par-five second cleared the bunker but veered into the pine straw. A wayward second shot sailed beyond the gallery rope, yet he recovered brilliantly with an exceptional pitch to register his first birdie.

The Northern Irishman surrendered that gain at the third, but returned to red figures at the eighth courtesy of a penetrating 3-wood into the uphill par five, leaving him a simple birdie putt.

Further progress came at the ninth, where a powerful drive was followed by an accurate approach shot, and he converted the downhill putt to reach two under. Amen Corner loomed, and he negotiated the treacherous 12th and 13th holes safely before a 13th that perfectly summarised his round.

His tee shot failed to shape left, and his ball came to rest deep amongst the pines. Compelled to play out sideways, he created a mid-range birdie chance and successfully converted it.

For someone celebrated for spectacular play, this display prioritised grit over glamour – precisely the type of round he would have desperately craved during his previous Masters struggles.

A flash of classic McIlroy magic emerged at the 14th, finding the fairway and wedging close to move to four-under. His rhythm was building.

At the 15th, he grabbed a share of the lead, draining a lengthy downhill putt and celebrating with an emphatic fist pump. The 16th and 17th passed without incident, although he felt disappointed not to capitalise on promising birdie opportunities. Then came the scene of his career-defining moment. The pinnacle of his life’s ambition unfolded on Augusta National’s 18th green a year ago. This time, his drive missed the fairway, but he recovered smartly from the bunker with a measured second shot to the centre of the green.

A two-putt par capped off a threatening opening round for his competitors, showcasing the pragmatism and composure that only comes from a mind unburdened by pressure.

His preparation had been less than perfect, having nursed a back problem last month, but there’s no doubt that Rory McIlroy isn’t here simply to reminisce about past achievements.

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I’m A Celebrity fans have called for David Haye to be the first campmate evicted over his ‘attitude’ problems.

The former boxer, 45, is no stranger to pulling punches, but he certainly seems to have rubbed fans up the wrong way after ruffling some feathers in camp.

Thursday night’s episode saw members of the Savannah Scrub reunite with the Main Camp after Craig Charles faced off against Gemma Collins in an eating trial.

However, former heavyweight boxing champion David sparked backlash online with his comments about his fellow I’m A Celeb contestants.

Sitting around the camp, David asked which other campmates everybody would want in the Main Camp, before saying: ‘Who’s going to add value? We don’t want any dead weight.’

After Scarlett Moffatt suggested Beverley Callard, David questioned: ‘What’s she adding? What value is she adding?’ before Craig Charles replied: ‘She’s a lady, she’s older. It would be nice to give her some comfort.’

When David stayed quiet, Craig added: ‘He’s not convinced,’ before David laughed and said: ‘I say let them fight it out.’

Speaking in the bush telegraph, he then said: ‘I think it’s a sportsman’s mindset. You’re looking for the best team. Are you going to do your job and is it going to assist me being better at what I do so I can win and then we all eat well?’

Reacting to the moment on social media, many fans criticised his tone and how he was annoyed about the camp only receiving six stars for their trial.

Writing on X, Mishy declared: ‘Can David Haye be the first one booted out please?’

Clarkie also quipped: ‘Well don’t think David is going to win now,’ as @missyoumuch asked: ‘Is David for real???’

Commenting on his harsh approach to other celebrities failing to get stars, Leigh added: ‘Let’s hoping when David Haye gets to do a challenge he gets no stars,’ as Duke wrote: ‘David Haye needs to drop it out seriously.’

Summing up a lot of viewer’s frustrations, Vian also said: ‘What the heck is up with David? Why is he upset with anything that’s less than ten stars? Does he ever think in any way that’s not logical? Jesus Christ, show some emotion!’

Several fans also compared David’s treatment of his fellow campmates to Sir Mo Farah, as Emma wrote: ‘Mo is also a sportsman, you don’t see him acting this way.’

She also added: ‘[David] doesn’t care about people’s feelings only what “value” they have to the group. How about just being a kind person? Is it SO hard?’

This comes after Gemma previously hit out at David for ‘denying her water’ during her eating trial against Craig.

Her performance in the challenge did, however, win over viewers who declared that they are now ‘rooting for her’.

I’m A Celebrity South Africa airs weeknights at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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Bradley Walsh, Brian Conley, Joe Pasquale, and Shane Richie are bringing The Prat Pack’s Back to the Opera House on September 5 and 6.

Following the success of their 2025 tour and sold-out show at the London Palladium.

The variety show promises “music, mischief, mayhem” in a revival of classic British comedy and big-band swing, accompanied by a 15-piece Barry Robinson Big Band.

Bradley Walsh said: “We had so much fun on the road in 2025 — as much fun as those amazing audiences — and we couldn’t resist the call to get back on the road.

“These shows are going to be even bigger, even better, and even more hilarious.

“Brian, Joe, and Shane are my best friends and there is no one I would rather be on the tour bus with.”

The show is inspired by the chemistry of the original Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford.

The Prat Pack offers a uniquely British take, blending vintage showmanship with comedy, live music, and unscripted banter, according to organisers.

The show gives audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the friendship between four entertainers, who first met decades ago as Bluecoats and Greencoats before rising to fame on television.

The show was originally intended as a one-off performance at the London Palladium.

Tickets for the Manchester shows go on sale at 10am on Friday, April 10, through Ticketmaster.

The nineties boyband were reportedly planning a 30th anniversary tour but plans are said to have been dropped as the stars, some more eager than others, struggled to agree

Say Bye Bye Bye to seeing NSYNC reunite. The boyband were reportedly planning a comeback but plans are said to have been scrapped after the stars struggled to agree on the details.

Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick were all thought to be planning to reunite for the band’s 30th anniversary in 2026 – without Justin Timberlake. They were said to have entered negotiations with touring promoters, but it has now been reported that those plans are over.

Some members were said to be more interested in reuniting than others. In the docuseries Boy Band Confidential, Joey said: “People are always asking, ‘Is the group getting together? Is anything going to happen? Do I see anything in the near future?’

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“No, I don’t. Would I want to do it? Yes. Some of the other guys, sure. Some of the other guys, maybe not.” Joey added that some members of the band were concerned about leaving their young children, while Justin had only just finished his own tour. He continued: “I’ll be honest, I always say, ‘Hey, why not?’ because I think I’m ready. I don’t think everybody else is ready yet.”

Justin also appeared to struggle during his last tour, as he was arrested for drink driving whilst doing his world tour. He was taken into legal custody by police in 2024 for driving whilst intoxicated and the clips of the arrest were initially buried. But officials were given the greenlight to release them in March.

Fans were left stunned by the footage that showed the former NSYNC star being pulled over, as an officer explains: “The reason I stopped is because you’re veering off to the left and you’re not stopping at the stop signs.”

The 45-year-old replies: “Yeah, sorry about that” before explaining the car is a rental and looking for the car registration as he explains the car is being rented “for a couple of days” as he’s currently on a ” world tour”.

Justin looked unsteady on his feet as he conducted a sobriety test. He also stumbled and had slowed speech before being placed in the back of a police car.

Now, what happened at the police station has been revealed after bodycam footage was obtained by CBS News. Justin, 45, was told by an officer why he was in handcuffs, before being asked if he consented to a chemical test, which he refused. “What was the traffic violation I missed, just for future reference?” he quizzed.

He then complained: “You boys are treating me like a criminal.” The cop then tells him: “I don’t want to call anyone names, but this is the situation we’re in Mr Timberlake I’m afraid. I’m trying my best to treat you like anybody else.”

Justin then stares at the officer and asks: “Can I ask you a question, is this the normal process? Do you normally cuff people up?” After being told all DWI arrests are handled the same way, the singer said: “I appreciate you boys doing your job.” He was then taken to his cell and told he would be there until morning. “I have to stay here all night? You guys are wild, man.”

Justin was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanour, but later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of driving while impaired, which is an infraction. The Mirror approached a representative for Justin Timberlake for comment at the time.

For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

This is the text from The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email. Sign up here to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

It’s still not clear who will turn up in Islamabad tomorrow for the first round of talks aimed at turning the 14-day ceasefire in the Iran war into a permanent end to the crisis. Indeed, it’s not at all certain that the ceasefire will still even exist by then.

To anyone following events, there seemed little, if any, gap between reports that Pakistan had brokered a truce between the warring parties and news that Israel was continuing to attack Hezbollah in Lebanon. But from then the story followed a depressingly familiar path. Iran – backed by Pakistan – claimed that the ceasefire also covered Lebanon. Israel said that it didn’t and it would continue to pound Hezbollah targets there.

For his part, the US president, Donald Trump, said that as far as he was concerned, Israel’s assault on Lebanon was a “separate skirmish”, albeit one of considerable brutality in which 1,400 people were either killed or wounded.

We asked Scott Lucas, of the Clinton Institute at University College Dublin for his take on some of the most important issues which may affect the talks.

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Why is Israel continuing to attack Lebanon, despite the ceasefire? Expert Q&A

The ceasefire was always going to be fragile, even without Israel’s intervention. There’s clearly no goodwill or trust between the warring parties. Trump was less than two hours away from launching an attack on Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including its power plants and its bridges – a bombardment so monumental that, as he put it: “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”.

Tehran, for its part, was spitting defiance back at Washington, while calling on its people to form human chains across bridges and around power plants.

Nicholas Wheeler, an international relations expert at the University of Birmingham who has been investigating the role of trust in diplomacy, believes there’s a big difference between a mutual lack of trust between warring parties, and active distrust. In the former situation there is the potential for trust to develop. But in this case – as Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi noted recently, the US has now twice attacked Iran during ongoing negotiations, so – he says – there is “zero trust” in the US from Tehran’s point of view.

Trump’s failure to bring the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to heel over Israel’s continuing bombardment of Lebanon can only make matters worse.

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Iran ceasefire: trust will be vital but it’s in short supply right now

And so Iran has not opened the Strait of Hormuz, which was America’s most important demand. We must wait to see what events, both in the Middle East and at the negotiations in Islamabad, will bring. The ceasefire had allowed both Tehran and Washington to declare a victory – which certainly seemed to be something in which the Trump administration placed a great deal of value. Both the US president and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, were trumpeting that line on Wednesday – Hegseth going so far as to say that the Iranian military was rendered completely ineffective and that the country’s leadership “begged” for a ceasefire.

Iran also declared victory. And Bamo Nouri and Inderjeet Parmeer of City St George’s, University of London, believe that Tehran has more reason to do so. For one thing, the Islamic Republic has demonstrated resilience in the face of the might of US and Israeli firepower that aimed to destroy it. It has shown that it can use its control of Hormuz to thrown global energy markets into considerable disarray. And, under the terms of the ceasefire accepted by the US president, it is Iran’s ten-point plan which will form the basis of negotiations.

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Middle East conflict: this ceasefire may have made Iran stronger

Changing world order

The US president, meanwhile, has repeated his criticisms of America’s Nato allies and, according to German news magazine Der Speigel, has issued what European diplomats are calling “an ultimatum” for European member states to send military assistance to the Strait of Hormuz within days.

Trump has been highly critical of Nato as a whole – and several of its member states specifically – because he believes they haven’t done enough to help the US and Israel against Iran. On April 1, he raised the possibility of the US quitting Nato altogether.

But he’s unlikely to pull America out of its transatlantic alliance, writes Paul Whiteley, who gives us three reasons why it’s either not in the US president’s interests or America’s to turn his back on the alliance it has led for nearly eight decades.

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Three reasons Donald Trump won’t pull the US out of Nato

The emergence of Pakistan as a key interlocutor in all this will have come as something of a surprise to many. But the country has emerged, along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey, as part of an important power bloc with influence in the Middle East, writes Natasha Lindstaedt, professor in the Department of Government at the University of Essex.

Lindstaedt argues that these countries want an end to the dominant roles played by both Israel and Iran in the region. The war in Gaza has appalled the Islamic world and put paid to any hopes – certainly for the near future – of any normalisation of relations of the sort envisaged by Donald Trump’s Abraham Accords. And all are also tired of the force for tensions and destabilisation that Iran has represented for nearly five decades.

As Lindstaedt points out, they’re a powerful bunch: Pakistan has nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia has loads of oil, Egypt controls access to the Suez Canal and Turkey is a member of Nato: “Taken together, they represent the most politically and militarily influential Muslim-majority countries in the world,” she concludes.

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Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia emerge as a new regional power bloc amid Iran war

Meanwhile in Hungary

Hungarians head to the polls on Sunday for elections which will determine who is to be the country’s next prime minister. The long-time incumbent, Viktor Orbán, faces a stiff challenge from his former political ally, Péter Magyar. Polls show he is seriously up against it.

So the US president dispatched J.D. Vance to campaign alongside the prime minister in a bid to mobilise the country’s far-right eurosceptics. Zsofia Bocskay, of Central European University, sets the scene for what she believes could be a turning point for Hungarian politics.

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Hungary election: how a new opponent has forced Viktor Orbán into the first genuinely competitive race in 16 years

Birmingham University’s Stefan Wolff, meanwhile, believes that the fall in support for Orbán despite all the help from Washington, reflects a Europe-wide disenchantment with Trump, especially in light of the US president’s apparently warm relationship with Vladimir Putin, a leader many feel poses a very real threat to their security.

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Hungarian election exposes tensions at the heart of Donald Trump’s plans to boost the far-right in Europe

Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTÉ on Thursday, Minister of State Timmy Dooley said it was his understanding that invitations had been extended to representative bodies “to continue the dialogue that started last week”, but that the government would not be meeting with representatives from the protesters.

Liverpool are not planning to sack Arne Slot and want him in place for the start of next season, according to reports.

Slot guided Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season at Anfield having replaced Jurgen Klopp in 2024.

However, Liverpool have put up a woeful defence of their Premier League title and currently sit fifth in the table, just one point ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea.

Liverpool also have a mountain to climb in order to reach the Champions League semi-final following their 2-0 defeat away to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their quarter-final on Wednesday night.

Slot’s side failed to have a shot on target and registered just 26 per cent possession at the Parc des Princes as they struggle to cope with the speed and precision of PSG’s attack.

‘We were in survival mode for large parts of the game,’ Slot admitted after the defeat to Luis Enrique’s side, who won the Champions League last season.

‘But maybe also in the period of the season where we were in survival mode.’

Liverpool are facing increasing pressure from supporters to sack Slot, particularly with Xabi Alonso now available after he was dismissed by Real Madrid in January.

However, The Telegraph reports that Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group believe that Slot ‘deserves’ to remain in charge for the start of next season.

The report adds that Liverpool’s hierarchy feel that Slot needs four transfer windows before making a decision over his future.

Liverpool are also said to have remained mindful of Alonso’s decision to reject a move to Anfield in 2024 when he was considered as a replacement for Klopp.

Alonso spent one more season at Bayer Leverkusen having guided the German club to the domestic double before he moved to Real Madrid in May last year.

Liverpool are next in action on Saturday when they host Fulham at Anfield in the Premier League.

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