All Blocks

Italian magistrates are urgently investigating whether ​an ally of late prime minister Silvio Berlusconi lied to secure a presidential pardon ‌for a conviction over the “bunga bunga” sex party scandal.Nicole Minetti has denied falsifying her application, ​but president Sergio Mattarella has taken the highly unusual step of publicly urging the ministry to review the case ​after a newspaper questioned key parts of her appeal.In 2019, Ms Minetti, a former dental hygienist and ⁠showgirl, was sentenced to two years and 10 months…

AC Milan legend Clarence Seedorf has backed Arsenal to still win the Champions League, despite Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain putting on a thriller on Tuesday night.The two favourites to lift the title battled it out in a game of undeniable attacking quality, but lacking defensive solidarity as the defending champions ultimately took a 5-4 lead from the match.But both sides looked disappointed at full-time, having leaked goals that saw the game end with the most goals ever scored in a semi-final leg of the…

Landlords reacted with fury on Tuesday after Rachel Reeves opened the door to imposing a rent freeze to ease the cost of living.The Chancellor said she would do 'everything we can' when asked if she would impose a year-long ban on private landlords putting up prices.However, there was confusion after Downing Street and a Cabinet minister claimed there were 'no plans' to implement the policy.Labour has repeatedly ruled out rent controls but appeared to be wavering after the Greens made it a flagship party policy.Asked by…

UK government borrowing costs jumped yesterday as the rising price of oil fuelled fears of an inflation shock and higher interest rates.The ten-year gilt yield hit 5 per cent for the first time since late March, while the 30-year yield rose above 5.7 per cent – its highest since September last year. Although the Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates at 3.75 per cent tomorrow despite the inflation threat, investors are ramping up bets on a hike to 4 per cent this summer and 4.25 per cent or 4.5 per…