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- Comprehensive list of all 14 M&S cafes shutting down across the UK
- BREAKING: Israel has launched an attack against Iran
- Bill Clinton Posts Video After Epstein Testimony: ‘I Did Nothing Wrong’
- Caviar Riofrío Exports Two Tonnes of Organic Caviar Annually to Global Markets
- Trump’s heated reaction to Anthropic highlights power dynamics in AI safety
- European Commission Welcomes Hungary-Slovakia Proposal for Druzhba Mission
- Ukrainian Foreign Legion Recruits Act on Urgency, Leaving London for War
- Brady Tkachuk responds to ‘clearly fake’ TikTok video shared by White House
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Comprehensive list of all 14 M&S cafes shutting down across the UK
8:01 am
Get you up to speed: Comprehensive list of all 14 M&S cafes shutting down across the UK
MARKS & SPENCER CAFE CLOSURES
Marks & Spencer is closing 14 in-store cafés to expand its food selection, with no job losses as staff are relocated.
CLOSURE ANNOUNCEMENT
Marks & Spencer’s spokesperson confirmed plans for closures as part of a £300 million investment aimed at modernising its food offerings by expanding product selection.
M&S CLOSURES
Marks & Spencer is currently transitioning its food halls to increase product variety, with 14 cafés closed to facilitate this initiative and no job losses reported.
What we know so far
Marks & Spencer (M&S) is closing over a dozen of its in-store cafés.
The high street giant is in the process of closing 14 of its cafes in its food-hall stores to expand its food selection and make space for more products.
No jobs will be lost, with staff being moved elsewhere.
The retailer operates more than 300 cafés, coffee shops and coffee-to-go kiosks, with the closings impacting just 4% of its 316 food locations.
The 14 M&S Cafes that are being shut down are:
- Anlaby, East Riding of Yorkshire (Already closed)
- Bidston Moss
- Bishop Auckland
- Canterbury, Kent
- Congleton, Cheshire
- Crawley, West Sussex
- Dunblane, Stirling, Scotland
- Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
- Martlesham Heath, Ipswich
- Sittingbourne Retail Park
- South Aylesford, Kent
- Stone, Staffordshire
- Strood Retail Park, Kent
- Whitstable, Kent
The cafe shutdowns come after M&S confirmed the closure of its Swansea branch earlier this week, after suggesting that it had been underperforming.
No closure date has been officially confirmed, but it’s expected to close its doors later this year.
Meanwhile, the UK high street has seen a further string of closures over the last month. GAME closed the remainder of its standalone shops and Revolution Bars confirmed it’ll be closing 21 venues after going bust.
Poundland also continued its shop closures throughout February 2026, along with River Island.
More fresh produce and meal options will instead be offered in the stores as the shuttered cafes are ‘re-purposed’, M&S told Metro last October.
This is all part of an £300million investment to increase the number of M&S food halls to 420 by the end of 2028.
A spokesperson added: ‘As we look to modernise our food business and offer the best of M&S Food to more people, more often, we’re investing in our store estate to give our customers the widest possible product range.
‘This includes opening brand-new coffee shops offering delicious food and barista-made fairtrade coffee, including at our brand-new Bristol Cabot Circus store.’
Emily Keogh, the founder of the PR agency Palm, said the closures, while small, reflect how shoppers want ‘experiences’ over pit stops.
‘The traditional in-store café was functional – a place to pause during a shop – but as so much retail has moved online, people are browsing less in-store,’ she told Metro.
‘This means every choice they make about hospitality brands when shopping is now less functional and far more considered, aligning with the broader change in consumer mindset when it comes to physical shopping.’
Paul McHugh, the head of sales EMEA at the telecommunications firm Ericsson, told Metro that many shops are moving away from cafés to more technological experiences, such as augmented reality, which allows shoppers to ‘try on’ clothing without going to a changing room.
‘Unfortunately, many retailers are struggling to effectively deploy these technology solutions due to connectivity issues,’ he warned.
It comes after M&S was disrupted by a cyber attack last year that saw hackers take some customer data.
Online orders and Click & Collect services were suspended for nearly two months, while food deliveries were interrupted.
The retailer said the attack would cost it about £300million, though insurance will cover some of the fallout.
BREAKING: Israel has launched an attack against Iran
7:15 am
BREAKING News: Israel has launched an attack against Iran, as witnesses say they have heard explosions in Iran’s capital, Tehran, according to the Reuters news agency.
Israel Katz declared a state of emergency and described the attack as being done “to remove threats”
Sources have suggested this attack was not supported by Trump himself but was authorised by but those inside the White House authorised whilst the President was sleeping.
US ‘participating’ in Israeli attacks on Iran – reports
The Associated Press is reporting that the US is participating in Israel’s strikes against Iran. It’s unclear what level of participation that refers to.
An Israeli defence official also tells the Reuters news agency that this morning’s operation was coordinated with the US.
And according to The New York Times, which cites a US official, US strikes on Iran are under way.
Iranian State TV says the army is mobilising to retaliate against Israel
Iranian state television acknowledged the explosion without providing more details.
Sirens also sounded across Israel, which the country’s military said was a “proactive alert to prepare the public for the possibility of missiles being launched toward the state of Israel”.
The state broadcaster also confirmed the Iranian army is beginning retaliatory attacks against Israel, ‘striking at the heart of Tel Aviv’.
Bill Clinton Posts Video After Epstein Testimony: ‘I Did Nothing Wrong’
6:00 am
Get you up to speed: “Bill Clinton Posts Video After Epstein Testimony: ‘I Did Nothing Wrong'”
CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY
Former US president Bill Clinton testified for over six hours before the House Oversight Committee regarding his associations with Jeffrey Epstein, denying wrongdoing.
NEW TESTIMONY
Democratic representative Suhas Subramanyam said Bill Clinton “answered all of our questions” thoroughly during his six-hour deposition before the House Oversight Committee.
CURRENT STATUS
Bill Clinton testified before the House Oversight Committee on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, providing thorough answers and noting President Trump’s lack of indication of involvement.
What we know so far
Former US president Bill Clinton has taken to social media to deliver a statement on his deposition over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The 42nd president became the first sitting or former president to testify before members of Congress in more than 40 years, as he faced the House Oversight Committee in their investigation into the paedophile financier.
In a video posted to X, Mr Clinton stated that he had ended his brief acquaintance with Epstein years before his crimes came to light.
“Though I never witnessed during our limited interactions any indication with what was truly going on, I offered the little I do know in the hopes that it would help prevent anything like this from ever happening again.”
Mr Clinton has denied wrongdoing and expressed regret for his association with Epstein.
He targeted Republicans for making his wife Hillary testify the day before, even though Mrs Clinton repeatedly stated she didn’t know Epstein, and never went to his island or his properties.
Her husband said her subpoena was “simply not right”.
He continued: “I had no idea of the crimes Epstein was committing. No matter how many photos they show of me, I have two things that, at the end of the day, matter far more than any interpretation of 20-year-old photos.”
“I know what I saw, and more importantly, what I didn’t see. And I know what I did, and more importantly, what I didn’t do. I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong.”
Mr Clinton said he never would have flown on his plane if he had any inkling of what was going on and would’ve turned him in personally if he knew.
“Even with 20/20 hindsight, I saw nothing that ever gave me real pause.”
Mr Clinton was questioned for more than six hours and was also asked about a picture of him in a jacuzzi released as part of the Epstein files.
A person in the room for the deposition said Mr Clinton didn’t know who he was pictured with and said he didn’t have sex with them.
Mr Clinton also repeatedly said during questioning that he never visited Epstein’s private island.
“When the video of my testimony today is released, I hope it will motivate everyone to go in front of Congress to say what they know,” he said.
“I hope it will motivate the Justice Department to finally release all the files and to ensure that this never happens again. The survivors deserve that.”
His hearing took place behind closed doors in Chappaqua, New York state, but Democrats and Republicans on the House Oversight Committee offered some indication of proceedings throughout the day.
Democratic representative Suhas Subramanyam told Sky News’ US correspondent James Matthews that Mr Clinton generally “answered all of our questions” and had been thorough in his answers.
Republican representative James Comer said Mr Clinton told the committee that incumbent president Donald Trump “has never said anything to make me think he was involved”, but Democratic counterpart Robert Garcia said Mr Clinton brought up “additional information about discussions with President Trump”.
Democrats also say a “new precedent” has been set with Mr Clinton’s testimony, as they continue to ramp up pressure for Mr Trump to testify.
Mr Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and says he used to be friends with the convicted sex offender but cut that off before he was accused of sexual abuse.
Caviar Riofrío Exports Two Tonnes of Organic Caviar Annually to Global Markets
5:00 am
Get you up to speed: Caviar Riofrío Exports Two Tonnes of Organic Caviar Annually to Global Markets
EUROPEAN FOOD MARKET TREND
Caviar Riofrío, known for its organic certification, markets two tonnes of caviar annually, expanding its reach to diverse EU and global customers.
EU RESPONSE
According to a Commission spokesperson, the rising availability of organic caviar from diverse suppliers is contributing to enhanced market competition and affordability in the EU.
CAVIAR MARKET
Riofrío produces two tonnes of organic caviar annually, expanding its reach in new markets amid increasing culinary demand for this luxury delicacy.
What we know so far
Published on •Updated
Conditions at the Riofrío sturgeon farm are ideal for the fish, which are exclusively fed on organic vegetables and fishmeat sustainably sourced in a natural environment.
“Sturgeon have a very slow metabolism and growth rate. They are not a breed for impatient people. We don’t accelerate the process in any way, letting the animal produce the caviar as it would do in nature,” explains Ignacio Alba Alejandre, a veterinarian at Caviar Riofrío.
Natural water comes from a spring just 300 metres upstream of the facilities. Organic caviar is made here with only sturgeon eggs and salt. There are no additives. Every year the company markets some two tonnes of three different varieties of caviar, including exports to Japan, Taiwan, France, the UK, the Netherlands and Portugal, among other countries. The most exclusive variety has fetched up to €8,000 per kilo.
“Behind the organic certification, we seek to assure the customer that this product meets very high standards. We have very subtle flavours that enable you to enjoy the caviar as if you could go to the river or sea, catch the fish and eat that caviar fresh,” says Carlos Portela, the company’s managing director.
Every year, the company also markets some 15 tonnes of sturgeon meat, either smoked or confit.
A long-time luxury delicatessen, organic caviar and its by-products are now reaching new markets and customers, managers claim. “It’s a delicacy. You never eat caviar by the spoonful. It’s something to savour, something you give time, its own moment; it’s very much linked to the happiness of gatherings with family or friends,” Portela says.
That’s the case even far away from the sturgeon farm. On the shores of the Mediterranean, the restaurant Los Marinos José serves around 80 covers every day in winter and up to 200 during the summer high season. Fresh fish and shellfish round off the offering. In the last few years, culinary creations with caviar have increasingly found a place on their menu.
“It’s not as expensive as it used to be, as the range of suppliers and producers has broadened a bit now,” says Pablo Sánchez López, the restaurant’s chef and co-owner. “We’re trying to make it affordable so that everyone can taste it. What we want is for people to try it and be able to eat something different to what they normally eat.”
70% of caviar consumed around the world comes from Chinese fish farms. It’s not Russian or Iranian, and of course, not wild, managers at Caviar Riofrío conclude.
Trump’s heated reaction to Anthropic highlights power dynamics in AI safety
3:00 am
Get you up to speed: Trump‘s heated reaction to Anthropic highlights power dynamics in AI safety.
AI SAFETY POLICY
The Trump administration, led by President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, has blacklisted Anthropic over its refusal to grant the Pentagon access to its AI technology.
ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE
Secretary Hegseth told journalists that Anthropic’s designation as a Supply-Chain Risk reflects increasing national security concerns over unchecked AI deployment by tech companies.
CURRENT STATUS
Secretary Hegseth has given Anthropic six months to remove its AI from Pentagon systems while the company continues to oppose unrestricted military use.
What we know so far
In the most clear and consequential policy move on AI safety yet, the Trump administration has announced it will blacklist a leading AI lab over its refusal to allow unfettered access to its technology for military purposes.
It is the president and his secretary of war, Pete Hegseth, going nuclear over Anthropic’s refusal to allow the Pentagon to use its AI for “any lawful purpose”.
Describing Anthropic as a woke, radical left company, the US president said on his Truth Social platform that “The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War”, adding that the company’s actions were putting American lives and national security in jeopardy.
Until now, however, Anthropic was doing more than any other AI lab to support the Pentagon.
Anthropic’s Claude AI is the only frontier model already being used extensively for sensitive military planning and operations.
It’s been widely reported that Claude AI was used as part of the Pentagon’s “Maven Smart System” to plan and execute the military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January.
The origin of the dispute wasn’t about Anthropic’s commitment to the US military; instead, its insistence on “red lines” in relation to the use of AI technology.
Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei demanded assurances it wouldn’t be used for mass surveillance of civilians or lethal automated attacks without human oversight.
In a statement on Wednesday, Amodei said some uses of AI are “simply outside the bounds of what today’s technology can safely and reliably do”.
In a post on X, equally as seething as the president’s, secretary Hegseth announced that, as well as being blacklisted, Anthropic would also be designated a Supply-Chain Risk – a legal intervention previously reserved for foreign tech companies seen as a direct threat to US national security.
Given growing concerns about AI safety, it’s a move that has shocked AI safety campaigners, but also raises serious questions about the future viability of the Pentagon’s “AI-First” strategy.
Secretary Hegseth has given Anthropic six months to remove its AI from the Pentagon’s systems. But there are now questions about what he might replace it with.
For the first time in the short history of superintelligent AI, the row appears to have united the AI industry.
In a memo to staff on Thursday, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, which has also been in talks with the Pentagon, announced he shares the same “red lines” as Anthropic.
Separately, more than 400 employees at Google and OpenAI have signed an open letter calling for their industry to stand together in opposing the Department of War’s position.
In a copy of the OpenAI memo, Altman tells staff: “Regardless of how we got here, this is no longer just an issue between Anthropic and the DoW; this is an issue for the whole industry and it is important to clarify our stance.”
The move by the Trump administration appears, therefore, to be as much about power as it is about AI safety.
The Pentagon has already said it wouldn’t use AI for mass surveillance of the US population, nor unsupervised autonomous weapons.
Its furious response to Anthropic seems more in response to a big tech attempting to dictate terms to the government, rather than what those terms actually are.
In taking on Silicon Valley, which, though AI investment largely accounts for much of the current US economic growth, the administration has just declared war on a powerful opponent.
European Commission Welcomes Hungary-Slovakia Proposal for Druzhba Mission
2:00 am
Get you up to speed: European Commission Welcomes Hungary-Slovakia Proposal for Druzhba Mission
EU COUNCIL INITIATIVE
The European Commission welcomes Hungary and Slovakia’s proposal for a fact-finding mission to inspect the Druzhba pipeline, urging cooperation for resolution.
EU RESPONSE
According to Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, the Commission is engaging with Ukrainian authorities to facilitate the urgent resolution of the Druzhba pipeline’s repair amid ongoing tensions.
MISSION STATUS
Current discussions are ongoing regarding a potential fact-finding mission to the Druzhba pipeline site, pending Ukraine’s approval amidst security concerns.
What we know so far
The European Commission has welcomed the joint proposal by Hungary and Slovakia to send a fact-finding mission to inspect the damaged section of the Druzhba pipeline, seeing it as a first step to ease the standoff between the two countries and Ukraine.
The Commission does not rule out joining such a mission if Kyiv gives permission.
But the plan remains in very early stages, and the executive does not have a track record of participating in exercises of this type.
“We consider this a welcome step. We are now in contact with the Ukrainian authorities on this matter and continue to work with our member states to ensure the security of supply,” Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, the Commission’s spokesperson for energy, said on Friday.
“We need to take the next steps to see what shape and form this fact-finding mission will take,” she added.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has vetoed a €90 billion loan for Kyiv in retaliation for the interruption of oil deliveries through Druzhba, which he blames on “political considerations” of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Orbán is facing re-election on 12 April and trailing in opinion polls by double digits.
Hungary and Slovakia, which can buy Russian oil thanks to an indefinite opt-out from EU sanctions, have accused Zelenskyy of concealing the facts about the pipeline.
“The Ukrainians are not willing to accept a verification, fact-finding mission,” Orbán said on Friday morning. “President Zelenskyy is lying. He is not telling the truth.”
Zelenskyy has hit back at the accusations, saying Russian forces were responsible for bombing the pipeline and suggesting Orbán should seek answers in Moscow.
The confrontation has triggered a political crisis for the entire European Union and thrown the carefully crafted deal on the €90 billion loan into disarray.
“We expect all EU leaders to honour their commitments,” Itkonen said.
“It is important to recall that it was a Russian attack (on) an oil pumping station of the Druzhba pipeline on 27 January that caused the damage.”
Finding a way out
As tensions rise, Orbán wrote a new letter to António Costa, the president of the European Council, and the other 26 leaders proposing a fact-finding mission with Hungarian and Slovak experts to “verify the status” of the Druzhba pipeline.
The tone of Thursday’s letter was substantially different from the incendiary messages that the Hungarian premier has been posting on social media for the past week.
“I am fully aware of the political difficulties created by the delay in the implementation of the European Council conclusions on the financial support for Ukraine,” Orbán told Costa.
“My initiative also aims at facilitating the timely resolution of this issue.”
The following day, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke with Zelenskyy and called on the Commission to participate in the “joint inspection group”. Zelenskyy invited Fico to visit Ukraine and discuss the matter.
“The national interests of Slovakia and Hungary cannot be pushed aside. If solidarity within the EU is to be mutual, it must apply to everyone,” Fico said.
It is still unclear whether Kyiv will allow the fact-finding mission to access the site in the region of Lviv, where a Russian drone strike was recorded on 27 January.
The Ukrainian government has previously warned that technicians are at risk of being targeted by Russian strikes when they are out on the ground. Energy infrastructure is considered a strategic point, which further complicates access.
The Commission has expressed sympathy for the dangerous conditions while, at the same time, asking Ukraine to accelerate the repairs of the Druzhba pipeline.
Privately, EU officials and diplomats say this is the most practical way to solve the crisis, lift the Hungarian veto and ensure the final approval of the €90 billion loan.
During an experts’ meeting on Wednesday, Ukraine provided a document, seen by EU News, saying that it was “actively carrying out repair and restoration works”.
“Security and stabilisation measures continue amid daily threats of new missile attacks,” the document said. “The Ukrainian side is interested in restoring transit as soon as possible within the available legal framework.”
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