Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and top diplomat Marco Rubio will hold talks with European counterparts in Paris today to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

The talks - which UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will also attend - form the highest level of transatlantic engagement about the war since February.

In recent months, the US government has not exactly rushed to consult its European allies.

Thursday's meetings are significant for their happening if nothing else. Witkoff and Rubio will see French President Emmanuel Macron and his team.

How Russia is seizing Ukrainian homes in Mariupol

The US secretary of state will then hold talks with Lammy along with French and German counterparts. European national security advisers will be involved as well.

The US state department said the focus would be on how to end the fighting in Ukraine and Witkoff would report on his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.

European diplomats said they would urge the US to put more pressure on Russia to agree an unconditional ceasefire.

"We want the US to use a bit more stick," one official said.

The White House has dug in on its refusal to return a man who US officials have acknowledged was wrongly deported last month from Maryland to an El Salvador mega-prison.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt doubled down on accusations that Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego García was a member of the MS-13 gang, which his lawyer denies.

Leavitt also accused the 29-year-old of domestic violence, citing records showing his US citizen wife once filed a protective order against him.

A Maryland judge has ordered President Donald Trump's administration to bring Mr Ábrego García back to the US. But El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said on a visit to the White House this week that he did not "have the power" to return him.

It comes amid an escalating showdown between the president and the judiciary on immigration as a judge in another case said the administration could be held in contempt of court over deportation flights.

Leavitt told a press briefing on Wednesday: "If he [Mr Ábrego García] ever ends up back in the United States, he would immediately be deported again.

"He will never live in the United States of America."

She again accused Mr Ábrego García of being a member of the MS-13 gang, citing court findings. But his lawyer and family reject that he was ever in the gang.

• Who is Kilmar Ábrego García?
• MS-13: One of the world's most brutal street gangs

The press secretary also called Mr Ábrego García a "woman beater", referring to a domestic violence claim.

The Department of Homeland Security released details of a 2021 restraining order filed by his wife, who alleged he punched and scratched her and ripped off her shirt.

Mr Ábrego García's wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, told Newsweek on Wednesday that she sought the order "out of caution". She said they were able to resolve the situation as a family, including by counselling.

The BBC contacted Mr Ábrego García's lawyer, Benjamin Osorio, about the domestic violence allegation.

The attorney responded by email: "Is the government allowed to admittedly break the law if an individual is alleged to have broken the law?"

Mr Ábrego García was living in Maryland, before he was deported on 15 March with scores of Salvadorans and Venezuelans to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot) in El Salvador.

Maryland Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Mr Ábrego García's removal from the country breached a 2019 court order that had granted him legal protection from deportation.

The US Supreme Court last week partially upheld the lower court ruling, finding that the Trump administration must "facilitate" Mr Ábrego García's release.

Trump administration officials have conceded the deportation was an "administrative error", although the White House insists there was no mistake.

Judge Xinis has requested daily updates on what steps are being undertaken to bring him back to the US.

But in Wednesday's status report, acting general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security Joseph Mazzara told the court there were "no further updates".

The White House press secretary was joined at Wednesday's briefing by the mother of a Maryland woman who was murdered in August 2023 by an alleged illegal immigrant from El Salvador.

Patty Morin shared graphic details of her daughter Rachel Morin's death at the hands of Victor Martinez-Hernandez, who was found guilty on Monday.

"We are American citizens," said Patty Morin. "We need to protect our families, our borders, our children."

Meanwhile, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, flew to El Salvador in an attempt to speak with Mr Ábrego García, but was denied access on Wednesday.

Van Hollen met the country's Vice-President Félix Ulloa, who told the US senator they could not accommodate a visit to the mega-prison.

In a press conference in the capital San Salvador, Van Hollen called on the Central American country to release "a man who's charged with no crime, convicted of no crime and who was illegally abducted from the United States".

The White House hit back in a press release that Van Hollen "didn't even bother to contact" the family of Rachel Morin after her death.

Van Hollen's rebuff came a day after another US member of Congress, West Virginia Republican Riley Moore, was allowed by Salvadoran authorities to enter the prison.

Moore posted a selfie in front of a crowded cell, saying the visit had made him even more determined to "support President Trump's efforts to secure our homeland".

The US government has threatened to ban Harvard University from enrolling foreign students, after the institution said it would not bow to demands from Donald Trump's administration.

The White House has demanded the oldest university in the US make changes to hiring, admissions and teaching practices which it says will help fight antisemitism on campus.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday accused the Ivy League school of "threatening national security" and "bending the knee to antisemitism".

She also demanded records on its foreign student visa holders' "illegal and violent" activities. International students make up more than 27% of Harvard's enrolment this year.

"The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights," Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a message on Monday to the Harvard community.

Billions of dollars hang in the balance for the university - authorities have frozen $2.2 bn (£1.7bn) in federal funds, while Trump earlier threatened to also remove a valuable text exemption, the loss of which could cost Harvard millions of dollars each year.

"Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World's Great Universities or Colleges," Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.

"Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds."

The administration's attacks on Harvard are not isolated.

During his presidential campaign, Trump pitched a funding crackdown on universities, painting them as hostile to conservatives.

Since taking office, his administration has focused particularly on colleges where pro-Palestinian protests have taken place. Some Jewish students have said they felt unsafe and faced harassment on campus.

The government's antisemitism task force, formed in February, has identified at least 60 universities for review.

In March, Columbia University, agreed to several of the administration's demands, after $400m (£310m) in federal funding was pulled over accusations the university failed to fight antisemitism on campus.

These included replacing the official leading its Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies department and pledging to take on a review to "ensure unbiased admission processes".

Harvard too has made concessions.

Last month, it dismissed the leaders of its Center for Middle Eastern Studies, who had come under fire for failing to represent Israeli perspectives.

Harvard has not publicly responded to Noem's latest demands.

Scientists have found new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.

A Cambridge team studying the atmosphere of a planet called K2-18b has detected signs of molecules which on Earth are only produced by simple organisms.

This is the second, and more promising, time chemicals associated with life have been detected in the planet's atmosphere by Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

But the team and independent astronomers stress that more data is needed to confirm these results.

The lead researcher, Prof Nikku Madhusudhan, told me at his lab at Cambridge University's Institute of Astronomy that he hopes to obtain the clinching evidence soon.

"This is the strongest evidence yet there is possibly life out there. I can realistically say that we can confirm this signal within one to two years."

K2-18b is two and a half times the size of Earth and is seven hundred trillion miles away from us.

JWST is so powerful that it can analyse the chemical composition of the planet's atmosphere from the light that passes through from the small red Sun it orbits.

The Cambridge group has found that the atmosphere seems to contain the chemical signature of at least one of two molecules that are associated with life: dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS). On Earth, these gases are produced by marine phytoplankton and bacteria.

Prof Madhusudhan said he was surprised by how much gas was apparently detected during a single observation window.

"The amount we estimate of this gas in the atmosphere is thousands of times higher than what we have on Earth," he said.

"So, if the association with life is real, then this planet will be teeming with life," he told me.

Prof Madhusudhan went further: "If we confirm that there is life on k2-18b it should basically confirm that life is very common in the galaxy".

There are lots of "ifs" and "buts" at this stage, as Prof Madhusudhan's team freely admits.

Firstly, this latest detection is not at the standard required to claim a discovery.

For that, the researchers need to be about 99.99999% sure that their results are correct and not a fluke reading. In scientific jargon that is a five sigma result.

These latest results are only three sigma, 99.7%. Which sounds a lot, but it is not enough to convince the scientific community. But it is much more than the one sigma result of 68% the team obtained 18 months ago,, which was greeted with much scepticism at the time.

But even if the Cambridge team obtains a five sigma result, that won't be conclusive proof that life exists on the planet, according to Prof Catherine Heymans of Edinburgh University and Scotland's Astronomer Royal, who is independent of the research team.

"Even with that certainty, there is still the question of what is the origin of this gas," she told BBC News.

"On Earth it is produced by microorganisms in the ocean, but even with perfect data we can't say for sure that this is of a biological origin on an alien world because loads of strange things happen in in the Universe and we don't know what other geological activity could be happening on this planet that might produce the molecules."

That view is one the Cambridge team agree with; they are working with other groups to see if DMS and DMDS can be produced by non-living means in the lab.

Other research groups have put forward alternative, lifeless, explanations for the data obtained from K2-18b. There is a strong scientific debate not only about whether DMS and DMDS are present but also the planet's composition.

The reason many researchers infer that the planet has a vast liquid ocean is the absence of the gas amonia in K2-18b's atmosphere. Their theory is that the ammonia is absorbed by a vast body of water below . But it could equally be explained by an ocean of molten rock, which would preclude life, according to Prof Oliver Shorttle of Cambridge University.

"Everything we know about planets orbiting other stars comes from the tiny amounts of light that glance off their atmospheres. So it is an incredibly tenuous signal that we are having to read, not only for signs of life, but everything else.

"With K2-18b part of the scientific debate is still about the structure of the planet," he said.

Dr Nicolas Wogan at Nasa's Ames Research Center has yet another interpretation of the data. He published research suggesting that K2-18b is a mini gas giant with no surface.

Both these alternative interpretations have also been challenged by other groups on the grounds that they are inconsistent with the data from JWST, which highlights the strong scientific debate surrounding K2-18b.

Prof Madhusudhan acknowledges that there is still a scientific mountain to climb if he is to answer one of the biggest questions in science. But he believes he and his team are on the right track.

"Decades from now, we may look back at this point in time and recognise it was when the living universe came within reach," he said.

"This could be the tipping point, where suddenly the fundamental question of whether we're alone in the universe is one we're capable of answering."

The research has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

King Charles has issued an Easter message trying to build bridges between different faiths and recognising the efforts of those who provide humanitarian aid in wars and disasters.

"One of the puzzles of our humanity is how we are capable of both great cruelty and great kindness," said the King, in a message ahead of the traditional Maundy Service, held this year in Durham Cathedral.

The King and Queen Camilla will attend the service in which specially minted coins, the Maundy Money, are presented to 76 men and women, the same number as the King's age.

The King has promoted links between different religions - and this Christian message also praises the goodness in the Jewish and Islamic faiths.

In his message on the meaning of Easter, the King talks of the "paradox of human life" in which the heroism of humanitarian workers is contrasted with terrible scenes of suffering in war.

A new Humanitarian Medal has been launched, honouring those who risk their own lives to help others in emergencies and war zones, and the King hailed their selflessness and compassion.

For Christians, the Maundy Thursday service marks the Last Supper - and the King's message speaks of the humility of Jesus who "knelt and washed the feet of many of those who would abandon him".

The King said that for people of all religions who "seek the good of others" the core message is one of love for others.

"There are three virtues that the world still needs - faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love," said the King's message.

King Charles is a man of faith and was said by Palace officials to have been deeply moved by the religious mosaics he saw in Ravenna on last week's state visit to Italy.

The King missed last year's Maundy Service because of his cancer treatment, with the Queen giving out the Maundy Money on his behalf.

This year's Maundy coins will include a £5 one commemorating the Queen Mother and a 50p commemorating World War Two, with the recipients being people who have helped their local churches and community.

This is one of the oldest royal ceremonies, dating back at least as far as the 13th Century and the reign of King John.

Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.

The White House has dug in on its refusal to return a man who US officials have acknowledged was wrongly deported last month from Maryland to an El Salvador mega-prison.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt doubled down on accusations that Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego García was a member of the MS-13 gang, which his lawyer denies.

Leavitt also accused the 29-year-old of domestic violence, citing records showing his US citizen wife once filed a protective order against him.

A Maryland judge has ordered President Donald Trump's administration to bring Mr Ábrego García back to the US. But El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said on a visit to the White House this week that he did not "have the power" to return him.

It comes amid an escalating showdown between the president and the judiciary on immigration as a judge in another case said the administration could be held in contempt of court over deportation flights.

Leavitt told a press briefing on Wednesday: "If he [Mr Ábrego García] ever ends up back in the United States, he would immediately be deported again.

"He will never live in the United States of America."

She again accused Mr Ábrego García of being a member of the MS-13 gang, citing court findings. But his lawyer and family reject that he was ever in the gang.

• Who is Kilmar Ábrego García?
• MS-13: One of the world's most brutal street gangs

The press secretary also called Mr Ábrego García a "woman beater", referring to a domestic violence claim.

The Department of Homeland Security released details of a 2021 restraining order filed by his wife, who alleged he punched and scratched her and ripped off her shirt.

Mr Ábrego García's wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, told Newsweek on Wednesday that she sought the order "out of caution". She said they were able to resolve the situation as a family, including by counselling.

The BBC contacted Mr Ábrego García's lawyer, Benjamin Osorio, about the domestic violence allegation.

The attorney responded by email: "Is the government allowed to admittedly break the law if an individual is alleged to have broken the law?"

Mr Ábrego García was living in Maryland, before he was deported on 15 March with scores of Salvadorans and Venezuelans to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot) in El Salvador.

Maryland Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Mr Ábrego García's removal from the country breached a 2019 court order that had granted him legal protection from deportation.

The US Supreme Court last week partially upheld the lower court ruling, finding that the Trump administration must "facilitate" Mr Ábrego García's release.

Trump administration officials have conceded the deportation was an "administrative error", although the White House insists there was no mistake.

Judge Xinis has requested daily updates on what steps are being undertaken to bring him back to the US.

But in Wednesday's status report, acting general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security Joseph Mazzara told the court there were "no further updates".

The White House press secretary was joined at Wednesday's briefing by the mother of a Maryland woman who was murdered in August 2023 by an alleged illegal immigrant from El Salvador.

Patty Morin shared graphic details of her daughter Rachel Morin's death at the hands of Victor Martinez-Hernandez, who was found guilty on Monday.

"We are American citizens," said Patty Morin. "We need to protect our families, our borders, our children."

Meanwhile, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, flew to El Salvador in an attempt to speak with Mr Ábrego García, but was denied access on Wednesday.

Van Hollen met the country's Vice-President Félix Ulloa, who told the US senator they could not accommodate a visit to the mega-prison.

In a press conference in the capital San Salvador, Van Hollen called on the Central American country to release "a man who's charged with no crime, convicted of no crime and who was illegally abducted from the United States".

The White House hit back in a press release that Van Hollen "didn't even bother to contact" the family of Rachel Morin after her death.

Van Hollen's rebuff came a day after another US member of Congress, West Virginia Republican Riley Moore, was allowed by Salvadoran authorities to enter the prison.

Moore posted a selfie in front of a crowded cell, saying the visit had made him even more determined to "support President Trump's efforts to secure our homeland".

Gold has jumped to a fresh record high as investors fret over the impact of the trade war between the US and China.

Spot gold touched $3,357.40 (£2,540) per ounce on Wednesday, before dipping from its peak. It has risen by around 30% since the start of the year.

The latest move comes after the head of US central bank said President Donald Trump's tariff policies are likely to mean slower growth and higher prices.

The precious metal is viewed as a safer asset for investors during times of economic uncertainty.

In remarks for the Economic Club of Chicago on Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the higher-than-expected tariffs announced in recent weeks are likely to mean US economic growth will slow and rising prices for consumers.

The comments come after a period of turmoil on global financial markets as investors reacted to the new import taxes coming into effect and the escalating trade war between the US and China.

Gold is in "full lifeboat mode" as it has become "the most crowded trade on the planet," Stephen Innes from the SPI Asset Management firm said.

"The dollar is stumbling under the weight of trade-policy whiplash, and portfolio managers have lost faith in anything that involves political discretion," he added.

Analysts have compared this year's gold rally to the Iranian Revolution more than four decades ago, when prices jumped by almost 120% from November 1979 to January 1980.

Gold crossed $3,000 an ounce for the first time last month as uncertainty over the impact of a global trade war set in.

Jesper Koll from advisory firm Monex Group said investors have flocked to gold as "a trust hedge against both inflation and government recklessness".

"Everyone is looking for 'real' assets. It's increasingly clear that Team Trump's 'move fast and break things' approach to policy making will not change," he added.

The introduction of tariffs by the Trump administration, which are taxes charged on businesses importing goods from overseas, has fuelled fears of inflation, which has driven investors to so-called safe haven assets like gold.

Trump has put taxes of 145% on China since he returned to the White House in January, and China has retaliated with a 125% tariff on US imports.

There is also uncertainty about whether sweeping US tariffs on a host of other countries will go into effect, after being paused for 90 days.

The Trump administration has said the measures will bring manufacturing back to the US, create jobs for American workers and generate billions of dollars of tax revenues.

Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and top diplomat Marco Rubio will hold talks with European counterparts in Paris today to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

The talks - which UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will also attend - form the highest level of transatlantic engagement about the war since February.

In recent months, the US government has not exactly rushed to consult its European allies.

Thursday's meetings are significant for their happening if nothing else. Witkoff and Rubio will see French President Emmanuel Macron and his team.

How Russia is seizing Ukrainian homes in Mariupol

The US secretary of state will then hold talks with Lammy along with French and German counterparts. European national security advisers will be involved as well.

The US state department said the focus would be on how to end the fighting in Ukraine and Witkoff would report on his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.

European diplomats said they would urge the US to put more pressure on Russia to agree an unconditional ceasefire.

"We want the US to use a bit more stick," one official said.

The UK government has brought in a temporary ban on holidaymakers bringing in cheese and meat products from the EU in a bid to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

Travellers have not been allowed to bring back items such as cured and cheese, including in sandwiches, since Saturday due to the growing outbreak on the continent.

The restrictions apply regardless of whether the goods are packed or packaged, or bought from duty free.

It follows an earlier ban of similar products from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria after rising cases of the cattle disease in those countries.

The restrictions apply to people arriving in Great Britain, not Northern Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man.

Products will be seized and destroyed if people try to bring them in, and in "serious cases" people could be fined up to £5,000.

The list of restricted products includes:

• pork

• beef

• lamb

• mutton

• goat

• venison

• other products made from these meats, for example sausages

• milk and dairy products like butter, cheese and yoghurt

People can bring up to 2kg per person of powdered infant milk, infant food, or special food needed for medical reasons.

There are currently no cases of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK.