Two parents and their two children walk through a section of sweet cakes, biscuits and jam. Nicolas Guyonnet | Afp | Getty Images Euro zone inflation eased to 2.4% in February but came in slightly above analyst expectations, according to flash data from statistics agency Eurostat out on Monday. Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected…

Peter Mandelson has been rebuffed for saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy should be more supportive of US peace efforts and that Ukraine should unilaterally call a ceasefire, with a UK defence minister saying this was “not government policy”. The overnight comments by Lord Mandelson, the UK ambassador to Washington, were also criticised by opposition parties, with the…

European weapons company share prices surged on Monday as investors anticipated significantly higher spending after the UK and France led an effort to form a peace deal for Ukraine. Britain’s BAE Systems rose by as much as 17% on Monday morning, Germany’s Rheinmetall gained 14%, France’s Thales increased 16% and Italy’s Leonardo was up 10%…

Prada is in talks to buy the Versace fashion brand from the US investor Capri Holdings for a price that could reportedly reach nearly €1.5bn (£1.2bn). Milan-based Prada and the New York-listed Capri could reach a deal for Versace this month, Bloomberg reported, although the talks could still fall apart. A deal would bring the…

An earthquake has hit Los Angeles just after the Oscars ceremony wrapped up. According to a report from the United States Geological Survey, an earthquake measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale struck the North Hollywood district of the city at 22:23 local time on 2 March, with its epicentre 15km below the surface. Local broadcaster…

Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña has apologised to Mexicans who were offended by controversial musical Emilia Pérez. The star picked up the best supporting actress Oscar for her role in the Netflix movie and in the press room after her win, a journalist told her the film has been “really hurtful for us Mexicans”. The film,…

More than 1 million of the lowest-paid UK workers are to be guaranteed sick pay worth up to 80% of their weekly salary from the first day of sickness, under changes intended to boost living standards. The UK has one of the stingiest rates of statutory sick pay in the developed world, according to the…

Sean Baker has won the best director Oscar for Anora at the Academy Awards, which are taking place in Los Angeles, California. A romance/thriller about a lapdancer who impulsively marries a Russian playboy, Anora stars Mikey Madison and Mark Eydelshteyn. It is Baker’s eighth feature, having made his debut with the microbudget indie Four Letter…

The young British composer Daniel Blumberg has won his first Oscar for his second-ever musical score for a feature film, for Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist. Blumberg, 34, won the Bafta award last month for the score, which has met with considerable praise and which plays a prominent role in the film. The Brutalist is the…

I’m Still Here has won the Oscar for best international film at the Academy Awards, which are currently taking place in Los Angeles. It is the first Brazilian film to win the award – and was also the first to be nominated. Directed by Walter Salles and starring Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here is a…