Labour claims Tories planning May election as Hunt to cut NI by 2p

Good evening. The average employee earning £35,000 will save £785 a year thanks to National Insurance being cut by a further 2 percentage points in tomorrow’s spring Budget.

Elsewhere, a Ukrainian drone has struck an oil depot in the Russian border region.

Hunt to cut National Insurance by 2p

You can work out how much Jeremy Hunt’s reduction will save you here. Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow paymaster general, said he believed a May general election is now the Conservative Party’s “preferred choice”.

Ukraine strikes oil depot in Russian border region

A Ukrainian drone struck an oil depot in the Russian border region of Belgorod on Tuesday, a military intelligence source in Kyiv told AFP. The source said at least one fuel tank was set ablaze following the attack on the oil facility in the Russian village of Dolgoye, in Belgorod, about 2.5 miles from Ukraine.

Murdoch shuts down TalkTV channel as losses mount

Rupert Murdoch is taking TalkTV off air to staunch heavy losses, weeks after Piers Morgan’s show retreated to YouTube. Mr Murdoch’s News UK on Tuesday confirmed that TalkTV will shut down its terrestrial channel, and will move to streaming-only from early summer.

Evening Briefing: Today’s essential headlines

Culture | British Museum accused of sexism after ‘misguided’ Roman Empire meme

Royals | MoD jumps gun with Princess of Wales Trooping the Colour announcement

Media | GB News losses balloon after spending spree on high-profile presenters

London | Double-decker bus crashes through shop window in Soho

Politics | Making the bed and stacking the dishwasher – Rishi Sunak shares favourite household chores

Ukraine | Russian patrol boat sunk by Ukrainian sea drones off Crimea

Comment and analysis

Suzanne Moore | I won’t sacrifice my safety just so a trans woman feels validated

Celia Walden | Marriage is about sacrifice – we shouldn’t condemn Geri Halliwell’s loyalty

Tom Harris | Rishi Sunak has turned the Tories into a hollow Blair tribute act

Michael Deacon | This unbelievable farce sums up Britain’s immigration nightmare

Telegraph view | Charging tourists to enter a public square is a step too far

World news: Hamas attackers raped women’s corpses, UN finds

A UN report has found “clear and convincing” evidence to that Hamas attackers raped women’s corpses, with further evidence supporting multiple accounts of sexual violence.

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Feature of the day

The ‘spiritual Ponzi schemes’ bringing exponential wealth to African prophets

Zimbabwe’s evangelist pastors wield more influence than politicians – but do their promises of riches ever materialise for devout followers?

Business news: Electric cars sales to drivers fall by almost a fifth

Sales of electric vehicles to ordinary drivers have plunged by almost a fifth this year, amid calls for Jeremy Hunt to revive the stalling market by cutting taxes.

Live markets news: Bitcoin surges to record high