Welcome to Tuesday’s Early Edition from i.

They’re in the water. They’re in your clothes. They’re in the Antarctic. They’re probably in your bloodstream. And now we know, they’re almost certainly in your strawberries. “Forever chemicals”, otherwise known as per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been detected almost everywhere. The name is an umbrella term for thousands of chemicals used to make products that are stick, stain and heat resistant, and water repellant. Because they’re extremely useful, they’re used in a lot of products, from clothes to cookware – but they also do not break down naturally or easily. Last year a report said such chemicals were found at 1,000 times the safe levels inside fish in England. In March it was reported that huge volumes of the chemicals are flowing into the River Mersey, with scientists warning that the chemicals already present there will persist for thousands of years. Now the alarm is being raised over fruit and vegetables, which have been shown to contain PFAS. How worried should we be, and what can be done? We’ll take a look, after the headlines.

 Today’s news, and why it matters

 The US must step up funding to Ukraine to help it defeat Russia and protect the security of the West, David Cameron will tell leading American politicians. The Foreign Secretary is in Washington for talks with his US counterpart and senior Republicans who are seen as blocking a package of $60bn (£47bn) in additional aid for Kyiv.

Younger workers have said they fear they will never be able to enjoy a healthy retirement as they face the prospect of working into their 70s before being able to claim a state pension. Amid increasing average life expectancy and a falling birthrate, fears continue to grow among the younger population that the retirement age would need to rise even further to remain financially sustainable.

A Tory MP who said he was “manipulated” into sharing other politicians’ personal numbers as part of a parliamentary sexting scam has reportedly resigned as vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee. William Wragg has also stepped down from his role heading the Commons’ Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC), according to multiple reports.

Misleading website domains in the name of a Liberal Democrat MP that led people to a Conservative rival’s website have been disconnected. Tory MP Simon Jupp has unlinked web domains in his Lib Dem opponent’s name after i revealed he was being accused of deception.

Labour will crack down on tax avoidance to replace the money lost through having its policy on non-dom status adopted by the Government, Rachel Reeves will pledge. The Opposition has faced questions over how it can fund plans to boost NHS spending and introduce breakfast clubs in all primary schools.

Three questions on ‘forever chemicals’:

What are they? PFAS are human-made substances that have been widely used since the 1940s in a range of everyday products and industrial processes. They’re found in all kinds of items such as furniture, outdoor clothing, cookware, and food packaging. Last week new research showed major US brands of plasters and bandages contained alarming levels of the chemicals, raising concerns they could directly enter the body. The full health impacts of PFAS are still being determined, but studies have raised serious concerns about their impact. There is evidence to suggest that they could lower immune systems and reduce responses to vaccines. There are also studies which suggest they could raise the risk of liver disease and certain cancers, impact thyroid function, fertility and cause birth defects. Many countries have been phasing out PFAS. Currently only two of the chemicals – PFOS and PFOA – are regulated in the UK.

What do the latest findings say? Analysis of Government figures released yesterday showed the toxic chemicals had been found in more than half of the fruit, vegetables and spices consumed in the UK. Strawberries were found to contain the highest levels of the PFAS, with 95 per cent of the samples analysed being contaminated. This was followed by 61 per cent of grape samples tested, 56 per cent of cherry samples, 42 per cent of spinach samples and 38 per cent of the tomatoes. The main source of the chemicals are believed to be pesticides. The Pesticide Action Network UK (Pan UK) found that overall, 56.4 per cent of samples tested contained a residue of pesticides they were testing, although only 1.8 per cent contained a pesticide residue above the legal level. “The maximum limits do not guarantee the quantity of pesticide found in the food is safe and do not take into account the many other routes of potential PFA exposure, such as plastic food packaging, drinking water and a wide range of household products,” said Nick Mole, from Pan UK. “Given the growing body of evidence linking PFAs to serious diseases such as cancer, it is deeply worrying that UK consumers are being left with no choice but to ingest these chemicals, some of which may remain in their bodies long into the future,” he said Read the full story here.

What can be done? At a very basic consumer level, some experts have advised filtering water to reduce ingesting it, or avoiding plastic food wrappers or containers. But campaigners are calling for more robust regulations from the Government to reduce our – and the environment’s – exposure to the chemicals. Some scientists have called for better drinking water standards to be implemented. Dr Richard Benwell, chief executive officer of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said last year: “Government must act now to stop the chemical cocktail building up in our rivers and ocean. We need better monitoring of our waters, wildlife and of the fish we eat, and regulations that can quickly prevent chemically-similar substances from entering our environment in the first place.” The Royal Society of Chemistry is calling for stricter regulatory limits in industrial discharges, a national inventory for sources of PFAS, and a national chemicals regulator to monitor and regulate the chemicals. Campaign group CHEM Trust is calling for a ban on all PFAS in consumer products by 2025, followed by a ban on the whole family of PFAS chemicals by 2030. Pan UK is urging the Government to ban the 25 PFA pesticides currently in use in Britain, six of which are classified as “highly hazardous”. Nick Mole, from the organisation, said: “Getting rid of them would be a massive win for consumers, farmers and the environment.”

Around the world

 A Gaza aid worker’s diary: Tourniquet practice, drone strikes and power cuts. Karyn Beattie has been in Gaza since January. She spent one night huddled in a corridor as the windows of her lodgings were blown in. Molly Blackall reports.

Former US president Donald Trump has claimed he raised $50.5m in campaign donations after a private dinner in Palm Beach, Florida on Saturday, raising what is widely believed to be the single-biggest election haul on record. Thomas Gift, an Associate Professor of Political Science at UCL, told i: “Not only does it give Trump bragging rights, but it helps to dispel notions that he’s too toxic to court big donors.”

March was the 10th month in a row to be the hottest on record for the time of year, with both air temperatures and the world’s oceans hitting an all-time high for the month, scientists said. The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service shows March 2024 was hotter globally than any other previous record for the month, with temperatures 1.68C warmer than the estimate for pre-industrial times

Spain will scrap the so-called “golden visa” programme granting residency rights to British people and other foreigners who make large investments in property in the country, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said. Mr Sanchez said ending the scheme would help make access to affordable housing “a right instead of a speculative business”.

Whales will be recognised as legal persons under a declaration signed by New Zealand’s Maori king and native leaders across the Pacific. The document seeks to legally protect the rights of whales, including “freedom of movement, cultural expression — which includes language — to a healthy environment, healthy oceans, and indeed the restoration of their populations.”

 Watch out for…

 former subpostmaster Alan Bates, who will give evidence to the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry, which is now entering phases five and six, which will look at governance, redress and how the Post Office and others responded. 

 Thoughts for the day

 Ukraine needs Nato boots on the ground. Nobody wants to fight the Russians, but we have to be prepared, says Hamish de Bretton-Gordon.

Jeremy Corbyn’s comeback and what it says about Keir Starmer. The political terrain is particularly fertile for a Corbyn resurgence, explains Ben Kentish.

University Challenge restores our faith in education after ‘woke’ ideology smears. It is a programme that has survived TV’s race to the bottom, writes Simon Kelner.

Culture Break

 Curb Your Enthusiasm finale review: Larry David bows out as gloriously rude as ever. The curtain came down in the way this particular curtain always has: people bickering operatically in public due to Larry’s irascibility, writes Nick Duerden.

The Big Read

 I’m a cyber-security expert – this is how I live to avoid getting hacked. From avoiding text messages to covering his webcam, Jake Moore shares what he does everyday to make sure his personal life is safe from online criminals.

Sport

 What’s gone wrong at Bayern Munich and how it could boost Arsenal’s chances. Bayern were Arsenal’s kryptonite during the late Arsene Wenger years but the Gunners are the undeniable favourites based on current form, writes Oliver Young-Myles.

Something to brighten your day

 Millions of people across North America were treated to a total solar eclipse lasting up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds. “Oh God, it’s so dark,” marveled Aiyana Brown, 14, who watched alongside her grandfather in Mesquite, Texas. “I’m a huge science nerd, and this is amazing.”