Minimalist News

Trump Willing To Kill New Ayatollah If He Doesn't Cede To US Demands It remains increasingly difficult to interpret President Trump, or to take his words at face value, especially when it comes to back-and-forth with reporters on the Iran war and future aims and plans. For example, on Monday, the president was asked at a news briefing in Florida whether Iran's new leader was a target, to which Trump replied: "The new leader, you mean the son?… I was disappointed to see their choice," before adding, "I don’t want to say whether he has (a target on his back)."  When later pressed

Why Fusion Energy Needs To Be American Born - Now More Than Ever Authored by Lawrence Kadish via the Gatestone Institute, The Strait of Hormuz is closed to shipping. Qatar's energy minister -- who, not surprisingly, appears to be lobbying on the side of Iran -- is warning that the conflict to prevent it from gaining nuclear weapons could "bring down the economies of the world" and that Gulf nations might shut down their production of oil and gas. Meanwhile, intelligence sources say that Russia, perhaps trying to lure the US into a larger war, is providing Iran with the means to

South Korea Angry Over US Plan To Redeploy Critical Air Defense System To Mideast We previously highlighted that Zelensky's biggest current worry is that the Iran war and ongoing major US operations there will starve Ukraine of critical arms, and especially long sought-after and expensive anti-air systems and munitions. It's not just Ukraine expressing alarm, but now South Korea too, with President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday loudly complaining about Washington's plans to redeploy Patriot air defense batteries from the Korean Peninsula to the Middle East in order to bolster regional defenses against Iran. Launchers From THAAD Anti-Missile System Lee voiced his clear opposition, but

Millennial Men Face Low Testosterone Crisis, Doctors Warn Authored by George Citroner via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Your phone, your food, and your shower gel may be conspiring against your testosterone. At least, that’s what a growing number of urologists are telling their youngest patients. Testosterone-deprived 'man' 'lifts' weights in his mother's basement in front of a chemical symbol (illustration: Epoch Times, Shutterstock) Men in their 30s and 40s are arriving at urology clinics with hormone profiles that would once have been unremarkable in men twice their age. Doctors say the pattern is new, the numbers are worsening, and the causes are hiding

As SAVE Act Vote Looms, FBI Expands 2020 Election Probe To Arizona The federal government's post-2020 election reckoning has arrived in Arizona. Warren Petersen, the Arizona Senate President, confirmed Monday that federal investigators came knocking — and he answered.  "Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate's 2020 audit of Maricopa County," Petersen wrote on X. "The FBI has the records. Any other report is fake news."  The records in question trace back to the infamous Cyber Ninjas audit, the Republican-commissioned hand-count of Maricopa County ballots that election experts widely

Japan's Strategic Awakening Authored by Lamont Colucci via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Japan’s strategic awakening is no longer theoretical—it’s unfolding in real time. In recent weeks, Tokyo confirmed plans to deploy advanced surface-to-air missile systems on Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost inhabited territory and only about 70 miles from Taiwan. The deployment is part of a broader effort to strengthen defenses along Japan’s southwestern island chain, territory that sits directly along the fault line of the emerging Indo-Pacific balance of power. Yonaguni Island, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island, about 111 kilometers from Taiwan, is pictured in Yonaguni, Japan, on April 13, 2022. Japan’s southwestern islands

Judicial Sabotage? Obama Judge Blocks Trump Efficiency Reforms For Deportation Appeals A federal judge slammed the brakes on one of the Trump administration's most aggressive moves yet to make the immigration appeals process more efficient, and he did it the night before the rule was set to go live. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama appointee in Washington, D.C., issued his ruling late Sunday, March 8, 2026, vacating the core provisions of an interim final rule from the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). The rule, scheduled to take effect the following morning, would have fundamentally restructured how the

Transparency: Suing Schools That Hide Trans Kids' Identities From Parents Authored by John Murawski via RealClearInvestigations, A few weeks before Christmas in 2022, Amber Lavigne was cleaning her 13-year-old’s bedroom when she stumbled upon her daughter’s secret: a chest binder. She learned that Autumn had been wearing the garment, which girls use to flatten their breasts to achieve a masculine appearance, for about two months at school in Maine, where she had adopted a boy’s name, Leo, and was using he/him pronouns. It was the first of two chest binders Lavigne found that had been provided to her eighth-grade daughter by a social

Fani Spanked Again: Judge Allows Trump And Co-Defendants To Pursue $17 Million In Legal Fees Fani Willis, the disgraced Fulton County, Georgia DA who couldn't keep her clam in her pants while prosecuting Donald Trump, was just dealt a serious blow this week after a judge denied her attempt to intervene in litigation over the reimbursement of legal fees stemming from her now-dismissed Georgia election case against Trump and several co-defendants. He knows what Willis is talkin' 'bout... The ruling by Scott McAfee allows efforts to recover nearly $17 million in attorney fees and costs to proceed after the high-profile prosecution collapsed late last year. In

Public Bitcoin Miners Are Dumping Crypto For AI, A Historic Mistake Authored by Juan Galt via BitcoinMagazine.com, There is no doubt about it, this is the age of AI. Corporations are cutting their workforces in half to invest cash flow into hardware, while the stock market remains near all-time highs, mostly thanks to FAANG. OpenClaw, a self-hosted AI agent, has more stars on GitHub than Linux and React, while even Jack Dorsey is taking harsh measures to restructure Block in the face of digital, artificial intelligence. But how much of this AI wave is hype, and how many of the companies that

AP Shills For Big Pharma Antidepressants With 'Bewildering' Hit Piece Check this out... The Trump FDA's top drug regulator, Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, is working to hire a researcher and friend who strongly believes the agency should add new warnings about antidepressants and pregnancy risks.  So what does the Associated Press do? They pen a hit piece, smearing Hoeg, her associate, and suggesting that peer reviewed studies over the risks are 'unproven.'  This is how the medical arm of the blob works, and Paul Thacker of the DisInformation Chronicle is calling them out...  * * * Associated Press Cannot Explain Bewildering Reporting on FDA’s Tracy Hoeg and Antidepressant Risks By

Rand Paul Warns Of "Disastrous" Midterms For GOP If Iran War Continues Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a leading voice for non-interventionism within the Republican Party, warned Tuesday that prolonged U.S. military action against Iran could spell disaster for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. In an interview on Fox Business with host Maria Bartiromo, Paul downplayed internal party divisions as the main risk, instead pointing to economic fallout from the conflict, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28. “How worried are you that a split Republican Party will only mean losses in the midterm elections?” Ms. Bartiromo asked. “How are you

Loans To Non-Banks Threaten Banking Crisis Authored by Christopher Whalen via DailyReckoning.com, Last week, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp released the industry data for US banks for 2025. On the surface, the numbers look reassuring, even strong. But beneath the calm headline figures lies a growing risk that investors should not ignore. Domestic deposits increased for the sixth consecutive quarter in Q4 2025 by $318.3 billion or 1.8%, the FDIC reports. Loans grew by 2% in Q4 and almost 6% YOY. Foreign deposits grew 11%, but subordinated debt and FHLB advances each fell ~ 14% as banks shed excess capital and funding. U.S. bank loan

Oracle Jumps On Solid Earnings And Guidance Boost Despite Soaring CapEx And Cash Burn There was much anxiety ahead of Oracle's Q3 earnings release: yes, revenue growth would be solid but would it come at the expense of even more capex, which has sent the stock price tumbling more than 50% since its record high on Sept 10. In the end, it turned out the company had learned from recent mistakes and projected a goldilocks future: strong revenue and just right capex. Here is what Oracle reports for Q3: * Adjusted EPS $1.79 vs. $1.47 y/y, beating estimate $1.70 * Adjusted revenue

Epstein Guard Googled Him Minutes Before Body Found; Bank Made 'Suspicious Activity Report' Over Cash Deposits Authored by Jose Nino via HeadlineUSA, A federal correctional officer assigned to monitor Jeffrey Epstein conducted internet searches about the convicted sex offender just moments before his body was discovered and received thousands of dollars in cash deposits in the weeks preceding his death, newly released Justice Department documents show. Tova Noel worked as one of two Metropolitan Correctional Center employees who authorities later accused of fabricating logs claiming they had conducted required welfare checks on Epstein throughout the overnight hours before his August 10, 2019 death.

Trump Threatens 'Unprecedented Military Consequences' As Iran Reportedly Starts Mining The Strait Of Hormuz Summary: * CNN says the IRGC had already begun laying explosive mines in the vital Strait of Hormuz. * Reuters: AS MANY AS 150 US TROOPS WOUNDED SO FAR IN IRAN WAR * CBS says US intelligence has begun to see indications Iran is taking steps to deploy mines in Strait of Hormuz shipping lane * Divergent signals flying between Tehran and Washington: Witkoff says Trump "always willing to talk" to Iran, the question is whether or not it is worth it. Trump-Putin spoke Monday, and Putin-Pezeshkian spoke

Is This The Chart Pressuring Trump Toward An Iran Off-Ramp Brent crude futures tumbled from nearly $120/bbl early Monday morning to as low as $83/bbl by late Monday afternoon after President Trump said the Iran war could end soon. However, the contract had clawed back some losses and was trading around $91 to $95 Tuesday morning. Trump's assertion that Operation Epic Fury may end "very soon" only reinforces renewed Trump Always Chickens Out (TACO) expectations. His TACO-like comments came hours after G-7 leaders spent Monday morning jawboning Brent crude prices with headlines. > 🚨 BREAKING: President Trump announces the strikes on Iran will

IEA Delivers No SPR Action After Extraordinary Meeting As Crude Jawboning Mania Enters Day Two Update (1514ET):  For a second straight day, G-7 leaders attempted to push crude prices lower with headlines about an "emergency meeting" to discuss a possible Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) release aimed at containing Brent and WTI crude prices. However, by late afternoon in New York, the Financial Times reported that the International Energy Agency (IEA) had concluded the meeting without reaching a decision on a coordinated release of crude stockpiles. Today's slide in Brent and WTI was initially sparked by IEA chief Fatih Birol, who said the G-7

Woke Media Struggles To Explain Why Gen Z Men Are Turning Against Feminism The progressive left operates on the assumption that generational indoctrination is cumulative - That is to say, they think through time and indoctrination they will eventually lay claim to the minds of 100% of the population.  Each new generation is supposed to be more "woke" than the last.  However, this is not how society or individual psychology works.   Movements of "progress" crash in flames all the time, often because they turn out to be regressive rather than progressive.  And once the smoke clears and the social experiment is dead,

Hormuz Mine Threat Emerges; White House Denies Tanker Escort Update (1431ET): And there we have it: *LEAVITT: US NAVY HAS NOT ESCORTED TANKER THROUGH HORMUZ Shortly after the farce of Secretary Wright's deleted tweet on a US military-escorted tanker, CBS'  Jim LaPorta reports that U.S. intelligence assets have begun to see indications Iran is taking steps to deploy mines in Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. LaPorta added that Iran is reportedly using smaller crafts that can carry 2 to 3 mines each. While Iran’s mine stock isn’t publicly known, estimates over the years have ranged from roughly 2,000 to 6,000 naval mines of Iranian, Chinese

Opening statements begin in Miami trial of four men accused in the 2021 killing of Jovenel Moïse * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Greed, arrogance and power were the driving forces behind four men charged in the US for the 2021 assassination of Haiti’s last elected president, Jovenel Moïse , prosecutors told a court on Tuesday during opening statements. Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys began presenting opening statements in the trial in Miami for Arcangel Pretel Ortíz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and James Solages. They are charged with conspiring in south Florida

No injuries reported but security boosted at US and Israeli diplomatic buildings in Toronto and Ottawa * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Two men fired multiple shots at the US consulate in Toronto early on Tuesday in what police described as a “national security incident”, prompting beefed-up protection for US and Israeli diplomatic buildings in the city. The individuals approached the consulate in downtown Toronto at about 4.30am ET, exited a white SUV and fired several rounds from a handgun at the consulate, Frank Barredo, Toronto’s police deputy chief, told reporters. Continue reading...

Eight people were killed by 18-year-old in Canada, who had described violent scenarios involving guns to ChatGPT * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox The family of a child critically injured one of Canada’s worst mass shootings is suing OpenAI, arguing the technology company could have prevented the attack on a school last month. The lawsuit comes days after the head of OpenAI said he would apologize to the families of a remote Canadian town after violence shattered the tight-knit community. Continue reading...

José Antonio Kast, who voted against legalising divorce in 2004, has pushed for return to total abortion ban Women’s rights activists in Chile are bracing as the most conservative president since the Pinochet dictatorship prepares to take office on Wednesday. José Antonio Kast, a 60-year-old ultra Catholic whose father was a member of the Nazi party, has consistently blocked progressive bids for women’s rights and equality across his three-decade career in politics. Continue reading...

Anglers describe harrowing phone calls to loved ones after ice detached from shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Kevin Fox thought the spring-like temperatures that had temporarily pushed the cold away from south-eastern Ontario meant a good day for ice fishing, a popular winter pastime in the region. After shifting location because the wind and ice “didn’t feel right” and the fish weren’t biting close to shore, he and a friend joined nearly two dozen others far out on a sheet of ice in Lake Huron.

More than 100,000 people have tuned in to watch ‘kākāpō cam’, which captures a rare flightless bird sleeping, tidying her nest and fighting off intruders On an island in New Zealand’s remote southern fjords, one of the world’s strangest and rarest parrots – the kākāpō – is caring for her tiny chick as fans from across the globe watch on. Through the black and white lens of a hidden camera, a fluffy orb with a kazoo-like squeak jostles for food from its mother’s beak. The mother, Rakiura, is attentive – scooping her chick under her large green wings, fending off an intruding

Travel operators say Chinese and North Koreans can now buy tickets for services leaving this week Passenger train services between China and North Korea are to resume this week, six years after their suspension because of the Covid-19 pandemic, travel operators have said. Train journeys between the two countries were halted in 2020 as strict border closures were imposed to prevent the virus spreading. Continue reading...

Royal commission says response led by Jacinda Ardern was broadly ‘appropriate’, in a wide-ranging report featuring recommendations for future pandemics A royal commission into New Zealand’s Covid response has found it was one of the best in the world but acknowledged the period had left “scars”. The second of two inquiry reports on the pandemic was released on Tuesday and focused on the period between February 2021 to October 2022, when the government changed from an elimination strategy to one of suppression and minimisation of the virus. It also examined vaccine safety and the government’s immunisation programme, lockdowns and tracing and testing

As speculation mounts that Kim Jong-un and Trump could meet this month, analysts say Pyongyang will continue to see nuclear weapons as a matter of survival * Middle East crisis – live updates North Korea’s launch last week of a missile from a naval destroyer elicited an uncharacteristically prosaic analysis from the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un. The launch was proof, he said, that arming ships with nuclear weapons was “making satisfactory progress”. But the test, and Kim’s mildly upbeat appraisal, were designed to reverberate well beyond the deck of the 5,000-tonne destroyer-class vessel the Choe Hyon – the biggest warship in the

Social media company tells MPs of continual fight against state-backed efforts, with Russia being most prolific Elon Musk’s X said it had suspended 800m accounts over a 12-month period as it fights the “massive” scale of attempts to manipulate the platform. The social media company told MPs it was continually fighting state-backed attempts to hijack the agenda on its network, with Russia the most prolific state actor, followed by Iran and China. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed * Member of Iranian football squad changes mind on asylum claim in Australia, minister confirms * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast ‘There are developments this morning’: Chalmers on Iranian football team We’re getting a slightly bigger forward sizzle from the treasurer on how many people from the Iranian women’s football team have sought asylum in Australia. There are developments this morning that I’m reluctant to go into because Tony Burke, the minister, will be up later this morning to give people a proper sense of that

About 24,000 people surveyed about food, nightlife, affordability, culture and happiness An annual global ranking has named Melbourne the best city in the world for the first time. But it may be more to do with “vibes” than thorough analysis. Time Out’s 50 Best Cities list for 2026, released on Wednesday, crowned an Australian city as No 1 for the first time in its 10-year history, showering Melbourne with acclaim for its food, culture and arts scenes. Continue reading...

Regulator recommends rodenticides be removed from Bunnings and supermarkets shelves and sold only to licensed professionals * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Widely available rat poisons could be removed from shelves at Australian supermarkets and other retailers after a federal regulator recommended they be declared a restricted product. It is a win for conservationists and scientists who for years have called for rodenticides to be banned or highly restricted due to their impact on wildlife. Native animals including tawny frogmouths, powerful owls and quolls have been

Convicted murderer Regina Arthurell was removed from a home with two children on Monday despite a December report warning of the situation * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The New South Wales government has apologised after admitting it left two foster children in a home with a convicted triple killer until this week, despite a report warning them of the situation in December. The NSW minister for families and communities, Kate Washington, told 2GB radio on Wednesday morning that Regina Arthurell had been removed from a

One expert warns it may be perceived as ‘unfair’ that some students undertook test on Wednesday while others didn’t * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The authority that runs Naplan has apologised “unreservedly” for a disruption to a “significant number” of schools on its first day, as some students had the standardised test postponed while others did not. The chief executive of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara), Stephen Gniel, said the technical issue, identified at 9.20am, stopped some students from logging on to

Study shows animals hear very high frequencies, making it possible to design a deterrent to cut deaths Hedgehogs have been discovered to hear high-frequency ultrasound, raising hopes that they could be deterred from dangerous roads with ultrasound repellers. Vehicles are estimated to kill up to one in three hedgehogs, a big factor in the much-loved mammal’s drastic decline across Europe over recent decades. Continue reading...

Limiting access to German church to well-off visitors would be ‘socially unjust’, critics say Plans at Cologne Cathedral to start charging visitor fees have sparked an outcry, with critics warning against limiting access to the majestic gothic building to the well-off. Officials said this month that the cathedral, the tallest twin-spired church in the world and a tourist magnet in Germany’s fourth largest city, could only be maintained with a new revenue stream. Continue reading...

Police investigating blaze in Kerzers in Fribourg canton, about 12 miles west of Berne A bus caught fire in western Switzerland on Tuesday killing at least six people and injuring five others, in what police said may have been a deliberate act. The fire broke out on a bus in the main street of the small town of Kerzers, about 20 km (12 miles) west of the Swiss capital Berne, at about 6.25pm (5.25pm GMT). Continue reading...

Thousands of girls were locked up by Board for the Protection of Women for ‘rehabilitation’ Spain is to formally pardon a group of 53 women who are among thousands who were incarcerated by the Franco regime on the grounds that they were supposedly “fallen or in danger of falling”. The women were locked up as adolescents by the Board for the Protection of Women, a collection of institutions run by religious orders. The board, which had echoes of Ireland’s notorious Magdalene laundries, was overseen by Carmen Polo, the wife of the dictator Gen Francisco Franco. Continue reading...

Car group reports 54% drop in pre-tax profits as it says Iran war could affect demand for Audi and Porsche brands Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, is to shed 50,000 jobs by the end of the decade, as it faces falling sales in China and North America and punitive US tariffs imposed by Donald Trump. The 10-brand group, whose luxury subsidiaries Porsche and Audi are also under pressure, said the jobs would go in Germany, affecting the entire group, as part of a restructuring drive amid the darkening global business climate. Continue reading...

The comments come amid speculation over the health and whereabouts of Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since he succeeded his father * How have you been affected by the latest Middle East events? Over in Senate question time, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has confirmed embassies in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv and the consulate in Dubai all physically closed in the last week. Wong said the government’s number one priority is to “keep Australians safe at home and abroad”. She continued: “The dangerous and destabilising attacks by Iran put civilian lives at risk, including Australian lives.” More than 3,200 Australians

While some argue for destroying the terminal though which 90% of Iran’s oil exports flow, others caution of a global market ‘tailspin’ Kharg Island – through which 90% of Iran’s oil exports flow – is arguably the country’s most sensitive economic target but the export terminal has so far remained untouched throughout the US-Israel bombing campaign. Experts say bombing or capturing the site with US forces would be likely to cause a sustained increase to already surging oil prices, as it would amount to taking the entirety of Iran’s daily crude exports offline. Continue reading...

Observers wait to see if Yemen-based Houthis will reopen hostilities as US warships approach Red Sea chokepoint Iranian-backed militias around the Middle East are continuing attacks against Israel, the US and their allies in retaliation for the US-Israeli offensive against Tehran, but have so far held back from all-out confrontation, analysts and regional officials say. The relative restraint suggests that Tehran sees such forces as a strategic reserve to be deployed if the 12-day war continues to intensify – though it may also be a sign that Iranian command and control systems are breaking down. Continue reading...

Intelligence sources claim Iran has begun mine laying as US energy secretary backtracks on claim US escorted a ship through strategic chokepoint * Middle East crisis live – latest updates The US military said it attacked and destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the strait of Hormuz amid reports that Iran has begun laying explosive devices in the strategically vital waterway. Citing intelligence sources, CNN on Tuesday reported that Iran has laid a few dozen mines in the strait in recent days and has the capability to sow hundreds more. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed – our coverage of the Middle East crisis continues here * Middle East crisis – live updates Investor hopes for a swift resolution to the Middle East conflict propelled Australian shares higher today, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 finishing the day up 1.1% and recovering about $35bn in value after yesterday’s $90bn plunge. Oil prices surged to a four-year high early in the week before coming back down below $US90 a barrel after Donald Trump suggested the Iran conflict would end soon, sending global stock markets higher. Continue reading...

Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra party secures thumping victory in first poll since gen Z protests that toppled government Balendra Shah, the rapper turned politician and popular figurehead of a gen Z revolution, looks set to become Nepal’s next prime minister after his party won by an unprecedented margin. Shah, known widely as Balen, and his Rastriya Swatantra party (RSP) secured a rare landslide victory in the first election since youth-led protests during which dozens were killed and the former government was toppled. Continue reading...

‘Stopgap measure’ designed to keep oil flowing into global market as Middle East crisis disrupts crude shipments * Business live – latest updates The US has temporarily allowed India to buy Russian oil currently stuck at sea in an effort to keep global supplies flowing and temper further price increases. The US treasury has issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil, having previously imposed heavy sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Urgent request to dock is submitted by vessel after US submarine sank Iranian warship in same area on Tuesday * Middle East crisis – live updates Sri Lanka has evacuated 208 crew members from an Iranian navy vessel that made an emergency request to dock, a day after a US submarine strike sank another Iranian frigate, killing more than 80 people on board. Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on Thursday confirmed that the country’s navy would take over Iranian military support ship IRIS Bushehr and allow it to dock at the north-eastern port of Trincomalee. Continue reading...

Early results may be released from Friday after first election since gen z protests forced Nepal’s then-PM to quit Nearly six months after a wave of unprecedented gen Z-led protests forced Nepal’s then prime minister to quit, people have voted in a general election that is shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown between the entrenched old guard and a powerful youth movement. “The voting process has been concluded peacefully and enthusiastically,” said the chief election commissioner, Ram Prasad Bhandari. It appeared the turnout was only about 60%, according to initial estimates, the lowest in more than two decades. Continue reading...

Frigate goes down off Sri Lanka as Washington and Israel step up their offensive and promise to hit ‘deeper’ targets in Iran * Middle East crisis – live updates A torpedo fired by a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the south coast of Sri Lanka as the Trump administration followed through on its threats to destroy Tehran’s military and political leadership. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack on the Iris Dena. The frigate was sailing in international waters as it returned from a naval exercise organised by India in the Bay of Bengal. The torpedo strike

Cheshire police and CPS say they were not told about inquiry into Prof Peter Hindmarsh before he gave evidence at nurse’s trial The police force behind the prosecution of the former nurse Lucy Letby has said it was not informed by a key expert witness before he gave evidence at her trial that he was under investigation over serious concerns in his medical work. The Crown Prosecution Service also told the Guardian it was not aware that Prof Peter Hindmarsh was subject to the formal investigation by the hospital that employed him, before his first appearance as a witness on 25 November

In today’s newsletter: Enormous investments in artificial intelligence promised to transform Labour’s growth problems. The reality is much murkier Good morning. For the last few years artificial intelligence has been heralded as the technology that will transform economies. Governments have promised billions in investment, datacentres and supercomputers, and a wave of new jobs as AI is “mainlined” into the economy. But what happens when the numbers behind those promises are examined more closely? That question sits at the centre of a series of recent investigations by the Guardian. The findings were remarkable – not least that the location for a much-trumpeted new

Climate change committee finds move to renewable energy would also bring health, economic and security benefits Achieving the UK’s net zero target by 2050 will cost less than a single oil shock and bring health and economic benefits while insulating the country against future costs, the government’s climate advisers have forecast. Eliminating the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels by adopting renewable energy and green technologies, such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, would be the best and most cost-effective option for the future economy, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) found. Continue reading...

Woman, from Togo, faces uncertain wait for indefinite leave to remain because of changes coming into force next month The mother of a six-year-old cancer survivor has spoken of her “overwhelming” fear her daughter will be denied crucial treatment because of the government’s immigration crackdown. The girl, from London, underwent two rounds of life-saving chemotherapy after being diagnosed at two with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that mostly affects children. Continue reading...

Upper chamber accepts final draft of bill, which offers life peerages to some of those who would otherwise be removed Hereditary peerages will be abolished before the next king’s speech after a deal was struck granting life peerages to some Conservatives and cross-benchers losing their seats. On Tuesday evening the upper chamber accepted a final draft of the House of Lords (hereditary peers) bill, marking the end of its passage through parliament and clearing the way for it to be added to the statute book. Continue reading...

Failure to appoint Jeremy Carl is a rare setback for Trump, with Republican-controlled Senate mostly approving his appointments Donald Trump’s nominee for a top diplomatic post has been withdrawn from consideration after a growing backlash over his past remarks on race and Jewish people left him without crucial Republican support. Jeremy Carl, who had been tapped to serve as the assistant secretary of state for international organisations – a role overseeing US policy towards bodies such as the UN – announced on Tuesday that he was stepping aside after failing to secure unanimous backing from Republicans on the Senate foreign relations committee. Continue

This live blog is now closed. * Trump news at a glance: war on Iran is either ‘very complete’ or just starting, depending on who is talking * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Hegseth says the aftermath of the conflict is “going to be in America’s interests” and says it “will not live under a nuclear blackmail” from Iran. It comes shortly after the defence secretary reiterated president Donald Trump’s threat that if Iran does anything to prevent the flow of oil in the strait of Hormuz, it will be hit “twenty

Georgia contest will be a test of Trump’s sway and may provide a rare opportunity for Democrats in the southern state * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Republican former prosecutor Clay Fuller and retired army general Shawn Harris, a Democrat, will head to a run-off after they came out ahead in a special election Tuesday to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Congress. The election for the state’s 14th congressional district has been seen as a test of Donald Trump’s sway and may provide a rare opportunity for Democrats in a deep-red pocket

State’s governor declared emergency as islands face extreme weather and Big Island volcano Kilauea erupts * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Hawaii is preparing for a powerful storm this week that is expected to cause intense winds, thunderstorms and possibly significant flooding across multiple islands. Josh Green, the governor, said on Monday he had issued an emergency proclamation in response to the weather expected to hit his state in the coming days, in order to bring additional resources into affected areas. Continue reading...

Ivanna Lisette Ortiz of Florida, 35, allegedly fired 10 shots with a semiautomatic firearm into Beverly Hills home A 35-year-old Florida woman has been charged with attempted murder after she allegedly fired shots into the Beverly Hills home of Rihanna on Sunday. Ivanna Lisette Ortiz was charged on Tuesday with one count of attempted murder, 10 counts of assault on a person with a semiautomatic firearm and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling, all felonies, court records show. Officials have said no one was injured during the shooting. Continue reading...

A Florida woman accused of firing gunshots at Rihanna’s home in Los Angeles was charged on Tuesday with one count of attempted murder and other felony offences including 10 counts of assault on a person with a semi-automatic firearm. District Attorney Nathan Hochman said that the singing superstar, her partner A$AP Rocky, their three small children and her mother were all on the property at the time. The district attorney’s office said Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, was charged in the shooting Sunday...

US President Donald Trump says the war on Iran may not last much longer. But across Asia, government actions are racing to shield themselves from the fallout – revealing a region gripped by anxiety that an energy shock could revive the spectre of stagflation. Under mounting economic pressure and record oil market volatility, Trump said on Monday that the US-Israeli war on Iran could be over “very soon”, though not within the coming week. The most exposed Asian economies – including South Korea...

Disgraced movie mogul and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein says life in prison is “hell” in an interview where he repeatedly claimed he was not guilty of any crimes. The man who once effectively ruled Hollywood before a spectacular fall from grace at the start of the #MeToo movement said he was trapped in his cell at New York’s Rikers Island, with only guards for company. “It’s too dangerous for me to be around anyone else. Other inmates get to go to the yard. But every time I’m out there, I...

The US launched its war against Iran on February 28, convinced that decapitating Tehran’s leadership would produce swift political capitulation. A week later, Iran was still firing missiles across the Gulf, some 150 oil tankers were stalled at the Strait of Hormuz and an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander has threatened to set ablaze any vessel attempting passage. A recent analysis in The Diplomat argues the strikes signal the end of China’s westward strategic march. The diagnosis captures...

A bus caught fire in western Switzerland on Tuesday, killing at least six people and injuring five others in what police said may have been a deliberate act. The fire broke out on the bus in the main street of the small town of Kerzers, around 20km (12 miles) west of the Swiss capital Bern, at about 6.25pm. Videos circulating on social media showed flames several metres high bursting out from the windows and black smoke rising into the sky. The fire “left at least six dead and five injured,...

Since Israel and the United States launched their illegal and disastrous war against Iran, some Western apologists for this axis of aggression have dragged China into their propaganda. They say the war exposes how unreliable and useless China is as an ally and partner because it is nowhere to be found in Iran’s hour of need. The question is not whether Beijing should stick out its neck. No one wants to get involved in this potentially catastrophic war. That includes America’s Nato allies, which...

US President Donald Trump has built a potential off-ramp by suggesting the Iran war could end soon, but the world is still guessing about whether he will take it – and whether Tehran will let him. With surging oil prices threatening the global economy and his political fortunes at home, Trump’s tone appeared to shift abruptly on Monday as he called the war “very complete” and a “short-term excursion”. But the 79-year-old commander-in-chief continued to send mixed messages about when the war...

The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that the “black rain” and toxic compounds in the air in Iran after strikes on oil facilities could cause respiratory problems, and it backed Iran’s advisory urging people ‌to remain indoors. The UN health agency, which has an office in Iran and works with authorities on health emergencies, said it has received multiple reports of oil-laden rain this week. Tehran was choked in black smoke on Monday after an oil refinery was hit, in an escalation in...

US President Donald Trump warned Iran against laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday as the US unleashed some of the heaviest strikes of the war so far. Tensions over the critical shipping lane continued to escalate amid soaring global oil prices, with the US claiming it had destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels. Trump said that the US was using the same technology and missile capabilities deployed against drug traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean to “permanently...

A star of the massively popular Canadian show Heated Rivalry has hit back against an avalanche of hateful online posts, with the hockey drama’s success stirring up a frenzy online. The show about the budding careers and secret relationship of two young male hockey stars – one Canadian, one Russian – over a series of years, has become a global phenomenon. But it has also inspired particularly intense fan engagement across social media, including homophobic and racist comments. Lead actor Hudson...

Canadian police are investigating after the United States consulate in downtown Toronto was hit by gunfire early on Tuesday morning. Nobody was injured. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Chris Leather called it a national security incident and said the national police force is working with Toronto police to understand the motive. Leather said the American and Israeli consulates, as well as embassies in Ottawa, will see an increase in security. Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank...

Russian and Ukrainian officials are making contradictory claims of battlefield successes in their four-year-old war, with Ukraine saying it has pushed Moscow’s forces back in some places on the front line but the Kremlin insisting that Russia’s invasion of its neighbour is making progress. At the same time, Russia’s almost daily aerial attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine continue. Three powerful glide bombs struck the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing four people, the...

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said Europe’s turn away from nuclear power had been a “strategic mistake”, as soaring oil prices rekindled concerns about the bloc’s energy vulnerability. Speaking in Paris at a nuclear summit, which aims to boost the use of civilian nuclear energy, the European Commission president endorsed a return to atomic energy, saying the European Union would back investments in “innovative nuclear technologies”. “It was a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its...

The United States and Israel are using artificial intelligence (AI) in their ongoing war on Iran. Even amid Anthropic’s blacklisting by the Pentagon amid a dispute over wartime applications, The Washington Post reported that the US military used the company’s AI tool Claude to strike around 1,000 targets in the first 24 hours of the invasion. Claude helped in war-planning by optimising target selection, analysing intelligence data and issuing precise location coordinates by assessing satellite...

Investigators in New Mexico began searching ⁠on Monday the ⁠former ranch of Jeffrey Epstein where ⁠the late financier and his acquaintances are accused of sexually abusing women and girls, state authorities said. Democratic-run New Mexico is acting on new information in documents released in January by the US Department of Justice, including an accusation that Epstein ‌ordered the bodies of two foreign girls buried in hills near the secluded property. The search follows New Mexico Attorney...

Not far from the Fukushima nuclear disaster site, former plant worker Toru Akama tends to dozens of pets abandoned after the catastrophe 15 years ago, work he sees as part of his quest for redemption. Miaows and barks break the silence of the countryside, once an evacuation zone, as the 63-year-old brings food to the animals left behind when their owners fled the triple disaster of March 11, 2011: earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. “It’s because of this plant, where we worked for years,...

Baden-Wurttemberg stands on the front line of Germany’s “China shock 2.0”. A hub for carmakers including Mercedes-Benz, the region has faced a wave of job cuts over the past year as Chinese firms rapidly gain global market share. In the German media, some have warned the area risks becoming “Germany’s Detroit”. Yet despite the economic strain – and polls showing the economy was the top issue for local voters – China barely featured in campaigns during the run-up to Baden-Wurttemberg’s state...

This year’s government work report delivered by Premier Li Qiang marks a shift from the perennial fixation with growth towards a greater emphasis on effective strategic development, especially social and people-centred outcomes. The “two sessions” have convened against the backdrop of Washington’s military adventure overseas. In contrast to that overextended empire, China will prevail in the competition with the United States by putting its own house in order. Some of the most consequential...

A Bangladeshi man who spent over three years on bail in Malaysia fighting local child pornography charges has been spirited to Alaska by the FBI to face what prosecutors describe as one of the most prolific child exploitation cases in US history. Zobaidul Amin, 28, was brought from Malaysia to the United States last Wednesday and made his initial appearance in a federal court in Anchorage the following day, where he pleaded not guilty to all 13 counts, according to the US Department of Justice...

China’s Ministry of Transport has summoned two maritime giants – Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) – for talks on “international shipping operations” amid legal disputes over the Panama Canal, a vital artery for global trade. No further details were provided in the one-sentence statement, which was posted on the ministry’s website on Tuesday. But in China, government summons often serve as a warning and, if ignored, could lead to further action. The move came as mounting...

Israeli strikes and mass evacuation orders have seen nearly 700,000 people flee their homes in Lebanon in just over a week, with more than 100,000 fleeing in 24 hours, the UN said on Tuesday. “Lives have been upended on a massive scale,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, the representative in Lebanon of UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency. In just over a week since the new escalation in Lebanon, Israeli air strikes and evacuation warnings to residents of dozens of villages “forced families...

China condemned it. Russia condemned it. Brazil condemned it. Brics, as a bloc, has said nothing. More than a week after US and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggered the worst regional crisis in years, the grouping that positions itself as the collective voice of the Global South has yet to issue a single joint statement. The silence is not an oversight. It is the sound of a bloc whose expansion has outpaced its ability to speak as one, analysts...

Since the US and Israel unleashed strikes on Iran on February 28, war has spread across the region and casualties have been reported in countries across the Middle East. Due to reporting restrictions, Agence France-Presse has not been able to independently verify all of the following tolls. The figures are based on numbers released by governments, militaries, health authorities and rescue organisations in the affected countries. Iran Iran’s health ministry said on Monday that more than 1,200...

Explosive drone strikes by Haitian security forces targeting gangs have killed over 1,200 people, including 43 adult civilians and 17 children, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Tuesday, adding that operations have ramped up in recent months. Since last March, Haitian security forces, with support from Vectus Global, have carried out ‌anti-gang operations using quadcopter drones strapped with explosives, often in densely populated parts of the capital Port-au-Prince. Vectus Global is a...

Talks to advance US President Donald Trump’s plan to ⁠end the Gaza war have been on hold since last week when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran, sparking a broader Middle East war, three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations said. The pause threatens to stall implementation of Trump’s flagship Middle East peace initiative, which he has cast as a major foreign policy objective. It comes less than a month after he secured billions of dollars in pledges for Gaza from Gulf Arab...

China’s export growth surged in the first two months of this year, as global demand booms, while experts pointed to the likelihood of strong momentum for the rest of the year as AI-driven tech investments ramp up. Exports jumped 21.8 per cent from a year earlier – the biggest gain in four years – to US$656.58 billion in the combined figures for January and February released by customs authorities on Tuesday. This represented a significant acceleration from the 6.6 per cent growth recorded in...

Three brothers, including two of America’s most successful luxury real estate brokers, were convicted of sex trafficking charges on Monday after a five-week trial over accusations that they used drugs and force to rape scores of women they had dazzled with their wealth and opulent lifestyle. The verdict came after 11 women testified they were sexually assaulted by one or more of the brothers: twins Oren and Alon Alexander, 38, and Tal Alexander, 39. All three of the men shook their heads as the...

Australia will deploy a military surveillance aircraft to the Middle East and send missiles to the United Arab ‌Emirates but will not put troops on the ground in Iran, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday. Australia’s military support would help the Gulf countries defend themselves against unprovoked attacks from Iran, Albanese said, stressing Australia was “not a ⁠protagonist”. “Our involvement is purely defensive,” Albanese told reporters. “And it’s in defence ‌of Australians who...

Canada will allow TikTok to continue operating in the country, a complete reversal after the government had previously ordered the social media company to close its Canadian division for security reasons. In November 2024, under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, Canada ordered ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to wind down its Canadian subsidiary. That would not have banned the app’s use but would have forced its offices in Toronto and Vancouver to close. But in January, that order was set...

Around the world, news organisations are racing to create rules for artificial intelligence. Editors debate whether reporters may use AI to draft text, summarise documents or help in research. Some outlets promise readers they will disclose when a machine helps write an article. Others hope credibility will come from avoiding AI altogether. But this debate begins with a mistaken assumption: that journalism earns trust because journalists physically write the sentences themselves. That has never...

US President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that American military objectives in Iran were nearly complete and the conflict could be nearing an end - a declaration met with a defiant vow from Tehran that the war would end on its own terms. Speaking at a news conference in Florida on the same day he discussed the war in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump claimed the US was “achieving major strides towards completing our military objective”, adding that “some people could say...

It was a prank that turned deadly, authorities said: a group of teenagers unspooled rolls of toilet paper outside the home of a beloved high school teacher who tripped in the street and was struck by a pickup truck as the pranksters started to drive away. The 40-year-old teacher, Jason Hughes, died after being brought to a hospital late Friday, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office said. The 18-year-old driver of the pickup was arrested on a felony charge of vehicular homicide, and four other teens...

Ships anchored in the Gulf or transiting the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast links to China in an attempt to evade Iranian attacks, according to data from shipping tracker Marine Traffic analysed by Agence France-Presse. Iran has effectively closed the vital waterway since US-Israeli strikes on it began on February 28, and at least 10 vessels have been attacked since. But by claiming to have an “all-Chinese crew” aboard, or changing their destination to “Chinese...

The United States and China traded barbs at a ⁠UN drugs meeting on ⁠Monday, with Washington accusing Beijing of ⁠failing to stop sales of precursor chemicals for fentanyl and China dismissing the allegation as false while calling the US irresponsible. The exchange, delivered in separate statements at the UN’s annual Commission on Narcotic Drugs meeting in Vienna, underscored tensions ‌between the two countries over illicit drugs and tariffs, with their leaders due to meet in China at the end of...

Anthropic on Monday filed a lawsuit to block the Pentagon from placing it on a national security blacklist, escalating the artificial intelligence lab’s high-stakes battle with the US military over usage restrictions on its technology. Anthropic said in its lawsuit that the designation was unlawful and violated its free speech and due process rights. The filing in federal court in California asked a judge to undo the designation and block federal ‌agencies from enforcing it. “These actions are...

A major fire in the heart of Glasgow crippled Scottish train services on Monday as firefighters worked to douse the blaze that destroyed a four-storey building next to Scotland’s busiest railway station. Glasgow Central Station was closed and all travel to, from and through the station was expected to be disrupted, according to rail operators. It was not clear when the station would reopen, but it was expected to remain closed for a further day on Tuesday. The fire broke out Sunday afternoon in...

Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams appeared at London’s High Court on Monday for a civil lawsuit which aims to hold him liable for Irish Republican Army bombings in Britain, a case which could ‌affect the prominent republican leader’s legacy. Adams became Sinn Fein leader in 1983 when it was the IRA’s political wing, establishing himself as the face of the movement seeking to end British rule in Northern Ireland. He later reinvented himself as a peacemaker after helping secure the 1998 Good...

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran towards Turkey on Monday, according to a statement by the Defence Ministry, raising the risk that the military alliance could be drawn more directly into the conflict in the Middle East. It follows a similar interception on March 4, after which Nato said it strengthened its missile-defence posture in the region. Debris from the munition landed in Gaziantep province in southern Turkey, around 150km (93 miles)...

Over the past 12 months, a series of political and military crises has erupted in different parts of the world. Do they have anything in common? On the surface, the dramas in Iran, Panama, Venezuela and Greenland look separate, each with its own cast, excuse and headlines. What links them is not ideology, or the public language used to sell each move. It is the map. Iran sits beside the Strait of Hormuz, the choke point for Gulf energy flows. Panama sits astride one of the world’s trade...

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday the G7 will discuss a possible release of strategic oil reserves, as finance ministers of the world’s leading industrialised nations prepared to meet for crisis talks on the Middle East war. Macron, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven advanced economies, said that “the use of strategic reserves is an option being considered”. A possible meeting of G7 heads of state and government could take place this week, Macron told...

Five players from Iran’s visiting women’s football team claimed asylum in Australia on Tuesday, seeking protection after they were branded “traitors” at home for refusing to sing the national anthem. Iranian players fell silent as the anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia last week, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic Republic. US President Donald Trump was among those urging Australia to offer the players asylum, citing grave fears for their safety if they...

New video from Iranian state media shows a missile slamming into a compound in southern Iran, as evidence mounted that the US military was most likely responsible for the February 28 attack on a girls’ school that left more than 160 dead, mostly children. The footage, published Sunday by the Mehr News Agency, was titled “The moment when Israeli and American terrorists struck #Minab school”. Video shows a munition consistent with a Tomahawk cruise missile striking an area as black smoke rose from...

Iran has named a son of its late supreme leader as his successor. US President Donald Trump already had expressed disdain for Mojtaba Khamenei, calling him “unacceptable”. The Islamic Republic’s war strategy now has a new commander, and the powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has pledged allegiance. Oil prices shot above US$100 a barrel. Both sides in the war struck new targets over the weekend, including civilian ones. Bahrain accused Iran of hitting one of the desalination plants that...

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. As Iran war closes Middle East skies, how high can Cathay Pacific fares fly? 2. Rising star chip scientist Jiang Jianfeng leaves MIT for Peking University 3. Takeaways from Foreign Minister Wang Yi at China’s ‘two sessions’ 4. Singapore real estate giants feel the heat amid China’s property...

Ukrainian ministers launched a protest at plans to reopen the Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, in a statement published in Kyiv on Sunday. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna called the admission of Russian artists to international events unacceptable and asked the organisers to reconsider their decision. After all, they had condemned Moscow’s aggression soon after the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine more than four years ago, they noted. “It is...

The program for people traveling internationally, set to come back online at 5 a.m. Wednesday, had been paused amid the shutdown of the Homeland Security Department.

The voting technology company’s new court filing signals how far-reaching the legal fights over elections will be in 2026.

Clayton Fuller will face Shawn Harris, a Democrat, in an April runoff. Mr. Fuller’s win over a flashier Republican showed the power of the president’s support.

The victory by Mr. Thompson, the state’s longest-serving Black Democrat, offers a counterpoint to the broader push nationwide for younger leadership in Congress.

Two doctors affiliated with the university and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital stepped down after an external report found that the administrators mishandled allegations of abuse against Robert Hadden.

The country has prioritized self-sufficiency in producing a crucial battlefield weapon, though weaning itself fully off cheaper Chinese components is difficult.

The Bay Area Rapid Transit system was once so successful, it could rely mostly on riders to sustain itself. But the pandemic dealt BART an unusually heavy blow.

Two companies have withdrawn from a series of dinners in Los Angeles after The New York Times reported allegations that René Redzepi attacked workers.

Through his lawyers, Alberto Carvalho, who was put on leave after the F.B.I. raided his home and office, said that his actions were appropriate but that he would respect the investigative process.

A high school senior and a recent graduate, both from the Philadelphia suburbs, were charged by federal prosecutors with trying to support a terrorist group.

The best hope? Weaken the regime’s ability to lash out and resist an uprising.

The United States and Israel have considered using Iranian Kurds as a ground force.

The Weather Service issued several of its most urgent alerts on Tuesday night.

His pounding runs for the underdog New York team against the Baltimore Colts secured a pivotal win for the American Football League.

As the irreverent quiz show’s judge and scorekeeper, Kurtis, a former news anchor known for his rich voice, has helped find comedy in current events since 2014.

Matt Schlicht, the site’s creator, helped kick off Silicon Valley’s obsession with artificial intelligence agents. Two months later, he is joining the Meta Superintelligence Lab.