Granting a foreign head of state such as the Israeli president access to domestic intelligence agency unprecedented', senator David Pocock claims

New South Wales police allege man entered inner Sydney apartment complex on Tuesday morning

South Australia saw most of the season's wildest swings with January heatwaves followed by February floods

Regulator rules Universal Church of the Kingdom of God did not protect vulnerable donors, including woman who says she gave life savingsSometimes you're seeing God as a genie, where if I give him all this money, He will bring me what I want," Sarah says.The 27-year-old spent years in the grip of prosperity gospel", whose followers believe cash donations to evangelical churches unlock divine blessings of health and wealth. So did Jennifer*, 29, who says she handed over her life savings.Name has been changed Continue reading...

Welsh language commissioner calls for transformative' intervention, amid Reform UK threats to undo new powersA revolution is required" to protect the Welsh language, according to a major new report.While the number of Cymraeg speakers has remained more or less stable for decades, it has not risen in line with significant population growth, making the language more vulnerable, according to the Welsh language commissioner's five-year report, published on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Liberal MP says rules are irrelevant when Trump acts as an apex opportunist', following a drone strike at Al Minhad airbase where Australian troops are based

Michele Bullock not making a prediction', but cites rise in oil prices due to attacks on Iran and tight labour market as factors in possible cash rate rise

Victim was driven to Thora near Bellingen after attack at Little Styx River campground at Ebor but was dead by the time authorities arrived

As US-Israeli airstrikes hit their cities, people tell of how the authorities are warning them off the streetsAt least 200 civilians have been killed since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran last weekend, according to rights groups, as people inside Iran told the Guardian they were fearful of a rising death toll.The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that at least 555 people had been killed across Iran. However, in its latest update, the Norway-based human rights group Hengaw said the death toll on day three had reached at least 1,500, including 200 civilians and 1,300 members of the Iranian forces. Continue reading...

Bulky and noisy Iran-made unmanned attack drones have hit buildings in Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and elsewhere

French president says Paris could deploy nuclear-capable fighter jet to countries such as Germany and PolandFrance will increase the size of its nuclear arsenal for the first time in decades and significantly intensify nuclear weapons cooperation with eight European allies including the UK as part of a major" strengthening of its deterrence doctrine, Emmanuel Macron has said.Amid growing concern among European leaders about wavering US commitments to help defend the continent, the French president said on Monday that Paris could deploy nuclear-capable Rafale fighter jets to partner countries such as Germany and Poland. Continue reading...

Hundreds of thousands of passengers remain stranded, with key air hubs in Middle East closed amid fallout from US-Israeli strikes on Iran

Ipsa cites abuse and constituency workloads as reasons for above-inflation increase of 5% over next financial yearThe basic annual salary of MPs will rise to 110,000, the expenses watchdog has said, on the grounds of increased abuse and intimidation as well as growing constituency workloads.This year, MPs' basic pay will rise by almost 5,000, a jump of 5% over the next financial year to 98,599 - and will reach 110,000 by the end of the parliament. Continue reading...

Reform leader says without evidence that his party's candidate came first among UK-born voters, as Hannah Spencer takes seat in parliamentNigel Farage has been accused of Donald Trump-style election denial by the Green party's new MP for Gorton and Denton, after he claimed her Reform rival came first" among British-born voters in last week's byelection.Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and councillor, was elected as the party's first MP in northern England last week after winning 14,980 votes, more than 4,400 ahead of Reform's candidate, who came second. Continue reading...

French president says deterrent needs to be strengthened' in recognition of new challengesA Cypriot government spokesperson has just confirmed that two unmanned drones headed to RAF Akrotiri were intercepted before reaching the base.Two unmanned aerial vehicles that were moving towards the direction of the British Bases at Akrotiri were confronted in time," Konstantinos Letymbiotis said. Continue reading...

The prime minister is explaining his decision to allow the US to use British bases for military attacks after initially refusing

PM defends use of UK bases for defensive action but says Britain has learned the lessons from Iraq' on need for thought-through plan'

Refusal to allow use of bases in Rota and Moron follows Pedro Sanchez's condemnation of US-Israeli actionSpain has denied the US permission to use jointly operated military bases on its territory to attack Iran as Madrid stepped up its criticism of the unjustified and dangerous military intervention".Spain's socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has explicitly condemned the US and Israel's unilateral military action" against Iran, warning that it is contributing to a more hostile and uncertain international order". The rebukes have been reinforced by his government's refusal to allow the US to use bases in Rota and Moron for the continuing strikes against Iran. Continue reading...

US allies in Gulf states come under attack from Iranian missiles and drones as three US fighter jets mistakenly shot down by Kuwait

Gregory Caulier has attempted to quash rumours that Mask actor was replaced by a heavily made-up impersonator for his appearance picking up an honorary award in ParisThe organiser of the Cesar awards has sought to debunk reports that a lookalike stood in for Jim Carrey at last week's ceremony.In a statement sent to Variety on Monday, Gregory Caulier, general delegate of the Cesars, said the controversy was a non-issue" and testified to Carrey's investment in the event, which had been in the planning since last summer. Continue reading...

17th-century Dutch master's Vision of Zacharias in the Temple to go on display this weekIt hung unrecognised on the wall of a private home for decades but now a 17th-century painting has been revealed as a Rembrandt, taking its potential value from thousands to millions of pounds.The Rijksmuseum announced on Monday that it had rediscovered an early biblical scene by the Dutch master that was once thought lost, thanks to hi-tech scanning and two years of expert analysis. Continue reading...

US president also very disappointed' in Keir Starmer over UK government's deal to hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius

People drive to Oman and Saudi in hope of a flight, while most tourists stay stuck in hotels and on cruise ships

Conflict spreads as militant group targets Israel over Ali Khamenei killing and IDF responds with Beirut strikes

Hartlepool leaders furious and appalled' after meeting with Steve Reed about growing cost of social careThe housing, communities and local government secretary has been accused by a Labour council of showing arrogance, indifference and moral bankruptcy" towards children in social care.In an unusually forthright attack, Labour leaders of Hartlepool council said they were furious and appalled" at Steve Reed after a meeting with him last week. A cross-party delegation had asked the secretary of state for 3m to help alleviate the growing cost of social care. Continue reading...

Yvette Cooper says plans under consideration to evacuate about 300,000 Britons from Middle East amid Iran war

Fears that decision to strike could be open-ended as Trump comes under pressure to spell out his vision for the country

Release of review delayed after former leader Peter Dutton raised concerns about some findings against him and his chief-of-staff

In today's newsletter: A region already strained by years of proxy conflict is now confronting its most volatile moment in decades, as the death of Iran's supreme leader could drag us into a rapidly widening crisis, with no clear path to deescalationGood morning. Over the weekend the US and Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran that resulted in the assassination of Tehran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - a move that dramatically raised the stakes in their long-running conflict.The assassination of a serving supreme leader is an extraordinary act - one that signals not containment, but confrontation. Retaliatory strikes by Iran have already spilled the conflict far beyond its borders, drawing a host of regional powers into the fray. Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and senior cleric Alireza Arafi will reportedly lead Iran in the transitional period following Khamenei's death.Iran | Donald Trump said on Sunday he was prepared to talk to what was left of the Iranian leadership in the wake of the killing of the country's supreme leader by US-Israeli air strikes aimed at overthrowing the regime.British military | The UK's RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus was hit by a suspected drone strike, causing limited damage and no casualties, Cypriot authorities and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.Immigration | Shabana Mahmood has ripped up the government's asylum rules so that from Monday every refugee will be told that their status is temporary and will last just 30 months.UK politics | The Green party said its membership had passed 200,000 in the wake of its victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection, in which it overturned a huge Labour majority.AI | Datacentre developers are facing pressure to reveal whether their projects will increase the UK's net greenhouse gas emissions, amid concerns the sites could double national electricity demand. Continue reading...

It is Hanson's second censure within four months, this time over comments questioning whether there were good' Muslims

Sporadic clashes reported in several provinces in Afghanistan as both sides give conflicting death tollsAfghanistan has said it had thwarted Pakistan's attempted airstrikes on Bagram airbase, the former US military base north of Kabul, as cross-border fighting between the two countries stretched into a fourth day.Months of clashes have flared up again since Thursday, when Afghanistan launched attacks along the frontier and Pakistani forces hit back on the border and from the skies. Pakistan has declared it is in open war" with Afghanistan. Continue reading...

Biggest house price increases in February come in smaller capital cities as buyers undeterred by interest rate hikes

Government has not yet committed to repatriation flights as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways cancel flights

Health minister pledges to work quickly to improve hygiene after mould outbreak in Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred hospital left two patients dead

Royal College of Psychiatrists says impact on mental health often overlooked and calls for improvements in careNearly three-quarters of UK women do not know menopause can trigger a new mental illness, polling shows.This lack of understanding is so acute that the Royal College of Psychiatrists has launched its first targeted position statement" to raise awareness about menopause and mental health. Continue reading...

Home secretary announces 30-month protection limit, with refugees required to leave if their home countries are later judged safe

PM is in diplomatically precarious position of declining to endorse US strikes while also refusing to condemn them

About 200,000 nationals thought to be in the region as tensions rise after US-Israeli attacks on Iranian regime

Lindo speaks out after man with Tourette syndrome shouted slur while actor was on stage with Michael B JordanBritish-American actor Delroy Lindo expressed gratitude for the support and love" he and Michael B Jordan have received after a man with Tourette syndrome (TS) shouted the N-word as the two men presented a Bafta award.We appreciate all the support and love that we have been shown," Lindo - who, like Jordan, is Black - said on stage at the annual NAACP Image awards in Los Angeles. He called it a classic case of something that could be very negative becoming very positive". Continue reading...

Attack on Iran has widespread support, with little questioning of whether it is best option for lasting security

The US and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on Saturday, killing Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Why did Trump decide (again) to attack Iran during negotiations on a nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic? How does he sell a new war in the Middle East, with potential US casualties, to people at home? What happens next for Iran?In this special collaboration with Today in Focus, Annie Kelly speaks to the Guardian's diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour.Archive: CBS News, NBC News, PBS Newshour, CNN, Fox News Continue reading...

Retaliatory strikes have so far been high in volume but mostly not very effective and are likely to become less so

The diaspora hope the death of Ali Khamenei will bring change - and peace - even as fears remain over Iran's futureOn Saturday night, with bombs falling across the Middle East and rumours of the death of Ali Khamenei, the longtime ayatollah of Iran, spreading, the streets of north London resembled a party.Thousands of revellers filled Finchley Road, a part of London often called Little Tehran because of the large Iranian community, waving flags, many with the lion and sun, the flag of the Iranian state before the 1979 Islamic revolution. Continue reading...

Key transit hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha close, and more than 1,000 flights by Middle Eastern carriers cancelled

Belgian special forces boarded the Ethera, which was sailing under the flag of Guinea, on Saturday nightBelgium has seized an oil tanker believed to form part of the so-called shadow fleet" used by Russia to circumvent western sanctions over the war in Ukraine.Special forces assisted by French helicopters boarded the ship in a clandestine operation in the North Sea on Saturday night, Belgium's defence minister, Theo Francken, said on Sunday. Continue reading...

The mutual resentments that have fueled tensions between the US and Iran have simmered for nearly half a centuryFor millions of younger Americans, the sudden explosion of Iran onto the national political stage and consciousness may seem like a bolt from the blue.Yet for older generations and those with deeper historical awareness, Donald Trump's announcement on Saturday of strikes against a distant foe is more like the outcome of a collision long foretold. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Labour's Rushanara Ali plans to intervene in elections bill amid warnings of foreign interferenceA former Labour minister has added her voice to those of a growing list of experts and senior MPs calling for a ban on political donations in cryptocurrency as concerns grow over foreign interference in British elections.Rushanara Ali, the Labour MP who helped draft the elections bill when she was a minister in the communities department, called for the government to strengthen the legislation with an outright ban on donations in digital currencies. Continue reading...

Sales beat wider retail sector last year thanks to customers inspired by websites such as Vinted, industry body saysYoung people inspired by secondhand fashion websites such as Vinted and Depop are helping charity shops thrive despite rising energy and employment costs.Save the Children's retail sales rose 3% last year, helped by a surge in December when the charity rang up 11% more than the same month a year before, raising more than 1m for its causes. Continue reading...

Rhun ap Iorwerth tells party conference Labour and Tories slipping away' and Reform UK is main threatThe leader of Plaid Cymru has claimed the Welsh parliament elections in May will be a straight fight between his party and Reform UK, which he billed as a choice between culture or ignorance, humanity or indifference".Speaking at the party's biggest ever conference, Rhun ap Iorwerth, the clear favourite to be the next Welsh first minister, said the Gorton and Denton byelection showed Labour and the Tories were slipping away", and he promised Plaid had a radical plan to improve Wales's fortunes. Continue reading...

Wave of strikes comes after Taliban forces attack Pakistani border troops following earlier action from IslamabadPakistan has bombed major cities in Afghanistan including the capital, Kabul, with Islamabad's defence minister declaring that the hostile neighbours were in a state of open war" as a cycle of retaliatory attacks escalated further.Witnesses in Kabul and Kandahar, the southern Afghan city, reported explosions and jets overhead until dawn, while the Taliban government said later that Pakistani surveillance aircraft were still flying over Afghanistan. Continue reading...