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Larijani was killed by an Israeli airstrike and is the most senior Iranian fatality since Ali Khamenei on first day of war

Roberts did not name Donald Trump, but US president has decried corrupt judges' who ruled against him

One Nation and Coalition adopting reactionary tactics to win over frustrated and fearful voters, frontbencher Andrew Giles says

In letter to justice secretary, groups say judge-led decisions more likely to be influenced by bias than those made by 12 random peopleThirty organisations representing victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG) have written to the justice secretary, David Lammy, urging him to drop plans to significantly reduce the number of jury trials.The groups said that the proposals, which will affect court cases in England and Wales, will deepen mistrust in the justice system among victims and distract from measures designed to reduce offending. Continue reading...

Lawmakers on both sides of aisle have criticized justice department's improper redaction of information

Russian billionaire accused of missing last chance' to release money to help victims of Ukraine warUK officials are preparing for a possible court case against Roman Abramovich after he missed a deadline to release 2.4bn he raised from selling Chelsea FC.The Russian billionaire failed to hand over the money by the deadline of 17 March, amid a dispute over how it will eventually be used. Continue reading...

Union says claims involving young women and minors are serious enough to halt annual tributes and open an inquiry

Supplies becoming sparse amid rise in demand since Kent outbreak, which has killed two and left 13 seriously illWorried parents are contacting pharmacies in an increasingly desperate" effort to get their children vaccinated against meningitis after the outbreak in Kent that has killed two young people and left 13 seriously ill.The surge in demand has led to stocks of the vaccine running so low that many pharmacies cannot get hold of supplies from wholesalers. Continue reading...

Vaccination programme to be launched on Canterbury campus as strain B of disease identified in fatal outbreakStudents in Kent are to be offered a targeted vaccination against meningitis B after two more cases in the deadly outbreak were confirmed and pharmacies ran out of vaccine doses.Government scientists have said two people who died in the outbreak had bacterial strain B of the disease, for which most people have not been vaccinated. Continue reading...

Ukraine's president says mass attacks on civilians are no longer the preserve of a madman like Putin'European nations should prepare for attacks by non-state actors including criminal networks, terror groups and lone attackers as drone technology advances, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned.The Ukrainian president said it was no longer just a wealthy madman like Putin" who could afford mass attacks as he demonstrated the latest technology to British MPs and peers. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer previously reassured that the war in Iran would not distract the UK from supporting UkraineNigel Farage is speaking now at the Reform UK event.The website promoting the lottery is up. It is called nigelcutmybills.com. Continue reading...

Amid escalation of Middle East crisis, US president describes rejection of call for help as a foolish mistake'

Margaret Hodge, who led report into arts funder, tells DCMS committee that grant recipients have lost confidence in the bodyArts Council England (ACE) requires a radical" overhaul so that it is able to respond to the challenges of the culture sector, according to Margaret Hodge, who said if ACE leaders did not heed her warnings it would be a disaster".The Labour peer, who led a wide-ranging and critical report into ACE, made the comments at a Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee, where she reiterated her calls for the organisation to embrace reform. Continue reading...

Senate Democrats sent counteroffer Monday aimed at resolving budget standoff

Minister says the change is needed to protect the corporation from repeated culture war' attacksThe government is to put the BBC's charter on a permanent footing for the first time, after the corporation said the change was needed to protect it from political interference.In a significant change to the governance of the BBC, the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, said she wanted to grant the corporation's demand for a permanent charter. She said she wanted to protect it from repeated culture war" attacks. Continue reading...

Family of then PM, Patrice Lumumba, welcome decision to charge Etienne Davignon as beginning of a reckoning'A former Belgian diplomat, 93, should stand trial over alleged complicity in the 1961 murder of Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of what was then the newly independent Congolese state, a Brussels court has ruled.Etienne Davignon, the only person still alive among 10 Belgians the Lumumba family accuses of involvement in the killing, is charged with participation in war crimes.The illegal transfer of Lumumba and his associates from Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) to Katanga.The humiliating and degrading treatment" of the men.Depriving them of a fair trial. Continue reading...

The University of Florida campus group says the suspension over an off-campus post violated free speech

Woman known only as Beth says abuser claimed status made him untouchable, which terrorised her into silenceMI5 has apologised and paid compensation to a woman who alleged the Security Service was to blame for her being attacked with a machete and abused by one of its agents.The woman, known only as Beth, was in a relationship with a man she says used his status as an MI5 agent to perpetrate abuse and terrorise her into silence. Continue reading...

Writers Guild of America East says management failed to offer fair wages and basic job protections

Carmaker reduces office-based roles and will not fill vacancies to ensure long-term competitiveness of business'Bentley is to cut 275 jobs in the UK as the carmaker faces a challenging global market environment".The luxury brand, owned by Germany's Volkswagen, is preparing to launch its first all-electric model but acknowledged it had some work to do to convince consumers to switch away from internal combustion engine vehicles. Continue reading...

Snow, tornadoes and fierce winds disrupt flights and leave homes and businesses in multiple states in the dark

Forces in England and Wales and journalists pledge to improve relations amid rising distrustPolice and the media have backed a reset" in relations between officers and journalists, after a prolonged period of distrust since the handling of the Nicola Bulley case in 2023.Bulley's disappearance in Lancashire led to significant fallout between the police and the press, with media outlets saying a lack of access and information allowed incorrect assertions and conspiracy theories about the case to gain ground. Continue reading...

Exclusive: actor's Papa Salt gin to get oyster-free version after venues says it is not worth the risk'Margot Robbie said she couldn't wait" to see the artisan gin brand she had created stocked in her London local. But the willingness of the capital's venues to fulfil her dream has been seriously compromised by three words on the side of the bottle - warning: contains molluscs".The Wuthering Heights star has had to change the recipe of her spirit after top London bars and restaurants rejected it due to allergen concerns, the Guardian can reveal. Continue reading...

Specialist lender's shares plunge after short seller claims it will have to raise provision for car finance scandal

It would make Larijani the most senior Iranian figure to be killed in the war since Ali Khamenei. Plus, Oakland homicides down 48% from Covid peak

More than 100 others injured in bombings targeting post office, market areas and hospital in MaiduguriAt least 23 people have been killed and more than 100 others injured in multiple suspected suicide bombings in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, shattering its reputation as a relative oasis of calm in recent years as a long-running insurgency was pushed to the rural hinterlands.Authorities said the explosions went off at the post office and market areas, as well as the entrance to the University of Maiduguri teaching hospital, on Monday evening during iftar, the breaking of fast in the month of Ramadan. Continue reading...

After carrying out an audit, the council found some parts of the town were overwhelmed'A local council has stopped residents from installing any more memorial benches in the town amid concerns that it is becoming overwhelmed".Hartlepool borough council has said it is not currently taking any new applications for benches, after concerns from residents that there are too many. Continue reading...

Reserve Bank of Australia's second consecutive increase lifts cash rate target to 4.1%, back to where it was in February last year

In today's newsletter: As drones and missiles hit Dubai, Doha and other sites across the Gulf, Hannah Ellis Peterson explains what happens next for the regionMorning everyone, I'm Patrick Greenfield - you may recognise the name from my environment reporting over the years (or perhaps you read my piece about the possible rebirth of a long-extinct 12ft bird). I'll be joining you on First Edition for the next few months, where I will inevitably be turning my attention to some rather more worrisome news than the Jurassic Park-adjacent ambitions of a US startup.On that note: no Gulf state wanted war with Iran. But, as fighting in the Middle East enters its third week, the region finds itself on the frontline of an increasingly intractable conflict. After the US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February, drones and missiles have showered the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia - bringing the region's oil and gas industries to a near standstill, and prompting an exodus of tourists and expats.UK news | Keir Starmer has said the UK will not be drawn into the wider war in the Middle East, after Donald Trump called for allies to send warships to the strait of Hormuz to help unblock global oil supplies from the region. Starmer also announced that households reliant on heating oil to warm their homes would receive 53m of government support to help with their bills.Health | A sixth-form student at Queen Elizabeth's grammar school in Faversham has been confirmed as the second person to have died after an outbreak of meningitis in Kent.Environment | Realtime pollution alerts are urgently needed across Windermere, campaigners have said, as the mother of a seven-year-old boy who kayaked on the lake described how he nearly died after contracting a dangerous strain of E coli from contaminated water.Media | The BBC has asked a US court to throw out Donald Trump's $10bn (7.5bn) lawsuit over the way a documentary edited one of his speeches, warning that proceeding with the case would have a chilling effect" on its reporting on the president.Energy | Belgium's prime minister, Bart De Wever, has been criticised for calling for the normalisation of relations with Russia to re-establish cheap energy supplies. Continue reading...

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Exclusive: Birthrights report says women are being told they are not allowed' and are being denied genuine choiceWomen feel put under pressure to have medical procedures such as caesareans during their maternity care, according to a report.The charity Birthrights collated the experiences of 300 people in England who said they had felt or witnessed coercion within a maternity setting. Continue reading...

The Federation Council in Corowa received 266 submissions from ratepayers opposed to a plan to remove Indigenous flags, and only 44 in favour

Exclusive: One Nation leader updates register after questions from the Guardian to include multiple flights courtesy of Rinehart's company

Afghanistan's deputy government spokesman says death toll has reached 400 people so far' as Islamabad denies targeting facility for drug addictsHundreds were feared dead after a strike on a hospital treating drug users in the Afghan capital of Kabul, which officials from Afghanistan blamed on the Pakistani military.Afghanistan's deputy government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said the death toll had so far" reached 400 people, while about 250 people had been reported injured. He said most of those killed and wounded were patients undergoing treatment at the facility. Continue reading...

Only half the road network is in good condition despite 1.9m repairs last year, says industry bodyA losing battle with potholes has now seen the backlog of repairs across England and Wales reach a record 18.6bn, according to an annual industry estimate, despite councils filling in about 1.9m holes last year.The national disgrace" of dangerously pockmarked local roads has been exacerbated by a notably wet winter, with only half of the network now reported to be in good condition. Continue reading...

Energy minister says country's fuel supply has yet to be affected by war, following meeting with suppliers and retailers

This blog is closedContinued from previous post:Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has said she has no immediate plans to send her country's maritime self-defence forces to help protect tanker traffic in the strait of Homuz.We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework.I would like to engage in solid discussions based on Japan's views and position regarding the need for early de-escalation. Continue reading...

Events in the narrow waterway are causing chaos around the globe. Jillian Ambrose explains whyThe strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water at the mouth of the Gulf, is the world's petrol pump, a geographical bottleneck through which 20% of the world's oil normally flows.Since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, however, Tehran has threatened to close the strait and cause mayhem. They've not formally, officially shut it down, but they have said that they will set ablaze any tanker that tries to move through. For any shipping owner, for any insurer, that is as good as closed," explains the Guardian's energy correspondent, Jillian Ambrose. Continue reading...

Jess Wilson's party has made a splash on social media but will they work together in the state election race?

Lawyer acting for alleged Bondi beach terror attack shooter says 24-year-old's mother and siblings have received death threats since December antisemitic shootings

US president had earlier hinted trip could be put on hold if President Xi does not help unblock the strait of Hormuz

John Cornyn and Greg Casar debate TSA agent pay outside Austin airport as partial shutdown enters second month

Details from US Central Command come as 13 US service members and more than 1,300 Iranians have been killedAt least 200 US troops have been injured in the US-Israeli war on Iran, a US military spokesperson said on Monday.Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 200 US service members have been wounded," US Central Command spokesperson Cpt Tim Hawkins told the Guardian via email. Continue reading...

Conservative-majority court sided with administration before and lifted protections for 600,000 Venezuelans

Angelo Rodriguez accused of hitting car and leaving scene, leading to deaths of quartet in second crash moments later

President revealed details of Neal Dunn's health prompting Mike Johnson, the House speaker, to say it wasn't public'

Trustees approve Trump's $257m revitalization project' to remake DC arts institution that president has taken over

Abbas Araghchi demands clarification on reports Saudi crown prince urged Donald Trump to hit the Iranians hard'

Wiles, 68, praised by president as one of the strongest people I know', to continue working while having treatmentSusie Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, has been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer but plans to continue working while undergoing treatment.The 68-year-old revealed on Monday that the illness had been detected in the past week. Both she and Donald Trump struck an optimistic tone, saying doctors expect a strong recovery. Continue reading...

Leaders seek a diplomatic solution despite US president's threat of a very bad future' for Nato unless it provides warships