Middle East crisis live: Kuwait issues oil spill warning after tanker attacked in Dubai port

Kuwait says fire broke out after Iranian attack on giant tanker and warns of possible oil spill in surrounding waters

• Trump threatens to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s energy grid if ceasefire not reached ‘shortly’

Donald Trump is weighing a military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds (454kg) of uranium from Iran, the Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing unnamed US officials.

The mission would likely put American forces inside the country for days or longer, the report says.

But the president remains generally open to the idea, according to the officials, because it could help accomplish his central goal of preventing Iran from ever making a nuclear weapon.

The combined effect of both waterways being shut to commercial traffic from countries that neither the Iranians nor Houthis favour would be devastating.

Napoleon Bonaparte’s remark that “the policy of a state lies in its geography” has never seemed more apt.

Ukraine war briefing: allies asked Kyiv about reducing attacks on Russian energy sector, Zelenskyy says

President says he is open to scaling back strikes on oil and wider energy industry if Moscow reciprocates. What we know on day 1,496

Vance appears at secretive donor summit as 2028 presidential speculation grows

JD Vance headlined a closed-door gathering for the spring summit of the Rockbridge Network, a secretive donor group that Vance co-founded in 2019 during his stint as a private investor.

Countdown begins for long-awaited Artemis II moon mission

Countdown clocks began ticking Monday, setting the stage for launch of the Artemis II moon mission early Wednesday evening.

Sad faces all round as Bolivia’s clowns protest over decree threatening their livelihoods

Clowns in Bolivia are upset by mandate that stops schools hosting events from which they earn a living

Dozens of clowns have marched through the streets of Bolivia’s capital to protest against a government decree that limits extracurricular activities in schools, threatening their livelihoods.

Wearing full face paint and their signature red noses, the clowns gathered on Monday in front of the ministry of education in La Paz to oppose a decree published in February. The new mandate says schools must comply with 200 days of lessons each year – in effect banning them from hosting the special events where the entertainers are frequently employed.

DeSantis signs bill to rename Palm Beach airport after Trump

President Trump's family business filed a trademark application for the name in February in response to the Florida bill.

Vanuatu Indigenous leaders raise concerns over plans to build resort for cruise tourists

Exclusive: Environmental impact assessments are ‘incomplete’, say leaders, and private beach club could harm fragile ecosystems

Indigenous community leaders in Vanuatu have raised concerns over plans by the cruise operator Royal Caribbean to build a private beach club on the island of Lelepa, arguing environmental impact assessments by the company are “incomplete” and “misleading”.

The community leaders outlined the issues in a letter sent to Royal Caribbean on 26 February, which has been seen by the Guardian. The leaders also said the development could harm fragile ecosystems and a nearby Unesco world heritage site.

3/30: The Takeout with Major Garrett

More U.S. troops arrive in the Middle East while Trump touts Iran talks; TSA workers begin receiving paychecks, but shutdown continues.

UConn shocks Duke to join Illinois, Arizona and Michigan in Final Four

After being down by as many as 19 on Sunday, Braylon Mullins retrieved a loose ball near midcourt in the waning seconds against Duke and hit a three-pointer from 35 feet away to take the lead.

UConn buzzer beater turns near blowout into unforgettable March Madness wing

UConn downed Duke with a last-second 3-pointer to join Illinois, Arizona and Michigan in the Final Four. Tony Dokoupil has more.

Artemis II astronauts say they're "ready to go" for moon launch

The countdown to launch of the Artemis II crew's flight around the moon begins Monday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Anticipation grows for Artemis II moon launch

After weeks of delays, NASA is finally poised for the launch of a historic flight this week to send a crew of four astronauts on a trailblazing nine-day trip around the moon and back. Mark Strassmann has more.

Brent crude touches $115 a barrel, while stocks resume a losing streak

U.S. stocks swung on Monday as oil prices kept climbing because of uncertainty about when the war with Iran could end.

Army reviewing helicopter flyby at Kid Rock's house during training flight

Kid Rock shared videos to social media that show two Army helicopters outside of his Tennessee home. An Army official confirmed to CBS News that it was a training flight.

U.S. Army probing Apache helicopter flyby at Kid Rock's Tennessee home

The Army said that it has launched a review after singer and rapper Kid Rock shared a video to social media that shows a pair of Apache helicopters flying outside of his Tennessee house. Matt Gutman has details.

TSA absences still high at some airports, even as workers begin to get back pay

TSA staffing shortages remain far more severe than the national average, although wait times seemed to be stabilizing Monday.

DHS shutdown set to stretch on with Congress on 2-week break

The shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is set to stretch on after House Republicans rejected a Senate-passed solution to the standoff late last week.

TSA workers start receiving paychecks after weeks of financial strain

TSA workers across the country are starting to receive about a month's worth of back pay after President Trump signed an executive order last week. Kris Van Cleave reports.

Rising gas prices could ripple across the economy

Higher oil prices are hitting consumers at the gas pump hard. Meanwhile, economists warn they could lead to inflation as financial markets struggle to recover from five weeks of losses. Jason Allen has more.

JetBlue raises checked bag fees as fuel costs climb amid Iran war

JetBlue is hiking bag check fees as airlines face higher jet fuel costs related to the Iran war, making flying more expensive.

‘We didn’t want to be preachy’: David Attenborough’s unexpected new show – which might enrage cat lovers

The great naturalist, who is about to turn 100, is still surprised by wildlife in his new series about British gardens. But not every pet owner will be happy with his top tips

Whenever David Attenborough speaks, the world listens – so his latest BBC programme, which heralds the broadcaster’s 100th birthday, is bound to attract attention.

Secret Garden, which features five different UK gardens, might not be what people normally expect from Attenborough, says the show’s series producer, Bill Markham, as “there’s no lions and tigers”.

The ‘Third Front’: China resurrects Mao’s military capabilities

As ties with Washington sour, China is reviving a cold war strategy to defend against a US attack

Dotted across the mountainous roads of Sichuan and just a few hours’ drive from some of China’s most bustling cities, the crumbling ruins of an abandoned military experiment are eerily quiet.

Top secret factories that once housed thousands of workers are now overgrown with vegetation; nearby villages, empty of young people who were once shipped in from across the country to build China’s future, are plastered with advertisements for hearing aids and, in once case, a bundle deal on coffins.

Millions of workers were deployed to these remote mountain locations as part of a huge defence program that stayed secret for over a decade.

15-year-old cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashes 15-ball IPL half century

• Rajasthan Royals opener hits third 50-plus score of his IPL career

• Coaches told youngster ‘to read the situation well and back my game’

Days after turning 15, Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi found a perfect way to celebrate, tearing to a 15-ball half-century in a commanding eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

Sooryavanshi, who lit up his debut season with a 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans last year, took only 15 balls to smash his first fifty of the season – the third fifty-plus score of his eight-match IPL career so far.

AFL player Tristan Xerri banned for three games for ‘disgraceful’ blood smear

• Kangaroos star sanctioned for wiping blood on opponent’s face

• Xerri admits incident during Essendon game was a ‘brain fade’

North Melbourne star Tristan Xerri would have risked a heftier AFL ban had he not shown remorse for wiping blood on the face of Essendon captain Andrew McGrath.

Xerri will miss North’s next three games after he pleaded guilty to his serious misconduct charge.

3/30: CBS Evening News

President Trump claims deal is possible with Iran while threatening strikes on energy sector; anticipation grows for Artemis II moon launch.

José Guadalupe Ramos, a Mexican national, dies in ICE detention in LA

Security staff at the Adelanto detention center found Ramos unconscious and unresponsive in his bunk

A Mexican immigrant has died at a detention center outside Los Angeles, marking at least the 14th death in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody since the year began.

Security staff at the Adelanto detention center found José Guadalupe Ramos unconscious and unresponsive in his bunk on 25 March, according to an ICE press release. Staff attempted to carry out life-saving procedures, including CPR, then called emergency services, who took Ramos to Victory Valley Global medical center in nearby Victorville. He was pronounced dead there at 9.29pm.

Michigan synagogue attacker was inspired by Hezbollah, FBI says

Ayman Ghazali, naturalized US citizen from Lebanon, often consumed content linked to Lebanese group online

The assailant who attacked a synagogue in Michigan earlier this month was inspired by Hezbollah, the FBI said on Monday.

Jennifer Runyan, head of the FBI’s Detroit field office, announced during a press conference that Ayman Ghazali, 41, had frequently consumed Hezbollah-related content online before the attack. In a video recorded before he drove his truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township – a north-western suburb of Detroit – on 12 March, Ghazali said he wanted to “kill as many of them as I possibly can”.

Michigan synagogue attack was act of terrorism inspired by Hezbollah, officials say

Federal officials on Monday for the first time labeled the March 12 attack​ at Michigan's Temple Israel as an act of terrorism inspired by Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group.

US directs American embassies to wage campaign against foreign ‘hostility’ – with Musk’s help

Cable signed by Marco Rubio and seen by Guardian suggests staff work with Pentagon psychological operations unit

The United States has directed every American embassy and consulate across the world to launch coordinated campaigns against foreign propaganda and endorses Elon Musk’s X as an “innovative” tool to help do it.

The cable, signed by the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Monday and obtained by the Guardian, also suggests embassies and consulates work alongside the US military’s psychological operations unit to address the problem of rampant disinformation. It lays out a sweeping set of instructions for how embassy staff should push back against what it describes as coordinated foreign efforts to undermine American interests abroad.

Army investigates after two helicopters hovered by Kid Rock’s pool as he saluted

Two AH-64 Apache helicopters on training run maneuvered near hillside home of Trump-supporting musician

The army has launched an administrative review after two AH-64 Apache helicopters on a training run hovered near the hillside home of Kid Rock as the outspoken supporter of Donald Trump saluted their crews.

Kid Rock posted two videos on social media on Saturday. Each shows a helicopter hovering alongside his swimming pool while the entertainer claps, salutes and raises his fist in the air. The Nashville skyline can be seen in the background.

Everything to know about NASA's moon mission launching this week

NASA is poised to launch four astronauts April 1 on a historic nine-day trip around the moon and back. Here's everything to know about the Artemis II mission.

Céline Dion to return to performing after lengthy hiatus due to illness

Titanic singer will perform 10 shows in Paris in September, after six-year break due to stiff-person syndrome

Céline Dion has announced her long-awaited return to performing live after a lengthy break caused by a rare health condition.

Addressing fans on social media in a video released on her birthday, the 58-year-old singer called the news of her comeback “the best gift”. She said her condition had improved and she would perform a series of shows in Paris, beginning in September.

LA 2028 Olympic organizers say 1m tickets will be available for $28

• Aaround 5% of tickets will cost more than $1,000

• Tickets for general public to go on sale on 9 April

Tickets for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games will go on sale to the general public on 9 April, organizers said on Monday, as LA28 also moved to reassure fans over ticket security by naming a group of verified resale platforms.

A presale for residents in qualifying areas of Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, which will host softball and canoe slalom events, will begin on 2 April.

Army investigates helicopter flyby at Kid Rock's Nashville home

Kid Rock is a leading supporter of President Donald Trump, the subject of "No Kings" demonstrations around the U.S. on the day the helicopters showed up.

At least 70 people killed and 30 injured in Haiti gang attack

Nearly 6,000 people forced to flee, human rights group says, as it criticises ‘abandonment’ from authorities

At least 70 people have been killed and 30 injured during an attack in Haiti’s breadbasket Artibonite region, significantly more than official estimates, a human rights group has said.

Police initially reported 16 dead and 10 injured, while a preliminary report from civil protection authorities suggested 17 had died and 19 were wounded.

JetBlue Airways raises checked bag fees at least $4 as fuel prices soar

Airfare has climbed for routes around the world, driven by higher fuel prices since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.

Yemeni politician says former U.S. soldiers tried to kill him. Now he's suing in U.S. court

The suit is centered around the alleged attempt on Anssaf Ali Mayo's life. But it raises broader questions, including about the role of the United Arab Emirates in Yemen's civil war.

Online sports betting linked to rising delinquency rates, report finds

A study from the New York Fed found that delinquency rates increased faster in states where online sports betting is legal.

Trump rolls back pause on asylum decisions imposed after D.C. National Guard shooting

The Homeland Security Department has lifted its total ban on reviewing asylum applications, a pause that affected millions of cases. The pause remains in effect for about 40 countries.

U.S. could exempt oil industry from protecting Gulf animals, for 'national security'

National security has never been used to call a meeting of the "God Squad." But other federal agencies have been citing the "energy emergency" to avoid rules meant to protect endangered animals.

Powell sees inflation outlook in check, no need to hike rates because of oil shock

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell spoke Monday at Harvard University.

Israel passes law to give death penalty to Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks

Knesset approves measure that has been criticised by European countries and rights groups

Israel’s parliament has passed a law imposing the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks, a measure sharply criticised as discriminatory by European countries and rights groups.

The legislation makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank found guilty of intentionally carrying out deadly attacks deemed acts of terrorism by a military court.

Delaware judge reassigns Elon Musk cases after accusation of bias

Kathaleen McCormick, a judge in Delaware's Court of Chancery, is reassigning cases involving Elon Musk to other judges in the state's business court.

Tottenham close to appointing Roberto De Zerbi as new manager after talks

• De Zerbi is only candidate currently talking to Spurs

• Tottenham intend to give Italian a long-term contract

Roberto De Zerbi has moved closer to becoming Tottenham’s new manager after further negotiations on Monday. The club have made him their prime target to replace Igor Tudor and save them from what would be a ruinous relegation to the Championship.

De Zerbi is in fact the only live candidate given that Spurs are not talking to anyone else. The makeup of his backroom staff has also been discussed.

CEO of Epic Games apologizes after laying off employee with terminal brain cancer

Tim Sweeney, chief of firm that created Fortnite, received backlash after worker’s wife revealed loss of life insurance

The chief of the company that created Fortnite, a popular online game, has issued an apology following backlash after recent mass layoffs cost an employee with terminal brain cancer his job – and his life insurance.

On Sunday, Tim Sweeney, the Epic Games chief executive, apologized after Jenni Griffin, the wife of Mike Prinke, a laid-off employee, revealed on social media that the loss of her husband’s job also meant he was losing his life insurance.

Fed's Powell tells students not to despair despite tough job market

In a Monday speech, Powell also touched on the impact of the Iran war, saying that longer-term inflation expectations remain in check.

NYT accuses Pentagon of flouting judge's order blocking its press access policy

The New York Times says the Defense Department flouted a court order blocking it from enforcing a policy limiting press access to the Pentagon.

Small boats deal between France and UK is on verge of collapse

Negotiations deadlocked as No 10 wants more action on beach patrols but France has concerns over safety

The UK’s agreement with France to pay for beach patrols is on the verge of collapse amid wrangling over the number of small boat interceptions and the safety of asylum seekers in French waters.

Negotiations over plans to revamp the three-year, £480m deal remain deadlocked, despite the involvement of ministers including Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary. The deal expires at midnight on Tuesday.

The Guardian view on Trump’s Iran war: escalation without end | Editorial

Without diplomacy or restraint, the economic shock will deepen and US soldiers may become embroiled in a quagmire

The fifth week of Donald Trump’s illegal war on Iran has confirmed the absence of any overarching strategy. The US continues to hit Iranian targets while building up forces in the region. Iran continues to launch missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighbouring Gulf states. Tehran’s proxies in the region have entered the fray. Its closure of the strait of Hormuz has seen oil prices shoot up and had knock-on effects already visible across fuel, fertiliser and supply chains. No amount of contradictory social media posts from Mr Trump can negate the shortages felt across the world, from Asian factories to European diesel markets. The pain is likely to get worse. There is no sign of imminent US victory or Iranian collapse.

This instead looks like a war of attrition. Each side can point to successes and their opponents can highlight failures. That is what sustains the conflict. The stakes extend far beyond the battlefield. The war is embedding itself in the global economy, shaping what is produced, moved and ultimately affordable. Even European ministers now admit they are losing sleep over what comes next – not just the war but its economic consequences.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Trump administration scaling back asylum crackdown, sources say

The unprecedented move amounted to an indefinite suspension of all asylum requests filed outside of immigration court, regardless of the applicant's nationality.

3/30: Face the Nation

This week on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Major Garrett speaks to UAW president Shawn Fain as the Trump administration deals with upcoming tariffs with the markets sliding up and down and consumer confidence sliding. Plus, Sen. Mark Warner joins to discuss the Trump administration's mistake of its own making — sharing attack plans over an app.

Thomas Tuchel has ‘100% trust’ in Rice and Saka over England injury absences

• Arsenal duo unavailable for Japan game on Tuesday

• ‘We did medical tests. I saw them,’ head coach says

Thomas Tuchel has plotted a diplomatic course through the storm that has followed the withdrawals of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka from the England squad, saying the optics may look bad but he has “100% trust” in their integrity.

The England head coach gave Rice and Saka last week off, letting them rest rather than play in the 1-1 draw against Uruguay at Wembley on Friday – along with nine others. His idea was to have all 11 back for the game against Japan on Tuesday, also at Wembley, for which he would release a group of players.

Avi Lewis, elected to lead Canada’s New Democratic party, promises ‘NDP comeback’

Ex-TV host pledged to centre party around equity, with higher wealth taxes, green energy and tuition-free education

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Canada’s embattled New Democratic party (NDP) has elected the former broadcaster and self-proclaimed socialist Avi Lewis as its new leader, as it looks to rebuild following a devastating federal election last year that saw it lose official party status.

A record number of members voted in the three-day NDP leadership convention, giving Lewis a first-ballot win that underscored widespread support. Lewis pledged to convert the “tremendous momentum” of the convention into an “NDP comeback”.

Laura Dern to star in Epstein investigation limited series from Adam McKay

Dern will play Miami Herald reporter Julie K Brown in first scripted take on the Epstein story, based on Brown’s book

Laura Dern is taking on the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, in a new limited series executive produced by Adam McKay based on journalist Julie K Brown’s work busting open the story.

Dern will play Brown, the Miami Herald investigative reporter on the late, disgraced financier’s tail when no one else was, for the first scripted take on the Epstein case. The screenplay will be based on Brown’s 2021 book Perversion of Injustice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story. Sharon Hoffman, a writer on the 2020 limited series Mrs America, will write the project and serve as co-showrunner with Eileen Myers (The Night Agent, Masters of Sex). McKay, the writer-director of Don’t Look Up and executive producer on the HBO juggernaut Succession, among other credits, will serve as executive producer alongside Dern and Brown.

US reopens embassy in Venezuela in significant thawing of relations

Resumption of diplomatic operations come three months after former president Maduro was abducted

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The US government is resuming operations at its embassy in Venezuela, the state department announced on Monday, nearly three months since former president Nicolás Maduro was abducted from the country and locked up in the US.

The resumption of US diplomatic operations in Venezuela marks a significant step in the US-Venezuela relationship, as the Trump administration begins to work closely with the government of Delcy Rodríguez, the acting president who replaced Maduro after his forcible ousting by US troops. Rodríguez was Maduro’s vice-president.

British Steel on track to be fully nationalised within weeks

UK plans to take economic control from Chinese owner Jingye a year after stepping in to run plant, sources say

British Steel is on track to be fully nationalised within weeks, the Guardian understands, a year after the government took over the daily running of the loss-making business from its Chinese owner.

The steelmaker, which employs 3,500 people at its plant in Scunthorpe, was taken under government control last April amid fears that the owner Jingye was planning to shut down the site.

Ben Jennings on Donald Trump and the moon mission – cartoon

Continue reading...

This is what really causes recessions, a former top Trump White House economist says

Recessions are about shocks, and energy is a prime culprit, Tyler Goodspeed says

Never mind leading the free world, if Donald Trump were your ageing father, when would you take away his car keys?

Presidential decisions can mean life or death for millions around the world, that’s why constitutional safeguards exist. But do they work in practice?

Donald Trump’s cognitive skills are amazing. So amazing! So great! So much better than any other dumb presidential contender you could mention, at least according to Trump himself, who bragged once again last week of how he had repeatedly aced what he calls “a very hard test for a lot of people”. (It’s thought he means a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment in elderly people.)

Sure, the 79-year-old leader of the free world recently interrupted a cabinet meeting in the middle of a war to ramble on at length about a conversation he supposedly had with the head of the Sharpie pen company over supplying bespoke presidential felt-tips, of which the firm said it could find no record. And made a baffling joke about Pearl Harbor during a press conference in front of an alarmed-looking Japanese prime minister. And called the strait of Hormuz the “strait of Trump”, before adding that that was absolutely deliberate because “there are no accidents with me”. But anyway, to be clear, his mental state is great. The greatest!

Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Court of appeal says it cannot rule on which identical twin fathered a child

One twin wanted to take parental responsibility from the other for child P after both had sex with child’s mother

A woman who had sex with identical twins within four days of each other is unable to ensure one of them takes parental responsibility because it is “not possible” to know which is the father, the court of appeal has said.

One of the twins was registered as the father on the birth certificate of the child, referred to as P. His identical twin, along with the mother, sought to take over parental responsibility by asking the court of appeal to overturn a previous family court decision.

Figure skating season ends with redemption and heartbreak. What do fans watch next?

Worlds marks the last competition of the 2025-2026 season. Skaters have some time to go on tour, rest up and learn new routines before the next season starts in July.

Analysis: A new oil shock is building. The next few weeks of war will be decisive for the economy.

Energy markets are starting to reflect the growing risk of physical supply disruptions.

BBC accused of making ‘propaganda’ films for Saudi sovereign wealth fund

Critics say films lauding country’s attitude to women and green credentials could damage corporation’s reputation

The BBC has been accused of making “glossy propaganda films” for Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and taking money from a “repressive regime”.

BBC Storyworks, the corporation’s commercial arm, has entered into a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The broadcaster has made a series of films and written articles lauding the country’s supposedly progressive attitude to women and eco-friendly credentials. These are hosted on a mini-site that carried BBC branding.

TV star’s AI porn allegations spark national debate in Germany

Collien Fernandes accuses ex-husband Christian Ulmen of sharing sexually explicit deepfake images of her online

A high-profile German TV star’s allegations that her ex-husband spread AI-generated pornographic images of her have triggered a national debate and put pressure on the government to tighten laws around digital violence against women.

In an interview with the news magazine Der Spiegel last week, Collien Fernandes accused her former husband Christian Ulmen, a prominent TV presenter and producer, of impersonating her online for years and sharing sexually explicit deepfake images.

Dua Lipa to curate London literature festival at Southbank Centre

The British pop star will lead the 2026 London literature festival in collaboration with her Service95 book club, as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations

Brit award-winning pop star Dua Lipa is to curate this year’s London literature festival at the Southbank Centre, organisers have announced.

The festival, now in its 19th year, will run from 21 October to 1 November, with Lipa shaping a programme of events across the opening weekend and beyond in collaboration with her Service95 book club. The news comes as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary programme and during the UK’s National Year of Reading.

Air Canada CEO to retire after backlash over English-only crash message

Air Canada will seek a new CEO with "the ability to communicate in French" after Rousseau's English-only condolence message about the deadly New York crash.

Air Canada CEO to resign after backlash to video tribute of pilots killed in crash

Michael Rousseau faced mockery for speaking English and not French while addressing fatal LaGuardia airport crash

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The head of Canada’s largest airline is stepping down after his video tribute to pilots killed in a fatal collision became a public relations nightmare for Air Canada, prompting a wave of mockery and indignation at him from both the public and politicians for not speaking French.

Air Canada’s CEO, Michael Rousseau, will retire by the end of the third quarter of 2026, the company said on Monday. He will continue to lead the company and serve on the board of directors until that time, the carrier said.

Islamabad talks signal emergence of new four-nation bloc in Middle East

Unlikely grouping of Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey steps up efforts to broker ceasefire and curb dominance of Iran and Israel

• Middle East crisis – live updates

The meeting on Sunday of the foreign ministers of Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Islamabad not only represented the best hope for a ceasefire in Iran but was also the embryo for a new order designed to curb Israeli and Iranian dominance after the war.

Although the four nations have met as a quartet before, the one-day meeting of foreign ministers in Islamabad on Sunday was, in a way, the official opening ceremony of an initiative that is intriguing diplomats.

‘Boxing is a dirty business, like politics, bro’: Derek Chisora on Nigel Farage, brain damage and burgers

The great old warhorse of British boxing, who faces his 50th and final bout on Saturday, reflects on retirement, Deontay Wilder and his friendship with the Reform leader

“Nigel’s here,” Derek Chisora says as he gives me a nudge when we walk into a restaurant called Boisdale in Belgravia. The great old warhorse of British boxing and I have been ambling around this stretch of London in search of a place where we can sit down and talk. He settles on Boisdale, which tags itself as “a British restaurant” and “a carnivore’s delight”.

Even though we are not dropping in for lunch, Chisora has enough of a swagger to blag us a private room. We look more ragged than the diners, including Nigel Farage, and I’m not sure the seemingly bewildered staff have a clear idea who Chisora is, but we sweep through the restaurant, climb the stairs and find ourselves in a discreet room. After Chisora orders a bottle of water for us to share he asks the waiter to let Farage know he is here.

Don’t stop at Duolingo, set realistic goals, balance skills: how to start learning a new language

Language experts say you should learn in the right order and shift to a growth mindset

If there’s one thing guaranteed to make a pop-culture character look cool and sophisticated, it’s being multilingual. Think James Bond, Yasmin from Industry or Scrooge McDuck.

Learning a new language not only makes you look cool – it also allows you to familiarize yourself with another culture, connect with new people and enjoy a wider variety of art and media. And it’s good for your brain. Studies have shown that learning a new language is associated with improved concentration, stronger communication skills, a more powerful memory and greater creativity.

Did you solve it? R y clvr ngh t rd ths sntnc?

Th nswrs t tdys pzzls

Earlier today I set you the following puzzles. Listed below are ten common phrases or sayings in the English language, five of which are found in Shakespeare. Each letter is replaced by a box the same width and height as the letter. Consonants are blue, vowels are green.

The solutions are presented as a group at the bottom.

Will Trump put boots on the ground in Iran? - The Latest

As thousands of US soldiers and marines arrive in the Middle East, Iran is accusing Washington of privately plotting a ground assault while publicly touting ceasefire talks. Donald Trump threatened to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s energy infrastructure, said his ‘preference would be to take the oil’ in Iran and that US forces could seize the regime’s export hub on Kharg Island, while also claiming he was in talks with a new ‘reasonable regime’. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi forces have also entered the conflict, bringing the threat of further damage to the global economy.

Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian columnist and host of Politics Weekly America, Jonathan Freedland

John Oliver on Maga’s love for Viktor Orbán: ‘For them, Orbán is a blueprint’

The Last Week Tonight host examined the rightwing Hungarian leader’s slow domestic coup as a model for Republican leaders

On the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver looked into the reign of Viktor Orbán in Hungary, ahead of the country’s election on 12 April. The rightwing leader is the longest-serving head of state in the European Union, having been elected in 2010 with an absolute majority in government for almost 16 years.

A staunch religious conservative, he is also beloved by some Republicans in the US, and has been officially endorsed in the upcoming election by Donald Trump. But “the lovefest between Orbán and American conservatives is a two-way street,” Oliver explained. Just last week, Orbán praised the US president at a Republican party Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) offshoot in Hungary. “Since President Trump’s win, the western world has become a better place,” Orbán said. “Gender propaganda and woke ideology have been pushed back. People can proudly embrace Christianity as the foundation and sustaining force of our civilization. What’s happening now is the largest political realignment in western civilization in 100 years. The epicenter of this change is the United States, and its European forward base is Hungary.”

US quadruple amputee cornhole pro suspected of murder had ‘a dark side’, ex-girlfriend claims

Tori Mattingly told TMZ Dayton Webber would ‘lash out’ at her during four-year relationship that ended in 2025

A woman who claims she was romantically involved with a quadruple-amputee cornhole champion and the man he is accused of shooting dead in a murder case grabbing national attention has spoken of dating both of them – and said the accused killer had “a dark side”.

Tori Mattingly told TMZ in an interview published over the weekend that Dayton Webber would “lash out” at her during their four-year relationship. That relationship ended in February 2025 before she dated Bradrick Wells, the alleged victim of a deadly shooting in Webber’s car in suburban Washington DC on 22 March.

‘If I didn’t have dwarfism, I’d probably be quite normcore’: Midgitte Bardot on sex, drag and street harassment

Their shows caused mayhem. Now Tamm Reynolds – AKA Midgitte Bardot – is really going for the jugular, hitting back at prejudice with a wild new act

Most performers want attention when they’re on stage. Tamm Reynolds, however, gets it all the time – even when not dressed in fishnets and push-up bra as their alter ego, Midgitte Bardot. “I also like having my bush and ass out,” Reynolds adds. Before we meet at Woolwich station in London, where the artist has kindly agreed to pick me up in their car, they send me a text: “I’m assuming you know what I look like.” Sure enough, they are hard to miss. As a non-binary trans drag queen with dwarfism, Reynolds must be in a minority of one.

Yet to define Reynolds purely in those terms would be to do them a massive disservice, since they are also a writing and performance powerhouse. Three years ago, in Travis Alabanza’s queer cabaret revue Sound of the Underground, Midgitte climbed aboard a cherry-picker in order to sing a filthy blues rock tune called Hot Piss, brandishing a jug of frothy yellow liquid. The climax can’t adequately be described in a family newspaper, but it resulted in the loudest cheer I’ve ever heard at the Royal Court. Eat your heart out, Jerusalem.

NASA is just days away from historic Artemis II moon launch

On Wednesday, the crew of NASA's Artemis II could blast off on a mission around the moon and back. No astronaut has ventured out to the moon since the 1970s.

Tiger Woods arrested for DUI after rollover car crash, Florida sheriff says

Golf legend Tiger Woods was arrested for a DUI after a rollover car crash in Florida on Friday, the Martin County sheriff said.

Drink in the jeopardy of the World Cup playoffs, it’s the last we’ll get for a while | Jonathan Wilson

The expansion of this summer’s 48-team tournament mean Tuesday’s games will be the best we see until the round of 16

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There is always a slightly odd rhythm to the World Cup. The final round of qualifying games is almost invariably more exciting than the early games at the tournament itself, and now with 32 teams making it through the group stage and into the knockout rounds, that is likely to be even more true for the 2026 edition. Those final qualifiers in November were thrilling and meaningful – Troy Parrott’s hat-trick! Scotland scoring two absurdly good goals in the same game! DR Congo beating Nigeria on penalties as bottles rained down from the stands! Honduras failing to score against Costa Rica! – and Tuesday will be too as 12 teams battle for the six remaining slots.

But for those not involved in World Cup playoffs, there is an unsatisfying phoniness to the friendlies they must play instead, with experimental line-ups and weary players going through glorified training exercises. While it’s never good to be letting in five goals, neither the USA nor Ghana should be too concerned about the defeats to Belgium or Austria.

Barbie Dream Fest: why did the ‘ultimate fan event’ leave visitors fuming?

Devotees who paid $450 for a fun-filled “experience” in Florida last weekend were met with a concrete-floored warehouse and a $1 Barbie-branded hand sanitiser. Could this top the notorious Willy Wonka Experience?

Name: Barbie Dream Fest.

Age: Barbie has been around since 1959, so technically of pensionable age, even if she doesn’t look it. Barbie Dream Fest took place last weekend, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Fed Governor Miran still backs cuts, says interest rates could be 'about a point' lower this year

Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran spoke Monday on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street."

Watch Fed Chair Jerome Powell speak live to an economics class at Harvard

This will be one of Powell's final scheduled public appearances before his term ends in May.

Trump says U.S. will destroy Iran’s oil wells, Kharg Island without deal to 'immediately' reopen Hormuz Strait

Donald Trump warned the U.S. will completely obliterate all of Iran's electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island if a peace deal is not reached.

Corey Feldman speaks out about Rob Reiner Oscars tribute snub: ‘Like a family reunion I wasn’t invited to’

Stand By Me co-stars Wil Wheaton and Jerry O’Connell joined Billy Crystal and a dozen other stars on stage at the Academy Awards to pay tribute to the film’s director

Stand By Me star Corey Feldman has said he was sorry to be omitted from the tribute to Rob Reiner at the Oscars earlier this month.

At the start of the Academy Awards’ in memoriam section, Billy Crystal took to the stage to pay extended tribute to the writer and director and his wife, photographer Michele, who were killed in December.

‘After one gig, someone stole my car with my dole money in it’: Morcheeba on how they made The Sea

‘The string section we got in thought I was the tea boy. When I asked for a psychedelic improvisation like A Day in the Life, they went: “Why is this guy telling us what to play?”’

We’d made our first album and were waiting for it to come out. But we wanted to carry on writing more stuff while we were in the mood. I even cut Christmas dinner short at my uncle’s in Brixton, London, so we could get back to the studio. We would work until we passed out, then I’d sleep underneath the mixing desk with my head in the bass drum, as that’s where the pillow was.

Putin likely to stage another Salisbury-style attack, exiled oil tycoon says

Mikhail Khodorkovsky says Russian security services may seek to create a ‘sense of vulnerability’ in Britain

Vladimir Putin is likely to stage another Salisbury-style attack on UK soil unless the government adopts more aggressive tactics against the Kremlin, the exiled Russian billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky has said.

The former oil tycoon has emerged as a leading figure in Russian diaspora opposition circles and claims to be well-informed about current thinking and developments among Moscow’s elite.

How quickly will airport security lines ease after TSA workers get paid?

The Department of Homeland Security said TSA agents should begin receiving pay as early as Monday, March 30.

Who is an American? The Supreme Court will decide

President Trump claims that there is no automatic guarantee to birthright citizenship in the Constitution. But, will that claim hold up in court?

The nightmarish sounds of Squid Game composer Jung Jae-il: ‘Having no identity very much defines my identity’

Korean composer behind Netflix’s most-watched series on the calculated imperfection in his scores

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If you were among the 265 million viewers who made Squid Game Netflix’s most-watched series so far, you were likely left mentally and aurally scarred by first season’s end, traumatised by the discordant whistle of a child’s recorder; the sheer banality of a primary school music room reimagined as a herald of human carnage.

That sound was the work of composer Jung Jae-il, whose career has been defined by this sort of strange and unsettling contradiction; he is a master in the art of subverting all that is musically familiar – recasting the naive, the genteel and the elegant into the chilling harbingers of horror.

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Expat influencers sold Dubai to the world and were paid to look the other way. Now the dream is crumbling | Brigid Delaney

The Maseratis are borrowed, the helicopters rented by the hour. But deep down Dubai is a lonely place, built by oppressed people

For people living in close proximity to a war zone, the lack of sympathy for Australian and British expats and influencers in Dubai has been, on the face of it, curious.

Since their adopted home was bombed in the initial days of the war, they have faced mostly ridicule and contempt in their home countries.

AI lectures, Old West folk heroes and Mark Twain: what is Bob Dylan up to joining Patreon?

By far the biggest musician to have joined the membership-based platform, Dylan’s posts have so far been puzzling – and therefore entirely in character

A couple of years back, the august music writer David Hepworth came up with a great line about Bob Dylan. Dylan, he averred, “is like China: we can see what he’s doing, but never quite work out why he’s doing it”. That’s certainly true about the unexpected launch of the 84-year-old singer-songwriter’s Patreon. Everything about it is confusing.

For one, there’s the choice of platform. Plenty of major music stars have flocked to the newsletter provider Substack in recent years to share their thoughts or show their workings and, perhaps, earn a little cash on the side: everyone from Patti Smith and Dolly Parton to Charli xcx and Rosalía. But Patreon, where fans pay monthly subscriptions for exclusive content from all sorts of creators – podcasters, visual artists – has never really taken off with big rock and pop musicians: the biggest name it could boast, until now, was Ben Folds.

Meet the astronauts about to make history on flight around the moon

NASA's Artemis II astronauts — three space station veterans and a Canadian rookie — stand out even in an astronaut corps full of super achievers.

‘Every child wants to find joy’: the scheme designing playground equipment for disaster zones

As one in six children worldwide is affected by war, a UK charity is providing children in refugee communities from Ukraine to Ethiopia with flatpack timber climbing frames

Like many new parents, photographer Alexander Meininger found his world changed after he had kids. “You end up spending a lot of time observing them in playgrounds – whether you want to or not,” he says.

Meininger, who grew up in Germany but now lives in London, likes making things. So when he saw how much his young sons enjoyed the jungle gym and play forts at the local park, he made an indoor treehouse for them. That was as far as it went – until the Ukraine war. Watching the destruction of infrastructure on television, Meininger wondered what he could do to help Ukrainian children, and alighted on the idea of playgrounds. This was his first step towards creating Playrise, a charity he launched this week in London that makes flatpack play equipment and furniture for displaced families living in disaster relief zones.

Parades, art installations and ruined rooms filled with rubble: photos of the day – Monday

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

Russia welcomes arrival of oil tanker in Cuba after Trump softens approach to U.S. blockade

A Russian oil tanker carrying a humanitarian shipment of 100,000 tons of crude oil reportedly arrived in Cuba on Monday.

I discovered the elusive chestnut mining bee in New York after a gap of 119 years

For decades, there was no record of Andrena rehni exisiting in the US. In 2018 it was found in Maryland and five years later I found it in New York State

I’ve loved insects ever since I was a kid and spent summers looking for them. My mum would always tell me that from the age of one – even before I could walk – I would happily sit outside, watching ants and trying to follow them back to their colony.

As an adult, I take people out to meadows with nets to catch insects and take a close look at them. It’s about trying to cultivate a childlike curiosity that people have lost or forgotten in daily life.

F1 must find answers to safety crisis after Bearman’s escape but there are no easy fixes | Giles Richards

F1 has five weeks before the next race in Miami and they will need every minute to fix a hugely complicated problem

Oliver Bearman emerging unhurt from a huge accident at the Japanese Grand Prix was considered a lucky escape. Formula One must think it is catching a break given there is a full month to work out how best to reduce the chance of such an incident happening again. F1 is going to need every minute of that time given the complexity of the problem.

Bearman’s Haas car was travelling at 307kph (191mph) when he was forced to veer off‑track as he came up behind the relatively slow moving Alpine of Franco Colapinto. The closing speed between the two cars was 50kph, a frightening pace. The scenario was one many had been warning about before the season had even begun. With the deployment of electrical energy, and its subsequent recovery now an integral part of F1, Bearman was using his boost mode while Colapinto was recovering energy, hence the big difference in speed.

Amnesty International warns Fifa World Cup risks becoming ‘stage for repression’

• Group says US is facing a ‘human rights emergency’

• ICE director said agency will play ‘key part’ at tournament

Amnesty International has warned that the World Cup, spread across three North American countries, risks becoming a “stage for repression”. The human rights organisation published a report on Monday – “Humanity Must Win” – calling on Fifa and the host countries, the US, Canada and Mexico, to take urgent action to protect fans, players and other communities.

Fifa has promised a tournament where everyone “feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights”. But Amnesty said that pledge sat in “stark contrast” to conditions in all three host nations, especially the US, which hosts three-quarters of the 104 matches.

What to know about the legal fight over Trump's birthright citizenship order

The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday over the legality of President Trump's executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship.

Florida space coast cities abuzz before Nasa’s Artemis launch: ‘At the doorstep of the future’

Cape Canaveral and Titusville, long ghost towns after 1969 moon landing, have witnessed space industry ‘renaissance’

Almost six decades have passed since the space coast of Florida experienced an atmosphere quite like this. On its beaches and in cities, there is an air of anticipation, excitement and anxiety to match the final days of Nasa’s storied Apollo moon program.

At 6.24pm ET on Wednesday at Cape Canaveral, subject to adverse weather and last-minute technical hitches, four Artemis II astronauts – three Americans and one Canadian – will become the first humans to blast off on a journey to the moon since 1972.

Trump is fighting a ‘boomer war’ in Iran: a relic unpopular with anyone under 60 | Stephen Wertheim

To see this war as archaic, the last squawk of the Middle East hawks, is at once maddening and hopeful

From the moment the United States and Israel attacked Iran, the news seemed incongruous with the year 2026. A war to kill the Ayatollah and overthrow the government – this was the fantasy of neoconservatives after September 11, before today’s college students were born. Hadn’t every president since, Donald Trump most boisterously of all, repudiated regime-change wars in the Middle East?

When he announced the strikes in an overnight video, decked out in a USA ball cap, Trump evoked an even more distant era. The president barely bothered to claim that Tehran posed some kind of imminent threat. Instead, he recited the litany of misdeeds perpetrated by the Islamic Republic since it took power in 1979.