THE GUARDIAN

Comments come amid speculation over the health and whereabouts of Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since he succeeded his fatherHow 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 […]

Decision expected on whether to use reserves amid supply shortages and market volatility caused by Iran warBusiness live – latest updatesMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesThe International Energy Agency is reportedly proposing the largest release of oil reserves in its history to bring down crude prices that have soared during the US and Israel’s war with Iran.The release would outstrip the 182m barrels of oil put on the market by IEA countries across two releases in 2022 after […]

Updates from the Hundred auction, starting 10am GMT Explainer: how auction works | And you can mail TanyaMany eyes will be on how Pakistan’s players fare after reports that Indian-owned franchises would follow the IPL and refuse to sign players from across the border.There are 16 Pakistan names in the auction – two women (fast-bowling allrounder Fatima Sana and left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal) and 16 men including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan. Continue reading...

International Energy Agency reportedly proposed largest release of oil reserves in its history to bring down crude pricesHow Iran has used the strait of Hormuz to throttle oil and gas – a visual guideGlobal oil markets have recorded some of the biggest price swings in history this week after the US-Israeli war with Iran throttled the flow of Middle Eastern crude through the strait of Hormuz.The narrow waterway south of Iran is one of the world’s most important trade arteries, through which […]

Veoza, also known as fezolinetant, will be offered to women for whom HRT is unsuitableMore than 500,000 women in England are to be offered a drug on the NHS that prevents hot flushes.The green light for Veoza, also known as fezolinetant, comes after the medicines watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, authorised it for use on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Attack on residential part of M23-controlled city blamed by rebel group on government At least three people were killed in a drone attack in Goma early on Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for the M23 rebel group has said.The attack happened at about 4am in a residential neighbourhood in the city, which has been under M23 occupation since January 2025. Continue reading...

Annual demonstration in support of Palestinian rights especially sensitive in light of US-Israel war on IranOn Sunday, thousands of demonstrators were expected to march through London for al-Quds Day, an annual demonstration in support of Palestinian rights. But the march, which has taken place in the UK for more than 40 years, has been banned by home secretary, Shabana Mahmood.Announcing her decision to ban the march after a request by the Metropolitan police, Mahmood said she was “satisfied […]

This month, Ella Langley and Megan Moroney became the first pair of women in country music to top both the US albums and singles chartsCountry radio still has a gender parity problem. That hasn’t stopped Ella Langley and Megan Moroney from achieving historic success. Last week, Langley and Moroney became the first two women in country music ever to top the all-genre Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts simultaneously. Langley’s Choosin’ Texas unseated Taylor Swift’s Opalite to claim its […]

A different New Orleans judge approved the trip while the actor remains out on bond in Mardi Gras battery caseShia LaBeouf ultimately did get permission to travel to his father’s baptism in Rome, days after the New Orleans courthouse handling the actor’s recent battery arrest initially denied his request to make the trip.LaBeouf, 39, first sought authorization to travel to the Italian capital while out on bond at a court hearing on 26 February, during which state judge Simone Levine ordered […]

Kei Ishikawa’s take on Ishiguro’s first published work is frustrating and bland, undermining its fascinating characters’ emotional truthsKazuo Ishiguro has long been a subtle and potent figure in the movies, with his distinctively Anglo-Japanese melancholy. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s adaptation of The Remains of the Day for director James Ivory was a heart-rending study in regret; Alex Garland and Mark Romanek’s treatment of science-fiction novel Never Let Me Go was an excursion into […]

The philosopher offers a measured and reasonable argument against assisted dyingIn this admirably clear and cogent book, the philosopher Kathleen Stock sets out the case against state-sanctioned assisted dying. Her immediate objection is to the end of life bill currently before the House of Lords, but her opposition extends to the principle in general. This is a polemic, but a polite one. Stock says she hopes that by the end of it we will share her objection to the […]

Documents filed at Companies House over 2022 deal could complicate row with UK over how money will be usedJersey authorities may be investigating whether cash raised by Roman Abramovich’s 2022 sale of Chelsea FC amounts to the proceeds of crime, according to documents filed at Companies House on Wednesday, potentially complicating a row with the UK government over how the money will be used.Accounts for Fordstam Ltd, the company through which the billionaire Russian oligarch owned Chelsea, […]

Fifa president posts message after meeting with TrumpIran due to play all three group matches in the USDonald Trump has said Iran are “welcome” to play at the upcoming World Cup, despite the ongoing war in the Middle East, according to Gianni Infantino.Fifa’s president said that during a meeting with Trump to discuss preparations for the competition, “we also spoke about the current situation in Iran”. Continue reading...

It may not be in pole position, but Brad Pitt and director Joseph Kosinski’s sleek, technically inventive ode to motor racing definitely qualifies for the Academy podiumCould, should, would F1 the Movie win the best picture Oscar? Well, we have to be realistic here: F1 is currently a massive outsider, at 200-1 along with The Secret Agent, which has no chance either but for very different reasons. It’s not hard to see why: this is a swaggeringly mainstream film, where tech and branding dwarf […]

The Tehran regime has weaponised geography in retaliation for the attacks by the US and Israel Global oil markets have recorded some of the biggest price swings in history this week after the US-Israeli war with Iran throttled the flow of Middle Eastern crude through the strait of Hormuz.The narrow waterway south of Iran is one of the world’s most important trade arteries, through which a fifth of global oil and seaborne gas is shipped from production facilities and refineries in the Gulf to […]

US tour holds upper hand as deal with European counterpart is up for renegotiation, though LIV and its backers will be watching with interestWhat price a strategic alliance? The golf world might just be about to find out as the PGA Tour considers its partnership with the DP World Tour.A little-known element of the updated deal between the PGA and DP World Tours from 2022 – at a time when LIV disruption was in full flow – relates to a break clause. While the contract in theory runs until […]

Plus: privately-educated players, surviving despite away-day woes; and the trophy-less 1909 Scottish CupMail us with your questions and answers“Are the 23 red cards shown in the game between Brazilian clubs Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro in the Campeonato Mineiro final a record?” asks Tom Reed.In case you missed it, the Campeonato Mineiro final descended/ascended into a festival of hand-throwing. Cruzeiro won the football match 1-0 and the red card contest 12-11. We had a similar question […]

Coach says his club are always favourites as he prepares to cross swords with Manchester City in the Champions League knockout stages for fifth year in a rowThis is Real Madrid. We know this because Álvaro Arbeloa keeps saying so. At the start of another press conference, his 25th since being promoted from the B team two months ago and the last before facing Manchester City, the club man who became the club manager was reminded of something he had said after beating Monaco. That night, he was […]

The new president won office by promising to clean up crime, but his background is red rag to a bull for manyJust south of Santiago, the tiny rural town of Paine is a quiet grid of painted abode facades, shaded squares and shuttered shop fronts as the summer holidays draw to a close.But the white-knuckle fear of crime that propelled its most famous son, José Antonio Kast, to a resounding victory in December’s presidential election is as present in sleepy Paine as it is the length of Chile. […]

Unadventurous team will need to improve significantly on multiple fronts if they are to poop France’s potential title party in ParisSo let’s rewind for a moment. Just four weeks ago England had beaten Wales 48-7 in round one and were looking towards Scotland with a collective glint in their eyes. “The message to the players is: go out, move the ball, play fast, play brave,” Steve Borthwick said after announcing a pretty settled side for Murrayfield. “It suits the team we have.”And […]

Who should win? Who’s been snubbed? Guardian film editor Catherine Shoard answers your Oscars questionsGuardian writers have been making their pitches for best picture winner at the 98th Academy Awards in our Oscars hustings series.Has Chase Infiniti been snubbed? Should Train Dreams win for best cinematography? Who’s the bigger monster, Frankenstein’s or Marty Mauser? Guardian film editor Catherine Shoard answers your 2026 Oscars questions. Continue reading...

Home secretary says ban on Pro-Palestinian rally ‘necessary to prevent public disorder’ after Met police raised concernsWhat is London’s al-Quds Day march and why has the event been banned?UK politics live – latest updatesA pro-Palestinian march in London on Sunday has been banned by Shabana Mahmood after police warned of a risk of “serious public disorder”.The annual al-Quds Day march has drawn criticism over apparent backing for the Iranian regime after its organisers expressed […]

First tranche expected to include Cabinet Office report warning of ‘reputational risk’ over ex-minister’s links to EpsteinHundreds of documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US are expected to be released by Downing Street on Wednesday.The first tranche of files will include a two-page due diligence report by the Cabinet Office, which is likely to raise questions about Keir Starmer’s judgment, the Guardian understands. Continue reading...

In 2019, Austin Bell embarked on a wild quest to photograph all 2,549 of Hong Kong’s outdoor basketball courts using drone cameras and Google Maps. The results offer a fresh perspective on the city Continue reading...

Faster laptop-level power, rapid wifi and 5G, plus much-improved multitasking make the middle iPad highly capable beyond just watching TVThe latest iPad Air is faster in almost all facets, packing not just a processor upgrade but improvements to most of the internal bits that make the tablet work, providing laptop-grade power in a skinny, adaptable touchscreen device.The new iPad Air M4 costs from the same £599 (€649/$599/A$999) as the outgoing M3 model from last year and again comes in two […]

Analysis has found more than 3,000 mining operations within the most naturally precious areas of the planet, a much bigger footprint than previously thoughtWeda Bay is just one example of a global trend that could see the mining industry expand into some of Earth’s last areas of wilderness in search of minerals and materials to feed the global economy.Analysis produced for the Guardian by a group of academic researchers found more than 3,267 mining operations within key biodiversity areas […]

From railcards to route tweaks, here’s how to stop your daily train or car journey breaking the bankRevealed: new affordable commuter hotspots in Great BritainHomes for sale in new commuter hotspots in England – in picturesFor regular rail travellers, season tickets remain one of the biggest cost savers. A weekly, monthly or annual season ticket will work out much cheaper than paying daily fares, especially if you commute most days. Continue reading...

Britain’s whole energy economy needs to be reformed – decarbonising the grid is only part of the mixBritain is once again paying the price of an energy system that is more effective at extracting profits than delivering security. Illegal war and geopolitical disruption are sending fossil fuel prices soaring – and because our electricity market turns volatile gas prices into higher electricity bills, families here risk paying the cost. The government is already unpopular. How it responds […]

Cheshire police and CPS say they were not told about inquiry into Prof Peter Hindmarsh before he gave evidence at nurse’s trialThe 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 […]

Perched high above a frozen lake, Grimsel Hospiz in the Bernese Oberland offers an unusual winter escape, with gourmet food, a hot tub, star-filled skies and no distractionsNear the top of the Grimsel Pass in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, a small crowd had gathered to take photographs. We were surrounded by bulky mountains and rippling glaciers, but all eyes were focused on a silvery granite chalet with apple-red shutters, its foundations deep in snow.It was early February and, one after […]

Until that point, all my life’s dreams revolved around becoming a saxophonist. But with sudden and significant hearing loss, I had to face up to a new realityThe first sign that something was wrong was a static noise that emerged suddenly in my left ear. It was 2008 and a doctor had just syringed my ears, washing out the antibiotic drops she had prescribed a week earlier, and which had rendered my world temporarily muffled. I was so relieved the drops were out that I didn’t question the […]

A new retelling of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s hit novel A Woman of Substance. Plus, cracking comedy We Might Regret This. Here’s what to watch this evening 9pm, Channel 4Forty years after the Emmy-nominated adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s 1979 novel, here’s another wonderful (and horny) retelling of the revenge tale. In the 70s, “richest woman in the world” Emma Harte (Brenda Blethyn) reflects on her life from her New York penthouse. Her story starts at the turn of the 20th […]

EU rules banning terms such as ‘bacon’ for veggie products are problematic, btw cow muscle = steakLast week, European policymakers decided that plant-based foods should no longer be marketed with terms such as “chicken”, “bacon” or “steak”. The fear seems to be that shoppers might accidentally buy veggie bacon thinking it came from an actual pig. The change applies to the UK too, because of our trade agreement with Europe.After considerable pushback from organisations including […]

The perpetrators were jailed for 15 years for robbery with violence in the east African country, where homophobic attacks are increasingThe sentencing of two people who attacked and robbed two gay men in Kenya has been hailed by LGBTQ+ rights advocates as a breakthrough and a sign of hope for the country’s queer community. “Abel Meli & Another” were sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbery with violence on 3 March at Milimani law courts in Nairobi.The ruling is a rare example of […]

They will soon be looking for nest sites to begin the huge effort of raising their brood of between eight and 10 chicksIf there were an award for the most underrated British garden bird, the blue tit may well come out on top. Feisty and fascinating, this colourful little creature is so common and familiar that we often take it for granted.This could be because of the blue tit’s ubiquity. In both the main garden bird surveys in the UK – the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch and the […]