Trump issues expletive-laden threat to Iran over Hormuz Strait blockage
The US president says he will destroy Iranian power plants and bridges if the vital waterway is not reopened.

How rescue of US airman in remote part of Iran unfolded
The operation to extract him from the ground in hostile territory was hugely complex and involved multiple US government agencies.

Benefits and pensions rise as two-child cap ends
Families on some benefits with three or more children will get an average rise of £4,100 a year.

Pepsi withdraws as UK festival sponsor after Kanye West backlash
Sir Keir Starmer says it is "deeply concerning" the rapper is set to headline a festival after recent antisemitic comments.

The 40 minutes when the Artemis crew loses contact with the Earth
As the astronauts pass behind the Moon they will experience a moment of silence and solitude as communication with the Earth is blocked.

Hungary alleges plot to blow up gas pipeline ahead of election
The incident comes a week before the polls, and follow warnings of a potential operations staged to influence voters.

People of Burkina Faso should forget about democracy, says military ruler
Ibrahim Traoré, who took power in 2022 coup, tells state broadcaster 'we must tell the truth, democracy isn't for us'People in Burkina Faso should forget about democracy as it is "not for us", the military president, Ibrahim Traoré, told the country's state broadcaster.Traoré took power in a coup in September 2022, toppling another junta that had taken power just nine months earlier. He has since stifled opposition and in January banned political parties outright. Continue reading...

Uganda receives first US deportation flight under third-country agreement
Dozen people arrive under new deal but legal challenges expected with scheme criticised as 'dehumanising process'A flight carrying people being deported from the US has landed in Uganda, as Donald Trump's administration pushes on with its strategy of expelling migrants to countries they have no ties to.The deported people would stay in the east African country as "a transition phase for potential onward transmission to other countries", an unnamed senior Ugandan government official told Reuters. Continue reading...

News outlets falsely report Somaliland called for extradition of Ilhan Omar
Reports, based on X post from unofficial account, follow JD Vance's accusations and threats of finding 'legal remedies'

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Several news outlets have falsely reported that Somaliland's government called for the extradition of Ilhan Omar, basing their stories on a post from an X account that does not represent the state despite its claims to the contrary.Fox News, the New York Post, Sinclair Broadcast Group's the National News Desk and the Independent ran stories on the US representative. The reports centred on a post by @RepOfSomaliland in reaction to claims by JD Vance that Omar had committed immigration fraud, which echoed prior allegations against the Somali-born Minnesota Democrat that she has vehemently denied. Continue reading...

Interpol arrest warrant requested in Congo-Brazzaville for Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas

• Football federation president on the run with wife and son
• Conviction in absentia of wide-ranging corruption charges

Authorities in Congo-Brazzaville have applied to Interpol for an international arrest warrant against Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, the president of the country's football federation, Fecofoot, after he was convicted of embezzling $1.1m in Fifa funds.Mayolas is on the run with his wife and son after they were all sentenced to life imprisonment this month for embezzling funds provided by world football's governing body as part of its Covid-19 relief plan in February 2021. As the Guardian revealed last year, that included almost $500,000 earmarked for the Congo women's team. Continue reading...

Weather tracker: Thunderstorms drench UAE and Saudi Arabia
Abnormally strong jet stream triggers deluge in Middle East, while north Africa braces for 60-80mph gustsAn unusual weather pattern unleashed severe thunderstorms across parts of the Middle East last week, battering countries including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Arabian peninsula - typically dominated by arid desert climates - received up to 150mm of rain in just a few days.The deluge was caused by an abnormally strong jet stream, which helped a deep area of low pressure to develop north of Saudi Arabia. This, in turn, drew moist tropical air from the Indian Ocean and triggered intense storms. Continue reading...

Mexican art world protests over plan to send Frida Kahlo masterpieces to Spain
Cultural figures sign open letter asking government for clarity on how long landmark collection will remain abroadOne of the world's most important collections of 20th-century Mexican art, including works by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, is set to be exported to Spain under an agreement with Banco Santander, sparking outrage among Mexico's cultural community.Nearly 400 cultural professionals have signed an open letter calling on the Mexican government to offer greater clarity on what the deal means for the masterpieces, particularly the works by Kahlo, which the Mexican state has declared an "artistic monument". Continue reading...

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Here are the 20 specific Fox broadcasts and tweets Dominion says were defamatory
• Fox-Dominion trial delay 'is not unusual,' judge says• Fox News' defamation battle isn't stopping Trump's election lies

Judge in Fox News-Dominion defamation trial: 'The parties have resolved their case'
The judge just announced in court that a settlement has been reached in the historic defamation case between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems.

'Difficult to say with a straight face': Tapper reacts to Fox News' statement on settlement
A settlement has been reached in Dominion Voting Systems' defamation case against Fox News, the judge for the case announced. The network will pay more than $787 million to Dominion, a lawyer for the company said.

Millions in the US could face massive consequences unless McCarthy can navigate out of a debt trap he set for Biden
• DeSantis goes to Washington, a place he once despised, looking for support to take on Trump• Opinion: For the GOP to win, it must ditch Trump• Chris Christie mulling 2024 White House bid• Analysis: The fire next time has begun burning in Tennessee