Death toll at start of Covid-19 pandemic likely higher than US count, study says

• US military conducted attacks today on Iranian missile installations near the Strait of Hormuz to neutralize threats to transiting ships. • The strikes target sites from which Iran could launch attacks on commercial and military vessels in the critical waterway. • The operation escalates US involvement in the Iran conflict, aiming to secure global oil shipping routes amid heightened tensions.

• Israel conducted an overnight airstrike in Tehran, killing Iran's intelligence minister amid escalating US-Israel operations against Iran since February 28. • Iran's Ministry of Health reports at least 1,444 killed and nearly 19,000 injured in ongoing US-Israeli attacks, with a Red Crescent worker assisting victims. • Senior Israeli officials warned US diplomats that Iranian protesters against their government would 'get slaughtered,' despite Israel's promotion of anti-regime demonstrations.

Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, and Alireza Farasati, 22, arrested after counter-terrorism investigationTwo men have been charged with spying for Iran over alleged surveillance of the Jewish community in London, police said.Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, a dual British-Iranian national, and Alireza Farasati, 22, an Iranian national, have been charged with engaging in contact that is likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between 9 July 2025 and 15 August 2025, contrary to section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. Continue reading...

Research shows average front garden size has declined by 46% in areas where older low-density homes have been replaced by larger, modern housesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydney’s increasingly supersized driveways are shrinking suburban front yards as residential redevelopment accelerates, a research paper has found.The research, which details the loss of private tree space due to knock down-rebuilds, lays bare the gaps in the planning system for minimum private green space standards. Continue reading...

There is growing confidence that the 20 people diagnosed with the illness have not infected anyone outside the areaHealth officials increasingly believe they have contained the fatal outbreak of meningitis in Kent, with no cases emerging that are not linked to the original cluster of 20.In another boost to efforts to contain the infection, the bug that caused it has been identified as a known strain of meningitis B, the Guardian understands. Continue reading...

PM will consider exempting large numbers from proposed changes, which would leave people waiting 10 years for settled statusKeir Starmer is hoping to soften the impact of his government’s changes to the immigration system after a backlash from Labour MPs and a dramatic intervention from his former deputy Angela Rayner.The prime minister is considering exempting large numbers of people from the proposed changes, which would make it harder to achieve settled status in the UK, as he attempts to keep his restive party onboard. Continue reading...

Glasses use verbal cues and floating text to assist wearers and are expected to be available in early 2027AI software that can be embedded into smart glasses has won a £1m prize for technology to help people with dementia.Built into chunky, black-rimmed frames that have a camera, microphone and speakers, the tech – known as CrossSense – guides wearers through everyday life by means of a chatty assistant called Wispy. Continue reading...

Treasurer plans ‘ambitious’ changes to target intergenerational inequity. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.Jim Chalmers will today promise to deliver a trio of “ambitious reform packages” in the May budget that will rebuild fiscal buffers, make the tax system fairer and lift the nation’s lagging productivity performance. The treasurer will be speaking at an event in Melbourne at 12.30pm. More coming up. Continue reading...

Former Sinn Féin leader, who is being sued for symbolic damages, also denies any prior knowledge of the attackGerry Adams has told the high court he was stunned by the 1996 Docklands bombing as he denied being at the nerve centre of the IRA’s operations.The former Sinn Féin leader also denied having any prior knowledge of the bombing of the commercial district of east London, which shattered a 17-month old ceasefire. Continue reading...

Psychologists at Cardiff University and King’s College London compared children given dolls to those given a video gamesPlaying along with dolls can help boys and girls develop more sophisticated imaginations and better social skills, compared with children who play on electronic devices, according to research.Psychologists at Cardiff University and King’s College London found that children given dolls gained a richer appreciation of other people’s beliefs and feelings, in contrast to those given a tablet loaded with video games. Continue reading...

Romantic poet’s Rydal Mount and Gardens, marketed for over £2.5m, will remain open under Wordsworth TrustIt was the family home where William Wordsworth hosted Alfred, Lord Tennyson, lived as poet laureate and worked on his epic autobiographical poem The Prelude.Now, after a long period of decline in visitor numbers, Rydal Mount and Gardens has been saved from descending into the “half-choked with willow flowers and weeds” state Wordsworth described in his 1814 poem The Excursion – and will be preserved by a charity that will ensure it remains open to the public. Continue reading...

Senator backed restructuring the disaster agency but dodged questions on staffing, leaving officials uneasy over readiness and leadershipSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe confirmation hearing for Markwayne Mullin, Donald Trump’s pick to replace Kristi Noem as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), left disaster management officials and experts concerned about what his tenure would mean for the future of the main US disaster response agency.The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), which DHS oversees, coordinates federal response efforts to disasters such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires. Continue reading...