Jeffrey Donaldson found guilty of child sexual offences including rape

• The United States and Iran have reported "progress" in diplomatic negotiations currently taking place in Switzerland. • The talks aim to establish a formal deal to resolve a conflict that has persisted for four months.

• Iran has reportedly walked away from peace negotiations in Switzerland following aggressive threats from Donald Trump, who vowed to "blow the s*** out of them" and take over the country. • The diplomatic mission included JD Vance and his wife Usha, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, who arrived in Switzerland on Sunday.

• Professor Neta Crawford of the University of St Andrews argues that the US-led military actions against Iran were unnecessary and have caused widespread global harm. • Crawford highlights a critical but often overlooked consequence of the conflict: the significant military emissions produced during warfare, which contribute to global climate degradation.

• JD Vance is currently meeting with top Iranian officials in Switzerland to engage in diplomatic discussions. • Simultaneously, Donald Trump is issuing threats against Tehran from a distance, creating a dual-track approach of diplomacy and pressure.

• A former head of the Army has urged Andy Burnham to adopt a "Churchill-like" approach by preparing Britain for the possibility of war. • The military leader warned that Burnham would be "foolish in the extreme" if he believes the UK's current defense spending blueprint is sufficient to ensure national safety.

Ursula von der Leyen, Merz and Zelenskyy say UK PM helped increase European and Ukrainian securityEuropean leaders have paid tribute to Keir Starmer after he announced his resignation as prime minister, triggering the postponement of an upcoming EU-UK summit.The European Council president, António Costa, said “for sure we need to postpone it, but we are reassessing the opportunity to hold this new summit”. Continue reading...

Experts thought H5N1 bird flu would more likely reach Australia’s north. But an arrival from Antarctica had always been possibleGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBrown skuas and giant petrels are a common sight offshore in southern Australian waters in the winter months, but they will rarely risk venturing on to land.So when two of these birds were discovered sick – on beaches a few kilometres apart on Western Australia’s southern coastline – it was a sign something might be wrong. Continue reading...

Alberto Carvalho put on leave after news of warrants but officials have not provided details of nature of investigationThe superintendent of Los Angeles public schools has resigned five months after the FBI served search warrants at his home and the LA Unified school district headquarters.Alberto Carvalho had been put on leave after news of the federal investigation. He denied any wrongdoing earlier this year and had asked to be reinstated as head of the nation’s second-largest district. Continue reading...

Accident was resolved fairly quickly and authorities said the bees were being transferred to local beekeepersTwo million bees escaped after a truck transporting their hives overturned and released the insects in Texas on Sunday.The accident happened near the town of Mauriceville in the east of the state, perhaps not surprisingly causing local emergency officials to warn residents near the mishap to stay indoors. Continue reading...

Texas man using ‘automated driving assistance system’ crashed into house and Connecticut man drove into pool while trying to parkSeparate crashes in Texas and Connecticut involving Tesla electric vehicles left a woman dead when a car barreled into a house; and a driver rescued after plunging into a municipal swimming pool.A doorbell video camera captured the Friday night episode in Katy, Texas. Authorities said 76-year-old Martha Avila Mantilla was standing in the front room of a relative’s home when the Tesla Model 3 car crashed at speed into the residence. Continue reading...

Former DUP leader led a double life championing conservative values while inflicting sexual harm on two schoolgirlsWhile Joe Biden feted Jeffrey Donaldson at the White House during St Patrick’s Day celebrations in March 2024 a handful of detectives back home in Northern Ireland were quietly completing the countdown to his unmasking.Weeks earlier Donaldson had steered the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) back to power-sharing at Stormont, a political feat that rebooted the Good Friday agreement and imbued a statesmanlike aura to his triumphant visit to Washington. Continue reading...