No 10 says Starmer had ‘constructive’ call with Trump on Middle East and strait of Hormuz – UK politics live

• U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, stated in an interview that the military campaign against Iran is 'ahead or on plan' amid ongoing strikes. • Israeli forces launched a wide-scale wave of strikes on Iranian terror regime infrastructure early Monday, with Iranian media reporting new airstrikes in Tehran. • Death toll exceeds 1,500 in Iran, 1,000 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel, and 13 U.S. military members, displacing millions in both countries.

• House Republicans are advancing a resolution this week to affirm support for over 100,000 DHS employees, including 50,000 TSA frontline workers, unpaid for 37 days due to Democrats' refusal to fund the department. • The shutdown has led to $1 billion in monthly unpaid wages, coinciding with elevated terror threats including recent attacks in Texas, New York, Michigan, and Virginia, and FBI warnings of lone wolf attackers and sleeper cells. • Republicans highlight over 10 million illegal immigrants entering under Biden from 160 countries, including 400 on the Terrorist Watch List caught at borders, arguing the shutdown endangers national security.

• President Trump ordered federal immigration agents to assist TSA at U.S. airports by guarding exit lanes and checking IDs amid a partial DHS shutdown causing hourslong traveler waits and unpaid screeners. • Democrats express concerns that adding ICE presence could escalate tensions, demanding changes to immigration operations following deaths of two U.S. citizens by agents in Minneapolis. • Senate advanced Sen. Markwayne Mullin's nomination as DHS secretary by 54-37 vote, potentially confirming him Monday after Kristi Noem's tenure; border czar Tom Homan leads the airport effort.

Republican Chad Bianco investigating Prop 50 vote despite officials denying claims of ballots being cast unlawfullyA California sheriff who is running as a Republican for governor has seized more than 650,000 ballots from last year’s election, escalating an ongoing conflict with state officials.Chad Bianco, Riverside county’s sheriff, says he is carrying out an investigation into allegations that ballots were unlawfully cast in last year’s election that resulted in the passage of Proposition 50. The proposition redrew congressional districts to help gerrymander the state in favor of Democrats, in response to similar measures in Republican states like Texas. Continue reading...

Pet owners fear there is no viable alternative service after Great Western Exotics owner deems business unviableOn a nondescript industrial estate on the outskirts of Swindon, a faint squawking was heard in the distance, as bird lovers from Exeter to Edinburgh brought their brightly coloured budgies and macaws to an exotic animal hospital.But now, the UK’s premier parrot surgery, which treats all kinds of creatures, will be shut down after it was bought out by a conglomerate that has decided the business is not viable. Continue reading...

About 40 people taken to hospital after Air Canada Express crash, some with serious injuries Pilot and co-pilot killed after Air Canada jet collision at LaGuardia New YorkSign up for the Breaking News US email On Monday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for arrivals and departures at Newark international airport after reports of a burning smell promoted a tower evacuation.The incident happened around 7.30am ET and the burning smell came from an elevator, the FAA said. The ground stop is in effect until about 8.30am, causing delays to flights at another major New York area airport. Continue reading...

ACA requires firms to cover colonoscopies for over-45s but young people face hurdles to receive appropriate testsAs colon cancer rates are rising among people in their 20s and 30s, some adults in the US who are under 45 and experiencing worrying symptoms are struggling to get insurance coverage for colonoscopies, which can detect colon cancer.The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance companies to cover colonoscopies for people over 45 “because it’s been recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force”, says Caitlin Murphy, a cancer epidemiologist and professor at the University of Chicago. The ACA requires preventive screenings, including pap smears, for example, to be completely covered. Continue reading...

Donald Gorske has eaten nearly 36,000 Big Macs. His verdict on the new Big Arch? ‘I think the Big Mac is better’The Wisconsin man who holds a seemingly unassailable world record after eating nearly 36,000 Big Macs over his lifetime has found McDonald’s widely publicized new offering, the Big Arch burger, underwhelming.During a brief interview on Sunday, Donald Gorske said he found the white cheddar cheese and tangy sauce that came on the Big Arch his son brought for him to try on 8 March as less preferable to him than the fixings on the Big Macs he has eaten twice daily since May 1972. Continue reading...

Leftwing victor has pledged to cut officials’ expenses and luxuries, but first must turn his attention to a series of crisesWhen Paris’s new leftwing mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire, leapt on a bike for a victory tour along the French capital’s large network of new cycle lanes on Sunday night, he was sending a crucial message to Paris residents.Not only would he continue to build bike lanes and keep limits on cars in the city, keeping the French capital’s pro-cycling focus on environmental issues and reducing its dangerous air pollution., he was also seeking to style himself as humble, frugal – “of an absolute moral rigour”, in his words – after promising to shrink Paris officials’ hefty expenses accounts and end the use of chauffeur-driven cars. Continue reading...

UKHSA says on Monday morning there has been no change since 20 cases were confirmed on SundayThere have been no new cases of meningitis linked to an outbreak in Kent reported, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.As of 12.30pm on Sunday, 20 cases had been confirmed, with a further nine under investigation. This was no change on the previous day, the UKHSA said in a statement on Monday morning. Continue reading...

PM will chair Cobra meeting with key ministers and Bank of England on Monday, as experts warn of economic shockUK politics live – latest updatesMiddle East crisis – live updatesKeir Starmer has promised to look at using “every lever that’s available to the government” to help with the cost of living impacts of the US-Israel war against Iran, ahead of an emergency meeting with senior ministers later on Monday.The prime minister is to chair a meeting of the Cobra committee on Monday afternoon, joining Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, as well as Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, and the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, among others, to discuss possible contingency measures. Continue reading...

Hope Scottish pilot will result in heel prick test for rare genetic condition being approved across BritainScotland has become the first part of the UK to screen newborn babies for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic condition that causes progressive muscle wastage.Campaigners, who have long advocated for newborn testing because early detection is critical for treatment outcomes, hope the Scottish pilot will result in approval for the heel prick test across the UK. Continue reading...