Denies

The US-based site, whose operators were fined £950,000 by Ofcom, appears in Google’s search results and can be accessed in UKGoogle has denied breaching the Online Safety Act by promoting a “nihilistic” suicide forum associated with 164 deaths in the UK where it is supposed to be banned.The UK’s internet regulator fined the forum’s US-based operator £950,000 because the site, which “presents a material risk of significant harm”, can still be accessed in the UK despite British laws criminalising encouraging or assisting suicide. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor to give budget reply speech tonight. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Nick Visser will take the helm (with Krishani Dhanji ready to take over this afternoon in the lead-up to tonight’s budget reply speech from Angus Taylor).Anthony Albanese has denied that the additional 700,000 gen Z voters being added to the electoral roll by the time of the next federal election was a factor in deciding on the negative gearing and capital gains tax changes in Tuesday’s federal budget. More coming up. Continue reading...

FBI director also dismisses allegations of unexplained absences as Democrats challenge him over Atlantic reportUS politics live – latest updatesEmbattled FBI director Kash Patel has denied under oath allegations of excessive drinking and unexplained absences on the job, dismissing them as “baseless” during a fiery congressional hearing.Patel sought to push back as Democrats challenged him over the “extremely alarming” reports, which ran in the Atlantic, which they argued would a mount to a “gross dereliction” of duty. Continue reading...

The Green party leader reshared a post on social media that appeared to show officers kicking the suspect in the Golders Green attack in the headFull report: Zack Polanski’s criticism of Golders Green attack arrest will have ‘chilling effect’, says Met chiefMorning, welcome to our UK politics blog.The Metropolitan police commissioner Mark Rowley has denied he was “intervening in politics” after he wrote an open letter to Zack Polanski over the way officers arrested the Golders Green attack suspect. Continue reading...

As his defense secretary testified before House committee, Trump posted AI-generated image of himself with a weapon and a caption saying ‘NO MORE MR. NICE GUY’Pete Hegseth has denied that the US-Israel war on Iran is “a quagmire” and claimed critics of the operation posed a greater threat to the US than Iran itself, as he came under pressure to set out Washington’s strategy for the conflict.Appearing before the House armed services committee alongside Gen Dan Caine, chair of the joint chiefs of staff, the US defense secretary asked lawmakers to approve a $1.5tn budget in military spending – and then described some of them as “the biggest challenge” to the war effort. Continue reading...

Starmer’s former chief of staff says he does not recognise media’s portrayal of him before evidence hearing with MPs• UK politics live – latest updatesMorgan McSweeney has denied claims he bullied civil servants into appointing Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the UK, before an evidence hearing with MPs next week.Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff resigned in February over his role in the hiring of Mandelson, but the move failed to end the crisis over the peer’s appointment. On Thursday, McSweeney told a security forum in Kyiv that he did not recognise his “character” portrayed in the media. Continue reading...

New York Times report claimed London-born Adam Back was creator of the cryptocurrency after comparing writingsA British computer scientist has insisted that he is not the elusive developer of bitcoin after a report claimed to unmask him as its creator.The story, in the New York Times, details a years-long effort to unmask Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious author of the bitcoin whitepaper which laid the theoretical foundations for modern digital currencies. Continue reading...

The actor whose husband is charged with child sexual abuse says she believes ‘his side of the story’ is ‘the truth’ Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxMelissa Gilbert contends she is “neither naive nor … complicit” having married and deciding to stand by her fellow actor Timothy Busfield amid numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, saying she exclusively has “heard his side of the story” and that it is “the truth”.“I know this man in my bones,” the former Little House on the Prairie cast member remarked in an interview on Monday’s edition of Good Morning America. “No one knows him better than I do.” Continue reading...

Defence ministry says US failed to request authorisation in time for parliament to give approval as required by international treatyItaly has denied the use of an airbase in Sicily to US military planes carrying weapons for the war in Iran after the US did not follow the required authorisation procedure.A source at the Italian defence ministry confirmed a report in Corriere della Sera that “some US bombers” had been due to land at Sigonella – one of seven US navy bases in Italy – before heading to the Middle East, but that use of the base had been denied because the US sought authorisation to land only while the aircraft were already en route to Sicily. Continue reading...

• President Trump stated at a Thursday cabinet meeting that Iran is "begging to make a deal" to end the war, claiming Iran has offered him "eight big boats of oil" as a goodwill gesture—later revising the number to 10. • Trump insisted he is not the one pushing for negotiations despite Iran's repeated official denials of direct talks with the United States as the conflict enters its fourth week. • U.S. Special Envoy Steve Woodcock indicated strong signs Iran could be convinced to reach a peace deal, while Trump also criticized NATO allies for failing to send naval assets to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has dismissed the US president’s claim of talks, saying there had been none since Washington began bombing the country. Plus, how sleeping 11 minutes more can cut your risk of heart attackGood morning.Donald Trump said there have been talks between the US and Iran over the past day in which the two sides had “major points of agreement” – but Tehran denied the claim, saying there had been no talks since the US began bombing Iran 24 days ago. Continue reading...

Pair attempt to strike united front amid reports vice-president skeptical over US-Israeli attack on IranDonald Trump revealed that he had asked China to delay his forthcoming visit to Beijing while the war with Iran was continuing, as he attempted to strike a united front on Monday with his vice-president JD Vance, who is believed to have been skeptical over attacking Tehran’s regime.Appearing together with Vance for the first time in two weeks, Trump said he did not think the conflict – which started on 28 February after the US and Israel opened hostilities – would be over this week but predicted victory would be achieved soon. Continue reading...

• In a Saturday phone call with NBC journalist Kristen Welker, President Trump claimed Iran sought a ceasefire, but Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arashi immediately contradicted the assertion, stating Iran has never requested negotiations or a truce. • US and Israeli forces have intensified bombardment of Iranian cities including Tehran, Hamadan, and Isfahan, with Trump warning of additional strikes; 12 US service members have been killed since the war began February 28. • Reuters reports Trump has ignored attempts by Middle Eastern allies to broker negotiations ending the conflict, while the US State Department warned American citizens to leave Iraq immediately amid ongoing military operations.