Fire

Talks lead to 45-day extension to shaky truce between Israel and Hezbollah militant group, state department saysIsrael and Lebanon have agreed to a 45-day extension of their ceasefire after another round of talks in Washington, the US state department has said.It came after two “productive” days of talks, and more negotiations would be held from 2-3 June, the department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said. Continue reading...

Saffron Cole-Nottage became stuck headfirst and might have lived had ambulance service alerted fire service immediately, coroner says A woman who drowned after getting stuck headfirst in sea defence rocks might have been saved if the ambulance service had alerted the fire service quicker, a coroner has said.Saffron Cole-Nottage, 32, was with her daughter, walking their dog at the seafront in Lowestoft, Suffolk, when she fell as the tide was coming in on 2 February 2025. Continue reading...

• Breanna Stewart scored 22 points and the New York Liberty beat the Portland Fire 100-82 on Thursday night in Portland, avenging a 98-96 loss two days earlier. • Alex Fowler provided a key bench boost for New York, helping the Liberty pull away after the expansion Fire had earned their first win on Tuesday on Sarah Ashlee Barker’s buzzer-beating putback. • The result matters because it shows the Liberty responding quickly after an early setback, while Portland’s 1-2 start underscores the volatility of an expansion team’s opening stretch.

• Diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran have advanced ceasefire talks, with both nations signaling willingness to negotiate a formal agreement to end months of escalating regional conflict. • Officials from both countries met in a neutral location this week to discuss terms, including sanctions relief, prisoner exchanges, and military de-escalation measures along disputed maritime boundaries. • The ceasefire proposal carries significant implications for global oil markets, international shipping routes, and broader Middle Eastern stability, with analysts warning that failure could trigger wider regional conflict.

Dalton Eatherly, 28, known as Chud the Builder, accused of firing at another man outside courthouse in ClarksvilleAn influencer has been detained in Tennessee following his alleged involvement in a shooting, according to local police.On Wednesday afternoon, Dalton Eatherly, 28 – known online as Chud the Builder – was involved in a confrontation with another man outside the Montgomery county courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee, during which shots were fired, the office of the district attorney general said in a statement. Continue reading...

Wes Streeting is expected to launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer as soon as Thursday. News of the health secretary’s plans came during the king’s speech, derailing what was supposed to be another chance for the prime minister to reset the political agenda. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s head of national news, Archie Bland Continue reading...

• Asian markets opened lower but mostly recovered on May 13, with MSCI Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rebounding to a 0.3% gain after an initial 1% drop, driven by AI optimism offsetting US inflation and stalled US-Iran talks. • Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.8% to around 62,774, South Korea's Kospi surged 2.6% to a record 7,708-7,844 after falling 3.2% on Samsung Electronics' failed union pay deal, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.3% to 8,645. • Brent crude fell 1.4% to $106.32 and US crude to $101.60 amid Middle East tensions, US 10-year Treasury yield eased to 4.459%, and dollar held steady at 98.369 against peers.

• Global equity markets including Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, Nikkei 225, and KOSPI reached fresh record highs driven by AI optimism overpowering US-Iran ceasefire tensions. • Rising oil prices, stronger inflation expectations, and hawkish Fed rhetoric pushed US Treasury yields higher while reinforcing higher-for-longer interest rates and USD strength. • President Trump is heading to China for a summit with Xi Jinping on Iran, nuclear issues, trade, and AI, joined by executives from Tesla, Apple, and BlackRock.

US president says Tehran’s peace proposal ‘totally unacceptable’ and ‘a piece of garbage’We are restarting our live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran after Donald Trump said the ceasefire was “on life support” after rejecting Tehran’s peace proposal, calling it “totally unacceptable”.Referring to the ceasefire in force since 7 April, Trump said: “I would call it the weakest, right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us – I didn’t even finish reading it. Continue reading...

US president says he is considering restarting naval escorts in strait of Hormuz in attempt to end Iranian blockadeMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has said the ceasefire with Iran is on “life support” and that he is considering restarting US navy military escorts of ships through the strait of Hormuz in an attempt to end the Iranian blockade of the vital waterway.The US president dismissed Iran’s peace proposals as stupid, and denied he was under any domestic pressure to reach a deal. Continue reading...

President’s remarks came as Benjamin Netanyahu said the war was ‘not over’. Plus, American passengers of the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship travel to NebraskaGood morning.Donald Trump has condemned an Iranian response to a US peace proposal as “totally unacceptable” as the month-old ceasefire appeared to be wearing thin.What is the US position on Iranian nuclear facilities? The US parameters for nuclear talks reportedly included a moratorium on Iranian nuclear enrichment for up to 20 years; the transfer overseas, possibly to the US, of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU), and the dismantling of Iranian nuclear facilities.What is the sticking point? According to the Wall Street Journal, the Iranian counter-proposal suggested a shorter moratorium, the export of part of the highly enriched uranium stockpile and the dilution of the rest, and refusal to accept the dismantling of facilities.How have markets reacted? After Trump rejected the counter-proposal on his Truth Social platform, there was a 4% jump in Brent crude on Monday to $105.50 a barrel, before it settled at $103.50.Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.What measures are being taken to control the spread? As well as one who tested positive, another passenger has mild symptoms of hantavirus, the US health and human services department confirmed. These passengers were travelling in the plane’s biocontainment units, it added.Is the World Health Organization mandating a quarantine? No – it has recommended, but not mandated, a 42-day quarantine once passengers have landed in their home countries. As some countries enforce stricter rules than others, here is how the responses vary. Continue reading...

Senator Chris Van Hollen and other Democratic lawmakers are embracing a policy that hardly benefits the middle classSoul-searching within the Democratic party is to be expected after its loss in the 2024 election. Donald Trump’s edge over Kamala Harris in voters’ perceptions of economic competence (perplexing though it now appears following a year of erratic policymaking) was bound to inspire a call to rethink the party platform.Yet the second-guessing is steering the Democrats down a dangerous path to embracing a tax-cutting strategy that risks defeating the project to enable a healthier, more equitable society. Continue reading...

FoI responses collected by insurer show brigades tackled 1,760 battery-linked fires in 2025, up 147% in three yearsFire brigades across the UK are tackling lithium-ion battery fires at a rate of one every five hours, figures show, as fire chiefs warn that public awareness and government regulation have not kept pace with the ubiquity of this new hazard.Lithium-ion batteries power most rechargeable devices including mobile phones, electric toothbrushes, toys and vapes, as well as ebikes, e-scooters and electric vehicles. Continue reading...

• Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani departed Miami on Sunday morning after meetings with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio focused on ending the Iran war. • The delegation discussed latest regional developments and Pakistani mediation efforts aimed at deescalation, while the month-long ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran remains fragile but intact. • President Trump stated Saturday he "expects to hear very soon" from Iranian officials regarding the latest U.S. peace proposal, with negotiations ongoing.

State media says Tehran’s response to peace plan passed to Pakistan as drone strikes or incursions reported in UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and IraqIran has said it has replied to a US peace proposal, on a day when a month-old ceasefire showed signs of fraying, with drone strikes reported around the region.Iranian state media reported that the Iranian response had been passed to Pakistani mediators, without giving further details. The announcement came a week after the US presented a peace proposal, which was reported to consist of a one-page 14-point memorandum of understanding that would reopen the strait of Hormuz while setting a framework for further talks on Iran’s nuclear programme. Continue reading...

The salacious gossip website is hounding politicians and tracking vacationing members of CongressTMZ has only been in Washington DC for a matter of weeks, but the salacious gossip website is already having an impact: hounding politicians, tracking vacationing members of Congress and reporting on a senator taking a trip to Disney World.It’s been quite the start as the website and TV channel attempts to break into the political scene, with its first focus on members of Congress taking a two-week recess – typically meaning the politicians return to their home districts and states to meet constituents – during a record partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Continue reading...

Revolutionary Guard issue warning as Trump awaits Iran’s response to Washington’s latest proposal for peace dealIran’s Revolutionary Guard has threatened to target US sites in the Middle East if its tankers come under fire, Iranian media reported on Saturday, as Washington was left waiting for Tehran’s response to its latest negotiating position.“Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships,” the force said, a day after US strikes on two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Continue reading...

• US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet struck two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Friday to enforce the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. • Iran accused the US of violating the month-old ceasefire, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calling it a 'reckless military adventure' that undermines diplomacy. • President Donald Trump stated he expects Iran's response to a US peace proposal 'supposedly tonight,' amid ongoing hostilities and JP Morgan warnings of $5 per gallon gas prices.

As ceasefire begins, Zelenskyy says ‘Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home’Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Europe.A three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine kicks off today that will include “a suspension of all “kinetic activity” and a swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country. Though it was first announced by Donald Trump on social media, it has since been confirmed by both sides.In recent days, there have been many appeals and signals regarding the setup for tomorrow in Moscow in connection with our Ukrainian long-range sanctions. The principle of symmetry in our actions is well known and has been clearly communicated to the Russian side.An additional argument for Ukraine in determining our position has always been the resolution of one of the key humanitarian issues of this war – namely, the release of prisoners of war. Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be brought home. Continue reading...

US president posts on Truth Social ceasefire will include suspension of all ‘kinetic activity’ and prisoner swapsDonald Trump has announced on social media that there will be a three-day ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine from 9 to 11 May.The US president said the ceasefire would include a suspension of all “kinetic activity” and a prisoner swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country. Continue reading...

Diplomatic efforts continuing despite fighting in and around contested strait of Hormuz in recent daysMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has said that Washington is expecting a response from Iran on Friday to its proposals for an interim deal to end the conflict in the Middle East, as Iran accused the US of breaching the increasingly fragile ceasefire announced last month.In recent days there have been the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the contested strait of Hormuz since the informal truce began. The rise in violence followed Donald Trump’s announcement – then rapid pause – of a new naval mission aimed at opening the strategic waterway. Continue reading...

Roman Lavrynovych is one of three accused of arson attacks on a vehicle and two houses in London tied to the prime ministerA Ukrainian man has admitted setting fire to a car that once belonged to Keir Starmer for £3,000, after telling a court he had been being threatened by a “powerful” Russian-speaking man using the pseudonym El Money.Roman Lavrynovych, 22, is accused, along with Stanislav Carpiuc and Petro Pochynok, of arson attacks on a vehicle and two houses in north London linked to the prime minister. Continue reading...

Donald Trump insists ceasefire remains intact after the most serious test yet. Plus, David Attenborough’s 100 most spectacular momentsGood morning.The US and Iran traded fire late on Thursday in the greatest test so far to their month-long ceasefire. Tehran accused Washington of breaching the truce by targeting two ships in the strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian areas, while the US said it struck in retaliation.Where were negotiations up to before the strikes? There were reports the two sides could be nearing an agreement to halt the war, with a one-page memorandum shared between Washington and Tehran, via Pakistan. Here is a rundown of the ins and outs over the past week.What happened to Trump’s “Project Freedom”? The US plan to guide tankers through the strait of Hormuz was ditched just days after it was launched, apparently because Saudi Arabia refused to let the US use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation.Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.How has the redistricting affected the sway of Black voters? Each now contains a third of the city’s Black voters, which means all nine of Tennessee’s congressional districts now lean Republican. Continue reading...

Ukraine suggested an indefinite ceasefire this week but it was repeatedly violated by RussiaAFP noted that Kyiv said Moscow ignored a Ukrainian call to halt fighting earlier this week that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy cast as a test of whether the Kremlin was serious about providing a brief respite in the four-year war.Russia has threatened a massive strike on the heart of Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts the Victory Day parade on Saturday, repeatedly urging foreign diplomats to evacuate the Ukrainian capital ahead of time. Continue reading...

The US said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets after an attack on three American destroyers in the strait of HormuzMorning, and welcome to the Guardian’s Middle East live blog.The US said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets after an attack on three American destroyers in the strait of Hormuz, while Tehran accused Washington of striking first. The exchange of fire threatens to unravel a fragile ceasefire in effect since 8 April – but Donald Trump insisted the truce remains intact. Continue reading...

US military claims it targeted sites responsible for attacks on its forces and ‘unprovoked’ hostilities by TehranIran has accused the US of violating the ceasefire by targeting two ships at the strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian areas, as the US insists it struck in retaliation.The US military said it targeted sites that it said were responsible for attacking US forces in what it called “unprovoked” hostilities by Tehran. Continue reading...

One person died and a dozen others were injured in the attack, during a demonstration in 2025 in BoulderA man accused of a firebomb attack that killed one person and injured a dozen others during a demonstration last year in Boulder, Colorado, in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza was scheduled to plead guilty Thursday to murder and other charges.Mohamed Sabry Soliman faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the attack in downtown Boulder last 1 June. Continue reading...