Donald Trump on Saturday offered only a vague description of what he meant by his demand for an unconditional surrender by Iran’s current regime, while leaving open the possibility of deploying American troops on the ground but ruling out asking Kurdish forces to mount an invasion.
“I said unconditional. It’s where they cry uncle or when they can’t fight any long longer and there’s nobody around to cry uncle — that could happen too,” Trump said when pressed by the Guardian aboard Air Force One.
Government says new rights for parental leave and sick pay will increase equality and economic growth
Women will disproportionately benefit from new workers’ rights measures rolled out from next month, according to research.
The TUC said approximately 4.7 million women are to benefit from stronger sick pay from April, including more than 830,000 who will receive statutory sick pay for the first time.
Kartal beats No 20 seed Emma Navarro 6-1, 3-6, 7-6
British men’s No 1 defeats Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Jack Draper came from behind to beat Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to start his title defence in Indian Wells, and his success was followed by a superb performance in the women’s event from Sonay Kartal, as the British No 2 twice broke back to stay in the match and beat the No 20 seed, Emma Navarro, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (2).
Kartal, the world No 54, raced through the first set but needed a medical time out and Navarro levelled the match in the second. The Briton was serving first in the final set but failed to put her opponent under much pressure and was broken in the ninth game by the American. The defiant Kartal broke back but could not hold her serve next up, meaning the world No 25 would serve for the match again at 6-5. Kartal refused to go down without a fight, saved a match point, broke back and then dropped just two points in the tie-break.
Three teenagers have been charged with murder after a man who tried to intervene and help a 14-year-old schoolboy was killed in a “savage” stabbing attack.
Emergency crews were called to the Mernda train station in Melbourne’s north-east on Friday evening after reports of a fight among teenagers.
Donald Trump has renewed his stinging criticism of UK prime minister Keir Starmer over the lack of immediate UK support for the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, adding: “That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer – But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!”
1 min: The kick-off’s sent long, and Newcastle win a throw deep in City territory on the left. Hall launches long. The ball nearly drops first to Woltemade, then Elanga, but neither can get an effort on target and turn themselves into the Jackie Milburn de nos jours. The 45-second mark ticks over without the scoreboard being troubled.
Newcastle United get the ball rolling. City are kicking towards the Gallowgate in this first half.
The video assistant referee was never likely to be the hero of the piece, having already intervened to dismiss George Dobson late in normal time. When Lewis Brunt nudged in a 114th-minute header, the Cae Ras was delirious, considering a penalty shootout and the potential for another classic upset in north Wales. The red line of destiny was drawn and the glory evaporated. In many ways it was a fittingly dramatic moment on a night of pure entertainment as Chelsea played the FA Cup villain against the plucky underdog.
It was everything a cup tie should be. Goals from Sam Smith and Callum Doyle twice gave Wrexham the lead, and hope of replicating the giantkilling of Arsenal in 1992, only for an Arthur Okonkwo own goal and Josh Acheampong strike to take the game into extra time. Alejandro Garnacho, who had earlier been the victim of the red-card challenge from Dobson, volleyed home the third and, after Brunt’s goal was disallowed, João Pedro netted a jeopardy-ending fourth, after Wrexham’s heart had already been broken.
Lamine Yamal’s superbly taken goal earned Barcelona a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in La Liga. The champions restored their four-point lead on second-placed Real Madrid, who had temporarily closed the gap by beating Celta Vigo on Friday.
Yamal curled into the top corner after 68 minutes to split the sides at Athletic’s San Mamés stadium in a hard-fought clash.
A hundred days from their first game, Iran’s prospects of playing in the US are fast fading as turbulent times once more affect the tournament
Saturday marks 100 days from what should be the start of Iran’s World Cup, a Group G fixture against New Zealand in Inglewood, near Los Angeles. As the United States bombs Iran – and Iran bombs a range of countries, including three that have also qualified – it seems all but impossible that they can take part in the tournament.
Were Iran to pull out or be expelled, they would become the first qualified nation since India and France in 1950 not to take up their place. Neither withdrawal in 1950 was political (in truth, saying there were two withdrawals is a technicality; those were chaotic years for qualification). India pulled out not, as has often been claimed, because they were banned from playing barefoot, but because they couldn’t afford the trip.
Old scars haunt the hosts at the Narendra Modi Stadium, while New Zealand have their own chokers tag to ditch
The Narendra Modi Stadium is a spectacular, enormous dome, the largest cricket ground in the world. On Sunday night it will contain 130,000 people, the vast majority clad in India’s blue, and one ghost that terrifies them all.
This was supposed to be the site of India’s coronation as 50-over world champions in November 2023. But on an awkward surface, later rated average by the International Cricket Council, their batters struggled and Australia beat them comfortably.
Detectives are investigating if alleged surveillance of Jewish locations and individuals is linked to possible attacks on British soil
Counter-terrorism detectives have been granted more time to question four men arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran on locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community.
The suspects, one Iranian and three dual British-Iranian nationals, can now be held in custody until 13 March, the Metropolitan police said on Saturday.
The Met said six other men, aged between 20 and 49, arrested at the same location in Harrow, have been bailed pending further investigation.
One of the men was further arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, the force added.
Detectives are understood to be investigating why the alleged surveillance of Jewish locations and individuals was being carried out and whether it was linked to a wish to carry out attacks on British soil.
Part of the investigation is looking at claims that in-person surveillance in London took place and whether it was directed from overseas.The operation by counter-terrorism police and MI5 had been going on for months.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, said on Friday the arrests meant police had kept “Britain safe from a potential threat”.
Mahmood said: “I want to thank the police and our security services for the action they’ve taken today to keep Britain safe from a potential threat.
“The Jewish community and the wider public will understandably be concerned by today’s arrests. We continue to monitor the situation closely and engage with those affected.”
She added: “I can reassure you that our police and security services are world-leading and won’t hesitate to take action to counter any threat to the UK. They will continue to use the full range of tools and powers available to them to keep this country safe. They have the government’s full support as they carry out their vital work.
“We must now give them the time and space to continue their investigations.”
In October last year, MI5’s director general, Ken McCallum, said 20 plots linked to Iran had been disrupted on UK soil in the previous 12 months. Most of those were against Iranian dissident targets, with at least one linked to an Israeli target in Britain.
‘I felt a twinge in my back, it became muscle spasms’
Rory McIlroy is confident of defending his Players Championship title from Thursday despite withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational 35 minutes before his third round. McIlroy suffered back spasms and was unwilling to potentially put appearances at the Players and next month’s Masters at risk by taking to the course at Bay Hill. McIlroy will also be defending the crown at Augusta National.
“While warming up in the gym this morning, I felt a small twinge in my back,” McIlroy said. “As I started hitting balls on the range before the round, it worsened and developed into muscle spasms in my lower back. Unfortunately, I’m not able to continue and have to withdraw. I was excited to compete this weekend. I wish the Arnold Palmer Invitational a great finish and look forward to being back next year.”
When Islamic State militants arrived at their family’s home in northern Iraq, Amera and her brother were sitting under their grandmother’s fig tree.
The 11-year-old girl had been watching a ripening fig for days but needed her older brother Ali’s height to reach it. Now, with IS beginning an assault on their town’s Yazidi people, she thought this may be her only chance.
Around 2040, Australia will reach peak death. A silver tsunami of boomers are predicted to propel the annual death rate to double that of today, putting immense strain on the healthcare and deathcare systems.
Dr Hannah Gould – a death scholar and author of the book How to Die in the 21st Century – calls it “boomergeddon”, and says it brings with it a certain range of ideas about what a good death looks like.
We met in 1998, at a health and relationship course run back then by the Gay Men’s Health Centre in Melbourne. I saw David across the crowded room at a drinks session afterwards and slowly made my way around to talking with him. We were both in our mid-30s, and I’ve always gone for those tall skinny guys. We chatted easily and before he left I scribbled down my number.
He rang a few weeks later on a Saturday night, apparently figuring I wouldn’t be home and that he’d just leave a message. When I picked up, I think he was a little thrown. He said something like: “Hi, um, hang on a sec, oh fuck, I’ve gotta turn the rice down!” And I thought, this is my sort of guy – Saturday night at home cooking rice, what’s not to love.
Explosion happened in pre-dawn hours at Dalí nightclub in the province of Trujillo along Peru’s northern coast
A bombing at a nightclub in Peru has injured 33 people, including minors, authorities said Saturday.
The explosion happened in the pre-dawn hours at the Dalí nightclub in the province of Trujillo along Peru’s northern coast, according to a statement from the local emergency operations center.
Azzurri stun visitors for first win in 33 meetings
Even by the Six Nations’ usual standards this has been a remarkable tournament. And to the list of stunning outcomes can now be added the biggest result in the history of Italian rugby. For the first time in 33 attempts they have beaten England at rugby union and no one could possibly claim the boys in blue did not deserve their long-awaited special day.
Entering the final half hour it had seemed as though England might just leave Rome with their dignity intact. Instead, not for the first time in this championship, they were the architects of their own downfall with the momentum of the game swinging decisively after two visiting forwards, including captain Maro Itoje, were sent to the sin-bin within eight minutes of each other.
The surprise offer by the president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, to not attack countries in the neighbourhood so long as their airspace and US bases within their territories are not used to attack Iran has provoked a storm inside the country as the military appeared to contradict him, if not outright overrule him.
There were also calls for a new supreme leader to be installed as quickly as possible, as a means of marginalising the president. Attacks on facilities in Bahrain and elsewhere have continued, and there were unconfirmed reports that Bahrain had become the first Gulf country to fire back at Iran.
Olympic figure skating champion Alysa Liu has withdrawn from the world championships later this month, an unsurprising move for the defending champ after she won the first Winter Games gold medal by an American woman in more than two decades.
Liu would have performed alongside Olympic teammates Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito when worlds begin 24 Match at O2 Arena in Prague. Bradie Tennell was the first alternate but declined, so Sarah Everhardt will take Liu’s place on the US team.
In Miami, president calls for regional cooperation to counter Chinese economic and political interests
Donald Trump changed the channel from Iran to the western hemisphere on Saturday, convening a gathering of Latin American leaders at his Miami-area golf club to discuss regional interests and establishing what he called a “counter-cartel coalition”.
“Just as we formed a coalition to eradicate Isis, we now need a coalition to eradicate the cartels,” he told 12 regional leaders gathered at what the White House called the “Shield of the Americas” summit.
Sakamoto and Wright give leaders victory at Bristol City
Lions close to within a point of Boro with 3-1 away win
First half goals from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Haji Wright strengthened Coventry’s position at the top of the Championship as they won 2-0 at Bristol City in a match that ended with both teams reduced to 10 men.
The visitors took a 37th minute lead when the former Robins player Jay Dasilva crossed from the left and Sakamoto outjumped his marker to net with a downward header. Coventry’s task was made more difficult when Joel Latibeaudiere was sent off in the 43rd minute for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, pulling back Emil Riis. But in first-half added time the Sky Blues doubled their advantage when Wright eluded a weak challenge before beating Radek Vitek with a low right-footed drive.
Does regular contributor Guy Hornsby speak for all England fans?
“I am not full of confidence today, Daniel. We are coming to this in semi-disarray, falling apart off the back of our 12 match run, now a distant memory. Against a team on the up full of excellent players, there are so many big battles, no more so than their centre partnership. You feel Brex and Menoncello v Atkinson and Freeman could decide it. Atkinson is a huge talent but what a way to come back into the team. Freeman is arguably one of our best players, but a work in progress at 13. If their defence falters, we could get torn open. You feel the battle up front will go a long way to deciding it, but make no mistake: on form, Italy winning will be no shock. England have a mountain to climb. A gritty win today will be just fine with many England fans.”
US government reviews of the war in Iran show that the Trump administration may be ill-equipped for a regime-change war, according to reports.
The Washington Post reported on Saturday morning that a classified intelligence review found that the war in Iran is unlikely to oust the Iranian establishment, despite the Trump administration’s desire to continue its attacks.
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