US captain scored in final despite dealing with injury Knight says she has been overwhelmed by fans’ support Hilary Knight revealed on Monday that she led the US women’s ice hockey team to gold at last month’s Olympics while suffering from a torn medial collateral ligament in one of her knees. “I’m not walking around the best, and I’m missing a few games for the [PWHL’s] Seattle Torrent,” Knight said on CBS Mornings. “To be able to play through injury was definitely a mental sort of gymnastic challenge for myself and also physical, but we’ve got some amazing support staff that did their best to get me out there and perform at my best – as best as I could.” Continue reading...

Claude climbs to top of app store charts in US and UK after being blacklisted by Pentagon over ethics concerns The AI model Claude has surged in popularity after being blacklisted by the Pentagon last week over ethics concerns. Claude climbed to the No 1 spot on Apple’s chart of top free apps on Saturday in the US – dethroning OpenAI’s ChatGPT, just one day after the Pentagon tapped OpenAI to supply AI to classified military networks. The bot’s app climbed the iPhone app charts in the UK but did not beat out ChatGPT. Claude also raced up the Android charts in the US and UK, though ChatGPT reigned supreme, according to data from Sensor Tower. Continue reading...

Prime minister does not believe US has a plan beyond ‘shock and awe’ stage, as some MPs dread what lies ahead • US-Israel war on Iran – live updates • What we know so far on day three of the Iran war • A visual guide to strikes on Iran and Tehran’s response Tony Blair’s support for the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 has long loomed like a spectre over the Labour party. It was present in 2013 when Ed Miliband as opposition leader voted to block UK military action against the Syrian regime. Continue reading...

Israel has closed all crossings into Gaza, threatening to plunge 2 million people into a new hunger crisis US-Israel war on Iran – live updates Israel closed all crossings into Gaza indefinitely when it attacked Iran, imposing a siege that has already pushed up food prices and threatens to plunge 2 million people into a new hunger crisis. After more than two years of war, and with Israeli forces in control of about 60% of the territory, almost all Gaza’s food must be brought in. Continue reading...

It was right to disallow Tottenham’s goal in the north London derby and it was also correct to rule out the goal that would have given Burnley a 4-4 draw against Brentford At the start of the season, clubs, fans and the media were told referees would be taking a proactive approach to holding in the penalty area, or grappling as some call it. We have since seen some really good examples of on-field referees making decisions where they have clearly identified holding offences and others where the VAR has recommended a review. But in the past six or eight weeks the issue seems to have intensified, with a change in tack in the Premier League, where clubs are loading the penalty area at every set piece. During the game between Arsenal and Chelsea on Sunday there was one corner where Declan Rice was holding Jorrel Hato, David Raya was being held, Gabriel Magalhães’s shirt was being pulled and Viktor Gyökeres was having a tug at Enzo Fernández. It was very messy. The players have a real responsibility with this because a lot of histrionics go with it. Players are going to ground easily, obscured by a crowd of people in the penalty area, and offences can be difficult to detect. Continue reading...

French president says Paris could deploy nuclear-capable fighter jet to countries such as Germany and Poland France will increase the size of its nuclear arsenal for the first time in decades and significantly intensify nuclear weapons cooperation with eight European allies including the UK as part of a “major” strengthening of its deterrence doctrine, Emmanuel Macron has said. Amid growing concern among European leaders about wavering US commitments to help defend the continent, the French president said on Monday that Paris could deploy nuclear-capable Rafale fighter jets to partner countries such as Germany and Poland. Continue reading...

Law Society says home secretary’s review of refugee status after 30 months is in tension with UK’s legal obligations Shabana Mahmood’s decision to tell every person applying for asylum from Monday that their status is temporary could undermine the refugee convention, the Law Society has said. The body representing solicitors in England and Wales said the home secretary’s move to review every refugee’s status after 30 months was “in tension” with the UK’s legal obligations. Continue reading...

Make billionaires pay their fair share act would apply to those with a net worth of $1bn or more Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Senator Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna, a representative, on Monday introduced legislation that would impose a 5% annual wealth tax on America’s billionaires. The proposal, titled the make billionaires pay their fair share act, would apply to individuals in the US with a net worth of $1bn or more, of which Sanders’s office estimates there are 938 people who meet that threshold. Continue reading...

Back-line may feature one survivor from Ireland defeat Ben Spencer, Cadan Murley and Seb Atkinson in frame Steve Borthwick is ready to radically overhaul his misfiring England side for the Six Nations clash against Italy on Saturday, with Fin Smith expected to be handed the No 10 jersey. The Northampton fly-half sat out training on Monday because of illness but England have been quick to allay fears that his participation against Italy is in doubt. Provided he recovers, Smith is expected to start at fly-half in place of George Ford. Continue reading...

A near-halt to shipping in strait of Hormuz and attacks on Middle East refineries are threatening supplies and stoking inflation Nils Pratley: A gas shock – not an oil shock – looks more threatening US-Israel war on Iran – live updates Iran has responded to US and Israeli attacks by launching a series of counterstrikes against states across the Middle East, with serious consequences for the oil and gas industry and the global economy. Tehran has attacked oil facilities in neighbouring countries, while shipping traffic through the strait of Hormuz – the crucial bottleneck at the mouth of the Gulf – has all but ground to a halt. Continue reading...

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UK considering all evacuation options, including charter and military flights and bus trips across land borders More than 100,000 Britons were stranded in the Gulf on Monday, with airspace in the region still closed to most flights and overland evacuation regarded as risky while Iran continues to launch missile and drone strikes across the region. Downing Street said UK officials were considering all options to get citizens home safely, including using commercial, charter and military flights and bussing evacuees across land borders into Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Continue reading...

As for Keir Starmer, even when he tries to make a reasonably sound judgment he somehow ends up losing both sides of the argument Maybe we should have just had done with it back in December. Instead of offering a polite reservation, every western country should have sent a full, state delegation to Norway. Begging, imploring the Nobel Committee to award Donald Trump the peace prize. We could all have chipped in a couple of billion just to make it even more worth winning. And if that wasn’t enough, we could have twisted the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, to upgrade his “Peaceiest Ever President” award to the “Makes Jesus Look Second Rate” prize. A large solid gold statue of The Donald would have done the trick. There’s more than enough in the Fifa slush funds. Continue reading...

Some who live in region are unsure what to do amid missile strikes, while others are desperate to get home to the UK US-Israel war on Iran – live updates What we know so far on day three of the Iran war After the US-Israel attack on Iran and the disruption to travel, some flights are beginning to restart. Dubai Airports said “limited” flights would resume on Monday evening, three days after they were cancelled. British people living in the Middle East or travelling through the region told the Guardian about how they were struggling to know what to do in an ever-changing situation. Others spoke about their efforts to return to the UK. Here are some of their experiences: Continue reading...

In a combative press conference, the Pentagon chief dodged questions about the goals of the US military’s Iran operation Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Leave it to Pete Hegseth, the ex-Fox News host now leading the Pentagon, to reframe the massive US-Israeli military operation in Iran as an act of resistance against political correctness: the first based regime-change war of the Maga era. In a combative press conference at the Pentagon on Monday, Hegseth brought his anti-PC ethos to defend exactly what Donald Trump has said he did not want: to embroil the US in a major intervention in the Middle East with no clear timeline for exit. Continue reading...

It was possible to spin his 2025 arrival as a clean slate but the former businessman soon lost the confidence of key players The wait continues for confirmation that Charles Allen’s brief, troubled – and ultimately ineffectual – tenure as chair of the British Horseracing Authority is over. In racing terms, however, he is nine-tenths out of the saddle, his backside inching towards the turf and gravity is about to take over. Even in the thankless and intractable world of racing politics, few stars have waned as rapidly as that of Lord Allen of Kensington, a former businessman and senior broadcasting executive who arrived in September at the BHA promising to restructure the sport’s governance and, in the words of his day-one mission statement, “develop British racing into a modern commercial and cultural powerhouse”. Continue reading...

Sir Keir Starmer draws a narrow legal distinction. But if British bases enable a wider US-Israeli campaign, the UK risks sliding into an unlawful conflict In the Commons on Monday, Sir Keir Starmer was clear that Britain will not join offensive action against Tehran. It is wise not to join an illegal attempt at “regime change from the skies”. Sir Keir will, however, permit US use of British bases for limited defensive strikes aimed at stopping Iranian missile attacks. That is a legally clear line, but it may be politically and militarily tricky to stick to. Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions are reckless and unlawful. But so are Iran’s strikes – hitting hotels, airports and energy infrastructure – across the Gulf. Where Britain’s allies have asked for support, or where UK nationals are at risk, the UK is legally entitled to act in collective self-defence. But this holds only as long as the action is restricted to halt Tehran’s barrage. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Plans to resurrect the children’s services decimated by austerity are appealing. But schools also need attention Heavily trailed reforms to special educational needs and disabilities (Send) education dominated coverage of last week’s schools white paper. But Bridget Phillipson’s policy of in-sourcing special provision, creating a new tier of support and making mainstream settings more inclusive, is the centrepiece of a broader agenda that also requires scrutiny. All schools in future will have to join multi-academy trusts, including a new kind of trust established by councils. Ministers have also promised a drastic shrinking of the attainment gap between richer and poorer pupils, and new projects in north-east England and coastal areas aimed at raising standards. The way that £8bn in disadvantage funding is targeted is also being changed. Other measures include financial incentives for heads in challenging schools, stronger oversight of academy trusts and a clear signal of openness to flexible working arrangements. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

The home secretary is seeking to make refugee status temporary. Let’s go in the opposite direction and fight for an essential right Nigel Farage is worried about democracy. Specifically, he’s worried about his Reform party losing the Gorton and Denton byelection, feeling that they are the victim of “sectarian voting and cheating”. Sectarian voting is a peculiar little concept: if it means “everyone sharing the same belief system has voted the same way”, isn’t that all voting? Is it a problem if everyone in the same NCT group also voted the same way? Surely there’s more to it. Drill down a little further, and the problem is “family voting”, wherein one family member dictates the votes of all the others. One volunteer polling observers group says it witnessed this in 12% of cases, but it hasn’t been clear on what it means or looks like. Does the head of the family stand at the door saying, “You know what to do” to a crocodile formation of cousins? Would they not have been more likely to do that by WhatsApp? I have personally been the victim of family voting, when in 1997 I wanted to spoil my ballot and my mum told me to vote Labour and stop being stupid. Taking the incredibly long view, it’s possible that I was not stupid, but too late now, I’ve already been party to election rigging. Continue reading...

Fifa regulations vague on issue of replacing any teams Withdrawal would be first since France and India in 1950 Iraq and the United Arab Emirates are viewed as the most likely beneficiaries should Iran withdraw from the World Cup. Fifa’s general secretary, Mattias Grafström, said on Saturday that “our focus is to have a safe World Cup with everybody participating”, but the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, has raised doubts over his country’s participation by saying: “After this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope.” Fifa has not commented since Grafström spoke and remains determined to ensure the World Cup, thats starts on 11 June, goes ahead as planned, but several sources have said that if its hand were forced by Iran’s withdrawal the replacement will probably come from the Asian Football Confederation. Continue reading...

Europe and Asia will take an economic hit if the supply of Qatari LNG is halted by the closure of the strait of Hormuz Gas prices soar and oil jumps as Iran war pushes down global stock markets The price of oil grabs most of the energy-related attention during conflicts in the Middle East for understandable reasons: oil is the commodity on which the world runs (still) and analysts have roughly reliable models for what every $10 per barrel increase in cost does to global growth and inflation. So, on that front, one can say we’re still a long way from “oil shock” territory. Monday’s rise to $79 a barrel, up 9% since the end of last week, is sizeable, especially as the price was $62 at the start of this year, but remember that $125 was seen shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and $100-plus was then sustained for three months. Continue reading...

The war in the Middle East continues to escalate, with casualties and destruction reported across at least nine countries in under 10 hours. Israeli and US warplanes launched a fresh wave of strikes across Iran, while US allies in the Gulf states are under attack from Iranian missiles and drones. Nosheen Iqbal speaks to the Guardian’s head of international news, Jamie Wilson Continue reading...

Digital censorship analysts argue current outage is mostly about survival and control for the country’s rulers Roughly four hours after the first strikes hit Iran, the country was again plunged into a full internet blackout – severely curtailing both the information that has left the country and the ability of Iranians to communicate with each other. A small fraction of this blackout appears to be a result of infrastructure damage caused by US or Israeli strikes, possibly to a fibre optic cable, according to Doug Madory, at the internet analytics firm Kentik. There appear to be several small outages affecting multiple networks, which could be caused by technical failures such as a fibre cut or power outage, he said. Continue reading...

Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed and vessels rerouted, sending some freight costs surging Leading maritime insurers have cancelled war risk cover for vessels operating in the Gulf as the escalating Iran conflict disrupted shipping and sent some freight costs surging. At least 150 vessels including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers have dropped anchor in the strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters. Continue reading...

Stalwart Labour MP for Ipswich who fought against the monopoly that solicitors held over property conveyancing The appellation of “good constituency MP” often carries the somewhat pejorative suggestion of a mediocre politician who has failed to make a mark as a national figure at Westminster. However, in the case of Ken Weetch, who has died aged 92, it explains, rather, his remarkable survival for 13 years as the Labour MP for Ipswich against the prevailing electoral trends of the time. He also wrote his name into the statute book of history for his successful campaign to end the long-standing monopoly of solicitors over the conveyancing of property. He introduced two private members’ bills, in 1974 and 1976, in an attempt to highlight what he termed this “vicious restrictive practice” and continued to exert such pressure that the Thatcher government was persuaded eventually to outlaw the monopoly within the provisions of the Administration of Justice Act, 1985. Continue reading...