First Thing: ‘Impossible’ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ‘flagrant’ ceasefire breaches, Iran says
Iranian forces have seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran doubled down on imposing separate blockades of the shipping waterway.
Iranian forces have seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran doubled down on imposing separate blockades of the shipping waterway.
The standoff over the strait – through which about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied fossil gas passed during peacetime – has raised doubts about whether stalled peace negotiations will resume.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament and lead negotiator, said late last night that reopening the strait of Hormuz would be “impossible” while the US and Israel committed “flagrant” breaches of the ceasefire, including the US naval blockade, “the hostage-taking of the world’s economy” and “Zionist warmongering”.
What has Donald Trump said? The US president announced that the US would extend the ceasefire with Iran until the country’s leaders came up with a “unified proposal” to US negotiating positions amid Tehran’s “seriously fractured” government. He had earlier threatened to renew bombing. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said Trump was “satisfied” with the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and “understands Iran is in a very weak position”.
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Six candidates vying to become the next governor of California sparred last night in the first debate since the already topsy-turvy race was plunged into upheaval by the sudden collapse of the former congressman Eric Swalwell’s campaign after sexual assault and misconduct allegations.
With a clear frontrunner still yet to emerge, the unusually wide-open race to replace the outgoing governor, Gavin Newsom, in the heavily Democratic state has left nearly a quarter of voters undecided in the run-up to the 2 June primary.
While sharp contrasts emerged over how to address some of the state’s biggest anxieties – from the high cost of living and housing affordability, to homelessness and the threat of artificial intelligence – the evening likely did little to settle the race with less than two weeks before ballots begin arriving in voters’ mailboxes.
Who took part in the debate? The primetime showdown, hosted by Nexstar Media Group, featured two Republicans – Steve Hilton, the former Fox News host and director of strategy to the former UK prime minister David Cameron, and Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County – and the four leading Democrats: the billionaire Tom Steyer, the former health secretary Xavier Becerra, the former congresswoman Katie Porter and the San Jose mayor, Matt Mahan.
The Pentagon announced yesterday that the navy’s top civilian official, John Phelan, the secretary of the navy, is leaving his job.
In a statement posted to social media, Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately”. People familiar with the dynamics at the Pentagon told the Guardian that Phelan was fired.
Hung Cao, the navy undersecretary, will become acting secretary of the navy, Parnell said. Phelan had an increasingly rocky relationship with the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and other senior staff, who openly appeared to prefer Cao for the role.
Why was he fired? The sources said Hegseth in effect blamed Phelan for not going aggressively enough against senator Mark Kelly, who appeared in a video where he advised troops to ignore “illegal orders”.
One day after voters in Virginia approved new congressional maps, a court put a pause on them by ruling the referendum invalid, although Democrats said they would appeal. The maps are the latest salvo in a struggle, started by Republicans, to redraw state voting maps to make it easier to win seats in the midterm elections.
The EU risks a confrontation with Donald Trump after it sought to stall the awarding of a lucrative Balkans pipeline contract to a company fronted by his personal lawyer, documents seen by the Guardian show.
South Korea’s air force has apologised for a 2021 mid-air collision involving two fighter jets after auditors said pilots were taking selfies and filming during the flight.
The number of billionaires in the world could reach nearly 4,000 by 2031, figures suggest, as the super-rich accumulate wealth at an accelerating rate. There are now 3,110 billionaires globally, according to analysis by the estate agent Knight Frank. This is forecast to rise by 25% over the next five years, taking the total to 3,915.
“Some people have their cleaning routine down to a science. And others fly by the seat of their pants. I’m in the latter category, spraying down surfaces and hoping for the best,” writes Lauren Gould of the Filter US. “But our guide to the best gadgets for spring cleaning inspired me to rethink my approach. I decided to dive into the deep end, and start with my least favorite room to clean – the bathroom.”
In her new book, the New York Times investigative journalist Jodi Kantor has set her mind to helping young people find their life’s work. What should they, or anyone else who feels lost and overwhelmed right now, do to get started?
Lawrence Bishnoi has been in high-security custody for more than a decade. During that time, he has been linked to multiple high-profile killings in India and as far afield as Canada. What explains his seemingly undimmed power?
Extreme heat is threatening the world’s food systems, with farmers unable to work outside, livestock experiencing stress and crop yields falling, putting the livelihoods of more than a billion people in peril, the UN has warned.
A tourist has been charged after allegedly climbing a colossal marble statue in Florence for a pre-wedding prank. Experts said the woman caused thousands of euros of damage to the Neptune fountain in Piazza della Signoria. The 28-year-old tourist told the police her friends had dared her to touch Neptune’s genitals.
