First Thing: Kuwaiti tanker hit by Iranian drone attack in Dubai port

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Iran attacked and group alight a afloat loaded crude lipid tanker anchored astatine Dubai port, causing harm to nan vessel’s hull, successful nan latest onslaught connected merchant vessels successful nan Gulf and nan strait of Hormuz. The occurrence was extinguished wrong hours and nary injuries were reported.

The drone onslaught connected nan Al Salmi tanker came hours aft Donald Trump warned that nan US would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants and lipid wells if it did not unfastened nan strait of Hormuz. The US-Israel warfare against Iran has dispersed crossed nan region, sidesplitting thousands, disrupting power supplies and threatening economical chaos.

  • What has Trump said astir nan war’s end? He has continued to springiness mixed messages, threatening to destruct Iran’s power accommodation unless it agrees to bid position – while simultaneously claiming negotiated advancement successful ending nan warfare nan US started together pinch Israel. Iran has accused nan US of utilizing diplomacy arsenic a smokescreen to hole for much attacks.

  • Which countries are astir susceptible to economical shocks? The Philippines, which imports almost each of its crude lipid from nan Middle East, is peculiarly exposed to surging prices, which person triggered protests and wide anger.

US directs American embassies to costs run against overseas ‘hostility’ – pinch Musk’s help

Marco Rubio, nan caput of state, pinch Donald Trump astatine nan White House earlier this month.
Marco Rubio, nan caput of state, pinch Donald Trump astatine nan White House earlier this month. Photograph: Will Oliver/UPI/Shutterstock

The US has directed each American embassies and consulates to motorboat coordinated campaigns to defy overseas propaganda and push US narratives, partially utilizing Elon Musk’s X.

The cable, signed by nan caput of state, Marco Rubio, and obtained by nan Guardian, tells embassies to prosecute 5 wide goals: countering dispute messaging, expanding entree to information, exposing adversary behavior, elevating section voices who support US interests, and promoting those “telling America’s story”.

  • Why now? The authorities of Iran, which nan US has attacked, is simply a prolific and blase disinformation actor, while Russian and Chinese power operations proceed to target US friends globally.

  • How would nan embassies do it? They person been told to usage section influencers, academics and organization leaders overseas to make US-funded narratives consciousness much organic.

Two-year-old held by ICE is sick and not getting capable care, Democrat warns

A female carries a kid extracurricular astatine nan installation successful Dilley, Texas
The installation successful Dilley, Texas, has been criticized for not providing capable attraction and nutrient for families. Photograph: Eric Gay/AP

A two-year-old boy held successful an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center successful Dilley, Texas, is sick and not getting capable treatment, Joaquin Castro, a Democratic congressman from San Antonio, has said.

The boy, Kaleth, has a fever and is not eating nan nutrient being served astatine nan family detention center, which Castro said detainees had complained has mold and worms successful it.

  • Has anyone died successful ICE centers? In 2026 truthful far, astatine slightest 14 group person died successful ICE custody, pinch José Guadalupe Ramos, a Mexican immigrant, dying precocious astatine a detention center extracurricular Los Angeles.

In different news …

Lawmakers successful nan Knesset
Israel approves decease punishment for Palestinians convicted of carrying retired fatal attacks. Photograph: Itay Cohen/AP
  • Israel’s parliament has passed a rule imposing nan decease punishment connected Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks, successful a move condemned arsenic discriminatory by rights groups and European countries.

  • Online threats against female Ethiopian activists person quickly intensified, forcing immoderate to time off nan country, feminists and authorities defenders have said.

  • A US judge has called aspects of nan Pentagon’s caller media argumentation “weird” and Kafkaesque, and expressed siren that journalists could beryllium penalized for asking questions of subject officials.

  • Transportation Security Administration (TSA) labor received backmost salary connected Monday after an executive bid by Donald Trump, as a partial shutdown of nan Department of Homeland Security continues.

Stat of nan day: Chinese spot prices fell 40% betwixt 2021 and 2025

A metropolis skyline successful China
Apartments are being utilized alternatively of cemetery land successful China, which recorded 11.3m deaths successful 2025, up from 9.8m successful 2015. Photograph: Alex Plavevski/EPA

Chinese existent property prices plummeted by 40% betwixt 2021 and 2025, caused partially by Xi Jinping’s run to curb excessive spot speculation. While flat prices person fallen, China has nan second-highest ceremonial expenses successful nan world. It has led immoderate to support their relatives’ ashes successful quiet apartments, alternatively than fork retired for nan constricted cemetery land successful cities – a inclination nan authorities is clamping down on.

Culture pick: James McAvoy connected his directorial debut, California Schemin’

James McAvoy.
‘I’m getting each that first-timer accent successful my 40s’ … James McAvoy. Photograph: Margaret Mitchell/The Guardian

He has played Professor X; nan protagonist successful Shyamalan’s Split; Mr Tumnus successful The Chronicles of Narnia; and a scope of different movie and theatre roles. Now, James McAvoy is releasing his directorial debut, California Schemin’, nan existent communicative of 2 Scottish rappers who pretended to beryllium American to snag a grounds deal. McAvoy – described by 1 of nan rappers arsenic specified a genuine feline “you hide he’s a Hollywood A-lister” – opens up astir challenging stereotypes of his homeland done this singular story.

Don’t miss this: really to commencement learning a caller language

Illustration of characters from different languages, pinch a mouth, an receptor and schoolhouse desks
Learning a caller connection helps makes you look cool … Illustration: Carmen Casado/The Guardian

The benefits of learning a caller connection are myriad: it’s bully for your brain, and it allows you to link pinch caller group and different culture, and bask a wider assortment of creation and media. So, if you’ve recovered your advancement stalling connected Duolingo, really do you get ahead? Experts stock valuable insights into nan subject of connection learning – and their tips for making progress.

Climate check: more drilling successful North Sea ‘not nan answer’ for UK power security, opportunity erstwhile subject leaders

A North Sea lipid rig
Attempting to eke retired remaining lipid and state from North Sea is ‘not nan answer’ to challenges facing nan UK, says retired R Adm Neil Morisetti. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

Further drilling successful nan North Sea would not amended nan UK’s power security, erstwhile subject leaders person said, calling connected nan authorities to alternatively attraction connected wind, solar, tidal and atomic energy. It came arsenic a caller study recovered nary fossil substance importer is immune to bottlenecks successful nan world proviso chain.

Last Thing: ‘extremely rare’ Bob Dylan draught lyrics discovered wrong signed Allen Ginsberg book

The typed lyrics connected a expanse of paper
I’m Not There was released successful 2007 and is held successful precocious esteem among galore Bob Dylan fans. It was primitively written and recorded successful 1967 pinch then-backing group The Band. Photograph: Omega Auctions

A draught of Bob Dylan’s lyrics for I’m Not There has been discovered tucked wrong an Allen Ginsberg paperback. Almost 60 years aft nan lyrics were written, nan draught – recovered successful a book erstwhile owned by Sally Grossman, nan woman of Dylan’s first head – will beryllium auctioned successful April, wherever it could bring successful £40,000 ($52,800).

  • In yesterday’s First Thing, nan point connected an creation theft successful Italy utilized an image of Paul Cézanne’s Still Life With Cherries And Peaches, alternatively than Still Life pinch Cherries. You tin spot an image of nan coating that was stolen here.

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Source theguardian.com
theguardian.com