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Donald Trump said there have been talks between the US and Iran over the past day in which the two sides had “major points of agreement” – but Tehran denied the claim, saying there had been no talks since the US began bombing Iran 24 days ago.
Trump had vowed on Saturday to destroy Iran’s power stations and energy infrastructure within 48 hours unless Tehran reopened the strait of Hormuz, while Iran threatened to retaliate against infrastructure across the Middle East. But the US president pivoted on Monday – saying he had extended his deadline by five days – just hours before US markets were to open for what looked certain to be another punishing round of trading.
Soon after the Trump pivot, Israel’s military on Monday said it had launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran. But the Israel Defense Forces told the Guardian that energy infrastructure would be spared, suggesting Israel may follow Washington in its pause on hitting these sites. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also said they launched a fresh attack on targets in Israel.
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So are there talks or not? A European official said that while there had been no direct negotiations between the two nations, Egypt, Pakistan and Gulf states were relaying messages. A Pakistani official and a second source told Reuters that direct talks could be held in Islamabad this week; the Pakistani official said Trump, JD Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were expected to meet Iranian officials.
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How many have been killed in Iran during the war? At least 1,500, with some rights groups reporting figures as high as 3,230 as of 21 March.
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From India to Wales, here is how people are being affected by surging fuel prices.
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Follow our live blog for the latest updates.
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Markwayne Mullin as head of homeland security
The US Senate on Monday confirmed Markwayne Mullin as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem as the new leader the president’s immigration crackdown.
The Republican-controlled chamber confirmed Mullin largely along party lines, with a vote of 54-45 for the Oklahoma senator. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole Republican to vote against him, while Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman and New Mexico’s Martin Heinrich were the only Democrats to back him.
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How popular is the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown? Half of Americans want ICE abolished.
TSA lines stretch for hours as Trump deploys ICE agents to US airports
ICE agents were deployed to US airports on Monday amid scenes of chaos, with security lines stretching for hours. Many Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) screening agents have refused to come to work because the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains partially shut down.
The immigration agents were reportedly sighted in a dozen cities, with Trump claiming the agents could help manage lines – although a Guardian reporter at Hartsfield-Jackson international airport in Atlanta could see little immediate impact from their presence.
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Aren’t ICE part of DHS? Why has the shutdown not affected it? Because Republicans authorized tens of billions in dollars of separate funding for their operations, part of last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
In other news …
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The amount of AI-generated child sexual abuse material online soared in 2025, according to a safety watchdog that said offenders were manipulating imagery of children known to them.
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A Canadian flight attendant was ejected more than 100 metres from a plane that crashed at LaGuardia airport on Sunday night. She survived in what her family describe as a miracle.
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Bill Cosby has been found guilty of sexual assault and ordered to pay $59.25m in damages to Donna Motsinger, who alleged he drugged and raped her in 1972.
Stat of the day: Extra 11 minutes’ sleep each night can reduce heart attack risk, study finds
Small behavioral changes, which are thought to be more sustainable and achievable than bigger changes, could significantly reduce the risk of a heart attack, a study has found. These include getting an extra 11 minutes’ sleep each night, briskly walking 4.5 additional minutes and eating an extra quarter cup of vegetables each day.
Culture pick: The News from Dublin by Colm Tóibín – subtle stories about being far from home
While the title of Colm Tóibín’s new story collection may suggest a return to familiar territory, it actually acts as a subtle bait and switch, writes Sarah Crown. Rather than familiarity, the stories – jumping around locations that include Spain, San Francisco and Argentina – are instead connected by displacement. The collection “takes devastating raw materials”, from death to indefinite separation, “and presents them lightly, obliquely, allowing his readers to absorb the breadth of their implications before becoming overwhelmed”.
Don’t miss this: How illegal kidney traders target Pakistan’s desperate brick kiln workers
Up to 5 million people work in Pakistan’s brick kilns, the vast majority of whom are believed to be in debt bondage. Workers who had been coerced into selling their kidneys in a desperate and ill-fated attempt to pay off their debt, often in the hope of freeing their children, said the trafficking practice is commonplace. “The whole country is doing it,” said one.
Climate check: Searing US heatwave bad news for wildfire season and water supply
The dangerous, record-breaking heatwave that has gripped the US west may mean that hot weather is here to stay, intensifying the risks of wildfires and drought over the coming months. Some areas have seen spikes up to 40F higher than normal, which is incredibly dangerous when bodies and systems are unprepared for it.
Last Thing: Let them eat 1,600 cakes
Hundreds of Australians descended on a park in Melbourne at the weekend to sample as many cakes as they could manage. The Cake Picnic, created in San Francisco in 2024 by amateur baking enthusiast Elisa Sunga to bring people together over a love of dessert, has one important rule: no cake, no entry.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theguardian.com
