Violent and menacing threats to Australia’s politicians double in two years, according to police data 28. February 2026 (20:00) At least 21 charges have been laid against individuals since October, Australian federal police say, following 951 reports to JuneGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNearly three violent or menacing threats against federal politicians are being reported to police daily, according to Australian federal police data, with rates almost doubling in two years.The soaring danger for elected officials and their staff reached new heights this week when Anthony Albanese was evacuated from The Lodge in Canberra over a bomb threat. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man arrested in shooting of prominent Muslim leader in Utah during Ramadan 28. February 2026 (19:51) Imam Shuaib Din was not hit by multiple shots fired by Abdul Raouf Afridi, who ambushed him outside his homeA man has been arrested for recently shooting a gun at prominent Muslim leader Imam Shuaib Din in Utah, the police department in the city of Sandy said Saturday.Din’s suspected attacker was identified as Abdul Raouf Afridi. Police said the man was arrested on 12 counts of aggravated assault, including felony discharge of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, dangerous discharge of a weapon from a vehicle and possession of a dangerous weapon as a prohibited person. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least 80 children dead as missile reportedly hits school in southern Iran 28. February 2026 (19:28) The building appears to be among many devastated in Trump’s ‘major combat operations’ as long expected attacks arriveUS-Israeli attack on Iran – live updatesUS and Israel strikes on Iran: what we know so farIran’s parents had just dropped their children off for class on Saturday morning when they found themselves racing back to school gates, as bombs began to fall across the country in a joint US-Israel attack.At one elementary school, according to Iran’s state-controlled media, they arrived to find devastation. At least 80 children had been killed in the strike on Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran, the IRNA news agency reported, with dozens more unaccounted for. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump vies for Bush’s crown for worst foreign policy decision in history 28. February 2026 (18:33) The US president upended half a century of US foreign policy in an eight-minute video with another attempt at Middle Eastern regime changeIt was another date that would live in infamy. But whereas Franklin Roosevelt declared war in sombre tones to a joint session of Congress, Donald Trump did it his way.The US president wore a white “USA” cap, dark jacket and white shirt open at the collar. He stood at a blue lectern bearing the US presidential seal and a black microphone, with the Stars and Stripes behind him, presumably at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. He released a video on his own social media network, Truth Social, at 2.30am on Saturday – a time when most Americans are asleep but Trump is often found rage-tweeting into the night. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
OpenAI to work with Pentagon after Anthropic dropped by Trump over company’s ethics concerns 28. February 2026 (18:06) CEO Sam Altman claims military will not use AI product for autonomous killing systems or mass surveillanceOpenAI said it had struck a deal with the Pentagon to supply AI to classified US military networks, hours after Donald Trump ordered the government to stop using the services of one of the company’s main competitors.Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, announced the move on Friday night. It came after an agreement between Anthropic, a rival AI company that runs the Claude system, and the Trump administration broke down after Anthropic sought assurances its technology would not be used for mass surveillance – nor for autonomous weapons systems that can kill people without human input. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US lawmakers condemn Trump over Iran strikes: ‘acts of war unauthorized by Congress’ 28. February 2026 (17:55) Members of Congress swiftly denounced the president’s military action against the Islamic Republic alongside IsraelUS-Israeli attack on Iran – live updatesUS and Israel strikes on Iran: what we know so farDonald Trump’s failure to build a case with the US public for striking Iran and then going ahead apparently without even alerting Congress’s key national security experts – the so-called “gang of eight” – has fuelled fierce domestic criticism of the military action against the Islamic Republic on Saturday.Belying the gravity of Saturday’s attacks, the president spent just three minutes of Tuesday’s State of the Union address trying to explain why the need to act against a regime that had been a strategic foe for decades had suddenly become so urgent and whose nuclear facilities he claimed to have “obliterated” in previous strikes last June. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Burnham would ‘probably’ have won byelection, says Labour deputy leader 28. February 2026 (17:42) Lucy Powell calls for party to make more use of Greater Manchester mayor after Gorton and Denton defeatAndy Burnham would have won the Gorton and Denton byelection, Labour’s deputy leader said as she called for the party to make more use of the Greater Manchester mayor.Labour fell to third in the previously rock-solid seat on Thursday, with the Greens winning a fifth seat in parliament and Reform UK coming second. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
A visual guide to US-Israeli strikes on Iran – and Tehran’s response 28. February 2026 (17:40) Missiles and bombs landed across Iran, hitting key security and political targets in Tehran including residence of supreme leaderUS-Israeli attack on Iran – live updatesUS and Israel strikes on Iran – what we know so farThe US and Israel have announced the beginning of an unprecedented joint operation against Iran, beginning with a wide-ranging bombing campaign aimed at regime change.Israeli jets and US missiles struck hundreds of targets across Iran, sending residents fleeing in panic from major urban centres. Among the targets were Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini, and Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as weapons facilities across the country. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rhun ap Iorwerth: Plaid Cymru is ready to ‘lead the charge’ in Wales 28. February 2026 (17:00) Leader launches ‘roadmap’ of first 100 days in power to show party is ready to govern if it wins Senedd electionsThe leader of Plaid Cymru has described the prospect of leading the next government in Wales as “a heck of a task” but that he senses voters are increasingly driven by their Welsh identity and may be ready for Britain to be “redesigned”.Speaking to the Guardian as he published a glossy 60-page “roadmap” for his party’s first 100 days in government, if it takes power in May, Rhun ap Iorwerth said he was ready to lead the devolved administration in Cardiff but would work with other parties if he did not win a majority. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US man issues challenge to disprove his claim of having world’s smallest penis to raise micropenis awareness 28. February 2026 (16:45) North Carolina’s Michael Phillips revealed that he had a 0.38in member in bid to reduce stigma of the conditionA North Carolina man has challenged anyone on earth to disprove his claim of having the world’s smallest penis as he advocates against body shaming and aims to raise awareness about the medical condition known as micropenis.Michael Phillips, 38, threw down the gauntlet in an interview posted Friday on TMZ’s YouTube channel, in which he purported that his penis was 0.38in (0.97cm) when fully erect – and, holding up the fingernail on his right pinky to illustrate that length, added: “When it’s flaccid, it’s smaller than that.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
