Iran rejects US ceasefire plan and submits its own amid push for talks

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Tehran puts forward five-point counter-proposal and says war will end when it decides and on its terms

Iran dismissed a US ceasefire proposal on Wednesday and countered with a negotiation plan of its own as intermediaries sought to keep diplomatic channels between the warring countries open.

Iranian state TV quoted an anonymous official as saying Tehran had rejected the plan it had received via Pakistan, saying it would “end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met”, and until then would continue fighting across the region.

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Mark Carney rebukes Air Canada chief over English-only crash message

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The prime minister says the condolence video after the fatal LaGuardia crash revived anger over linguistic rights

Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, has said a decision by Air Canada’s top executive to post an English-only message of condolence after a deadly crash in New York showed a “lack of judgment, a lack of compassion”.

Amid growing calls for his resignation, the airline chief’s misstep has once again revived frustrations and fears over linguistic rights protections in the province of Quebec, where French is the only official language.

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Trump pitches Iran peace plan but military buildups rarely veer to off-ramp

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Tehran skeptical of president’s offer – and troop deployments for potential ground operations – suggest claim of imminent end to war not credible

Somewhere between the strait of Hormuz and the screens of Bloomberg terminals around the world, the standard laws of cause and effect appear to have been suspended for Donald Trump’s war in Iran.

Trump this week soft-launched his latest Iran peace talks – which he has said must be accepted or “we’ll just keep bombing our little hearts out” – with few details or proof that anyone in the Iranian regime was willing to listen to him. The ultimatum was described as “maximalist” by Iran and quickly derided as a non-starter by analysts and former government officials.

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Italy’s tourism minister resigns under pressure from Meloni after referendum defeat – AP News

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  1. Italy’s tourism minister resigns under pressure from Meloni after referendum defeat  AP News
  2. Meloni’s referendum defeat shows the cost of the Trump factor | Riccardo Alcaro  The Guardian
  3. Italy tourism minister quits in Meloni's post-referendum purge  Reuters
  4. Italy’s opposition sees its chance to beat Meloni. But it needs a leader, and a plan.  politico.eu
  5. Giorgia Meloni’s big setback in Italy  The Economist
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UN votes to describe slave trade as ‘gravest crime against humanity’

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Members call for reparatory justice as landmark resolution aims for ‘political recognition at the highest level’

The United Nations has voted to describe the transatlantic chattel slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” and called for reparations as “a concrete step towards remedying historical wrongs”.

The landmark resolution passed on Wednesday was backed by the African Union (AU) and the Caribbean Community (Caricom). It had been proposed by Ghana’s president, John Dramani Mahama, who said: “Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of millions who suffered the indignity of slavery.”

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Labour’s donations crackdown is a blow to Reform UK – and a highly political move

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Reform’s ability to fundraise is hobbled in a move that draws attention to donations from an overseas billionaire

Reform UK are no doubt the biggest losers from the government’s emergency measures to overhaul political donations.

Labour MPs are absolutely delighted that No 10 is at last bringing in changes that will hobble Reform’s ability to raise money from its Thailand-based mega-donor, Christopher Harborne, at the same time as making the electoral system fairer in the eyes of the public.

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McSweeney-Mandelson messages still exist despite theft of ex-chief of staff’s phone

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Cabinet Office thought to have a number of exchanges between the friends, which are expected to be released within weeks

The Cabinet Office is understood to hold a number of text and email exchanges between Peter Mandelson and Morgan McSweeney, despite the theft of the former chief of staff’s phone in October last year.

The whereabouts of McSweeney’s messages with Mandelson has been under intense scrutiny since it was reported his work device was stolen last year shortly after Mandelson was sacked as US ambassador.

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Italy’s tourism minister resigns amid turmoil from referendum failure

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Giorgia Meloni made public request for Daniela Santanchè to quit in effort to restore credibility after voters rejected judicial reform

Italy’s embattled tourism minister has resigned, heeding a call to step down as the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, strives to restore credibility after a bruising defeat in a referendum that has thrown her far-right government into turmoil.

The resignation on Wednesday of Daniela Santanchè, a prominent and brash member of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, came after the prime minister took the unusual step of calling in a public statement for her to go.

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Russia sought to blackmail US using intelligence to Iran, Zelenskiy says – Reuters

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  1. Russia sought to blackmail US using intelligence to Iran, Zelenskiy says  Reuters
  2. Zelensky accuses Russia of blackmailing US over military intelligence amid Iran war  The Independent
  3. Putin offers to stop sharing intel with Iran if US cuts off Ukraine  politico.eu
  4. Ex-US Envoy Herbst Says Putin Wants US Bogged Down in Iran, Not Peace in Ukraine  Kyiv Post
  5. Russia Offered to Stop Helping Iran Target U.S. Troops in Exchange for Relief in Ukraine  WSJ
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The Revolutionary Guards are taking over Iran – The Economist

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  1. The Revolutionary Guards are taking over Iran  The Economist
  2. Iran’s hardline new leaders take control  Financial Times
  3. Here are the still-alive Iranian leaders who could strike a U.S. peace deal  Axios
  4. There is a sinister new power in Iran, and it’s not who the West thinks  The Telegraph
  5. 8 Key Regime Figures Killed in U.S.-Israeli Strikes on Iran  Foundation for Defense of Democracies
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Governors forgo past response to high gasoline prices – Politico

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  1. Governors forgo past response to high gasoline prices  Politico
  2. Opinion | Slashing gas taxes is good politics but terrible policy  The Washington Post
  3. Maryland House rejects Republican gas tax holiday amendment to state budget proposal  WBAL-TV
  4. Rising prices at the pump reignites debate over gas tax holidays  Baton Rouge Business Report
  5. States mull suspending gas tax to cut prices. Is yours next?  Yahoo
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Iran warns its ready to open new front in Yemen, close Bab al-Mandab Strait with Houthis – report – The Jerusalem Post

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  1. Iran warns its ready to open new front in Yemen, close Bab al-Mandab Strait with Houthis - report  The Jerusalem Post
  2. Iran Signals Threat to Bab al-Mandeb, Hints at Broader Escalation  WSJ
  3. Iran threatens to expand its attacks to strategic Bab el-Mandab Strait  The Times of Israel
  4. Opening Bab al-Mandeb Front Possible in Case of Enemy Provocation in Southern Iran: Source  تسنیم
  5. Iran threatens key Red Sea strait if US launches ground operation  The Hill
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For the first time in more than 1,400 years, Church of England gets a woman leader – NPR

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  1. For the first time in more than 1,400 years, Church of England gets a woman leader  NPR
  2. Kate Middleton and Prince William Step Out for Historic Ceremony Installing First Female Archbishop of Canterbury  People.com
  3. Sermon text: Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally preaches at her installation  Episcopal News Service
  4. Kate Middleton's Latest Outfit Includes a Sweet Hidden Tribute to Prince William  instyle.com
  5. Kate Middleton Nods to Her Royal Title in Stylish Look at Historic Ceremony  Yahoo
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‘We want peace’: Iranians try to maintain semblance of normal life as conflict drags on

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Explosions lit up Tehran skyline as Israel launched new airstrikes but by morning joggers were in the park

The days after Nowruz, the Persian New Year, are usually a bustling time in Tehran, with spring arriving, trees blossoming, businesses reopening after the holidays, and people returning to work and school.

This year, however, Iranians are trying to maintain a semblance of ordinary life against the constant backdrop of explosions, airstrikes – and a conflict many fear may drag on for weeks or months.

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Former Google Executive Named New Head of the BBC – The New York Times

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  1. Former Google Executive Named New Head of the BBC  The New York Times
  2. Ex-Google exec Brittin named new BBC boss, to steer reform  Reuters
  3. Matt Brittin: BBC’s new director general appointed at an existential moment for the broadcaster  The Conversation
  4. Matt Brittin: why the BBC’s new Doctor Who-loving boss may not have much time for sleep  The Guardian
  5. Matt Brittin: Former Google boss announced as BBC’s new director-general  The Telegraph
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