‘Extraordinary event’ for mountain gorillas as new twins born in DRC

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Conservationists celebrate second twin birth just two months after another found in Virunga national park

A second set of mountain gorilla twins has been born in Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in what conservationists are celebrating as an “extraordinary” event for the endangered primates.

Just two months after tiny twin mountain gorillas were discovered by rangers in the Virunga massif, in eastern DRC, another rare twin birth has been found by park wardens. This time, an infant male and female have been spotted in the Baraka family, a troop of 19 mountain gorillas that roam the region’s high-altitude rainforests.

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‘It won’t be pretty!’ French and Saunders to play the Ugly Sisters in Palladium panto

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Comedy duo will take the stage together in the West End for the first time in 17 years in Cinderella alongside Julian Clary

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are to return to the stage together for the first time in 17 years to play the Ugly Sisters in the London Palladium pantomime.

“It won’t be pretty,” the popular duo predicted in an announcement on Tuesday. “We have wished to play the Ugly Sisters for so many years, it feels this is the fulfilment of a dream – a dream our hearts made.”

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US park police officer wounded in ‘ambush’ shooting in Washington DC

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Park police chief says officer was ‘ambushed’ by two gunmen who fired as officer drove in unmarked vehicle

A US park police officer was seriously wounded on Monday evening in a shooting in Washington DC in what the park police chief called an ambush.

The park police chief, Scott Brecht, said in a press briefing that the unidentified officer was “ambushed” by two gunmen who fired at the officer as he drove by in an unmarked vehicle. The officer was working on a park police investigation when he was shot. The chief declined to give specifics of the investigation.

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King Charles made patron of charity protecting Jewish communities

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Charles announced as patron of Community Security Trust hours after attack on another Jewish charity’s ambulances

King Charles has been made patron of a charity that protects Jewish communities in the wake of the firebomb attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in north London.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which provides protection to Jewish communities, said Charles’s acceptance of the position highlighted his support for the “fight against antisemitism”.

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Middle East violence continues after Trump claims ‘very good’ talks with Iran

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Israel and Gulf states targeted and Iran hit by airstrikes as Tehran denies negotiations are taking place to end war

Violence has continued across much of the Middle East a day after Donald Trump said the US was in “very good” talks with Iran to end the war in the region soon.

Iranian barrages targeted Israel, Gulf Arab states and northern Iraq on Tuesday, while Israeli and US warplanes continued to carry out strikes across Tehran and on other targets in the Islamic Republic.

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Netanyahu vows further strikes on Iran and Lebanon as missile hits Tel Aviv

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Israeli PM says ‘there’s more to come’ as hopes of de-escalation dim after Trump’s recent remarks

An Iranian missile has struck central Tel Aviv and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has vowed to continue striking Tehran and Lebanon, dimming hopes of de-escalation after Donald Trump played up the chances of a deal to end the conflict.

“There’s more to come,” Netanyahu said in remarks that appeared to corroborate those of three Israeli officials who told Reuters they thought it was improbable that Iran would accept US demands in any new round of negotiations.

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The world’s great fish migrations are collapsing – that’s a problem for millions of people – The Conversation

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  1. The world’s great fish migrations are collapsing – that’s a problem for millions of people  The Conversation
  2. Epic river migrations of fish rapidly collapsing, UN report finds  The Guardian
  3. Decline in migratory fish populations prompts fight for protection  BBC
  4. Earth’s Greatest Underwater Migrations Are Disappearing  Inside Climate News
  5. Hidden 'Beneath the Surface,' Freshwater Fish Migrations Collapsing Worldwide  Common Dreams
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Israel says it will seize parts of southern Lebanon as ‘defensive buffer’ – The Guardian

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  1. Israel says it will seize parts of southern Lebanon as ‘defensive buffer’  The Guardian
  2. Israel Plans to Control Large Parts of Southern Lebanon, Defense Minister Says  The New York Times
  3. Smotrich urges Israel to annex southern Lebanon as assault intensifies  Al Jazeera
  4. Trump says US talking to 'right people' in Iran as Israel plans to occupy parts of southern Lebanon - as it happened  Reuters
  5. In southern Lebanon, civilians are trapped after Israel destroys bridges  Le Monde.fr
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Meningitis B vaccine scheme widened to include some year 11 pupils in Kent

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Scheme expanded to four schools with known or suspected cases, as UKHSA figures show number has fallen to 23

The meningitis B vaccination programme will be expanded to include year 11 pupils at schools affected by the outbreak in Kent, health officials have said.

Figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show the number of cases of the illness have fallen.

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First Thing: Trump describes ‘productive’ talks with Iran but Tehran denies contact

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Iran has dismissed the US president’s claim of talks, saying there had been none since Washington began bombing the country. Plus, how sleeping 11 minutes more can cut your risk of heart attack

Good morning.

Donald Trump said there had 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.

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At least five killed in massive wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine, officials say – BBC

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  1. At least five killed in massive wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine, officials say  BBC
  2. Russia launches 948 drones at Ukraine in largest attack over a 24-hour period  BBC
  3. Russia fires 948 drones at Ukraine as new offensive begins  Al Jazeera
  4. Russian drones attack downtown Lviv in broad daylight  NBC News
  5. Russia fires nearly 1,000 drones in one of its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine  The Guardian
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Kim vows to ‘irreversibly’ cement North Korea’s nuclear status – NPR

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  1. Kim vows to 'irreversibly' cement North Korea's nuclear status  NPR
  2. How North Korea’s Kim Jong-un Is Using the Iran War to Justify His Nuclear Arsenal  The New York Times
  3. North Korean dictator says government will keep cementing nation's 'irreversible status as a nuclear power'  Fox News
  4. Kim Jong Un touts North Korea’s ‘nuclear shield’ amid US ‘aggression’  Financial Times
  5. Kim Jong Un says North Korea’s nuclear status is irreversible, threatens South  Reuters
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‘The threat is here’: searing US heatwave bad news for wildfire season and water supply

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Experts say brutal temperatures in west threaten to melt sparse snowpack – and warn hot, dry conditions here to stay

A stunning heatwave that shattered records in the US west is threatening to rapidly melt the sparse snowpack and ramp up wildfire risks in the seasons ahead.

March has already been historically hot, but the early onset of summer weather across the region may be here to stay. There’s little reprieve in forecasts, which show more heat records may fall this spring.

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Iran names hardline ex-Revolutionary Guards commander to replace slain security chief – Reuters

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  1. Iran names hardline ex-Revolutionary Guards commander to replace slain security chief  Reuters
  2. Iran’s New Security Chief Is a Hard-Line Former Guards Commander  The New York Times
  3. Israel killed another Iranian leader, but experts say that doesn't mean it's winning the war  NBC News
  4. With top figures dead, who is now running Iran?  Reuters
  5. Iran names successor to security chief killed in US-Israeli attack  Al Jazeera
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