The Arsenal. Your Premier League champions.

I can confirm that I will be requesting the permission of the NEC to stand in the Makerfield by-election. I grew up in this area and have lived here for 25 years. I care deeply about it and its people. I know they have been let down by national politics. Ten years ago, I decided to leave Westminster. Why? Because, after 16 years, I came to the conclusion that our national political system does not work for areas like ours. I learnt this fighting its failure to invest in the Wigan borough, for justice for the Hillsborough families and against its treatment of Greater Manchester during the pandemic. Over the last decade, I have been challenging this failure from the outside and building a new and better way of doing politics. We have built Greater Manchester into the fastest-growing city-region in the UK and put buses back under public control, introducing a £2 fare cap to help people with cost-of-living pressures. However, there is only so much that can be done from Greater Manchester. Much bigger change is needed at a national level if everyday life is to be made more affordable again. This is why I now seek people’s support to return to Parliament: to bring the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the UK and make politics work properly for people. Millions are struggling and they need the Labour Government to succeed. It has already made changes to make life better for them in its first two years. After this week, we owe it to people to come back together as a Labour movement, giving the Prime Minister and the Government the space and stability they need as the by-election takes place. I want to recognise the difficult decision taken by Josh Simons and the sacrifice he and his family are making. I have worked closely with him as Mayor on issues like flooding and illegal waste dumping and have seen first-hand how effective he has been. He has put the communities of Makerfield first, made a real difference for them and should take great pride in that. Finally, I truly do not take a single vote for granted and will work hard to regain the trust of people in the Makerfield constituency, many of whom have long supported our party but lost faith in recent times. We will change Labour for the better and make it a party you can believe in again. ENDS

🚨 BREAKING: Labour MP Josh Simons will resign to trigger a by-election in Makerfield to give Andy Burnham a route back to Parliament

A joint investigation by Al Jazeera and Liberty Investigates has found that 12 universities paid a private company, led by ex-military intelligence officials, to profile academics and scan social media use by students. Al Jazeera’s @N_Linhhh explains.

What happens when a major satellite company known for taking pictures of Earth every single day hits pause on the Middle East? Al Jazeera’s @N_Linhhh explains what Planet Labs PBC's delay of its satellite imagery means during an active war.

I was in a 2 hour briefing today on the Iran War. All the briefings are closed, because Trump can't defend this war in public. I obviously can't disclose classified info, but you deserve to know how incoherent and incomplete these war plans are. 1/ Here's what I can share:

Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei the country's new supreme leader following the killing of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, the state-run media has announced. cnn.it/40Wz3ly

Reports about the KRI or the Iraqi Kurds being a part of a plan to arm & support the Iranian Kurdish opposition to cross the borders into Iran 4 an arm struggle is incorrect & false. We are not a part of this war & our goal is to preserve,maintain peace and security of our region & beyond. In the meantime we condemn these unjustifiable attacks on Kurdistan & call on the international community to help us and stop this aggression and protect our region.

Urgent: Claims that our forces have crossed the border into Rojhalat are false. We firmly reject these statements,no such movements have taken place.

Not a single Iraqi Kurd has crossed the border. This is patently false.

The part when the US arms the Kurds then betrays them again comes earlier every year

Report: Kurds expected to launch Iran ground offensive after receiving U.S. arms haaretz.com/middle-east-news…

I have been very clear and consistent in my reports on Iran’s nuclear programme: while there has been no evidence of Iran building a nuclear bomb, its large stockpile of near-weapons grade enriched uranium and refusal to grant my inspectors full access are cause for serious concern. For these reasons, my previous reports indicate that unless and until Iran assists the @IAEAorg in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.

#BREAKING: Trump has spoken by phone with a number of Iranian Kurdish opposition leaders - Senior Kurdish official confirms to Rudaw

People who didn’t know till yesterday that khomeini and khamenei are different are giving their expert opinions on the war.

European natural gas futures are spiking 42% in the wake of the shutdown of a major supplier of ship-born gas due to the fighting in the Middle East. apnews.com/article/oil-price…

HISTORIC MOMENT The Lebanese government announces the immediate ban on Hezbollah's military activities

QatarEnergy to stop production of LNG Due to military attacks on QatarEnergy’s operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City in the State of Qatar, QatarEnergy has ceased production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and associated products. QatarEnergy values its relationships with all of its stakeholders and will continue to communicate the latest available information. #QatarEnergy #Qatar

This claim, taken from a Telegram channel, is completely untrue. Iranian authorities have not taken responsibility for a deadly blast near a primary school in Minab that killed dozens of school children, nor have they said that the damage was caused by an IRGC missile.