Top World News
Trump Says US Wants "Meaningful Deal" With Iran As Tensions Escalate
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States wants a "meaningful" and "effective" deal with Iran amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Iran Says Hormuz Is "Completely Closed" To All Ships After US Attacks
Iran's top joint military command announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, including oil tankers and commercial ships, saying any vessel that will attempt passage will be shot at.
Australia news live: PM casts doubt on One Nation’s $1.9m donation claim; radio listeners abandon Kiis after Kyle and Jackie O exit
Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWong not ‘interested’ in One Nation’s fundraisingWong says she isn’t concerned about One Nation’s fundraising efforts, but more about their policies. Pauline Hanson’s party says it has raised more than $1.5m in the last day, although those claims are unverified.I’m less interested in what Pauline Hanson fundraises and am more concerned about One Nation’s policies. Just as I am concerned about the fact that the Liberal party and One Nation seem to be working together and that it appears to be very clearly that a vote for One Nation is actually a vote for the Liberal party, and a vote for the Liberal party is actually a vote for One Nation.We’ve said for some time it’s obviously a fragile ceasefire, but we’ve also said that what Australia wants is a negotiated end to the war. That’s what we’re calling for, and that’s what we will continue to press for …We’re not a central player in the Middle East, as we have said. What we can do is add our voice to others who are calling for a negotiated end to the conflict. It’s obviously one of the things we discuss today with the United Kingdom. Continue reading...
Lightning stops play: how electrical storms could disrupt the World Cup
Under US rules, even a distant strike can suspend a game – and some will take place in Florida, the thunderstorm stateHot weather will be a major concern at the World Cup, but lightning may also prove a particular problem. Under US safety regulations, a strike within 10 miles (16km) of a stadium triggers a 30-minute suspension of the game, during which players must leave the pitch.The size of the safety zone was dictated by research on the distance that lightning can strike from a storm even with no clouds overhead. This is more than a theoretical risk. During a game in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1998, an entire team was killed by a single bolt of lightning. There have been many other deadly incidents. Continue reading...
Home Office contractor investigates claims of staff racism and hate speech
Whistleblowers from Mitie allege some employees have made offensive remarks or liked abusive social media postsOne of the government’s key contractors has launched an investigation into allegations of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate speech among staff working in immigration removal centres, the Guardian has learned.Whistleblowers from the company, Mitie, have alleged that some staff members working in immigration removal centres and deporting migrants have made offensive comments at work and in social media posts. Continue reading...
How the Belfast stabbing was the spark to a fuse loaded with grievance and provocation
Politicians, social media and far-right agitators convinced people that migrant-targeting violence would solve all their problemsWithin minutes of the footage going online – of a Black man stabbing a white man – there was a sense of inexorability to what came next in Northern Ireland.The grievances, the social media platforms, the politicians’ doublespeak and the international cheerleaders all provided a fuse. On Monday night came the spark. Continue reading...
Amid Rising Prices, Trump Says He 'Loves Inflation'
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday brushed off concerns about consumer inflation surging to a fresh three-year high in May, on the back of soaring energy prices caused by his war in Iran.
Escaped prisoner who fled brother’s funeral believed to be in Melbourne, police say
Orijol Rukaj was on pallbearer duties when he evaded corrections staff – and has been on the run for the six weeks sinceFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice say it was a busy funeral – with about 300 people gathering at a Melbourne cemetery on Anzac Day to farewell the brother of Orijol Rukaj.Before assuming his duties as a pallbearer, Rukaj was escorted to the Keilor East service by corrections staff. But corrections staff didn’t bring him back to prison. Continue reading...
"Failing Our Children": Canada Seeks To Ban Social Media For Under-16s
The legislation covers seven types of harmful content including content that induces children to harm themselves, content that incites violence and foments hatred and non-consensual intimate images.
Children hit by parents more likely to bully others, research finds
The UCL study also found physically punished children were more likely to struggle in schoolChildren smacked by their parents struggle to get good exam results and are more likely to bully others, causing a negative impact on society, according to new research calling for smacking to be banned.The study by University College London (UCL) found that children in England who were physically punished at the ages of three, five and seven were significantly less likely to pass GCSE exams compared with other children, even after factors such as family background were taken into account. Continue reading...
Australian billionaire Brett Blundy wages high-stakes campaign to oust chair of Victoria’s Secret
Blundy’s investment firm, BBRC International, owns about 13% of the US-listed lingerie brand, giving it a potential platform to launch a hostile takeoverFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian billionaire Brett Blundy is waging a high-stakes campaign to oust the long-term chair of Victoria’s Secret & Co, setting the stage for a showdown at the company’s annual meeting in the US on Thursday.Blundy’s investment firm, BBRC International, owns about 13% of the US-listed Victoria’s Secret lingerie brand, making it the second-biggest single shareholder and giving it a potential platform to launch a hostile takeover. Continue reading...
Mehdi Hasan on Donald Trump’s big, beautiful birthday – podcast
As the US prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary and Trump turns 80, what state is the country in? And its president?This weekend kicks off an extravaganza of celebrations for the US, marking 250 years of independence from Britain – and for Donald Trump, marking 80 years of being, well, him.Presidents gone-by would have used a milestone anniversary to promote national unity. Trump is organising a cage fight. The president is adamant that every decent, flag-waving American will enjoy the festivities … or at least be talking about the party rather than what he’s brought to it. Continue reading...

