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Oil price relief as Trump declares US war on Iran ‘ending fairly soon’ | First Thing
Speaking in the White House, the president said the US remained ‘locked and loaded’ but escalation was not needed. Plus how Grand Theft Auto became a cultural colossusGood morning. Oil prices have dropped after Donald Trump unilaterally declared that the US war on Iran was “effectively over”. During a White House press conference, Trump said Israel and Gulf allies in the region were well protected from Iran and that an escalation was not needed.He said, however, that the US remained “locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason”, adding: “We’re seeing momentum toward the end of this conflict. I think it’s going to be ending fairly soon.” Brent crude has dropped below $90, its lowest level since August.What is the latest development with Pete Hegseth? A Republican lawmaker has moved to force a vote to impeach the US defense secretary. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing him of illegally waging war without congressional authorization and abusing his powers.What has happened at a US airbase in England? The US military has reportedly evacuated aircraft from a second airbase in Britain after a threat from Iran. Two US refuelling tankers that were using the RAF Mildenhall military base diverted to Germany on Monday morning, while several other tankers at the base were moved to Germany and other locations later in the day. Continue reading...
US officials seek ‘final end’ to Russia-Ukraine war as Abu Dhabi talks begin
First substantive peace talks since February to include US proposal for ‘long-term security architecture’ between Moscow and EuropeEurope live – latest updatesUS officials have said they are seeking a “final end” to the war between Russia and Ukraine, beginning with trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, the first substantive negotiations between the two countries since February.The talks are the first since the US launched joint strikes with Israel against Iran, and they follow bruising midterm elections that have weakened Donald Trump at home. Continue reading...
Disgraced former leader Sheikh Hasina plans return to Bangladesh from exile
Former prime minister faces death penalty upon return after being sentenced in absentia over deaths in 2024 uprisingSheikh Hasina is “confident” she will return to Bangladesh in December, according to exiled members of her party, after the disgraced former prime minister applied for a new passport this week.Hasina has been living in self-imposed exile since August 2024 when she was toppled from power by a mass uprising against her authoritarian rule. She crossed the border to India, where she has since been allowed to live freely in Delhi. Continue reading...
How Israel's New Parliament Could Give Benjamin Netanyahu A Hard Time
Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief seeking to move Israel to the centre, was given the mandate Sunday by President Isaac Herzog to form a new government, a complicated task as neither he nor Netanyahu command a majority.
Brand barrister’s cross-examination of victims shocking and depressing, says Labour deputy
Lucy Powell says she thought ‘we’d gone past that sort of culture’, and that she regrets setting up Miliband interview with comedian in 2015Brand sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assaultLabour’s deputy leader, Lucy Powell, has criticised the “depressing” nature of the cross-examination of Russell Brand’s victims during his trial for rape and sexual assault, saying she believed the courts had “long gone past that sort of culture”.Powell, now the education secretary, also said she regretted the meeting that the former party leader Ed Miliband had with Brand in 2015, when she was Labour’s campaign chief. Continue reading...
US-Mediated Talks Between Russia, Ukraine Begin Today In Abu Dhabi
Europe - alarmed by US President Donald Trump floating a deal with Moscow on European security ahead of the talks - will also send representatives to Abu Dhabi.
At least 12 people killed in crashes on a foggy Bulgarian motorway, minister says
A thick fog on a motorway in eastern Bulgaria caused a string of vehicle crashes that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens
Malaysian high court clears final hurdle for former Prime Minister Najib's transfer to house arrest
A high court in Malaysia has cleared all legal hurdles for former Prime Minister Najib Razak to serve the rest of his graft sentence under house arrest
Indonesia's vice president offers resignation as questions mount over his eligibility
Indonesia’s Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has offered to resign amid mounting pressure over his academic credentials, officials say
Author Jojo Moyes among UK travellers at risk of EU ban amid digital border system glitches
Errors in entry and exit records leave some Britons wrongly flagged as having overstayed post-Brexit 90-day limitEU sues IBM and two European firms over entry/exit border systemThe writer Jojo Moyes is facing a two-year EU travel ban and €10,000 (£8,300) fine because of glitches with the bloc’s digital security controls.She is one of a number of UK travellers who say their trips to the EU have not been properly recorded since the introduction of the EU digital entry and exit system (EES). Continue reading...
Australia to introduce mandatory reporting after OpenAI hack to combat artificial intelligence ‘going rogue’
Government flags criminal law changes to ensure companies can’t argue in future ‘that someone didn’t know the computer was loaded’Get our daily political email, free app or daily news podcastOpenAI will not face criminal penalties over the Medicare data breach, but the prime minister has flagged changes to Australia’s criminal law to crack down on future breaches by artificial intelligence companies.Anthony Albanese on Tuesday released the recommendations of a “rapid review” into the June breach of a Medicare statistics reporting service portal administered by Services Australia, but not the findings or the report itself, which he committed to releasing in the future.Maintaining security controls across all stages of development and deployment.Identifying and managing serious risks associated with their models.Providing mandatory notification of incidents to the Australian government rapidly.Allowing independent evaluation of their models.Maintaining and publishing safety and security frameworks to ensure good governance, risk management and transparency.Responding to updated standards and rules as technologies change. Continue reading...
New Knesset speaker could be key to ousting Netanyahu as Israel’s PM
Opposition politicians get first chance to take control of levers of power, even as they struggle to form governmentIsrael’s new Knesset will be sworn in on Tuesday, giving opposition politicians their first chance to take control of some levers of power, even as they struggle to form a new government to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu.High on the agenda will be replacing the speaker, who wields immense influence by controlling the legislature’s agenda and committee chairs. The current speaker is Amir Ohana, a close ally of Netanyahu. Continue reading...
