Geopolitical Tensions and Technological Shiftsactive

More than 300 foreign nationals were arrested in a raid on an alleged online gambling operation in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, police said on Saturday, in one of the country’s largest crackdowns on illegal digital betting networks. The 321 foreigners, mainly from Vietnam, were arrested at a commercial building near the city’s Chinatown section that investigators described as a hub for more than 70 online gambling websites, targeting players outside Indonesia, based on marketing records...

At this stage the talks will focus solely on ending the war in the region, according to the report

US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In the latest instalment of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, Amber Wang looks at the prospects for joint progress on military use of AI. China and the United States are facing calls to discuss the safe military use of...

SEOUL, May 10 (Yonhap) -- The confirmed strike by unidentified objects on a Sout...

Iran maintains it will participate in this summer’s World Cup competition in North America, but Tehran is demanding a series of guarantees for its players and coaches from FIFA and the tournament’s hosts. The Iranian Football Federation asked FIFA and the competition’s hosts — the United States, Canada and Mexico — for guarantees that its players, coaches and other officials will receive visas to attend the tournament that kicks off June 11, the BBC reported. The demand includes visas for those on the team who have completed military service with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is listed as a terrorist organization in Canada and the U. S. According to a statement from the Iranian Football Federation cited by the BBC, Iran also wants assurances that its team will receive enhanced security during the tournament and that respect for the Iranian flag and national anthem will be maintained. “All players and technical staff, especially those who served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, should be granted visas without problems,” Football Federation President Mehdi Taj told Iranian media, according to a report in the Independent. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly stated that Iran will participate in the World Cup and play in the U. S. “because we have to unite. We have to bring people together.” The latest comments were made after the president of the Iranian Football Federation was denied entry to Canada to attend a congress on the competition.

A plan by Togo to ask the United Nations General Assembly in September to move away from the Mercator world map has revived a broader debate over how different projections can shape perceptions of Africa.

Eurovision kicked off in Vienna on Sunday, with thousands of fans flocking to the city for events and music ahead of the song contest's grand final next weekend, with renewed calls for a boycott over Israel's participation.

The first passengers to disembark were Spanish nationals, who were transported to Madrid. There were a total of 14, and they will undergo a quarantine period in a military hospital. Once the disembarkation was complete, the MV Hondius will continue its journey to the Netherlands, where it will undergo a complete disinfection and health inspection process.

On October 10th, Iran's state-run news agency reported that Iranian officials had sent a response to a proposal from the United States to Pakistan, which is acting as an intermediary in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict. The news agency stated that "at this stage, the negotiations will focus on ending the fighting in the region," but did not provide further details. U.S. President Trump had indicated that he expected to receive a response from Iran by October 8th, but Iranian officials stated that they were "not concerned with deadlines or ultimatums." President Trump has previously strongly urged Iran to reach an agreement, and the content of Iran's response is being closely watched.

Hong Kong researchers say they are developing what would be the world’s first AI app that detects intoxication through real-time Cantonese voice analysis, helping users decide whether they are fit to drive after drinking. A team from the Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) said on Sunday that the self-assessment tool could not only help safeguard road safety but also potentially monitor language abnormalities linked to medication or fatigue. Funded by a HK$3.4 million (US$434,251) grant...

Prime minister aims to win back younger voters who deserted Labour in this week’s local elections

Iran has sent its response to a US proposal to end the war through Pakistani mediators, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday, without offering details.

Independent scientists who reviewed the results said most samples were contaminated with Pfas or phthalates The Trump administration announced earlier this month that hundreds of baby formula samples it tested for toxic chemicals “meet a high safety standard”, but public health advocates warn this claim contradicts data showing a majority were contaminated with dangerous substances, such as Pfas or phthalates. Independent scientists who reviewed the results say the data gaps and the contamination raise concerns, though they added the testing shows some bright spots, and praised the US Food and Drug Administration for expanding the testing program, then making the results public. Continue reading...

According to the channel, Mojtaba Khamenei’s instructions included steps for "decisive resistance against Iran’s enemies"

Chinese officials have signalled privately a growing willingness to retaliate against the United States, buoyed by confidence in their economic leverage as US President Donald Trump prepares to visit Beijing this week. Sources told the South China Morning Post that officials in Beijing had grown bolder since playing its rare earths card in October and were now less worried about tariffs. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, said...

The Iranian Armed Forces stated this Sunday that they have established a "new legal and security system" over the Strait of Hormuz, warning that countries supporting the sanctions imposed by the United States will face difficulties in navigating the strategic waterway. The spokesman for the Iranian Army, Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia, told the state-run IRNA agency that Tehran now exercises "fundamental and strategic" control over the strait. "From now on, countries that follow the United States in implementing sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran will undoubtedly face problems when crossing the Strait of Hormuz," the military official stated. Akraminia also asserted that "any vessel wishing to cross it will have to coordinate with us," emphasizing that Iran currently exercises sovereignty over the maritime passage. The Strait of Hormuz has been partially blocked since the beginning of the war launched on February 28 by the United States and Israel against Iran, a conflict that has heightened regional tensions and affected global energy trade. According to Tehran, the new framework would allow the Islamic Republic to generate economic, political, and security advantages, in addition to neutralizing part of the sanctions imposed by Washington. The Iranian general noted that historically, Iran had not "fully" utilized the potential...

Brazil and Argentina dominated the 2026 Platino Awards ceremony. "The Secret Agent" excelled in the film categories, while "The Eternaut" stood out in the series categories. During a gala held at the Gran Tlachco Theater in the Xcaret Park, in the Riviera Maya (Mexico), the film received awards for Best Ibero-American Fiction Film, Best Direction (Kleber Mendonça Filho), Best Male Performance (Wagner Moura), and Best Screenplay (Mendonça Filho). These awards add to the three previously won: Best Production Design, Best Editing, and Best Original Music, which were announced in mid-April and presented at another ceremony held at Xcaret Park on Thursday, April 7th. Thus, the film, set in Recife in 1977 –which is currently available on the Mubi platform– concluded its run with a total of seven awards. "The Eternaut," the series based on the famous graphic novel written by Héctor G. Oesterheld and illustrated by Francisco Solano López, won awards for Best Miniseries or Cinematic Teleseries, Best Male Performance in a Miniseries or Teleseries (Ricardo Darín), and Best Creator in a Miniseries or Teleseries (Bruno Stagnaro). In addition to the five awards it received beforehand, the Netflix series –which is already preparing its second season– totaled eight distinctions, achieving a resounding victory in that category. Meanwhile, the Spanish film "Sorda" won the award for Best First Feature Film, where t…

According to Pavel Durov, the French authorities are illegally collecting personal data, processing it without proper security, extracting data from automated systems, and violating the secrecy of electronic communications

Sooner or later a result will be achieved, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi said

When US President Donald Trump announced that 5,000 US troops would leave Germany, the immediate reading in Western capitals was political: another round in Trump’s running quarrel with European allies, triggered by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of Washington’s handling of the war with Iran. For Beijing, the more interesting reading is structural. The drawdown coincides with a period in which Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spent much of 2026 cultivating a “partners not rivals”...

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NPR's Ayesha Rascoe looks ahead to President Trump's visit this week to China with Patricia Kim of The Brookings Institution.

The White House waits for Iran's response to the latest deal to end the war, as President Trump prepares for a meeting in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jingping later this week.

Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, seeks to present issue as irrelevant in interview with Laura Kuenssberg Labour has accused Nigel Farage of attempting to dodge scrutiny as the Reform leader continued to face questions over the £5m gift he received from a crypto billionaire shortly before the last general election. Asked about the gift from Christopher Harborne on Sunday, the party’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, sought to present it as an irrelevance to voters and said it had complied with all the rules. Continue reading...

The Iranian regime stated this Sunday that it has established a "new legal and security system" in the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that countries that implement U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic will face difficulties in navigating this strategically important waterway. "From now on, countries that follow the United States in implementing sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran will undoubtedly face problems when traversing the Strait of Hormuz," said Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia, the spokesman for the Iranian military, in an interview with the IRNA news agency. Akraminia stated that Iran now exercises "fundamental and strategic" control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's major energy corridors. According to the military official, this new situation could have economic, political, and security implications, and could even help to neutralize U.S. secondary sanctions and part of the primary sanctions. "Today, we exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and any vessel that wishes to transit it must coordinate with us," he stated. The military official also said that, until now, Iran had not fully utilized the geopolitical potential of the strait, and had allowed the passage of both allies and adversaries. However, he argued that the conflict has led Tehran to take advantage of this strategic capability and to redefine the framework of cooperation...

"We do not understand this. And why is the Armenian prime minister not trying to reconcile this with his own statements? We cannot explain that at this time," Peskov added.

Wes Streeting says legislation will save lives, but GPs are concerned about liability for errors introduced by other providers GPs and hospitals will be required to share patient data under legislation to be announced in the king’s speech on Wednesday. Legislation to create a single patient record (SPR) for each person, which would be used across all healthcare providers, is part of a £10bn digitisation of the health service. Continue reading...

Un South Korean cargo ship was struck by unidentified aircraft last Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Sunday, days after the HMM Namu, damaged by a fire, arrived at the port of Dubai. "On May 4th, two unidentified aircraft collided with the outer plating of the port ballast tank at the stern of the HMM Namu, at intervals of approximately one minute, causing flames and smoke," said ministry spokesperson Park Il at a press conference, without specifying the type of aircraft involved in the attack. The South Korean ministry clarified that, however, "there is a limitation in determining the exact type and physical size of the object," and that the remains found, including engine components, will be analyzed in more detail. It also stated that the possibility of a mine or torpedo causing the explosion is low, and that the entire crew was unharmed. This conclusion comes after U.S. President Donald Trump previously stated that the ship had been attacked by Iran, a claim that Tehran vehemently denied through a statement from its embassy in Seoul. The Iranian embassy also said on Thursday that it had not had any contact with South Korean officials since the statement was released, in response to a question about whether Tehran had directly conveyed its position to Seoul.

But can Democrats win them over?

Experts warn of ‘soft target’ vulnerabilities and intelligence gaps as federal agencies prepare to secure 78 matches across 11 cities Fifa World Cup matches set to be held across the United States face heightened terrorism risks, with experts warning that vulnerabilities are being amplified by the US-Israel conflict with Iran and a depletion of counter-terrorism expertise within federal law enforcement. The biggest threat stems from homegrown violent extremists, often lone actors that may have become radicalized online by extreme political views or jihadists such as the Islamic State (Isis), said four counter-terror experts interviewed. Continue reading...

Vitória Régia imagines a right-wing Bolsonaro plot succeeding with US help – and highlights the threats facing Indigenous peoples. The year is 2025, and far-right coup plotters have destroyed Brazil's democracy, assassinating the president, shutting down the national congress, and ceding the Amazon rainforest and its untold riches to the United States. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Amazon of America," a North American soldier with a thick accent tells a group of journalists on a propaganda tour of an oil refinery in the newly annexed jungle region. Nearby, a replica of the Statue of Liberty has been carved out of the wilderness to celebrate Washington's control over more than half of Brazil.

China unveiled some of its most advanced military technology, including robot dogs and an AI-enabled underwater system that can neutralise mines, at a defence expo. Autonomous underwater vehicles designed to be launched by submarine were one of the most noteworthy products that featured at the 2026 Chengdu Defence Technology Industry Expo in mid-April. The vessels, which can be launched from 260mm or 533mm torpedo tubes, are mainly designed to conduct high-precision deep-ocean surveys and seabed...

Even if Labour’s local-election defeat is devastating

More than a decade ago, Law Yin-ping moved into a village house in Yick Yuen Tsuen, Hung Shui Kiu, in northwestern Hong Kong, with her granddaughters. She never imagined that one day they would be homeless – and forcibly separated. The Tuen Mun village is located within the government's planned Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area, which is slated to become a high-end professional services and logistics hub as part of the Northern Metropolis megaproject. Law, who is nearly 70, said on Sunday...

Starmer's Labour Party suffered the worst losses for a governing party in local elections in over three decades.

Rhun ap Iowerth says he hopes his party’s programme for government will get backing from across the Senedd UK politics live – latest updates The leader of Plaid Cymru is hoping to become Welsh first minister as early as Tuesday after his party won a historic victory in the Senedd elections, soundly beating Labour and holding off Reform UK. Plaid fell short of winning a majority in the Welsh parliament but Rhun ap Iorwerth said on Sunday he hoped that other parties would work with him and told UK Labour not to punish Wales over the result. Continue reading...

The former German chancellor has been linked to an EU mediator role in Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

"This is our war, and we will win it."

Saudi Arabia’s state oil company’s profits up 26% to £26.9bn in first three months of year Business live – latest updates Saudi Arabia’s state oil company reported a 26% jump in profits in its first quarter as its east-west pipeline allowed it to ship millions of barrels of oil out of the Gulf despite conflict in the Middle East. Profits at Saudi Aramco hit $33.6bn (£26.9bn) in the first three months of the year, while revenue rose nearly 7% compared with a year earlier to $115.5bn. Continue reading...

The salacious gossip website is hounding politicians and tracking vacationing members of Congress TMZ has only been in Washington DC for a matter of weeks, but the salacious gossip website is already having an impact: hounding politicians, tracking vacationing members of Congress and reporting on a senator taking a trip to Disney World. It’s been quite the start as the website and TV channel attempts to break into the political scene, with its first focus on members of Congress taking a two-week recess – typically meaning the politicians return to their home districts and states to meet constituents – during a record partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Continue reading...

Property disputes, predatory developers and surging sea levels are putting the historic Black community at risk On Arthur Champen’s half-acre property in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, a thicket of southern live oaks, palmettos and pine trees muffle the roar of cars on nearby highway 278. His haint blue house, lightened by the sun, sits on stilts to protect it from flooding that comes with the high tide. During the spring, it is common for the marshland adjacent to his land to turn into a muddy soup. “Other than the cars,” Champen, 81, said, “you hear how peaceful it is?” About a decade ago, Champen’s family nearly lost the grassy marshland next door that their family bought several generations ago. Continue reading...

During the May 9 commemorations, Russian photographer Mary Gelman walked the streets of Vladimir Putin's hometown to take the pulse of a country sealed off from the world.

The U. S. lost much of its furniture industry to China years ago. Now, American tariffs and overseas competition are punishing manufacturers.

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said the upcoming meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could yield a "remarkable breakthrough." Gingrich appeared on the "Cats Roundtable" radio show hosted by John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AM, where he said Trump's visit to Beijing is "the biggest thing in the near future." Trump requested to move…

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated after reports of US fire on Iranian-linked tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Tehran warned of retaliation against American targets in the region as diplomatic efforts continue over a proposed deal involving sanctions, nuclear limits, and maritime security.

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A recent police raid on Germany's neo-Nazi scene has revealed how alarmingly young some of its members are. But those targeted by this hatred are fighting back.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he intends to lead the UK for 10 years even as calls for his departure grow from within the governing Labour Party and rivals threatened to launch a leadership challenge in the coming days.

Iran’s army spokesman says if the ‘enemy’ were to attack again, they would face new methods of warfare.

US President Donald Trump's US$500 billion Stargate AI project is being undermined by the war with Iran, a conflict that is accelerating the decline of the United States, according to Chinese analysts. The project, designed to cement US dominance in the field of artificial intelligence, was announced in January of last year, shortly after Trump's return to power, and involves leading companies such as OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle. A critical component of this plan was building the world's largest AI...

Deal advice has evolved into a huge legal business but leaves firms vulnerable to misuse of confidential information

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that WHO experts on the ground are working together with the Spanish Health Ministry

Education secretary says voters feel let down but do not want Labour to ‘spend more time talking amongst ourselves’ UK politics live – latest updates Labour MPs would be wrong to remove Keir Starmer, even though voters have given the party a “real kicking” at the ballot box and people feel “bitterly let down”, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said. Phillipson said Labour had been “too gloomy” and had made a mistake in trying to withdraw the winter fuel allowance, after the party lost control of about 40 councils and 1,500 seats at the local elections on Thursday. Continue reading...

Germany is renewing efforts to purchase American long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles after the Pentagon abandoned plans to station an American battalion equipped with these weapons in Germany, creating a gap in the system of deterrence against Russia in Europe.

Assoutenti: "Please explain whether it is permissible to circulate while waiting for the issuance of the required permit, without incurring fines."

German family shareholders want to press ahead with listing of Paris-backed group at €15bn-€20bn valuation

Keir Starmer vowed Friday to remain as Britain's prime minister after disastrous local elections saw his centre-left Labour party humiliated across the UK, with disillusioned voters backing hard-right and nationalist parties. Thursday's ballots – Starmer's biggest electoral test since Labour ousted the Conservatives in 2024 – left the British leader under intense pressure after the party suffered a historic mauling in its Welsh heartlands.

Iran was already struggling economically before 2026 brought widespread instability. A government-imposed internet shutdown has crippled an entire sector.

Electing such candidates for governor would give deniers key oversight of the 2028 presidential election in swing states like Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

In Ukraine, specialized tour guides are ready for a small but unstoppable flow of visitors who ignore blunt travel advisories.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's diplomatic balancing act during his visit to China last month stood in stark contrast to a European Union struggling with geopolitical upheaval and economic stagnation. Sanchez advocated for closer ties with Beijing while also raising concerns about a persistent bilateral trade deficit and the war in Ukraine, an approach that analysts said could serve as a diplomatic model for Brussels amid its strained relationship with Washington. According to Wang Hanyi, a...

The conflict is not only threatening oil revenue, but also Gulf states’ efforts to expand their economies beyond it.

Fashionable A-listers evoked the theme “fashion is art” to embody works of art at the Met Gala, Moscow held a modest annual Victory Day parade that didn’t include heavy weapons for the first time in nearly two decades and anti-immigration party Reform UK made significant gains across England in local and regional elections: FRANCE 24 looks back at some of the week's most striking images.

A wave of pink swept through the center of Rome, with the campaign "120,000 Donors."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that the conflict in Ukraine is nearing its end after he oversaw a military parade on Red Square commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II – a show that didn't include heavy weapons for the first time in nearly two decades. Talking to reporters, Putin accused Western “globalist elites” of arming Ukraine to defeat and break up Russia and declared that “I think the matter is coming to an end.”

Passengers aboard the cruise ship at the center of the hantavirus outbreak are being screened by public health authorities at the Spanish island of Tenerife before being put on planes to be repatriated to their home countries. The passengers will be brought ashore by nationality via small boats, according to tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions. Their luggage will remain aboard the ship, which will continue on to the Port of Rotterdam with the remaining crew. It is expected to take five days for the ship to reach the Netherlands. The MV Hondius anchored early Sunday at the Port of Granadilla in the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities set up large reception tents and restricted access to the waterfront. France, Germany, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands sent planes to repatriate their citizens, while the European Union sent two additional planes for the remaining EU nationals, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told a press conference on Saturday in Madrid. The United States and Britain are coordinating planes for non-EU citizens from countries that were unable to send transport. All of the more than 100 passengers are being tested for the hantavirus, which is a rare disease typically caused by exposure to infected rats. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday that there are a total of six confirmed cases of the “Andes” hantavirus variant linked to the cruise ship and two probable cases. The Andes is the only variant known to spread among humans, and the incubation period lasts up to nine weeks. Spanish nationals will be flown to Madrid and put into mandatory quarantine at the Gomez Ulla military hospital. The U. S. plans to send its citizens home to self-isolate after undergoing an initial assessment at a federal quarantine center. The World Health Organization has sought to calm fears that the hantavirus could trigger another global pandemic, with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus writing on social media Sunday morning that “the risk to the people of Tenerife is low because of the nature of the disease and the actions of the Spanish government.”

Focus group participants expressed skepticism that replacing Keir Starmer would improve the party's prospects, with some expressing interest in Reform or the Green Party. UK politics – live As Keir Starmer faces the possibility of a leadership challenge, former Labour voters in a Birmingham constituency were feeling anxious about the potential consequences last week. A month ago, the group from Birmingham Yardley had very little positive to say about the prime minister, comparing him to a rat or a donkey. They said they felt he had let them down. Continue reading...

Piyush Goyal will be in Canada from May 27-29, and will first hold meetings in the capital Ottawa, before moving on to a series of industry and business events in Toronto

Four days after Leavitt introduced her newborn to the world, Iran sent congratulations but with a reminder of children killed allegedly by US in Minab

Among the targets, the military press service listed "structures used for military purposes," "weapons storage facilities," and "a launcher"

Over the past 24 hours, the Russian troops carried out 18 attacks on settlements in the Donetsk region; there are casualties.

The meeting, which took place in Paris in February, was only revealed on Wednesday by Agence France-Presse. In December, Bardella was received by the US ambassador in Paris. In mid-April, Marine Le Pen met with the Israeli ambassador to France.

The United States is awaiting an official response from Iran to its proposals aimed at ending over two months of clashes in the Middle East. On Saturday, military activity in the region decreased significantly, giving way to a day marked by anticipation and caution. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had anticipated that the Iranian response would arrive within hours, but so far, there have been no updates from Iran or Pakistan, the mediating country that hosted the initial in-person and indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Diplomatic efforts intensified with a meeting between Rubio and the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, held in Miami. During the meeting, both leaders emphasized the need to maintain regional cooperation to deter threats and promote stability in the Middle East. The official statement from the U.S. delegation avoided explicitly mentioning Iran in the summary of the meeting. In recent days, the region has experienced some of the most intense fighting since the ceasefire was declared a month ago. On Friday, the United Arab Emirates reported that its air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and three drones originating from Iran, an attack that caused minor injuries to three people. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran warned on Saturday that…

China’s flagship civilian aircraft maker is planning to upgrade the cabin capacity of its C919 narrowbody airliner to improve passenger experience and boost the plane’s chances of challenging the Boeing-Airbus duopoly, a source with knowledge of the plans said. Bigger overhead luggage compartments and drip-proof air conditioning outlets are among the design upgrades being sketched out by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). “Comac has realised it must make passengers as...

Allegri's and Gasperini's teams are fighting for a significant chance to finish among the top four in today's matches.

Firefighting efforts are underway in the Exclusion Zone of the Kyiv region to extinguish a large-scale forest fire covering 1,200 hectares.

No vessel will pass through it without the permission of the Islamic Republic, Haji Babaei said

And Trump posted photos of his golf course and the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial.

In the coming hours, a special procedure will be implemented for the disembarkation of passengers.

Former junior minister Catherine West says that unless a cabinet minister comes forward to challenge the PM by Monday, she will. Good morning. There were many predictions for Labour’s future ahead of the English, Scottish and Welsh elections, which have been terrible for the party, but there is one outcome foreseen by no one: a leadership challenge by Catherine West. West, MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet and a junior Foreign Office minister until she was sacked in the reshuffle last year, announced yesterday afternoon that, unless a cabinet minister comes forward to challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership by tomorrow morning, she will do it herself. She would need the support of 81 Labour MPs to trigger a contest; there is no evidence that she has those numbers and (for reasons that are probably a mystery to anyone under the age of 50 – more on that later) she is being described as a stalking horse. I’m not going to walk away from the job I was elected to do in July 2024. I’m not going to plunge the country into chaos. Continue reading...

The United States and Iran are keeping the Middle East on edge, as Washington awaits a response to its proposal, delivered to the Iranian regime with the primary goal of agreeing to a ceasefire. The formal end of the conflict, the resolution of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and the opening of a 30-day period for broader negotiations are the three key points of the agreement presented by the administration of President Donald Trump to Iran. From Tehran, the spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ismail Bagaei, stated that the American initiative is still under review. "The proposal is being studied, and once we reach a definitive conclusion, we will undoubtedly announce it," he said, according to the Tasnim news agency. The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, held a meeting on Saturday in Miami with the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, to discuss the war in Iran, but no further details of the meeting were released. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a new attack against more than 40 infrastructure targets, reportedly eliminating more than 10 members of the Hezbollah terrorist group in southern Lebanon. Here is the minute-by-minute coverage: Pakistan has pledged to continue its mediation efforts to bring an end to the war in the Middle East. The Pakistani army chief...

Putin declared the war in Ukraine was "heading to an end" on Saturday, even though the first day of a US-brokered ceasefire was marred by mutual accusations of violations and a scaled-down Victory Day parade.

Our reporter Emma Bubola visits the foothills of the Argentine Andes to find out why a giant Chinese-sponsored telescope is sitting dismembered.

It was widely believed that the United States and Israel could militarily defeat Iran, a notion reinforced by the "12-day war" of the previous year, which left Iran without air defenses and with its nuclear program in disarray. However, the problem is that this year, starting on February 28th, the goal was to bring an end to the Islamic Republic (IR), a goal that has not been achieved. Its mere survival is now considered a victory, along with the transformation of the Strait of Hormuz into an international economic crisis. More than any military success on Iran's part – which today lacks both an air force and a navy – it is the automatic mechanism of international maritime insurance that has been at play, halting ships. The mere threat and the firing of shots from a small boat have been enough for insurance companies to immediately halt navigation in those waters. Washington's decision was to block all trade with Iranian ports, seeking a double effect: to bankrupt Iran's economy and to cause its oil wells to collapse due to the inability to sell its oil. In other words, a devastating effect that could be achieved without the need for troops on the ground, forcing Tehran to negotiate. However, this has not yielded the expected results due to the internal divisions between politicians within the regime who are willing to negotiate, and the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), the de facto power today, who have rejected any agreement. In the Middle East, where too many things change, it is difficult to use the term...

Relative calm prevailed around the Strait of Hormuz early on Sunday after days of sporadic flare-ups, as the United States waited for Iran’s response to its latest proposals to end more than two months of fighting and begin peace talks. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington expected a response within hours. But there have been no signs of movement from Tehran ‌on the proposal, which would formally end the war before talks on more contentious issues, including Iran’s...

Open letter criticizing the invitation to Nigel Farage warns of association with "racism and inflammatory rhetoric." Political leaders have been invited to a rally opposing antisemitism on Sunday, with British Jews hoping the "silent majority" will join them for a "million mensch march" across central London. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, is considering attending the Standing Strong: Extinguish Antisemitism rally, which is backed by more than 30 Jewish groups, while the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to speak. The Liberal Democrats' leader, Ed Davey, has also been invited. Continue reading...

Iranian Army Spokesman Mohammad Akraminia also emphasized that the military conflict against the United States and Israel had forced Iran "to use the geopolitical potential of the Strait of Hormuz" and that the Islamic Republic was now "exercising sovereignty" over it

In the coming hours, a special procedure will be implemented for the disembarkation of passengers. The five French citizens will be repatriated today.

Richard Hext, chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, said that, the industry’s main priorities at the moment are ensuring that crew members have food and drinking water, as well as providing emotional support

East-west pipeline allows oil company to circumvent the Strait of Hormuz and keep pumping

France's far-right leaders have met the ambassadors of Germany and Israel in recent months as their party, once deemed antisemitic, seeks to court foreign envoys in the run-up to next year's presidential elections.

Ceremony organisers taking event procedures ‘extremely seriously’ after broadcast of racial slur in February Continue reading...

Fraudsters exploit confusion or anxiety over new IHT rules by offering a ‘safe haven’ for savings pots The caller pitches a great deal. Shift the moneysaved in your pension and reinvest it in a scheme overseas where you can avoid it being caught under next year’s changes to the UK’s inheritance tax (IHT) system. From April next year, any money left in a defined contribution pension after your death, which is most workplace and all private pensions, will be pulled into the IHT net. Continue reading...

Denis Pushilin stated that he has no doubts that a number of European countries, particularly Germany, possess the technical capabilities, but that this issue can be resolved through political means.

Vietnam has become the latest country to enter talks to buy India’s supersonic BrahMos missile – and at least 15 more are reportedly interested – as defence ministries across Asia and elsewhere increasingly look beyond Western-made systems. New Delhi and Hanoi are in advanced negotiations over a potential US$700 million deal, with talks progressing during Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit to India this week, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other...

The cruise ship MV Hondius arrived at the Spanish port of Granadilla early Sunday morning. Passengers will be disembarked there following a hantavirus outbreak that has resulted in three deaths and has put international health authorities on alert. The ship arrived escorted by a vessel from the Civil Guard. Part of the crew will then continue on to the Netherlands. This is a developing story.

India and Pakistan each claim strategic successes after the four-day conflict, as tensions continue to simmer.

Fifteen civilians were evacuated under shelling from the frontline town of Beryslav in the Kherson region.