Amanda Rishworth says jobseekers will no longer be forced to submit ‘endless’ pointless job applications

• Author Laala Bechetoula argues that Donald Trump's presidency is characterized by a unique political style of constant, public self-contradiction and reversal. • Global warnings have emerged regarding the rapid evolution of AI, suggesting that current safeguards are insufficient to prevent sophisticated hacking.

• China is expanding its mediatory diplomacy to address intensifying international conflicts and a weakening global order. • The strategy consists of three reinforcing components: multi-level peace-brokering roles, the Global Security Initiative (GSI) conceptual framework, and the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed).

• A new book titled "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump" reveals that a former cabinet member referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "special needs child for the Europeans." • The derogatory comment reportedly occurred during a meeting focused on discussing a proposed minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine.

Reeves refused to say whether she would accept a more junior job in cabinet if Burnham offered her oneGood morning. Rachel Reeves now seems to resigned to losing her job as chancellor when Andy Burnham becomes PM, probably three weeks tomorrow. She had reportedly been angling to stay in post, but she has given an interview to the BBC with a tone that is distinctly valedictory.Reeves says she is backing Burnham to be the next PM. Asked why she did not stand in Downing Street to hear Keir Starmer’s resignation speech on Monday, but did turn up in Westminster Hall for a photocall with Burnham with other Labour MPs, she did not offer an explanation, but said her loyalty to Starmer had never been in doubt. She also said she was proud of her record.I know that whoever is prime minister and chancellor in the future will inherit a stronger economy than the one I inherited two years ago.Those are the choices that the new prime minister, I hope Andy Burnham, will get to make in a few weeks time. I’m not going to pre-empt those. It is his prerogative as prime minister to make those appointments. Continue reading...

Content creation and online safety among new topics for 14- to 18-year-olds – but tweaks may be needed when social media ban comes inScouts are introducing badges in content creation, digital communication and online safety after consulting nearly 3,000 teenagers who said they wanted skills to help them navigate a world increasingly shaped by AI, social media and digital technology.The new Explorer Scout badges, part of the Scout movement’s first major overhaul in almost 25 years, will require 14- to 18-year olds to explore how digital communities shape opinion, create online campaigns, investigate digital footprints and design toolkits to help others stay safe online. Continue reading...

UK June heat record could be broken for the second consecutive dayParis mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said there had been an “increase in mortality” in the capital owing to the heatwave, without giving any figures, AFP reported.He said “pretty much all our indicators are in a critical state”, including calls to emergency medical services, calls to the fire brigade, ER admissions, and deaths, he told local TV. Continue reading...

Fears of long-lasting energy crunch ‘slinking away’ as vessel traffic doubled in 24 hours to highest level since late FebruaryBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices have fallen below levels seen before the Iran war started in late February as more oil tankers exited the strait of Hormuz.Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell to a low of $72.24 a barrel on Thursday, slightly lower than the day before the US and Israel launched missile attacks on Tehran on 28 February. Prices have fallen more than 20% this month. Continue reading...

Australian woman Leah Stewart no longer in critical condition but doesn’t yet have use of her handA woman who was attacked by a shark at Sydney’s Coogee’s beach is no longer in a critical condition and “remembers the whole event in detail”, her brother has said.Leah Stewart’s brother, Joshua, provided the update on a fundraising site on Thursday, writing that it was “amazing to hear from her so much sooner than anyone expected” and she had been “overjoyed” to see her daughter for the first time since the incident almost two weeks ago. Continue reading...

Pupils say LPS Hybrid’s combination of remote and in-person classes has transformed their school experienceTwo years ago, Ellie Ball could barely bring herself to attend school. Today, the 16-year-old is planning to take four A-levels and hopes to study astrolaw – “It’s basically space law,” she explains – at university.The transformation happened largely through a screen. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: Amid rising anti‑immigration rhetoric across Europe, the decision to engage with the Taliban signals a profound shift in how the EU balances security and human rightsGood morning. It’s a slap in the face. That’s the phrase I kept hearing – in furious overnight messages, in blazing opinion columns – as Afghan women responded to the meeting between EU officials and the Taliban that took place in Brussels on Tuesday.The talks, to discuss how to scale up the deportation of Afghan migrants, were met with widespread outrage, and disbelief that Europe would countenance offering legitimacy to a regime that affords a bird better protections than a woman.World news | Venezuela’s interim leader has declared a state of emergency after the country was struck by two powerful earthquakes that collapsed dozens of buildings and killed at least 32 people, with experts warning the death toll could rise significantly.Heatwave | The UK has broken its all-time temperature record for June and France has recorded its hottest day ever for the second day running, as a heatwave affecting more than 90 million people sweeps across swathes of Europe.UK politics | Donald Trump has labelled Andy Burnham “extremely liberal”, in his first public comments about the former Greater Manchester mayor since he emerged as the frontrunner to replace Keir Starmer.Europe news | The first case of Ebola has been confirmed in France, the country’s health ministry has said, in a doctor who had returned from a humanitarian mission to an area affected by the outbreak in the DRC.UK news | A little-known system in which US military personnel are tried through a court martial for alleged crimes committed in the UK is under growing scrutiny. Continue reading...

The US president told reporters the former Manchester mayor ‘probably won’t open up the North Sea’ for oil explorationDonald Trump has labelled Andy Burnham “extremely liberal”, in his first public comments about the former Greater Manchester mayor since he emerged as the frontrunner to replace Keir Starmer.The US president told reporters Burnham “probably won’t open up the North Sea” for oil exploration, and that “the UK is dying”, signalling that the newly elected Labour MP could face a rocky relationship with Trump. Continue reading...

One woman says she found man in her room at WA fly-in, fly-out accommodation while another states she was ‘howled’ at, federal court toldFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAndrew Forrest’s Fortescue is facing a class action lawsuit from female workers over allegations of systemic sexual harassment, violence and retaliation at the iron ore miner’s remote work sites.The lawsuit, filed in the federal court in Victoria on Thursday, includes an allegation that a woman was pulled into a dark alley where a man “tried to stick his tongue down my throat”. Continue reading...