Cutting language courses puts social mobility at risk, say UK experts

• Acting President Delcy Rodríguez of Venezuela is struggling to manage the humanitarian fallout following two powerful twin earthquakes. • The crisis serves as a critical political test for Rodríguez as her mandate as the country's interim leader is set to expire this Friday.

• Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, met with the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in Doha. • The two officials discussed the current state of bilateral relations and explored strategies to further support and develop diplomatic ties between the two nations.

• Factions within the Iranian regime are intensifying internal infighting, signaling a structural crisis and a system in irreversible decline. • The struggle is driven by growing public unrest, political paralysis, and mounting uncertainty regarding diplomacy, war, and future succession.

• Arab media analysts are examining the fragile diplomatic efforts to avoid a broader war between regional powers and Iran, specifically regarding the strategic Strait of Hormuz. • The reports highlight a tension between the genuine desire for diplomacy and the risks posed by confrontational rhetoric and high public expectations.

• Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz held a phone call with Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab on Saturday to reaffirm the Kingdom's steadfast support for Damascus. • The two officials reviewed bilateral relations and discussed specific strategies to enhance security cooperation and coordination between their respective ministries.

• Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Tehran for the second day of Supreme Leader Khamenei's funeral, with crowds reportedly larger than the previous day. • High-ranking officials, including the head of the IRGC and the Quds Force chief, attended the event where calls for Donald Trump's death were met with cheers.

• High-level delegations from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey arrived in Tehran on July 3 to attend the funeral of the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. • Turkey notably served as the only NATO member nation present, signaling a shift in regional diplomatic dynamics despite long-standing Western sanctions on Iran.

‘Nothing to see here,’ says the man who once overruled council planners in favour of Richard ‘Dirty’ DesmondHow unlucky can one man get? You have to feel for Nigel Farage. Why does it keep happening to him? There he is, just minding his own business, trying to make a decent living – those five houses won’t pay for themselves, which is why other people may have done – and yet there’s always someone trying to drag a good man down. Isn’t the “Man of the People (TM)” entitled to have a few multi-millionaires as friends to bankroll his lifestyle? Who hasn’t pined for crypto and gold bullion?First there was the £5m from the British-Thai crypto billionaire, Christopher Harborne, revealed exclusively by the Guardian. Months later, the stench won’t go away. Even Nige has been at a loss to explain what exactly he was given the money for. Unsure whether it was a payment to cover security or just a little “thank you” for a lifetime’s work in the service of making the country an easier place for grifters to make money. Even now, Nige has gone to ground as he tries to get his story straight. Continue reading...

In 2020 Australia’s biggest super fund dumped its Whitehaven shares. Fast forward to 2026 and it is now the coalminer’s single biggest investorGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAlmost six years ago, the country’s biggest superannuation fund announced a major policy update: AustralianSuper’s investment portfolio would be subject to a net zero carbon emissions target in line with the Paris agreement.To make the point, the fund dumped its holdings in the large thermal and metallurgical coalminer Whitehaven Coal. Continue reading...

Mining minister Dale Last says the state has an ‘enormous opportunity’ to become a global leader in critical mineralsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueenslanders are being warned they could be left to pay for the clean up of abandoned mines if rehabilitation laws are weakened, after the state government announced a bid to cut environmental “red tape” for resources companies.The state’s treasurer, David Janetzki, and the mining minister, Dale Last, this week announced a review of a scheme that requires resources companies to provide surety to cover remediation and rehabilitation costs when mines close. Continue reading...

IRGC warnings force ships to turn back as Tehran uses passages from Qur’an to send messages to Gulf delegationsThe diplomatic and military contest for control of the strait of Hormuz has intensified alongside the dramatic scenes of mourning for the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, with some claiming Khamenei’s legacy ultimately depends on Tehran’s grip on the waterway, and so the global economy.Over the past 48 hours, as crowds have swirled in Tehran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps appeared to have started to plug a gaping and growing gap in their monopoly control of the strait. Continue reading...

With voters embracing leaders who brazenly monetise public office, experts say an ethical code is breaking downDonald Trump came to office in 2017 after decades of bankruptcies and business failures. Yes, he was rich, but his latest financial disclosure, published this week, suggests he will depart billions richer.In the first year of his second term, he made more than $2bn from Trump hotels, Trump golf courses, Trump cryptocurrency, Trump watches, Trump cologne, Trump Bibles and more. Continue reading...