‘Everything I do has climate at its centre’: Hackney’s first Green mayor gets to work

• A Horn Institute publication says the U.S.-Israel war on Iran has widened into a broader conflict with effects that are now reaching Africa. • The analysis describes mounting diplomatic and security dilemmas for African states as regional shockwaves spread beyond the Middle East.

• The United States has paused its participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, the long-running U.S.-Canada military consultation forum, according to a CSIS analysis published this week. • CSIS says the pause comes about six weeks before the mandatory USMCA joint review, which makes the timing politically sensitive for both countries.

Since Péter Magyar’s election victory he has vowed to reverse withdrawal from court before it took effectLawmakers in Hungary have voted overwhelmingly for the country to remain a member of the international criminal court, reversing a decision made by the previous government of Viktor Orbán.Wednesday’s vote came days before the country was poised to become the only EU member state not to recognise the jurisdiction of the global tribunal, which aims to prosecute those accused of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Continue reading...

One of heaviest days of bombing in weeks complicates US talks with Iran, which insists any peace deal must mean end of attacks on LebanonMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael launched more than 120 airstrikes against Lebanon on Tuesday in one of the heaviest days of bombing in weeks, as the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said his military was escalating its offensive against Hezbollah.A ceasefire brokered by the US last month between Israel and the militant Islamist movement now appears close to total collapse, complicating negotiations to bring a definitive end to the war with Iran. Continue reading...

Daniela Klette sentenced to 13 years for crimes committed during three decades of hiding in plain sightA German court has sentenced Daniela Klette, a former member of the Red Army Faction, also know as the Baader-Meinhof group, to 13 years’ in jail for armed robberies committed during three decades hiding in plain sight.Long Germany’s most-wanted woman, Klette was the last female member of the far-left terrorist network still on the run before her arrest at her home in Berlin in February 2024. Continue reading...

Domestic abuse commissioner ‘deeply concerned’ by move as councils in England and Wales struggle to fund reviewsThe Home Office has rejected a proposal to allocate government funds for reviews into domestic abuse-related deaths.Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, said it was “deeply concerning” that local authorities in England and Wales would not receive direct resources to help them carry out domestic homicide reviews (DHRs) and urged officials to be “braver and bolder” in their decision making.In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org Continue reading...

Agreement averts strike and shows latest impact of AI boom as two more chipmakers join $1tn clubBusiness live – latest updatesEmployees at Samsung Electronics’s memory chip division are to receive bonuses averaging about £310,000 each through a landmark profit-sharing agreement, as the AI boom drives up chipmakers’ profits.Fears of a strike at Samsung were averted on Wednesday after two unions for the world’s largest memory chipmaker said that 74% of the 62,616 workers who cast their votes had backed the deal. Continue reading...

More Americans are using small solar panels in their back yards or balconies as a clean way to cut their electric billsIf you feel like your electricity bill just keeps climbing, you aren’t imagining it. Since 2020, US residential energy prices have surged by about 30%, making power the largest household energy expense behind gasoline, according to the US Energy Information Administration.But for residents like Alex Curtis, the days of feeling powerless against rising costs are coming to an end. Curtis is waging a war on his electric bill, and his new weapon of choice is a lightweight, thin-film solar panel. Continue reading...

Paxton’s win, despite his history of scandals, signals the president’s enduring grip over the state. Plus, one sex educator on why she doesn’t define sex at allGood morning.Ken Paxton, the scandal-ridden Texas attorney general who was backed by Donald Trump, beat the incumbent, John Cornyn, in the Republican primary runoff for senator, signaling how much sway the president still has in the deep red state.And Paxton’s new opponent? As a Democrat, Talarico faces long odds in Texas, but has built a groundswell of popularity through his message of peace and populism. Ahead of the primary, Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, a former Democratic candidate for the Senate and a partner at Ascend Strategy Labs, a social justice consulting firm in Austin, said that “if Ken Paxton becomes the candidate, Talarico has a shot”.How much has funding declined? The WFP’s funding was cut last year by a third, with the US, the largest donor by far, decreasing its contribution by more than half.How does the US-Israel war on Iran affect famine? Most directly, it drives up food prices, mostly because of transport costs, but some aid routes have also been blocked. Continue reading...

UK private equity investor with reputation for hard-nosed restructuring says it is backing existing managementBusiness live – latest updatesFlying Tiger is the latest retailer to be snapped up by Modella Capital, the British investment firm which already owns the former high street arm of WH Smith, now called TG Jones.The Danish company, known for its cut-price homewares and craft kit, operates about 1,000 stores worldwide, including 80 in the UK, where it employs more than 1,000 people. Continue reading...

Video appears to show divers discovering group sitting on a rock surrounded by flood water, as search efforts continue for the missingFive villagers stuck in a flooded cave in central Laos for more than a week have been found alive, rescuers said on Wednesday, but two others are missing.The villagers entered the cave in Xaisomboun province on 19 May, but heavy rain triggered flash flooding that blocked the exit and trapped seven people, according to Lao and Thai rescue teams involved in the operation. Continue reading...