Free speech activists condemn UK entry ban for two leftwing US commentators

• Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated on Sunday that Tehran will refuse any deal with the United States until the rights of the Iranian people are fully secured. • Separately, official Berri highlighted that the primary obstacle to a ceasefire is not the resistance's position, but the ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

• The article highlights a contradiction between the rise of nationalist rhetoric among global politicians and the actual public desire for international cooperation. • It argues that global solidarity remains remarkably popular among citizens, despite political efforts to belittle foreign alliances and promote isolationism.

• Middle Eastern states are increasingly utilizing digital diplomacy—including strategic communication and online narratives—to project soft power and manage national images on a global scale. • These digital tools allow governments to bypass traditional media to engage directly with international audiences, manage crises, and connect with their respective diasporas.

• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli army to expand its military invasion of Lebanon as of Sunday, May 31, 2026. • The escalation is part of a broader conflict involving a war between Israel, the United States, and Iran.

• The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to war in the Middle East has triggered significant negative consequences for the global economy. • The crisis has highlighted critical structural vulnerabilities and the extreme sensitivity of international trade to disruptions in this strategic maritime corridor.

• ACCORD is analyzing the evolving African mediation landscape, questioning if current mediation architectures are failing to keep pace with rapidly changing conflict dynamics. • A critical "seventh shift" identified is geopolitical fragmentation, where global powers have moved away from multilateral norms toward pursuing transactional interests.

Oxfam finds the 20 richest Australians now hold more wealth than the bottom 3 million households, analysis shows Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe wealth of Australia’s billionaires increased by $25.67bn in the past year, equivalent to almost $50,000 a minute, according to new Oxfam Australia analysis of the 2026 Australian Financial Review Rich List.The anti-poverty organisation said the total wealth of Australian billionaires in 2026 has reached more than $686bn, while Acoss figures show 3,706,000 people live in poverty, including 757,000 children under 15 years. Continue reading...

Dozens reportedly arrested for defying curfew at Delaney Hall in Newark amid hunger and labor strikes at facilityOfficials in New Jersey said Monday that several protesters were arrested overnight for defying a curfew at Delaney Hall, the Newark immigration detention center that has seen more than a week of chaotic and often violent clashes.The state’s Democratic attorney general, Jennifer Davenport, posted on X that a group of individuals “had come to the protest armed with helmets, shields, or gas masks, [and] deliberately refused to comply with repeated orders to leave the area”, resulting in their arrest. Continue reading...

Met says non-fatal stabbings took place after most of the crowds had dispersed on Sunday eveningSix people were stabbed after Arsenal’s Premier League victory parade in north London on Sunday, police have said.The Metropolitan police said the stabbings took place in the evening after most of the crowds had dispersed. Twenty-four people were arrested. Continue reading...

International money transfer service’s shares tumble as it confirms discussions with prosecutor’s officeBusiness live – latest updatesWise, the UK-based international money transfer service and darling of the London fintech scene, has confirmed it is answering questions from Belgian prosecutors investigating money laundering, sending its shares tumbling.In a statement to the stock market, Wise said it was “currently working with the Brussels prosecutor to respond to queries about our business, as we routinely do with regulators and law-enforcement authorities. Continue reading...

People from Delaware to Montreal reported either hearing loud booms or seeing the fireball in the sky over weekendA meteor over Massachusetts during the weekend ultimately prompted reports of booms and sightings across New England into Canada.The American Meteor Society said that the meteor in question was about 3ft (1 meter) wide as it entered the atmosphere around the New Hampshire border with Massachusetts, north of Boston. Continue reading...