Group of 19 women and children linked to Islamic State due to arrive in Australia

• Diplomacy between Tehran and Washington has accelerated after weeks of escalation, with regional mediators helping drive a new round of Iran-U.S. talks. • The reporting says the confrontation follows more than six weeks of disruption tied to Iran’s pressure on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and a U.S.-enforced naval blockade.

• The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a press briefing previewing the upcoming summit between President Trump and Xi Jinping, with Taiwan expected to be a central issue. • CSIS said Xi highlighted Taiwan as the most important issue in U.S.-China relations during a February 2026 phone call and urged Washington not to provide arms to Taiwan.

US secretary of state appears to downplay warnings from Russian counterpart to move diplomats out of KyivUS secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the war in Ukraine “needs to come to an end,” after his conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.Responding to the strikes on Kyiv over the weekend and repeated warnings about more attacks planned in the coming days, Rubio said:“Look, every time you see these big strikes from one side or the other, it’s a reminder of why this is a terrible war that’s now gone on longer than the second world war, and it needs to come to an end.”“They sent a notice to all the embassies, and I think he was just calling me personally to tell me – they told all the embassies to – Kyiv’s going to be a very dangerous place – Kyiv’s been a very dangerous place now for a number of years.”“Look, the danger in all of these wars as they continue and then they go on is that they always have the threat of escalation, of spreading into something new.” Continue reading...

Bureau of Meteorology says thunderstorms could bring widespread rainfalls and flash flooding while there are ‘signs of El Niño development’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSevere thunderstorms could bring heavy rainfall and flash flooding to eastern and south-eastern Australia in coming days, according to the weather bureau.On Tuesday afternoon, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said a low-pressure system over South Australia combined with moisture being pushed down the eastern seaboard from the tropics, would bring widespread rainfalls. Continue reading...

Sarah Wakefield, a councillor on Manchester city council, will stand for the party after its initial candidate withdrewThe Greens have announced their new candidate in the Makerfield byelection.Sarah Wakefield, a councillor on Manchester city council, will stand for the party after its initial candidate withdrew from the race. Continue reading...

Police commissioner acknowledges outcome causes ‘significant distress’ for 24-year-old Warlpiri man’s family and wider communityWarning: This article contains references to Indigenous Australians who have diedNorthern Territory police will not lay any charges against officers after an Indigenous man died while being restrained in an Alice Springs supermarket in 2025.Kumanjayi White, a 24‑year‑old Warlpiri man who lived with cognitive disabilities, died on 27 May last year during a confrontation with police in a Coles supermarket. Continue reading...

Temperatures did not fall below 21.3C on Monday night at Kenley airfield in south LondonThe UK experienced a “tropical night” on Monday as the record for highest daily minimum temperature in May was broken for the second consecutive day.Temperatures did not fall below 21.3C on Monday at Kenley airfield in south London after the UK recorded its hottest May day since Met Office data began, the forecaster said. Continue reading...

Animal and Plant Health Agency forced to release reports showing scale and cause of deaths on some fish farmsMillions of fish deaths caused by accidental poisoning and suffocation on Scottish salmon farms have been revealed after the inspection agency was forced to share its reports.The UK government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) had refused to release inspection reports, claiming it would cause “significant detriment” to companies, including to their reputations. Continue reading...

Commissioner says a number of witnesses reported ‘a dramatic increase in online hate messages’Jewish Australians have reported a dramatic increase in harassment and intimidation online after giving evidence at the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion.Before starting hearings on Tuesday morning the commissioner, Virginia Bell, said at least one instance had been referred to the Australian federal police. Continue reading...

Book containing early versions of the Merlin and Grail legends has remained in private hands for 700 years In one illustration, painted on vellum and decorated with gold leaf, the sorcerer Merlin is depicted as a powerful shape-shifter who has transformed into a talking stag. In another, the Knights of the Round Table are shown returning, victorious, from battle.The illustrations appear in one of the earliest manuscripts to tell the tale of King Arthur and the search for the holy grail – a richly illuminated medieval tome which, for more than 700 years, has been in private hands. Continue reading...

Seven years after Lisa Wiese went missing, a police raid on the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light has given her family a glimmer of hopeAs he watched the footage of a convoy of police vehicles driving through the security gates of the headquarters of a religious sect, AbdelRahman Hashem felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe now his two children would get answers to what happened to their mother.The last time the children heard from her was seven years ago. In an email sent from a budget hotel in India, she had written: “Mommy loves and misses them so much, so very much … they are both my best friends and my favorite people in the whole world.” Two days later, she disappeared. Continue reading...