Heatwaves, floods and wildfires pose rising threat to democracy, report finds

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that urgent action is needed to prevent a global food security crisis caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. • FAO Director-General Qu Dongyan met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain, and IFAD President Alvaro Lario in Rome to address these risks.

• The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) May Chief Economists’ Outlook warns that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Middle East conflicts are severely damaging global economic prospects. • The report highlights a period of heightened uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions, persistent inflationary pressures, and the ongoing restructuring of global supply chains.

• A geopolitical crisis in the Middle East that began on February 28 has evolved into a global food security emergency, causing rising hunger in Africa and medical shortages in Afghanistan. • Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which previously handled roughly 20% of global oil shipments, have spiked crude oil prices and increased transport and supply chain costs.

Downing Street responded after Andy Burnham publicly admitted that he would consider launching a bid to become Labour leader‘I wouldn’t flinch’: Burnham on social care, markets, Brexit – and the prospect of a general electionHello and welcome to our UK politics blog.David Lammy has come out in support of the prime minister, saying Keir Starmer would fight in a leadership contest after Andy Burnham said he would join one if elected an MP. Continue reading...

Draft treaty claims sexual and reproductive health and rights are an existential threat to the African familyAn African treaty that rejects longstanding international human rights obligations moved a step closer to becoming policy this week as governments across the continent met in Ghana.The draft African charter on family, sovereignty and values, seen by the Guardian, asserts that African values and culture are under attack from “foreign ideologies” and urges states to withdraw from any agreements that do not align with the principles of the charter, including the 2003 Maputo protocol, which promotes gender equality and protects the reproductive and health rights of women and girls. Continue reading...

Unexpected monthly drop of 0.1% in May leaves price of typical home at £298,806, says lender HalifaxBusiness live – latest updatesUK house prices fell unexpectedly in May as rising mortgage rates fuelled by the war in Iran affected affordability and homebuyer demand.The average price of a typical UK home fell by 0.1% in May to £298,806 compared with April, the third consecutive monthly drop recorded by the lender Halifax. Analysts had been expecting a return to growth, with a consensus of a 0.1% rise forecast for May. The monthly drop followed falls of 0.1% in April and 0.5% in March. Continue reading...

NSW seeking leave to appeal against successful class action including aggravated damages of $20,000 awarded to woman strip-searched at music festivalGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe woman awarded $93,000 after an illegal strip-search by NSW police thought until “just before” the trial that she would be called a liar in the proceedings by the officers who conducted the search. This was despite the officers submitting statements 12 months before her appearance that they had no recollection of the woman or the search, a court was told on Friday.Lawyers acting for the woman, Raya Meredith, and 6,000 music festivalgoers appeared before the NSW court of appeal on Friday in the final day of a two-day hearing where NSW is seeking leave to appeal after losing a class action over unlawful strip-searches conducted at music festivals between 2018 and 2022. Continue reading...

Interim vice-chancellor tells senate estimates of ‘very significant’ effect on donor pipeline and enrolmentsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA series of high profile scandals and governance failures has cost the Australian National University $100m in reputational damage, the interim vice-chancellor, Rebekah Brown, has told a parliamentary committee.Fronting senate estimates on Friday – a day after a scathing audit report found the ANU approved a controversial $250m cost-cutting program without clear evidence – Brown acknowledged it had been a challenging time for the university. Continue reading...

State department warns of ‘ideological conditioning’ in message of condolence to family of murdered studentThe US state department has criticised “two-tiered policing” in Britain in a message of condolence to the family of the murder victim Henry Nowak in a thinly veiled rebuke of the UK government.The 18-year-old student’s murder has been claimed by some as evidence of two-tier policing in the UK – the argument that some groups of people are dealt with more harshly than others for ideological reasons. Continue reading...

Women coaches routinely overlooked, undermined and denied opportunities despite qualifications, say experts Women are being shut out of careers in sport by entrenched sexism, discrimination and workplace bullying, MPs have been told.Female coaches are routinely overlooked, undermined and denied opportunities despite their qualifications, experts told a parliamentary select committee on Thursday. Continue reading...

Migrant insects have been seen in large numbers along east coast thanks to heatwave and benign southerly windsIf you’ve spotted a pale orange butterfly dashing at frenetic pace through streets, fields or gardens, you’ve noticed the new migrants that will add colour to the summer in record-breaking numbers.What is expected to be the largest arrival of painted lady butterflies in Britain for 17 years is under way after heatwaves and favourable winds ushered thousands if not millions of the insects northwards. Continue reading...

Jess Asato’s lawyer says others want to take action over demeaning sexualised material created by Grok AI toolNew claimants have come forward to take legal action against Elon Musk’s company xAI after the Labour MP Jess Asato launched a test case against the firm over demeaning sexualised material created by its Grok AI tool.A handful of complainants contacted Asato’s lawyer on Thursday in response to coverage of the MP’s decision to sue Musk’s company for damages over its creation and circulation of fake images of her in a bikini and an AI-created video that she said showed her “being chloroformed and prepared for a sexual assault”. Continue reading...