Hundreds of thousands of Centrelink payments cancelled illegally, Albanese government admits

• President Emmanuel Macron announced that the French navy intercepted a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker off the coast of Sicily. • This operation is part of a broader effort by France and Britain to intensify sanctions and disrupt the clandestine shipping networks used by Russia to export oil.

• Geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar claims that Israeli intelligence (Mossad) attempted to assassinate Pakistan's Army Chief during high-stakes US-Iran peace negotiations in Switzerland. • Pakistani military intelligence reportedly intercepted the plot in time, issuing a severe warning to Israel to prevent the attack from occurring.

• Syria is experiencing significant spillover effects from the ongoing conflict involving Iran, despite the Syrian government maintaining a position of neutrality. • Analysis by journalist Cian Ward suggests that while the regional instability creates a crisis, Damascus may be seeking strategic opportunities to leverage the situation.

• Author Laala Bechetoula argues that Donald Trump's presidency is characterized by a unique political style of constant, public self-contradiction and reversal. • Global warnings have emerged regarding the rapid evolution of AI, suggesting that current safeguards are insufficient to prevent sophisticated hacking.

• China is expanding its mediatory diplomacy to address intensifying international conflicts and a weakening global order. • The strategy consists of three reinforcing components: multi-level peace-brokering roles, the Global Security Initiative (GSI) conceptual framework, and the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed).

• A new book titled "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump" reveals that a former cabinet member referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "special needs child for the Europeans." • The derogatory comment reportedly occurred during a meeting focused on discussing a proposed minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine.

Ruling comes amid drive by Republican administration to reshape rules around voting ahead of midtermsThe Trump administration’s plan to deny mail-in ballots to states that would not give their voter rolls to federal officials was blocked Thursday morning by a federal judge in Boston.US district judge Indira ⁠Talwani ruled that the provisions of an executive order issued by Donald Trump on 31 March requiring the postal service to require the use of a barcode tracking system for ballot envelopes tied to US Citizenship and Immigration Services data was unconstitutional. Continue reading...

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is an anti-Islamic, far-right political activist well known in the UK and EuropeGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe man who calls himself Tommy Robinson has roared into prominence in Australia after the morning TV mainstay Karl Stefanovic posted an interview with Robinson for his podcast.The fallout was swift. Nine Entertainment, Australia’s largest locally owned media empire, is widely expected to sever ties with Stefanovic, and he will not appear on a radio show with Eddie McGuire on Friday. Continue reading...

From Cameron’s Brexit exit to Starmer’s Burnham bow-out, half a dozen PMs have gone. So who’s the best of the bunch?The UK has had six prime ministers in the last 10 years – with a seventh likely to be in place by as early as mid-July.John Crace ranks those who have been booted out of Downing Street between 2016 and 2026. Continue reading...

Sarah Mullally ends visit to region with call for two-state solution that allows Israelis and Palestinians to live in peaceThe archbishop of Canterbury has called for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine after a pilgrimage in which she met Palestinians attacked by settlers and others detained without trial.Sarah Mullally, the head of the Church of England, and the Anglican archbishop of Jerusalem, Hosam Naoum, issued a joint letter on Thursday urging Anglicans around the world to press politicians “to take all necessary measures to establish a credible path towards ending the occupation”. Continue reading...

Decision effects hundreds of thousands of people who have permission to live and work in the US because their home countries are unsafeSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe US supreme court on Thursday ruled in favor of the Trump administration’s bid to strip temporary protected status (TPS) from hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians, who were legally in the US and protected from deportation.People with TPS are given the permission to live and work in the US because the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deemed their home countries to be unsafe due to war, political instability or natural disasters. In the past year, Trump officials have attempted to cut the program for various countries, opening the door to the removal of hundreds of thousands of protected immigrants in the US. Continue reading...

The Canadian musician, who achieved major hits such as Spinning Wheel and You’ve Made Me So Very Happy, died peacefully at a Toronto hospitalDavid Clayton-Thomas, lead singer of 60s and 70s group Blood, Sweat & Tears has died at 84.According to his publicist, the Canadian singer died peacefully at a hospital in Toronto with no cause of death given. Continue reading...