Jillian Segal hired former Scott Morrison adviser on $200,000 contract without public tender process

• 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.

Heavy rain forces postponement of trip to rural Maryland as negotiations to end Iran war reach crucial stageDonald Trump will host the 12th cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday as talks on ending the nearly three-month war with Iran reach a crucial stage amid conflicting signals over whether an agreement is close.The gathering had originally been scheduled to take place in the bucolic setting of Camp David, the presidential retreat that had previously been the site of sensitive Middle East negotiations, including the historic Israeli-Egyptian peace accords. Continue reading...

Rodents arrived on the subtropical island more than a century ago, decimating its native flora and fauna – but its invertebrates are once again boomingIn the summer months, Lord Howe Island’s unique stag beetle, with wing cases that appear forged from iridescent green metal, fly around the ancient tree tops looking for a mate.“That’s really something wonderful,” said Ian Hutton, a naturalist and nature guide on the World Heritage-listed island. Continue reading...

Former PM urges party to take a step back and ‘analyse the world’ amid speculation over Keir Starmer’s leadershipUK politics live – latest updatesTony Blair has continued his attack on the Labour government, saying it should be about “policy first, politics second”.Hours after he published a scathing essay in which he warned that the party’s “almost infinite capacity for self-delusion” meant it was likely to lose the next election, the former prime minister said it should “take a step back, analyse the world.” Continue reading...

German-owned discounter’s sales rise 8.8% year on year as households seek ways to keep bills downLidl has overtaken Morrisons to become the UK’s fifth largest grocer as its sales were powered ahead by households seeking to keep a lid on their weekly bills.The German-owned discounter increased its sales by 8.8% year on year – making it the fastest-growing store-based grocer – to hit a record high market share of 8.6% over the 12 weeks to 17 May, according to figures from the market analysts Worldpanel by Numerator. That compared with an 8.3% share for Morrisons in the period as the Bradford-based chain grew its sales by only 1.3% compared with a year earlier. Continue reading...

Search takes place amid intensifying focus on separate allegations of influence peddling as problems worsen for prime minister Pedro SanchezSpanish police entered the ruling Socialist Party’s headquarters in Madrid on a judicial order to gather information on a possible illegal financing scheme, several news Spanish news outlets reported.A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil force told Reuters officers had entered the premises but did not disclose any further details since the proceedings are secret. Continue reading...

Consumer think-tank says K-pop fans should know the prices before being sent into a ‘high-pressure sales funnel’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian fans of the K-pop group BTS are accusing the ticketing giant Ticketmaster of deploying “predatory” and “crazy” tactics, and have urged people to lodge formal complaints with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).Ticketmaster Australia announced concerts at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium and Sydney’s Accor Stadium in February 2027 as part of the South Korean boyband’s comeback tour after a four-year hiatus. Continue reading...

Dong Guangping has tried to escape on several previous occasions after been jailed for his activism in ChinaA Chinese dissident has washed up on the shores of South Korea after attempting to flee China in a rubber boat.Dong Guangping, 68, is in custody in South Korea, having been detained by the coastguard on Monday evening. He is thought to have travelled more than 30 hours by sea to reach the shores of China’s democratic neighbour. Continue reading...

Tony Blair has accused Starmer, Burnham and Streeting of putting Labour’s future at risk amid leadership speculationGood morning. Labour is in the midst of ‘phoney war’ leadership contest. The formal bit has not started yet, but Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting are already actively engaged, Angela Rayner is taking an interest, and Keir Starmer is defending his legacy with renewed vigour. The last thing anyone expected was for Tony Blair to join in.But he has, sort of, with a 5,700-word essay, published last night on his thinktank’s website, setting out where the former PM thinks his part is going wrong (on most things, it seems) and what he thinks it should do next. Blair, of course, won’t be a candidate in the leadership contest, but ideas matter in politics and this essay is chock-full of them. Continue reading...

Tourists and locals in Madrid, Paris, London, Dublin and Berlin share their experiences of the unseasonable May temperaturesIn recent days across parts of Europe, temperatures have soared, heat records have been broken and spring has felt more like the height of summer. Météo France, the French national weather service, has attributed this to a “heat dome”, with warmth held in place by a high-pressure weather front that has produced temperatures more than 10C above what used to be usual for this time of year.Human-caused climate breakdown is supercharging extreme weather around the world, driving deadly extremes that can strike at abnormal times in unusual places and claim lives. Continue reading...