Middle East crisis live: oil spill warning after tanker attacked in Dubai; explosions in Tehran and Jerusalem amid wave of attacks

• The article examines whether a potential military failure in Iran would fundamentally change U.S. strategic approaches to warfare and foreign intervention. • It notes a historical trend where veterans and voters punished previous administrations for the high costs of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Geopolitics and cost of living crisis have cost Europe’s largest travel company €60m so farHolidaymakers are waiting until the last minute to book their trips because of the continuing uncertainty caused by the war in Iran and the cost of living crisis, according to Tui, Europe’s largest travel company, which said the war had cost it €60m (£51m) so far.In the weeks after the outbreak of war at the end of February, Tui recorded a temporary drop-off in customers wanting to travel to Cyprus or Turkey, in what the company called a “volatile market”. Continue reading...

President says Secret Service wanted him on ‘different plane’ due to threat as Democrats call for congressional briefingHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.President Donald Trump said he slipped away from Air Force One after a trip last month in Turkey because the Secret Service and military wanted him on a “different plane” due to a threat that he insisted didn’t scare him. Continue reading...

Exclusive: England ‘desperately unprepared’ for effects of crisis including water shortages and heatwavesUK heatwave live – latest updatesJust 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within a key government department tasked with protecting the environment and maintaining food security, a freedom of information request has revealed.The officials make up 0.3% of staff within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Continue reading...

One Nation MP says failed WA candidate’s comments describing same-sex attraction as a mental illness are ‘highly offensive’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce has defended One Nation as “one of the gayest parties in Australia” after comments surfaced from one of its failed candidate describing same-sex attraction as a mental illness.The former National turned One Nation MP was asked to respond to a series of homophobic comments made by a former Western Australian legislative council candidate for One Nation in a video last month, as first reported by ABC on Wednesday afternoon. Continue reading...

Event expected to hit solar power just as fifth heatwave of summer increases use of air conditioning and fansGreat Britain faces a shortfall of electricity supplies on Wednesday evening as the near total solar eclipse is expected to wipe out solar power generation.The government’s electricity grid operator raised an official alarm that there is currently not enough power generation expected as the moon blocks up to 95% of the sun over parts of the country, the most dramatic eclipse visible in Great Britain since 1999. Continue reading...

Crowly pulls off last-minute victory in tight race after polls had shown his progressive opponent as a clear frontrunner David Crowley, the Milwaukee county executive, pulled off a last-minute victory after re-entering the Wisconsin governor’s race and snagging an endorsement from Tony Evers, the outgoing governor.The race came down to the wire, with Francesca Hong and Crowley running close to each other as each batch of results came in. Polls had shown Hong as a clear frontrunner in the race, but with large chunks of voters still undecided and an ever-changing field of candidates, polling was difficult. Polls in Michigan similarly showed progressive Abdul El-Sayed with a more sizeable lead than he ended up with in his victory in the Democratic primary for US senate. Continue reading...

Coalition demands police investigate apparent leaking of diplomatic cable to newspaper but Labor calls it a ‘silly political stunt’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Japanese ambassador has downplayed Anthony Albanese’s comments about a gift of melons from Sanae Takaichi, saying Tokyo had been reassured by the Australian government that the prime minister “did not make the comments in the way that has been reported”.While the Coalition continued to raise outrage over Albanese’s comments to the Bush Deep podcast, including seeking to have federal police investigate the alleged leaking of a diplomatic cable to a newspaper, the Japanese government appeared to be uninterested in making a diplomatic incident out of the much-maligned comments. Continue reading...

Parts of country face fifth heatwave of the summer with highs of 38C forecast this week Parts of the UK will face the fifth heatwave of the summer this week with temperatures forecast to reach highs of 38C, prompting the Met Office to issue an amber weather warning for extreme heat.The record-shattering heatwave has caused wildfires and drought in many parts of the country, with this summer on course to be the UK’s hottest since records began, according to the Met Office. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said firefighters have responded to 966 wildfires across England and Wales this year, including 185 in the first 10 days of August alone. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary, Steve Wright, told Times Radio the country faces a national emergency “right now”, with wildfires seen “all across” the UK. Continue reading...

Martin Jones expresses concern scheme will increase pressure on probation service as Burnham addresses controversy over PC Harper’s killersGood morning. Andy Burnham is chairing a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee this afternoon to discuss the heatwave and the climate crisis.About time too, some people will say. One of them is Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, who has been calling for this and who posted this on social media in response.Good.Now we need action. Tax fossil fuel giants to pay for firefighting helicopters. A cool space in every community. A maximum working temperature. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor and other Coalition members not supporting shadow housing minister’s target migration numbers, which would be the lowest figures since the mid-2000sFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal senator Andrew Bragg has stood by his proposal to lower net migration to 180,000 per year in a wide-ranging speech where he lamented not stopping the Morrison government’s “madness” – even as colleagues side-stepped supporting the target figure publicly.The opposition frontbencher said a housing “shortfall” – comparing the number of dwellings against population size – could be rectified if the net overseas migration (Nom) target was set at 180,000 or under over four years. Continue reading...

Voters will be required to number at least five parties above the line in order of preference after bill passed upper house 33 votes to fourFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastProminent MPs such as Georgie Purcell and other microparty members will face an uphill battle to retain their seats in Victoria’s upper house after parliament voted to abolish group voting tickets.Victoria’s legislative council was the only remaining upper house in Australia to use the GVT system, in which voters could only choose one party above the line on the ballot paper, with their preferences then allocated by the party if it was knocked out during counting. Continue reading...