Royal Navy helicopter crashes into field in Devon

• International NGOs are warning of a collapsing humanitarian situation in Yemen four years after the United Nations truce. • Geopolitical friction and tactical exploitation by disruptive actors are currently hindering regional stability and economic growth initiatives.

• The Albanese government is facing increasing pushback over proposed reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), with critics warning that cuts could cause significant harm to participants. • In the Middle East, Israel continued its overnight offensive, while Tehran announced it is halting peace talks and intends to fully close the strait of Hormuz.

Proposal for 10-12.5% levies, to also include EU, Taiwan, Canada and Australia, would allow US president to skirt court-imposed limitsDonald Trump has threatened tariffs of between 10% and 12.5% on 60 countries including the UK, EU and Australia over alleged forced labour failures, in the latest attempt to revive his signature trade policy.The EU immediately hit back, saying it expected the US to respect the tariff deal it entered into last July and arguing stealth tariffs breached the spirit of that agreement. Continue reading...

Clifton George convicted of fatally stabbing charity worker Annabel Rook after she tried to end relationshipA man who fatally stabbed his partner and then set off a gas explosion at their north-east London home last summer has been found guilty of her murder.Clifton George, 45, had denied murdering Annabel Rook, a 46-year-old charity founder, during an argument at their home in Stoke Newington, on 17 June 2025. He admitted her manslaughter. Continue reading...

Anthony Odiong was sentenced to life in prison for sex crimes against his congregants in TexasA Louisiana church where a Roman Catholic priest served as pastor before being recently convicted in Texas of criminal clergy sexual assault and sentenced to life in prison has been criticized by his victims and their supporters for soliciting prayers on his behalf in a parochial bulletin published after his guilty verdict – which neglected to mention the survivors.One of the two women whom Anthony Odiong was convicted of assaulting in Waco, Texas – identified in court proceedings as Mary Doe – issued a statement on Tuesday encouraging St Anthony of Padua’s community in the New Orleans suburb of Luling, Louisiana, to pray for his victims, too. Continue reading...

Cars damaged and bricks strewn across streets after demonstration over Henry Nowak’s murder erupts into riotUK politics live: latest news updatesA trail of destruction was left on the streets of Southampton after Tuesday night’s anti-police protest over Henry Nowak’s murder, with car windows smashed and bricks strewn across roads.The demonstration began relatively peacefully outside Southampton central police station but turned ugly when hundreds marched across the city to the neighbourhood where Nowak died and where his killer, Vickrum Digwa, lived. Continue reading...

Democrats seek to oust Republicans in New Jersey and Iowa, while other major races remain up in the airHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.California’s crowded primary for governor remains up in the air after three leading candidates tested voters’ appetites for an experienced politician or promises of sweeping change.Karen Bass came out ahead in Tuesday’s heated primary for Los Angeles mayor, but with less than 50% of the vote will have to defend her seat in November’s general election. She’ll likely run against either Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star, or city council member Nithya Raman.Iowa state representative Josh Turek won the Democratic nomination for the state’s open US Senate seat – setting him up to face off against Ashley Hinson in the November general election. A former television anchor turned state senator, Hinson was endorsed by Donald Trump and retiring senator Joni Ernst.Adam Hamawy won the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 12th congressional district, teeing the army doctor and political newcomer up to face off against Republican Gregg Mele in November’s general election. Hamawy decided to run for office after returning from a medical mission in Gaza in 2024 and meeting congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, who announced her retirement in November 2025.Deb Haaland won the Democratic nomination for governor in New Mexico. If elected in the November general election, Haaland would become the first Native American woman governor elected in the country.Christina Bohannan won the Democratic nomination for Iowa’s 1st congressional district. She will compete against incumbent Republican congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the November general electionZach Lahn narrowly won the Republican nomination for governor, and will face off against Democrat Rob Sand in Iowa’s general election this November. Five Republicans competed for the nomination to replace retiring Republican governor Kim Reynolds.Former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Benett won the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, and will challenge Republican congressman Tom Kean Jr. in the general election. Kean, who’s been absent from Congress, citing a health issue, since March shared a statement on social media saying he’s “more energized than ever” and will “be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition” when he returns to work in “a matter of weeks”. Continue reading...

Regulator finds inadequate monitoring by firm could have exposed vulnerable customers ‘to clear risk of harm’Ovo Energy has agreed to pay more than £10m after the energy regulator for Great Britain, Ofgem, found a lack of monitoring of vulnerable customers with prepayment meters (PPMs) could have exposed them to a “clear risk of harm”.Ofgem found that Ovo did not adequately monitor its PPM customers, including those on the priority services register, leading to breaches of the watchdog’s rules designed to protect customers in vulnerable situations. ​​ Continue reading...

Trade minister says Australia has ‘robust, comprehensive and world-leading legislation addressing forced labour and modern slavery’Australia is among dozens of countries facing a 12.5% trade tariff from the Trump administration for allegedly failing to prevent imports of goods made by slave labour.The US trade representative, Jamieson Greer, listed Australia among 54 economies that “failed to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor” following an investigation into their practices. Continue reading...

Energy and military sites targeted as guests gather for economic forum where Putin is due to speak on FridayUkrainian drones hit energy and military sites in St Petersburg early on Wednesday hours before international guests gathered for the city’s flagship economic forum, in a blow to Vladimir Putin.Several long-range drones crashed into oil storage facilities after Russian air defences tried unsuccessfully to shoot them down. There were loud explosions and black smoke rose high above the city from the blazing oil terminal. Continue reading...

Johnson tells BBC documentary he played tennis in early 2016 with then prime minister to discuss EU referendumUK politics live – latest updatesDavid Cameron offered Boris Johnson a senior Cabinet position in return for campaigning for the UK to remain in the EU during the 2016 referendum, it has been revealedIn the event, and with four months to go before the vote, Johnson transformed the terms of the debate by announcing in February 2016 that “after a huge amount of heartache” he was throwing his weight behind the campaign to take Britain out of the EU. Continue reading...

Son of deposed shah forced to distance himself from once-dreaded Savak as some of his ‘fascistic’ supporters glorify it For decades, the Savak was seen as the most hated symbol of repression that kept Iran’s last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in power – and a main driving force behind the revolutionary fervor that toppled him in 1979.Now the deposed monarch’s son, Reza Pahlavi, has been forced to distance himself from the once-dreaded security agency after some of his most vociferous supporters glorified it as the defining emblem in their drive to install him on the throne in a royal restoration. Continue reading...