This huge hairy-legged Australian arachnid may be the fastest spider on the planet

• President Trump warned that Iran will be "hit very hard" if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened soon to allow oil shipments to resume. • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reported that talks are currently progressing to resolve the blockade.

• The Middle East is shifting toward "Energy Redundancy Diplomacy," a strategy focused on maintaining energy production, financing, and exports through multiple interchangeable systems. • This approach aims to ensure stability by creating backup infrastructures that can be activated when geopolitical disruptions occur.

• Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett accused Benjamin Netanyahu of abandoning the goal of defeating Hamas and effectively handing control of Gaza to Qatar. • The IDF is tightening its strike policy in Gaza, now requiring the chief of staff's explicit approval for certain operations.

• The Dispatch reports on several geopolitical and political developments, including the possibility of Iran returning to diplomatic negotiations. • A cargo ship was recently struck in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting ongoing maritime tensions and security risks in the region.

Controllers allegedly failed to halt flights, leading to a ‘loss of separation’ with a departing passenger jetAn air “safety incident” in which Donald Trump’s Marine One helicopter came closer than permitted to another aircraft over Washington DC is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).Air traffic controllers are believed to have mistakenly failed to halt commercial flights at Ronald Reagan national airport in northern Virginia on Tuesday afternoon when the military helicopter lifted off from the White House with the president on board. Continue reading...

Wayve Uber wins first minicab licence for autonomous cabs from TfL but vehicles will have a safety driver (at first)The taxi app company Uber and the autonomous technology developer Wayve have been granted the first minicab licences in London, allowing them to offer self-driving taxi rides to paying customers – but with a human safety driver in place, for now.The companies said they would start trips in the UK “later this summer” before the full public launch. Continue reading...

Congressional ethics panel had recommended Edwards face censure over its findings on ‘hostile work environment’US politics live – latest updatesChuck Edwards announced he would not run for re-election after the US House of Representatives ethics committee determined the US congressman “fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment” by giving gifts and lavishing attention on two young female staffers.Edwards, a Republican for North Carolina, said he would complete his current term, which is due to end in January. Continue reading...

Assassination attempt demonstrates Ukraine’s ability to continue clandestine operations deep inside Russian territoryEurope live – latest updatesThe head of a leading Russian drone manufacturer has been critically injured in a car bomb near Ekaterinburg in what appears to be the latest in a series of assassination attempts targeting figures linked to the country’s war in Ukraine.Vladimir Tkachuk, founder of the private drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, was rushed to intensive care on Wednesday after a bomb planted beneath his Mercedes exploded, according to Russian state media, citing emergency services. His bodyguard was killed in the explosion. Continue reading...

Move comes as fourth heatwave of summer intensifies, edging temperatures in some areas close to 40CItaly is to place all of its 27 major cities, from Trieste in the north to Palermo in the south, under the highest heat alert as the fourth heatwave to hit the country this summer intensifies.A red alert means there is a higher chance of an emergency owing to the health risk posed by prolonged extreme temperatures to the entire population. Continue reading...

While Trump suggests deal could come as soon as today, Iran indicates that ongoing talks with Oman would not lead to its immediate reopeningHello and welcome to our live coverage of the Middle East.US officials, including Donald Trump, have said a deal over the strait of Hormuz could be reached today, with continued diplomatic efforts potentially paving the way for US-Iran talks to resume.The possible agreement between Iran and Oman on arrangements for vessels to pass through the strait of Hormuz has nothing to do with the immediate opening of the strait. Negotiations regarding arrangements for vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz are purely Iranian-Omani and have no connection to the United States. If US violations continue, the strait of Hormuz will not open even with an agreement between Iran and Oman. The opening of the strait of Hormuz depends on a change in behaviour and correction of US violations. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Rukhsar Ahmed was re-elected as an MP in Pakistan last week despite being on police bail in the UKA former Pakistani state minister has been arrested on suspicion of raping vulnerable young girls in Manchester in the 1990s, the Guardian can reveal.Rukhsar Ahmed, who was re-elected as an MP in Pakistan last week after five years out of office, is on police bail in the UK after his arrest in July 2024 on suspicion of rape and trafficking children in care as part of a grooming gang. Continue reading...

Haley Stevens trails progressive in Senate primary as counting continues. Plus, meet the man who names cockroaches after Tolkein and Pokémon charactersGood morning.A Democratic Senate primary in Michigan remains too close to call, with Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official, holding a narrow lead over the establishment-backed congresswoman Haley Stevens. The battleground state is crucial to the party’s hopes of winning back control of the Senate in November.Who won in the crowded primary in Washington state? Democratic representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez secured one of two spots in the all-party primary, overcoming criticism from both the left and the right. She will face the Republican state senator John Braun in November.Why are citizens being denied a voice in Missouri? The state’s top election official has rejected a petition seeking a statewide referendum on redistricting. Hundreds of thousands of petition signatures had been submitted in an effort to force a vote on whether to use a new US House map approved by the Republican-led state legislature. The Republican secretary of state, Denny Hoskins, said the number submitted did not matter because challenging a congressional map was unconstitutional under Missouri law.What is the dispute about? The US Department of State said Viotti’s visa had been cancelled in retaliation for Brasília’s refusal to approve Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Brazil and its decision last month to deny visas to two US diplomats. Brasília swiftly condemned the decision, calling it part of a deliberate campaign to influence the outcome of the presidential election in Brazil this October. Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive term against Flávio Bolsonaro, the senator son of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, and a close political ally of Trump. Continue reading...