UNSW academic subjected to Nazi salutes in class, antisemitism commission hears

• Renewed hostilities between the US and Iran, alongside Israel's ongoing military campaigns, are increasing the risk of a wider Middle East conflict. • These geopolitical tensions are triggering global energy and food security crises, which threaten to cause drastic economic growth deceleration in the Philippines.

• Iran's state news agency, IRNA, reported that 10 to 11 enemy projectiles struck Qeshm Island on Sunday. • The attack targeted a strategic location within the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global artery for oil and shipping.

• US-Iran tensions have escalated following a ship attack in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the most significant military surge since the last ceasefire. • The conflict erupted shortly after Oman proposed a diplomatic solution to allow vessels to use both Omani and Iranian shipping lanes without additional approvals.

Brent crude jumps nearly 5% and Asian markets drop, with chipmakers including SK Hynix among hardest hitBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices jumped and stocks fell after the US launched a fresh wave of attacks against Iran amid an escalating standoff over the strait or Hormuz.Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose 4.7% to $79.59 a barrel. Asian stock markets dropped sharply, with South Korea’s Kospi down 8% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 and China’s Shanghai Composite 2% lower. Continue reading...

Suspension of family reunion route has left many stuck in conflict zones or using people smugglers to reach safetyMore than 16,000 refugees have been unable to reunite with families in the UK, leaving them either stuck in conflict zones or resorting to using people-smugglers to reach safety, according to the Refugee Council.The government suspended the refugee family reunion route last September. It allowed a person granted refugee status to apply to bring immediate family members such as a spouse and their children under 18 to reunite with them in the UK. The indication was that the suspension would last until the spring of this year. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: Andy Beckett takes your questions – and mine – about where UK politics is at and where it’s headed, from leadership churn and policy choices to electoral reform and moreGood morning. This week, we anticipate the arrival of Britain’s seventh prime minister in the space of a decade. Barring a sequence of events too freakish to contemplate this early in the day, Andy Burnham will be declared Labour leader on Friday and invited to form a new government thereafter.Sceptical as I am about doomy predictions on Britain’s chronic ungovernability, I wanted to speak to somebody who could offer some deeper context. Step forward Guardian columnist Andy Beckett, who also writes vivid modern histories about the country’s defining political ideas, and step forward you – First Edition readers – who responded when I asked what contemporary liabilities we should be talking about.Middle East | The US military has launched a new wave of attacks against Iran amid the escalating standoff over the strait of Hormuz, with Tehran saying the latest strikes had “rendered futile” all the diplomatic efforts of the past few months.UK news | Senior police figures and politicians have warned against speculation during the murder investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s death, after detectives said there was “nothing to suggest” political motivation.US politics | Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally in Washington, died this weekend after a short illness, his office announced.Far right | Elon Musk’s family foundation took Tommy Robinson to Russia, according to the billionaire X owner’s father. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said on Sunday the news was a sign Britain “must do more to defend its democracy”.UK politics | Reform UK would have held just 15% of the donations it received last year if a proposed £100,000 cap on political donations had been in force, according to analysis shared with the Guardian.Monday | Green MP Hannah Spencer presents her Maximum Workplace Temperature Bill to the Commons, which would establish an independent body to recommend safe working temperatures.Tuesday | MPs debate capping political donations as they seek to strengthen a new law on party funding.Wednesday | Sir Keir Starmer will face his final PMQs. Continue reading...

One manager expects takings to treble during England’s semi-final with Argentina on Wednesday; while national sales are up 10%The beleaguered pub sector is getting a boost from England’s World Cup run, with some landlords reporting roaring sales as anticipation builds for a bumper night on Wednesday for the semi-final clash with Argentina.Lisa Mayall, the manager of the British Oak in Kingswinford near Dudley in the West Midlands, was jubilant after England’s 2-1 win against Norway on Saturday night and brisk takings at the pub’s till. She expects hundreds more customers for the team’s next game at 8pm BST. Continue reading...

Josh Fawaz’s song, a cover of Like a Prayer, has raised questions over how generative AI is being used in music and whether it should be declaredAn Australian producer has gone from a little-known artist to a viral sensation in a matter of months, with his hit song catapulting onto global charts and receiving thousands of radio spins.There’s just one problem: music experts and other musicians are questioning whether he produced it. They claim Josh Fawaz’s most popular song, a cover of Madonna’s Like a Prayer which reached the #1 spot on the National Radio Airplay chart, could have been made using AI. Continue reading...

Premium cherry-on-the-vine are poised to take top spot in Britain’s £1bn-a-year tomato marketFor a long time the classic round, red tomato has dominated British salads and sandwiches, but its supremacy is coming under threat as sales of rainbow colours and the upmarket rival “cherry on the vine” take off.“Non-red tomatoes” sales are up 21% this year, a growth rate that far exceeds the overall market, according to Paul Faulkner, of Evesham Vale Growers. Continue reading...

Abir Al-Sahlani targeted on social media after condemning anti-immigration chants in European parliamentA Swedish MEP has filed a police complaint accusing a fellow MEP of racist hate speech after she was targeted on social media over her condemnation of far-right, anti-immigration chants in the European parliament.The complaint, which was filed last week with police in Sweden, relates to the aftermath last month of the decision by some rightwing MEPs to erupt in chants of “send them back” following a vote aimed at increasing deportations across the EU. Continue reading...

Alleged thieves in October 2025 robbery damaged a gem-encrusted crown worn in the 19th century by Empress EugénieTwo men suspected of making off with €88m (£75m) worth of crown jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris last October have reportedly told investigators that the alleged mastermind behind the heist was disappointed by the haul and thought “they could have taken more”.The French newspaper Le Monde cited transcripts of the alleged thieves’ questioning last month by two investigating judges in charge of the inquiry, offering detailed insights into the burglary that made global headlines and led the museum’s director to resign. Continue reading...