Yemen crisis deepens as international NGOs demand urgent action

• 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.

Health secretary announces expansion of Transform trial but does not back population-wide testingThousands more black men will be invited to take part in a prostate cancer screening trial as the health secretary insisted he was “following the science” in not backing population-wide testing.James Murray accepted a recommendation from the UK national screening committee (UKNSC) that will result in only a few thousand high-risk men with a gene mutation being screened for the disease. Continue reading...

BoM and other agencies expect transition to the first El Niño since spring 2023 sometime during winterFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereAustralia should prepare for an imminent El Niño, with the Bureau of Meteorology and other agencies forecasting that the weather phenomenon is likely to develop in the coming months.“The models are really aligning now,” Felicity Gamble, a senior BoM climatologist, said. “We are expecting a transition to El Niño sometime during winter.” Continue reading...

Sydney Morning Herald removes piece by Cath Ellis, despite Western Sydney University saying her use of AI was ‘appropriate’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA top Sydney academic used AI to write an opinion piece that urged students to “do the work” and not cut corners by using such technology, with the Sydney Morning Herald removing the “unacceptable” piece from its website.Western Sydney University’s pro-vice chancellor for quality and integrity, Prof Cath Ellis, had an opinion piece published in the Sydney Morning Herald last month, in response to an article from academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert. Continue reading...

Former first lady speaks about Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race at event for her new memoirJill Biden recalled the immense pressure that Joe Biden faced in the aftermath of his disastrous 2024 debate performance, saying he told her “Jilly, I had no choice,” following his decision to drop out of the presidential race.The former first lady made the comments during a Tuesday book event coinciding with the release of her new memoir, View from the East Wing. The event was held at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, and moderated by comedian and co-host of The View, Whoopi Goldberg. Former president Biden was in attendance at the event and received two standing ovations from the crowd. Continue reading...

Democratic state house representative beats Zach Wahls and will face off against Trump-backed Republican HinsonSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailIowa voters nominated candidates in primary elections held on Tuesday, setting the stage for months of fervent campaigning ahead of the November midterms in which the state may play a significant role in deciding the balance of power in Congress.A red state that the GOP has dominated for the past decade, Democrats believe they can be competitive in three of its four House races, its Senate election, and the contest to replace Kim Reynolds, the retiring Republican governor. Continue reading...

Move comes after meeting in which Pelley said network chief Bari Weiss was ‘murdering’ news showScott Pelley, one of the most well-known and respected journalists in broadcast journalism, has been fired by CBS News after clashing with network brass over last week’s severe round of cuts at 60 Minutes, the show he has worked on since 2004, the Guardian confirmed.While changes were long expected at 60 Minutes, CBS News management shocked staffers last week by firing the network’s executive producer, executive editor and two correspondents, Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi, without giving a specific reason for their terminations. Continue reading...

Court decision that represents win for Republicans comes after lengthy battle over state’s congressional mapSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailAlabama can use a redrawn congressional map that eliminates one of the state’s two majority-Black districts in this year’s midterm elections, the US supreme court ruled in a 6-3 decision on Tuesday, another major blow to Black voters and a win for Republicans.The court’s emergency ruling is the most consequential decision it had issued since its landmark ruling in late April that struck down a critical provision of the Voting Rights Act. In that case, Louisiana v Callais, the court’s majority made it nearly impossible to win Voting Rights Act claims, saying that plaintiffs had to prove intentional discrimination. But on 26 May, a three-judge panel said the map Alabama wants to use for this year’s midterm was enacted with discriminatory intent. Continue reading...

Two-time Grammy winner was best known for songs from Beauty and the Beast and AladdinPeabo Bryson, the R&B singer best known as the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney film duets Beauty and the Beast with Regina Belle, and A Whole New World with Celine Dion from Aladdin, has died. He was 75.His family said in a statement that Bryson, who won two Grammy awards, died Tuesday, days after having a stroke. Continue reading...

Reform advisory committee says changes will undermine scheme’s original intentions and give unprecedented power to the health ministerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe national disability insurance scheme’s proposed overhaul will cause “material harm” to Australians with disabilities, undermine its original intentions and hand unprecedented power to the health minister, the federal government’s own reform advisory committee warns. The Australian Human Rights Commission has also urged the government to slam the brakes on the potentially “regressive” changes to the NDIS, saying more consultation time was needed to avoid the “clear risk of adverse and unintended human rights impacts”.The Albanese government is eager to move ahead with changes that are estimated to remove more than 200,000 people from the $50bn-a-year scheme by 2030 in a bid to secure its financial sustainability. Continue reading...

People urged to avoid downtown as man, reportedly with bomb strapped to body, inside bank with number of peopleA man barricaded himself inside a bank in the southern California city of Bakersfield with an unknown number of people, police said on Tuesday.The unidentified man had a bomb strapped to his body, according to Bakersfield Now. Continue reading...