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• A cargo vessel was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, creating immediate tension in one of the world's most critical maritime corridors. • The attack occurs during a fragile ceasefire and ongoing peace talks between the United States and Iran, threatening to derail diplomatic progress. • This incident highlights the persistent volatility of regional security and the risk of escalation despite current efforts to maintain stability.

Thermometer shows 23.5C overnight in Welsh capital as climate crisis makes such extreme temperatures more severe and more likelyEurope live – latest updatesA sweltering night in Cardiff has broken another new UK heat record as brutally hot conditions continue across England and Wales. Temperatures only fell to 23.5C overnight in the Welsh capital, the Met Office said, making it the highest minimum temperature ever recorded in June.The UK’s high temperature record for June is also likely to be broken on Thursday, just a day after the previous record. The heatwave, supercharged by the climate crisis, drove the temperature to 36.1C at Gosport in Hampshire on Wednesday, beating the previous record of 35.6C set in Southampton in 1976. Continue reading...

Palestinian children ‘deliberately targeted and killed,’ report’s chair says. Plus, Mamdani-backed candidates sweep NYC Democratic primariesGood morning.Israel continues to commit genocide by deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, an ⁠independent UN inquiry has found.What does the report say? That Palestinian children were deliberately targeted and killed during the ‌war, including after a ceasefire came into effect ‌in October 2025. “The evidence shows that Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces,” Srinivasan Muralidhar, the commission’s chair, said in a statement accompanying the report.How has Israel’s government reacted? The Israeli mission in Geneva said Israel rejected the commission’s “libellous sham”. The country has fought hard against allegations of genocide, while receiving critical diplomatic support from its allies including the US and the UK.What about legal and rights experts? A significant body of research has concluded that Israel is intent on destroying Palestinians, including analyses by UN investigators, rights bodies such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and genocide scholars worldwide.Which Mamdani allies won their primaries? Brad Lander, a former New York City comptroller, defeated the Democratic representative Dan Goldman; Claire Valdez, a state lawmaker and former union organizer, defeated Antonio Reynoso, the preferred successor of Nydia Velázquez, who is retiring; and Darializa Avila Chevalier, a public defense investigator, toppled Adriano Espaillat, the powerful five-term incumbent who chairs the congressional Hispanic caucus. Continue reading...

Herbicide manufacturer Sygenta had reservations dating back to 1970s but regulator says tighter controls, including phasing out backpack sprayers, can protect workersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe herbicide paraquat, banned in over 70 countries, will remain legal in Australia despite Parkinson’s groups, scientists and neurologists arguing there is a strong correlation between direct exposure and the incidence of the disease.The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) announced its final decision on Tuesday following a decades-long review of the highly toxic paraquat and a related chemical, diquat. Both are widely used in Australian agriculture. Continue reading...

• Global entertainment and media (E&M) revenues are projected to reach US$4.2 trillion by 2030, with advertising specifically hitting US$1.4 trillion. • According to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026-30, this growth is driven by a 3.4% CAGR, fueled by AI-powered advertising and a resurgence in live, in-person experiences. • Regional growth varies, with Asia-Pacific leading the trend as revenues are expected to rise from $13.8 billion in 2025 to approximately $17 billion by 2030.

Negotiations due to continue for rest of week in Switzerland after tense start as Iranians protest against threat from Donald TrumpIran hails ‘progress’ as first day of talks with US conclude after shaky startThe first round of face-to-face talks between the US and Iran ended in Switzerland on Monday, mediators said, after a tense opening marked by Tehran saying it had again closed the strait of Hormuz and Donald Trump repeating his threats to resume attacks on Iran.Mediators Qatar and Pakistan said Washington and Tehran agreed to a roadmap towards ⁠a final deal within 60 days and that technical talks ​would continue for the rest of the week in the Swiss mountain resort of Buergenstock.The talks had a tense start, with Iranian negotiators walking out in protest against Trump’s threats. Iranian state media said the talks had entered a “difficult phase” and recessed after the “publication of an insulting message by the US president”. But high-level negotiations continued before concluding in the early hours of Monday, with Pakistan and Qatar saying technical talks between the two sides would continue for the rest of the week.After Trump’s threats became public, the Iranian delegation refused to return to the room where talks were held, though messages were still being traded via Pakistani and Qatari mediators, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media his country had secured waivers for oil and petrochemical ⁠exports, the release of some frozen assets and the launch of a reconstruction and development plan for Iran. The US did not immediately comment on the claims.Iran said at the weekend that it had again stopped maritime traffic through the ​Hormuz strait, in response to continuing fighting in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, and that Sunday’s talks would not cover substantive issues such as Iran’s nuclear program.In Switzerland, US vice-president JD Vance played down the impact of the violence in Lebanon, saying progress had been made towards ending hostilities there. “These things are always a little bit messy,” said Vance, leading the American delegation.In the US, Trump threatened to resume attacks on Iran if it did not rein in its allies. “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump said on social media, apparently referring to Hezbollah. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”Despite Trump’s threats, Vance told reporters the US president had “asked us to turn over a new ⁠leaf to transform our relationship with the people of Iran”.Five vessels passed the strait on Sunday, ​a sharp drop from the 26 ships spotted a day ​earlier, data from analytics firm Kpler showed. The data may exclude vessels that switch off their transponders while travelling in the Gulf.Sunday appeared to be the quietest day in Lebanon for some time, with no reports of major violence by nightfall, after two days of heavy Israeli strikes, which killed many people including civilians, and fire from Hezbollah fighters on Israeli positions. Reuters journalists in southern Lebanon on Sunday saw some of the heaviest traffic since the memorandum of understanding was signed, with residents returning to their homes, some waving Hezbollah flags.With news agencies Continue reading...

Engineers need to create access for cranes to lift carriages from site before track can be assessed and repairedMajor disruption on the rail line between Bedford and Luton will continue for at least a week after the collision of two trains which killed a train driver and injured 100 people.In a statement setting out the effects on some services until 28 June, Network Rail said the disaster had been a “tragic, isolated incident”. Continue reading...

• Financial strategists maintain a bullish outlook on Asian stock markets, specifically focusing on South Korea and Taiwan as primary growth drivers. • Goldman Sachs Asia-Pacific strategist Timothy Moe has set a target of 12,000 for the KOSPI Composite index, projecting a potential 32% gain from Thursday's close. • This optimistic forecast is driven by the expectation that corporate earnings in the region will continue to rise significantly.

• U.S. stocks rebounded in early trading on Thursday, recovering losses from a previous Federal Reserve-driven sell-off and positioning major indexes for a winning week. • Accenture reported fiscal third-quarter earnings of $3.80 per diluted share, a 9% year-over-year increase that beat Wall Street forecasts. • Despite the earnings beat, Accenture missed revenue estimates with $18.7 billion in sales and lowered its full-year revenue growth forecast to a range of 3% to 4%.

• The local action-horror film 'Colony' maintained its top position at the South Korean box office during the weekend of June 12–14. • The film earned $2 million over the three-day period and officially surpassed the 5 million admissions milestone. • This continued dominance highlights the film's strong commercial appeal and popularity among domestic audiences.

Amid rhetoric, market uncertainty and tit-for-tit exchanges, the two sides are still trying to find a way out of the impasseGreat news! Donald Trump has said the US and Iran are on the verge of a peace agreement. Oil prices are down, and the stock market is up. This comes only hours after Trump warned Iran was about to be struck “VERY HARD”, a threat which had sent oil prices up and stocks down.It has been another ride on the Trump rollercoaster, keeping traders on edge, most of the world poorer, and people of the Middle East constantly whiplashing between fear and hope. But whether the ride veers up or down, the management always makes money. Continue reading...

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that India remains on a steady growth trajectory despite prevailing global economic uncertainty. • The PM highlighted youth empowerment and women-led development as the primary cornerstones for achieving the vision of "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India). • This focus on inclusive growth is intended to ensure a prosperous future by leveraging the potential of India's diverse demographic.

Recent exchange of missiles between Iran and Israel highlights diverging views between US president and Israeli PM The latest eruption of hostilities between Iran and Israel appears to have been contained for now after Donald Trump insisted he called “all the shots” in the Middle East, but in a dangerously fragile region Benjamin Netanyahu has again shown he is ready to take shots of his own.The exchange of missiles on Sunday and Monday was ample demonstration of the inherent instability of the current limbo between war and peace, but it also shone a bright light on the complex and conflicted relationship between the US president and the Israeli prime minister, frenemies who could determine the fate of the current ceasefire. Continue reading...

Progressive and former reality TV star have been battling for the number two spot to face off against Karen BassNithya Raman, the progressive Los Angeles city councillor, appeared to be edging out Spencer Pratt in the LA mayoral race challenging Karen Bass as Donald Trump continues to repeat falsehoods that California elections are “rigged”.The pair have been battling for the number two spot to face off against the incumbent, who already secured enough votes to advance to a runoff in November. Pratt, a former reality TV star, held a lead over Raman for days, but as ballot processing from last week’s election continued, the city councillor has pulled ahead. Continue reading...

• Cybersecurity firms continued a trend throughout May 2026 of prioritizing the acquisition of AI-driven tools to integrate advanced capabilities in-house. • The M&A activity reflects a broader strategic shift in the industry to consolidate artificial intelligence assets to enhance threat detection and response. • These acquisitions matter as vendors race to automate security operations and maintain a competitive edge in an AI-dominated threat landscape.

Search enters third day after 12 people wounded in shooting near festival on Saturday and no arrests have been madeA search for suspects who wounded 12 people in a shooting in Toledo entered a third day on Monday as authorities in the Ohio city continued to piece together a timeline – and a prosecutor promised “justice will be swift and strong”.All of the victims of Saturday’s attack at a downtown cultural festival, ranging in ages from 14 to 61, were in a stable condition late on Sunday, the Toledo police department said. Continue reading...

Chokehold on shipping route draws Houthis in Yemen back into conflict as commenters see ‘no turning back’Middle East crisis – live updatesIran’s reversion to large-scale military exchanges with Israel broadened the conflict that began in February not only by making the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah a direct casus belli for Iran for the first time, but also by drawing the Houthis in Yemen back into the conflict with as yet incalculable consequences.Some in Tehran, buoyed up by past perceived military success and emboldened by the chokehold of the strait of Hormuz, would like to turn this moment into the point of no return in the conflagration with Israel. A minority would welcome the abandonment of ceasefire talks with the US, an outcome for which they have been agitating for weeks. Continue reading...

Search enters second day after Saturday shooting that wounded 12, two reported in critical condition, police sayOrganizers of a festival in the historic center of Toledo, Ohio, have cancelled planned events on Sunday as police continue the search for at least two shooters who wounded 12 people a day earlier.The Toledo police deputy chief, Joseph Heffernan, said the shooters were “probably shooting at each other” when gunfire erupted just after 5.30pm near the Old West End festival, an annual gathering of live music and architectural home tours. Continue reading...

• PV Sindhu suffered another defeat against An Se-young in the second round of the Indonesia Open 2026, marking consecutive losses to the player following their match at the Singapore Open. • An Se-young continues her dominant form in 2026, having lost only one of the 36 matches she has played so far this year. • India's men's singles campaign ended as Ayush Shetty was defeated by Hong Kong China’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in the round of 16 with a score of 16-21, 21-13, 21-14.

• India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reaffirmed on June 5 that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable solutions to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. • The statement comes as a response to an open letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposing direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. • This position underscores India's strategic commitment to a peaceful resolution and its role as a neutral mediator between the two warring nations.

Experts warn primary vote-counting could go on for days in governor’s race, LA mayoral race and congressional racesThree days after Californians headed to the polls, key races in the primary election remained too close to call and experts warned the counting could continue for days.In the governor’s race, the British-born conservative pundit Steve Hilton was narrowly leading with an estimated 60% of ballots counted by Friday morning. Xavier Becerra, a former US health and human services secretary under Joe Biden, followed closely behind, and billionaire Tom Steyer trailed behind the pair. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November. Continue reading...

• Researchers, including Dr. Paul Bollyky of Stanford Medical Center, are struggling to secure funding and infrastructure to develop vaccines and treatments for the hantavirus. • The lack of medical countermeasures was highlighted during a recent hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, where no preventative tools were available. • Development is hindered by the virus's sporadic nature and the rarity of infections, which makes conducting large-scale clinical trials significantly more difficult than for common germs like the flu.

State election officials continue to work through the uncounted primary ballots, a process that could take days or weeksHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The race to become California’s next governor in the Senate remains up in the air, with voters potentially waiting weeks until the results are known.A leftwing US political commentator has described the UK government’s decision to ban him from entering the country as “haunting and hilarious” and “Kafkaesque”. Cenk Uygur, the founder and a host on Young Turks, a well-established progressive media outlet, was banned earlier this week from entering the UK to attend a speaking engagement alongside Hasan Piker, a Twitch streamer who has become a popular figure on the US political left.The US House of Representatives delivered a stunning rebuke to Donald Trump over his war on Iran on Wednesday, as representatives backed a move to force him to seek approval from Congress or withdraw US forces.Before signing an executive order related to customs in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump took seven minutes to reassure an anxious public, beset by worries about a protracted war with Iran, surging gasoline prices and rising inflation, that progress has been made on at least one front: the resurfacing of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is nearly complete.The president also took time to once again attack the CNN host Kaitlan Collins for not smiling in his presence and blamed her network for the suicides of four January 6 defendants.The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, refused to say whether Trump, his family and his businesses would still get immunity from IRS audits after the administration yesterday abandoned plans for a $1.8bn fund that would have benefited the president’s allies.Bessent did confirm that he threatened to beat up a fellow administration member, Bill Pulte, last summer. Continue reading...

State election officials continue to sift through uncounted primary ballots, which could take days or even weeksThe California governor’s race remained unsettled Thursday, as state election officials continued to sift through uncounted primary ballots – a process that could take days or even weeks as voters eagerly await the results.Polls indicated that British-born conservative pundit Steve Hilton was narrowly leading the race, followed by former US human services and health secretary Xavier Becerra. Billionaire Tom Steyer trailed behind the pair. Under California’s primary system, the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election. Continue reading...

The country’s defence minister said the IDF will not withdraw from southern Lebanon and will not allow the ‘return of the population’Israel and Lebanon agree to renew ceasefire as Trump seeks to overcome barriers to Iran dealIsrael Katz said the US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon was a “great achievement in Lebanon, on the ground and also on the diplomatic level”.“We promised security to the residents of the north and we delivered,” the Israeli defence minister said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel. Continue reading...

OECD forecast sets out economic risks from conflict, pointing to potential shortfalls to key energy productsOECD predicts spate of recessions globally if Iran conflict drags into 2027Rural areas in the UK would be particularly at risk of diesel shortages if the conflict in Iran continues to squeeze supplies, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned.The OECD predicted economic growth of 0.9% in the UK this year – a modest upgrade from the 0.7% it feared in March when it last updated its forecasts. It said government spending will help to support the economy in the short term. Continue reading...

• BP is exploring the sale of a portion of its UK North Sea assets as part of a broader strategic portfolio restructuring. • The company aims to accelerate this process to reduce its overall debt and sharpen its focus on core oil and gas activities. • This move signals a shift in BP's operational priorities as it balances traditional energy production with financial stability.

Israeli military says it intercepted missiles from Lebanon this morning while Netanyahu says his forces will continue operating in the south of the countryTrump says Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to ‘stop all shooting’Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.Donald Trump has hailed an agreement to de-escalate the fighting in Lebanon, which has killed thousands of people and inflamed tensions in the broader US-Israeli war with Iran.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) threatened to open “new fronts” and keep the strait of Hormuz closed over Israel’s offensive in Lebanon, state media reported. “Iran considers crossing the red lines in Lebanon and Gaza to mean direct war,” state TV quoted the IRGC’ intelligence organisation as saying.The ceasefire already in place between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon, Iran’s top diplomat said yesterday after Netanyahu ordered attacks on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut. “Violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation,” foreign minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X.US secretary of state Marco Rubio will face questions at Congress today for the first time since the Iran war began. He will testify before House and Senate committees on the state department’s 2027 budget request, where he is expected to face questions about Trump’s war efforts and shifting diplomatic goals.Oil prices jumped and equities slid as Middle East peace talks stumbled and tensions mounted between Iran and the US. Crude futures shot more than 5% higher yesterday as an Iranian news agency announced Tehran had suspended the negotiations with the US via mediators, AFP reported.US forces intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces based in Kuwait late on Sunday, the US military said yesterday. No American personnel were harmed, it added. Continue reading...