Heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz follow Iran's seizure of ships, complicating ceasefire talks and driving significant global economic impacts through surging oil prices and inflation.

• Iran War Live Updates: Reported Seizure of Ships Injects New Uncertainty Over Peace Talks — New York Times World -
• Middle East crisis live: Iran says it has seized two ships in strait of Hormuz after Trump extends ceasefire — The Guardian -
• To Iran, Trump Blinked First by Extending the Cease-Fire — New York Times World -

• Here’s the latest. — New York Times World -
• US Withholding Iraq’s Own Oil Money Over Ties to Iran — New York Times World -
• With peace talks postponed, Pakistanis feel the cost of the war in Iran. — New York Times World -
• Pakistani Officials Remain Hopeful About U.S.-Iran Talks — New York Times World -
• Whether for or Against the War, Iranians Say They’re Feeling Economic Pain — New York Times World -
• ‘Impossible’ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ‘flagrant’ ceasefire breaches, Iran says — The Guardian -
• Hoarding Is Driving Energy Prices Higher Everywhere — New York Times World -
• White House close to deal of up to $500m to rescue ailing Spirit Airlines — The Guardian -
• Strait of Hormuz Dangers Escalate as Iran Says It Seized 2 Cargo Ships — New York Times World -
• US and Iran in blockade standoff as Pakistan pushes for talks — BBC World -
• Whether for or against the war, Iranians say they’re feeling economic pain. — New York Times World -
• Strait of Hormuz is hosting gunboat diplomacy as US and Iran vie for most effective blockade — The Guardian -
• Attacks along the Israel-Lebanon border put a cease-fire under strain. — New York Times World -
• Lufthansa cuts 20,000 summer flights as fuel prices surge — BBC World -
• How Ireland’s war-driven fuel blockades revealed the true cost of Europe’s oil addiction — The Guardian -
• Trump approval slips as polls show warning signs for Republicans ahead of midterms — The Guardian -
• EU plans to cut electricity taxes to shield households from Iran war energy crisis — The Guardian -
• Tui cuts profit forecast as effects of Iran war cost travel group €40m — The Guardian -
• First Thing: Trump announces extension of Iran ceasefire until ‘discussion concluded’ — The Guardian -
• To Iran, Trump Blinked First by Extending the Cease-Fire — New York Times World -
• UK inflation rises to 3.3% amid biggest jump in fuel prices in more than three years — The Guardian -
• Iranian Expats in U.A.E. Caught Between Home and Homeland — New York Times World -
• Iranian Expats in U.A.E. Caught Between Home and Homeland — New York Times World -
• Trump Extends Cease-Fire With Iran — New York Times World -
• Coles adds 20c to the price of milk as war in the Middle East pushes up Australian grocery costs — The Guardian -
• War Shock in Asia — New York Times World -
• Iran’s Nonnuclear Deterrent — New York Times World -
• Strait of Hormuz military talks to be led by UK and France – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Democrats celebrate as Virginia voters approve new congressional maps that could flip House seats in their favor – as it happened — The Guardian -
• What Was the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal? — New York Times World -
• U.S. Military Stops and Boards M/T Tifani, Tanker Carrying Iranian Oil, Pentagon Says — New York Times World -
• Trump buys time for Iran deal after frantic day of diplomacy — BBC World -
• Trump buys time for Iran deal after frantic day of diplomacy — BBC World -

Ongoing political controversies involving the Trump administration dominate headlines, from challenges to election integrity and judicial appointments to contentious debates over book bans and public health policies.

• US saw record high of 5,668 books banned in libraries in 2025, says agency — The Guardian -
• Trump pushes baseless claim that Virginia redistricting vote was ‘rigged’ – live — The Guardian -
• Georgia congressman David Scott dies aged 80 — The Guardian -

• Virginia voters approve new congressional maps in blow to Trump — The Guardian -
• Billionaire backer sues Trump family's crypto firm over alleged extortion — BBC World -
• Virginia’s victory good for Democrats but also shows Trump’s redistricting battle could be all for nothing — The Guardian -
• RFK Jr faces intense questions in US Senate on measles and flu deaths — The Guardian -
• Virginia votes on new congressional map with control of House at stake — The Guardian -
• Trump’s FCC launches inquiry into gender identity in kids’ TV shows — The Guardian -
• US supreme court sides with Michigan in its fight to shut down ageing pipeline — The Guardian -
• Federal judge blocks Trump administration restrictions on wind and solar projects — The Guardian -
• Billionaire sues digital currency venture co-founded by Trump and sons for illegal account freezing — The Guardian -
• Police search for man who allegedly abandoned baby in New York’s Times Square — The Guardian -
• Democrats demand FBI director, Kash Patel, take alcohol abuse test — The Guardian -
• Los Angeles becomes first major US school district to limit classroom screen time — BBC World -
• What is May Day Strong, the ‘no work, no school, no shopping’ protests against Trump? — The Guardian -
• Close call between two planes being investigated at New York’s JFK airport — The Guardian -
• Nearly half of US children are breathing dangerous levels of air pollution, report warns — The Guardian -
• ‘Right place at the right time’: Arizona utility worker saves toddler from rush-hour traffic — The Guardian -
• US charges anti-extremism organisation over payments to informants in hate groups — BBC World -
• Tucker and Trump’s marriage of convenience heads for divorce court — The Guardian -
• Why Trump’s pick for Fed chair will not bring home the bank for the president — The Guardian -
• Virginia approves redistricting measure, boosting Democrats' hopes for midterms — BBC World -
• Southern Poverty Law Center indicted on federal fraud charges — The Guardian -

Keir Starmer's cabinet faces internal divisions amidst political scandals, while the UK grapples with rising inflation and increasing tax burdens on workers exacerbated by global conflicts.

• HRT maker censured by UK regulator for ‘systemic failures’ that put patients at risk — The Guardian -
• Divisions emerge in Keir Starmer’s cabinet over his sacking of Olly Robbins — The Guardian -
• Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, to be questioned by MPs — The Guardian -

• UK politics: Labour MP calls for Starmer’s resignation to end ‘psychodrama’ – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Four people arrested over suspected £44m UK home insulation scam — The Guardian -
• Britain’s military dependence on US ‘no longer tenable’, says former Nato chief — The Guardian -
• How Olly Robbins’ knightly charm glossed over burning questions on Mandelson vetting — The Guardian -
• Inquiry clears Bristol school of antisemitism for postponing Jewish MP’s visit — The Guardian -
• Met police in talks to buy Palantir AI tech for use in criminal investigations — The Guardian -
• Taxes on UK workers have risen at fastest rate in rich world, says OECD — The Guardian -
• Stern warning: one man’s mission to clear the rotting boats poisoning Cornwall’s creeks — The Guardian -
• Fury in Cornwall over herbicide plan to tackle weeds — The Guardian -
• UK firms to face tougher checks on export licences to bolster sanctions on Russia — The Guardian -
• UK could face ‘hacktivist attacks at scale’, says head of security agency — The Guardian -
• Robbins response to ‘cover-up’ question reveals debate over Mandelson vetting file — The Guardian -
• Temporary accommodation linked to deaths of 104 children in England in six years — The Guardian -

Crucial financial support for Ukraine is approved by the EU, while Taiwan faces diplomatic pressures and violence continues in the West Bank, highlighting persistent global geopolitical challenges.

• EU approves €90bn loan for Ukraine as pipeline is turned on ending deadlock — BBC World -
• EU Considers $106 Billion Loan to Ukraine, Delayed for Months by Orban — New York Times World -
• Zelenskyy says EU unblocking of €90bn loan for Ukraine is ‘the right signal’ as Hungary drops opposition – as it happened — The Guardian -

• EU agrees to unblock €90bn loan for Ukraine after Hungary lifts veto — The Guardian -
• Palestinian boy, 14, among two killed in settler attack near West Bank school — The Guardian -
• Gaza’s yellow line creeps forward as Israeli forces expand zone of control — The Guardian -
• Threat of Evictions Darkens Russia’s Rosy Picture of Occupied Ukraine — New York Times World -
• Taiwan president cancels trip after African countries revoke flight permits — BBC World -
• Taiwan president cancels trip after African countries revoke flight permits — BBC World -
• UAE-backed Colombian mercenaries provided support to Sudan paramilitary, report says — BBC World -
• Phone tracking shows how Colombian mercenaries backed Sudan's RSF - report — BBC World -
• Israel’s death penalty law could spell suspension from rights body role, says chief — The Guardian -
• U.S. Sends Plane to Cuba to Get Child in Transgender Custody Case — New York Times World -

Devastating wildfires in the southeastern US and alarming levels of air pollution impacting American children underscore urgent environmental threats, as climate change extends pollen seasons and prompts concerns over drug manufacturing safety.

• Wildfires burning across Georgia and Florida destroy homes and force evacuations — The Guardian -
• Governments failed to deliver $160m of river improvements including for now-parched NSW wetlands, report finds — The Guardian -
• Mouse plague hits WA grain farmers as numbers surge in SA: ‘You literally can’t get away from them’ — The Guardian -

• Channel Seven’s Spotlight digging for dirt on clean energy ignores fundamental facts and basic journalistic standards | Temperature Check — The Guardian -
• Heatwaves, floods and wildfires pose rising threat to democracy, report finds — The Guardian -
• Pollen season in UK and mainland Europe extended by climate breakdown — The Guardian -

Breakthroughs in AI models trigger global alarms and reshape industries, while debates intensify over screen time limits for students and ethical concerns regarding child influencers and data privacy on digital platforms.

• Aging in Place: How Technology Might Help You Grow Old at Home — New York Times World -
• Anthropic’s New Mythos A.I. Model Sets Off Global Alarms — New York Times World -
• ‘In two years, nobody will care’ if actors are AI or not, predicts La Haine director — The Guardian -

• ‘An element of exploitation’: the world of TikTok child skincare influencers — The Guardian -
• Rental platform unnecessarily collected the data of millions of Australians, privacy commissioner finds — The Guardian -
• SpaceX secures option to buy AI startup Cursor for $60bn or partner for $10bn — The Guardian -

Major legal challenges ranging from mass gang trials in El Salvador and fraud charges against a US anti-extremism organization to concerns over child welfare in foster care and Abramovich's human rights claims highlight ongoing struggles for justice and accountability.

• Roman Abramovich takes Jersey to European human rights court over criminal investigation — The Guardian -
• Palestine Action activist who hit officer with sledgehammer ‘panicked’, court told — The Guardian -
• Podcast interviews of NSW couple jailed for abusing their daughter in the spotlight — The Guardian -

• El Salvador holds mass trial for 486 alleged members of notorious MS-13 gang — The Guardian -
• Millions in India stripped of vote before critical state election, as government seeks to ‘purify’ electoral roll — The Guardian -
• ‘Significant failures’ led two NSW foster children to be placed with serial killer, review finds — The Guardian -
• Domestic workers legally recognised in Indonesia after '22-year struggle' — BBC World -
• Domestic workers legally recognised in Indonesia after '22-year struggle' — BBC World -

**A shooting at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids and South Korean fighter jet collisions due to pilot negligence join stories of sportsmanship at the Boston Marathon and the death of Traffic co-founder Dave Mason**, reflecting a diverse array of global events.

• Pope Leo Is Skipping Some of Africa’s Biggest Catholic Nations — New York Times World -
• Tourist charged with damaging historic Florentine fountain in pre-wedding prank — The Guardian -
• Pope Leo criticises Equatorial Guinea prisons as he winds up Africa tour — BBC World -

• British woman died in Ghana trying to recoup money from scammers, inquest told — The Guardian -
• ‘Two are stronger than one’: Boston Marathon duo praised for helping struggling runner cross finish line — The Guardian -
• Pilot Was Taking Pictures Before South Korean Fighter Jets Collided — New York Times World -
• Canadian Tourist Is Killed in Shooting at Mexico’s Pyramids — New York Times World -
• No cartels involved - but Mexico's pyramid attack prompts new concerns — BBC World -
• No cartels involved - but Mexico's pyramid attack prompts new concerns — BBC World -
• Ryanair to close check-in 20 minutes earlier amid concern over Europe border queues — The Guardian -
• Dave Mason, co-founder of Traffic who had a star-studded solo career, dies aged 79 — The Guardian -
• Japan Is Used to Earthquakes, but What About a Big One? — New York Times World -
• Gibraltar’s monkeys eat mud ‘to avoid upset stomachs from tourist junk food’ — The Guardian -
• South Korean fighter jets collided due to pilots taking pictures, report finds — BBC World -
• South Korean fighter jets collided due to pilots taking pictures, report finds — BBC World -
• Thirteen killed in second India fireworks blast in three days — BBC World -
• Thirteen killed in second India fireworks blast in three days — BBC World -
• The Deb actor in feud with Rebel Wilson signed $150,000 record deal, court told — The Guardian -
• A Year After Terrorist Attack, a Kashmir Town Longs for Tourists — New York Times World -
• Mexico officials say Teotihuacán gunman carried material related to US mass shooting — BBC World -
• US singer D4vd pleads not guilty to murder in death of missing teen girl — BBC World -
• Takeaway coffee sales plunge as fuel and living costs dent Australian spending. Is the economy next? — The Guardian -