US-Iran peace talks remain precarious as Iran denies an imminent deal despite some progress, while **US strikes in Iran’s Gulf Coast and Israeli plans to intensify attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon escalate tensions, causing oil prices to fluctuate and sparking alarm in Israel** over the proposed deal's implications.

• Iran denies deal with US is imminent despite some progress — The Guardian -
• Iran War Live Updates: As Talks to End War Resume in Qatar, U.S. Conducts Strikes on Iran’s Gulf Coast — New York Times World -
• Here’s the latest. — New York Times World -

• Middle East crisis live: US launches ‘self-defence strikes’ on southern Iran as efforts to reach a peace deal continue — The Guardian -
• Deal with US not imminent, Iran says — BBC World -
• Netanyahu Says Israel Plans to Intensify Attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon — New York Times World -
• Cubans Cook With Charcoal and Wood Fires to Survive During Energy Crisis — New York Times World -
• Netanyahu says Israel will intensify strikes against Hezbollah — BBC World -
• More than 1.5m foreign pilgrims begin Hajj despite Iran war fears — BBC World -
• ‘If Iran gets a bomb it will be Bibi’s’: Trump’s deal outline sparks alarm in Israel — The Guardian -
• Israeli Leader Says He and Trump Agree on Blocking an Iranian Nuclear Weapon — New York Times World -
• What to Know About the Potential U.S.-Iran Peace Deal — New York Times World -
• President Sheinbaum allows Iran team to stay in Mexico during World Cup after US refusal — The Guardian -
• Oil prices fall below $100 a barrel on hopes of Iran peace deal — The Guardian -
• Trump’s Pressure Had Little Effect on Iran’s Terms for a Peace Deal — New York Times World -
• Shock of Iran war unites Middle East rivals in pushing Trump towards peace — The Guardian -
• Trump pressured Iran to change its terms for a deal, but had little success. — New York Times World -
• A deal with the U.S. would be preliminary and focused on ending the war, an Iranian official says. — New York Times World -
• Oil prices slide on hopes of US-Iran peace deal — BBC World -
• U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Nearer, But Could Take Days to Nail Down, U.S. Official Says — New York Times World -
• US and Iran inch closer to peace deal as Trump faces criticism from GOP hawks | First Thing — The Guardian -
• Trump tells US negotiators 'not to rush' into deal with Iran — BBC World -
• Oil prices fall to two-week lows – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Rubio Rebukes Hezbollah Chief Over Call for Lebanese to ‘Take to the Streets’ — New York Times World -

Europe and the UK are experiencing record May heatwaves, with Delhi also facing scorching temperatures, as BHP faces scrutiny for backtracking on climate action, while Texas battles flash floods and California addresses a chemical tank threat, highlighting urgent global environmental challenges and efforts to fight wildfires with innovative methods.

• Explosion threat at southern California chemical tank eliminated, firefighters say — The Guardian -
• Record May highs sweep across France as extreme heat hits western Europe — The Guardian -
• 'Blistering heat' in Delhi as temperatures reach 45C — BBC World -

• UK Heat Wave Could Break May Temperature Record — New York Times World -
• Texas officers rescue infant from car trapped in floodwaters — The Guardian -
• UK records its hottest ever day in May as temperature hits 34.8C — The Guardian -
• How Wine, Truffles and Honey Could Help Europe Fight Wildfires — New York Times World -
• 'Blistering heat': Indians warned to stay indoors as temperatures soar — BBC World -
• 'Blistering heat': Indians warned to stay indoors as temperatures soar — BBC World -
• Hundreds of homes in Kent and Sussex left without water after supply outages — The Guardian -
• Currently no active leak from failing chemical tank, California officials say — BBC World -
• The BHP files: World’s biggest miner BHP backtracks on climate action with key projects put on ice, leaked documents reveal — The Guardian -
• BHP defies its own climate strategy to spend hundreds of millions on polluting diesel trucks in Pilbara — The Guardian -
• BHP quietly scrapped plan to build Pilbara plant that would have drastically cut emissions — The Guardian -
• Parts of England expected to hit 35C in ‘unprecedented’ May heatwave — The Guardian -
• One of Madagascar’s Oldest Sacred Trees Is Slowly Dying — New York Times World -
• Weather tracker: flash floods in New York and a heat dome in Europe — The Guardian -
• Half of UK adults say they spend less than three hours a week outside in nature — The Guardian -
• Can Concrete Molds Revive Coral Reefs Ruined by Bombs and Climate Change? — New York Times World -

Calls for stricter online safety for under-16s dominate UK social policy discussions, alongside concerns about nursery funding gaps and rising shoplifting rates in rural areas, while Labour outlines plans to tackle youth unemployment and Peter Murrell admits embezzling from the SNP, keeping domestic political and social issues at the forefront.

• ‘A tsunami of harm’: views on tackling online safety for under-16s in the UK — The Guardian -
• Nurseries in England charging extra fees to cover funding gap, campaigners say — The Guardian -
• ‘Like tobacco’: Wes Streeting calls for partial social media ban for under-16s — The Guardian -

• Starmer urged to intervene in ‘rigged’ Indian prosecution of British human rights activist — The Guardian -
• Mature cheese-roller beaten by young, YouTubing upstart — The Guardian -
• Rachel Reeves tells ministers to ‘buy British’ in four key industries — The Guardian -
• Three arrested after 30-year-old woman shot dead in Sheffield city centre — The Guardian -
• Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling £400,000 from SNP — The Guardian -
• Nigel Farage’s Russian hack claim ‘without any merit’, former NCSC chief says — The Guardian -
• Elon Musk retweet signals rightwing split that could help Andy Burnham in Makerfield — The Guardian -
• UK’s higher-earning immigrants may be driven out by tougher rules, report suggests — The Guardian -
• Labour needs ‘system reset’ to tackle youth unemployment, report to say — The Guardian -
• Decision not to jail three UK boys for rape is ‘unusual’ and could be reviewed, says ex-attorney general — The Guardian -
• Rise in shoplifting and theft in UK finds nine in 10 retailers in rural areas targeted — The Guardian -
• Reform MP refuses to say whether Farage should produce evidence for Russian hack claim — The Guardian -
• Metro Bank investors urged to reject executive pay report — The Guardian -
• Focus on jobs, not benefits, to cut welfare bill, says thinktank — The Guardian -
• NHS spends record £241m outsourcing scan analysis to private firms — The Guardian -
• Ministers urged to act as households in Great Britain face energy bill ‘anxiety’ — The Guardian -
• The byelection, Wes Streeting and Europe: your questions answered – podcast — The Guardian -

Australian household energy bills are set to fall, as **discussions continue regarding the formation of a ‘teal party’ for independent MPs, while new details emerge from the Bondi beach terror attack royal commission and Paul Brereton resigns as NACC chief, and Stolen Generations survivors push for a national plan and Guzman y Gomez faces a class action lawsuit**.

• Australia news live: Minns says he and Albanese ‘disagree on a fair bit’; household energy bills to fall up to 10% in July — The Guardian -
• The ‘teal party’ was once used to undermine independent MPs. So why would they try to make it a reality? — The Guardian -
• At four, her head was shaved and her clothes burned. Aunty Lorraine doesn’t want her trauma to be forgotten — The Guardian -

• Australian flotilla activists arrive home alleging sexual assault and beatings in Israeli detention — The Guardian -
• Liberal MP is first to be suspended from lower house in five years – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Nacc chief Paul Brereton resigns saying criticism of him ‘drawing attention away’ from agency’s mission — The Guardian -
• Bondi beach gunmen shot 11 people within 30 seconds of opening fire, royal commission hears — The Guardian -
• Guzman y Gomez faces class action from US workers over closed stores — The Guardian -
• Dezi Freeman yelled abuse at dying police officer during shooting, Victorian coroner hears — The Guardian -
• Zali Steggall says donation rules favour teals forming own party but other independents rule out idea — The Guardian -

Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo are outpacing response efforts and sparking conspiracy theories in the US, while concerns rise over perimenopause misinformation on social media, and France faces a child abuse scandal in schools, with Sweden focusing on IVF to address low birth rates and Botswana considering legalizing same-sex marriage.

• Are We Pandemic Ready? — New York Times World -
• In City at Center of Ebola Crisis, ‘the Virus Is Far Ahead of Us’ — New York Times World -
• Spread of Ebola in DRC ‘outpacing’ response efforts, warns WHO — The Guardian -

• Tui faces scrutiny over E coli-linked death of baby after holiday in Egypt — The Guardian -
• Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks prompt raft of conspiracy theories in divided US — The Guardian -
• Misinformation about perimenopause on social media ‘putting women at risk’ — The Guardian -
• ‘Massive’ child abuse scandal in France as school staff investigated for violence and sexual assault — The Guardian -
• Sweden’s PM puts IVF at centre of re-election bid amid record low birthrate — The Guardian -
• ‘She does not back down’: the couple seeking to legalise same-sex marriage in Botswana — The Guardian -

President Trump is scheduled for his annual medical exam, as protesters clash with ICE agents outside a New Jersey detention center, and a gunman near the White House with a history of Secret Service encounters was killed, alongside continued scrutiny over the Trump Organization's international business dealings.

• Trump to undergo annual medical exam ahead of 80th birthday — BBC World -
• Protesters clash with ICE agents outside New Jersey detention center — The Guardian -
• White House gunman had previous run-ins with Secret Service, court documents show — BBC World -

• Suspect killed after opening fire on Secret Service near White House — BBC World -
• Trump Tower in Georgia to be built on land part-owned by son of US sanctions-hit leader — The Guardian -
• Rubio Says U.S.-India Ties Are Strong, Despite Fury Over Trump’s Actions — New York Times World -

Russia has threatened more Kyiv strikes and urged foreign nationals to leave, following large-scale missile attacks that have left the Ukrainian capital's frontline cities in devastation, intensifying the ongoing military conflict.

• Russia threatens more Kyiv strikes and tells foreign nationals to leave — BBC World -
• A City in the Kill Zone — New York Times World -
• Large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine leaves four dead and dozens injured — BBC World -

• Kyiv, Ukraine, Hit in Russian Missile Attack — New York Times World -

Pope Leo XIV has issued a comprehensive encyclical on Artificial Intelligence, warning of its inherent risks and calling for humanity to remain at the heart of technological change, marking a powerful intervention from the Roman Catholic Church into the global AI debate.

• Main Takeaways From Pope Leo’s Encyclical on A.I. — New York Times World -
• Pope Leo Warns of Risks From A.I. in 42,300-Word Encyclical — New York Times World -
• Pope Leo Has Released an Encyclical About A.I. Why Is That Important? — New York Times World -

Cambodia's former opposition leader has received a royal pardon, far-right parties made gains in Cyprus elections, China is facing anger over its deadliest coal mining disaster in years, and Thai rescuers are working to free people trapped in a Laos cave, while Cubans are resorting to charcoal for cooking amidst an energy crisis, and Hong Kong sees its first astronaut launch into space.

• Cubans Cook With Charcoal and Wood Fires to Survive During Energy Crisis — New York Times World -
• ‘A Dangerous Bluff’: Carney Likens Alberta Referendum to Brexit — New York Times World -
• Cambodia’s Leader Pardons Top Opposition Politician Kem Sokha — New York Times World -

• Far-right Elam party inspired by Golden Dawn makes gains in Cyprus election — The Guardian -
• Remains of US soldier killed in WWII returned to Pennsylvania after 80 years — The Guardian -
• Thai rescuers join effort to free seven people trapped in Laos cave — The Guardian -
• Cambodia's former opposition leader receives royal pardon for 27-year sentence — BBC World -
• Three killed in Uganda after crashing into elephant — BBC World -
• Clashes as Venezuelan prisoners protest over alleged mistreatment — BBC World -
• Senegal's leadership row mounts as parliament speaker resigns — BBC World -
• At least 19 people taken to hospital after 'strong smell' reported at Tokyo mall — BBC World -
• At least 19 people taken to hospital after 'strong smell' reported at Tokyo mall — BBC World -
• Moment of gas explosion at China coal mine — BBC World -
• Anger grows after China's deadliest coal mining disaster in years — BBC World -
• Anger grows after China's deadliest coal mining disaster in years — BBC World -
• Opposition divided: battle among Iranian regime’s opponents plays out on London streets — The Guardian -
• ‘A bridge, not an obstacle’: is Armenia a new crossroads between east and west? — The Guardian -
• First Hong Kong astronaut launches into space onboard Chinese mission — BBC World -
• First Hong Kong astronaut launches into space onboard Chinese mission — BBC World -
• Venezuela inmates occupy prison roof and set fire to mattresses to highlight alleged abuse — The Guardian -
• How Saudi Arabia's spending spree reached the end of the line — BBC World -

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" recorded the lowest box office opening for a Star Wars film in the Disney era, while a rare Rubens notebook sheet went on display in Antwerp, Cannes Film Festival continues to influence the Oscars, and actor Grizz Chapman passed away, with an "Enhanced Games" world record remaining unrecognized by official bodies.

• Watch: Only world record broken at Enhanced Games won't be recognised — BBC World -
• Rare Rubens notebook sheet goes on display in artist’s home city of Antwerp — The Guardian -
• The Oscars Start at Cannes — New York Times World -

• The Mandalorian and Grogu has lowest box office opening for a Star Wars film in Disney era — The Guardian -
• Grizz Chapman, actor who played Grizz in 30 Rock, dies aged 52 — The Guardian -