Iran says Strait of Hormuz cannot be opened due to ceasefire breaches
Iran's chief negotiator says "violations" by the US and Israel make it impossible to open the strait.

US and Iran in blockade standoff as Pakistan pushes for talks
The mood in the Strait of Hormuz remains combustible despite Trump's ceasefire extension.

China weathered Trump's tariffs - but the Iran war is taking a toll
The Middle East conflict is putting pressure on factory orders, costs and jobs in China's export-driven economy.

UK and France strike new £662m small boats deal
The three-year agreement will see at least 50 riot-trained police officers drafted in to tackle violence and "hostile crowds".

PM's ex-chief of staff to give evidence on Mandelson vetting
The prime minister's former chief of staff will face questions about his role in the appointment of Lord Mandelson.

Analysis: Unhappy Labour MPs aren't ready to oust Starmer yet
Labour MPs say that while the prime minister is unpopular, a contest is unlikely as there isn't a candidate ready to replace him.

British woman died in Ghana trying to recoup money from scammers, inquest told
Janet Fordham died in crash after travelling to see man who claimed he would help to recover money from earlier scamsA British woman who was scammed out of up to £1m in a string of so-called romance frauds died in a road crash after travelling to west Africa to try to recoup some of her lost fortune, an inquest in Devon has heard.Janet Fordham was cheated of her life savings and her home over a period of five years by fraudsters apparently based in the UK, Germany, the US and Ghana, the inquest in Exeter was told. Continue reading...

Heatwaves, floods and wildfires pose rising threat to democracy, report finds
Research shows natural hazards linked to climate crisis disrupted 23 elections in 18 countries in 2024Democracy is under mounting threat from the climate crisis, with new analysis documenting how elections are increasingly shaped not only by political forces but also by floods, wildfires and extreme weather.At least 94 elections and referendums across 52 countries have been disrupted by climate-related impacts over the last two decades, researchers found. Continue reading...

Trump officials consider sending 1,100 Afghans who aided US forces to Congo
Discussions reportedly come after Trump's decision to stop initiative that allowed group to apply to resettle in the USThe Trump administration is in discussions to potentially send up to 1,100 Afghans who helped US forces during the war in Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a non-profit confirmed on Tuesday.The resettlement talks, first reported by the New York Times, come after Donald Trump's decision to stop an initiative that allowed Afghans who assisted US war efforts to apply to resettle in the US. Continue reading...

Taiwan president blames China for forced cancellation of Eswatini trip
Lai Ching-te abandons visit after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoke overflight permission Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, has cancelled his trip to Eswatini, the democratic island's only diplomatic ally in Africa, after his government said several countries had revoked overflight permits because of "intense pressure" from China.Lai was to leave on Wednesday for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's accession. Continue reading...

Charlize Theron joins chorus of disapproval over Timothée Chalamet's ballet comments
The former ballet dancer said Chalamet's comments were 'reckless' in an interview with the New York Times in which she also discussed her violent childhoodActor and former ballet dancer Charlize Theron has joined the chorus of disapproval aimed at Timothée Chalamet over his remarks that appeared to disrespect performers of ballet and opera.In an interview with the New York Times, Theron said: "Oh, boy, I hope I run into him one day," adding: "That was a very reckless comment on two art forms that we need to lift up constantly because, yes, they do have a hard time. But in 10 years, AI is going to be able to do Timothée's job, but it will not be able to replace a person on a stage dancing live." Continue reading...

El Salvador holds mass trial for 486 alleged members of notorious MS-13 gang
Human rights groups have warned that the collective prosecutions violate due process and block defendants from accessing legal counselA Salvadoran court on Tuesday began a collective trial of 486 alleged gang members, in one of the biggest mass trials under president Nayib Bukele's crackdown on gang violence through controversial emergency powers.Prosecutors say the charges against alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, or MS-13, span more than 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including a weekend that was El Salvador's bloodiest since its civil war. Continue reading...

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Here are the 20 specific Fox broadcasts and tweets Dominion says were defamatory
• Fox-Dominion trial delay 'is not unusual,' judge says• Fox News' defamation battle isn't stopping Trump's election lies

Judge in Fox News-Dominion defamation trial: 'The parties have resolved their case'
The judge just announced in court that a settlement has been reached in the historic defamation case between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems.

'Difficult to say with a straight face': Tapper reacts to Fox News' statement on settlement
A settlement has been reached in Dominion Voting Systems' defamation case against Fox News, the judge for the case announced. The network will pay more than $787 million to Dominion, a lawyer for the company said.

Millions in the US could face massive consequences unless McCarthy can navigate out of a debt trap he set for Biden
• DeSantis goes to Washington, a place he once despised, looking for support to take on Trump• Opinion: For the GOP to win, it must ditch Trump• Chris Christie mulling 2024 White House bid• Analysis: The fire next time has begun burning in Tennessee