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UN warns El Nino could threaten global agriculture

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The Moscow oil refinery is unlikely to resume operations for at least another six months following Ukrainian drone attacks.

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Vasyl Kryshtop, a 57-year-old trolleybus driver injured in a Russian guided aerial bomb attack on Sumy on 22 June, has died in hospital.

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Russian forces attacked Zaporizhzhia on 24 June. As a result of the strike near a body of water, four people were injured, including three children.

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Russia has attacked petrol stations and production facilities belonging to the Naftogaz Group in Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava oblasts.

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Ukrainian forces have used drones to attack a vehicle that had been used by the Russians to launch Shahed-type drones.

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Ukrainian drones knocked out power in Sevastopol, the biggest city in Russian-held Crimea, on Wednesday and targeted facilities in central and southern Russia, local officials said, underscoring the reach of Kyiv’s attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian oil refineries, depots and supply routes this year, pushing up petrol prices in Russia, where ‌authorities have limited sales in some regions. Fuel shortages have been particularly acute on the Crimean...

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The international nuclear watchdog responsible for verifying Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium dismissed the conflicting signals from Tehran and Washington overnight and said it expects to resume full monitoring at some stage. “There’s a war of words here,” said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, referring to White House statements about monitoring that were disputed by Iran. In Washington on Tuesday, President Donald Trump threatened to halt...

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An elderly man has died in hospital after being found hanging in his Hong Kong flat, where his wife was discovered with her head covered and declared dead shortly afterwards. The couple’s daughter visited their flat in Fung King House at Lai King Estate in Kwai Chung on Friday and found her 70-year-old stepfather hanging by several phone charging cables in the living room. She found her 78-year-old mother on a bed with her head covered. The couple were rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital in...

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JD Vance said 18 hours of talks in Switzerland had "laid a very good foundation" after both sides agreed a mechanism to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and maintain Lebanon's ceasefire, even as Trump threatened to hit Iran "only harder".

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Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that Moscow is not aware of Ukraine's industrial capacity for independent production of nuclear fuel

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The resolution is largely symbolic, but it adds to pressure on the White House to end the conflict once and for all.

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Leah Stewart, 34, had one of her arms amputated after she was bitten while swimming at Coogee Beach.

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Ukraine has stepped up strikes on Russian infrastructure and resources with the aim of choking off its war machine, and as part of that, it's been using a new drone powered by artificial intelligence that seems to be giving it the upper hand over four years into Russia's invasion. FRANCE 24's Luke Shrago reports.

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England coach hopeful winger ‘is good to go’ on Saturday ‘It’s not the moment to shout for individual names’ Thomas Tuchel is hoping Bukayo Saka could start against Panama on Saturday but warned the Arsenal forward cannot solve England’s problems in attack on his own. Saka made his second substitute appearance of the World Cup in the 0-0 draw with Ghana at Boston Stadium and added late impetus to England’s misfiring attack, although he could not find a breakthrough on a frustrating afternoon for Tuchel. The 24-year-old’s return from a nagging achilles injury has been managed carefully by Arsenal and England over recent weeks, with Saka saying last week that he was gambling on his fitness. Continue reading...

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Nuclear access to be discussed only in final deal with US, Iranian official says Iran will address matters related to access to nuclear sites that have been attacked and to Iranian nuclear materials only in the framework of a final agreement with the US and after practical steps are taken to lift US sanctions, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Wednesday. The head of the UN nuclear watchdog director had said earlier on Wednesday that he expects inspections in Iran soon under an interim understanding, although details are yet to be finalised. "Media noise cannot be used to impose facts on the ground," Gharibabadi said in a post on X.

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'Constant targeting': Pro-Israel legal group slammed for reporting Oxford Union president to police Submitted by Imran Mulla on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 11:10 Palestinian Arwa Elrayess accuses UK Lawyers for Israel of an 'attempt to suppress' Palestinian voices Oxford Union President Arwa Elrayess (R) speaks in the union chamber in early June 2026 (Arwa Elrayess) Off Oxford Union President Arwa Elrayess has condemned the controversial group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) for reporting her to the police over remarks she made about Palestinian resistance, which she says were taken out of context. Elrayess, 20, who has Palestinian heritage and lived for part of her childhood in Gaza, has been president of the prestigious student debating society in Oxford over the past two months. UKLFI reported her to the police over comments she made in a private WhatsApp group chat last September, which were leaked and widely reported on earlier this month. Elrayess was accused in the press of making "supportive comments" of Hamas, which is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK. But in fact, in the text messages she said she was not justifying Hamas' actions and that her analysis was not suggesting they were right. .push({}); Elrayess had texted: "Any resistance group will inevitably be deemed a ‘terrorist’ organisation by the West until they achieve their liberation (by which time, they’ll be lauded as heroes, as history has repeatedly proven)." Nelson Mandela's African National Congress used violence in its fight against South African apartheid and Mandela was labelled a terrorist by Britain. But after the end of apartheid he was lauded as a hero. 'I condemn Hamas' targeting of innocent civilians, just as I condemn the targeting of innocent civilians by the IDF or any other actor' - Arwa Elrayess, president of the Oxford Union In response to a group member saying Hamas "actions have been too bad and severe" to be considered a "liberation struggle", Elrayess said: "I think the severity of resistance is often proportional to the severity of oppression." She said that there "were various, more peaceful forms of resistance in the past that ended with nothing but massacres". Elrayess added: "This is not to justify anything but just to point out that it’s quite rich to allow for decades of oppression and massacres, only to be shocked when the resistance movement responds with proportional severity.” Later in the conversation, when challenged on describing the group's actions as "proportional", Elrayess said "some would argue it’s less than proportional. Have you seen what Israel has put Palestinians through for decades?" Crucially she added: "Proportional does not mean right by the way." 'I condemn the targeting of innocent civilians' Inviting support for a proscribed organisation, or glorifying such an organisation, is a crime in Britain. Nothing Elrayess said supported or glorified Hamas. UKLFI claimed her comments could "radicalise" other students and risked "normalising and legitimising a proscribed terrorist organisation". A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: "We can confirm that we are aware of a complaint relating to an allegation of support of a proscribed terror organisation in Oxford. We are continuing to assess this allegation and have been in discussion with Counter Terrorism Policing South East." Earlier this month Elrayess said "I condemn Hamas' targeting of innocent civilians, just as I condemn the targeting of innocent civilians by the IDF or any other actor. I have consistently maintained this position." Inside the Oxford Union debate where Tommy Robinson lost to a Palestinian student from Gaza Read More » The leaked messages were reported in national newspapers this month after Elrayess invited American political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker to address the union. The British government denied them entry, apparently over their criticism of Israel, after which Elrayess allowed them to address the union over livestream, stating a commitment to free speech. She cited that same commitment in debating far-right activist Tomym Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, last week on whether the West should be suspicious of Islam, despite huge protests from left-wing groups. Robinson's side of the debate lost to Elrayess'. "I have yet to be contacted by the police," Elrayess told MEE. "UK Lawyers for Israel and other pro-Israeli voices have repeatedly sought to have friendly media outlets in the UK publish hyped-up stories intended to convey the impression that I am an extremist, a supporter of terrorism, and a facilitator of antisemitism," she said. "These are slurs, directed at a young politically active Palestinian woman who chooses to use her platform to spotlight issues that matter to my family and my community, and that I believe should matter to the public at large. .push({}); "In my opinion, this is nothing more than an attempt to suppress voices like mine and to deny me the right to express my views – a strategy that groups like UK Lawyers for Israel have deployed for some time because they know they cannot successfully challenge the facts of the matter." Since it was founded in 2011, UKLFI has been at the forefront of efforts to discredit and pressure individuals and organisations that criticise Israeli policies or express solidarity with Palestinians. UKLFI appears 128 times in the European Legal Support Centre's Britain Index of Repression database , which documents what it describes as the systematic repression of Palestine solidarity activism across Britain. The centre argued that UKLFI has helped to create of a "chilling environment" in which individuals and organisations withdraw or modify lawful Palestine-related activity due to fears of legal escalation. 'Relentless': How UK Lawyers for Israel targets pro-Palestinian voices Read More » In the centre's analysis, UKLFI appears repeatedly as an "initiating" or "escalating" actor against acts of Palestinian solidarity - often through complaint letters, legal threats or public pressure that prompts schools, universities, employers and public bodies to open disciplinary procedures or cancel events. Elrayess survived a motion of no confidence in her presidency in the Oxford Union earlier this month. Speaking in the debating chamber, she said it was "disappointing that at every stage of my existence as a Palestinian there seems to always be this post-mortem vilification of Palestinians in any way shape or form." She condemned the "constant targeting and attempt to find any singular reason to put down Palestinians because Palestinians when they talk are for some reason a danger. “Our very existence is something that is scary and something that needs to be criticised and something that needs to be vilified. They attribute things to us that are false and defamatory. And it is non-stop, it is never ending and I am sick of it. “I have had to grow up with this idea in the back of my mind that I have to be so careful about every single little thing I say… because God forbid someone takes something out of context and puts it in the Telegraph." MEE has contacted UKLFI for comment. UK Politics News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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Former EU vice president Borrell accuses body of abandoning Kaja Kallas over Israel spat Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 12:40 Israel broke off ties with the EU's foreign policy chief after report that she privately compared country's conduct to apartheid South Africa Former EU Vice President Josep Borrell Fontelles speaks to the press as he arrives for a meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Brussels on 19 November 2024 (Nicolas Tucat/AFP) Off Former EU Vice President Josep Borrell has accused the EU of abandoning his successor Kaja Kallas in favour of Israel . Last week, Kallas provoked fury in Israel after a report suggested she had compared the country's conduct with that of Apartheid South Africa during a meeting with Mexican officials in May. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was suspending contact with Kallas. On Wednesday, Borrell criticised the EU's decision to send the commissioner for the Mediterranean and for demography, Dubravka Suica, on a trip to Tel Aviv. "Israel declares Kaja Kallas persona non grata over alleged antisemitic attitude and the very next day her colleague the commissioner Dubravka Suica shows up in Tel Aviv and exchanges smiles and no reproach whatsoever with the minister Gideon Sa'ar," he wrote on X. .push({}); "What a fine display of 'solidarity and coordination' in the EU." Kallas' private comments on Israel and apartheid mark a stark contrast with her public support for Israel. Euractiv reported that the EU foreign policy chief made the comparison during confidential talks with Mexican officials in Mexico City, where she travelled from 20 to 22 May as part of a senior EU delegation. Officials and diplomats, including people present at the meeting, told Euractiv that Kallas spoke about a visit last year to South Africa and its apartheid museum in Johannesburg. She reportedly linked Israel’s rule over Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to South Africa’s system of racial segregation, which lasted from 1948 until the early 1990s. .push({}); Critics have accused Kallas of applying international law selectively. She has taken a hard line on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and pushed for sweeping sanctions on Moscow. But on Israel, she has repeatedly defended what she calls Israel’s “right to self-defence”, even as Palestinians face bombardment, siege, displacement and apartheid rule. Progressive members of the European Parliament have also attacked the EU’s response to Gaza as weak and hypocritical compared with its response to Russia. They have demanded tougher sanctions, a suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and an end to political cover for Israel. Diplomacy News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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Andy Burnham chooses Labour Friends of Israel ex-chair as chief of staff, report says Submitted by Imran Mulla on Wed, 06/24/2026 - 12:49 James Purnell was a cabinet minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown Britain's then secretary of state for work and pensions, James Purnell, makes a statement to the press in central London, on 24 January 2008 (Shaun Curry/AFP) Off Andy Burnham has reportedly asked former minister James Purnell, who was once chair of the Labour Friends of Israel group and has been the chief executive of a major lobbying firm, to be his chief of staff. Burnham, who is likely to replace Keir Starmer as the British prime minister by 17 July, is preparing his team for government and is working with figures from different sides of the Labour Party. Burnham's current allies include Josh Simons , the former director of the think tank Labour Together, which is widely credited with propelling Starmer to power, but also MP Louise Haigh , reportedly a victim of the Labour Together machine. Chief of staff is a crucial role and would make Purnell Burnham's right-hand man. According to the Guardian , Purnell has indicated he will accept the role. Purnell was a minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in the 2000s. He shared an office with Burnham, a fellow minister, in the Blair years. .push({}); He became the BBC's director of strategy in 2013, and then chief executive of the lobbying firm Flint Global in 2024. He reportedly resigned on Wednesday as a director of Flint Global. In government, Purnell served as culture secretary and at the Department for Work and Pensions. He is said to be on the right of the Labour Party. As an MP, Purnell voted for the invasion of Iraq and served as chair of the parliamentary lobby group Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) for two years. In 2002, as LFI chair, he visited Israel. In an account of the trip, he described visiting a kibbutz: "From their communal dining room, we can see the minaret of the local Arab village. They have a joint kindergarten, a joint football team too. .push({}); "After lunch, our host shows us the spot where one warm evening last month a young Arab, not from the village, entered the kibbutz and shot five people." Purnell met former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on the trip, and witnessed the "American ambassador lecturing the Israelis about settlements - unthinkable 10 years ago, unsurprising today". He said peace could be secured through "goodwill - and only a commitment by the Palestinian Authority to doing everything to deal with terrorism will deliver it". In Jerusalem, however, he noted that "Palestinians live on less than $1,000 a year, and malnutrition is appearing. No one knows how to get that goodwill". What course will Burnham take on foreign policy? Burnham himself was once a member of LFI, as are many Labour MPs today. .push({}); But Burnham is also a longtime supporter of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) and visited the occupied West Bank in 2012 with the group. How Andy Burnham could set Britain on a new course on Israel and Palestine Read More » Burnham has previously shown a serious interest in British foreign policy on the Middle East, and a willingness to take a more critical stance on Israel. As Greater Manchester mayor, he broke ranks with the Labour leadership in October 2023 by calling for a ceasefire in Gaza , in tandem with London mayor Sadiq Khan and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. He has been notably reticent to speak about foreign policy in the past few weeks. He and his team believed doing so would not help him win his by-election in Makerfield, a largely white working-class seat, according to Labour sources. However, Burnham will likely turn seriously to the topic of foreign policy as he prepares for his premiership. Some commentators believe he may seek to adopt a stronger policy on Israel to distinguish himself from his predecessor and try to win back Labour voters who have switched to the Green Party or independents. But he has not yet selected his foreign secretary. The situation is constantly evolving, and more appointments are expected in the coming days. UK Politics News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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If League of Legends and Valorant players have the right hardware and elect to opt into "pre-boot security mechanisms and Windows' own native protection features," then, starting today, they can switch the Vanguard anti-cheat software from always-on to one that's "on demand." With "Vanguard Pre-Check," the kernel-level driver won't launch when your system does, according […]

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was heckled at a World War II memorial event by protesters angry about Tokyo’s further shift away from its decades-long pacifist stance, television footage showed. Close US ally Japan in April loosened rules on lethal arms exports and Takaichi, long seen as a security hawk who last year riled mainland China with comments about Taiwan, has said she wants to revise the constitution. A small but vocal number of demonstrators shouted slogans throughout...

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ASIO’s Mike Burgess says war in Middle East could fuel further violence by Tehran-aligned groups abroad

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According to Pete Hegseth, during the test, "cutting edge directed energy was harnessed and the Dynamic Defense Autonomous Defeat system flawlessly and autonomously cued, targeted, and eliminated a multitude of incoming threats"

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Dmitry Peskov emphasized that at the same time, nuclear deference does not prevent regional conflicts

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Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that access to the attacked facilities would be considered and decided only within the framework of the final agreement

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New non-nuclear weapons that are potentially comparable in destructive capacity to nuclear arms will soon appear in the world, Dmitry Peskov warned

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Senate lawmakers added a provision in the NDAA that would restrict Hegseth's travel expenses until the department releases certain operational information.

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The drones hitting Gulf Arab states daily since the United States and Israel launched large-scale military operations against Iran in February are not merely Iranian. They are originally Iranian, yes. But these designs and production processes were improved and refined by Russia through years of battlefield testing against Ukrainian defenses. So, they were returned to Tehran from Moscow. Confronted with a threat that Ukraine has spent four years learning to counter, the United States found itself in unfamiliar territory. It was one of 11 countries requesting Ukrainian counter-drone assistance to defend against Iran’s attacks, despite the American president’s assertion that The post As Adversaries Integrate, U.S. Partners Bypass Washington appeared first on War on the Rocks .

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Editor’s Note: This article contains frank descriptions of battlefield conditions, including accounts of soldiers dying by suicide following injury. Western battlefield casualty evacuation doctrine is built on assumptions forged during the “Global War on Terror.” Central among these is the belief that the wounded can be rapidly moved from the point of injury to progressively higher levels of medical care within a defined timeframe, commonly referred to as the “golden hour.” The concept itself originated in civilian trauma medicine decades prior, generally attributed to Dr. R. Adams Cowley of Baltimore’s Shock Trauma Institute in 1975. In 2009, Secretary of Defense Robert The post Conflict, CASEVAC, and the Golden Hour in the Age of Persistent Surveillance appeared first on War on the Rocks .

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The United Nations has welcomed reports of a new ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah on Friday while warning that civilians on the ground are still fleeing amid ongoing insecurity.