Middle East crisis live: US attacks Iran missile sites as Tehran negotiators hold talks in Qatar

US Central Command claims targets also included boats trying to lay mines, rattling ceasefire, while Iranians meet with Qatari prime minister in Doha

Welcome to the Guardian’s continuing live coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.

US forces attacked missile sites in southern Iran and boats trying to lay mines on Monday, US Central Command said, as top Iranian negotiators arrived in Doha for talks to end the war.

Trump said the enriched uranium held by Iran could be destroyed inside the country, in a process overseen by an international nuclear agency. Experts said his announcement could amount to a major concession to Tehran.

Trump also said any deal to end the war with Iran should require certain countries in the region – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan – to sign up to the Abraham accords. The agreements aimed at normalising relations with Israel were brokered by the US during Trump’s first term.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “crush” Hezbollah in Lebanon, dealing another blow to hopes for a US-Iran deal. Tehran has demanded that any peace accord apply to the fighting in Lebanon as well.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi praised Hezbollah for the Tehran-backed militant group’s ongoing resistance in Lebanon against Israel.

Continue reading...

UK consumers likely to face higher prices ‘for many months to come’

Data shows even if Iran war ends, shop price inflation on rise, while only 16% of firms left unscathed by conflict

Higher prices could persist over the summer even if ceasefire talks between the US and Iran bear fruit, consumers have been warned, with economic shock waves likely to be felt “for many months to come”.

Disruption to global shipping, coupled with soaring prices for energy and raw materials, have driven up costs for UK companies, with the impact already filtering through to prices paid at the tills, according to fresh inflation figures.

Continue reading...

Trial of Jeffrey Donaldson for alleged sex offences to begin in Newry

Former DUP leader faces charges spanning 21 years in case that triggered political earthquake in Northern Ireland

The trial of former Democratic Unionist party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson for alleged sex offences is set to begin in a case that triggered a political earthquake in Northern Ireland.

Donaldson, 63, is charged with rape, gross indecency and other sexual offences spanning 21 years. His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, 60, is charged with aiding and abetting rape and indecent assault and will be subject to a trial of facts.

Continue reading...

Two men arrested in connection to Dezi Freeman’s movements after Porepunkah shootings

A 48-year-old and 35-year-old will be interviewed by police after their arrests at two separate locations in north-east Victoria

Two men have been arrested in connection to Porepunkah shooter Dezi Freeman’s months on the run after he killed two police officers.

Police on Tuesday said detectives had arrested the men – aged 48 and 35 – at two separate locations in north-east Victoria as part of Operation Summit, the investigation into Freeman’s movements after the shootings at Porepunkah.

Continue reading...

US strikes Iran missile sites and mine laying vessels as Trump’s promised peace deal remains elusive

Negotiators from Iran travelled to Qatar on Monday, with the fate of the country’s nuclear programme and access to frozen assets under discussion

The US has launched strikes on southern Iran in a test of the seven-week long ceasefire, as both sides played down hopes for an imminent peace deal even as negotiators from Tehran began new talks in Qatar.

US forces targeted missile launch sites and boats attempting to lay mines, US central command (Centcom) said on Tuesday, but stressed that the strikes did not indicate the ceasefire with Iran was over.

Continue reading...

Sonny Rollins, colossus of jazz saxophone, dies aged 95

One of the last stars of the bebop generation, Rollins was an genius of melodic invention and improvisation, working with Davis, Monk, Coltrane and others

Sonny Rollins, one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time, has died aged 95.

His death was announced on his website on Monday, “with deep sorrow and profound love”. His publicist Terri Hinte also confirmed the news.

Continue reading...

President Sheinbaum allows Iran team to stay in Mexico during World Cup after US refusal

Fifa approached Mexico after US declined to host Iran squad despite it playing group games in the United States

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Monday her government agreed to allow the Iranian national football team to stay in Mexico during the World Cup, adding that the US did not want to host the team.

The team will still play its group stage matches in the US but its base has been moved to Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego, California, a move that Iran’s football federation announced recently and that was formally confirmed by Fifa, the sport’s governing body, on Monday.

Continue reading...

Israel escalates strikes in Lebanon as Netanyahu vows to ‘crush’ Hezbollah

Hezbollah and Israel launch attacks amid increasingly imperilled ceasefire and stalling talks between US and Iran

The Israeli army has intensified strikes in southern Lebanon, as prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to escalate its offensive in an effort to “crush” Hezbollah in a further erosion of an already fragmented ceasefire.

In turn, Hezbollah said it staged several attacks on Monday on three barracks and a military post in northern Israel “in response to the violation of the ceasefire” by Israel.

Continue reading...

Live Updates: Iran and U.S. agree deal to end war taking shape, but Iran says obstacles remain – CBS News

  1. Live Updates: Iran and U.S. agree deal to end war taking shape, but Iran says obstacles remain  CBS News
  2. What we know and don’t know about the emerging deal to end the Iran war  AP News
  3. What’s in the proposed deal that could end the US-Iran conflict?  CNN
  4. Iran would open Strait of Hormuz 30 days after peace deal, Nikkei reports citing source  Reuters
  5. What to know about the emerging US-Iran deal to end war, reopen Strait of Hormuz  The Hill
Posted in Uncategorized

As new Iran deal faces sharp criticism, Trump seeks to widen Abraham Accords – The Washington Post

  1. As new Iran deal faces sharp criticism, Trump seeks to widen Abraham Accords  The Washington Post
  2. Trump links Abraham Accords to any Iran deal  Reuters
  3. Trump says more countries should normalize ties with Israel in any Iran deal  NPR
  4. Trump asked Muslim leaders to sign peace deal with Israel after Iran war ends  Axios
  5. Trump says it should be ‘mandatory’ for more countries to join the Abraham Accords as part of Iran deal  NBC News
Posted in Uncategorized

Explosion threat at southern California chemical tank eliminated, firefighters say

US officials credit overnight cooling and monitoring for stabilising tank after leak fears triggered mass evacuation

Firefighters contending with an overheating tank of hazardous chemicals in southern California said they had eliminated the threat of the tank exploding in an overnight operation, Orange county fire officials said on Monday.

The damaged chemical tank in southern California had cracked over the weekend, which authorities were hopeful would relieve pressure and reduce the risk of an explosion.

Continue reading...

Daughter of Bondi Hero Faces Torrent of Online Hate – COLlive

  1. Daughter of Bondi Hero Faces Torrent of Online Hate  COLlive
  2. Australian police did no threat assessment before Bondi attack, inquiry hears  Reuters
  3. Australia’s spy chief: Antisemitism was left unchecked after Oct. 7, became normalized  The Times of Israel
  4. Australian spy boss says he shifted resources from counterterrorism before Hanukkah attack  AP News
  5. AFP feared antisemitism would escalate to 'terrorist acts' — as it happened  Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted in Uncategorized

Record May highs sweep across France as extreme heat hits western Europe

Mercury in Spain also climbs to well above normal with weather event set to continue for several more days

More than 350 French towns have recorded their highest-ever temperatures for May as France and the UK set national heat records amid an extreme early-summer heat event that could see the mercury rise to 40C in parts of Spain by the end of the week.

The UK’s Met Office said the country’s all-time record for May was broken when a temperature of 34.8C was recorded at London’s Kew Gardens.

Continue reading...

Nurseries in England charging extra fees to cover funding gap, campaigners say

Head of Early Years Alliance says additional charges paid by parents represent ‘cross-subsidy’

Parents of nursery children in England are being charged extra fees to cover for government underfunding of free childcare hours, with some paying thousands of pounds a year for consumables such as food, wipes and nappies, campaigners have said.

The comments came as the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, asked the competition watchdog to investigate hidden extra charges that parents have encountered when trying to access government-funded childcare.

Continue reading...

Russia threatens more Kyiv strikes and tells foreign nationals to leave – BBC

  1. Russia threatens more Kyiv strikes and tells foreign nationals to leave  BBC
  2. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 24, 2026  Institute for the Study of War
  3. Russia Tells US to Evacuate Its Diplomats and Citizens From Kyiv  Bloomberg.com
  4. Russia warns foreigners to leave Kyiv as it prepares ‘systematic strikes’  Al Jazeera
  5. Russia-Ukraine war: Large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine leaves four dead and dozens injured  BBC
Posted in Uncategorized

Carney says Alberta referendum ‘dangerous bluff’ and likens to Brexit – BBC

  1. Carney says Alberta referendum 'dangerous bluff' and likens to Brexit  BBC
  2. ‘Overwhelming’ majority of Albertans would vote to stay in Canada, new poll finds  CBC
  3. Carney Warns of ‘Dangerous Bluff’ in Alberta Vote, Citing Brexit  Bloomberg.com
  4. Mark Carney warns Alberta separatists of Brexit-style regret  Financial Times
  5. Carney warns Alberta independence vote from Canada could echo Brexit as a ‘dangerous bluff’  Anchorage Daily News
Posted in Uncategorized