The Guardian

Hot Mess and Acid’s Reign: the romcom and queer cabaret spotlighting climate crisis

A blooming new wave of musical theatre is exploring the plight of the planet with a playful and hopeful approachEarth is a single woman with a lot to give; Humanity is a charismatic bad boy who turns out to be an inveterate taker. Their toxic relationship is told in Hot Mess, a musical created by Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote, which works both as an eccentric romcom with broad commercial appeal and a serious analogy for our abuse of the once fecund, now depleted planet. A hot ticket at the Edinbu

general  Jun 25, 2026

NY Times World

North Korea Deploys Its First Destroyer, Vowing to Project Nuclear Power by Sea

The 5,000-ton Choe Hyon is the largest warship North Korea has ever built and is said to be armed with nuclear-capable missiles.

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

Europe braced for another day of extreme heat as warnings issued across UK, France and Italy – live

UK June heat record could be broken for the second consecutive dayParis mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said there had been an “increase in mortality” in the capital owing to the heatwave, without giving any figures, AFP reported.He said “pretty much all our indicators are in a critical state”, including calls to emergency medical services, calls to the fire brigade, ER admissions, and deaths, he told local TV. Continue reading...

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

‘More relevant than making fires’: Explorer Scouts launch badges for AI and digital age

Content creation and online safety among new topics for 14- to 18-year-olds – but tweaks may be needed when social media ban comes inScouts are introducing badges in content creation, digital communication and online safety after consulting nearly 3,000 teenagers who said they wanted skills to help them navigate a world increasingly shaped by AI, social media and digital technology.The new Explorer Scout badges, part of the Scout movement’s first major overhaul in almost 25 years, will require 1

general  Jun 25, 2026

WSJ World News

ECB Will Need to Raise Interest Rates Again, Schnabel Says

“We will need to raise interest rates further in order to bring inflation back to our two percent target over the medium term,” the ECB executive board member said.

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

Oil price falls to pre-Iran war levels as more tankers exit strait of Hormuz

Fears of long-lasting energy crunch ‘slinking away’ as vessel traffic doubled in 24 hours to highest level since late FebruaryBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices have fallen below levels seen before the Iran war started in late February as more oil tankers exited the strait of Hormuz.Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell to a low of $72.24 a barrel on Thursday, slightly lower than the day before the US and Israel launched missile attacks on Tehran on 28 February. Prices have fallen more t

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

Sydney shark attack survivor awake and alert and ‘remembers the whole event in detail’, brother says

Australian woman Leah Stewart no longer in critical condition but doesn’t yet have use of her handA woman who was attacked by a shark at Sydney’s Coogee’s beach is no longer in a critical condition and “remembers the whole event in detail”, her brother has said.Leah Stewart’s brother, Joshua, provided the update on a fundraising site on Thursday, writing that it was “amazing to hear from her so much sooner than anyone expected” and she had been “overjoyed” to see her daughter for the first time

general  Jun 25, 2026

BBC World

Oil price falls to levels not seen since before Iran war

Energy prices have been on a wild ride since Iran responded to US and Israeli attacks by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.

general  Jun 25, 2026

NY Times World

Venezuela’s Neighbors Offer Aid in Earthquake Response

Officials from the United States, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic said they would send rescue teams and humanitarian assistance to Caracas.

general  Jun 25, 2026

NY Times World

Venezuela’s Neighbors Offer Aid in Earthquake Response

Officials from the United States, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic said they would send rescue teams and humanitarian assistance to Caracas.

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

‘I was miserable at my old school’: UK social media ban puts spotlight on hybrid learning

Pupils say LPS Hybrid’s combination of remote and in-person classes has transformed their school experienceTwo years ago, Ellie Ball could barely bring herself to attend school. Today, the 16-year-old is planning to take four A-levels and hopes to study astrolaw – “It’s basically space law,” she explains – at university.The transformation happened largely through a screen. Continue reading...

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

Thursday briefing: Why EU​-Taliban talks have sparked outrage among Afghan women ​

In today’s newsletter: Amid rising anti‑immigration rhetoric across Europe, the decision to engage with the Taliban signals a profound shift in how the EU balances security and human rightsGood morning. It’s a slap in the face. That’s the phrase I kept hearing – in furious overnight messages, in blazing opinion columns – as Afghan women responded to the meeting between EU officials and the Taliban that took place in Brussels on Tuesday.The talks, to discuss how to scale up the deportation of Afg

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

‘I hear he’s extremely liberal’: Trump offers first comments on Andy Burnham

The US president told reporters the former Manchester mayor ‘probably won’t open up the North Sea’ for oil explorationDonald Trump has labelled Andy Burnham “extremely liberal”, in his first public comments about the former Greater Manchester mayor since he emerged as the frontrunner to replace Keir Starmer.The US president told reporters Burnham “probably won’t open up the North Sea” for oil exploration, and that “the UK is dying”, signalling that the newly elected Labour MP could face a rocky

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

Fortescue class action: female workers claim sexual harassment at remote mine sites

One woman says she found man in her room at WA fly-in, fly-out accommodation while another states she was ‘howled’ at, federal court toldFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAndrew Forrest’s Fortescue is facing a class action lawsuit from female workers over allegations of systemic sexual harassment, violence and retaliation at the iron ore miner’s remote work sites.The lawsuit, filed in the federal court in Victoria on

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

How the US bypasses British courts to try its military over crimes in the UK

Even sexual assault or paedophilia cases are heard by US courts martial, using an obscure 1951 agreementA little-known system in which US military personnel are tried through a court martial for alleged crimes committed in the UK is under growing scrutiny.There are more than 12,000 US personnel stationed on at least 15 US military bases and facilities in the UK. With the exception of Lossiemouth in Scotland, all the bases are in England. Continue reading...

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

‘It’s like a furnace’: French struggle with heat-trap homes as climate inequality grows

Many of France’s buildings are not designed for hot weather – and low-income housing estates are suffering the worstLiving in a sweltering, seventh-floor flat on a concrete housing estate south of Paris, Samira said she was feeling desperate as France experienced its highest temperatures on record this week. “Yesterday I sat down and cried, I thought I’m going to die,” said the 35-year-old single parent and former building caretaker.Her flat in Ris-Orangis in Essonne is, like millions of apartme

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

Karl Stefanovic won’t appear on Friday radio show with Eddie McGuire amid Tommy Robinson interview fallout

Nine Entertainment is expected to sever ties with the Today show host but is yet to make details of the separation publicKarl Stefanovic won’t appear on his scheduled Friday afternoon radio show with Eddie McGuire after widespread criticism of his podcast interview with UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson.Stefanovic only recently signed the deal with ARN Media to co-host The Long Weekend nationally on Gold FM, but the threat of an advertising boycott has led to the contract being reviewed, Guar

general  Jun 25, 2026

NY Times World

To Escape the Heat, Parisians Jump into an Old Industrial Canal

Crowds are filling the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, as temperatures soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Forty people drowned while swimming in other waterways.

general  Jun 25, 2026

NY Times World

A Puppy-Abuse Case in China, Caught on Video, Prompts Rare Public Protest

After a man was filmed torturing dogs, hundreds gathered in a rare demonstration that the police tried to break up. For many, the sit-in was their first civic action.

general  Jun 25, 2026

The Guardian

Papua New Guinea faces severe food shortages as El Niño brings frost and drought

Oxfam predicts PNG will be worst-hit country in Pacific from the weather pattern, with up to 3 million people affected nationwideFamilies across Papua New Guinea’s Highlands are facing depleted harvests and the threat of hunger after the El Niño weather pattern brought frost and prolonged dry conditions that have destroyed food gardens providing sustenance and income for thousands of households.The effects of El Niño emerged in recent weeks, bringing drought conditions, falling water levels and

general  Jun 25, 2026