Top World News

Jun 19, 2026 - World

Apportionment of funds comes from two accounts intended to provide US Secret Service with extra money for training in aftermath of last year's assassination attempts on president, as per Democrats

Jun 19, 2026 - World

Israel and the US jointly launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28, closely coordinating the more than month long military operation.

Jun 19, 2026 - World

IDF claims continuing strikes come after Iran-backed group repeatedly violated ceasefire; JD Vance cancels trip as US-Iran talks set for Friday cancelledUS-Iran talks in Switzerland abruptly called offJD Vance tells Iran deal critics in Israel: Trump is your only ally left in the worldLebanon’s state-run National News Agency is saying at least 16 people have been killed in the Israeli airstrikes, which Israel’s military said were ongoing, while Hezbollah said there was intense fighting in southern Lebanon.The fighting poses a threat to the new US-Iran agreement on ending the war, which calls for an immediate halt of military operations “on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.Vance lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal, saying Donald Trump was Israel’s only ally left in the world, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in defence aid ⁠the country receives from America. Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world ‌who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this ‌moment in time”, Vance told reporters.Trump said on Thursday the ​US expected “a ⁠complete ceasefire on all fronts, including ⁠Lebanon, Hezbollah ​and Israel”, adding in a social media post: “We ‌encourage everyone ‌in the ‌Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations ‌to beautifully unfold.”Iran’s supreme leader said he approved the deal with the US despite having a “different view”, without elaborating. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in message read on state television: “In principle, I had a different view [about the memorandum of understanding], but I issued my permission due to the commitment that the honourable [Iranian] president, as the chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, gave me on behalf of himself and other members to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and the resistance front.”In Khamenei’s message on Thursday – his first reaction to the Iran-US deal – he claimed Trump had “used all kinds of levers” to secure the deal “out of desperation”. The US president has claimed the agreement is a victory for Washington and averts a “worldwide depression”. Continue reading...

Jun 19, 2026 - World

Follow today’s news live• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThere were two small earthquakes in New South Wales this morning, according to Geoscience Australia.A 3.4 magnitude quake hit near Orange around 5.45am this morning, with at least 108 people reporting they felt the shakes. And a 3.2 magnitude temblor hit near Wilcannia two hours earlier. Just two people reported feeling that quake.If we’re given the choice between taking the easier path politically or doing the more difficult thing, but the right thing in the interests of particularly first home buyers, young people, workers in the tax system, then it will be worth it.Obviously, there’s a big partisan political campaign against these changes. We understand that. We anticipated that. We expected that. But it’s worth it because our job isn’t just to take the easy political options.The more important thing than the politics of this is to get the policy right, to get the substance right. Because at the end of the day, what matters most is the tax system and the housing market are broken. We are acting to fix it. Continue reading...

Jun 19, 2026 - World

Burnham hails a ‘turning point’ for the country after a resounding victory over Reform UK and Restore that may force prime minister Keir Starmer to step asideFull report: Andy Burnham wins huge majority in Makerfield byelection, paving way for Starmer leadership challenge Burnham brings in top economists before possible leadership runDavid Blunkett, the former Labour cabinet minister, has suggested that Keir Starmer should stand down after the Makerfield byelection.In an interview on the BBC’s Newsnight, Blunkett suggested that Starmer standing aside would be the best option for the party regardless of whether Andy Burnham wins tonight or loses. Continue reading...