Middle East crisis live: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warns of war ‘beyond the region’ if US resumes attacks 20. May 2026 (11:51) IRGC comments come after Trump says he could strike Iran while insisting that Tehran still wants to make a dealTrump threatens ‘a big hit’ if Tehran does not make deal soonThe Jordanian military announced it had shot down a drone of unknown origin in its airspace on Wednesday, AFP reports.No casualties were reported. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
There could be 1,000 or more victims of black-cab rapist John Worboys, says Carrie Johnson 20. May 2026 (11:38) Wife of former PM, who encountered Worboys in 2007, says parole refusal last week was ‘huge relief’Carrie Johnson, the wife of the former prime minister Boris Johnson, has said there could be “up to 1,000, if not more”, victims of the black-cab rapist, John Worboys.Johnson, who helped bring the serial sex attacker to justice, said she had been contacted by more women who believed they had been assaulted by him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Germany urged to stop admiring Beijing and wake up to ‘China Shock 2.0’ 20. May 2026 (11:25) ‘China has already eaten much of German industry’s lunch and is preparing to start on dinner,’ thinktank saysBusiness live – latest updatesGermany must stop admiring China’s success in the EU or it will sleepwalk into the kind of deindustrialisation the US experienced 25 years ago, a leading Brussels thinktank has said.With China’s surplus with Germany having doubled between 2024 and 2025 from $12bn (£9bn) to $25bn, creating a $94bn trade imbalance, the Centre for European Reform (CER) said Europe’s largest economy risked a repeat of what happened in the US in 2001 when a sudden surge in imports permanently hollowed out towns in the American midwest. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Georgia mayor who fired town’s entire police force resigns, citing family ‘health concerns’ 20. May 2026 (11:00) Ron Shinnick did not mention the firing of the Cohutta police force, which was later rehired, in resignation letterThe mayor of a small town in the US state of Georgia has resigned shortly after firing his community’s entire police department, a step that the local governing council ultimately reversed – but that he nonetheless took amid a political spat pitting him and his wife against members of the force.In a 15 May resignation letter that the Guardian reviewed, Ron Shinnick avoided mentioning his attempted termination of the Cohutta police department, word of which gained international media attention. The letter instead said Shinnick had opted to vacate the mayoral post he had held since 2014 due to “health concerns” faced by family members outside Cohutta. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rachel Reeves to protect ‘critical’ clean energy projects from legal challenges 20. May 2026 (10:50) Chancellor’s planning shake-up would ‘reduce exposure from judicial review on all but human rights grounds’Rachel Reeves is preparing to announce a planning shake-up that would fast-track clean energy and infrastructure projects by curbing judicial reviews, the Treasury said.The chancellor will propose that parliament should be able to designate and approve the most important clean energy projects as of “critical national importance”, as part of a wider package seeking to blunt the impact of the Iran crisis. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Vein of racism’: race discrimination commissioner accuses One Nation and Coalition of scapegoating immigrants 20. May 2026 (10:41) Exclusive: Australia faces a ‘pronounced political fault line’, Giridharan Sivaraman tells Brisbane seminar on human rights Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne Nation and the federal opposition are “dehumanising” and “scapegoating” immigrants while drawing on a “deep vein of racism”, Australia’s federal race discrimination commissioner says.Giridharan Sivaraman made the comments as part of a panel discussion at a Brisbane seminar on human rights, hosted by the state’s human rights commission. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK relaxes strict sanctions on Russian crude as oil costs soar 20. May 2026 (10:18) Decision to allow import of jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries is criticised by Tories as ‘insane’The UK government has relaxed strict sanctions on Russian crude oil, allowing for the import of jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries amid surging costs.A trade licence that came into effect on Wednesday permits the imports indefinitely and will be reviewed periodically. It comes at a time of growing concerns over the supply of certain fuels owing to the de facto blockade of the strait of Hormuz since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
EU agrees to implement US trade deal struck last summer 20. May 2026 (10:13) MEPs had twice frozen ratification process in protest at Trump’s threats to increase tariffs and take control of GreenlandThe EU has finally agreed to implement its trade deal with the US after five hours of talks between members of the European parliament and member states in the hope of averting more tariffs threatened by Donald Trump.It means the agreement struck last July at the US president’s Scottish golf course can now enter into force, removing import duties on most US goods entering the EU. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Albanese’s department among those blocking 80% of FoI requests, scathing report finds 20. May 2026 (09:29) Report finds culture of ‘resistance and delay’ in the Australian parliament with more than 60% of requests having longer response times than mandated 30-day deadlineFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA scathing audit report has found nearly 80% of freedom of information requests to Anthony Albanese’s department, Treasury and the infrastructure department were rejected, creating a culture of “resistance and delay” in the Australian parliament.The review of FoI administration found there was no consistent, transparent or accountable decision-making around requests and the pro-disclosure objectives of the law were being flouted. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lax rules and rise in for-profit childcare allow predators to abuse children, NSW inquiry finds 20. May 2026 (09:27) Greens MLC Abigail Boyd – who chaired inquiry – says system ‘failing too many children, families and educators’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSystemic weaknesses in New South Wales’ childcare sector have allowed predators to work in the industry and abuse children, a scathing inquiry has found.In its final report, published on Wednesday, a NSW upper house inquiry into the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector found “the proliferation of for-profit services and a lax regulatory approach” had led to “predators” being allowed to work in childcare and abuse children. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
