The Guardian

Iran to become first World Cup team to play in country with which it is at war

Belligerent backdrop to tournament tests Fifa’s ‘football unites the world’ sloganIran will present a major challenge to Fifa’s “football unites the world” slogan on Monday by becoming the first country in World Cup history to compete on the soil of a host nation with which it is at war.The national team’s opening match against New Zealand in Los Angeles will kick off amid continuing hostilities between Iran and the US that have intensified in recent days, as a fragile ceasefire has failed to ho

general  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian

‘Where can we find hope?’: your questions about the US supreme court’s voting rights decision answered

Guardian reporters Fabiola Cineas and Adria Walker held a Reddit Q&A about Louisiana v Callais – here’s a rundownIn April, the supreme court’s decision in Louisiana v Callais struck a massive blow to the Voting Rights Act, eliminating a key provision that gave minority voters representation in Congress.Within days of the decision, Republican-led states in the south moved to redraw congressional maps to erase majority-Black districts. Some of those maps have already gone into effect ahead of

general  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian

Reeves grudgingly resorts to departmental salami slicing to fund UK defence budget

Starmer shows no will to pursue the main options for rising commitments: spending cuts, tax rises or borrowingWhen Keir Starmer wanted to promise Donald Trump that the UK would increase defence spending, he decided to fund it by slashing the UK’s aid budget – losing a cabinet minister, Anneliese Dodds, in the process.This time around, with John Healey’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) demanding an additional £18.5bn over four years to fund the defence investment plan, there was no such lever to hand.

general  Jun 12, 2026

Washington Post World

Defending migrants, Pope Leo calls for ‘legal’ paths, a nod to fraught politics

As he finished a seven-day visit, Pope Leo articulated a fuller position on migration, including the “right” of nations to protect their borders, that his critics often ignore.

general  Jun 12, 2026

NY Times World

Anti-Immigrant Riots Leave Belfast on Edge: ‘Everyone Is Afraid’

In two nights of violence in Northern Ireland after a brutal stabbing, people were targeted because of their skin color, the authorities said.

general  Jun 12, 2026

WSJ World News

World’s Food Supply Imperiled by Iran War, Fertilizer Manufacturer Fertiglobe Chief Says

Failure to get fertilizer supplies moving through the Persian Gulf risks worsening food shortages and triggering higher grain prices that could take time to come down.

general  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian

Women held at much-denounced Ice detention camp sign on to hunger strike

Nearly 40 women detained at Delaney Hall join striking men and outline demands ‘rooted in basic human rights’ Dozens of women detained inside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in New Jersey announced their participation in a hunger and labor strike, advocates announced on Thursday.The women, detained in unit 1 of the contentious privately run facility, also released a new list of demands. They are calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release women under 21, women

general  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian

Palestinian football chief says US denied him visa to attend World Cup

Jibril Rajoub attended opening match in Mexico but becomes latest football official hit by US visa issues, he saysThe head of the Palestinian Football Association has said he is unable to travel to the United States with other federation heads attending the 2026 Fifa World Cup because he has not been issued a visa.Jibril Rajoub went to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on Thursday. But he is among several people accredited to attend the World Cup who have been deni

general  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian

US-Iran peace deal remains elusive as choice of US targets draws legal questions | First Thing

Trump claims strikes called off as deal is close, but Tehran denies agreement near, while legal experts question if US targets may be a war crime. Plus 20 years of Taylor Swift’s incredible influence on pop cultureGood morning. Yesterday, Donald Trump spent the day promising he was going to hit Iran harder than ever before, then announced – again – that the US and Iran were close to signing a deal. Iran’s foreign ministry dismissed the claim, and Tasnim, the semi-official Iranian news agency, wr

general  Jun 12, 2026

BBC World

Indonesian students protest against state spending, fuel price hike

The protesters warn wasteful government spending risks driving the country into bankruptcy.

general  Jun 12, 2026

BBC World

Taylor Swift makes tearful 21-minute speech as she joins Songwriters Hall of Fame

The singer thanks her family as she becomes the youngest woman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

general  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian

Oil prices plummet as Trump claims he is close to US-Iran deal

Brent crude falls as optimism rises strait of Hormuz could reopen over the weekendBusiness live – latest updatesGlobal oil prices fell on Friday to lows not seen since the first week of the Iran crisis after Donald Trump claimed he was close to reaching a peace deal with Tehran.The price of Brent crude began to tumble from about $93 a barrel in overnight trade after the US president called off further military strikes against Iran which were scheduled for the evening. Continue reading...

general  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian

Digested week: Starmer is trying to carve out his legacy – but it’s not his to write | John Crace

Plus, Brexit at 10, dinner as protest, 100 best novels and not watching the World Cup (yet)We’re approaching the 10-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum. Documentaries are being aired and newspaper features are being written. But one thing seems to be missing. Why aren’t all those big names who campaigned for Brexit back in 2016 now shouting from the rooftops about what a great success it has been? Continue reading...

general  Jun 12, 2026

WSJ World News

China Arrests American Scholar-Journalist, Adding to Friction With U.S.

The Myanmar-born activist, was detained on suspicion of espionage and endangering national security.

general  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian

Autistic children injected with unapproved stem cell treatments supported by RFK Jr

Desperate US parents pay up to $20,000 a session for a procedure scientists say could be bogusAutistic children as young as 18 months old are being injected with human stem cells derived from umbilical cords in unapproved, unproven and potentially harmful “treatments” that scientists warn are proliferating across the US under the active encouragement of the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.Clinics in Florida, Texas and other states are selling what they bill as “regenerative medicine” to

general  Jun 12, 2026

WSJ World News

A Miami-to-Havana Lifeline Is Slowing Cuba’s Slide Into Economic Collapse

The diaspora is sending food and medicine to counter shortages as the U.S. squeezes the communist government.

general  Jun 12, 2026

WSJ World News

Everyone Loves Chinese Cars, Except the Chinese

The world is applauding the latest Chinese vehicles and sales are surging almost everywhere the cars are available. The one exception: China itself.

general  Jun 12, 2026

BBC World

South Africa trolled by African fans in wake of World Cup loss

The taunting reflects anger from parts of the continent over reports of xenophobia in South Africa.

general  Jun 12, 2026

The Guardian

Fisa spy powers almost certain to expire after Congress fails to act – US politics live

Law due to expire at midnight tonight following unhappiness over Trump’s pick for intelligence chiefA key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) is due to expire on Friday night amid a backlash to Trump’s announcement that Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a major Republican donor, would be acting DNI.While Trump has moved to contain the furor – announcing his nomination of another top official, Jay Carney, to take the role on a permanent basis – U

general  Jun 12, 2026

NY Times World

With iPhones and Faxes, David Hockney Embraced Tech

Polaroids and photocopiers also gave the artist possibilities for creating in forms vastly different from his paintings.

general  Jun 12, 2026