Trump threatens to blow Iran ‘off the face of the earth’ if it attacks US vessels 04. May 2026 (22:51) US launched an operation on Monday in the Gulf, dragging the region back to the brink of full-scale warSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Donald Trump has threatened that Iran will be “blown off the face of the earth” if it attacks US vessels trying to reopen a route through the strait of Hormuz.The US launched an operation on Monday to help hundreds of ships trapped with their crews in the Gulf, dragging the region back to the brink of full-scale war. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Victoria state budget 2026: state back in black forecasting two back-to-back surpluses 04. May 2026 (21:00) Labor’s 2026-27 budget shows state has recorded $700m surplus this financial year, first of its kind since before the Covid-19 pandemicFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria is back in black for the first time since the start of the pandemic, with Tuesday’s state budget to deliver an operating surplus and forecasting another next financial year.The 2026-27 budget, to be handed down on Tuesday afternoon, will show the state recorded a $700m surplus in 2025-26, largely in line with December’s pre-budget update of $710m and an improvement on the $611m forecast last May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cabinet ministers warn mutinous MPs about trying to oust Keir Starmer 04. May 2026 (20:59) Labour leadership challenge in wake of disastrous local poll results could unleash chaos in party, MPs toldCabinet ministers have told mutinous Labour MPs that any attempt to oust Keir Starmer after a potentially disastrous set of election results this week would unleash chaos for the party that would not be easily overcome.Several, however, told the Guardian that even with the prime minister’s determination to stay in Downing Street after Thursday’s vote, the mood on the backbenches was febrile and events could yet spiral out of control. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Florida’s Republican governor signs state’s new congressional map into law 04. May 2026 (20:46) Ron DeSantis approves maps that give Republicans an advantage in four more races in November’s midtermsUS politics live – latest updatesFlorida governor Ron DeSantis signed a new gerrymandered congressional district map into law Monday which gives Republicans an electoral advantage in four additional races in November’s midterm elections.“Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,” DeSantis said in a post on X, with a map of the new districts attached. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rapper Kid Cudi fires MIA from tour after ‘offensive’ Republican rant 04. May 2026 (20:19) The British artist was booed after identifying as a Republican voter while on stage in DallasRapper Kid Cudi has fired MIA from his tour after the British artist went on a rant that went viral while on stage in Dallas.While opening up for the hip-hop artist on 2 May, MIA was booed after saying, “I’ve been canceled for many reasons. I never thought I would be canceled for being a brown Republican voter,” as reported by Variety. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Several New York City synagogues and homes vandalized with swastikas 04. May 2026 (20:05) Police are searching for at least four individuals responsible for ‘terrifying signals of hatred and threats of violence’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxSeveral synagogues and homes in the New York borough of Queens were vandalized overnight Monday with swastikas, according to the city council speaker.On Monday, Julie Menin, along with other city council members including Lynn Schulman and Phil Wong, visited Congregation Machane Chodosh, one of the sites targeted in Forest Hills. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Two killed and several hurt after car ploughs into crowds in German city of Leipzig 04. May 2026 (19:45) A suspect has been apprehended, but detectives say little is known about their motivation at this stageAt least two people have been killed and several injured after a driver in an SUV ploughed into a crowd in the centre of Leipzig in eastern Germany, the city’s mayor has said.“The police have apprehended the suspected assailant,” Burkhard Jung said on Monday, adding that the authorities had the scene in a pedestrian zone under control. “We still don’t really know the motivation. We don’t know anything about the perpetrator.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Narendra Modi’s BJP wins election in West Bengal for the first time 04. May 2026 (19:34) Result in key Indian state is set to have significant implications for the country’s political landscapeNarendra Modi’s party has won a resounding election victory in West Bengal, a state which had been a rare opposition stronghold, expanding his unrivalled consolidation of power across the country.It is the first time that the Indian prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has won assembly elections in West Bengal, a large and politically significant state in eastern India. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Project Freedom’: a grand humanitarian gesture, or a fast track to more war? 04. May 2026 (18:49) After banging his battle drum, Trump is back in Nobel peace prize mode. But the move has dramatically raised the stakes“Project Freedom” has all the trappings of a classic episode of the Trump Show, the reality series that the rest of the world does not just have to watch, but live through and survive. It has a dramatic plot twist, it is bathed in a self-projected beatific light, and the trailer looked far more promising that the reality.Trump spent a long weekend in Florida banging the war drum. Iran had not “paid a big enough price” for its past misdeeds, he wrote in an online post before spending Friday afternoon revving up a cheering crowd at America’s largest retirement community. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gaza flotilla Britons say they needed hospital care after Israeli forces’ abuse 04. May 2026 (18:00) Alice Chapman and Zak Khan say they were beaten, kicked and spat on after detention near Crete last weekTwo British activists have said they were admitted to hospital after being beaten by Israeli forces who intercepted their Gaza aid flotilla last week.Alice Chapman and Zak Khan were among 180 members of the Global Sumud flotilla detained by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in international waters near Crete late on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
