Israel courted Iran’s former hardline president for post-regime role, reports claim 13. July 2026 (19:36) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reportedly wooed by Mossad agents after distancing himself from KhameneiMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesIsrael tried to recruit Iran’s intensely anti-Zionist former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to lead a new post-Islamic regime in Tehran, and even sent its top spy to Budapest to meet him, according to media reports.The remarkable quest to turn a leader who had denied the Holocaust and called for Israel’s erasure began in 2022, according to reporting by the New York Times and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and continued even after Israel became engaged in a brutal campaign in Gaza against Hamas, a key Iranian ally. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hegseth announces joint taskforce with DoJ to target and prosecute press leaks 13. July 2026 (19:35) US defense secretary says taskforce will ‘combat dangers’ of leaks in latest escalation of White House press crackdownThe US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, announced on Monday that the Pentagon and the US Department of Justice have created a “joint taskforce to identify and prosecute” what he called the “unauthorized disclosure of sensitive” information to the press, marking the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s effort to crackdown on leaks.In a video posted on X, Hegseth said that “to combat the dangers that leaks pose, effectively immediately, I have delegated tasking authority to the war department’s office of general counsel, empowering OGC to request and receive all information, records and support across the department concerning media leak investigations”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
British couple confirmed to have been killed by deadly wildfires in Spain 13. July 2026 (17:54) Authorities ask for DNA to help identify victims as local government leader says ‘we are in a state of climate chaos’A British couple have been named as two victims of the wildfires in Spain that have killed 13 people, as authorities race to use DNA to identify those who did not manage to escape the blaze.Pete and Fran Gillam, who lived in Bédar, the village that bore the brunt of the wildfires on Thursday, are believed not to have survived.. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police arrest 12 over suspected far-right threat against Islamic event in Suffolk 13. July 2026 (17:28) Three of those arrested were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, say counter-terrorism policeTwelve people have been arrested, including three on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, over a suspected far-right threat against an Islamic event held this weekend, police have said.Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation which they said was related to “extreme rightwing terrorism” targeting an event held at Shrubland Hall in Suffolk. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia banned vape ads more than two years ago – so why are they still all over social media? 13. July 2026 (17:00) Posts promoting illegal products appear across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube as expert says platforms ‘aren’t doing the job they promised they would do’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIllegal vape sellers have turned to social media to promote nicotine-filled products, with experts calling for a crackdown including stronger penalties for the platforms.Guardian Australia has identified a network of posts across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube promoting the sale of illegal products to Australian audiences. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Layla Jeffery, 13, was ‘somewhat shy’ and ‘well-liked’. A Victorian town is struggling with her alleged murder 13. July 2026 (17:00) Donald – a small community about 280km from Melbourne – is grieving after a missing teenager was found deadGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIn the week after Layla Jeffery failed to return home in the early hours of 4 July, residents in the tiny Victorian town of Donald worriedly shared posts about the missing 13-year-old girl.One woman, who was receiving chemotherapy treatment in the town last week, wrote on Facebook that she felt “sick” at the thought of something happening to Layla. Others shared a post from police, asking for any information about her whereabouts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Dolphin deaths in South Australia spike after algal bloom decimates food sources 13. July 2026 (17:00) The March 2025 marine disaster may be linked to a high number of dolphin deaths in the region, scientists sayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe number of dead dolphins washing up on South Australian beaches spiked in 2025, according to long-term data that reveals mortalities during the state’s devastating algal bloom were the highest in 12 years.Last year, at least 70 carcasses of common and bottlenose dolphins were found across South Australia, with a further 20 reported in 2026, including the recent death of a popular Port River dolphin known as Zoom. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Albanese to compare pivotal moment in AI to renewable energy transition as he outlines approach 13. July 2026 (17:00) Labor sources say the PM will discuss safety concerns in speech this week but will not provide an update on copyright reforms to protect artistsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese will describe the progress of AI as an inflection point for society on par with the renewable energy transition, but is not expected to detail progress on copyright reforms to protect creative industries.The prime minister will deliver a highly anticipated speech in Sydney on Wednesday to address growing concerns around social license and the necessary policy guardrails for AI, datacentres, and the ability of big tech to profit from Australian intellectual property. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hello from the outside: heat domes impeding radio and other signals in US midwest 13. July 2026 (17:00) Higher temperatures can cause radio, TV and microwave signals to travel hundreds of miles farther, upsetting communicationsIt was 3am in north-east Indiana’s Huntington county when the outdoor emergency alarm went off on 1 July.The only issue? There wasn’t a storm, tornado or any other emergency weather event forecast or present anywhere for hundreds of miles. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Person killed in shooting involving ICE agents in Maine, reports say 13. July 2026 (16:42) Shooting occurs days after man killed by immigration agent during traffic stop in TexasUS politics live – latest updatesA person was killed on Monday in a shooting involving US immigration agents in Maine, according to a statement attributed to a prominent state lawmaker, days after a man was killed by an immigration agent during a traffic stop in Texas.Word of the shooting in Biddeford, Maine, came in a post by the Maine state house’s speaker, Ryan Fecteau, on a personal Facebook page. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
