Ali Khamenei’s six-day funeral expected to draw millions in Iran 03. July 2026 (07:43) Huge scale of funeral for supreme leader across five cities is intended to relay message of resistance to rest of the worldIn the small hours of Friday the police roadblocks, stalls, posters and army vans were starting to appear across Tehran as millions of Iranians prepared to attend the long-delayed six-day funeral ceremony for Ali Khamenei’s, Iran’s supreme leader for 36 turbulent years.Killed in the opening salvo of the US-Israeli attack on the country in February, the funeral is intended to be an epic display of personal mourning, national power, resilience and social cohesion. Small groups of mourners carrying flags were gathering along the roads festooned with the red fist, the symbol of the funeral alongside the slogan “We must rise”. At a ceremony dedicated to the families of martyrs, Khamenei’s coffin was displayed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jacinta Allan admits criminals infiltrated Big Build but rejects calls for royal commission 03. July 2026 (07:33) Premier apologised over organised crime in some of Victoria’s largest construction projects, in op-ed that claimed a royal commission would not solve the issueFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJacinta Allan has admitted that criminals have infiltrated some of Victoria’s largest construction projects – but has again rejected growing calls for a royal commission into alleged corruption involving unions and labour hire companies.In an opinion piece published in the Age on Thursday night, the premier wrote that “we now know that criminals operated on some of Victoria’s construction sites” during projects dubbed by the Labor government as the Big Build. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Ridiculous’ for US to maintain current Nato support, Trump warns ahead of alliance summit 03. July 2026 (07:19) President says Washington’s relationship with Nato is ‘not reciprocal’ and ‘they were not there for us’ in Iran warDonald Trump has said it is “ridiculous” for the US to continue its “one sided” relationship with Nato, less than a week before a summit of the military alliance in Ankara.Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that “They were not there for us!!!” and Washington’s relationship with Nato “is not reciprocal”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Spyware used against MEP investigating Pegasus abuses, report finds 03. July 2026 (07:00) Researchers say Stelios Kouloglou’s device was compromised after he joined European parliamentary committeeNSO Group’s hacking software was repeatedly used against a member of the European parliament while he was conducting an investigation of spyware abuses in Europe, according to a new report.Researchers at the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto said they could not attribute the attacks against Stelios Kouloglou to any particular government operator of Pegasus spyware. But their investigation found the attack against the Greek now-former MEP bore the hallmarks of a previous hacking campaign against exiled Russian and Belarusian journalists in Europe. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Bigger than football’: Norway fans’ Viking row makes waves at World Cup 03. July 2026 (07:00) From Times Square to the Norwegian parliament and even in fighter jet cockpits, the choreographed row is everywhereThe fans have done it, in their thousands, in the stadiums. The players have done it on the pitch. Pretty much anyone who was there did it in New York’s Times Square. Norwegian MPs did it in parliament.Prince Sverre Magnus, third in line to the Norwegian throne, rowed in an Oslo subway carriage. Care home residents in their 90s rowed in rural Norway and Norwegian Royal Air Force pilots rowed in their F-35 fighter jets. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump hijacks America at 250 celebrations – podcast 03. July 2026 (06:00) This weekend marks 250 years since the signing of the declaration of independence, but Donald Trump is making the celebration all about himself. As the anniversary approaches, Jonathan Freedland talks to the Atlantic’s Yoni Appelbaum about why so many Americans are feeling less patriotic these daysArchive: AP, Reuters Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Portrait of Angela Merkel unveiled at museum in Berlin 03. July 2026 (06:00) Painting by Jérémie Queyras shows former German chancellor in trademark jacket – at a time of nostalgia for her ruleOver months they met secretly in a studio in the government quarter of central Berlin – a young artist and his subject, the former German chancellor Angela Merkel. For hours at a time, while Jérémie Queyras painted her portrait, they bonded, Merkel has said, chatting “about all and sundry”. Sometimes they were silent, or they listened to classical music, taking it in turns to let each other choose the pieces.The result of what Merkel, 71, called their “little adventure” was unveiled to an invited audience of family, friends and a handful of art critics this week in the neo-baroque Bode-Museum in Berlin. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Scavenger’ dolphins increasingly rely on trawlers for food in overfished Adriatic, say scientists 03. July 2026 (06:00) In one area 76% of fishing boats were followed, with baby dolphins learning the technique from their parentsBottlenose dolphins in the Adriatic are increasingly following trawlers to scavenge for food, with baby dolphins learning the technique from their parents, a study has found.“These days the easiest way to find [bottlenose dolphins] is to look for trawlers,” said Giovanni Bearzi, a co-author of the study and the president of Dolphin Biology and Conservation in Italy. “Many of them are followed by the dolphins that go to forage and scavenge in their wake. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Christian Brothers kept nine child abusers in religious order due to Gospel imperative to help ‘the needy’, court documents reveal 03. July 2026 (05:36) Exclusive: Documents also show the Catholic order sought financial support from the Holy See months before it declared it lacked money to pay survivorsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Christian Brothers has deliberately kept nine convicted child abusers, one who is currently behind bars, as members of its religious order because it says it has a “Gospel imperative” to “care for all Brothers” and “the needy”.Court documents also reveal the head of Christian Brothers Oceania met with representatives of the Holy See in an attempt to obtain support six months before it declared it was going broke and could not afford to meet abuse claims from survivors, but received no financial assistance. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tributes for Melbourne boy allegedly left to die from stab wounds, as teen charged with murder 03. July 2026 (05:33) Darweish Mohamed, 15, died after being found with alleged stab wounds outside a Craigieburn hospital on Wednesday nightFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLoved ones of a 15-year-old boy who was allegedly stabbed and left to die outside a hospital have asked the community to keep him in its prayers.Mickleham teenager Darweish Mohamed was found with critical wounds outside the Craigieburn community hospital at about 7.50pm on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
