Top World News

May 14, 2026 - World

Thames at Ham designated as one of 13 new swimming areas across England to be monitored for water qualityThe first designated bathing water area on the River Thames in London will welcome swimmers for the official start of the bathing season on Friday as one of 13 new monitored swimming areas across England.The Thames at Ham, in south-west London, has been designated as a new river bathing water area after campaigners gathered evidence to show thousands of people use the river for swimming throughout the year.Canvey Island foreshore, EssexEast Beach at West Bay, Bridport, DorsetFalcon Meadow, Bungay, SuffolkGranville Parade Beach, Sandgate, KentLittle Shore, Amble, NorthumberlandNew Brighton Beach (east), MerseysideNewton and Noss Creeks, DevonPangbourne Meadow, BerkshireQueen Elizabeth Gardens, Salisbury, WiltshireRiver Dee at Sandy Lane, Chester, CheshireRiver Fowey in Lostwithiel, CornwallRiver Swale in Richmond, YorkshireRiver Thames at Ham and Kingston, Greater London Continue reading...

May 14, 2026 - World

Council of Europe members plan to change interpretation of ECHR to make it easier to deport refused asylum seekersKeir Starmer’s government has been accused of trying to water down legal protections for torture victims as ministers from 46 countries including the UK prepare to make it easier to deport refused asylum seekers and foreign criminals.Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, is expected to agree a “political declaration” on Friday with other members of the Council of Europe, which oversees the European convention on human rights (ECHR). Continue reading...

May 14, 2026 - World

Two more Republicans sided with Democrats and broke ranks on Thursday to back the House's Iran war powers vote and challenge President Donald Trump's military operation in the Middle East ahead of midterms, according to reports.It was the third failure for the resolution to end the war in Iran with a 212-212 vote, The Hill reported. Three Republicans joined Democrats to vote for the measure in the lower chamber, where a tie means the resolution failed. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) split from his own party with a "no" vote.For the first time, Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) rebuked President Donald Trump's military operation, Congressional reporter for Politico Meredith Lee Hill wrote on X. Trump foe Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) also voted yes for the resolution."Barrett, an Army veteran, is in an incredibly competitive race in his Lansing-area seat against a retired Navy SEAL, who has been hammering him over the war," Lee Hill wrote. On Wednesday, new signs of strain were bubbling up among Senate Republicans after three GOP lawmakers sided with Democrats on a vote to end the Iran war. The 49-50 vote was the closest the Senate has come to having a war powers vote as the Trump administration has missed the legal deadline to tamp down its military operation, "which several Republicans have signaled would be a turning point for their support."Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) supported the resolution, joining Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Susan Collins (R-ME). Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) broke with Democrats again to oppose the vote.

May 14, 2026 - World

Far-right Jewish marchers call for Palestinian villages to ‘burn’ as they storm through Muslim quarter of Old CityIsraeli nationalists chanted “death to the Arabs”, “may your villages burn” and “Gaza is a graveyard” in a state-sponsored march through Jerusalem to mark the anniversary of the city’s capture and annexation.The annual assertion of Jewish control over Palestinian East Jerusalem has grown more extreme in recent years, and Thursday’s event culminated with the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, unfurling an Israeli flag in front of the al-Aqsa mosque, the holiest Islamic site in the city. Continue reading...

May 14, 2026 - World

‘Backward’ photo panned for display of patriarchy, signaling that ‘women’s voices don’t matter in shaping global order’By the time Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Thursday, the bilateral had featured all the expected pomp and pageantry: a meticulously choreographed display of Chinese soldiers, children waving American and Chinese flags, and rows of senior officials and the US’s top business executives.Conspicuously absent at the table, however, were women from either delegation – a stark visual that quickly drew criticism from observers who saw it as an unmistakable display of patriarchal power. Continue reading...