Top World News

May 12, 2026 - World

Pentagon chief appears before House to face grilling on Iran war expenditure and military operationsIran has expanded its definition of the strait of Hormuz into a “vast operational area” far wider than before the war, according to a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy in comments likely to anger the US.The strait is no longer viewed as a narrow stretch around a handful of islands but instead has been greatly enlarged in scope and military significance, according to Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy political director of the IRGC Navy, the state-affiliated Fars news agency reported this morning. Continue reading...

May 12, 2026 - World

Meeting comes amid tentative trade truce but Iran, Taiwan and tensions over global supply chains will be complicating factorsSign up for the Breaking News US emailRepresentative Betty McCollum, the top Democrat on the defense appropriations committee, asked Hegseth to provide the panel with a “plan B” should Congress not authorise continuing military operations against Iran – which was required beyond 2 May (as outlined under the War Powers Act).“We have a plan for all of that. We have a plan to escalate if necessary we have a plan to retrograde if necessary we have a plan to shift assets,” Hegseth replied. “We wouldn’t reveal what the next step may be, considering the gravity of the mission that the President undertaking to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear bomb.” Continue reading...

May 12, 2026 - World

Prices rose 3.8% over the last year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, highest jump since 2023Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailUS inflation jumped to 3.8% in April as the war in the Middle East continued to drive energy prices and everyday costs for Americans.Prices rose 3.8% over the last year, according to the data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest jump since 2023. Continue reading...

May 12, 2026 - World

Jess Phillips, Miatta Fahnbulleh and Alex Davies-Jones stand down after heavy election losses under PMUK politics live – latest updatesOne of Keir Starmer’s most influential ministers, Jess Phillips, has resigned from the government, calling for Keir Starmer to quit and saying she has grown tired of seeing “opportunities for progress stalled and delayed”.Three ministers quit on Tuesday and joined more than 80 MPs to have called for the prime minister to go. But Starmer told his cabinet earlier in the day that he would fight on as prime minister, saying the threshold for a leadership challenge had not been met. Continue reading...

May 12, 2026 - World

Online marketplace takes into account uncertainty around US video games retailer’s financing proposalBusiness live – latest updatesThe board of eBay has rejected the US video games retailer GameStop’s surprise $55.5bn bid (£41bn) for the online marketplace, describing the proposal as “neither credible nor attractive”.Earlier this month, GameStop made an unsolicited bid for eBay, publishing a letter on its website outlining a half-cash, half-stock proposal. Continue reading...