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The GuardianScandalAustralia

Ben Roberts-Smith entitled to presumption of innocence but ‘none of us are above the law’, Andrew Hastie says

Liberal MP makes first public comments since Australia’s most decorated living soldier, whom he served alongside, was charged with war crimes The Liberal MP, Andrew Hastie, says Ben Roberts-Smith is entitled to the presumption of innocence but “none of us are above the law” in his first public comments since Australia’s most decorated living soldier was charged with war crimes.Hastie served alongside Roberts-Smith in Afghanistan and was among the 21 Special Air Service (SAS) who gave evidence in the defamation case he brought against the Nine newspapers.

Last updated 3h ago
HaaretzHumanityIslamic World

Erased Israeli Settlers' Brutal War on Palestinian Communities in the West Bank

Erased Israeli Settlers' Brutal War on Palestinian Communities in the West BankScroll downCredit: Avishay Mohar, B'TselemHagar ShezafShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppThese images appear again and again – from the ground, from the air, and on maps: dozens of Palestinian communities wiped off the landscape, while illegal Israeli settler outposts continue to spread across the West Bank.Since October 7, 2023, this phenomenon has intensified significantly. Unlike the war in Gaza, there is no discussion in Israel about ending this parallel campaign of dispossession.

Last updated 51m ago
The GuardianHumanitySub-Saharan Africa

What’s behind the worrying rise in anti-LGBTQ+ laws across Africa?

Rooted in colonialism, legislation backed by governments eager for popularity is obstructing real progress for queer minoritiesHello and welcome to The Long Wave. It’s Morgan here, covering for Nesrine this week. There has been a recent rise in anti-LGBTQ legislation across a number of African countries that already have strict sexuality laws.I spoke with LGBTQ+ people and activists fighting against the narrative that their identities are an imported “western” creation to better understand the impact of these new laws, why they are happening, and how foreign lobbying groups are pushing for more draconian laws.

Last updated 21h ago
The GuardianWar & Conflict

Middle East crisis live: Trump warns Iran to comply with ‘real agreement’ as ceasefire in doubt over Israeli attacks on Lebanon

US president warns that the US will start ‘shooting’ again unless Iran fully complies with deal The UK foreign minister, Yvette Cooper, has said Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire agreement. In other remarks now being reported by Reuters, Cooper added that shipping through the strait of Hormuz must be toll-free.Amid ceasefire talks, to safely pass through the strait. Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested the US and Iran could collect tolls in a joint venture, while the White House said the priority was reopening the strait without limitations.And my principles and values made sure that our decisions were that we wouldn’t get involved in the action without a lawful basis, without a viable, thought-through plan.”

Last updated 2h ago
The GuardianWar & Conflict

Middle East ceasefire threatens to unravel as Israel assaults Lebanon and Iran blocks oil tankers

Inclusion of Lebanon is significant difference in interpretation of truce agreed at 11th hour on TuesdayThe fate of the two-week ceasefire in the Iran conflict looked uncertain on Wednesday as both sides gave divergent versions of what had been agreed, Israel intensified its bombing campaign in Lebanon and Iran halted the passage of oil tankers because of an alleged Israeli ceasefire breach.Iran and Pakistan, which brokered the , both asserted that the ceasefire included Lebanon. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, disagreed and Israeli forces unleashed their so far on more than 100 targets, killing at least 254 people. Donald Trump, after initially remaining silent, said Lebanon was “a separate skirmish” and not part of the deal.

Last updated 14h ago
The GuardianWar & ConflictIsrael

At least 254 killed after Israel hits Lebanon with massive wave of airstrikes

‘Largest coordinated strike’ against Hezbollah since war began prompts warnings Iran could pull out of ceasefire Israel has carried out its largest attack on Lebanon since its war with Hezbollah began, killing at least 254 people and wounding 837 , in an assault that prompted Iranian officials to warn Tehran could withdraw from the ceasefire agreed with the US overnight.Warplanes levelled several buildings in the centre of Beirut, filling the skies with smoke in what Israel’s defence minister said was “a surprise strike” on the pro-Iranian group Hezbollah.

Last updated 17h ago
The GuardianEducationUSA

‘Masquerading as a university’: inside the brazen rightwing plan to conquer American schools

As teachers eagerly adopt its free lesson plans and the White House boosts its videos, PragerU is intent on one goal: attracting young people to conservatismIn the fall of 2013, a silver-haired conservative radio host named Dennis Prager flew to Texas to woo a pair of rightwing billionaires. A few years earlier, Prager had co-founded a digital education non-profit, Prager University, which created snappy five-minute videos that promoted capitalism and “Judeo-Christian values”. The billionaires, fracking tycoons , were big fans.Inside Farris Wilks’ home theater, the brothers and more than 20 members of their family sat transfixed as Prager outlined a plan to transform PragerU from a niche internet oddity into a mainstream media empire. He just needed a lot more cash.

Last updated 21h ago
The GuardianDiplomacy

Nato ‘wasn’t there’ over Iran, Trump says after tense meeting with Rutte – Europe live

Secretary general says Trump ‘clearly disappointed’ with alliance as US media report White House is considering a plan to ‘punish’ some membersThe US president, Donald Trump, has once again lashed out against Nato after a tense and lengthy meeting with the alliance’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, who admitted Trump was “clearly disappointed” with allies over their refusal to get involved in Iran.In another angry ALL CAPS post on social media overnight, Trump said:“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!”

Last updated 1h ago
The GuardianDiplomacy

The US stepped back from the precipice in Iran. But what happens next? | Rajan Menon

The chasm between the two sides remains vast. A mega-deal remains the only path to averting a return to full-scale warDonald Trump styles himself as a peerless tough guy who never backs down. But he doesn’t always make good on his threats. Consider his demand that Denmark hand over Greenland, or his threats to hike tariffs on trade partners. He has even found ways to extend his deadlines for Tehran to reopen the strait of Hormuz, claiming, without evidence, that Iran was “” for a deal.On Monday, Trump outdid himself. He Tehran until Tuesday at 8pm ET to reopen the strait – or “a whole civilization will die tonight”. The president’s public threat to commit genocide sent shockwaves through the United States. Some Democratic leaders that “Trump has lost his mind”. Democratic members of Congress called for his removal from office. Some politicians and media personalities sympathetic to Maga did the same or roundly rebuked him. Some commentators reminded soldiers that they were to disobey flagrantly illegal orders. Never in American presidential politics has a spectacle matched this one.

Last updated 14h ago
The GuardianWar & Conflict

The Guardian view on Trump, Iran and the ceasefire: a devastating war has only losers | Editorial

The Middle East’s best hope may be that the US president continues to rebadge strategic defeat as successBoth the US and Iran claimed victory on Wednesday morning. Both were lying. The two-week ceasefire announced by Donald Trump the night before is not the triumph that he declared. It may not be an end to the war, as welcome as the pause is, or even last the fortnight. Mr Trump said that Iran has gone through regime change. It has not. If anything, less experienced, less readable but more hardline figures are now in charge. He said that the strait of Hormuz would be open; Iran said that ships would pass through with permission, and at a price.By Wednesday evening, Iranian state media said that the strait was closed after Israel unleashed a brutal assault on Lebanon: about 100 strikes in 10 minutes. Iran had insisted that Lebanon was part of the deal, while Mr Trump . This conflict has killed thousands in the region, including children, and left many more exhausted, terrified and traumatised, while the aggressors have of their intent to commit war crimes.

Last updated 15h ago
The GuardianWar & ConflictMiddle East

Israel got away with targeting healthcare in Gaza. It's no surprise it is doing it in Lebanon too | Seema Jilani

As a doctor who has worked in a conflict zone, I’ve seen spaces that were once considered sacrosanct become fair game in war. This has to endEaster weekend marked one of the most intense moments so far of Israel’s war on Lebanon. At around 2pm on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces bombed a densely populated, residential area near the Rafik Hariri University hospital, Lebanon’s largest public hospital, killing at .When I worked at the hospital in 2020, I treated the most vulnerable people in Lebanese society: migrant workers, stateless Palestinians, Syrian refugees. What happened on Sunday is consistent with what seems to be Israel’s broader strategy in Lebanon: and say the IDF is crippling healthcare infrastructure, targeting hospitals and medics, sometimes when they are sitting in ambulances or in first aid centres. Israel is also forcing the displacement of civilians on a large scale, rendering parts of the country unlivable, while Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that the doesn’t apply to Lebanon tells us that this is far from over.Seema Jilani is a paediatric physician based in Texas and a member of the Council of Foreign RelationsDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our section, please .

Last updated 16h ago