Top World News

May 2, 2025 - World

Met Service issues red warning amid deepening low pressure as Europe sees above average temperaturesStrong winds and flooding spread across New Zealand last week, with a state of emergency declared in Christchurch, as the country was battered by a destructive area of low pressure this week. A red warning, the highest warning level, was issued by the MetService (the national meteorological service). The area of low pressure quickly deepened in the Tasman Sea off the west coast of New Zealand and then travelled eastwards across the country, with the centre of the low pressure moving across the northern island and creating very strong winds, particularly through the Cook Strait, the body of water that separates the two islands. This was because the wind direction was a south-easterly to southerly which caused the winds to strengthen as they were funnelled between the island.The capital of New Zealand, Wellington, recorded some of the strongest winds, with gusts exceeding 90mph. Flooding was also an issue, especially for the southern island as the winds brought in moist air from the sea, which rapidly rose over the Southern Alps mountain range producing heavy rain. More than 100mm of rain fell in under 12 hours across some eastern areas and the local government called a state of emergency in Christchurch, the largest city in the southern island, as rivers burst their banks and roads closed. Across mountainous areas snow warnings were also issued, with some parts seeing over 50cm of snow in just 24 hours. Large swell was produced by the area of low pressure, with waves of almost 6 metres through the Cook strait. Continue reading...

May 2, 2025 - World

President says neither NPR nor PBS presents ‘fair, accurate or unbiased portrayal of current events’Donald Trump has signed an executive order seeking to cut public funding for the news outlets NPR and PBS, accusing them of being biased.NPR and PBS are only partly funded by the US taxpayer and rely heavily on private donations. Continue reading...

May 2, 2025 - World

Farage says his party has overtaken Tories after securing byelection victory, mayoralty and council seatsResults come in from across England – follow liveStarmer told to ‘start listening’ after Reform election gainsAnalysis: Is Farage’s quest to rid Reform of ‘amateurism’ paying off?Nigel Farage has claimed Reform UK has overtaken the Conservatives as the main party of opposition after his party narrowly won a byelection, a mayoralty and more than a dozen council seats in early results on Friday.The Reform leader said the results from Runcorn and Helsby, Greater Lincolnshire and a handful of local elections around the country showed his party should now be taken seriously as a prospective party of government. Continue reading...

May 2, 2025 - World

Doncaster mayor warns prime minister after Farage’s rightwing party deals blow to Labour in Runcorn and LincolnshireEnglish local elections – latest updatesKeir Starmer has been warned to “start listening” by a veteran Labour mayor after she fended off a challenge by Reform UK on a night when Nigel Farage’s party made sweeping electoral gains.The rightwing populist party won the Greater Lincolnshire mayoral race as the Reform candidate and former Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns dealt a blow to her old party in one of its heartlands. Continue reading...

May 2, 2025 - World

Ibtisam Ghalia and her four children are just one of the families living on brink of starvation with no sign of an end to blockadeEvery day, Ibtisam Ghalia and her four children count their remaining stocks of food. These are meagre: a kilo or so of beans, a bag of lentils, a little salt, some herbs, spices, and enough flour for half a dozen flatbreads cooked on a griddle over a fire of wood splinters, waste plastic and cardboard.In the two months since Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza, stopping food, medicine, fuel and anything else from entering the devastated territory, Ghalia’s “cupboard” has slowly diminished. Continue reading...