Oil rises amid ongoing Iran war as Wall Street stays calm Oil prices climbed after fresh fighting threatened the US-Iran ceasefire, though US stock markets showed little sign of concern. The S&P 500 fell 0. 1 percent in early trading, slipping slightly below the record high it reached last week.
'Ridiculous': Social media reacts as Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur denied entry to UK Submitted by Hannah. Smith on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 15:04 Home Office's decision to deny the pair's ETAs generated widespread backlash, with users accusing the government of cracking down on criticism of Israel Hasan Piker speaks onstage during Politicon 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California on 20 October 2018 (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Politicon/AFP) Off After American political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker confirmed on Monday that the UK government had blocked their entry into the country, social media was flooded with reactions debating restrictions on free speech in Britain and accusing the government of clamping down on the right to express criticism of the Israeli government. The pair were due to attend the SXSW festival in London and had been scheduled to speak at the Oxford Union, a prestigious debating society, where Piker had previously delivered a speech criticising America’s support for Israel and arguing that the media played a key role in manufacturing consent for Israeli violations of international law.
Lebanon says Israeli attacks have killed over 3400 since March Lebanon’s Health Ministry says at least 3,433 people have been killed and 10,395 wounded in Israeli attacks since fighting resumed on 2 March.
Lebanese flee their homes as Israel orders attacks on Beirut Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 15:07 Israel warns 'no calm in Beirut' as it expands its offensive to the Lebanese capital six weeks after ceasefire Families flee the southern suburbs of Beirut, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered attacks Dahieh, Lebanon, 1 June 2026 (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters) Off Residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs began leaving their homes again on Monday after Israel threatened to expand its attacks on the Lebanese capital, raising fears of a renewed assault on Dahieh despite a nominal ceasefire. The latest wave of anxiety followed a statement by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who warned that there would be “no calm in Beirut” if Hezbollah’s attacks on Israeli forces and northern Israel continued. “The Dahieh in Beirut is no different from the communities in northern Israel – if there is no calm in the north, there will be no calm in Beirut,” Katz said, referring to the densely residential area in Beirut's southern suburb.
Qatar and Switzerland discuss backing Iran-US mediation efforts Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has held talks with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis on mediation efforts between Tehran and Washington. According to a readout from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two officials discussed Islamabad-led mediation initiatives and ways of “coordinating efforts to back mediation aimed at de-escalation”.
Explosion reported on cargo vessel in Gulf A cargo vessel travelling in the Gulf has been struck by an unknown projectile, causing a “large explosion”, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The incident took place about 40 nautical miles (74km) southeast of Umm Qasr, Iraq. UKMTO said it was not aware of any environmental impact from the incident.
Mandelson called Wes Streeting's Israel criticism 'wild' and 'hysterical' Submitted by Imran Mulla on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 15:04 Newly released files show the UK health secretary saying Israel was committing war crimes and should be sanctioned Former UK ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson walks his dog near his residence in central London on 20 April 2026 Off Peter Mandelson described British Health Secretary Wes Streeting's views on Israel as "wild" and "hysterical" after Streeting told him Israel was committing war crimes and should be sanctioned, newly released files have revealed. More than 1,000 pages of documents relating to Mandelson, the disgraced former cabinet minister, Labour peer and ambassador to the US , were published on Monday. Mandelson was forced out of his job, to which he was appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in 2024, earlier this year, after revelations about his friendship with the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Leen Ezzeddine, the US-Lebanese graduate at Harvard Medical School who chose to speak out Submitted by Adam Chamseddine on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 15:30 At its core, her message was simple: medicine is not only about treating the body in front of you. It is about refusing the systems that decide some bodies are less worthy of care Harvard Medical School graduate Leen Ezzeddine dedicates her commencement speech to Lebanon and Palestine, in Boston, US, on 28 May 2026 (screengrab) Off When Leen Ezzeddine stood before her classmates at Harvard Medical School, the moment could have been framed as a familiar story of immigrant success: a Lebanese woman graduating as a doctor from one of the world’s most prestigious institutions. But Ezzeddine chose to tell a different story.
Al-Aqsa: The moment of peril is here. Will the Muslim world act? Submitted by Ismail Patel on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 10:38 This is the final act of colonisation.
Israeli army issues displacement orders for Beirut's southern suburbs The Israeli army's Arabic spokesperson issued expulsion threats to residents of Beirut's southern suburbs. "If the terrorist organization Hezbollah continues to fire rockets at cities in Israel, the [Israeli army] will respond with a targeted attack on sites in [Beirut's southern suburbs]," Avichai Adraee said in a post on X.
In Tehran, exhausted Iranians are caught between war and the shadow of war Submitted by MEE correspondent on Mon, 06/01/2026 - 14:01 Fear that war will return and hope that it will really end are in equal supply, but very few in Iran trust Trump Iranian women walk past an anti-US mural on a street in Tehran, Iran on 1 June 2026 (Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters) Off Afshin, a 38-year-old living in Tehran, speaks for many Iranians when he describes how he’s feeling, over three months after the US and Israel launched their war on Iran . “We’re exhausted,” he says. “It’s either been war since last summer, or the shadow of war.
Qatar condemns Iran's 'repeated attacks' on Kuwait Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has criticised Iran's attacks on its "sisterly State" Kuwait, considering the moves a "flagrant violation of its sovereignty and a blatant breach of the rules of international law". The Gulf country has expressed its full solidarity with Kuwait, and said that it backs "all measures it takes to preserve its sovereignty and security". Other Gulf states have voiced similar condemnations of Tehran, including Oman and the UAE.
EU is 'ready to contribute' to possbile US-Iran deal EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday said that it was prepared to contribute towards a possible ceasefire deal between the US and Iran through "maritime operations, and economic incentives". "I see a concrete role for the EU in helping to make any eventual agreement durable, whether through maritime operations, economic incentives that support long-term stability or other issues," Kallas said. She added that the bloc is "ready to contribute to a sustainable and peaceful solution", and expressed that they could bring "economic leverage, hard-won nuclear expertise, long-standing relationships with partners across the Gulf, and direct engagement with Iran itself".
Iran says it will not 'tolerate' Israeli attacks on Lebanon The Iranian Armed Forces accused Israel of taking advantage of the US-Iran ceasefire to commit what it described as "blatant aggression" against Lebanon. "We warn the Zionist entity that the continuation of crimes in Lebanon will not be something we can tolerate," the statement added.
Iranian negotiators halt message exchange with US over attacks on Lebanon Iran negotiating team has halted exchanging messages with the US through mediators following attacks on Lebanon, the Tasnim news agency reported on Monday. The negotiators further stressed for the immediate end of military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
Hezbollah says fighting ongoing with Israeli troops near strategic castle Hezbollah said on Monday that its fighters were still battling Israeli forces nearby Beaufort Castle, south Lebanon. The group said in a statement that its fighters were in a "battle of attrition against forces of the Israeli enemy army who are present in the area". On Sunday, Israel announced the capture of the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle and the strategic ridge surrounding it in southern Lebanon, deepening its footprint in the country beyond the demarcation zone known as the "Yellow Line".
Death toll since start of Gaza ceasefire nears 1,000 The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza latest data indicates that at least two people have been killed in the past 24 hours. This brings the death toll since October to 932, with 2,859 others wounded in the same period. Overall, 72,941 people have been killed by near-daily Israeli bombardment and shelling for over two years.
How US law protects Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Submitted by Daniel Tester on Fri, 05/29/2026 - 16:19 For decades Washington has ensured its ally has superior forces - is that about to change? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks at one of the first two F-35 stealth fighters to arrive in the country at Nevatim air force base on 12 December 2016 (AFP) On The US has long been Israel 's most reliable partner in the Middle East, not least during the attacks on Iran in 2025 and 2026. At the heart of this relationship has been Washington’s long-standing policy known as Qualitative Military Edge (QME).
Lebanon's president says country has 'no other choice' but to continue negotiations Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that negotiations are "safer than war", adding that the country has "no other choice". "We have seen, and continue to see, the devastation and consequences of war. Negotiations will not solve the problem overnight, but they are a process that takes time, and we have no other choice," Aoun expressed to press.
Netanyahu doubles down on threats to strike Beirut Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has doubled down on threats vowing to bomb Lebanon's capital of Beirut, adding that he has instructed troop to continue to deepen their invasion of southern Lebanon. "There will not be a situation in which Hezbollah attacks our cities and our citizens and its terrorist headquarters in Beirut, in Dahiyeh, remains out of bounds," he said in a video posted on X captioned with "important update". The Israeli premier said that they are "eliminating Hezbollah strongholds" and that the Lebanese group is "on the run".
