Investigation follows circulation of videos showing groups climbing out of sewer systems across the city at nightNew York police are investigating a bizarre mystery involving groups of people emerging from the city's manholes in recent weeks.The investigation follows the circulation of multiple social media videos showing people climbing out of sewer systems across the city, all in the middle of the night. Continue reading...
Witness B said in police interview that she pretended to be asleep when allegedly abused as a childA jury in Northern Ireland has heard details of the alleged rape of a child by the former Democratic Unionist party (DUP) leader Jeffrey Donaldson.A police interview with the complainant was played to Newry crown court in Northern Ireland on Tuesday on the sixth day of the former MP's trial for sex offences. Continue reading...
Under new rules, tech companies will be asked to share AI models with government for review before public releaseDonald Trump signed an executive order to create a voluntary framework for the federal government to vet powerful new AI models before they are released. Tuesday's highly anticipated order represents an attempt by the president to tighten his grip on cybersecurity and national security threats posed by AI, tacking against his earlier deregulatory stance. But the voluntary nature of the framework shows that, while Trump has toed a more cautious line on AI than when he first took office last year, he is still reluctant to impose regulations on the tech industry.Under the new guidelines, tech companies would be asked to share their AI models with the government for a voluntary review, up to 30 days before a public release. The Trump administration says doing so will allow them to improve national security, particularly with regards to cybersecurity. Continue reading...
Mexico's president says ambassadors must avoid political affairs after Ron Johnson's post on drug trafficking disputeMexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum on Tuesday appeared to chide Ron Johnson, a US ambassador, for interfering in the country's politics amid rising tensions between her country and Washington over efforts to tackle drug trafficking.It is also very important, and I say this respectfully, to remember that ambassadors should focus on coordination and collaboration," Sheinbaum said during her regular morning news conference. Ambassadors must respect the internal political affairs of their countries." Continue reading...
by Chris Stein (now); Lucy Campbell, Shannon Ho and T on (#761BN)
California voters must decide top two candidates to advance in governor's race; Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, South Dakota and New Mexico also hold primaries
Bill Pulte, who does not have any national intelligence experience, is nicknamed Little Trump' among someDonald Trump's decision to appoint Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence has set off alarm bells in Washington, as a staunch Trump loyalist with little government experience who has shown an eagerness to retaliate against the president's political rivals will now sit atop the US intelligence apparatus.Pulte, whose grandfather started PulteGroup, a major residential homebuilder, had no government experience before Trump appointed him to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), an under-the-radar regulator that oversees the government lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Shortly after arriving at the agency, he began to gut it, firing sizable chunks of the boards of both and appointing himself as chair. Pulte had no government experience before being appointed to the role and does not have national intelligence experience. Continue reading...
by Andrew Gregory Health editor, in Chicago on (#761N4)
Durvalumab shows promising results in trial led by London-based Institute of Cancer ResearchDoctors are hailing a drug that spares bladder cancer patients life-changing" surgery and stops tumours coming back.Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the world. Advanced or aggressive forms are often treated with surgery to remove the entire bladder, with patients left having to find alternative ways to pass urine for the rest of their life. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now) and Taz Ali (earlier) on (#761B2)
The US secretary of state added that Iran must also commit to specific negotiations on the disposition of highly-engaged uranium.Israel's weapons exports has reached an all-time high for a fifth year running, according to the country's defence ministry.In a statement, it said: Israel's all-time defence export record has been broken for the fifth consecutive year, with $19.2bn in 2025 - a nearly 30% surge compared to the previous year, more than doubling in five years and quadrupling in a decade." Continue reading...
Home secretary says officer wrongly linked to case had to relocate after footage emerged of victim being handcuffed while dyingBBC Scotland has more details of the Peter Murrell hearing this morning on its live blog. And, on its live blog, Sky News has pictures of some of the items purchased by Murrell with stolen SNP funds.Andy Burnham will not call an early election if he becomes prime minister after the Makerfield byelection, a spokesperson for the Greater Manchester mayor has said. Continue reading...
Avon and Somerset police's contact with Jo Shaw and ex-partner to be scrutinised after pair died in explosion on 3 MayThe death of a woman killed after her former partner forced his way into a house in Bristol with explosives is to be investigated by the police watchdog.Jo Shaw, 35, sustained fatal injuries in the blast in the Frenchay area of the city on 3 May. Her former partner, Ryan Kelly, 41, was also killed in the explosion. Continue reading...
High-profile reporters reject accusations of revelling in drama, saying politicians are the people addicted to crisis'Politicians, not reporters, are responsible for driving a decade of chaos in Westminster, prominent political editors have said, after accusations that the media have become addicted to political crises.Britain could yet appoint its seventh prime minister since the Brexit vote 10 years ago, after the turmoil that has engulfed Keir Starmer's leadership since Labour's May election results. Continue reading...
Critics from both sides and legal scholars say slush fund' is scheme that will help January 6 riotersA legal and political firestorm is growing over the $1.776bn anti-weaponization" fund Donald Trump's justice department has launched to pay alleged victims of lawfare", but that ex-DoJ officials and legal experts call corrupt" and a slush fund" for Maga allies that benefits the president.Congressional critics from both parties and legal scholars have attacked the fund as an opaque scheme that will improperly help January 6 insurrectionists, some of whom said they intend to apply for grants, while echoing Trump's false claims that Joe Biden's administration was weaponized" against them. Continue reading...
Wetter weather expected to bring surge of slugs out of hiding, just as strawberries experience bumper early cropEntomologists in England are expecting a surge in slugs coming out of hiding to munch the nation's strawberry plants after weeks of sun followed by wetter weather has caused a bumper crop.The Royal Horticultural Society is bracing for a surge in inquiries from its 625,000 members, who write in with their garden gripes. Workers at the RHS have also noticed a spate of slugs in the charity's gardens, including Wisley in Surrey.Slugs love a young, vulnerable seedling, so transplant sturdy plantlets grown in pots. These can then be given some protection with cloches.The leaf-munching creatures are excellent for compost heaps as they get rid of dead and decaying matter, helping turn your waste into lovely compost. So why not go out with a torch on a mild evening while the weather is damp, and hand pick slugs into a container? These can then be placed either into a compost heap, where they can feast on all your garden waste, or near less vulnerable plants.Some gardeners do strategic planting, making sure to put plants slugs find delicious near their favourite plants so these are eaten instead.Why not dig a pond to encourage frogs, which will do slug elimination for you without the guilt of setting down poison pellets or drowning them in beer. It's better for the ecosystem, too.Encourage birds with a bird feeder - especially during spring when the young can be fed with a juicy snail.Raking over soil and removing fallen leaves during winter can allow birds to eat slug eggs that have been exposed. Continue reading...
High court in Edinburgh hears 125K vehicle was described as a van in faked invoice and stocked with luxury goodsThe luxury motorhome that Peter Murrell bought using money stolen from the Scottish National party was driven for only four miles, sitting unused for more than two years.Murrell, then the SNP's chief executive, drove the 124,550 Niesmann+Bischoff vehicle from the dealers at Halbeath in Fife in January 2021 to his mother's home in Dunfermline - a cost of 31,138 a mile.A hand-chased silver wine coaster from Hamilton & Inches worth 3,500 which was described as spending on leadership expenses".A 23 egg poacher was listed in SNP records as computer hardware purchases - internet cabling"An 81,000 Jaguar I-Pace SUV was identified as stage payment" in a fake invoice.The 3,070 cost of a robotic Husqvarna lawnmower, found by police at the home he then shared with Sturgeon, was listed as legal fees". Continue reading...
Change backed by labor department would expose workers to greater financial risk, letter shared with Guardian saysCongressional Democrats are strongly opposing a US Department of Labor proposal that would allow 401(k) investments to include cryptocurrency, private credit and private equity assets, arguing the change will expose workers to riskier and more complex investments.In a letter shared exclusively with the Guardian, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren and House education and workforce committee ranking member Bobby Scott of Virginia, argued the rule would expose an estimated $14.2tn of 401(k) retirement savings to volatile assets and would probably not withstand a challenge in court. Continue reading...
Officials say law will improve migration management by allowing more deportations of undocumented peopleEU politicians have promised to increase deportations of undocumented migrants, under a new law that critics say mimics elements of the Trump administration's brutal immigration crackdown.Finalising a key element of an overhauled EU asylum and migration system, politicians have agreed a regulation that will enable national authorities to raid people's homes to enforce deportation orders. Continue reading...
At least 18 killed, dozens injured and others trapped under collapsed buildings after attacks on five Ukrainian citiesVolodymyr Zelenskyy has asked Donald Trump to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine after a devastating Russian attack killed at least 18 people and injured dozens more.Russia launched 73 missiles and 656 drones at Ukraine overnight, according to the air force, including eight hypersonic Tsirkon missiles. The main targets were Kyiv, the central cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia, and the eastern cities of Poltava and Kharkiv. Continue reading...
Social Democrat stays on for third consecutive term as PM and will outline key policies by the end of TuesdayDenmark's new government is preparing to formally present its political programme after Mette Frederiksen negotiated a third consecutive term as prime minister, this time at the head of a four-party, left-leaning minority coalition.Announced late on Monday, the agreement between Frederiksen's Social Democrats, the Social Liberals, the Green Left and the centrist Moderates ended two months of uncertainty after March elections in which 12 parties won seats in parliament. Continue reading...
Emily Thornberry criticises Israel's staggering' sense of impunity and rebukes Donald Trump for abandoning GazaThe UK government has let the Palestinian people down and failed to make it economically impossible for Israel to continue to act with impunity in the West Bank and Gaza, the Labour chair of the foreign affairs select committee, Emily Thornberry, has said.She accused her own government of lacking ambition and wringing its hands on the Palestinian crisis, and she also chastised Donald Trump for declaring a ceasefire in Gaza and then walking away, leaving Gazans to live in rubble. Continue reading...
Kevin Minto's discovery near Ilminster, showing goddess Victoria, has been acquired with coin hoard for 78,000When Kevin Minto, a lorry driver, former soldier and keen metal detectorist, came upon something glinting in a Somerset field, he thought at first it was a coin - potentially quite interesting, probably not amazing.But the object turned out to be extraordinary: a gold Roman ring, unusually large and exquisitely crafted, set with a finely engraved gemstone depicting the goddess Victoria driving a two-horse chariot. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Its software is used from health services to militaries. But controversies and criticism of the $375bn company are leading some to ask if Palantir is too powerfulGood morning. The Peter Mandelson story keeps unfolding. Peter Walker explains here what is in the latest release of documents, and Henry Dyer takes a look at the key papers missing from the latest disclosures. But today we are covering another major story - Palantir.Few companies attract controversy more than Palantir. Since the pandemic, the US data analytics company has grown voraciously, using its AI-driven software to make sense of intractable datasets for customers around the world. For the NHS, it analyses patient records; for the US military, it's focused on targets in Iran. Palantir's products are widely used, with the business now worth $375bn.UK politics | Peter Mandelson was receiving sensitive security briefings about the Foreign Office's work, and was in discussions with the head of MI6, before he had completed the developed vetting process, documents reveal.Ukraine | Russian air raids on major Ukrainian centres including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv killed at least five people and wounded dozens by early morning on Tuesday, authorities said.Environment | More than a million jobs, higher wages, nearly half a trillion pounds in investment in the pipeline - the UK's green economy is powering ahead, according to research by the country's leading business organisation.US news | Donald Trump is reconsidering whether to keep pressing for a $1.8bn fund to compensate his allies, a person familiar with his thinking said, as the justice department paused the program to comply with a court order.UK news | Sir Alan Bates has said that the schemes set up to compensate post office operators over the Horizon IT scandal have been an utter disaster" and that the government should not be involved in running them. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#7618W)
Younger graduates, with experience of the fee system, are more disillusioned than those who did not pay fees, according to the surveyThere was a time when going to university seemed a no-brainer. Better qualifications opened doors to better jobs with greater earning potential.But with the graduate premium shrinking, mounting anger about spiralling student debt and growing fears about AI eating into the graduate jobs market, it is not surprising that attitudes are shifting. Continue reading...
John McFall prepares for mission to Haven-1 space station after UK Space Agency signs deal with US startup VastA British Paralympian and surgeon could become the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit after the government signed a deal with a US company that is building a small commercial space station.John McFall, a member of the European Space Agency (Esa) astronaut reserve, was cleared for activities in orbit last year and could take part in a mission to the Haven-1 space station soon after its proposed launch in 2027. Continue reading...
by Adam Fulton, Lucy Campbell, Tom Ambrose, Hayden Ve on (#760E2)
This blog is now closed. See our full report: Trump says Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to stop all shooting'The exchange of strikes between the US and Iran reflects the fragility of the current ceasefire, which has seen repeated violations even as American and Iranian officials try to negotiate a deal to extend it.Iran has maintained its chokehold on the strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy supplies as a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded once passed through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf. The US continues to enforce its own blockade on the strait, as it pressures Tehran to reach an agreement. Continue reading...
Lively's legal team are suing her It Ends with Us co-star for legal fees and damages, reigniting a years-long court battleAttorneys for US actor Blake Likely were back in front of a New York judge on Monday to demand legal fees and damages from It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni, after a settlement was reached last month in their years-long legal battle.The 38-year-old actor's legal team argued that the defamation lawsuit brought against her by Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, was a retaliatory move prohibited by California law. Continue reading...
Net zero industry accounts for more than a million jobs and benefits whole country, according to CBI EconomicsMore than a million jobs, higher wages, nearly half a trillion pounds in investment in the pipeline - the UK's green economy is powering ahead, according to research by the country's leading business organisation.The net zero economy, which is worth more than 100bn a year, benefits all of the UK, according to the CBI Economics analysis commissioned by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit thinktank, despite critics who want to abolish the UK's net zero targets. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#7615R)
Party could struggle to push ratings as strategy increasingly focuses on views held by minority of voters, research findsReform UK is becoming increasingly reliant on socially conservative views for political support, and therefore could struggle to push its poll ratings much higher, a large-scale research project led by the leading psephologist John Curtice has found.A study of Nigel Farage's party carried out as part of the British Social Attitudes report found that while Reform supporters were disproportionately more likely to be unhappy with politicians and public services, recent recruits had seemingly more robust attitudes in areas such as diversity and welfare. Continue reading...
Teachers associated with CNTE union were marching toward Zocalo for salary raises and reversal of pension lawsRiot police fired teargas at teachers who were marching toward Mexico City's historic Zocalo plaza, just days before the square is expected to host the 2026 World Cup Fan Fest". The incident is the second time police have clashed with teachers in the past week, and more conflict is likely as Mexico City prepares to hold the opening game of the Fifa World Cup on 11 June.This event will have to be suspended," Filiberto Frausto, a union leader, told AFP, which witnessed police firing teargas on 1 June. A cause like ours should be far above - it's far more important than a little bit of distraction and fun." Continue reading...
State sues maker of ChatGPT and CEO Sam Altman, alleging company allowed a dangerous product to reach millions'Florida filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and its CEO, Sam Altman, on Monday alleging that the company concealed serious safety risks with its chatbot. Florida is the first state in the US to sue the artificial intelligence company.The 83-page suit was brought by Florida's attorney general, James Uthmeier, and alleges that OpenAI aggressively marketed" ChatGPT to the public while ignoring safety warnings and possible dangers of the product. Continue reading...
London mayor says Soho Society's decision to challenge all new licensing applications is bad' for citySadiq Khan, the London mayor, has suggested he will overrule a residents' society that has vowed to challenge all new applications for pubs and restaurants in Soho.The Guardian revealed last week that the Soho Society, a residents' group established in 1972 aimed at preserving the character of Soho", voted for a new licensing mandate, meaning it will challenge all new applications for bars and restaurants in the area, including renewals of existing licences. Continue reading...
Documents also reveal internal Labour criticism of Keir Starmer in embarrassing detailPeter Mandelson was receiving sensitive security briefings about the Foreign Office's work, and was in discussions with the head of MI6, before he had completed the developed vetting process, newly released documents reveal.Declassified emails show the ambassador designate and Richard Moore, the former chief of MI6 - a role known as C" - had agreed to meet in early January 2025 before Mandelson went to Washington. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Mukund Krisha says he is proud' of his record at staff association after allegations of fraudThe former head of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) who was arrested on suspicion of corruption has told the Guardian he is confident he will be entirely exonerated" and is proud" of his record at the organisation.Mukund Krishna, who was the chief executive of the staff association, is facing claims of financial wrongdoing and had his contract terminated on Sunday. Continue reading...
Emails and WhatsApp messages reveal string of exchanges with ministers when he was president of Global CounselPeter Mandelson, as president of his then advisory firm Global Counsel, lobbied hard for ministers to attend his events and to meet his firm's staff in the months following Labour's general election win, newly released documents reveal.Emails and WhatsApp exchanges show how active the Labour peer was in the wake of the election to work his contacts within government to the potential advantage of both his company and his then campaign to be chancellor of Oxford University. Continue reading...
by Sally Weale Education correspondent on (#76108)
About 20 students report anonymous late-night phone calls from men who intimidated, demeaned and belittled' themThe University of Manchester has launched an investigation after about 20 female medical students complained of receiving anonymous phone calls in the middle of the night from male callers who intimidated and sexually harassed them.The calls have been going on for at least three years, according to Charlotte Buttercase, a final-year medical student and one of those targeted. Continue reading...
Dozens of former news staffers press David Ellison to commit to fair coverage in wake of major firings on the showSeveral dozen veterans of CBS News - including many former 60 Minutes employees - signed a letter to the Paramount Skydance CEO, David Ellison, on Monday, pressing him to commit to the show's editorial independence four days after network management fired several top staffers and correspondents.On Thursday, the CBS News editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, and president, Tom Cibrowski, ousted the show's executive producer, executive editor and two prominent correspondents, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Both Alfonsi and Vega released blistering statements alleging that the show's editorial independence had been compromised for political purposes. Continue reading...
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