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Nearly 200 people killed in Trump administration's deadly campaign as strikes draw widespread condemnationThe US military launched another strike Tuesday on a vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one man and leaving two survivors.Video posted on social media by US Southern Command shows a boat speeding through water before exploding into flames. Southern Command said it immediately notified the US Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors". Continue reading...

Christian Menefee wins 18th district race after Republican gerrymandering carved up Green's reliably Democratic seatChristian Menefee, a freshman Democratic US representative, beat veteran congressman Al Green on Tuesday in a fierce runoff that was the product of Republican gerrymandering.Last year, the Republican-dominated Texas legislature unveiled a congressional map designed to flip seats in the GOP's favor. Donald Trump had urged the state's lawmakers to safeguard the party's congressional majority. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Former PM says the changes to tax rates are so marginal that no entrepreneurial initiative is likely to be thwarted'Paul Keating has urged Labor to stick to its guns on controversial changes to capital gains tax, warning that exempting commercial assets from the changes would further distort" the economy.Small business and the startup sector are fighting the Albanese government over its plans to shift the 50% capital gains tax discount to an inflation-based model, part of a suite of tax reforms announced in this month's federal budget. Continue reading...

Race had wide implications for Trump's strength heading into midterms, where Paxton will face Democratic candidate James TalaricoKen Paxton, the Donald Trump-backed Texas attorney general, triumphed over incumbent John Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff for senator. His victory signals that even a scandal-plagued candidate can win over the deep red state with the support of the president.After a public service career lasting more than four decades and 18 consecutive campaign wins, tonight we've come up short in this primary runoff," Cornyn said shortly after the race was called. I've always supported the GOP ticket. I intend to do so again this general election." Continue reading...

According to the fire department, incident occurred when a tank containing white liquor, a chemical solution, ruptured

While approval is due soon for $14bn deal, actual deliveries to Taiwan are years away - making Operation Epic Fury' in the Gulf an unlikely causeThe Trump administration's war against Iran should have no impact on arms sales to Taiwan, experts have said, after a US official suggested a pause in the delivery of a key weapons package was due to the Gulf conflict.Analysts told the Guardian that a $14bn arms package left in limbo after Donald Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping could take up to six years to process, and there was a low likelihood" of any true connection between events in Iran and weapons delivery to Taiwan. Continue reading...

Anne Keast-Butler will also warn of narrowing window to stay ahead of China in new era of radical uncertainty'Russia is relentlessly targeting Britain's infrastructure and democracy while there is only a narrowing technological window to stay ahead of a fast-developing China, the head of the spy agency GCHQ will warn in a lecture on Wednesday.Anne Keast-Butler, giving an inaugural annual lecture, will say that the UK is caught in a new era of radical uncertainty" and that the risk of miscalculation" is as high as she has ever seen it as hacker attacks from the two states continue. Continue reading...

Anthony Odiong, charged with sexually abusing three female congregants in Texas, could face life sentenceA jury of eight women and four men was seated on Tuesday in the criminal trial of a Roman Catholic priest who ministered in Texas and south-east Louisiana and was charged with illicitly abusing his status as a clergyman to pursue sex with spiritually vulnerable female congregants.Anthony Odiong, 57, faces five charges of first-degree sexual assault and two such counts in the second degree in Waco, Texas, involving three women whom he met while working there. Continue reading...

Democrat Andy Kim says he saw chaos' at the New Jersey ICE facility amid standoff' between protesters and agentsProtests continued on Tuesday outside an immigration detention center in New Jersey where US senator Andy Kim said he was pepper-sprayed by federal agents the day before during a demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside the facility.Video posted on social media showed Kim, a Democrat representing New Jersey, receiving help from a volunteer on Monday, who is seen pouring water in his eyes outside Delaney Hall in Newark, where detainees have said they are staging a hunger strike against poor conditions and the denial of medical care. Continue reading...

Officials say still not safe for 16,000 people to return home as crews in Orange county work to neutralize damaged tankA crack that formed by chance in an overheated chemical tank in southern California relieved pressure and helped avert a catastrophic explosion, but officials said on Tuesday it still was not safe enough for 16,000 people living closest to the aerospace plant to return home.The crisis forced 50,000 people to evacuate in and near the Orange county city of Garden Grove last week. Most returned home after the crack formed over the Memorial Day weekend, but the risk of a smaller explosion or potential spill kept evacuation orders in place for about a third of residents. Continue reading...

Panel of three judges says congressional map was drawn to intentionally discriminate against Black votersAlabama cannot use a new Republican-friendly map in this year's midterm elections because it was drawn to intentionally discriminate against Black voters, a panel of three federal judges ruled on Tuesday.The decision blocks Alabama from using a congressional map lawmakers passed in 2023 but never went into effect because the same court found it was drawn with intent to discriminate. Alabama was eventually ordered to adopt a map with two majority-Black districts that both elected Democrats. After the US supreme court gutted a major provision of the Voting Rights Act in its Louisiana v Callais ruling in April, Alabama took the extraordinary step of moving its imminent congressional primary and sought to use the 2023 congressional map this year. Continue reading...

Intervention by former PM almost feels designed to inflict maximum annoyance on his party

In highly unusual intervention, ex-PM says his party's almost infinite capacity for self-delusion' makes it likely to lose next election

Extreme early summer event across western Europe also brings highest temperatures for month in UK and IrelandSeven people have died in France in an extreme early summer heat event affecting a swathe of western Europe, with record high temperatures for May recorded for a second day in several countries.In France, which logged its hottest ever May day on Monday and again on Tuesday, the weather agency Meteo France said the heatwave could last through the week and predicted temperatures could reach 39C in some areas. Continue reading...

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Tehran condemns definitive violation' but announces no specific reprisals as negotiations near decisive stage

Three lunar landings are planned for this year in preparation for the construction of a $20bn moon base

Campaigners reject claims that tougher rules will deter hiring - and lock young people out of jobsMinisters should press ahead with a ban on zero-hours contracts, campaigners say, despite claims by business leaders that it would deter hiring and lock out more young people from the labour market.Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the union umbrella organisation the TUC were among eight signatories to a letter to the department of business and trade, calling on the government to ignore the noise" from businesses, which want zero-hours contracts to remain. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Robert Kenyon has been linked to vaccine scepticism and advised a person with the virus to stop having boosters'The Reform UK candidate in this month's Makerfield byelection appeared to express doubt over the seriousness of Covid and the efficacy of vaccines for the virus in another tranche of messages unearthed from now-deleted social media posts.Previously seen messages from Robert Kenyon showed him interacting with far-right figures and expressing strong support for Donald Trump. Separately, the broadcaster Carol Vorderman has asked Kenyon to apologise for disgusting comments" he made about her on X in the past. Continue reading...

Historical events like Spanish Inquisition show the velocity' at which rumours move to conviction, says Celebrity Traitors contestantHistory might explain why Faithfuls find it so difficult to root out Traitors in the hit BBC show, suggests one member of the Celebrity Traitors cohort, who were record-breakingly bad at the game.The roundtable - where contestants discuss who should be cast out - was somewhat frightening" because of the velocity in which something goes from a suspicion to belief, to faith, to condemnation", said the broadcaster and historian David Olusoga. Continue reading...

Age limits and changes to allegedly addictive design features could be in place by the end of the yearLabour is expected to announce a social media crackdown within weeks as the prime minister, Keir Starmer, on Tuesday said he would act very, very quickly" despite splits between campaigners and child safety experts on what the new rules should be.New limits on social media access for children could be presented before the Makerfield byelection next month after an avalanche of responses to a public consultation have been analysed with the help of an AI system called Consult and an expert panel led by an eminent paediatrician. The consultation closes on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Temperature reaches 35.1C at Heathrow on Tuesday after 34.8C high at Kew Gardens in London on Monday

Dana Weinger was dining outside Driftwood Grill in Summerton, South Carolina, when she was hit

Robert's answer is not Reform policy', Yusuf said about an answer that Jenrick gave to journalists days earlierKeir Starmer has said that SNP leaders need to explain why they did not realise that Peter Murrell was stealing more than 400,000 from the party.Asked about yesterday's court proceedings in Edinburgh, where Murrell admitting embezzling money from the party to spend on luxury goods, Starmer said:I think anybody looking at what's happening up in Scotland will be baffled that those at the top of the SNP say they didn't know anything about what was going on, so clearly there are questions that need to be answered. Continue reading...

South East Water says demand has jumped owing to extreme heat but stops short of compulsory measuresSouth East Water has asked members of the public to use water only for essential purposes after demand surged on Monday to 100m litres more than average.After water outages for hundreds of homes across Kent and Sussex over the last three days during record temperatures, the company has asked customers to use water only for drinking, washing and cooking. Continue reading...

Classic starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing will include footage censors decided was too gruesomeHammer Films' horror masterpiece Dracula is to be re-released in UK cinemas in October, including footage believed to have been lost for more than six decades after it was deemed too gruesome for audiences.The 1958 movie starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula and Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing has been fully restored in 4K. Continue reading...

Ursula von der Leyen visiting Lithuania amid drone incursions as diplomats are called over Russian requests for envoys to leave the Ukrainian capitalBack to Ukraine, the EU has summoned Russia's top diplomat in Brussels over Russian warnings telling foreigners and diplomats to leave Kyiv amid planned new strikes on the Ukrainian capital.EU's foreign policy spokesperson Anitta Hipper said on X:[Russian] threat to foreign citizens & diplomats to leave Kyiv is an unacceptable escalation. @eu_eeas summoned the Charge d'Affairs, calling to stop hitting civilians & [Russia] to engage in genuine peace talks starting with a full and unconditional ceasefire.@EUDelegationUA stays in Kyiv."[The threat] shows once more, actually, one thing that we already knew, that Russia is absolutely not interested in any peace and has a total disregard for all the efforts towards the peace." Continue reading...

Joanna Howe says the image was sent to her by a woman ashamed of her abortion, and used it to support rally for Emma and Ruth' in favour of NSW bill

Russia says arrest of Bishop Hilarion, who heads Orthodox congregation in Karlovy Vary, was politically motivated setup'Czech police have released a Russian Orthodox bishop who was detained on suspicion of drug possession, after Moscow condemned the arrest as a politically motivated setup.Bishop Hilarion, also known by his secular name, Grigory Alfeyev, was stopped by police on Sunday in Karlovy Vary, a spa town in western Czechia popular with Russian tourists, after officers discovered containers of a white substance in the boot of his car. Continue reading...

The British-born conductor will replace Gustavo Dudamel as the orchestra's chief conductorThe Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced that Daniel Harding is to be its next music director.The UK-born Harding, 50, will begin his tenure in the 2027/28 season, with an initial contract for six years. Gustavo Dudamel, the orchestra's music director since 2009, leaves the role in August 2026 - the Venezuelan conductor is heading east to become music and artistic director of the New York Philharmonic, but he will retain close connections with the Los Angeles orchestra as its artistic and cultural laureate. Continue reading...

Delay, reportedly due to hardliners, comes amid worsening economic crisis and fears of mass unemployment

Two children among dead after incident at level crossing near town of Buggenhout in Flanders

Jonathan Andic said he was temporarily standing aside as vice-chair of fashion chain after being named a suspect in death of Isak AndicJonathan Andic, son of the Mango founder Isak Andic, is stepping down temporarily as the fashion group's vice-chair after being named a suspect in the investigation into his father's death.In an open letter published on Tuesday, Andic strongly protested his innocence, saying the accusation bore no relation to reality", but that dismantling it" would take a long time. Continue reading...

Some analysts question whether design of Luce, starting at $640,000, lives up to sportscar brand's heritageFerrari's share price has dropped after it revealed a long-awaited first electric vehicle, with a minimalist look created by former Apple design chief Jony Ive that departs from the Italian manufacturer's petrol sportscars.The Luce, starting at $640,000 (545,000), has a range of 329 miles (530km) thanks to its battery capacity of 122 kilowatt hours, the company said, with four motors that can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 2.5 seconds, with a top speed of more than 310km/h (193mph). Continue reading...

Keir Starmer announces review after boys were given non-custodial sentences for rape of two girlsThe court of appeal will review the non-custodial sentences given to three teenage boys for the rape of two girls, Keir Starmer has announced.The boys, two of whom were 15 and one 14 at the time of sentencing, were given youth rehabilitation orders after the judge in the case said he wanted to avoid criminalising these children unnecessarily" and support their reintegration into society. Continue reading...

Peer's comments come as Milburn report is likely to find government has failed to tackle youth unemployment

Broadcaster describes Robert Kenyon, who is standing in Makerfield byelection, as a misogynist and a cowardly man'

Kingfisher, owner of the DIY chain, is top FTSE 100 riser after it says it will stick to full-year profit outlook

Cohort of 12 children and seven women who were held in a Syrian camp arrived in Australia on Tuesday

Neale Daniher, a former AFL footballer and coach, died on Monday, 13 years after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Follow today's news live

Bureau of Meteorology says thunderstorms could bring widespread rainfalls and flash flooding while there are signs of El Nino development'

Sarah Wakefield, Manchester city councillor, to stand for party after initial candidate withdrewThe Green party has announced its new candidate in the Makerfield byelection.Sarah Wakefield, a councillor on Manchester city council, will stand for the party after its initial candidate withdrew from the race. Continue reading...

Police commissioner acknowledges outcome causes significant distress' for 24-year-old Warlpiri man's family and wider community

Temperatures did not fall below 21.3C on Monday night at Kenley airfield in south LondonThe UK experienced a tropical night" on Monday as the record for highest daily minimum temperature in May was broken for the second consecutive day.Temperatures did not fall below 21.3C on Monday at Kenley airfield, in south London, after the UK recorded its hottest May day since Met Office data began, the forecaster said. Continue reading...

Commissioner says multiple witnesses reported a dramatic increase in online hate messages'

Book containing early versions of the Merlin and Grail legends has remained in private hands for 700 yearsIn one illustration, painted on vellum and decorated with gold leaf, the sorcerer Merlin is depicted as a powerful shape-shifter who has transformed into a talking stag. In another, the Knights of the Round Table are shown returning, victorious, from battle.The illustrations appear in one of the earliest manuscripts to tell the tale of King Arthur and the search for the holy grail - a richly illuminated medieval tome which, for more than 700 years, has been in private hands. Continue reading...

Seven years after Lisa Wiese went missing, a police raid on the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light has given her family a glimmer of hopeAs he watched the footage of a convoy of police vehicles driving through the security gates of the headquarters of a religious sect, AbdelRahman Hashem felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe now his two children would get answers to what happened to their mother.The last time the children heard from her was seven years ago. In an email sent from a budget hotel in India, she had written: Mommy loves and misses them so much, so very much ... they are both my best friends and my favorite people in the whole world." Two days later, she disappeared. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: Our Russian affairs reporter on Vladimir Putin's slipping approval and singular goal - as discontent ripples from wider society to the reachers of the KremlinGood morning. There is little doubt that when Vladimir Putin ordered his invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he did not expect his troops to still be embroiled there in 2026. And he surely never envisaged a scaled-down victory parade in Moscow, stripped of military hardware, for fear of Ukrainian drone attacks on his own capital.Putin has survived dangerous moments before, but with the Russian economy stuttering, his popularity is waning - not only with the public but also with the elites who have underpinned his regime for decades. An undoubted master of survival, the unwritten contract the president has with the Russian people is starting to fray.Middle East | The US has launched strikes on southern Iran in a test of the seven-week long ceasefire, as both sides played down hopes for an imminent peace deal even as negotiators from Tehran began new talks in Qatar.UK politics | Rachel Reeves has instructed cabinet colleagues to award government contracts in four critical industries directly to British companies, making clear her irritation that ministers have been sending too much government business abroad.Scotland | Peter Murrell, once one of the most powerful people in British politics, faces a long prison sentence after he admitted to stealing more than 400,000 from the Scottish National party to fund a lavish personal lifestyle.Cost of living | Higher prices could persist over the summer even if ceasefire talks between the US and Iran bear fruit, consumers have been warned, with economic shock waves likely to be felt for many months to come".UK news | The fierce heat sweeping across Europe over the bank holiday weekend has beaten the UK's all-time temperature record for May, with scorching highs of close to 35C. Continue reading...