The violent disturbances occurred in a nationalist area yet played out against a backdrop of union jacksAs the racially motivated violence unfolded in Northern Ireland this week, a striking dissonanace could be seenbehind the mobs and flames and smoke.The knife attack that triggered the disturbances occurred in a nationalist area yet the mayhem played out against a backdrop of union jacks and loyalist murals. Continue reading...

US president dismisses Iranian media reports agreement is close, despite earlier suggesting a deal could be signed this weekend

Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, was killed while executing search warrants related to a shooting at US consulateAuthorities in Canada are investigating whether the killing of a Toronto police officer while he was executing search warrants related to a shooting at the city's US consulate is linked a broader series of global terror attacks.Constable Marc Pinizzotto, 43, a member of the emergency taskforce, was killed on Thursday during a dawn search of an apartment building in the west of the city. Continue reading...

Amid rhetoric, market uncertainty and tit-for-tat exchanges, the two sides are still trying to find a way out of the impasseGreat news! Donald Trump has said the US and Iran are on the verge of a peace agreement. Oil prices are down, and the stock market is up. This comes only hours after Trump warned Iran was about to be struck VERY HARD", a threat that had sent oil prices up and stocks down.It has been another ride on the Trump rollercoaster, keeping traders on edge, most of the world poorer, and people of the Middle East constantly whiplashing between fear and hope. But whether the ride veers up or down, the management always makes money. Continue reading...

Government confirms Jarvis's move from role as security minister to replace John HealeyRyan Henderson, assistant chief constable for the Police Service of Northern Ireland, is about to hold a press conference about last night's rioting.Andy Burnham is facing criticism after saying that he thinks the Waspi women should be entitled to some" compensation.I'll stick by the Waspi women because they deserve some recompense for the unfairness.One government figure decried Burnham's intervention as pathetic", adding: He can't say no to anyone."An ally of Sir Keir Starmer likened Burnham's economic agenda to that of hard-left former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and argued that the mayor's intervention would harm his chances of manoeuvring the prime minister out of Downing Street.Andy Burnham's continued support for Waspi women is both welcome and hugely refreshing. While some politicians have broken their promises, it takes real courage to speak out and say what millions of people across the country and hundreds of MPs from all parties already know - that 1950s-born women deserve justice.Andy has always recognised the unfair way in which state pension equalisation was introduced.As mayor of Greater Manchester, he supported Waspi women in the city-region with early access to concessionary travel, providing some recompense to them within affordability limits. Continue reading...

Woman, 58, was last heard from Monday afternoon and her car was found the next day

Long-awaited course to examine human effects on natural world and explore everyday ways to aid biodiversitySchool pupils will learn how to plant a wildflower-friendly garden, according to long-awaited plans announced on Thursday for a natural history GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.Campaigners have for more than a decade called for the study of biodiversity loss and global heating to be introduced as a dedicated subject in classrooms across the country, but despite a curriculum being previously drawn up, its launch has faced repeated delays. Continue reading...

Hundreds of Labour activists and MPs have made the pilgrimage' to the seat, where they are pounding the streetsFor a few short weeks, the centre of political gravity in Britain has shifted from the Palace of Westminster to the bar of a former Labour club in Wigan.In London, even as Keir Starmer insists he will fight to stay in No 10, the walls seem to be crumbling around him, especially with Thursday's resignation of the defence secretary, John Healey. Continue reading...

There is no narrative to convince the British public that difficult economic decisions on defence will be worth it

State admits former Greens candidate entitled to damages and agrees to pay medical costs, but denies malicious prosecution and malfeasance in public office

Platner, whose campaign was hit by series of negative headlines, to face Susan Collins in key midterm contestGraham Platner, a Marine veteran, oyster farmer and progressive activist, has scaled a mountain of personal controversies to win the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Maine.His victory on Tuesday caps a remarkable rise for a candidate who has never held elected office and whose campaign was shadowed by negative headlines that might have ended a more conventional political career. Continue reading...

Texas trial, which lasted a week, drew national attention due to race, as Anthony is Black and Austin Metcalf was whiteFollowing a trial that lasted just one week from jury selection to verdict, a Collin county, Texas, jury found Karmelo Anthony, now 19, guilty of murder in the fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf last year.The closely watched trial drew national attention, with viral social media posts that highlighted the racial composition of the case: Anthony is Black; Austin was white. Attorneys selected 12 jurors and six alternates for the trial; none of the jurors was Black. Continue reading...

Thirty-nine people taken near Magamin Diddi village in Maradun municipality, north-west Zamfara state, police sayArmed bandits in north-west Nigeria abducted dozens of villagers whom they invited to a meeting about potential peace negotiations, authorities and residents said on Monday, highlighting the region's worsening security.According to local police, 39 people were seized on Sunday during a meeting in the forest near Magamin Diddi village in the Maradun municipality of north-west Zamfara state. But some residents and officials believe the number of those abducted could be as high as 50. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. For the latest, read more of our coverage on the Middle East conflict here.Iranian media is reporting that there were no immediate casualties following apparent Israeli strikes on the Karun petrochemical plant in Mahshahr, a city in Iran's southwestern Khuzestan province.According to the Fars news agency, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they responded to what they described as an American-Israeli strike on the Iranian petrochemical site by launching a missile attack on a similar plant in the northern Israeli city of Haifa. Continue reading...

Tehran official had promised decisive and painful' reply to Israeli bombing of apartment buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs

Pontiff urges followers to dedicate themselves to our brothers and sisters, to the poor, to those who suffer'More than a million people filled the streets of Madrid to join Pope Leo in an open-air mass where the American pontiff appeared to emphasise the disconnect between Christian values and far-right politics, telling worshippers: No one can kneel before the Lord and despise their brother."Queues to access the mass began forming hours before the sun rose on Sunday as people scrambled to secure a spot for what was billed as the biggest gathering of the pope's week-long visit to Spain. Continue reading...

Pontiff to make marginalised a focus of first papal visit since 2011 including meeting with migrants in the CanariesPope Leo has urged political leaders to seek unity, rather than divide their populations for political gain, and said they must fight for peace, in the opening speech of his tour in Spain.The pope has made the marginalised a focus of his visit - his first tour of an EU country, apart from Italy - including meeting homeless people in Madrid and migrants in the Canary Islands. The pope, who has clashed with the US president, Donald Trump, over his immigration policies and war with Iran, said his visit was aimed at setting an example of respecting every human being". Continue reading...

Hanson's party is leading in the polls, but it has a long way to go before being recognised as a serious political outfit

Daniel Frost admits throwing bins at police and Matt Styler pleads not guilty to assaulting officerA man has admitted throwing bins at officers and arming himself with a makeshift knuckle duster during the disorder in Southampton after the sentencing of a man for the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.Daniel Frost, 44, from Southampton, admitted violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon when he appeared before a district judge on Thursday. Continue reading...

Nauran government says its citizens are friendly' after MP spoke of serious threats allegedly made against former Australian detainees

The economy was slowing even before the Middle East conflict and interest rate hikes started to bite, while the boom in datacentres was a rare bright spot

Greens support needed to pass proposed changes but party concerned it will give government sweeping discretionary powers

Mackenzie Swift entered the River Don in Mexborough on Saturday evening and failed to emergeA body has been found in the search for an 11-year-old boy who went missing after entering the River Don in South Yorkshire on Saturday.Mackenzie Swift entered the river in Mexborough at around 8pm and failed to emerge, prompting a police search. Continue reading...

Lawyer and Trump admirer has risen rapidly in the polls and will face Ivan Cepeda in election runoff in three weeksThe far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella won the first round of Colombia's presidential election on Sunday and will face senator Ivan Cepeda, the candidate backed by leftwing president Gustavo Petro, in the runoff.With 100% of ballots counted, the outsider and Donald Trump admirer Espriella secured 43.7% of the vote - just over 10.3m votes - compared with 40.9% (about 9.6m votes) for Cepeda, a philosopher and human rights activist who has served as a senator since 2014. Continue reading...

Interior minister says 57 officers injured as rioters set fires and vandalise shops in about 15 citiesFrench police have detained 780 people involved in violent clashes in Paris and other French cities that erupted on Saturday night after Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal to win the Champions League.The interior minister, Laurent Nunez, said 57 officers were wounded, with most suffering minor injuries, as football fans set off fires and vandalised shops. One small group even tried to storm a Paris police station. Continue reading...

Israeli offensive marks deepest incursion into country in 26 years and comes shortly before talks due to be held in the US

Proposal requires Rene Haas to steer US-listed British company to exceptional growth metrics'The chief executive of Arm is in line for a pay package that would make him a billionaire if he hits targets to turn the microchip firm into the UK's first trillion-dollar company.Arm, which is listed in New York but retains its global headquarters in Cambridge, has proposed a pay scheme for Rene Haas in which he will receive generous annual share awards plus a maximum bonus of $800m if he can hit certain exceptional growth metrics". Continue reading...

Environment minister Murray Watt decides against emergency declaration to halt construction but does not rule out longer term protections'

Barratt Redrow boss says rising interest rates, higher student debt and squeeze on wages hitting property dream

The $1,000 tax deduction, $250 working Australians tax offset', and CGT and negative gearing changes will benefit most young people, Treasury secretary says

Outdoor clothing company is suing US environmentalist drag performer for $1 plus legal fees, claiming we wish we didn't have to do this'Patagonia has launched a trademark lawsuit against an environmentalist drag queen named Pattie Gonia, who has accused the outdoor clothing company of trying to erase an activist".Wyn Wiley, who performs as Pattie Gonia, has accumulated millions of followers online for their environmental activism, raising almost $4m for non-profits so far. Last year they raised $1m while hiking 100 miles in full drag from Point Reyes national seashore to San Francisco. Continue reading...

The UN's special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, on the war in Gaza, living under US sanctions and accusations of antisemitismFor a brief period this month, the human rights lawyer Francesca Albanese seemed to have some relief.In an extraordinary move in July last year, the Trump administration placed sanctions on the UN's special rapporteur for Palestine - placing her alongside figures such as Vladimir Putin and Bashir al-Assad - over her engagement with the international criminal court. Continue reading...

Channel quietly debuts over weekend with Only in Monroe video days after Thursday's final Late Show episodeStephen Colbert hasn't even been off the air for a week, but is already causing some hubbub with the launch of a new YouTube channel that has garnered more than 120,000 subscribers.The popular late-night host, who aired his final episode of The Late Show last Thursday, quietly debuted the channel over the weekend with a single video titled: Only In Monroe --- May 22, 2026." Continue reading...

Police officer in charge says budget could reach 19.3m and nearly 100 more investigators are neededThe police criminal inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal faces a five-year delay unless it is handed millions in extra funding and nearly 100 more staff, according to the chief officer in charge.The Metropolitan police commander Stephen Clayman said he needed to nearly double the number of investigators to 210 to meet a deadline of late next year or early 2028 for submitting files to prosecutors. Continue reading...

Analysis of party's proposed cuts also suggests it would get rid of two-thirds of psychologists who support prison staffA Reform UK plan to cut the size of the civil service would involve sacking more planning officers than exist and getting rid of at least two-thirds of the psychologists who support prison officers' welfare, it has emerged.The policy paper, led by the Reform MP Danny Kruger and published in December, promises to save more than 5bn a year by cutting civil service roles, with the full-time-equivalent (FTE) headcount falling by 13%. Continue reading...

Animal and Plant Health Agency forced to release reports showing scale and cause of deaths on some fish farmsMillions of fish deaths caused by accidental poisoning and suffocation on Scottish salmon farms have been revealed after the inspection agency was forced to share its reports.The UK government's Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) had refused to release inspection reports, claiming it would cause significant detriment" to companies, including to their reputations. Continue reading...

Outrage as leaked documents reveal mining giant's backsliding on commitments to slash emissions

One of the last stars of the bebop generation, Rollins was an genius of melodic invention and improvisation, working with Davis, Monk, Coltrane and othersSonny Rollins, one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time, has died aged 95.His death was announced on his website on Monday, with deep sorrow and profound love". His publicist Terri Hinte also confirmed the news. Continue reading...

Event organisers blame unforeseen technical difficulties' for the drone malfunction, with four performances cancelled

Australia now a top-three global player in batteries, and renewable energy met nearly half of the nation's power in 2025

Fifa approached Mexico after US declined to host Iran squad despite it playing group games in the United StatesMexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Monday her government agreed to allow the Iranian national football team to stay in Mexico during the World Cup, adding that the US did not want to host the team.The team will still play its group stage matches in the US but its base has been moved to Tijuana, Mexico, just south of San Diego, California, a move that Iran's football federation announced recently and that was formally confirmed by Fifa, the sport's governing body, on Monday. Continue reading...

Hezbollah and Israel launch attacks amid increasingly imperilled ceasefire and stalling talks between US and Iran

Mercury in Spain also climbs to well above normal with weather event set to continue for several more daysMore than 350 French towns have recorded their highest-ever temperatures for May as France and the UK set national heat records amid an extreme early-summer heat event that could see the mercury rise to 40C in parts of Spain by the end of the week.The UK's Met Office said the country's all-time record for May was broken when a temperature of 34.8C was recorded at London's Kew Gardens. Continue reading...

Head of Early Years Alliance says additional charges paid by parents represent cross-subsidy'Parents of nursery children in England are being charged extra fees to cover for government underfunding of free childcare hours, with some paying thousands of pounds a year for consumables such as food, wipes and nappies, campaigners have said.The comments came as the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, asked the competition watchdog to investigate hidden extra charges that parents have encountered when trying to access government-funded childcare. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Former health secretary's intervention comes as government closes consultation on age limits for platformsSocial media companies should be treated like the tobacco industry, Wes Streeting has argued, as he called for a ban on under-16s accessing certain platforms.Speaking publicly about the prospect of a ban for the first time since he left government, the former health secretary said one was needed because large technology companies were trying to dodge regulations. Continue reading...

Senior lawyers call on prime minister to request Indian prosecutors drop charges that would breach double jeopardy ruleFour senior lawyers, including the former attorney general Dominic Grieve, have written to Keir Starmer urging him to request that Indian prosecutors drop charges against the British national Jagtar Singh Johal on the basis that continued prosecution would be in manifest breach of the double jeopardy rule which prevents someone being tried twice for the same offence.Johal has been held in an Indian jail for eight years, and in March last year was acquitted of the terrorist charges laid against him in a court in Punjab. The court found the prosecutors had miserably failed" to present any reliable evidence, despite having had seven years to do so. Continue reading...

Tom Kopke from Germany out-tumbles local hero Chris Anderson on a meltingly hot day in GloucestershireIt was billed as the great cheese-off: a helter-skelter, bone-jarring downhill race between the all-time champ and a young upstart.After the hype and hyperbole, youth won out as the 24-year-old German YouTuber Tom Kopke beat the 38-year-old local hero Chris Anderson at the annual cheese-rolling event in the English West Country. Continue reading...

Police launch murder investigation after incident in early hours of bank holiday Monday outside One Four One barA 30-year-old woman has died after being shot outside a bar in a busy area in Sheffield city centre.South Yorkshire police have launched a murder investigation after the incident in the early hours of this morning outside the One Four One bar on West Street. Continue reading...

Region adapting to diminished US power after Washington fails to land knockout blow on Tehran or safeguard allies

Changes to political funding and the need for crossbenchers to remain relevant are driving discussions but some independents are opposed