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Questions for Trump's defense secretary fall along partisan lines - Democrats make critical points as Republicans give Hegseth the chance to flaunt war successes

Bipartisan measure includes funding for Secret Service and TSA, but excludes immigration enforcement operations

Keir Starmer pledges crackdown on protesters chanting or displaying antisemitic slogans as terror attack is assessed to be highly likely'Keir Starmer has pledged to crack down on those venerating the murder of Jews" at protest marches as the UK terror threat level was raised to severe in the wake of the Golders Green attack.The prime minister promised to do everything in our power to stamp this hatred out" after meeting emergency workers and community leaders near the scene in north-west London where two Jewish men were stabbed on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Senator Jack Reed says at hearing that defense secretary failed to give Trump accurate picture of war in Iran

President's social post comes after Louisiana postpones primaries to redraw maps just a day after supreme court ruling guts Voting Rights Act

Dozens handed life peerages in apparent concession, enabling their return to red benchesDozens of hereditary peers whose seats have been abolished have had their lawmaking powers restored as Keir Starmer seeks to accelerate changes to the House of Lords.It is understood that 15 Conservative hereditary peers, two Labour and nine crossbenchers have been handed life peerages, enabling their return to the red benches. Continue reading...

Coroner says none of the five civilians killed in incident in Belfast during Troubles should have been shotBritish army soldiers lost control" and used force that was not reasonable" in the killing of five civilians in Northern Ireland in 1972, an inquest judge has ruled.Four of the victims - two teenagers, a father of six and a Catholic priest - posed no risk when they were shot in the Springhill and Westrock areas of west Belfast on 9 July 1972, Mr Justice Scoffield said on Thursday. Continue reading...

Prominent contemporary visual artist explored range of techniques across six decades of work

US president said he was instead nominating radiologist and Fox News contributor Dr Nicole Saphier for the post

Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre's assessment means terror attack highly likely'The UK terrorism threat level has been raised to severe" by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre after the Golders Green stabbings, meaning a terror attack is thought to be highly likely".The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, described Wednesday's attack as a vile act of terrorism. Today, the national threat level has increased to severe', which means a terrorist attack is considered highly likely," she said. Continue reading...

Vehicle was travelling through Juvisy-sur-Orge when it veered off the road and fell in the riverFour people have been rescued from the Seine near Paris after a bus driven by a trainee driver collided with a parked vehicle before plunging into the river.The bus was travelling through the town of Juvisy-sur-Orge, south-east of the French capital, on Thursday when it veered off the road into the Seine, prosecutors said. Continue reading...

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, allegedly stormed the White House correspondents' association dinnerThe man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump by rushing the black-tie press gala in Washington DC at the weekend where the US president was a guest, agreed on Thursday to remain in custody while his federal criminal case moves forward.The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was not planning immediately to contest prosecutors' arguments that he was a danger to the community and should remain in jail, his attorney, Tezira Abe, said during a federal court hearing in the capital. Continue reading...

Global Sumud Flotilla describes interception as violent raid' while Turkey condemns it as act of piracy'Israeli forces have intercepted and detained the crews of at least 22 boats near the Greek island of Crete from a flotilla that is attempting to break Israel's maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid.The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of about 58 vessels carrying people from across 70 countries, departed from Italy on Sunday. Continue reading...

A new reboot of the 1999 horror hit will feature two of the original stars and the directing team as executive producersThe reboot of The Blair Witch Project will now boast those involved with the original as producers after they voiced their frustration.The 1999 indie smash was made for $35,000 but made $248m, becoming one of the most profitable films ever made. Continue reading...

Suleiman had been referred to scheme to try to stop people becoming terrorists in 2020 but case was closed the same year

The candidates standing in the upcoming local elections have been arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial hatredOn BBC Radio Merseyside the presenter, Tony Snell, put it to Kemi Badenoch that Merseyside was a lost cause for the Tories. He said that Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, had been on the programme yesterday. He said that Farage argued that Scousers were down to earth and the Tories they were seen as aloof and remote".Badenoch said no one had ever described her as aloof and remote. When it was put to her that Farage was talking about the party, she said the Tories were the party of working people. Labour were only interested in welfare, she claimed.Nigel Farage can say as much as he wants that he's the one who's down to earth. Someone just gave him a 5m gift to the other day. I don't know what's down to earth about that.Who gets 5m is a gift. If I got 50,000 as a gift, I think people would raise their eyebrows. That's a hundred times that. And he forgot to register it. He forgot that he'd been given 5m. I don't think that's down to earth. So I'm not going to be taking any lessons from Nigel Farage. Continue reading...

US president uses social media post to criticise chancellor over Ukraine, immigration and interfering' in Iran conflictThe Commission was also asked about yesterday's meeting of Hungary's incoming prime minister, Peter Magyar.But we didn't get much more than what we saw in yesterday's social media posts from Magyar and the EU's Ursula von der Leyen. Continue reading...

State's police minister says buyback doesn't focus on keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists and criminals', leaving NSW only clear supporter of plan

Mojtaba Khamenei says Tehran will eliminate enemy's abuses of the waterway' and guard its nuclear and missile programmes

The musician was known for working-class anthem Take This Job and Shove It as well as hits like The Ride and othersDavid Allan Coe, the country singer-songwriter who wrote the working-class anthem Take This Job and Shove It and had hits with You Never Even Called Me By My Name and The Ride among others, has died. He was 86.Coe's wife, Kimberly Hastings Coe, confirmed his death to Rolling Stone on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Mills cites lack of funds as rival to unseat Susan Collins fuels Democratic rift under Donald Trump

First quarter output, driven by AI investment and government spending, rose as oil shock fuels inflation fearsUS gross domestic product (GDP) accelerated 2% in the first three months of 2026, though consumer spending is slowing as the war with Iran continues to impact energy prices.The last GDP reading for the fourth quarter of 2025 showed that US economic growth slowed to a 0.5% pace, largely due to a contraction in government spending after massive layoffs of federal workers last year. The federal government is down 355,000 workers, or 11.8% of the workforce, since October 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Continue reading...

Artist has not yet confirmed whether large statue on plinth in Waterloo Place is by himBanksy's signature has appeared scrawled at the base of a large new statue in central London.The elusive artist, known for his provocative works of graffiti, has not yet confirmed whether the statue is by him. He often posts confirmation on his website shortly after a work is discovered by the public. Continue reading...

Absolutely clear' people are being targeted for being Jewish, says PM as he holds meeting with agencies and ministers

Ruling has gutted provision intended to prevent racial discrimination in voting. Plus, oil tops $126 a barrel to reach highest level since 2022

Bank governor says latest MPC decision is reasonable given unpredictability of events unfolding in Middle East

The 155-page interim report released on Thursday shows how little is known - and can be shared - about the 14 December shooting

Markets spooked as US president appears willing to keep up naval blockade and Iran keeps Hormuz strait all but shut

Move comes as airline industry reacts to uncertainty over Iran war and increase in price of Brent crude

Amber Davidson-Orozco said the family had lost Dodger, their cat, during their move out of CaliforniaA family cat who got lost amid a move from California across the US is said to be settling back into his old ways with his humans at their new home in Georgia after experiencing an unlikely - but long hoped for - reunion more than seven years in the making.As owner Amber Davidson-Orozco put in an interview Wednesday, her cat Dodger still responds to his name and allows her sons to flip him playfully over their shoulders despite an absence from them that to the cat lasted the equivalent of roughly 24 years. Continue reading...

Mother of Kumanjayi Little Baby, whose body was found after five-day search near Alice Springs, says it's going to be so hard to live the rest of our lives without you' Warning: This article contains references to Indigenous Australians who have died

Media tycoon honoured in absentia as critics decry his 20-year sentence under national security lawThe jailed media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai has been awarded Deutsche Welle's freedom of speech award for his contribution to Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement.The German public broadcaster said on Thursday that Lai would be presented in absentia with the 12th iteration of the award on 23 June at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn. Continue reading...

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Former deputy PM has walked a line between loyalty and interventionism since resigning last SeptemberIt is nearly eight months since Angela Rayner quit the cabinet because of her tax arrangements, but some might argue her influence on the government has not gone away. And soon she might return, whether as Keir Starmer's saviour or, perhaps, his usurper.There is increasing speculation that the prime minister could carry out a small-scale reshuffle, primarily to bring back Rayner, his former deputy and one of Labour's political heavyweights. Continue reading...

Fadi Saqr is accused of mass killings of civilians in Tadamon, Damascus, where people say he must face justiceA Syrian rights commission is preparing a case accusing Fadi Saqr, a militia leader within the Assad regime, of involvement in crimes against humanity and war crimes, a senior Syrian official has told the Guardian.Saqr is a former commander of the National Defence Forces (NDF) militia and is widely accused of involvement in the mass killing and forcible disappearance of civilians in the Tadamon neighbourhood of Damascus, as well as other parts of the Syrian capital. Continue reading...

WPP accused of breaching its climate policy after report reveals firm linked to twice as much oil advertising as US rivalsA British advertising conglomerate has helped the oil companies ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and BP spend an estimated $1.5bn (1.1bn) on adverts in the US since the 2015 Paris agreement to tackle the climate crisis, a report shows.London-based WPP was the leading advertising group serving the US's oil industry over the past decade, according to analysis by the climate investigations platform DeSmog. The figure is nearly twice the respective amounts linked to its US rivals Omnicom and Interpublic Group (IPG), which merged in November. Continue reading...

Some travellers spent hours in lines at airport, with kiosks not working, little seating and few staff on hand to helpSome travellers passing through the new EU entry-exit system (EES) have faced huge delays at border checks, with some waiting for up to three hours, airports say.The new rules have gradually been introduced in Europe since October 2025, and came into effect on Friday in the Schengen countries - 25 of the EU's 27 states plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Continue reading...

Consumer insight tracker shows 85% are worried about food prices and a majority think the economy will deteriorateThree million UK households are being forced to skip meals as consumers resort to drastic measures to deal with rising costs, according to a Which? report published on Thursday.The conflict in the Middle East and subsequent surge in oil and raw material prices has led to businesses preparing to raise prices, putting more pressure on household finances and hitting consumer confidence. Continue reading...

Learn Cornish launched few months after language given new level of protectionListeners tuning in to the BBC's latest podcast offering on Friday may find themselves saying dydh da to a language that is enjoying something of a resurgence. The new programme called Learn Cornish will be fronted by the Radio 1 host Danni Diston and includes guests such as the Bafta-winning director Mark Jenkin.Diston, who is from north Cornwall, said that she initially did not know any Cornish other than small words that I've learned growing up and mainly dialect ... [but] the idea would be to learn alongside other people". She will be joined by co-presenter Sarah Buck, a fluent Kernewek speaker, throughout the weekly episodes that are designed to introduce basic phrases in the Cornish language. Continue reading...

Elusive nightingale doing well' at Northward Hill, Kent, but experts cite concerns around loss of habitatThe dawn chorus at RSPB Northward Hill in Kent is a riot of sound: the melodic robin, the two-tone cuckoo, the whitethroat's scratchy warble. Even the garbling geese and mooing cows from the neighbouring Thames marshes add to the symphony.But in late April one energetic singer hogs the limelight. For a few weeks after arriving from West Africa, the nightingale spends the night - and early morning - in complex song. As it searches for a mate and marks its territory, its song is at times as sweet and tuneful as a soul singer, at others as frantic as a car alarm. Continue reading...

The Pitch Perfect star is being sued for defamation by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actor of Wilson's directorial debut, The Deb

Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslims said poor mental health made him admit to crimesThe Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 has been prevented from appealing against his guilty pleas, after one of New Zealand's highest courts said his bid was utterly devoid of merit".Brenton Tarrant, who is responsible for the worst mass shooting in New Zealand's history, asked the court of appeal in February to allow him to appeal against his guilty pleas, claiming harsh prison conditions had affected his mental health and compelled him to admit to the crimes. Continue reading...

Interim report contains 14 recommendations, after inquiry examined agencies' actions before the attack in which 15 people were killed

Treasurer tells Commonwealth Bank podcast that he aims to recognise the decisions that people have taken in the past'

Painting by self-taught artist was chosen by Art Gallery of NSW staff who hang finalists for exhibition, ahead of main prize announcement on 8 May

Indictment accuses high-level officials in Sinaloa of offences such as drug trafficking, weapons offences and kidnappingThe US justice department has charged the governor of Sinaloa and nine other current and former officials for alleged ties to the Sinaloa cartel, accusing them of aiding in the massive importation of illicit narcotics into the United States .Some officials were members of Mexico's progressive ruling party, Morena, posing a political conundrum for Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum as she seeks to offset mounting pressures from the Trump administration. Continue reading...

Human rights commissioner says alleged jailing highlights the growing risks of transnational repression' in Australia

US president's threat comes after Germany's Friedrich Merz suggests Trump team is being outplayed in its negotiations with IranThe US may reduce its number of troops deployed in Germany, Donald Trump has announced, days after the country's chancellor said America was being humiliated" by Iran.In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said his administration was studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time". Continue reading...

Actor and presenter broke his hip, right leg, pelvis and ribs when he gave a talk at CogX festival at O2 Arena in 2023Stephen Fry is suing two companies that organised a tech conference where he was injured in 2023 after falling off the stage, high court documents show.The actor and presenter broke his hip and had multiple breaks in his right leg, pelvis and ribs when he attended the CogX festival at the O2 Arena, where he delivered a talk on artificial intelligence on 14 September 2023. Continue reading...

HAYI has taken responsibility for a string of incidents targeting Jewish sites, but investigators say the latest claim may be opportunistic rather than state-backed