Minimalist News

The Modern “Red Calendar” And The Death Of Pride Month Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us In the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution and the takeover of Russia in 1917 (largely funded by international elites), the new communist regime sought to implement what I would call “propaganda saturation” – An avalanche of policies designed to secure the red army’s political power by manufacturing false consensus. It should be noted that, even at the peak of the Bolshevik movement’s influence, the reds only represented around 23% of the total Russian population and were never a majority. However, they had substantial monetary

Beijing Bans Four New Zealand MPs For "Crossing Red Line" With Taiwan Visit In a first, China has banned four New Zealand Members of Parliament for a year over their visit to Taiwan, New Zealand's foreign ministry says. The MPs learned of the ban - which the Chinese Embassy said could be reduced or waived with an apology - when they returned from the trip in May, local media reported on Thursday. On Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said: “ Recently, certain New Zealand members of parliament, disregarding China’s serious concerns and firm opposition, wilfully paid a visit

Satellite Images Expose China’s Massive New 120-Meter Sail-Free Mystery Submarine Authored by Aamir Khollam via Interesting Engineering , China has quietly launched another advanced submarine, signaling the rapid expansion of a naval force that already outpaces Western production rates. ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho class submarine and satellite imagery of China's sailless submarine. Wikimedia Commons and @Mack8miltech on X Fresh satellite imagery shows a large new submarine at Shanghai's Jiangnan Shipyard. The vessel features an unusual "sailless" profile and a highly streamlined hull. Analysts say the design could reflect China's push toward faster, quieter, and harder-to-detect underwater platforms. The launch comes

Trump Decries Communism, Says Its 'Breathtaking Popularity' Turns To 'Death, Destruction, Squalor' Authored by Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times, Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on June 3, President Donald Trump decried communism, saying that the ideology leads to “death, destruction, and squalor.” Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on June 3, President Donald Trump decried communism, saying that the ideology leads to “death, destruction, and squalor.” Trump said that the “free houses,” “free food,” and “free everything” offered by communist ideas “eventually ...… pic.twitter.com/2h7uB6B5Zg — The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) June 4, 2026 Trump said that the

Feds Raid Newport Mansion, Arrest Businessman Accused Of Routing U.S. Technology To Iran Federal authorities arrested 63 year old Newport Coast technology executive Jamshid Ghomi during an early-morning operation at his luxury Orange County residence on Wednesday, according to the NY Post . He faces federal charges related to alleged violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran. Investigators claim Ghomi orchestrated a long-running scheme to obtain American-made networking and computer equipment and funnel it to customers in Iran, including organizations tied to the country's military and nuclear sectors. According to prosecutors, the operation generated millions of dollars and relied on overseas

Mole People? What Are These Individuals Doing In New York Sewers? Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity , New York City's vast underground network has become the unlikely focus of fresh alarm. Surveillance footage shared widely online shows teams of men lifting manhole covers in the middle of the night, descending into the sewers with flashlights, tools, and protective gear, then resurfacing hours later. Police have investigated multiple such episodes, particularly in Brooklyn, yet their public message remains the same: no known threat to safety. That reassurance has failed to settle nerves in a city still scarred by past attacks

Trump Says Accountability Is Coming Over The 'Rigged' 2020 Election In a new, wide-ranging interview on "Pod Force One" with Miranda Devine, President Donald Trump is saying out loud what he says a growing body of evidence increasingly supports: the 2020 election was rigged, the people responsible are known, and something is coming for them. Trump was unambiguous. " We had a rigged election ," he told Devine. "I used to say that a year and a half ago, the election was rigged. And the cameras would literally turn off. Yeah. And the anchor would say, 'Sir, you're not allowed

Texas AG Launches Investigation Into Glyphosate In Food Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times , Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated an investigation into glyphosate contamination in food , with major manufacturers such as PepsiCo and Bayer being subjected to the probe. Workers spray for insects and weeds at a fruit farm in Mesa, Calif., on March 27, 2020. Brent Stirton/Getty Images Glyphosate is a commonly used herbicide applied to genetically engineered crops and is the main ingredient in Roundup weed killer, Paxton's office said in a June 2 statement. In 2015, the World Health Organization's International

The Media Wants To Know Why Men Are Walking Away From Liberal Society? Recent surveys paint what might seem like an apocalyptic picture: In the US, around 45% of men ages 18-25 do not approach women anymore to engage in dating or relationships. Over 42% of all men have no interest in seeking out women for relationships or casual dates. Around 30% of men over 40 years old have never been married and are not necessarily seeking marriage. In light of ongoing concerns about population decline around the world, the first thing most people might say is that men need

DOJ Opens Investigation Into Suspected Race-Based Practices At Arizona State University Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times , The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division has launched a Title VI investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices at Arizona State University (ASU), one of the country's largest public universities. View of the campus of Arizona State University, a public research university located in Phoenix, Arizona. Shutterstock Wednesday's announcement comes after recent viral videos that appear to show university personnel participating in or concealing the handling of distinguishing students by race, color, or national origin. Federal officials noted

Anthropic's Marketing FUD Playbook Returns With Call To Pause AI Frontier Development Anthropic has elevated fear-based marketing to an art form. The company routinely warns the public, lawmakers, and corporate America about looming AI doom scenarios - then conveniently positions itself, its products, safety frameworks, and policy prescriptions as humanity’s best defense. This strategy is hardly new. Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD) works because we're wired to be risk-averse . Nothing grabs attention faster than a well-crafted existential threat. In its latest iteration, Anthropic’s message is that AI models are advancing so rapidly they risk outrunning society’s ability to control

Weingarten Blames Screens, Not Herself, For Falling Test Scores Authored by Aaron Withe and Tina Snider via RealClearPolitics , American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten is sounding the alarm about the decade-long decline in student test scores, pointing to screens and devices as a culprit . She's calling it a "call to action." She left out the part about how she helped cause the problem in the first place. For two years during the COVID pandemic, Weingarten and the AFT fought aggressively to keep schools closed. In July 2020, as the Trump administration urged schools to reopen, Weingarten called

Beer Demand Goes Flat As Even Alcoholics Pull Back With Gas Above $4 Beer sales across the U.S. over Memorial Day weekend were troublingly soft, according to a new Goldman report, which attributed the weakness primarily to a "challenging macro backdrop" and unusually cold weather across parts of the Lower 48 states. The Gulf-related fuel price shock has kept the national average for 87-octane gasoline above the politically sensitive $4-per-gallon threshold for more than 66 days, or roughly two months. Consumers are already pulling back on purchases at gas stations and convenience stores , with the latest evidence showing a

Rubio Says 'We Remember Their Lives And Honor Their Legacy' On Tiananmen Massacre's 37th Anniversary Authored by Melanie Sun via The Epoch Times, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement to mark the 37th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party’s Tiananmen Square Massacre. “On June 4, the world marks 37 years since the Chinese Communist Party ordered its troops to attack thousands of peaceful demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square,” Rubio said in a statement late June 3 in the United States, which is hours behind China. “Chinese students, workers, and other civilians who lost their lives had

Korean Officials Are "Paying Close Attention" As Foreign Outflows Trigger Bond/Won Collapse Unless you have been living under a rock, you'll know that South Korea's stock market has been rocketing higher on the back of the AI/Semi speculation as SK Hynix and Samsung have dominated (accounting for over 40% of the KOSPI market cap)... But, as the following chart from Goldman Sachs shows, this surge in Korean stocks has been driven by domestic Retail investors as Foreign investors have fled that market en masse ... These outflows have sparked a collapse in the Korean Won (exacerbated by pressure some Asian

63 Arrested, Crypto Millions Frozen As FBI, DOJ Team Up With Meta, Coinbase And Starlink To Bust Scammers Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times , More than 1 million scam-related online accounts were taken down, and millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency were frozen , as part of a crackdown on Southeast Asian scam networks. Scam center workers, many of whom were trafficked and forced to work for criminals, are guarded by Karen Border Guard troops in Myawaddy, Burma, on Feb. 26, 2025. Stringer/Reuters The crackdown operations, conducted by U.S. and international agencies led by the Department of

Communist Hasan Piker Blames "Homo-Fascism" After Scott Wiener Crushes His Preferred SF Candidate Far-left Turkish-American millionaire and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker lashed out during a Tuesday livestream after his friend, San Francisco congressional candidate Saikat Chakrabarti, was badly defeated in the primary race to succeed Nancy Pelosi . Chakrabarti, a former aide to the unhinged socialist NY Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, spent $10 million of his own money but was polling around 15% with about half the vote counted. Piker strangely blamed Chakrabarti's poor performance on San Francisco's urban layout and car dependency, despite the city's reputation for public transit. He

Obamacare Fraud Estimated To Cost $25 Billion This Year: Report Authored by Lawrence Wilson via The Epoch Times , Taxpayers will foot the bill for up to $25 billion in improper Obamacare payments due to organized fraud and improper enrollments in 2026 , according to a June 3 report from Paragon Health Institute. A pedestrian passes an insurance agency that offers Affordable Care Act plans in Miami, on Jan. 28, 2021. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Some 6.2 million enrollments in the healthcare exchanges during the most recent open-enrollment period were improper, the report said, accounting for 27 percent of all enrollments.

Trump Softens Red Line: 'No Reason' To Retrieve Iran's Nuclear 'Dust' As It's Effectively 'Entombed' Summary Trump remarks suggest the fate of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium is no longer be the central issue it once was . Hezbollah chief rejects outcome of Lebanon-Israel talks , insisting that a truce must encompass whole country. WSJ reports that the White House intends to maintain a ceasefire with Iran unless American troops are killed ; oil drops also after Trump states on TS Trump lashes out after House War Powers votes passes Wednesday evening, attacking especially four Republicans who voted in favor.

Mapping America's Robotaxi Boom As Driverless Fleets Hit More Cities Robotaxi deployments are entering the scaling phase across major U.S. cities as Waymo, Lyft, Tesla, Zoox, and other autonomous vehicle firms push fleets deep into cities. The autonomous rideshare market remains in its early chapters, but the direction of travel is clear even to the modest observer: robotaxis are moving from the test phase to becoming an increasingly common sight on the roads. With that comes the general public capturing these robotaxis doing some pretty weird stuff in the wild, such as bottlenecking in a quiet Atlanta neighborhood last month...

US secretary of state Marco Rubio says anyone providing services to listed entities ‘is at risk of sanctions themselves’ The United States has announced fresh economic sanctions on Cuba’s president and some of his immediate family, alongside members of the Castro family, in Washington’s latest ramping up of pressure on its communist-led neighbour. Among those targeted were the son and a grandson of former president Raúl Castro, who no longer holds an official position but remains a key figure on decisions about the future of the island. Continue reading...

Beluga whales, which Marineland threatened to euthanize in 2025, will be moved to sanctuaries in Spain or across US Canada and an embattled marine park have reached a tentative deal on the future of 30 beluga whales , ending a saga that has captivated the public and angered animal rights groups. The federal fisheries ministry announced this week that all of Marineland’s belugas would be shipped to either Spain or one of four locations in the US , ending whale captivity in Canada. Continue reading...

Country is shaken by the brutal murders of two girls, aged 14 and 17, whose bodies were discovered just days apart Argentina has reacted with fury after the bodies of two murdered teenage girls were found just two days apart. The latest killings underscore the South American country’s enduring femicide crisis despite years of feminist campaigning, and have prompted alarm over the decision to cut support for victims of gender-based violence under the far-right administration of Javier Milei. Police found the remains of Agostina Vega, 14, on Saturday, in a field on the outskirts of the city of Córdoba. She

Andrew Wilson appears in court over killing of Latoya Bulgin at protest over a police shooting days earlier Authorities in Jamaica have taken the rare step of charging a police officer with murder after he was accused of shooting a 45-year-old woman in a case that prompted violent protests. According to the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom), Constable Andrew Wilson appeared in court on Wednesday and was denied bail. Another hearing is scheduled for mid-June. Continue reading...

North Carolina judge said Levi Mendez-Maldonado failed to show up in court – even after being told he had died in 2024 An immigration judge in Charlotte, North Carolina , recently ordered the deportation of a young man who was killed in 2024, citing his failure to appear in court. Judge Amy Lee ordered the removal of Levi Mendez-Maldonado in absentia on 21 May. Mendez-Maldonado, originally from Honduras, came to the United States as an unaccompanied minor at age 17 and was murdered in a shooting in November 2024. Continue reading...

Nauran government says its citizens are ‘friendly’ after MP spoke of serious threats allegedly made against former detainees Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Nauruan government has issued a rare statement insisting it is a “friendly” and “welcoming” country after a whistleblower alleged “serious threats of physical violence” were made against a group of non-citizens removed there by the Albanese government. The unexpected defence, sent shortly after midday on Thursday, was mounted hours after the independent MP Andrew Wilkie used his three-minute constituency statement

Polish, Spanish and French populists focus on clips of teenager’s dying moments and accuse UK of descending ‘into depths of the earth’ UK politics live – latest updates Polish far-right politicians have claimed that the murder of Henry Nowak symbolises “Britain’s descent into the depths of the earth” as populists from France, Spain and Japan focused on harrowing clips of his dying moments. Despite pleas from Nowak’s family for people not to exploit the killing for political gain and to focus on cutting knife crime, their comments have focused on race and immigration. Continue reading...

The Middle East is Japan’s main source of crude oil, from which naphtha is extracted and used to make items including printing ink and plastics Takeaways, supermarkets, and bakeries in Japan are running out of plastic bags, trays and food service gloves amid widening shortages of the key plastic ingredient, naphtha, due to the Middle East crisis. The food sector accounts for nearly one-third of Japan’s annual plastic use of more than 8m tonnes, and price rises and shortages are hitting hard across the industry and beyond. Some outlets have begun offering perks to customers who bring their own bags,

Powerful winds and rain expected in parts of Japan and Australia, while temperatures in Spain could hit 40C A powerful tropical storm is forecast to track near Okinawa, Japan, on Monday before moving towards the south-east of the country. Typhoon Jangmi (also known as Typhoon No 6) has formed within the monsoonal gyre over the Philippine Sea. A monsoonal gyre is a large, slow-rotating weather system that spawns typhoons through smaller vortices formed within it. This flow can intensify storms. Such typhoons are typically characterised by broad areas of low pressure and extensive wind fields, often without a distinct eye.

Shinjiro Koizumi says Japan valued as a ‘peace-loving’ nation while China expands military capabilities ‘without sufficient transparency’ Japan’s defence minister took a veiled swipe at China on Sunday, pledging to keep strengthening the military despite Beijing’s criticism of Tokyo’s increasingly muscular security stance. Under the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi , Japan has quickened its pivot to a more proactive defence policy, further shaking off – with US encouragement – its pacifist outlook in place since the end of the second world war. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Jane Hume , the deputy opposition leader, accused the government of being “sneaky”, saying discussions around tax reforms in parliament were much too short to properly address so-called “generational” tax reforms. “What the government has done is essentially prevented scrutiny of the changes that this legislation is going to inflict on the Australian economy,” Hume told RN Breakfast. She went on: Apparently, these are generational reforms. If they’re generational reforms, well, surely they should have been taken to an election so that the

NSW seeking leave to appeal against successful class action including aggravated damages of $20,000 awarded to woman strip-searched at music festival Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The woman awarded $93,000 after an illegal strip-search by NSW police thought until “just before” the trial that she would be called a liar in the proceedings by the officers who conducted the search. This was despite the officers submitting statements 12 months before her appearance that they had no recollection of the woman or the search, a court was told on Friday. Lawyers acting for the

Interim vice-chancellor tells senate estimates of ‘very significant’ effect on donor pipeline and enrolments Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A series of high profile scandals and governance failures has cost the Australian National University $100m in reputational damage, the interim vice-chancellor, Rebekah Brown, has told a parliamentary committee. Fronting senate estimates on Friday – a day after a scathing audit report found the ANU approved a controversial $250m cost-cutting program without clear evidence – Brown acknowledged it had been a challenging time for the

Tech giants claim Australia’s free trade agreement with US will be violated as they try to kill a proposal to force them to pay news companies Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Tech companies are invoking Australia’s free trade agreement with the US and threats of Trump administration retaliation in an attempt to kill off the federal government’s proposal to force them to pay news companies. The news media bargaining incentive is designed to force Meta, Google and TikTok to make commercial deals with Australian

Without disclosing that work has been generated using the technology, faith in existing industries will continue to be undermined Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcas When a pro vice-chancellor at a university this week admitted to using AI in writing an opinion piece for a major Australian masthead, but did not disclose that use prior to publication, it highlighted the growing gap between people’s use of AI and trust in the technology. Data from Roy Morgan this week showed 13.6m or 58% of the population

Pontiff’s resolve to highlight plight of migrants has aligned him with Spanish PM, whose inner circle and party are mired in corruption allegations While Pope Leo XIV isn’t due to touch down in Madrid until 10.30am on Saturday, his presence in the Spanish capital is already verging on the ubiquitous. The smiling, avuncular face of the first US pontiff greets visitors from posters, from the sides of buses, from commemorative travel cards and even from the digital screens on the metro system, where it flickers up between adverts for sun cream and banking deals. Continue reading...

Macron, Merz and von der Leyen among those due to gather in Montenegro for talks on integration of six countries European leaders will seek to show six western Balkan countries that they have a real chance of joining the EU one day, despite splits over how to handle enlargement of the 27-member bloc. Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, Giorgia Meloni and Ursula von der Leyen are among more than 30 leaders expected to gather in the Montenegrin coastal resort of Tivat on Friday for summit talks. The focus will be on integrating the six Balkan countries – among them Montenegro and

Ukrainian president proposes meeting in neutral third country as Trump says both sides have to ‘make compromises’ ‘You can stop your war’: Zelenskyy’s open letter to Putin – in full The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has called for face-to-face negotiations in a public letter addressed directly to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. The letter, the first Zelenskyy has publicly written directly to Putin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, was a sweeping criticism of the Russian leader’s 26 years in power. Continue reading...

Russians are increasingly tired of the conflict and the time to end it is now, Ukraine’s president tells his Russian counterpart in an open letter Zelenskyy calls for face-to-face Ukraine war negotiations in letter to Putin Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an open letter to the Vladimir Putin, has called for a face-to-face meeting with the Russian president to end his war against Ukraine. The letter sets out Zelenskyy’s view of the four-year-old conflict and says that while Ukrainians’ resilience remains intact, most Russians have grown weary of its effects and are ready for peace. Continue reading...

Legislation would also sanction key segments of Russian economy, overriding objections from Republican leaders The House passed legislation Thursday that would aid Ukraine and sanction key segments of the Russian economy, overriding objections from Republican leaders who warned the bill would undermine negotiations designed to achieve a comparable but stronger result. The 226-195 vote is a sign of impatience with Donald Trump ’s approach to the war and represents the House’s second major foreign policy break with Trump this week. The day before, the House, for the first time, approved a war powers resolution aimed at halting US military action

In today’s newsletter: ​Global powers​ are focused on oil markets and elections​ but those living through conflict in the Middle East feel abandoned Good morning. It’s been another week of brinkmanship via Truth Social and ceasefires broken before they’ve been announced. While US president Donald Trump claims an agreement with Iran could happen soon, for those living in the Middle East it does not feel like peace is anywhere near. People have seen more bombs dropped in Lebanon this week; and the death toll continues to rise, national economies falter, and displacement abounds. UK politics | Andy Burnham has signalled

British Retail Consortium figures show footfall rose in May, with consumer confidence improving after spending squeeze Greater numbers of consumers went shopping last month as spring sunshine brought welcome relief to retailers, which have faced a squeeze on spending since the US-Israel war on Iran. Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and a separate survey by the accountancy firm BDO showed a bounce-back in footfall during May, reversing a sharp decline in April. Continue reading...

Announcement seeks to close a difficult chapter for the company after the Guardian revealed its platform was used in mass surveillance of Palestinians Microsoft has said it will tighten human-rights controls when working with national security agencies after an inquiry into how the Israeli military used its cloud technology for the mass surveillance of Palestinians. On Thursday, Microsoft announced the completion of the inquiry and a series of new measures that include changes to how the company oversees employees with security clearances issued by foreign governments. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here The commander of the Quds Force, the foreign arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), said Hezbollah is demanding Israel retreat to positions it held before the start of the war, according to a statement carried by Iranian media. “Supporting the resistance in Lebanon is the duty of all of us, and removing Israel from the region is an attainable goal for Muslims,” Esmail Qaani was quoted as saying. Staff Sergeant Milovan Jovanović, a member of the Serbian Armed Forces who was serving with the United Nations

Group calls ceasefire a ‘roadmap to annihilate part of the Lebanese people’, throwing regional peace talks into doubt Hezbollah has rejected a US-brokered ceasefire plan agreed by the Lebanese and Israeli governments, throwing the future of a truce in Lebanon and regional peace negotiations into question. The group’s leader, Naim Qassem, called the plan a “roadmap to annihilate part of the Lebanese people” in a statement on Thursday. Continue reading...

Climbing support team rescue Hillary Dawa Sherpa almost a week on from when he was last seen A Nepali guide who was believed to have died on Mount Everest has been found crawling to base camp a week after going missing – and after his funeral rites had begun. Dawa Sherpa, also known as Hillary Dawa Sherpa after the famous climber Edmund Hillary, was last seen on 29 May but did not reach base camp with other climbing groups. Continue reading...

Truck was carrying Afghan families returning Pakistan when it overturned, official says A truck overturned in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing 18 people on board including 10 children, a provincial official told Agence France-Presse. Deadly traffic crashes are common in Afghanistan, due in part to poor roads after decades of conflict, dangerous driving and a lack of regulation. Continue reading...

New digital marking system is aimed at reducing human errors but many students say it has resulted in wrong grades A national outcry has erupted in India after more than 400,000 students requested copies of their answer sheets amid mounting complaints of errors in the marking of the country’s most important school-leaving examinations. Within days of the grade 12 exam results being issued, students began reporting marking discrepancies they linked to a new digital marking system. Continue reading...

Rare albino buffalo spared due to security concerns over unusual level of public interest in 700kg animal A rare albino buffalo in Bangladesh nicknamed “Donald Trump” for its distinctive blond tuft has been spared from Eid al-Adha sacrifice after a last-minute government intervention, according to a home ministry official. The nearly 700kg (1,543lb) animal had already been sold for ritual slaughter when authorities stepped in, citing security concerns after a surge of public interest before Thursday’s festival. Continue reading...

Lack of Pfas regulations raised in parliament after Guardian revealed former Miteni plant bought by Indian company Protests over the production of cancer-linked Pfas chemicals have spread across India, after an investigation revealed that an Italian factory shut down due to an environmental scandal was bought by an Indian company and partly rebuilt. At the end of last year, the Guardian revealed that the former Miteni plant in Vicenza had been acquired by the Indian company Laxmi Organic Industries. The factory produced Pfas and was shut down in 2018 after being linked to one of Italy’s worst environmental contamination scandals.

Downing Street responded after Andy Burnham publicly admitted that he would consider launching a bid to become Labour leader ‘I wouldn’t flinch’: Burnham on social care, markets, Brexit – and the prospect of a general election Hello and welcome to our UK politics blog. David Lammy has come out in support of the prime minister, saying Keir Starmer would fight in a leadership contest after Andy Burnham said he would join one if elected an MP. Continue reading...

Unexpected monthly drop of 0.1% in May leaves price of typical home at £298,806, says lender Halifax Business live – latest updates UK house prices fell unexpectedly in May as rising mortgage rates fuelled by the war in Iran affected affordability and homebuyer demand. The average price of a typical UK home fell by 0.1% in May to £298,806 compared with April, the third consecutive monthly drop recorded by the lender Halifax. Analysts had been expecting a return to growth, with a consensus of a 0.1% rise forecast for May. The monthly drop followed falls of 0.1% in April and

State department warns of ‘ideological conditioning’ in social media post offering condolences to student’s family The US state department has criticised “two-tiered policing” in Britain in a social media post offering condolences to the family of the murder victim Henry Nowak, in a thinly veiled rebuke of the UK government. The 18-year-old student’s murder has been claimed by some as evidence of two-tier policing in the UK – the argument that some groups of people are dealt with more harshly than others for ideological reasons. Continue reading...

Women coaches routinely overlooked, undermined and denied opportunities despite qualifications, say experts Women are being shut out of careers in sport by entrenched sexism, discrimination and workplace bullying, MPs have been told. Female coaches are routinely overlooked, undermined and denied opportunities despite their qualifications, experts told a parliamentary select committee on Thursday. Continue reading...

Migrant insects have been seen in large numbers along east coast thanks to heatwave and benign southerly winds If you’ve spotted a pale orange butterfly dashing at frenetic pace through streets, fields or gardens, you’ve noticed the new migrants that will add colour to the summer in record-breaking numbers. What is expected to be the largest arrival of painted lady butterflies in Britain for 17 years is under way after heatwaves and favourable winds ushered thousands if not millions of the insects northwards. Continue reading...

Son of actor’s girlfriend arrested after 81-year-old found unconscious in his front yard in Tarzana, Los Angeles Veteran actor James Handy has died at his home in Los Angeles after a fatal stabbing, allegedly by his girlfriend’s son. The 81-year-old actor was found in the front yard of his home in Tarzana, California, at 9.30am on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles police department. He was unconscious and had multiple stab wounds to the chest. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner rejects new allegations of abusive behavior Sign up for the Breaking News US email Donald Trump ’s former national security adviser-turned-foe John Bolton is expected to plead guilty over mishandling classified documents, multiple outlets are reporting. According to CNN, which first reported the news citing three sources, Bolton intends to plead guilty to one count of illegal retention of sensitive national security documents, and has also agreed to pay a more than $2m fine. The New York Times hears the same, adding that he could face anywhere from no

Platner says claims in New York Times article of physical misconduct and offensive remarks ‘politically motivated’ Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate, has rejected an explosive new report about his treatment of women, insisting that allegations of abusive behavior are “politically motivated”. Platner, a progressive running for election in Maine, was responding to a New York Times article published on Thursday that included an interview with a Republican operative who accused him of womanizing, physical misconduct and making troubling comments about rape. Continue reading...

Pulte, who is the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, is a staunch loyalist of the president Donald Trump has suggested his controversial ally Bill Pulte will investigate “rigged elections” while serving as the country’s top intelligence official, as the US president continues to make unfounded allegations about voting. But Pulte, whom Trump appointed as acting director of national intelligence earlier this week, will only serve in the role temporarily, the president claimed on Thursday. Continue reading...

Blanche, whom Trump plans to nominate to replace ex-attorney general, served as Bondi’s deputy at DoJ Former attorney general Pam Bondi told lawmakers that Todd Blanche, the man Donald Trump has lined up to replace her, was “in charge” of the US Department of Justice’s controversial handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Appearing before the House oversight and reform committee, which is investigating the late financier and convicted sex offender, Bondi also said she was “not certain of the extent” that Trump knew about the crimes of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Epstein who is serving a

German airline Lufthansa said it was investigating after the nose gear of a Boeing jet collapsed while the aircraft was parked at a gate at Frankfurt Airport, injuring several employees. Only crew members and ground staff were on board the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner when the front tip of the plane crashed to the ground ahead of passenger boarding for a scheduled flight to Los Angeles on Thursday. The flight was later cancelled. “Several employees were injured and are currently receiving medical...

US President ⁠Donald Trump on Thursday indicated ⁠that he would not nominate mortgage regulator ⁠Bill Pulte to be the nation’s intelligence chief once his temporary appointment expires early next year. His comments follow a backlash against Pulte’s appointment as acting director of national intelligence from Democrats and some key senators of his Republican Party over the ‌Trump loyalist’s lack of national security experience. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump indicated he would...

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced plans to add a potential “Trump promenade” to the iconic Lincoln Memorial, in his latest grandiose bid to leave his mark on the US capital. Trump said the walkway would link the huge marble monument, built to commemorate Civil War-era president Abraham Lincoln, to the nearby Potomac River. “They want to call it the Trump Promenade,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he unveiled the project for the first time. “I don’t know if I want to do...

China accused the United States of using “invented allegations” to justify its terrorism case against Cuba, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio told senators he needed no new evidence to tie the island to violent leftist groups across the western hemisphere. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday that Washington could not justify its blockade and sanctions against the island, adding that the decades-old embargo had wrecked Cuba’s economy. “China firmly supports Cuba in...

US President Donald Trump’s eldest son warned against investing in China during an event for investors on Thursday in Zurich, even as his father’s administration has pushed forward on plans to improve commercial ties between the two countries. “I wouldn’t,” Donald Trump Jnr said when asked at the invitation-only event if he would invest in China. “I don’t think we can pretend they’re an ally. That would be, I think, foolish.” Trump Jnr, who shares the position of executive vice-president of the...

I just spent two weeks in a broken Britain, which is an unfortunately apt description for a country that has fallen from its former glory. Its people are funny, witty, creative, intelligent, sports-mad and educated, part of a society that has constantly evolved over the last millennium, its imperial heritage bringing in cultures from around the globe. It is a green and pleasant land, beautiful in spring and summer, and not too bad in the autumn. Yet the once great nation is now dealing with a...

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump’s proposals for peace in Ukraine could end the fighting, but said Kyiv needed to compromise – and that he saw no signs of that, so was ready to fight on to victory. Speaking to foreign media editors on the sidelines of Russia’s annual economic forum in what is the fifth ‌year of Europe’s deadliest land war since World War II, Putin said Russia would defeat Ukraine on the battlefield if necessary. But he said it was also...

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney launched his AI strategy on Thursday, warning that his country’s slow adoption of the frontier technology had created risks and that domestic capacity needed a boost to avoid it being “weaponised against us”. Reducing Canada’s reliance on the US is a central part of Carney’s agenda, and his AI strategy nodded to concern about the influence of US tech giants. “We are highly dependent on foreign suppliers for the infrastructure that powers AI,” he said. “That...

Franco-Iranian author and film director Marjane Satrapi, renowned for her graphic novel and film Persepolis, has died aged 56, a year after the passing of “the love of her life”, a member of her close circle said on Thursday. “Marjane Satrapi died of sadness a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and the love of her life,” they said in a statement. Born in 1969 in Rasht in northern Iran, Satrapi arrived in France in 1994 and gained French nationality in 2006. An...

Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the US Justice Department that could allow him to avoid prison time, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The deal would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with 18 counts of either retaining or disseminating classified information, including diary-like notes from his time in government that...

EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic has called for practical approaches and “meaningful discussion” to tackle the growing trade concerns between Brussels and Beijing, following his meeting with China’s chief international trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, on the sideline of a ministerial meeting at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. Sefcovic opened his press conference on Thursday by stressing the urgency of crafting policy responses to the non-market practices...

President Donald Trump said he would ⁠move to ⁠nominate acting US Attorney ⁠General Todd Blanche on Thursday to permanently lead the Justice Department, which would make his former personal lawyer the nation’s top law enforcement officer. “He’s acting attorney general. Tomorrow. ‌I’m instructing Dan (Scavino) and everybody else that’s involved in that very complicated process – which is going to go, I think, very quickly – that we are going to make him permanent attorney general,” Trump said at...

Four people were killed on Thursday in a plane crash on Croatia’s northern Adriatic coast, police said. “According to currently available information four people have died” in the crash of the plane in Medulin, on Croatia’s northwestern Istria peninsula, a police statement said. The accident occurred in the Campanoz area, outside the town, and “all emergency services are on the scene”, it added. The national firefighting association said it had received a report of the crash near the Medulin...

For over two decades, China’s rise in Latin America has been viewed as one of the most significant geopolitical developments in the western hemisphere. Through trade, investment, infrastructure projects and diplomatic engagement, Beijing built a presence that would have been difficult to imagine at the beginning of the century. The strategy appeared highly successful. Beijing became a leading trading partner for much of the region, financed major projects, expanded its diplomatic footprint and...

China has rejected a recent OECD report that said its firms receive far higher government subsidies than international peers, calling the findings “one-sided and arbitrary” at a time when EU concerns over Beijing’s industrial policy are intensifying. “The report’s definition of ‘subsidies’ lacks a unified standard and statistical framework, and deviates from consensus under multilateral frameworks such as the World Trade Organization,” the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on...

The group leading the charge in the search for extraterrestrial life has given the all-clear: an interstellar comet looks to be completely natural and free of any alien tech. The SETI Institute said Wednesday that extensive radio scans by its telescope in Northern California found no signs of otherworldly technology from our solar system’s latest interstellar visitor. The object labelled 3I/ATLAS was discovered last summer sweeping through our neck of the cosmic woods. Scientists quickly...

A massive coastal development project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, is facing growing resistance from protesters in Albania. The government says the development on the Adriatic coast would be transformational for the former communist nation as it seeks to enter the high-end tourism market and pushes for European Union membership. But the venture, spanning an abandoned island and a nearby stretch of seafront on Albania’s southern coast, has drawn opposition...

Hezbollah rejected a ceasefire plan agreed by the Lebanese and Israeli governments in US-mediated talks, as Israel kept up strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday and said it would not be withdrawing from the south. Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire but said it would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to a joint statement after US-led talks in Washington on Wednesday. The two sides, which do not have formal diplomatic relations, also...

The Republican-led House voted to halt the US war with Iran, breaking with President Donald Trump on an unpopular foreign conflict that is taking an escalating economic toll on Americans. The 215-208 vote on Wednesday showed worries over the war spreading in the president’s own party five months before congressional elections. Last month, a Senate resolution to end the war also advanced past a procedural hurdle for the first time, though that legislation hasn’t yet come to a formal vote. The...

The US and its “Five Eyes” intelligence partners issued what they said was an unprecedented joint notice warning about attempts by Chinese spies to use websites such as LinkedIn to recruit assets. “China’s military intelligence services are using an increasingly wide array of professional networking sites and online job platforms to target Five Eyes government and military personnel – and anyone with access to classified or privileged information,” according to a joint statement by the FBI,...

Since the Ukraine war began in 2022, Asia has been watching conflict as if enrolled in a study course. We have heard every argument: Nato enlargement, Russian insecurity, Ukrainian sovereignty, European fear, American power, energy politics, sanctions, nationalism and resistance. We have watched Gaza burn. We have watched the United States capture Venezuela’s president and defend the act as lawful. We have watched Iran absorb attacks and retaliate. For Asians, these are no longer distant events....

US ⁠President Donald Trump suggested he might keep the Ultimate Fighting Championship cage-fighting arena being built on the lawn of the White House as a permanent fixture. The Republican compared ‌the structure, which is being built for a night of cage fighting to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence – on Trump’s 80th birthday – to France’s Eiffel Tower which was supposed to have been dismantled 20 years after it was built in ⁠1889. “We’re building something in front of the White House...

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said ⁠on Wednesday that Hungary ⁠and Ukraine reached an agreement on the ⁠rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, which could allow approval of the first cluster, or a group of negotiating chapters, in Ukraine’s EU accession talks. The agreement marks a potential breakthrough in a long-running dispute over minority rights that had strained ‌ties between Budapest and Kyiv and complicated Hungary’s support for Ukraine’s EU ambitions. Every step of the...

Portugal and Austria defeated Germany for seats on the powerful but deeply divided UN Security Council on Wednesday in a hotly contested race after intense campaigning. The 10 rotating seats on the 15-member Security Council are earmarked for different regions of the world. The assembly elects five countries by secret ballot every year to serve two-year terms alongside the council’s five permanent veto-wielding members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. In the other...

Ukrainian drone strikes deep inside Russia are causing “panic” for the Kremlin, EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday, saying Moscow was lashing out at Kyiv with increased attacks. Ukrainian drones hit energy and military sites in St Petersburg on Wednesday as officials gathered for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s flagship economic conference in the city. “It clearly shows also panic on the Russian side – why they are increasing the terrorist attacks that they’re doing in Ukraine is...

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thanked China for clearing the country’s beef of foot-and-mouth disease and fired a barb at US President Donald Trump, saying “I will sell to someone else”, after Washington announced new tariffs on Brazilian goods. Lula made the remarks on Tuesday, hours after Beijing announced wider access for Brazilian beef to the world’s biggest market for the product. “As God writes straight with crooked lines, nothing comes free for a Christian man like me....

German filmmaker Wim Wenders on Wednesday said he has pulled his 1975 movie The Wrong Move over a nude scene featuring a then-13-year-old Nastassja Kinski. Kinski, now 65, has urged Wenders to re-edit the film. Last month, she told the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung: “That was my first film, he was my first director and he didn’t protect me”. Wenders, the acclaimed director behind Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire, issued a statement apologising to Kinski. “I recognise that Nastassja...

US President ⁠Donald Trump said ⁠in a podcast interview aired on Wednesday that Vice-President J.D. Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, teaming up for a 2028 presidential run, would be ‌unbeatable. Both men are seen as contenders for the 2028 Republican nomination, and Rubio’s recent turn at the White House podium drew praise from Republicans and even some Democrats who noted his smooth performance, which included quips and ⁠a 1990s hip-hop reference to describe Iran’s negotiating...

A man holding hostages inside a building in California that houses a bank branch and school district office has been shot and killed by the FBI, police said on Wednesday. The suspect was killed in “an officer-involved shooting involving Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel”, the Bakersfield Police Department said in a statement. The stand-off ended about 12 hours after police were called to the building, police said. All the hostages are free and none was harmed, police said. The stand-off...

Kenya’s health minister said on Wednesday that the US-funded quarantine centre would proceed, days after deadly protests erupted over the project. The US-built facility at Kenya’s Laikipia Air Base was due to open last week, according to US officials, to quarantine Americans arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is battling a major Ebola outbreak. But it has been temporarily blocked by a court order, and triggered protests on Monday that killed two people, according to a...

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Wednesday presented her new cabinet, which for the first time in Danish history included more women than men. Following months of talks after inconclusive elections in March, incumbent Frederiksen said on Monday she had managed to form a minority government between her Social Democrats, the Socialist People’s Party, the centre-left Radikale Venstre and the centrist Moderates. On Wednesday, Frederiksen announced the names of the new ministers. “It is...

Ukrainian drones hit energy and military sites in St Petersburg early Wednesday morning as officials gathered for a flagship economic forum in the city, Russian and Ukrainian authorities said. Some 20,000 guests from 130 countries are set to attend the three-day annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) – an event once dubbed “Russia’s Davos” – which starts on Wednesday. The Kremlin vowed to respond to the strikes, which came a day after a barrage of Russian missiles and drones...

Britain’s Sikh community has rejected calls to strip them of the rights to carry a ceremonial knife – known as the kirpan – as outrage snowballs over the murder of an 18-year-old student by a Sikh man. Vickrum Singh Digwa, 23, was handed a life sentence by a judge on Tuesday for stabbing to death Henry Nowak, an accountancy student, in Southampton in December 2025. The murder case has reopened a debate over race, religion and identity in the UK. Far-right figureheads, populist political leaders...

CBS News has terminated the ⁠contract of 60 Minutes correspondent ⁠Scott Pelley, two sources at ⁠the network said on Tuesday, joining more than half a dozen departures in recent weeks. “Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear. And I have heard you,” the show’s ‌executive producer, Nick Bilton, wrote in a Tuesday email to Pelley that was seen by Reuters. “I therefore write on behalf of CBS News, Inc. (“CBS”) to inform you that your employment with CBS is...

Video of a dying student who was handcuffed by British police after being stabbed by a Sikh man and falsely accused of racially abusing his murderer sparked outrage on Tuesday, with protesters throwing bricks at police. Eighteen-year-old Henry Nowak was heard repeatedly telling officers: “I can’t breathe” in police bodycam footage captured as he lay mortally wounded in December after a night out with his football team members. Far-right figures have seized on the case, including firebrand Tommy...

For years, Hong Kong’s obituary has been repeatedly written by international commentators. Geopolitical tensions, pandemic isolation, concerns over capital flight and questions surrounding the city’s future contributed to a narrative of irreversible decline. In many Western analyses, the assumption that Hong Kong’s best days as an international financial centre were behind it became almost automatic. Yet the latest global wealth management data tells a very different story. According to...

Gulf hostilities ⁠flared again on Wednesday as Iranian attacks on Kuwait damaged its airport and injured dozens while the US military carried out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, with diplomacy to halt the war showing little sign of progress. The attacks are the latest to test a shaky ceasefire as the strait remains largely closed more than three months after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran. Flights at Kuwait International Airport were suspended after an Iranian drone and missile...

The Trump administration on Tuesday formally appealed against a judge’s order for refunds of the US president’s global tariffs after they were struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year. At stake is some US$166 billion in revenue. A refunds system handled by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has already begun to process repayments. Last month, the CBP said in a court filing that it was on track to process about US$85 billion in repayments, with US$20.6 billion approved for...

Canada and Mexico on Tuesday called for a 16-year renewal of the North American free trade agreement with the United States, in hopes of binding the three countries to a pact that US President Donald Trump has openly questioned. The agreement is vital for Canada and Mexico, as the US is their main trading partner and the destination for 75 and 80 per cent of their exports, respectively. In a letter Monday, Ottawa’s minister in charge of Canada-US trade Dominic LeBlanc said: “Canada recommends...

The US Justice Department on Tuesday dropped a contentious plan to create a US$1.8 billion compensation programme that critics had denounced as a “slush fund” for President Donald Trump’s political allies. “We are not moving forward with the fund,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said during testimony before a House committee. The about-face is a setback for one of Trump’s most divisive second term initiatives, which had drawn criticism from Democrats, legal experts and numerous Republicans...

They went to war together against Iran, but Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s relationship is under strain after the US president reportedly called the Israeli premier “crazy”. Trump unleashed a profane tirade over the phone at Netanyahu over Israel’s threats to bomb the Lebanese capital Beirut, fearing it would undermine talks with Tehran, the Axios news outlet and ABC News reported. It underscored the increasingly shaky ties between two right-wing allies with lots to lose politically from...

In a move that could rattle global grain markets, China and neighbouring Kazakhstan – Central Asia’s largest grain producer and a key Belt and Road Initiative partner – agreed last week to establish a joint grain-trading platform during talks in Astana. The two sides also discussed long-term supply contracts, logistics hubs, dry ports and technology cooperation in storage and processing. Although full details remain limited, reports indicate the platform will be modelled on China’s state-managed...

Brazil has won wider access to the world’s biggest beef market after China recognised the entire country as free of foot-and-mouth disease, though a new quota will still cap prices. The decision was announced on Tuesday by China’s General Administration of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and was communicated during Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira’s visit to Beijing. After a risk analysis, Beijing lifted the restriction on northern Brazil and recognised the...

US President Donald Trump will attend ⁠the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on July 24, he said in a social media post on Tuesday, after the annual event was postponed following a shooting. The black-tie gathering of journalists and politicians in Washington was postponed after a ‌suspect stormed a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the event on April 25, with Trump present. Trump and first lady Melania Trump were safely rushed out of the dinner. In a...

There is an 80 per cent chance of the warming El Nino phenomenon developing between June and August, increasing the risk of extreme weather events, the World Meteorological Organization said on Tuesday. “Fuelled by unusually warm ocean waters in the tropical Pacific, El Nino conditions are developing and are set to influence global temperature and rainfall patterns,” the United Nations’ WMO weather and climate agency said. Forecasts from the WMO global network “indicate a pronounced shift...

In an interview after The Times reported on his treatment of women he had dated, Graham Platner acknowledged “not exactly acting with the best behavior” after his military service.

Researchers relied on a newer gene-editing technique that may make it possible to engineer embryos, a prospect that has long alarmed bioethicists.

Scientists have identified proteins that could signal increased lung cancer risk, as well as a drug that could reduce the odds of a tumor developing.

Nick Bilton said he had consulted with the program’s remaining correspondents: Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim and Bill Whitaker. All three were deliberating whether to stay with the show, two people said.

While some powerful Russians shun the West, others want to restore ties and embrace friendly Westerners. President Vladimir V. Putin’s annual economic conference illustrates the conflicting impulses.

“After 26 years in power, age is beginning to take its toll,” President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine wrote of his Russian counterpart, bragging of a recent strike on St. Petersburg.

Eighteen G.O.P. lawmakers broke with their party and joined Democrats to deliver yet another blow to the president’s foreign policy agenda.

The Republicans Steve Hilton, who is running for governor, and Spencer Pratt, running for Los Angeles mayor, have shown early strength, but that could fade as more ballots are counted.

The president is claiming without evidence that the lengthy counting process in California, which could help determine control of Congress, means Democrats are stealing the election.

Nithya Raman’s vote count still remains well behind Spencer Pratt’s, but hundreds of thousands of ballots remain to be counted in Los Angeles over the next few weeks.

The Trump administration’s efforts to tighten the economic noose on Cuba appear to be working, as more international firms announced they would leave the island.

The National Capital Planning Commission received nearly 1,700 comments about President Trump’s plans to build a 250-foot arch in the nation’s capital. Almost all opposed the idea.

The president announced a new project that would connect the memorial to the Potomac River. He isn’t sure if he wants it to be named after himself.

With the East Wing turned to rubble, our Graphics staff set out to show what exactly the president planned to build there and elsewhere.

The U.S.-brokered deal depends on Hezbollah halting its attacks first. But the leader of the Iran-backed group rejected those terms, and Israel said that its offensive would continue.

Celebrities and paid influencers have transformed the career-focused platform, which for some users, has become a job unto itself.

The pilot heard a “thump” while landing in Newark, according to a newly released report. The light pole crashed onto a truck.

Bird helped usher in bebop and transformed the alto saxophone into an instrument of startling possibility. Here’s an 11-song primer on his enduring legacy.

Trump wants results against organized crime. Can Mexico’s president deliver?

When they left, they changed.

“One thing we know for sure is that Trump is definitely obsessed with size,” Seth Meyers said of the president’s bragging about the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Jamie Dimon himself is planning to pitch investors on the offering of Elon Musk’s rocket company, as banks prepare to reap huge fees from the largest I.P.O. ever.