Minimalist News

A New Shortcut To Quantum Entanglement Authored by University of Chicago via ScienceDaily , Many of the most promising quantum technologies, including advanced sensors and future quantum computers, depend on a phenomenon known as entanglement, where particles become deeply connected and influence one another in ways that cannot be explained by classical physics. Creating the complex entangled states needed for these technologies has traditionally required sophisticated equipment and carefully designed experimental systems. Researchers have shown that a few simple adjustments to a standard quantum optics setup can generate a surprising range of highly entangled quantum states. Credit: Clerk Group Researchers

UN Food Agency Warns Millions Pushed Into Hunger By Prolonged Iran War The United Nations food agency is sounding a catastrophic alarm on the macroeconomic fallout of the ongoing conflict in Iran and the Persian Gulf region. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), millions of people are actively being plunged into acute hunger due to the war - realizing a grim trajectory the agency previously warned would occur if the Middle East crisis stayed prolonged and global oil prices remained elevated. Fragile economies are feeling the most pain, with WFP analysis of three highly vulnerable nations revealing that an

Protesters Target NV Energy At Utility Conference As Anger Over Soaring Electricity Prices Boils Over By Herman Trabish of UtilityDive Protesters shouting affordability complaints and chanting slogans interrupted a speech by NV Energy President and CEO Brandon Barkhuff on Wednesday. Barkhuff was speaking to some 1,000 utility executives and electricity industry stakeholders during the Edison Electric Institute 2026 conference at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. After being escorted out by security, the protesters spoke to the media outside the hotel to demand the cancellation of a daily demand charge for NV Energy customers slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, as

Lebanese Army Officers Among 9 Killed In Israeli Airstrike On South Lebanon In a rare, major development related to the Israel-Hezbollah war, fresh Saturday Israeli airstrikes on Southern Lebanon on Saturday took out a group of Lebanese Army forces. What's more is that several officers were reported killed: "Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon Saturday killed nine people including three members of the Lebanese military , the Lebanese army and state media said, days after the two sides reached a new ceasefire deal," The Associated Press reports. Via Reuters "An airstrike on the road linking the city of Nabatiyeh with the

Obama-Appointed Judge Orders Trump Admin To Restart Processing Asylum Claims Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times, The Trump administration must restart processing claims of asylum, a federal judge ruled on June 5. Officials must also resume adjudicating requests for immigration benefits such as work permits from nationals of 39 countries from which President Donald Trump has restricted travel, Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr., based in Rhode Island, said. This is the same judge AFL exposed for failing to recuse from the Trump spending freeze case - despite previously leading a nonprofit that received $128M in federal

Facebook Marketplace Enters The AI Thirst-Trap Era Searching Facebook Marketplace in the AI era has revealed a strange new phenomenon: sellers are running product photos through chatbots or image generators to insert scantily clad women into listings. This marketing ploy seemingly bets that thirst-trap imagery will boost clicks and improve the chances of selling whatever item is listed on the online marketplace. "This dude on FB Marketplace has multiple listings for heavy Caterpillar industrial equipment superimposed with AI-generated female models. Must have industry-leading click-through rates," journalist Trung Phan wrote on X. This dude on FB Marketplace has multiple listing for

Viral: Humanoid Robot Kicks Chinese Kid In The Stomach During Public Demonstration Authored by Jijo Malayil via Interesting Engineering , A humanoid robot demonstration has sparked safety concerns after a video circulating on social media appeared to show a Unitree G1 robot accidentally kicking a young child during a public event. The robot, which was performing a roundhouse kick while wearing a blue clown wig, struck the child in the stomach, causing the youngster to double over in pain. The incident has reignited debate over the safe deployment of advanced humanoid robots in crowded public settings, particularly as increasingly capable

Area 51 Mystery Jet Caught On Thermal Camera Sparks Sixth-Gen Stealth Fighter Speculation The military aviation and defense news blog The Aviationist has spent years tracking mysterious aircraft activity around U.S. restricted airspace. Its latest report highlights a thermal image that may reveal a previously unseen next-generation stealth fighter jet design featuring cranked-kite wings and canards near Area 51. "Had to update this composite image with the latest mysterious aircraft. We have reported on all of them over the years, starting 12 years ago with the Amarillo and Wichita sightings, then the January 2026 image by Uncanny Expeditions, and now

FBI Fires Analysts Who Drafted Controversial Anti-Catholic Memo Via Headline USA , Several FBI analysts who drafted a 2023 memo that cited Southern Poverty Law Center information to justify targeting “radical-traditionalist Catholics” as potential violent domestic extremists were fired Friday, according to their lawyer, the latest wave of terminations under the leadership of its director Kash Patel. The fired employees included four intelligence analysts and a supervisory analyst. The FBI declined to comment. The January 2023 intelligence product produced by analysts in the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia, field office emerged as a political flashpoint after it was issued, with Republicans in

Iran's World Cup Squad Belatedly Granted US Visas But Some Staff Blocked Via Middle East Eye Members of Iran's World Cup 2026 administrative staff have not been given visas to enter the United States, Iranian media reported on Saturday. According to US officials, while Iranian footballers have been granted visas for the tournament, which begins on Thursday in Mexico, some support staff are reportedly not being allowed to join the squad . via Reuters On Friday, a White House official told Reuters that the players had received their visas, after Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said on Thursday that

Tesla Design Chief Says EV Supercar Roadster Is Coming "In A Few Weeks" Ferrari shot its load with the highly disappointing Luce EV ... Next up is American innovation, not Italian innovation: the Tesla Roadster. 🚨 Tesla Roadster vs. Ferrari Luce Price - $250,000 vs. $640,000 Horsepower - 1,000+ vs. 1,035 0-60 MPH - 1.1s OR 1.9s vs. 2.4s Top Speed - 250+ MPH vs. 194 MPH Range - 620 miles vs. 280 miles https://t.co/uEgswwVLeD pic.twitter.com/XcP58ZRO6Z — TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 5, 2026 On Saturday, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen told the crowd at the Tesla Takeover Europe event that

US To Tighten Rule Regarding Nonprofits Paying Excessive Executive Compensation Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times, The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of the Treasury issued a notice on Friday, announcing their plan to issue proposed regulation concerning taxation on high compensation paid by tax-exempt organizations to employees. The notice relates to excessive compensation and excess parachute payments, the IRS said in a June 5 statement. Parachute payments are made to key employees when they are terminated or when the business undergoes a merger or acquisition. An excess parachute payment is any such payment that exceeds

Feds Launch Probe Into California's Elections Days after California’s primary election, the votes are still being counted, and the winners are still unknown, and no one, save for California officials, seems happy about it. “The fact that California elections often can't be resolved for weeks is kind of insane and not common in other electoral systems around the world," Political data analyst Nate Silver wrote on X on Tuesday. "Like honestly 'it's going to take us several weeks to tell you who won the election' is failed state sh-t and should be much more stigmatized. The fact that it's tolerated

Watch: Leftists Are Crying Over Trump's Beautifully Restored Reflecting Pool Authored by Tim O'Brien via PJMedia.com, You just knew this day would come. President Donald Trump is really sprucing up the nation’s capital ahead of the country’s celebration of its 250th anniversary. One of the signature improvements has been the restored reflecting pool that sits between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. As I noted on April 25, the very act of fixing this deteriorated site was universally attacked by the left, which is par for the course when it comes to leftist reaction to everything Trump does. Keep

US Intercepted Fresh Iranian Ballistic Missile Attacks Overnight As Tehran Blasts 'Ceasefire Violations' Summary Iran's foreign ministry says US overnight action, especially bombing coastal radar facilities, is a violation of ceasfire . New nighttime salvo of missiles on Kuwait, Bahrain: Six ballistic missiles fired at Bahrain and Kuwait were intercepted , CENTCOM said. Overnight flare-up started with Iranian attack drones in Strait being intercepted by US forces. Trump admits Iran still has some 20% of its missile arsenal: " It’s a lot of missiles, but it’s not what it was when we first attacked." (CNBC) US x Iran permanent peace

Trump Says US Weighing Taking Stakes In AI Companies Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump told reporters on June 5 that his administration is exploring the possibility of the United States acquiring a public stake in artificial intelligence (AI) companies. Trump made the comment in response to a question about a recent News of the United States report , which suggested that unnamed senior U.S. officials had discussed with major AI firms the possibility of the federal government holding some shares in their companies. “There’s so much money that is so big that there are

Second Flesh-Eating Screwworm Case Raises Beef Supply Fears As Goldman Warns Outbreak "Could Be Disruptive" The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed a second New World screwworm (NWS) case in a one-month-old calf in Zavala County, Texas , roughly 5.6 miles from the first confirmed detection . For now, both cases remain inside what the USDA calls an "established movement control zone and enhanced sterile insect dispersal area." This suggests the outbreak is still contained within the USDA's active response perimeter. Nearby suspect cattle tests have been negative so far, limiting signs of broader spread at this point. USDA confirmed

Whatever You Do, Don't Ignore Friday's Selloff Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance By 1PM Friday, the Nasdaq was already down roughly 3.3%, and suddenly the same crowd that spent the last few months explaining why valuations don’t matter is asking what is happening. Bitcoin has also been taken behind the woodshed, crashing to around $60,000. Depending on where you’re measuring from, that’s a brutal decline in a remarkably short period of time. It’s down about 42% over the last twelve months. And it’s becoming clear that bitcoin bulls all have breaking points . And I don’t want to sound like

UK Government Plots Digital ID Lockdown On Every Phone In Lockstep With Big Tech Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity , The Labour government in Britain is accelerating its assault on digital privacy under the well-worn banner of child protection. Fresh plans leaked to the press reveal ministers intend to compel Apple, Google and other tech firms to restrict smartphones so thoroughly that a digital ID will be needed to use them with unfettered access. The mechanism comes in the form of expanded age verification that effectively demands digital identification for device setup and use. What is sold as safeguarding

Goldman's World Cup Winner Prediction Is ... The 2026 Football World Cup kicks off June 11, with Mexico vs. South Africa opening the tournament at Mexico City Stadium. The tournament will feature 48 teams across 104 matches at stadiums in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico from next Thursday through July 19. Jan Hatzius, chief economist and head of global investment research at Goldman Sachs, published a cheat sheet for clients that used a forecasting model built around Elo ratings - the ranking system originally developed for chess - to handicap the tournament. His top pick diverges from the latest Polymarket

Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of 1990s leader Alberto, is vying with a congressman to become country’s ninth president in a decade Peruvians go to the polls on Sunday in an election runoff that pits a perennial rightwing candidate, Keiko Fujimori, against a leftist congressman, Roberto Sánchez. Amid rising crime, chronic political instability, corruption scandals and voter apathy, they are vying to become Peru’s ninth president in a decade. Fujimori, who is the daughter of the late president Alberto Fujimori, won 17% of the vote in the first round in April . Sánchez, a former trade and tourism minister, took 12

Union says collective agreement is just the start of a broader fight to unionize major employers across the country Canadian warehouse workers have signed the first-ever collective agreement with Walmart, a breakthrough labour organizers are calling a “historic and powerful step”. But the union says the deal with a corporation long hostile to organized labour is only an opening salvo in a broader fight to unionize major employers across the country. Continue reading...

Oil tankers may be stuck behind strait of Hormuz, but holding the Iata AGM in Brazil defies warnings of impending shortages Nothing says jet fuel crisis, as one prospective attender put it, like flying everyone to Rio de Janeiro. Aviation leaders will converge in Brazil this weekend for the Iata AGM, the annual global airline summit, with the industry still, for the most part, looking resolutely skyward. The oil tankers may still be stuck behind the strait of Hormuz as the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran flickers on, but for now, airlines continue to defy dire warnings of

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 aquariums 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...

A long trade war looms. Trump’s scattershot protectionism, chaotic tariffs and belligerence against our natural allies guarantees that US trade policy will remain a hot mess We are in for a long trade war. In the months since “Liberation Day” last year, when Donald Trump let loose a volley of tariffs against imports from everywhere, countries have rushed to build new relationships in the hope of maybe circumventing the US to protect the global trading system. Continue reading...

More than 1 million people advised to evacuate homes amid 80mph winds and heavy rain Typhoon Jangmi (also known as Typhoon No 6) moved northwards over the course of this week. From Okinawa to mainland Japan, prolonged and heavy rainfall led to landslide warnings and the flooding of rivers, with Japan issuing level 4 warnings for some rivers, signalling a risk of overflowing. This level is high enough for municipalities to issue evacuation orders. Three-hourly rainfall totals on Wednesday reached 105mm in Chiyoda, Tokyo, which was a record high for the month. Sustained wind speeds of 80mph (130kph) were recorded

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,

Hanson compares former soldier’s prosecution for war crimes to her 2003 jailing for electoral fraud, which was later overturned Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, told a rally in support of Ben Roberts-Smith that the former soldier accused of war crimes is a person “I respect and I admire”, before its organiser called for “an army of civilians” to support him. About 100 supporters gathered in Rocks Riverside Park in Seventeen Mile Rocks in southern Brisbane on Sunday. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australian borrowing personal loans in record amounts Australians are borrowing record amounts in personal loans as a long-term buildup in living costs wipes out savings buffers. Continue reading...

Commuters were forced to run for cover after a group of youths allegedly fought with knives at Flinders Street station on Saturday night Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Victorian government has defended the effectiveness of its machete ban after multiple teens were arrested over an alleged machete brawl in the heart of Melbourne. Shocked commuters ran for cover after a group of youths – some armed with machetes – brawled at Melbourne’s Flinders Street station concourse on Saturday night. Continue reading...

David Shoebridge says Australia could become embroiled in a US war with China if purchase of Virginia-class attack submarines proceeds Anthony Albanese has reiterated that Aukus is “full-steam ahead” after the Greens renewed calls to cancel the nuclear-powered submarines deal, which the minor party warned could draw Australia into a potential US war with China. Debate over the security pact has resurfaced after the announcement that Australia would buy secondhand Virginia-class submarines from the US, rather than a mix of old and new vessels. Continue reading...

Government department says man was in the water around Michaelmas Island, near Albany, when he was bitten by a suspected 4.5-metre shark Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A male diver aged in his 30s has died after being bitten by a shark in Western Australia. The state’s police force confirmed on Saturday afternoon that the 35-year-old man had died, after being treated by paramedics at the scene for more than two hours. Continue reading...

Kreuzberg campaigners win court ruling against €2m fence aimed at shutting out drug dealers The “hollow” in Görlitzer Park was heaving with revellers who had gathered in reaction to a court ruling against Berlin’s mayor who wanted to lock it up at night. “Görli is our garden,” said Monika, a retired psychiatric nurse who lives nearby and had joined the crowds on Monday night for a beer and a bop on the popular deep bowl-shaped meadow in the Kreuzberg district. “Görli is where we socialise and where my daughter grew up,” she said, using the affectionate nickname for the centrally

In his first visit to an EU country outside Italy, pope urges world leaders to stop dividing electorates and to respect ‘every human being’ More than a million people have filled the streets near one of Madrid’s main squares to join Pope Leo for an outdoor mass, likely to be the largest event of his week-long visit to Spain. Throngs of people pressed along barriers near the landmark Plaza de Cibeles, waving flags and shouting “Long live the pope”, as Leo arrived in his white popemobile for the event. Some tossed flower petals as he arrived in the square. Continue

Voters to choose between pro-Russian opposition and incumbent Nikol Pashinyan, who is more closely aligned with the west Armenians are going to the polls in an election that could cement the country’s shift towards Europe and away from its traditional alliance with Russia. Prime minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party enters the vote as the favourite, ahead of three opposition candidates who advocate for closer ties with Moscow. Pashinyan’s main challenger, Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian-Armenian billionaire who built much of his fortune in Russia, has been forced to campaign from house arrest at his mansion outside Yerevan. Continue reading...

Exclusive: deal in 2020 had sought to stimulate local battery making but industry says it still cannot meet targets The EU and UK car industries are urging the European Commission to adjust the Brexit trade deal and suspend, for a second time, tariffs on imports of electric vehicles. They have expressed concerns that they will not be able to meet the conditions set for 1 January 2027 for tariff-free sales. This is because of strict rules of origin over what products can qualify for tariff-free trade under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement which has applied since 2021. Continue reading...

Widow of French ex-president Jacques Chirac was a steely behind-the-scenes operator known for her charity work Bernadette Chirac, the formidable widow of the former French president Jacques Chirac and a driving force behind his political rise, has died at the age of 93. As France’s first lady for 12 years, Chirac was a steely behind-the-scenes operator in support of her husband, who served twice as prime minister, 18 years as mayor of Paris and two terms as president. Continue reading...

Legal papers, expert investigations and social media posts tell story of how a 32-year-old Iraqi appeared to run ‘proxy’ campaign On Monday, a slightly dishevelled Iraqi man, shackled and dressed in beige prison overalls, was ushered into a Manhattan courtroom. Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, pleaded not guilty to a series of terrorism-related offences, then gestured toward the judge and prosecutors. “I’m a prisoner of war. I’m not a threat,” he told them. “Children and women are being killed by your rockets.” Continue reading...

The seven-month-old, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, was in his mother’s arms when soldiers fired on family in Hebron Israeli troops killed a seven-month-old Palestinian baby in the occupied West Bank and injured his parents after opening fire on the family’s car, despite it having complied with an order to stop. Soldiers opened fire on Friday on a car carrying the infant and his parents in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron. The seven-month-old, Sam Fahd Abu Haikal, was critically injured, evacuated in critical condition to a hospital, where he later died. Continue reading...

Iran attacks American bases in Gulf states after Washington shoots down drones and strikes Iranian radar sites Bahrain has said Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones at it and Kuwait, hours after the US and Iran exchanged strikes over the Gulf, the latest in a series of flare-ups that threatened to break the fragile ceasefire. Air raid sirens rang out on Saturday in Bahrain and people were told to move to a safe location and await further instructions. Kuwait’s military said it was intercepting drones and missiles launched at the country. Continue reading...

Conditions that led to bloody prewar protests have been made worse, commentators say Iran is already preparing for the perilous transition from wartime unity to a fractious peace marked by hyperinflation, a 10% contraction in the economy, power cuts and calls for a triumphalist government to end its unprecedented hunting down of dissent. With peace not yet secured, the debates within the regime about Iran’s future are only just starting to emerge but its rulers are clearly thinking about how after surviving the war, they can survive the peace. Continue reading...

Thousands flee including from village hosting at least 2,500 displaced people, one day after Hezbollah rejects ceasefire Thousands fled their homes after Israel issued forced evacuation orders for nine villages in southern Lebanon before strikes that killed six people on Friday, a day after the Hezbollah militant group rejected a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Hundreds of families left Anqoun, a village hosting at least 2,500 displaced people, after the Israeli military said it would soon operate against what it said were Hezbollah targets there, ordering residents to leave. The roads leading to Sidon, the closest large city, were

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...

ICC’s decision comes amid growing concerns the team is being influenced by members of a notorious gang in India Cricket’s international governing body has suspended Canada over what it described as “serious breaches of its membership obligations”, dealing the latest blow to an organization that critics say has become a “laughing stock” within the sport. The suspension also comes amid growing concerns that one of Canada’s fastest-growing sports is being influenced by members of a notorious gang that operates with impunity from an Indian prison cell . 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...

Holy Family Catholic primary school says enthusiastic response from parents has been biggest surprise Schools banning pupils from having smartphones are commonplace. But what about a school where pupils ban teachers from using their smartphones, and then get their parents to join in? And not just phones: at Holy Family Catholic primary school in west London teachers are also barred from using laptops, monitors or tablets during the school’s screen-free Mondays, after an idea that came from the pupils themselves. Continue reading...

The justice secretary said he spoke to the US vice president after he blamed mass immigration for Nowak’s murder Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf said that UK police are “institutionally racist”, claiming that there is “structural anti-white prejudice”. When asked by Laura Kuenssberg if he thinks the police are institutionally racist, he said: “I think the correct answer to that has to be yes given literally on their website it tells people not to treat people the same – to not be colour-blind.” Continue reading...

UK lagging behind rivals on tourism growth because of travel costs and lack of joined-up planning, says CEO Sean Doyle The cost of travel to and around the UK is keeping millions of tourists away and slowing economic growth, the boss of British Airways said, as he urged a rethink of aviation taxes. The airline’s chief executive, Sean Doyle, said the UK had some of the highest aviation taxes in the world and was falling behind countries such as Japan, France and Germany in boosting its inbound tourism. Continue reading...

Deputy PM says he spoke to US vice-president about post that blamed ‘mass invasion of migrants’ for teenager’s death UK politics live – latest updates David Lammy has said he told the US vice-president, JD Vance, he was “wrong” to blame the murder of the British teenager Henry Nowak on mass migration. The deputy prime minister said he spoke to Vance in a phone call on Saturday to tell him “our democratic process is working well” and that he was wrong in his commentary about the murder. Continue reading...

Committee calls for apology from government amid reports navy’s hunter-killer submarines are all docked A parliamentary committee that scrutinises public spending has made scathing comments about the impact of delays in the publication of the government’s defence investment plan (Dip). The plan, originally expected last autumn, has been repeatedly postponed amid warnings that the military faces a huge funding gap over the next four years. It is due to be published before a Nato summit early next month. Continue reading...

Video of figures clambering in and out of manholes sparks intrigue – and comparisons with crime-fighting turtles It started in early May. Under cover of darkness, three people pried open a manhole cover in Queens, New York, and clambered down into the sewer. The incident might have gone unnoticed, but the subterranean quest, which was caught on film, captured New Yorkers’ interest when it happened again, and again, in the same month, with two other groups filmed making their way in and out of the sewer system in Brooklyn. The string of events have seen those involved dubbed “mole people”

Aaron Spencer never denied fatally shooting Michael Fosler, 67, the sexual abuser of his daughter, aged 13 An Arkansas sheriff’s candidate who was alleged to have killed his teenaged daughter’s sexual abuser says he is focused on “family and getting back to a normal life” after the dismissal of a murder charge filed against him. “I’m grateful this chapter is closed,” Aaron Spencer also said in a statement after the dismissal on Thursday. Continue reading...

As Trump officials take aim at vaccine schedule, scientists encouraged by companies’ desire to continue coverage A group of insurers will continue covering routine vaccines through 2027 as the Trump administration once again takes aim at the shots and outbreaks of preventable illnesses such as measles and whooping cough lead to hospitalizations and deaths. Experts told the Guardian that the move has raised questions ahead of the November midterms, but certainly indicates that insurance companies believe vaccines are “safe and effective”. Continue reading...

Backlash against AI is taking an extremist turn, following in the footsteps of earlier techno-pessimist militants Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email When a 20-year-old man from Texas was arrested earlier this year for allegedly trying to burn down OpenAI ’s headquarters and Sam Altman’s house , authorities found an anti- AI manifesto alongside his lighter and a jug of kerosene. It was one of a spate of attacks that has caused alarm among researchers, the tech industry and law enforcement about the rise of anti-tech extremism. In April, an Italian “nature pilled” Instagram influencer was arrested

Buyers are ripped off after assuming online stores were genuine because they are recommended by an AI tool You want to buy a new bag and so you ask ChatGPT for help. You have always liked Russell & Bromley so you ask ChatGPT what is popular there at the moment. The artificial intelligence (AI) assistant gives you cross body, shoulder, casual and formal options with the prices listed beside them. You click through from the sources to what looks like the official Russell & Bromley site and buy your new bag, which is conveniently on sale. Continue reading...

Gunfire erupted on Saturday near a busy street festival in Ohio, wounding at least 12 people and sending some eventgoers scrambling for cover while others rushed to help the victims. No suspects were in custody hours afterwards, Toledo deputy police chief Joe Heffernan said, and officials urged people who were at the festival to come forward with any photos or videos on their phones for possible leads. The shooting happened near the Old West End Festival, an annual gathering of live music and...

I grew up in a classroom where the name Norman Bethune was invoked with reverence. Like every schoolchild in China, I could recite from memory Chairman Mao’s 1939 essay “In Memory of Norman Bethune”, which characterised Bethune as a man who had come from afar, who gave his life to the Chinese revolution, who embodied selflessness and internationalism. For years, I kept a poster in my office – the famous oil painting of Mao meeting Bethune in Yan’an – as a quiet tribute. As the years passed and...

A top White House artificial intelligence policy adviser on Saturday said he will leave his position at the end of June, marking the exit of a leading ‌figure helping craft policies for frontier technologies. “This journey has been the privilege of a lifetime,” the adviser, Sriram Krishnan, posted on social media. Krishnan did not give a reason for leaving, but wrote in the post he intends to help “tackle some of the large challenges facing America” related to AI. Krishnan has been involved in...

Bernadette Chirac, the steel-willed former first lady of France who spent 12 years at the Elysee Palace from 1995 to 2007 beside President Jacques Chirac – weathering his notorious infidelities with dry humour while building her own political power base in rural France – has died. She was 93. President Emmanuel Macron confirmed her death on Saturday, saying he and his wife Brigitte had learned with “great sadness” of the passing of a woman who marked French history, and changed the lives of...

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Europe to counter what he termed an “invasion” of its coastline by migration, as he marked the 82nd anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings in northern France. Hegseth also called on European countries to do more to contribute to their defence, in a speech at the American military cemetery in Colleville-sur-mer in Normandy. He was however conspicuously set to skip the main international ceremony marking the anniversary of the landings,...

Pope Leo on Saturday urged global leaders to avoid dividing their electorates with “sterile simplifications” to gain popularity and called on them to listen to the world’s cries for peace, in a forceful speech opening a week-long tour of Spain. Leo, who has angered US President Donald Trump by criticising his anti-immigration policies and the Iran war, will meet homeless people in Madrid and migrants in the Canary Islands during a visit he has said he hopes will set an example to the world about...

Nearly 500 Ebola cases have now been confirmed in the deadly outbreak raging in central Africa, a WHO overview showed on Saturday, amid mounting concern over the swelling scale of the epidemic. In its daily update on the situation, the World Health Organization tallied 452 confirmed cases, including 82 deaths, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), where the outbreak was declared three weeks ago. In neighbouring Uganda, meanwhile, it counted 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths. The...

Global airline chiefs open their annual summit in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday facing a sharper test of the industry’s post-pandemic recovery, as the Iran war drives up fuel costs and disrupts airspace while carriers try to cushion the blow with higher fares and tighter capacity. The annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which runs until Monday, comes as ‌that fuel shock collides with another problem airlines cannot quickly fix: a shortage of new aircraft. Boeing...

US President Donald Trump’s drive to reassert US supremacy in Latin America has already squeezed China’s interests in Cuba, Panama and Venezuela. Now, Nicaragua could be shaping up as the next economic battleground between the two powers, a scholar has warned. The American leader has yet to target Nicaragua since returning to office, but that could change if China revives an ambitious project to build a canal cutting across the country to connect the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, said Zhang...

What is in effect Japan’s version of the Belt and Road Initiative is being rolled out at an accelerating pace. But unlike China’s global infrastructure initiative, which mainly takes the form of highways, railways and sea lanes, Japan’s project is all about energy networks and supply chains. It poses a further challenge to America’s waning economic and strategic influence in Asia, the world’s most populous, resource-rich and potentially powerful region. What is more, it is a cooperative venture...

Israeli troops killed a seven-month-old Palestinian baby boy after firing at his parents’ vehicle in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said. Sam Fahd Abu Haikal was killed on Friday evening, and his parents were wounded while driving in the Tel Rumeida area south of Hebron City, according to the ministry. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said the infant was critically wounded after being struck in the jaw by the same bullet that injured his mother. He later died of...

Residents of St Petersburg were told not to leave their homes after a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeted Russia’s second-largest city Saturday morning, underscoring Kyiv’s growing ability to hit deep inside Russia. The attack came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin refused an offer to meet his Ukrainian counterpart. St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov advised the residents not to go outside and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet service, while regional...

In front of L’industrie Pizzeria, as at many other New York restaurants and shops, customers queue up behind barriers – in this case, all to grab a prized pizza slice. Not everyone in America’s biggest city finds standing in line to be a chore. The power of social media trends means that for some, waiting for hours is an attraction in itself. “It’s gotten pretty crazy in the city recently,” said food influencer Ali Chilton, who has 168,000 followers on Instagram. “Some would blame me for the...

A man was charged with murder in the stabbing of Jumanji and Top Gun: Maverick actor James Handy, who was in a relationship with the suspect’s mother. Michael Gledhill, 44, was charged on Friday after police say officers found the 81-year-old Handy stabbed in the chest and lying unconscious outside a home in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Handy was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Gledhill did not appear at an arraignment on Friday afternoon in Los Angeles Superior Court and no plea...

Listening to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the recently concluded Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, I thought of the iconic Sichuan opera act of face-changing, where performers switch masks in an instant. Last year, Hegseth’s speech at the event was filled with blatant attacks on China. This year, he put on a completely different face, declaring that: “Under President Trump’s leadership, relations between the United States and China are better than they’ve been in many years.” Why this...

American forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran towards the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said, in the latest escalation complicating efforts to end the war between the two countries. The US military believed the four Iranian drones were targeting regional maritime traffic, a US official told Reuters. US Central Command said on social media that Washington then struck Iran’s surveillance sites in Goruk and Qeshm ‌Island, which are...

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently saw no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to a war now in its fifth year. In his letter, which was sent to other countries, including the US, Zelensky said most Russians ‌had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, high inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace. He also suggested that continuing the war...

Given that control over energy reinforces superpower status, the contest of the century has morphed into an intense rivalry between China, a rising “electrostate”, and the United States, the world’s hydrocarbon hegemon safeguarding its position. China recognises that electricity drives its economy. Despite being a major producer of coal, crude oil and natural gas, China remains an importer of these hydrocarbons. However, with strategic patience, through its five-year plans, the country has been...

US President Donald Trump said Friday he wants his incoming acting spy chief to start firing employees, deepening the controversy over the appointment of a man with no previous intelligence experience. Bill Pulte, a Trump loyalist who heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was named by the Republican president on Tuesday as acting Director of National Intelligence. “If he cut, I wouldn’t mind that,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that the number of employees in Pulte’s...

A firestorm of recrimination raged in France on Friday over failures in the justice system that kept a man now suspected in the disappearance and death of an 11-year-old girl out of custody despite allegations that he preyed on young adolescents. The disappearance of the girl identified by police as Lyhanna and days of searches that ended with the discovery of her body in a disused grain silo have gripped national and, increasingly, political attention since she went missing in the southwestern...

A vaccine targeting a broad range of viruses that was designed using artificial intelligence had a “modest” effect on immune systems in a small, early trial, according to a new study. The trial marks the first time a vaccine whose active ingredient was entirely designed by AI has been tested in humans, researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK said on Friday. The experimental jab is intended to be a “universal vaccine” which protects people against a range of viruses that have...

President Donald ⁠Trump’s administration unlawfully barred applicants from ⁠39 travel-ban countries from receiving decisions on asylum, work permits, green cards and citizenship, a US federal judge ruled on Friday. Chief US District Judge John McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, ruled that the US Citizenship and ‌Immigration Services had adopted a series of unlawful policies targeting people from 39 African, Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries. His ruling came in a lawsuit...

Actor Anthony Head, best known for his roles in Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Ted Lasso, has died at the age of 72, his family announced on Friday. The British actor, the brother of singer Murray Head, was best known as librarian Rupert Giles in the cult US supernatural television series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, which ran from 1997 to 2003. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father, Anthony Head,” his daughters Emily and Daisy Head, said in a statement...

A worsening air leak aboard the International Space Station prompted five astronauts to take shelter and prepare for evacuation for roughly two hours on Friday as Russia attempted to ‌fix a crack on its portion of the orbital laboratory, Nasa said. The four astronauts of Nasa’s Crew-12 mission aboard the station – two Americans, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut – along with another US astronaut were ordered by Nasa mission control at 9.04am on Friday to enter their SpaceX-built Crew...

Russia could attack a Nato country within four years according to western intelligence assessments, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned on Friday. He made the comments as he pledged his government would publish a long-delayed defence investment plan before next month’s Nato summit. “It is our intelligence assessment and the assessment of other countries in Nato that there could be an attack by Russia on Nato as soon as 2030,” Starmer said. “So you can see the urgency and the priority that...

Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit has been placed on a waiting list for a lung transplant after a significant deterioration in her health that likely gave her only a year left to live without the surgery, her doctors said on Friday. The 52-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon, the ‌heir to the Norwegian throne, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a chronic disease that causes scarring in the lungs and leads to a reduced oxygen uptake. Oslo’s University Hospital in December said the...

China and Russia have largely moved away from the US dollar in bilateral trade settlement, with most transactions now settled in their own currencies. Yet cross-border payment bottlenecks persist as Chinese banks carefully manage their exposure to Washington’s sanctions regime, according to a senior Russian banker. At the heart of the friction is a stark balancing act facing Chinese lenders: how to ease trade with Russia while safeguarding access to the US dollar-based global financial system –...

US employment growth surged in May, beating market expectations, while the unemployment rate remained steady, government data showed on Friday, with the labour market in the world’s largest economy sustaining recent gains. “Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 172,000 in May, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3 per cent,” the US Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires and the Wall Street Journal had expected job growth of 80,000...

China-Canada relations are undergoing a thaw after years of estrangement and recrimination. China and India are seeking a rapprochement despite deep-seated distrust and sometimes violent border disputes. Both cases share a common element: Donald Trump. Meanwhile, following the US president’s visit to Beijing, his defence secretary Pete Hegseth avoided mentioning Taiwan at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He sounded almost conciliatory by hailing ties with Beijing as “better than they’ve...

The US Senate handed President Donald Trump ⁠a victory early on Friday morning, passing a bill that would provide the Department of Homeland Security with an additional US$70 billion for immigration enforcement and sending it to the House of Representatives for final consideration. The Senate voted 52-47 to approve the legislation, with no support from Democrats and no provision to ban a US$1.8 billion “anti-weaponisation” fund that could compensate Trump’s political allies for allegations that...

French billionaire Pierre-Edouard Sterin, who has stirred controversy over his right-wing politics, is pleading with lawmakers to modify rules so he can disinherit his five children, saying he prefers to give his fortune to charity. “I would like to give my entire estate to philanthropic causes,” the businessman told senators on Thursday during a public hearing, noting that under French law three quarters of his assets would have to be passed down to his offspring. “I’m in favour of being able...

Europe’s political and business leaderships appear to have concluded that China’s economic dominance represents an existential threat – not from intrinsic competitiveness but from subsidies, technology theft, state-owned enterprises and a pervasive industrial policy. Cecilia Malmstrom, former European Commission member and a member of the European Parliament, wrote this week about “an ever more aggressive China”, which “seems to be entering a new phase of industrial policy with an increase of...

Peru’s duelling presidential hopefuls have made a final pitch to voters, capping a bruising and razor-tight race dominated by anger over rising crime and political instability. Conservative Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sanchez staged rival events in Lima on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s vote, with ardent flag-waving supporters arguing their “communist” or “dictator” opponents would bring the country to ruin. “We cannot let them win with communism and terrorism,” said bandana-wearing...

King Charles’ disgraced younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor held leases for 10 properties, three of which he sublet, while the monarch ⁠pays rent for the former prince’s daughters’ palace ⁠homes, a report by the UK’s spending watchdog said. In the most ⁠detailed review ever of royal property arrangements, the National Audit Office (NAO) report on Friday showed some leases were based on commercial valuations, while for others, senior figures paid no rent or negligible amounts for their...

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump ‘personally called for China’s help’ to end Ukraine war in summit with Xi US President Donald Trump personally urged President Xi Jinping to help end the Ukraine war, seeking to leverage Beijing’s influence over Moscow to...

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed for the first time his intention to challenge Keir Starmer to be Britain’s prime minister, drawing immediate criticism from the premier who vowed not to walk away from the job. “If I get your support, I would seek to represent you at the highest possible level and give this constituency maximum power and influence,” Burnham said in an episode of the BBC’s Question Time. He cited the ambitions of his top rival, former health secretary Wes...

Following the ⁠first confirmation of screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, on a US farm in decades, federal and state officials have fanned out in South Texas, where a calf was found infested this week. US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Thursday no other infestations of cattle or other animals have been detected around the confirmed case. The case in La Pryor, Texas, was a blow to US cattle ranchers who have been bracing for a domestic outbreak of New World screwworm as the fly...

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...

Israeli authorities described the shootings as a terrorist attack. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, praised the assault, but did not claim responsibility.

The decades-old term refers to the sustained loss of demand for a commodity, caused by high prices.

Lulu Garcia-Navarro sits down for an exclusive interview with the now-former CBS News correspondent.

The president has not yet endorsed Representative Mike Collins or Derek Dooley, a former football coach, in the race to challenge the Democratic senator, Jon Ossoff.

The Republican candidates for South Carolina governor went to extraordinary lengths for the president’s support. But his choice of Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette has not quite sealed the deal among voters.

The re-emergence of the former first family has been fraught for some Democrats who just want to move on.

The final months of the fashion tech start-up CaaStle included fake audits, stock buybacks and a damage control strategy led by the chief executive who defrauded it.

This year’s annual celebration of the best on Broadway is being hosted by Pink.

At 96, June Squibb is one of the oldest acting nominees in the history of the Tony Awards. Back in the 1960s, she was known for an entirely different distinction.

The ceremony, at Radio City Music Hall, will be broadcast on CBS starting at 8 p.m. Eastern, and livestreamed on Paramount+ for premium subscribers.

The United States has gone wild over foreign-born players on several occasions. Now the largest World Cup ever is arriving.

A player from Haiti’s 1974 World Cup team, the last to qualify for the tournament, met with the co-captain of this year’s squad in South Florida.

Hollywood is struggling, but Spielberg insists that the big screen is still the best place to work out our collective dreams, fears, joys and sorrows.

The American foreign policy class should shed its addiction to military force.

The sweeping effort to dismantle Black-majority congressional districts in the South will have far-reaching consequences for all Americans, and for our democracy.

There’s no better time than early summer to put away your phone and get some fresh air. We have a challenge to help you actually do it.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill dispatched the New Jersey State Police outside the Delaney Hall migrant detention center after federal officials said they would flood the area with armed agents. Not everyone approved.