Minimalist News

Utterly Flocked: "We-Don't-Track-People"-Firm Deploys Nationwide Network Of Warrantless Pedestrian-Tracking Cameras Flock Safety, the Atlanta-based private surveillance firm, insists its cameras are not tracking people . Yet its own systems, training materials, and expanding product line tell a different story -one of a rapidly growing, warrantless mass surveillance infrastructure that logs vehicle movements, follows pedestrians with AI, and feeds data-hungry police departments across the country. A new investigative report highlights how Flock's network - now encompassing tens of thousands of cameras - enables police to reconstruct months of travel history for any vehicle with a few clicks, no warrant required. Security

US Housing Starts Collapsed In May To Lowest Since COVID With housing inventories at recent highs, the US housing market just suffered another sentiment setback as Housing Starts crashed by 15.4% MoM in May (far worse than 2% drop expected and worse since March 2024)), following a revised 8.5% MoM drop in April. Building Permits slipped 0.7% MoM (in line with expectations)... Source: Bloomberg That pulls the Housing Starts SAAR to its lowest since COVID (after reaching the highest since 2024 in April)... Source: Bloomberg Under the hood, it was multi-family (rental) starts that collapsed: Housing Starts single-family drop from

From Hormuz To Houston: The US Takeover Of Global Energy Flows Ramps Up Authored by Simon Watkins via OilPrice.com, The Americas are replacing the Middle East as the key source of global oil supply, with crude exports from the Western Hemisphere hitting a record 14.5 million bpd while Strait of Hormuz traffic collapsed. Trump’s broader energy strategy aims to weaken OPEC’s influence and cement U.S. dominance over global energy markets. Venezuela, Argentina, and Brazil are emerging as the biggest growth engines, with Venezuela rebuilding output, Argentina rapidly expanding Vaca Muerta shale production, and Brazil reaching record production levels. Oil exports

Stock Rally Pauses As Attention Turns To Warsh's First FOMC US futures are flat, pausing after a three-day rally with investors shifting their focus to this week's FOMC meeting, Kevin Warsh's first, which begins today. As of 8:00am ET, S&P futures are up 0.1% after surging 2% on Monday; and Nasdaq futures gain 0.3%, as SpaceX continued to surge, rising 11% overnight and on track for a more than 50% jump since going public, and briefly surpassing Microsoft's market value in afterhours trading. Pre-market, most of the Mag 7 names are lower; TSLA (-1.7%) and NVDA (-0.6%) are among the

SpaceX Acquires Cursor AI In $60 Billion Deal As Coding Agent Race Heats Up SpaceX has agreed to acquire AI coding startup Cursor for $60 billion, giving Elon Musk's artificial intelligence empire a leg up in the chatbot coding race currently led by frontier AI labs such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The Cursor acquisition was announced in a SpaceX 8-K filing with the SEC on Tuesday morning. Details of the deal show that Cursor shareholders will receive SpaceX Class A common stock, implying a Cursor equity value of $60 billion. The SpaceX-Cursor deal is expected to close in the

Hormuz Fears Ease As Trump, Ghalibaf Virtually Sign US-Iran Deal, But Energy Flows Remain Months From Normal President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have virtually signed a peace deal to end the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian ports, the general Gulf region, and begin 60 days of nuclear negotiations, according to CNN , citing US senior sources. The text of the so-called memorandum of understanding, a 14-point document that should lead to a two-month extension of the ceasefire and the start of negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, has yet

US Residential Solar Installations Set To Stall For Years As Market Hits Wall Residential solar in the US is actively cratering after President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill resulted in the sunsetting of a key tax credit for homeowners last year - which will result in a prolonged slump in installations, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). " The market is not expected to recover to the record levels of 2023 anytime in the next decade, " according to the report. The downturn is widespread - with installers nationwide reporting steep drops in new rooftop projects. Higher interest rates,

1000s Of Italian Protesters Demand Remigration In Rome Via Remix News, A demonstration of several thousand people took place in Rome on Saturday to advocate for remigration and stricter controls on immigration. Coming from various regions across Italy, a crowd of roughly 3,000 individuals paraded through the nation’s capital behind a prominent sign declaring “Remigration and Recapture,“ a slogan used to call for the mandatory deportation of migrants back to their countries of origin. 🇮🇹Thousands demonstrate for remigration in Rome. Protesters are increasingly hitting the streets across Europe demanding mass deportations. pic.twitter.com/X9zFjOkXeH — Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 14,

SpaceX Erupts In After Hours Trading, Hits $3 Trillion Market Cap, Surpassing Microsoft Update (9:00pm): just a few minutes after the initial post, the squeeze is accelerating and SPCX hit just shy of $230, or $3 trillion in market cap, surpassing MSFT in value. And what is even crazier, tomorrow SPCX options start trading, which means one good, solid gamma squeeze could send this stock to $400, surpassing NVDA as the world's biggest company in the process. Earlier: After a relatively calm first day of trading, the gamma squeeze crew has finally sniffed out that SpaceX's float makes it a

Eating Meat Is The Norm Almost Everywhere On average, 91 percent of people surveyed for Statista's Consumer Insights in 32 countries said that their diet contained meat – highlighting that despite the trend around meat substitutes and plant-based products, eating meat remains the norm almost everywhere in the world. To satisfy the world's hunger for meat, 373 million tons of it were produced globally in 2024. Because meat consumption typically increases as countries grow wealthier, that number has been rising. As Statista's Katharina Buchholz shows in the chart below, in only three out of 32 countries – the Philippines, the

China's Return To The Oil Market Could Boost Inflation Submitted by Tsvetana Paraskova of OilPrice.com The U.S.-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could prompt China to return to buying more crude after months of multi-year-low purchases, which could reignite inflationary pressures despite the expected ease of oil flows from the Middle East. Late on Sunday, the U.S. and Iran announced a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz more than 100 days after its closure. This re-opening could happen as soon as an agreement is signed on Friday. News of the deal sent oil prices tumbling early on

Lebanon Hosts The World's Highest Concentration Of Refugees, US Ranks 82nd The countries carrying the world’s largest refugee burden are often not the ones most people expect. Using data from the UNHCR via Our World in Data , this graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, ranks countries by the number of refugees hosted per 1,000 residents in 2024. The results reveal how proximity to conflict frequently matters more than economic size. Many of the countries at the top of the ranking border active war zones and have absorbed large refugee populations relative to their own populations. Which Countries Carry the

Ebola Cases, Deaths Jump In Congo As Outbreak Spreads Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times , The number of Ebola cases and deaths has risen in Congo , the epicenter of an ongoing outbreak, officials said on June 14. Response personnel carry the body of a person who died from Ebola in Bunia, Congo, on June 13, 2026. Jospin Mwisha/AFP via Getty Images Thirty-two new deaths and 72 new cases have been confirmed in the central African country, Congo's Ministry of Communications said in a statement. The cumulative number of cases is up to 782 , and the

Norwegian Royal Family Rocked: Crown Princess's Son Convicted of Rape, Sentenced To Four Years In a verdict that has rocked Norway's monarchy, Marius Borg Høiby, the 29-year-old son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, was found guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced to four years in prison. Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, pictured in Oslo, Norway on June 16, 2022. Hakon Mosvold Larsen/NTB/AFP/Getty Images The Oslo District Court convicted him on 34 of 40 charges, spanning rape, assault, abuse in close relationships, drug offenses, and restraining order violations . He was acquitted on the other two

Remigration & The Save Europe Act Authored by 'eugyppius' via American Greatmess, In 2024, the Austrian Identitarian activist Martin Sellner began serious efforts to push his concept of remigration into the political mainstream, and since then the German state and its civil society collaborators have extended him every assistance. Gregory Bovino, ex-Customs and Border Patrol Chief, appears with (from left) Eva Vlaardingerbroek, Martin Sellner, and Alfonso Gonçalves at the second Remigration Summit in Portugal last week. Domestic intelligence agents and activist journalists at Correctiv collaborated to convict Sellner and Alternative für Deutschland of planning the mass deportation of naturalized Germans

Who Won The Third Gulf War? Authored by Andrew Korybko, Iran is poised to gradually return to the US-led Western order within certain limits exactly as Iran’s moderate faction has long wanted, its hardline faction has successfully preserved the armed forces and their missile stockpile, while Israel achieved none of its goals in its most epic defeat ever. Iran and the US plan to sign a Zarif-inspired memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the Third Gulf War this Friday in Switzerland. The exact details aren’t yet known, and Fortune reported that there were at least three competing texts, but all

Gun Safety: Violent Crime Drops As More Americans Pack Heat Authored by John R. Lott jr via RealClearInvestigations , Alessandra Coote was walking on a trail with her 2-year-old daughter and dog two-and-a-half years ago when a man began yelling at her and threatened to kill her dog. When the petite single mom made it back to her Utah home, she decided she needed a firearm for protection. A few months later, while living in what she described as a “shady part of town,” a homeless man threatened her. After that encounter, she began regularly carrying a firearm under Utah’s

New Study Exposes How The Left Turned Mental Illness Into A Political Identity Something researchers have observed for decades is finally crystallizing into a measurable cultural phenomenon. Political conservatives consistently report higher levels of happiness, better mental health, and stronger psychological well-being than their liberal counterparts . A new study published in Political Behavior takes that finding several steps further, arguing that mental illness has begun functioning as its own political identity, and that identity clusters most tightly on the left. Columbia University's magazine originally flagged the underlying trend back in 2023, reporting that " American adults who identify as

Federal Agents Dismantle Human Smuggling Stash House In Texas Authored by Troy Myers via The Epoch Times , U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents busted a stash house used for human smuggling in El Paso, Texas, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) exclusively told The Epoch Times on Monday. U.S. Border Patrol agents monitor the southern border outside of San Diego, Calif. on May 27, 2026. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times The joint investigation, which resulted in the arrests of 11 illegal immigrant adults and one unaccompanied child found in the house on May 27, highlights the need for

New Radar System Can Detect High-Speed Drones Nearby Ports, Vessels In Extreme Environment Authored by Prabhat Ranjan Mishra via Interesting Engineering , A new type of radar to detect drones nearby ports, vessels, harbours, and critical maritime infrastructure has been introduced. Developed by Robin Radar Systems, IRIS OTM at Sea is designed for seamless land-to-sea deployments. The system can operate effectively in extreme environments thanks to its salt- and corrosion-resistant engineering. ROBIN The new system is a major expansion of its IRIS On-The-Move (OTM) capability. The comprehensive update is aimed at strengthening counter-UAS protection for shipping lanes, naval operations, and

Mark Carney says Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise office hasn’t been ‘effective’ since its 2019 setup Canada is eliminating a watchdog that investigates alleged human rights violations committed by Canadian companies operating abroad, after Mark Carney said the office hadn’t been “effective” since it was set up in 2019. The move comes as Canada faces criticism from Donald Trump’s administration over its “unacceptable” efforts to combat forced labour. Continue reading...

Instructors hurled Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas into 40-metre abyss without attaching safety equipment A 21-year-old woman who died when two rope-jumping instructors threw her from a bridge without first harnessing her to security equipment has been buried in Brazil ’s São Paulo state. Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was rope jumping on Saturday at Ponte do Esqueleto, an abandoned bridge in the municipality of Limeira where tourists practise extreme sports. The young woman, who aspired to become a physical education teacher, had asked to be launched from the bridge airplane-style, with two instructors hoisting her above their shoulders as

Outpouring of public grief for Lidia ‘Taty’ Almeida, leader of group of mothers that has marched every week since 1977 The human rights activist Lidia “Taty” Almeida – who spent more than half a century searching for her son after he was forcibly disappeared by Argentina’s military junta – has died aged 95, prompting a public outpouring of grief. Almeida, 95, was the president of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, made up of women who have marched around the square outside Argentina’s presidential palace every Thursday since 1977 , demanding the return of children who were disappeared during the

Alternative singer and internet personality among six who died when two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro The American musician Oliver Tree has died in a helicopter crash in Brazil at the age of 32, according to reports. Two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning and crashed in the city’s western zone, killing all six people onboard, including Tree, several Brazilian media outlets reported. Continue reading...

Shirley Firth is hoping those responsible for Lindsay de Feliz’s death in 2019 will finally be convicted A Cambridgeshire mother in her 90s is hoping to finally see justice for her murdered daughter when a retrial into her death is due to open in the Dominican Republic this week. The body of Lindsay de Feliz, 64, a successful author, was found in a shallow grave, close to her home in the north-west of the Dominican Republic, in December 2019. Continue reading...

Japanese technology company at centre of Post Office IT scandal is negotiating settlement with UK government over faulty software Business live – latest updates The chair of Fujitsu, the Japanese technology firm at the centre of the Post Office IT scandal, has resigned after its board became aware of his “woman-related inappropriate conduct”. The company said on Tuesday that Hidenori Furuta had stepped down after two years in the role. Continue reading...

Country acts amid Iran war inflation pressures, but US Fed and Bank of England expected to hold rates Business live – latest updates The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has raised interest rates to a 31-year high as it tries to dampen inflationary pressures created by the Iran war. Policymakers in Tokyo raised the BoJ’s short-term policy rate by a quarter of one percentage point, to 1% from 0.75% , and warned that companies were passing on rising oil costs to each other at a “relatively fast pace”. Continue reading...

Almost every child, including those from high-income countries, is now exposed to at least one hazard Half of the world’s children are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards threatening their health, education and survival, according to a Unicef report. Globally, children face increasing threats from heatwaves, storms, floods and droughts as the climate crisis worsens, with more than one billion facing at least three of these at once. Continue reading...

The closures, so employees can watch a recorded lecture, will cost the company an estimated 2.1bn won ($1.4m) in sales Starbucks Korea will simultaneously close all its stores for a mandatory history lesson, after a disastrous promotion that evoked memories of a pro-democracy massacre sparked public and political backlash . More than 2,000 stores will temporarily close at 3pm on 22 June, the company said, so staff can watch recorded lectures on modern Korean history and engage in “social sensitivity” training. The half-day closures will cost Starbucks an estimated 2.1bn won ($1.4m) in lost sales, according to data firm IGAWorks.

Experts say criminal networks favour Sri Lanka due to ease of getting tourist visas and limited regulation on sim cards and internet connections Experts have warned that Sri Lanka is emerging as a hub for transnational cybercrime, after a crackdown in south-east Asia pushed Chinese-run criminal networks to relocate their vast scam operations. Sri Lankan police spokesperson Fredrick Wootler said the country was witnessing an “alarming increase of cybercrimes” perpetrated by people entering the country as tourists, and then illegally setting up scam operations targeting people across the world. Continue reading...

Hania Ahmed, 9, died after Punjab police opened fire on suspected robbers as well as her family in Chakwal Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The father of a nine-year-old Australian girl killed in Pakistan on holiday has demanded justice and to “reduce the harm” of a controversial new police wing whose officers opened fire with machine guns in response to a robbery. Hania Ahmed and her family were visiting her great-uncle Ali Ejaz last week at his home in Chakwal, Punjab province. Continue reading...

Former SAS soldier had been invited along with all other living Victoria Cross recipients, judge told Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has successfully varied his bail to attend the opening of the Anzac Hall at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. However he has not been allowed to go to a military graduation parade and afterparty north of Sydney due to concerns he might interact with another alleged war criminal, Oliver Schulz, while there. Continue reading...

Victoria and NSW police search seven properties as they examine where shooter travelled after killing two officers in Porepunkah Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Two more men have been arrested as police continue their investigation into Porepunkah shooter Dezi Freeman’s months on the run after he killed two police officers in August 2025. In a statement on Tuesday, police also revealed they believed Freeman travelled between Victoria and New South Wales in the seven months between the shootings at Porepunkah and when he was

This is blog is now closed Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Gallagher on One Nation: ‘Opinion polls will come and go’ Katy Gallagher was also asked about the surge in One Nation, saying there was an obvious “reorganisation on the conservative side of politics”. I think there is a lot of uncertainty and worry about events that are happening across the world, the impact that has here. Cost of living is the No 1 issue with anyone you talk to right now, and the government just has to remain focused on that, and

Reserve Bank of Australia decision on Tuesday comes after three consecutive cash rate hikes this year Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Reserve Bank has warned it is ready to raise interest rates further despite leaving its official interest rate on hold at 4.35%. The widely expected decision on Tuesday will bring little relief to mortgage holders, already strained by the RBA’s three consecutive rate hikes earlier in 2026. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president praises successful talks after Trump’s comments that ‘Russia should make a deal’ after G7 meeting … and given the delay this morning, the meeting may or may not have happened already – guess we will find out at some point during the day. in Évian-les-Bains Continue reading...

Two Belarusians ⁠detained over attack on Robert ⁠Kuzovkov, who is also known as Semyon Skrepetsky A Russian artist critical of Vladimir Putin and the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has been shot and killed in ⁠the eastern Polish town of Biała Podlaska, a prosecutor has said. Five shots were fired at the ⁠victim, including one ⁠to the head, in the attack on Monday, ​said Marcin Kozak, a spokesperson for the district prosecutor in Lublin. Two Belarusians ⁠have been detained but not charged in connection with the case, he added. Continue reading...

Thinktank says decoupling electricity from gas prices has also helped shield Spain from hikes caused by Iran war Spanish households save €10 a month on electricity bills because of wind turbines and solar panels installed in the last five years, a report has found. Typical energy bills would be 19% more expensive if electricity costs were still as tightly coupled to gas prices as in 2021, according to Ember, a climate thinktank. It found Spain’s “strategic” expansion of renewables since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 has shielded Spanish households from the latest rises in fossil fuel prices caused by the

Brian Gu says he sees Chinese car firms competing on quality rather than launching price war as at home Motorists in the UK and EU should not expect a sharp drop in the cost of electric vehicles despite increased competition among Chinese manufacturers, one of the country’s biggest electric carmakers has said. Brian Gu, the vice-chair of the manufacturer Xpeng, said that Chinese carmakers could compete on quality to win customers in the EU and UK, rather than unleashing a brutal price war as they have in China. Continue reading...

So-called ‘good behaviour’ legislation fiercely criticised by opposition politicians and rights groups Sweden’s parliament has voted to escalate the country’s crackdown on immigrant rights, backing laws that allow authorities to revoke residency permits based on a vague criteria of bad behaviour and obliging most public sector workers to report anyone suspected of being undocumented. The new legislation comes ahead of parliamentary elections in September, pitting the centre-right government, which currently depends on the support of the far-right Sweden Democrats to govern, against a far right that has said its intent is to create one of Europe’s most hostile environments for

US president says Netanyahu has to be ‘more responsible’, as Hezbollah says deal hinges on Israel withdrawing Full report: Trump declares deal ‘all signed’ as G7 leaders try to tie loose ends You can follow all the latest developments from the G7 summit in our Europe live blog: We will be including any Iran-related news from the summit in our Middle East crisis live blog. Continue reading...

Any sense of relief is offset by doubts over durability of agreement and feelings of betrayal by Trump administration Middle East crisis – live updates In the rural town of Sirik, in southern Iran, temperatures over the past week have climbed to 45C (113F), and residents were still queueing to fill buckets of water days after US strikes reportedly damaged two drinking water facilities serving nearby villages. Amid the water shortages and the looming fear of war came news of a possible deal between Washington and Tehran. But for those struggling to pick up the pieces in the aftermath, the

Few analysts believe final settlement can be reached in 60 days – and even if it is, war and instability could soon return In much of the Middle East, news that the US and Iran had come to a fragile agreement was greeted with relief tempered with doubt that any deal would resolve the turbulent region’s deep problems or even prevent a future return to war. In Kuwait, a frequent target of Iranian drone strikes during the 15-week conflict, Iyad Joumma, a 37-year-old Jordanian engineer, spoke for many. Continue reading...

Senate Republicans say there are many unanswered questions about the deal and question inclusion of funds for Iran The US vice-president, ⁠JD Vance, has said a number of issues still need to be figured out with Iran, as many Republicans expressed scepticism of the agreement reached this week by Donald Trump, and pressed the White House to release more information about it. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) announced Sunday to end the war in Iran, set for a ceremonial signing on Friday in Geneva, is centred around reopening the strait of Hormuz and lifting the United States’ naval blockade in

This blog is now closed – see our full report on the US-Iran agreement and an analysis of what it means The agreement between the United ⁠States and Iran should allow for the “immediate reopening” ⁠of the ⁠Strait ​of Hormuz, EU Commission President Ursula von ⁠der Leyen said on Monday. “The priority now is ⁠its swift and full implementation ​by all parties,” ‌von der ‌Leyen said about the ‌announced deal. Continue reading...

Relations at lowest ebb in years after Washington refuses to apologise for deaths in strait of Hormuz Fury has continued to mount in India over the US’s refusal to apologise for the deaths of Indian sailors killed in strikes in the strait of Hormuz, further straining relations between the two countries as their leaders meet at the G7 summit in France this week. Last week, three Indian seafarers, who were working on board commercial oil tankers, were killed when the US launched missile strikes on the vessel as it sailed through the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

Relatives of those killed on flight AI171 are still struggling to obtain answers about what happened When Sagar Patel’s mother boarded Air India flight AI171 on 12 June last year, she called her son as she always did before takeoff. The flight was due to leave Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport in Ahmedabad, in the western Indian state of Gujarat, and was destined for Gatwick. “We always had a little traditional thing,” said Patel, a business manager from London. “Once she got on the flight, she would sit down and call me. She’d tell me: ‘Yep, I’m on the flight. See

Government urged to reconsider proposal for 1,100 Afghans, currently stranded in Qatar, who worked with US forces Dozens of US lawmakers urged the Trump administration on Thursday to roll back any plans to ship to unsafe third countries Afghan nationals who worked with US forces during the war in their homeland. In a letter seen by Reuters, more than 80 House of Representatives members, including at least three Republicans as well as Democrats, appealed to secretary of state, Marco Rubio, to reconsider plans for 1,100 Afghans who have been stranded in Qatar awaiting relocation. Continue reading...

Washington claims vessel was violating its blockade of Iranian ports and failed to comply with instructions The Indian government has voiced a “strong protest” after three Indian seafarers were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz. US Central Command confirmed that its aircraft had fired two Hellfire missiles at the engine room of the MT Settebello as it sailed through the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Thai woman is in custody in connection with investigation after man was reportedly found dead at a hotel in Yangon A US diplomat has been found dead in Myanmar ’s largest city, and members of the diplomatic community in Yangon say a Thai woman has been detained by police in connection with the investigation. US officials in Thailand and the US embassy in Myanmar referred questions on the case to the state department, which confirmed the “death of a US government employee” assigned to the embassy in Yangon, but gave no other details. Continue reading...

Ex-defence secretary John Healey and ex-defence minister Al Carns have given resignation statements to MPs Speaking to reporters at the G7, Keir Starmer also defended the defence investment plan (DIP) draft that led to John Healey’s resignation as defence secretary last week. Starmer confirmed that Dan Jarvis, the new defence secretary, is getting some input before the publication of the DIP in its final version. Starmer said: The position on investment in defence is firstly that we increased last year defence spending from 2.3% to 2.6%, that’s the biggest increase since the 1980s, and that means £270bn will be spent

Litter-picking creatures emerge from underground for global franchise targeting nostalgic adults and gen Alpha Move over Paddington Bear. After almost 30 years off screen, the Wombles – the furry, litter-picking creatures who live beneath Wimbledon Common – are set for a comeback. The characters, whose motto is “Make Good Use of Bad Rubbish”, are being revived after the consolidation of the brand’s intellectual property rights under The Blair Partnership, which will oversee its global development. Continue reading...

James Bond actor, who is only the second non-royal woman to be celebrated in this way, called the honour ‘truly overwhelming’ Dame Judi Dench is to have a West End theatre renamed after her, becoming only the second non-royal woman to be honoured in such a way. The Shaftesbury theatre will be known as the Judi Dench theatre from February 2027 in celebration of the actor’s “unparalleled contribution to British theatre and the performing arts”. Continue reading...

Conservatives accused of attack on ‘crucial safeguards’ and of fostering ‘climate of hostility’ towards judiciary UK politics live – latest updates Refugee groups and lawyers have described Conservative proposals to strip judges of their powers to rule on asylum seekers’ appeals against deportations as “an attack on the concept of justice and equality under the law”. In a speech on Tuesday, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said a Conservative government would quit the European convention on human rights (ECHR) and abolish the judicial tribunal system that claimants use to appeal against their removal. Continue reading...

Environment secretary raises concerns that customers would face ‘undue burden’ from £10bn plan Thames Water should be nationalised, says Burnham Business live – latest updates The UK environment secretary has objected to a £10bn rescue proposal for Thames Water because it would place an “undue burden” on consumers, pushing the troubled utilities firm closer towards public ownership. Emma Reynolds wrote to Iain Coucher, who chairs the regulator Ofwat, on Monday to raise concerns about the plan for the UK’s biggest water company as she is worried that customers will lose out. Continue reading...

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator, joins Democrats in bid to stop dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative US politics live – latest updates A group of Democratic senators and one Republican, as well as two Democratic House committees, sent letters on Monday to the National Science Foundation asking it to reverse course on its plan to dismantle a sprawling ocean monitoring network, with House lawmakers going further and accusing the agency of acting illegally. The Ocean Observatories Initiative is a network of more than 900 ocean sensors built at a cost of $386m. Over the last decade it has tracked ocean

Oklahoma primary set to test Donald Trump’s iron grip on the Republican party, while closely watched runoff underway in Georgia Sign up for the Breaking News US email Speaking to NBC News earlier, JD Vance claimed that nuclear inspectors will “absolutely” be allowed back into Iran as part of the deal with the US . “Yes, absolutely,” Vance said. “In fact, one of the core parts of the agreement is that the [International Atomic Energy Agency] and the United States are going to help Iran destroy the highly enriched stockpile, and that’s something that’s spelled out very clearly ” in

Oscar-winning actor to write and direct fact-based movie that will follow a police officer mixed up in 2021 Capitol riot Sean Penn will direct a new film about the January 6 riot set to star Bradley Cooper . According to Deadline , the star, who recently won his second Oscar, will bring what’s been described as a “passion project” to the screen and act as both writer and director. Continue reading...

Andy Lewis, also known for slacklining and tricklining, and Danny Joe Kregle of Arizona were killed in accident in Utah canyon A weekend Base jumping accident in a Utah canyon killed two people, one of them a daredevil athlete best known for performing on stage with Madonna at the 2012 Super Bowl, authorities said. The sheriff’s office in Grand county, Utah, confirmed one of the dead was Andy Lewis, an extreme athlete known for feats in Base jumping, a dangerous sport that involves parachuting to the ground after jumping from a tall fixed object such as a building, a bridge

At least eight states have banned the plant-derived product as more people use it and some claim it’s addictive In 2024, Maizie Hepner, 24, started visiting a bar in Dubuque, Iowa that did not serve alcohol and instead offered beverages containing kava and kratom, psychoactive substances derived from plants. The drinks were marketed as “herbal tea mocktails”. Hepner, who works as a server and bartender, said. “I asked the guy who owns” Kava Kava “if it was addictive, and he said, ‘Absolutely not’”. Continue reading...

“Overcapacity” has become the buzzword in Washington and Brussels. American and European policymakers insist China churns out far more steel, electric vehicles and green technology than it can absorb, flooding the world with subsidised goods. Yet the economic data tells a different story: of double standards, protectionist impulses and a habit of moving the goalposts. Start with steel. Western officials point to China’s massive output as proof of distortion. But China official data puts the...

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, one of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, said in an interview published on Monday that Russia and Ukraine must compromise to end the war that has raged for more than four years with no end in sight. Lukashenko, whose ex-Soviet state has been improving ties with Washington, also said that ‌he would not rule out meeting US President Donald Trump. Lukashenko told Al Arabiya television that it was clear that victory on the battlefield was...

Shipowners ⁠will not resume transit through ⁠the Strait of Hormuz for weeks until they are confident that the US-Iran deal is “material”, the CEO of Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines told the Financial Times in an interview published ‌on Tuesday. The Iran war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes largely stopped shipping through the transit route for around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supply, along with products such as aluminium and urea. Mitsui O.S.K., one of...

The drones are grounded, tankers are reportedly moving again through the Strait of Hormuz and an electronically signed memorandum of understanding has formalised the pause. After 108 days, thousands dead and hundreds of billions of US dollars stripped from the global economy, the US-Israel war on Iran has ended – for now. Not with victory. Not with defeat. With a freeze. The United States and Israel assassinated Iran’s supreme leader and many of its top officials, then went on to degrade the...

Benjamin Netanyahu bet that his joint war alongside Donald Trump would topple Iran’s clerical rulers and bolster ⁠himself ahead of the election at home, as the architect of a US-Israeli alliance that would reshape the Middle East. Instead, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister is on a collision course with Trump as the US president seeks to extricate himself from the war, with both men’s goals unmet and Israeli military operations tied down in Lebanon. For now, Israeli officials have been...

Iranian Americans streamed into the Los Angeles stadium where Iran play their first match at the 2026 World Cup on Monday, with some calling for Iranians to band together and forget politics while others bore symbols protesting the government. The team arrived at the stadium, having flown into the US on Sunday from their training base in Tijuana, ‌Mexico, touching down in Los Angeles just as a deal was announced to end the US-Iran war. They are set to play New Zealand in Group G at 6pm local...

Eight people died when a US B-52 bomber crashed and erupted into a catastrophic fire shortly after take-off at an air force base in California on Monday, officials said. The heavy bomber was on a routine testing mission with a mixture of military, government and civilian contractors on board when it came down in a huge fireball at Edwards Air Force Base, 95km (60 miles) north of Los Angeles. Footage of the aftermath of the crash, which officials said was “unsurvivable”, showed a large charred...

As trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels continue to rise, China’s firms in the European Union have been forced to walk a delicate tightrope: expanding their presence in the lucrative market while grappling with heightened regulatory hurdles and rapid geopolitical shifts. In the first part of this three-part series, we look at a new, complex EU carbon tariff system that has business owners scratching their heads. Neil Miao has been exporting metal hardware to Europe for years. But earlier...

British prosecutors have charged with sanctions contravention offences the Indian captain of an interdicted alleged Russian shadow fleet vessel seized in the Channel, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Monday. It follows British armed forces on Sunday intercepting the sanctioned oil tanker Smyrtos – said to belong to Russia’s shadow fleet – in a dramatic operation hailed by Kyiv and London as a blow to Moscow’s war machine. British commandos boarded the ship off the southern English coast...

When it comes to the performance of real estate markets in the Asia-Pacific, Japan reigns supreme. Asia’s second largest economy is the deepest, most widely traded, and the safest market in the region. Last year, Japan accounted for 28 per cent of direct investment in Asia-Pacific commercial real estate, data from MSCI shows. The average vacancy rate for grade A offices in Tokyo was 0.7 per cent in the first quarter of this year. Rents have risen for nine straight quarters, increasing 13.2 per...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday he was willing to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the United States, suggesting Putin would find such an offer “harder to refuse”. The Ukrainian leader said he made the proposal in a call with US President Donald Trump, and was waiting to see what came of it. Putin has repeatedly rejected offers for a face-to-face meeting with Zelensky to try to broker an end to more than four years of war. The Ukrainian leader said earlier that...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said he intends to run in elections scheduled for later this year, as he faces domestic criticism over his wartime leadership. Netanyahu, 76, is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has led his country through three years of war on multiple interconnected fronts and is currently on trial for corruption. In recent months, he has come under mounting fire from opposition leaders who accuse him of failing to achieve the war aims he set out...

Argentina’s top central banker sat down with his Chinese counterpart in Shanghai, a quiet overture towards Beijing months after Buenos Aires moved to unwind a currency lifeline that Washington had pushed it to abandon. Santiago Bausili, president of the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic, met People’s Bank of China governor Pan Gongsheng on the sidelines of an international symposium organised by the Bank for International Settlements and China’s central bank, according to a statement from...

California ⁠Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday accused US President Donald Trump of directing the Justice Department to undertake a politically motivated investigation of him and his wife. “Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets,” Newsom said in a ‌video statement posted to social media. “He’s coming after me because I am considering running for president.” Federal police officers in Sacramento, California, have been conducting several investigations related to the...

A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, that accused rival Sam Altman’s OpenAI of stealing ‌trade secrets for chatbots. US District Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco, California, said xAI failed to show that OpenAI induced former xAI senior engineer Xuechen Li, a Chinese national, to divulge confidential information related to its Grok chatbot, or that OpenAI engineers knew Li might have disclosed any. Lin ‌dismissed the case with...

Hungary’s parliament approved a ⁠constitutional amendment ⁠on Monday that ⁠allows prime ministers to serve for a maximum of eight years, effectively barring former premier Viktor Orban from holding the role ‌again. Prime Minister Peter Magyar ousted Orban in an election in April after 16 years, gaining a two-thirds majority in parliament that allows his party to roll back or change legislation passed ⁠by Orban’s Fidesz, including the constitution. The amendment was a key campaign promise of...

US President Donald Trump announced plans on Monday for a major “rally” in Washington on the July 4 Independence Day, further imposing his political brand on celebrations of the United States’ 250th anniversary. The announcement comes a day after the Republican billionaire staged a mixed martial arts fight on the White House lawn – on what just happened to be his 80th birthday – with military honour guards and Air Force flyovers. Trump had previously posted that another event on June 24 would be...

A senior US official on Monday said that President Donald Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance had signed the memorandum of understanding electronically with Iran to formally reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the American blockade of Iranian ports. The official also claimed Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signed the document on Tehran’s behalf. Trump “wanted to sign it personally because he wanted to show his dedication to the process and dedication to seeing this through to...

The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Monday that the bloc has verified reports that China’s military has been “training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine”, a development that could deepen tensions between the two sides. Kallas, speaking after chairing a meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg, said that the EU was “carefully assessing the implications” of the assessment, adding that the ministers had agreed to sanction several Chinese entities...

A Polish doctor has been taken into custody after 34 human fetuses were found buried in the garden of her former home, the authorities said on Monday. Magdalena H. – a 57-year-old medical pathologist with no previous criminal record – is suspected of using the fetuses to perform experiments and now faces up to 12 years in prison. Her case has whipped up a storm in traditionally Catholic Poland, with many questioning how she managed to obtain the unborn babies’ bodies in a country with some of...

Fox Corp is buying Roku in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about US$22 billion in a bet that pairing its sports and news programming with a top TV streaming platform ‌will strengthen its position as audiences shift online. The deal, announced on Monday, gives Fox access to the more than 100 million households using Roku’s streaming platform, potentially helping the cable TV-reliant media company better target ads and reduce reliance on traditional distribution. It is Fox’s first major...

Two men were convicted on Monday of a plot last year to set fire to property linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The fires in May 2025 damaged the home Starmer moved out of when he became prime minister, as well as an apartment building he once owned a share of and destroyed his former Toyota SUV. Nobody was injured in the blazes. Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Romanian citizen, were found guilty of a conspiracy to damage property by...

US President Donald Trump threatened to slap a 100 per cent tariff on French wine and champagne unless Paris removes a digital services tax on tech firms, the New York Post reported on Monday. France imposed in 2019 a three per cent levy on the revenues earned by technology firms – including American giants such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google parent Alphabet – within the country’s borders. French President Emmanuel Macron is due to host Trump on Monday before the G7 summit gets underway...

Britain will ban children under 16 from using a range of social media apps including Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to protect young people from harmful content and excessive screen time, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday. Starmer told a news conference that he will fight back if technology companies resist the move, and acknowledged some teens would try to find their way around a ban. But he said he is “not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children”. “Every...

The United States and Iran are set to sign an interim peace deal on Friday that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and potentially end a nearly four-month-long conflict that has killed thousands and upended the global economy. “The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump said on social media on Sunday, which was also his 80th birthday. “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz” along with the “immediate removal” of the US...

The stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon was found guilty of two counts of rape, one count of domestic violence and other crimes and sentenced to four years in prison, after a seven-week trial that has further dented the royal family’s once picture-perfect image. Oslo District Court ruled that 29-year-old Marius Borg Hoiby, who joined the royal family when ‌his mother Mette-Marit married Haakon in 2001, was guilty of two counts of rape including one in the basement of the crown prince’s...

A 21-year-old woman who died in dramatic fashion, when two rope jumping instructors threw her from a bridge without first harnessing her to security equipment, was buried on Sunday in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state. Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was going rope jumping on Saturday at Ponte do Esqueleto, an abandoned bridge in the municipality of Limeira where tourists practice extreme sports. The young woman, who aspired to become a physical education teacher, had asked to be launched from the...

The Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Gaza war has surpassed 73,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as Israeli military operations continue despite a stalled and fragile ceasefire in place since October. Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks. Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire, the health ministry said on Sunday. Five Israeli soldiers have...

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 5. How to say ‘tomato sauce’ in Cantonese? Miss Hong Kong hopeful sparks debate 2. Chinese team flags life-threatening weakness in Nasa’s Artemis programme 3. Hong Kong intern doctor released on bail, returns to hospital amid police probe 4. China’s universities cut 12,000 ‘obsolete’ degrees amid...

This article was published on June 13, 1991. Thousands evacuated after massive explosion in Philippines Volcano’s plume soars 25km by Michael Bociurkiw in San Narciso Theresita Santiago and her neighbours dealt with the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines yesterday (June 12, 1991) the only way they could: they grabbed their children and a few belongings and walked 20 kilometres to sanctuary in Olongapo City. “I’m feeling very nervous right now,” Mrs Santiago said, as her...

Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s biggest cities in a nighttime bombardment that killed at least 11 people and set fire to a renowned religious site, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials said on Monday. The attacks on the capital, Kyiv, and the second-largest city, Kharkiv, came after Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke separately by phone with US President Donald Trump on Sunday. The exchange suggests Washington has not...

I’m still reeling from last week’s tragedy in Hong Kong: a mother and her 12-year-old daughter lost their lives to suicide within hours of each other reportedly following an argument about “education problems”. While the causes of suicide are complex, the incident should prompt reflection within the education system. For years, many have tried to point out the impact academic pressure without adequate support has on students’ mental health. We have also noted the effect on teachers and parents....

The United States and Iran have reached a deal to end their war and will hold an official signing ceremony on Friday in Geneva, Switzerland, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media early on Monday. “The Deal with ‌the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform shortly after Sharif made his announcement. The agreement was struck despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and...

British anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson ⁠said he was ⁠detained at Heathrow ⁠Airport on Saturday and had his phone seized, after a week when he posted heavily online about racist and anti-immigrant riots in Northern Ireland. Robinson, whose real ‌name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said on social media he was held on Saturday evening for around three hours under the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act. “My phone has been seized by the police,” he wrote. “Please help ⁠kick off my legal fund...

A plane carrying a pilot and 11 passengers planning to spend a sunny afternoon skydiving crashed on Sunday in Missouri, killing all aboard, authorities said. Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a statement that troopers were at the crash site, helping the Butler Police Department & Bates County Sheriff’s Office. The crash happened near Butler Memorial Airport. The small town of Butler has a population of around 4,300 people and is roughly 105km (65 miles) south of Kansas City. Missouri Highway...

US ⁠Senator Mitch McConnell was admitted to hospital on Sunday, his spokesman said, but there was no immediate information about why he was there or his prognosis. McConnell, 84, was the longest-serving Senate leader in history before stepping aside from that role while finishing his final term, which ends in January. “Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning. He is receiving excellent care,” spokesman David Popp said in a statement without elaboration. It was not immediately...

At least six people died in Brazil on Sunday after two helicopters collided in western Rio de Janeiro, firefighters said. The helicopters crashed into the car park of an electric car showroom, igniting a fire that engulfed at least 20 cars. A statement from firefighters said initial reports pointed to a mid-air collision, adding “six fatalities have been confirmed, all were crew members of the aircraft involved in the accident”. Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said there were “foreign...

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky each held phone calls with US President Donald Trump on Sunday, as Trump marked his 80th birthday and the war in Ukraine remained a flashpoint ahead of this week’s G7 summit. Putin’s call with Trump lasted just under an hour, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters. On Ukraine, Ushakov said Trump emphasised the need to end hostilities and stated his readiness to influence European...

Protesters in Geneva clashed with police, set a car on fire and smashed the windows of a bank on Sunday to show their discontent with the G7 group of major advanced economies on the eve of a summit in nearby France to be attended by the group’s leaders including US President Donald Trump. Environmentalists and feminists joined foes of imperialism, defenders of independent media, supporters of Palestinian rights and others in a lakeside park in Geneva for a march across the Swiss city. A boat...

US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged no further attacks by anyone after Israel’s military said it launched strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, potentially complicating efforts to finalise a deal to end the US-Iran war. As smoke rose over the Lebanese capital, Lebanese Civil Defense said it retrieved three bodies and six wounded people from the rubble. Iran threatened a military response, with the foreign ministry saying it holds the US directly responsible for Israel’s ceasefire...

In a packed auditorium steps from the Vatican, Roberto Vannacci – the former Italian army general known to supporters as ‘Il Generale’ – is rallying followers of his fledgling party, casting himself as an outsider while reshaping Italy’s right and challenging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of US President Donald Trump. Vannacci’s fast-rising “Futuro Nazionale” party is injecting new uncertainty into the conservative bloc that has underpinned Meloni’s government, exposing tensions...

The Swiss appeared to have voted down a divisive anti-immigration proposal to cap the country’s population, early projections showed on Sunday. Shortly after polls closed at noon, initial projections from the GfS.bern institute indicated around 55 per cent opposition to the initiative, which had sparked warnings of “chaos” and devastating impacts for the Swiss economy and European Union relations. “We are very relieved and happy. This is an important result for our country and for our relations...

British armed forces intercepted a sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel on Sunday, for the first time leading an operation to disrupt the oil revenue ‌that helps fund Russia’s war in Ukraine. The vessel Smyrtos, sailing under the Cameroon flag, was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency (NCA) officials in the early hours on Sunday, with support from Chinook helicopters and other aircraft, a frigate and a minehunter. “This successful operation...

Two big issues are bubbling up over Hong Kong’s army of foreign domestic helpers. The whole community will have to sit down and decide how to address them. The first is the availability of places for helpers to congregate safely and freely on their days off without putting too much stress on public facilities, other residents and tourists. The second is figuring out how to provide an acceptable working environment inside the home during hot summer months. Two underlying trends are adding to the...

In April, a family from the United Arab Emirates – four adults, three children and a nanny – spent about 300,000 yuan (US$44,228) on a seven-day educational and business tour to China. The trip was nearly cancelled as the Iran war repeatedly disrupted their flights and travel plans, but they eventually arrived in Shanghai. “Their willingness to make the trip was unwavering,” said Lilian Liu at Middle East-focused tour operator UFOX Travel, who hosted the family. Such clients barely existed a few...

To comply with a FIFA prohibition on branding, MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was renamed “New York New Jersey Stadium.” New Jerseyans were not surprised.

Interceptors show Ukraine’s embrace of autonomous technologies trained on immense troves of wartime data.

A day earlier, Russia bombarded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones, killing at least 11 people and damaging a holy cathedral.

In the spirit of 1776, these shipwrights, printers and textile workers are commemorating George Washington’s legacy through 18th-century techniques.

In a new memoir, Mr. Vance recalls an “unsettling” meeting with Vatican officials on immigration policy and disavows his infamous disparagement of some Democrats as “childless cat ladies.”

With support from Markwayne Mullin and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the kratom industry is pursuing a potentially lucrative policy. Mr. Mullin owns equity in a company that could benefit.

The top race of the day is in Georgia, where Republican voters will pick a nominee to challenge Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat.

A rift in Montana between the Democratic nominee and an independent candidate could boost Republican hopes of holding on to an open seat in conservative territory.

Think you’re a morning person, a night owl or something in between? Take our “chronotype” quiz to find out.

They make much of the gear that goes into giant data centers. Demand for their products is shifting the balance of tech power.

SpaceX exercised its option to acquire Cursor in an all-stock deal, bolstering Elon Musk’s ambitions in artificial intelligence.

In a country where the housing market is squeezed, decommissioned electrical substations are in demand as refurbished residences.

New Yorkers, from bartenders to teenagers to TV celebrities, turned the city orange and blue in an unusual but welcome sign of unity.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign team used some viral Knicks fan videos as inspiration for his own video strategy to convey a sense of urgency and excitement.

How the scramble for partisan advantage could further distort America’s politics.

Preliminary judgments on Joe Biden’s one-term presidency, including Jill Biden’s, are all the rage.

The world’s attention is on the Middle East.

“Of course it’s the Knicks, so they won’t really show up until the second half,” the host Jimmy Fallon said.