Minimalist News

Iconic American Beer Brand Discontinued After 177 Years Schlitz Premium, the storied lager once billed as “the beer that made Milwaukee famous,” is heading into retirement. Pabst Brewing Co. confirmed this week it is placing the brand on indefinite hiatus, ending production of the nearly two-century-old beer label founded in Milwaukee in 1849 that grew into one of America’s most iconic brews. The decision, driven by rising storage and shipping costs amid softening demand for the value-priced brand, marks the latest chapter in a turbulent corporate saga. Wisconsin Brewing Co. in Verona will produce a final 80-barrel batch on May

The Coup Abides Authored by James Howard Kunstler, "Leftists can’t name & blame specific individuals for the 2024 loss because they’re an undifferentiated blob who function unconsciously according to enmeshed group think." - Aimee Therese on X In all the chatter about the Democratic Party’s 2024 election “autopsy” report you might have missed one little important detail: autopsies are generally performed on the dead. Stephen Colbert’s final week on CBS’s Late Night Show was the funeral. It was like the zombies’ ball. Poster-boy old Bruce Springsteen plugged a self-parody song about “King Trump” that might have been a rare case

Singham Network Mobilizes To Defend Raúl Castro After DOJ Indictment Via American Greatness, Key organizations and activists tied to the CCP-linked Singham Network rapidly moved to defend former Cuban dictator Raúl Castro following this week’s Justice Department indictment tied to the 1996 shootdown of civilian aircraft flown by Brothers to the Rescue. The indictment, unveiled by the United States Department of Justice , charges Castro and others in connection with the deaths of four men after Cuban MiG fighter jets destroyed two civilian planes over international waters near Cuba nearly three decades ago. Prosecutors said the aircraft were outside Cuban

Chinese Refining Rates Unexpectedly Plunge To All-Time Lows As Economy Falls Off A Cliff Two weeks ago, when discussing the market "mystery" of sliding physical crude oil prices, we said that the most likely culprit were Chinese refiners, whose refining margins had just collapsed to the most negative on record. The reason for the margin collapse was China’s domestic fuel policy: it has long been Beijing's policy to soften price hikes to help shield consumers and avoid social unrest; which while beneficial to end, consumers is catastrophic to refiners and processors who are prohibited from passing on rising costs. In

Uber Builds Large Stake In Germany's Delivery Hero As Takeover Speculation Builds Uber is exploring a potential takeover of Delivery Hero after building a large stake in the rival German food delivery company, Bloomberg News reports. This follows an earlier report that Uber had built a 19.5% stake. On Monday, Uber disclosed that it owns 19.5% of Delivery Hero, plus an additional 5.6% through options. The position was built with the help of Morgan Stanley traders, according to people familiar with the matter. Uber's move to acquire Delivery Hero could be an attempt to expand Uber Eats' global footprint and

Iran Says 35 Ships Exited Strait Of Hormuz As Rubio Condemns Tolls The US blockade of the Iranian blockade is looking increasingly more porous. Iran said 35 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours in coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Iranian state broadcaster reported on Friday. The navy had already reported on Wednesday that 26 ships had passed through the strait within 24 hours. On Friday, the data provider Kpler confirmed only 10 passages on Wednesday. This represented an increase from the four passages recorded the previous day. Strait of Hormuz |

Iran Says 'No Deal' Will Materialize If US Insists On Enriched Uranium Handover Summary Iran Foreign Ministry says "no deal" will be reached if the US makes enriched uranium handover demand (Al Jazeera). Rubio confirms that there's been no deal and that "we're not there yet" - amid broader late morning pushback against morning optimistic, premature headlines. Saudi sources report Pakistan army chief & a Qatar delegation en route to Tehran, after which Field Marshal Munir arrives - calls trip 'last ditch effort' to avert war . Influential Iranian parliament member threatens 'preemptive' military action if preparations & movements by

India's Power Demand Hits Record High As Heat Drives Coal Use Submitted by Irina Slav of OilPrice.com India’s power generation rose to a new all-time high amid hot weather that drove air-conditioning demand up , with thermal generation, most of its coming from coal power plants, covering 62% of demand. Power demand on Thursday hit 271 GW, on the “fourth consecutive day when the peak power demand (solar hours) reached a new all-time high,” India’s power ministry said, as quoted by AFP. After milder temperatures tempered demand growth in the fiscal year to March 2026 to the lowest level in

Tulsi Gabbard Resigns As Director Of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is stepping down from her role as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to support her husband, Abraham, as he battles an extremely rare form of bone cancer, according to Fox News . Gabbard informed President Donald Trump of her decision during a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday. Her last day at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) will be June 30, 2026 . In her formal resignation letter, obtained exclusively by Fox , Gabbard expressed deep gratitude to Trump, writing: "I am deeply grateful for

Crowd Burns Ebola Treatment Center In Congo Amid Dispute Over Body Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times, People set fire to an Ebola treatment center in a town at the heart of the outbreak in eastern Congo on May 21 after being stopped from retrieving the body of a local man, witnesses and police said. “The police intervened to try to calm the situation, but unfortunately they were unsuccessful,” Alexis Burata, a local student who said he was in the area, told The Associated Press. “The young people ended up setting fire to the center. That’s the situation.”

Viral Video Reveals Extent Of LA's Homeless Hell Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, A shocking video making the rounds shows the reality of life under Los Angeles bridges: a sprawling setup of makeshift homes complete with lighting tapped into the city power grid, tables of items, and a self-contained community living off public resources. The clip, originally from local documentarian @whitewallstuntz, captures a resident proudly displaying his space. "This how people living out here in LA man. My boy got the whole bridge to himself." The footage reveals lighting strung throughout, suggesting direct access to grid electricity, alongside what

White House And Pentagon Clash Over $80M ReElement Critical Minerals Deal The Pentagon is reconsidering an $80 million conditional loan to rare-earths refiner ReElement Technologies, raising tensions with the White House over efforts to reduce US reliance on China for critical minerals, according to Bloomberg . The loan, announced in November through the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), was part of a broader $1.4 billion critical-minerals initiative alongside Vulcan Elements. But officials reviewing the deal have questioned ReElement’s ability to scale production and meet long-term revenue targets, according to people familiar with the matter. The loan has not been

Rising Interest Rates: Why The Narrative Fails Against The Data Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, Last Friday closed with the 10-year Treasury yield at 4.60%, a one-year high, and the doom commentary about rising interest rates was waiting before the bell even rang. Hyperinflation. Bond market breakdown. Paradigm shift. A 1981 fair-value retest. The Fed is about to “push the brrrr button” or pop “the everything bubble.” If you spent any time on social media over the weekend that followed, you saw a version of every one of those. So I posted a short thread that Friday, making a

Taiwan Arms Deal Put On Ice Amid China Pressure, But Pentagon Cites Iran War Stockpile Concerns Did the Pentagon just back down amid pressure from China? It appears so. As we reported Thursday, China has been actively holding up a proposed visit by Elbridge Colby , the Pentagon's under-secretary of defense for policy . The move is a transparent effort to pressure President Trump over a looming $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan . Sources familiar with the talks told the Financial Times that Beijing signaled it "cannot approve a visit until Trump decides how he will proceed with the

Is Take-Two Sandbagging Guidance Ahead Of Grand Theft Auto VI Launch? Take-Two Interactive slumped in early U.S. cash session after the video-game publisher reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results but issued what some analysts described as a "conservative" outlook for the year, even as it reaffirmed the November 19 launch date for Grand Theft Auto VI . TTWO's earnings, released Thursday evening, initially sent shares higher in the after-market, as traders focused on GTA VI remaining on schedule. However, shares fell once the cash session opened, as the market shifted attention to softer-than-expected guidance on bookings and TTWO's cautious fiscal-year assumptions. Goldman

US Lawmakers Renew Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Push With ARMA Bill Authored by Brayden Lindrea via CoinTelegraph.com, US lawmakers have renewed efforts to codify a US strategic Bitcoin reserve with a new bipartisan bill on Thursday that seeks to acquire around 1 million Bitcoin over five years. The American Reserve Modernization Act of 2026 would establish a Strategic Bitcoin (BTC) Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile for other federally held cryptocurrencies, which would be held by the US Treasury Department, said the bill’s sponsor, Representative Nick Begich. ARMA, sponsored by 16 members of Congress, builds on the BITCOIN Act, which was introduced

"Huge Shock": China Launches Crackdown On Cross-Border Stock Selling To Block Capital Outflows China launched an unprecedented campaign against illegal cross-border trading to stem capital outflows, threatening severe penalties against brokers and ordering non-compliant accounts to be liquidated within two years, sparking a brutal selloff in three popular brokerages. As Bloomberg reports , the pushback came after the onshore markets closed Friday when eight regulators issued a joint statement vowing a campaign against these trades, sending US-listed Chinese stocks tumbling. The securities regulator said it planned to penalize brokerages Futu Holdings, Tiger Brokers and Long Bridge Securities for operating on

Great Again: Blue-Haired Liberals Seen Enjoying Beautifully Restored DC Park Fountain Authored by Steve Watson via modernity.news Decline is a choice Just weeks ago, Meridian Hill Park - also known as Malcolm X Park - stood as a graffiti-scarred reminder of neglect, overrun by vagrants, trash, and decay. Today, its iconic 13-basin cascading fountain flows powerfully once more, drawing families, dog walkers, and even those with blue hair who once might have sneered at such efforts. The transformation is undeniable: clean pathways, flowing water, and people reclaiming public space in the heart of Washington, D.C. It's the direct result of

'Mission Impossible' Begins: Watch Live As Kevin Warsh Is Sworn In As 17th Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who’s promised the biggest shakeup in decades at the US central bank, is set to be sworn into office this morning at 1100ET in a White House ceremony as the 17th chair of the Federal Reserve. Warsh takes over at a tense moment for the economy and the central bank . Inflation has reaccelerated, driven by the impact of war in the Middle East on energy supplies. The Fed, meanwhile, has been battered by President Donald Trump for not cutting interest rates quickly

UBS Warns Of "Scary" Oil Price Scenarios Once Inventory Buffers Run Dry Drawing down crude inventories at a record pace, with SPR releases doing the heavy lifting to cushion the Gulf supply shock, only delays the move higher in crude oil prices. Once those buffers are depleted, oil risks being violently repriced higher. That is why the Trump administration's race to secure a peace deal with Iran and reopen the Hormuz chokepoint has taken on new urgency in recent weeks. The longer the critical waterway remains disrupted, the greater the risk that the oil shock will escalate from a market

Judge said Trump administration would not have prosecuted Ábrego had he not challenged his high-profile deportation Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A US judge dismissed a criminal indictment against Kilmar Ábrego García on Friday, finding that the Trump administration would not have prosecuted him had he not challenged his high-profile deportation. Ábrego, who had entered the United States without authorization in the past, became a symbol of the Trump administration’s drive for mass deportations when he was sent to the notorious anti-terrorism mega-prison in El Salvador known as Cecot in March 2025. Continue reading...

Alberta premier calls for referendum on secession after judge ruled initiative to force binding vote invalid The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney , has said that Alberta is “essential” to the country’s future, hours after the province’s leader moved the oil-rich region closer toward a referendum on independence. Separatists in the western province spent months collecting signatures seeking to trigger a binding October vote on seceding from the nation. Continue reading...

Andry José Hernández Romero was deported from the US to El Salvador’s notorious Cecot prison before he was allowed to return to Venezuela One of the Venezuelan men sent from the US to El Salvador’s most notorious prison by Donald Trump has moved to Spain to request asylum after concluding that he did not feel safe back home and did not trust US authorities sufficiently to return to fight his legal case. Andry José Hernández Romero left Venezuela for Spain in early February and is due for his first asylum hearing in court there in a few days, hoping that

US secretary of state says president would like a negotiated agreement with Havana but likelihood ‘is not high’ The US president, Donald Trump, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Thursday again raised the spectre of military intervention in Cuba, a renewed threat that takes on greater weight a day after the administration announced criminal charges against Raúl Castro, the island’s former leader. “Other presidents have looked at this for 50, 60 years, doing something,” Trump told reporters when asked about Cuba during an event in the Oval Office. “And it looks like I’ll be the one that does

It’s a nerve-racking time for Havana neighbours of top Cuban officials as fears of US attack mount A new question in being asked in Havana as people digest the news that the US has brought criminal charges against Cuba’s 94-year-old former president, Raúl Castro: who’s your neighbour? If you happen to live near a senior figure in Cuba’s government or armed forces, others suck their teeth in an expression of concerned sympathy. For the first time, US military strikes on the island are being considered a serious possibility. Continue reading...

Resolution backed by 141 states hailed as ‘new chapter’ that could improve climate diplomacy and litigation efforts When the UN general assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of a landmark climate crisis ruling on Wednesday, the Pacific island of Vanuatu’s prime minister hailed the result as the start of “a new chapter” in climate action. “The task before all of us now is to translate legal clarity into meaningful action, stronger cooperation, and greater protection for present and future generations,” said Jotham Napat. Continue reading...

Hung Cao’s comments are latest blow to Taipei after Donald Trump recently cast doubt over US’s enduring support US arms sales to Taiwan have been “paused” to ensure the US military has enough munitions for its Iran operations, according to Washington’s acting navy secretary, in the latest blow to Taipei after a series of comments by Donald Trump. When asked at a congressional hearing on Thursday about a $14bn (£10.4bn) weapons package awaiting Trump’s signoff for months, Hung Cao said: “Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury

Twelve dead as southern and central areas also suffer travel disruption, electricity outages and evacuations Heavy, prolonged rainfall in southern and central China has resulted in weather warnings for flash flooding, landslides and waterlogging. The slow-moving band of rainfall spanned 620 miles (1,000km) and travelled eastwards across the regions on Tuesday. It was formed from the convergence of multiple bands of rain originating from the Bay of Bengal, South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. Given the accompanying low wind speeds, high daily and hourly rainfall totals have been recorded, with as much as 75mm locally in Hunan, 85mm in Anhui

Initial testing found evidence of metals in water samples, months after province’s residents began reporting unusual numbers of dead fish washing ashore Papua New Guinea’s government has warned communities not to fish from parts of the New Ireland coastline as preliminary tests show evidence of metals in some water samples, after months of residents reporting dead marine life in the area. On 7 May the fisheries minister, Jelta Wong, said initial testing conducted by an independent company detected various metals in water samples taken from affected areas around Kafkaf village and Larairu lagoon in New Ireland, an island in eastern

Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin to Beijing with pomp and pageantry, just days after hosting Donald Trump. But as Russia’s war in Ukraine makes Moscow increasingly dependent on China, and western leaders thaw relations with Beijing, what does the power imbalance mean for Xi and Putin’s relationship? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s deputy head of international news, Devika Bhat Continue reading...

Jacinta Allan will announce a plan to offer 2,000 apprenticeships at the revived State Electricity Commission, as part of a pre-election push Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Jacinta Allan will use Labor’s final state conference before the election to announce a plan for a government-owned electricity body to hire electrical apprentices to address significant workforce shortages. It will be the first time since the State Electricity Commission was privatised 30 years ago that the government has employed such apprentices. The Victorian premier will announce the plan in a speech that will draw on

Exclusive: With warnings world oil supplies are expected to hit ‘red zone’ by August, the Albanese government has outlined its powers to enforce daily purchase limits for motorists Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The federal government has outlined plans for retail fuel rationing, documents reveal, as the International Energy Agency warned on Friday that oil markets would enter the “red zone” by August. Contained in documents obtained by Guardian Australian under freedom of information, one option the government has outlined to arrest a local fuel supply shortage is to impose a “maximum transaction

Unopposed nomination comes seven years after Abbott lost his Sydney seat of Warringah at the 2019 election Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Tony Abbott will become the new federal Liberal party president in a return to the political frontlines for the conservative former prime minister. Abbott was the only nominee for the presidency after the other contender – former foreign minister Alexander Downer – chose to instead run for one of the vice-president’s positions. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Guzman y Gomez , the Mexican-themed fast food chain, is pulling out of the United States in a spectacular turnaround on its American market ambitions, AAP reports. The decision was made because the financial performance of the US business was not acceptable or meeting targets. Continue reading...

Company founder Steven Marks says US stores will close as it can no longer justify cost of trying to break into crowded market Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Guzman y Gomez is closing its US business after failing to establish itself in a market already rich with Mexican food, confirming the American country’s reputation as a “graveyard” for Australian fast food companies. The Mexican-themed chain told shareholders on Friday that the performance of its US stores had not been acceptable, despite its well-publicised plans

Exclusive: Top British official presented idea in Brussels but sources say it was rebuffed The UK government pitched the creation of a single market for goods with the EU as the cornerstone of an ambitious attempt to reintegrate British trade back into Europe, the Guardian can reveal. During recent visits to Brussels, the Cabinet Office’s top official on EU relations, Michael Ellam, presented the idea to deepen the UK’s economic relationship with the bloc. Continue reading...

Former general Petr Pavel says Moscow’s testing of alliance’s eastern flank should be met with firm line The Czech president, Petr Pavel, has urged Nato to “show its teeth” in response to Russia’s repeated testing of the alliance’s resolve on its eastern flank, suggesting a range of options including switching off its internet, cutting off its banks from global financial systems and shooting down jets that violate allied airspace. Speaking to the Guardian in Prague, Pavel called for “decisive enough, potentially even asymmetric” responses to counter Moscow’s provocative behaviour against the alliance or risk the Kremlin intensifying its actions. Continue

The US secretary of state said the US is monitoring Russian allegations against the Baltics Rubio begins with thanks to Sweden for hosting the ministerial meeting. But that’s where the niceties end as says the upcoming Ankara summit will be “one of the more important leaders’ summit in the history of Nato,” as the leaders will have to respond to Trump’s “disappointment” with the alliance’s “response to our operations in the Middle East.” “That will have to be addressed, that won’t be solved or addressed today. That’s something for the leaders level to discuss. ” Continue reading...

Backlash grows among European staff against radical cuts to pay off Covid-era debt, with some accusing council of ‘colonial attitude’ The historic Palacete building at 31 Paseo del General Martínez Campos in Madrid’s upmarket Chamberí district has been home to the British Council in Spain for about 70 years. About 5,000 students each year pass through its 35 classrooms, learning English, attending exams, and forging cultural ties with the UK. Over the years that is hundreds of thousands of Madrileños (people from Madrid), while it also serves as a centre for the expat community. Continue reading...

Israeli prison service denies claims of abuse during detention of 430 people trying to take aid to Palestinians Activists released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to take aid to Gaza were subjected to abuse, organisers have alleged, with several hospitalised with injuries and at least 15 reporting sexual assaults, including rape. Israel’s prison service denied the allegations, and Reuters was not able to verify them independently. Continue reading...

Secretary of state suggests July meeting of alliance will be fraught as US demands help in strait of Hormuz Donald Trump is disappointed that Nato allies refused to become more actively involved in attacking Iran, the US secretary of state has said, setting up what could become a fraught summit of the alliance in July. Marco Rubio, meeting with foreign ministers of the military alliance, emphasised that he expected the rift would be discussed at the July meeting in Ankara, making the summit “one of the more important” in Nato’s 77-year history. Continue reading...

Iran has threatened to impose tolls on shipping, while US demands that Iran hand over its highly enriched uranium may be deferred. Is there an end in sight? Qatar has rushed a team of mediators to Tehran in a sign that talks to open the strait of Hormuz, in return for the lifting of US sanctions and asset freezes, are reaching a climax. The aim would be to sign a memorandum of understanding on the strait that would lead to 30 days of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme – so deferring discussion of the US demand that Iran hand over

Targeting of foreign activists drew global outrage from governments that have not acted on violence against Palestinian detainees Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has made abuse of detained Palestinians something of a macabre calling card, celebrating cruelty publicly and often on video. During his time in office, violence including rape , extreme hunger and humiliation have been normalised in Israeli jails. Rights groups say detention centres have become “ torture camps ” for Palestinians. Continue reading...

US social media firms acting on orders from Middle East kingdom accused of being ‘instruments of repression’ Major US social media companies including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms have blocked the accounts of Saudi Arabian dissidents so they are no longer visible inside the kingdom, following orders by Saudi authorities. Those affected include Abdullah Alaoudh, a US-based activist and vocal critic of Saudi human rights violations, and Omar Abdulaziz, a Canada and UK-based activist who worked closely with Jamal Khashoggi before the journalist’s murder by Saudi agents in 2018. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: As ​the polls tighten a​​round Benjamin Netanyahu, the coming months may redefine Israel’s political order without resolving its most entrenched conflicts Good morning. On Wednesday, Israeli legislators took the first steps towards dissolving parliament and calling fresh nationwide elections. Leading leftwing Knesset member Yair Golan hailed it “the beginning of the end of the worst government in Israel’s history.” Benjamin Netanyahu has spent 20 of the last 30 years as Israel’s prime minister, the last four of which have seen him helm a far-right coalition. Under the incumbent government, settlement building in the illegally occupied West Bank

Up to 70% of girls may be in early or forced marriages but law now makes divorce impossible if husbands disagree Child marriage appears to have been legally recognised for the first time by the Taliban in Afghanistan, as activists say “shameful” new laws make it almost impossible for girls and young women to seek divorce against their husbands’ will. There are no official statistics on forced and underage marriages in Afghanistan, but activists say it has risen at an alarming rate in recent years, driven by the ban on girls being in education after the age of 11 .

Satirical project is viral sensation and outlet for protest on social media as it taps into young people’s frustration It began as a satirical online project after India’s chief justice compared unemployed young people to cockroaches. Now millions of young Indians are flocking to it as an outlet for their frustration. A parody political party with the insect as its symbol has exploded across India’s social media by turning absurdist humour into protest. Memes and short videos mocking corruption, joblessness and political dysfunction have flooded social media sites, where millions of users are embracing the cockroach – an insect known

Climbers take advantage of clear weather after threat of ice fall on normal route delayed start of spring season A record 274 climbers have reached the summit of Mount Everest from the Nepalese side in a single day after a spring season that started late because of the threat of ice fall on the normal tourist route. The climbers took advantage of the clear weather on Wednesday, said Rishi Ram Bhandari, of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal. Continue reading...

Gautam Adani, richest man in Asia, was accused of conspiring to pay $250m in bribes to Indian government officials The US Department of Justice is dropping its fraud charges against the Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, the richest man in Asia, after he hired a new legal team led by Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, according to new reports. In an undisclosed April meeting at the justice department, Trump’s personal lawyer, Robert J Giuffra Jr, said that Adani would invest $10bn in the US economy and create 15,000 jobs if prosecutors dropped the charges against him, according to the New York Times

Stone being paid $50,000 a month to ‘rebuild’ relations between Washington and Myanmar’s military-backed government The US lobbyist Roger Stone, a longtime friend and ally of Donald Trump, has been condemned for accepting $50,000 a month to “rebuild” relations between Washington and Myanmar’s military-backed government. Myanmar’s leaders have been internationally isolated since seizing power in a coup in 2021 , and have repeatedly been accused of atrocities that may amount to war crimes . Activists say the military rulers, which recently held widely condemned “sham” elections , are now trying to reassert themselves abroad. Continue reading...

For some transgender men and women – and the campaigners who support them – the updated guidance confirms their worst fears Stephen Whittle was visiting the Chelsea flower show as a birthday treat with his wife on Thursday afternoon. At around the same time, the updated code of practice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission was published. It confirmed, among myriad updates, that single-sex spaces such as toilets and changing rooms must be used on the basis of biological sex, and that transgender people may not access those that accord with their lived gender. Among the floral displays, 70-year-old

A ruthless Thomas Tuchel has left several big names at home for his England squad at this summer’s World Cup. There was no space for Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer or Phil Foden – previous stalwarts in former manager Gareth Southgate’s squads. The announcement comes as the club season nears its end, with a historic week for Arsenal winning its first Premier League title in 22 years, sparking an incredible and diverse celebration from fans. Lucy Hough speaks to sportswriter and columnist Jonathan Liew – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

In interview with Guardian, former health secretary sets out plans for government, including social care, tax and refugees Wes Streeting has insisted he can win over the Labour left, as he launches a shadow campaign for the party leadership, saying he has “beaten the odds” throughout his life and can do so again. The former health secretary, who called on Keir Starmer to resign as he quit the cabinet last week, warned Labour MPs that drifting on with Starmer in charge risked a Joe Biden situation that would usher in a Reform government. Continue reading...

Family says host of more than 500 episodes of travel show leaves behind ‘giant suitcase of the happiest memories’ The TV presenter Judith Chalmers, who spent almost three decades persuading British people to go on holiday as the host of Wish You Were Here … ?, has died at the age of 90 after living with Alzheimer’s in her final years. Her family said she died peacefully at home on Thursday, surrounded by “the family she loved so much”, after becoming ill in recent weeks. They added that she would be greatly missed but left behind “a giant suitcase of

Andy Burnham talks up his local credentials and says: ‘This is not business as usual, this is not more of the same’ On transport, Burnham says “I like my buses” (they were taken back under public control in Greater Manchester in 2023) but he was woeful about the cost of rail journeys. £364 is the cost of an anytime return from Wigan North Western to London Euston. So how can people here connect with the capital and all of the opportunities it’s got, if they cannot afford those train fares? We need to use rail re-nationalisation to reduce those train

President says ‘you don’t want to do it in Trump crowds’ as his speech to supporters in Rockland county, New York, disrupted twice by protesters US intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard leaving post after rocky tenure Sign up for the Breaking News US email “There’s broad recognition there are going to be eventually less US troops in Europe than historically,” Rubio says Rubio said he didn’t set the timeline for reducing the number of US troops in Europe , but “it has been an ongoing process that started from the first day of this administration.” Continue reading...

Over 15 months, the ex-Democrat without an intelligence background took actions seemingly meant to flatter Trump Tulsi Gabbard’s tumultuous 15-month tenure as the nation’s top intelligence official ended Friday, when she submitted her resignation as director of national intelligence. Gabbard was an unconventional choice for the role: the former Democrat lacked an intelligence background and her foreign policy views at times diverged with Donald Trump, particularly on questions of overseas military intervention. And yet she also took unusual measures to ingratiate herself to the president by vowing to root out politicization across US spy agencies and embracing his agenda of

Change criticized by advocates marks the latest significant move by the Trump administration on immigration policy Foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status in the United States to secure green cards will have to do so from outside the country via the state department, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Friday, in a move criticized by aid groups, policy analysts and immigration attorneys. USCIS announced the move in a policy memo, which directed officers to consider relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether extraordinary relief is warranted. Continue reading...

Former Wall Street banker takes over amid growing concern over cost of living – and disapproval of Trump’s agenda US politics live – latest updates Kevin Warsh has been sworn in as chair of the US Federal Reserve , tasked with steering the world’s largest economy as the Trump administration faces mounting pressure over Americans’ financial wellbeing. Warsh, handpicked by Donald Trump, takes charge of the powerful central bank as it comes under extraordinary pressure from the US president to cut interest rates, even as prices climb. Continue reading...

White House reportedly forced Gabbard to resign after she was sidelined from Iran and Venezuela operations and becomes fourth woman to depart Trump’s cabinet US politics - live updates Sign up for the Breaking News US email Tulsi Gabbard is leaving her post as US director of national intelligence following a tumultuous stint in which she was largely sidelined as Donald Trump launched attacks on Venezuela and Iran. In a letter to the US president, she said she would resign and leave her post on 30 June. “While we have made significant progress … I recognize there is still important

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered his military to prepare options to retaliate against Ukraine for what he described as a drone attack on a student dorm that killed six people and wounded dozens, with 15 still unaccounted for. Putin said the attack had struck the dorm in Starobilsk in Luhansk, a Russian-controlled region in eastern Ukraine. He said Kyiv’s military must have ‌known what it was targeting. Ukraine’s military denied the Russian accusations and said it had struck an...

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday that Alberta was “essential” to the country’s future, hours after the province’s leader moved the oil-rich region closer towards a referendum on independence. Separatists in the western province spent months collecting signatures seeking to trigger a binding October vote on seceding from the nation. On May 4, they delivered their petition to provincial officials, insisting they had collected more than enough names to force a vote under Alberta...

Everlane, the retailer that bucked the fast-fashion industry by promising affordable ethically sourced and sustainable clothing, is being acquired by the king of fast-fashion, China’s Shein. A letter to Everlane employees from CEO Alfred Chang confirming the deal was obtained by Associated Press on Friday. Everlane did not disclose a purchase price. Shein declined to comment. Everlane was founded in 2011 by Michael Preysman and Jesse Farmer with a mission to produce eco-friendly and affordable...

France’s former prime minister Gabriel Attal said on Friday he would run for president next year when Emmanuel Macron steps down, becoming the second prominent centrist to challenge the far-right. “I can’t take this kind of French politics anymore, where it’s just 50 shades of managing decline,” said the 37-year-old, who was France’s youngest prime minister when he served in 2024. He announced his bid under a blazing sun in the southern village of Mur-de-Barrez – the kind of rural area where...

The head of the World Health Organization said on Friday that the Ebola outbreak in Congo is “spreading rapidly” and now poses a “very high” risk at the national level. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency was revising upwards to “very high” its assessment of the risk within Congo, which had previously been deemed as high. The risk remains high for regional spread and low at global levels, he told reporters. The WHO chief noted that 82 cases have been...

French ⁠President Emmanuel Macron said on ⁠Friday that the government will invest an additional €1 billion (US$1.16 billion) in its quantum strategy and €550 million to support the microelectronics sector, as global powers race to be first to leverage ‌emerging technology. “I’ll say it out loud. We have the means to be the winners of this race,” Macron said while announcing the funding. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump’s administration unveiled plans to take US$2 billion in equity stakes...

Perhaps the most fascinating and important aspects of US President Donald Trump’s jolt to the global economy have been its unintended consequences, especially the impact on relations between China and India. Two consistent aspects of Trump’s meandering narrative are to “make America great again” by bringing manufacturing jobs back to the US, and to hobble China as an economic and strategic threat. A decade later, there has been negligible progress on either objective. Instead, the unintended...

Bowing to pressure ⁠from within its ranks, the Democratic National Committee released on Thursday its long-withheld “autopsy” of Kamala Harris’ loss to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race – only to quickly disavow it. The report found that Democrats have ceded ground to Trump’s Republicans through underfunding of state parties and a “persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all ‌voters”. In particular, Democrats underperformed among male voters, non-college voters, irregular...

The Brazilian head of a victims’ association for the 2009 crash of Flight 447 from Rio to Paris said that justice has yet to be served in France’s worst aviation crash after a Paris appeals court found Airbus and Air France guilty of manslaughter. Air France and Airbus, two of France’s most emblematic companies, said in separate statements that they would appeal Thursday’s ruling, potentially prolonging the legal battle for years. Brazilian Nelson Faria Marinho, who lost his son in the crash...

Paul McCartney led an all-star line-up for the final episode of The Late Show as frontman Stephen Colbert bowed out after broadcaster CBS cancelled his show as it courted US President Donald Trump. But one A-lister who eluded the comic to the end was the pope, whom Colbert, a devout Catholic, had long touted as his dream guest. “The pope, who was definitely my guest tonight, has cancelled,” Colbert joked, blaming a dispute over hot dogs before McCartney appeared to rapturous cheers. The show,...

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. Substance for Putin, ‘face’ for Trump as China, Russia deepen strategic alliance Days after US President Donald Trump’s visit framed around managing risks, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached a...

When Air Force One touched down in Beijing, one of the most photographed passengers was Boeing’s chief executive, Kelly Ortberg, there to close a deal. Washington had come to sell aircraft. Beijing was buying something else. The last time this scene played out in 2017, China signed an agreement for 300 Boeing aircraft. Since then, it has pursued an industrial programme aimed at reducing dependence on precisely such orders. That effort has not failed, but neither has it advanced at the pace...

The leader of a Minnesota non-profit group was sentenced to 41 years in prison on Thursday after she was convicted last year of being the ringleader of a US$250 million ‌scheme to defraud a federally funded child nutrition programme. Aimee Bock, 45, was charged in 2022 with using her non-profit group Feeding Our Future to enact what the Justice Department said was the largest known fraud against the US government’s relief programmes during the ⁠Covid-19 pandemic. More than 70 other people have...

At least 19 people were killed at a palm plantation in northern Honduras, authorities said Thursday, as the Central American nation prepares for a resurgent wave of anti-gang militarisation. The killings took place the previous night in Rigores, in the restive Bajo Aguan region, where rival gangs have fought over control of palm plantations and drug trafficking routes. The attack came shortly after the national legislature approved a series of reforms to confront criminal violence in Honduras,...

US President Donald Trump surprised Nato allies by pledging to send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned alliance ministers that Washington’s frustration with some of them would still need to be discussed. “The President’s views of, frankly, disappointment at some of our Nato allies and their response to our operations in the Middle East ‌are well documented,” Rubio said on Friday at a gathering of Nato foreign ministers in the Swedish town of...

Israel said on Thursday it had deported all the foreign activists seized by its forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, as the first group arrived in Turkey following global outcry over their treatment in custody. Hundreds of activists from countries around the world were placed in detention in Israel after they were intercepted at sea Monday while making the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory. Turkish foreign ministry sources said 422 activists,...

The Iran war has baked in stagflation and starvation through big reductions in the supply of oil and fertilisers. This inflationary pressure will only increase. As inflation sucks liquidity out of financial markets and into the real economy, bond yields are being pushed up across the world. If bond yields rise by more than a percentage point, a likely scenario before the year’s end, the liquidity diversion could be big enough to pop the AI bubble. The US-Israeli war on Iran has disrupted the...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday voiced hope of progress on ending the war with Iran, with mediator Pakistan’s army chief poised for talks in Tehran. The role played by Field Marshal Asim Munir, a powerful figure with a growing role in Pakistan’s foreign relations, has taken on increased significance as US President Donald Trump warned that negotiations to end the war were on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed strikes. “I believe the Pakistanis will be travelling to Tehran...

One day after the United States brought criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio portrayed Cuba as both a growing national security threat tied to China and Russia and a candidate for a negotiated political transition. The comments came amid renewed friction between Washington and Beijing over Cuba after China criticised the US charges against Castro and accused...

US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast has warned US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of “Chinese malign influence” in a bid for a major contract in Argentina, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The April 23 letter concerns an auction for a 25-year contract to dredge and operate Argentina’s Parana River, a vital waterway for most of ‌the country’s agricultural exports, that Argentina estimates will reach US$10 billion in investment. The terms of the tender, which is in its...

US federal prosecutors have charged two men with using artificial intelligence to create nude videos and photos of female celebrities under a newly enacted law meant to halt the spread of deepfake pornography. Cornelius Shannon, 51, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, were both arrested on Tuesday for generating sexually explicit AI content that drew millions of views online, according to criminal complaints. The men – who do not appear to be connected – are among the earliest defendants to face charges...

The United Nations expressed “grave concern” on Thursday about a new law issued by Afghanistan’s Taliban government on separation in marriage which includes provisions on child marriage, saying the code further entrenches discrimination against women and girls. The government rejected the accusations, saying the decree follows Islamic law and insisting the country has already banned the forced marriage of girls. Afghanistan’s justice ministry published Decree No 18 “on judicial separation of...

Portuguese police on Thursday arrested the mother of two young French boys found abandoned by a main road in the south of the country, alone and crying. The boys, aged four and five, were rescued on Tuesday by a passing motorist near the resort town of Comporta, where they had been left with backpacks containing food and water but no identity documents, according to Portuguese media. A manhunt was launched for the boys’ mother, 41, and on Thursday Portuguese police said they had arrested her in...

Police fired warning shots and tear gas ⁠as part of a dispute in Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeast over the burial of a suspected Ebola victim, a footballer who played for local teams, that saw protesters burn down tents for Ebola patients, Reuters witnesses said. The incident highlighted the struggle Congolese authorities could face to enforce the safe burials of people with confirmed and suspected cases that are required to help contain the outbreak. It took place in the town ‌of...

An Ankara court on Thursday annulled the 2023 leadership election of Turkey’s main opposition CHP party in a sharp escalation against the country’s embattled opposition. It is the latest in a string of moves targeting the Republican People’s Party, Turkey’s oldest political faction that won a huge victory over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AKP in the 2024 local elections and has been rising in the polls. The ruling overturned the result of a leadership election that brought in current...

Three fully laden supertankers – including two Chinese vessels – crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, in a possible sign that Tehran may be starting to open up the vital waterway to more shipping traffic. The exit of the three very large crude carriers (VLCCs) came on the same day that Iran confirmed it had allowed 26 vessels to transit the strait – a hefty uptick compared with the level of traffic Iranian forces have generally permitted since the war began. The moves appeared to signal an...

At least nine people were killed and others injured when a four-storey building collapsed overnight in the Moroccan city of ‌Fez, about 200km (124 miles) east of the capital Rabat, the city’s prosecutor said on Thursday. State media 2M had said 11 people were killed before issuing an official correction. Residents of nearby buildings in the densely populated neighbourhood were asked to evacuate as a precaution against potential further collapses while a search for potential survivors was still...

Fewer Americans filed for jobless aid last week as lay-offs remain low despite a number of uncertainties that continue to cloud the economy. US applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending May 16 fell by 3,000 to 209,000, the Labour Department reported Thursday. That is fewer than the 213,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had forecast. Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for US lay-offs and are close to a real-time indicator...

Beijing is increasingly seen as key to securing international stability and economic opportunities, a status which both Washington and Moscow are converging on. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent foreign policy interactions with the leaders of the United States and Russia highlight China’s rising strategic position – acting as a significant player in global affairs, from the conflict in Ukraine to the volatile situation with Iran. Xi’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has...

A Paris appeal court on Thursday found Airbus and Air France guilty of corporate manslaughter over the 2009 Rio-Paris plane crash ‌that killed 228 passengers and crew in France’s worst air disaster. The verdict is the latest milestone in a legal marathon involving two of France’s most emblematic companies and relatives of the mainly French, Brazilian and German victims. Relatives of some of the 228 passengers and crew who died when the Airbus A330 vanished in darkness during an Atlantic storm...

Queen Elizabeth pressed ⁠for her son Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ⁠to be made a government trade envoy back in 2000, according to documents released on Thursday. Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of King Charles, served as the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment between 2001 and 2011 in an unpaid role that allowed him to travel the world meeting senior business and government figures. David Wright, the chief executive of British Trade International, said that before the...

Despite instability in the Middle East, China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has begun building the world’s largest aircraft maintenance complex in the United Arab Emirates, underscoring China’s growing dominance in overseas infrastructure. The project, worth more than US$5 billion and one of the largest construction deals a Chinese builder has secured in the region, will comprise eight large maintenance hangars for aircraft storage, covering about 1.21 million square metres (13 million...

An ex-Austrian intelligence officer was found guilty of passing on state secrets to a fugitive former top executive at the fraudulent payments company Wirecard in a high-profile spy case that has prompted authorities in Vienna to tighten rules on espionage. Egisto Ott was handed a prison sentence of more than four years for spying, abuse of office, bribery and embezzlement, and other charges, according to a statement from the Vienna Regional Criminal Court late on Wednesday. He was found...

The presidents of the United States and Russia visited Beijing on separate trips in May to meet with President Xi Jinping. The South China Morning Post produced extensive coverage of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s summit meetings in Beijing. Here are some of the highlights of our coverage, showing you what happened, what it means, and what’s next. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. The Xi-Trump summit is over. What comes next in the US-China...

Former British ⁠health minister Wes Streeting, a ⁠potential candidate for the leadership of the Labour Party, said he backed the introduction of tax changes which would equalise capital gains tax with income tax to make the system “fairer”. Streeting ‌said on Saturday that he wanted to challenge embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer if there is a contest, days after he stepped down and urged Starmer to set a timetable for his departure. The former health minister, who has already said he...

Brazil’s right-wing presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro was riding high in the polls until the news broke of his ties to a banker jailed over a multimillion-dollar fraud scandal. The 45-year-old senator had been polling neck-and-neck with 80-year-old President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is expected to seek a fourth term in presidential elections in October. But a change may be under way following the publication of an audio recording by investigative outlet The Intercept in which...

US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing on May 13 was Xi Jinping’s 18th meeting with a US president since he became China’s leader in 2013. Xi has previously held talks with presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as with Trump during the US leader’s first term. By comparison, Xi has had more than 40 physical meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the same period.

Sixteen months into his second presidency, Donald Trump may ⁠be as unpopular as he has ever been among the American electorate – but his grip on his ⁠core base of Maga voters remains unshaken. That power was on full display over the last two weeks, as Trump ousted a string of fellow Republicans he considered apostates for not showing him enough personal fealty. The president’s revenge tour continued on Tuesday, when a hand-picked loyalist defeated US congressman Thomas Massie, a frequent critic,...

US President Donald Trump said his administration’s negotiations with Iran were “in the final stages” on Wednesday, while simultaneously warning of further attacks, as a fragile ceasefire concluded its sixth week with no sign of an end to the war. The US launched “Operation Epic Fury” close to three months ago, in a war that began with strikes inside Iran alongside key ally Israel, which has since spread across the wider Middle East region, killing thousands and disrupting global supply...

The US special envoy to Greenland, the Arctic island coveted by President Donald Trump, said on Wednesday that Washington needs to rebuild its presence in the Danish autonomous territory. At the height of the Cold War, Washington had 17 military facilities in Greenland, but closed them over the years and currently has just one – the Pituffik base in the north of the island. Trump has repeatedly argued the US needs to control Greenland because of national security concerns, claiming that if it...

We have put together stories from our coverage of Xi and Putin’s meeting in Beijing. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Xi and Putin’s united front – from tigers to trade: the summit takeaways Putin’s trip to Beijing came only days after US President Donald Trump’s closely watched visit to the Chinese capital, the back-to-back summits highlighting the strong trust between Beijing and Moscow and China’s ability to manage ties with the two major...

A former federal prosecutor in Florida sent to her personal email account a special counsel report from the investigation into US President Donald Trump’s hoarding of classified documents despite a judge’s order that it remain sealed, according to an indictment made public on Wednesday. Carmen Lineberger, who worked in the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and managed its Fort Pierce branch, faces charges including theft of government property and concealment of...

A former British pirate radio station on Wednesday apologised “for any distress caused” after accidentally announcing the death of King Charles. The erroneous announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon due to a computer error at its main studio in Maldon in eastern Essex, Radio Caroline said in a post on social media. The error had triggered the so-called death of a monarch procedure “which all UK stations hold in readiness while hoping not to require”, station manager Peter Moore said. “Radio...

The United States announced on Wednesday criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people. The indictment, unsealed by acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche in Miami, includes charges of conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of an aircraft, and four individual counts of murder against the 94-year-old brother of...

More than two-thirds of Harvard University faculty voted to cap the proportion of A-grades in undergraduate courses, instituting one of the strongest policies against grade inflation in US higher education in decades. Starting in the fall of 2027, no more than 20 per cent of a class, plus four additional students, can receive an A. Just under 70 per cent of the votes were in favour of the policy in a week-long electronic vote that concluded on Tuesday. The vote represents a “large mandate for...

Pakistan and Qatar have dispatched teams to Iran under the looming threat of resumed war, after weeks of diplomacy failed to produce an agreement.

Nearly three months since the fighting began, disagreements remain over the fate of Iran’s uranium stockpile and transit fees for the Strait of Hormuz.

Republicans, seeing President Trump’s personal agenda diverging from their political interests, vented their outrage about paying those who threatened their lives on Jan. 6, 2021.

The president, vice president and acting attorney general have offered a series of inaccurate claims to defend an unusual fund announced this week.

Maybe “Saturday Night Live” should go instead.

The “Late Show” cancellation was a disappointment. But a surreally lovely final episode turned it into a cancellebration.

The total tripled his usual audience this season. But it is only about half of what Jay Leno and David Letterman attracted for their final episodes.

Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is not planning to endorse his health and human services secretary, Xavier Becerra, or any other candidates in the race.

A top state lawmaker who opposed drawing new districts for the fall elections now says he supports producing an all-Democrat map for the next cycle.

Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, made the donation after agreeing to an interview with lawmakers about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

In recent days, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has taken actions that have made the relationship between his office and some Jewish New York leaders more fraught.

The movement prompted a global reckoning about sexual harassment and sexual assault. But women taking the stand now are finding that defense teams are more aggressive.

Mac Barnett, the national ambassador for young people’s literature published a manifesto aimed at adults. Then came the blowback.

President Trump’s eldest son was married in Palm Beach, Fla. The president described celebrations this weekend as a “small, little private affair.”

America is witnessing the greatest decimation of Black political power in over a century.

Hunger and conflict are on the minds of the residents of Akobo, where an outbreak could have devastating consequences.

Dr. Peter Stafford, a medical missionary in the Democratic Republic of Congo, tested positive for Ebola on Sunday. He is receiving treatment in Germany.

The director Jon Favreau narrates a sequence featuring a character who works at a food truck and is voiced by Martin Scorsese.

It draws from the Disney+ series. Here’s a reminder of the events of the show and how those fit into the larger franchise.

Why 2026 might tell us a lot about 2028.

Forget complex schemes. There is an easier way to get revenue from the wealthy.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has said she wants to hire more civil rights lawyers, but the White House has proposed cutting that office in half.

Irrigation canals around Boise have served as a rat superhighway, bringing an infestation so serious that health officials have floated declaring a public emergency.

When people disappeared from the landscape, as they did during the pandemic, wild animals changed how they used space and resources, scientists found.

If a problem with the launch tower is fixed, SpaceX will try to launch on Friday evening.