Minimalist News

Amazon Freight Expansion Sparks Selloff Across Trucking Stocks Less-than-truckload freight stocks fell in premarket trading in New York after Amazon roiled the industry yet again - this time by announcing expanded LTL services to cover all U.S. destinations, including third-party warehouses, distribution centers, and retail partners. "Businesses now have the flexibility to ship by pallet, choosing LTL to share trailer space for partial loads instead of reserving and paying for a full truckload," Amazon wrote in a press release, adding, "Since 2019, Amazon LTL has served tens of thousands of Amazon selling partners and vendors, moving millions of pallets across

Trump 'May Keep Going' With Strikes As Iran Took 'Too Long' To Negotiate Deal, Must 'Pay The Price' Summary Trump tells Fox he "may keep going" with strikes. Trump says Iran took too long to negotiate , and now "will have to pay the price" . Tehran claims prior night attacks in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan as fulfilment of its previously vowed 'retaliation' - targeted the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, footage shows. Iran again signals it could cut off all indirect talks & any negotiations, says it is 'reviewing' US talks after latest exchange of missiles . US x

Ukraine Hits Over Half A Dozen Energy & Industrial Sites Deep Inside Russia Overnight Ukraine has hit Russia in another sweeping wave of overnight aerial attacks, especially targeting industrial facilities and energy infrastructure across multiple regions, and the extent of damage is yet to be disclosed. One of the key targets was reportedly the VNIIR-Progress plant, located in the republic of Chuvashia, which is alleged by Ukraine and the West to manufactures components for Russian drones and bombs . Other nearby infrastructure was also attacked. via Telegram Ukraine has for months been making clear that it is going gloves off

Graham Platner Wins Maine Senate Democratic Nomination, Locking In Face-Off With Collins Authored by Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times , Democratic voters in Maine on Tuesday nominated oysterman and military veteran Graham Platner as their candidate to take on incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), locking in the nominees for one of the most critical Senate elections of the 2026 cycle. Graham Platner, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, greets supporters after speaking at an event hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in Orono, Maine, on May 24, 2026. Robert F. Bukaty/AP Photo At 9:23 p.m, The Associated Press formally declared

Futures Slide Amid Renewed Tech Selling, Geopolitical Chaos Ahead Of Key CPI Print Markets continue to trade with a risk-off bias this morning, with equity futures and macro credit weaker, rates selling across the curve, as the USD and oil sensitive currencies outperform. It’s set to be another ugly day for US tech stocks as US equity futures slide ahead of today's CPI print which will see headline inflation rise above 4% for the first time in 3 years ( full preview here ). As of 8:00am Nasdaq 100 futures are down 1.5% versus losses of 1.0% for the S&P

Belfast Burns After Sudanese Migrant's Street-Beheading Attempt Sparks Local Revolt Against Globalists The unrest ripping through Belfast should be seen as a predictable social reaction from a local population that believes it has been ignored and overruled by a global managerial class of unhinged politicians who have spent more than a decade enforcing nation-killing mass migration policies without public consent. The attempted beheading of a native-born citizen earlier this week, involving a third-world migrant, appears to have become the catalytic event that pushed long-simmering anger into the streets. Overnight coverage: Belfast Is Burning After Attempted Beheading Attack By Migrant Unlike

These Are The Jobs With The Highest And Lowest Divorce Rates Actuaries have America’s lowest divorce rate at 14.2%. At the other extreme, several occupations report divorce rates near 48%, highlighting a striking divide across the U.S. workforce. Using American Community Survey data compiled by FlowingData , Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld created the following graphic ranking the occupations with the highest and lowest divorce rates among more than 500 jobs. One of the ranking’s most surprising findings is that healthcare occupations appear on both sides. Physicians, dentists, and physical therapists rank among America’s lowest-divorce occupations, while home health aides, psychiatric

Chinese Firm To Deploy 100 Humanoid Robots To Households For Daily Chores Authored by Kaif Shaikh via Interesting Engineering , A Chinese robotics company has begun placing its humanoid robots inside real homes, marking a significant step in the race to develop machines capable of performing everyday household tasks. Wuhan-based GigaAI recently deployed the first batch of 100 SeeLight S1 humanoid robots for household testing, according to reports from China. The trial is being positioned as China's first large-scale real-home test of a general-purpose humanoid robot designed for domestic use. While humanoid robots have become increasingly adept at performing carefully

Marriage Benefits Men's Life Expectancy More Than Women's One data point has recently caused much astonishment, confusion and also anger online . As Statista's Katharina Buchholz details below , it is the finding that men benefit more from being married in terms of life expectancy than women do . In other words, that men live longer and healthier lives if they are backed up by a spouse in doing so, while women don’t see the same support in prolonging their length and quality of life . The notion that men rob years of life from their wives and basically tag

Health Team To Monitor Wastewater, Social Media At World Cup For Outbreak Detection Authored by Kimberley Hayek via The Epoch Times, Public health specialists have launched a dedicated surveillance operation to detect infectious disease threats early during the 2026 World Cup by analyzing wastewater samples and monitoring online chatter. The 39-day tournament begins on Thursday in Mexico. Organizers estimate more than 6.5 million soccer fans from more than 100 countries will attend 104 matches spread across venues throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico . The global travel of a worldwide audience to packed stadiums across North America creates conditions

EU Targets Head Of Russian Orthodox Church With Sanctions What is there left to sanction in Russia? Apparently the European Union still sees plenty of opportunity to punish Russia over the Ukraine war, and is set to go after even religious leaders, now in year five of the conflict and many sanctions packages later. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, is among many names to be targeted in the EU's latest anti-Moscow sanctions proposal . Kirill has long been accused of justifying the war based on his several patriotic-themed sermons over the years. via Associated Press Brussels

Former MI6 Spy Alastair Crooke: Iran Takes Its Chances With War Authored by Alastair Crooke The US war with Iran has moved beyond its initial phase to an emerging new one — one in which Iran implicitly stakes its chances on the next phase being war. Most likely this will be in abbreviated episodes of limited war, but possessing nevertheless a potential to widen regionally, should the US (and Israel) elect to sharply escalate. The new phase involves risk of course, yet Iran holds the high cards of an ability to impose disproportionately heavier damage upon Gulf infrastructure as retaliation

NATO Country Halts Arms To Ukraine Under New Eurosceptic Prime Minister In yet another example of Ukraine war fatigue among European allies, NATO member Bulgaria has newly announce it is halting weapons deliveries to Ukraine, signaling a major shift in the eastern European country's longtime policy. The prior government proved itself early out of the gate as an enthusiastic arms backer of Kiev, but new Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, whose Progressive Bulgaria party won the April election, is rolling back the prior policy . The new government has made clear it has a new peace agenda, and its position

The Murder Of Henry Nowak & The Poverty Of The 'Far-Right' Explanation Authored by Patrick Keeney via The Epoch Times, The brutal murder of Henry Nowak should have focused public attention on the circumstances surrounding his death and the troubling questions it raises about justice, race, and social cohesion in contemporary Britain. Yet one need only read one widely publicized headline to know that another story is about to be told: “How Britain’s far right hijacked the murder of Henry Nowak.” Predictably, the tragedy is being pressed into service as evidence of the supposedly inexorable rise of the “far right”

US Seeking 'Precise Info' On Iran's Enriched Uranium Via IAEA Board Via The Cradle Washington has turned to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors in order to determine the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium, according to reports by Reuters and other media outlets. Sources cited by Reuters – which obtained a draft of a resolution being pushed by the US – said that Iran is being called on to “provide the Agency with precise information on nuclear material accountancy and safeguarded nuclear facilities in Iran.” via Reuter The US draft also calls on Tehran to grant

Five Tax Moves To Make Before December 31 That Most People Miss Authored by Peter Daisyme via Due , Every January, I hear the same regret from friends and colleagues: "I wish I had known about that before the year ended." Tax planning has a hard deadline, and most of the best strategies expire on December 31 with no extensions, no exceptions, and no do-overs. Five Tax Moves to Make Before December 31; Image Credit: Pexels I used to be one of those people who did not think about taxes until I sat down with a stack of documents in

China Unveils Nuclear-Powered Floating Hub For Green Shipping China has proposed a large offshore logistics platform powered by nuclear energy that would function as both a cargo transfer hub and a refuelling/charging centre for ships, according to the South China Morning Post . The concept, unveiled by Jiangnan Shipyard, combines port infrastructure, energy generation, and cargo handling into a single floating facility aimed at reducing emissions in maritime transport. The project was presented at the Posidonia International Shipping Exhibition in Greece. The SCMP writes that the platform would rely on a molten salt reactor as its primary energy source, supplemented

The Spanberger Surge: Virginia Governor May Prove The Greatest Gun Influencer Since Charlton Heston Authored by Jonathan Turley, Is Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) a mole for the National Rifle Association (NRA)? After the recent scandal involving the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), some may wonder given a curious turn of events in Virginia. Gun sales have surged after Spanberger and the Democrats passed sweeping gun bans. Spanberger also issued a public statement that could help tank the legislation in court — resulting in the striking down of the law (or parts of the law) after spurring record gun sales.

Sequoia Partner Shaun Maguire: SpaceX's New Millionaires Will Fund Pro-America Projects SpaceX's planned IPO next Friday will be a major wealth-creation event for current and former employees, including engineers, technicians, mariners, welders, and other salaried workers who have accumulated equity over the years. Elite liberals who earned unproductive, 'woke' degrees and are drowning in $100,000 or more in student debt, working two jobs, won't be able to stomach that the basic SpaceX welder working on Starship will become an overnight millionaire next Friday. There will be thousands of new millionaires next Friday after the world's largest IPO hits the Nasdaq.

Memos Show Anti-Trump Nonprofit Assisted State Prosecutions Of Trump Supporters Via American Greatness, A nonprofit organization led by prominent Trump critic Norm Eisen quietly assisted Democratic attorneys general and prosecutors in efforts targeting supporters of President Donald Trump who challenged the 2020 election, according to internal memos, contracts and public records released under open records laws. The documents reveal that Eisen’s States United Democracy Center (SUDC) provided legal assistance, strategic guidance and, in at least one case, attorneys formally appointed by a state attorney general to aid investigations and prosecutions involving alternate electors and attorneys connected to Trump’s post-election challenges.

Hundreds of thousands gather to remember Carlos ‘Indio’ Solari, who inspired cross-generational devotion, especially among working class The line stretched for more than 7km (four miles). Mourners sang rock songs, waved banners, and carried speakers blasting music while smoke rose from makeshift barbecues and vendors sold T-shirts bearing the image of a bald man with sunglasses. As evening fell, a drizzle set in, but the queue remained. At the end of the line in Avellaneda, outer Buenos Aires, stood a chapel containing the body of a rock star. Continue reading...

Billboards are being painted over and former allies seem eager to forget the man they once glorified For years, his bewhiskered face stared down from propaganda billboards glorifying the supposedly revolutionary rule of a dictator who styled himself as “the protector of the people”. The spin-doctored adoration was such that factories churned out plastic action figures exalting Nicolás Maduro as an “indestructible” and “iron-fisted” caped crusader nicknamed “Super Moustache”. Continue reading...

Geoffrey Wall is alleged to have flown over 900 flights domestically and internationally between 2009 and 2025 A former Air Canada pilot has been charged after flying for years without a proper license, Canadian police have said. Geoffrey Wall, of Barrie, Ontario, is alleged to have operated as an airline captain between 2009 and 2025 without a license to fly large commercial passenger planes, according to Peel regional police. Continue reading...

Earthquake was region’s strongest tremor in nearly 150 years and was also felt in parts of Mexico including Cancún An earthquake on Monday off the coast of Cuba , which was that region’s strongest tremor in nearly 150 years, could be felt in Florida and parts of Mexico . The 6.1-magnitude earthquake, which struck in the afternoon, occurred approximately 65 miles (105km) north-west of Mantua, Cuba, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS added that the earthquake had a depth of 16 miles. Continue reading...

Football fans are celebrating the tournament coming to Guadalajara. But with a brutal crime syndicate holding sway there, what are the risks for fans – and the government? Excitement is mounting in Mexico as the World Cup opens in Mexico City, then heads to the city of Guadalajara. Mexican journalist Leon Krauze is a fan. He was there the last time the World Cup came to Mexico and will be watching again. The city of Guadalajara has a mythical footballing past: “Pele’s Brazil played there in 1970, then Zico and Socrates played there in 1986. There is a real football

Renewed outrage at White House’s use manga and anime imagery after US president is depicted as ninja Naruto Japanese anime and manga fans are urging Donald Trump to stop using their favourite characters in his social media posts. About 20,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org entitled Protect Japanese Manga, protesting against the official White House X account posting videos featuring unauthorised use of imagery from the popular Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Naruto series. Angry fans have also been posting on social media. Continue reading...

People told not to enter damaged buildings for fear of aftershocks from magnitude-7.8 quake At least 37 people have died and hundreds have been injured after a magnitude-7.8 earthquake shook part of the southern Philippines early on Monday, collapsing buildings and triggering tsunami alerts. The quake hit early in the morning about 20km (12.4 miles) off the coast of Sarangani province, with tremors felt strongly across Mindanao and 420km away in the city of Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Continue reading...

Kim Jong-un welcomes Chinese leader on visit to renew relations strained amid Pyongyang’s closeness with Russia Xi Jinping has arrived in North Korea for a two-day trip, his first in nearly seven years, as China’s leader looks to revitalise ties with his junior ally. Footage published by China’s Xinhua state news agency showed an Air China plane carrying Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, touching down at Pyongyang’s Sunan international airport. Continue reading...

India declares onset as up to 280mm of rain falls in 72 hours in Kerala, while downpours hit south-west Thailand The monsoon season has officially begun in parts of Asia, marking the start of a period of enhanced rainfall vital to the region’s economy. The south-west monsoon begins each year as a consequence of a growing temperature difference between the Asian land mass and the Indian Ocean. Through spring, the land heats up more rapidly than the surrounding sea, creating a pressure difference that draws moisture-laden ocean air inland. Once this contrast reaches a critical point, the humid air pushed

Police and hunters in Utsunomiya, 100km north of the capital, resume their search for animal that is not usually seen so close to Tokyo A city in Japan has closed all its 94 primary and secondary schools after a bear was spotted in the municipality for the first time. Officials in Utsunomiya, a city of half a million people about 100km (62 miles) north of Tokyo, took action after a medium-sized black bear – estimated to be about one-metre-long – was seen near a park in the city on Saturday. The bear was spotted again on CCTV running just in

State admits former Greens candidate entitled to damages and agrees to pay medical costs, but denies malicious prosecution and malfeasance in public office Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The state of New South Wales has admitted that a police officer punched Hannah Thomas in the eye while holding a torch at a pro-Palestine protest – and it has offered to pay her medical costs. Court documents seen by Guardian Australia reveal the state has admitted to false imprisonment and battery in its defence to

This blog is closed Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Albanese says Australia still impacted by Middle East conflict ‘each and every day’ The prime minister, Anthony Albanese , is now on the ABC News Breakfast couch. He said Australia remains concerned about the economic impact of the turmoil in the Middle East. Our job now is to demonstrate that we are a genuine and credible alternative to this terrible Labor government. He’s a great supporter of the party, he’s a great supporter of Angus Taylor, I think this is a great opportunity. The

Human rights lawyers and refugee advocacy groups are lauding the decision as a ‘significant outcome’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Millions of dollars in compensation could be paid out to more than 350 unlawful non-citizens held in indefinite detention after the high court ruled against the Australian government. The ruling marks another blow for the Albanese government after its requirement that released members of the NZYQ cohort must wear ankle monitoring bracelets and abide by curfews was struck down as unconstitutional earlier this year.

Inspector of custodial services says inmates are sleeping on the floor and denied basic entitlements due to ‘a systemic failure across multiple prisons’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Inmates in Western Australia are sleeping on mattresses on the floor of overcrowded cells and subjected to “cruel, inhuman and degrading” conditions, prompting the jails watchdog to call for urgent reform. Most of WA’s correctional facilities are in crisis, with an increased level of harm observed across the system, the state’s inspector of custodial services, Eamon

Federal environment department says Black Mountain Energy has provided insufficient data as it seeks to drill 20 gas wells in the Kimberley region Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The federal government has repeatedly raised concerns about an American company’s bid to frack for gas in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, part of the world’s largest and most intact tropical savanna. Texas-based Black Mountain Energy, through its subsidiary Bennett Resources, is seeking federal approval to drill 20 gas wells for its Valhalla project west of Fitzroy

People have absorbed violence and terror into their lives. Somehow, they keep going – quietly rescuing, evacuating, replacing, mending, adapting … and sometimes saving tiny animals It was a glorious balmy night, and I was walking home from dinner. I’d just eaten fried red mullet from the Black Sea on a pavement terrace, listening to the cries of the last swifts as darkness crept over the city. A couple of blocks from where I was staying, there was a curious sight: a couple and their dog were standing over a hedgehog, which was standing seemingly irresolute in the road. I

As completion of 144-year construction nears, questions swirl over resemblance of church to architect’s original plans Ten hours before he was due to pass by, the faithful were already picking their spots along the route Pope Leo XIV will take on his brief journey to bless Antoni Gaudí’s iconic church, the Sagrada Família. It has been a long wait but this evening, 144 years after work began, the pope will bless the basilica’s recently completed central tower in the presence of members of the Spanish royal family, the prime minister and hundreds of bishops. Continue reading...

Exclusive: poll across 15 countries finds ‘deep mistrust’, with majority doubting US would come to their aid in an attack European confidence in an American “security guarantee” has hit a historic low, a survey suggests, with only one in 10 people across 15 countries seeing the US as an ally and majorities in all doubting it would come to their aid if they were attacked. The survey, published on Wednesday by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank before critical G7 and Nato summits in France and Turkey over the coming weeks, revealed “deep European distrust in the US”,

The death of the 11-year-old, named only as Lyhanna, has pushed the issue of male violence against girls to the top of the agenda A lawyer for the family of an 11-year-old girl whose disappearance and murder sparked protests across France has called for more funding for the struggling justice system, amid a political row over the French state’s failure to tackle sexual violence against children. “Frankly, if the justice system had more resources, this tragedy and all the others wouldn’t have happened,” said the family’s lawyer, François Roujou de Boubée, on Tuesday. “The victim’s family and I trust in

Luca Parmitano to pilot all-male crew of four paving way for planned first human landing of Artemis IV in 2028 Jared Isaacman, the Nasa administrator, hailed the creation of “Earth’s first starfleet” on Tuesday as he revealed the Artemis III crew and details of the next stages of the space agency’s project to return humans to the moon. An Italian astronaut, Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (ESA), will be the pilot of the planned two-week mission to lower Earth orbit next year that will test lunar landers from private companies Blue Origin and SpaceX . Continue reading...

New social media threat comes as US military has been striking Iranian targets, including air defences and radar sites Trump launches strikes against Iran after downing of US army helicopter If the US genuinely wants a deal it will have to engage with Iranian demands on sanctions relief, says Danny Citrinowicz, the former head of the Iran branch of Israeli military intelligence. Today’s exchange of strikes shows how easily both Iran and the US can slide towards another round of escalation, says Citrinowicz, who is now a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council. If Washington is unwilling to accept that

Footage appears to contradict Israeli military’s account of killing of seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in West Bank Footage has emerged that appears to contradict the Israeli military’s account of the shooting that killed seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal in his mother’s arms, showing the family’s car slowing near a military post before soldiers opened fire. On Friday, the killing of the infant by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank caused outrage, after soldiers opened fire on the family’s vehicle despite it having complied with an order to stop. Sam was killed and his mother, Daniyah Abu Haikal, and father, Fahed

US launches strikes in retaliation for downing of US army helicopter, while White House source says deal could still be close The future of peace talks in the Middle East have been thrown into question after Iran’s foreign ministry said it needed to “reassess” its participation, while Donald Trump said Iran would have to “pay the price” after the two countries traded fire overnight, drawing neighbouring states back into an on-and-off war that has consumed the region since late February. The US launched strikes against Iran in the early hours of Wednesday, in retaliation for what it said was Iran’s

US president blames Tehran for loss of Apache gunship, whose crew were rescued by a drone near strait of Hormuz Middle East crisis – live updates The US has launched strikes against Iran after Donald Trump blamed Tehran for downing a US army helicopter near the strait of Hormuz, imperilling a shaky ceasefire that was announced by the two countries in April. The attacks triggered a wave of retaliatory strikes from Iran on Wednesday morning, with Tehran saying it had targeted Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. Continue reading...

MP Melanie Ward calls on Charity Commission to look into 32 organisations she says have given at least £28m Thirty-two charities in England and Wales have donated at least £28m to Israeli settlements that are illegal under international law, an MP has said. Labour’s Melanie Ward said that if gift aid were claimed against the donations in the usual way, it would mean taxpayers had subsidised illegal settlements to the tune of £5.6m, a situation she described as deplorable. The foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced on Tuesday that the Charity Commission has been tasked with investigating UK charities’ links to

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...

Taliban forces fire on crowds in Herat, who were protesting at manhandling of women arrested over hijab dress code A Taliban crackdown on women’s dress code in Afghanistan has escalated into a rare mass street protest in the western province of Herat, with at least two people killed by security forces. Officials made a wave of arrests in recent days targeting women and young girls accused of “improper hijab”. Residents say many families had received no information about the whereabouts or condition of those detained. Continue reading...

Cockroach Janta party began as online joke but is growing into one of the most unexpected challenges to country’s rightwing government The call out to the youth of India was simple: “Get ready to swarm the streets of Delhi with peaceful and loving dissent.” They came in their thousands. The weekend marked the first public protest of the Cockroach Janta party (CJP), a movement that began as an online joke, but which has swiftly grown into one of the most unexpected challenges to the indomitable power of the country’s rightwing Narendra Modi government – driven by millions of discontented and

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

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

Suspect is remanded in custody for four weeks, as PM tells PMQs resulting disorder is ‘totally unjustified’ Man charged with attempted murder after Belfast knife attack Tell us: how have you been affected by the situation in Belfast? Hadi Alodid refused legal representation and made no reply to charges which were put put to him through an Arabic interpreter as he appeared in court charged with attempted murder following the Belfast knife attack, the Press Association reports. The 30-year-old, with an address at Duncairn Avenue in Belfast, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court on Wednesday morning. He is charged with

US inflation hits a three-year high in May European stock markets are taking a more decisive turn downwards now – the UK’s FTSE 100 has fallen 0.5%. The German Dax is down 0.6% and the French Cac 40 is down 0.3%. The Europe Stoxx 600 is down 0.4%. Continue reading...

Retailer plans to shut unprofitable stores as falling US airport traffic due to Middle East conflict hits trading Business live – latest updates WH Smith has issued a profit warning after shopper numbers at its stores in US airports fell as a result of the war in the Middle East, prompting the company to raise fresh capital from investors. The retailer, which operates 1,200 outlets globally in airports, railway stations and hospitals, raised £102m through a share sale on Wednesday to strengthen its balance sheet, pay down debt, invest in technology and shut down unprofitable stores after “a downturn in

Research suggests households that include a GLP-1 user collectively spent £780m less on grocery bills Business live – latest updates Weight-loss drugs are saving users’ households more than £400 a year on grocery bills, according to a survey, which found use of GLP-1s has nearly tripled in the past two years to 1.9 million adults. More than 6.3% of households in Great Britain now include at least one GLP-1 user, according to the research by Worldpanel by Numerator. This marks a sharp rise from 4.1% of households in 2025 and 2.3% in 2024. Continue reading...

Mohammad Tajik and Alnour Ali, who steered boats on Channel crossings, are first to be sentenced under new law Two men have been jailed under the new offence of endangering others during a journey at sea. The two men who were steering small boats are the first to be sentenced under the law, which came into force in January as part of government efforts to counter small-boat crossings. Continue reading...

Marine veteran won 72% of the vote despite infidelity and abuse allegations that emerged during primary campaign Platner shrugs off scandals to win Maine Democratic Senate primary Sign up for the Breaking News US email Donald Trump ’s immigration crackdown is largely targeting people from the countries most vulnerable to displacement from climate-driven disasters, a Guardian analysis shows. As the Trump administration pushes policies to boost planet-heating fossil fuels, millions of people are being forced to flee their homelands due to storms, floods and droughts worsened by the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Oscar winner Mikey Madison and Jeremy Strong to star in film focused on fallout from whistleblower Frances Haugen The first trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to The Social Network has landed. The Social Reckoning has been described as a film that isn’t a “straight sequel” but one that will still revisit Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. Continue reading...

Before the conflict began, inflation was at 2.4%, but the closure of the strait of Hormuz has affected energy prices US inflation jumped to an annual rate of 4.2% in May, the third consecutive monthly increase since the start of the Iran war and a three-year high, as Americans continue to face steep oil prices. Prices have increased sharply over the past several months, rising at an annual rate of 3.3% in March before going up to 3.8% in April. In February, before the conflict began, inflation was at 2.4%. Continue reading...

Star, 59, of 2000 blockbuster X-Men seeks to raise awareness of condition as he undergoes chemotherapy The actor and former professional wrestler Tyler Mane has revealed he has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and is undergoing chemotherapy. Mane, 59, a star of the 2000 superhero blockbuster X-Men, posted the news to Facebook in an attempt to raise awareness of a condition he said was rarely talked about. Continue reading...

Nancy Lacore, ousted by Pete Hegseth last year, heads to a run-off in race for Nancy Mace’s seat US politics live – latest updates A three-star navy rear-admiral fired by Pete Hegseth last year in the defense secretary’s purge of senior US military officials advanced to a Democratic run-off in a closely-watched congressional race in South Carolina . Nancy Lacore, who served 35 years in the navy, was chief of the navy reserve when she was ousted by Hegseth in August. Continue reading...

Multiple attackers killed 12 people and wounded at least nine in a late-night mass shooting in Johannesburg, police said Wednesday, the latest in such attacks that have shaken the South African city. Police said they believe more than 10 suspects were driven in a minibus to an informal settlement in the Cleveland suburb of Johannesburg late on Tuesday night and once there, opened fire on people. South Africa has seen several high-profile mass shootings recently, including two in December that...

The European Commission has declared its trade and economic relationship with China “unsustainable”, pointing to a daily trade deficit of €1 billion (US$1.16 billion) and Chinese manufacturing overcapacity that puts millions of jobs across various sectors at risk. However, a clear-eyed analysis reveals this premise to be entirely flawed. The narrative spun by Brussels is a desperate attempt to weaponise trade policy to mask structural, self-inflicted failures. To understand the absurdity of the...

The race for California governor in November will be a battle between a Democrat promising to cement the state’s status as a stronghold of liberal policies and a Republican pledging to dramatically reverse course in America’s most populous state. Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator backed by President Donald Trump, has won enough votes to advance to the general election, Associated Press determined on Tuesday. He will face Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney...

Anti-immigration protesters torched buildings and vehicles in Belfast on Tuesday evening and blocked roads, a day after a stabbing allegedly by a Sudanese refugee, captured in a graphic video that shocked the country. Hundreds of protesters, many masked, gathered at several locations across Belfast. A bus and several cars were set alight, while a building fringing the city centre caught fire and its residents had to be evacuated. “By 7.30pm they started [a] fire in the bins … we heard police...

A huge treasure trove of ancient DNA from animals including extinct woolly mammoths has been discovered in frozen squirrel faeces in Canada’s remote Yukon territory, scientists said on Tuesday. The DNA found deep inside sealed-off burrows is between 3,000 and 700,000 years old, offering a rare window into how life has changed over the millennia. As well as DNA from woolly mammoths – which the US company Colossal claims it is trying to “de-extinct” – genetic material was also found from wolves,...

The US expects to complete President Donald Trump’s long-promised southern border wall by late 2027, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott said Tuesday. The barrier along the US-Mexico border is made of reinforced metal beams and is intended to run from San Diego to the Gulf of Mexico, except in selected areas “where we’ve made a conscious decision that we don’t need it”, Scott said at the Centre for Immigration Studies event in Washington. “The primary border wall will...

People always talk knowingly about Weimar, a period of extremes: artistic and social-sexual decadence, democratic liberalism and the radicalisation of the left and the right, before Germany’s descent into Hitlerian hell. The city as a symbol, close to the site of the former Buchenwald concentration camp, is back in the news, well, at least the op-ed pages of the Western press. That’s rarely a good sign. “The new crisis [in Germany] seems uncomfortably familiar because, in some respects, it...

Anthropic is rolling out ⁠a public version of ⁠its Mythos AI model, but ⁠with guard rails barring its use in risky areas such as cybersecurity, after a preview earlier this year sent shock waves globally with its ability to find software flaws. The new Claude Fable 5 is the most powerful model ‌Anthropic has ever made for wider use, the start-up said on Tuesday, touting its performance in software engineering and analytics. Anthropic has so far limited its access to a group of about 200...

The United States launched fresh strikes against Iran on Tuesday, prompting retaliation from Tehran, which targeted a major US naval base in Bahrain and an airbase in Jordan. It came just hours after US President Donald Trump vowed to retaliate for what he described as the hostile downing of an American AH-64 Apache attack helicopter over the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The escalation tested a fragile US-Iran ceasefire that had taken effect on April 8 as both sides negotiate terms to end the...

Nasa named three US astronauts and ⁠an Italian astronaut on Tuesday to serve as the crew for its next Artemis mission, a spacecraft docking demonstration in Earth’s orbit next year that would test moon landers from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin for the first time in space. Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman at a ceremony in Houston named US astronauts Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio and Randy Bresnik and Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency as the crew for...

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office called for calm on Tuesday after police said they arrested a Sudanese suspect over a stabbing in residential Belfast in Northern Ireland that drew national attention because of graphic videos of the attack online. Police said the victim was taken to the hospital with serious wounds to his face, neck and back late on Monday. They said the suspect, who is in his 30s, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remained in police custody. A kitchen...

From Sunderland to Spain, Chinese manufacturers are revitalising idle factories and investing where traditional European carmakers are pulling back. Chinese carmakers are rapidly transforming from export-oriented manufacturers into embedded participants in Europe’s automotive industrial base, a shift increasingly visible across both continental Europe and Britain. What began as a strategy focused on exporting low-cost electric vehicles (EVs) has evolved into a broader industrial expansion...

Tighter US sanctions on Cuba have led to a spike in infant mortality and plummeting survival rates for child cancer patients, the UN warned in one of its strongest rebukes of Washington’s pressure campaign against the island. US President Donald Trump’s push to force change in Cuba by cutting off almost all fuel shipments to the government is depriving the nation of 10 million people of access to water, food and healthcare, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Monday in a...

Palestinian civilians are caught between “mass atrocities” of Israeli forces, settlers and Hamas’ brutal rule, a UN-mandated inquiry said on Tuesday. Civilians across war-ravaged Gaza and the occupied West Bank are being “systematically and deliberately” subjected to severe rights violations, the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry said. The investigative team, which last year concluded that Israel had committed “genocide” in the war in Gaza, highlighted in a new report that...

Scepticism is rife about US President Donald Trump’s claims to have reprimanded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu over recent military escalations with Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran despite ceasefires negotiated by Washington. While Netanyahu’s apparent defiance is widely seen as an embarrassment to Trump, analysts say the mercurial US leader has done little more than wag his finger at his ally. In his latest interview with Israeli journalist Barak Ravid for US website Axios on...

A summit between Russia and Asean next week promises to ease Southeast Asia’s energy crisis and Moscow’s diplomatic isolation – but not all of the bloc’s leaders are expected to show up. Analysts are also divided on whether Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, the current Asean chair, will travel to Kazan for the meeting, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 17–18. The summit marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations...

Beyond the diplomatic choreography of last month’s Xi-Trump summit, what are the structural implications of a less confrontational US-China relationship for the Asia-Pacific? The subsequent visits by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to India and US Secretary of Defence Peter Hegseth to Singapore in late May shed some light on the question. Both Rubio and Hegseth had accompanied Trump to Beijing. Perhaps most telling was the switch in the usage of a geographic term by the US administration. In...

Israel’s latest strikes on Lebanon and Iran have made clear that US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who started the war in lockstep, want different things. Trump had publicly warned Israel not to strike Beirut in its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. When it did, on Sunday, Iran responded by firing ballistic missiles at Israel for the first time since the April ceasefire. Israel then struck Iran, with which Trump has been engaged in weeks of...

A US Army Apache attack helicopter crashed on Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz, but President Donald Trump said the two crew members aboard were not injured in the incident near the strategic waterway that Iran has effectively closed during the war. What caused the crash remains unclear in a Middle East still reeling after Iran and Israel exchanged fire the previous day in the biggest blow yet to the straining ceasefire in the Iran war. Iranian state television reported on Tuesday the Israeli...

US President Donald Trump was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night. Trump was shown for several seconds giving a military salute. The boos ended when the US flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs also elicited loud boos. Trump was watching from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite, along...

A historically strong earthquake ⁠struck off Cuba’s northwest ⁠coast on Monday, according to official ⁠reports, shaking parts of Cuba, Mexico and Florida that are typically not prone to quakes. The US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quake at a magnitude 6.1 at a shallow depth of 26km (16 miles) and its epicentre 104km ‌west-northwest of Mantua, Cuba, about two to four hours by car from the capital Havana. Monday’s earthquake was unusual for this area of the Caribbean, said Paul Earle, a...

The International Criminal Court’s ‌chief prosecutor Karim Khan has been suspended pending a vote by member states on his fate, the court’s governing body said on Monday, following a probe into accusations of sexual harassment made against him. A diplomatic source briefed on the decision told Reuters the court’s governing body’s executive bureau has ruled Khan had committed serious misconduct following an 18-month-long probe into accusations that the prosecutor had non-consensual sexual...

A new US$4.7 billion bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, is on track to open in the coming ‌weeks, a bridge authority said on Monday, despite a threat by US President Donald Trump in February to block its opening. A formal ribbon-cutting is expected later this week, a source told Reuters. Detroit media outlets reported on Monday the Gordie Howe International Bridge is expected to open to traffic on June 15. Trump in February cited Canada’s refusal to stock some US alcoholic beverages...

US President Donald Trump has nominated Todd Blanche, acting US attorney general, to fill the position on a permanent basis, rewarding a loyal ally whose controversial actions ensure an uphill Senate confirmation fight. The White House announced on Monday it had sent Blanche’s nomination to the Senate, a move Trump telegraphed last week during remarks at a private event in the Rose Garden. Blanche formerly served as one of Trump’s personal lawyers before the president picked him for the No 2...

A Norway court on Monday ordered the release of ailing Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s son Marius Borg Hoiby, who faces a multitude of charges including rape and abuse, citing her health crisis. Prosecutors quickly appealed the decision, so Hoiby will remain in custody until the appeal is processed. The 29-year-old, Mette-Marit’s son from a relationship before her 2001 marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, was on trial from February 3 to March 19. He faces 40 criminal charges, including the rape of four...

Israel and Iran warned that they each stood ready to launch retaliatory attacks if provoked, even as both nations appeared to back away from further strikes on Monday, hours after trading fire for the first time since the US agreed to a ceasefire with Tehran two months ago. The renewed hostilities raised concerns that the Middle East could plunge back into a full-scale war. Since the US and Israel began striking Iran on February 28, the war has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices...

The United States has placed travel bans on more than 100 Nicaraguan officials and their family members as part of a broader campaign to punish the current government for human rights abuses. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Monday that the new sanctions were imposed in part because of the death last month of an imprisoned activist, Brooklyn Rivera, who criticised the policies of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife and co-president Rosario Murillo. “The United...

A federal ⁠judge on Monday ⁠struck down a US$100,000 fee that ⁠US President Donald Trump imposed on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, concluding that it constituted an unlawful tax that Congress never authorised. US District Judge Leo Sorokin ‌in Boston issued the ruling in a lawsuit filed by 20 Democratic state attorneys general challenging a fee Trump announced in September that dramatically raised the cost of obtaining H-1B visas, which tech companies in particular rely...

Kenya’s former chief justice David Maraga said he was arrested Monday alongside other activists protesting planned construction inside Nairobi National Park. Police fired tear gas canisters at the protesters who were marching outside the park while carrying banners with messages denouncing land grabs. Maraga was detained and later released while staging a sit-in on a major road outside the national park’s main gate. He was wearing a green T-shirt similar to those worn by other activists. The...

US President Donald Trump told the US Supreme Court he intends to ask the justices to revive his US$475 million defamation lawsuit against CNN over use of the term “Big Lie” in reporting on his claim that the 2020 election was rigged against him. Trump’s lawyers asked the Supreme Court for a 60-day extension to August 15 to file his petition for review of the lower court’s dismissal of the case, according to a request that was formally docketed by the justices on Friday. The filing, the first...

Hungarian lawmakers unanimously voted to slash their incomes and allowances on Monday, as Prime Minister Peter Magyar sought to reduce administrative costs. Critics had previously accused Magyar’s predecessor, nationalist premier Viktor Orban, of providing high salaries in an attempt to placate opposition deputies. Magyar, whose party filled with political newcomers won the April 12 elections by a landslide, was among those highly critical of the practice. All 189 representatives present in the...

Residents of Tehran awoke on Monday anxious and drained by the prospect of full-scale war resuming, following tit-for-tat strikes between arch-foes Iran and Israel that marked the greatest threat to the fragile ceasefire thus far. “We don’t know if there will be a war, nor if a peace deal will last,” said Maryam, a 41-year-old accountant in Tehran’s central Valiasr Square. She described a pervasive “sense of uncertainty and confusion” after Israeli strikes on Tehran on Sunday, which came in...

Apple and Google have been given a three-month ultimatum to make it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images on their smartphones, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday. The government wants firms to activate built-in features on their devices or come up with technological solutions on phones and tablets to detect and block such content. It means all adults will need to verify their age if they want to take or view nude images. Firms must implement changes or face...

Afghan residents in the western city of Herat have told of witnessing multiple women detained by the Taliban government’s morality police, in a crackdown over clothing which has drawn criticism from the United Nations. The UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said Sunday it was “concerned over multiple arrests and detentions of women in Herat, Afghanistan, for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements”. Taliban authorities rule according to a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and have...

As part of its decades-old “multi-vector” foreign policy, based on balancing relations between major powers such as China, Russia, the United States and the European Union, Kazakhstan – Central Asia’s largest country – is now actively diversifying its economic and financial policies. While in the past, Astana sought to strengthen cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the leading international financial hub in the Middle East, today, Hong Kong seems to be becoming a key partner for...

The head of the World Health Organization on Monday visited Uganda, where a deadly Ebola outbreak has killed two people after spreading from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The WHO has declared an international health emergency over the current outbreak, which was announced on May 15 in the northeastern DRC. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently also visited the DRC, which has seen 515 confirmed Ebola infections, including 91 deaths, according to the UN...

“When we graduate, what can we do?” As a philosophy professor, questions like this – about employability – often crop up in my conversations with students. Indeed, with youth unemployment on the Chinese mainland standing at almost 17 per cent, and intense competition among those seeking employment, it is no wonder that the priority for many – even students graduating from elite universities – is actually securing a job. The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) has only compounded such...

Foreign governments, international banks and multinational companies are increasingly tapping China’s domestic bond market, as panda bond issuance hit a record high in the first five months of the year. A total of 11 entities sold 14 panda bonds – yuan-denominated debt instruments issued by foreign entities in mainland China’s onshore market – worth 26.64 billion yuan (US$3.7 billion) in May, up 246 per cent from a year earlier and the highest level on record for the month, according to data...

Peru faced a drawn-out count in its bitterly contested presidential run-off after results showed the race for the ninth head of state in 10 years was too close to call. Figures released by electoral authorities showed conservative politician Keiko Fujimori with a modest lead over nationalist congressman Roberto Sanchez in a contest overshadowed by people’s concerns about surging crime. The outcome, expected to be tight, may not be known for days. An official tally on Monday showed Fujimori...

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. 1. China is transforming historic African slave port into waterfront tourism magnet 2. The new Panama? Why Nicaragua could be next front in US-China influence battle 3. Is the dream over? Mainland students rethink Hong Kong over costs and cultural fit 4. How Chinese drink chains are testing the...

Christian Eriksen was conscious and undergoing further tests in hospital after collapsing on the field again while playing for Denmark’s national team on Sunday in a scary scene that had echoes of his cardiac arrest at the European Championship five years ago. Television footage showed the 34-year-old midfielder clutching his chest with both hands in an off-the-ball action in the 65th minute of Denmark’s international friendly against Ukraine at Nature Energy Park in Odense, Denmark. In the next...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received the backing of the leaders of the UK, France and Germany in calling for direct ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine, according to a joint statement issued following defence talks in London on Sunday. Zelensky met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 10 Downing Street for talks as Russia’s war has stretched into its fifth year. The leaders “supported the proposal for...

When foreign ministers of countries that are part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) gathered in New Delhi last week, the agenda looked familiar: supply chain resilience, telecommunications security and maritime domain awareness. The talking points have evolved, the initiatives have multiplied and the meetings have become routine. Asia is entering a new strategic era. However, its geopolitical debate remains stuck in the previous one. Across the region, governments are investing in...

US President Donald Trump lasted through scrutinising questions about his Iran war strategy and repeated weather disruptions during an interview with US broadcaster NBC – but angrily stormed out when confronted over his unfounded claims of election fraud. “You’re a one-sided, crooked network. Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time,” Trump told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker before standing up and walking out of the interview that aired...

Brazilian planemaker Embraer ⁠expects to eventually bring its ⁠E2 jets into China, seeing a role for the aircraft among the country’s domestically developed models, a senior executive told Reuters on Sunday. “We have a dedicated team in Beijing, they’re day-to-day working in China,” Embraer Commercial Aviation ‌CEO Arjan Meijer said on the sidelines of a global gathering of top airline executives in Rio de Janeiro. “We believe the E2 family is the ideal complement to the indigenous products of...

Winners in the Republican and Democratic primary races for governor and in a Democratic congressional primary have not yet been determined.

Graham Platner’s primary victory sets up a high-stakes contest between an insurgent progressive with political baggage and a battle-tested but vulnerable Republican senator.

Graham Platner won the Democratic primary for Senate in Maine and quickly turned his populist message against Susan Collins, the Republican incumbent.

The president’s top advisers gathered in a series of Situation Room meetings as they struggled to contain a scandal engulfing Donald Trump himself.

Senior officials clashed in a series of meetings as they struggled to manage a crisis over the president’s refusal to release the documents.

Midrange attacks, using upgraded drones that Ukraine produces in huge numbers, are causing fuel shortages and complicating troop rotations.

The New York Times reporter Kim Barker visited a church in Lviv, Ukraine, that holds military funerals at the same time each day.

The death of the officer appeared to add to a string of targeted assassinations of high-profile opponents of Ukraine inside Russia.

The Netherlands blocked a U.S. company from buying a Dutch firm that handles its national ID system, saying it would create a “threat to the public interest.”

The ascendancy of Todd Blanche shows how the practices that were initially deemed out of bounds even in President Trump’s Justice Department seem to be the order of the day.

President Trump’s warming with Xi Jinping of China, a leader he admires, has ignited anxieties in Washington and across Asia.

As artificial intelligence spreads, millions of middle-class jobs in human resources, billing and payroll could be at risk. Most are held by women.

As New York basks in the attention of a long-awaited N.B.A. finals run, many San Antonians say the Spurs, and the city they represent, are being underestimated.

In bodegas and parks, in bars and pizzerias, the unofficial watch party has taken over New York.

Fans want to support their team, but they’re not willing to squelch their sense of style.

As the company prepares for its stock market debut, here’s what the initial public offering means for banks, Elon Musk and everyday investors.

Cars and a bus were set on fire and families were driven from their homes as the stabbing attack caused tensions to spill onto the streets.

There was unrest in Belfast and elsewhere after video of a brutal stabbing circulated online, amplified by far-right activists.

Hundreds of Kenyans have marched through the streets to oppose a quarantine facility that would be reserved exclusively for American patients.

The 25 charges include manslaughter and conspiracy. They are the first to emerge from a monthslong investigation into a blaze that killed 168 people.

Some fans and participants hoping to enter the United States for the World Cup have complained that restrictive immigration rules have presented a roadblock.

For her Broadway debut, the comedian hired a trainer, read lines with her daughter and, when she needed it most, was saved by improv.

Taking a week to count votes is doing it wrong.

There’s ample cause for celebration and consternation alike.

We’re answering reader questions.

The late night host called Trump “the first sitting president to shut down a major United States city so he could take a nap in front of a sold-out crowd at the N.B.A. finals.”

The pontiff will offer a Mass in Antoni Gaudí’s iconic, unfinished basilica during his Spain trip. But for some Barcelona residents, completing the construction could mean knocking down their homes.