Minister insists Labour will not apply national living wage to all over-18s before election – UK politics live

Refugee charities say the numbers revealed in Freedom of Information data are ‘shocking’Lone children were held at UK-run detention centres in France on nearly 300 occasions last year, according to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.Data obtained by the Guardian shows they are part of about 900 instances when unaccompanied minors have been detained at British short-term facilities near Calais and Dunkirk over the last four years. Continue reading...

David Rush’s trial for allegedly taking 303 gold bars and $2m in foreign currency from agency was pushed to next weekUS politics live – latest updatesA senior intelligence operative accused of stealing hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40m and hiding them at home remained in custody in Virginia on Friday after a judge pushed his first court appearance to next week.David Rush, a former executive service-level employee for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), is alleged to have taken 303 bullion bars, each weighing 2.2lb (1kg), and more than $2m in foreign currency, from his government office, according to an eight-page FBI affidavit. Continue reading...

Man is ‘safe and sound’ after perilous operation, leaving four inside a small chamber and two still to be locatedThe first of seven men who have been trapped in a flooded cave in Laos for more than a week has been brought to safety by divers, in a perilous rescue mission that has required teams to crawl through narrow, deluged tunnels, navigating sharp rocks and collapse hazards.Four men remain inside a chamber about 300 metres (980ft) from the cave entrance, where they were found crouched and huddled together on a rocky ledge by rescuers on Wednesday. Two men are yet to be located. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor believes the former PM is uniquely placed to help the party as its new president, but some fear he will render it even more unelectableGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastImmediately after ousting Sussan Ley, Angus Taylor used his first press conference as opposition leader to debut a slogan he hoped would define a new era of Liberal conservatism.“The door must be shut,” Taylor said of his approach to prospective migrants who didn’t subscribe to Australia’s “core beliefs”. Continue reading...

James Sherwin-Smith says field tilted against him after building society said it would give members ‘quick vote’ against his candidacyBusiness live – latest updatesA Nationwide customer seeking election to the building society’s board has criticised the lender for “unfair” treatment and undermining democratic governance after it said it would tell members to vote against him.James Sherwin-Smith said Nationwide had tilted the field against him after it confirmed it will give members a default “quick vote” option that included a vote against his candidacy at the annual meeting in July. Continue reading...

Group was unharmed after dangling for almost four hours on ride that malfunctioned at Pleasure Pier in GalvestonEight students were rescued unharmed after dangling for hours at the top of a rollercoaster ride that became stuck in Texas.Pictures and news footage of the incident showed a rollercoaster car stalled at the peak of a huge almost vertical drop on the Iron Shark rollercoaster overlooking the Gulf of Mexico at the Pleasure Pier in Galveston. Continue reading...

Conservation groups warn slashing Darwin Initiative will put species and habitats in jeopardy, and set back efforts to halt decline in natureOne of the UK’s longest-standing funds for global nature protection is being drastically cut back, the Guardian has learned.At least 89 countries will lose eligibility for funding for biodiversity projects under the Darwin Initiative, in a round of cuts that conservationists warned would put species and habitats in jeopardy, and set back global efforts to halt the precipitous decline in nature. Continue reading...

Two 24-hour stoppages by drivers to take place next week as part of action over proposals for four-day weekStrikes by drivers on London Underground next week will go ahead, the RMT union has announced, paving the way for more days of transport disruption.Two 24-hour stoppages are to take place, from 00.01 to 23.59 on Tuesday 2 June and Thursday 4 June, because of differences over a planned four-day week. Continue reading...

Request follows claims actors linked to Moscow accessed Reform UK leader’s data and leaked information over £5m donationUK politics live – latest updatesLabour has reported the alleged hacking of Nigel Farage’s phone to police and government cybersecurity officials after the Reform UK leader failed to do so himself.The Labour chair, Anna Turley, has asked the Metropolitan police and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to investigate Farage’s claims that his phone was compromised by actors linked to Russia. Continue reading...

Police say man, woman and child died at scene after fall from block of flats in Elephant and Castle on WednesdayA man, a woman and a child died after falling from a high-rise block of flats in south London on Wednesday, the Metropolitan police have said.Scotland Yard said officers were called at 7.29am to reports that people had fallen from a height in Elephant and Castle. Continue reading...

Amtrak car caught fire in Hudson River tunnel due to overhead wire damage, according to New Jersey transitA fire in a rail yard train car near New York’s Penn Station injured five people and disrupted service for many commuters early Friday, authorities said.The fire resulted in train delays on the New Jersey Transit and Amtrak rail services into New York and briefly suspended Long Island Rail Road service, more than a week after a strike had shut down that system. Continue reading...

Republicans increasingly avoid doctors and vaccines, widening health gaps with Democrats, researchers sayGrowing Republican mistrust in the healthcare system has widened health disparities between liberals and conservatives, who are more likely to avoid vaccines and the medical system in general, according to a new study.Neil O’Brian, a political science professor at the University of Carolina, Chapel Hill and one of the authors of the study published in Nature Human Behaviour, said that his team saw two phases to the phenomenon. Continue reading...