Tuesday briefing: Palantir’s rise – and why so many oppose its role in the British state

• President Jose Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste highlighted the ASEAN bloc as a successful model for regional cooperation during the Shangri-La Dialogue. • He emphasized that the organization's commitment to sustained diplomacy, consensus-building, and practical cooperation is essential for preventing conflict.

• Families in Gaza living near the Israeli military-controlled "Yellow Line" have reported to the UN that they face constant fear of injury or death. • The UN chief praised the outgoing leadership of the World Food Programme (WFP) for making the agency leaner and more agile in responding to global crises.

• Tehran has suspended negotiations with the United States, citing recent Israeli military actions in Lebanon as the primary reason for the breakdown. • The escalation threatens to reignite direct military exchanges and risks destabilizing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane.

Kevin Minto’s discovery near Ilminster, showing goddess Victoria, has been acquired with coin hoard for £78,000When Kevin Minto, a lorry driver, former soldier and keen metal detectorist, came upon something glinting in a Somerset field, he thought at first it was a coin – potentially quite interesting, probably not amazing.But the object turned out to be extraordinary: a gold Roman ring, unusually large and exquisitely crafted, set with a finely engraved gemstone depicting the goddess Victoria driving a two-horse chariot. Continue reading...

Former frontbencher launches most significant internal criticism of $368bn Aukus deal since ALP national conference in 2023Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia needs a backup plan for the Aukus submarine agreement, Labor MP Ed Husic has warned, arguing sluggish American production and the “transactional nature” of the Trump administration have put the multi-billion-dollar defence deal at risk.The defence minister, Richard Marles, this week agreed to US requests for Australia to accept three second-hand Virginia-class nuclear submarines, rather than a combination of new and old vessels. Continue reading...

Worries over AI and loan debt mean 34% of people think degrees are usually not worth the time and moneyThere was a time when going to university seemed a no-brainer. Better qualifications opened doors to better jobs with greater earning potential.But with the graduate premium shrinking, mounting anger about spiralling student debt and growing fears about AI eating into the graduate jobs market, it is not surprising that attitudes are shifting. Continue reading...

John McFall prepares for mission to Haven-1 space station after UK Space Agency signs deal with US startup VastA British Paralympian and surgeon could become the first person with a physical disability to live in orbit after the government signed a deal with a US company that is building a small commercial space station.John McFall, a member of the European Space Agency (Esa) astronaut reserve, was cleared for activities in orbit last year and could take part in a mission to the Haven-1 space station soon after its proposed launch in 2027. Continue reading...

Police say four found dead in Muscatine home and two elsewhere in apparent ‘domestic-related dispute’ and suspect took own life while speaking to officersAuthorities in Iowa are investigating the fatal shootings of six people who they believe were killed by a relative who took his own life when confronted by police.Police were called Monday to a home in Muscatine, about 50 miles (80km) south-east of Cedar Rapids, where they found four people fatally shot, Muscatine police chief Anthony Kies said during a news conference. Continue reading...

Labor’s Luba Grigorovitch says she regrets six of the character references and vows never to write anotherFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNewly promoted Victorian government minister Luba Grigorovitch says she will never write another character reference after revealing she regrets six she has penned, including one for a taxi driver convicted of assaulting female passengers.Grigorovitch issued a statement on Monday night confirming that, since she became the member for Koroit in late 2022, she had provided “around 33” character references, including six “to individuals that I now know I shouldn’t have”. Continue reading...

Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv hit, with apartment buildings among the targets according to officials, after president said intelligence predicted ‘massive strike’ Russian air raids on major Ukrainian centres including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv killed at least five people and wounded dozens by early morning on Tuesday, authorities said.Four people were killed and 16 injured in a Russian attack on Dnipro, in Ukraine’s east, said the regional governor, Oleksandr Hanzha. All those injured were taken to hospital, he said, posting pictures of heavily damaged residential buildings, burnt-out vehicles and a destroyed children’s playground. Continue reading...

Lively’s legal team are suing her It Ends with Us co-star for legal fees and damages, reigniting a years-long court battleAttorneys for US actor Blake Likely were back in front of a New York judge on Monday to demand legal fees and damages from It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni, after a settlement was reached last month in their years-long legal battle.The 38-year-old actor’s legal team argued that the defamation lawsuit brought against her by Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, was a retaliatory move prohibited by California law. Continue reading...