Ukraine war briefing: €90bn EU loan for Ukraine to be released in second quarter

In late March, his polling hovered near 3%, but in a stunning reversal Becerra has advanced to the general electionXavier Becerra, the former Biden cabinet official whose California gubernatorial campaign survived a deeply underwhelming start, has advanced to the general election, in a stunning reverse of political fortune.If he prevails in November, Becerra would make history as the state’s first Latino governor since 1875, when California was briefly led by Romualdo Pacheco, who was born in the territory when it was still part of Mexico. Continue reading...

Lincoln Folo has been tasked with helping rebuild after two federal election defeats. Follow liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to the live blog for Sunday 7 June. I’m Josh Taylor and I’ll be bringing you the news for today.The Liberals have appointed a new top strategist as the new federal president, Tony Abbott, begins to make his mark on the party. Continue reading...

Widow of French ex-president Jacques Chirac was a steely behind-the-scenes operator known for her charity workBernadette Chirac, the formidable widow of the former French president Jacques Chirac and a driving force behind his political rise, has died at the age of 93.As France’s first lady for 12 years, Chirac was a steely behind-the-scenes operator in support of her husband, who served twice as prime minister, 18 years as mayor of Paris and two terms as president. Continue reading...

Eighteen-year-old man arrested after car collides with cyclist Anthony Canty, who died in hospital four days laterA lottery winner has died after a suspected hit-and-run in Essex, police said.Officers were called to the collision between a cyclist and a black Ford Ka in Tiptree at 6.30am on 21 May. The cyclist, a man in his 30s, was taken to hospital where he died four days later, Essex police said. Continue reading...

Democrat denies reports of physical intimidation towards women, saying his past has been ‘weaponized’The Democratic US senate candidate Graham Platner on Friday predicted that Maine’s voters would support him four days later in his party primary despite a string of controversies – including recent negative headlines about his treatment of women that he said had been “weaponized”.In a 25-minute speech before supporters in Bar Harbor, the oyster farmer and US marine combat veteran addressed the controversies around his personal conduct, which escalated on Thursday with a New York Times report in which three former romantic partners described disturbing behavior, including being physically intimidated by him. Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy to attend meeting along with French president Macron and German chancellor MerzKeir Starmer will host Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz for talks in Downing Street on Sunday to discuss support for Ukraine.The Ukrainian leader will visit the UK with the French president and German chancellor after a week of heightened hostilities and Vladimir Putin’s rejection of his proposal of face-to-face talks on Moscow’s war. Continue reading...

Musician donated to USC to help create endowed chair to recognize Dr Joseph Sugerman, who treated her for yearsLegendary singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks has given $3m to the University of Southern California’s medical school to recognize the physician who has helped care for her voice throughout much of her career.The major donation supports the creation of an endowed chair in otolaryngology at USC’s Keck School of Medicine in honor of Dr Joseph Sugerman, an ear, nose and throat specialist from Beverly Hills who has treated the singer – along with other performers and patients – for many years. Continue reading...

Technology secretary Liz Kendall says she is ‘very concerned’ about role of social media but will not be ‘bullied off’ XThe government is considering fresh action to halt the spread of misinformation during public crises, Liz Kendall has said, insisting she will not be “bullied off” Elon Musk’s X.The technology secretary was speaking after rioting broke out in Southampton over the police response to the fatal stabbing of Henry Nowak, a case about which Musk has repeatedly posted. Continue reading...

As detainees go on hunger strike over conditions at Delaney Hall, relatives describe concern for loved ones’ wellbeingIn mid-May, Elder Guerra was showering inside the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility when he slipped and fell.Guerra, a Guatemalan immigrant, has been locked up in the New Jersey jail for nearly five months. He was arrested by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Newark in January while helping a friend move his snowed-in car. Officers had approached and asked a few questions, according to a relative who spoke with the Guardian. Continue reading...

Plan backed by Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary had footprint reduced but concerns remain over its health impactsUtah residents have teamed up with a progressive non-profit organization to sue over an under-development AI datacenter backed by celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary, claiming the planned Stratos project facility “irrevocably” cuts off citizens’ rights by not allowing sufficient public input.Filed by the Alliance for a Better Utah and five unnamed residents of the Box Elder county area where the center is being developed, the lawsuit comes as Shark Tank co-host O’Leary agreed to scale back the physical footprint for the project. Continue reading...

Pontiff to make marginalised a focus of first papal visit since 2011 including meeting with migrants in Canary IslandsPope Leo has urged political leaders to seek unity, rather than divide their populations for political gain, and said they must fight for peace, in the opening speech of his tour in Spain.The pope has made the marginalised a focus of his visit – his first tour of an EU country, apart from Italy – including meeting homeless people in Madrid and migrants in the Canary Islands. The pope, who has clashed with the US president, Donald Trump, over his immigration policies and war with Iran, said his visit was aimed at setting an example of respecting “every human being”. Continue reading...

• India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reaffirmed its position that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable methods to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict. • This statement follows an open letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Vladimir Putin, in which Zelenskyy proposed direct peace negotiations.