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• Pakistan has seen the emergence of satirical political groups, including the Cockroach Awami Party and Cockroach Awami League, mimicking India's viral Cockroach Janta Party. • This trend has sparked a cross-border social media frenzy, reflecting a shared culture of political satire and digital mimicry between the two nations. • The movement highlights how viral political trends can transcend borders to critique governance through humor and absurdity.

Judge said Trump administration would not have prosecuted Ábrego García had he not challenged his high-profile deportationSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA 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 García, 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 last March. This was despite a prior court order barring him from being returned there because of a risk of persecution. Continue reading...

• Nvidia reported a significant revenue surge of 85%, beating market expectations driven by the ongoing artificial intelligence boom. • Despite the strong financial performance, the company's shares slipped in late trading as investors expressed caution. • The decline is attributed to intensifying competition and the trend of major big tech customers developing their own in-house AI alternatives.

Prosecutors may face sanctions over redactions to grand jury transcripts linked to four of ‘Broadview Six’ defendantsFederal prosecutors have decided to drop all remaining criminal charges against four people indicted in October after protesting outside a suburban Chicago immigration detention center in the latest such case to unravel for the Trump administration.Andrew Boutros, a US attorney, made the announcement on Thursday after a meeting about redactions made by prosecutors to a set of grand jury transcripts. Boutros told US district judge April Perry he had learned of what happened three weeks earlier.Reuters contributed reporting Continue reading...

Ebony Parker was accused of ignoring warnings about six-year-old boy who shot and wounded his teacher in 2023Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA Virginia judge has thrown out a case against an elementary school principal who was accused of failing to act on warnings that a six-year-old student had brought a gun to school, leading to the wounding of his teacher in 2023.The eight-count indictment against Richneck elementary assistant principal Ebony Parker was dismissed abruptly on Thursday on legal principles just one day after prosecutors rested their case. Continue reading...

Prosecutors opt not to pursue hate-crime charges over February incident despite anti-gay slurs captured on videoNew Orleans state prosecutors on Thursday filed formal misdemeanor battery charges against Shia LaBeouf, four months after police officers there arrested him on allegations that he struck three men at a bar.That move from the office of local district attorney Jason Williams means prosecutors opted to not pursue hate-crime charges against LaBeouf, the star of the Transformers film franchise, despite claims evidently supported by video that LaBeouf aimed anti-gay slurs at the alleged victims. Continue reading...

Initial testing found evidence of metals in water samples, months after province’s residents began reporting unusual numbers of dead fish washing ashorePapua 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 PNG. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Employment tribunal claim says worker lost his job after distributing leaflets throughout London officeGoogle is facing a legal challenge from an AI engineer who claims he was unfairly dismissed after he protested against its work for the Israeli government, in the latest sign of growing concern about the social and ethical impacts of AI.The engineer distributed flyers around Google DeepMind’s London offices, which read “Google provides military AI to forces committing genocide” and asking colleagues: “Is your paycheck worth this?” He also emailed colleagues about Google’s 2025 decision to drop a promise not to pursue weapons that harm people and surveillance violating international norms and urged them to unionise. Continue reading...

The emergency caused by the Bundibugyo variant has revived fears shaped by conflict, mistrust and delayed detection, even as the WHO moves quicklyTo be around the centre of an Ebola outbreak is to become used to the smell of chlorine. At hospitals and government buildings, surfaces are sprayed with it and hands washed in a 0.05% solution that can kill the virus in 60 seconds.Infrared handheld thermometers take temperatures at airports and border crossings. Any indication of a fever prevents passage. Contact-tracing teams crisscross the countryside. Continue reading...

Scotland Yard to send files to CPS with ‘strong evidence’ of potential wrongdoing – but any trials could be years awayScotland Yard has said it hopes to bring criminal charges against 77 companies and individuals for the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, in which 72 people died.The lead investigator, Garry Moncrieff, said his team of 220 detectives had gathered “strong evidence” of potential wrongdoing. Continue reading...

Trump administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on press access at the Department of Defense last SeptemberSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe New York Times has filed a second lawsuit against the Pentagon, arguing that its recent policy requiring journalists to have official escorts when on Pentagon grounds is unconstitutional.The Trump administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on press access at the US Department of Defense, which it calls the Department of War, last September. Continue reading...

Settlement with the US government would create $1.7bn fund to compensate allies for supposed persecutionSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailDonald Trump moved to dismiss a $10bn lawsuit against the IRS on Monday, dropping his claims amid reports he is considering a settlement with the federal government that would create a $1.7bn fund to compensate allies for supposed persecution by the government.The Monday filing came just two days ahead of a 20 May deadline in which the judge overseeing the case asked the parties for briefing on whether a legitimate controversy existed – a requirement for any lawsuit – because Trump controls the IRS. Continue reading...

Federal court case of classical pianist who alleges Melbourne Symphony Orchestra unlawfully discriminated due to his views beginsThe judge hearing the case of a classical pianist who alleges the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra unlawfully discriminated against him because of his views on Israeli forces killing Palestianian journalists says the matter will not be a “roving inquiry” over conflict in the Middle East.Pianist Jayson Gillham is suing the MSO over a cancelled Melbourne concert he was contracted to perform on 15 August 2024, a cancellation which he claims was an attempt to silence him over his stance on the Gaza conflict. Continue reading...

• Detroit beat Cleveland 115-94 on Friday night to force a decisive Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series. • The win sets up a winner-take-all matchup Sunday night in Cleveland, with the victor moving on to face the New York Knicks. • The result matters because Cleveland had a chance to close out the series, but Detroit extended its postseason run with a road blowout.

Canal+ head says he will not work with hundreds of actors and directors who signed protest against Vincent Bolloré’s political swayThe head of France’s biggest film producer, Canal+, has said the group will no longer work with hundreds of cinema figures who signed a petition voicing concern over the growing influence of the rightwing billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré.The open letter, published earlier this week to coincide with the opening of the Cannes film festival, was signed by more than 600 figures, including the actor-director Juliette Binoche, the director and photographer Raymond Depardon, the French-Iranian film-maker Sepideh Farsi and the director Arthur Harari, who co-wrote the Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall and is premiering his film The Unknown in the main competition in Cannes. Continue reading...

‘He’s having a great time with his new 47% equity,’ one entrepreneur jokes, warning that some startups may leave Australia behindGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTech entrepreneurs have mocked the government’s capital gains tax changes by posting AI-generated photos of Anthony Albanese as their “new founder” and warning that increased taxes could push people away from working for new businesses or send startups overseas.Startups and entrepreneurs may yet receive a carve-out in the federal government’s planned changes to the CGT discount, with the prime minister saying he wanted to support innovation and the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, revealing that consultation was continuing with the sector. Continue reading...

The film-maker, who won the Grand Prix for A Hero in 2021, condemned both the killing of protestors and the conflict’s bombing campaigns during a Cannes press conferenceOscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has described the deaths of civilians in Iran as “extremely cruel and tragic” during a press conference at the Cannes film festival.Farhadi, whose new Paris-set drama Parallel Tales premiered on the Croisette on Thursday night, was asked about working free from censorship in France, the war involving Iran, the US and Israel, and the repression of protesters in his native country. Continue reading...

Housing secretary Steve Reed says no one has numbers for challenge and Labour should row in behind prime ministerOne of Keir Starmer’s closest allies in the cabinet has conceded that the prime minister is “unpopular” but has insisted Labour should not repeat the same pattern of changing leaders that damaged the Conservatives.The housing secretary, Steve Reed, one of Starmer’s most loyal ministers and staunch defenders, told broadcasters on Friday that no one had the numbers to challenge him and the party should come together behind the prime minister. Continue reading...

Federal court affirms an August 2024 finding that Tickle was discriminated against on the basis of her gender identity and awards her $20,000Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal court has upheld a landmark decision that found a women-only social media app and its founder unlawfully discriminated against Roxanne Tickle after the transgender woman was denied access to the platform.In their judgment on Friday, 15 May, justices Melissa Perry, Wendy Abraham and Geoffrey Kennett affirmed an August 2024 finding that Tickle was discriminated against on the basis of her gender identity, and also sided with Tickle’s cross-appeal, claiming she experienced two instances of direct discrimination by the Giggle for Girls app and its founder Sall Grover. Continue reading...

• Shohei Ohtani turned in another dominant start for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, throwing seven shutout innings in a standout performance. • He allowed four hits and two walks while striking out eight, lowering his season ERA to 0.82 through mid-May and strengthening an early Cy Young case. • The outing adds to Ohtani’s historic résumé after back-to-back World Series titles with the Dodgers and a run of MVP awards that already includes four career MVPs.

Gautam Adani, richest man in Asia, was accused of conspiring to pay $250m in bribes to Indian government officialsThe 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 and Bloomberg. Continue reading...

The state’s opposition said case was proof ‘the justice system is broken’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Victorian Labor government says it will “do everything” it can to “toughen consequences” for young offenders after police withdrew 109 charges against a 14-year-old girl, in a case the opposition described as proof “the justice system is broken”.The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had been facing 109 charges, including reckless conduct endangering serious injury, motor vehicle theft and burglary, after an alleged two-month crime spree earlier this year when she was aged 13. Continue reading...

As Keir Starmer’s leadership totters, investors warn a Labour leadership contest ignoring public finances and market realpolitik could be disastrousA rise in borrowing costs and warnings to avoid a “Liz Truss moment”. As Keir Starmer faces a potential leadership challenge, the spectre of the bond market looms large.Amid febrile conditions in Westminster, the prospect of Britain switching prime ministers for a sixth time in seven years has fuelled a sharp sell-off in the market for UK government debt. Continue reading...

Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation label federal court ruling against mining giant’s Solomon Hub iron ore operation ‘unsatisfactory’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastYindjibarndi traditional owners are considering an appeal against the federal court’s record $150m compensation payout, saying it is “unsatisfactory” and will not cover the cultural and financial losses suffered since Fortescue began mining their land.On Tuesday, mining company Fortescue was ordered by the federal court to pay compensation to Yindjibarndi traditional owners for cultural losses caused by its multibillion‑dollar Solomon Hub iron ore mine, plus $100,000 for economic losses – the largest compensation payout in native title history. Continue reading...

• South Korea is preparing new measures to counter AI-powered cyberattacks after concerns raised by Anthropic’s Claude Mythos Preview, according to a May 13 cybersecurity roundup. • The reported policy response reflects rising fears that advanced AI tools could lower the barrier for phishing, malware development, and automated intrusion attempts. • The issue matters because South Korea is a highly digitized economy with major exposure across government, telecom, finance, and manufacturing networks.

Health secretary’s move to force race sparks scramble on left of Labour for candidate to oppose himUK politics live – latest updatesWes Streeting is preparing to launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer on Thursday if the health secretary can secure the support of enough MPs to trigger a contest.Streeting’s move to force a race has sparked a frantic scramble on the left of Labour to find a candidate to oppose him, with Ed Miliband and Angela Rayner both possible contenders. Continue reading...

Queenslander under pressure after YouTube interview where he said he was ‘not ruling it out’ but ‘I don’t have the facts yet’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has caused further confusion in comments about the Bondi beach antisemitic terror attack, clarifying that he thought it was an “absurd proposition” to call the shooting a “false flag” but standing by his claim that he didn’t have “data” to rule it out.Roberts, Pauline Hanson’s fellow senator from Queensland, was interviewed on a YouTube channel, with the clip posted earlier this month. At one point in the 23-minute clip, social media creator Lisa Jane Spencer asked “do you think that Bondi was a false flag?” Continue reading...

Lawyers calling for all charges to be withdrawn after Sydney town hall rally against Israeli presidentFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCharges laid under a now defunct law against people who attended a Sydney protest against Isaac Herzog will be dropped, police have confirmed, but it remains unclear how many of the 30 protesters charged the decision affects.New South Wales police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, said on ABC Radio on Wednesday morning that, pending a review, police would drop charges laid under the public assembly restriction declaration (Pard) law which was in force during the February protest at Sydney’s town hall against the Israeli president’s visit to Australia and was cited by police as the reason a march could not go ahead. Continue reading...