Announces

• The Athletic has announced comprehensive coverage plans for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, utilizing a mix of podcasts, video content, and streaming. • The upcoming tournament will be the largest in history, featuring an expanded 48-team field and spanning 16 host cities across three countries. • This strategic expansion of media formats allows The Athletic to provide deeper analysis and real-time engagement for a global audience during the event.

• Starting in September, POLITICO is modernizing its energy and environmental policy journalism by launching a more focused portfolio of daily news and intelligence products. • The centerpiece of this update is "Surge," a new global newsletter tracking how AI, data centers, and electrification are driving electricity demand and reshaping industry and politics. • This initiative matters as it connects developments across technology, finance, and government to help readers navigate the tensions and opportunities of the global energy transformation.

• Welsh singer Duffy has announced her first live performance in over 15 years, marking her return to the public eye. • The singer previously stepped away from her career and public life following a sexual assault. • Duffy originally rose to global fame in 2008 with her debut album *Rockferry*, which earned her a Grammy, three BRIT Awards, and an Ivor Novello Award.

Lebanese government agrees ceasefire but Israeli drone strikes continue. Plus the story of the man who launched Cuba’s first independent magazineGood morning.Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire to end hostilities, the Trump administration has announced – but it comes with caveats. Not only is the deal contingent on a complete cessation of fire from the Iran-aligned Hezbollah armed group, and on the evacuation of all its fighters from the area south of the Litani River – but Hezbollah have not been part of the talks.Where has Israel been targeting? William Christou in Beirut reports that three hospitals in southern Lebanon have been attacked by Israel in under a week, wounding more than 150 people and killing nine. Analysts and human rights experts have said the attacks on healthcare facilities were aimed at degrading the conditions for life in south Lebanon.What did Israel say about it? The military said it had struck “Hezbollah infrastructure in the area of Tyre” and acknowledged a hospital was “affected incidentally”. It accused Hezbollah of “taking over” one of the hospitals it struck.Is that number significant? Yes, the 90-day threshold is important because the 1973 War Powers Resolution lays down that a president must seek congressional approval to continue waging war after hostilities have continued that length of time. Trump’s White House has rejected that argument, citing a temporary ceasefire that has been in place since 8 April – although it has been broken several times by the US, Israel and Iran. Continue reading...

• The FDA has approved XOCOVA (ensitrelvir), developed by Shionogi Inc., as a new treatment option for COVID-19. • XOCOVA is distinguished as the first and only oral medication specifically approved to help prevent the onset of COVID-19 following exposure to the virus. • This approval expands the available pharmaceutical toolkit for infectious disease management, offering a preventative oral alternative to existing treatments.

I Knew It, I Knew You is written with longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff and marks a return to Swift’s country rootsAfter days of speculation online, Taylor Swift has announced the release of a new original song for Toy Story 5.Titled I Knew It, I Knew You, the single will be released on 5 June, with CD singles available for preorder on Swift’s website. Three variants will be available, each containing different versions of the song: a piano version, an acoustic version and the original. Continue reading...

• SoftBank Group announced a landmark €75 billion ($87.5 billion) investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure across France on May 30, 2026. • The initiative is the largest single investment in AI computing capacity in Europe, focusing on the development of massive data centers. • The first phase of the project aims to deliver 3.1 gigawatts (GW) of data center capacity specifically within the Hauts-de-France region.