Legal papers, expert investigations and social media posts tell story of how a 32-year-old Iraqi appeared to run ‘proxy’ campaignOn Monday, a slightly dishevelled Iraqi man, shackled and dressed in beige prison overalls, was ushered into a Manhattan courtroom.Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, 32, pleaded not guilty to a series of terrorism-related offences, then gestured toward the judge and prosecutors. “I’m a prisoner of war. I’m not a threat,” he told them. “Children and women are being killed by your rockets.” Continue reading...
• Bobby Deol's new film, *Bandar*, experienced a slow start at the box office on its opening day, June 5, 2026.
• The movie is currently trailing behind the performance of another release, *Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai*.
• These early figures are critical as they determine the film's commercial viability and potential for longevity in a competitive market.
• Iranian-French cartoonist and filmmaker Marjane Satrapi, renowned for her graphic novel and film *Persepolis*, has died at the age of 56.
• Reports indicate she passed away from "sadness," occurring just over a year after the death of her husband.
• Satrapi was a significant cultural figure who recently received the 2024 Princess of Asturias Foundation award in Spain for her contributions to communication and humanities.
Special, secretive operation will ship 11th-century artwork across Channel without jolts, bumps or shakesAs the Bayeux tapestry wends its way across the Channel in a top secret operation there will be no jolts, no bumps, no shakes or vibrations – unlike the voyage of William the Conqueror whose 1066 victory at Hastings the artefact recounts.“Nothing has been left to chance,” Catherine Pégard, the French minister of culture told a gathering to mark the historic loan, which will be physically achieved with the tapestry, which is really an embroidery, transported in a specially constructed cradle within a container, the minister said. Continue reading...
• Bulgaria and Europol coordinated "Operation KRATOS 2," a seven-month international crackdown on criminal networks profiting from illegal streaming of premium sports, films, and television.
• The operation led to the arrest of 29 individuals, the dismantling of nine organized crime groups, and the removal of over 27,000 illegal streaming URLs.
• This action targets networks generating millions in illicit revenue, addressing the widespread intellectual property theft and financial losses faced by legitimate broadcasters.
• Leo Li of Ant Digital Technologies asserts that Southeast Asian banks' adoption of AI depends on trust established through tangible outcomes rather than marketing slogans.
• Regional regulators are actively addressing AI risks, with Bank Negara Malaysia publishing a discussion paper in 2025 to gather feedback on financial sector AI regulations.
• The Monetary Authority of Singapore has already implemented the FEAT principles to ensure fairness, ethics, accountability, and transparency in AI and data analytics.
Two-time Grammy winner was best known for songs from Beauty and the Beast and AladdinPeabo Bryson, the R&B singer best known as the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney film duets Beauty and the Beast with Regina Belle, and A Whole New World with Celine Dion from Aladdin, has died. He was 75.His family said in a statement that Bryson, who won two Grammy awards, died Tuesday, days after having a stroke. Continue reading...
• High-ranking figures from global sport, finance, and foreign investment funds gathered for an exclusive behind-the-scenes summit dinner ahead of the Champions League final.
• The meeting focused on the "evolution of the global sports ecosystem," discussing the intersection of professional athletics and international capital.
• This summit highlights the growing influence of sovereign wealth funds and private equity in shaping the future of football's financial landscape.
Premier Group Recruitment went into administration with debts of £2.9m – including £647,000 owed to HMRCA recruitment executive – who was allowed to buy back the assets of his bust company in instalments despite it accumulating almost £3m of debt – has fallen behind on promised payments after pledging to send staff on an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas.The development is the latest case to raise questions about the practice of “phoenixism”, accounting’s controversial art of liquidating companies to allow directors to rise from the ashes with a new entity, free of debts. Continue reading...
• Japan continues to struggle with a "problematic" press freedom ranking, trailing behind regional neighbors like New Zealand (22nd), Australia (33rd), and South Korea (47th).
• While overt government repression is rare, media insiders report that newsroom caution and pressures regarding information access significantly shape reporting.
• This trend highlights a culture of self-censorship within Japanese media, contrasting sharply with global leaders like Norway, which topped the rankings for the 10th consecutive year.
Former health secretary says he unsuccessfully argued for tougher action when in cabinetGood morning. The government has been consulting on whether to follow Australia and impose a ban on social media for under-16s, or whether to opt for other restrictions, and the consultation ends at 11.59pm tonight. Keir Starmer is expected to announce the government’s response soon afterwards. He has already said that there will be action of some sort. Last year ministers were sceptical about following the Australian example, but this is an issue where opinion – both in government, and in society more broadly – has been shifting very quickly.This morning Wes Streeting, the former health secretary who is running what is in effect a leadership campaign, has intervened. As the Guardian reports, he has said that a social media ban for under-16s “must be the start, not the end” and he has compared the sector to the tobacco industry.Streeting restated his claim that social media is like the tobacco industry and suggested that, just as tobacco bosses did in the mid-20th century, social media executives have been suppressing evidence about the full extent of the harm caused by their products. He said:What we’ve seen from Big Tech is behaviour akin to Big Tobacco … We know from whistleblowers that in the tech industry, among those who are responsible for designing technology, including social media platforms, that are changing every aspect of our lives, they know that the product they’re designing is addictive, they know that it is harmful, and the business model is orientated towards getting kids while they’re young, addicting them with the design features that are designed for addiction, to grab your attention and keep you on their platform for as long as possible.He said there was a “growing body of evidence” about the ways in which social media is harmful.And then we see the consequences beginning to emerge through the growing body of evidence about the impact of this technology on childhood, whether that is sleep, concentration, learning, health, wellbeing, including mental health.The harms are evident.He claimed governmments around the world had been “asleep at the wheel” on this issue. “Frankly, legislators, regulators, have been asleep at the wheel on this,” he said.He suggested that Keir Starmer had been “behind the curve” on this issue. While he was not overly criticial of the PM on this issue, suggesting that governments around the world have been slow to confront social media companies on this issue, he made it clear that he thought the Starmer government could have acted more quickly. He said that he was speaking out now because he was “liberated from the obligations of collective responsibility”. He said the arguments he was making in public today were the ones he was making privately in government, “in a number of cabinet committees and meetings”, and that he “pushed as hard as I could”. He said the government was now moving to a “better position”, but he suggested Starmer could have acted more quickly.To be fair to Liz Kendall, the science and technology secretary, she came into office [in September last year], she’s gripped this, she’s chosen to run a rapid consultation with the principle of how to implement restrictions, rather than whether. That’s all positive. And I trust Liz Kendall to act quickly following the closure of the consultation today.And we must, because, as I say, we’re behind the curve. Continue reading...
The firearms the shooters, aged 17 and 18, used in the fatal rampage were registered to one of their parentsThe two teenage gunmen responsible for a mass shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, rushed toward the mosque “fully armored” with handguns and rifles, authorities said.A security guard shot and struck one of the shooters, according to members of the mosque – but the gunman continued charging. The guard also alerted administrators of the school at the Islamic Center, telling them to go into lockdown, before he was shot and killed. “If it was not for him … The carnage would be much worse,” said imam Taha Hassane. “He sacrificed his life.” Continue reading...
Sports Direct founder says people in his employ recorded footage of Peter Cowgill meeting another retail bossThe Sports Direct founder, Mike Ashley, has admitted to arranging surveillance footage that brought down his rival Peter Cowgill, the former JD Sports chair.Cowgill was secretly filmed in 2021 in a car talking with the Footasylum boss Barry Bown. JD Sports was in the process of acquiring the trainer retailer at the time and the two companies were not allowed to share commercially sensitive information. Continue reading...
With most major European cities well-served by trains and buses, bringing US transit up to par would cost $4.6tnThe only train station in Houston, the US’s fourth-largest city and one of the fastest-growing conurbations in the country, is a diminished, morose sight. Intercity trains arrive at this squat, shed-like Amtrak building, which cringes in the shadows of roaring highways, just three times a week.That such a meager train station could ostensibly serve a metropolitan area of about 7 million people is a stark symbol of how the sprawling, car-dominated US has fallen behind cities around the world where people can rely on extensive, high-quality public transport to get around. Continue reading...
• Sara Ali Khan appeared stunned and uneasy at the Mumbai trailer launch of her upcoming film Pati Patni Aur Woh Do when the host joked about recognizing celebrities 'from behind' in paparazzi videos.
• She whispered 'Yeh kya bol raha hai' as the viral clip captured the awkward moment, also featuring Rakul Preet Singh, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Bhumi Pednekar.
• The rom-com drama, directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia with a cast including Vishal Vasistha and others, is set for theatrical release on May 15, 2026.
Developers at the studio Wizards of the Coast cited AI and layoff protections as some issues driving unionization effortMagic: the Gathering is casting lots for a union. Game developers at the popular digital and tabletop studio Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro that develops online versions of the popular card game and Dungeons & Dragons, are seeking to join the Communications Workers of America.The workers announced their intent to unionize Monday to join the CWA, which has organized thousands of workers in the tech and video game industry in recent years, including the largest certified union in the US video game industry in 2024 representing 600 quality assurance workers at Activision. Continue reading...
• The New York Mets defeated the Minnesota Twins with a clutch performance from newcomer Bichette, who delivered a critical double in the game.
• Bichette's timely hit proved to be the decisive moment in the Mets' victory, marking an impressive debut impact for the recent acquisition.
• The win showcases the Mets' offensive depth and ability to capitalize on key moments late in games.
Iranian intelligence services apparently recruiting via intermediaries to mount attacks aimed at sowing chaosIranian intelligence services and Revolutionary Guards operatives are recruiting teenagers through criminal intermediaries to launch a wave of low-level “hybrid warfare” attacks in Europe and the UK, according to investigators, security officials, analysts and police documents.A first wave of attacks was launched in early March, 10 days after the US and Israel began strikes on Iran, and targeted Jewish community sites in Belgium, the Netherlands and US banks. A second wave has focused on the UK, with a series of arson and attempted arson attacks on synagogues, a Jewish charity and the offices of an Iranian opposition TV network in London. Continue reading...
Police seek warrant for Bang Si-Hyuk over allegations he illegally gained millions in investor fraud schemeSouth Korean police said on Tuesday they were seeking to arrest Bang Si-Hyuk, the chair of the agency behind the K-pop band BTS, as they expand an investigation into allegations that he illegally gained more than $100m (£74m) in an investor fraud scheme.The Seoul metropolitan police agency confirmed it had asked prosecutors to request a court warrant for arresting Bang, founder and chair of HYBE. Continue reading...
• The Golden State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings 110-105 on Tuesday at Chase Center in a defensive battle.
• Draymond Green discussed key adjustments the Warriors made with Steph Curry on the floor during postgame interviews.
• The victory showcases Golden State's continued competitiveness in the Western Conference standings.
London gallery to undergo biggest transformation in its 200-year history, with Kengo Kuma’s design called ‘exemplary’The National Gallery has announced that its largest and most significant transformation since its formation 200 years ago will be designed by the Japanese architect behind Tokyo’s Olympic stadium.The new wing will be designed by Kengo Kuma as part of Project Domani, the gallery’s expansion into art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Its completion would make the National Gallery the only museum in the world which exclusively displays paintings where visitors will be able to view the entire history of painting in the western tradition. Continue reading...
Trump targets media to find ‘leaker’ who revealed that a US airman was missing after being shot down by Iranian forcesDonald Trump threatened to jail a journalist – or journalists – who reported that a second US airman was missing after being shot down by Iran on Friday in a bid to identify their source.The badly injured airman hid in a mountain crevice to avoid capture before being rescued by a US recovery team that took on heavy fire. The US president announced on Sunday that the service member had been recovered. Continue reading...
• Dodgers defeated the Nationals 10-5 in a high-scoring MLB game on Saturday.
• Offensive firepower propelled LA to victory, boosting their early season record.
• Win strengthens Dodgers' position in NL West amid tight competition.
In today’s newsletter: After a spate of infections linked to a nightclub in Kent, some parents and experts are questioning the UK’s vaccination regime It is every parent’s worst nightmare. University students enjoying themselves at a nightclub, only to fall ill a few days later with a potentially deadly illness. So far, two young people have died and more are seriously unwell in hospital after a meningitis outbreak in Kent, which appears to have started at Club Chemistry in Canterbury in early March. Health authorities have launched a major response: 30,000 people have been given antibiotics and up to 5,000 University of Kent students will receive a meningitis B vaccine, the strain that is believed to be behind the outbreak.The health secretary, Wes Streeting, has urged calm, explaining that the risk of transmission is low, urging students to keep going to school and insisting that people do not need to seek private vaccinations. But that has not stopped a rush for jabs, causing a national shortage. The high street pharmacies Boots and Superdrug say they have seen a major spike in bookings, with some locations running out of stock.Middle East | Israel struck Iran’s giant South Pars gasfield on Wednesday, marking a major escalation of the war, hours after Israeli forces killed the regime’s intelligence minister and launched some of the most intense airstrikes in Beirut for decades.Reform UK | Nigel Farage called for the release of Sean “Diddy” Combs and commended the efforts to free a former Honduran president jailed in the US for drug trafficking. The remarks were made on the personalised video platform Cameo.Assisted dying | Senior ministers believe Keir Starmer will not intervene to give the assisted dying bill further time in parliament as he is wary of opening up new divisions among Labour MPs.Media | The former Google executive Matt Brittin is expected to be named as the BBC’s next director general within days, with the corporation’s board meeting this week for a final discussion about the appointment.Green party | A government led by the Green party would not set targets for GDP growth but would instead focus on people’s mental health, social cohesion and community welfare, Zack Polanski has said in a major speech to set out his plans for the economy. Continue reading...
House to consider amendment that would pardon women in England and Wales affected by prior ‘unjust’ lawsWomen who have been arrested, investigated and convicted under abortion legislation in England and Wales “must not be left behind” if the law is changed to prevent women being criminalised in future, campaigners have said.Last summer, the House of Commons voted to end the criminalisation of women who terminate their pregnancies outside the legal framework, through a new clause in the crime and policing bill. Continue reading...
• Good Morning America provided comprehensive coverage of the 98th Academy Awards on March 16, 2026, recapping historic wins, standout moments, and behind-the-scenes highlights from the previous night's ceremony.
• The segment highlighted major victories including Michael B. Jordan's Best Actor win and the multiple award hauls by top films including "One Battle After Another" with six awards.
• The GMA coverage featured interviews with backstage winners and captured candid moments from Hollywood's biggest night at the Dolby Theatre.
Viral video of girl being shoved by fellow pedestrian has reignited debate over butsukari – with experts blaming stress and gender dynamicsIt starts out as a heartwarming clip. A young girl, clearly delighted to be in Tokyo, beams as she makes a peace sign to the camera. Seconds later, she is shoved to the ground from behind by a woman wearing a surgical mask. The assailant doesn’t skip a beat, striding out of shot of the clip filmed by the girl’s mother.This was no accidental clash of shoulders in a crowded place, but one of the most visible examples of a spate of butsukari otoko – “bumping man” – shoving incidents in Japan that experts attribute to a combination of gender dynamics and the stresses of modern life. Continue reading...
