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• Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda signaled potential interest rate action in June, stating he will debate the "pros and cons" of a hike. • Ueda emphasized that the central bank must prioritize the risk of an inflation overshoot caused by Middle East conflicts and rising crude oil prices over potential economic downturns. • The decision is driven by the "secondary spillover effects" of energy shocks, which the BOJ believes are more likely to push underlying inflation above targets.

Darren Jones’s messages include requests for advice on the reshuffle and remarks about former business secretary Jonathan ReynoldsThe prime minster’s close ally Darren Jones sent his commiserations to Peter Mandelson after he was sacked as US ambassador in messages that were not disclosed as part of the humble address release.Jones’s texts also included requests for advice on the reshuffle and disobliging comments about the then business secretary Jonathan Reynolds and the influence of trade unions. Continue reading...

Senior police figures are pushing back against politicians they accuse of stoking tensions over Henry Novak’s murderPolicing could be driven back to the 1960s by false claims officers are biased against white people, the leader of Britain’s black officers has said.Ch Insp Andy George, president of the National Black Police Association, spoke out amid growing concerns that politicians such as Nigel Farage were stoking tensions around the murder of teenager Henry Nowak by making baseless and provocative claims. Continue reading...

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the virus ‘had a big head start’ but that the response was catching upThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could have begun as early as January, the head of the World Health Organization said, giving the virus “a big head start”.Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said the response was being hindered by blanket travel restrictions and highlighted high levels of community mistrust and low levels of contact tracing as key concerns. Continue reading...

Democrats say appointment of Bill Pulte could doom bipartisan agreement to renew section 702 of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance ActSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailDonald Trump’s appointment of a close political ally with no intelligence experience to lead the nation’s spy agencies has thrown last-ditch efforts to renew a critical surveillance program into doubt.Bill Pulte, currently head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), major Republican donor and heir to a home construction fortune, was tapped by Trump to serve as acting director of national intelligence days after Tulsi Gabbard departed the role. Continue reading...

Bill Pulte, who does not have any national intelligence experience, is nicknamed ‘Little Trump’ among some Donald Trump’s decision to appoint Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence has set off alarm bells in Washington, as a staunch Trump loyalist with little government experience who has shown an eagerness to retaliate against the president’s political rivals will now sit atop the US intelligence apparatus.Pulte, whose grandfather started PulteGroup, a major residential homebuilder, had no government experience before Trump appointed him to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), an under-the-radar regulator that oversees the government lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Shortly after arriving at the agency, he began to gut it, firing sizable chunks of the boards of both and appointing himself as chair. Pulte had no government experience before being appointed to the role and does not have national intelligence experience. Continue reading...

US president says head of Federal Housing Finance Agency will serve as acting director days after Gabbard exits roleDonald Trump has tapped a close ally to serve as the country’s top intelligence official, days after Tulsi Gabbard announced her exit from the role.The US president said that Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and heir to a home construction company fortune, will serve as acting director of national intelligence. Continue reading...

• WHO chief visited Bunia in eastern Congo on May 30, 2026, to address a current Ebola outbreak at its epicentre. • During the visit, the WHO leader urged international communities to reconsider imposing travel bans against the affected region. • This intervention is critical to ensure that essential medical supplies and personnel can reach the outbreak zone without disruption.

Key part of Marc Bolland’s government advisory role will be to help disabled or depressed young people find training or jobA former chief executive of Marks & Spencer has been appointed as a government jobs adviser in its latest attempt to tackle the growing youth unemployment crisis.Marc Bolland, who oversaw the retail chain from 2010 to 2016, will lead a summit of business leaders, amid warnings that the country risks a “lost generation” without urgent intervention. Continue reading...

• A witness has alleged that the primary suspect in the murder of a Slovak journalist received protection, raising concerns about judicial interference. • In regional political shifts, the Hungarian parliament revoked its planned withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), while Poland and the UK signed a new security and defense treaty. • Poland's fertility rate dropped to another record low in 2025, highlighting a persistent demographic crisis that continues despite expensive government pro-natalist policies.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus heads for Ituri province where epidemic is centred and calls for halt to fighting that hampers medical relief effortsThe deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be stopped, the World Health Organization (WHO) head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said as he arrived in Kinsasha.Tedros landed in the DRC on Thursday evening and was due on Friday to travel to Ituri province in the north-east, where the epidemic is centred. Continue reading...

• The UK's intelligence chief warned that Russia and China have emerged as the primary cyberthreats of the modern era. • Russia is reportedly utilizing "grey zone" technology to conduct aggressive operations alongside its ongoing military assault on Ukraine. • China is identified as a significant and growing threat in its own right, bolstered by its close alliance with Russia.

Vetting of former UK ambassador to Washington warned of ties to senior figures in China, Russia and IsraelA former head of MI6 has said it would have been “totally impossible” for the Foreign Office to put in place mitigations to manage Peter Mandelson’s associations with senior figures in China, Russia and Israel when he was the UK’s ambassador to the US.On Wednesday, the Guardian revealed some of the concerns that contributed to security officials recommending that Mandelson be denied developed vetting clearance in early 2025. Continue reading...

• GCHQ spy chief has warned that Britain and its allies risk losing a cyber conflict against adversaries, specifically Russia, unless cybersecurity is treated with significantly greater urgency. • The chief argues for a comprehensive effort "from boardrooms to living rooms" to increase the priority of cyber defenses tenfold to counter escalating threats. • This warning follows reports from Sweden, Poland, Denmark, and Norway alleging that Russian-linked hackers have targeted critical infrastructure, such as dams and power plants.

• The UK's cyberspy chief has characterized artificial intelligence as an "unstoppable force," warning of its potential to amplify cyber threats. • Authorities in Sweden, Poland, Denmark, and Norway recently reported that Russian-linked hackers targeted critical infrastructure, specifically power plants and dams. • These developments highlight the growing risk of state-sponsored cyberattacks on essential services across Europe, exacerbated by the integration of AI.

• Britain and its allies are facing a significant cyber threat from Russia, targeting critical infrastructure, elections, and public trust. • A top UK spy chief has warned of the urgent need for action from all parties, including businesses and individuals, to counter this threat. • The rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have created a narrow window for Britain and its allies to stay ahead of rivals like China and Russia in the cyber arena.

• GCHQ Director Anne Keast-Butler warned that the West is currently in a "space between peace and war," facing significant risks from Russian "hybrid warfare" and AI-driven cyber threats. • To counter this aggression, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer signed a strategic defence pact with Poland to combine military expertise and industrial capabilities. • The agreement focuses on the joint development and manufacturing of "next-generation complex weapons" to deter further Russian incursions.

• GCHQ Director Anne Keast-Butler delivered a speech at Bletchley Park, asserting that Russia's forces are regressing on the battlefield. • She announced that GCHQ has created a blueprint for a new national cyber defense capability that integrates "agentic AI" to enable machine-speed responses. • The initiative aims to harden Britain's critical infrastructure against evolving digital threats and state-sponsored cyberattacks.

• Britain's cyberspying chief warned on Wednesday that artificial intelligence has become an "unstoppable force" currently being weaponized by adversaries. • The official highlighted that AI is being used to conduct operations that fall just short of traditional warfare, specifically citing threats from Russia. • This warning underscores the growing risk of AI-driven cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns that can destabilize national security without triggering a formal military conflict.

• GCHQ chief Anne Keast-Butler has warned that Russia is "relentlessly" targeting the UK's democratic processes and critical national infrastructure. • She highlighted that rapid Russian technical advancements are creating a "narrowing window" for the UK and its allies to maintain a strategic edge. • This warning underscores the escalating cyber threat landscape and the increasing sophistication of Russian state-sponsored attacks.

• The UK's GCHQ chief warns of AI's increasing role in Russia's hybrid warfare, describing it as an "unstoppable force" used just below traditional warfare levels. • Recent hacks linked to Russia have targeted critical infrastructure in countries including Sweden, Poland, Denmark, and Norway, affecting power plants and dams. • These attacks highlight the evolving nature of cybersecurity threats and the need for countries to adapt their defenses against AI-driven hybrid warfare.

Anne Keast-Butler says Russian forces are ‘going backwards on the battlefield’ for first time since late 2022Nearly half a million Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the start of Vladimir Putin’s invasion more than four years ago, according to a new estimate from the head of the British spy agency GCHQ.Anne Keast-Butler, the chief of the electronic intelligence agency, said in her first speech in the job that Russian forces were “going backwards on the battlefield” inside Ukraine for the first time since late 2022. Continue reading...

Simon Stiell said burning fossil fuels was driving intense heatwaves as UK and France broke temperature records on consecutive daysThe UN climate chief has said an extreme early heat event sweeping parts of western Europe was “a brutal reminder of the spiralling impacts of the climate crisis”, after France and the UK set new temperature records for May on two consecutive days.Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said on Wednesday the “main culprit” was humanity’s burning of coal, oil and gas – known to be the primary driver of climate change. Continue reading...

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warns of ‘catastrophic collision of disease and conflict’ as suspected cases reach 900The head of the World Health Organisation has called for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to help tackle the Ebola outbreak there.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on social media that the region was in the midst of a “catastrophic collision of disease and conflict with the Ebola outbreak in Ituri province outpacing the response.” Continue reading...

A report found that Brian O’Hara probably interfered with investigation in what mayor called a ‘breach of trust’The Minneapolis police chief, Brian O’Hara, resigned on Tuesday after a report found that he probably interfered with an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct.O’Hara stepped down after a meeting with the Minnesota city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, who earlier this month nominated him to serve a second term after his appointment in 2022 to steady a police department still in turmoil after the murder of George Floyd two years earlier. Continue reading...

• European technology chiefs at Fortune 500 companies are facing a shifting professional reality in 2026 where their actual duties far exceed traditional organizational charts. • Beyond managing infrastructure, these leaders are now responsible for drafting board papers on regulatory exposure, briefing audit committees, and developing comprehensive cybersecurity strategies. • This evolution matters because it signals a fundamental change in the role of the CTO/CIO, moving from purely technical oversight to strategic risk and governance management.

With a second investigation under way into his conduct, Paul Brereton tells estimates about concerns of workersGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s federal anti-corruption body is filled with staff “terrified of making any mistake of fact or law”, the outgoing commissioner claims.Paul Brereton, the National Anti-Corruption Commissioner, also defended his actions and decisions as the watchdog’s first head explaining his resignation was due to “distractions”, including two ongoing investigations into his conduct. Continue reading...

• Leena Ylä-Mononen, head of the European Environment Agency, is urging the EU to mandate that Big Tech companies disclose the energy and water consumption of their data centers. • The call for transparency comes as the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure threatens to increase the ecological footprint of the digital sector. • This move is critical to prevent tech giants from hiding the environmental costs associated with training and running large-scale AI models.