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• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has indicated a potential cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Jens Spahn as parliamentary leader. • The departure of Spahn, a top figure within the CDU, increases political pressure on the ruling conservative party. • This leadership instability comes at a critical time as the government prepares for upcoming key regional elections.

• DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin is escalating attacks on election officials in key battleground states, claiming hundreds of thousands of non-citizens are illegally registered to vote. • Internal agency acknowledgments reveal that these figures have not been fully vetted or verified, contradicting the administration's public assertions. • This conflict highlights a growing tension between the Trump administration and state election authorities over the integrity and security of voter rolls.

‘Strong confrontation’ comes at fragile moment for Reform’s relations with rightwing media as coverage turns negativeNigel Farage is no stranger to expressing his ire at what he regards as the liberal establishment, but even figures close to him were surprised at the tirade of anger he unleashed upon the editor of the Times.The exchange, which is said to have included an expletive aimed at Tony Gallagher, was triggered by the Reform UK leader’s outrage that the paper was planning to run a story about his houses, which he said endangered his family. Continue reading...

Victoria police say they have arrested ‘high-ranking’ man from syndicate accused of orchestrating arson attacksFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice have arrested a man they say orchestrated a wave of Melbourne arson attacks, marking a major development in the city’s escalating hospitality wars.A 20-year-old was arrested in the city’s north-west on Tuesday. Continue reading...

• US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has died at age 71 following a "brief and sudden" illness. • A prominent figure in US politics, Graham was known for his hawkish foreign policy views and his evolution from a critic to a close ally of Donald Trump. • His passing occurs at a critical political juncture, as the senator was scheduled to stand for re-election in the upcoming November midterm elections.

Maine’s party leadership calls for Platner to withdraw after after sexual assault allegation emergesHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Maine’s Democratic party leadership has called for US Senate candidate Graham Platner to withdraw from the race, as the scandal-hit Marine veteran loses support from his previously most vocal backers.Trump’s latest attempt to delay payment of a $5.8m judgment for defaming a magazine columnist whom a jury determined he sexually abused has been emphatically rejected by a federal court judge. More here.Trump rang the bell of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from the White House to mark the first trading day for Trump accounts, a government initiative that provides children with a $1,000 investment account. It is the first joint opening of the exchanges, and the first time the bell had been rung at the White House. More here.National guard soldiers on patrol in Memphis shot and killed a man that authorities in the Tennessee city said turned and pulled a gun on the troops during a chase. The shooting took place at about 4am on Sunday as the soldiers responded to a report of gunfire. The Tennessee national guard was deployed controversially by the state’s governor, Bill Lee, in October to support the federal push by Donald Trump, his fellow Republican, to tackle perceived crime surges in Democratic-run cities. More here. Continue reading...

• The article highlights the top bowling performances in Asia Cup ODI history, featuring standout spells such as Ajantha Mendis’s 6/13 and Mohammed Siraj’s 6/21. • Kuldeep Yadav is noted for a critical 5/25 performance in 8 overs during the 2023 tournament, which helped establish India's dominance in the competition. • Kuldeep Yadav has officially become the all-time leading wicket-taker in Asia Cup history across both ODI and T20I formats.

• Artificial intelligence has been cited as the primary driver behind more than 100,000 job cut announcements projected for 2026. • Recent employment data shows a slowdown in gains across multiple sectors, with significant declines or stagnation occurring in the information and financial-activities industries. • These specific sectors are the most heavily impacted because they have been the fastest to adopt and promote AI integration within their operations.

• Chinese company UBTECH has unveiled the UWORLD U1, a humanoid robot designed to provide daily companionship and psychological support. • The robot features 88 degrees of freedom and a proprietary dual-pivot biomimetic cervical spine, allowing it to replicate up to 90% of fundamental human movements. • It is powered by what the company claims is the world's first emotion-aware Large Language Model (LLM) to better interact with users.

• Senior Labour figures, including Housing Secretary Steve Reed, have expressed party unity and support for Andy Burnham following his election as MP for Makerfield. • During a program hosted by Victoria Derbyshire, Reed acknowledged the party's debt to Keir Starmer while noting that leadership changes are a natural part of political "rough and tumble." • Other party members, such as Powell, highlighted shared frustrations regarding "lost opportunities" for the Labour Party.

• Senior Labour figures, including Lucy Powell and Steve Reed, have indicated that party MPs are supporting a "coronation" of Andy Burnham as leader rather than a contested election. • A Labour party spokesperson stated that the National Executive Committee has already established a clear timetable for the leadership election process. • The party emphasizes that the government remains focused on delivering promised changes and addressing the cost-of-living crisis while the process unfolds.

Kemi Badenoch, who joined US anti-abortion activists and European far-right parties at ARC, described energy secretary as a ‘villain’Britain’s net zero policies and energy secretary Ed Miliband have come under fire at a conference of conservatives, rightwing populists and wealthy US backers linked to Donald Trump.The energy policies pursued by the British government were described as a “tragic mistake” by Trump’s energy secretary, one of a number of officials from the US administration who are attending the event. Continue reading...

• In 2017, surveyors conducting fieldwork in the Nazca Desert of Peru discovered 303 previously hidden geoglyphs. • The discovery was made possible through a combination of meticulous ground surveys and advanced technology used to scan the dry, flat landscape. • These findings are significant as they provide deeper insight into the artistic capabilities and cultural practices of ancient civilizations.

Exclusive: Event co-founded by Jordan Peterson will bring together global populist-right figures, US state officials and Eton teachersThe Reform UK MPs Sarah Pochin and Andrew Rosindell will be there. As will a plethora of Reform advisers, backroom staff and figures such as Ben Delo, a British crypto billionaire who has given £4m to Nigel Farage’s party.Yet as populist-right politicians from across the globe and their multimillionaire backers prepare for this year’s Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) – a rightwing London summit dubbed an “anti-woke” Davos – others whose expected attendance has not been publicised potentially raises more questions. Continue reading...

Labor minister says Australians would lose their jobs and wages would go down if One Nation’s policies became lawGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson has been roundly condemned for her National Press Club speech, with advocacy groups accusing the One Nation leader of using “hatred for political gain” while the Greens say Hanson is echoing “rubbish” lines from rightwing figures in the UK and US.In Hanson’s first address after 20 years in politics, the leader claimed transgender ideology “has penetrated almost every regulatory authority”. Continue reading...

PM hit by three-pronged attack from ex-defence secretary, former defence minister and chief of defence staffUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer is leaving British troops underfunded and unable to carry out the operations he expects from them, according to scathing remarks delivered in parliament on Tuesday by three senior defence figures.The prime minister came under fire in separate interventions from his former defence secretary John Healey, the former defence minister Al Carns and the country’s current senior military officer, Rich Knighton. Continue reading...

Published for the first time, the data recorded 2,241 daily cases of A&E corridor care, with 699 patients also treated in other inappropriate settingsAlmost 3,000 patients a day in England are receiving care in hospital corridors due to an unavailability of beds in A&E units across the country, according to official figures.Corridor care occurs when a patient receives treatment in a setting that is clinically inappropriate and is deemed to be undignified and unsafe. Continue reading...

• Bulgaria won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, with Dara's song "Bangaranga" taking first place and Israel finishing second. • Total viewership dropped to 131 million, a decrease of 35 million from the previous year. • The decline follows a boycott by five countries—the Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia—due to Israel's participation.

Sean McGovern pleaded guilty to two charges relating to a deadly feud after being extradited from the UAEA leader of the notorious Kinahan criminal cartel has been sentenced to 24 years in prison at a Dublin court.Sean McGovern, 40, who has been described as senior lieutenant in the group, pleaded guilty to two charges of directing the activities of a criminal organisation relating to a deadly feud between the Kinahan and Hutch criminal gangs. Continue reading...

Senior medical staff call for solutions to tackle root causes of excess deaths amid tenfold increase in a decadeMore than 1,300 patients a month in England are dying needlessly due to long A&E waits, a tenfold rise in a decade, figures suggest.There were more than 300 deaths linked to long waits every week in 2025, up from 30 a week in 2015, according to analysis by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. Continue reading...

• Bulgaria won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, with Dara's song "Bangaranga" taking first place over Israel, which finished second. • Total viewership dropped to 131 million, a decrease of 35 million from the previous year, following a boycott by five nations over Israel's participation. • The boycotting countries included the Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia, with the latter three refusing to broadcast the event entirely.

• Eurovision viewing figures declined significantly this year after five countries—Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain—boycotted the contest to protest Israel's participation. • Despite the boycott, the EBU reported that over 50% of TV viewers tuned in across 14 participating nations, with Finland (92.8%) and Sweden (85.5%) seeing the highest market shares. • The drop in traditional viewership highlights the growing geopolitical tension surrounding Israel's inclusion in the competition, though digital engagement reportedly rose.

• The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest saw a significant decline in viewership, drawing 131 million viewers—35 million fewer than the previous year. • Organizers attribute the drop to boycotts by five countries protesting Israel's participation, with notable viewing decreases in Britain (3.7 million), Poland (3.8 million), and France (3.3 million). • Despite the overall decline, Bulgaria secured its first-ever victory with Dara's song "Bangaranga," and the event maintained strong engagement among viewers aged 15 to 24 at 54.8%.

• The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest saw a significant decline in viewership, drawing 131 million viewers—a drop of 35 million compared to the previous year. • Organizers attributed the decline to boycotts from five countries protesting Israel's participation, with notable viewing losses in Britain (3.7 million), Poland (3.8 million), and France (3.3 million). • Despite the overall dip, the event maintained strong engagement among youth, with a 54.8% viewing share for those aged 15 to 24, and peak popularity in Finland at 93%.

Settlement over alleged child molestation by school janitors is latest in troubling string of allegations spanning decadesOne of the most prominent Catholic high schools in New Orleans has agreed to pay a seven-figure monetary sum to settle a lawsuit claiming child molestation by janitors at the institution decades earlier.The plaintiff struck the agreement with Jesuit high school ahead of a trial scheduled to start in the Louisiana city’s civil district courthouse on 15 June, roughly six years after he sued under a pseudonym. Continue reading...

Farage’s party brings in £9m largely from crypto billionaires in three months, more than twice that of Labour and Tories• UK politics live – latest updatesReform UK is raising millions more than the other political parties from private donations, bringing in £9m largely from cryptocurrency billionaires in the first three months of the year.Nigel Farage’s party took a £3m donation from the cryptocurrency and aviation investor, Christopher Harborne, who is a British-Thai dual citizen, and £4m from the cryptocurrency entrepreneur Ben Delo, who is relocating to the UK from Hong Kong. Continue reading...

Mathew Lawrence and Mark McVitie, previously seen as favouring Burnham and Streeting respectively, say change of direction is neededUK politics live – latest updatesTwo of Labour’s leading policy figures, who put forward “manifestos” for Andy Burnham and a centrist grouping, are to join forces to help forge new ideas for a future government.The authors of the two essays – which have previously been described as competing visions for a Burnham- or Wes Streeting-led government – said Labour urgently required a serious intellectual debate about its direction rather than simply a change of personality. Continue reading...

• Eurostat has released a fully revamped edition of its "Key figures on European business" report to provide a comprehensive snapshot of EU business activity. • The updated publication features a more streamlined structure and introduces new indicators to improve data accessibility and relevance. • This overhaul matters as it ensures policymakers and analysts have the most up-to-date and comprehensive data on the European business landscape.