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• Sen. Brian Schatz, positioned to become the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, warned President Donald Trump that a Democratic majority this fall would lead to a significant ideological fight. • Schatz attributed current political shifts to voter frustration over the high cost of living and the age of the presidency, emphasizing the need to regain trust among working-class voters. • He argued that sweeping election-year agendas are often overrated, suggesting the party should instead focus on disciplined messaging regarding healthcare and cost reductions.

• NASA's Swift space observatory is currently falling out of orbit, threatening the loss of a critical astronomical tool. • In a rapid response, a commercial company has spent nine months designing and building a specialized spacecraft intended to intercept and save the observatory. • This mission is considered highly daring and "impossible" by many, as it represents a rare attempt to rescue a failing satellite using a commercially developed craft.

PM promises to fight any leadership challenge, saying any successor would face same problems as himUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has said he knows he has to “turn things around” after a series of crises culminating in the resignation of John Healey, the defence secretary, but warned that any successor would face the same set of difficult decisions.In an interview with the BBC after Healey’s departure in a row over defence spending, Starmer promised again to fight any leadership challenge from Andy Burnham or others, saying: “I’m not going to go away.” Continue reading...

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a record high of 51,370 before experiencing a sharp decline of 1,151 points over a two-day period. • The index is heavily influenced by financial services (27%), technology (17.4%), and industrials (17.1%), featuring major components like Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Boeing. • This volatility is significant because the DJI reacts instantly to Federal Reserve decisions and economic data, often serving as a leading indicator for the broader market.

• Indian equities are facing a challenging period as investors seek to determine if the market can reverse a negative narrative of systemic decline. • While valuations are becoming more attractive, the recovery is currently hindered by significant geopolitical stress and a lack of earnings credibility. • This shift is critical for investors as they weigh the potential for a rebound against the risks of prolonged economic instability.

• Professor Matthew Herder of Dalhousie University warns that the current Ebola outbreak is exacerbated by a lack of U.S. support for regional responses. • The situation is attributed to significant cuts in public health investments both domestically and abroad under the Trump administration's policies. • Herder highlights that the National Institutes of Health previously served as the primary global funder for biomedical research against infectious diseases.

Sky News host Andrew Bolt says MP ‘had no idea what Pauline Hanson’s policy was’ after politician said permanent residents could have homes ‘repossessed’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce has corrected himself regarding a key One Nation housing policy after telling Sky News his party would force permanent residents to become citizens or risk having their home repossessed.The Sky News host Andrew Bolt, who interviewed Joyce on Thursday night, later told viewers the bungle demonstrated Pauline Hanson’s party was “literally making up policy as it goes along”. Continue reading...

Ballots are being cast in the first round of the South American nation’s presidential electionsColombians are casting ballots in the first round of the South American nation’s presidential election, choosing between candidates with radically diverging visions for the future of peace in a country haunted by decades of armed conflict.The vote on Sunday, seen as a referendum on outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s policies, comes 10 years after Colombia signed a historic peace pact with guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). Continue reading...

Guardian investigation shows how US presidency blurs line between policy and enrichment of American ruling family and those around itOn a graffitied Sarajevo backstreet, a path leads past an overgrown patch of garden to a white door. Beyond is the registered office of a company that is on the brink of winning contracts worth more than $1bn.AAFS Infrastructure and Energy is close to securing a concession to build and operate a pipeline across the Balkans to allow fossil gas shipped from the US to replace supplies that come from Russia. “This could be the most important infrastructure project ever in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” says one of the country’s top officials, who, like others, asks to remain anonymous to discuss sensitive negotiations. Continue reading...

• UK workers, including translator Jessica Spengler, are reporting job insecurity as they are tasked with training the AI systems that may eventually replace them. • On February 28, 2026, protesters organized by PauseAI UK and other advocacy groups gathered outside Google Deepmind's London offices to demand stricter controls on advanced AI development. • The situation highlights a growing tension between technological efficiency and the displacement of skilled human labor across various professional sectors.

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...

Tom Kopke, from Germany, out-tumbled local hero Chris Anderson to win his third roll on hot day in GloucestershireIt was billed as the great cheese-off; a helter-skelter, bone-jarring downhill race between the all-time champ and a young upstart.After the hype and hyperbole, youth won out, as the 24-year-old German YouTuber Tom Kopke beat 38-year-old local hero Chris Anderson at the annual cheese-rolling event in the English West Country. Continue reading...

Global events and the climate crisis have left Britain’s food system dangerously exposed and in desperate need of an overhaulThe news that the Treasury was asking UK supermarkets to cap price rises on essential foods was greeted with predictable squeals of horror this week. Supermarkets were reportedly “furious”, while luminaries from the former head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies to the former chair of M&S could be found harrumphing about the evils of price controls.But this caterwauling is a distraction from two unpleasant facts. Firstly, the food price surge over the summer and beyond is likely to be significant – and will come on top of a near-40% rise in the price of food since 2020 – due to a devastating combination of the Iran war and a forecast record-breaking El Niño, which will hammer global food production. And secondly, Britain’s food system is painfully exposed to such shocks. The long-held assumption that a global food system can be relied on to meet the nation’s needs, at a reasonable price, no longer applies. Continue reading...

Millions of litres of sewage have been spilling into the capital city’s waters since February after the catastrophic failure of a Moa Point wastewater plantA fix to stop millions of litres of sewage continuing to pour into the waters off the coast of New Zealand’s capital, Wellington will be in place by November, officials have said, with full repairs at the cost of NZ$53.5m by late next year.More than 100 days since the catastrophic failure of the city’s wastewater treatment plant on 4 February, a mix of raw and partially screened human effluent is still being flushed directly into the Pacific Ocean. Continue reading...

US vice-president appeared to align with attendees of Tommy Robinson’s ‘unite the kingdom’ rally in LondonUS vice-president, JD Vance, has urged anti-immigration activists in the UK to “keep on going” after tens of thousands gathered for a rally in London.Vance appeared to align himself with those who attended a march on Saturday where the far-right activist Tommy Robinson told supporters to prepare for the “battle of Britain”. Continue reading...

While RAF Lakenheath holds its secrets, neighbours contend with plane spotters, protesters and sonic boomsThe local people know there is something going on when the internet and phone signal drops dead, they say. If the heavy bombers are flying low, the teachers will pause their school assembly until the thunderous din has passed. The parish council has been briefed on the intricacies of sonic booms. Car insurance is more expensive here as the Americans “can’t drive” and sometimes find themselves on the wrong side of the road. The base became less open to its neighbours after 9/11. But everyone knows there are secrets held beyond the barbed wire, not least that this is where the nukes are stored.RAF Lakenheath is the largest US air force (USAF) base in Europe, part of what is known as the “tri-base area” of Suffolk, a stretch of 20 sq miles (52 sq km) of land leased to the US government around which a peculiar ecosystem has developed over the eight decades of the American presence. Continue reading...

Bulgaria’s first ever win in European song contest delivers ray of hope at turbulent time after years of political instabilityBulgarians have rejoiced in their country’s first victory at the Eurovision song contest as fans welcomed home the singer whose party anthem Bangaranga proved an unexpected breakthrough hit.“Dara is yet more proof that Bulgaria can win,” declared the new prime minister, Rumen Radev, of Darina Nikolaeva Yotova, known simply as Dara. He hailed “a young artist who, thanks to her talent and professionalism, has managed to rise above all the complexities and prejudices surrounding the [Eurovision] voting process”. Continue reading...

• The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on legislation providing military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues with ongoing Russian drone and ballistic missile strikes. • Russia conducted fresh attacks on Kyiv, injuring at least 4 people, underscoring the urgency of US support discussions in Congress. • The vote represents a critical moment for US commitment to Ukrainian defense as negotiations continue regarding the scope and nature of American assistance.

Wall Street has proved incredibly resilient to instability, and while consumer confidence has dipped, shares have soaredIt was a dark Friday for Wall Street on 27 March. Oil prices were climbing and the war with Iran raged on. Markets responded accordingly, with the Dow and Nasdaq entering correction territory, falling more than 10% below their peak, after a month of selloffs.Fast forward seven weeks later to 13 May, and the situation in Iran only looked marginally better. Oil prices were high, and the strait of Hormuz was still closed. Peace talks with Iran seemed tenuous, even with the pressures of high gas prices. Donald Trump on Wednesday said he is “not even a little bit” motivated by Americans’ financial situation to end the war. Continue reading...

• President Trump departed for a two-day state visit to China on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, after the trip was initially delayed by the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. • The itinerary features a welcome ceremony, two bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping, a state banquet, a Temple of Heaven tour, and a tea session within less than 48 hours. • The visit underscores continued U.S.-China engagement, marking the first of four planned Trump-Xi meetings this year, including Xi's fall state visit to the U.S.

Funds flow to charities and other organisations, with Executive Council of Australian Jewry getting $124m for extra securityExplore all of our 2026 Australia federal budget coverageGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s Jewish community will receive an extra $300m for security and support from the federal budget as part of a $604m package in response to December’s Bondi beach terror attack.The government has also set aside federal cash for its proposed national gun buyback but would not say how much, as it struggles to bring state governments on board. Continue reading...

Samhsa said funding cannot be used to purchase or distribute fentanyl test strips or other drug test kitsThe Trump administration’s decision to restrict use of federal funds for fentanyl test strips, in what officials described as a “clear shift away from harm reduction”, could have fatal consequences, experts and critics have warned.The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Samhsa) issued an open letter in April ordering an end to the use of its funding for all substance testing strips, including fentanyl, xylazine and medetomidine, the latest novel street drug to wreak havoc across the US. Continue reading...

Labor has announced funding for Australian Submarine Agency will jump to $512m in next financial year amid concerns the sovereign submarine fleet may never arriveFederal budget 2026 LIVE updates: Australia government budget announcement and speech – latest newsExplore all of our 2026 Australia federal budget coverageGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe budget for Australia’s contentious Aukus deal has ballooned by more than $430m over four years, with the agency charged with securing the country’s nuclear-powered submarines requiring a massive injection of funding and staffing.The Australian Submarine Agency’s resourcing for next financial year will jump by a third – from $385m to $512m. Continue reading...

• China's UN Permanent Representative Fu Cong highlighted how the conflict in Sudan and instability in South Sudan are impeding the Abyei area's political process. • The ground situation remains grim on security and humanitarian fronts in both nations, exacerbating delays in negotiations. • This stall threatens long-term stability in the region, affecting US interests in countering instability and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa.

Organizers, including Selma foot soliders, say ruling is latest chapter in long battle over Black disenfranchisement in USThe supreme court’s recent decision to gut the Voting Rights Act is an affront to everyone who marched, bled and died to make that law possible, civil rights activists said.“When we look at the supreme court’s action against the Voting Rights Act, it’s really a kneecap – a way to discriminate, to silence voters who fought so hard for this right,” said Sheyann Webb-Christburg, who, at eight years old, marched with civil rights leaders in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. Continue reading...

Biologists had guessed coyote paddled a shorter distance to former prison in the San Francisco Bay earlier this yearA lone coyote stunned biologists and others when earlier this year it paddled its way to the remote Alcatraz Island, a former federal prison in the San Francisco Bay surrounded by swift, choppy waters notorious for thwarting prisoners’ escapes.At the time, biologists guessed the coyote swam from San Francisco, which is a little over 1 mile (1.6km) from the fortress. But it turns out the male coyote actually made an even longer swim from nearby Angel Island, 2 miles (3.2km) away. Continue reading...

Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures are at risk of losing their seats in Alabama’s Black congressional districts after rulingThe lawmakers who represent Alabama’s two Black congressional districts, who are now at risk of losing their seats after the supreme court effectively decimated the Voting Rights Act, said the decision sends the US “backwards”.The 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v Callais on Wednesday weakens a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, opening the door for Republicans to eliminate majority-minority congressional districts across the south, and representatives Terri Sewell and Shomari Figures stand in the crosshairs. Continue reading...

US generated more power from renewables like solar and wind than fossil fuels recently for a full month in a firstDonald Trump has wielded the full might of his administration to crush the progress of clean energy, which has called a “scam” and “stupid”. But there are signs this assault is not going to plan.In March, the US generated more of its electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind than it did via gas, the first time clean energy has surpassed the planet-heating fossil fuel for a full month nationally, according to data from the Ember thinktank. Continue reading...