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• Fans of Taylor Swift are actively searching for clues regarding a potential marriage between the superstar and NFL player Travis Kelce. • Journalist Joanna Weiss highlights Swift's strategic ability to build a dedicated community and navigate her celebrity status through clever internet engagement. • The speculation underscores Swift's influence not only as a global artist but as a business person and cultural figure who carefully manages her public image.

• Alphabet has increased its equity fundraising target to $84.75 billion, up from an initial plan of $80 billion announced earlier this week. • The capital will be used to expand data centers and computing capacity to support the development of advanced artificial intelligence systems. • This move reflects strong investor demand and highlights the intensifying race among major tech companies to build massive AI infrastructure.

• 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%.

• Eurovision's grand final saw a total loss of 35 million viewers this year, with significant declines recorded in Britain (3.7 million), Poland (3.8 million), and France (3.3 million). • The viewership drop follows boycotts by Ireland and four other nations over Israel's participation, with Ireland's RTÉ choosing not to air the live broadcast. • Despite the losses, the event maintained an average viewing share of 42.6% across 35 markets, peaking at 93% in Finland and 54.8% among viewers aged 15 to 24.

• 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%.

• NASA has officially declared the MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after 12 years of productive operation studying the Red Planet's atmosphere. • The spacecraft remains in a stable orbit, though it is no longer functional and will eventually crash into the Martian surface within the next 100 years. • This mission conclusion adds to the "Mars morgue" of previous probes, highlighting the long-term lifecycle and eventual disposal of deep-space hardware.

• The 2026 World Cup will be hosted in North America, coinciding with a variety of other regional sporting events. • While the tournament is the primary focus, fans will have access to alternative domestic sports programming to fill the gaps between matches. • Major League Soccer (USA/Canada) will be on hiatus for the duration of the tournament, and Mexico's LigaMX will be out of season.

• Technology spending in Europe is projected to reach USD $1.3 trillion by 2026, driven largely by a surge in infrastructure investments. • Businesses are aggressively expanding data centers to support the growing demands of artificial intelligence integration. • An Omdia AI Maturity Survey reveals that 71% of organizations in Western Europe now support the concept of national AI sovereignty.

• Portugal and Spain have submitted a joint proposal to the European Commission to develop a massive AI gigafactory infrastructure network. • The project involves a total investment of €12 billion (approximately $13.7 billion), with funding to be split equally between the two nations. • Portugal's portion of the network will be centered in Sines, with additional facilities planned for Lisbon and Abrantes.

• Director Steven Spielberg has expressed his belief that humanity will discover extraterrestrial intelligence within our lifetime. • This outlook coincides with the release of his new film, which explores the global societal impact of revealing the existence of non-human intelligence. • The project builds upon Spielberg's long history of exploring alien life through iconic cinema, including *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* and *Close Encounters of the Third Kind*.

Stahl and Whitaker had been wild cards after new CBS News management fired multiple people in recent weeksSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailLesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim announced on Friday their decision to remain at CBS’s 60 Minutes after the tumultuous firings of several of the show’s senior correspondents and top producers.The three correspondents issued a joint statement, saying: “We have had a hard time deciding whether to stay … We don’t want to see 60 Minutes die. We have been grieving because this whole mess has wounded and damaged the broadcast.” Continue reading...

Technology secretary promises to support people whose jobs are swept away by automationLiz Kendall has insisted Labour will make artificial intelligence “work for workers”, and not abandon people whose jobs are swept away by its rapid advance.With public fears mounting about the impact of AI on employment, particularly for young people, the technology secretary claimed that the government could shape the way it is adopted. Continue reading...

Thousands flee including from village hosting at least 2,500 displaced people, one day after Hezbollah rejects ceasefireThousands fled their homes after Israel issued forced evacuation orders for nine villages in southern Lebanon before strikes that killed six people on Friday, a day after the Hezbollah militant group rejected a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.Hundreds of families left Anqoun, a village hosting at least 2,500 displaced people, after the Israeli military said it would soon operate against what it said were Hezbollah targets there, ordering residents to leave. The roads leading to Sidon, the closest large city, were choked with cars as families sought shelter. Continue reading...

Von der Leyen tells Balkans summit that bloc needs to make enlargement process ‘faster and more credible’The EU must prove its willingness and ability to take in new members and speed up its enlargement process, leaders of the bloc have said, as they gathered with their counterparts from six western Balkan countries that hope to join soon.“The European Union has to show that it is capable of enlarging and willing to enlarge, and we want to discuss that here,” Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, told reporters on Friday at the summit in Tivat, a costal town in Montenegro. Continue reading...

Seven Republican senators joined Democrats to block Fisa extension amid disquiet over nomination of Bill PulteUS politics live – latest updatesSeven Republican senators joined Democrats early on Friday to block the extension of a powerful government surveillance program, a rebuke to Donald Trump for choosing an inexperienced ally as the country’s top intelligence official.The renewal had been in question amid bipartisan concern over the US president’s appointment of Bill Pulte, a major Republican donor and heir to a home construction fortune, to serve as acting director of national intelligence. Continue reading...

EU’s Maroš Šefčovič says summit will ‘probably’ be in July but sources say it could be put back as talks deadlockedUK politics live – latest updatesThe EU has said Keir Starmer’s upcoming summit “resetting” the UK-Europe relationship may still happen in July, amid growing fears it could be postponed to the autumn as talks over youth mobility remain deadlocked.“The summit is supposed to be mid-July but at the moment it could be put back to after the summer,” said one EU diplomat. Continue reading...

• India's Union finance ministry predicts that the economic impacts of the West Asia conflict may persist until 2027, with trade levels only returning to pre-conflict norms by late 2026. • Despite the normalization of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the ministry reports that three months of conflict have led to elevated energy prices and significant supply-chain disruptions. • The situation is creating broader economic instability for India, characterized by rising inflationary pressures and tightening financial conditions.

Republican senator Lindsey Graham said he was ‘very proud of my Republican colleagues for… making sure that Border Patrol and ICE are fully funded’Senate Republicans early Friday passed a bill that would provide the Department of Homeland Security with nearly $70 billion in new funds for immigration enforcement.The vote came after a more than 18-hour “vote-a-rama”, a process by which senators offer amendments to bills passed using the reconciliation procedure. The Senate’s Democratic minority leader, Chuck Schumer, had said earlier this week that he would use vote-a-rama to force Republicans into publicly defending the policies of Donald Trump, a move that ultimately forced Senate Republicans to drop their attempt to spend $1bn on security improvements for Trump’s White House ballroom.New abuse allegations have emerged against Greg Platner, a Democratic candidate for the Senate. Platner, a progressive running for election in Maine, has rejected the new report published on Thursday in the New York Times that included an interview with a Republican operative who accused him of womanizing, physical misconduct and making troubling comments about rape.Trump has suggested that his controversial ally Bill Pulte will investigate “rigged elections” while serving as the country’s top intelligence official. Pulte, whom Trump appointed as acting director of national intelligence earlier this week, is a “very smart guy,” Trump claimed on Thursday, “and you may find out some things about the rigged elections, etc, etc”.Pam Bondi on Thursday told lawmakers before the House oversight and reform committee that Todd Blanche, the man Trump has lined up to replace her, was “in charge” of the the US Department of Justice’s controversial handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Continue reading...

Experts say dismantling the ocean observation system will ‘severely degrade’ the accuracy of weather predictionsThe Trump administration’s plan to dismantle an ocean observation system vital to understanding the climate crisis and marine ecosystems would “severely degrade” the accuracy of weather predictions and El Niño forecasts, with economic consequences for the US, European and American scientists have warned.Decommissioning the US system, which plays a major part in a global ocean observation network, would lead to a massive increase in error in the annual estimates of ocean heating rates, according to research published last month. Continue reading...

Evoke had been in talks for two months with Bally’s Intralot, which has extensive international operationsThe owner of William Hill and the 888 online casino brand has agreed a £243m takeover by the Greek casino and lottery operator Bally’s Intralot.Evoke has been locked in talks with the Athens-listed Bally’s Intralot, which has extensive international operations including in the US, for the past two months. Continue reading...

Downing Street responded after Andy Burnham publicly admitted that he would consider launching a bid to become Labour leader‘I wouldn’t flinch’: Burnham on social care, markets, Brexit – and the prospect of a general electionHello and welcome to our UK politics blog.David Lammy has come out in support of the prime minister, saying Keir Starmer would fight in a leadership contest after Andy Burnham said he would join one if elected an MP. Continue reading...

NSW seeking leave to appeal against successful class action including aggravated damages of $20,000 awarded to woman strip-searched at music festivalGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe woman awarded $93,000 after an illegal strip-search by NSW police thought until “just before” the trial that she would be called a liar in the proceedings by the officers who conducted the search. This was despite the officers submitting statements 12 months before her appearance that they had no recollection of the woman or the search, a court was told on Friday.Lawyers acting for the woman, Raya Meredith, and 6,000 music festivalgoers appeared before the NSW court of appeal on Friday in the final day of a two-day hearing where NSW is seeking leave to appeal after losing a class action over unlawful strip-searches conducted at music festivals between 2018 and 2022. Continue reading...

• The 2026 FIFA World Cup will expand to a 48-team field, marking the largest tournament in the event's history. • The competition will be joint-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, making it only the second World Cup held across multiple nations. • This expansion necessitates a revised tournament format, including new seeding and group stage structures to accommodate the additional teams.