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• Wall Street analysts have updated their full-year financial models following the conclusion of the Q1 2026 earnings season. • Institutional conviction in June is shifting toward defensive cash-flow compounders and a property-and-casualty insurer. • This trend highlights a strategic move toward stability and companies benefiting from a multi-quarter underwriting recovery.

Local sheriff’s office appealed for citizens to keep their eye out for Gracie’s ‘rounded ears’ – to distinguish from any other missing giraffesFor almost two weeks, residents of a rural Texas county have been looking, mostly up, for a missing giraffe called Gracie that wandered off from a private game ranch.On Wednesday, it appeared the free-roaming mammal’s odyssey was over, after it was reportedly found safe a “little farther out than expected” from its hill country home. Continue reading...

• HUL's Closeup has received recognition from both the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records for its AI-powered "Love Tunes" Valentine's Day campaign. • The initiative utilized AI technology to transform user selfies into personalized, production-ready music videos delivered within minutes. • The campaign achieved significant scale, generating approximately 85,000 personalized videos and recording over one million page views.

• Slovenia is entering a new diplomatic phase aimed at strengthening relations with Israel and the global Jewish community following several years of tension. • Jewish communities are closely monitoring the Slovenian government's policies and moral leadership, as these decisions influence the broader environment for Jewish life across Europe. • The shift is significant because national political tones in Central European capitals often resonate internationally, impacting regional stability and interfaith relations.

The actor starts chant after president said he doesn’t ‘think about Americans’ financial situation, not even a little bit’Robert De Niro has renewed his attack on Donald Trump at an event in New York on Sunday. Speaking at Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the first amendment, the actor led the crowd in a repeated cry of “shut the fuck up!” in response to assorted remarks and policies of the current president.“I’m pretty close to being a free speech absolutist,” said De Niro, “even speech I don’t like, and there’s plenty of that around. So when I hear something I don’t like, I use my own free speech to respond. Continue reading...

• Experts and policymakers at a Nikkei conference in Tokyo warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is triggering an energy crisis with wide-reaching economic spillover effects. • The Malaysian central bank Governor highlighted that these disruptions are negatively impacting industrial inputs, logistics, food prices, and the tourism sector across Asia. • The regional outlook is further complicated by the rise of AI-driven disinformation, which threatens to destabilize markets and political stability.

• Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the Tribeca Festival premiere of her concert film, "Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour - Live from Paris," in New York City. • During the event, the "Firework" singer publicly expressed her affection and admiration for Trudeau. • The appearance highlights the intersection of global pop culture and political figures at high-profile cinematic events.

• NASA has officially declared the MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after the spacecraft suffered a critical anomaly. • The decision follows several months of radio silence and unsuccessful attempts to re-establish contact with the probe. • MAVEN's mission was vital for studying the Martian upper atmosphere and understanding how the planet lost its water and atmosphere over time.

The Middle East is Japan’s main source of crude oil, from which naphtha is extracted and used to make items including printing ink and plasticsTakeaways, supermarkets, and bakeries in Japan are running out of plastic bags, trays and food service gloves amid widening shortages of the key plastic ingredient, naphtha, due to the Middle East crisis.The food sector accounts for nearly one-third of Japan’s annual plastic use of more than 8m tonnes, and price rises and shortages are hitting hard across the industry and beyond. Some outlets have begun offering perks to customers who bring their own bags, plates or containers. Continue reading...

At least six new pubs and taphouses have opened in recent months, including the Pig & Swill in Cardiff On a hot Thursday evening in Canton, a buzzy Cardiff neighbourhood, a steady stream of people in sunglasses, shorts and dresses went back and forth between bar and garden at the city’s newest pub, the Pig & Swill.Next door, in Victoria Park, the splash pad was still heaving with families making the most of the tail-end of the May heatwave. Many parents and carers stopped by for takeaway pints and small plates. Continue reading...

Volunteers head to Dorset countryside to restore the figure, but increasing heat means techniques have had to be adaptedFor centuries, the custodians of the Cerne Giant have clambered up the dizzyingly steep hill every decade or so to rechalk the outline, making sure the hulking figure can be seen far and wide across the rolling Dorset countryside.But the painstaking job, which involves hacking out the grubby old chalk by hand and packing in fresh, felt all the more urgent this week because effects put down to the climate emergency are making the giant a little duller and perhaps a touch more fragile. Continue reading...

• The European Union has seen a significant increase in state aid as member nations shift toward more aggressive subsidy strategies. • This policy shift is primarily driven by the need to compete with China's state-backed industrial model and the United States' Inflation Reduction Act. • While these subsidies aim to protect strategic industries and foster green technology, they risk fragmenting the EU single market by favoring wealthier nations.

Tuesday’s question time seemed more suited to prime time; full of sordid allegations, only the cast seems far less likableFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQuestion time in the Queensland parliament is not a ratings juggernaut.Nielsen doesn’t publish ratings data about the live stream from Brisbane’s George Street, but one imagines the numbers of voters tuning in to watch our state politicians flagellate on a weekday morning are relatively low: a handful of politics nerds and the odd journo who prefers to work from home. Continue reading...

Comedy debuts at Versailles featuring dialogue, music, costumes and scenery created with help of AI tool Le ChatEurope live – latest updatesMolière is to the French, what Shakespeare is to the English; the last word in historical literature, drama, wit and satire.Now, more than 350 years after his death, the 17th century dramatist has been revived after scholars at the Sorbonne University in Paris used artificial intelligence to help write an experimental play in his style. Continue reading...

National broadcaster confirms it will not broadcast world’s largest live music eventNational broadcasters in Ireland, Spain and Slovenia will not air the Eurovision song contest this year, after they decided to boycott the event over Israel’s participation.Having already announced it would not submit a national entry, Slovenian broadcaster RTV confirmed on Thursday it would implement a broadcasting blackout of the world’s largest live music event and instead show a series of films about Palestine. Continue reading...

• Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells star in 'Miss You, Love You', which had a secret screening at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and is now set for HBO premiere on May 29. • The film lands at HBO after festival buzz, marking a key acquisition for the streamer in upcoming releases. • This deal highlights HBO's push into indie dramas amid competition from Netflix and Apple TV+.

Valentine officially retired in February after almost 40 years in radio, for treatment for a recurring cancerFriends and former colleagues of James Valentine say the much-loved musician and ABC radio presenter has died.The ABC confirmed his passing on air on Thursday morning. Continue reading...

Use of the illicit drug has plummeted in recent years among gen Zers, compared with their parents’ generationEver since cocaine first emerged as a popular party drug via the shores of Miami in the early 1970s, use of the stimulant has been inextricably entwined with the very essence of capitalist excess and what it is to be American: brash, bombastic and brazen.The wide-scale use of cocaine in the US has left a trail of destruction in its wake, largely thanks to the illegal nature of the trade and the resultant US government policy of a “war on drugs”. Continue reading...

Romantic poet’s letters to Fanny Brawne, dated between 1819 and 1820, had been stolen from a Long Island estateEight original handwritten letters from the Romantic poet John Keats to his muse and “one passion”, Fanny Brawne, were returned to the family of John Hay “Jock” Whitney, the former US ambassador to the UK, on Monday after being stolen from Whitney’s home in the 1980s.Keats’ letters, including the first letter he ever wrote to Brawne, are dated between 1819 and 1820. Valued at approximately $2m, the 37 letters are held in a gilt morocco-bound portfolio. Brawne was Keats’s neighbor in Hampstead, with whom he became infatuated and elevated to muse and goddess. Continue reading...

• The US administration reports that the Iran war is rattling the medical supply chain, affecting essentials from gloves to helium used in MRIs. • Shortages threaten hospitals nationwide as key imports from affected regions halt abruptly amid escalating conflict. • Medical leaders warn this could delay treatments and surgeries, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities in US healthcare logistics.

Rally met with bipartisan support after US border patrol revealed plans for steel wall across parts of beloved parksThousands of people gathered at the steps of the Texas capitol on Saturday to protest against the construction of a border wall through Big Bend, in a show of bipartisan opposition to the White House’s plans.More than 2,000 people attended the rally, according to Texas Public Radio, holding signs with slogans such as “No Big Bend NP Wall,” “Big Love for Big Bend” and “No al Muro” – Spanish for “No to the Wall.” Organizers gathered postcards from protesters to deliver to Greg Abbott, the Texas governor who has yet to weigh in publicly on the border wall expansion plans at Big Bend. Continue reading...

Ofcom data points to more passive consumption amid changes to apps and fears about mental health and past postsPosting significant events in your life, from birthdays to weddings and promotions, is a social media staple. But Jenny, like many other Britons recently, has hesitated over contributing to the infinite scroll.“I wouldn’t have even posted my wedding really,” she says. “But I had to because … There’s like an etiquette. Nobody else can post your wedding until you’ve posted. So my friends were like: ‘Please post, it’s been like a week.’” Continue reading...

Shop around, coast downhill, band together – drivers tell of how they’re dealing with the costliest gas in the USJack Nooney has pretty much made peace with the traffic since moving to Los Angeles five years ago, but recent soaring gas prices have certainly added another layer of insult to his daily commute. The musician and full-time grocery deli employee drives from his San Fernando Valley apartment to Santa Monica daily. While it’s just nine miles each way, with LA traffic that often equates to a whole gas-burning hour.Nooney, who makes $20/hour, says it’s become glaringly clear that fuel costs will eat up more of his already tight budget. Angelenos are now paying on average nearly $5.90 a gallon – and some stations are charging a shocking $8 a gallon. The outsized prices are directly related to the Iran war, which has created the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market, according to the International Energy Agency. Continue reading...

• Tiger Woods was charged with driving under the influence following a rollover crash near his home in Florida, where authorities report he was traveling at a high rate of speed and overtook a truck on a two-lane road. • The incident involved a single-vehicle rollover with no other vehicles struck, according to law enforcement statements. • Woods faces DUI charges and potential license suspension pending court proceedings and investigation results.

Senate nominee in Texas James Talarico says ‘Christian nationalism kills’ in response to Brooks Potteiger remarkJames Talarico, the Texas Democratic state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, has said he forgives Pete Hegseth’s pastor for praying for his death. On Tuesday, Texas’s popular Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat pushed back against comments from Brooks Potteiger, the defense secretary’s closest spiritual adviser, who said: “We want him crucified with Christ.”Talarico said on X: “Jesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills. You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you. I love you more than you could ever hate me.” Continue reading...

The result in Slovenia will relieve EU diplomats and means the incumbent will lead exploratory talks to form the next governmentMeanwhile, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has urged Italians to take part in the referendum on the government’s proposals to shake up the organisation of the justice system.On her social media accounts, she posted a picture posing with a ballot paper, and said:“Ready to vote. Remember: you have until 3 PM today to get to the polls. Participation is important.” Continue reading...

Centre-left Robert Golob and rightwing populist Janez Janša are frontrunners in contest after polarised campaignCampaigners in Slovenia have warned of a surge in anti-Romany rhetoric as the country heads to the polls on Sunday, leaving many bracing for the outcome of a vote that has become, in part, a referendum on how the country treats its most marginalised.In Sunday’s vote, the prime minister, Robert Golob, of the centre-left Freedom Movement party, faces off against the rightwing populist and Donald Trump ally Janez Janša. Continue reading...

At least 400 killed in Pakistan’s strike on drug rehab centre, Taliban say, with families searching unmarked mass gravesSohrab Faqiri spent Eid, the Muslim festival to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, looking for the grave of his brother, killed in a massive Pakistan airstrike on Kabul this week.Pakistan’s bombardment campaign, on what it says is terrorist and military infrastructure in neighbouring Afghanistan, appeared to have gone catastrophically wrong. A rehabilitation centre for drug addicts was hit on Monday night, according to the United Nations and the Afghan authorities. The UN’s preliminary death toll is 143 people, while the Taliban administration puts the figure at more than 400 dead. Continue reading...