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Netanyahu acknowledges pause in fighting in TV speech but vows forceful response to future attacksMiddle East crisis – live updatesFears of a return to a full-scale regional war in the Middle East eased on Monday when Israel and Iran said they had halted attacks on each other after an appeal from Donald Trump to “immediately stop shooting”.Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, acknowledged the halt in fighting with Iran in a televised speech, but vowed to respond “with force” to future attacks. Continue reading...

• On May 27, 2026, the CFTC and DOJ charged Michele Spagnuolo, a Google software engineer based in Switzerland, with insider trading. • Spagnuolo allegedly exploited confidential data regarding Google’s 2025 “Year in Search” rankings to gain an unfair advantage in prediction markets before the information was made public. • This case highlights the increasing regulatory scrutiny of prediction markets and the application of traditional insider trading laws to non-traditional financial assets.

Joint-chair and director of relegated club to tackle ‘false allegations’‘I am absolutely not the person the media has decided to paint me as’David Sullivan has announced his resignation as a joint-chair and director of West Ham with immediate effect in a statement.Sullivan and his legal representatives published his intention to stand down on the club’s website on Saturday “for the benefit of transparency”. It read: “I have recently become aware that factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life are due to be broadcast and published. Continue reading...

Veteran broadcaster makes ‘one of hardest decisions of my entire life’ weeks after revealing spread of cancer to spineThe veteran broadcaster Bob Harris has announced he is stepping down from BBC Radio 2 after 30 years so he can focus on “getting well again”, six weeks after revealing his prostate cancer had spread into his upper spine.The 80-year-old host of The Country Show and Sounds of the 70s, known as “Whispering” Bob Harris, said his health problems were forcing him to step down and that it had been “one of the hardest decisions of my entire life”. Continue reading...

• The Renew Europe political group is critiquing the EU's Tech Sovereignty Package, arguing that the current approach is insufficient for the region's digital ambitions. • The group emphasizes that the Chips Act must be integrated with a Cloud and AI Development Act to effectively drive demand for European semiconductors and advanced AI. • This shift is critical because current EU regulations reportedly make it impossible to train a compliant Large Language Model (LLM) within the union.

• The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has proposed 10 critical steps to restore press freedom in Bangladesh, focusing on ending criminal prosecutions of journalists. • The CPJ urges the government to reform restrictive laws, ensure accountability for media attacks, and stop smear campaigns that incite violence against reporters. • This initiative seeks to align national practices with Article 39 of Bangladesh's Constitution and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

• EU leaders are preparing a draft diplomatic text to increase pressure on Israel by threatening new sanctions against "extremist ministers." • The initiative gained momentum after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani formally requested that EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas place the issue on the union's agenda. • This move signals a significant escalation in the EU's diplomatic approach to the conflict, targeting specific government officials rather than the state as a whole.

Joy turned to panic as Sarah and her dog sank quickly. She thought ‘this is not how I’m going to go’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast“I’ve literally had my real, live Indiana Jones moment,” Sarah Darbyshire says of the frightening moment she and her dog stumbled into quicksand.The Holdfast Bay council has put up signs warning about the treacherous, liquefied patch on Glenelg North beach in South Australia. Continue reading...

Sterling Nasa had tickets to see Justin Hurwitz’s La La Land in Concert. When the keyboardist suddenly fell ill, he found himself on stage performingGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLa La Land is a much adored homage to Hollywood, where dreamers take chances and seize unexpected moments.On Saturday night at the ICC’s Darling Harbour theatre, that idea became a reality for a 21-year-old university student who was thrust into the spotlight at a live performance of the movie’s score – and saved a concert from derailment. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor believes the former PM is uniquely placed to help the party as its new president, but some fear he will render it even more unelectableGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastImmediately after ousting Sussan Ley, Angus Taylor used his first press conference as opposition leader to debut a slogan he hoped would define a new era of Liberal conservatism.“The door must be shut,” Taylor said of his approach to prospective migrants who didn’t subscribe to Australia’s “core beliefs”. Continue reading...

Liberal insiders concerned former PM could pull party even further to the right by appointing Advance allies to prominent positionsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTony Abbott will step down from his role advising the rightwing advocacy group, Advance, as the conservative ideologue prepares for his high-profile role as the Liberal party’s new federal president.Liberal insiders have also shared concerns Abbott is considering Advance’s director, Matthew Sheahan, or Steve Doyle – who runs Whitestone Strategic, the consultancy group that supports its operations – to fill the vacant federal director position, warning it could dismantle what is left of the party’s identity. Continue reading...

Labour’s Makerfield byelection candidate understood to have changed stance on no recourse to public funds policyUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has rolled back from his previous calls for ministers to scrap a restriction on immigrants claiming benefits as the Makerfield byelection places greater scrutiny on his policy positions.As Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham has called several times for an end to the rule known as no recourse to public funds (NRPF), which since 1999 has prevented new arrivals getting access to benefits or public housing before they are granted settled status. Continue reading...

Janice Nix convicted of manslaughter after brother of Andrea Bernard alters account of incident in 1978A woman has been found guilty of killing her five-year-old stepdaughter by punishing her in a scalding hot bath almost 50 years ago.Andrea Bernard’s death in 1978 in Thornton Heath, south London, was treated as an accident until her older brother, Desmond Bernard, went to police in 2022 with a new account of what happened, Isleworth crown court heard. Continue reading...

Jonathan Andic said he was temporarily standing aside as vice-chair of fashion chain after being named a suspect in death of Isak AndicJonathan Andic, son of the Mango founder Isak Andic, is stepping down temporarily as the fashion group’s vice-chair after being named a suspect in the investigation into his father’s death.In an open letter published on Tuesday, Andic strongly protested his innocence, saying the accusation bore “no relation to reality”, but that “dismantling it” would take a long time. Continue reading...

Guests on Only in Monroe included Jack White and Jeff Daniels, with appearances by Steve Buscemi and EminemAfter his last appearance on CBS as host of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert continued his television hosting duties – on a public access show in Michigan.Colbert on Friday night hosted Only in Monroe in Monroe, Michigan, just one day after signing off from The Late Show. Colbert had been the host of The Late Show since 2015 and his tenure came to an end this week after CBS canceled the 33-year-old network staple, due to a “financial decision” by CBS’s parent company, Paramount. Continue reading...

Exclusive: New biography uncovers Frank Hawking’s papers in which he lamented that his son had ‘little initiative’In exploring the physics and geometry of the universe, Stephen Hawking became a world-renowned pioneer of black hole theory, writing the bestselling book A Brief History of Time, which has sold more than 13m copies, and inspiring people to “look up at the stars and not down at your feet”.But, during Hawking’s student years and as he approached adulthood, his father was deeply concerned about how his son would turn out. Frank Hawking lamented that “he hangs round the house with little initiative and does not study much”, according to previously unknown diaries that he had written partly in code. Continue reading...

Jane Fonda, Bruce Springsteen and Joe Biden are among the names paying tribute to host of cancelled late-night showShare your favorite memories from The Late Show With Stephen ColbertCelebrities, politicians and New Yorkers have paid their respects to Stephen Colbert as the Late Show aired its final episode on Thursday.The long-running chatshow, which started back in 1993, was cancelled last year by CBS, purportedly because of a financial decision. But many believed it was a result of the network’s increasing closenesss with Donald Trump who Colbert regularly criticised. Continue reading...

• Pakistan is intensifying its diplomatic efforts to facilitate a resumption of peace talks between the United States and Iran. • President Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu aim to dismantle Iran's nuclear and missile programs while curbing its support for regional militias. • The initiative comes as Trump faces domestic pressure and declining approval ratings due to rising fuel prices ahead of the November midterm elections.

Some parents have not received proper psychological help nearly two years after the atrocity, solicitor saysGirls who survived Southport attack meet again: ‘It was like having big sisters’The parents of a girl critically injured in the Southport attack were allowed no more than 12 counselling sessions after the atrocity, while others described a “woeful” lack of support.The victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman, said she would raise the “deeply concerning” experiences of Southport families with ministers, after their accounts were shared with the Guardian. Continue reading...

Family seeks answers after incident at uncovered maintenance hole near Cartier building late at nightSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe family of a New York woman is struggling for answers after the 56-year-old fell to her death upon stepping out of her car and slipping down an open maintenance hole on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.The woman in question died on Monday night and was identified by family members as Donike Gocaj, from Briarcliff Manor, a commuter belt area north of New York City. Continue reading...

London-headquartered bank will reduce back-office jobs and aims to move some workers to new rolesBusiness live – latest updatesStandard Chartered plans to cut more than 7,000 jobs over the next four years as it increasingly uses artificial intelligence.The London-headquartered lender is one of the first major global banks to lay out plans to cut thousands of jobs, citing AI as a driver to make its operations slimmer as it seeks to increase its profitability and tackle competition. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump renewed threats against Iran on May 18, warning that “the clock is ticking” as Washington presses Tehran for a deal. • CBS News reported that most Americans are worried about the economic fallout of the Iran standoff, with 67% disapproving of Trump’s handling of the economy and 57% saying his policies are making them financially worse off. • The dispute matters because any U.S. or Israeli military escalation could widen tensions across the region and raise energy and market risks.

The former deputy prime minister said she should be keen to ‘play my part’ in the event of a leadership contestFull report: Angela Rayner cleared by HMRC over tax affairs paving the way for potential leadership bidIn her interview with ITV, Angela Rayner, the former deputy PM, said she would not be making a pact with Andy Burnham to challenge Keir Starmer. “I’m not doing deals or anything like that,” she said.Good morning. Today it looks as though the phoney Labour leadership contest that has been bubbling away at least since Sunday may finally turn into a real one. Westminster is braced for Wes Streeting, the health secretary, to announce that he is standing – although journalists are not yet 100% certain it will happen. Continue reading...

• Penn State men's basketball team hired Dwayne Stephens, a former Michigan State assistant, as their new assistant coach on May 12, 2026. • Stephens spent nearly two decades with the Spartans under Tom Izzo before becoming a head coach at Denver and Wright State. • The hire strengthens Penn State's staff amid efforts to rebuild the program after recent seasons.

The inquiry came after a Guardian investigation revealed Israel used company technology to support mass surveillance of Palestinian phone callsThe head of Microsoft’s Israeli subsidiary will step down in the wake of an inquiry that has scrutinised its business dealings with the Israeli military.Microsoft ordered the inquiry last year in response to a Guardian investigation revealing the military had used the company’s technology to operate a powerful surveillance system that collected Palestinian civilian phone calls on a mass scale. Continue reading...

• A defiant New York incumbent faces low polling and a split base but refuses to yield to another centrist challenger against progressive Zohran Mamdani in upcoming race. • The candidate's stance persists despite internal party pressure, citing strong voter loyalty in key districts. • Decision could fragment moderate support, boosting Mamdani's chances and signaling broader Democratic infighting.

Thirty years after first person-to-person transmission was documented in Patagonia, scientists say global heating could increase world’s exposureAn outbreak in rural communities 30 years ago in the Patagonia area of Argentina led scientists, for the first time, to document person-to-person transmission of hantavirus, which until then had been known only to spread through contact with rodents.Nearly a decade ago another outbreak, also in Patagonia, provided detailed evidence of inter-human transmission when an infected 68-year-old rural worker attended a birthday party in a small village. The infection spread and resulted in 11 deaths. Continue reading...

• NBA star Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha, married for 15 years, experienced an awkward moment during a public date night when Curry's actions overshadowed his wife's special evening. • Ayesha's visible reaction to the incident drew attention from onlookers, with observers noting her pointed rebuke in response. • The couple's dynamic moment became a topic of conversation on social media, highlighting the balance between public appearances and personal relationships.