Former first lady speaks about Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race at event for her new memoir Jill Biden recalled the immense pressure that Joe Biden faced in the aftermath of his disastrous 2024 debate performance, saying he told her “Jilly, I had no choice,” following his decision to drop out of the presidential race. The former first lady made the comments during a Tuesday book event coinciding with the release of her new memoir, View from the East Wing. The event was held at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, and moderated by comedian and co-host of The View, Whoopi Goldberg. Former president Biden was in attendance at the event and received two standing ovations from the crowd. Continue reading...

South Korea’s Kospi stock market has hit record highs thanks to AI, but experts urge caution over boom-bust cycles and a heavy reliance on two chipmakers South Korea has leapfrogged India to become the world’s sixth largest share market, leaving equity markets in the UK, Germany and France trailing in its dust. But despite the runaway success, some are raising concerns that the Kospi index is too dependent on two freshly minted trillion-dollar chipmaking companies. Chip company SK Hynix last week claimed a seat in Asia’s trillion-dollar company club, alongside South Korean compatriot Samsung Electronics and Taiwan’s TSMC. Explosive demand for chips used in AI has propelled the trio past the valuation threshold. Continue reading...

All the latest results and updates as New Jersey, South Dakota, New Mexico and Montana also vote in primaries California elections: governor, LA mayor and Congress at stake Sign up for the Breaking News US email Voters in Maine won’t head to the polls until next week, but the state’s primary election has been shaken up by recent news about Senate hopeful Graham Platner. According to information his wife shared with his campaign last year, Platner exchanged sexually explicit texts with other women during his marriage, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported, and which the Guardian has confirmed. Graham Platner met on Tuesday with Democratic leaders in Washington DC as the embattled Maine Senate candidate contends with yet another revelation threatening his campaign, which is at the center of his party’s hopes of regaining control of Congress. Platner did not respond to questions from reporters and quickly entered a waiting car as he exited the meeting, which stretched for more than an hour and a half at the headquarters of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). A spokesperson for the DSCC did not respond to a request for comment. Continue reading...

Teachers associated with the CNTE union are calling for salary raises and the reversal of pension laws Striking teachers wreaked havoc on Tuesday in downtown Mexico City, a few days before the city hosts the first match of the World Cup, with protesters pulling down giant mannequins of football players, ripping off their clothes and setting them on fire on the city’s main Paseo de la Reforma. They also set soccer balls alight and blocked main roads across the capital. Continue reading...

Two-time Grammy winner was best known for songs from Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin Peabo Bryson, the R&B singer best known as the voice behind the Oscar-winning Disney film duets Beauty and the Beast with Regina Belle, and A Whole New World with Celine Dion from Aladdin, has died. He was 75. His family said in a statement that Bryson, who won two Grammy awards, died Tuesday, days after having a stroke. Continue reading...

Marta Kostyuk says upcoming opponent Mirra Andreeva and others ‘know what’s going on’ but remain silent about war. What we know on day 1,561 Ukraine’s freshly minted French Open semi-finalist Marta Kostyuk ripped into Russian tennis opponents as having made clear “whose side they are on” by their silence after Kyiv and other cities endured a night of drone and missile attacks that killed at least 23 people. “I want to start with this historical match that we played today with Elina [Svitolina],” said Kostyuk after defeating her compatriot. “We had a very difficult night again in Ukraine, especially Kyiv. So many people dead. I want to give this match to Ukrainian people and to their resilience … With everything that’s happening, for me being here is a real blessing, and I don’t think about winning. I’m here to represent Ukraine and to enjoy.” Kostyuk was asked about Russian rivals including Diana Shnaider and her upcoming semi-final opponent, Mirra Andreeva, who have previously said they focus only on the tennis ball and avoid political discussion. “They are all grownups. They know what they’re talking about. They know what’s going on. They have phones. They have Instagram. They have news,” Kostyuk said. “I wish there was some more clear stance on what’s going on, especially when your country is killing other people.” Kostyuk praised Daria Kasatkina, who switched her allegiance from Russia to Australia, as an example of someone who had publicly spoken out despite pressure on her family. “I don’t think she lives in Russia anyways, but the majority of players don’t live in Russia,” Kostyuk said. “There is nothing that’s stopping you if this is something you don’t believe in … I know some people who have left Russia the moment the war began, who sold all their business, who left everything behind because they just don’t agree with what their country is doing to other people.” Kostyuk said representing Ukraine had become more important than results. The deadly attacks on Ukraine on Tuesday demonstrate how Russia is able to exploit a global shortage of air defence interceptor missiles, Peter Beaumont writes. The MIM-104 Patriot has been widely relied on by US allies – not least in the Gulf, as well as by Ukraine. The US-Israeli campaign against Iran, in addition to Ukraine, has triggered a scramble for the dwindling supply of interceptor missiles. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, has repeated his plea to the US for more stocks of interceptors. Continue reading...

The US military said aircraft disabled the engine room of the unladen Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie as it passed through international waters US forces fired a Hellfire missile to disable a tanker attempting to break through the American blockade and reach Iran, amid an enduring standoff in the strait of Hormuz and stalling efforts by Washington to secure a new ceasefire agreement with Tehran. The US military’s Central Command (Centcom) said its aircraft disabled the engine room of the unladen Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie on Tuesday as it passed through international waters toward Kharg Island, north of the strait near Kuwait, after the crew ignoring repeated warnings over a 24-hour period. Continue reading...

Members of Jalisco New Generation cartel used fake retail store in San Diego as a front for trafficking drugs Federal prosecutors have charged four suspects with trafficking more than one ton of cocaine for the Jalisco New Generation cartel using a fake retail store in San Diego as a front for a sophisticated tunnel that ran across the border to Tijuana, Mexico. The defendants include two Mexican nationals and two Americans charged with conspiring to traffic drugs across the US-Mexico border. The suspects, who range in age from 18 to 32, all face sentences that could land them in prison for life. One of them, Gregorio Epifanio Hernandez Lopez, also faces the charge of “constructing, financing or using unauthorized tunnels”. Continue reading...

Bank of England says updated imagery will celebrate native wildlife while bolstering anti-counterfeit features Puffins, dolphins and bumblebees are among the wildlife that could feature on new banknotes in the UK as the Bank of England announces its shortlist. There has been controversy over the decision, with figures including Nigel Farage criticising the Bank for, he claimed, wanting to replace Winston Churchill with a beaver. The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said it was “a silly thing to do”, and Reform UK’s Farage called it “absolutely crackers”. In the end, no beaver appeared on the shortlist. Mammal options include bottlenose dolphins and red foxes. Continue reading...

NHS bosses giving evidence to public accounts committee admit current position is unacceptable GPs in England are so “overloaded” that they cannot help older people who are at risk of falling in what NHS bosses accept is an unacceptable failure of care, the House of Commons’ public accounts committee has said. Pressure on GPs’ time has intensified as a result of the government’s decision to give patients online access to their services, according to a report by the influential cross-party group of MPs. Continue reading...

Ocean Observatories Initiative, $368m network that has provided crucial climate data, latest victim of Trump cuts The Trump administration plans to dismantle a $368m deep-sea observation system that has for more than a decade provided crucial data on ocean systems and climate change. In a notice, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that it had “initiated descoping of the Ocean Observatories Initiative” (OOI), a vast ocean observation network comprising more than 900 instruments that collect data on ocean health, including current patterns, climate variability and marine biodiversity. Continue reading...

Patients with knee arthritis who took medications for at least three years at reduced risk of needing surgery Taking weight-loss drugs for at least three years could prevent thousands of knee replacements a year, research suggests. Globally, more than 500 million people have osteoarthritis. Knee arthritis is the most common form, affecting about 14 million people in the US and more than 5 million in the UK. Many will require knee surgery. In the UK more than 120,000 knee replacements are carried out every year. Continue reading...

England 184-4, bt India 180-5, by six wickets Victory perfectly timed before World Cup opener England pulled off a statement run chase against India on Tuesday evening at Taunton, reaching their target of 181 with nine balls to spare thanks to a brilliant 137-run partnership from 76 balls between Alice Capsey and Heather Knight. This was England’s highest successful T20I run-chase in eight years and it could not have been more ­perfectly timed, providing the perfect confidence boost 10 days out from their World Cup opener against Sri Lanka on 12 June. Continue reading...

Jamie and Rebekah Vardy’s new reality show will disappoint every single person who tunes in, from football lovers to followers of The Scousetrap. The only possible fun you can have is rolling your eyes at them If you are tuning in to the new three-part reality show The Vardys you will be disappointed. There’s nothing missing from that sentence. Whatever the reasons or expectations you have for tuning in, you will be disappointed. This is because it is very bad and very boring. That will make every viewer down in the mouth. Those who tune in for more specific reasons – being a fan of Leicester City’s beloved former striker-god Jamie V or wanting to hear Rebekah V’s take on the “Wagatha Christie” libel case she brought against and lost to Coleen Rooney – will be even more let down. Leicester fans won’t get much of Jamie or any footage they haven’t seen before. And much of what is shown in the first two episodes (the third was not available for review) is to do with the troughs of his early days at the Italian club Cremonese – injury, stress, failing to dazzle in his debut, failing to score many goals thereafter – rather than his glory days at home. Continue reading...

Ghana thought they would fly to Washington on Wednesday with a victory finally under their belts, England soon in their sights. After five straight friendly defeats since qualifying for the World Cup last October, they had to settle for a draw in Carlos Queiroz’s first game in charge after Lewis Koumas’s stoppage-time equaliser. Presumably Thomas Tuchel, five hours behind Cardiff in time-zone, hunkered down somewhere in West Palm Beach to watch England’s second Group L opponents this summer. If Tuchel had the sound on, he wouldn’t have needed to listen too hard to hear the Ghana supporters present delight in Caleb Yirenkyi’s second-half opener, but they were denied victory. Continue reading...

However, Todd Blanche said the IRS will still be prohibited from auditing Donald Trump, his family and related entities ‘Outright theft’: legal experts decry $1.8bn Trump anti-weaponization fund The federal government is abandoning an effort to create a $1.8bn secretive fund to compensate Donald Trump’s allies, but is maintaining an agreement that prohibits the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from auditing Trump, his family and related entities, the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, said on Tuesday. “We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” Blanche said during a House appropriations committee hearing on Tuesday. “The reasons for the fund is something that President Trump talked about for a long time, which is the fact that there were a lot of people in this country who had their government weaponized against them. The reasons for the fund, I think, remain as important as they were before, but we are not moving forward with the fund.” Continue reading...

Prime minister echoes family’s plea that case should not be used to target communities Politicians and community leaders have called for calm amid fears that the populist right is using the murder of Henry Nowak by a Sikh man to whip up racist resentment against minority ethnic Britons. After Nigel Farage called for the public to respond with “pure, cold rage”, Keir Starmer condemned the Reform UK leader, saying Nowak’s family had explicitly asked that the case not be used to target particular communities. Continue reading...

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both aged 53, given 10-year sentences in February after being convicted of espionage A British couple jailed on spying charges in Iran have lost an appeal against their convictions, their family has said. Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both aged 53, were handed 10-year prison sentences in February after being convicted of espionage, which they both deny. Continue reading...

In the first of a new series of dispatches, fans in US, Mexico and Canada tell us that they want visitors to have a good time but are angry about ticket prices, Fifa’s priorities and a lack of long-term thinking from politicians The 2026 World Cup features 104 matches in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the USA, from Vancouver to Mexico City and San Francisco to Boston. Before, throughout and after the tournament we’ll be hearing from fans in those cities about their experiences – some shared and some different – in our “My World Cup” series. Here some of our correspondents share their first thoughts. Continue reading...

US claims world’s 10th-biggest economy engages in ‘unreasonable’ trade practices that ‘restrict US commerce’ Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email The Trump administration proposed 25% tariffs on imports from Brazil, charging that the world’s 10th-biggest economy engages in trade practices that are “unreasonable’’ and that “burden or restrict US commerce”. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he received the decision “with indignation”. The Brazil president also blamed the decision by the US administration on his rival in October’s elections, Flávio Bolsonaro, the senator who visited Washington last week. The senator is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, once nicknamed “the Trump of the Tropics” by his allies. Continue reading...

Ebola outbreak occurred in African country last month DR Congo have been based in Belgium before World Cup A pre-World Cup friendly involving the Democratic Republic of Congo has been cancelled by the mayor of the Spanish town hosting the match over health concerns regarding the Ebola outbreak in the African country. “I have signed the decree banning the holding of the 9 June match between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chile,” said Juan Franco, mayor of La Línea de la Concepción in southern Spain. Continue reading...

Bellingham takes coveted shirt with Anderson given No 8 England train for first time in Florida ahead of World Cup Jude Bellingham has received a boost from Thomas Tuchel after being handed the coveted No 10 shirt for England’s World Cup campaign. Preparations began at a training camp in Florida on Tuesday and the midfielder Kobbie Mainoo said the squad believe “100%” that they can win the tournament. With two weeks to go until England’s opening World Cup fixture, 21 of Tuchel’s 26-man squad are in West Palm Beach for a week-long camp and the squad numbers were confirmed on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Trump, who was swiftly evacuated from April gala after incident, confirmed his attendance at summer event The White House correspondents’ dinner will be rescheduled for 24 July after the Washington event was abruptly cancelled this spring following a shooting. Donald Trump, who was swiftly evacuated from the gala following the incident on 25 April, has pledged to attend a rescheduled event. Continue reading...

Four years to the day after England’s first Test under Brendon McCullum began at Lord’s, England are adopting a fresh approach against the same opposition Four years to the day after England’s first Test under Brendon McCullum began against New Zealand at Lord’s, the start of a summer when players reached new heights and observers reached for new words to describe them, the latest incarnations of the two teams gathered in St John’s Wood as preparations ramped up for the rematch. Once again the series will begin amid talk of England adopting a fresh approach. In 2022 New Zealand batted first in all three games and in all three England chased down testing targets to seal victory. The attacking approach McCullum instigated that summer was embodied most memorably by Jonny Bairstow. In more than a century of Test cricket before that year (not counting the early years of the game, when that kind of data was not gathered) only three English players had scored more than 300 runs in a series at a strike rate above 85. In only four years since another 10 have joined their number, a list topped by Bairstow against the Kiwis in 2022, when he rampaged to 394 runs at a strike rate of 120.12. That figure has been bettered only once, and even then marginally, in cricket history, though the 330 runs at 121.32 banked by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi against India in 2006 were largely down to his contributions to a pair of high-scoring draws on batting-friendly pitches. Continue reading...

‘Right now, I’m a Manchester United player’ says striker Toone back in England camp after injury absences Ella Toone has said she will have to decide “what’s best for me” as she weighs up her long-term future with one year remaining on her Manchester United contract. The England midfielder, speaking before Friday’s crucial Women’s World Cup qualifier in Spain, was asked about her club future and implied she would hold discussions with United this summer. Continue reading...