File detailing security mitigations is among those withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police Ministers have faced renewed cross-party pressure in parliament over documents missing from a 1,500-page release of papers about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington. Despite the volume of information published on Monday, crucial documents were withheld at the request of the Metropolitan police on the grounds that they could “potentially prejudice” an investigation. They include a document summarising the vetting process, which concluded with officials recommending Mandelson not be given security clearance. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer says Younger led an ‘exemplary life’, while foreign secretary says country owes him ‘an enormous debt of gratitude’ Alex Younger, the former head of MI6, has died at the age of 62 after being treated for cancer. Younger led the Secret Intelligence Service, the agency also known as MI6, between 2014 and 2020. Continue reading...

Ben Black’s lawyers deny relationship with disgraced financier, but DoJ records reveal years of interactions Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Ben Black, the head of a little-known government investment agency funded by billions of dollars from US taxpayers, had personal and business ties to Jeffrey Epstein, according to emails and business filings released by the Department of Justice. His father, Leon Black, had once been the disgraced financier’s highest paying client – calling on the convicted sex offender for tax advice and to orchestrate payments to women, according to the New York Times and Bloomberg. Continue reading...

North Carolina judge said Levi Mendez-Maldonado failed to show up in court – even after being told he had died in 2024 An immigration judge in Charlotte, North Carolina, recently ordered the deportation of a young man who was killed in 2024, citing his failure to appear in court. Judge Amy Lee ordered the removal of Levi Mendez-Maldonado in absentia on 21 May. Mendez-Maldonado, originally from Honduras, came to the United States as an unaccompanied minor at age 17 and was murdered in a shooting in November 2024. Continue reading...

It may be the closely guarded private fiefdom of the MCC, but weight of history makes the ground a true institution There are three Lord’s in London. The first is six feet under Dorset Square next to Marylebone station, where these days a square foot of a single bed flat will set you back a thousand pounds. The second is buried beneath the Lisson Grove moorings on the Regents canal, where the canal boaters grow tomatoes along the towpath. And the third, the current world-famous ground, is two blocks over on the Wellington Road, on a patch rented in the 19th century from the Eyre family, who made their money in wine and slavery. So long as there are ravens in the Tower, it always will be. This week, Lord’s holds its 150th Test. It was a late starter. Tests were played at Melbourne, Sydney, the Oval, and Old Trafford before it held its first in July 1884, but it will become the first ground in the world to reach this sesquicentenary. The MCG comes next, with 118. But then, much to the gall of every other corner of the country where they play Test cricket, Lord’s has had the advantage of holding two games a year every year this century. And because this is England, they’ve managed to make the rest of us think it’s us who are privileged by it. Continue reading...

Jess Asato was portrayed by AI tool as wearing a bikini after she criticised the creation of such non-consensual pictures A Labour MP has taken legal action against Elon Musk’s AI company after saying its Grok tool helped a user produce fake sexualised pictures of her, part of a wave of such images that flooded X earlier this year. Jess Asato, the MP for Lowestoft, said in January that seeing herself portrayed by the AI tool as wearing a bikini without her consent was “violating”. Continue reading...

Combs was sentenced last year in New York to 50 months in prison on charges of transporting women for prostitution Authorities in Los Angeles are reviewing additional sexual assault allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is serving a federal prison sentence. In a statement to multiple outlets on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles county district attorney, confirmed that the office was reviewing the allegations, saying: “In the fall of 2025, LAPD and LASD each presented a separate sexual assault investigation for one victim to the LA county district attorney’s office.” Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...

France defender devasted by deaths of Jota and father ‘Depression is personal; it’s deep inside you’ Ibrahima Konaté has spoken about the struggles he faced in a year of personal tragedy in which the death of his former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota was followed by that of his father. The France international’s form was affected but it was not until January, when his dad, Hamady, died after a long illness, that it became apparent the personal turmoil the 27-year-old had been dealing with. Continue reading...

Proper debate is at risk of being crowded out of the political arena by extremists peddling racially aggravated conspiracy theories In Germany, it is a Brandmauer, a firewall. In France, it is the cordon sanitaire – a refusal by mainstream parties to do deals with the far right. That resolve has weakened in recent years, but naming the taboo still serves an important function. To invigilate the line where radical conservatism turns to ultranationalism, it is first necessary to say it exists. That is not happening in Britain, as has become clear in the aftermath of Henry Nowak’s murder. The episode is disturbing. Police failed to recognise the severity of a young man’s stab wounds and, after being misled by a false claim that he had carried out a racist assault, briefly treated the dying victim as a suspect. However difficult and confused the scene was, this was a catastrophic outcome. It is right that every aspect of the case be thoroughly reviewed. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the virus ‘had a big head start’ but that the response was catching up The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could have begun as early as January, the head of the World Health Organization said, giving the virus “a big head start”. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said the response was being hindered by blanket travel restrictions and highlighted high levels of community mistrust and low levels of contact tracing as key concerns. Continue reading...

Everything is material for Nige, who made rare appearance at PMQs to ask question about Henry Nowak case There was a rare sighting in Westminster on Wednesday. The lesser-spotted Farage. A species so elusive that not even David Attenborough has previously recorded him in the wild. Nige blinked several times, trying to get used to his unnatural surroundings. He looked sunbaked. His time on the run ever since the Guardian revealed his previously undisclosed £5m handout from a crypto-billionaire in Thailand has clearly been spent mainly outdoors. Sleeping under the sun, moving by night under the stars. Anything to keep one step ahead of journalists asking awkward questions. One twitcher thought he had maybe caught sight of him on the Costa del Crime. Continue reading...

Clear-up has begun but psychological impact likely to last much longer, as community reels from riots over Henry Nowak case The cleanup was quick. The day after an anti-police demonstration turned violent in the Portswood area of Southampton, workers cleared up broken glass and fixed fences that had been torn down to use as missiles against officers. But the psychological impact is likely to last much longer. Continue reading...

The shocking case of a man left on the breadline after being recruited to work in the UK’s care sector should prompt ministers to act The risk of mistreatment for overseas workers recruited for jobs in the UK on health and care visas is well established. Examples range from rip-off agents’ fees and illegally low pay to conditions akin to debt bondage, with passports and wages withheld. But Shabin Shaji’s employment tribunal win over Swan Care Solutions Ltd is thought to be the first time that an individual has succeeded in forcing a business to hand over unpaid wages. His victory should give hope to others in similar situations. It is also a chilling illustration of how migrant workers can become trapped in an unbalanced system in which they have too few rights. Mr Shaji, a computer science graduate, left his home in south India in 2023 and paid £17,000 to an agent who helped him to get a job with Swan in Stafford. Last month, a judge in Birmingham awarded him nearly £30,000 after he spent a year without work, pleading with Swan for shifts that never materialised, while living off scraps and the kindness of strangers. He eventually found other work, but has since returned to India. Swan lost its licence to sponsor migrant workers. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Giving news websites the power to block their content from being used in AI summaries will have global ramifications The UK’s competition watchdog has ordered Google to change how it uses publishers’ content in its AI-powered search results, in a move that will have global ramifications. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is using powers that allow it to set bespoke rules for major tech firms that it deems to have “strategic market status”. Google, the world’s largest search engine, is one of those companies. Continue reading...

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The Manchester mayor is tapping into deep public frustration over the water industry but at some stage he needs to say what he means There ought to be a rule to oblige politicians advocating “stronger public control” of an essential service or sector to say what, precisely, they mean. Public “ownership” is easy to understand – it’s nationalisation. But Andy Burnham, when he cites water and energy as targets for greater public control, seems to imply something else. What? Would he, for instance, torpedo the government’s current plans for water, notably the “once-in-a-generation” reset of regulation in England and Wales via the clean water bill due in the autumn? Or is he merely saying Thames Water should be tipped into special administration, which may happen anyway without a shove from a new prime minister? Continue reading...

European Commission aims to reduce ‘risky dependencies’ on foreign suppliers in cloud computing, AI and semiconductor production The EU executive wants to ensure no foreign government or company has access to a “kill switch” to turn off or disrupt vital tech services across the continent, as part of an effort to cut dependencies on the US and China. Publishing “technological sovereignty” proposals that risk further tensions with Donald Trump, the European Commission said on Wednesday the bloc needed to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and semiconductor production. Continue reading...

There has been violent disorder on the streets of Southampton sparked by the murder of student Henry Nowak. Politicians and community leaders have called for calm amid fears that Nowak’s death will be used to whip up racial resentment against minority ethnic Britons. Lucy Hough speaks to community affairs correspondent Aamna Mohdin. Continue reading...

Prime minister says ‘£5m question still remains’, as pressure grows on Reform UK leader over Christopher Harborne gift UK politics live – latest updates Keir Starmer has pressed Nigel Farage to stop “dodging questions” about the £5m personal gift he received from the Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. The gift, first revealed by the Guardian, was given to Farage in the months before he stood as an MP in the 2024 general election. It is now under investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner. Continue reading...

Lions seek to help extend the reach of inclusive clubs 78-page document is the first of its kind in football Millwall have published a first-of-its-kind “Pride playbook” to help football clubs form stronger partnerships with LGBTQ+ teams across the country. The move comes during Pride month as the Lions seek to build on the success of their teams, Millwall Romans and Millwall Pride, and help extend the reach of LGBTQ+ inclusive football amid growing demand. Continue reading...

Actor sentenced to probation for incident in which he attacked three men and yelled homophobic slurs, according to witnesses Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Shia LaBeouf on Wednesday pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery charges filed against the actor after his arrest over allegations that he struck three men at a New Orleans bar in February. After his plea in the city’s criminal district courthouse, the Transformers film franchise star received a sentence of two years’ probation, rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, sensitivity training and anger management classes. Continue reading...

Readers respond to an article by Nesrine Malik on what we lose when we trust machines over humans Nesrine Malik is right to worry about the effect that AI may have on writing (AI is devoid of meaning and humanity. That’s why its vapid voice suits this political moment, 1 June). The examples she cites of fabricated quotations and unreliable research should concern anyone who values truth and public trust. However, I suspect the deeper problem is not AI’s bland prose but its relationship to evidence. The writers caught out by false quotations were often not trying to deceive. They believed that they were using AI as a research aid while retaining editorial control. Yet somehow, fiction entered the factual record. The issue was not laziness but misplaced confidence in a system that can produce plausible reconstructions without distinguishing between what was observed, inferred or simply generated. Continue reading...

Roberta Leem-Bruggen says she was working full-time hours in NHS settings but was considered a ‘non-earner’ and therefore not eligible for childcare support Jamie Evans’ letter on childcare eligibility and the “nerd tax” (28 May) strongly resonated with me because I have experienced versions of this problem throughout higher education. In 2020, I was a single parent studying for a clinical master’s degree. I spent over 40 hours a week on compulsory NHS placements while completing academic work. During that time, I received universal credit, including the childcare element, which enabled me to continue my studies. Continue reading...

Mat Watkinson and Keith Flett respond to Jonathan Liew’s article asking why many self-professed progressives still use Elon Musk’s social media platform Jonathan Liew wonders why people are still on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (If you’re still on Elon Musk’s X, ask yourself this: why?, 28 May). There is an obvious answer: all major companies refuse to leave it. Sadly, it’s the quickest way to complain and get a result. The BBC, supermarkets and travel companies are all in thrall to its power, because they know they can reach us as swiftly as we can reach them. They’re terrified of the oligarch’s influence. No one should have that power, but it will only start to crumble if these major influences on our lives leave X. Mat Watkinson Scarborough, North Yorkshire Continue reading...

Many people in developing countries cannot access preventive hygiene, key to attacking climate-driven superbugs, writes Helen Hamilton As the UK swelters in unseasonably high temperatures, Andrew Gregory’s article underscores the growing urgency of a critical global health threat (Climate crisis is accelerating antibiotic resistance across world, study says, 26 May). While drug misuse remains a key driver, the climate crisis means bacteria are mutating and spreading faster than ever before. Yet missing from this urgent global discussion is the foundational defence mechanism against the spread of infection: clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. Continue reading...