Mother demands overhaul of maternity care after settling case over birth at Queen’s hospital in Romford in 2019 The family of a girl left brain-damaged at birth have agreed to accept £28m in damages after the NHS trust involved admitted that its mistakes led to the tragedy. Barking, Havering and Redbridge university hospitals NHS trust failed to monitor the baby’s heart rate while her mother was in labour or ask an obstetrician to review the case, either of which might have led to the girl being born in a healthy condition. Continue reading...

Spaniard replaces Arne Slot and signs two-year deal Iraola worked with Richard Hughes at Bournemouth Andoni Iraola has been appointed the new head coach of Liverpool on a two-year contract. The 43-year-old’s arrival was confirmed just six days after the sacking of Arne Slot. Liverpool moved quickly to replace Slot with the former Bournemouth head coach after identifying him as the ideal candidate for their preferred playing style and with Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and Crystal Palace all vying for the Basque’s services. Other coaches were considered, including Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness and Pierre Sage of Lens, but Iraola was always Liverpool’s favoured option and the only one spoken to about the vacancy. Continue reading...

The UK has banned Piker and Cenk Uygur from entry – but the objectionable things they’ve said are not more dangerous than Israel itself This week the British government banned Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur, two leftwing US commentators with millions of followers, from entering the country on the grounds that their presence would not be “conducive to the public good”. It did not spell out what it meant by this very broad phrase but Piker and Uygur have accused the government of denying them entry because of their prolific criticism of Israel. Some critics have accused the pair of antisemitism, which they deny. A lot has been written about the Piker-Uygur ban, and I don’t think I need to litigate everything they have ever uttered here. They have undeniably said some objectionable things (Piker, for example, said some Orthodox Jews are “inbred”, which he later apologized for.) What sort of speech crosses a line that makes you detrimental to the public good, is not clear, however. Conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro, for example, has said that “Arabs like to bomb crap and live in open sewage”. While he later apologized for this, he has repeatedly characterized Arabs as barbarians who “value murder”. The British government has never banned him from speaking in the UK. Continue reading...

CEO praises ‘great leader’ who knows club’s values Captain’s mixed messages have raised doubts on future Omar Berrada has not ruled out Bruno Fernandes leaving Manchester United in the summer, though the chief executive is adamant the club wants the captain to stay. The 31-year-old Fernandes was voted the Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year after making a record-breaking 21 assists in the Premier League but has offered mixed messages about his future. Continue reading...

Investors will buy into the market-leading tech and cult of Musk despite a price that is defying gravity “Our mission,” says the opening sentence of SpaceX’s listing document with a straight face, “is to build the systems and technologies necessary to make life multi-planetary, to understand the true nature of the universe, and to extend the light of consciousness to the stars.” The last bit has an echo of the laughable WeWork, which was going to “elevate the world’s consciousness” via the medium of shared office spaces. But, yes, if SpaceX could tick off all the items on Elon Musk’s to-do list, one could make a case that the company should be valued at $1.77tn. Continue reading...

Zulkernain Ahmed was in pursuit of a group on bikes when he hit Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb, who was walking on pavement Two brothers have been jailed for killing a 16-year-old boy who was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” when he was hit while walking by a car being deliberately driven at a group on bikes. Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb, who had come to the UK “in search of safety and a better life”, was hit by the vehicle, driven by 21-year-old Zulkernain Ahmed in Sheffield in June 2025. Continue reading...

Insects join list of species capable of solving simple ‘box-and-banana’ problem that demonstrates basic intelligence Bumblebees can use tools to solve a problem, according to experiments that demonstrate their remarkably advanced cognitive abilities. The bees were given an adapted version of an experiment that, 100 years ago, first demonstrated chimpanzees could work out how to retrieve an out-of-reach banana by stacking boxes. Since then, various other primates, elephants and crows have joined an elite cohort of species known to be capable of this level of insight and spontaneous problem solving. Continue reading...

Ministers should end Palantir’s contract before medical confidentiality is sacrificed to Silicon Valley’s appetite for public data Alarm bells ought to have rung when it emerged last month that Palantir engineers could gain “unlimited access” to identifiable NHS patient data. Such sensitive medical information was only supposed to be available either to someone involved in a patient’s care or with the patient’s informed consent. NHS England’s new position appears to have changed that, extending access to private companies because it may make data processing easier. Convenience is not a basis for undermining medical confidentiality. Nicola Byrne, the government’s national data guardian, clearly thought the NHS had broken its promise that its £330m deal with Palantir would see “identifiable patient information … limited to NHS staff with a legitimate need”. Patients tell doctors things they may tell no one else. If they think that sensitive details can be disclosed to US tech corporations, trust will suffer – and patients will say less when the truth matters most. Continue reading...

The president’s image and name are proliferating in Washington and beyond, overturning well-advised democratic taboos on glorifying sitting leaders One of the surest signs of an authoritarian regime is the ubiquity of its leader. Mussolini’s face was plastered across fascist Italy. In North Korea, pictures of Kim Jong-un have appeared alongside those of his father and grandfather, which are present in every home and public building. The golden statue of Turkmenistan’s leader, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, perching on a marble cliff in the capital is one of a multitude of portrayals. Thriving democracies spurn such displays, rightly judging it safer to laud leaders once they are out of power. The first US president, George Washington, refused to appear on currency, believing that redolent of European monarchs. The 47th has no such concerns. The administration wants a $250 bill depicting Donald Trump to commemorate the 250th anniversary of independence, though federal law does not currently allow banknotes to depict living people. His signature will soon appear on $100 bills: a first for a US president. Continue reading...

Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad made a surprise appearance at a performance of Abba Voyage Abba Voyage concerts can be deafening enough. But when the real-life Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad made an appearance in the hall, which was packed with hundreds of schoolchildren, even security staff present were surprised by the din. On Tuesday, at the custom-built Abba Arena in east London, the virtual concert residency launched its expanded education programme, which aims to support young people across the area getting into creative industries. Continue reading...

Andrés Manuel López Obrador says Washington is using investigations into governors and propaganda to boost rivals Mexico’s former president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has accused US officials of trying to weaken the governing party to strengthen the opposition, amid rising tensions between the two countries over Washington’s investigations into several Mexican governors. “Some US officials are plotting to weaken Morena and strengthen the right-wing opposition in Mexico with the aim of restoring a subservient, corrupt, mafia-like, and cruel government,” López Obrador wrote in a lengthy letter posted on X on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Peter Kyle says British politics fails to reward political accomplishment and Labour risks aping Tory instability The Labour party has not learned the right lessons from the Conservatives about changing leader, a senior cabinet minister has warned, saying in a swipe at potential challengers that “entitlement is not a qualification”. Peter Kyle, the business secretary, said he was worried that British politics “rewards the wrong behaviour” and there was little credit for the work of his own department, including negotiating trade deals, rescue packages for companies and preserving British industry. Continue reading...

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Saudi national, 21, held on suspicion of attempted murder over incident at Manor Park student village in Guildford A former University of Surrey student has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was shot with a crossbow in Guildford. The victim, who is in his 50s and a member of the university’s campus safety team, was seriously injured in the incident and is being treated at Royal Surrey County hospital close to the scene of the shooting. Continue reading...

Lt Lily-Mae Fisher, Lt Cmdr Chris Grayson and Petty Officer Owen Green died during Royal Navy training exercise Britain’s only serving female naval commando has been named as one of the three people who died in a helicopter crash during a military training exercise in Devon on Wednesday. The victims have been named by the Ministry of Defence as Lt Lily-Mae Fisher, 31, Lt Cmdr Chris Gayson, 42, and Petty Officer Owen Green, 24. Continue reading...

The Hampshire force whose officers responded to the murder of Henry Nowak have a higher than average racial disparity The police force accused of anti-white racism following the murder of Henry Nowak is over five times more likely to subject black people to a stop and search than white people, according to the latest figures. The racial disparity in the Hampshire force is higher than the average for England and Wales, and has gotten worse in recent years. Continue reading...

Readers respond to an interview with Paul McCartney in which he reflects on memories of and inspiration found in Liverpool The area around Dungeon Lane near Speke, Liverpool, which was such an inspiration for Paul McCartney (‘I can gauge John’s reaction: that’s good, stick that in’: Paul McCartney on how old bandmates – and Oasis – inspired his nostalgic new album, 29 May), provides a good example of what is happening to our green spaces and natural habitats. In 2019, in spite of local protests, Dungeon Lane was closed permanently, when the perimeter fence of Liverpool airport was extended. Landowners are obstructing traditional rights of way. The use of pesticides has reduced the numbers of butterflies and bees. The coastal path has fallen into disrepair. Aircraft exhaust fumes pollute the air. Shamefully, it has been left to voluntary organisations – such as Save Oglet Shore – and academics to monitor this crisis. Research by Liverpool John Moores University has exposed the extraordinary build-up of Pfas (forever chemicals) on the shore. Continue reading...

Gail Cartmail offers a positive outlook to those facing life-changing bladder surgery, based on her own experience The report of treatment being trialled that could potentially spare bladder cancer patients life-changing surgery is welcome news (Doctors hail drug that spares bladder cancer patients ‘life-changing’ surgery, 2 June). Yet readers currently facing surgery that includes removing their bladder are likely to be concerned about the here and now. Like Tracey Emin, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2020. Life requires some planning. For example, the paucity of public toilets means mapping alternatives, as bladder bags have much less capacity than a natural bladder. I always carry a spare kit, however; following the advice and guidance of stoma nurse specialists, it is possible to avoid leaks. The Urostomy Association is a mine of useful information. Continue reading...

Dr Deirdre Hughes says the issue of chronic underinvestment in high-quality, impartial careers guidance across schools, colleges and communities needs to be addressed Alan Milburn’s interim review into young people not in education, employment or training lays bare what those of us working in careers support services have long observed: this is a system failure, not a failure of young people (‘A record of failure’: what’s in the first part of Alan Milburn’s Neet report?, 28 May). Milburn rightly identifies the deep structural dysfunction that has left more than 1 million young people locked out of work and learning – and the stark imbalance between the £25 spent on benefits for every £1 directed at employment support. But the review’s framing of this primarily as a welfare and employment problem risks missing a deeper structural deficit: the chronic underinvestment in high-quality, impartial careers guidance across schools, colleges and communities. Continue reading...

American foreign policy | Donald Trump’s self-reflection | Tony Blair’s Toryism | Keir Starmer on Whatsapp | Nine times table Patrick Wintour’s analysis of the similarities between the Vietnam and Iran wars (Could Trump’s Iran ‘excursion’ be a bigger global turning point than Vietnam?, 31 May) states: “The predicted ‘domino effect’ of communism sweeping south-east Asia … did not materialise, save in Cambodia and Laos.” The changes in these two regimes would not have happened if the US had not carpet-bombed large parts of these countries, neither of which was at war with it. David Rennie Cardiff • “I think going silent would be very good, and that could be for a long time,” says Donald Trump (Iran threatens to suspend peace talks after ‘violation of ceasefire’ in Lebanon, 1 June). Is this a rare moment of self-awareness? Andrew Gore Linton, Cambridgeshire Continue reading...

The Persepolis author understood us and translated us for the world. We have lost our most eloquent spokesperson Marjane Satrapi has died and every Iranian woman I know is in shock and mourning, while none seems confused by reports of the cause. She died “of sadness”, according to those close to her. Of course she did. Iranians often do. And Satrapi felt everything so intensely. For my cohort (girls who began their adolescence in 1980s Iran and ended it in the west) Marjane Satrapi was a spokesperson for our trauma, our upbringing and our particular flavour of shame, repression and outspokenness. She made us legible to our western peers in our 20s and 30s, and I was sure she would do it again in middle age. Continue reading...

Country is shaken by the brutal murders of two girls, aged 14 and 17, whose bodies were discovered just days apart Argentina has reacted with fury after the bodies of two murdered teenage girls were found just two days apart. The latest killings underscore the South American country’s enduring femicide crisis despite years of feminist campaigning, and have prompted alarm over the decision to cut support for victims of gender-based violence under the far-right administration of Javier Milei. Police found the remains of Agostina Vega, 14, on Saturday, in a field on the outskirts of the city of Córdoba. She had been fatally strangled and her body had been dismembered, according to local media reports. Continue reading...

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire to end hostilities as the US attempts to overcome one of the largest barriers to reaching a broader deal to end the war with Iran. But the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is dependent on a complete halt of fire from Hezbollah, and the evacuation of all its fighters in southern Lebanon. Lucy Hough speaks to Beirut-based reporter William Christou Continue reading...

Exclusive: Greater Manchester mayor sets out his priorities before Makerfield byelection – and what might happen after the vote Andy Burnham has signalled he would begin transforming the broken social care system this year if he became prime minister, accusing Westminster of “flinching away” from tackling difficult policy problems. The Greater Manchester mayor said politicians must be willing to take on “the weight of the system” that stands in the way of radical change, as he began to set out his prospectus for government if he won the Makerfield byelection. Labour should be a broad church with more government ministers from the left of the party, but that Jeremy Corbyn should not be allowed back in. Signalled there would be no snap election if he replaced Keir Starmer, but defended himself from criticism over a shadow leadership campaign. Defended his comments that politicians should not be “in hock” to the bond markets, and denied he was boxing himself in by sticking to Rachel Reeves’s fiscal rules. Argued it would be a mistake to rerun the Brexit referendum but the he wanted the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime. Praised Shabana Mahmood for “facing up” to the big issues on immigration. Continue reading...

New York audiences were asked to put their phones in sealed pouches for duration of performance of Liberation When a Pulitzer prize-winning play about a feminist activist opened in New York, audiences had to do something unusual. They were asked to put their phones away – not in their pockets, but in specially designed pouches, which they could only open at the intermission or after the show. Continue reading...