Palantir hits back at Sadiq Khan after £50m contract with Met police blocked 22. May 2026 (15:45) London mayor accused of ‘putting politics above public safety’ for rejecting deal to use AI in intelligence analysisUK politics live – latest updatesPalantir has accused Sadiq Khan of “putting politics above public safety” after the London mayor blocked its £50m contract with the Metropolitan police in a move that has also led to tensions inside Labour over its involvement with the US tech company.Louis Mosley, who heads Palantir in the UK and Europe, accused Khan of politicising procurement after he rejected a two-year deal for Scotland Yard to use AI to process intelligence in criminal investigations, as first revealed by the Guardian. Mosley said: “What Londoners value is not being mugged, not being raped by a serving police officer.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump postpones executive order on AI over China concerns – US politics live 22. May 2026 (14:40) The US president said he doesn’t ‘want to do anything to get in the way’ of tech firms competing with ChinaSign up for the Breaking News US emailHost Stephen Colbert and the CBS Late Show bid farewell to the small screen on Thursday night after a controversial cancellation.The CBS Late Show leaves the air as the No 1 show in network TV late night, with that 11.35pm real estate immediately and ignominiously rented out to Byron Allen’s longtime syndication seat-filler Comics Unleashed. It’s a stunning streaming-era abdication that will for ever be tied with Trump, even as the network has insisted (as echoed by a dolphin in a finale gag) that the decision was purely financial, not political.“Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life. He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Health alerts for bank holiday weekend as record May heat forecast in UK 22. May 2026 (14:35) Temperatures expected to reach as high as 33C in southern England or Midlands on MondayBritain braces for long, hot traffic queues amid extra border checksAmber heat health alerts have been issued for the bank holiday weekend as record-breaking May temperatures as high as 33C (91F) are expected in parts of the UK.The alerts – which indicate a possible risk to life as well as potential damage to properties, significant travel delays and power cuts – were announced for the East Midlands, West Midlands, the east of England, London and the south-east, and will be in effect from 2pm on Friday until 5pm on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mind the drone gap: war games begin inside secret Nato bunker in London tube station 22. May 2026 (14:24) British army is 80-90% short of drones as military exercise aims to build on European defence strategyDeep in Charing Cross underground station, in the disused terminus of the Jubilee line, a secret Nato command bunker has this week been discreetly at work. Dozens of mostly British soldiers were engaged in a war game defending Estonia from a Russian invasion in 2030, unbeknownst to commuters and tourists bustling above.The secret chambers are behind two sets of normally locked, metal double doors. A red glow at the bottom of the escalator beyond is the first sign of troops below; next are mocked up newspaper covers pasted over ageing adverts. A British Nato force has deployed to Estonia they blare, in response to a Russian massing of troops on the border. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jury discharged at trial of men accused of murdering child abuser Ian Watkins 22. May 2026 (14:19) Judge says it is ‘disappointing’ there will have to be retrial of prisoners accused over Lostprophets singer’s deathThe jury in the trial of two prisoners accused of murdering the paedophile Lostprophets frontman, Ian Watkins, has been discharged for legal reasons.The disgraced singer was stabbed to death in his cell at high-security HMP Wakefield by Rico Gedel, 25. Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence for child sexual offences. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Flotilla video: Ben-Gvir’s template of televised abuse was honed on Palestinians 22. May 2026 (14:16) Targeting of foreign activists drew global outrage from governments that have not acted on violence against Palestinian detaineesIsrael’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has made abuse of detained Palestinians something of a macabre calling card, celebrating cruelty publicly and often on video.During his time in office, violence including rape, extreme hunger and humiliation have been normalised in Israeli jails. Rights groups say detention centres have become “torture camps” for Palestinians. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Instagram, X and others blocking Saudi dissidents’ accounts 22. May 2026 (14:12) US social media firms acting on orders from Middle East kingdom accused of being ‘instruments of repression’Major US social media companies including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms have blocked the accounts of Saudi Arabian dissidents so they are no longer visible inside the kingdom, following orders by Saudi authorities.Those affected include Abdullah Alaoudh, a US-based activist and vocal critic of Saudi human rights violations, and Omar Abdulaziz, a Canada and UK-based activist who worked closely with Jamal Khashoggi before the journalist’s murder by Saudi agents in 2018. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘He’s a natural’: Andy Burnham’s allies give his social media style a thumbs up 22. May 2026 (14:00) Labour MPs and PR experts praise his refreshingly forthright approach that is a marked contrast to Keir StarmerUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham’s fingers must be aching. Between pitching to become the MP for Makerfield, continuing in his day job as the mayor of Greater Manchester and going for his regular runs, Keir Starmer’s would-be challenger has also found enough time to reply to dozens of posts on social media.Since it became clear that Burnham planned to stand as a candidate in the Makerfield byelection last Thursday, allies have delighted in his snarky retorts on X, pointing to posts that combine humour with a passive-aggressive thumbs-up emoji as proof he is a natural, and refreshingly forthright, communicator. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Standard Chartered boss apologises for ‘lower-value human capital’ comments amid job cuts 22. May 2026 (13:39) Bill Winters faced backlash over remarks about some of near 8,000 staff set to lose roles to AIThe chief executive of Standard Chartered has apologised for referring to some of the almost 8,000 staff that are set to lose their jobs to artificial intelligence as “lower-value human capital”.Bill Winters offered the apology after a backlash over comments he made earlier this week as the London-headquartered lender became one of the first major global banks to lay out plans to cut about 7,800 back-office roles, primarily in response to AI. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Uranium and control of strait of Hormuz key as talks to end US-Iran war continue 22. May 2026 (13:24) Pakistani mediators believe permanent ceasefire within reach although major points of disagreement remainFuture control over the strait of Hormuz and a demand from Washington that Tehran export its stockpile of highly enriched uranium remain key stumbling blocks, as Pakistani mediators continued to seek a permanent ceasefire they believe is still within reach between the US and Iran.Meanwhile, Israel and Iran each fear the other is about to launch a surprise attack on its territory while the US president, Donald Trump, continues to insist a fresh assault on Iran is an option available to him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
