California island fire linked to sailor’s distress flare scorches 10,000 acres 19. May 2026 (01:45) Fire on Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands national park becomes state’s largest this year and threatens rare plantsA wildfire that broke out on an island in the Channel Islands national park has become California’s largest wildfire so far this year, burning through more than 10,000 acres, destroying historic structures and endangering rare plant communities that conservationists had struggled to reclaim.About six dozen firefighters have been deployed to control the blaze, which broke out on Friday, but their efforts have been undermined by strong winds. The fire is now at 0% containment, according to a Cal Fire incident report. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Racist abuse of NHS nurses rising amid ‘normalisation’ of extreme views, RCN warns 19. May 2026 (01:01) Figures disclosed by nursing union show big rise on reported incidents which may only be ‘tip of the iceberg’Racist abuse of NHS nurses has jumped by 86% in the last few years, which their union’s boss has blamed on the normalisation of extreme views in politics and the media.One nurse was called a monkey by a colleague, a patient threw a hot drink at a nurse and followed up with racial abuse, and in several cases others were called the N-word, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) disclosed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Third of university students in Great Britain think AI job losses will cause social unrest, poll finds 19. May 2026 (01:01) Tracker of attitudes towards artificial intelligence also finds almost half of the public would prefer to avoid itOne in three university students think AI will wipe out jobs so rapidly it will trigger civil unrest, according to a survey by King’s College London (KCL).Students are among the heaviest users of AI, the poll found, with 77% using it at least a few times a month – compared with 46% of workers – and 27% using it daily or almost daily. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Free up fertiliser supplies to avert global food crisis, Yvette Cooper urges 19. May 2026 (01:01) UK foreign secretary says urgent pressure needed to get strait of Hormuz reopened and fertiliser and fuel movingGlobal fertiliser supplies must be freed up within weeks to avoid disaster, with harvests suffering and food prices rising, the UK’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said.The war in Iran has frozen shipments of fertiliser through the strait of Hormuz, creating a supply crunch that has already damaged farming in the UK, Europe and the US and is having its worst impacts in the developing world, where farmers cannot afford the higher prices now being charged. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Three people, including two suspects, killed in shooting at Islamic Center of San Diego 18. May 2026 (23:47) The suspects, aged 17 and 19, died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, while a security officer was fatally shotThree people were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in California in what authorities said they were investigating as a hate crime.Two suspects, aged 17 and 19, were dead from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, officials said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is looking for any information from the public about the shooting as they investigate it, and had set up a tip line. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Dodgy’ shops handling criminal cash targeted by new unit 18. May 2026 (23:30) Estimates suggest £1bn a year is laundered through high street businesses, with some connected to tax evasion, drugs and counterfeit goods“Dodgy” retail outlets such as vape stores, barbers, mini-marts and sweet shops suspected of being used to launder £1bn of criminal money will be targeted by a new specialist unit, the government has said.A £20m National Crime Agency cell will run and coordinate investigations and raids into businesses suspected of acting as fronts for gangsters, the Home Office said. The NCA and police forces in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, Kent and Essex will recruit 75 officers to boost the effort. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fast-growing southern California brush fire prompts evacuation orders 18. May 2026 (22:55) Fire reported in Simi Valley, north-west of LA, as mandatory evacuation orders were issued for over 20,000 residentsA fast-growing brush fire ignited on Monday morning in southern California, prompting evacuation orders and damaging at least one home.The Sandy fire was reported just after 10am in Simi Valley, a city in Ventura county about 30 miles north-west of Los Angeles. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New York Times sues Pentagon again over ‘utterly unreasonable’ press restrictions 18. May 2026 (22:22) Trump administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on press access at the Department of Defense last SeptemberSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe New York Times has filed a second lawsuit against the Pentagon, arguing that its recent policy requiring journalists to have official escorts when on Pentagon grounds is unconstitutional.The Trump administration unveiled sweeping restrictions on press access at the US Department of Defense, which it calls the Department of War, last September. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump officials plan to repeal limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water 18. May 2026 (22:19) EPA outlines effort to kill Biden-era rules as critics condemn RFK Jr and Lee Zeldin’s ‘hocus pocus’The Trump administration has announced a plan to kill Biden-era drinking water limits on four Pfas “forever chemicals”, and to delay the implementation of standards for two other compounds.The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing two separate rules to delay and rescind the limits. The rules must go through an approval process that can take several years, and almost certainly will be challenged in court. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jewish man in hospital after attack by group of men in Golders Green 18. May 2026 (22:05) Victim in his 20s was beaten up in north London street having stepped outside a property to use his phoneA Jewish man is being treated in hospital for injuries to his face and body after being attacked by a number of men in north London.Police were called in the early hours of Monday morning following reports that a Jewish man had been assaulted by a number of men outside a property on The Grove in Golders Green. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
