Culture secretary says Streeting’s call for UK to rejoin EU is ‘odd’ 17. May 2026 (12:51) Lisa Nandy told the BBC she did not understand ‘sudden focus on Europe’ from Labour leadership hopefulUK politics live – latest updatesThe UK culture secretary has dismissed calls for Britain to re-enter the European Union as “odd”, a day after her former cabinet colleague Wes Streeting said the country’s future lies back in the bloc.Lisa Nandy criticised the former health secretary on Sunday, saying his comments over the weekend risked reopening a debate that was settled with the Brexit referendum 10 years ago. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘It was like a mosh pit’: Swatch closes stores as watch launch causes crowding and scuffles 17. May 2026 (12:50) French police fire teargas and UK shops close for safety reasons as hundreds queue for Royal Pop timepieces that make up Audemars Piguet collaborationThe launch of limited-edition Swatch watches descended into chaos in several European cities and New York, with French police firing teargas to restore order at a store near Paris.Hundreds of people waited through the night from Friday into Saturday – and in some cases for several days – hoping to buy the Royal Pop timepieces, made in collaboration with the luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ian McKellen ‘emotional’ as he opens County Durham theatre space 17. May 2026 (12:23) Actor says Ensemble 84 in Horden, employing local talent, is how a professional repertory company should beIt’s a chilly spring evening in what was once a Catholic church in a left-behind County Durham pit village, and Ian McKellen admits he is feeling emotional.“This is the only company of actors in the United Kingdom and it’s in … Horden?” he says. “I’m feeling very emotional. This fulfils all my romantic dreams I’ve had ever since I discovered the joys of theatre-going and acting.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Workers racing to turn reflecting pool blue for Trump may be at risk, union warns 17. May 2026 (12:00) Union representative concerned about safety as workers rush to finish repainting DC pool before 250th celebrationsWorkers renovating one of Washington DC’s most historically symbolic sites in a project ordered by Donald Trump may be risking their safety as they race to finish on time for the US’s 250th anniversary celebrations, a union monitoring the site has warned.Trade union scrutiny has focused on the reflecting pool on the US capital’s National Mall – scene of Martin Luther King’s 1963 “I have a dream speech” – after it was drained of water and fenced off from the public to allow contractors the chance to upgrade it by 4 July. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour leadership talk ‘froth and nonsense’, says senior minister – UK politics live 17. May 2026 (11:49) Lisa Nandy says no candidate has launched a challenge to Keir Starmer, despite ‘feverish speculation’ around Andy Burnham and Wes StreetingThe Conservative leader called accusations her party could not win a general election “very silly”.Trevor Phillips, questioning Kemi Badenoch on Sky, suggested she was “reluctant to accept what the voters have said” in the local election results. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least four people killed in Russia as Ukraine launches retaliatory strikes 17. May 2026 (11:48) Wave of almost 600 drones launched across 14 regions, after Moscow’s deadly three-day attack on Ukraine last weekAt least four people have been killed in a large-scale retaliatory strike by Ukraine on Russia’s regions, including Moscow, Russian authorities have said.The wave of almost 600 Ukrainian drones struck overnight across 14 Russian regions, as well as the Crimean peninsula and the Black and Azov seas, the Russian defence ministry said on Sunday, with the region around the capital among the worst-hit. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Tearing down barriers’: North Korean footballers arrive in Seoul for first time in eight years 17. May 2026 (10:56) Naegohyang FC due to play Suwon FC in semi-final of Asian Women’s Champions League on WednesdayA North Korean women’s football club has arrived in South Korea for an AFC Women’s Champions League semi-final, marking the first visit by athletes from the isolated state to the South in eight years.The delegation of 27 players and 12 staff entered the country on Sunday before Wednesday’s match between Naegohyang FC and South Korea’s Suwon FC Women in Suwon. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fire and ‘sheer volume’: how Britain’s 6m-vape problem is putting recycling under strain 17. May 2026 (10:00) Despite the ban on disposables, waste professionals say the mountain of discarded devices is a £1bn-a-year issue It is 2pm and Ana, 47, has just started the afternoon shift at the Suez recycling plant near Birmingham city centre, standing beneath a sign reading “Non-ferrous sorting station” with a bucket of vapes in front of her. Sorting and dismantling them is part of her job as a site operative.Recycling them is not simple. Each bucket holds between 40 and 50 devices, and over the course of a shift, she gets through about half a bucket. Using a hammer, she has to smash each vape open, pry out the batteries and separate each component into a different container. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tech founders use AI-generated images to poke fun at Anthony Albanese in protest against tax changes 17. May 2026 (09:38) ‘He’s having a great time with his new 47% equity,’ one entrepreneur jokes, warning that some startups may leave Australia behindGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTech entrepreneurs have mocked the government’s capital gains tax changes by posting AI-generated photos of Anthony Albanese as their “new founder” and warning that increased taxes could push people away from working for new businesses or send startups overseas.Startups and entrepreneurs may yet receive a carve-out in the federal government’s planned changes to the CGT discount, with the prime minister saying he wanted to support innovation and the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, revealing that consultation was continuing with the sector. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Yvette Cooper wrote Palestine Action article despite CPS warning it could affect trial 17. May 2026 (09:00) Exclusive: Then-home secretary justified proscription of group in newspaper column despite advice it might unfairly impact trial of six activistsYvette Cooper wrote a newspaper column about Palestine Action despite prosecutors warning it could prejudice criminal proceedings against six activists from the group, it can be revealed.The then-home secretary wrote the column justifying Palestine Action’s proscription even though the Crown Prosecution Service advised it might unfairly impact a trial concerning a 2024 break-in at an Israeli arms manufacturer’s factory. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
