Riz Ahmed says UK spies tried to recruit him on three occasions 24. May 2026 (19:54) Actor recounts three alleged approaches by intelligence services, including through senior BBC executiveRiz Ahmed, the Oscar-winning actor, has claimed that Britain’s intelligence services tried three times to recruit him, including one occasion involving a senior BBC executive.Ahmed, 43, said: “Well, it’s happened three different times and they’re all slightly ridiculous, and this is what I mean by it, it’s just like inherently comedic. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bridget Phillipson orders review of hidden childcare charges hitting parents 24. May 2026 (19:31) Education secretary asks UK watchdog to look into nursery practices, including non-refundable deposits and add-onsBridget Phillipson, the education secretary, is ordering a competition review of hidden childcare charges amid concerns parents are being hit with extra charges, despite the government’s flagship expansion of funded childcare hours.Phillipson has written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) asking it to examine practices including non-refundable deposits, compulsory add-ons and restrictions attached to government-funded childcare places. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli strikes pound Lebanon despite signs US and Iran are close to peace deal 24. May 2026 (19:06) Some casualties after attacks on multiple locations in south and east of country on Sunday, state media reportsMiddle East crisis: live updatesIsraeli strikes have hit southern and eastern Lebanon, a day after 11 people were killed in a single raid on the south despite a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and claims that the US and Iran are about to reach a peace deal.Saturday’s strike in Sir al-Gharbiyeh “resulted in a massacre whose final toll is 11 dead including a child and six women, and nine wounded including four children and a woman,” Lebanon’s health ministry said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump has ‘alienated’ voters ahead of midterms, warns ousted Republican Thomas Massie 24. May 2026 (18:49) GOP congressman says his party is set to count cost of ‘Trump disappointment syndrome’ after primary defeatDonald Trump’s Republican party is on course for a damaging rejection at the ballot box in November, according to a maverick US congressman ousted by a challenger handpicked by the president.Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, became the latest of Trump’s targets to be defeated in the party’s primaries this week. He had repeatedly broken with the president over military action against Iran, government spending and the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gunman who opened fire near White House was known to Secret Service 24. May 2026 (18:46) Suspect who died after exchanging fire with agents had tried to enter the complex last summer, records showA gunman who opened fire outside the White House on Saturday before he was shot by federal agents was already known to the US Secret Service, court records show.The man, 21, was taken to a nearby hospital, before he was later pronounced dead. He had previously tried to enter the complex, according to an affidavit filed in DC superior court in 2025, following an arrest nearby. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Farage under mounting pressure to prove Russian hack claim 24. May 2026 (17:46) Reform UK leader claims ‘counter-espionage experts’ suggest state-sponsored hackers are behind the disclosure of £5m giftNigel Farage is under mounting pressure to provide evidence for his claim that a state-sponsored Russian hack was behind the disclosure of the £5m gift he received from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.Reform UK claimed over the weekend that analysis of Farage’s phone by “counter-espionage experts” suggested that “Farage’s phone, email and bank accounts were compromised by hostile actors, almost certainly linked to Moscow, using spear phishing tactics”, before the Guardian revealed details of his undeclared gift last month. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labor urged to use anti-corruption commission appointment to restore public confidence in watchdog 24. May 2026 (17:00) Helen Haines says ‘the clock is ticking’ on replacing deputy commissioner Nicole RoseFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA key architect of the National Anti-Corruption Commission says parliament should consider new merit-based and independent selection processes for major appointments, urging the Albanese government to use an existing vacancy to restore public confidence in the watchdog.Independent MP Helen Haines, who helped craft legislation to establish the Nacc, sits on its parliamentary oversight committee. She said “the clock is ticking” on replacing deputy commissioner Nicole Rose, who announced her resignation this month. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘We’re concerned’: US-based prediction markets taking bets on Australian elections and Albanese’s word choices 24. May 2026 (17:00) Regulators and gambling harm advocates have been closely watching the rise in popularity of Polymarket and KalshiGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastUS-based “prediction market” websites are taking tens of thousands of dollars in bets on Australian elections and even specific words the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says in parliament, with gambling harm advocates and the wagering lobby raising alarm.Australian financial and media regulators said they were monitoring the explosion in popularity of platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket, which operate financial exchanges where users buy “shares” in contracts on the outcome of events. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Warrants for defendants skipping court in England and Wales up 50% since 2020 24. May 2026 (17:00) Former justice secretary Alex Chalk KC says figures Channel 4 obtained show the ‘horror show’ in the systemAlmost 60,000 arrest warrants were issued for defendants who skipped court in England and Wales last year, up nearly 50% since 2020 in further evidence of the “horror show” in the criminal justice system.The figures, obtained in an investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches to air on Friday, also show that more than 30,000 failure-to-appear warrants are outstanding, meaning that tens of thousands of criminals could be on the run after being charged. It is unclear how many have more than one warrant to their name. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Pompeii, but in the middle of a massive city’: the ice age fossil site hidden in Los Angeles 24. May 2026 (17:00) La Brea Tar Pits – the only urban, active ice age excavation site in world – gets a mammoth face lift for the first time in nearly 50 yearsLos Angeles is known for famous museum such as the Getty and the Lacma, but perhaps fewer people are aware that – in the heart of the city – lies a museum that contains one of the world’s most remarkable fossil sites.The La Brea Tar Pits and Museum is home to the remains of more than 2 million ice age flora and fauna, including mastodons and saber-toothed cats, that became trapped in oily pools that still bubble up today. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
