Escape of big cat belonging to Germany’s ‘Tiger Queen’ shatters peace of small town 22. May 2026 (08:00) Gardeners tending to allotments were terrified to see animal roaming wild after mauling one of its keepers – but critics have long been concernedA tiger on the loose among garden allotments. Panicked residents summoning armed police ill-equipped to deal with a dangerous predator. And, behind it all, Germany’s self-proclaimed “Tiger Queen” and her private menagerie.In startling scenes over the weekend in the eastern town of Schkeuditz, near Leipzig airport, the mix proved fatal for a big cat named Sandokan and left a keeper seriously injured. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police appeal for information in Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor investigation 22. May 2026 (07:00) Thames Valley police believe more witnesses may be out there in inquiry into alleged misconduct in public office by former princePolice investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor want witnesses to contact them if they believe they have information about alleged sexual misconduct, corruption, fraud or the sharing of confidential information involving the king’s brother.In a sign of the potential expansion of their “unprecedented investigation”, Thames Valley police vowed to rigorously investigate claims against the former Prince Andrew. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Families secure future of UK children’s care home after uncovering management failures 22. May 2026 (07:00) Charity Commission inquiry into William Blake House in Northamptonshire resulted in rescue planA group of “accidental activist” families have succeeded in their efforts to secure the future of their children’s care home after uncovering serious alleged management failures that took the charity to the brink of bankruptcy.The families launched a campaign after discovering that William Blake House, a residential learning disability care home charity in Northamptonshire, owed £1.5m in unpaid taxes, had paid its former chair £1m in fees, and was close to bankruptcy. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ditched government projects lost taxpayer £6.6bn last year, watchdog says 22. May 2026 (07:00) Spending committee finds MoD most wasteful and also points to cancelled schemes such as Rwanda and StonehengeCancelled government projects such as the Rwanda deportation scheme and the road tunnel under Stonehenge are wasting billions of pounds of taxpayer money a year, parliament’s spending watchdog has found.About £6.6bn was written off by government departments last year alone – state spending that did not achieve its intended objectives or create any value for the taxpayer, the public accounts committee said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Taliban ‘legitimising child marriage’ with new edict, activists warn 22. May 2026 (07:00) Up to 70% of girls may be in early or forced marriages but law now makes divorce impossible if husbands disagreeChild marriage appears to have been legally recognised for the first time by the Taliban in Afghanistan, as activists say “shameful” new laws make it almost impossible for girls and young women to seek divorce against their husbands’ will.There are no official statistics on forced and underage marriages in Afghanistan, but activists say it has risen at an alarming rate in recent years, driven by the ban on girls being in education after the age of 11. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sea foam may look sinister but it is mostly harmless and natural 22. May 2026 (07:00) Phenomenon, often seen around Britain’s coast at this time of year, is caused by a combination of algae and weatherAt this time of year a sinister-looking substance can often be sighted around Britain’s coast: a frothy foam piled up along the shoreline or appearing in long ribbons offshore. People sometimes assume this foam is the result of pollution or sewage dumping. In fact it is a common natural phenomenon produced by a combination of algae and weather.Sea algae start to grow in April as conditions warm. The most common sort, phaeocystis, is not toxic and forms part of the marine food chain. When the algal bloom dies it leaves a brown scum of organic material with surfactant properties, which, like soap, lowers the surface tension of the water. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Victims’ commissioner to step in after Southport parents say support ‘woeful’ 22. May 2026 (07:00) Some parents have not received proper psychological help nearly two years after the atrocity, solicitor saysGirls who survived Southport attack meet again: ‘It was like having big sisters’The parents of a girl critically injured in the Southport attack were allowed no more than 12 counselling sessions after the atrocity, while others described a “woeful” lack of support.The victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman, said she would raise the “deeply concerning” experiences of Southport families with ministers, after their accounts were shared with the Guardian. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Guzman y Gomez exits US after succumbing to ‘graveyard’ for Australian fast food chains 22. May 2026 (04:28) Company founder Steven Marks says US stores will close as it can no longer justify cost of trying to break into crowded marketFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGuzman y Gomez is closing its US business after failing to establish itself in a market already rich with Mexican food, confirming the American country’s reputation as a “graveyard” for Australian fast food companies.The Mexican-themed chain told shareholders on Friday that the performance of its US stores had not been acceptable, despite its well-publicised plans to “become the best and biggest restaurant company in the world”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump is supporting Spencer Pratt in the LA mayor’s race. It may be a poison pill 22. May 2026 (03:10) President says reality star a ‘big Maga person’ but backing may prove more hindrance than help in deep-blue bastionUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s endorsement is typically a boon for candidates seeking elected office – a show of support, or disapproval, from the president has proved significant in races across the US this year.But Trump’s recent comments on the Los Angeles mayor’s race, just weeks before the primary, are sure to benefit Democrats. The president spoke favorably of Spencer Pratt, a former Republican and reality TV star who is polling second in the contest to lead America’s second-largest city. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Last Australian women and children linked to IS leave Syrian camp before expected return home – report 22. May 2026 (02:56) Federal minister Tanya Plibersek says the group will face same repercussions on arrival in Australia as previous returneesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe last remaining Australian women and children left stranded in the al-Roj detention camp have reportedly left north-east Syria for Damascus, ahead of an expected return to Australia.Vision obtained by an ABC news crew in Syria showed a minivan leaving the camp, which it reported was transporting all the remaining seven women and 14 children from the camp, though this has not been officially confirmed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
