No evidence of formal security vetting when Andrew became UK trade envoy, minister says 21. May 2026 (13:59) Documents released by government also show late queen was ‘very keen’ for her son to have prominent roleUK politics live – latest updatesFormal security vetting and due diligence appears not to have been carried out before the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as a trade envoy, the government has said, as it emerged that the late queen was “very keen” for her son to take up a prominent role in promoting Britain’s interests.The first batch of documents relating to the appointment of the former prince as trade envoy by Tony Blair in 2001 includes a memo dated 25 February 2000 and addressed to Robin Cook, then the foreign secretary, in which the then chief executive of British Trade International, David Wright, said Queen Elizabeth II’s “wish” had been for Mountbatten-Windsor, then the Duke of York, to take on the role. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK service sector activity slumps in one of sharpest declines for a decade 21. May 2026 (13:55) Firms hit by ‘perfect storm’ of uncertainty about Labour leadership and impact of Iran warBusiness live – latest updatesCompanies in the UK’s dominant services sector have reported one of the sharpest declines in business activity in a decade, according to a closely watched index.Businesses are grappling with a “perfect storm” of domestic political uncertainty around Keir Starmer’s leadership as prime minister and the growing impact of the Iran war, leading to soaring costs, supply shortages and job cuts, the report said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
RFK Jr fires leaders of group that sets guidelines for preventive healthcare 21. May 2026 (13:48) US Preventive Services Task Force had already been largely sidelined before health secretary fired its two chairsThe Trump administration has fired the two leaders of an influential health group that determines when insurance must provide free preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies, for millions of Americans.In letters dated 11 May, the health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, notified the two doctors who chaired the US Preventive Services Task Force that he was terminating their appointments immediately, before the end of their multiyear terms. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Record 274 climbers summit Everest from Nepalese side in single day 21. May 2026 (13:06) Climbers take advantage of clear weather after threat of ice fall on normal route delayed start of spring season A record 274 climbers have reached the summit of Mount Everest from the Nepalese side in a single day after a spring season that started late because of the threat of ice fall on the normal tourist route.The climbers took advantage of the clear weather on Wednesday, said Rishi Ram Bhandari, of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Video shows ICE violently arresting Oregon farm workers and using facial recognition 21. May 2026 (13:00) Exclusive: Body-cam footage shared with the Guardian shows agents forced workers out of a van in what a judge has called ‘unlawful’ arrestNewly released body-camera footage shows US immigration officers stopping a van of farm workers in Oregon, smashing their windows and using facial recognition software to try to identify one of them.Videos from a 30 October 2025 operation were disclosed in court as part of an ongoing class-action lawsuit challenging Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) arrest tactics and racial profiling by agents. Lawyers for one of the detained farm workers shared the footage with the Guardian. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Student sues University of Michigan over alleged surveillance tied to Gaza protests 21. May 2026 (13:00) Lawsuit says university and private investigators conspired to intimidate, terrorize and retaliate against Josiah WalkerA University of Michigan student is suing the school, accusing it of violating his constitutional rights when it waged a vast undercover surveillance operation against him in response to his protest of Israel’s war in Gaza.The lawsuit, which will be filed on Thursday in federal court by Cair-MI and U-M student Josiah Walker, claims the university and individual private investigators conspired to intimidate, terrorize and retaliate against Walker in 2024 and 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Colombia’s climate crossroads: Trumpism casts shadow over presidential battle 21. May 2026 (12:41) Colombia is a global leader in climate activism. Could US influence drag country to a future of mining and fracking?Several hours after dark in a quiet Caribbean neighbourhood, a cluster of environmental activists gather on plastic chairs between a mango tree and a courtyard wall emblazoned with the words “Colombia, respira!” (Breathe, Colombia).So many people have turned up that some have to stand. That is because tonight’s speaker is Susana Muhamad, one of the most admired socio-environmental campaigners in the world, and this is a moment of profound historical significance. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Girl, two, dies after being left in car as extreme heat sweeps Spain 21. May 2026 (12:39) Authorities in Galicia declare two days of mourning after toddler dies during exceptionally high May temperaturesEurope live – latest updatesA two-year-old girl has died of heatstroke in north-west Spain after being accidentally left in her father’s car during an unseasonably hot spell that could push temperatures in some areas to 38C (100F).The child, who has not been named, went into cardiac arrest on Wednesday afternoon after spending several hours inside the vehicle in the Galician town of Brión after her father forgot to take her to nursery. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US is ‘simply choosing not to stop’ Ebola outbreak after massive public health cuts, experts say 21. May 2026 (12:00) Hundreds of cases reported in the DRC after USAID has been dismantled and key scientific research canceledA previously undetected outbreak of Ebola is coursing through parts of central Africa, and the US appears to be doing little to help stop it, after massive cuts to global and domestic public health efforts.There is no cure and no vaccine for the rare Bundibugyo variant of Ebola, which has caused two outbreaks in recent decades. Health leaders and scientists are now racing to understand where the virus is spreading and attempting to stop it – but the US is notably absent in these efforts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Net migration into UK almost halved in 2025, official figures show – politics live 21. May 2026 (11:38) Office for National Statistics says figure of 171,000 in year to December 2025 was the lowest since 2021The Home Office has also published asylum figures this morning. These show that the number of asylum seekers being housed temporarily in hotels stood at 20,885 at the end of March 2026, down 35% year-on-year from 32,326. The Press Association says:It is the lowest figure since data was first reported in 2022, Home Office figures show.The total had climbed as high as 56,018 at the end of September 2023.Brits are leaving on a massive scale and non-EU immigration remains far too high. Mass immigration undermines our society and low wage immigration is bad for the economy. British families feel it in lower wages, longer waiting lists for public services and housing shortages.Labour must go further and reform indefinite leave to remain before their hard-left flank forces them to abandon it altogether. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
