Channel 4 boss apologises after Married At First Sight sexual misconduct allegations 20. May 2026 (14:50) Priya Dogra says broadcaster acted appropriately over sexual misconduct and rape accusationsChannel 4’s chief executive has stood by the broadcaster’s treatment of concerns raised by contestants on Married At First Sight, as she said she was “deeply sorry” for the distress of female participants making allegations of rape and sexual misconduct.Priya Dogra said she believed the channel had acted appropriately at the time of the allegations, but had commissioned an external review to ensure the show was safe for those taking part. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump tightens grip on GOP after Massie’s defeat in Kentucky primary – US politics live 20. May 2026 (14:43) Republican Congressman defeated by Trump-backed challenger in most expensive House primary in historySign up for the Breaking News US emailGeorgia mayor who fired town’s entire police force resigns, citing family ‘health concerns’The mayor of Georgia has resigned shortly after firing his community’s entire police department, a step that the local governing council ultimately reversed – but that he nonetheless took amid a political spat pitting him and his wife against members of the force. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US doctor who contracted Ebola in the DRC flown to Germany for treatment 20. May 2026 (14:28) Dr Peter Stafford’s wife and four children are also being monitored for symptoms amid Ebola outbreak in the DRCAn American doctor who contracted Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been flown to Germany for treatment, along with his wife and four children, as the World Health Organization warned of the “scale and speed” of the outbreak.Authorities have reported at least 134 suspected deaths and more than 500 cases of the hemorrhagic Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved treatments or vaccines. The outbreak, which has spread into urban areas, has been declared a public health emergency requiring international response. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
George Soros group pledges $300m to US economic security and civil liberties 20. May 2026 (14:00) Billionaire philanthropist’s Open Society Foundations has worked to advance justice and human rights around worldFor decades, the Open Society Foundations have worked to advance justice and human rights in Africa, the Middle East and trouble spots around the world. But the OSF’s latest major investment is aimed at a crisis closer to home.On Tuesday, the organisation, founded by the billionaire philanthropist George Soros and headquartered in New York, announced a $300m spend aimed at boosting economic security and defending civil liberties in the US. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Totó la Momposina, vocalist and Colombian music legend, dies aged 85 20. May 2026 (13:39) The singer was one of her country’s most’s popular musical exports, and travelled the world with an evangelistic vision for spreading cumbia musicTotó la Momposina, one of the most celebrated musicians in Colombian history, has died aged 85.Her three children announced her death from a heart attack on Instagram. “Totó was a woman who, with her voice and extraordinary dedication, carried the culture and memory of the Colombian people to the far corners of the world,” they added. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Planned fuel duty rise to be scrapped, says Keir Starmer 20. May 2026 (13:36) PM tells Commons extending the temporary 5p cut is a necessary response to cost-of-living pressuresUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has announced an extension to the temporary 5p cut in fuel duty, as widely expected, telling the Commons it was a necessary response to cost-of-living pressures.Before a wider package of measures due to be announced by Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, on Thursday, Starmer used prime minister’s questions to announce the extended freeze and a vehicle tax break for the haulage industry. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s allies in danger of scraping false hope from Maga victory in Kentucky primary 20. May 2026 (13:34) US president, like a cult leader whose commune keeps getting smaller, commands fierce loyalty from a shrinking base“Thomas Massie caught in a throuple!” screamed the AI-generated attack ad that showed the Republican congressman supposedly dining with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar then checking into a hotel with the two progressives. “Thomas Massie betrayed President Trump!” it added.Crude but effective, as it turns out. Massie, from northern Kentucky, lost the most expensive House of Representatives primary election in history on Tuesday to Ed Gallrein, a farmer and former US Navy Seal backed by Donald Trump. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least 80% responsibility for ill health in old age down to individual, study says 20. May 2026 (13:27) UK report argues people have greater control over longevity than widely understood, but others say claim is simplisticIndividuals bear at least 80% of the responsibility for their ill health in old age, according to a report aimed at challenging the belief that physical decline is either inevitable or primarily the responsibility of the state.The report, launched at the Smart Ageing Summit in Oxford last week, argues that individuals have far greater control over their longevity than is commonly understood. The authors call on the government to take legislative action on alcohol comparable to restrictions on smoking. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Blinded and broken, Sunny the owl becomes another casualty of Russia’s war 20. May 2026 (12:49) Ukrainians lament appalling toll of fighting on their country’s bird populationRussia sent kamikaze drones to attack the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia in February. They hit buildings and killed several people. One unreported victim of the bombardment was a male long-eared owl, blinded in one eye and found with a badly broken wing. A passerby scooped up the stunned bird, put him in a box and took him to the city of Dnipro.The owl – nicknamed Sunny – is now recovering in a cosy room belonging to Veronica Konkova. No longer able to fly or hunt, Sunny instead hops around. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lithuania lifts air alert after suspected drones approaching from Belarus diverted - Europe live 20. May 2026 (11:51) Incident comes just a day after Nato had to shoot down a suspected stray Ukrainian drone over EstoniaIn Brussels, Rutte begins by stressing the importance of Nato ministers meeting in Sweden, the alliance’s “newest ally” who joined in 2024.“This says a great deal about how fundamentally our security environment has changed, especially when it comes to Europe. It is more dangerous, it is more contested and it makes it all the more important that Nato allies work together to safeguard our freedom and security,” he says. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
