Belfast harbour operator to invest £1.3bn as NI economy grows 19. May 2026 (06:00) Port has upgraded offshore wind facilities and is to expand quays, ferry terminals and cruise ship servicesThe operator of Belfast harbour plans to spend £1.3bn over the next 25 years to take advantage of strong economic growth in Northern Ireland, in what would be one of the largest non-governmental investments in the region’s history.The Belfast Harbour Commissioners said the money would be spent on upgrading the port, with the possibility of residential property developments that could add another £750m in investment on top. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Billie Jean King graduates from college at age 82 after leaving for tennis: ‘Yeah baby, only 61 years!’ 19. May 2026 (04:01) King distinguished herself as a tennis champ at Cal State Los Angeles, winning Wimbledon doubles while enrolledWhen Billie Jean King left college in 1964, she had a purpose. Within a few years, she had become the top-ranked tennis professional in the world. Over a trailblazing career, she won 39 championships, a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a congressional Medal of Honor – all while pushing publicly for gender and pay equality.Last year, she finally returned to finish the degree in history she started more than six decades ago. On Monday, she graduated, at 82 years old. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tributes paid as ‘outstanding’ soldier who died in fall at Royal Windsor Horse Show is named 19. May 2026 (03:19) Ministry of Defence names soldier who fell from her horse as Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan, 24, part of the King’s Troop, Royal Horse ArtilleryA soldier who died after falling from her horse at the Royal Windsor Horse Show was named as Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan, 24 – an “exceptional jockey” with an “infectious energy”, her commanding officer said.Sullivan, part of the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, fell at around 7pm on Friday after exiting the arena. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nancy Pelosi breaks silence to endorse San Francisco supervisor as successor 19. May 2026 (02:37) Former House speaker, who had not yet weighed in, declared Connie Chan ‘best prepared’ to represent cityNancy Pelosi on Monday endorsed Connie Chan, a San Francisco supervisor, in the race to succeed her as the city’s representative in Congress, calling her the candidate who “stands above the rest”.Pelosi, the first woman to serve as speaker of the House, will retire at the end of her term and had not yet weighed in on the contested primary for the San Francisco district she has held for nearly 40 years. But as early mail-in ballots trickle in ahead of the 2 June primary, Pelosi declared Chan the “leader best prepared to carry forward the fight for San Francisco in the Congress”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s shifting remarks on Taiwan are perfect for China to exploit 19. May 2026 (02:22) President’s remarks about Taiwan arms deals being a ‘negotiating chip’ with Beijing have been seized on by Chinese state mediaIt has been an unsettling few days for Taiwan’s government. When Donald Trump met Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, many feared the unpredictable US leader could upend Washington’s longstanding support for Taipei.But beyond a starkly worded statement from Xi stressing China’s claims over Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory despite never having ruled it, initial signs appeared good for Taipei. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Liberal senator breaks ranks to take aim at Angus Taylor’s ‘negative’ rhetoric on immigration 19. May 2026 (02:21) ‘We cannot continue to blame migrants for the problems of our economy,’ backbencher Andrew McLachlan says A Liberal senator has broken ranks to criticise Angus Taylor’s plan to bar non-citizens from accessing welfare, warning it will create “two types of members of the community” and is “not the Australian way”.The outspoken backbencher Andrew McLachlan said migrants should not be blamed for economic problems including the housing crisis, and warned his party’s immigration rhetoric was alienating diaspora communities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mark Fuhrman, LA detective convicted of lying at OJ Simpson trial, dies 19. May 2026 (01:57) Fuhrman, who found bloody glove at Simpson’s home, charged with perjury after audio revealed use of racial slursFormer Los Angeles police detective Mark Fuhrman, who was convicted of lying during testimony at the OJ Simpson murder trial, has died.Fuhrman was one of the first two police detectives sent to investigate the 1994 killings of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in Los Angeles. He reported finding a bloody glove at Simpson’s home, but his credibility came under attack during the trial as the defense raised the prospect of racial bias. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California island fire linked to sailor’s distress flare scorches 10,000 acres 19. May 2026 (01:45) Fire on Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands national park becomes state’s largest this year and threatens rare plantsA wildfire that broke out on an island in the Channel Islands national park has become California’s largest wildfire so far this year, burning through more than 10,000 acres, destroying historic structures and endangering rare plant communities that conservationists had struggled to reclaim.About six dozen firefighters have been deployed to control the blaze, which broke out on Friday, but their efforts have been undermined by strong winds. The fire is now at 0% containment, according to a Cal Fire incident report. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Racist abuse of NHS nurses rising amid ‘normalisation’ of extreme views, RCN warns 19. May 2026 (01:01) Figures disclosed by nursing union show big rise on reported incidents which may only be ‘tip of the iceberg’Racist abuse of NHS nurses has jumped by 86% in the last few years, which their union’s boss has blamed on the normalisation of extreme views in politics and the media.One nurse was called a monkey by a colleague, a patient threw a hot drink at a nurse and followed up with racial abuse, and in several cases others were called the N-word, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) disclosed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Third of university students in Great Britain think AI job losses will cause social unrest, poll finds 19. May 2026 (01:01) Tracker of attitudes towards artificial intelligence also finds almost half of the public would prefer to avoid itOne in three university students think AI will wipe out jobs so rapidly it will trigger civil unrest, according to a survey by King’s College London (KCL).Students are among the heaviest users of AI, the poll found, with 77% using it at least a few times a month – compared with 46% of workers – and 27% using it daily or almost daily. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
