Major data center company pauses investment decisions in Middle East amid Iran war, CEO tells CNBC

Regional uncertainty hangs over the previously booming AI infrastructure and data center sector in the region.

Palantir has released its terrifyingly honest (and pompous) plans for world domination | First Dog on the Moon

It’s all a bit too antichristy for my liking

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Red cards can be given to players who cover their mouths while confronting opponents

The International Football Association Board approved a rule that would penalize players with a red card if they cover their mouths when confronting another player. The measure will be in place at this summer's World Cup.

Devotions by Lucy Caldwell review – short stories that are frightening, passionate and comforting too

The Northern Irish writer explores music and family, memory and duty in this stunning collection of sharply observed tales

The stories in Northern Irish writer Lucy Caldwell’s fourth collection are often devoted to family life, or a professional life in the arts: or both. They’re almost always about memory and how to manage it. They offer a certain continuity with her earlier collections, Multitudes, Intimacies and Openings, though it’s subtle and organic rather than directly narrative.

In All Grown Up, Luke returns to his childhood home, only to be steadily reabsorbed by it. He applies himself to clearing the house, putting it on the market; he thinks about all the possibilities he’ll have once he’s sold up. But the longer he stays the less impulse there is to leave, and the more he remembers, not just about his life here, but his life generally. Meanwhile he’s a 40-year-old divorcee with a bad back, incipient alcoholism and a child at boarding school, attempting to come to terms with divorce, the death of his mother and his sense of entrapment. A one-night stand with his ex-wife’s sister doesn’t help. As you read, that title cycles between bleak irony and an equally bleak optimism.

The House of the Spirits review – this twee adaptation of Isabel Allende’s novel isn’t good enough

In some ways, this expansive Spanish language series improves on the Chilean family saga about a psychic girl and a military coup. But it mainly just feels old-fashioned and naive

Clara del Valle is a delightful little girl, all smiles and plaits and cheeky interruptions during boring sermons at Mass. Her large family, enjoying life in their sprawling house in 1920s Chile, dote on her. But her psychic powers can be a buzzkill: when she gets a premonition that death is coming, come it will. Half a century later, her granddaughter Alba discovers Clara’s diaries, and realises that the horrors she’s seen were always going to happen.

Along with Alba’s mother Blanca, these women are the three generations at the heart of Chilean novelist Isabel Allende’s 1982 debut The House of the Spirits, previously the basis of a weirdly whitened movie starring Meryl Streep. Amazon’s expansive eight-parter, filmed in Spanish and indeed in Chile and executive produced by Eva Longoria, is a more faithful version of a book that begins as a sprawling family saga before pitching the reader into a stream of violence that concludes with a fictionalised account of the coup that removed the socialist Chilean leader Salvador Allende – a cousin of the author – and replaced him with one of the 20th century’s most vicious dictatorships.

The House of the Spirits is on Prime Video.

‘Wheeling through vineyards and chateaux country’: an ebike tour of France’s Loire valley

Gentle cycling is the perfect pace to enjoy the region’s sunflower fields and medieval towns – with gourmet food and fine wine along the way

As I cycle in golden light through the Loire’s vineyards, I have the sudden wish to wear a flowing floral dress, tuck a sunflower behind my ear and answer only to the name Delphine. Opulent chateaux, honeyed stone villages, blazing fields of sunflowers … the Loire is so ridiculously and relentlessly beautiful it’s no wonder artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Émile Vernon made it their home.

A short zip across to Paris on the Eurostar and then an hour south on the TGV to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps and it feels as if we’ve stepped into a live JMW Turner landscape (he toured the region in 1826).

Stress from racism may help explain why black women more likely to die in childbirth, study finds

Exclusive: Cambridge research finds socioenvironmental stressors may influence body’s ability to function healthily in pregnancy

Stress from racism and deprivation could explain why black women are more likely to die during childbirth, a study has found.

Researchers reviewed 44 existing studies that examined three physiological pathways associated with worse pregnancy outcomes: oxidative stress, inflammation, and uteroplacental vascular resistance, and found black women had higher levels of the three metrics.

U.S. to issue commemorative passports with Trump's picture for America's 250th birthday

The State Department said that it is preparing a limited release of commemorative U.S. passports celebrating America's 250th birthday that feature a picture of President Donald Trump.

A moment that changed me: I cried about my cleft lip for the first time in my 60s

When I saw a woman with a facial difference like mine at a party, I crossed the room to speak to her. It led to one of the most joyous, exciting and transformative discussions, in which I connected with feelings I’d always ignored

At a fundraising event, I looked across the crowded room and saw a woman with a cleft – a gap in the lip (and sometimes the palate) where a baby’s face doesn’t fuse properly during pregnancy. She was standing on her own, and I beckoned her over to join the small group I was with. She politely declined and before I quite realised what I was doing, I was crossing the room to speak to her.

I too had been born with a cleft. I’d talked to doctors, my parents, my wife and other friends about it to varying degrees over the years, but as I walked towards her, I knew this was going to be the first time – in more than 60 years – that I was going to have a conversation about living with a cleft with someone who also has one. I was terrified I might offend her, but I said something like: “Isn’t it scary walking into a crowded room? Because it feels as if everyone is looking at us.”

Classic Football Shirts: inside the vault home to their most valuable vintage gear – video

Classic Football Shirts have been in business for 20 years, selling over one million shirts (so far) and keeping the most iconic match-worn pieces in their temperature-controlled vault. Michael Butler travelled to Manchester to meet the CFS founders

Australia moves to tax Meta, Google and TikTok to fund newsrooms

Australia is proposing to tax Meta, Google and TikTok a proportion of their revenue to pay for news reporters. The government intends to introduce the draft legislation to Parliament by July.

‘People assume we’re grifters’: disabled Britons report rise in abuse over blue badges

Badge holders and carers report being harassed, filmed and threatened by strangers who think they are faking disability

Disabled people who use blue badges to go about their daily lives have said they are being harassed, questioned and even assaulted, as anti-benefits rhetoric becomes more mainstream in the UK.

About 3 million people in the UK now have a blue badge, including 1 in 15 adults in England. The number of people who qualify for the scheme – which allows drivers to park in more accessible spaces – has caused some to warn of misuse and fraud.

Tagine pasta and spicy, slow-cooked lamb: Nargisse Benkabbou’s recipes for a Moroccan feast

Artichokes and peas seasoned with garlic, ground ginger and turmeric make a sensational and surprising sauce for pasta, and a showstopping Moroccan-spiced lamb shoulder with a fruity salsa

I was lucky enough to grow up in a home where we had lots of family and friends around, which meant lots of people to feed. On those occasions, if my mum wanted to make something special that required minimal effort, she served a roast lamb shoulder. After all, roasts actually follow a concept similar to traybakes: the main ingredients are combined in a roasting tin and the oven does most of the work. In Morocco, méchoui can refer to either grilled or roast dishes, but for a lamb shoulder it typically means that it’s roasted. But, first, my take on a traditional artichoke and pea tagine, a popular dish typically enjoyed in spring. In Moroccan homes, tagines are served simply with bread, without sides, but I have found that some make excellent sauces for pasta.

Urban areas host 80% of England’s homes at high risk of flooding, study finds

Exclusive: 839,000 homes in urban areas face threat of surface-water flooding, with social housing tenants most vulnerable to costs

Eight in 10 of the homes that are at high risk of flooding in England are now in towns and cities, according to analysis by the National Housing Federation (NHF), which said social housing tenants are disproportionately vulnerable to the financial cost.

Research found that 839,000 homes in urban areas are now classed as being at high risk of surface water flooding, a threefold increase since 2018.

New Zealand officials reject ‘comfort women’ statue after objections from Japan

Statue recognising Japan’s sexual slavery of up to 200,000 women in second world war will no longer be erected in Auckland

New Zealand officials rejected on Wednesday an application to install a statue commemorating so-called “comfort women” enslaved by Japan before and during the second world war after Tokyo suggested it could harm diplomatic relations.

Japan forced up to 200,000 women from Korea, China and south-east Asia into sexual slavery from 1932 until 1945 and the issue remains a sore point in Tokyo’s relations with its neighbours.

Is Sanae Takaichi the most powerful woman in the world? - podcast

Justin McCurry on Japan’s heavy metal-loving prime minister and her plan to amend the country’s pacifist constitution

Earlier specialised care could prevent 10,000 miscarriages a year, UK study finds

Charity says starting specialised care after first miscarriage instead of third reduces risk of future losses

Giving women access to specialised care after their first miscarriage could prevent about 10,000 pregnancy losses a year across the UK, according to a study.

Currently, women in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are eligible for specialist care on the NHS for early baby losses after they have had a minimum of three miscarriages.

Avalanche deaths have surged in the Alps this season. Here’s why | Johan Gaume

As an ex-pro snowboarder, I know the temptations of fresh snowfall. And as an avalanche researcher, I know how easily people can get into trouble

Many avalanche accidents occur just after a storm, when blue-sky conditions return and people head to the backcountry to enjoy fresh powder. These kinds of accidents happen every year, despite warnings to those heading out into the snow. It is easy to dismiss some behaviour as reckless, and sometimes it is – but it is also human behaviour, and it is nothing new.

I have been there too; I have made mistakes and got lucky. When I was about 18, while freeriding with my brother, we suddenly changed direction towards a beautiful and untracked powder field. It felt magical, until we realised we were heading straight for a 100-metre cliff. We turned back just in time, and moments later, a huge avalanche released exactly where we had been, and went over the edge.

Johan Gaume is an ex-pro snowboarder and a professor of alpine mass movements at ETH Zürich and SLF Davos

Marxists and monarchists: the group hoping to unite Iran’s exiled opposition

Iran Freedom Congress, which has met in London, aims to be a ‘pluralist movement’ supporting those inside country

“It’s an exercise that is necessary and frankly has been missing for the past 47 years,” said Mehrdad Marty Youssefiani, a founding member of a new group seeking to act as an umbrella for Iran’s disparate exiled opposition.

The Iran Freedom Congress – which includes republicans and monarchists, Marxists, right and centre – met for the first time last month in London, aiming to create an ethnically diverse “platform for coordination, dialogue, and cooperation between Iranian pro-democracy and pluralist individuals, parties, institutions, and organisations”. Since the conference, the body has been given a legal entity, and elections for a chief executive are under way.

Lost copy of seventh-century poem in Old English discovered at Rome library

Dublin scholars find 1,200-year-old manuscript of Caedmon’s Hymn composed by Northumbrian cattle herder

A lost copy of a poem composed in the seventh century by a Northumbrian cattle herder – the earliest surviving poem in the English language – has been discovered in Rome.

Scholars from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) uncovered the manuscript that contains Caedmon’s Hymn at the National Central Library of Rome.

Rebel Wilson rejects ‘absolutely outrageous’ phone-dumping accusation as defamation trial continues

The Pitch Perfect actor is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actor of Wilson’s directorial debut, The Deb

Hollywood star Rebel Wilson has rejected an “absolutely outrageous” accusation that she dumped her phone to avoid handing over key communications in a defamation case.

The Pitch Perfect star is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, the 27-year-old lead actor of the musical comedy The Deb.

From Jakarta to Manila, south-east Asia turns to Russia to plug fuel, fertiliser gaps caused by Iran war

South-east Asia, which relied heavily on the Middle East for energy and fertiliser, is desperately seeking to plug huge gaps in its supplies

The European Union has sounded the alarm to countries in south-east Asia, urging them not to turn to Russia for oil supplies as they try to cope with widespread fuel shortages caused by the ​Middle East conflict.

After meeting foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast ‌Asian ⁠Nations (Asean) in Brunei on Tuesday, the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called on the region to see the “big picture”, saying the purchase of Russian oil would enable the country to continue the Ukraine war.

Ultramarathon swimmer sets record pace over 55km in crocodile-filled Australian river

• Andy Donaldson completes journey in WA’s Ord River in under 12 hours

• British-Australian athlete says risk of wildlife is always ‘nerve-racking’

Andy Donaldson and his team were aware of the dangers that lay ahead, but just in case a reminder was needed, a huge 2.5-metre freshwater crocodile waiting at the start ramp ahead of his longest-ever solo swim put the challenge into stark focus.

Donaldson, a British-Australian ultramarathon swimmer, was about to embark on the 55km Dam to Dam Challenge from Lake Argyle to Kununurra in the East Kimberley, hoping to become the first man to complete the gruelling endurance swim.

Judge tosses Trump admin. lawsuit seeking access to Arizona voter data

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit from the Justice Department seeking information on Arizona voters, another defeat in the Trump administration's nationwide push for voter data.

The Australians dressing pop’s biggest stars – from Taylor Swift to Beyoncé to Shakira

While the reach from costuming a superstar can be ‘astronomical’, the designers who have done so say material rewards can be harder to predict

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A bikini made from tangled strands of diamantes drapes down the torso of Colombian superstar Shakira. She is singing from a floating pink bubble in the sky. It is the opening frame of the film clip for her 2024 single Puntería, which has amassed more than 78m views on YouTube.

Given the renown of the queen of Latin music, the scene’s Australian links are not immediately apparent. But the ornate bodysuit was a custom design by University of Technology Sydney graduate Caroline Reznik and handmade in her inner Sydney studio.

A costume designed by Caroline Reznik for Doja Cat’s music video for Streets

Sam Neill announces he is cancer-free after taking part in Australian clinical trial: ‘I’m very, very excited’

Jurassic Park actor is advocating for CAR T-cell therapy, which he underwent as part of a clinical trial, to be rolled out for blood cancer patients across Australia

Sam Neill has announced he is now cancer-free after undergoing a new treatment when chemotherapy stopped working on his stage-three blood cancer.

The Jurassic Park actor made the announcement on Australian broadcaster 7News while advocating for CAR T-cell therapy – a form of cancer immunotherapy which he underwent as part of a clinical trial – to be rolled out for blood cancer patients across Australia.

Siri, where does Apple go next? – podcast

Guardian US tech editor Blake Montgomery talks about the future of Apple after the resignation of its longtime CEO Tim Cook

Where does Apple – perhaps the most iconic tech company on Earth – go next?

Last week its CEO, Tim Cook, stood down after 15 years. As US Guardian tech editor Blake Montgomery explains, when Cook took over after the death of the charismatic Steve Jobs, there were doubts he could build on his predecessor’s success. In fact, he has overseen extraordinary growth. After a decade of building global supply chains – and charming presidents from Xi Jinping to Donald Trump – he now presides over a company worth $4tn.

Nordic heatwave part of record year that saw temperatures scorch most of Europe, report finds

Scientists find annual sea surface temperatures across Europe reached highest levels recorded, while deadly wildfires set large parts of continent ablaze

The Nordic heatwave that pushed temperatures above 30C (86F) in the Arctic Circle in July was part of a record-breaking year that saw abnormal heat sear more than 95% of Europe, a report has found.

Parts of Scandinavia were scorched last summer by 21 days of punishingly hot weather that led to “tropical nights” in typically cool countries such as Norway, Sweden and Finland, according to a scientific report campaigners said showed “all the emergency warning lights are flashing red”.

4/28: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Former FBI Director James Comey says he's innocent after second indictment; King Charles visits the White House and addresses Congress.

A whole new world: Disneyland adds facial recognition to some entrance lanes

Walt Disney Company says technology at California theme park will prevent fraud and streamline re-entry

Disneyland, the beloved California adventure park, has outfitted some entrance lanes with facial recognition technology, a move its parent company says will prevent fraud and streamline re-entry.

At certain entrance lanes, a camera will capture images of visitors, which can be converted via biometric technology into unique numerical values, according to the Walt Disney Company’s website.

France launches probe into website that enabled mass rape of Gisèle Pelicot

Authorities say the French-language platform Coco has been linked to crimes, including the sexual abuse of children, rape and murder

France has launched a probe into the reappearance of a website that enabled Dominique Pelicot to recruit dozens of strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife, Gisèle, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Authorities say the French-language platform Coco has been linked to crimes, including the sexual abuse of children, rape and murder. The website, which was registered abroad, was shut down in June 2024.

MAHA is mad. Its alliance with Trump is about to face its biggest test

Supreme Court arguments Monday and the farm bill put MAHA squarely at odds with President Donald Trump and the majority of Republicans in Congress.

Woman dies after falling from balcony on Carnival cruise ship

Federal officials are investigating the death of a woman who fell from the balcony of her state room on a Carnival Cruise Line ship. Kris Van Cleave reports.

FCC orders Disney to file for early license renewal after Kimmel clash

The regulatory agency issued the order after President Trump and first lady Melania Trump urged ABC to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

Camp Mystic director tells parents of flood victims he failed them as Texas weighs reopening

In front of a state committee investigating last year's deadly Texas flash floods, Camp Mystic director Edward Eastland on Tuesday told parents of the victims he had failed them. Jason Allen reports.

Kimmel-Trump clash continues as FCC launches early review of ABC's broadcast licenses

A day after President Trump and the first lady called on ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel, the FCC is launching an early review of the network's broadcast licenses. Carter Evans has more.

NCAA March Madness tournaments could expand to 76 teams in 2027

The new format would add eight more at-large teams, and take eight more teams out of the main bracket for play-in games.

Forensic probe underway into correspondents' dinner suspect's electronic devices

The man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend is set to be back in court on Thursday. Nicole Sganga reports.

Millions in central U.S. facing another night of severe weather

For the sixth straight day, violent weather is threatening millions in the central U.S. Rob Marciano reports.

Comey indicted again on charges stemming from Instagram post

Former FBI Director James Comey is again facing federal charges after the government's previous case against him was dismissed.

Comey says he's innocent after new indictment on charges of threatening to kill president

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted for a second time Tuesday over an Instagram post that the government alleges was a threat against President Trump. Ed O'Keefe reports.

King Charles addresses Congress after British ambassador's comments about U.S. and Israel leak

King Charles addressed Congress Tuesday amid tension in the so-called special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. Earlier in the day, private comments by the British Ambassador to the U.S., Sir Christian Turner, leaked to the Financial Times. Turner said that to him it seemed the "only country" to have a "special relationship" with the United States was "probably Israel." Ed O'Keefe has more.

Cardinals ‘heartbroken’ after former defensive end Josh Mauro dies at age of 35

• Player also had stints with Raiders and Giants

• Adrian Wilson pays tribute to player’s work rate

Former Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants defensive end Josh Mauro has died at the age of 35.

Mauro’s father, Greg, confirmed the news in a post on Facebook.

US ambassador to Ukraine appointed by Trump steps down after less than a year in the job

Julie Davis will retire amid reports she had grown frustrated with Donald Trump, a claim denied by the state department

The acting US ambassador to Ukraine will step down from her post after less than a year in the job, the state department has said, amid a lull in US-brokered efforts to achieve a ceasefire and end Russia’s invasion.

Julie Davis had grown frustrated with president Donald Trump over his lack of support for Ukraine, the Financial Times reported, quoting unnamed sources. The state department denied any such disagreements took place and said she was retiring.

Gunshot at dinner may have struck officer's phone in pocket of bulletproof vest

Officials investigating the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner said they estimated the suspect was running at about 9 miles per hour when he sprinted through a checkpoint and discharged his shotgun.

LIV Golf postpones New Orleans event as state seeks return of $1.2m incentive funds

• Tournament was due to take place from 25-28 June

• Louisiana expects LIV to return incentive funding

The LIV Golf event scheduled to be played in Louisiana in June has been postponed, state officials said on Tuesday.

News of the postponement comes less than two weeks after LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil said the breakaway circuit’s 2026 season would proceed as planned amid reports that the series was at risk of losing its funding.

Yomif Kejelcha broke the 2-hour marathon but got 2nd place. He's still happy

Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha ran the London Marathon in under two hours, but he only got second place. He told NPR he hopes to run his next marathon a minute faster.

Zurbarán review – ecstatic visions, primitive surrealism … and the finest loincloths ever painted

National Gallery, London
The 17th-century Spanish master painted with a supernatural intensity that will hit you just as hard as it did his original viewers

The word “visionary” is done to death but the 17th-century Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán demands it: he paints supernatural things naturally and natural things supernaturally. Space becomes different in his world, melting distance and erasing the barrier between you and the picture. The very first painting in this dreamlike ecstasy of a show dissolves logic. A monk robed in white kneels before a living man hanging upside down, his hands and feet nailed to an inverted cross: it’s a vision as real and close to us as it is to the awestruck monk, held in a penumbra of bronze fire, a stream of smoky light from heaven.

The Apparition of Saint Peter to Saint Peter Nolasco from 1629 has been lent by the Prado and depicts Nolasco receiving a vision of the original St Peter who asked to be crucified upside down so he would not imitate Christ. Nolasco couldn’t make the pilgrimage to Saint Peter’s shrine in Rome, so the church founder mystically appeared to him at home in Spain. You might think this is sentimental folk art, the stuff of prayer cards. But one thing’s for sure: Zurbarán believed it and paints it with such incandescent conviction it becomes sublimely real. You can see why Salvador Dalí loved this artist and imitated his still lifes and crucifixions: for Zurbarán is a primitive surrealist. Several newly attributed paintings in this show include a wall-filling mask of a giant, possibly painted for a stage set: it makes a mockery of proportion yet is beautifully detailed, full of character, weirdly alive.

Dogs’ brains began to shrink at least 5,000 years ago, study finds

Research offers insights into domestication of dogs but it remains unclear why they ended up with smaller brains than wolves

It has long been known that dogs have less between their ears than wolves, but now research has suggested their brains started to get smaller at least 5,000 years ago.

Experts say the results offer fresh insights into the domestication of our canine companions. However, the findings are unlikely to explain why your spaniel will only drink from a muddy puddle: the researchers say a reduction in brain size does not mean dogs are dafter than their wolf-like ancestors.

DHS shutdown: Congressional dysfunction imperils pay for TSA, Secret Service

The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down since February, as Congress continues to look for a compromise to fund the agency.

Starmer sees off major Labour rebellion over call for Mandelson inquiry

No 10 deploys full weight to block parliamentary inquiry bid as MPs warn PM running out of political capital

Keir Starmer has seen off a major Labour rebellion over a bid to force a parliamentary investigation into his appointment of Peter Mandelson, but many of his own MPs warned he was running out of political capital.

After Downing Street deployed its full weight to force Labour MPs to block a referral to the privileges committee over the scandal, some angrily accused Starmer of leaving them facing accusations of a “cover-up”.

Sabalenka’s Madrid Open defence ends with shock defeat by 30th seed Baptiste

• American stuns world No 1 with 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) victory

• Sinner beats Norrie 6-2, 7-5 and calls for schedule change

Hailey Baptiste ended Aryna Sabalenka’s title defence in Madrid on Tuesday and halted the world No 1’s 15-match winning streak with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) quarter-final victory to deliver the biggest shock of the tournament so far.

The American saved five match points at 4-5 in the decider and a sixth in the tie-break before she handed Sabalenka just her second defeat of the year and her first since the Australian Open final three months ago.

Scientists see Trump's firing of the National Science Board as an attack on research

The move follows an administration push for cuts to the NSF and raises concerns in the scientific community that it could jeopardize a tradition of independent decisions about federal science grants.

4/28: CBS Evening News

King Charles III makes rare address to joint meeting of Congress; former FBI Director James Comey says he's innocent after new indictment.

Analysis: Dinner shooting brings reminders of past era of political violence

For historians, the 1960s and 1970s provide particularly eerie parallels to the present. Both eras were marked by bitter political divides and the unsettling feeling that America's social fabric was being ripped apart.

Trump ballroom unlikely to get White House Correspondents' dinners or end president's off-site events, critics say

Critics say a White House ballroom would be a "vanity" project for President Donald Trump. He and the Department of Justice say it's needed for security.

King Charles praises Nato and urges defence of Ukraine in key speech during Trump visit

Remarks marking 250th anniversary of American independence tell US lawmakers: ‘The actions of this great nation matter’

King Charles has extolled the importance of Britain’s “special relationship” with the US in a speech to Congress that made pointed reference to the importance of Nato, the defence of Ukraine and the climate crisis.

In a speech that will be read as a veiled plea to Donald Trump to return to the US’s traditional European alliances and restore his country’s role as a defender of liberal values, Charles said: “America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more.”

Linda McMahon punches back at senators questioning Education Department cuts

In her first appearance on Capitol Hill this year, lawmakers questioned Education Secretary Linda McMahon about students' civil rights and cuts to federal education spending.

Feds have rejected 15% of businesses' tariff refund claims

But after some early hiccups, the U.S. government's hub for businesses seeking tariff refunds is running smoothly, an expert says.

Ex-NBA player Damon Jones first to plead guilty in pair of gambling cases

Federal prosecutors charged 34 defendants across two indictments, alleging sports betting and mafia-linked rigged poker games.

‘Stole a charity’: Elon Musk accuses Sam Altman of betrayal in courtroom showdown

Trial is culmination of a years-long feud between Musk and Altman that has become increasingly vicious

The trial pitting Elon Musk against Sam Altman and OpenAI began in dramatic fashion on Tuesday with opening arguments and the richest man in the world taking the stand to testify. Attorneys for the two tech moguls presented a California jury with two wildly different versions of the AI company’s history, while Musk accused his billionaire rival of endangering humanity through corporate deception.

Musk’s suit argues that Altman, OpenAI and its president, Greg Brockman, broke a foundational agreement to better humanity when the non-profit pivoted towards a for-profit structure. In his opening statement, Musk’s attorney said Altman and Brockman “stole a charity”. Musk, who left OpenAI in 2018 after co-founding it with Altman and Brockman three years earlier, also alleges that his co-founders unjustly enriched themselves as the company raised billions of dollars and grew into the AI behemoth it is today.

Trump administration blocks US wind energy projects in switch to oil and gas

US representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin earlier this month called agreements outrageous and unlawful

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The Trump administration blocked two permitted US wind energy projects from development this week, with an agreement to pay millions of dollars in refunds to the companies behind them if those funds are reinvested in oil and gas.

US Department of the Interior officials framed the canceled agreements as a way to “promote US energy security and affordability” by funneling funds “away from intermittent, higher-cost energy sources toward proven conventional solutions”, in an announcement issued on Monday.

Starbucks raises full-year outlook as turnaround takes hold — despite higher gas prices

Starbucks' global same-store sales, which only includes cafes open at least a year, increased 6.2%, fueled by more visits to its locations.

PSG edge breathless 5-4 classic as Bayern Munich rally after Dembélé’s double

Has there ever been a game of football quite like this? On a luminous, thrilling, slightly crazed night at the Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich produced something that felt like a different category of human activity altogether.

There were nine goals in Paris, the most ever in a Champions League semi-final first leg. The end result was a largely arbitrary 5-4 lead for PSG going into next week’s return. Most remarkable was the nature of the spectacle itself, which felt like football of the demigods, a startling combination of unceasing fine point craft, and constant attacking thrust.

With no radical footprint, what drove suspect to try and assassinate Trump?

An attempted shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday has, again, highlighted the climate of political violence in the U.S. But there are still many questions about the motive.

FCC orders early license renewal for ABC stations following Kimmel's first lady joke

The Federal Communications Commission has ordered Disney's ABC to seek early broadcast license renewals for the eight TV stations it owns amid backlash over Jimmy Kimmel's joke about Melania Trump.

How the city with the most to lose in the Colorado River crisis is trying to adapt

Record low winter snows mean insufficient water in the Colorado River. Here's how a city that's first in line to be cut off is handling it.

U.S. airlines are hiking fares — and travelers keep booking

Executives say travelers keep booking despite big jumps in airfare as they seek to cover the cost of fuel.

World Cup 2026 players who cover mouths or leave pitch in protest may be red carded

• Ifab has not mandated the change for other competitions

• Decision follows Prestianni and Afcon final controversies

Any player who covers their mouth when confronting an opponent or who leaves the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision could receive a straight red card at this summer’s World Cup.

In a regulation change approved by the International Football Association Board (Ifab) ahead of Thursday’s Fifa Congress in Vancouver it was confirmed that the new protocols will be in place for the tournament, which begins in June.

Here's everything to expect when the Fed issues its latest interest rate decision Wednesday

In what could be Jerome Powell's final meeting as Fed chair, he and his fellow policymakers are likely to continue their cautious approach.

Ødegaard tells Arsenal to channel past lessons into ‘something special’ at Atlético Madrid

• Captain confident team can handle pressure and learn

• Havertz unavailable but Eze part of Arsenal’s squad

Martin Ødegaard has accepted that Arsenal will remain open to criticism until they shed their nearly-men reputation and is confident the club are primed to do precisely that this season.

The captain cut a convincing figure on the eve of Wednesday night’s ­Champions League semi-final first leg at ­Atlético Madrid, insisting he and his ­teammates were ready to respond to the lessons of the past and deliver silverware.

GM raises 2026 guidance amid $500 million tariff refund, topping Wall Street's earnings expectations

Aside from earnings and any change to GM's 2026 guidance, investors are monitoring impact from the Iran war, tariffs and EV write-downs.

Meta's new AI model shows early promise, but investors want to see Zuckerberg's strategy

Meta introduced its new AI model at the beginning of the second quarter, so Mark Zuckerberg's commentary about the future will be key during earnings.

Grand jury indicts former FBI director James Comey for a second time

The case revolves around a photo the former FBI director posted online last year of seashells on a beach arranged to say "8647."

American Airlines tightens rules for portable chargers amid fire concerns

American Airlines is imposing new rules on portable chargers that passengers can bring on flights. Here's what to know.

Appeals court rejects Trump's mandatory ICE detention policy

A federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration's policy of making immigrants subject to mandatory ICE detention without bond, including those who have lived in the U.S. for years.

89-year-old man arrested over Athens double shooting

Multiple people injured when gunman opened fire inside a social security office and later an appeals court

An 89-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of shooting and wounding several people in attacks on government buildings in Athens.

Hours after the double shooting in the Greek capital, authorities announced a suspect had been detained in the western port city of Patras, reportedly attempting to flee to Italy. His arrest followed a countrywide manhunt.

U.S. soldier pleads not guilty to charges of gambling on Maduro raid

A U.S. soldier pleaded not guilty to charges that he used classified information about the mission to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to win more than $400,000.

Over half of Americans say their finances are worsening, Gallup finds

The impact of higher energy prices and fears about covering monthly bill is taking a toll on public sentiment, a new Gallup poll finds.

Justice department indicts ex-FBI director James Comey over Instagram post showing seashells

Case centers on a photo prosecutors allege was a threat to Donald Trump, while Comey says he is ‘still innocent’

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The justice department filed new criminal charges against James Comey, the former FBI director, on Tuesday.

Comey was charged in federal court in the eastern district of North Carolina over a picture he posted on Instagram while on vacation last year in which sea shells were arranged to say “86 47”. The post was taken as a threat to Donald Trump. The number 86 can be used as shorthand for getting rid of something, and Trump is the 47th president. Comey subsequently deleted the post and apologized, saying he didn’t realize the numbers were associated with violence. “It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” he wrote on Instagram.

GM: Iran war causing cost increases, but pricey vehicles continue to sell

GM CEO Mary Barra said the Detroit automaker continues to monitor any change in customer spending, but so far, the company's vehicle mix has remained healthy.

Ex-senior adviser at NIAID indicted over COVID-19 records

Dr. David Morens worked as a senior adviser to NIAID's Office of the Director from 2006 through 2022.

The Guardian view on Starmer and Mandelson: questions that won’t go away | Editorial

The prime minister’s account is not false, but it seems partial. The omissions raise serious questions about his judgment and parliamentary accountability

Whether a prime minister misled parliament is a serious matter. The pattern of statements made by Sir Keir Starmer about appointing Lord Mandelson as US ambassador may justify a parliamentary sleaze inquiry. Opposition parties claim that the prime minister misled MPs over the process that led to the peer taking the Washington job. But they would say that, wouldn’t they? More troubling is that in Tuesday’s Commons debate some Labour MPs either abstained or defied the whip and voted to refer the matter to parliament’s privileges committee ahead of next week’s elections. Such rebellion speaks to disillusionment with Sir Keir’s leadership.

The prime minister has confessed to making a “mistake” in appointing Lord Mandelson despite knowing that he maintained a friendship with Jeffrey Epstein after the financier’s conviction for child sexual abuse offences. But it was Morgan McSweeney, who backed Lord Mandelson for the job, and Sir Olly Robbins, the head of the Foreign Office, who did not draw vetting concerns to Sir Keir’s attention, who both lost their jobs. Voters plainly think it wrong that others have paid for Sir Keir’s blunder.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

The Guardian view on the politics of central Europe: in search of a new left | Editorial

Social democratic parties are suffering an almost total wipeout, as rightwing nationalism flourishes on the EU’s eastern flank

Péter Magyar’s historic defeat of Viktor Orbán in Hungary’s recent election was rightly celebrated in progressive circles and beyond. For the global far right, which has been steadily gaining power and influence for over a decade, this was a significant reverse. But it was no victory for the left. A former member of Mr Orbán’s Fidesz party, Mr Magyar will lead a centre‑right conservative government in a parliament where the only opposition will come from Fidesz and a small party with neo-Nazi roots.

Across the rest of central Europe, it is much the same story. Bulgaria last week elected a nationalist, Moscow‑friendly prime minister, Rumen Radev, who will take a draconian line on migration and is a fierce critic of the European Union’s green deal. The country’s Socialist party, a presence in parliament since 1989, failed to win a single seat.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

US soldier pleads not guilty to charges of betting on Nicolás Maduro’s ouster

Prosecutors allege Gannon Van Dyke won $400,000 using insider information to bet on Maduro raid on Polymarket

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The US army soldier charged with winning $400,000 by using insider information to bet on the removal of the ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty to fraud charges on Tuesday.

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, entered the plea in US district judge Margaret Garnett’s courtroom in Manhattan. Van Dyke sported a shaved head and wore a black blazer, jeans and brown shoes as he arrived to the courtroom with his lawyers, Zach Intrater and Mark Geragos.

OpenAI brings its models to Amazon's cloud after ending exclusivity with Microsoft

OpenAI's generative AI models are becoming available on Amazon's cloud a day after the AI company revamped its relationship with longtime partner Microsoft.

JetBlue is full steam ahead on Fort Lauderdale, regardless of Spirit's fate

JetBlue, United, Frontier and others added service to airports Spirit services after the carrier filed for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year.

Stranded whale Timmy swims on to barge in German rescue attempt

Rescuers hope to move young male humpback from Baltic to North Sea after being stranded for a month near Lübeck

Rescuers trying to save a stranded humpback whale off Germany’s Baltic coast have coaxed the mammal on to a barge in the hope the vessel can take it to safety in deeper waters.

Amid intense media attention, the high-stakes rescue mission, funded by two multi-millionaires, is being watched by hundreds of onlookers, many of whom are camped nearby to monitor the spectacle.

Witness says D.C. shooting suspect "fell right at my feet"

A witness says the doors to the ballroom where the White House Correspondents' Dinner was held were "wide open" when a gunman rushed toward the event.

Hezbollah drone strikes target Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon

Ceasefire frays further as Israel also carries out airstrikes and issues new displacement orders for south Lebanon

Hezbollah launched several drones at Israeli soldiers in south Lebanon on Tuesday, while Israel issued new displacement orders for south Lebanon and carried out airstrikes, as the fraying ceasefire failed to stop fighting between the two sides.

Hezbollah claimed Tuesday’s attack injured several Israeli soldiers, but no confirmation was given from the Israeli military, apart from a statement saying interceptor missiles had been fired at incoming Hezbollah drones.

Federal agents return to Minneapolis to target daycares for suspected fraud

About 20 sites in the Minneapolis area were were targeted as prosecutors refocus attention on a billion-dollar social services scandal.

DOJ's handling of Epstein files to get congressional watchdog scrutiny

The Government Accountability Office, at the best of Congress, will investigate the Department of Justice's handling of the Epstein files.

Manchester City angered by fixture crunch of three key games in seven days

• City face crucial games on 13 May, 16 May and 19 May

• Alternative date for Palace game has been chief problem

Manchester City have been left angered by what they deem to be an end-of-season fixture pile-up that could have been avoided had the Premier League acted quicker to rearrange matches.

City face the prospect of playing three games in seven days as part of their pursuit of the Premier League title and the FA Cup. Their home league game with Crystal Palace, which was originally scheduled to take place on the weekend of March’s Carabao Cup final, will now take place on Wednesday 13 May, followed by the FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday 16 May. Pep Guardiola’s men then travel to Bournemouth, again in the league, on Tuesday 19 May.

Dinner shooting again puts Washington Hilton at center of presidential history

When shots rang out at the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday, there were echoes of the hotel's storied presidential history.

Ryanair’s O’Leary warns European airlines could fail if jet fuel price doesn't fall

Ryanair's boss warned that European airlines could see "real failures" if jet fuel prices remain high, having "mushroomed" since the Iran war began.

ABC faces renewed Trump backlash as Kimmel says comments 'not, by any stretch' call for violence

While it's not the first time Kimmel has faced backlash over a show monologue, the renewed challenges now fall under freshly installed Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro.

Coca-Cola tops estimates, raises earnings outlook as global beverage demand rises

Shares of Coke have risen just 6% over the last year, hurt by concerns about the broader economy.

Hey-nonny-bo! The woman reclaiming maypole dancing with dancehall and drum’n’bass

UK artist Linett Kamala was astonished to see a maypole in a Jamaican hamlet – a colonial relic, but one bringing joy. So she reinvented the tradition by ditching English folk tunes and adding bass bins, LED lights and pounding beats

In a community centre in London, a ping pong table, a treadmill and a row of computers hug the edges of the room. It all feels familiar, apart from the towering green structure with dangling multicoloured ribbons: a maypole, and we’re here to dance around it. Our group of six circle it and get ready, but instead of traditional English folk music (“And on that tree there was a limb, And on that limb there was a branch …”), it’s dancehall, cranked up loud.

This is a session courtesy of British-Jamaican DJ, artist and educator, Linett Kamala. She made her name as one of the first female DJs at Notting Hill carnival in 1985 at just 15 years old, and is now on the event’s board; as Lin Kam Art, Kamala has dedicated much of her life to music, education, community work and art.

The Tin Can phone: is this the simple secret to a screen-free childhood?

Created by three dads from Seattle, the resolutely un-mobile handset doesn’t have internet access, apps or even a screen. No wonder anxious parents are snapping it up

Name: Tin Can.

Age: Launched last April.

A dead person’s fat pumped into your body? Why the ‘zombie filler’ trend has some experts spooked | Antiviral

While not approved in Australia, the procedure is on the rise in the US. But there are questions of safety – and the ethics of using donated tissue to plump up the living

• Read more in the Antiviral series

With people getting everything from salmon sperm to plasma injected into their faces in the name of beauty, it is difficult to be surprised when new, even seemingly extreme methods to achieve youthfulness are promoted.

But Dr David Sparks, a specialist plastic surgeon based in Queensland, was alarmed when he heard patients were asking about cadaver fillers, a trend being promoted on social media as “zombie filler”.

Melissa Davey is Guardian Australia’s medical editor

Antiviral is a fortnightly column that interrogates the evidence behind the health headlines and factchecks popular wellness claims