Latvia investigates drones ‘from Russia’ that crashed near empty oil facilities - Europe live

Four empty oil tanks were reportedly damaged, although it’s unclear whether the drones belong to Ukraine or Russia

in Palermo

Meanwhile, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is to meet Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday in an effort to ease tensions after Donald Trump’s repeated criticisms of the first North American pontiff.

“If anyone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the gospel, let them do so with the truth: the church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, there is no doubt about that. I simply hope to be listened to because of the value of God’s word.”

How Maersk and the U.S. military got a ship to pass through Strait of Hormuz

Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said the shipping giant had deliberately taken a "very cautious approach" during the Middle East crisis.

‘No one has done this in the wild’: study observes AI replicate itself

World is approaching point where no one can shut down a rogue AI, says director of body behind research

It’s the stuff of science fiction cinema, or particularly breathless AI company blogposts: new research finds recent AI systems can independently copy themselves on to other computers.

In the doom scenario, this means that when the superintelligent AI goes rogue, it will escape shutdown by seeding itself across the world wide web, lurking outside the reach of frantic IT professionals and continuing to plot world domination or paving over the world with solar panels.

‘Now the village is dead. It’s awful’: why was one of Britain’s best pubs forced to close?

For 400 years, The Hare and Hounds in Bowland Bridge offered a warm welcome to locals and travellers. Then the rent doubled. With two pubs a day closing in England and Wales, can the community save this 17th-century gem?

The Hare and Hounds in Bowland Bridge, a few miles from Windermere, is exactly how you’d want a Lakeland pub to be. A pretty 17th-century stone building, whitewashed, with a couple of dormer windows poking up from the slate roof and a view of the fells, it was originally a coaching inn on the route from Manchester to Glasgow.

It is not, however, looking its best today. We arrive in a proper Cumbrian downpour. It should be warm and welcoming, with a place by the wood-burner to dry out and down a pint of Wainwright, perhaps. But the door is shut, the curtains drawn in one of the downstairs windows and no sign of life through the other. Attached to the front of the building is a sign; not a pub sign (the name of the pub is painted elegantly in grey over the door), this one has another message: FOR SALE.

Hottest U.S. gas prices in years leave drivers feeling burned

Americans on tight budgets are getting hit especially hard by surging fuel costs. forcing some to make hard choices.

Trump pardon recipients face congressional probe over "pay-to-play" questions

Congressional Democrats are investigating clemency recipients who may have obtained favorable treatment from Trump or his advisers "through intermediaries, financial contributions, or other forms of influence."

Campaign staffers tell NPR they make 'thousands' betting on their own candidates

Campaign staffers are turning private polling data into personal paydays. They describe election prediction market as a "Wild West" for staffers.

Dirty nickel: The cost of mining in Indonesia

Across six locations in Indonesia, NPR spoke with locals about how nickel mining is changing the land and daily life. It's brought jobs, but also concerns about environmental damage and public health.

About 40 passengers previously left ship hit by Hantavirus at island of St. Helena

The dozens of passengers, including the wife of a Dutch man who died, left the cruise ship during a stop at the British territory, the Dutch foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Morning news brief

Trump says the U.S. is close to a deal to end the Iran war, the Iran war has pushed global oil prices up, but there's no sign of a huge surge in U.S. production, Marco Rubio visits Pope Leo.

‘Came here with hope’ and ‘died unseen’: tearful crowd says goodbye to homeless man Bikram Lama

People gathered at dusk under the fig tree canopy of Sydney’s Hyde Park to pay tribute to the 32-year-old who died nearby and laid undiscovered for up to a week

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No one should be left to die in the middle of Sydney, alone and unseen.

That was the powerful message delivered by homelessness support worker Erin Longbottom to a crowd gathered in Hyde Park to honour Bikram Lama.

‘We’re remixing her library for a new medium’: the video games capturing the happy-sad spirit of Tove Jansson’s Moomins

Enchanting and a little eerie, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is the second great game in as many years based on the classic children’s books

Sleepy, happy-sad, and imbued with the mildest peril, Tove Jansson’s Moomin stories may seem an unlikely fit for the action-heavy medium of video games. Rather than embark on swashbuckling adventures, these milk-white, hippo-esque creatures prefer to potter about Moominvalley, only venturing further if the weather conditions are just right.

Yet a small Norwegian video game studio, Hyper Games, is now on its second exquisitely charming Jansson adaptation. The first, 2024’s Snufkin: Melody of Moomin Valley, put players in control of the wily free spirit, Snufkin, as he dismantled overly ordered nature parks (and evaded authority-loving wardens). The latest, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth, sees young Moomintroll wake up at night in the dead of winter. With his parents still hibernating, the creature is all alone, thrust into a cold and unfamiliar world.

Paris Saint-Germain returns to Champions League final after beating Bayern Munich

The French league leader will face Arsenal in the final in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30, after the Gunners defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Tuesday to progress 2-1 on aggregate.

‘Restaurants won’t survive’: Michelin chef opens venues abroad to withstand UK taxes

Jason Atherton, who has restaurants in Dubai, St Moritz and now Tuscany, says it’s tough to stay afloat in UK hospitality industry

A British Michelin-starred chef says he is opening restaurants abroad to subsidise his UK venues against a backdrop of high taxes and a struggling hospitality sector.

Jason Atherton is now in Forte dei Marmi, on the Tuscan coast in Italy, where he is preparing his newest opening, Maria’s, which will be in the Principessa hotel. The Sheffield-born chef now has restaurants all over the world, including in Dubai and St Moritz.

Federal authorities arrest 18 for alleged drug distribution around Los Angeles park

The area, called MacArthur Park, is a densely populated immigrant neighborhood west of downtown LA where federal immigration authorities and the National Guard made a brief show of force last summer.

Marco Rubio to meet pope at the Vatican after Trump attacks on pontiff

US secretary of state will hold talks with Italian government, also berated by Trump for not supporting Iran war

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is to meet Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday in an effort to ease tensions after Donald Trump’s repeated criticisms of the first North American pontiff.

Amid unprecedented strain on relations between the Holy See and Washington, Rubio is expected to meet Leo at the Apostolic Palace in the morning, before holding a series of meetings with the Italian government.

Shell tops profit estimates as Iran war boosts oil price, cuts share buybacks

Britain's Shell posted stronger-than-expected quarterly profit as the Iran war sent fossil fuel prices soaring.

Legends review – Steve Coogan takes on Britain’s biggest drug gang

This astounding true story, written by Neil Forsyth, asks the question: what if the A-Team was comprised entirely of disgruntled customs officers?

Imagine The A-Team but instead of a band of wrongfully convicted US army commandos who become soldiers of fortune, it’s a group of dissatisfied baggage searchers and VAT investigators who have taken their ties off. Are you sold? Good! Because Legends is a six-part thriller by Neil Forsyth based on the true story of a group of ordinary men and women recruited from the rank and file of Her Majesty’s Customs in the early 90s, given three weeks’ training and sent undercover to infiltrate and bring down two massive drug cartels that were filling Britain’s streets with heroin and really pissing Mrs Thatcher – head of the party of law and order, don’t you know – off.

Steve Coogan – possibly in need of a spot of emotional relief after a career spent playing losers or Jimmy Savile-shaped villains – stars as former undercover police officer Don Clarke. He puts the team together for the home secretary (Alex Jennings – this is statutory) and HMC’s director of investigations Angus Blake (Douglas Hodge) despite neither of them seemingly offering any money or support for the project.

Michael Carrick has the light touch Manchester United need for next chapter | Jonathan Liew

Something of an obsessive with tidiness, the interim coach has beaten all the club’s closest rivals in his short time in charge

We’ll get on to the more pressing business of whether Michael Carrick deserves the full-time Manchester United job in a moment. There’s plenty to discuss: tactics and philosophy, character and comportment, the squad he inherited from Ruben Amorim and how United might strengthen it in the summer window. But first: I want you to imagine eating an entire dover sole with the bones left in, while under the gaze of the former England international Trevor Francis.

You’re in a fancy restaurant in Birmingham. You’re 18 years old, and have ordered the fish with potatoes on the assumption that it will essentially be a posh chippy supper. The sole arrives, the waiter asks whether you want it filleted, and because you don’t know what that means, you say no. Immediately you feel the painful prickles on your tongue, the unsatisfying gnash of skeletal marine matter between your teeth. Naturally, you don’t want to look rude or foolish in front of your new manager. So you put on a brave face, and keep chewing. Meanwhile, Trevor Francis keeps watching.

‘The three of us are the next’: Fabio Wardley on Dubois, Itauma and boxing’s heavyweight future

Briton, who defends his WBO title against Daniel Dubois, talks Fury-Joshua, doping and his punditry sideline

“The only expectation I have is that it will end in a knockout,” Fabio Wardley says cheerfully as he looks ahead to his dangerous first defence of the WBO world heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois in Manchester on Saturday night. “Don’t Blink” is the promotional tagline for a battle between two powerful yet vulnerable heavyweights and, for once, this is less boxing bluster than reasonable advice for anyone watching a fight which could be the most dramatic heavyweight contest this year.

Wardley and Dubois are devastating punchers who also often look at risk of losing. Dubois has been beaten three times in 25 fights while dispatching his other opponents with brutal efficiency. Two years ago, the unbeaten Wardley came close to defeat against Frazer Clarke in their first fight, which ended up being a draw after a damaging bloodbath for both men. He knocked out Clarke after two savage minutes in the rematch but then lost every round against Justis Huni before producing a chilling late stoppage of the skilful Australian last June.

You be the judge: should my flatmate stop using my details to sign up for free trials?

Ronnie is using Billy’s name to register for free streaming services and gyms, which Billy objects to. You get to preside over this trial
• Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a juror

Unlike the kettle or the wifi, my contact details aren’t for communal use. Plus it’s annoying

Imagine a technique that can heal Britain of division and keep out the hard right. I call it ‘radical listening’ | George Monbiot

In my constituency, volunteers chat with people in deprived areas – most of whom find they are to the left of their voting intentions. The results are exhilarating

Most people have made up their minds, and nothing you can say will change them: that’s the credo of parties such as Labour and the Democrats. Don’t challenge voters on the doorstep. Use focus groups to find out what they want, and give it to them. Follow, don’t lead. But all that’s on them, not us.

It’s true that conventional attempts at persuasion fail. A meta-analysis and original experiments by the political scientists Joshua Kalla and David Broockman found that “the best estimate of the effects of campaign contact and advertising” in US general elections “is zero”. But this says nothing about voters and everything about the useless approach of the parties trying to reach them.

George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist

Trump's counterterrorism strategy makes targeting drug cartels the top priority

President Trump has signed off on a new U.S. counterterrorism strategy that sets eliminating drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere as the administration's highest priority.

Solace House by Will Maclean review – immensely fun gothic horror with a psychedelic twist

A dead poet’s cluttered mansion is the setting for a heady brew of magic, mystery and mushrooms

“Man,” says one of Will Maclean’s characters on catching sight for the first time of the titular Solace House. “Gothic always tries too hard.” Here, perhaps, is a self-deprecating wink in a novel full of them – a novel that throws the (ancient, sinister, rusted taps coughing a disquieting red-brown liquid) kitchen sink at the problem of writing a good old-fashioned piece of gothic-flavoured weird fiction.

The present of the novel – though as things proceed and what David Tennant’s Doctor Who would call “timey-wimey” stuff starts to happen, the phrase gets harder to sustain – is the summer of 1993. Alex Lane stays on alone in his university’s hall of residence after the other students take off for the holidays. He’s broke. He’s lonely. He’s a bit freaked out by a sinister pale boy who seems to be the only other student left on campus. He can’t go home because of an unspecified family trauma involving what he alludes to only as The Last Day and The Annihilator. And now he’s receiving warnings that he’s about to be kicked out and charged for overstaying.

O, uncountable span I now surpass,
Incessant grey hours, turgid.
Noble opportunity wasted. Gone, alas!
In nullity endless deserted.

Major test for Labour as polls open in English, Scottish and Welsh elections

Local, mayoral and parliamentary contests could upend political landscape as Reform, Greens and Lib Dems surge

Polling has opened across England, Scotland and Wales in a series of local, mayoral and parliamentary contests – the biggest electoral test Keir Starmer and the Labour government have faced since the 2024 general election.

As millions of people across Great Britain go to the polls on Thursday, party leaders are poised for a set of results that could fundamentally change the political landscape nationally in Scotland and Wales, and across local authorities in England.

Twiggy, Bella Freud and more: Steven Meisel’s masterful London portraits – in pictures

The iconic fashion photographer has been crowned a master at this year’s Photo London – a rare exhibition of his stunning work in the capital proves why

Big cities receive more drizzle than their surrounding areas

New research suggests air pollution and high-rise buildings alter air flow and heat absorption, creating more rain

Houston receives an average of 12cm more rain a year than its surrounding rural hinterland. And Houston isn’t alone. As well as being urban heat islands, rainfall data shows that the world’s largest cities tend also to be “urban wet islands”. Now new research shows much of this extra rain falls as light drizzle and that the urban wet island effect has strengthened over the last two decades.

From air pollution to high-rise buildings and miles of roads, urban landscapes alter the air flow and heat absorption, creating their own warmer and wetter local climate. Mingze Ding, from the Ocean University of China in Qingdao, and colleagues studied satellite weather observations to understand whether extra urban rain tended to spread itself out over the year or arrive in a deluge.

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for spring chicken thighs with spring onions, mint and peas | A kitchen in Rome

Softly braised vegetables combine with crisp-skinned chicken thighs in this reliable, versatile dish

The weather lately has been as temperamental as peas in pods. But peas are even harder to read than the sky: some pods contain sweet things no bigger than peppercorns, which explode when you bite them; the contents of others, however, are closer to small ball bearings, their size very likely a sign that all the natural sucrose has been metabolised and transformed to pea starch. The best thing for the tiny ones is to snack on them alongside a bit of cheese, whereas the path for big ones is the same as for dried peas, so pea and ham soup or a long-simmered puree.

Prepared for all the above, I first checked that there were frozen peas in the freezer. It was a packet I used to take for granted until, aged 14 and having finished all the biscuits, crisps, cereal and milk, I decided that peas were a decent late-night desperation snack. Fortunately, there was a packet, because I needed a good portion of it to make up for the pea shortfall caused by the huge and tiny ones found in one kilo of pods.

Thursday news quiz: Stranded whales, stricken ships and very cute sea otters

Test yourself on topical news trivia, pop culture and general knowledge every Thursday. How will you fare?

Welcome to the Thursday news quiz, where it pays to listen carefully – although not necessarily to the extent of developing a question mark for an ear, as our illustration by Anaïs Mims may suggest. Have you been paying attention to the week’s events or just hearing half the story? Fifteen questions await on topical news, pop culture and general knowledge, generously sprinkled with some in-jokes. There are no prizes, but we always enjoy hearing how you got on in the comments. Allons-y!

The Thursday news quiz, No 246

It’s not just Big Oil. Wind giants welcome profit beats as Iran war spurs energy pivot

Norway's Equinor told CNBC that the company expects the Iran war to deliver a boost to its transition industries.

Country diary: Remembering a woman who gave so much to this village | Nicola Chester

Inkpen, Berkshire: There is far less birdsong now than in Lillian Watts’s day, but it is down to her that there is any at all

Lillian Watts’s bench has fallen into disrepair, so instead I sit on Arthur’s Seat on the common. Warmth rises from the heath, even on this chilly spring morning, and a lizard creates curvaceous lines under the dry, still-dormant heather.

It is both Lillian’s and my birthday, though she died in 1989, aged 93. I play a recording of her from 1975, from the village’s history society. Poet, potter, English teacher, naturalist and formidable campaigner, she, along with villagers such as Arthur Cooke (1898-1980), saved this place from development. Lillian’s voice is measured, soft and annunciated, with the clipped vowels of her time.

Rewilding giants: captive elephants rehomed in Europe’s first sanctuary

Julie, once a circus elephant, and Kariba, from a Belgian zoo, are to be moved to a former ranch in Portugal

Europe’s first large-scale elephant sanctuary, which is opening to offer a more natural environment for some of the 600 animals still held in captivity across the continent, is to receive its first arrivals.

Julie, Portugal’s last circus elephant, will be moved next month to the animal charity Pangea’s multimillion pound sanctuary in the Alentejo, 200km (124 miles) east of Lisbon, close to the border with Spain.

McDonald's is about to report earnings. Here's what to expect

Shares of McDonald's have fallen 10% over the last year, hurt by concerns about the broader economy.

UAE’s ruling royal family benefits from more than €71m in EU farming subsidies

Al Nahyans’ control over farmland in Europe has meant they receive proportion of payments to farms

The United Arab Emirates’ ruling royal family is benefiting from tens of millions in EU subsidies to grow crops destined for the Gulf, it can be revealed.

A cross-border investigation by DeSmog and shared with the Guardian found subsidiaries controlled by the Al Nahyans collected more than €71m (£61m) in six years for farmland it controls in Romania, Italy and Spain.

New Hungarian PM’s voters want action on climate and LGBTQ+ rights, poll finds

Exclusive: Voters remain split on issues critical to EU, such as support for Ukraine and dependence on Russian energy

More than three-quarters of Hungarians who voted for Péter Magyar in last month’s election want his government to do more to address the climate crisis, and more than 70% want him to protect LGBTQ+ rights, a poll has found.

Magyar’s opposition Tisza party won a supermajority in the vote, bringing an end to Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power. The new prime minister will be sworn in on Saturday, weeks after the results set off celebrations in Budapest and Brussels.

French professor accused of ‘gigantic hoax’ after inventing Nobel-style prize

Authorities investigate Florent Montaclair over award given to himself and others including Noam Chomsky

At a ceremony at the French national assembly attended by Nobel prize winners, former government ministers, MPs, decorated scientists and academics, all attention was on a previously unknown literature professor.

Florent Montaclair, then 46, a balding, bespectacled figure in an ill-fitting suit and rosé-coloured shirt, was receiving the 2016 Gold Medal of Philology - the study of linguistics – from an international society of the same name.

Do women need to exercise differently from men – and ease up on cardio after 40?

A lot of fitness advice is based on research into people who don’t have periods, give birth or go through menopause. How much of it should be modified – or even thrown out?

I can’t remember when I first became aware of the phrase: “Women are not small men.” But once I’d heard it, I started hearing it everywhere. Fitness types on social media kept alluding to it. Friends would talk excitedly about the new strain of female-specific exercise research, which was smashing the template we had all held dear for years. And the originator of the phrase, Dr Stacy Sims, was suddenly on every podcast you cared to name. A highly credentialed sports scientist with a huge social media following, she’s hard to avoid, if your algorithms skew vaguely towards self-optimisation content.

While her stance remains divisive in the sports science world, it has the kind of splashy, audacious quality that mainstream exercise advice does not. As a result, it has taken hold in a big way. You might say that Stacy Sims is to women’s exercise what Dr Chris van Tulleken is to ultra-processed foods: changing the conversation almost single-handedly while undaunted by any pushback.

5/6: CBS Evening News

Health officials work to contain deadly hantavirus outbreak on cruise; President Trump threatens Iran with more attacks if it doesn't agree to a deal.

Australian director Phillip Noyce shoots feature film for Saudi Arabia celebrating ‘heroism of security men in combating drugs’

Exclusive: Regime, which executed 243 people last year for drug offences, accused of investing in entertainment to whitewash its human rights record

The acclaimed Australian film-maker Phillip Noyce is being paid by the Saudi regime to make a feature film portraying the repressive state’s narcotics officers as heroes.

The Watchful Eyes, based on a real Saudi ministry of interior narcotics case, is billed as a dramatic depiction of the “heroism of security men in combating drugs”.

Argentina races to find origins of cruise ship hantavirus outbreak, amid reports some passengers have returned to US

Argentina, where the MV Hondius cruise departed, consistently ranked by WHO as having highest incidence of hantavirus in region

Officials and experts in Argentina are scrambling to determine if their country is the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has gripped an Atlantic cruise ship, amid reports that a number of passengers have already returned to their home countries.

Argentina, where the cruise to Antarctica departed, is consistently ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having the highest incidence of the rare, rodent-borne disease in Latin America. Investigators there are working to contact trace the source of contamination.

US says migration has made Europe an ‘incubator’ for terrorism in new counter-terrorism strategy

The 16-page report was led by Trump-ally Sebastian Gorka, and places drug cartels in the Americas at the centre of counter-terrorism efforts

The Trump administration has accused Europe of being an “incubator” for terrorism fuelled by mass migration, in a new counter-terrorism strategy unveiled on Wednesday.

The strategy also focuses on rooting out “violent left-wing extremists” including “radically pro-transgender” groups, as Trump’s conservative administration steps up its political attacks on opponents.

Alleged suicide note written by Jeffrey Epstein unsealed by federal judge

Epstein’s cellmate in New York City says he found note after convicted sexual offender attempted suicide in July 2019

A federal judge unsealed an alleged suicide note written by Jeffrey Epstein on Wednesday, the first time the document has been made public.

Epstein’s cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City, Nicholas Tartaglione, said he found the note after Epstein unsuccessfully attempted suicide in July 2019, weeks before he was eventually found dead in his jail cell.

In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org.

In the US, Rainn offers support for survivors of sexual abuse or assault on 800-656-4673. In the UK, the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, support is available at 1-800-RESPECT, or other places listed here.

Jeffrey Epstein's possible suicide note released by judge

A former cellmate has previously claimed that the note was written by Epstein after a failed suicide attempt less than a month before his death.

Ted Turner, media tycoon who founded CNN, dies at age 87

Ted Turner built a media empire that included cable channels CNN, TBS and TNT, and he owned the Atlanta Braves for 20 years.

Pope Leo gets hung up on by customer service

Not even Pope Leo, living one of the most exceptional lives on the planet, can avoid the frustrating dealings with customer service. Tony Dokoupil has the story.

What's the hantavirus risk to the public?

A deadly strain of hantavirus broke out aboard a cruise ship for the first time, with more than 150 people on board. With three deaths among eight confirmed cases so far, Dr. Céline Gounder discusses the wider risks.

Looking back on CNN founder Ted Turner's life

Ted Turner died on Wednesday. He turned a single tiny television station in Atlanta into an empire on cable, founding CNN, TBS and TNT. He was also a celebrity in his own right, married to movie star Jane Fonda. Lee Cowan looks back on his life.

Judge releases possible Jeffrey Epstein suicide note

A judge has released what is said to be a suicide note written by the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Justice Neil Gorsuch on whether the Supreme Court is more divided now

The U.S. Supreme Court is heading into its busiest time of the year with three dozen decisions expected by July. But with a new children's book out, Justice Neil Gorsuch made time for a rare interview with Jan Crawford.

Tame the water or let it flow? New Zealand grapples with how to protect its braided rivers

Intervention for farming and flood risk changes the unique systems as communities grapple with how to live alongside the vital waterways

When British settlers started building Christchurch city 170 years ago, they largely ignored the nearby Waimakariri River, which twists from the South Island’s alps towards the eastern shore.

But rain and glacial shifts compelled the braided river – a globally rare form of river with many woven channels – to take on a new shape, occasionally flooding land and depositing tonnes of shingle in its wake.

FBI searches office of Virginia lawmaker who helped lead redistricting effort

An FBI spokesperson said in a statement that an investigation is ongoing and there is no threat to public safety.

Judge denies Fulton County's request to return 2020 ballots seized by FBI

A federal judge in Georgia denied a motion by officials in Fulton County, Georgia, to return ballots and other materials from the 2020 election that were taken by the FBI earlier this year.

Republicans seek $1 billion in taxpayer dollars for Trump's ballroom

After having the East Wing of the White House torn down, President Trump said a ballroom would be entirely funded by private donations. But Republicans are now requesting about $1 billion in taxpayer money for heightened ballroom security.

Trump threatens Iran with more attacks if it doesn't agree to a deal

President Trump said his administration has had productive talks with Iran over the last 48 hours and that a deal could be within reach. He also posted on social media, threatening Iran with more attacks if it doesn't agree to a deal. Holly Williams reports.

What's next for those aboard hantavirus cruise ship?

Investigators are racing to control a deadly outbreak of hantavirus, the first ever recorded on a cruise ship. More than 140 people are still on board, including 17 Americans. Tom Hanson reports.

‘If you asked me to go and do it all again, I wouldn’t’: Jamie Vardy on his rollercoaster career

Striker reflects on the ultimate high with Leicester and the role of the self-titled ‘Inbetweeners’ in his success

“I was just a little freak in the works.” Jamie Vardy is reflecting on his career with the usual levels of self-deprecation and pondering whether anyone could possibly board the same rollercoaster. “It’s not the common way of doing things, is it? I don’t think it will probably happen again, but it did happen for me and it was hard work. It really was tough, but all worth it.”

Humour has always been a preferred Vardy tool for removing the sting from a serious point. He is speaking to mark a new documentary about his rise, which brought him from warehouse work making walking frames and crutches to scarcely credible levels of Premier League success.

Cryptic crossword No 30,000

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Kvaratskhelia is perfect attacking scalpel for PSG’s surgical brilliance. Arsenal, beware | Barney Ronay

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s trickery and imagination in Munich gave a reminder of the challenge facing Arsenal in the final

Well, it was never going to be quite the same. You only get one all-time high, one first kiss, one Catcher in the Rye, one loved-up alien-ball dreamscape of a game like the first leg between these two teams.

In the event Bayern Munich never really laid a glove on Paris Saint-Germain at the Allianz Arena. They trailed from the third minute to Ousmane Dembélé’s goal, drew level on the night through Harry Kane at the death, but looked in between like a team trying to generate energy from a standing start, always kept at one remove by the extended arm, the palm on their forehead, fists whirling in the empty air between.

Food manufacturer Cento is committing "tomato fraud," lawsuit alleges

In a new lawsuit, two California residents allege that Cento Fine Foods doesn't use real San Marzano tomatoes in one of its products.

Anthropic CEO says 80-fold growth in first quarter explains 'difficulties with compute'

At Anthropic's developer conference in San Francisco, CEO Dario Amodei said the company is 'working as quickly as possible' to provide additional compute.

Snap issues cautious guidance as Perplexity deal ends, Middle East 'geopolitical situation' causes uncertainty

Snap reported first-quarter earnings and provided cautious sales guidance while revealing it no longer has a deal with the generative AI startup Perplexity.

‘Now when I go to Bondi I think about dying’: words no Jewish mother should hear from her daughter | Alex Ryvchin

My friend Dina’s courageous testimony explains why this antisemitism royal commission is so deeply personal to Australian Jews

When my friend Dina gave evidence to the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion on Tuesday, she made a striking observation. A few weeks earlier, her youngest daughter burst into tears when the family were heading to Bondi Beach for dinner. When Dina asked her what was wrong, her daughter replied, “now when I go to Bondi I think about dying”. Dina realised, in that moment, that her daughter had every reason to think that. “They came to kill all of us, we just weren’t there,” Dina told commissioner Virginia Bell.

The only reason it wasn’t her daughter, or mine, on that day in December is because Dina and her family were with me at the bat mitzvah of a mutual family friend. When my friend and colleague rang me from the Bondi Beach Chanukah event to tell me he’d been shot in the back and thigh, Dina was standing with me. We had just spoken about how sad we were to be missing the Chanukah event, the first since the end of the Israel-Hamas war and the release of the Israeli hostages.

Uber pops 8% as company issues higher-than-expected bookings guidance

Uber said its net income took a $1.5 billion hit in the first quarter of 2026 due to the revaluation of the company's equity investments.

Fertiliser shortages will have ‘dramatic’ effect on global food prices, warns farming boss

Powerful property and farming firm Grosvenor Group says knock-on effect of Iran war could arrive next year

Fertiliser shortages caused by the Iran war have driven up costs for UK farmers by up to 70% and will have a “dramatic” impact on food prices globally next year, according to one of Britain’s most powerful property and farming companies.

Mark Preston, executive trustee of the 349-year-old Grosvenor Group, controlled by the Duke of Westminster, said fertiliser “was already quite expensive” before the 50% to 70% surge in prices since the start of the Iran war in late February.

Suspect arrested in Oklahoma party shooting that killed 1, injured 22

Police said they have arrested an 18-year-old in connection with a shooting Sunday during a party that left one woman dead and 22 other people injured.

‘Half the peloton is ill’: cowpats blamed as cyclists fall sick after race in Belgium

• Riders taken to hospital after Famenne Ardenne Classic

• Dung may have sprayed on to riders in wet conditions

Several cyclists, including riders due to start the Giro d’Italia on Friday, fell ill after a Belgian one-day race, with cow manure on the roads suspected to be the cause.

Three Lotto-Intermarché riders suffered from abdominal pain, diarrhoea, fever and vomiting, and were briefly taken to hospital, the team said from Bulgaria, where the Giro begins on Friday.

US fires on Iranian-flagged oil tanker as Trump gives Tehran fresh ultimatum

President tells Iran to accept deal to end war or face new wave of bombing at ‘much higher level and intensity’

The US military fired on an Iranian-flagged oil tanker on Wednesday, shortly after Donald Trump issued a fresh ultimatum to Tehran, telling it to accept a deal to end the war or face a new wave of US bombing “at a much higher level and intensity than it was before”.

The US fighter fired several rounds and “disabled the tanker’s rudder” as it attempted to breach the US’s blockade of Iranian ports, US Central Command said in a social media post.

5/6: The Takeout with Major Garrett

Trump says war with Iran has "a very good chance of ending"; Indiana GOP lawmakers who defied Trump on redistricting largely falter in primary races.

Kentucky Derby winner skipping Preakness Stakes, won't make Triple Crown run

The last time a horse won the Triple Crown was in 2018.

Manhunt on for retired special forces soldier accused of shooting wife

Authorities say Craig Berry, a retired special forces soldier, shot his wife and then fled into the woods in northern Tennessee.

Retired special forces soldier accused of shooting wife in Tennessee found dead

Craig Berry, 53, was found dead on Wednesday of an apparent gunshot wound, the Stewart County Sheriff's Office said.

Marco Rubio heads to the Vatican as 2028 presidential buzz ramps up

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is a frontrunner to succeed President Donald Trump in 2028, and Trump is sending him to meet with Pope Leo XIV.

Lutnick's testimony in Epstein probe earns harsh criticism from Democrats

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is being questioned Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Surging gas prices are hitting lower-income households harder, New York Fed study shows

Lower-income consumers are compensating for higher gas prices by buying less.

Epstein files: Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick questioned by House Oversight panel

Howard Lutnick admitted to a Senate committee in February that he and his family visited Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2012.

Cameo, speeches, pushing gold bullion: how Farage has made millions since becoming an MP

In less than two years in parliament, the Reform UK leader has brought in £2m on top of his Commons salary

• Nigel Farage’s income since being elected MP has hit £2m, analysis shows

“There’s no money in politics,” Nigel Farage complained almost a decade ago, describing himself as “53, separated and skint”.

He has since proved himself wrong. In less than two years in parliament, Farage has brought in £2m, including hospitality, through speeches, presenting, writing news articles, promoting gold bullion – and even recording modestly priced Cameo clips for his fans. It seems that every £70 video counts when it comes to making cash.

Influencer Clavicular faces charges in Florida tied to alligator shooting video

Video shows ‘looksmaxxing’ influencer shooting an apparently already dead alligator in the Everglades

A controversial social media influencer known as Clavicular is facing charges in connection with a live stream showing him shooting an apparently already dead alligator in the Everglades, local Florida media has reported.

Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Eric Peters and is known for the practice of “looksmaxxing”, faces charges of unlawfully discharging a firearm in a public place or residential property, according to legal files obtained by television station ABC6 in South Florida. The charges stem from his alleged actions in a 26 March live stream.

iPhone owners could get up to $95 from a new Apple settlement

A proposed $250 million settlement would compensate millions of consumers who bought the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Arsenal no longer fear falling short and now have clear sight of immortality | David Hytner

In the space of a week the mood has changed, with positive energy replacing suffering, and two trophies are suddenly within reach

It was a soundbite designed to go viral, the kind the ex-pros in the TV studios are always looking to confect; snappy, heavy on hyperbole, bang in the moment. Thierry Henry made it pop on Tuesday night as he interviewed Bukayo Saka on CBS Sports after Arsenal had beaten Atlético Madrid to advance to the Champions League final. “We were the Invincibles. You will be the Unforgettables,” Henry said.

There it was, as laid out by one of the greats, the goalscoring hero of Arsenal’s unbeaten bolt to the 2004 Premier League title, the last one they won.

Gas prices top $4.50 a gallon, reaching highest level since July 2022

Gas prices are now 52% higher than prior to the Iran war, with drivers paying $1.56 more per gallon, data shows.

New York real estate titan likens the phrase ‘tax the rich’ to racial slurs

Steve Roth was responding to the announcement by New York’s mayor of tax on second homes worth more than $5m

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The phrase “tax the rich” can be “just as hateful as some disgusting racial slurs”, according to the New York City billionaire Steve Roth, who said that the top 1% should be “praised and thanked”.

Speaking on his company’s quarterly earnings call on Tuesday, Roth, the CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, expressed his support for fellow billionaire and the CEO of Citadel, Ken Griffin, who was singled out in the 15 April announcement by New York’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, of the state’s first “pied-à-terre” tax on second homes valued at more than $5m. In a video, Mamdani announced the policy in front of Griffin’s penthouse, which he said was purchased for $238m.

The Guardian view on Britain’s multiparty politics: the Westminster voting system needs to catch up | Editorial

Local and devolved elections will reveal fragmented party allegiances that cannot be fairly represented in parliament via first past the post

Some results in local council and devolved elections this week can be forecast with confidence, but none with precision. Labour will have a torrid time everywhere. Reform UK will probably do well, continuing the trend of recent years. The Greens will surge in parts of London. Plaid Cymru will enjoy a breakthrough in Wales. Those trends could produce a wide spectrum of outcomes in terms of seats on councils and in the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. Much depends on the way that tight races involving many parties are filtered through different electoral systems.

The first-past-the-post model used to elect local authorities in England is ill-suited to multiparty politics. It was already flawed in the era when political competition was defined by the rivalry between Labour and the Conservatives. Smaller parties were locked out. Too many voters felt their ballots counted for nothing in safe seats.

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.

Ben Jennings on Donald Trump and ‘Project Freedom’ – cartoon

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Billie Eilish says she does ‘everything I can’ to suppress Tourette syndrome tics

US singer-songwriter talks about huge effort of controlling her behaviour, in interview with Amy Poehler

Billie Eilish has said she is “doing everything I can” to suppress her Tourette syndrome.

The singer-songwriter, who was 11 when she was diagnosed with TS, told of how frustrating it can be when others do not understand the condition.

CVS blows past estimates, hikes outlook as insurance business outperforms 

All of the healthcare giant's business segments, including its insurer Aetna, its retail pharmacy and health services unit, surpassed expectations.

Yankees legend Mariano Rivera says he supports an MLB salary cap

Former New York Yankee Mariano Rivera says he supports MLB salary cap as long as small-market teams are also spending.

Feds charge man who allegedly shot at Secret Service agent on National Mall

The Justice Department charged a Texas man who allegedly fired his gun toward a Secret Service agent and wounded a bystander on the National Mall.

Scottish mum stuck abroad after baby falls foul of UK dual nationality rules

Sarah Schloegl was unable to board flight home from Spain as 11-month-old lacked documents needed under new rules

A British woman from Aberdeen has been stranded abroad after her 11-month-old baby was prevented from boarding a flight because of new rules regarding dual nationals.

Sarah Schloegl was unable to board a Ryanair flight from Alicante last week after she went to Spain for a short break with her Austrian husband, Philipp, their three-year-old daughter and 11-month-old baby.

Mortal Kombat II review – junky game-to-movie sequel offers more of the same

A follow-up to 2021’s gory big-screen adaptation of the much-played fighting game might finally show us the tournament but it’s all far too unexciting

A sequel to 2021’s gory, garish big-screen transfer of Mortal Kombat was an inevitability not just because of how the industry typically works and not just because video game IP is arguably hotter than ever right now but because of something far more crucial. While the film – the second attempt to bring the game to the big screen after a dodgy Christopher Lambert-led 1995 version - was a predictable string of fight scenes pieced together with what could generously be described as a plot, it pulled a major, and to some rather shocking, punch. For all of the fight scenes it did show, it stopped short of showing us those one would naturally expect, denying us an actual Mortal Kombat tournament.

It was all laboured scene-setting, one reason why it didn’t connect with many critics and fans, other than it also not being very good, another little problem. The film was part of Warner’s Christopher Nolan-alienating Covid year, when its slate was launched on both the big screen and HBO Max simultaneously, and while it did so-so theatrical numbers, it was the platform’s most-streamed movie of the year, beating out grander titles such as Dune. The sequel is receiving a splashier rollout but its predecessor’s outsized small-screen success wasn’t just a sign of that particular strange time but also where fans might best enjoy these films, on TV late at night, expectations that much lower. Treated like a premium format blockbuster does not do a film like Mortal Kombat II any favours, its junkiness less charming and more distracting, a street fighter suddenly forced to go pay-per-view. While this one might actually be true to its title – there is a Mortal Kombat in Mortal Kombat II - there’s still nowhere near enough here to warrant an Imax screen.

Pussy Riot protest at Venice Biennale forces Russian pavilion to briefly close

Demonstrators, angered by Russia’s inclusion at arts festival, shouted ‘Curated by Putin, dead bodies included’

The Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale was forced temporarily to shut its doors on the second day of the preview after the activist group Pussy Riot staged a chaotic protest against the country’s inclusion in the art festival.

Wearing pink balaclavas, the protesters ran towards the Russian pavilion where they gathered outside and lit pink, blue and yellow flares while playing punk music and shouting slogans, including “Blood is Russia’s Art”.

Trainline says Middle East tensions hitting European rail bookings

Profits jump to £122m at ticketing retailer but it expects flat or declining revenues over the coming year

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Trainline has said the US standoff with Iran is hitting its revenues, with rail ticket sales to foreign visitors to Europe affected.

The UK-based international ticketing agent said it expected revenues to stay flat or decline over the coming year, citing “the effects of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East on inbound air traffic into Europe”.

Raducanu’s road leads from Rome to a French Open fitness race and questions beyond

Late withdrawal from Italian Open casts significant doubt over player’s chances of competing at Roland Garros

In the end Emma Raducanu was one of the first in and out the grandiose gates of the Foro Italico this year. She had arrived in Rome early, eager to test her health and readiness for top-level competition through a series of training sessions on the heavy red clay courts of the Italian Open. As the hours on court piled up, and her planned opening match on Thursday drew closer, it seemed reasonable to conclude that she would make her first appearance in two months. Instead, her absence from the courts will extend to more than two months.

Things are rarely straightforward with Raducanu, demonstrated by the nature of her withdrawal in Rome, which occurred just 30 minutes after she gave little indication of her intention during a press conference. The past few months, as usual, have come with ample speculation about Raducanu’s health, meaning her appearance in Rome was at least an opportunity for her to provide clarity on her recent struggles. Somehow, the manner of her exit only generated further questions.

From ‘it helped me stick to a routine’ to ‘I despise it’: 11 people explain how they’re using AI for fitness

While some are using AI to tailor programs better suited to their needs, others warn ‘it can be wrong, confidently so’

People have mixed feelings about AI. While many people regularly use it – 62% in the US and 69% in the UK – trust in the technology is low. In the US, only 26% of people have a positive view of AI, according to one NBC poll, and in the UK, 78% say they worry about negative outcomes from AI.

So it is perhaps no surprise that readers’ responses to our callout about AI and fitness were varied. Some said they rely on AI to shape their workouts and diets while others said they refuse to use it at all because of its impact on the economy and the environment. And many were somewhere in between – they found it a useful tool, but were less than thrilled about the technology’s impact overall.

Album cover fails! A misspelled Melanie C – and other mistakes that caused a stir

The former Spice Girl released new music this week, and fans were quick to point out an unfortunate typo. It’s certainly not the first time it’s happened

Name: Melanie C, christened Melanie Chisholm, who is also known as Mel C and Sporty Spice …

Age: She’s 52.

Restaurant Brands International earnings top estimates, fueled by Burger King turnaround

Restaurant Brands International reported quarterly earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street's estimates.

Norwegian government attacked over decision to reopen North Sea gasfields

Approval for exploration in 70 new areas prompts fierce backlash from fossil fuel opponents

The Norwegian government has been heavily criticised for approving plans to reopen three North Sea gasfields nearly three decades after they were closed to help fill the gap in energy supplies created by the Middle East war.

Amid sharp price rises in oil and gas since the US and Israel’s attack on Iran in February, Oslo has also given its approval for oil and gas companies to explore in 70 new locations in the North Sea, Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea.

FDA withdrew studies finding Covid and shingles vaccines were safe 

The studies were "withdrawn because the authors drew broad conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data," the spokesperson told CNBC. 

The best filing system? The one where every piece of paper goes in the bin | Adrian Chiles

Over the years, I’ve tried many ways of keeping track of my paperwork – each one worse than the last. Drastic action is called for

How I hate paperwork. Forms to fill, bills to pay, statements to file, receipts to keep, documents documenting things, proving things, explaining things. Keep them all. Up the pile rises, higher and higher, until this tower of fear and confusion can no longer support itself. Down it comes, collapsing under the weight of all the misery, the wretched sheets fanning out across the floor like the most dispiriting hand of cards ever dealt.

It’s at this stage I wish I was more like a friend I had who ran a department in a private school. It was one of those crammer places, where you go to retake the exams your original private school couldn’t get you through. At the end of each term he’d cast a baleful eye over the calamity of his desk, find himself a bin bag, and sweep into it every last bit of paper. Nothing would be spared – every letter, opened or unopened, along with any sweet wrappers, fragments of rolling tobacco and heaven knows what else. Off to landfill it went while off on holiday this dissolute character would go. And back to a lovely clear desk he’d return next term.

Ken Griffin: Citadel expanding in Miami in response to NYC mayor Mamdani's 'poor taste' tax video

Mamdani's office said in response to Griffin, "our tax system is fundamentally broken. It rewards extreme wealth while working people are pushed to the brink."

Shostakovich’s First at 100 – how prodigious genius sounded before Stalin set about silencing it

The composer himself never matched the joy, optimism and boldness of his first teenage symphony, as the chill of Stalinism settled on his music

This week we mark two extraordinary centenaries. Sir David Attenborough’s, of course, but only four days after the birth of the bona fide national treasure, Dmitri Shostakovich’s First Symphony also first saw the light of day – premiered in Leningrad on 12 May 1926. The 19-year-old’s composition was played by the Leningrad Philharmonic, conducted by Nicolai Malko.

The symphony’s four-movement structure is just about the only conventional feature it has. The teenage Shostakovich had imbibed all the lessons he could about what orchestral music should sound like and how it should behave, and was bold enough to subvert all those ideas and send them up. There is no forelock-tugging to earlier generations of Russian symphonists and orchestral pioneers; instead, Shostakovich’s First resounds with a self-confidence that’s both optimistic and deliciously sardonic.