Trump skipping wedding of son Donald Jr. to Bettina Anderson

Donald Trump Jr. was previously married to Vanessa Trump, with whom he has five children. She disclosed she had breast cancer this week.

Trump administration to require most green card applicants to leave U.S. first

The Trump administration on Friday announced a sweeping policy designed to make it harder for immigrants already in the U.S. to get permanent residency.

House lawmakers launch insider trading probe into Kalshi and Polymarket

Rep. James Comer is requesting information from Kalshi and Polymarket on how the prediction markets guard against insider trading.

Tulsi Gabbard resigns as national intelligence director, with Trump naming Aaron Lukas as acting DNI chief – US politics live

Gabbard says she is resigning after her husband was diagnosed with rare form of bone cancer; US president announces replacement on Truth Social

• US intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard leaving post after rocky tenure

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“There’s broad recognition there are going to be eventually less US troops in Europe than historically,” Rubio says

Rubio said he didn’t set the timeline for reducing the number of US troops in Europe, but “it has been an ongoing process that started from the first day of this administration.”

Reddit stock drops 6% after Meta launches standalone app for online forums

Reddit shares fell after Meta released a standalone app for Facebook Groups called Forum.

The Birthday Party review – grimly compulsive unhappy occasion in deepest France

Cannes film festival: This could be better paced but the crisis which descends on an up-against-it dairy farm is delivered by some very memorable goons

There’s nothing like a home-invasion suspense thriller to provide a change of pace in the Cannes competition, and Léa Mysius’s film – adapted from the French bestseller Histoires de la Nuit by Laurent Mauvignier – isn’t at all bad, although it runs out of narrative steam in the third act and one particular shock-twist appears to unshock and untwist itself. Yet the film certainly delivers some sinister rural strangeness in the France profonde countryside and some gonzo shootouts; plus there is a ripe turn from Benoît Magimel, who with every film seems to morph further into a cross between Gérard Depardieu and Christopher Walken.

In a very remote bucolic village, Thomas (Bastien Bouillon) is a hardworking dairy farmer who took over the family smallholding after his father killed himself. After a whirlwind romance, he married Nora (Hafsia Herzi), a rather glamorous city-slicker of a woman who just showed up in the neighbourhood; they have a daughter, Ida who has recently irritated Nora by posting a wacky video of the three of them doing a goofy “family dance”, which has gone viral. The family gets on very well with an elegant artist who lives alone next door, played by Monica Bellucci on pretty stately form. Thomas has clearly got money worries; we see him on the phone trying to borrow cash from someone who has reluctantly helped him out before, as he needs €300 to pay for Nora’s approaching 40th birthday party. On the day itself, three sinister tough guys show up in the house, played by Magimel, Paul Hamy and Alane Delhaye. We might think we know who they’ve come to see and why – but things are a little more complicated than that.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

The Ebola outbreak, Israeli strikes in Gaza, Putin in Beijing and Arsenal win the Premier League – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists

Oversight Chairman Comer launches congressional probe into insider trading on Kalshi, Polymarket

Congress is ramping up pressure on prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket over concerns of insider trading.

Gabbard resigns as national intelligence director citing husband's cancer diagnosis

Gabbard is the latest in a series of Cabinet officials to leave the Trump administration.

Kevin Warsh's real Fed 'regime change' may happen deep inside Wall Street's plumbing

Warsh could guide to a smaller role in day-to-day markets, while also setting clearer rules for how and when it should intervene.

Mahmoud Khalil’s attorneys to turn to US supreme court after ruling paves way for deportation

Move comes after federal appeals court upholds ruling that opens door for government to detain and deport Khalil

Attorneys for Mahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia University student who last year became the face of the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestine speech, will ask the US supreme court to intervene after a federal appeals court opened the door for the government to once again detain and ultimately deport him.

On Friday, the third circuit court of appeals upheld a January ruling by a three-judge panel, which had reversed a lower-court decision ordering Khalil’s release on bail last June. The ruling marks the latest chapter in Khalil’s months-long challenge of the government’s campaign against him. The appeals court’s decision marks a significant setback for him, but his lawyers insist he cannot be deported – for now.

Tulsi Gabbard resigning as intel chief, citing husband's cancer diagnosis

Tulsi Gabbard is resigning as the director of national intelligence after her husband was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.

Trump defends DOJ fund after Senate Republicans push back

President Trump droppped his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS in exchange for the DOJ creating a $1.8 billion fund to compensate alleged "lawfare" victims.

Trump won't attend son Don Jr.'s wedding, citing responsibilities in D.C.

"I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time," President Trump said.

Tuchel had to ‘clear the air’ with Ivan Toney before World Cup wildcard choice

• Tuchel unhappy at Toney’s commitment in 2025

• Head coach justifies not including Phil Foden

Thomas Tuchel made Ivan Toney the wildcard selection of his World Cup squad after holding clear-the-air talks with him over his attitude. The England head coach also considered how Harry Kane likes to play alongside Toney before making the Al-Ahli striker the most eye-catching inclusion of his 26-man party for the tournament.

Tuchel’s squad announcement at Wembley was dominated as ever by the players he overlooked – chiefly Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Harry Maguire. Tuchel said Palmer had “just failed” to produce consistently this season, while he admitted he no longer knew Foden’s best position.

Dominant Mercedes aim to strike a fresh technical blow at Canadian Grand Prix

Upgrades for the grid’s leading team will be unveiled in Montreal, where wet weather could also play a part

Four races into what has been a disjointed opening to the Formula One season, the sport is still in a period of rapid adaptation and adjustment as drivers and teams come to grips with their new cars. While this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix may offer some indication of the form to come and championship ambitions, it is also something of an outlier.

The focus in Montreal will be of two-fold interest centred largely on Mercedes. The team have opened the new season with a dominant car that has claimed all four poles and all four wins. Yet with the new regulations offering enormous scope for improvement, a fierce development fight will define 2026. McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari all brought their first major upgrades to the last round in Miami; Mercedes bring their opening salvo of major parts to Quebec.

Britney Spears argued with police during DUI arrest, footage shows

Pop star Britney Spears said she was "totally fine" to drive and had not had a drink for about six hours when she was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol.

Community cafe demands apology from Farage for ‘intimidating’ uninvited visit

Reform UK Makerfield team reportedly arrived as cafe run by people with special needs was holding celebration event

The founder of a community group has asked Nigel Farage to apologise after the Reform UK leader and his entourage entered its cafe unannounced in what she said was an “intimidating and overwhelming” manner, and allegedly took photographs and videos without permission.

Farage was campaigning in Makerfield when he and his team stopped at a cafe run by the Hamlet Wigan CIC for a cup of tea and to use the toilets. The cafe supports young adult trainees with additional needs.

‘As world No 1, I have to stand up and fight’: Sabalenka leads players in grand slam protest

• Year-long dispute led to French Open media protest

• Novak Djokovic chose not to participate in walkout

Aryna Sabalenka insisted the player push for a greater financial contribution from the grand slams is primarily focused on improving the welfare of lower-ranked players as the world’s elite advanced with their eve-of-tournament protest at Roland Garros.

“I feel like the whole point here, it’s not about me,” Sabalenka said. “It’s about the players who are lower in the ranking, who are suffering. It’s not easy to live in this tennis world with that percentage that we are earning.

Kevin Warsh sworn in as Fed chair as Trump faces backlash over economy

Former Wall Street banker takes over amid growing concern over cost of living – and disapproval of Trump’s agenda

• US politics live – latest updates

Kevin Warsh has been sworn in as chair of the US Federal Reserve, tasked with steering the world’s largest economy as the Trump administration faces mounting pressure over Americans’ financial wellbeing.

Warsh, handpicked by Donald Trump, takes charge of the powerful central bank as it comes under extraordinary pressure from the US president to cut interest rates, even as prices climb.

UK pitched single market for goods with EU in pursuit of deeper trade ties

Exclusive: Top British official presented idea in Brussels but sources say it was rebuffed

The UK government pitched the creation of a single market for goods with the EU as the cornerstone of an ambitious attempt to reintegrate British trade back into Europe, the Guardian can reveal.

During recent visits to Brussels, the Cabinet Office’s top official on EU relations, Michael Ellam, presented the idea to deepen the UK’s economic relationship with the bloc.

Pentagon releases more UFO files: "Speechless after these observations"

The Pentagon on Friday released a new batch of 64 files related to UFOs, unveiling a second tranche of records under an executive order by President Trump.

PM says Alberta ‘essential’ to Canada as separatists push for independence

Alberta premier calls for referendum on secession after judge ruled initiative to force binding vote invalid

The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has said that Alberta is “essential” to the country’s future, hours after the province’s leader moved the oil-rich region closer toward a referendum on independence.

Separatists in the western province spent months collecting signatures seeking to trigger a binding October vote on seceding from the nation.

Kevin Warsh sworn in as Fed chair as Trump seeks interest rate cuts

Despite President Donald Trump's demands for lower interest rates, markets are betting the Fed will stay on hold through most, if not all, of 2026.

Marco Rubio: Trump ‘disappointment’ with Nato will be discussed at summit

Secretary of state suggests July meeting of alliance will be fraught as US demands help in strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump is disappointed that Nato allies refused to become more actively involved in attacking Iran, the US secretary of state has said, setting up what could become a fraught summit of the alliance in July.

Marco Rubio, meeting with foreign ministers of the military alliance, emphasised that he expected the rift would be discussed at the July meeting in Ankara, making the summit “one of the more important” in Nato’s 77-year history.

Kevin Warsh sworn in as new Fed chair, replacing Powell

Kevin Warsh has vowed to preserve the Fed's independence over monetary policy, telling lawmakers he will never "predetermine" interest rates at the president's request.

Giro d’Italia: family affair inspires Alberto Bettiol to solo triumph in Verbania

• Home rider drops Leknessund before surging to win

• Bettiol: ‘I knew every single corner in the last 50km’

The Italian cyclist Alberto Bettiol attacked at the top of the final climb to ride solo to victory on stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia in Verbania on Friday, five years after his last stage win.

Bettiol, who also soloed to win a stage in 2021, caught Andreas Leknessund as they reached the Ungiasca summit and left the Norwegian in his wake before powering away on the descent to the shore of Lake Maggiore. The Italian took a quick glance over his shoulder before raising his arms long before the line in celebration, and his girlfriend, Lisa Finetti, was there to hug him after the finish.

Trump, who claimed he "wasn't involved" in $1.7B fund, now says he allowed it

President Trump on Friday defended the Justice Department's $1.7 billion "anti-weaponization" fund and said he "gave up a lot of money" by allowing its creation.

This factor may determine whether you get rich. You don't control it.

Landing a good-paying job may not be enough to buy a home. A new study finds family wealth plays an outsized role in who becomes a homeowner.

What does sex mean to you? I’m a sex educator – here’s why I don’t define it at all

There is no universal definition of sex – and questioning what ‘counts’ can open the door to more fulfilling intimacy

I’m a sex educator. At the beginning of each of my classes, I ask a seemingly simple question: “What is sex?”

Some people might think it’s my job to answer that question. I do give accurate and inclusive information about sexual health, relationships and identity. But I don’t tell you what to do with that information or what value to assign that information.

Qatar sends mediators to Tehran in sign talks to reopen strait of Hormuz are reaching climax

Iran has threatened to impose tolls on shipping, while US demands that Iran hand over its highly enriched uranium may be deferred. Is there an end in sight?

Qatar has rushed a team of mediators to Tehran in a sign that talks to open the strait of Hormuz, in return for the lifting of US sanctions and asset freezes, are reaching a climax.

The aim would be to sign a memorandum of understanding on the strait that would lead to 30 days of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme – so deferring discussion of the US demand that Iran hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

This week on "Sunday Morning" (May 24)

A look at the features for this week's broadcast of the Emmy-winning program, hosted by Lee Cowan.

Pentagon releases second batch of UFO videos and first-hand testimony

Videos in this batch show unidentified aerial phenomena but offer few clues to existence of alien life

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The Pentagon on Friday released a second tranche of videos and documents of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) – or UFOs – answering few questions about the existence of alien life but fueling what has quickly become a ratings winner for the White House.

The first reveal earlier this month of 162 files of previously secret or rarely seen accounts of UAP sightings received more than a billion hits on the government website set up to house them, according to a press release from the war department, the Trump administration’s preferred term for the Department of Defense.

Suspected Ebola cases triple in a week as WHO warns of rapid spread in DRC

Situation described as ‘deeply worrisome’ by officials as aid cuts and community distrust impede responders

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo poses a “very high” risk to the country, the World Health Organization said on Friday, revising its threat assessment upwards.

The outbreak is spreading rapidly, WHO leaders said, with almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, up from 246 cases and 65 deaths when it was first reported a week earlier.

The Dreamed Adventure review – beautiful but opaque Bulgarian tale of digging up the past

Cannes film festival: Valeska Grisebach’s complex drama tracks an archaeologist whose mountain dig is interrupted by an old friend with rather dirtier hands

The digging up of the past – and the hiding of secrets in the present – are the themes of Valeska Grisebach’s complex, subtle, opaque new drama which seems to withhold some of its narrative meaning from the audience, moment-by-moment. It is set, like her previous film Western, in Bulgaria’s remote and beautiful mountainous country, where memories of the Balkan wars (and the communist era before that) are still fresh and where there is money to be made and resources to be exploited for those who are ruthless enough.

As with Western, Grisebach uses nonprofessionals for many very likable supper-and-drinking-and-reminiscing scenes with people gathered round tables shooting the breeze, scenes that don’t need a particular reason to exist, other than their easy, garrulous energy. And as before, Grisebach shows an interesting reluctance to conform to conventional narrative templates – though while this film actually does conform to Chekhov’s ancient rule about what happens to the gun produced in act one (well, act two in this case), the denouement isn’t the usual arthouse flourish of violence. I felt however that in the course of this film, Grisebach was feeling and improvising her way through all this ambient detail towards a meaning that she (and we) didn’t really reach.

Chinese fast-fashion company Shein to buy eco-friendly retailer Everlane

Everlane CEO confirms sale in letter to employees and says it will stay true to ‘sustainability’ commitments

Everlane, the retailer that bucked the fast-fashion industry by promising affordable ethically sourced and sustainable clothing, is being acquired by the king of fast fashion, China’s Shein.

A letter to Everlane employees from CEO Alfred Chang confirming the deal was obtained by the Associated Press on Friday.

Microsoft’s GitHub was positioned to win the AI coding race. Outages got in the way

GitHub's user base has swelled under Microsoft's ownership, but the software repository has fallen behind newer rivals in the world of vibe coding.

Shein buys Everlane, which sold millennials the dream of ethical, affordable luxury

Everlane's finances have faltered in recent years. But will the merger alienate Everlane's existing shoppers — or sway droves of Shein fans to trade up?

Gaza flotilla activists allege sexual assault and rape in Israeli detention

Israeli prison service denies claims of abuse during detention of 430 people trying to take aid to Palestinians

Activists released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to take aid to Gaza were subjected to abuse, organisers have alleged, with several hospitalised with injuries and at least 15 reporting sexual assaults, including rape.

Israel’s prison service denied the allegations, and Reuters was not able to verify them independently.

Nobody better represents Israeli politics today than Itamar Ben-Gvir | Ben Reiff

He may be the most brazen of the nation’s leaders, but his ideological spirit is found throughout its government, and beyond

No, you’re not hallucinating: western governments really are condemning Israel, one-by-one, without equivocation. Not because of the ongoing genocide in Gaza that has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, of course, but because of a PR stunt in which Israel’s national security minister filmed himself taunting foreign activists.

On Wednesday morning, Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived at the port where Israel had detained hundreds of participants in an international aid flotilla that was attempting to breach the naval blockade of Gaza. In a video he posted to social media, the minister can be seen mocking the activists as they are forced to kneel in rows with their heads on the ground and hands bound with zip ties. Israel’s national anthem can be heard blasting over loudspeakers, before we see Ben-Gvir waving an Israeli flag and shouting: “Welcome to Israel. We are the landlords here.”

Ben Reiff is deputy editor at +972 magazine, an independent, online publication run by Palestinian and Israeli journalists

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.

Leinster desperate to tear up Bordeaux’s script in Champions Cup final cauldron

With temperatures in the mid-30s expected, Leo Cullen’s side will need to be at their best to avoid another sad denouement to a French drama

There was a very different feel when Leinster last came to Bilbao for a Champions Cup final. In 2018 it was wet, grey and could have passed for Ballsbridge in March. Not so this time with temperatures in the mid-30s and another baking afternoon in store for their rendezvous with the warm – in every sense – favourites, Bordeaux-Bègles.

When Leinster’s fair-skinned head coach, Leo Cullen, walked out for the captain’s run it was reminiscent of a David Attenborough documentary featuring a lone polar bear on a fast-melting iceberg. There will be no hiding place for heavy tight forwards, a factor exacerbated by the game kicking off in mid-afternoon. Apparently, an evening slot was impossible for French TV because of a clash with – wait for it – the closing ceremony of the Cannes film festival.

De Zerbi defends absent Spurs captain Romero after Hoddle’s ‘selfishness’ jibe

• Tottenham’s injured captain has gone back to Argentina

• Spurs face Everton needing a point for safety on final day

Roberto De Zerbi has defended Cristian Romero’s decision to miss Tottenham’s decisive final game against Everton on Sunday after the Spurs captain flew to Argentina to watch his boyhood club.

Romero, who has not played since injuring a knee against Sunderland last month but has a chance of playing at the World Cup, has been criticised for opting to attend Belgrano’s game against River Plate in a league playoff final. But De Zerbi said Romero’s trip had been sanctioned by Tottenham’s medical department and pointed out that the 28-year-old cannot affect the result at home to Everton regardless.

What’s at steak: myths about masculinity and meat eating pose a challenge for the climate crisis

Being a carnivore is often seen as an expression of manhood, but the need has never been greater for men to cut down their intake

• Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint

• Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at [email protected]

Eating too much of it risks chronic disease, growing it contributes about an eighth of human-made climate pollution, and there is evidence linking it to certain cancers.

But there’s no denying meat – especially red and processed meat – remains a firm fixture on dinner plates. This is especially the case for blokes, posing a masculine challenge to the climate crisis.

‘Maybe the suffering is the point’: what does it take to run 163km up and down a mountain?

Guardian Australia joins ultrarunner Joanne Walker in an excruciating race through the Blue Mountains, where men outnumber women four to one

Somewhere before the finish line the body starts to break down, Joanne Walker says.

“The pain starts in your feet but before long it moves up to your knees and eventually you feel like you just can’t move your legs any more.”

After 30 hours with no sleep, running alone through the cold darkness of the Megalong Valley, the brain can break as well.

“At one point, I did not even know where I was going; I was swerving all over the shop,” she says.

Keeping my dead wife’s books safe for our son helped me let go of guilt | Ben O'Mara

Reading with him, I am reminded of the world of words his mother and I shared. I no longer feel so overwhelmed

As I removed my dead wife’s favourite novels from the bookshelf, a photo of her fell to the ground and a wave of guilt swamped me.

The photo was of my wife with her sister in the 1980s. They were toddlers. My wife’s eyes, wide and bright, and her hair, blond and shaggy, looked just like our four-year-old son. But I felt no joy in seeing her beauty and genes passed on. I felt as though I was suddenly drowning.

‘Venice is beautiful, but inside there is a struggle’: Bangladeshi candidates eye historic breakthrough

Seven Bangladeshi-Italian candidates stand for Venice’s council as community faces far-right hostility – while voters demand an end to overtourism and neglect

Rhitu Miah, one of seven candidates from the Bangladeshi-Italian community standing in Venice’s local election, is used to brushing off racist or sexist comments. But she was taken aback by the virulence of the negative comments online when she announced she would run for the council – potentially making her one of the first people of Bangladeshi origin ever elected in the lagoon city’s administration.

“There were hateful messages – one person told me to get on a camel and go back to my own country,” says Miah, an Italian citizen who moved to Venice with her family at three years old, through her father’s job at the Fincantieri shipyard, a huge importer of labour from Bangladesh. “I tried to let it be and reply with a smile … but it was difficult not to cry. This is also a reason why I’m running [to combat these prejudices].”

‘I’m not trying to replace him’: meet the media mogul taking over Stephen Colbert’s time slot on CBS

Byron Allen’s show Comics Unleashed will take the 11.35pm time slot vacated by the cancellation of The Late Show

Viewers accustomed to watching The Late Show With Stephen Colbert at its typical 11.35pm time slot will be greeted with a different show starting on Friday: Comics Unleashed, hosted by Byron Allen.

While it’s standard for networks to pay a host like Allen, 65, his deal with CBS is a little different. He will be paying the network for Colbert’s old time slot through a 16-month-long lease agreement while selling advertising for the show himself.

‘This is his legacy’: Marco Rubio nears goal of toppling Cuba’s government

US secretary of state’s campaign of ‘maximum pressure’ is culmination of a personal pursuit spanning decades

• Cubans outraged at US charges against Raúl Castro

Marco Rubio’s moment has finally arrived. The outcome of the Trump administration’s efforts to exert “maximum pressure” on Cuba may topple the 67-year-old communist government in Havana and direct the future of the US’s sway over the western hemisphere.

For Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who serves as both secretary of state and national security adviser, the US campaign marks his ascendancy in an administration where he has established himself as a trusted aide to Donald Trump and manoeuvred that position to advance a key goal: Washington’s right to assert its authority across Latin America.

Drive slower, go electric, don't drive at all? The best options for saving gas

The national average for a gallon of gasoline is $4.55, as America heads into one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. What can you do to cut your costs?

New miniseries highlights bond between dogs and their owners

The Oprah Podcast and The Farmer's Dog partnered for a new miniseries, "Life is Better with Dogs," which highlights the bond between dogs and their owners. The Farmer's Dog co-founder and CEO, Jonathan Regev, shares more and discusses how his dog, Buddy, has impacted his life. (Sponsored by The Farmer's Dog)

Workday jumps 5% as it bumps up margin forecast on AI strength

Workday's CEO says the company is seeing success in artificial intelligence.

Screentime swaps: how to quit doomscrolling without quitting your phone

Addicted to your devices? According to experts, not all screen time is created equal. Here are some healthier ways to spend time online

The average UK adult spends around 7.5 hours a day on a screen, whether that’s a phone, laptop, games console or TV. That figure may even be conservative, particularly for those whose jobs require them to be online. As concern around screen time mounts, the instinctive response has been to demonise it. The reality, however, is more nuanced. As the Guardian’s video games editor and author of Super Nintendo: How One Japanese Company Helped the World Have Fun, Keza MacDonald, recently put it: “Not all screen time is created equal.”

Spending an hour learning a language on Duolingo is not the same as flicking through dozens of short-form videos on TikTok. Video-calling a friend is not equivalent to trolling someone on Facebook. The difference lies in how consciously we engage.

What is immunotherapy and how does it treat cancer and other conditions?

From infections and allergies to brain diseases and autoimmune disorders, a wave of trials offers hope

Clinical trials of immunotherapies have rocketed in the past decade as researchers have turned their understanding of the body’s defences into powerful new treatments. Leading the pack are cancer therapies, but researchers have other conditions in their sights, from infections and allergies to brain diseases and autoimmune disorders. Here, we explore how these therapies work.

Relief all round as Bad Bunny brings back regular-length shorts

Does Puerto Rican star’s debut collection for Zara spell the end of short shorts?

Men can breathe a huge sigh of relief this week, thanks to Bad Bunny, whose debut collection for fast fashion company Zara includes a pair of shockingly normal mid-thigh shorts.

While for the last few years, short-shorts have threatened to make every day a leg day, the sight of the Puerto Rican star wearing shorts that come comfortably to within a few inches of the knee will signal a welcome shift for many.

‘He made us laugh and he never flinched’: America says goodbye to The Late Show and Stephen Colbert

Jane Fonda, Bruce Springsteen and Joe Biden are among the names paying tribute to host of cancelled late-night show

Share your favorite memories from The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Celebrities, politicians and New Yorkers have paid their respects to Stephen Colbert as The Late Show aired its final episode on Thursday.

The long-running chatshow, which started back in 1993, was cancelled last year by CBS, purportedly because of a financial decision. But many believed it was a result of the network’s increasing closenesss with Donald Trump, whom Colbert regularly criticised.

Jimmie Johnson reacts to Kyle Busch's death: "Lost for words"

Kyle Busch, 41, died suddenly on Thursday after being hospitalized with an illness, according to his team.

Charges against school administrator dismissed in case of teacher shot by 6-year-old student

A Virginia judge dropped neglect charges against a school administrator after a teacher claimed she had been warned about a student before a shooting occurred. Shanelle Kaul reports.

‘The sport won’t be the same’: Nascar world reacts to sudden death of driver Kyle Busch

• 41-year-old died after hospitalization for severe illness

• Earnhardt, Hamlin and Gordon pay tribute

• Fans honor driver by donating to IVF foundation

Longtime teammates, former rivals and others around the sports world have joined the wave of condolences over the sudden death of Nascar driver Kyle Busch on Thursday.

Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who was the winningest driver across the sport’s three series in history, died at 41 after being hospitalized earlier Thursday with a severe illness. No cause of death has been announced.

Musk's SpaceX scrubs latest test launch of massive Starship rocket

Elon Musk's SpaceX scrubbed the high-stakes launch of its biggest Starship rocket over technical problems that occurred shortly before Thursday's scheduled blast-off. Mark Strassmann reports.

Coward review – soldiers find escapism and romance in wartime theatrical troupe

Cannes film festival: Lukas Dhont’s first world war-set gay romance is a heartfelt examination of cowardice and lives lived in secret amid the brutality of battle

The word of the title is not used at any time in this film, but the relevance is clear. On the western front in the first world war, Belgian soldiers get permission to form a theatrical troupe, often in drag, to entertain their comrades when they are behind the lines and raise their morale (not entirely unlike the now despised 70s BBC TV comedy It Ain’t Half Hot Mum). The director is Lukas Dhont who explored gay and transgender issues in movies such as Girl and Close, and this story of a gay affair in the army is heartfelt and well acted, if rather earnestly researched.

The motley “band of rejects”, evidently excused frontline combat duty for various reasons, is led by Francis (Valentin Campagne), a tailor in civilian life who has now ecstatically flowered in the new role the war has given him. He is exuberant, mischievous, imaginative and genuinely committed to his theatrical art. The resulting entertainments look professionally accomplished. (Did these first world war gang shows really have people playing flute and clarinet?) One stolidly handsome, shy soldier called Pierre (Emmanuel Macchia) is fascinated by these theatrical types and by Francis himself; he deliberately stabs his own hand with a bayonet on the field of battle so he can join their group.

Republican lawmakers react to Trump's DOJ "anti-weaponization" fund

Some Republican lawmakers are pushing back against the "anti-weaponization fund" established by the Justice Department after a settlement with President Trump. Ed O'Keefe reports.

U.S., Iran signal peace progress — but remain at odds over enriched uranium, Strait of Hormuz tolls

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said there were "good signs" that an agreement to end the Middle East conflict is in sight.

NASCAR star Kyle Busch dies at 41 after a severe illness, his family says

Kyle Busch's family earlier Thursday announced he had been hospitalized with a "severe illness."

Gas prices surge as Americans hit the road for Memorial Day weekend

Gas prices have soared before millions of Americans hit the road for Memorial Day weekend. Skyler Henry breaks down the costs.

How American Airlines is preparing for summer travel as Memorial Day kicks off busy season

The summer travel season officially kicks off this Memorial Day weekend. CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave gets a behind-the-scenes look at how American Airlines is preparing for the summer.

Florida biologist fired over Charlie Kirk post wins $485,000 settlement

Biologist was fired by a state agency for criticizing Charlie Kirk on social media after his shooting death

Florida officials have agreed to pay nearly half a million dollars to a biologist who was fired by a state agency for criticizing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk on social media after his shooting death.

The state’s fish and wildlife conservation commission (FWC) fired biologist Brittney Brown in September after she reposted a meme on her personal Instagram account that claimed Kirk wouldn’t care about children being shot in their classrooms. She filed a lawsuit seeking reinstatement, saying she struggled to find other work because the state agency is the regulatory body for her research specialization in bird conservation.

Why an immense marine heatwave off the US west coast has alarmed scientists

What does a surge in ocean temperatures, compounded with El Niño, bode for the summer?

An enormous marine heatwave off the US west coast is ringing alarm bells among ocean and atmospheric scientists as new data shows its ecological and environmental effects are intensifying.

The unusual area of warm water has persisted since peaking in size during September 2025 and still stretches thousands of miles from the California coastline – more than halfway across the Pacific – affecting a vast triangle-shaped region of oceanic habitats from Hawaii to British Columbia and southward to Mexico.

‘We will not survive’: jailing of Daria Egereva highlights plight of Russia’s Indigenous people

Authorities are cracking down on rights activists fighting for Indigenous people threatened by authoritarianism, extractivism and climate breakdown

The operation began at 9am Moscow time, but took place across all of Russia’s 11 time zones. Almost simultaneously, agents of the federal security service (FSB) raided the homes and workplaces of 17 Indigenous rights activists.

Officers carried out searches, confiscated laptops and phones, and arrested and interrogated activists about participation in international forums. Most were let go; many have since left the country. Others remain in Russia, but will no longer speak up.

What the AvalonBay, Equity Residential megamerger means for the apartment industry and rents

The deal will create one of the largest real estate companies in the U.S., with more than 180,000 rental apartments. 

Mind the drone gap: war games begin inside secret Nato bunker in London tube station

British army is 80-90% short of drones as military exercise aims to build on European defence strategy

Deep in Charing Cross underground station, in the disused terminus of the Jubilee line, a secret Nato command bunker has this week been discreetly at work. Dozens of mostly British soldiers were engaged in a war game defending Estonia from a Russian invasion in 2030, unbeknownst to commuters and tourists bustling above.

The secret chambers are behind two sets of normally locked, metal double doors. A red glow at the bottom of the escalator beyond is the first sign of troops below; next are mocked up newspaper covers pasted over ageing adverts. A British Nato force has deployed to Estonia they blare, in response to a Russian massing of troops on the border.

Meta and Snapchat blocking Saudi dissidents’ accounts

US social media firms acting on orders from Middle East kingdom accused of being ‘instruments of repression’

Major US social media companies including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms have blocked the accounts of Saudi Arabian dissidents so they are no longer visible inside the kingdom, following orders by Saudi authorities.

Those affected include Abdullah Alaoudh, a US-based activist and vocal critic of Saudi human rights violations, and Omar Abdulaziz, a Canada and UK-based activist who worked closely with Jamal Khashoggi before the journalist’s murder by Saudi agents in 2018.

‘The days I had to have sex with randoms, I thought thank God!’ Jamie Bell on eye-popping drama Half Man

His starring role in Richard Gadd’s brutal toxic masculinity series is a far cry from his days as Billy Elliot. The actor opens up about gruelling shoots, dancing on toilets – and why he can’t ever just chill out

Not many actors are relieved when they have to film an eye-poppingly explicit sex scene, but that was the case with Jamie Bell on Half Man. His role involved chemsex in saunas, dogging in car parks and illicit quickies in library loos. “Honestly, I was so grateful to be shooting that stuff and not fucking 16-page dialogue scenes, where you’re emoting and it’s so intense,” says Bell. “On days when my character had to have sex with random people, I’d think: ‘Thank God!’ Frankly, it came as a welcome reprieve.”

Richard Gadd’s first TV show since the Emmy-gobbling global Netflix hit Baby Reindeer, Half Man chronicles the combustible, codependent relationship between two “brothers from another lover”. Niall (Bell) is bookish, bullied and closeted. Ruben (Gadd) is the swaggeringly violent ex-con son of his mother’s girlfriend. The six-part drama – which reaches its devastating finale next week – traces the inseparable duo’s toxic relationship across three decades.

San Diego’s Muslim community picks up the pieces after mass shooting: ‘We’re just your neighbors’

The Islamic Center of San Diego, rocked by tragedy, opens its doors again to support its congregants and welcome outsiders

Teacher’s assistant Iman Khatib was administering tests at the elementary school inside the Islamic Center of San Diego (ICSD) when she heard the bangs. She locked the classroom door, turned off the lights, silenced her phone and walkie-talkie, and crawled under a desk with her co-worker.

In the preschool classrooms nearby, three- and four-year-olds did the same – staying completely silent, hiding in corners, following the protocols they had been taught during drills. Outside, the first-grade class was at recess when the first shot rang out.

Near death experiences, ‘crip memes’ and the tyranny of the DWP: the new exhibition powered by illness and disability

Bunting from hospital sheets, drawings on letters from the DWP, an installation made of damp: a new exhibition celebrates art that takes the challenges the artists have faced and turns them into drivers of creativity

“I’m having a flare-up’, is a really common phrase that you hear in the ‘crip’ community,” says Mariana Lemos, the co-curator of Flare Up, a group exhibition focused on art powered by illness, chronic conditions, disability, neurodivergence and deafness. The show includes artists who do and don’t identify as ‘crip’ (a defiant reclaiming of derogatory slang) and underlines the ebb and flow of symptoms to explore illness as anything but static. A flare, adds Lemos’s collaborator Natasha Hoare, “brings light to things that have been kept in the dark, ignored or invisible-ised. There’s a sense of celebration to it, perhaps.”

This would seem to be the case for French artist Benoît Piéron, a leading figure among artists addressing illness and who now also has a big solo show at Paris’s edgiest art space, Palais de Tokyo. In Flare Up, his pastel bunting crisscrosses a ceiling, before pooling on the floor in a heap, its energy apparently drained. Cut from hospital sheets, the party flags defy the infantilised days of the bedbound. The fabric, in its typically soothing nursery colours, has also soaked up the seeping life of the bodies it hides: be that fever sweats or sex. Piéron’s subtle, poetic reminder of the physical reality of an ill person, as well as the ups and downs of a chronic condition, is typical across the exhibition’s witty, ever-surprising artworks.

Stellantis CEO sees opportunity in growing partnerships, bringing China-branded vehicles to North America

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said there could be an opportunity to bring Chinese-branded vehicles into Mexico and potentially Canada, but not the U.S.

Digested week: memories of Covid resurface with hantavirus and Ebola news

Plus, John Travolta’s beret, Rachel Reeves reclaims basic civility and Judy Garland comes to east London

Much discussion in my household this week about the possibility of hantavirus or Ebola becoming Covid-like in their spread. As darkening news from central Africa throws the withdrawal of US international aid into terrible relief, so we revisit memories of those early months of 2020 when reports of a strange virus in China slowly crept from final item on the news list to blaring emergency.

Donald Trump Jr.-backed 'Steroid Olympics' are happening on Sunday. Here's what to expect

Olympic medallists are among 42 athletes competing in the controversial competition, but the Enhanced Games has big product plans beyond the event this weekend.

GOP senators delay immigration funding. And, what to expect this hurricane season

Congressional Republicans left for recess without passing Trump's top immigration enforcement package. And, forecasters are predicting fewer storms than average for the 2026 hurricane season.

Spring snow and record-breaking melons: photos of the day – Friday

The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world

The aftermath of Trump-Xi summit: comparing U.S. and China announcements

Analysts say a comparison of the readouts issued by the U.S. and China reveals "minor inconsistencies" on issues such as agriculture, tariffs and rare earths. But, experts argue, those differences are not significant.

The Cuba situation is starting to resemble a pre-conflict playbook

The U.S. pressure campaign against Cuba appears to have entered a new phase.

Stephen Colbert says farewell to "The Late Show" in heartfelt finale

Stephen Colbert hosted "The Late Show" for the final time Thursday night as the franchise came to an end after 33 years.

‘We’ve got 25 to 30% already shot’: sequel to Michael Jackson biopic on way, says studio

Lionsgate’s Adam Fogelson says there is ‘a ton of incredibly entertaining story’ still to tell, which may include unused footage shot for the first film

The studio behind hit Michael Jackson biopic Michael has revealed plans for a sequel despite the controversy that surrounded the original.

Speaking in a quarterly earnings call reported by Variety, Lionsgate motion picture chair Adam Fogelson said that preparations for a projected sequel “continue to go exceptionally well”.

‘Full-on summer heat’: western Europe braces for unusually high temperatures

Portugal, Spain, France and UK expected to exceed 30C on Friday and into next week, with new May records predicted

• Europe live – latest updates

A large swathe of western Europe is bracing for the first significant heat event of the summer, with temperatures forecast to rise to more than 10C above the norm and new monthly records for May expected to be set in possibly hundreds of places.

Temperatures across Portugal, Spain, France and the UK were expected to exceed 30C (86F) on Friday and into next week, reaching 32C in Paris and London and 35C in south-west France, with highs of up to 38C in the Guadiana and Guadalquivir regions of Spain.

Add to playlist: the virtuoso prog-metal-folk of Brazil’s Papangu and the week’s best new tracks

The five-piece combine traditional musical styles with mountains of synths and hurried drums – rejecting computerised production in a pointed anti-AI statement

From João Pessoa, Brazil
Recommended if you like Hermeto Pascoal, Mr Bungle, King Crimson
Up next Celestial album released 7 August, touring the UK and Europe from 15 August

Thanks in part to its famed music department at the local Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa – the easternmost city in South America – is a hotbed of artists playing different folk styles from all over the continent. Papangu sound like all of them at the same time. The five-piece blend a long list of genres: bossa nova, the circle-dance song ciranda and forró, with its dry-tuned accordion and pulsing rhythm section, plus the more ubiquitous progressive rock and extreme metal. The band’s virtuoso chops and intensity keep their songs from buckling under the weight of those ideas, from the hurried drums to the mountains of synthesisers and pianos.

Hyperlocal, seasonal and eco-friendly: British flower farms are coming up roses

Figures show domestic flower growers are expanding their market share, as the government gives sector official recognition

British flower farmers have long resembled David faced with their own particular Goliath – the imported flower industry. More than 80% of cut flowers bought by UK consumers are shipped or flown in. However, recent figures show domestic growers are expanding their market share.

Chloë Dunnett, the founder of Sitopia Farm, a London-based organic farm growing food and flowers, says: “Our flower sales are up 65% for the year and turnover is increasing year on year as the public and florists look for flowers that are seasonal, environmentally friendly and hyperlocal – consumer power can be very effective.”

Feeding Our Future fraud ringleader Aimee Bock sentenced to 41+ years

Aimee Bock, the convicted ringleader of the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme in Minnesota, was sentenced to more than 40 years in prison on Thursday.

Electoral reform and reversing Brexit: they’re more connected than you might think | Tom Baldwin

Labour’s emerging leadership contest is reopening the EU debate. But if we want to rejoin, Britain needs a more European voting system first

Nowhere is an anniversary more relished than in newspapers. As we approach the 10-year mark since Britain voted for Brexit, countless column inches would no doubt have been reserved for this purpose anyway. Yet the prospect of a Labour leadership contest, at a time when polls are showing four-fifths of the party’s voters at the last election and an even higher proportion of its members want to reverse that June 2016 referendum decision, is transforming what might have merely been melancholic reflection into a more active debate.

Keir Starmer last week made a belated nod to one of his party’s deepest desires by saying that he, too, wants to put the UK back at “the heart of Europe”, even if it was still unclear exactly what he meant. Then Wes Streeting sought to revive faltering ambitions to be the next prime minister with a call for full re-entry into the EU, although he was similarly vague about when that might happen. Meanwhile, Andy Burnham was busy rowing back from a previously expressed hope of rejoining at some undisclosed point in his lifetime, perhaps because he won’t get a shot at Downing Street unless he first wins next month’s byelection in Makerfield, where a majority supported Brexit a decade ago.

Tom Baldwin is the author of Keir Starmer, The Biography

Oil-rich Alberta to hold a vote on whether to separate from Canada

The move for a referendum comes after months of campaigning from a group of separatists.

UN’s climate crisis vote shows political momentum is growing, say experts

Resolution backed by 141 states hailed as ‘new chapter’ that could improve climate diplomacy and litigation efforts

When the UN general assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of a landmark climate crisis ruling on Wednesday, the Pacific island of Vanuatu’s prime minister hailed the result as the start of “a new chapter” in climate action.

“The task before all of us now is to translate legal clarity into meaningful action, stronger cooperation, and greater protection for present and future generations,” said Jotham Napat.

‘I will be out for a while’: Pep Guardiola reveals he will take break from coaching

• Manchester City confirm exit after 10 trophy-filled years

• Etihad’s North Stand to be renamed after Guardiola

Pep Guardiola said he will be out of football “for a while” after his departure from Manchester City was confirmed on Friday following a decade of glittering success in which he won 17 major trophies.

With the former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca expected to replace him, Guardiola revealed he is leaving due to his energy levels declining.

Doja Cat review – pop superstar or true freak? US iconoclast plays the tension to perfection

OVO Hydro, Glasgow
Moving seamlessly through extravagant choreography between bubblegum–rap and darker, rockier material, the singer is always in full command

Since her breakout almost a decade ago, singer and rapper Doja Cat has been musically restless: bouncing between the pop-rap of her first album Amala to her darker, toothier 2023 release Scarlet; collaborating with SZA then heel-turning to cover Hole. On last year’s fifth album Vie she negotiated the tension between the pop persona she once denounced as a “cash grab” and her true freak artistic self – a tension she plays to perfection during tonight’s show.

After a prelude where Doja hovers above the stage in Klaus Nomi-esque shoulder pads and a 20-metre long train – perhaps elaborate trolling aimed at fans who complained about her lack of outfit changes earlier in the tour – she arrives fully formed as a purple-clad bandleader for a run of 80s inflected tracks from Vie and 2021’s Planet Her. Fronting a 10-person band, she’s an immediately commanding presence, wearing pasties, a high-waisted bodysuit, tights and gloves, her zebra print microphone matching her heels. She has the look of a scene-kid Prince, the blond of recent shows swapped for an acid green wig. Appropriately, the synergy between her and her band is reminiscent of Purple Rain, or a glam-rock Stop Making Sense. She moves seamlessly between modes and poses, from slow jam Make It Up – more muscular live than on record – to the swagger of Ain’t Shit and Paint the Town Red.

Michael Carrick appointed Manchester United’s new permanent head coach

• Carrick handed job after his successful interim spell

• 44-year-old says he will target ‘biggest honours’

Michael Carrick has been confirmed as Manchester United’s permanent head coach until 2028, with the 44-year-old promising to “challenge for the biggest honours again”.

Since taking over as interim manager from Ruben Amorim in January with United sixth and out of both cup competitions, Carrick has proved hugely successful, on and off the field. With morale low after the Portuguese’s disappointing tenure, Carrick restored the spirit of the team and guided United back into the Champions League and a guaranteed third-place finish going into the final day of the league season.

Trump self-deals, lies and seems to fall asleep in meetings. The media treats it all as ‘priced in’ | Margaret Sullivan

As the outrages continue, mainstream outlets just see Trump being Trump

His social media posts are unhinged. He seems to fall asleep in meetings. He proudly proclaims he’s not thinking “even a little bit” about Americans’ personal finances in talks with Iran. And he lies constantly about the supposed success of the war with Iran he started for no good reason.

That’s just the start, of course, when it comes to Donald Trump’s disastrous second presidency. There’s the ruination of the Kennedy Center, the building of a ballroom (or bunker?) to replace the White House East Wing, and the wrecking ball that the Trump-aligned supreme court has taken to the voting rights of Black Americans. There’s the endless self-dealing and the abuse of the justice department’s intended purpose.

Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture

Unhappy with your garden plot? Try pretending you’ve just moved in

Looking at your veg patch with fresh eyes can be inspiring – and a helpful way of rectifying past mistakes

Regular readers might remember me having a wobbly time in the garden last year. Life was lifing (as the kids say) and with that came many hiccups and failures. The veg patch had a wanton disregard for my hopes during growing season, which taught me the importance of finding value and beauty in what was growing, instead of lamenting all that was not.

This season, I’ve found myself approaching the veg patch with a more determined attitude. It’s been six years since my partner and I cleared the couch grass and nettles from the parcel of earth at the bottom of our garden, moved a ton or so of compost on to it to create vegetable beds, and grew the first crops in our new home. And now feels like the right time to take a look at our growing space with fresh eyes. It’s not a blank space, of course, but I’ve been asking myself how I’d grow here if I’d just adopted this patch.

Healey asks Farage if any of £5m gift may have come from Russia-linked profits

Defence secretary also asks if billionaire’s company may have benefited from Iran war, which Reform leader initially supported

• UK politics live – latest updates

• Business live – latest updates

The defence secretary, John Healey, has urged Nigel Farage to provide transparency about the £5m gift he received from a billionaire businessman, in particular over whether any of the sum could have been linked to Russia-connected profits.

In a letter to the Reform UK leader, Healey also asked him to address the possibility that the war against Iran might boost the revenues of AML Global, an aviation fuel company owned by Christopher Harborne, who gave Farage the £5m in 2024. Farage initially supported the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Inside the Congressional Record: How history gets made as D.C. sleeps

The production of the Congressional Record is one of the unseen cogs in the congressional machine, arriving with little fanfare like a newspaper on the Capitol's doorstep every day.

Will this be a glorious summer? You can bet on it: the Stephen Collins cartoon

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‘We needed a Hitler who really vibed with the dog’: meet Lexie, the world’s first cinemadographer

A new film, Blondi, takes audiences inside the Führer’s bunker in the final days of the Third Reich, from the point of view of his beloved dog

When Benedict Morrison, who runs the London comedy festival, stood up to present Blondi – a new film about the dying days of the Third Reich – at its premiere at a cinema in Brixton earlier this month, he went in big. Picture the scene, he told the audience: it’s 1924 and FW Murnau has just strapped a movie camera to a bicycle and invented subjective cinematic perspective. The result was The Last Laugh which captured the precariousness of life in Germany after the first world war with such poignant precision it foreshadowed the following decade – and revolutionised cinema.

For Blondi, shot 100 years later, the camera was strapped to a dog. Lexie, a seven-month-old German shepherd, is both the title character – Hitler’s last dog, possibly the most famous hound in geopolitics – but is also the co-director of photography, or cinemadographer if you prefer, as both Pablo Álvarez-Hornia (the film’s producer) and Jack Salvadori (its co-director) certainly do. It makes for a novel cinematic experience. Sometimes you feel a bit sick at the sudden changes of pace and freaky angles. “Some things need to be made uncomfortable,” says Álvarez-Hornia, “and, in a way, it needed to be dirtier and grittier and uglier for it to work.”

What is the 'tarps off' trend that men are engaging in? Find out in the quiz

Plus: The L.A. mayoral race, AI court battles, extinct animals and Eurovision!