Philippine presidential hopeful Sara Duterte impeached for second time 11. May 2026 (14:17) Vice-president is accused of misusing public funds and threatening the lives of President Marcos Jr and his wifeThe Philippine vice-president, Sara Duterte, has been impeached over allegations she misused public funds, amassed unexplained wealth and threatened the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his wife, in a case that could complicate her presidential ambitions.Duterte, the daughter of the detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, was impeached by an overwhelming majority of lawmakers in the House of Representatives, which is dominated by allies of Marcos. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
EU rejects Putin call for Gerhard Schröder role in Ukraine peace talks 11. May 2026 (14:02) Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas says Kremlin-friendly former German chancellor cannot be considered impartialEurope live – latest updatesThe EU on Monday dismissed Vladimir Putin’s suggestion that the Kremlin-friendly former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder could serve as a European mediator in peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.Over the weekend, the Russian leader put forward Schröder – a longtime ally – as a possible figure to help restart talks with Europe, saying he would “personally” favour the former German leader for the role. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Palantir’s access to identifiable NHS England patient data is ‘dangerous’, MPs say 11. May 2026 (14:01) Decision made to grant US tech firm ‘unlimited access’ to data in project to build integrated platform, according to reportsUK politics live – latest updatesMPs have warned that an NHS decision to grant Palantir access to identifiable patient information in its plan to use AI to improve the health service is “dangerous” and will fuel public fears that data privacy is not being prioritised.NHS England has allowed staff from the US tech firm and other contractors to access patient data before it has been pseudonymised, despite internal fears of a “risk of loss of public confidence”, the Financial Times reported. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sharp drop in ‘forever chemicals’ in seabird eggs hailed as win for regulation 11. May 2026 (14:00) Levels of Pfas in northern gannet eggs in Canada fell up to 74% over 55-year period of studyLevels of some of the most dangerous Pfas compounds have dramatically fallen in Canadian seabird eggs, which the authors of a new peer-reviewed study say illustrates how regulations are effective.Researchers looked at Pfas levels in the eggs of northern gannets in the St Lawrence Seaway basin over a 55-year period. Pfas levels shot up from the 1960s through the peak of the chemicals’ use in the late 1990s and early aughts, then fell. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Advocates decry Trump’s plan to open 24m acres of federal lands to cattle grazing 11. May 2026 (14:00) Opponents say administration’s plan prioritizes big agriculture at expense of wildlife and protected speciesNew legal action aims to head off a Trump administration plan to open up to 24m acres of federal lands to cattle grazing, which opponents characterized as a gift to big agriculture and said could cause a spike in deaths among already imperiled wolves, grizzlies, steelhead salmon and other wildlife.The plan also calls for opening up parts of Grand Canyon national park, and other sensitive landscapes. Cattle destroy critical habitats for wildlife because they strip land bare of essential vegetation and pollute streams with feces, urine, sediment and carcasses. Meanwhile, park rangers and ranchers often kill grizzly bears and other predators who prey on cattle, despite that ranchers and the government pushed the cattle into the predators’ home range. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Catherine West backs down from Starmer challenge but urges him to go by September 11. May 2026 (13:58) Backbench MP calls prime minister’s speech ‘too little, too late’ but stops short of moving to stand against him herselfWho are the main threats to Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership?UK politics live – latest updatesCatherine West, the Labour MP who announced a challenge to Keir Starmer’s leadership, has changed course to say she instead wants the prime minister to set a timetable of September for his departure.West, the MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet and a former Foreign Office minister, announced on Saturday that she would seek to gather the 81 Labour MPs’ names needed to formally challenge Starmer, saying this was just a device to tempt others to stand and that she did not wish to take over. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Bad people’: Alan Cumming criticises Bafta after N-word outburst 11. May 2026 (13:22) The host of the film awards ceremony at which Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson shouted a racial slur has said he won’t host it againAlan Cumming has criticised the organisers of the Bafta film awards in February as “bad people who weren’t doing their jobs properly” after the N-word outburst by Tourette activist John Davidson, which was broadcast by the BBC during its coverage of the ceremony.In an interview with the Sunday Times, Cumming, who was the host of the ceremony, said: “It was bad, bad, bad, bad leadership … Bad people who weren’t doing their jobs properly, who really had not prepared and let people down.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Norway puts UN project funding on hold raising fears for plastics treaty talks 11. May 2026 (13:20) Move by largest donor to environment programme poses further uncertainty for already troubled negotiations The largest donor to the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) has paused funding to the body before its revised budget on 12 May, triggering concern among member states and NGOs.The news could carry significance for the already troubled plastic treaty negotiations being overseen by Unep. Since 2022 countries have been struggling to agree on how to deal with the volume of plastics being produced and used, a subject widely acknowledged to be one of the most serious environmental issues of the age, but despite six rounds of talks there has been no agreement in sight. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Truly terrifying’: Alberta voter data breach raises fears for Canada’s electoral integrity 11. May 2026 (13:00) Debates over secession overshadowed by revelations separatist-linked group gained access to list of electorsThe illegal use of voter information by rightwing separatists in the province of Alberta has raised fresh fears over Canada’s electoral integrity by making valuable and “incredibly confidential” personal data easily accessible to malicious actors, security experts have warned.The data breach, one of the largest in Canadian history, has prompted warnings of a “truly terrifying” new battleground over information, persuasion and foreign interference in already weakened democratic systems. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jewish musicians faced abuse over Zionist beliefs, royal commisssion told 11. May 2026 (12:41) Deborah Conway describes anti-Zionism as a ‘genocidal impulse’ as inquiry hears how Jews are targeted with Nazi comparisonsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJewish musicians have told a royal commission hearing that their views on Zionism made them the targets of vilification and boycotting.The royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion heard from Deborah Conway and Joshua Moshe on Monday: both were members of a WhatsApp group for Jewish creatives and academics, the contents of which was leaked by the media and some of the members’ personal information made public. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
