Marco Rubio to meet pope at the Vatican after Trump attacks on pontiff 07. May 2026 (09:35) US secretary of state will hold talks with Italian government, also berated by Trump for not supporting Iran warThe 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. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police search for thieves who allegedly stole $150,000 worth of beehives from rural NSW property 07. May 2026 (09:17) Local beekeeper Mitch McLennan says hive thefts have become ‘quite commonplace’ due to rise of parasitic varroa mitesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPolice are searching for thieves who allegedly stole $150,000 worth of beehives from a rural property in the New South Wales northern tablelands, with a local apiarist saying they may well have been taken by a fellow beekeeper.Eighty beehive boxes containing active colonies were taken from a property on Bruxner Way, 15km west of Bonshaw and 100km north-west of Glen Innes. NSW police believe the alleged theft occurred sometime between Tuesday 31 March and Wednesday 6 May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Met officers investigated over handling of Mohamed Al Fayed abuse complaints 07. May 2026 (09:12) IOPC has launched investigation into one serving and four former police officers for potential misconduct A serving Metropolitan police officer and four former officers are being investigated over their handling of allegations of sexual abuse made against Mohamed Al Fayed, according to reports.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the five individuals for potential misconduct following complaints against the former Harrods owner, who died in 2023 aged 94. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New gasfield approved near Twelve Apostles puts climate and ‘pristine’ ocean in jeopardy, environmentalists warn 07. May 2026 (08:09) Victorian and federal Labor governments greenlight Otway basin drilling project with potential to supply one-third of state’s gasFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcasA new gas drilling project approved for Victoria’s Otway basin will make “the path to a safe climate harder” and put a “pristine ocean environment” at risk, environment groups have warned.The federal and Victorian governments on Thursday announced they had greenlit the production licence for Amplitude Energy’s Annie gasfield project in the Otway basin, which expects to start producing gas by 2028. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Major test for Labour as polls open in English, Scottish and Welsh elections 07. May 2026 (08:00) Local, mayoral and parliamentary contests could upend political landscape as Reform, Greens and Lib Dems surgePolling 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. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Europe’s AI translation industry told it risks reputation by partnering with US firms 07. May 2026 (08:00) Partnership between top startup DeepL and Amazon comes amid concern about Silicon Valley’s monopoly over digital infrastructureAI companies in Europe risk losing their world-leading status in the field of machine translation, industry figures have said, after the decision by one of the continent’s leading startups to partner with Amazon’s cloud computing division provoked alarm.While businesses in the EU have generally lagged behind the US and China in AI adoption, a small group of European companies have cornered the global market for high-quality machine translations for professional use. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
JM Coetzee declines to attend Jerusalem writers festival over Israel’s ‘genocidal campaign in Gaza’ 07. May 2026 (07:38) Nobel laureate says he previously considered himself a supporter of Israel, but ‘the campaign of annihilation in Gaza has changed all that’Nobel laureate JM Coetzee has declined to attend an upcoming literature festival in Israel, writing a excoriating letter to organisers citing the country’s “genocidal campaign” in Gaza, stating: “It will take many years for Israel to clear its name”.The 86-year-old author, who was born in apartheid South Africa and lives in Australia, wrote to organisers of the Jerusalem international writers festival in November. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Moore Park golf course to be cut by a third instead of 50% under compromise to create new parklands 07. May 2026 (07:37) After backlash, including from actor and avid golfer Mark Wahlberg, state says ‘we’ve worked to increase offering from 9 holes to a 12-hole course’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydney golfers will be able to play on a 12-hole course in the inner city after the state government compromised on its plan to halve Moore Park’s 18-hole golf course to create more public green space.The Minns government announced on Thursday its final plan for the 45-hectare Moore Park golf course site after a years-long battle over its future. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Arthur Miller opens up about marriage to Marilyn Monroe in newly unearthed recordings 07. May 2026 (07:00) Exclusive: Taped conversations also cover playwright’s relationship with fame, self-doubt and communismHe was one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century and she was one of the greatest actors. In newly unearthed recordings made over a period of nearly three decades, Arthur Miller opened up about his short-lived marriage to Marilyn Monroe, saying she wanted a husband who was a “father, lover, friend and agent,” and the child she longed for would have been an “additional problem”.In taped conversations with his friend and biographer Prof Christopher Bigsby, Miller said he had felt “death was always on her [Monroe’s] shoulder – always”. He had believed that if he did not “take care of her life” she would come to a “catastrophic end”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Neo-Nazi Joel Davis charged with inciting hatred over ‘Abolish the Jewish lobby’ rally at NSW parliament 07. May 2026 (06:31) Davis, 32, arrested on Wednesday and charged with inciting hatred and causing fear. Arrest comes after police criticised at royal commission into antisemitismFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastProminent neo-Nazi Joel Davis has been charged with alleged hate speech after a protest by the National Socialist Network outside New South Wales parliament.About 60 members of the now-disbanded group stood in formation on Macquarie Street on 8 November last year, allegedly holding a large banner that read: “Abolish the Jewish lobby.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
