Howard Lutnick to answer questions from US House over Jeffrey Epstein ties 06. May 2026 (17:34) US commerce secretary to sit for transcribed interview as part of House oversight committee’s broader investigationThe US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, will appear before the House oversight and reform committee on Wednesday to answer questions over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein.Lutnick agreed in March to sit for a transcribed interview with the committee following the justice department’s release of millions of documents related to Epstein, which included documents showing that Lutnick continued correspondence with Epstein after the disgraced financier had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor. The session is part of the committee’s broader investigation into Epstein. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Norwegian government attacked over decision to reopen North Sea gasfields 06. May 2026 (17:25) 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. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lacunar strokes caused by widening of arteries in brain, study suggests 06. May 2026 (17:25) Finding would explain why type of stroke affecting about 35,000 a year in UK is not as responsive to some medicationThe cause of a type of stroke that affects about 35,000 people across the UK each year has been uncovered by researchers and may explain why some medications are ineffective as treatment.Lacunar strokes, which account for a quarter of all strokes in the UK, had been linked to the blockage of arteries in the brain by fatty deposits. However, a study published on Wednesday suggests they are not caused by blocked arteries but by the enlargement and widening of arteries in the brain. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
TikTok’s algorithm favored Republican content in 2024 US elections, study finds 06. May 2026 (17:24) Researchers found that TikTok’s For You pages prioritized pro-Republican content in New York, Texas and GeorgiaA study published Wednesday in the journal Nature finds that TikTok’s algorithm systematically prioritized pro-Republican content in three states leading up to the 2024 US elections.Researchers created hundreds of dummy accounts and conditioned them to mimic real users’ behavior by watching a set of videos either aligned with the US Democratic or Republican parties. Then, they tracked the videos TikTok recommended on these accounts’ For You pages, TikTok’s main feed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Your craft is obsolete’: WiseTech staff in limbo as AI touted as better than humans 06. May 2026 (17:00) The software company said in February it would cut 7,000 jobs but, as it touts new technology, workers are still waiting to hear which roles will goGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastStaff at WiseTech have been waiting almost three months to be told if they’re among the 2,000 people the logistics software company is to cut due to advances in AI, with workers criticising the wait as stressful and “ridiculous”.The comments come as its founder on Tuesday told investors an AI agent could learn a human’s job in just 15 minutes, according to the Australian Financial Review. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Coalition considers plan to slash net overseas immigration by nearly half its current rate, leaked documents reveal 06. May 2026 (17:00) Exclusive: Taskforce to mull options to cut level to 150,000-200,000, higher than One Nation’s hard 130,000 cap and Howard-era’s 100,000 targetGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition is planing to cut Australia’s annual net overseas immigration levels to 150,000-200,000, according to a confidential policy roadmap that reveals Angus Taylor is preparing to fight a possible early election.An internal document circulated to senior Coalition MPs details the key policies the opposition wants to build its election platform on, as it rebuilds from its catastrophic 2025 loss. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man fatally stabbed partner and tried to blow up their London home, court hears 06. May 2026 (16:59) Clifton George admits manslaughter but denies murder of Annabel Rook, whom he stabbed at least 22 timesA man fatally stabbed his partner and then triggered a gas explosion at their north-east London home last summer, a court has heard.Clifton George, 45, is accused of murdering 46-year-old Annabel Rook during an argument at their home in Stoke Newington on 17 June 2025. George has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denies murder. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Defeated by conspiracy’: West Bengal chief minister refuses to resign after election loss 06. May 2026 (15:46) Mamata Banerjee says Narendra Modi’s party ‘forcefully captured’ election that ended her party’s 15 years in powerA political showdown is taking place in the Indian state of West Bengal as the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, India’s most powerful female politician, has refused to resign after she lost elections to the prime minister’s party this week.Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) won an overwhelming victory on Monday in state elections in West Bengal, where Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress party (TMC) have been in power for 15 years. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pope Leo rejects claim he supports nuclear weapons after Trump tirade 06. May 2026 (14:58) Pontiff responds after US president accuses him of ‘endangering a lot of Catholics’ with stance on Iran warMiddle East crisis – live updatesPope Leo has said he has never supported nuclear weapons and that those who criticise him need to speak the truth, in response Donald Trump’s latest tirade accusing him of “endangering a lot of Catholics” with his stance on the Iran war.Speaking to journalists on Tuesday night after leaving the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, the first US-born pontiff said: “The mission of the church is to preach the gospel, to preach peace.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
World’s most powerful are suing media outlets before stories are even published, says editor 06. May 2026 (14:48) Editor-in-chief of Wall Street Journal says those with deep pockets launching legal challenges as a PR strategyPowerful figures are increasingly suing media outlets before they have even published a story, the editor of the Wall Street Journal has said.Emma Tucker, whose title is being sued by Donald Trump over its reporting of his relationship with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, said the act of reporting itself was now under threat from the use of “lawfare”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
