‘Don’t fall!’: foil boarders describe hair-raising shark chase caught on video off California coast 01. May 2026 (02:29) Foil boarders were pursued by shark – likely a great white – off Santa Barbara before it lost interest and swam awaySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxRon Takeda and Tavis Boise were a few miles off the coast of Santa Barbara when they noticed the large mass trailing behind them.“Tavis, is it a dolphin?” asked Takeda as he stood on his foil board, a specialized form of surfing, propelling himself through the waves. Boise, who was filming their run, recognized the question as an ominous sign – the veteran surfers are familiar enough with dolphins that Takeda should have recognized one immediately. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
MPs accuse South East Water leaders of incompetence over repeated outages 01. May 2026 (01:01) Parliamentary committee takes unusual step of declaring no confidence in executives at utility providerMPs have accused the leadership of South East Water of incompetence over repeated water outages for tens of thousands of customers, and expressed no confidence in their ability to reform the company.MPs from across the political spectrum said David Hinton, SEW’s chief executive, and the board of directors operated a culture of unaccountability at the company, which provides drinking water for 2.3 million customers in Berkshire, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gen Z leads birdwatching boom as more Britons reach for the binoculars 01. May 2026 (01:01) Birdwatching no longer niche, old-fashioned pastime, says RSPB as research shows 47% increase in hobby since 2018Birdwatching is the second fastest growing hobby for generation Z after jewellery making, according to a multiyear study of more than 24,000 people.Almost 750,000 gen Zers (16 to 29-year-olds) in Britain regularly enjoy watching birds, a -1,088% increase since 2018, according to research by Fifty5Blue published by the RSPB. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tony Blair’s thinktank urges Labour to scrap ‘unaffordable’ pension triple lock 01. May 2026 (01:01) State pension was ‘built for a different era’, says former PM’s organisation amid pressure on government financesLabour has been urged by Tony Blair’s thinktank to scrap the pensions triple lock amid mounting pressure on government finances.With the Iran war threatening to derail public spending plans, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) said the “unaffordable” manifesto pledge to maintain the triple lock should be torn up as part of a wider overhaul of the state pension. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Martha’s rule may have saved more than 500 lives in England since 2024 01. May 2026 (01:00) Patient safety mechanism which gives patients the right to seek a second opinion having ‘lifesaving impact’, says health secretary‘I am invoking Martha’s rule’: how a woman saved her father from near death in hospitalMore than 500 people have received potentially life-saving care thanks to Martha’s rule, which gives hospital patients the right to seek a second opinion about their health.They were moved to intensive care or a specialist unit after they, a loved one or a member of NHS staff triggered the patient safety mechanism, which the NHS in England began using in 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Former Spandau Ballet singer jailed for 14 years for multiple rapes and sexual assaults 01. May 2026 (00:41) Ross Davidson, who sang with group in 2018, was convicted of offences committed against six womenMusician Ross Davidson, a former singer for Spandau Ballet, has been jailed for 14 years for multiple rapes and sexual assaults.Davidson, 38, was convicted across two trials of two counts of rape, an attempted rape, three sexual assaults and two charges of voyeurism, in offences committed against six women between August 2013 and December 2019. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia news live: housing market slows but rents surge; Penny Wong hails South Korea energy pact 01. May 2026 (00:04) Advertised prices for new rental listings rising at fastest pace since October 2024. Follow updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man has allegedly stolen nearly $3,000 worth of diesel in jerry cans and drums from a South Sydney service station.Police said they were told a driver of a white ute allegedly filled large drums and jerry cans with 915 litres of diesel, valued at over $2,870 (or about $3.14 a litre), without paying at about 7.15pm on 11 April. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Apple soars past Wall Street expectations as CEO Tim Cook prepares to step down 30. April 2026 (23:38) Company reported $111.2bn in revenue in first earnings report after announcement of Cook’s pending departureApple blew past Wall Street expectations in its first earnings report since it announced CEO Tim Cook would be stepping down.Cook reported Apple’s “best March quarter ever” and “double-digit growth across every geographic segment”. He also noted “extraordinary demand for the iPhone17 lineup”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Solicitors report late flood of no-fault evictions before ban in England 30. April 2026 (23:30) Advice charity also helping thousands of tenants before Renters’ Rights Act comes into force on FridaySolicitors say they have been inundated with requests to serve last-minute section 21 no-fault eviction notices before they are banned when the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force in England on Friday.The legislation, which has been hailed as the biggest change to renting in a generation, bans no-fault evictions, limits rent increases and abolishes fixed-term tenancies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Unrest in Alice Springs after Jefferson Lewis arrested over death of Kumanjayi Little Baby 30. April 2026 (23:23) Dozens of people gather outside hospital where 47-year-old was being treated five days after the five-year-old girl disappeared•Warning: This article contains references to and images of Indigenous Australians who have diedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn angry crowd has clashed with police outside a hospital in Alice Springs where a 47-year-old man arrested by police in connection with the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby was being treated.The arrest of Jefferson Lewis was confirmed in a brief statement by Northern Territory police just before 10pm local time on Thursday night. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
