The Guardian

Triumph of the underdogs: New Yorkers are reveling in the Knicks and Mamdani

From watching their team win to watching their mayor in the nosebleeds, residents are feeling hopefulNew York City, hardly a city deprived of energy, is having a moment. In the past two weeks, the bars have been even more packed than usual. Several nights a week, usually at around 11pm, there has been a seemingly synchronized honking of horns.Walking around the city, it doesn’t take long to find out why. People wearing New York Knicks jerseys are high-fiving each other, and Knicks flags fly from

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Striking differences in benefit entitlements across UK countries, study finds

Scottish family on low income receives £15,000 more a year than identical household in EnglandThe emergence of “welfare nationalism” in the UK has created striking differences in benefit entitlement that result in a Scottish family on a low income receiving £15,000 a year more in state support than an identical household over the border in England.A typical out of work couple with four children would have received £22,000 a year benefit income in York, compared with £32,000 in Belfast and £37,00

general  May 31, 2026

BBC World

Israel seizes castle in Lebanon as it expands ground offensive

The Israeli military says everyone south of the Zahrani river should leave, after it captured the strategic Beaufort Castle.

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Four in 10 struggle to access mobile signal on the move in the UK

Survey finds consumers cannot reliably access 4G or 5G, highlighting weaknesses in digital infrastructure More than four in 10 consumers struggle to access 4G or 5G on their mobile devices for at least half the time they are on the move, according to a survey that highlights the poor state of the UK’s digital infrastructure.The poll of more than 2,000 people who use digital devices found that 45% feel frustrated with mobile connectivity outside the home at least once a week. Among 18- to 24-year

general  May 31, 2026

BBC World

Nigerian retired general abducted with his wife in the north-west

Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar's kidnapping highlights continuing security challenges facing parts of the country.

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Deaths within two weeks of prison release hit record high in England and Wales

Exclusive: Experts say homelessness is primary driver of crisis that led to 77 ‘avoidable’ deaths in 2025The number of people who die within two weeks of being released from prison in England and Wales has reached a record high, a Guardian investigation has found.Seventy-seven people died within 14 days of being released from prison in 2025, 28% higher than the 60 deaths recorded the previous year and the highest since records began in 2021. Continue reading...

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Could Trump’s Iran ‘excursion’ be a bigger global turning point than Vietnam?

The far shorter Middle East war has rapidly revealed the strategic weakness of US firepower in an interconnected worldIn a 1965 speech justifying the war in Vietnam, Lyndon B Johnson argued that the goal was to ensure “every country can shape its own destiny” since only in such a world could the US secure its own freedom. However, he also admitted “such were infirmities of man that force must often precede reason, and the waste of war, the works of peace”.It was the kind of elegant justification

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

‘It’s never enough’: young Americans struggle to build financial independence as cost of living spikes

A difficult job market and rising costs are making it harder for young adults to enter adulthoodYoung people are already facing the worst entry-level job market since the start of the pandemic and significant economic instability.But overall economic conditions are making it more challenging for those just entering adulthood. More than eight in 10 young adults rate the economy as “bad” or “terrible”, according to a recent survey conducted with more than 1,000 18- to 34-year-olds around the US by

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Daily pill can double survival time for world’s deadliest cancer, trial shows

Experts hail daraxonrasib as ‘gamechanger’ for patients with advanced pancreatic cancerA daily pill can double survival time in patients with the world’s deadliest cancer, according to the results of a clinical trial that experts are saying is a “gamechanger” and one of the biggest breakthroughs in decades.Currently, there are few treatments for pancreatic cancer, and most do little or nothing to help. For decades, scientists have worked relentlessly trying to find clever solutions for a form of

general  May 31, 2026

BBC World

Laos cave survivors help with plan to find last two missing men

So far, five men have been freed from the narrow, flooded cave but efforts are ongoing to locate two more.

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Colombia goes to polls in election pitting outgoing leader’s ally against pro-Trump candidates

Ballots are being cast in the first round of the South American nation’s presidential electionsColombians are casting ballots in the first round of the South American nation’s presidential election, choosing between candidates with radically diverging visions for the future of peace in a country haunted by decades of armed conflict.The vote on Sunday, seen as a referendum on outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s policies, comes 10 years after Colombia signed a historic peace pact with guerrillas of

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Trump’s cuts to intervention programs could increase violent crime, experts say

Community programs are more effective at reducing violence than simply making arrests, advocates sayHomicides in the US have fallen dramatically in recent years after a spike during the Covid-19 pandemic, but now some advocates for community violence intervention programs worry federal funding cuts by the Trump administration will reverse that trend.In April 2025, more than $800m in grants was cut from the Department of Justice’s office of justice programs aimed at preventing and responding to g

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Supplier of housing for homeless linked to faith group tax avoidance scheme

Midos Management denies ties to property group accused of making millions from bogus prayer roomsA property investor who sells temporary accommodation to local councils is part of a family accused of avoiding tax by hosting bogus prayer sessions, a Guardian investigation can reveal.Publicly available records raise questions about the business interests of members of the Schreiber dynasty, who preside over a nationwide commercial property portfolio via a “family-owned” investment vehicle, Midos G

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Priest accuser hopes Texas conviction will keep him from victimizing others

Woman, who says Anthony Odiong pressured her into sex acts, says church officials failed to act when told of abuseThe first woman to publicly accuse a Roman Catholic priest who was convicted by a Texas jury on Friday of repeated adult, criminal clergy sexual abuse has said she “can only hope he is kept from continuing to use faith as his net, his snare and a tool to manipulate current and future victims”.“I’m grateful to the jury for listening to the evidence and seeing the truth” about the conv

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Wes Streeting calls for NI tax cuts for businesses to ‘incentivise’ hiring

Labour should also drill for oil and gas in North Sea, says former health secretary and leadership candidateWes Streeting has called for national insurance tax cuts for businesses, and for the government to drill for oil and gas in the North Sea.The former health secretary and leadership candidate told the Sunday Times there should be a “targeted reduction” of employers’ national insurance contribution as a way to “actively incentivise” hiring, particularly of young people. Continue reading...

general  May 31, 2026

BBC World

Hundreds arrested and dozens of police injured after Champions League riots in France

Nearly 800 people were arrested after clashes with police which saw 219 people injured, including 57 police officers.

general  May 31, 2026

The Guardian

Sky exits UAE news venture after genocide denial accusations

Sky News Arabia to retain its name in brand licensing deal after criticism of its coverage of the war in SudanSky is exiting its TV news joint venture with the United Arab Emirates, Sky News Arabia, which has been criticised for its coverage of the war in Sudan, with accusations of genocide denial.Sky and its partner IMI – the investment vehicle controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the vice-president of the UAE and owner of Manchester City – have announced a new commercial deal in w

general  May 31, 2026

BBC World

South Africa made to look like fools after World Cup visa issues, says minister

According to media reports, the team's departure for Mexico on Sunday has been delayed due to an "administrative bungle".

general  May 31, 2026

NY Times World

Colombia Presidential Election: What to Know About the Candidates and Main Issues

The election tests the legacy of the country’s first leftist leader against a rising far-right outsider and a traditional conservative.

general  May 31, 2026

NY Times World

Even Havana’s Street Sweepers Can’t Escape the Impact of the Fuel Blockade

A fuel blockade on Cuba has aggravated a lack of consistent garbage pickup and produced enormous trash piles.

general  May 31, 2026