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Latest updates from around the world
Political News
Global politics and government updates
Rachel Reeves warns other budgets may be cut to lift defence spending
Chancellor says she is ‘working through a range of options’ to boost the armed forces but does not want to put up taxes
Badenoch calls Farage an ‘opportunist’ after he urges Scottish nationalists to back Reform
Tory leader criticises Farage for saying that holding another independence vote ‘probably quite reasonable’
No 10 claims Starmer did not know Mandelson failed security vetting until this week – as it happened
The prime minister was not aware that the former US ambassador had failed the vetting process, according to Downing Street
Orbán’s defeat threatens to halt Hungarian support of populist right
Individuals such as Matt Goodwin and Lord Frost benefited from largesse of self-styled ‘illiberal democracy’
Five key questions: who overruled decision to deny Mandelson security clearance?
Ministers and civil servants face scrutiny after revelation Foreign Office overruled vetting procedure for US ambassador appointment
Officials debate withholding Mandelson vetting documents from parliament
Exclusive: Opinions split on ‘unprecedented’ release of files, despite demand for ‘all papers’ related to ex-US ambassador’s appointment
Revealed: Mandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decision
Guardian investigation uncovers decision by UK security officials to deny clearance before Mandelson took up role as US ambassador
Economic News
Markets, stocks, and business insights
Senate Democrats move to stall Trump’s ‘absurd’ bid to install new Fed chair
Democratic lawmakers urged Republican leaders to postpone the confirmation hearing of Kevin Warsh
Next chief Simon Wolfson paid record £7.4m – and could get far more this year
‘Sustained outperformance’ merits pay rise, says company after it ups profit guidance to £1.2bn for year to January 2027
It will take more than £600m a year to boost UK industrial competitiveness | Nils Pratley
Bics fix accepts nose-bleed energy bills are a structural problem but pretends they are only an issue for a narrow section of industry
IMF chief Georgieva warns ‘everyone will feel the impact’ of energy price shock, as UK growth beats forecasts – as it happened
There will be flight cancellations ‘soon’ if oil supplies are not restored in coming weeks, says head of IEA
Europe has only six weeks’ supply of jet fuel left owing to Iran war, says energy chief
There will be flight cancellations ‘soon’ if oil supplies are not restored in coming weeks, says head of IEA
Metro Bank boss handed record £2.6m a year after slashing 1,000 jobs
Dan Frumkin’s pay package comes after bank’s near collapse and rescue by Colombian billionaire
Tesco warns profits could fall amid Iran war uncertainty
Boss Ken Murphy plays down food inflation fears as supermarket’s annual profits rise by 8.5% to £2.4bn
Scientific News
Latest discoveries and innovations
Chris Walton obituary
Other lives: Biologist and lecturer at Cranfield university with an interest in volatile organic compounds such as breath, sweat and blood
Red hair gene favoured by natural selection over last 10,000 years, study finds
Scientists who analysed nearly 16,000 ancient remains suggest red hair and fair skin is favoured for vitamin D production
We can prove which twin fathered the child in this paternity dispute | Letter
Letter: Prof Michael Krawczak says the required molecular genetic testing comes at a cost, but should not be ruled out as it was in a recent court case
Hidden treasures: Spanish archaeologists discover trove of ancient shipwrecks in Bay of Gibraltar
Researchers identify wrecks at the bottom of the sea from as far back as fifth century BC, from Europe and beyond
Plantwatch: the cactus that lures bats with its fuzzy acoustic hat
In eastern Brazil, Coleocephalocereus goebelianus towers above surrounding plants, making its beacon even clearer
Did you solve it? Are you smarter than a Navy admiral?
The solutions to today’s puzzles
Hate small talk? You may enjoy that ‘dull’ chat more than you think, say researchers
Participants reported enjoying the human connection regardless of whether they thought the topic was dull
Arts & Culture News
Music, art exhibitions, and publications
Kimmel on Trump’s AI images: ‘Someone’s been looksmaxxing!’
Late night hosts discussed Trump’s AI images, the closure of 7-Eleven stores and JD Vance’s advice to the Pope
Campaigners seek listed status for historic trig points that mapped Britain
Pillars at Cold Ashby, Northamptonshire, and Thorny Gale, Cumbria, bookended the project that modernised mapping
DJ Shadow: ‘Kraftwerk are a touchstone for every phase of my career’
The hip-hop producer, remixer and crate-digger on staying fresh creatively, the influence of David Lynch and giving away his most valuable record
Meghan’s Sydney wellness retreat promises ‘a girls’ weekend like no other’ – but what does a $3,200 ticket buy?
The top-secret program for the Her Best Life event at a beachside luxury hotel has been leaked. But is it legit?
Stephen Colbert to Trump: ‘Why would you start a beef with the pope?’
Late-night hosts discussed Trump’s attacks on the pope as the White House tries to spin his AI-generated Jesus photo into anything other than a disaster
‘This craving to go viral is tiresome’: the artists sick of the pressure to promote on social media
From Stewart Lee in his wolf costume to Werner Herzog’s big steak sizzle-up, artists are now under huge duress to ‘chase the algorithm’ and reach audiences. Many of them are hitting burnout – and hitting back
Sir Neil Cossons obituary
Science Museum director and chair of English Heritage determined to impress the value of Britain’s history, architecture and culture on politicians
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