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Trump launches strikes against Iran after downing of US army helicopter

US president blames Tehran for loss of Apache gunship, whose crew were rescued by a drone near strait of Hormuz

The US has launched strikes against Iran after Donald Trump blamed Tehran for downing a US army helicopter near the strait of Hormuz, imperilling a shaky ceasefire that was announced by the two countries in April.

The attacks triggered a wave of retaliatory strikes from Iran on Wednesday morning, with Tehran saying it had targeted Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

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© Photograph: US Central Command

© Photograph: US Central Command

© Photograph: US Central Command

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Former Air Canada pilot charged after allegedly flying without proper license for 16 years

Geoffrey Wall is alleged to have flown over 900 flights domestically and internationally between 2009 and 2025

A former Air Canada pilot has been charged after flying for years without a proper license, Canadian police have said.

Geoffrey Wall, of Barrie, Ontario, is alleged to have operated as an airline captain between 2009 and 2025 without a license to fly large commercial passenger planes, according to Peel regional police.

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© Photograph: Kevin Carter/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kevin Carter/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kevin Carter/Getty Images

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‘Earth’s first starfleet’: Nasa reveals Artemis III crew and project’s next steps

Luca Parmitano to pilot all-male crew of four paving way for planned first human landing of Artemis IV in 2028

Jared Isaacman, the Nasa administrator, hailed the creation of “Earth’s first starfleet” on Tuesday as he revealed the Artemis III crew and details of the next stages of the space agency’s project to return humans to the moon.

An Italian astronaut, Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (ESA), will be the pilot of the planned two-week mission to lower Earth orbit next year that will test lunar landers from private companies Blue Origin and SpaceX.

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© Photograph: Bill Stafford/NASA/AP

© Photograph: Bill Stafford/NASA/AP

© Photograph: Bill Stafford/NASA/AP

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Tommy Robinson meets Elon Musk’s father in Moscow

Activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, shared video of his meeting with Errol Musk

Tommy Robinson has travelled to Russia, where he has met Elon Musk’s father, Errol, in a Moscow hotel.

Robinson – who has been issuing calls for his supporters to take to the streets across the UK over a bloody knife attack in Belfast – shared video of his meeting with Musk, whose son has been a vocal supporter of Robinson, on Monday.

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© Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

© Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

© Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

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Spyware firm targeted WhatsApp users in defiance of US court order, Meta says

Tech company says it ‘caught and disrupted’ NSO Group’s attempts to access accounts in Jordan and Lebanon

A spyware firm has been targeting WhatsApp users with malicious links in contravention of a US court order forbidding it from doing so, Meta has said.

In a post, Meta said WhatsApp had “caught and disrupted spear phishing attempts” by NSO Group, which a spokesperson said targeted a handful of users in Jordan and Lebanon. It had also caught the group creating “test accounts and groups” on WhatsApp.

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© Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP

© Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP

© Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP

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Trump meets Johnson as outcry over Bill Pulte threatens Fisa renewal

President backs Pulte for acting DNI chief despite backlash that puts reauthorization of key surveillance law at risk

Donald Trump met with the House speaker, Mike Johnson, at the White House on Tuesday as pressure mounts on the president to nominate a permanent director of national intelligence, the step some Republicans now believe is the only way to save a controversial and powerful surveillance law before it expires by the end of the week.

At stake is section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a post-9/11 authority that allows US intelligence agencies to collect the communications of foreign targets overseas without a court warrant. While the program is intended to target non-Americans abroad, it can also sweep up communications involving Americans. This powerful and contentious spy tool is set to expire at midnight on Thursday.

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© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

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Israeli attack on Tyre in Lebanon kills eight as evacuation ordered for Christian quarter

People flee historic district of ancient city after airstrikes hit residential areas and damage archaeological sites

Israel has bombed the city of Tyre, killing eight and injuring at least 32 people, and struck dozens of other villages in south Lebanon as it issued forced evacuation orders for the historic Christian quarter of the ancient city for the first time.

Israel struck the al-Masaken neighbourhood without warning on Tuesday morning, sending smoke plumes high above the city’s buildings and igniting fires. Further airstrikes were carried out across the city and a series of bombings hit Abbasieh, a village north of Tyre.

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© Photograph: Kawant Haju/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kawant Haju/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kawant Haju/AFP/Getty Images

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Is the pope a Real Madrid fan? Leo’s admission upsets Barcelona faithful

Pontiff appeals in Catalan for harmony on Barcelona leg of Spain tour after making football foes in city

To the delight of many, Pope Leo XIV kicked off the Barcelona leg of his week-long visit to Spain with a few words in Catalan, calling on the faithful who had gathered in the city’s cathedral on Tuesday “to build harmony and communion beyond all polarisation”.

The pontiff’s familiar and commendable plea for people to set aside their differences may, however, have come a little late. Three days earlier, while chatting to journalists on the flight to Spain, Leo had made an awkward confession.

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© Photograph: Simone Risoluti/VATICAN MEDIA/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Simone Risoluti/VATICAN MEDIA/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Simone Risoluti/VATICAN MEDIA/AFP/Getty Images

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EU plans to ban Russian soldiers from bloc in fresh sanctions on Moscow

Banks, crypto firms and Kremlin oil reserves also targeted in 21st set of measures since full-scale invasion of Ukraine

The EU hopes to ban Russian soldiers from entering its territory as part of further sanctions against Moscow that also target banks, crypto firms and the Kremlin’s oil revenues.

Announcing the proposals on Tuesday, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “We propose for the first time to ban from entry into the European Union anyone who has served in the Russian armed forces since the beginning of the war. So Europe stays off limit for anyone who has participated in the invasion of Ukraine, as simple as that.”

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© Photograph: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

© Photograph: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

© Photograph: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

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Man shot dead during protest against proposed US Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya

Police dispersed demonstrators in Nanyuki, 120 miles from Nairobi, amid rising anger at US plans

Kenyan police have shot dead a man during a protest against a proposed Ebola quarantine facility for US citizens.

Patrick Wahome, who has organised protests in Nanyuki against the centre, told Reuters on Tuesday the man died from a gunshot wound to the head. Reporters from the agency saw his body lying motionless in a police van with a large head wound.

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© Photograph: Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images

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“Sono entrati nell’ufficio con una capra, poi l’hanno sgozzata e sacrificata in un rituale di magia nera. Dietro c’è la setta Quimbanda”: il caso a Londra

Le telecamere di videosorveglianza hanno registrato tutto, ma dell’animale nessuna traccia. Una capra è entrata viva in un moderno edificio di uffici nel quartiere londinese di Hackney ed è scomparsa poche ore dopo. Le prove indiziarie e una serie di video pubblicati sui social media puntano tutti in una direzione: l’animale è stato sgozzato e sacrificato nel corso di un rito di magia nera all’interno di uno spazio commerciale. A sollevare il caso è stato il sito investigativo London Centric, che ha ottenuto e pubblicato i filmati della sicurezza interna dell’edificio. La vicenda è stata successivamente ripresa e approfondita dal quotidiano Daily Star, che ha ricostruito i movimenti degli individui coinvolti e il presunto movente religioso dietro l’episodio.

La ricostruzione: la capra, la notte e il sacco della spazzatura

I fatti risalgono allo scorso 17 aprile. Le telecamere a circuito chiuso dell’edificio di Hackney inquadrano un uomo mentre fa entrare, spingendola e tirandola, una capra viva all’interno del palazzo. Per diverse ore non si registra alcuna anomalia. Poi, nel cuore della notte, alle 4:31 del mattino, le stesse telecamere inquadrano un gruppo di uomini che lascia l’ufficio. Trasportano con fatica un pesante sacco nero dell’immondizia e un grande contenitore trasparente: stando alle immagini descritte dal Daily Star, l’animale non è mai stato visto uscire dall’edificio. La conferma di quanto presumibilmente accaduto all’interno di quelle mura (le cui pareti, come emerso dalle indagini, sono dipinte di nero e di rosso) è arrivata il giorno successivo attraverso i social. Un video, postato su Instagram e poi rimosso, mostrava la stessa capra tenuta saldamente per le corna. In un secondo filmato, pubblicato sempre online, l’animale giaceva immobile a terra, mentre un uomo inginocchiato su di esso teneva le mani alzate in aria e intonava dei canti rituali.

Quimbanda e cimiteri: il profilo del sospettato

L’individuo ripreso dalle telecamere di sicurezza mentre trascina la capra nell’ufficio non è nuovo a questo tipo di pratiche. Secondo quanto riportato dal Daily Star, l’uomo vanterebbe uno storico di attività macabre e sacrifici animali ampiamente documentati sui propri profili social negli ultimi anni. Le sue pagine Instagram mostrano immagini di lui che tiene per le zampe uccelli morti, posa con una testa di capra mozzata e preme nel terreno cuori di animali avvolti in foglie, con le mani completamente insanguinate.

Le indagini hanno inoltre portato alla luce altri video che mostrano il gruppo intento a svolgere cerimonie elaborate all’interno dei cimiteri pubblici di Londra. In questi filmati, gli individui utilizzano parti del corpo di animali, esplosivi e bruciano bare in miniatura accanto alle tombe di persone con le quali, apparentemente, non hanno alcun legame. Sempre il Daily Star evidenzia come l’uomo sembri essere un seguace della Quimbanda, una religione diasporica afro-brasiliana sviluppatasi in Sud America durante l’era della tratta transatlantica degli schiavi, spesso etichettata e praticata come “magia nera”. I rituali della Quimbanda (chiamati trabalhos) sono studiati per essere altamente sensoriali e hanno lo scopo di attrarre e “nutrire” gli spiriti. Il sacrificio di animali e l’offerta di sangue fanno parte integrante di determinate richieste religiose.

La pratica pone un enorme problema giurisdizionale. In Brasile, ad esempio, nel 2019 il Tribunale Federale Supremo ha stabilito che il sacrificio animale rituale è costituzionale, tutelandolo sotto l’ombrello della libertà religiosa. Nel Regno Unito, tuttavia, la legislazione è drastica: la macellazione degli animali è rigidamente regolamentata, può avvenire esclusivamente all’interno di macelli autorizzati e richiede lo stordimento preventivo dell’animale.

L'articolo “Sono entrati nell’ufficio con una capra, poi l’hanno sgozzata e sacrificata in un rituale di magia nera. Dietro c’è la setta Quimbanda”: il caso a Londra proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

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First Thing: Zelenskyy says he told Trump that Putin was ‘playing games’ with Washington

In an exclusive interview, Ukraine’s president says he believes the war will be won when Russian society feels its impact. Plus, why California’s election count is taking so long (hint: it’s not fraud)

In the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, Volodymr Zelenskyy says he is feeling upbeat and has been grateful for military support from the US, but has a pointed message for Washington.

Speaking to Luke Harding and Pippa Crerar in London, the Ukrainian president acknowledged that the priority of Trump’s second term in foreign policy had shifted away from Ukraine to conflict in the Middle East.

What did Zelenskyy say about Trump’s relationship with Putin? He carefully praised US diplomatic efforts, despite his bruising encounter in the Oval Office and the fact that Trump has been willing to meet Vladimir Putin, saying: “I always said to President Trump that Putin is lying. He plays games with you, with the White House.”

Does he see any prospect of the war ending? The military situation was the most promising it had been for Kyiv for two and a half years, Zelenskyy ssaid. “We can’t say Russia is losing this war. But we can say they are losing the initiative each day, day by day,” he added. “Victory in this war is when Russian society recognises that the war is awful, that the war is a tragedy not for someone, somewhere, but for themselves.” To that end, Zelenskyy said the purpose of long-range strikes – drones buzzing above apartment blocks in greater Moscow and St Petersburg – was to make residents “feel” what war meant.

Which other AI companies are making market moves? In addition to Anthropic, which makes the popular Claude chatbot, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which owns his artificial intelligence company xAI, is also imminently slated to go public at an expected valuation of $1.75tn.

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© Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

© Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

© Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

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US stadium and hotel workers threaten strikes ‘to make things fair’ during World Cup

Low wages and fears of ICE crackdowns have set workers on edge of strike as thousands set to arrive during World Cup

Hospitality and food service workers in several US cities hosting World Cup games are warning of looming labor disputes and possible strikes as the largest single sport tournament in the world gets ready to kick off on 11 June.

In Los Angeles, California, cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, concessions workers and food attendants at the SoFi stadium reached a tentative agreement on Tuesday afternoon, but the union noted it had a contractual right to walk off the job if it determines that federal immigration enforcement is threatening worker safety during the World Cup. The US’s opening match, against Paraguay, is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium – rebranded as the Los Angeles Stadium for the tournament – on 12 June.

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© Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

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BYD and Alibaba among big names aiding China’s military, Pentagon says

Updated Pentagon list includes swathe of China’s top technology firms in move that could inflame tensions between the countries

The US added Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba, internet search provider Baidu and carmaker BYD to a list of companies it believes are aiding Beijing’s military, in a move that could inflame tensions between the countries.

The long-awaited update released on Monday supersedes a list from early 2025, and comes less than a month after Donald Trump met China’s Xi Jinping on a visit to Beijing, where the two leaders maintained a delicate trade war truce.

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© Photograph: Zoey Zhang/Reuters

© Photograph: Zoey Zhang/Reuters

© Photograph: Zoey Zhang/Reuters

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Experts warn Trump ‘inventing fraud’ in California as president ramps up baseless claims

Critics say president using well-worn playbook – with loyalists in key positions ready to amplify his message

Donald Trump is “inventing fraud” in California’s primary elections, and likely to ramp up unfounded allegations when more races go against him, pro-democracy experts have warned.

While the US president has used this playbook for years – from his loss at the Emmys as a reality TV star to his defeat in the 2020 presidential election – election integrity campaigners fear this time could be different.

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© Photograph: Samuel Corum/Getty Images

© Photograph: Samuel Corum/Getty Images

© Photograph: Samuel Corum/Getty Images

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KLM apologises after Paralympian denied onboard wheelchair on 11-hour flight

Athlete Hannah Babalola says she was told to use the toilet without an aisle chair or leave Cape Town to Amsterdam flight

The Dutch airline KLM has offered “sincere apologies” to a Paralympic athlete who was denied access to an onboard wheelchair during a long-haul flight so she could go to the toilet.

The cabin crew on the flight later called the police after the request from Hannah Babalola, 37, who is paraplegic and competes in track events, for the wheelchair, known as an aisle chair as it is narrow enough to be used inside a plane. They first handed her a written notice, headed: “Unacceptable conduct and final warning on behalf of the captain of this plane.”

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© Photograph: Toussaint Kluiters/AFP/GETTYIMAGES

© Photograph: Toussaint Kluiters/AFP/GETTYIMAGES

© Photograph: Toussaint Kluiters/AFP/GETTYIMAGES

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Israel puts Palestinian doctor in solitary confinement after 17 months held without charge

Dr Hussam Abu Safiya now in cell barely big enough to sit in, says son, after UN experts demanded his release in March

The son of a prominent Palestinian doctor who was detained by Israeli forces in Gaza in late 2024 and held for more than 500 days without formal charges has spoken of his deep concern for his father’s wellbeing after he was transferred without explanation to solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison.

Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, was detained at work on 27 December 2024. Physicians for Human Rights Israel said last week it had received information indicating that the 53-year-old had been transferred from Ketziot prison to Ramon prison, part of the Ganot prison complex, where he had been put in solitary confinement. PHRI said it had not been told the reasons for the transfer.

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© Photograph: RFI

© Photograph: RFI

© Photograph: RFI

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Air passengers ‘risking lives by grabbing bags and filming in emergencies’

Fines may be needed to deter travellers from retrieving hand luggage, says official from airlines body Iata

Air passengers are increasingly putting lives at risk by filming emergencies and retrieving bags instead of evacuating planes, industry experts have said, with some suggesting fines could be needed.

Passenger aircraft are designed to be fully evacuated in 90 seconds in an emergency – but people reaching for hand luggage can significantly increase that time, blocking exits and aisles as well as damaging slides or causing injury.

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© Photograph: The Photolibrary Wales/Alamy

© Photograph: The Photolibrary Wales/Alamy

© Photograph: The Photolibrary Wales/Alamy

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EU quota system ‘could kill Ukrainian steel industry’, boss says

Protectionist measures will deal blow to country’s budget as it defends itself against Russia, says Metinvest chief

New EU limits on steel imports could destroy Ukraine’s industry and deal a big blow to the country’s budget as it defends itself against Russia, according to the head of its biggest steelmaker.

Yuriy Ryzhenkov, the chief executive of Metinvest, said the new EU quota system due on 1 July could “kill the Ukrainian steel industry”.

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© Photograph: Reuters

© Photograph: Reuters

© Photograph: Reuters

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‘They are isolated … they are alone’: Zelenskyy on Russia, Putin’s lies – and fighting back

In a wide-ranging interview, an upbeat Ukrainian president also discusses Donald Trump, King Charles, and how Kyiv is prepared to share its experience of drone warfare with the west

Sitting down with the Guardian in London, Volodymyr Zelenskyy seems cheerful. More than four years after Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion, he believes Europe’s biggest war since 1945 appears to be slowly turning in Ukraine’s favour. The military situation is the most promising it has been for Kyiv for two and a half years, Zelenskyy says. “We can’t say Russia is losing this war. But we can say they are losing the initiative each day, day by day,” he insists.

Over the past week the Kremlin has suffered a series of setbacks. Long-range Ukrainian drones have hit Putin’s home city of St Petersburg, setting fire to oil terminals and sending smoke billowing above the skyline. Similar attacks have crippled occupied Crimea. A key supply road is littered with burning lorries and tankers and the peninsula seized by Russia in 2014 is experiencing severe fuel shortages.

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© Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

© Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

© Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

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