James Valentine memorial: famous friends, family and fans gather to farewell ABC radio host 29. May 2026 (07:46) Governor general Sam Mostyn, television personalities Richard Roxburgh, Julia Morris and Gretel Killeen among those who attended the packed public event in SydneyFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJames Valentine’s fans joined his family, friends, colleagues, and the entertainment industry in a moving celebration of his life at the Sydney town hall on Friday afternoon.The broadcaster and musician, who hosted ABC Sydney’s Afternoon show for 25 years, died last month at the age of 64. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
CMAT shares ‘deep sadness’ over body-shaming after BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend performance 29. May 2026 (07:04) The Irish singer-songwriter says her rise has been increasingly ‘tarnished by the fact that I would be allowed to enjoy it so much more if I was thin’The Irish singer-songwriter CMAT has responded to ongoing abuse she has received about her body and her weight following an appearance last week at BBC’s Radio 1 Big Weekend.The musician, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, wrote on Instagram on Thursday that she had felt “compelled to wade in and speak for myself” after learning of the abuse being directed at photos taken of her on stage at the Sunderland festival on 24 May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Russian drone crashes into Romanian apartments, wounding two people and starting fire 29. May 2026 (06:56) Armed drone was part of attack on Ukraine, say Romanian authorities after military scrambled F-16 fighter jets in response A Russian drone that was part of an overnight attack on Ukraine crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people, authorities said, in what an official statement condemned as an “irresponsible escalation” by Moscow.The drone was tracked by radar in Romanian airspace and crashed on to the roof of a building in Galați on Friday, said Romania’s defence ministry. The impact was followed by a fire. Two people sustained cuts that required medical treatment, and several people were evacuated. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump: the boy who cried ‘peace’ in the Middle East – podcast 29. May 2026 (06:00) On Saturday, Donald Trump said talks with Tehran were going well and an agreement to end the war was ‘largely negotiated’. On Sunday, the US launched strikes on Southern Iran. By Thursday, Donald Trump had circulated a draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies.This week, as the US-Iran deal remains in a precarious state, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group about why Trump keeps changing his mind on what to do to end the warArchive: AP, Reuters Continue reading...(The Guardian)
KPMG Australia’s CEO Andrew Yates quits over whistleblower scandal 29. May 2026 (04:56) Yates says ‘we have let ourselves down’ when dealing with allegations of client information being misusedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKPMG’s Australian chief, Andrew Yates, will step down immediately, after taking responsibility for the consultancy firm’s failure to properly respond to whistleblower allegations around the misuse of client information.The firm’s chief executive made the announcement on Friday morning, saying in a statement: “I have been committed to a speak-up culture in our firm”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
WHO chief arrives in DRC promising Ebola outbreak ‘can be stopped’ 29. May 2026 (04:10) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus heads for Ituri province where epidemic is centred and calls for halt to fighting that hampers medical relief effortsThe deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be stopped, the World Health Organization (WHO) head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said as he arrived in Kinsasha.Tedros landed in the DRC on Thursday evening and was due on Friday to travel to Ituri province in the north-east, where the epidemic is centred. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Death toll in Washington tank rupture rises to eight as recovery progresses 29. May 2026 (03:39) Three more people remain missing and are presumed dead, after tank containing chemical mixture collapsedThe confirmed death toll in the chemical tank explosion at a Washington state paper mill rose to eight on Thursday after crews recovered the remains of six workers, officials said.Three more individuals remain missing and are presumed dead. Eight other people were injured, including a firefighter responding to the incident. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California’s ‘Los Gatos party mom’ sentenced to 35 years in prison 29. May 2026 (03:05) Shannon O’Connor, 52, was convicted of charges including child endangerment and facilitating forcible sexual assaultA judge has sentenced a San Francisco Bay Area mother to 35 years in prison after her conviction for a slew of crimes resulting from hosting drunken sex parties for young teenagers.Widely known as the “Los Gatos party mom”, a nickname that references her hometown, 52-year-old Shannon O’Connor was convicted of four dozen crimes in March, including child endangerment, dissuading witnesses from reporting a crime and facilitating forcible sexual assault. Her sentence was the maximum allowed under state law. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Federal jury finds army veteran and two other ICE protesters guilty of conspiracy 29. May 2026 (02:58) Case involving June 2025 protest is escalation in Trump officials’ attack on first amendment rights, say expertsA federal jury has found three protesters, including a US military veteran of the war in Afghanistan, guilty on felony conspiracy charges on Thursday for their part in a June 2025 protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).Legal experts have said the Spokane, Washington, case marked a serious escalation in the Trump administration’s attack on first amendment rights. The demonstrators now face potential sentences of up to six years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Musical acts back out of performing at Trump-affiliated concert series 29. May 2026 (02:05) Morris Day, Young MC and others balk at appearing at US’s 250th anniversary events organized by administrationAt least five of the nine featured musical acts set to play in a concert series organized by the Trump administration to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary have dropped out, just one day after the lineup was announced.The first to drop out, hours after Wednesday’s announcement, was Morris Day, who called his scheduled participation in the summer concert series on Washington DC’s National Mall a baseless “rumor”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
