In law enforcement

Virginia authorities are still searching for Michael Puckett after they say he ambushed two Carroll County deputies during a welfare check Friday night, killing Deputy Logan Utt and injuring another officer. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $10,000 reward, and officials are warning the public not to approach him.

In Pennsylvania, Officer Yeager with the Central Berks Regional Police Department was killed in a crash while responding to help a neighboring department. Two separate incidents, both reminders that police work can turn lethal without much warning.

In politics

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is facing fresh scrutiny after reports that he exchanged sexually explicit texts with other women during his marriage. The disclosure, shared with his campaign last year by his wife, adds to a growing pile of trouble for the presumptive nominee as he prepares to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins.

In Britain

A 170-year-old Christian music festival in Buckley, Wales, is under strain after Flintshire County Council moved to full cost recovery for road closures and event support. Organisers of the Buckley Jubilee say fees for traffic management, bunting, and insurance have made the event much harder to sustain, though this year’s festival will go ahead after emergency fundraising.

In Germany

A German court has sentenced a former member of the Red Army Faction after she spent decades in hiding. The case also drew attention because, according to the supplied details, it was a journalist, not police using facial recognition, who helped track her down.

In sports

Paris Saint-Germain retained the Champions League after beating Arsenal on penalties in a final that finished level after extra time. Gabriel Magalhães missed the decisive spot kick, and PSG now have back-to-back titles.

In U.S. politics

A federal judge in Miami has reopened Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS to examine a $1.8 billion settlement with the Justice Department. The court is now weighing claims that the deal may have involved collusion and fraud on the court.

In California’s governor’s race, the final Emerson College and Inside California Politics poll still shows a tight field, with Xavier Becerra leading at 28 percent, followed by Tom Steyer at 22 and Steve Hilton at 21. When undecided voters are pushed to choose, the gap narrows further, keeping the race firmly in the unsettled category.

In tech and security

US quantum company Xairos Systems says it has tested its Ares Quantum Optical Terminal over a 1.2-mile free-space link, demonstrating quantum-secure communications and optical data transmission in a real-world setting. The company says the system is meant to provide secure timing, encryption key exchange, and resilient navigation services when GPS or radio signals are jammed, degraded, or unavailable.

In the Americas

Colombia has accused Ecuador’s president of election interference after a tariff move that Bogotá says was aimed at an opposition candidate. Colombia rejected the tariff change and called it deliberate meddling in the vote.

In U.S. politics

Donald Trump’s latest White House medical report says he is in excellent health, and that the bruising on his hands comes from frequent handshaking and aspirin use. The report arrived just as online critics were already busy doing what online critics do.

Trump also signed an executive order backing Health and Human Services changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, saying the move supports religious liberty and parental rights.

Separately, Democratic donor Reid Hoffman says a Justice Department inquiry into donations tied to E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuits against Trump is meant to silence Trump critics. The inquiry reportedly focuses on people involved in those cases.

In international security

Japan has finalized its first personnel deployment to NATO’s Ukraine support hub in Wiesbaden, Germany, sending four Self-Defense Forces officers to help coordinate military equipment and training. The officers will serve as liaisons and will not take part in combat operations.

In Sri Lanka

A senior Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, Pallegama Hemarathana, has been suspended after being accused of abusing an 11-year-old girl at a temple in 2022. The allegations are now in the open, where they belong.

In health

Vibrio infections can sometimes become severe, including necrotizing fasciitis, the dangerous bacterial infection often called flesh-eating disease. In the worst cases, treatment can require intensive care or even amputation.

In tech and business

Meta is rolling out paid subscription plans for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, with new tiers that add features such as profile customization, super reactions, and story insights. The company says the plans will be sold through Apple’s App Store and Google Play, and that it is also testing subscriptions for businesses, creators, and Meta AI users.

In U.S. military news

Airmen at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base have completed the final A-10 Thunderbolt II engine build there, ending a maintenance mission that has run for half a century. The drawdown comes even as Congress has told the Air Force to keep at least 103 of the aircraft through September 2026.

In sports

Jonas Vingegaard all but sealed his first Giro d’Italia title by winning the penultimate stage atop Piancavallo and extending his overall lead to more than five minutes. Rome should still bother to host the finish, though mostly for ceremony.

In science and tech

At ITER, engineers have finished cooling a 330-ton superconducting magnet to 4 Kelvin, setting up months of high-current testing before it is integrated into the fusion reactor. The project says the new Magnet Cold Test Facility will not only check performance and safety, but also help spread technical know-how across the wider fusion industry, a modest claim for a megaproject.

In Japan, researchers have built a cyborg insect control system that monitors a cockroach’s heartbeat, neural activity, and movement before deciding whether to stimulate it. The team says the setup, tested on Madagascar hissing cockroaches, responds to stress or avoidance signals and uses gentler cues when the insect appears relaxed or food-motivated.

Meanwhile, Wikimedia Foundation layoffs have prompted anger among Wikipedia editors after the company disbanded its Community Tech team, which handled editor-requested fixes and tools. Some volunteers are even talking about protest edits and a pause in vandalism cleanup, which is not exactly the user engagement strategy the foundation probably had in mind.

In U.S. politics and policy

House Speaker Mike Johnson is heading into a difficult June, with a series of deadlines and politically awkward votes now landing in the House after weeks of delay. Republicans will have to deal with those fights one way or another, which is usually how deadlines work.

In Texas, backlash over AI data centres is becoming a political problem for Republicans, with some longtime voters saying the issue could push them to cross party lines. Their frustration is focused on the local impact of the facilities, and they see the ballot box as their only leverage.

The U.S. Navy also plans to use the nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford to help charge Naval Station Norfolk, part of an effort to improve energy resilience and mission assurance at the base.

In London planning

The City of London has approved the 1 Silk Street office scheme after a heated committee meeting, with the vote finishing 16 to 11. The project had nearly 1,500 objections, with critics warning it would cast heavy shadows over nearby homes and the Barbican, while supporters pointed to a revised design with a public plaza, cultural space, a community hall, and a new pedestrian link to Moorgate and Liverpool Street.

In Laos

Four men have been rescued from a flooded cave after 10 days trapped underground in Laos. Rescue teams from Laos and Thailand brought them out on stretchers with oxygen after water levels dropped enough to make the operation possible, while crews continue searching for two others believed to still be inside the narrow cave system.

In the Ukraine war

Two North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine are now at the center of a campaign to move them to South Korea. The report focuses on their situation and the political push around any transfer.

In the UK

A 16-year-old has been charged with murder after a 15-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in east London. Police say the case is still under investigation.

Separately, Sir Keir Starmer is weighing more borrowing to help fund an £18 billion defence increase. Ministers are still trying to work out how to pay for the plan without breaking Rachel Reeves’s fiscal rules.

More than 20 councils are also refusing to allow on-street EV charging gullies, despite government efforts to make them easier to install. Local authorities cite safety, legal, and parking concerns, leaving many households with no easy place to plug in.

In Manchester, cafe owner Shams Sadiq says police offered him financial benefits and hinted they would overlook low-level offences if he agreed to inform on Palestine Action. He says the approach came when he tried to collect devices seized during his arrest last year.

In Ukraine

Ukraine says it destroyed two Russian Tu-142 maritime patrol aircraft on the ground at Taganrog military airfield in an overnight drone strike. Ukrainian forces released video showing the aircraft catching fire after multiple direct hits.

In Afghanistan

A truck overturned in eastern Afghanistan and killed 18 people, including 10 children, according to a provincial official. The vehicle was carrying Afghan families returning from Pakistan.

On Iran and the United States

The United States says it is ready to resume war with Iran if no deal is reached, while President Trump says any agreement must meet his red lines. Iran says there is still no final deal.

In sports

The Carolina Hurricanes have reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006 after beating Montreal in the Eastern Conference final.

Former NHL forward Claude Lemieux has died at 60. He won four Stanley Cups, and his family and former teams have paid tribute to his career and legacy.

In Philadelphia

A woman and four children, ages 3 to 6, were hospitalized after being struck by a driver in Philadelphia. Police have not released more details.

Separately, three men convicted in a 1997 Philadelphia murder case have been freed after prosecutors and defense lawyers agreed the case had fallen apart. Jermal Shuler and Rasheed Turner were released Tuesday, and Marc Brittingham followed Wednesday morning after the case, built largely on a single witness, collapsed.

In New Jersey

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has created a protected protest zone outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center as demonstrations there continue to escalate. Former Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino also posted support for ICE agents involved in the clashes, telling them to “give them hell and live the moment!!”

In Washington

President Trump attacked a judge’s ruling ordering his name removed from the Kennedy Center, and said he had “no interest in continuing” what he called a “hopeless journey” unless he could decide the center’s future. In the same orbit, top aides are weighing whether to drop the administration’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund in exchange for help passing immigration enforcement funding, after several Republican senators privately urged the White House to abandon it.

In international security

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said no country, including China, should dominate Asia, and pressed U.S. allies in the region to raise defense spending. Ukraine separately warned of major Russian attacks on Friday or Saturday and told people to take cover, while the U.S. military said it killed three men in a strike on a suspected drug boat in the eastern Pacific, on what it described as a route used by designated terrorist organizations.

In education

More than 400,000 students in India have asked for copies of their exam papers and answer sheets after reporting marking errors in major school-leaving exams. The complaints point to a new digital grading system that was supposed to reduce human error.

In U.S. news

A federal judge blocked Donald Trump’s effort to put his name on the Kennedy Center and to pair that with a renovation plan for the performing arts complex. After the ruling, Trump said he would pull out and hand the matter to Congress, which is one way to turn a naming fight into an ownership dispute.

In a separate case, a Florida judge reopened Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS after intervenors argued that a settlement tied to an “anti-weaponization” fund had tainted the dismissal. The case is back in motion, which means the paperwork is still doing what the politics cannot.

In New Hampshire, a judge struck down a state law that would have required new voters to show documentary proof of citizenship, ruling that a signed affidavit is enough to register. The decision keeps the state’s voting process simpler than the law had tried to make it.

In tech and security

California’s attorney general says 23andMe missed repeated warning signs before the 2023 data breach that exposed customer information. The lawsuit alleges hackers were inside the company’s systems for months, using compromised credentials before the intrusion was finally detected.

Separately, researchers say a Chinese-language phishing network scammed soccer fans out of an estimated $470 million to $1 billion ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Group-IB says shutting down individual domains will not be enough.

Health and science

Two large studies suggest poor sleep may be one factor behind the rise in cancer diagnoses among people under 50. The research adds to growing concern about early-onset cancer, with cases and deaths both rising over time, though the studies do not claim sleep is the only driver.

In entertainment

Marcia Lucas, the Oscar-winning film editor who helped shape Star Wars and several major films of the 1970s, has died at 80 in Rancho Mirage, California. Her family’s attorney said she died of cancer.

In Scotland

First Minister John Swinney is renewing his call for Holyrood to take control of energy policy, arguing it would help lower bills and give Scotland more say over licensing and taxation. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay dismissed the pitch as grievance politics.

In Washington

President Trump left a two-hour Situation Room meeting on a possible deal with Iran without making a decision, despite signaling online that he would settle it then and there. The White House also has not released the results of his latest physical exam, which is helping no one’s confidence.

Separately, a federal judge ordered Trump’s name removed from the Kennedy Center within two weeks, ruling the renaming was unlawful without Congress. The court also paused the center’s planned two-year renovation, leaving its near-term schedule in limbo.

Trump is also planning a very on-brand celebration for America’s 250th anniversary, including a UFC fight on the White House South Lawn and an IndyCar race around the National Mall.

In U.S. politics

Louisiana lawmakers have approved a new congressional map that could give Republicans a shot at flipping one of the state’s two Democratic-held House seats in the 2026 midterms. The redraw also eliminates a Black-majority district.

In world news

In Kenya, eight students have been arrested over the alleged arson of a girls’ boarding school dormitory that killed 16 students and injured 79 others. It is a grim case, and the toll is still the headline.

A new UN report says nearly 10,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence were recorded worldwide last year, and it adds Israel and Russia to the list of parties cited over such abuses.

In crime and law enforcement

In Texas, state law enforcement arrested federal immigration agent Christian Castro in connection with a nonfatal shooting in Minneapolis earlier this year. The case involved the DHS inspector general and the Texas Rangers after Castro was located by Minnesota authorities.

In Anchorage, police say 24-year-old Joseph Lemalie cut off a 19-year-old father during a left turn, then pulled alongside him and fired five shots. The victim survived, but was badly wounded, and Lemalie now faces assault, weapons misconduct, and reckless endangerment charges.

In U.S. news

Rep. Frederica Wilson says she will not seek reelection, ending weeks of speculation about her future and closing out a long run representing South Florida. Separately, new reporting says some public school students learning Chinese may be using curriculum shaped by the Chinese Communist Party, even when it is presented under a different name.

In tech and research

Chinese aerospace researchers have unveiled an AI system for autonomous satellite surveillance, designed to break tasks into steps, choose tools, coordinate workflows, and recover from failures with minimal human input. In Spain, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center has installed a new €9.8 million quantum computer, funded by the EU and Spain’s digitalization ministry, as part of the region’s push for more technological sovereignty. The hardware race continues, which is always comforting in the abstract.

In crime and justice

A Falkirk asylum hotel resident has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women in the early hours of November 30, 2025, after a four-day trial. Prosecutors said the attacks happened near Kerse Lane and Bellmeadows skate park, and sentencing is set for June 29.

In Canada, Kenneth Law has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of assisting suicide after prosecutors said he sold lethal chemicals online and mailed poison packages to more than 100 people in dozens of countries. Families in the case are still pressing for British charges as well.

Philadelphia police say they arrested the alleged ringleader of a $1.6 million vehicle title-washing ring at a hotel after a two-month search. Investigators say the group stole about 50 vehicles, altered identification numbers, and resold them, while charges in the case now reach 10 people, plus one juvenile.

In international politics

The U.S. State Department says it will designate Brazil’s two largest drug gangs as foreign terrorist organizations early next month, a move Brazil’s government is already framing as political interference. Meanwhile, the European Commission is weighing new taxes on digital services, gambling, and crypto assets to help fund the next EU budget, with the package potentially raising up to €11 billion a year.

In Britain

The Home Office plans to use AI facial recognition to help estimate the ages of asylum seekers who say they are children, under a £322,000 contract for software from Akhter Computers. Ministers say it will support existing checks and help prevent adults posing as minors, while social workers warn that shortcuts in age assessment can lead to serious safeguarding mistakes. The government also says a second retrial will not go ahead for two men accused of assaulting a Greater Manchester Police officer in the 2024 airport brawl, ending that case for now.

In U.S. news

Donald Trump’s push to encourage more births is showing little obvious progress, according to experts who say parenthood does not appear easier and public appetite for having children has not rebounded much. In Congress, Republicans are increasingly worried about New Jersey Representative Tom Kean Jr., who has been absent from his district and the House for nearly three months, leaving a competitive seat and a narrow majority looking uncomfortably exposed.

In business

Anthropic says it has raised $65 billion at a $965 billion valuation, in one of the biggest AI funding rounds yet. The company says the money will go into research, development, and infrastructure as demand for Claude keeps climbing, with its revenue run rate now at $47 billion. In the housing market, the slowdown is pushing tens of thousands of U.S. real estate agents to look for second jobs, from classrooms to retail and substitute teaching, just to keep their incomes afloat.

In Europe

Germany’s climate experts say the country has made progress on parts of its 2025 climate goals, but not enough to count as a full success. In Romania, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would support the country after an attack on a residential building and urged the European Union to keep tightening pressure on Russia.

In Africa

A court in Kenya has blocked a U.S. plan to set up an Ebola quarantine facility in the country. The proposal had drawn strong backlash from medical workers, despite no confirmed Ebola cases there.