Iniaes

In business and tech

Meta has begun laying off about 8,000 employees as it shifts more of its spending toward artificial intelligence. The cuts started May 20 and are expected to affect workers across the company’s global operations. “Restructuring” remains corporate code for people getting the email before the spreadsheet does.

In the Middle East

The U.S. has carried out fresh strikes in Iran, targeting missile launch sites and boats that were reportedly preparing to lay mines, according to Central Command. The strikes came as Iranian negotiators traveled to Qatar for talks on the nuclear program and frozen assets, with both sides playing down hopes for a quick breakthrough. Centcom said the strikes did not mean the seven-week ceasefire was over.

Separately, Israeli forces launched another wave of strikes in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah sites after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to intensify the campaign.

In U.S. and local news

Sen. Andy Kim was pepper-sprayed by ICE officers during a protest outside a detention facility in Newark. Video posted online showed volunteers washing his eyes and Kim holding an ice pack after the confrontation.

In Allentown, Pennsylvania, a Lehigh County man is in custody after police said he stabbed a woman multiple times in what investigators are calling a domestic-related attack.

In New Jersey, six people were injured, two of them critically, when a boat struck a channel marker in Barnegat Bay near Long Beach Island. Two people were thrown from the vessel in the crash.

Police are also investigating a building fire in Riverside, Burlington County, after firefighters responded Monday night.

In the Middle East

U.S. and Iranian officials are back in talks in Qatar, trying to reach an agreement to end the nearly three-month war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides say there has been progress, but no final deal is imminent, and the outlines are still shifting. President Trump has also floated what could happen to Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile if a deal is reached, saying it would either be handed over for destruction or handled with other parties.

In California

Fire officials in Southern California say the explosion risk at a damaged hazardous-chemical tank has now been eliminated after overnight cooling and monitoring. The tank had cracked over the weekend, triggering a large evacuation, and roughly 50,000 residents in the area remain displaced under a state of emergency.

In brief

Pope Leo is calling for major regulation to limit the risks of artificial intelligence, warning in his first papal encyclical that the technology should be “disarmed” before it fuels war or economic dislocation.

In cyber security

Researchers say more than 5,000 GitHub repositories were hit in an automated supply-chain attack codenamed Megalodon. The attacker used a malicious GitHub Actions workflow to run a script that stole development secrets, including keys, tokens, and other credentials. Developers still have to trust every tiny automation file that looks boring enough to be harmless.

In France

France is expanding investigations into an alleged abuse scandal across 114 Paris schools and nurseries. Prosecutors say children as young as three were allegedly raped, beaten, and denied food by staff entrusted to care for them. This is a serious case, and the scale alone is grim.

In the Middle East

Israel carried out strikes in eastern Lebanon after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military would intensify attacks on Hezbollah. In Gaza, a six-year-old Palestinian girl was killed in an Israeli strike on a displacement camp in Khan Younis, and her father is mourning her death.

Meanwhile, Iran says a deal with the U.S. is still not close, despite what it describes as some progress in talks. Its foreign ministry says contradictory U.S. statements and Israeli interference remain obstacles, and it says any future arrangement over the Strait of Hormuz would be agreed with Oman.

In the U.S.

Protests escalated at a New Jersey ICE detention facility, where demonstrators clashed with agents and detainees said they were on hunger strike. The situation at the facility has become a sharper flashpoint.

In technology and security

Researchers are warning that using the same AI tool in a single session to draft different cyber incident reports can cause details from one breach to leak into another. The lesson is simple, if slightly rude, to anyone trying to automate the paperwork: these systems still need guardrails.

Separately, Pope Leo said some AI-powered weapons are becoming effectively beyond human control and called for AI to be “disarmed.”

In public health

The World Health Organization says the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is moving faster than responders can keep up, with deaths now at 220. Ugandan health officials also reported two new cases on Monday, raising the country’s total to seven.

In business and geopolitics

Oil prices fell after fresh signs that U.S. talks with Iran are moving forward, with traders reacting to the possibility of reduced tension around energy supplies. Prices dropped below $100 a barrel in one report, and by about 5 percent in another, as markets watched for any broader breakthrough on the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions relief.

President Trump is also pressing Gulf states to join the Abraham Accords while the Iran talks continue, saying he has spoken with leaders across the region and that Washington is not rushing into a deal.

In U.S. politics

President Trump is due for another scheduled medical checkup, his third in 13 months, and outside physicians are still asking the obvious question about an almost 80-year-old president: whether the public is getting a full picture of his health. The White House has not exactly built a reputation for over-sharing here.

Separately, Lithuania says a mass data leak appears to have been carried out by a foreign state. Officials did not name a culprit, but the Baltic region is already on edge over hybrid tactics tied to Moscow, including cyberattacks and other forms of digital nuisance with very expensive consequences.

In the Middle East

The Trump administration says it has reached a temporary understanding with Iran, one that is not a peace deal, not a nuclear deal, and not a missile deal — a lot of labels to avoid for something still under negotiation. Talks are continuing, final approval could take days, and one possible outcome would be reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which would ease a major energy risk while the harder issues get kicked down the road.

On artificial intelligence and cyber risk

Pope Leo XIV has issued a sharp warning about artificial intelligence, saying it is being driven by a “culture of power” and should face the “most rigorous” ethical constraints as it spreads through work and war. He also linked the issue to older forms of exploitation, including slavery, which he described as a wound the Church took far too long to name.

Meanwhile, Anthropic says its Mythos system has identified about 23,000 potential vulnerabilities across 1,000 open source projects, with many already confirmed as serious. On the darker side of the internet, a cybercrime forum post claimed to offer 340 million OnlyFans user records for sale, another reminder that the data economy remains very enthusiastic about the wrong incentives.

In health and safety

Police and fire crews evacuated the Ginza Six shopping complex in central Tokyo after a strong odor was reported around midday. At least 15 people felt unwell, some with sore throats, and authorities are still trying to determine what, if anything, was released. About 20 people were later reported injured in the same area after a man sprayed an unknown substance near an ATM.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, suspected Ebola cases have climbed above 900 and confirmed cases have now passed 1,000, according to the government. Officials are still trying to contain the outbreak.

In disasters

At least four people have been killed and 17 remain missing after an unfinished hotel collapsed in the Philippines. Officials said as many as 70 people were working at the site, though most had already gone home for the weekend.

In diplomacy

Marco Rubio said a “solid” deal with Iran could be announced on Monday. US media report the proposal under discussion would extend the ceasefire for 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz for that period.

In business and transport

The European Commission has proposed new rules to make cross-border rail travel simpler, under a plan called “One ticket, one journey, full rights.” The idea is to let passengers book multi-leg trips across Europe with a single ticket and give them clearer passenger protections.

Singapore’s economy grew 6% year on year in the first quarter, beating expectations. Officials said the AI boom helped offset higher energy costs, though they are still warning that the Iran conflict could hit the outlook.

The NHS is spending a record £241 million on private firms to read CT and MRI scans, as hospitals struggle with staffing shortages and heavy workloads. Radiologists say it reflects years of underinvestment in training.

In science and space

A 43-year-old Hong Kong police officer and mother of three has launched into space on a Chinese mission, where she is serving as the team’s payload scientist. It is the first Hong Kong astronaut launch reported on this mission.

On Iran diplomacy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. is prepared for serious talks on Iran’s nuclear program, but that key details still have to be negotiated. He also signaled the Trump administration could live with an interim deal, one that would not immediately strip Iran of the ability to make nuclear weapons.

That comes as President Trump tells negotiators not to rush, and after the U.S. blamed the collapse of a U.N. nuclear nonproliferation conference on countries that, in Washington’s view, are still not taking Iran’s threat seriously.

In Australia’s critical minerals push

Australia has ordered six investors linked to China to sell their stakes in Northern Minerals, which is developing the Browns Range rare-earths project in Western Australia. Canberra is taking a harder line on foreign ownership of critical minerals as it tries to build a supply chain less dependent on Beijing and more aligned with the U.S.

At the same time, Arafura Rare Earths says its planned Northern Territory mine will go ahead after the federal government agreed to buy 500 tonnes of rare earths for the national strategic reserve. The policy shift is meant to strengthen national security, though financing and running these projects without Chinese capital is still the tricky part.

In the Philippines

Rescue crews are searching for survivors after a building collapse left three people dead and 17 missing. Thermal scans have detected signs of breathing and heartbeats under the debris, raising hopes that some people may still be alive.

In Wilmington

The Mother African Union Church held its first in-person service a week after a catastrophic fire badly damaged its 213-year-old historic building. The congregation met at the Congo Legacy Center while leaders wait for the cause of the blaze and plan temporary worship and office space as they think about rebuilding.

In the U.S. and the Middle East

President Trump used a high-stakes call about the Iran war to press Arab and Muslim leaders to recognize Israel, abruptly widening what was supposed to be a discussion about ceasefire terms and regional security. The message was less diplomacy and more instruction.

In Washington, the Secret Service says the man killed in Saturday night’s shooting at the White House had previously tried to get into the complex since 2025. Authorities identified him as Nasire Best and said the confrontation ended in a gun battle at the gates.

In Britain

British Airways is facing criticism after refusing to let a teenage boy with Tourette’s board a flight because he shouted the word “bomb.” The case has sharpened questions about how airlines apply safety rules to passengers with neurological conditions.

UK university leaders are warning that worsening finances could force them to cut hardship support for low-income students and scale back outreach to disadvantaged groups. In a Universities UK poll, more than two-thirds said they were considering compulsory redundancies, and nearly 90% said hiring freezes or voluntary redundancies were on the table.

Police and border agencies say arrests, convictions, and seizures linked to people smugglers have risen by nearly 46%, with more than 6,600 disruptions since the general election. The National Crime Agency says smuggling now takes up about a quarter of its workload.

In tech and science

Google’s latest AI push is drawing fresh concern over how much of the web it wants to absorb into itself. AI Overviews, a deeper AI Mode, and new ad placements inside AI results could push users away from regular links, while the company’s move from the open-source Gemini CLI to a closed-source replacement is being read by developers as another step away from openness and control.

A Scottish charity says the Scottish government’s “green datacentres” policy may be missing a big chunk of the emissions tied to modern AI systems. The complaint is simple enough: the definition was written in 2022, before ChatGPT and the current boom rewired the scale of the industry.

Iran talks move toward a deal

U.S. and regional officials say a draft agreement with Iran is close, one that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and require Tehran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. President Trump then told negotiators not to rush it.

Russia intensifies strikes on Ukraine

Russia launched another overnight wave of drones and missiles, hitting Kyiv and killing at least four people. Zelenskyy spoke from the scene after one of the largest attacks on the capital since the war began.

Israeli strikes spread in southern Lebanon

Israeli strikes killed six people in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire still formally being in place. Fresh evacuation orders were issued as the fighting widened again.

Spain faces political protest and fallout from the flotilla return

Thousands marched in Madrid calling for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to resign over corruption allegations involving people around him. In a separate flashpoint, returning Global Sumud Flotilla activists sparked clashes at Bilbao airport, where police made charges and arrested four people after the trip set off another round of diplomatic irritation with Israel.

Security forces respond near the White House

The Secret Service says a suspect identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best died after an exchange of gunfire near the White House. A bystander was also wounded. Authorities have not said more about the circumstances yet.

Washington and Delhi try to steady relations

Marco Rubio met India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, as the U.S. and India try to repair ties that have fallen to their lowest point in more than two decades.

EPA eases refrigeration pollution rules

The EPA is loosening restrictions on hydrofluorocarbons used in supermarket refrigeration, giving businesses more flexibility on gases that are far more potent than carbon dioxide. Under the new rule, supermarkets can keep using some of them until 2032.

In the Middle East

The United States and Iran are said to have reached a tentative understanding to wind down the fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but nothing is signed, several terms are still unresolved, and both sides are leaving plenty of room for confusion. President Trump says sanctions on Iran will stay in place until a deal is actually reached. In Lebanon, civil defence officials say an Israeli strike destroyed a facility in Nabatieh, collapsing the building and damaging vehicles and equipment.

In U.S. news

The Secret Service says a man opened fire near a White House security checkpoint on Saturday evening and was shot and killed when officers returned fire. One bystander was wounded. Separately, a man was hospitalized after an officer-involved shooting in Kensington, after police say he raised a gun and was struck in the wrist and chest.

A new Wall Street Journal poll shows Trump’s approval rating down to 41 percent, with Democrats holding an 8-point lead on the generic congressional ballot. Strong approval among Republican voters also fell sharply.

In business

Truck drivers at Iowa 80 say higher fuel prices are already biting into their margins after the U.S. strikes on Iran. Regular gasoline was reported at $4.26 a gallon and diesel at $5.72, with drivers warning the summer jump could filter through to consumers before long.

In Turkey

Turkish riot police used tear gas and forced their way into the Ankara headquarters of the main opposition CHP party after a court removed its leadership. Supporters had blocked the entrances and refused to leave.

In China

China has launched its Shenzhou-23 crewed mission to the Tiangong space station, sending three astronauts into orbit. One will spend a full year there for the first time, as Beijing pushes toward a planned crewed moon landing by 2030.

In Britain

Reform UK’s Danny Kruger is calling for a major Whitehall overhaul, including abolishing the Cabinet Office and scrapping the Cabinet Secretary role. He says the prime minister should be in charge, not senior civil servants, which is quite a pitch for less bureaucracy from a party that discovered bureaucracy exists.

In Delaware

A historic Black church in Wilmington has found a temporary home after fire heavily damaged the Mother African Union Church. The congregation has resumed services at the Congo Legacy Center while investigators look into the cause and leaders try to raise money for rebuilding.

In culture

At Cannes, exiled Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev used his Grand Prix acceptance speech to urge Vladimir Putin to end the war. The film, Minotaur, is set in Russia in 2022.