Passengers will remain in isolation for 45 days of isolation, with health officials confirming they remain asymptomaticSix people who were evacuated from the cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak have left Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral to complete their isolation at home, health officials have said.The passengers from the MV Hondius had been admitted to the Merseyside hospital, the UK’s initial Covid quarantine site, for checks by public health and clinical specialists. Continue reading...

13 May 2026 17:23 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Keir Starmer set out bills to abolish NHS England, overhaul Send provision, limit jury trials and forge ties with EUKeir Starmer has laid out long-promised changes to education, health and the courts in the king’s speech, which maps out the government’s agenda for the next year.The speech delivered by King Charles cited bills to abolish NHS England, overhaul the provision of special educational needs teaching, limit trials by jury, introduce digital ID and end the leasehold system in England and Wales. It also included vehicles for closer alignment with the EU, and measures to boost the economy through the nationalisation of British Steel and pilot schemes to boost innovation in areas such as defence technology and AI-controlled ships. Continue reading...

13 May 2026 14:47 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Warsh will serve four-year term as chair, taking over amid rising inflation and pressure from Trump to lower ratesThe US Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as chair of the Federal Reserve, one of the most powerful roles in the federal government that holds enormous sway over the economy.The 54-45 Senate vote on Wednesday was split along party lines, with the exception of the Democratic senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, who joined the Republican majority. It was most divisive confirmation vote for the position in history. Continue reading...

13 May 2026 20:10 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Industry body says energy consumption driven by AI up 15% globally in two years as it warns of societal backlashDatacentres are consuming 6% of electricity in the UK and US, with the growing strain of AI on energy supplies prompting community resistance, according to research.The proportion of electricity used by vast warehouses stacked with microchips to power AI and the internet has risen 15% worldwide in the past two years as annual global investment in datacentres approaches $1tn (£740bn) – nearly 1% of the global economy, according to the International Data Center Authority (IDCA). Continue reading...

13 May 2026 10:48 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Brand owner Mondelēz was accused of reducing weight of Alpine Milk bar from 100g to 90g without significantly altering the packagingMany chocolate lovers consider shrinkflation a serious crime – and they have been vindicated after a German court ruled that the makers of Milka cheated consumers by cutting the bar’s size, while keeping the wrapper the same.The three-week case in a regional court was brought by Hamburg’s consumer protection office. It accused the chocolate brand’s US owner Mondelēz of deceiving shoppers by cutting the weight of Milka’s classic Alpine Milk bar from 100g to 90g without significantly altering the distinctive purple packaging. Continue reading...

13 May 2026 18:17 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

Richard Werstine, wanted in connection with killing of Cold as Life vocalist Rodney Barger, was arrested in PanamaA suspect accused of murdering his rock singer friend in 1993 has been apprehended in Central America after spending more than 30 years successfully evading authorities.According to the US Marshals Service, Richard Werstine, who was wanted in connection with the killing of Cold as Life vocalist Rodney Barger, was arrested in Panama. Continue reading...

13 May 2026 15:34 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN

After a breakup, photographer Diana Markosian hired an actor to play her ex-boyfriend in hope of finding closureFalling in and then out of love is a universal experience that often brings sadness, grief and heartbreak, and with time, hope and healing. Photographer Diana Markosian used her camera lens to document these complex feelings in her new project, Replaced.She brings the viewer on her journey of having, losing and reclaiming love, in a project that blurs documentary and fiction. “[The moments] no longer existed in the way they had, and I wanted to reclaim them,” she says. “I wanted to feel that I could exist in my own story again.” Continue reading...

13 May 2026 09:00 ✍️ RSS THE GUARDIAN