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Received yesterday — 8 May 2026 The Guardian World news
  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Doge slashing of humanities grants in 2025 ruled biased and unconstitutional Reuters
    US judge says halt of $100m in funds allotted by Congress for scholars, writers and research illegal and discriminatoryA federal judge ruled on Thursday that the terminations of hundreds of humanities grants last year by the Trump administration’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) were unconstitutional and involved “blatant” discrimination. In April last year, Donald Trump’s administration terminated more than 1,400 grants, representing more than $100m in congressionally app
     

Doge slashing of humanities grants in 2025 ruled biased and unconstitutional

8 May 2026 at 22:32

US judge says halt of $100m in funds allotted by Congress for scholars, writers and research illegal and discriminatory

A federal judge ruled on Thursday that the terminations of hundreds of humanities grants last year by the Trump administration’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) were unconstitutional and involved “blatant” discrimination. In April last year, Donald Trump’s administration terminated more than 1,400 grants, representing more than $100m in congressionally appropriated funds awarded to scholars, writers, research institutions and other humanities organizations.

The terminations were part of a cost-cutting drive that billionaire Elon Musk was leading at Doge.

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© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

© Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Florida surgeon ‘devastated’ over death of patient after removing liver instead of spleen Maya Yang
    Thomas Shaknovsky botched the surgery of William Bryan, 70, who died on the operating tableA Florida surgeon who is facing criminal charges after allegedly removing a patient’s liver instead of his spleen has said he is “forever traumatized” by that person’s death.In a deposition from November that was recently obtained by NBC, 44-year-old Thomas Shaknovsky described the death of 70-year-old William Bryan as an “incredibly unfortunate event that I regret deeply”. Continue reading...
     

Florida surgeon ‘devastated’ over death of patient after removing liver instead of spleen

8 May 2026 at 21:49

Thomas Shaknovsky botched the surgery of William Bryan, 70, who died on the operating table

A Florida surgeon who is facing criminal charges after allegedly removing a patient’s liver instead of his spleen has said he is “forever traumatized” by that person’s death.

In a deposition from November that was recently obtained by NBC, 44-year-old Thomas Shaknovsky described the death of 70-year-old William Bryan as an “incredibly unfortunate event that I regret deeply”.

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© Photograph: Zarzaur Firm

© Photograph: Zarzaur Firm

© Photograph: Zarzaur Firm

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Keir Starmer under pressure to agree exit plan after election mauling Pippa Crerar and Jessica Elgot
    Senior Labour MPs urge prime minister to step down within year as party loses control of 25 English councils and humbled in WalesElection 2026 live: latest news updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesMapped: how Labour lost ground in different directionsKeir Starmer is under pressure to set out a timeline for his departure after a crushing defeat in elections across Britain prompted senior Labour MPs to call for him to step down within a year.In a disastrous set of results, Labour h
     

Keir Starmer under pressure to agree exit plan after election mauling

8 May 2026 at 21:35

Senior Labour MPs urge prime minister to step down within year as party loses control of 25 English councils and humbled in Wales

Keir Starmer is under pressure to set out a timeline for his departure after a crushing defeat in elections across Britain prompted senior Labour MPs to call for him to step down within a year.

In a disastrous set of results, Labour had lost control of more than 25 councils and almost 1,000 council seats in England by Friday evening, many to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which made large gains across the Midlands and the north as well as taking seats from the Tories in the south.

Farage said a “truly historic shift in British politics” had occurred after Reform UK won hundreds of seats and control of more councils in England. The gains included Essex where the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, has her constituency and which the Conservatives held for 25 years.

Plaid Cymru became the largest party in Wales, beating Reform into second place, after Labour admitted it was on course to lose control of the Senedd for the first time since devolution. Morgan, the first woman to lead the Welsh government, became the highest-profile casualty and called on Labour to “go back to being the party of the working class”.

The SNP leader, John Swinney, declared victory in the Holyrood elections – though was expected to fall short of an outright majority. The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, conceded defeat saying his party had failed to counter “national dissatisfaction” with Starmer.

The Greens gained their first two directly elected mayors – in Hackney and Lewisham – although they missed out on some more ambitious targets in London, as their leader, Zack Polanski, declared Britain’s two-party politics “dead and buried”. They also won three councils: Norwich, Hastings and Waltham Forest.

The Tories were on course to lose hundreds of seats – both to Reform and the Liberal Democrats – across the south of England. However, they won back the flagship Westminster council in central London, with Badenoch announcing it meant the party was “coming back”.

Labour appeared to be struggling in its London stronghold, despite early indications that its vote was holding up, unexpectedly losing control of Brent. Party insiders were closely watching councils including Lambeth, Lewisham and Haringey.

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© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

© Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

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  • Four south Florida men convicted in Haitian president’s assassination Reuters
    Men were convicted in Miami federal court for plotting to kill Jovenel Moise at his Port-au-Prince home in 2021Four south Florida men were convicted on Friday of plotting to kill Haitian president Jovenel Moise in 2021 by hiring mercenaries to assassinate him at his Port-au-Prince home, court records show.Prosecutors argued during the nine-week trial in a Miami federal court that the men assembled two dozen former Colombian soldiers and supplied them with money, guns, ammunition and tactical ves
     

Four south Florida men convicted in Haitian president’s assassination

8 May 2026 at 21:35

Men were convicted in Miami federal court for plotting to kill Jovenel Moise at his Port-au-Prince home in 2021

Four south Florida men were convicted on Friday of plotting to kill Haitian president Jovenel Moise in 2021 by hiring mercenaries to assassinate him at his Port-au-Prince home, court records show.

Prosecutors argued during the nine-week trial in a Miami federal court that the men assembled two dozen former Colombian soldiers and supplied them with money, guns, ammunition and tactical vests in a conspiracy to kill Moise. The 53-year-old president was shot dead in July 2021 at his private residence in the hills above Port-au-Prince, a killing that left a gaping political vacuum in the Caribbean nation and emboldened powerful gangs.

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© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

USPS considers allowing people to ship handguns through the mail

8 May 2026 at 20:54

Trump administration urges US Postal Service to scrap 100-year-old rule as Democratic state attorneys general protest

Handguns could be mailed through the United States Postal Service (USPS) for the first time in nearly 100 years if a proposed Trump administration rule takes effect.

Democratic attorneys general in two dozen states have sent a letter in opposition.

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© Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Labour loses control of Birmingham city council after 14 years of leadership

8 May 2026 at 20:01

Reform, Greens and pro-Gaza independents make significant gains, although no party has yet won majority

The Labour party’s 14-year leadership in Birmingham has come to an end after Reform, Greens and pro-Gaza independents made significant gains in the UK’s second-largest city.

No party has yet won an overall majority at Birmingham city council, one of Europe’s largest local authorities, with the results reflecting wider political fragmentation across England.

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© Photograph: Jacob King/PA

© Photograph: Jacob King/PA

© Photograph: Jacob King/PA

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  • King Charles features in surprise birthday tribute to David Attenborough Caroline Davies
    Whimsical film shows relay of animals carrying centennial card from Balmoral Castle to naturalist in LondonKing Charles has featured in a surprise birthday tribute to David Attenborough, with a cast of wild animals helping to relay his handwritten congratulatory centenary card.The whimsical film, A Very Special Delivery, begins with the king writing his tribute in the library of Balmoral Castle. Charles, wearing an animal-themed tie featuring elephants, reflects on more than 60 years of friendsh
     

King Charles features in surprise birthday tribute to David Attenborough

8 May 2026 at 19:50

Whimsical film shows relay of animals carrying centennial card from Balmoral Castle to naturalist in London

King Charles has featured in a surprise birthday tribute to David Attenborough, with a cast of wild animals helping to relay his handwritten congratulatory centenary card.

The whimsical film, A Very Special Delivery, begins with the king writing his tribute in the library of Balmoral Castle. Charles, wearing an animal-themed tie featuring elephants, reflects on more than 60 years of friendship with the renowned naturalist.

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© Photograph: BBC

© Photograph: BBC

© Photograph: BBC

Trump announces Russia-Ukraine three-day ceasefire from 9 May

8 May 2026 at 18:52

US president says on Truth Social the ceasefire will include suspension of all ‘kinetic activity’ and a prisoner swap

Donald Trump has announced a three-day ceasefire in the war between Russia and Ukraine from 9 to 11 May.

The US president said on social media the ceasefire would include a suspension of all “kinetic activity” and a swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country.

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© Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/Pool/CNP/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/Pool/CNP/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/Pool/CNP/Shutterstock

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Americans on hantavirus cruise ship reportedly to be quarantined in US Marina Dunbar
    US CDC personnel are reportedly meeting ship in Canary Islands to accompany Americans on a flight to NebraskaThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reportedly sending personnel to the Canary Islands to meet the cruise ship affected by the hantavirus outbreak, with plans to accompany American passengers back to the US on a chartered flight and place them into quarantine in Nebraska.An additional CDC team is already headed to Nebraska, according to unnamed sources who spoke wit
     

Americans on hantavirus cruise ship reportedly to be quarantined in US

8 May 2026 at 18:19

US CDC personnel are reportedly meeting ship in Canary Islands to accompany Americans on a flight to Nebraska

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reportedly sending personnel to the Canary Islands to meet the cruise ship affected by the hantavirus outbreak, with plans to accompany American passengers back to the US on a chartered flight and place them into quarantine in Nebraska.

An additional CDC team is already headed to Nebraska, according to unnamed sources who spoke with CNN. The sources indicated that passengers are expected to undergo quarantine measures there to help prevent any possible spread of the virus. Nebraska is home to both the federally supported National Quarantine Unit and the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit.

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© Photograph: Miguel Barreto/EPA

© Photograph: Miguel Barreto/EPA

© Photograph: Miguel Barreto/EPA

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • John Swinney declares victory for SNP in Holyrood elections Severin Carrell and Libby Brooks
    Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, concedes his party was comprehensively beatenElection 2026 live: latest news updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesJohn Swinney, the Scottish National party leader, has declared victory in the Holyrood elections after the first handful of results confirmed Labour had been comprehensively beaten.Speaking to the BBC after holding his own seat of Perthshire North, Swinney said he was “absolutely certain the SNP is going to be the leading party comi
     

John Swinney declares victory for SNP in Holyrood elections

8 May 2026 at 17:35

Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, concedes his party was comprehensively beaten

John Swinney, the Scottish National party leader, has declared victory in the Holyrood elections after the first handful of results confirmed Labour had been comprehensively beaten.

Speaking to the BBC after holding his own seat of Perthshire North, Swinney said he was “absolutely certain the SNP is going to be the leading party coming out of this election”.

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© Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images

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  • ABC lawyers accuse Trump’s FCC of punishing network for political reasons Jeremy Barr in Washington
    Network lawyers in a legal motion strongly pushed back against the FCC’s investigation into The View talkshowLawyers representing an ABC station have accused the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of punishing the network for political purposes in a strongly worded attack on the Trump-controlled commission’s investigation into top-rated talkshow, The View.In a legal motion filed on Thursday, KTRK-TV, a Houston-based local television station owned by ABC, pushed back strongly against the FCC
     

ABC lawyers accuse Trump’s FCC of punishing network for political reasons

8 May 2026 at 17:34

Network lawyers in a legal motion strongly pushed back against the FCC’s investigation into The View talkshow

Lawyers representing an ABC station have accused the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of punishing the network for political purposes in a strongly worded attack on the Trump-controlled commission’s investigation into top-rated talkshow, The View.

In a legal motion filed on Thursday, KTRK-TV, a Houston-based local television station owned by ABC, pushed back strongly against the FCC investigation, accusing the purportedly independent agency of taking actions that “threaten to upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech, both with respect to The View and more broadly”.

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© Photograph: Daniel Cole/Reuters

© Photograph: Daniel Cole/Reuters

© Photograph: Daniel Cole/Reuters

Frustrated by Iran, Trump at last seizes enriched uranium – but from Venezuela

8 May 2026 at 17:32

US energy department says 13.5kg of uranium taken from reactor in Caracas – a fraction of the 408kg held by Tehran

Donald Trump has succeeded in removing a country’s stash of highly enriched uranium – although that country is not Iran.

On Friday, the US Department of Energy announced that “thanks to President Trump’s decisive leadership” 13.5kg (about 30 pounds) of uranium had been removed from a legacy research reactor in Venezuela.

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© Photograph: Ronald Pena R/EPA

© Photograph: Ronald Pena R/EPA

© Photograph: Ronald Pena R/EPA

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