Year: 2026

A court in Mali has sentenced a French embassy official to 20 years in prison on charges of espionage and undermining state security. The official, detained since August 2025, faces a €5,400 fine and a ban on entering Mali, escalating tensions between the military-led government and France.

Anthropic has called for a coordinated pause in the development of advanced AI systems, citing concerns that rapid technological advancements may lead to humans losing control. The company emphasised the need for societal structures to keep pace with AI innovations and to establish verification measures among competing labs.

Data indicates that between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years, the province’s expenditure on OSAP grants increased by £465 million, with 95 per cent allocated to students at private colleges.

The Senate voted 47-52 to block an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which will lapse on 12 June without further action. Seven Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the motion, citing concerns over warrantless surveillance of Americans. The legislation may be revisited next week.

A British man has been arrested in Benidorm for attempting to drown a woman and suffocate a boy at Poniente Beach, and is undergoing mental health evaluations.

A girl, identified only as Lyhanna, has been missing since 29 May after being last seen entering a man’s car near Fleurance. Authorities are actively investigating her disappearance, seeking information from the public to aid in the search efforts.

Officials have executed a plan to acquire over 3,500 tickets for six international soccer matches in Toronto, leveraging host city privileges established last year. The strategy aims to enhance local engagement and promote the event across the community.

The Food and Drug Administration has initiated a safety study on mifepristone, which could inform future access restrictions. The retrospective study will analyse hundreds of thousands of cases, with interim findings expected in July, as scrutiny on the drug increases following recent federal policy changes.

Konstantin Malofeev outlines a 25-year vision for Russia, predicting nuclear weapon use to achieve what he describes as a ‘good’ outcome amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

EU institutional leaders and approximately 30 European heads of state will meet with six Western Balkan leaders today in Montenegro. This bi-annual summit aims to expedite the countries’ EU accession bids, highlighting Montenegro and Albania as potential frontrunners for membership.