Toby Jones’s next campaign? Misinformation, and a huge immersive theatre show

Meera Syal also to star in London production reflecting producer’s experience of censorship in Georgia

Hidden from view inside a south London warehouse, a new underground movement will be fighting the international blight of misinformation this summer.

The huge immersive event – half theatrical show, half social campaign – is to involve some of Britain’s leading acting talent, including Toby Jones and Meera Syal, and has been put together by a theatre company led by a woman who learned about misinformation the hard way, at the Georgian television station Imedi.

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‘Completely out of touch’: golf and dinners for ‘king’ Trump as economy melts down

Casual attitude as markets fall suggests man detached from anxieties of ordinary voters – and surrounded by yes men

After lighting a fuse under global financial markets, Donald Trump stepped back – all the way to a Florida golf course. A week later, having just caved to pressure to ease his trade tariffs, the US president defended the retreat while hosting racing car champions at the White House.

Trump had spent the time in between golfing, dining with donors and making insouciant declarations such as “this is a great time to get rich”, even as the US economy melted down.

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UK police chiefs call for ban on social media for under-16s

Four senior officers say more controls needed, amid claims platforms are ‘fuelling and enabling’ crime

Senior UK police officers have called for the government to ban children under 16 from social media, amid claims the platforms are “fuelling and enabling” crime.

In the most recent development in the moral panic that has gripped the media since Netflix’s Adolescence was released, four of the most senior policing figures in the country told the Times that further controls on social media platforms were necessary for public safety, national security and young people’s mental health.

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Voters in Gabon choose a new president in the first election since the 2023 military coup – CNN

  1. Voters in Gabon choose a new president in the first election since the 2023 military coup  CNN
  2. Gabon coup leader eyes seven-year mandate in presidential vote  Reuters
  3. Brice Oligui Nguema Is Favored to Win Gabon Election  The New York Times
  4. Gabon’s first election after collapse of Bongo dynasty: What’s at stake?  Al Jazeera
  5. Gabon election: First presidential vote since military coup  BBC
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Israel’s army says it will fire air force reservists who condemned war in Gaza – NBC News

  1. Israel's army says it will fire air force reservists who condemned war in Gaza  NBC News
  2. IDF 8200 intelligence soldiers call on gov't to stop fighting, bring back hostages  The Jerusalem Post
  3. Dissent against war grows in Israel’s military as reservists from elite unit join protest movement  CNN
  4. Hundreds of Israeli Air Force Reservists Call for Halt to Gaza War  The New York Times
  5. IAF chief says pilots’ letter demanding hostage deal ‘weakens the solidarity’ of force  The Times of Israel
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Tuberculosis could end if there’s more US public health funding, experts say

Resurgence could be on horizon as outbreaks pick up speed in US and abroad amid public health program cuts

As tuberculosis outbreaks pick up speed in the US and abroad amid deep cuts in funding for local, state and international public health programs, a resurgence of the deadliest infectious disease – including drug-resistant tuberculosis – could be on the horizon.

Increasing funding for public health responses could end tuberculosis (TB) altogether, says James Brookes, an IT specialist from Idaho, who told this to his representatives in Congress on Wednesday.

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Ecuador’s next president faces rampant drug violence and few resources to combat it – NPR

  1. Ecuador's next president faces rampant drug violence and few resources to combat it  NPR
  2. U.S. intelligence report favors incumbent Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa in election  CBS News
  3. Ecuadoreans Are Split Between Two Candidates Ahead of Runoff Election on Sunday  The New York Times
  4. Ecuador will choose its next president on Sunday amid surging violence and crime  CNN
  5. In Ecuador, Noboa Bets Big on Trump  Foreign Policy
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Trump trade team chases 90 deals in 90 days. Experts say good luck with that – Reuters

  1. Trump trade team chases 90 deals in 90 days. Experts say good luck with that  Reuters
  2. Trump had five tariff goals - has he achieved any of them?  BBC
  3. Trump faces a marathon of trade negotiations from a weakened position  EL PAÍS English
  4. Trump has 90 days to do 150 trade deals. Financial markets aren’t buying it  CNN
  5. Where things stand for Trump in global tariff battle  AP News
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Panama opposition party accuses US of ‘camouflaged invasion’

Discontent with government handling of diplomatic crisis rises as Pete Hegseth says US troops moved to country

Panamanian opposition politicians have accused the US of launching a “camouflaged invasion” of the country, amid simmering discontent over the government’s handling of the diplomatic crisis.

After a three-day visit by the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump appeared to confirm that US military personnel had been deployed to the Central American country on Thursday, telling reporters: “We’ve moved a lot of troops to Panama.”

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Iran and US to meet for nuclear talks but little obvious prospect of success

Tehran’s nuclear program at stake in Oman after Trump’s surprise announcement – can a breakthrough be reached?

Historical metaphor refers to them as “Nixon in China” moments: diplomatic encounters where leaders representing political systems implacably opposed to each other overcome their mistrust to achieve unexpected breakthroughs.

Yet few meetings can have held less obvious prospect of the success achieved by President Richard Nixon’s historic 1972 visit to Beijing than that scheduled to take place in Oman on Saturday between representatives of the United States and Iran.

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US and Iran to begin critical nuclear talks as Trump threatens war – CNN

  1. US and Iran to begin critical nuclear talks as Trump threatens war  CNN
  2. As U.S. and Iran look to begin nuclear talks amid fresh sanctions, can there be a deal?  NBC News
  3. Mideast mediator Oman at the center of a key first Iran-US meeting over Tehran's nuclear program  AP News
  4. Deal or No Deal (Iran, Not Tariffs)  Council on Foreign Relations
  5. Iran negotiating team en route to Oman for nuclear talks with US — state media  The Times of Israel
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Dealmaking genius or boy who cried wolf? Trump’s trade retreat sows doubts

Nothing is certain under this president – as seen in the inconsistent implementation of tariffs. And it has a longer-term economic cost

Minutes after Donald Trump unveiled a climbdown on tariffs, softening an extraordinary US attack on trade from much of the world, his press secretary scolded reporters at the White House.

“Many of you in the media clearly missed The Art of the Deal,” said Karoline Leavitt, referring to the 1987 bestseller which laid the foundations of the president’s reputation as a consummate dealmaker.

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