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over the noise.

The Royal Horticultural Society lifted its 96-year ban on garden gnomes at this year's Chelsea Flower Show to raise funds for a school gardening campaign. Former footballer David Beckham is decorating a sequined gnome as part of a garden he is co-designing with King Charles, with the decorated gnome to be auctioned for charity. King Charles requested the ban be lifted because he is a fan of gnomes and wanted them displayed in the feature garden; other celebrities including Cate Blanchett and Mary Berry are also decorating gnomes for auction.

Hungarians voted on April 12 in an election viewed as the most significant since the country's 1990 democratic transition, with most polls indicating Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party could lose power after 16 years. The vote took place amid corruption scandals involving Orbán's inner circle and a surging opposition movement led by Péter Magyar, a former Fidesz member who accused the party of siphoning state funds while inflation soared and public services deteriorated. The election gained global significance as far-right leaders including US Vice President JD Vance campaigned for Orbán, with analysts describing Hungary's governance as a model for illiberal movements internationally.

Lawyers representing victims of the July 2024 Southport attack said the state is failing to protect society from violence-obsessed teenagers without clear ideological motivations, ahead of an official inquiry expected to criticize agency failings. A Guardian analysis found that only 11% of 3,400 referrals to counter-terrorism programs for children and teens with extreme violence obsession but unclear ideology received anti-radicalisation support in the year to March 2025, compared to higher rates for ideologically-motivated cases. The solicitors said the government promised reforms after the attack but the changes have not been implemented on the frontline.

A public inquiry reopened Monday into a nine-year-old planning application by US mining company Dalradian Gold to extract gold from the Sperrins in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Dalradian estimates the site contains £21 billion in gold reserves and projects the mine would create 1,000 jobs and contribute £3 billion in taxes, while claiming it will be carbon neutral; opponents argue it risks environmental damage and has submitted over 50,000 objection letters. Northern Ireland's Planning Appeals Commission will hear evidence through early June before making recommendations to Stormont ministers, who will make the final decision.

Research and polling data indicate that increasing numbers of drivers are purchasing heavier vehicles such as SUVs partly in response to poor road conditions, with 6% of drivers nationwide and up to one in eight in certain regions citing road damage as a factor in their vehicle choice. Engineers have linked the growth in heavier vehicles to accelerated pothole formation and reduced road lifespan, with experts noting that SUVs exert significantly more force on road surfaces than standard passenger cars. Transport for London is studying the impact of large SUVs on road conditions and safety, with potential policy responses under consideration.

New Zealand ordered thousands of residents to evacuate their homes on Saturday as Cyclone Vaianu, forecast to bring winds up to 130 km/h and heavy rain, approached the North Island for Sunday impact. Authorities warned of potential coastal flooding, landslides, and storm surges affecting multiple regions including Whakatāne. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon urged residents to prepare and secure their properties ahead of the storm.

Melania Trump delivered an unexpected statement at the White House on Thursday denying any connection to Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell and calling for congressional hearings with survivors. The announcement shifted media attention from Iran coverage and prompted varied reactions: some Epstein survivors criticized it as deflecting responsibility, while others praised her acknowledgment of victims; House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer said the committee would hold hearings. President Trump said he was unaware of the statement in advance, creating an apparent split between the president and first lady on the Epstein investigation.

Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, a leading candidate for California governor, denied allegations of sexual misconduct from multiple women after reports emerged in the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN on Friday. The accusations ranged from sexual harassment to rape, with one former staff member describing inappropriate comments, solicitation for sex, and an incident in which she said she woke up naked in Swalwell's hotel room in September 2019. Prominent California Democrats including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Adam Schiff called on Swalwell to withdraw from the June 2 primary.

Four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on Friday, completing a 10-day mission to the moon and back—the first crewed return from lunar space in over 50 years. Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen traveled 252,756 miles, farther from Earth than any humans before them, and conducted tests of equipment and systems planned for future deep-space exploration. NASA officials stated the mission accomplished its objectives and announced plans for continued lunar missions, with a crewed landing scheduled for 2028 and a moon base to be constructed within a decade.

NASA's Artemis II mission successfully orbited the Moon with four astronauts and returned them to Earth. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced plans for annual crewed lunar landings beginning in 2028, with a permanent Moon base to follow. However, NASA's Office of Inspector General reported significant delays in both SpaceX's and Blue Origin's lunar landers, and independent analysts doubt the 2028 landing target is realistic, particularly given China's stated goal to land an astronaut on the Moon by 2030.