Reuters

State becomes 16th to allow public funds to be used for private schools, which opponents say will benefit mostly wealthier children

The Texas governor Greg Abbott on Saturday signed a law making more than 5 million students eligible to use state funds for private schools, a watershed moment in the conservative campaign to remake public education in the US.

Texas is allocating $1bn for the first two years of the program to offer parents vouchers to pay for school. It is the 16th state to make all students eligible to receive public funds for private education.

• Olympic medallist not running at Grand Slam Track
• The 29-year-old charged with ‘battery-touch or strike’

Fred Kerley, twice an Olympic 100m medallist, has been arrested for allegedly punching the hurdler and his former girlfriend Alaysha Johnson in the face, and the American sprinter will not compete in the Grand Slam Track event in Miami this weekend.

The alleged incident occurred on Thursday at a hotel where Johnson, who is listed as a competitor in the Miami event, had an appointment with her conditioning coach when she told police she ran into Kerley.

People Power party trail in polls in election called after President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed for trying to impose martial law

South Korea’s conservative People Power party has picked former labour minister Kim Moon-soo as its candidate for the 3 June presidential election, which was called after the removal of Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed attempt to impose martial law.

Kim will face the liberal Democratic party’s candidate, Lee Jae-myung, who has led each of the declared conservative candidates by large double-digit margins in polls.

• James sustained Grade 2 MCL sprain in knee per report
• Lakers’ season ended with Game 5 loss to Timberwolves

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James sustained a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee during Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, ESPN reported on Friday.

The Timberwolves ended that series in that game on Wednesday, courtesy of a 103-96 victory. Had the Lakers staved off elimination in that contest, the injury likely would have kept James off the court for three to five weeks.

• Spurs’ Popovich leaves bench, becomes team president
• Coach led team to titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014

Gregg Popovich is stepping away as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs and will become the team’s president of basketball operations, the Spurs announced Friday.

Popovich, 76, took over as the head coach in San Antonio 18 games into the 1996-97 season as led the Spurs to five NBA championships in 29 seasons. With 1,422 regular-season wins, he is the winningest coach in NBA history.

Abbe Lowell, who defended Hunter Biden, launches Lowell & Associates with lawyers who quit over Trump orders

A prominent lawyer in Washington who defended Hunter Biden against criminal charges has launched a new law firm to represent former government officials and others targeted by the Trump administration.

Abbe Lowell left his large law firm, Winston & Strawn, to launch Lowell & Associates, which will defend clients including individuals, institutions and others that are “facing politicized investigations, civil and administrative actions”, the firm said in a Friday statement.

Musician whose hits also included the satirical anthem Supermodel from the Clueless soundtrack died early on Thursday

Jill Sobule, the singer-songwriter whose hits included the satirical anthem Supermodel from the Clueless movie soundtrack and the groundbreaking single I Kissed a Girl, has died in a house fire at the age of 66.

Sobule’s body was found in a home in Woodbury, Minnesota, on Thursday. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.

World Liberty Financial’s USD1 will be used to close MGX’s investment in world’s biggest crypto exchange

A stablecoin launched by Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial crypto venture is being used by an Abu Dhabi investment firm for its $2bn investment in crypto exchange Binance, one of World Liberty’s co-founders said on Thursday.

World Liberty, which aims to allow people to access financial services without intermediaries like banks, said in March it would launch USD1, a dollar-pegged stablecoin backed by US treasuries, dollars and other cash equivalents.

Development may be indication China is softening on beginning negotiations over American 145% tariffs

• US politics live – latest updates

The US has approached China seeking talks over Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs, a social media account affiliated with Chinese state media has said, potentially signalling Beijing’s openness to negotiations.

“The US has proactively reached out to China through multiple channels, hoping to hold discussions on the tariff issue,” Yuyuan Tantian reported in a post published on its official Weibo social media account, citing anonymous sources.

Firm was navigating ‘toughest of market conditions’ when Trump’s tariffs worsened wallet pressures on consumers

McDonald’s posted a surprise decline in first-quarter global sales on Thursday, as demand from cash-strapped diners in its key markets faltered on uncertainty sparked by chaotic tariffs.

The company was navigating the “toughest of market conditions”, the company’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said, as global comparable sales fell 1%, while analysts on average had estimated a 0.95% rise.