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Outgoing Republican says backing Trump’s conviction ‘may have cost me my seat, but who cares?’Returning to the US Capitol after a stinging primary re-election loss, Bill Cassidy, a Republican senator of Louisiana, said Monday evening that he has no regrets about his “momentous” vote to convict Donald Trump on 2021 impeachment charges during his first presidency.“I voted to uphold the constitution. It may have cost me my seat, but who cares?” Cassidy told reporters in the Capitol. “I had the privilege of voting to uphold the constitution – isn’t that a great thing?” Continue reading...

Paul Singer is founder of a leading creditor in the hedge fund consortium locked in talks with the UK governmentA billionaire Donald Trump donor could make millions from a deal being struck between the government and Thames Water.The UK’s largest water company, ministers and creditors are locked in a stalemate as they try to agree a rescue deal to stave off Thames’s collapse. The water company built up a £17.6bn debt pile in the decades after its privatisation. Continue reading...

Transport secretary says first official estimate in 2026 prices shows ‘obscene increase’ after ‘shocking legacy’ of previous governmentBusiness live – latest updatesThe HS2 high-speed railway will now cost up to £102.7bn and trains will not start running between London and Birmingham until as late as 2039, the government has admitted – £70bn more and 13 years later than originally promised.The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said that the truncated railway would not be entirely completed until as late as 2043. Continue reading...

Cornwall Insight predicts rise in price cap of nearly 13% in Great Britain as Iran war pushes up gas costsBusiness live – latest updatesHouseholds in Great Britain could see their energy bills increase by over £200 a year to almost £1,900 from this summer in “a kick in the teeth” for millions struggling with the cost of living crisis.A typical gas and electricity bill is now forecast to reach £1,850 a year from July under the industry regulator Ofgem’s quarterly price cap, according to analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight. Continue reading...

King distinguished herself as a tennis champ at Cal State Los Angeles, winning Wimbledon doubles while enrolledWhen Billie Jean King left college in 1964, she had a purpose. Within a few years, she had become the top-ranked tennis professional in the world. Over a trailblazing career, she won 39 championships, a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a congressional Medal of Honor – all while pushing publicly for gender and pay equality.Last year, she finally returned to finish the degree in history she started more than six decades ago. On Monday, she graduated, at 82 years old. Continue reading...

Canal+ head says he will not work with hundreds of actors and directors who signed protest against Vincent Bolloré’s political swayThe head of France’s biggest film producer, Canal+, has said the group will no longer work with hundreds of cinema figures who signed a petition voicing concern over the growing influence of the rightwing billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré.The open letter, published earlier this week to coincide with the opening of the Cannes film festival, was signed by more than 600 figures, including the actor-director Juliette Binoche, the director and photographer Raymond Depardon, the French-Iranian film-maker Sepideh Farsi and the director Arthur Harari, who co-wrote the Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall and is premiering his film The Unknown in the main competition in Cannes. Continue reading...

Rent donations on GoFundMe up 60% since 2022, with 100,000 donors helping people keep a roof over their headsA record number of people in the UK are turning to crowdfunding to cover rent and household bills, with GoFundMe reporting more rent-related fundraisers were created in April than in any month on record.The platform said donations towards rent support had risen by 60% since 2022, with more than 100,000 people a month contributing to help others meet their housing costs. Continue reading...

Union leaders say veto from Democrat Abigail Spanberger is an about-face from promises she made on campaign trailVirginia’s Democratic governor Abigail Spanberger vetoed a bill Thursday that would have restored collective bargaining rights for 50,000 public sector workers in the state. Union leaders say the veto is a “betrayal” and “slap in the face” after the governor campaigned last year on promises to restore collective bargaining rights.Though majorities in both chambers of Virginia’s general assembly passed legislation that would restore bargaining rights to most public sector workers, Spanberger introduced an amended version of the bill last month that was eventually rejected by the assembly. Continue reading...

With the primary election less than three weeks away, the gubernatorial and mayoral races have taken a fiery turnSparring on the debate stage, well-timed statements addressing the slightest misstep by an opponent and countless social media jabs: election season is heating up in California’s major primaries.With the primary election less than three weeks away, the gubernatorial and mayoral races have taken a fiery turn as candidates undergo last-ditch efforts to convince voters of their governance chops. Continue reading...

Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura leads action after Republican speaker rescinds promise to bring bill to vote Democratic state representatives in Minnesota staged an overnight sit-in in their house chamber on Thursday after the Republican speaker failed to put a gun violence prevention bill up for a vote.Samantha Sencer-Mura, a Democratic representative from Minneapolis, first announced the plan on Wednesday from the floor of the state’s house of representatives, giving speaker Lisa Demuth, a candidate for governor, 24 hours to give the bill a vote before the sit-in would start. Continue reading...

• The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on legislation providing military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues with ongoing Russian drone and ballistic missile strikes. • Russia conducted fresh attacks on Kyiv, injuring at least 4 people, underscoring the urgency of US support discussions in Congress. • The vote represents a critical moment for US commitment to Ukrainian defense as negotiations continue regarding the scope and nature of American assistance.

• The Senate advanced legislation that would withhold congressional pay during federal government shutdowns, linking lawmaker compensation to budget negotiations outcomes. • The proposal represents a procedural step toward holding elected officials financially accountable for shutdown-related disruptions to federal operations and public services. • The measure reflects growing frustration with recurring budget impasses and their impact on government functionality and federal employee livelihoods.

• Chinese robotics startup Linkerbot has completed a Series B+ funding round, achieving a $3 billion valuation, according to a Reuters report covering the company's expansion in industrial robotics. • The funding round reflects strong investor appetite for advanced robotics solutions in Asia, where manufacturing automation and industrial AI applications are driving significant venture capital deployment. • Linkerbot's valuation milestone positions the startup among China's leading robotics firms, competing in the growing market for intelligent automation systems across manufacturing, logistics, and service sectors.

If state’s house passes bill, redrawn map could could give state Republicans a 5-1 congressional majoritySign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailOn Thursday, the Louisiana state senate voted 27-10 to pass a new congressional map that would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black House districts. The resulting map could give Louisiana Republicans a 5-1 congressional majority.The supreme court’s recent decision in Louisiana v Callais, a case that centered on the state’s congressional maps, severely weakened the Voting Rights Act (VRA). The fallout from the decision was swift, with several other southern states calling special sessions to pass redistricting maps that would limit Black voting power. Continue reading...

• Global venture capital investment hit a record $300 billion in Q1 2026 across approximately 6,000 startups, representing a 150% increase quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year. • AI funding dominated with $242 billion, or 80% of total venture funding, up from 55% in Q1 2025, with capital concentrating in frontier model builders, enterprise software, robotics, semiconductors, and life sciences. • Isomorphic Labs, a DeepMind spinout, raised a $2.1 billion Series B funding round backed by Thrive Capital, Google Ventures, and Alphabet, targeting AI-driven drug discovery applications.

Gautam Adani, richest man in Asia, was accused of conspiring to pay $250m in bribes to Indian government officialsThe US Department of Justice is dropping its fraud charges against the Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, the richest man in Asia, after he hired a new legal team led by Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, according to new reports.In an undisclosed April meeting at the justice department, Trump’s personal lawyer, Robert J Giuffra Jr, said that Adani would invest $10bn in the US economy and create 15,000 jobs if prosecutors dropped the charges against him, according to the New York Times and Bloomberg. Continue reading...

• Anduril Industries announced a $5 billion Series H funding round, doubling its valuation to $61 billion just one year after its previous multibillion-dollar raise. • The late-stage funding was jointly led by Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, demonstrating strong investor confidence in the defense and autonomous systems company. • The massive valuation increase reflects growing demand for advanced defense technology and autonomous systems in the current geopolitical environment.

• Tencent is reported to be joining a $4 billion funding round for Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which would value the company at about $50 billion and mark its first external financing. • The report says the round would add fresh capital to one of China’s most watched AI model developers, with Tencent and other large investors among the backers. • The deal matters because DeepSeek has become a key rival in China’s fast-moving AI race, and a multibillion-dollar valuation would underline continued investor appetite for frontier-model startups.

Watchdog to examine whether Reform UK leader should have declared donation received before entering parliamentNigel Farage is facing a formal investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog over a £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.The Reform UK leader received the money weeks before announcing he would stand as a candidate in the 2024 general election. Continue reading...

• House Republicans are pressing forward with modifications to a Senate-passed housing package on May 12, even after President Trump urged passage of the original version without changes. • The effort coincides with administration pushes for $1 billion in security funding within a larger party-line spending package focused on immigration enforcement, potentially supporting Trump's ballroom project. • Secret Service Director Sean Curran met with Senate Republicans on Tuesday to secure backing, amid Trump's June 1 deadline for lawmakers to clear the legislation.

Planned legislation includes housing, immigration and energy measures, and comes amid awkwardness with the palace over Charles’s roleKeir Starmer will attempt to regain the political initiative on Wednesday as his government announces a package of 35 bills for the next parliamentary session, covering everything from housing to immigration.The embattled prime minister will release details of dozens of bills that he intends to pass over the next 12 months, even as his own MPs line up to demand his resignation.Additional reporting by Caroline Davies Continue reading...

• Billie Eilish's new concert film has converted viewers into fans, particularly in Manila, as shared by writer Andrea Posadas on May 12, 2026. • The film captures major pop culture events, emphasizing the importance of documenting live experiences through writing and media. • It highlights Eilish's growing influence in Southeast Asia's entertainment scene amid streaming content trends.

• Refresco announced a cash acquisition of SunOpta at $6.50 per share, valuing the transaction at approximately 1.1 billion dollars, representing a significant consolidation move in the beverage and specialty food ingredients sector. • The acquisition demonstrates ongoing M&A activity in the food and beverage industry as larger players seek to expand market share and diversify product portfolios through strategic purchases. • This transaction showcases investor appetite for acquisitions despite broader macroeconomic uncertainties, with Lazard acting as financial advisor on the transaction.

• HSBC Holdings plc announced a quarterly profit before tax of 10.1 billion US dollars for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, excluding notable items, demonstrating strong earnings performance in the first quarter. • The bank approved a first interim dividend for 2026 of 10 US cents per share, signaling confidence in financial performance and commitment to shareholder returns. • The results reflect HSBC's continued profitability across its global operations despite persistent economic headwinds and competitive pressures in banking sector margins.

• Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) announced plans to raise a record $20 billion for its largest-ever AI-focused megafund, surpassing previous funds by 25%. • The fundraising comes amid accelerating global AI industry growth, with a16z targeting investments in AI infrastructure, models, and applications. • This megafund underscores VC confidence in AI's transformative potential, potentially fueling startups in compute, data, and enterprise software amid competition from rivals like Sequoia and SoftBank.

• Akamai Technologies announced a major cloud infrastructure services contract worth $1.8 billion over seven years with a leading frontier AI model provider, identified by Bloomberg as Anthropic. • The company's stock posted its best weekly performance since April 2013, gaining 42% for the week including a 27% jump on Friday to reach a record high. • Akamai provides cloud computing, cybersecurity, and content delivery services critical for accelerating websites, apps, and AI workloads amid surging demand for compute infrastructure.

• Chenbro Micom, a Taiwan-based tech firm, posted Q1 2026 sales of TWD 7.1 billion, up 70% year-over-year, with net income doubling to TWD 1.34 billion. • The company achieved annual revenue growth of 31.1% and earnings growth of 32.7%, outperforming industry averages amid Asia's tech momentum. • This performance highlights Chenbro's strong positioning in high-tech sectors like server components, bolstered by resilient Asian demand.

• Sunrun exceeded Q1 2026 expectations by adding nearly 19,000 customers, generating aggregate subscriber value of $1.1 billion through sales force expansion and productivity gains. • Volume performance topped guidance, underscoring strong demand in residential solar sector amid renewable energy push. • Results position Sunrun for sustained growth in customer acquisitions and revenue momentum.