People came to Montgomery by bus, car and plane to march on the state capitol with local and national leaders Thousands of people from across the country descended on Montgomery, the capital of Alabama, on Saturday. They arrived by bus, by car and by plane to gather for the All Roads Lead to the South rally, following the supreme court’s Louisiana v Callais decision last month, which essentially gutted the Voting Rights Act and severely limited protections against voting discrimination.Organized by a coalition of national and local civic engagement groups, the rally took place outside the Alabama state capitol building, in the same plaza where the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches – three nonviolent demonstrations in support of Black voting rights – are enshrined. Continue reading...
New map reshapes representative Steve Cohen’s majority-Black Memphis district and gives Republicans an advantageDemocratic representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee on Friday announced that he is ending his bid for re-election, his career upended by the redistricting battles that are sweeping the country after last month’s supreme court decision.Republicans in Tennessee this month enacted a new US House map that carves up Cohen’s majority-Black district, reshaping it to the GOP’s advantage as part of Donald Trump’s strategy to hold on to a slim majority in the November midterm elections. Continue reading...
• President Trump is in Beijing for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leaders, and reaction across Asia has ranged from cautious optimism to concern about regional stability.
• The NPR report notes that governments and observers are watching how the talks could affect trade, security, and diplomatic alignment in the region, especially amid tensions involving China and the United States.
• The summit matters because decisions made in Beijing can ripple through Asian markets, alliances, and policy planning, particularly for countries balancing ties with both Washington and Beijing.
Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee and more are pushing to eliminate Democratic districts after supreme court rulingUS southern states are rushing to redraw congressional maps to eliminate Democratic districts and dilute the influence of Black voters in electing candidates, a bare-knuckled blitz occurring even in some states where voting in congressional primaries has begun, and prompted by the US supreme court’s decision gutting section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.Tennessee Republicans have already enacted a new map, carving up the majority Black city of Memphis into three different congressional districts to get rid of the state’s lone Democrat in Congress. Louisiana, the state at the center of the supreme court’s Voting Rights Act decision, is on the brink of implementing a new map that would eliminate the seat of one of the state’s two Black Democrats in Congress. Alabama has successfully petitioned the US supreme court to allow it to eliminate a district currently represented by a Black Democrat. Instead, it will use a map this cycle that a court previously ruled was intentionally drawn to discriminate against Black voters. Continue reading...
Jim Chalmers’ budget tips the scales in favour of younger and less well-off households – but it’s middle-class gen X that are turning to the rightwing partyExplore all of our 2026 Australia federal budget coverageLabor’s fifth budget will do what it says on the tin: it will benefit the young and the poor at the expense of the older and the rich.This is the most obvious takeaway from distributional analysis conducted by Ben Phillips, an associate professor at the ANU’s Centre for Social Policy Research. Continue reading...
Brian Kemp’s move makes Georgia latest southern state to initiate map-making after dismantling of Voting Rights ActThe Republican governor of Georgia called a special session for next month to redraw electoral maps, the latest southern state to initiate a new map-making after the US supreme court’s dismantling of the Voting Rights Act.Brian Kemp announced the special session, which will start on 17 June, on Wednesday. It will focus on “enacting, revising, repealing, or amending” district lines for the state legislature and congressional district, in light of the supreme court’s decision in Louisiana v Callais. Continue reading...
However, Tate Reeves said he expects to redraw state’s four congressional districts before the 2027 electionsOn Wednesday morning, Mississippi’s governor, Tate Reeves, said that he is canceling a special legislative session that was scheduled to redraw the state’s supreme court districts next week. However, Reeves, a Republican, noted that he does expect the state to redraw its four congressional districts at some point in the near future.Reeves, in an appearance on SuperTalk radio, a conservative talk radio network, also said that it would be difficult for the state to redraw the congressional districts in the Republicans favor in time for the upcoming midterm elections, slated for November. Doing so might also hurt Republicans in congressional races. Continue reading...
If current precarious ceasefire between US and Iran ends, Emirates are more likely to be targeted by TehranMiddle East crisis: live updatesThe risk of some Gulf states becoming embroiled in a direct war with Iran has risen after it was reported the United Arab Emirates had secretly launched a major attack on Iran during the conflict.In addition, Kuwait has said that at least four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been captured trying to carry out “terrorist attacks” on the Kuwaiti-owned Bubiyan Island, the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal chain. Continue reading...
Horses seized and several people questioned after animal rights activist shares video of race along country roadsA video showing an illegal horse race in Sicily, with spectators firing pistols into the air and brandishing Kalashnikov rifles, went viral and prompted a police investigation that led to the seizure of the animals.The clip, reportedly filmed last Friday, shows two jockeys driving horse-drawn carts at breakneck speed along country roads in the town of Palagonia, near Catania, in eastern Sicily. Behind them, dozens of people follow on scooters, firing shots into the air. The footage was posted on social media by an animal rights activist, Enrico Rizzi. Continue reading...
• The CommBank Socceroos learned their group stage opponents for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ during this morning's official draw at the At-Turaif venue.
• Australia will compete in a group featuring Tajikistan, Iraq, and Singapore, setting up challenging matches in the tournament hosted by Saudi Arabia.
• This draw positions the Socceroos in a competitive pool, with implications for advancement to knockout stages based on group performance.
Legislature has eliminated the state’s one Democratic, Black-majority congressional districtSign up for the Breaking News US email Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of US politics. Tennessee’s Republican-dominated legislature passed redistricting maps on Thursday, eliminating the state’s one Democratic, Black-majority congressional district as GOP lawmakers scramble to improve their fortunes ahead of the November midterms.The new map splits Shelby County, the home of Memphis, a majority-Black city that played a critical role in the civil rights movement, into three separate Republican-leaning districts. Continue reading...
Move comes days after supreme court ruling weakened Voting Rights Act protections against racial gerrymanderingUS politics live – latest updatesTennessee’s Republican-dominated legislature passed redistricting maps on Thursday, eliminating the state’s one Democratic, Black-majority congressional district a week after the US supreme court effectively gutted a major section of the Voting Rights Act.The move cracks Tennessee’s ninth congressional district, which covers Memphis, into three pieces, each of which contains almost exactly a third of the city’s Black voters. The new maps mean that all nine of Tennessee’s congressional districts are Republican-leaning. Continue reading...
French president pitches in for Nikol Pashinyan, who faces stiff challenge from pro-Russia parties in vote next monthEmmanuel Macron has made an unabashed pre-election pitch on behalf of Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, saying the country’s destiny lay with Europe.The French president also accused Russia of abandoning Armenia after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war that led to Azerbaijan displacing tens of thousands of Armenians. Continue reading...
Ketanji Brown Jackson blasted the decision, saying the court has hastened it ruling only twice before in 25 yearsThe US supreme court went out of its way on Monday to help Louisiana Republicans redraw their congressional maps before this year’s midterm elections by allowing a recent ruling that gutted a key part of the Voting Rights Act to take effect ahead of schedule.The procedural move comes less than a week after the court’s landmark decision striking down Louisiana’s congressional map and gutting section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Usually, the court waits 32 days to formally issue its judgment to the lower court. Last week, Louisiana asked the court to speed up that process, citing the urgency with which it needed to redraw its congressional maps. On Monday, the court agreed to do so. Continue reading...
• President Trump stated the US will pull 'a lot further than 5,000' troops from Germany, confirming Pentagon plans for an initial 5,000 withdrawal.
• Key Republicans expressed worry over the move, while Germany views it as a spur for European defense spending increases.
• The announcement heightens transatlantic tensions amid NATO concerns, with Polish PM Tusk warning of alliance 'disintegration'.
• Key Indian stocks including Kotak Mahindra Bank (trading at 383.30, up 0.35%), DMart, Vodafone Idea, Nestle India, and Coal India featured prominently in market news on May 4, 2026.
• Nifty Financial Services index rose 1.12% to 25,944.50, gaining 287 points, amid sector rotation post-election outcomes.
• Other highlights include HUL, Bajaj Finance, and Adani stocks, with trading guides recommending buys like Gujarat Fluorochemicals and Kalyani Steels for up to 8% gains.
US announced withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers last week after German chancellor said US was being ‘humiliated’ by IranDonald Trump has threatened to withdraw more US troops from Germany after stunning European leaders and some senior members of his own party by last week announcing the withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers from Germany.The move left 30,000 US troops still in the country, according to CNN. But Trump threatened on Saturday that more cuts were coming. “We are going to cut way down, and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000,” he told reporters on Saturday. Continue reading...
• The Trump administration announced plans to withdraw approximately 5,000 US troops from Germany over the next 6-12 months.
• The troop withdrawal fulfills an earlier Trump threat and reflects tensions over Germany's stance on the Iran conflict.
• The move signals a broader shift in US military posture in Europe and could weaken NATO presence in a key strategic location.
German government calls redeployment of 5,000 troops ‘anticipated’ and reminder of Europe’s need to invest in its own defence‘We love our Americans’: the German town rocked by Trump’s plan to withdraw US troopsNato is seeking to “understand the details” of a US decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a redeployment ordered by Donald Trump amid a feud with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz.The German government sought to play down the severity of Trump’s move, describing it as “anticipated”, and a reminder of Europe’s need to invest in its own defence. The US withdrawal, which the Pentagon said would take place over the next six to 12 months, comes after criticism from Merz over Trump’s war with Iran and his handling of subsequent talks with Tehran. Continue reading...
German defence minister responds to US president’s announcement that 5,000 US troops will leave bases in GermanyHello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.The German defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said that it was “foreseeable” that the US would withdraw troops from Europe, after the Pentagon announced it would pull thousands of American soldiers from Germany.Trump said he is “not satisfied” with a new proposal from Iran on ending the war, as peace talks remain stalled despite a weeks-long ceasefire. Iran delivered the proposal text to mediator Pakistan on Thursday evening, Iranian state news agency Irna reported, without detailing its contents.The US state department said it was approving military sales totalling more than $8.6bn to Middle Eastern allies Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. It came as Washington warned European allies including the UK, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia to expect long delivery delays for US weapons as it scrambles to replenish stockpiles depleted by the Iran war, according to a report in the Fianancial Times citing multiple sources.In Lebanon, 12 people were killed in Israeli strikes in the south, Lebanon’s health ministry said, including in the town of Habboush, where the Israeli army had issued an evacuation order despite the continuing ceasefire. Israeli warplanes “launched a series of heavy strikes … less than an hour after” the warning, the state-run National News Agency said.The US Treasury Office warned that any shipping companies that paid tolls to Iran for passage through the strait of Hormuz, including charitable donations to organisations such as the Iranian Red Crescent Society, would risk punitive sanctions. Tehran has proposed charging fees on vessels passing through the strait, as part of a deal to end the war.Trump wrote to US lawmakers on Friday declaring hostilities with Iran “terminated”, despite no change in the US military posture, as he faces continuing pressure at home to seek congressional authorisation for the war.The state department’s announcement on Friday included approving military sales to Qatar of Patriot air and missile defence replenishment services costing $4.01bn and of advanced precision kill weapon systems (APKWS) costing $992.4m. They also included approval of the sale to Kuwait of an integrated battle command system costing $2.5bn and to Israel of APKWS costing $992.4m.Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei urged his people to wage economic battle and “disappoint” its enemies, as the war and years of sanctions take a toll. In a written statement he also said “the owners of damaged businesses should avoid, as much as possible, layoffs and separation of their workforce”. Continue reading...
US president says European countries are ‘absolutely horrible’ to refuse to support operations in strait of Hormuz Europe live – latest updatesDonald Trump has threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain a day after saying he was looking at reducing the number deployed in Germany.The US president’s threat to Germany came after the country’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said America was being “humiliated” by Iran. Continue reading...
The US president said he would carry out of a review of US military presence in Europe after public criticism of the US-Israeli war on IranItaly and Spain have joined a growing list of countries that US president Donald Trump is threatening with pulling US troops from as part of a broader review of the US military presence in Europe.Responding to a question from a reporter, Trump said he would “probably” consider such a move, linking it to the two countries’ criticism of the US campaign in Iran.“Look, why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.” Continue reading...
• In the first quarter of 2026, AI‑driven insurance technology firms attracted significant capital, including Harper Group’s $47 million seed plus Series A and Indigo Technologies’ $50 million Series B, both focused on AI‑automated underwriting and claims workflows.
• Platforms such as Mea Platforms, Pasito, General Magic, and Qumis raised between $4.3 million and $50 million to automate document‑heavy processes, reduce loss ratios, and compress quote and bind times for small and midsize businesses.
• Investors are backing U.S.‑based vendors that use AI to scale distribution without proportional headcount growth, reduce friction in benefits selection, and improve risk selection in commercial lines.
US president said he was instead nominating radiologist and Fox News contributor Dr Nicole Saphier for the postSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump on Thursday pulled his nominee to become the US surgeon general, Casey Means, and replaced her.The US president said that Means will continue to fight for the so-called Make America Healthy Again (Maha) movement spearheaded by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. He stated this was despite opposition from Bill Cassidy, the Republican US senator of Louisiana, to Means’s nomination. Continue reading...
• The United Arab Emirates withdrew from OPEC yesterday, marking a historic split from Saudi Arabia during the escalating regional crisis.
• This decision coincides with the Strait of Hormuz being almost entirely shut down due to a US naval blockade aimed at halting Iranian oil exports.
• The US is threatening to cut off major Chinese banks from its financial system to prevent processing of Iranian oil, intensifying global energy tensions.
At the heart of the case was the question of how much lawmakers are allowed to consider race when they redraw districtsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US supreme court has ruled that Louisiana will have to redraw its congressional map, in a landmark voting rights case.At the heart of the case, Louisiana v Callais, was a thorny question of how much lawmakers are allowed to consider race when they redraw districts to ensure that Black voters are adequately represented. The supreme court initially heard oral arguments in the case last March, but took the unusual step of asking lawyers to re-argue the case last fall. In setting the case for a re-argument, the justices raised the stakes of the case, asking lawyers to focus on whether section 2 of the Voting Rights Act was constitutional. Continue reading...
Eight EU members continue to include force or violence in their definitions in national criminal codesThe European parliament has called on the EU to draw up a standardised consent-based definition of rape, in what legislators described as a crucial step towards addressing the patchwork of laws, some of them insufficient, that currently exist across the bloc.On Tuesday, 447 of the parliament’s 720 MEPs voted to approve a report calling for a common definition of rape, centred on “only yes means yes,” prompting a loud round of applause in the chamber in Strasbourg. Continue reading...
Proposal from Ron DeSantis would net Republicans up to four additional US House seats ahead of midterm electionsRon DeSantis, Florida’s Republican governor, on Monday unveiled his proposal for redistricting his state’s congressional maps, a move he hopes will net his party up to four additional House seats in November’s midterm elections.The long-awaited reveal, which will be debated during a special session of Florida’s legislature called by DeSantis beginning Tuesday, is the latest, and possibly final, act of a nationwide “gerrymandering” battle for control of Congress sparked by Donald Trump that looks increasingly to be moving back in Republicans’ favor. Continue reading...
Claudia–Liza Vanderpuije has fully withdrawn allegations relating to her former co-host, her lawyers sayThe TV presenter Claudia–Liza Vanderpuije has withdrawn claims against her former Channel 5 News co-host Dan Walker after reaching a “mutual agreement” with the broadcaster and ITN.Vanderpuije, who co-hosted a show with Walker for a year between 2022 and 2023, had filed claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination and harassment on grounds of race and sex, and breach of contract. Continue reading...
• Niger's transitional government announced a three-month extension to its military cooperation agreement with France, pausing its expulsion of French troops and reversing its February timeline for withdrawal.
• The reversal follows intense negotiations between Paris and Niamey, with France agreeing to reduce its military footprint from 1,500 to 900 personnel and committing €200 million in civilian development aid.
• The compromise addresses security challenges in the Sahel region, where French and US military presence remains crucial to counterterrorism operations despite growing anti-Western sentiment among portions of Niger's military leadership.
