Plans

• Japanese Prime Minister is eyeing a visit to South Korea around May 19-20, 2026, for summit talks, according to sources cited in Asia Daily on May 11. • The trip aims to strengthen Japan-South Korea relations amid regional security challenges in East Asia. • This follows recent joint military drills involving Japan, U.S., and U.K. paratroopers, signaling deeper defense cooperation.

• A new Lowy Institute report details Xi Jinping's blueprint for Taiwan after annexation, rejecting partial autonomy in favor of full integration into China's political system. • Plans could exclude millions of Taiwanese from public life and jail tens of thousands unless they pledge loyalty to the CCP and renounce autonomy. • Chinese scholars express private doubts about the viability of the 'One Country, Two Systems' model amid Taiwan's democratic entrenchment.

• Antara News reports Indonesia initiating steps to establish Bali as a global financial hub, capitalizing on its status as Southeast Asia's largest economy with over 280 million people and GDP exceeding US$1.4 trillion. • The initiative counters global slowdowns, trade wars, and investment competition by fostering financial services, fintech, and sustainable investment in the tourism-rich island. • Key measures include regulatory reforms, tax incentives, and infrastructure upgrades to attract international capital and position Bali as a rival to Singapore and Hong Kong.

Rhun ap Iorwerth says he hopes to work with other parties and press the UK government for extra powersUK politics live – latest updatesThe leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has vowed to form a stable minority government in the Senedd and said he would seek out mature cooperation from all opposition parties.Ap Iorwerth said his administration would press the UK government for extra powers over policy areas such as policing and justice and focus on results rather than engaging in political rows with Westminster. Continue reading...

• Cerebras, a leading AI chipmaker, announced plans to raise up to $3.5 billion through an initial public offering (IPO). • The fundraising effort signals strong market confidence in specialized AI chip manufacturers as enterprises scale artificial intelligence infrastructure deployments. • Going public positions Cerebras to compete aggressively with established semiconductor giants while investing in next-generation AI computing architecture.

• Polomar Health Services (OTCQB: PMHS) disclosed a $10.7 million net loss for fiscal year 2025 in its annual 10-K filing with the SEC. • The filing raises substantial going-concern doubts due to ongoing losses, telehealth partner setbacks, and liquidity issues. • Company plans a merger with Altanine that would dilute existing shareholders to approximately 20% ownership post-deal.

• Southern Republicans are pressing forward with election-year House redistricting efforts, including an aggressive gerrymander in Tennessee demanded by Trump. • The moves come amid widespread protests and legal challenges, with PBS reporting on resistance in multiple states. • These changes could reshape congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterms, potentially benefiting GOP majorities.

• Expro Group Holdings announced plans to relocate its corporate domicile to the Cayman Islands, subject to shareholder approval expected in June 2026, in a strategic restructuring move. • The company is also advancing a $215 million acquisition as part of its capital deployment strategy amid expectations for stronger activity in the energy services sector. • The dual initiatives reflect Expro's efforts to optimize its corporate structure and pursue targeted M&A to enhance shareholder value.

• A federal judge has directed Trump administration officials to lay out plans regarding the disputed Washington D.C. golf course, and specifically instructed officials not to cut trees without prior notice to the court. • The ruling represents an ongoing legal battle over control and management of the golf course property involving the Trump administration. • The judge's intervention reflects heightened judicial scrutiny of Trump administration actions affecting District of Columbia properties and governance.

• Nokia is pivoting to AI-driven network infrastructure, anticipating double-digit growth in the data center market. • The company plans increased investments in India and strengthened technology partnerships to meet rising AI demands. • This transformation positions Nokia as a key player in India's evolving telecom and AI ecosystem.

Exclusive: Minister says proposals show government’s ambition, as it faces unprecedented pressure from GreensTree nurseries could be built at prisons and military ranges could be turned into heathland or peat bogs as part of an ambitious plan to make government land more nature-friendly, the environment secretary has said.Speaking ahead of elections this week in which Labour is under pressure from the Green party, Emma Reynolds said such projects showed the government’s intent in restoring natural habitats. Continue reading...

Agreements with artificial intelligence firms spark concerns over public spending, cyber security and domestic surveillanceSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Pentagon said on Friday it had reached agreements with seven leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies: SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Nvidia, Reflection, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.“These agreements accelerate the transformation toward establishing the United States military as an AI-first fighting force and will strengthen our warfighters’ ability to maintain decision superiority across all domains of warfare,” the Pentagon said in statement. Continue reading...

Anthony Odiong is accused of sexually abusing three spiritually vulnerable female congregants in WacoPlans are under way for the Roman Catholic archdiocese of New Orleans to remove a priest’s name from a chapel he helped build outside the city as a criminal trial looms in Texas for the clergyman on criminal charges that he sexually abused three spiritually vulnerable female congregants there, the Guardian has learned.Anthony Odiong had reportedly raised $600,000 to build and then open Our Lady of Guadalupe Healing Chapel in Luling, Louisiana, in 2020, while he was the pastor at an adjacent church, years before authorities criminally charged him in Texas, where he had also previously ministered. His name has since appeared on various inscriptions outside the chapel and on the structure itself even as the criminal case against him has progressed toward trial. Continue reading...

• SoftBank is preparing Roze AI, combining robotics, data centers, and AI infrastructure for a US IPO targeting $100B valuation. • Masayoshi Son backs the venture, with potential public listing as early as late 2026 or 2027. • Executives plan an analyst day in July, though no products or revenue plans announced yet.

FT branch of NUJ say there is not ‘compelling case’ for mandate for editorial staff to be in office four days a weekJournalists at the Financial Times are at loggerheads with the publication’s management over plans to order staff back to the office four days a week by the end of the year.Members of the Financial Times’ union have unanimously voted to invoke the company’s dispute procedure over the proposals, arguing that management have “not made a compelling case” for the need to move from the current three office days. Continue reading...

Tim Heidecker could take over for Alex Jones as the head of conspiracy website Infowars in days as part of the Onion's acquisition. The comedian, actor and musician told As It Happens about his plan to get people laughing and smiling on a platform that inspired anger and fear.

FTSE 250 firms Paragon and OSB Group, owner of Kent Reliance and Precise Mortgages, slide on London Stock ExchangeRachel Reeves considering rent freeze to limit Iran war falloutBusiness live – latest updatesShares in some of the UK’s biggest buy-to-let lenders such as Paragon and One Savings Bank have fallen after it emerged that the chancellor may make private landlords commit to a one-year rent freeze.In an effort to protect households from rising living costs as a result of the Iran war, Rachel Reeves is considering whether to ban landlords in England from increasing rents for a limited period of time, the Guardian revealed on Monday night. Continue reading...

Brussels will relax state aid rules to allow member countries to offer ‘targeted and temporary’ supportEurope live – latest updatesThe EU will cut electricity taxes and provide consumers with fresh incentives to ditch fuel-burning cars and boilers, the European Commission has announced, as the Iran war energy crisis speeds a shift to a clean economy.The plan, which foresees tweaking rules so that electricity is taxed less than oil and gas, aims to bring down bills while encouraging the move away from polluting devices that prolong reliance on foreign fuels. Continue reading...

• President Trump announced hopes for a Friday meeting with Russian leaders to pave the way for a second sit-down including Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy. • He tempered expectations, noting complex diplomacy amid ongoing conflict stalemate. • The potential talks signal U.S. push for resolution, potentially altering European security dynamics.

The rural Texas region, long spared, is being fast-tracked for the border wall amid bipartisan oppositionTractors suddenly appeared at the entrance to Chispa Road near the US-Mexico border in rural Big Bend, Texas, in late March. Contractors informed Yolanda Alvarado, a cattle rancher, that they were starting work to upgrade the rough county dirt road there into a “highway” – the first step needed for semi trucks to haul the 30-foot steel pillars used to build Donald Trump’s border barrier.“That fence line, that’s where the wall is going to be,” said Alvarado, hopping out of the front seat of her flatbed truck at the gate to the family property located directly along the path of the proposed wall. Continue reading...

The satirical website’s parent company will have to pay $81,000 a month to the misinformation platformSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxSatirical website the Onion plans to turn rightwing commentator Alex Jones’s misinformation site Infowars into a parody of itself under a leasing agreement provisionally approved by a Texas court.Under a proposed deal with court administrators, Infowars would be leased by Global Tetrahedron, a Chicago-based company that owns the Onion, for $81,000 a month for six months, with an option to renew for another six months. Continue reading...

Government amendment to children’s wellbeing and schools bill to replace existing guidance with statutory banA ban on mobile phones in schools in England is to be introduced by the government to ensure that “critical safeguarding legislation” is passed.The government will table an amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill in the House of Lords after the bill was held up by peers on opposition benches. Continue reading...

Peter Kyle did not dispute Times’ report that under a ‘reasonable worst-case scenario’ supermarkets might start running out of some itemsGood morning. ‘We don’t comment on leaks,’ is the usual government response to an unsanctioned lobby scoop. But this morning Peter Kyle, the business secretary, took a different response. Asked about a Times splash saying the government is making plans to deal with possible food shortages in the summer, caused by the Iran war, he told Sky News:It is difficult for me, because, of course, these leaks are very unhelpful. But when people do read it, they need to be reassured that we are doing this kind of planning, and we are doing this kind of scenario planning.Britain could face shortages of chicken, pork and other supermarket goods this summer if the war in Iran continues, a secret government analysis has found.Officials have drawn up contingency plans for a “reasonable worst-case scenario” amid fears that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will lead to shortages of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is critical to the food industry …I can tell you, because I’m in these meetings, the prime minister has been there since the very start, and he is going through personally and driving deep dives into lots of areas of resilience throughout our economy.People should be reassured that we are doing this kind of action behind the scenes to keep resilience in our economy, so that when the full extent of what may or may not emerge, because this situation is still unfolding in the Middle East, you have a government that is acting with creativity and boldness.If any of these things change, I will be up front with the public about it in advance so that we can prepare. But right now, people should go on as they are, enjoying beer, enjoying their meats, enjoying all the salads.But also there are critical uses for CO2 – MRI scanning, for example, water purification; it’s involved in our nuclear industry, our civil nuclear power industry, some defensive uses for it as well. Continue reading...

Energy crisis unfolding in Middle East has added political urgency, and more funding, to transform South Korea’s solar industryIn Guyang-ri, a farming village of 70 households about 90 minutes south-east of Seoul, people gather for communal free lunches six days a week. The meals are funded by the village’s one-megawatt solar installation, which generates roughly 10m won ($6,800) in net profit each month.“Residents eat lunch together every day, so we see each other’s faces, talk together,” says Jeon Joo-young, the village chief. “Bonds and solidarity between residents become much stronger. Life becomes more enjoyable.” Continue reading...

Prime minister elect says he expects new government to be in place by mid-MayElection winner Péter Magyar has confirmed work is under way to form the new Hungarian government by mid-May after holding talks with the country’s president, Tamás Sulyok, a loyalist of the outgoing prime minister, Viktor Orbán.The two leaders discussed the timetable for new parliament, which can be formed not before 4 May when the results of the Sunday’s vote need to be certified by, with Magyar saying he expected the new government to be in place by mid-May.“[Sulyok] is unworthy of representing the unity of the Hungarian nation. He is unfit to serve as the guardian of legality. He is not fit to serve as a moral authority or a role model.” Continue reading...

Review of original train order is meant to prevent service problems north of Birmingham, but it may do the oppositePlans to change the size of HS2 trains to maximise capacity are likely to inflate costs and mean fewer seats and slower services north of Birmingham, a senior government and rail industry figure has warned.The £2bn order for 54 high-speed trains, to be built in Britain by a joint venture of Alstom and Hitachi, is under review as HS2 Ltd seeks to cut costs and renegotiate contracts. Continue reading...

Geoffrey Robertson says proposals to reduce backlog are betrayal of party’s values and a ‘cure worse than the disease’The founder of Keir Starmer’s barristers’ chambers has condemned the planned restriction of jury trials in England and Wales as “a betrayal of the values for which Labour purports to stand”.Geoffrey Robertson KC, founding head of Doughty Street Chambers, where the attorney general, Richard Hermer KC, and the justice secretary, David Lammy, also had their professional homes, has written a more than 9,000-word polemic to coincide with the committee stage of the courts and tribunals bill. Continue reading...

Winner’s Tisza party to control more than two-thirds of new parliament, offering chance for a complete break with changes wrought by illiberal regimeGood morning from Budapest, as the city reluctantly and not without some difficulties wakes up from the celebrations the night before, which went on to 5am and beyond.With 98.94% of votes counted, Péter Magyar’s Tisza party is projected to get 138 seats in the new parliament, with just 55 for Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz and six for the far-right Mi Hazank (Our Homeland) party.“Because if [they have] the constitutional super-majority, this is when he can do a change of regime, and not only a change of government … then dismantling the Orbán regime is really possible, meaning that both the economic and the political capture of the [Orbán] regime could be adressed with the two-thirds majority.” Continue reading...