Shift

While PM’s desire to fight was strong, time with his inner circle at Chequers sharpened his sense of the inevitableOn Friday, as the dust settled on Andy Burnham’s thumping victory in the Makerfield byelection, Keir Starmer was in defiant mood. “I have said repeatedly, I am not going to walk away,” the prime minister said, adding: “Let’s pull together as a party and a movement.”Just 48 hours later, one of his most loyal ministers was on the BBC sending a very different message. “I don’t want to come on here and be delusional that there is no process, there are no forces at work which are challenging the prime minister as leader – that is clearly the case,” said the business secretary, Peter Kyle. Continue reading...

Frontrunner Abelardo de la Espriella has vowed to return to full-scale military confrontation with armed groups Colombians go to the polls on Sunday in a presidential runoff expected to trigger to a dramatic shift in the country’s decades-long armed conflict, now at its most violent point since the landmark 2016 peace agreement between the government and most of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).Polls show the frontrunner is the Trump-admiring far-right lawyer and millionaire businessman Abelardo de la Espriella, who has vowed to abandon President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” plan of negotiating the disarmament of all criminal organisations and instead return to full-scale military confrontation with armed groups. Continue reading...

• Soccer has risen to become the third-most followed sport in the United States, with 10% of Americans now naming it their favorite. • The U.S. is currently co-hosting a major international tournament alongside Canada and Mexico, featuring 48 contending nations. • This shift signifies a diversification of the American sports landscape, traditionally dominated by American football, basketball, and baseball.

• President Trump has met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signaling a potential strategic reset in U.S.-India relations. • The meeting occurs as India seeks to regain diplomatic momentum while attempting to isolate Pakistan on the global stage. • This shift is driven by evolving geopolitics that have recently elevated Islamabad's diplomatic profile and regional influence.

Funds meant for Secret Service were transferred to project president promised would be financed by private donationsUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s administration has quietly redirected $352m in federal funds designated for the Secret Service toward the president’s controversial White House ballroom project, despite repeated promises by Trump that the construction would be financed by private donationsThe funds were drawn from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Trump’s signature tax legislation passed last summer on Republican-only votes. The law stipulates the money may only be spent on Secret Service personnel, training facilities, technology and related costs, not construction. Continue reading...

• Bitcoin miners transitioning to AI and high-performance computing are facing a near-term funding gap of approximately $50 billion. • According to a June 2026 analysis by VanEck, long-term capital expenditure requirements for this infrastructure buildout are expected to reach roughly $221 billion. • To address this shortfall, investors are shifting strategies toward crypto-native protocols and REIT-style financing models to fund the necessary hardware and facilities.

About 150 jobs have already been lost in Bolton as company reports 145% rise in profits and hands £20m to shareholdersBusiness live – latest updatesThe online electrical goods seller AO World has revealed it is outsourcing up to 200 UK call centre roles to South Africa blaming rising labour costs, as it handed £20m to shareholders.As the retailer reported a jump in profits, it said it was shifting the majority of call centre jobs overseas “in response to ongoing inflationary cost pressures, and particularly rising employment costs”. It expects to save about £4m a year as a result of the change. Continue reading...

• Shiv Sena (UBT) has alleged a shift toward authoritarianism in India, claiming that democratic structures are currently under significant strain. • Through the publication Saamana, the party highlighted three primary drivers of this decline: the rise in political defections, the centralization of power, and the systematic weakening of the opposition. • These allegations matter as they reflect the growing political tension and the perceived erosion of checks and balances within the country's governance.

• China's AI "hundred model" war is shifting its focus from raw computational power to delivering tangible enterprise value and commercial utility. • Major platforms are now deploying paid subscriptions and specialized coding tools to unlock new revenue streams from corporate clients. • JPMorgan's Yao argues that previous concerns regarding Chinese consumers' reluctance to pay for software are overstated, provided the AI offers "clear, demonstrable value."

• UK businesses are facing a potential average revenue loss of £83,000 due to a shift in how users interact with AI-driven search engines. • Data reveals that over 80% of Google searches now result in "zero-click" outcomes, where users find answers directly on the search page without visiting external websites. • This trend threatens firms heavily reliant on organic search traffic, as AI-generated summaries reduce the necessity for users to click through to original content.

Plan to move 240,000 people off scheme leads states and territories to jointly warn they can’t ‘deliver like-for-like services to people who are exited from the NDIS’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastState and territory disability ministers have rung alarm bells over the Albanese government’s proposed overhaul of the NDIS, warning they can’t deliver “like-for-like services” for more than 200,000 participants expected to be shifted off the scheme by 2031.The Albanese government’s national disability insurance scheme bill is designed to dramatically curb the growth of the $50bn-a-year scheme by first reducing budgets and then the number of people who can access it from 2028. Continue reading...

• Artificial intelligence is projected to generate between €240 billion and €320 billion in economic value for the European retail sector over the next five years. • The transformation will be driven by ten key shifts in how retailers integrate AI to optimize operations and customer experiences. • This shift matters as it represents a massive potential financial windfall and a fundamental change in the competitive landscape of European commerce.

• Data from the API routing platform OpenRouter reveals that Chinese-developed language models now account for approximately 61% of token consumption among the top 10 models. • This shift indicates that thousands of American AI startups are quietly migrating their traffic away from US-based models in favor of Chinese alternatives. • The trend is significant as it suggests Chinese LLMs are becoming more competitive in performance or cost, potentially challenging the dominance of Silicon Valley AI firms.

Result strengthens PM Nikol Pashinyan’s drive for deeper integration with Europe despite warnings from MoscowArmenia’s ruling pro-Europe party has won parliamentary elections, confirming the country’s pivot towards Europe and away from its traditional ally, Russia.Final results in the small South Caucasus country showed the prime minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party securing a slim majority, while the Strong Armenia alliance, led by the Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, won 25% of the seats in parliament. Continue reading...

• The European Parliament is reviewing its reliance on Google and exploring the adoption of alternative search engines for its internal operations. • This shift aims to enhance digital sovereignty and prioritize user privacy within the EU's legislative framework. • Officials argue that diversifying search options will create market friction, providing European tech startups and local developers better opportunities to scale.

• Asia Tech x Enterprise (ATxE) 2026 convened over 700 exhibitors and 450 speakers to highlight Southeast Asia's shift from AI experimentation to full-scale enterprise deployment. • The event featured a diverse range of sectors, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, satellite technology, and digital infrastructure, with participation from global giants like Microsoft and TikTok. • High-level representation included Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs alongside trade leaders and ambassadors from the European Union, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

• Regulatory bodies are increasingly integrating real-world evidence (RWE) into the drug approval process to supplement traditional randomized clinical trials. • This shift utilizes real-world data (RWD) sourced from electronic health records, administrative claims databases, disease registries, and digital health tools. • The adoption of RWE allows for a more comprehensive understanding of patient health and healthcare delivery, potentially accelerating decision-making for pharmaceutical companies.

• China's Communist Party journal, Qiushi, has signaled a regulatory shift urging internet platforms to pivot their business strategies. • Tech giants including Alibaba, Meituan, and PDD Holdings are being encouraged to prioritize investments in artificial intelligence and cloud computing. • This move aims to steer companies away from aggressive subsidies and destructive price wars that hinder sustainable growth.

• SK Hynix has joined the trillion-dollar market cap club driven by surging demand for AI chips, while AI startup Anthropic is approaching a $100 billion valuation. • Major tech firms are restructuring their workforces, with Meta cutting jobs to prioritize AI initiatives and Nvidia reporting a gap in specialized hiring. • Cryptocurrency markets are seeing a recovery, marked by notable gains for both Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Mark Carney announces purchase of Saab’s GlobalEye early warning aircraft to patrol Arctic territoryCanada has announced plans to buy a fleet of early warning planes from Sweden’s Saab rather than a competing option from Boeing, as the country seeks to reduce reliance on US defence firms.Mark Carney, the prime minister, said on Wednesday that Canada would opt for Saab’s GlobalEye, which is based on Bombardier’s Global 6500 jet. Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail plane – which has suffered from delays and cost overruns – had also been in contention. Continue reading...

The military alliance’s chief tried to manage expectations after Donald Trump said he would deploy 5,000 troops to PolandPoland’s Radosław Sikorski showed up beaming after last night’s US announcement on the deployment of 5,000 US troops to Poland.He thanks Trump for the decision, saying it means the presence of US troops in Poland “will be maintained more or less at previous levels,” after the Pentagon halted a planned rotation of 4,000 troops. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: Labour has been decimated, Reform has taken up the official opposition, and the Senedd has expanded massively – taking the country’s new leadership into uncharted watersGood morning. While Westminster-watchers were obsessed with Labour’s leadership shenanigans, a new chapter in the relationship between Cardiff and the UK government opened.After claiming power in this month’s elections, Plaid Cymru has wasted no time in testing Keir Starmer’s “openness” to reform. In London, the party tabled an amendment to the king’s speech, calling for a number of justice, infrastructure and welfare powers to be devolved to the Senedd.UK news | A rescue deal for Thames Water is under threat because of a potential change in prime minister, government insiders have said.UK politics | Andy Burnham drew the battle lines for the future of the Labour party on Monday as the Greater Manchester mayor promised he would “change Labour” and win back the voters the party had lost.US news | Five people, including two suspects, were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, California, in what authorities said was being investigated as a hate crime.Middle East | Iran has made a new proposal for a deal to definitively end the war, officials in the region said, with Donald Trump claiming he had postponed new military strikes so talks could continue.Technology | A jury ruled in favour of Sam Altman in the culmination of a long and bitter legal battle that pitted the richest person in the world against a leader of the AI boom. Continue reading...

President’s remarks about Taiwan arms deals being a ‘negotiating chip’ with Beijing have been seized on by Chinese state mediaIt has been an unsettling few days for Taiwan’s government. When Donald Trump met Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, many feared the unpredictable US leader could upend Washington’s longstanding support for Taipei.But beyond a starkly worded statement from Xi stressing China’s claims over Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory despite never having ruled it, initial signs appeared good for Taipei. Continue reading...

GOP to target seat held by Jim Clyburn, the only Democrat among the state’s seven representatives in the HouseSign up for the Breaking News US emailHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.An effort to reshape South Carolina’s congressional districts will get its first full airing Monday in the state House.I live in three districts. I’ll decide which one to run in.A US Senate official on Saturday removed security funding that could be used for Donald Trump’s planned $400m White House ballroom from a massive spending package, Democratic lawmakers said, imperilling Republican efforts to devote taxpayer money to the contentious project.The Republican senator Bill Cassidy lost his primary on Saturday, as voters in Louisiana opted instead to advance two challengers to a runoff election after an extraordinary intervention by Trump to oust the incumbent.With two days to go before the next big test of Trump’s iron grip over his party, the president went head-to-head on Sunday with his nemesis, Thomas Massie the Kentucky congressman who is in a fight for his political life in Tuesday’s Republican primary.Workers renovating one of Washington DC’s most historically symbolic sites in a project ordered by Trump may be risking their safety as they race to finish on time for the US’s 250th anniversary celebrations, a union monitoring the site has warned.The FBI director, Kash Patel, is facing new scrutiny following reports that he participated in a snorkelling excursion around the USS Arizona during a trip to Hawaii last summer. Continue reading...

• The Department of Homeland Security appointed a new acting director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, marking a leadership change during the administration's ongoing immigration policy overhaul. • The appointment comes as the administration pursues significant changes to immigration enforcement and detention practices, including closure of the 'Alligator Alcatraz' migrant detention center. • The move reflects broader reorganization at DHS as the agency implements new detention and deportation protocols.

Source claims Streeting has enough support to challenge Keir Starmer but he is still hoping PM will resignUK politics live – latest updatesWes Streeting is locked in a standoff with Number 10 as allies claimed he had the numbers to launch a challenge but still hoped the prime minister would resign.The health secretary had been widely expected to launch a leadership challenge on Thursday and has told supporters he has got the 81 MPs required to launch a formal contest. A source close to Streeting said he had the numbers but “things are shifting”. Continue reading...

• High-profile celebrity alliance declarations and streaming service changes dominate this week's entertainment news from Colombo Marciano. • Key announcements include major partnership deals involving top stars, reshaping industry collaborations. • These developments signal evolving business models in Asia's entertainment sector, impacting content distribution.

• Taiwanese officials worry that even subtle rhetorical changes from President Trump regarding Taiwan policy could destabilize the decades-long cross-strait status quo, as Trump prepares for a May 14-15 summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. • A White House official reaffirmed that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged, based on the Taiwan Relations Act, three U.S.-PRC Joint Communiques, and Six Assurances to Taiwan, with no alterations announced. • Chinese scholars suggest Beijing will pressure Trump to shift declaratory policy—pushing for explicit opposition to Taiwan independence rather than current "not supporting" language—and seek U.S. pre-negotiation on arms sales, both major departures from established policy.