Ahead

• Keir Starmer beschuldigt Robinson van het 'zaaien van haat en verdeeldheid' en de aartsbisschop van Canterbury dringt erop aan dat mensen 'kiezen voor hoop'. • Elf buitenlandse extreemrechtse activisten zijn uitgesloten van toegang tot het VK voorafgaand aan een rally van Tommy Robinson-aanhangers, terwijl Keir Starmer hem beschuldigde van het "zaaien van haat en verdeeldheid". • De aartsbisschop van Canterbury riep mensen op om te "kiezen voor hoop", en religieuze leiders spraken zich uit voorafgaand aan de rally op zaterdag, de tweede in zijn soort nadat vorig jaar meer dan 100.000 mensen aanwezig waren. Lees verder...

Waakhond voor geneesmiddelen keurt twee behandelingen goed voor patiënten met spinale musculaire atrofie. Honderden kinderen met een zeldzame spierziekte kunnen nu twee medicijnen ontvangen die hun overlevingskansen kunnen verbeteren, een besluit dat door ouders wordt onthaald als een "reddingslijn". Het National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) heeft de definitieve conceptrichtlijnen gepubliceerd waarin wordt aanbevolen dat elke patiënt die er baat bij heeft, een van beide medicijnen kan krijgen. Lees verder...

Oppositieleider onthult plan om aantal migranten drastisch te verminderen in budgetrespons op donderdag

• Kandidaten strijden om de vertegenwoordiging van het tweede congresdistrict, en de Senaatszetel van een Republikein lijkt klaar om te wisselen. • Amerikaanse politiek live – laatste updates: Democraten in Nebraska zijn optimistisch over Republikeinse verliezen in de rechtsgezinde staat in de Plains – maar hun vooruitzichten hangen af van de Democratische voorverkiezingen van vandaag, waarin beschuldigingen voorkomen van geplaatste kandidaten en het onbedoeld ontnemen van macht aan de Democraten. • Een drukke Democratische voorverkiezing in het tweede congresdistrict van de staat, bekend als de "blue dot", heeft zich geconcentreerd rond de zorg dat als een staatsenator wint, de Republikeinse gouverneur hem zal vervangen door een Republikeaan die zou helpen bij het omverwerpen van Nebraska's verdeelde kiescollege-systeem. Lees verder...

• De eerste Nobelprijsuitreiking sinds president Trump begin dit jaar het bestuur van curatoren hervormde, zal plaatsvinden waarbij nieuwe benoemingen invloed hebben op de selecties. • De wijzigingen zijn erop gericht de prijzen af te stemmen op Amerikaanse prioriteiten, wat leidde tot een internationaal debat over politisering. • Deze verschuiving is van belang voor de 'soft power' van de VS en zou toekomstige keuzes voor laureaten voor vrede en economie kunnen veranderen.

• Benjamin Netanyahu, de langstzittende premier van Israël, heeft de rechtse Likud-partij naar een politieke dominantie geleid, die het landschap voor Arabische burgers heeft vormgegeven. • Palestijnen in Israël worden geconfronteerd met toenemende marginalisering onder het leiderschap van Netanyahu terwijl de Knesset-verkiezingen naderen. • De dominantie van Likud roept zorgen op over de impact van het beleid op de vertegenwoordiging en rechten van minderheden.

• Taiwanese functionarissen vrezen dat zelfs subtiele retorische wijzigingen van president Trump met betrekking tot het Taiwan-beleid de decennialang bestaande status quo in de Straat van Taiwan kunnen destabiliseren, nu Trump zich voorbereidt op een top met de Chinese president Xi Jinping op 14 en 15 mei in Peking. • Een functionaris van het Witte Huis bevestigde dat het Amerikaanse beleid ten opzichte van Taiwan ongewijzigd blijft, gebaseerd op de Taiwan Relations Act, drie gezamenlijke communiqué's tussen de VS en de Volksrepubliek China, en de Six Assurances aan Taiwan, waarbij geen wijzigingen zijn aangekondigd. • Chinese wetenschappers suggereren dat Peking druk zal uitoefenen op Trump om het verklarende beleid te verschuiven — waarbij wordt gestreefd naar expliciete oppositie tegen de onafhankelijkheid van Taiwan in plaats van de huidige formulering van "geen steun" — en zullen Amerikaanse voorafgaande onderhandelingen over wapenverkopen nastreven, beide grote afwijkingen van het vastgestelde beleid.

• JPMorgan analysis shows markets repricing oil-driven inflation risks, with global equities adjusting to potential rate hike scenarios amid recent oil price surges. • Central banks are providing clearer signals on monetary policy, suggesting rate hikes may not materialize as aggressively as feared despite elevated energy costs. • The divergence highlights inflation fears running ahead of underlying economic reality, potentially creating buying opportunities if data moderates.

Ukraine suggested an indefinite ceasefire this week but it was repeatedly violated by RussiaAFP noted that Kyiv said Moscow ignored a Ukrainian call to halt fighting earlier this week that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy cast as a test of whether the Kremlin was serious about providing a brief respite in the four-year war.Russia has threatened a massive strike on the heart of Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts the Victory Day parade on Saturday, repeatedly urging foreign diplomats to evacuate the Ukrainian capital ahead of time. Continue reading...

• Laos is ramping up regional diplomacy before the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu on May 7-8, with Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane visiting Indonesia for bilateral talks. • Discussions covered trade, investment, tourism, human resource development, and broader ASEAN priorities, including meetings with business groups and the ASEAN Secretariat. • Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone will lead Laos at the summit, focusing on unity amid geopolitical tensions in Southeast Asia.

• Consul General Pratik Mathur stated in Caixin Global that India is emerging as a global AI system-builder, showcased at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. • IndiaAI initiative forms a full-stack ecosystem including compute, data, models, skills, startups, and governance, beyond typical R&D grants. • A nationally accessible GPU backbone democratizes AI development, preventing monopolization by large firms.

The prime minister said the attack in Golders Green is ‘part of a pattern of rising antisemitism’ in the countryGood morning. Keir Starmer has declared antisemitism “a crisis for all of us”. This morning he is hosting an event in Downing Street intended to get leaders across all areas of public life to address the problem and, according to the briefing from No 10, he will say:Last week’s terrorist attack in Golders Green was utterly appalling. But it was not an isolated incident. It is part of a pattern of rising antisemitism that has left our Jewish communities feeling frightened, angry, and asking whether this country, their home, is safe for them.These disgusting attacks are being made against British Jews. But, make no mistake, this crisis – it is a crisis for all of us. It is a test of our values. Values that are not guaranteed, but are earned. Every single day, through our actions.Jewish communities across England will receive a further £1m of government funding to tackle antisemitism and strengthen community cohesion in those places facing the greatest risk.An immediate £500,000 will also be allocated to Barnet council, reflecting recent serious antisemitic incidents in the borough and the large number of Jewish residents there. Continue reading...

• BJP's central office in Assam shows early festivities and preparations as vote counting begins for the 2026 assembly elections, with the party aiming for a third consecutive term. • Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma faces Congress's Gaurav Gogoi in a key contest, testing BJP's dominance after previous wins. • Results will determine if BJP secures hat-trick amid NDA performance scrutiny and Congress comeback hopes.

• Trinamool Congress challenged Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) removing 89 lakh voters—11.6% of electorate—slightly above TMC's 2021 winning margin. • Bengal's 294-seat election pits Mamata Banerjee's TMC against BJP, testing saffron expansion in a BJP-resistant state. • High-voltage campaign and disputes heighten stakes as counting ensures make-or-break outcomes for regional power dynamics.

• Bank of America analyst Epstein reiterated a Buy rating on Boeing (BA) with a $270 price target, signaling meaningful upside potential for the aerospace manufacturer. • Boeing's Q1 2026 earnings report, released April 22, showed revenue of $22.2 billion from 143 commercial deliveries and a record backlog of $695 billion covering over 6,100 commercial airplanes, though the company posted a GAAP loss per share of ($0.11). • The company guided to generate $1 billion to $3 billion in free cash flow for full-year 2026, with analyst estimates around $2.55 billion, representing a significant improvement signaling progression in the company's recovery trajectory.

• Trading Economics updated the United States Calendar on Saturday, May 2, 2026, covering interest rates, inflation, labor, GDP, and more. • The calendar tracks 20 million indicators from 196 countries, providing consensus forecasts and historical data. • Investors rely on this for upcoming economic releases that could sway markets and policy decisions.

Anthony Marsh appears to be in commanding position in significant boost to opposition leader Jess WilsonThe Liberals have claimed victory in a key Victorian byelection seen as a preview of what to expect when the rest of the state hits the polls in November.As counting continued in the Mornington peninsula seat of Nepean, the Liberal candidate, Anthony Marsh, appeared to be in a commanding position in a significant boost to opposition leader Jess Wilson. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Congress passed a 45‑day stopgap extension of a controversial law granting warrantless surveillance authority under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, giving lawmakers more time to debate limits on bulk data collection. • The extension narrowly averted an automatic lapse of the surveillance regime, which intelligence officials say underpins roughly half of the National Security Agency’s counterterrorism and counter‑espionage operations. • Civil‑liberties groups criticized the short‑term fix, arguing that the U.S. government continues to collect vast amounts of Americans’ digital communications without individualized warrants, while the White House pressed Congress to restore full Section 702 powers.

• On April 14, 2026, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) completed its primary mission early, creating the largest-ever 3D map of 47 million galaxies. • The dataset represents a sixfold increase over all previous galactic measurements, enabling new analysis of the universe's shape and size. • This breakthrough could reconcile quantum physics and general relativity toward a theory of everything, positioning US National Laboratories to lead global science.

• Gavin Adcock posted a photo on social media Tuesday reigniting his feud with Zach Bryan, referencing their near-physical altercation at last year's Born & Raised Festival in Oklahoma. • The image shows Bryan attempting to climb a fence to fight Adcock, captioned 'How bad this song wants to come out on Friday' to promote Adcock's new single 'Wannabe'. • In September, Bryan yelled 'You want to fight like a man? Open the gate' before security intervened after he scaled the fence.

Reform leader went public after approach from Guardian, but does his claim stack up that money was for his security?Nigel Farage was given undisclosed £5m by crypto billionaire in 2024Nigel Farage has admitted he received a personal gift of £5m from the Reform UK mega-donor Christopher Harborne shortly before the general election in 2024.He did not disclose that gift at the time. And he made no mention of it in the year since. That is, until Wednesday morning, when the Daily Telegraph published a story in which Farage admitted receiving the money from Harborne – saying it was for his personal security. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump and King Charles delivered joint remarks on the historic 'special relationship' between the US and UK. • The discussion occurred amid preparations for the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations. • King's address to US Congress included politically charged messages, prompting analysis on their implications for Trump.

Vets say whale stranded for a month near Lübeck is fit to be transported in rescue effort funded by two entrepreneursGerman officials have given the green light for a fresh attempt to rescue a humpback whale that has been stranded off the country’s Baltic Sea coast for more than a month.The 13-metre (40ft) whale’s struggle for survival has gripped Germany since the creature beached on a sandbank near the city of Lübeck, far from its natural habitat. Continue reading...

• Venezuelan security forces restricted opposition parties from entering their campaign headquarters on Monday, raising fresh concerns about democratic conduct ahead of this year's presidential elections. • The blockade prevented opposition candidates and staff from gathering electoral signatures and organizing voter outreach efforts, significantly hampering their campaign infrastructure. • International observers from the Organization of American States expressed alarm over the move, calling it a violation of political freedoms and warning it could undermine the legitimacy of upcoming elections.

• Brazilian President announced on Monday a comprehensive enforcement initiative targeting illegal logging and land invasions in the Amazon, deploying 5,000 additional federal agents to protected areas. • The government committed to reducing deforestation rates by 80 percent over the next two years through satellite monitoring and criminal prosecutions of organized trafficking networks. • Environmental groups and the U.S. State Department praised the pledge as a meaningful step toward climate commitments, though skeptics noted enforcement challenges in remote regions.

President blames dissident Farc faction for attack on Pan-American Highway that also injured 36 people in south-western region The death toll in a weekend highway bombing in Colombia has risen to 20, with another 36 people injured, amid a surge of violence ahead of presidential elections next month.Buses and vans were left mangled in the blast on Saturday on the Pan-American Highway, in the restive south-western Cauca department. Continue reading...

• U.S. stock futures fell late Sunday with Dow Jones Industrial Average futures down 130 points or 0.3%, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures also declining after record highs on Friday. • West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 2% above $96 per barrel following collapsed U.S.-Iran talks announced Saturday. • The Federal Reserve's interest-rate committee meets Tuesday-Wednesday, with Chair Jerome Powell's likely final press conference anticipated amid market highs.

Special session comes after Virginia voted to redraw maps and as Trump pressures Republicans to protect House majorityFlorida begins a special session on Tuesday in what may be the last front of the redistricting war before the 2026 election, with Republicans trying to redraw maps to pick up more seats in Congress.Lawmakers enter the session in Tallahassee cloaked in mystery, with no preview of a proposed map to consider and no clear path for Republicans to increase their representation in what appears to be a hostile year for their party. Continue reading...

Reuters-Ipsos, AP-NORC and NBC polls show approval in mid-30s, with economy, Iran and immigration concernsUS politics live – latest updatesA trio of political polls indicate public approval of Donald Trump’s management of the US economy, immigration and the Iran conflict is slipping, flashing warning lights for Trump-aligned Republican candidates with six months to go until the US midterm elections.Polls by Reuters-Ipsos poll, Strength in Numbers-Verasight and AP-NORC had the president’s approval rating hovering in the mid-30s, at 36%, 35% and 33% respectively, which are near his lowest numbers. Continue reading...