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• Het vrouwenbasketballteam van University at Buffalo heeft de komst aangekondigd van transfer Asia Wilson van Holy Cross, een native van Rochester, NY, met drie resterende jaren aan deelnamebevoegdheid. • Wilson speelde 27 wedstrijden voor Holy Cross in 2025-26 en hielp de Crusaders aan 23 overwinningen, een Patriot League Championship en een plek in het NCAA Tournament. • De toevoeging van Wilson versterkt de selectie van Buffalo, nu het programma voortbouwt op recente successen en op een hoger niveau wil concurreren.

Nieuwe regels zouden boekingen met één ticket mogelijk maken bij meerdere spoorvervoerders in heel Europa

• De in Rotterdam gevestigde healthcare AI-startup Ditto heeft €7,6 miljoen aan financiering veiliggesteld onder leiding van Heal Capital om haar op AI gebaseerde applicatie voor patiëntencommunicatie uit te breiden naar Europese markten. • Het platform maakt gebruik van AI om interacties met patiënten te automatiseren en te personaliseren, waardoor de efficiëntie van de zorgcommunicatie en de patiëntbetrokkenheid voor zorgverleners worden verbeterd. • De financiering toont het vertrouwen van investeerders in AI-oplossingen voor zorgadministratie en patiëntenbeheer, een groeiend segment binnen de zorgtechnologie.

• Kuomintang (KMT) vicevoorzitter Chang Rong-kung ontmoette Wang Huning, China's hoogste functionaris voor Taiwan-zaken, op 11 mei 2026 in Peking, waarbij hij bevestigde dat de cross-strait relaties niet van staat-tot-staat zijn. • Chang benadrukte gedeelde overtuigingen dat het territorium niet verdeeld mag worden en de natie niet verspreid mag raken, zoals geciteerd door Wang tijdens de top die werd gerapporteerd door United Daily News. • De bijeenkomst onderstreept het standpunt van de KMT tegen Taiwan-onafhankelijkheid terwijl zij contact houdt met Peking, te midden van aanhoudende spanningen over de status van Taiwan.

• Op 10 mei 2026 heeft Two Harbors Investment Corp (TWO) de fusieovereenkomst met CrossCountry Mortgage herzien, waarbij het volledige cashbod werd verhoogd van $11,30 naar $12 per aandeel. • De aanpassing onderstreept de inzet van TWO om de aandeelhouderswaarde te maximaliseren tijdens de lopende onderhandelingen over de samenvoeging van de real estate investment trusts. • Als REIT gespecialiseerd in residentiële hypotheekobligaties en servicedrechten, signaleert deze deal vertrouwen in het herstelpotentieel van de hypotheeksector.

• MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026 onthulde zaterdag de genomineerden in 77 categorieën, waarbij prestaties in de Japanse en wereldwijde muziek werden belicht. • Het evenement viert internationale muziekverbindingen met artiesten uit Azië en de rest van de wereld voorafgaand aan de ceremonie op 13 juni 2026 in Tokyo. • De genomineerden omvatten top J-pop acts en K-pop groepen, met categorieën variërend van lied van het jaar en artiest van het jaar tot genrespecifieke awards.

Sunderland, Barnsley, Gateshead en South Tyneside behoren tot de gemeenten die winst rapporteren voor de partij van Farage • Volledige uitslagen van Engeland, Schotland en Wales

• VAD Technologies en Data Dynamics hebben op 8 mei 2026 een strategisch partnerschap aangekondigd om sovereign AI-oplossingen te promoten in de landen van de Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), waaronder de VAE, Saoedi-Arabië en Qatar. • De samenwerking richt zich op datamanagementplatforms die gelokaliseerde AI-verwerking mogelijk maken om datasoevereiniteit en naleving van regionale regelgeving te waarborgen. • De uitgaven aan cybersecurity in de Golfregio zullen in 2026 naar verwachting de Dh120 miljard ($32,6 miljard) overschrijden, gedreven door AI-gestuurde dreigingen en de behoefte aan soevereine veerkracht.

Results of elections for councils in England, the Senedd in Wales and the Scottish parliament could transform Great Britain’s political landscapePolls have closed across England, Scotland and Wales for local, mayoral and parliamentary elections, with the first results to be announced within hours.More than 30 million people across Britain were given the opportunity to vote on Thursday in what is widely seen as the biggest test for Keir Starmer since the 2024 general election. Results across three nations could fundamentally change the political landscape and could have repercussions for the prime minister. Continue reading...

About 5,000 councillors and six mayors up for election in England, while Scotland chooses 129 MSPs, and Wales selects 96 members of the SeneddHere is Nigel Farage’s overnight eve-of-poll statement. The Reform UK leader said:The Tories tried to remove the gutless Keir Starmer and failed.The only way to finally remove the most unpopular and unpatriotic prime minister in our lifetime is to back Reform. Continue reading...

• Crossfin is broadening its investment focus into emerging markets outside South Africa following successful exits from Retail Capital, Adumo, and iKhokha. • The firm maintains a strong emphasis on Africa but has established a presence in Mauritius with backing for three businesses. • In 2025, Crossfin launched a Singapore-based investment vehicle targeting opportunities in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other regions.

• Security measures have been significantly ramped up across the United States, Canada, and Mexico ahead of the upcoming World Cup tournament scheduled to take place across the three nations. • Law enforcement agencies are coordinating multijurisdictional efforts to address potential security threats, including counter-terrorism operations and border security enhancements. • The heightened security reflects concerns about large-scale public events and cross-border movement during the tournament, with particular focus on protecting stadiums and fan zones.

Green party leader also accuses rightwing media of politically motivated attacks as popularity growsZack Polanski has said he was wrong to describe himself as a British Red Cross spokesperson, and that intensified media scrutiny of the Green party reflected fears of its rising popularity and support for wealth taxes.Polanski described himself as a British Red Cross spokesperson while campaigning for the party leadership, the Times revealed. The claim was also mentioned on his personal website in 2020 when he said he was “really proud of the work we do”. Continue reading...

Green party leader also accused of incorrectly stating he was a full member of the National Council of HypnotherapyZack Polanski falsely claimed to be a spokesperson for the British Red Cross while campaigning for Green party leadership, the charity has said.This was also mentioned on his personal website in 2020, where he said he was “really proud of the work we do”. Continue reading...

• Vietnam and China are strengthening bilateral relations with increased trade flows and Chinese investment in Vietnam's economy, signaling closer geopolitical alignment in Southeast Asia. • The deepening ties reflect Vietnam's strategic repositioning amid regional power dynamics and economic interdependence with its northern neighbor. • The development has implications for ASEAN cohesion and regional balance of power, particularly regarding competing claims in the South China Sea and great power competition in the region.

• ReN3, an enterprise agentic AI work productivity platform, announced a US$5 million seed funding round to expand operations across Southeast Asia, focusing on accuracy and deployment flexibility for regional enterprises. • The funding will support ReN3's growth in the region as it positions itself as a solution for enterprise productivity automation through agentic AI technology. • The investment reflects growing venture capital interest in AI-powered enterprise solutions targeting the Southeast Asian market, where digital transformation adoption is accelerating.

• The Bharatiya Janata Party expanded its electoral dominance across India's political map, strengthening its presence in large parts of the country and leaving only a handful of states under opposition rule following the 2026 assembly election results. • The BJP's continued electoral momentum, coupled with strong performances in states like Assam under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, reinforces the party's structural dominance ahead of upcoming state elections. • Growing cracks emerged within the opposition INDIA bloc following the elections, with significant disagreements over issues like women's reservation-linked legislation undermining coalition unity and strategy.

Two were found dead in the early hours of Sunday in boat carrying about 82 people, several of whom were injuredTwo female Sudanese asylum seekers have died trying to cross the Channel in the early hours of Sunday morning, off the coast of Boulogne.According to some reports, one was a teenager aged 16 and the other a woman in her 20s. They were found dead in the boat, which had run aground on the beach of Neufchâtel-Hardelot, according to Christophe Marx, the secretary general of the Pas-de-Calais Prefecture. Continue reading...

• A CNN investigation based on satellite imagery and damage assessments found that Iranian strikes damaged at least 16 U.S. military installations across eight Middle Eastern countries during the conflict. • Some U.S. military facilities suffered extensive harm classified as operationally unusable or facing difficult repair decisions, suggesting the scale of attacks was far greater than publicly acknowledged. • The report raises questions about whether the Pentagon has understated both physical damage and the true financial costs of the Iran war, challenging official public accounting of the conflict.

• Asia-Pacific's cross-border payments market, valued at $13.5 trillion in 2025, is forecast to surge to $24 trillion by 2033, fueled by QR payments and digital adoption.• Thailand ranks second in regional economic optimism, supporting robust growth in transaction volumes across Southeast Asia.• Expansion driven by e-commerce boom and fintech innovations enhances trade efficiency in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.• Regulators eye next steps in harmonizing standards to sustain projected CAGR amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Winston Marshall, former member of Mumford & Sons, says those crossing are ‘economic migrants’ not refugeesThe son of the Spectator owner, Paul Marshall, has said Britain should construct a mine-laden “floating wall” as a radical measure to stop Channel crossings.Winston Marshall, a former member of the band Mumford & Sons who is now establishing himself as a rightwing online influencer, said that while the idea “might sound ridiculous”, it should be explored because previous attempts to stop the crossings had failed. Continue reading...

• U.S.-relevant cross-border paytech startup Latitude exited stealth mode this week with $8 million seed funding led by NEA to tackle slow, costly business money transfers. • The funding supports Latitude's mission to streamline international payments, positioning it as a challenger in the fintech space amid rising demand for efficient B2B transfers. • Launch coincides with April 2026 fintech surge, highlighting investor confidence in paytech innovations despite economic uncertainties from energy prices and Fed policy.

• FOX Business Network (FBN) surpassed CNBC in viewership across business day, market hours, and total day programming during April 2026, according to Nielsen Media Research data released April 29. • FBN's flagship shows "Varney & Co." and "Kudlow" maintained their positions as the top two business programs on television, achieving their 50th and 55th consecutive months of outperforming CNBC counterparts respectively. • The ratings victory underscores FOX Business's competitive dominance in the financial news market during a period of significant Federal Reserve policy announcements and market volatility.

Journalists face rising threats while media ownership is concentrated in fewer hands, leading civil liberties group warnsJournalists in the EU face increasing levels of harassment, threats and violence, while news outlets are owned by a shrinking number of proprietors and public trust in the media has plummeted, a report has found.The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) said the findings of its fifth annual media freedom report, released on Tuesday, should place EU officials “on high alert”, with media freedom and pluralism “under sustained attack” across mainland Europe. Continue reading...

Al-Qaida-linked group JNIM claims responsibility for strikes on airport in capital, Bamako, and four other citiesIslamic militants and separatists attacked several locations in Mali’s capital and other cities on Saturday in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years.The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bamako’s international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali on its website Azallaq. It said the attacks were carried out jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist group. Continue reading...

After a two-year wait, video of a young male crossing above a road gives hope that critically endangered species can survive habitat fragmentationThe critically endangered Sumatran orangutan has been filmed for the first time using a canopy bridge to cross a road.In 2024, conservationists in the Pakpak Bharat district of North Sumatra in Indonesia built the bridge high over the Lagan-Pagindar road, which provides an essential route for local people but which became a barrier for animals. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Emails and internal memos reveal concerns immigration enforcement is interfering with police workLaw enforcement and local government officials across the US have over the last year expressed concerns that immigration operations were interfering with police work and leading to threats to officers, according to internal emails and briefings shared with the Guardian.The development comes as the US public has become afraid and distrustful of officers in their communities due to the Trump administration’s aggressive and at times indiscriminate immigration crackdown. Continue reading...

One blaze broke out north-west of Fort Lauderdale in Florida, a state known for its wetlands and evergladesMuch of the US is battling a widespread drought after a very dry winter and start to spring. South-eastern areas, in particular the states of Florida and Georgia, are experiencing some of the worst of this prolonged bout of dry weather, with calls for the risk to be labelled a level 4 “exceptional” drought in the region, the most severe category. In recent days, strong winds and low humidity conditions have brought an increased fire risk. These ingredients combined with such unusually dry ground have led to multiple large wildfires, particularly across Florida, a state known for its wetlands and everglades.A fire broke out early on Tuesday morning in Broward County, Florida, just north-west of Fort Lauderdale, scorching an area of more than 9,200 acres as of Thursday afternoon. The National Guard helped Broward Sherriff Fire Rescue tackle the blaze, which has since been brought to 50% containment. Residents nearby and farther west have been warned of reduced air quality as a result of travelling smoke. Fires have been breaking out elsewhere, with multiple active blazes across northern Florida, Georgia and into Alabama. Abnormally dry weather is set to continue over the next few weeks before the arrival of the rainy season, usually around June, with the drought and fire risk set to last. Continue reading...