Deliver

Het nieuwe leiderschap van het land heeft beloofd jaren van democratische achteruitgang terug te draaien, maar ze moeten snel handelen• Ontvangt u This Is Europe niet in uw inbox? Meld u hier aan Onder een strakblauwe hemel juichte het publiek afgelopen zaterdag toen de EU-vlag na een lange afwezigheid weer werd gehesen op de gevel van het Hongaarse parlement. Het was een krachtig symbool op de dag dat Péter Magyar werd beëdigd als premier van Hongarije, met de verklaring dat de Hongaren zijn partij een mandaat hadden gegeven om "een nieuw hoofdstuk" in de geschiedenis van het land te openen en het systeem te veranderen. De nieuwe regering, die wordt gezien als een ervaren technocratisch team, gaf onmiddellijk haar nieuwe koers aan. "Hongarijens plek is in Europa; op natuurlijke wijze, stevig en zonder twijfel," aldus aangstellende minister van Buitenlandse Zaken Anita Orbán. Kort daarna trok Hongarije haar langdurige veto in tegen sancties tegen gewelddadige Israëlische kolonisten – een teken dat het land niet langer buiten de EU-mainstream wilde staan. Lees verder...

• De 12e Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA 2026) vonden plaats op zaterdag 9 mei 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria, en markeerden een van de meest glamoureuze evenementen in de geschiedenis van het Afrikaanse entertainment. • Sterren hielden emotionele acceptiespeeches tijdens de ceremonie, waarbij ze persoonlijke reizen en prestaties binnen de industrie belichtten te midden van een sterrenregen op de rode loper. • Het evenement vierde uitmuntendheid in de Afrikaanse film, tv en muziek, en trok in het hele continent brede aandacht vanwege de productiekwaliteit en culturele betekenis.

• Eén jaar na de algemene verkiezingen in Singapore van mei 2025 evalueert de People's Action Party (PAP) van premier Lawrence Wong haar prestaties te midden van wereldwijde uitdagingen, waaronder een energiecrisis in het Midden-Oosten. • De PAP behaalde een overweldigende overwinning met een stemmenaandeel van 65,57% en won 87 van de 97 zetels in het parlement, terwijl de Workers' Party haar 10 zetels behield. • Wong had gewaarschuwd voor 'stormwolken' door internationale conflicten; deze zijn nu werkelijkheid geworden en testen de uitvoering van het beleid van de nieuwe regering op het gebied van economische stabiliteit en veiligheid.

Cassian Joubert was partially delivered at 25 weeks for procedure and placed back in mother’s womb before birthA Florida infant is said to have been born twice after undergoing what was an innovative, likely life-saving surgery that involved a partial delivery weeks before his mother then gave birth to him.Cassian Joubert’s remarkable story was recently first told publicly by his mother and father – Keishera and Greg Joubert – in a 1 May video published on social media by the Orlando Health Women’s Institute, which employs the surgeon that led the baby boy’s prenatal operation. Continue reading...

Plans to install tougher netting and window grilles set back because walls cannot take extra weight, prison governors sayWeak and crumbling walls in Victorian prisons are hampering attempts to halt drones from delivering drugs and weapons to inmates.Plans to install tougher netting and window grilles to stop drones from entering have been hampered because the walls have been unable to take the extra weight, prison governors said. Continue reading...

While interest rate rises can’t affect the surging price of oil caused by Middle East turmoil, they are still the Reserve Bank’s best – and only – tool to fight inflationFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOne economist is calling it the “Hormuz hike”.There’s a nearly 80% chance that the Reserve Bank will deliver a third straight interest rate rise on Tuesday, according to financial markets.Patrick Commins is Guardian Australia’s economics editor Continue reading...

• Kyle Tucker singled in the tying and go-ahead runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-4 comeback victory over the Miami Marlins on Monday night in the series opener at Los Angeles. • Jake Eder earned his first major league win by allowing one hit in one inning of relief, while the Dodgers improved to 3-7 when trailing after seven innings. • The dramatic ninth-inning rally highlights Tucker's clutch performance and boosts Dodgers' momentum early in the season.

• Active fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has intensified blockades on humanitarian corridors, trapping over 2 million internally displaced persons without access to food and medical supplies. • The UN World Food Programme reported that starvation conditions now affect multiple regions, with malnutrition rates among children exceeding 40 percent in some areas. • The U.S. State Department announced an additional $150 million in emergency humanitarian assistance but acknowledged that insecurity makes delivery of aid increasingly difficult.

• Tesla's stock fell 3.2% on April 26 after the company reported first-quarter global deliveries of 389,000 vehicles, missing consensus expectations of 410,000 units and marking the weakest quarterly performance in two years. • Management attributed the shortfall to supply chain disruptions at the Berlin and Texas Gigafactories, as well as slower-than-anticipated demand in European and Chinese markets, particularly for the Model 3 and Model Y lineup. • The miss reignites concerns about Tesla's ability to sustain its 50% annual growth target and prompted three major brokerages to lower 2026 earnings forecasts by 8–12%, citing heightened competition from legacy automakers' EV offerings.

• TTM Technologies achieved a 214.4% increase in earnings over the past year, substantially exceeding the electronic industry average of 15.7%. • The company's exceptional performance reflects strong execution and market demand within the technology sector. • TTM's growth trajectory positions it among elite performers in the high-growth tech space.

All signs point to a record-low performance for Labour in May in what will be a moment of high jeopardy for Keir StarmerLabour is on track for its worst local election performance, data analysed by the Guardian shows, in a blow that will pile further pressure on Keir Starmer’s leadership.Barring a drastic change in fortunes, Labour’s vote-share could fall to historic lows across elections for councils in England and devolved parliaments in Wales and Scotland on 7 May, with big gains for Reform, the Greens and nationalist parties, according to recent polling. Continue reading...

NSW and Queensland governments ‘severely underdelivered’ on promised infrastructure to improve water flows, independent review findsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo state governments have drastically underdelivered more than $160m in infrastructure measures to improve river health in the northern Murray-Darling basin eight years since they were promised, a major independent review has found.This includes failure by the New South Wales government to secure any of the private land access needed to improve water flows over floodplains in the state’s Gwydir region where scientists had to scramble to rescue turtles in dried up wetlands last week. Continue reading...

Company promises to meet new delivery targets by next May after being fined last year for poor recordBusiness live – latest updatesSecond-class post will be delivered every other weekday and scrapped on Saturdays from next month as part of a £500m plan to tackle late deliveries at struggling Royal Mail.The delivery company has been testing a new letter delivery pattern in a pilot since July, and it will be rolled out nationwide in May. Continue reading...

• Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a bombshell speech from the Kremlin warning against Western military intervention in Iran, marking a significant strategic pivot and directly challenging Trump administration foreign policy. • The address has dramatically escalated geopolitical tensions and prompted immediate reactions from global capitals assessing implications for international security and the balance of power in the Middle East. • Putin's declaration signals Russia's strategic commitment to the region amid the ongoing US-Iran crisis and fragile ceasefire negotiations.

Exclusive: Analysis of government figures indicates public finances will gain £600m not £10bn if migrants’ access to benefits is reducedShabana Mahmood’s migration reforms are expected to deliver just £600m in savings – about 6% of the £10bn the home secretary claimed, according to the government’s own data.Under the plans, most people would have to wait 10 years to qualify for settled status, rather than the existing five-year period, which the home secretary argued would save costs on public services. Continue reading...

• A Fred Hutch Cancer Center graduate student presented over 25,000 measurements of influenza-fighting antibodies to WHO scientists via videoconference last fall. • The dataset, published in Virus Evolution, offers near real-time tracking of human immune responses to current flu strains, improving seasonal vaccine composition. • This method addresses gaps in traditional surveillance, potentially enhancing vaccine effectiveness against evolving viruses.

• The UN World Food Programme reported on April 9 that active combat in Sudan's Khartoum and West Darfur states has suspended humanitarian operations, cutting off food assistance to approximately 9 million internally displaced persons and vulnerable civilians. • The World Health Organization documented a 40% spike in cholera cases across eastern Sudan refugee camps over the past two weeks, with only five functioning water treatment facilities operational across the country. • International NGOs warn of imminent famine conditions by mid-May if logistics corridors remain blocked, with donor nations unable to guarantee protection for aid workers amid ongoing violence.

Tim Friede put his ‘ass on the line’ to help stop snakebite deaths – whose numbers appear to be rising amid the climate crisisAs we overheat and degrade our planet, more people are set to come into contact, sometimes fatally, with venomous snakes. One man hopes to provide an unusual solution to this, after subjecting himself to 200 intentional snakebites to his body.For nearly 20 years, Tim Friede, 58, allowed some of the most lethal snakes in the world to bite him so he could build up an immunity that could one day be developed into a universal antivenom. Continue reading...

• US military C-130s airlifted 500 tons of food and medicine to Port-au-Prince on April 8, 2026, as gangs control 80% of the capital. • Over 4,000 killed this year; UN reports 1.5 million face starvation, prompting Biden admin's $100 million pledge. • Aid crucial for US backyard stability, preventing mass migration waves like 2021's 20,000 border encounters.

PM’s most senior civil servant now has task of rewriting civil service code and ‘making it recognised for improved productivity’ Antonia Romeo, Keir Starmer’s most senior civil servant, has been handed a powerful new mandate to deliver his priorities, while Darren Jones, the No 10 chief secretary, has shifted to a less hands-on role.Romeo, who was promoted last month, took over the job of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service after an unsuccessful year in charge by her predecessor Chris Wormald, who was not considered effective enough by No 10. Continue reading...

Homes evacuated in Lurgan as police carry out controlled explosion on device, which man was forced to carry in ‘terrifying ordeal’Gunmen hijacked a car, placed a device inside and forced the occupant to drive the vehicle to a police station in Northern Ireland on Monday, prompting a security alert and the evacuation of about 100 homes.Some streets in Lurgan, County Armagh, remained shut on Tuesday morning as police investigated the scene. Continue reading...

• Advocate Health will launch the country's largest hospital-based drone delivery network, beginning in Charlotte, NC, using Zipline drones to deliver prescriptions, lab specimens, and medical supplies across three of its markets. • The system is projected to conduct approximately 100,000 deliveries per year, significantly expanding healthcare logistics and supply chain capabilities within hospital systems. • This initiative represents a major technological advancement in hospital operations and marks a shift toward automated delivery infrastructure in American healthcare systems.

East coast slammed on Thursday night with wind and rain, with more warnings in place for FridayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThousands of Australians woke without power on Friday after a series of wild autumn storms soaked communities in multiple states – and the high country recorded its first big snowfall of 2026.While many storm watchers kept their eyes on the west and the path of Tropical Cyclone Narelle, Australia’s east coast was slammed on Thursday night, with more warnings in place for Friday. Continue reading...

• The latest patch for Borderlands 4 significantly boosts PC performance with native frame rates increasing by 43 percent. • The optimization patch addresses performance issues that players had reported since the game's launch. • VideoCardz reports the improvements represent one of the most substantial performance gains from a monthly update this year.

Decision to hold interest rates is backed by gloomy assessment of economy as Iran war pushes up oil pricesBank of England holds interest rates at 3.75%Business live – latest updatesThe US-Israel attack on Iran has already driven prices higher and not just at the petrol pumps, the Bank of England said on Thursday in a gloomy assessment of the UK’s economic outlook.An inflation rate that was on track to fall from 3% to the Bank’s 2% target in the coming months is now expected to rise to 3.5%. That is one probable impact of the US and Israel’s war on Iran. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester mayor says the party ‘would always do well to listen to what Angela has got to say’Good morning. Keir Starmer has been handling the Iran war reasonably well, according to the consensus view at Westminster, and certainly better than Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch, who have been in contortions over whether they do or do not support Donald Trump. But this has not altered the fundamental, big-picture assessment of British politics, which is that he is deeply unpopular with voters and that Labour can’t win the next election if he remains in charge. This may be a flawed analysis – consensus views often are – but it is what many Labour MPs think, which is why a question mark hovers over Starmer’s leadership.And that is why Angela Rayner’s speech last night, at a private meeting with the soft-left Mainstream group, are so significant. She did not explicitly call for new leadership, but she did convey that message implicity – and more bluntly than in any of her other interventions since she resigned as deputy PM in September last year.It is down to us to rebuild this nation and this party – the question is are we up for this fight? I know we in this room are.As a party, and as a movement, we cannot hide, we cannot just go through the motions in the face of decline. There’s no safe ground and we’re running out of time.We cannot talk about earning a settlement if we keep moving the goalposts. Because moving the goalposts undermines our sense of fair play. It’s un-British.Let us be a country that has sustainable economic migration rules, but one that upholds the British values we want all who live here to respect. Not special treatment. But the stability and a fair pathway forward after the sacrifices many have made to build a lawful life in the UK.We’ve got to, all of us, haven’t we, work together to pull together a plan that turns the country around …I understand the frustration people feel. We heard that at the by-election, and of course, Angela is reflecting some of that.I think where I would agree, and I think everybody across government would agree, is sharing an impatience with the pace of change, and that applies to every single one of us.And I get the sense, I haven’t read the full context of Angela’s remarks, but I get the sense that that frustration is actually what is running through her remarks. It absolutely runs through every government minister as well. Continue reading...

Former deputy prime minister says Labour’s immigration changes are un-British and Starmer must respond to fall in party’s popularityAngela Rayner has said the very survival of the Labour party is at stake and warned Keir Starmer that he “cannot go through the motions” in the face of declining support.In a speech at campaign group Mainstream’s spring reception, the former deputy prime minister said she believed the government was “running out of time” to show it can deliver the changes that the public needs. Continue reading...

• Jessie Buckley was among the major winners at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026, delivering an emotional acceptance speech that resonated with the audience at the Dolby Theatre. • The actress' win marked a significant moment in her career, with her performance earning recognition on Hollywood's biggest night alongside other nominated talents. • Buckley's speech captured the atmosphere of celebration and gratitude characteristic of the evening's biggest winners at the 2026 Academy Awards.