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Er zijn zorgen ontstaan dat de gevallen zijn veroorzaakt door een nieuwe stam van het virus, terwijl Afrikaanse gezondheidsfunctionarissen haastig proberen de infectie te coördineren en in te dammen.

• Het dodental omvat drie kinderen, aldus Oekraïense president Volodymyr Zelenskyy • Minstens 24 mensen, waaronder drie kinderen, zijn volgens president Volodymyr Zelenskyy omgekomen bij de Russische aanvallen van gisteren op Kyiv. • De update van het dodental volgde na een nacht van zoek- en reddingsoperaties.

• De rol markeert een belangrijke terugkeer voor de acteur nadat hij in 2024 van het podium viel en is een prestigieuze aanwinst voor het vooruitstrevende theater. • Ian McKellen zal Koning Lear spelen in zijn eerste grote theatrale rol sinds hij in 2024 van het podium in de eerste rij van het publiek viel. • Het ongeluk, dat hem "stervende pijnen" bezorgde, gebeurde tijdens een uitvoering van Player Kings in de West End en leidde ertoe dat McKellen zich uit de productie terugtrok.

• Het aanhoudende conflict in het Midden-Oosten heeft de olieprijzen opgedreven, wat volgens een analyse van Deloitte naar verwachting de economische groei van de VS zal vertragen in vergelijking met een basisscenario zonder conflict. • Ondanks de druk van verhoogde energiekosten is het onwaarschijnlijk dat Amerikaanse bedrijven hun investeringsplannen materieel zullen verminderen, dankzij de veerkrachtige groei in de AI- en technologiesectoren. • Hogere olieprijzen zullen Amerikaanse consumenten raken via gestegen kosten, hoewel de bredere economische veerkracht door AI-investeringen sommige effecten kan verzachten.

• Zevende lichaam gevonden bij spoorwegemplacement wordt vermoedelijk gelinkt aan wat autoriteiten een 'potentieel mensensmokkelincident' noemen • Federale agenten onderzoeken de dood van minstens zes personen, vermoedelijk immigranten, die zondag werden gevonden in een zeecontainer op een Union Pacific-rangeerterrein nabij de grens met Mexico in Laredo, Texas, als een 'potentieel mensensmokkelincident'. • Ambtenaren hebben naar verluidt ook gesteld dat de dood van een zevende persoon, wiens lichaam werd gevonden bij spoorwegrails buiten San Antonio, Texas – 150 mijl (241 km) naar het noorden – mogelijk verband houdt met de zaak.

• Een mislukt vredigvoorstel in het weekend stuwde de olieprijzen en de rendementen op 10-jarige Treasury-obligaties maandagochtend omhoog, terwijl aandelenfutures licht lager openden. • Markten negeerden geopolitieke risico's vorige week, waarbij olie daalde na opmerkingen over een staakt-het-vuren in Iran, maar hernieuwde spanningen keerden deze trend om te midden van wereldwijde volatiliteit op de energiemarkt. • Gasprijzen stegen landelijk, wat de inflatievooruitzichten compliceert met een headline CPI boven de 3,5% ondanks een afnemende core PCE, waardoor de vooruitzichten voor renteverlagingen door de Fed verslechteren.

• Moses Edwards, 45, uit Wanstead, zal voor de rechtbank verschijnen in verband met een incident in Whitechapel vorige week • Een 45-jarige man is aangeklaagd voor brandstichting met de opzet om levens in gevaar te brengen, na meldingen van een brand in een voormalige synagoge in Oost-Londen. • Moses Edwards, uit Wanstead, zal dinsdag voor de Westminster magistrates court verschijnen na de vermeende brandstichting in het gebouw aan Nelson Street, Whitechapel, op 5 mei. Lees verder...

• De Amerikaanse president zegt dat het vredesvoorstel van Teheran 'volledig onacceptabel' is en 'een stuk vuilnis'. • We hervatten onze live verslaggeving van de Amerikaans-Israëlische oorlog tegen Iran nadat Donald Trump zei dat het staakt-het-vuren 'op life support' staat, nadat hij het vredesvoorstel van Teheran had afgewezen en het 'volledig onacceptabel' noemde. • Verwijzend naar het staakt-het-vuren dat sinds 7 april van kracht is, zei Trump: "Ik zou het de zwakste noemen, op dit moment, na het lezen van dat stuk vuilnis dat ze ons stuurden – ik heb het niet eens uitgelezen."

• Saoedi-Arabië uitte een "felwaardige veroordeling" van de gecoördineerde drone-aanvallen op de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten, Qatar en Koeweit op 11 mei, en bestempelde de aanvallen als een gevaarlijke escalatie die de regionale veiligheid bedreigt. • Het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken van Bahrein noemde de aanval op Koeweit een "flagrante schending van het internationaal recht" en benadrukte de dreiging voor de regionale stabiliteit die door de vijandige drone-aanvallen wordt gevormd. • De aanvallen duiden op een gevaarlijke uitbreiding van het conflict in het Midden-Oosten, waarbij meerdere leden van de Gulf Cooperation Council gelijktijdig zijn getroffen, wat zorgen baart over de kwetsbaarheid van de maritieme handel en de olie-infrastructuur.

US president calls Iranian response ‘totally unacceptable’ while Tehran says it will retaliate against any new US strikes or foreign warships in strait of HormuzTrump calls Iran’s response to peace plan ‘totally unacceptable’ as ceasefire fraysThe US parameters for nuclear talks reportedly included a moratorium on Iranian nuclear enrichment for up to 20 years; the transfer overseas, possibly to the US, of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU), which could be used to make nuclear warheads; and the dismantling of Iranian nuclear facilities.According to the Wall Street Journal, the Iranian counter-proposal suggested a shorter moratorium, the export of part of the HEU stockpile and the dilution of the rest, and refusal to accept the dismantling of facilities. Continue reading...

• The 48th ASEAN Summit concluded on Friday, May 8, with leaders proposing a regional fuel stockpile and standby food security mechanism to counter supply disruptions from Middle East conflicts. • Measures target impacts from Strait of Hormuz closure, which threatens fuel and fertiliser supplies critical to Southeast Asia. • Leaders agreed to a crisis communication protocol for foreign ministers to enable coherent, timely regional responses across multiple sectors.

Man, 45, and 52-year-old woman held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson after blaze in WhitechapelTwo people have been arrested by counter-terrorism officers investigating an arson attack at a former synagogue in east London.A 45-year-old man and a woman, 52, were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit arson and have been taken into police custody. Continue reading...

Saudi Arabia’s state oil company’s profits up 26% to £26.9bn in first three months of yearBusiness live – latest updatesSaudi Arabia’s state oil company reported a 26% jump in profits in its first quarter as its east-west pipeline allowed it to ship millions of barrels of oil out of the Gulf despite conflict in the Middle East.Profits at Saudi Aramco hit $33.6bn (£26.9bn) in the first three months of the year, while revenue rose nearly 7% compared with a year earlier to $115.5bn. Continue reading...

Revolutionary Guard issue warning as Trump awaits Iran’s response to Washington’s latest proposal for peace dealIran’s Revolutionary Guard has threatened to target US sites in the Middle East if its tankers come under fire, Iranian media reported on Saturday, as Washington was left waiting for Tehran’s response to its latest negotiating position.“Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships,” the force said, a day after US strikes on two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Continue reading...

Florida wildlife commission investigating cause of incident that left passengers with burns and traumatic injuriesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA suspected boat explosion at a Miami sandbar sent at least 11 people to the hospital on Saturday with some suffering from burns and traumatic injuries, according to Juan Arias, the Miami Dade fire rescue battalion chief.First responders received reports roughly around 12.45pm of a possible boat explosion on the water, Arias told WPEC 12. Continue reading...

More than 190 people have been killed in such strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and PacificThe US military on Friday said it struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people and leaving one survivor in the latest attack on boats suspected of transporting narcotics. This brings the death toll from strikes on such vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific to more than 190 people since September.A video posted by the US Southern Command shows the vessel traveling through the water being hit by what appears to be a missile. The screen momentarily goes black and then shows the boat engulfed in flames. Continue reading...

• Southeast Asian nations are warming to the idea of easing Myanmar's international isolation following the 2021 military coup, with diplomats signaling a potential diplomatic opening to reintegrate the crisis-affected nation. • Regional sentiment has shifted as some countries explore conditions for Myanmar's return to normal diplomatic relations and potential participation in regional forums. • The thaw reflects changing geopolitical calculations in Southeast Asia and could affect ASEAN's cohesion and approach to Myanmar's political crisis.

Whitaker Malem worked with pop art sculptor Allen Jones, visual artist Nadia Lee Cohen and a car bodyshop in KentAt Monday’s Met Gala, it inevitably fell to Kim Kardashian to deliver the evening’s biggest jolt. One of the few celebrities to straightforwardly interpret the “fashion is art” dress code – which focused on how the dressed and undressed human body is the through-line in most works of art – she decided to forgo her usual role as a walking billboard for a major fashion house and instead arrived in an orange fibreglass breastplate created by a small east London art duo and a car bodyshop in Kent.“Good art should start conversation, and Kim did exactly that,” says 61-year-old Patrick Whitaker, half of the design practice Whitaker Malem, who made the breastplate just weeks before the gala. “She was very clear on wanting a breastplate, very clear on the car body finish. And I think she was nervous really. She understands the competition.” Continue reading...

David Hinton will remain in post while successor is found, utility says, a week after group’s chairman quitThe chief executive of South East Water has announced plans to step down just a week after the group’s chairman quit in the wake of major supply outages in Kent and Sussex.The supplier said David Hinton, who joined the group’s board in 2013, would stay in post to allow an “orderly transition” over the summer while the group hunts for his successor. Continue reading...

The US said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets after an attack on three American destroyers in the strait of HormuzMorning, and welcome to the Guardian’s Middle East live blog.The US said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets after an attack on three American destroyers in the strait of Hormuz, while Tehran accused Washington of striking first. The exchange of fire threatens to unravel a fragile ceasefire in effect since 8 April – but Donald Trump insisted the truce remains intact. Continue reading...

• Asian stock markets retreated from recent record peaks as escalating Middle East tensions revived concerns over crude oil supply disruptions and energy price stability. • The geopolitical escalation triggered steep losses in oil markets, reversing earlier gains and creating volatility across regional equity indices. • Rising energy supply concerns underscore the fragility of the recent market rally despite strong AI sector performance, with investors reassessing risk exposure to conflict-affected regions.

• Chinese semiconductor equipment makers CCtech and Nextool Technology are deepening presence in SEA's OSAT centers as Malaysia and Singapore emerge as packaging and testing hubs. • Expansion driven by global supply chain shifts, southbound strategies, surging AI demand, and power electronics growth. • The moves signal a new upcycle for test and packaging equipment amid regional semiconductor boom.

State can meet fuel demand for next six weeks with its current supply, its energy commission vice-chair said. Plus, alleged Jeffrey Epstein suicide note unsealed by federal judgeGood morning.Gas prices have risen above $6 in California – but there is yet more uncertainty on the horizon after the last oil tanker from the Middle East arrived in the state this week.What do we know about progress on a deal? Axios reported on Wednesday that Washington and Tehran were close to agreeing on a memorandum of understanding to end the war. Officials in Pakistan told the Guardian that an initial framework could possibly be agreed within 48 hours – but that nothing was certain and talks remained “difficult”.Head to our liveblog for the latest. Continue reading...

The US and Iran have offered conflicting messages over the likelihood of a deal being reached imminentlyMorning and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.The US and Iran have offered conflicting messages over the state of negotiations to end the war, with Donald Trump signalling the talks were “very good” and a deal “very possible”.News of a possible deal followed Trump’s abrupt U-turn on a US military operation to guide ships out of the strait of Hormuz, dubbed “Project Freedom”. Trump said the decision to pause the mission on Tuesday – two days after it was launched – was to give peace a chance, but NBC reported that it was suspended after Saudi Arabia refused to allow the US military to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation. US officials told the American broadcaster that Gulf allies were caught off guard by the sudden announcement of Project Freedom, and that it had angered the leadership in Saudi Arabia.The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, that the US’s behaviour had “deviated the path of diplomacy towards threats, pressure and sanctions” and that Tehran could not trust Washington. In a statement carried by the Iranian state-run Press TV, Pezeshkian said Iran had entered into dialogue with the US twice and “on both occasions, military aggression against Iran took place concurrently with the negotiations. Such behaviour is effectively like ‘stabbing from behind’”.Iran has denied any involvement in damage to a South Korean-operated vessel in the strait of Hormuz, which suffered an explosion and fire on Monday. Trump blamed the incident on an Iranian attack, while South Korea’s foreign ministry said the cause of the fire would only be confirmed after the vessel is inspected. The Iran embassy in Seoul issued a statement this morning rejecting the allegations, saying safe passage through the waterway requires strict adherence to Iranian regulations.The damage and destruction inflicted on US military sites across the Middle East during the war is far larger than what has been publicly acknowledged by the Trump administration or previously reported, according to analysis by the Washington Post. Reviewing satellite imagery, the newspaper found Iranian airstrikes have damaged or destroyed at least 228 US structures or pieces of equipment, including hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft and key radar, communications and air defence equipment. The US Central Command declined to comment on the report.In Lebanon, where a ceasefire has demonstrably failed to stop the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, three people were killed this morning in Israeli strikes on Nabatieh south of the country, according to the official Lebanese National News Agency. The Israeli military said one of its soldiers was seriously injured by an explosive-laden Hezbollah drone in southern Lebanon yesterday. It did not say where the attack took place.In Gaza, where another ceasefire appears to be fraying, an Israeli airstrike has killed Azzam Khalil al-Hayya, the son of Hamas political bureau leader and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, according to senior Hamas official Basim Naim. Azzam succumbed to his injuries this morning after being struck in an Israeli attack last night, Reuters reported. He is the fourth son of Hamas’s exiled Gaza chief to have been killed in Israeli attacks. Continue reading...

• Echelon Singapore 2026, set for June 3-4, features exhibitors in AI-powered sustainability, cybersecurity, and HR platforms across ASEAN. • Leaders from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam will highlight digital transformation initiatives amid regional tech growth. • The event underscores Southeast Asia's rising role in global AI and green tech innovation, drawing investors and startups.

• Ms Grace Fu, Singapore's Minister, delivered a keynote at the 13th Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources on May 7, 2026, describing Southeast Asia facing a 'perfect storm' from geopolitical developments and climate change. • She emphasized severe implications for the region, including supply chain disruptions and resource scarcity due to the dual threats. • The speech underscores the need for sustainable resource strategies to mitigate risks to economic stability and security.