Hopes

Rhun ap Iowerth hoopt dat het regeringsprogramma van zijn partij steun zal krijgen uit het hele Senedd. UK politics live – laatste updates. De leider van Plaid Cymru hoopt uiterlijk dinsdag First Minister van Wales te worden, nadat zijn partij een historische overwinning behaalde bij de Senedd-verkiezingen, waarbij Labour duidelijk werd verslagen en Reform UK werd tegengehouden. Plaid behaalde geen meerderheid in het Welsh parliament, maar Rhun ap Iorwerth zei zondag dat hij hoopt dat andere partijen met hem zullen samenwerken, en riep UK Labour op om Wales niet te straffen voor het resultaat. Lees verder...

• Indiase aandelenindices stegen scherp op 6 mei 2026, waarbij de Sensex met 940,73 punten (1,22%) steeg om te sluiten op 77.958,52 en de Nifty met 298,15 punten (1,24%) steeg naar 24.330,95, gedreven door optimisme over potentiële vredesonderhandelingen tussen de VS en Iran en dalende prijzen voor ruwe olie. • Bankenaandelen leidden het rally nadat het Union Cabinet goedkeuring verleende aan een noodprogramma voor kredietgaranties ter waarde van Rs 15.800 crore om bedrijven met liquiditeitsproblemen te ondersteunen, terwijl Hero MotoCorp met 2,6% steeg en Mahindra & Mahindra met 3,1% vooruitging dankzij sterke kwartaalcijfers. • Bredere marktindices wonnen ook aan terrein, waarbij de Nifty smallcap100 en midcap100 respectievelijk 0,9% en 1,1% stegen, hoewel FMCG-aandelen daalden door afnemende geopolitieke spanningen in West-Azië die eerder de Brent-olie naar $115 per vat hadden gestuwd.

• De door Trump gesteunde kandidaat staat voor een kleine uitdaging van autodesigner en YouTube-provocateur Casey Putsch. • Welkom bij de liveblog Amerikaanse politiek. Voormalig Republikeins presidentskandidaat Vivek Ramaswamy hoopt zijn positie als kandidaat in de strijd om gouverneur van Ohio te bezegelen. • Donald Trump heeft gedreigd dat Iran "van de kaart zal worden geveegd" als het Amerikaanse schepen aanvalt die proberen een route door de Straat van Hormuz te heropenen. De VS lanceerden een operatie om honderden schepen met hun bemanning in de Golf te helpen, waardoor de regio opnieuw op de rand van een grootschalige oorlog staat. Terwijl het Amerikaanse leger claimde zes kleine Iraanse boten te hebben vernietigd en zowel Iraanse kruisraketten als drones te hebben onderschept, werd dit door Iran ontkend.

De minister van Financiën stelt daarnaast dat het federale budget van mei een ‘behulpende en niet schadelijke rol zal spelen in de strijd tegen inflatie’

Nearly 60 countries back voluntary roadmaps to wean world off coal, oil and gasGovernments have been asked to develop national “roadmaps” setting out how they will end the production and use of fossil fuels, after a landmark climate meeting involving nearly 60 countries.The voluntary plans will form the bedrock of a new initiative to wean the world off coal, oil and gas, the focus of two days of intensive talks in Colombia this week. Continue reading...

Results suggest radiotracer maraciclatide can ‘light up’ condition on scan and reduce need for investigative surgeryA non-invasive scan for endometriosis has shown promising results in a trial, boosting hopes for far quicker diagnosis.The trial, which included 19 women with the condition, suggests that an experimental radiotracer, called maraciclatide, can “light up” endometriosis on a scan. The current need for a surgical investigation is seen as a major obstacle to timely diagnosis, with women in England typically waiting nearly a decade. Continue reading...

FTSE 100 slides and UK gas prices up amid fears strait of Hormuz will be closed for extended periodBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices rose sharply and European stock markets fell on Monday, after the US seizure of an Iranian vessel hit hopes for a peace deal.Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose by as much as 5% on Monday to $95.50 (£70.75) a barrel. Continue reading...

Transfer of medical services from hospital to former Wilko store is improving healthcare access and boosting footfallIt is a revolution that might just save the NHS – and the high street. Imagine being able to have your eyes tested, mole examined or get an appointment with a consultant without going to your local hospital – and maybe fit in some shopping or a cinema visit afterwards.That, increasingly, is what people in Barnsley are doing after an unprecedented relocation of medical services from the district general hospital into a purpose-built outpatients centre in the Alhambra shopping centre, which is getting a new lease of life thanks to the experiment. Continue reading...

• Asian equity markets surged following signals from Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian indicating willingness to pursue a ceasefire with the United States, with Trump stating military action could conclude within two to three weeks. • South Korea's Kospi jumped 8.1% to 5,461.51, Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 4.5% to 53,352.96, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 2% amid improved investor sentiment. • The geopolitical shift triggered broad rallies across Asia-Pacific exchanges including Australia's ASX 200 climbing 2% and Taiwan's Taiex jumping 4.4%.

Markets in Asia and Europe move higher, while crude hovers at about $100 a barrel amid cautious optimismBusiness live – latest updatesThe price of oil has dipped and Asian stock markets moved higher after reports that Donald Trump has sent a 15-point framework for peace to Iran, amid hopes of a ceasefire in the Middle East.Oil prices had fallen by 4% in the early hours of Wednesday, with brent crude futures sinking below $100 a barrel and even moving as low as $97.57 as trading was influenced by the prospect of an end to the conflict easing the squeeze on oil supply. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by five days on Monday, saying the U.S. will delay striking Iranian power plants to allow envoys to hold talks with Tehran leadership. • Trump stated his government was holding "productive talks" with Iran, but Iran denied any negotiations were occurring and fighting showed no signs of slowing. • An Iranian warhead with approximately 100 kilograms of explosives struck central Tel Aviv on Tuesday, causing significant damage, while Iranian missile attacks also hit Kurdish positions in Iraq, killing 6 Peshmerga fighters and wounding 30 others.

Long-awaited Alexa+ aims to get Britons re-engaging with their devices – but it may have its work cut out“Commiserations, mate, Chelsea lost 3-0 in the Champions League last night against Paris Saint-Germain,” says Alexa as it attempts to break the news gently to an awaiting Blues fan. Such is the injection of personality and understanding that Amazon hopes will lead to Britons re-engaging with their millions of Alexa devices, restoring it to the cutting edge of voice assistants rather than resigned to being a glorified egg timer.After its early access launch last year in the US, the long-awaited generative AI upgrade Alexa+ is finally making its debut in the UK, supporting eight years of existing devices strewn through more than half of UK households. With the UK being Amazon’s most engaged market and more than 40 accents to contend with across the UK and Ireland, the “next-generation ambient AI assistant” has its work cut out for it. Continue reading...

Experts say attacks on Afghanistan are ‘defensive, not offensive’ but carry a risk of spiralling cycle of violenceAn escalating Pakistani campaign of airstrikes against targets in Afghanistan is aimed at forcing the Taliban authorities to abandon their support for Pakistani militants, according to officials and experts.The strategy is to impose such a steep cost on the Taliban administration that they act to prevent attacks emanating from Afghanistan. Yet it carries the risk of spiralling violence. Continue reading...

• West Texas Intermediate crude topped $100 per barrel for the first time since 2022 in early Monday trading, while Brent held above $102, driven by ongoing Middle East conflict in the Strait of Hormuz entering its third week. • Several tankers successfully transited the waterway over the weekend, lifting market sentiment; however, WTI pulled back to $95 by late trading, down over 3%, as President Trump pressured NATO allies to help break Iran's blockade. • The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq rose as investors weighed the dual impact of potential Hormuz reopening against inflation concerns; Federal Reserve officials begin a two-day policy meeting this week amid uncertainty over rate path decisions.