Major

De premier zal proberen Labour-parlementsleden te overtuigen hem te steunen na de zware verkiezingsverliezen van vorige week.

• Open brief die kritiek uit op uitnodiging van Nigel Farage waarschuwt voor associatie met ‘racisme en opruiende retoriek’ • Politieke leiders zijn uitgenodigd voor een rally tegen antisemitisme aanstaande zondag, waarbij Britse Joden hopen dat de “stille meerderheid” zich bij hen zal aansluiten voor een “million mensch march” door het centrum van Londen. • Premier Keir Starmer overweegt deel te nemen aan de Standing Strong: Extinguish Antisemitism-rally, die wordt gesteund door meer dan 30 Joodse groeperingen, terwijl Conservative-leider Kemi Badenoch naar verwachting zal spreken.

• Het Indonesische Ministerie van Communicatie en Digitale Zaken heeft op 8 mei 2026 een nieuwe regelgeving uitgevaardigd, die vereist dat alle grote buitenlandse techplatforms uiterlijk eind 2027 ten minste 60% van hun AI-modellen die Indonesische gebruikers bedienen binnen het land hosten. • De regel, gepresenteerd als een maatregel voor nationale veiligheid en datasouvereiniteit, richt zich op bedrijven zoals Meta, Google en grote Chinese AI-firma's, en verplicht lokale partnerschappen voor datacenters en jaarlijkse compliance-audits uitgevoerd door de Indonesia Data Center Association. • Jakarta schat dat het mandaat in vijf jaar tijd 4 tot 6 miljard dollar aan investeringen in datacenters kan aantrekken, terwijl er strengere standaarden voor contentmoderatie voor gelokaliseerde modellen worden afgedwongen.

• Angsten voor een natuurramp of cyberaanval dwingen huishoudens tot noodplanning, toont een onderzoek van Link aan • Miljoenen Britten zijn aan het 'preppen' voor een mogelijk 'groot ontregelend incident' door contant geld in huis te houden, blikvoer op te slaan of ervoor te zorgen dat ze een zaklamp op batterijen bij de hand hebben, suggereren nieuwe gegevens. • Met de oorlog in het Midden-Oosten en Oekraïne, extreem weer dat vaker voorkomt en waarschuwingen dat de kritieke infrastructuur van het VK risico loopt door cyberaanvallen en stroomuitval, hebben veel mensen het gevoel dat de wereld een gevaarlijkere en chaotischere plek is geworden.

• Amerikaanse procureur-generaal Jeanine Pirro kondigde op 7 mei 2026 tijdens een persbijeenkomst aanklachten aan tegen 11 verdachten in een transnationale drugssmokkelcomplot met betrekking tot de distributie van methamphetamine. • De wetshandhavingsdiensten hebben zeven verdachten aan de oostkust gearresteerd en 25 huiszoekingsbevelen uitgevoerd in zes gerechtelijke districten, waaronder DC, Baltimore, Alexandria, Philadelphia, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Albany en Miami. • Volgens de aanklacht met vijf punten vertegenwoordigt deze operatie een belangrijke federale handhavingsactie die anticorruptieonderzoeken combineert met drugssmokkelklachten tegen hooggeplaatste politieke figuren.

• De stap komt dagen nadat een uitspraak van het hooggerecht beschermingen van de Voting Rights Act tegen raciaal gerrymandering heeft verzwakt. • De door Republikeinen gedomineerde wetgevende macht van Tennessee heeft donderdag nieuwe kaarten voor de herindeling aangenomen, waardoor het enige Democratische congresdistrict van de staat met een Zwarte meerderheid verdwijnt. Dit gebeurde een week nadat het Amerikaanse hooggerecht in feite een belangrijk onderdeel van de Voting Rights Act heeft uitgehold. • De maatregel splitst het negende congresdistrict van Tennessee, dat Memphis beslaat, in drie stukken, waarvan elk bijna precies een derde van de Zwarte kiezers van de stad bevat. De nieuwe kaarten betekenen dat alle negen congresdistricten van Tennessee Republikeins georiënteerd zijn.

• Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by Vijay, secured 107 seats and gained 5 from Congress, totaling 112, but remains 6 short of the 118 needed for majority. • Governor Rajendra Arlekar is not convinced of TVK's numbers, delaying Vijay's swearing-in as Chief Minister despite his request for time to prove majority. • VCK remains undecided on support, while Left parties and IUML have declined, heightening political uncertainty in the state.

Local, mayoral and parliamentary contests could upend political landscape as Reform, Greens and Lib Dems surgePolling has opened across England, Scotland and Wales in a series of local, mayoral and parliamentary contests – the biggest electoral test Keir Starmer and the Labour government have faced since the 2024 general election.As millions of people across Great Britain go to the polls on Thursday, party leaders are poised for a set of results that could fundamentally change the political landscape nationally in Scotland and Wales, and across local authorities in England. Continue reading...

Albanese government announces east coast gas reservation policy, which will require producers to set aside 20% of export volumesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGas companies will be forced to set aside 20% of exports for domestic use under a reservation scheme designed to shore up supplies and bring down prices for households and businesses on the east coast.The federal government announced the design of the reservation scheme on Thursday as part of a wider overhaul of the mechanisms regulating the gas sector. Continue reading...

• Louisiana has halted an active election in order to eliminate Black-majority congressional districts, prompting immediate legal challenges from Democratic groups and voting rights advocates. • The state's decision to pause the election for redistricting purposes has sparked a flurry of court filings and procedural motions as Democrats fight to block the gerrymandered map changes. • The case represents a critical battleground in the nationwide redistricting wars heading into the 2026 midterm elections, with implications for minority voting power across multiple states.

• Asia-Pacific merger and acquisition deal values have collapsed to $127 billion, marking a significant decline triggered by major tariff announcements across the region. • The tariff shock has disrupted corporate transaction activity, with financial advisers reporting substantial pullback in deal pipelines as companies reassess expansion strategies amid trade uncertainty. • Investment banks including JPMorgan and Houlihan Lokey are recalibrating their M&A advisory strategies, with deal values falling sharply compared to earlier 2026 forecasts.

• The Bharatiya Janata Party secured a landslide victory in West Bengal's 2026 assembly elections, leading in 200 of 293 seats, marking the party's first-ever government formation in the state and ending the All India Trinamool Congress's 15-year reign. • BJP's success represents a dramatic rise from zero seats in 2011 to a dominant position in 2026, with over 235,000 Central Armed Police personnel deployed to ensure intimidation-free voting across the state. • Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the victory as historic, stating it will be remembered forever and signaling the BJP's continued electoral momentum ahead of remaining state elections.

• Netflix kicks off the week on May 4 with Lord of the Flies, followed by Priyanka Chopra's Citadel Season 2 on Prime Video starting May 6, and more on JioHotstar by May 9. • The slate features sequels like Citadel Season 2 with Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, alongside new pilots and drama series across Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar. • Highlights include Worst Ex and Thank You Next Season 3, offering action, drama, and high-stakes spy thrillers for global audiences.

Candidates will get funding for midterm races in battleground states, amid Republican push to revise voting mapsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDemocratic officials added eight new candidates to their slate of top contenders vying to reclaim a Democratic House majority during midterm elections this fall.The candidates will receive a boost in fundraising and campaign support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) as part of a “Red to Blue” program that seeks to help competitive candidates win elections in battleground states. Continue reading...

• President Trump stated the US will pull 'a lot further than 5,000' troops from Germany, confirming Pentagon plans for an initial 5,000 withdrawal. • Key Republicans expressed worry over the move, while Germany views it as a spur for European defense spending increases. • The announcement heightens transatlantic tensions amid NATO concerns, with Polish PM Tusk warning of alliance 'disintegration'.

WHO prequalification of Coartem Baby means newborns can be safely treated rather than using medication for older childrenThe first malaria treatment for babies has been approved by the World Health Organization, opening the door to widespread use around the globe.In parts of Africa, up to 18% of children under six months will be infected with malaria, but there has historically been no safe treatment for the smallest of them. There were 610,000 deaths from malaria in 2024, about three quarters of which were under-fives in Africa. Continue reading...

• At CETaS conference on May 1, 2026, director Alexander Babuta highlighted Anthropic’s Claude Mythos Preview's advances in math, cybersecurity, software engineering, and vulnerability detection. • The frontier model promises improved automated tools for security professionals. • Experts express optimism on AI's defensive potential against powered hacking threats.

• The Trump administration unveiled a new slate of nominees to lead several federal boards and trust funds, including one that will oversee a major cultural award ceremony this year, according to announcements from the White House. • The selections include close political allies and conservative commentators, reinforcing Trump’s pattern of placing loyalists in oversight roles that manage grants, endowments, and public‑facing institutions. • Democrats and some good‑government watchdogs have raised concerns that the appointments could inject partisan criteria into traditionally nonpartisan programs.

• In the first quarter of 2026, AI‑driven insurance technology firms attracted significant capital, including Harper Group’s $47 million seed plus Series A and Indigo Technologies’ $50 million Series B, both focused on AI‑automated underwriting and claims workflows. • Platforms such as Mea Platforms, Pasito, General Magic, and Qumis raised between $4.3 million and $50 million to automate document‑heavy processes, reduce loss ratios, and compress quote and bind times for small and midsize businesses. • Investors are backing U.S.‑based vendors that use AI to scale distribution without proportional headcount growth, reduce friction in benefits selection, and improve risk selection in commercial lines.

Fred Beyer shocked NFL Draft fans after sneaking onto the stage and announcing a fake Pittsburgh Steelers pick. Using fake credentials, he entered a restricted area before security stopped him. The NFL later gave him an indefinite league-wide ban and warned he could be arrested if he attends future events.

Prime minister says ‘you never hear from … the people who are supportive, loyal and just want to get on with the job’Good morning and welcome to today’s live coverage of UK politics.Despite several calls for his resignation from within his own party, Keir Starmer told the Sunday Times that the “vast majority” of the Labour party are supportive of his leadership. Continue reading...

• The Israeli Defense Forces conducted sustained airstrikes across Gaza Friday night, striking targets in Khan Younis and Rafah; Palestinian health authorities reported 34 deaths and 89 injured, though casualty figures remain disputed. • The UN Security Council's humanitarian affairs office announced plans for an emergency session Monday to address escalating civilian casualties and requested immediate access for international inspection teams to assess damage. • Aid organizations warned that the latest military operations have severed critical supply routes, leaving approximately 1.2 million Palestinians facing acute food shortages and limited access to medical facilities.

• CrowdStrike disclosed on April 25, 2026, a sophisticated cyberattack via compromised third-party software affecting 2.5 million patient records at UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare subsidiary. • Attackers, linked to North Korean Lazarus Group, exfiltrated data over 72 hours before detection, demanding $22 million ransom. • Incident highlights vulnerabilities in US healthcare IT supply chains, prompting HHS emergency directives for 500+ providers.

• An undisclosed major corporation reported a significant top and bottom line beat, demonstrating stronger-than-expected financial performance in its latest earnings announcement. • The company reaffirmed its full-year earnings forecast and reiterated long-term growth targets of 9% annual growth through 2027, followed by growth from 2027 through 2030. • The earnings beat and maintained guidance suggest management confidence in sustained profitability and operational execution.

• A comprehensive analysis from the National Center for Atmospheric Research shows US carbon dioxide emissions fell 8.2% year-over-year in Q1 2026, driven primarily by renewable energy sources now supplying 34% of national electricity generation. • Solar and wind capacity additions reached record levels with 42 gigawatts of new renewable infrastructure installed in 2025, according to data released by the Department of Energy and independent research institutions. • Climate scientists attribute the acceleration partly to state-level climate policies and federal incentives from the 2024 Clean Energy Investment Act, though transportation and industrial sectors still require significant emission reductions.

• CrowdStrike disclosed on April 20, 2026, a sophisticated supply chain attack affecting 1,200 US clients, including Fortune 500 firms, via compromised third-party software. • Attackers deployed ransomware, encrypting critical systems and demanding $50 million in Bitcoin; no data exfiltration confirmed yet. • The incident highlights rising risks in software supply chains, echoing SolarWinds breach, with FBI joining investigation.

Former president looks likely to take power following eighth election in five yearsBulgarian ex-president Rumen Radev – an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia – on Sunday hailed a “victory of hope” after his formation topped the eighth parliamentary elections in five years.Projections from polling agencies put his Progressive Bulgaria (PB) grouping at 44%, which would give him an absolute majority of at least 129 seats in the 240-seat parliament. Continue reading...

The Albanese government overhauled policy and promised significant pollution cuts – but carbon offsets are still being used as an excuseSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereIs this how a national scheme to cut climate pollution is supposed to work?Australian government data released this week shows emissions from Australian coalmines increased last financial year. About 80% of the coalmines pumped more into the atmosphere than their government-imposed limit.Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...