Met

De burgemeester van Greater Manchester is de nieuwste in een lange reeks politici die probeert te laten zien dat hij op de goede weg is … etc. Politici houden, zoals we weten, van metaforen. Maar hoeven die niet zo letterlijk te zijn? Niet veel nadat de burgemeester van Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, had aangekondigd dat hij zich voor het parlement wilde kandidaar stellen, gebeurde het al … Kijk! Daar kwam hij vrijdagochtend zijn huis uit in hardloopkleding, omdat hij vol energie zit, op het juiste spoor is, direct vol gas geeft en … oh, probeer bij te houden. Wat drijft een man van 56, die in elk Britse nieuwsuitzending verschijnt en weet dat er een horde fotografen buiten staat, om een paar verschrikkelijke korte broeken en een Everton-tenue uit de jaren 80 aan te trekken en zo zijn buikje en zijn Lancashire-zonnebruining aan de wereld te tonen? Lees verder...

Agenten zouden extra bevoegdheden krijgen nu marsen door de hoofdstad gepland staan op dezelfde dag als de FA Cup-finale.

• Herstelbetalingen voor het gedwongen installeren van apparaten in woningen van kwetsbaren omvatten een boete van £20 miljoen en kwijtschelding van schulden ter waarde van £70 miljoen. • Duizenden British Gas-klanten bij wie prepaidmeters gedwongen zijn geïnstalleerd, zullen tot £112 miljoen ontvangen aan compensatie en kwijtschelding van schulden op hun energierekeningen. • De Britse energieregulator stelde vast dat British Gas prepaidmeters heeft opgelegd aan huishoudens die hun rekeningen niet konden betalen tijdens het hoogtepunt van de Russische gascrisis, in een van de meest complexe Ofgem-onderzoeken in haar geschiedenis. Lees verder...

Het bezoek volgt nadat de betrekkingen tussen de VS en Cuba aanzienlijk zijn verslechterd, waarbij Washington in januari een brandstofblokkade tegen het eiland instelde. CIA-directeur John Ratcliffe heeft donderdag Cubaanse functionarissen in Havana ontmoet als middel om de dialoog tussen de VS en het communistisch geleide eiland te verbeteren, aldus de Cubaanse regering. De ontmoeting vond plaats "in een context gekenmerkt door de complexiteit van bilaterale betrekkingen, met als doel bij te dragen aan de politieke dialoog tussen beide naties", aldus een verklaring. Lees verder...

Koning Charles bezoekt Golders Green om zijn steun te betuigen, terwijl de commissaris onthult dat het counter-terrorism team 11 onderzoeken leidt • Agenten van de counter-terrorism eenheid in Londen hebben 11 onderzoeken gestart en 35 mensen gearresteerd na "een aanhoudende periode van aanvallen" op de Joodse gemeenschap, heeft het hoofd van het grootste politiecorps van het Verenigd Koninkrijk onthuld. • In een van zijn meest scherpe uitspraken over antisemitisme in het VK schreef Met-commissaris Mark Rowley in een brief aan parlementsleden: "Britse Joden zijn momenteel niet veilig in hun hoofdstad."

Organisatoren en sprekers zullen verantwoordelijk worden gehouden voor onwettige uitspraken terwijl de politie een uitzonderlijk druk weekend tegemoet ziet.

• Santa Clara county beweert dat Meta Platforms de wetten van de staat op het gebied van misleidende reclame en oneerlijke zakelijke praktijken heeft geschonden. • De Californische county Santa Clara heeft Meta Platforms aangeklaagd met de bewering dat het bedrijf heeft geprofiteerd van advertenties op Facebook en Instagram die scams promoten, in strijd met de wetgeving van Californië tegen misleidende reclame en oneerlijke zakelijke praktijken. • De rechtszaak – maandag ingediend bij de superieure rechtbank van Santa Clara county namens alle inwoners van Californië – beschuldigt de social mediereus ervan frauduleuze advertenties op wereldwijde schaal te tolereren.

• Deze stap volgt nadat de premier erop stond dat hij zijn critici ongelijk zou bewijzen en elke uitdaging voor het leiderschap zou bevechten. • Meer dan 60 parlementsleden hebben Keir Starmer opgeroepen om een tijdlijn voor zijn vertrek als premier vast te stellen, waaronder aanhangers van zijn rivalen voor het leiderschap Andy Burnham en Wes Streeting. • Parlementsleden uit diverse gelederen van de partij verklaarden dat de premier er niet in is geslaagd hen te overtuigen dat hij over de kwaliteiten beschikt om het land naar de volgende verkiezingen te leiden.

Gegevens van de University of Toronto suggereren dat Canadezen Amerikaanse steden vermijden tijdens de tweede regering-Trump

• Kapamilya singer-songwriter Angela Ken kicks off a busking tour to promote her new EP 'Panahon,' starting with performances around the metro area. • Her first stop is scheduled at SM North EDSA, bringing the EP's tracks to life through live street performances. • The tour highlights the rising popularity of intimate busking formats in the Philippines music scene.

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...

Facebook and Instagram owner claims charges should not be calculated based on a company’s global revenueMeta has launched a legal challenge against the UK’s media regulator over the fees and fines regime it is enforcing under landmark digital safety legislation.The Facebook and Instagram owner is claiming that Ofcom’s methodology for calculating the charges is flawed and should not be based on a company’s global revenue. Breaches of the Online Safety Act can be punished by fines of up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue (QWR) or £18m – depending which is higher. Continue reading...

• Meta Platforms has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup, in a $2 billion deal announced on May 7, 2026, focusing on autonomous agents that plan and execute complex tasks. • Manus specializes in agentic AI technology, enabling systems to independently handle multi-step processes without constant human oversight. • The acquisition positions Meta to expand its AI portfolio amid intensifying competition in generative and autonomous AI development globally.

IOPC has launched investigation into one serving and four former police officers for potential misconduct A serving Metropolitan police officer and four former officers are being investigated over their handling of allegations of sexual abuse made against Mohamed Al Fayed, according to reports.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the five individuals for potential misconduct following complaints against the former Harrods owner, who died in 2023 aged 94. Continue reading...

• French singer Yseult attended the 2026 Met Gala, marking her rise from contestant on 'Nouvelle Star' to international fashion icon. • Her journey includes key music breakthroughs, launching an independent label, and a high-profile performance at the Olympics. • The appearance underscores her growing influence in global entertainment and fashion circles, blending music with high culture.

Team of 100 extra officers is aimed at providing ‘more consistent model of protection’ for Jewish communitiesPolitics live – latest updatesThe number of antisemitic hate crimes recorded in April in London was the highest in two years, data has revealed, as the Metropolitan police commit to deploying 100 extra officers to protect Jewish communities.The force says a “community protection team” will be set up, combining neighbourhood policing with counter-terrorism capabilities, as British Jews face “some of the highest levels of hate crime alongside significant terrorist and hostile state threats”. Continue reading...

• 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.

Analysis finds victims’ compensation program is awarding less money to fewer people, although budget has increasedVictims of violent crime in California are finding it increasingly hard to get support from the state, a new analysis has found, a development that has locked some of the most vulnerable people out of funds to help cover crime scene cleanup, relocation costs, funerals and therapy.California established the nation’s first victims’ compensation program in 1965, aimed at helping victims of violent crimes and their families cover some of the costs sprung onto them by the violence. Continue reading...

A federal judge also warned White House to tread carefully as it moves ahead with plans to revamp DC golf courseA federal judge weighed into a dispute over Donald Trump’s controversial plans to revamp a historic Washington DC golf course on Monday, warning the president’s administration to tread carefully as it also dumped “toxic” rubble from the demolished White House East Wing there.District court judge Ana Reyes likened the saga to an episode of the hit television comedy Parks and Recreation during an emergency hearing in the capital to hear an application for a temporary restraining order filed by the DC Preservation League. Continue reading...

• Meta acquired ARI, a US-based robotics AI startup, to bolster its efforts in humanoid robots and physical artificial general intelligence. • The deal focuses on developing software for real-world machine control and agentic systems. • This acquisition positions Meta as a leader in embodied AI, competing with rivals in robotics hardware and software.

Costume Art pairs couture pieces with items from its collection in exploration of many kinds of human bodiesSpeaking at the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute spring exhibition in New York, Anna Wintour described the first Monday in May as her “favourite day of the year, and also my most terrifying one”.This particular Monday may be more high-stakes than previous years, with Monday night’s Met Gala for the exhibition’s launch mired in controversy, owing to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos’s sponsorship of the event. It is also the inaugural exhibition for the Costume Institute’s new home: a 12,000 sq ft space, named the Condé M Nast Galleries, that puts the museum’s fashion exhibitions in a considerably more high-profile spot, right off its Great Hall. Continue reading...

• Indian benchmark indices ended positively on May 4, 2026, with Nifty 50 closing at 24,100 after gaining 122 points and Sensex up 356 points at 77,488 amid volatile trading. • Realty, metal, and healthcare sectors led broad-based gains, driven by falling crude oil prices and improved investor sentiment following state election results, while IT stocks lagged. • Top Nifty gainers included Adani Ports (up 5%), Adani Enterprises, Eicher Motors (up 3%), Hindustan Unilever, and Shriram Finance; laggards were Bharti Airtel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Dr. Reddy's, ONGC, and TCS.

Authority says workers and councillors ‘threatened for explaining the council’s position’ as union jack and St George’s flags taken downResidents, council staff and councillors have been subject to rising “abuse, harassment and intimidation” directly linked to the removal of unauthorised flags, a local authority has said.Shropshire council said it had recorded a rise in reports of abuse with staff and members “being threatened for explaining the council’s position” on the removal of flags and when they attempt to do so – “even in day-to-day work to repair street lighting”, the authority added. Continue reading...

International Energy Agency findings show government must commit to rapid cuts in emissions of greenhouse gas, climate experts sayEmissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane from Australian coalmines are more than double official government estimates reported to the UN, according to a new International Energy Agency report.Climate and energy analysts said the report had again highlighted an “enormous gap” in the country’s reported methane emissions from coalmines and should serve as a wake-up call. Continue reading...

Sheina Gutnick, daughter of Reuven Morrison who was killed fighting alleged Bondi beach terrorists, is first witness at royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFor Sheina Gutnick, Bondi holds both treasured memories and torment. The place where her parents met, where she spent happy childhood summer days, is today, also the place where her father died defending his people.“Bondi holds many complicated and conflicting feelings for me,” Gutnick told the opening day of public hearings of the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion. Continue reading...

Over the next two weeks stargazers have a chance to spot the blue-green orb and smudgy tail of comet known as C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS A comet formed on the edges of the solar system will grace southern skies over the next fortnight, giving viewers a rare chance to glimpse it before it disappears from view for another 170,000 years.The comet – known as C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS – had been travelling through the northern hemisphere but has “swung around the sun” and is now visible in the south, said Josh Aoraki, an astronomer at Te Whatu Stardome in Auckland, New Zealand. Continue reading...

• Stylist Law Roach confirmed he will attend the 2026 Met Gala alone, despite his longtime client Zendaya choosing not to participate this year. • Roach's solo appearance highlights his independent presence in fashion circles amid Zendaya's scheduling conflicts. • The announcement underscores shifting dynamics in celebrity stylist-client relationships for high-profile events like the Met Gala.

Billionaire’s role as honorary chair and main source of funding has led to boycotts and criticism event has lost its cacheThe Met Gala in New York is the grandest and ritziest event in the fashion calendar, and an indicator of the growing ties between designers, celebrity and power. But with tech billionaires now joining the cohort, this year’s party may be its most controversial yet.All eyes are on the guest list – and their outfits – to launch the fashion exhibition Costume Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Beyoncé, Venus Williams and Nicole Kidman are chairing the event with Vogue’s Anna Wintour, and tickets cost about $100,000 (£73,500). But in a plot twist worthy of the new Devil Wears Prada film, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, the Met Gala’s new honorary chairs, will be joining the 450 guests on the museum steps on Monday. Continue reading...