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Milieuactivisten juichen daling toe, maar waarschuwen dat verzwakte wetgeving winst kan tenietdoen

• De rapper, bekend als Ye, moet een bedrag van zes cijfers betalen aan vier eisers die succesvol hebben aangetoond dat hij auteursrechten heeft geschonden. • Kanye West heeft een rechtszaak verloren waarin werd gesteld dat hij inbreuk maakte op het auteursrecht van andere artiesten door een niet-geclearde sample van hun werk te draaien tijdens een live-evenement. • In juli 2021 draaide de artiest, nu wettelijk bekend als Ye, zijn toen nog niet uitgebrachte album Donda voor 40.000 fans tijdens een luisterfeest in het Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Gegevens van missies die een kritiek laag sneeuwpakket op bergen in het westen aantonen, slaan alarm bij experts.

Backbencher stelt dat de toespraak van Keir Starmer 'te weinig en te laat' was, maar stelt zich uiteindelijk niet zelf kandidaat.

• De MP zegt dat zijzelf de uitdaging aan gaat als er morgen geen kabinetminister naar voren stapt om de premier uit te dagen. • Goedemorgen. Er waren veel voorspellingen over de toekomst van Labour voorafgaand aan de Engelse, Schotse en Welshe verkiezingen, die verschrikkelijk zijn geweest voor de partij, maar er is één uitkomst die niemand had voorzien: een uitdaging voor het leiderschap door Catherine West. • West, MP voor Hornsey en Friern Barnet en tot haar ontslag bij de reshuffle vorig jaar junior minister op Foreign Office, kondigde gisterenmiddag aan dat zij het zelf zal doen, tenzij er morgenochtend een kabinetminister naar voren stapt om Starmer uit te dagen voor het leiderschap van Labour.

• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) achieved a historic win in West Bengal after decades of efforts, secured a third victory in Assam, and made gains in Kerala during 2026 state assembly elections. • With allies, BJP retained Puducherry union territory. • In Tamil Nadu, actor Vijay's TVK party disrupted the long-standing DMK-AIADMK duopoly.

Train operator will become 11th national service returned to public ownership since Labour was elected in 2024Great Western Railway will be nationalised in December, the government has announced.The train service, which has been in private hands for 30 years, mainly run by First Group, will be the 11th train operator on the national railway brought back into public ownership. Continue reading...

• Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was assassinated in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas, hit by three of four bullets while in a moving car. • The killing occurred two days after BJP's historic assembly election win over TMC on May 6, 2026, heightening post-poll tensions. • TMC condemned the murder on Thursday, demanding a CBI probe, while Chandra's mother broke down publicly, calling for life imprisonment for the killers.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP won the West Bengal assembly elections, capturing the state for the first time and defeating Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC). • The victory expands BJP control to 78% of India's population across states, following major wins in state-level polls this week. • Mamata Banerjee rejected the results as rigged during a Tuesday press briefing, refusing to resign despite her term ending on May 8, 2026, and accusing the Modi government of disenfranchising millions of voters.

Turmoil and violence rocks state since prime minister Narendra Modi’s party claimed victory in legislative electionTensions have been high in the Indian state of West Bengal after a top political aide from Narendra Modi’s party was shot dead in the street and hundreds were arrested as violence broke out following elections this week.The prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) claimed victory in the West Bengal elections on Monday, defeating Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had ruled over the state legislature for 15 years. Continue reading...

Mamata Banerjee says Narendra Modi’s party ‘forcefully captured’ election that ended her party’s 15 years in powerA political showdown is taking place in the Indian state of West Bengal as the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee – India’s most powerful female politician – has dramatically refused to resign after she lost elections to the prime minister’s party this week.On Monday, Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) won an overwhelming victory in the state elections in West Bengal, where Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress party (TMC) have been in power for 15 years. Continue reading...

• The BJP achieved a commanding majority in West Bengal state elections, marking its first-ever victory in India's fourth-most populous state and ending decades of opposition rule under Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. • Election results finalized this week show the BJP winning control of West Bengal while expanding majorities in Assam and making incremental gains in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, consolidating power across 21 of India's 28 states. • The victories represent a significant political rebound for Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his party's loss of outright parliamentary majority in 2024 national elections.

Leaked remarks by Maj Gen Avi Bluth describe fatal shootings of stone-throwers and different treatment for Jewish settlersThe Israeli army chief in the West Bank has said his troops were “killing like we haven’t killed since 1967”, including fatally shooting Palestinian stone-throwers, according to an Israeli report of his comments.The remarks by Maj Gen Avi Bluth, head of the army’s central command, were made in a recent closed forum but were leaked to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper. Bluth has so far not denied the authenticity of the Haaretz account. The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to a request for comment. Continue reading...

• 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.

• A Northwestern University study tracked 130,267 babies born in Georgia in 2017, finding 796 fathers died within five years through 2022, with 60% of deaths preventable. • Preventable causes included homicide (143 deaths), accidental injury (142), suicide (102), and overdose (93), compared to 296 natural cause deaths, disproportionately affecting men in their 20s to early 40s. • Researchers highlight paternal mortality as a neglected crisis tied to parenthood transition, calling it a 'huge, missed opportunity' for intervention.

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a landmark 206 out of 294 seats in West Bengal's legislative assembly, marking its first-ever electoral victory in the opposition-held state of over 100 million people. • The BJP's conquest of West Bengal, long a bastion of its political adversary, represents a significant expansion of Hindu nationalist electoral dominance across India's regional politics. • Results announced Monday were part of elections held across five states and territories in April and May, with the BJP also securing a third consecutive victory in northeastern Assam and participation in the ruling coalition in coastal Puducherry.

A key Indian state, the result is set to have significant implications for the country’s political landscapeIndian prime minister Narendra Modi’s party has won a resounding election victory in West Bengal, a state which had been a rare opposition stronghold, expanding his unrivalled consolidation of power across the country.It is the first time that Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have won assembly elections in West Bengal, a large and politically significant state in eastern India. Continue reading...

• Early trends from West Bengal assembly elections show BJP ahead of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), signaling a potential historic shift in the state's political landscape. • The early leads suggest competitive dynamics across constituencies, though final results remain uncertain as vote counting progresses and trends can shift significantly. • The election results could have implications for Indian politics at the national level and investor sentiment regarding governance and policy continuity in West Bengal's economy.

• Bhabanipur constituency in West Bengal is the epicenter of the 2026 assembly election, pitting TMC chief Mamata Banerjee against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari after her prior Nandigram loss. • The diverse voter base includes significant Hindi-speaking traders and lower minority concentration compared to TMC strongholds, adding complexity to the high-stakes fight. • Stringent security measures implemented statewide to ensure transparent counting amid political tensions and voter list disputes.

• Trinamool Congress challenged Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) removing 89 lakh voters—11.6% of electorate—slightly above TMC's 2021 winning margin. • Bengal's 294-seat election pits Mamata Banerjee's TMC against BJP, testing saffron expansion in a BJP-resistant state. • High-voltage campaign and disputes heighten stakes as counting ensures make-or-break outcomes for regional power dynamics.

• Vote counting starts at 8 AM on May 4, 2026, across Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal following high-stakes assembly elections in April. • Key contests include DMK's MK Stalin defending power in Tamil Nadu, BJP eyeing a hat-trick in Assam under Himanta Biswa Sarma against Congress's Gaurav Gogoi, and Trinamool Congress vs BJP in West Bengal's 294 seats. • Results are make-or-break for national players like BJP, Congress, DMK, TMC, and Left, with implications for delimitation debates and Dravidian politics dominance.

Southwest staff organized water cannon salute when aircraft arrived and Jon Jackson was met with cheers and applauseA Spirit Airlines pilot was given an emotional send-off into retirement by another airline after what was supposed to be his final flight was canceled amid Spirit’s sudden collapse on Saturday.Jon Jackson had been scheduled to fly his final flight into Baltimore-Washington international airport on Saturday when the low-cost airline ceased operations after running out of cash and rescue talks with the Trump administration failed. Continue reading...

Man, 32, taken into custody after police called to Rosemeadow incident in early hours of Sunday morningFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA third victim has died and a man is in police custody following an incident at a home in Sydney’s southwest.NSW police arrived at the house in Rosemeadow on Sunday at 1.30am after reports of a disturbance. Continue reading...

• The Election Commission declared the April 29 polling void in 15 stations in Magrahat Paschim and Diamond Harbour constituencies in South 24 Parganas due to violence and disturbances. • Repolling is scheduled for May 2 from 7 am to 6 pm under strict monitoring to ensure a fair electoral process. • The decision addresses reports of disruptions that compromised the integrity of the vote in these areas.

The East West Rail project linking Oxford to Milton Keynes was finished in 2024. There’s just one hitch: no servicesThe rumbling noise in the night, still enough to waken the unhabituated, is what really goads some people living in Winslow, Buckinghamshire. Freight trains running through the new station since late 2024 prove this stretch of railway is operational. But the long-promised passenger services have yet to appear – and there is no sign of any arriving soon.Welcome to East West Rail, open or not. For well over a decade, ministers have talked up a new railway linking Oxford to Cambridge via Milton Keynes to accelerate the drive for housing, jobs and growth – an arc of tech industry hailed as the UK’s answer to Silicon Valley. Continue reading...

Leo, who has criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policy, selected Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as state’s new bishopSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxPope Leo XIV has appointed a man who had once entered the United States as an undocumented immigrant, hidden in the trunk of a car, as the new bishop of West Virginia.The pope approved the resignation of Bishop Mark E Brennan of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, and selected Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, 55, of Washington to take his place, reported OSV News. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Greater Manchester mayor said to have identified seats where MPs would step aside to allow leadership bidAndy Burnham has a credible plan to return to Westminster “within weeks”, his allies have said, with the Greater Manchester mayor expected to use a byelection fight to set out a new agenda for government.Burnham, who was blocked by Labour’s ruling body from running in February’s Gorton and Denton byelection, has identified several seats where MPs are prepared to step aside for his leadership bid. Continue reading...

Profits ahead of expectations but almost half of £283m impairment charge follows forecast reassessmentBusiness live – latest updatesNatWest said the economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East could cost it £140m amid slowing growth and rising inflation even as it reported profits ahead of expectations.Overall, the FTSE 100 lender booked a £283m impairment charge and said that almost half of that was because of a reassessment of its economic forecast to “reflect increased geopolitical risk and weaker equity markets”. Continue reading...