Challenge

• Anthropic 的估值在約 14 個月內從 610 億美元飆升至 9,000 億美元，反映出投資者對這家 AI 公司的技術實力及成長軌跡展現了前所未有的興趣。 • 此次估值激增受強勁的營收表現以及投資者對 Anthropic AI 模型與研發的信心所推動，使其在生成式 AI 市場中成為 OpenAI 強大的競爭對手。 • 此次迅速崛起展現了尖端 AI 開發領域日益激烈的資本競爭，主要投資者同時支持多家 AI 初創公司，以對沖對該技術轉型潛力的賭注。

隨著 May 選舉臨近，PM 的地位搖搖欲墜，我們來探討誰可能會競逐 Labour 的領導權。隨著 May 選舉逐漸迫近，Westminster 對領導權的猜測愈演愈烈。Keir Starmer 安全嗎？如果是的話，能維持多久？Angela Rayner 的稅務問題何時能解決？她會重返 Cabinet 嗎？Andy Burnham 為了重返 Westminster 與誰達成了協議？如果他真的回來，MPs 會支持他嗎？為何 Wes Streeting 變得如此低調？繼續閱讀...

• 在紐約市議會選舉中，隨著現任者在低民調和選民基礎分裂中苦苦掙扎，Zohran Mamdani 的背書面臨質疑。 • 儘管數據不佳，這位態度強硬的候選人仍拒絕為中間派挑戰者讓路。 • 這場地方選舉預示了城市政治中民主黨動態的轉變，具有全國性的影響。

• Google unveiled seventh-generation TPUs on April 27, boasting 4.7x performance gains over prior versions for AI inference. • The chips support Google's $175-185 billion 2026 CapEx, aiming for margin expansion through in-house silicon. • Analysts note reduced reliance on Nvidia GPUs, potentially shifting U.S. AI hardware market dynamics worth $100 billion annually.

Fast food giant cannot not be denied on basis it doesn’t suit ‘vibe’ of location, tribunal findsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMcDonald’s is poised to open a 24/7 takeaway outlet on a Melbourne street once dubbed the “world’s coolest” after the fast food giant won its legal challenge against the local council’s attempt to block the new restaurant.Victoria’s civil and administrative tribunal (Vcat) has upheld McDonald’s application for a review of Darebin city council’s decision to reject its application to turn 323 High Street in Northcote into one of its stores. Continue reading...

• The number of small businesses in the United States continues to grow amid entrepreneurial optimism. • Owners report increasing difficulty securing startup capital needed to launch and expand operations. • Policies associated with President Trump are cited by business leaders as dampening access to financing for new entrepreneurs pursuing the American Dream.

Silvia Salis, the leftwing mayor of Genoa and former Olympian, is described as ‘a breath of fresh air’ and potential unifierIt has been a turbulent month in Italian politics.A failed referendum on a judicial overhaul pierced prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s aura of invincibility, triggering government resignations and leaving her scrambling to restore credibility. At the same time, her once special relationship with Donald Trump has frayed after the US president publicly scolded her this week for criticising his broadside against Pope Leo and for not supporting the US-Israeli war on Iran. Continue reading...

• HHS launched the $4 Million KidneyX EMPOWER Prize Challenge on April 15, 2026, to advance living kidney donation and patient-centered health technologies. • The initiative aims to spur innovation in kidney care through science and programs improving American health outcomes. • This effort addresses critical needs in organ transplantation, potentially increasing donation rates and access to treatments.

• Ben Jealous has publicly opposed the NAACP board's decision to terminate his leadership, characterizing the move as "disheartening" and signaling his intent to challenge the removal. • The termination represents internal conflict within the nation's oldest civil rights organization over strategic direction and governance. • The leadership dispute within the NAACP reflects broader debates within civil rights organizations about activism, funding, and political alignment.

David Lammy says those affected by a heinous crime cannot be expected to engage with the justice system within the existing 28-day limitVictims and bereaved families will be given six months to challenge “unduly lenient” sentences handed to criminals, under changes announced by David Lammy.Relatives of murder victims campaigned for the government to scrap the 28-day time limit to submit a formal request after an offender is sentenced. Continue reading...

Tribunal dismisses claim that the Welsh government’s financial package breached competition rulesCardiff airport has won a legal challenge brought by its rival in Bristol over the fairness of a £205m Welsh government subsidy package.A judgment by the competition appeal tribunal on Tuesday unanimously dismissed Bristol airport’s case against the Welsh government, which the south-west England hub had argued distorted the market and breached the Subsidy Control Act. Continue reading...

• Blackstone closed a $10 billion opportunistic private credit fund on April 8, 2026, reaching its hard cap target despite ongoing capital outflows in the sector. • The fund's successful close highlights Blackstone's strength in private credit as investors remain cautious due to market volatility and higher interest rates. • This deal underscores the resilience of top alternative asset managers in attracting institutional capital amid broader private credit struggles.

• Resistance groups have filed multiple lawsuits targeting President Trump's executive orders early in his second term. • The legal actions focus on policies enacted since his January 20, 2025, inauguration. • This wave of litigation could delay implementation and test judicial responses to executive actions.

• Plug and Play hosted Demo Day on April 6, 2026, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, showcasing 10 winning teams from 285 applications in the NJEDA-supported AI Innovation Challenge. • Winners include AgentGov for AI-powered fraud detection in government, NJSecure for cybersecurity in community banks, CardioLink for cardiovascular care intelligence, and GlucoSync for real-time diabetes decision support. • The initiative advances AI solutions in government services, clinical intelligence, climate resilience, and energy forecasting, with up to $3.34 million in sub-grant funding available for pilots and commercialization.

Levy on inherited farms and family businesses worth £2.5m or more comes into force 6 AprilA new inheritance tax regime for UK farms and family businesses comes into force on Monday and will present “significant challenges” for those affected, according to accountants.In October 2024 the government announced plans to levy inheritance tax on farms – prompting an outcry in many quarters. Continue reading...

• Russia and China are advancing nuclear-powered icebreakers and submarines to contest US control over Arctic shipping routes amid melting ice caps. • New vessels, including Russia's Project 22220 upgrade with 100 MW reactors, aim to secure Northern Sea Route for energy exports by 2027. • This development escalates great power competition, as US lacks comparable non-nuclear fleet, risking influence over $1 trillion in resources.

Anna Turley questions Reform UK leader’s revised £25,000 figure for failed attempt to reach Chagos Islands on plane linked to billionaire donorLabour has queried Nigel Farage’s claim that a return trip to the Maldives on a private jet linked to a billionaire donor cost as little as £25,000 as the Reform leader attempted to reach the Chagos Islands.Farage initially recorded his two-day trip to the Maldives as costing £12,500 funded by Thailand-based Reform megadonor Christopher Harborne, before upgrading this to £25,000 in the latest register of interests. Continue reading...

Daniel Kebede tells delegates, government’s education policies fall short as he signals growing support for Greens’ among teachersThe leader of the UK’s biggest education union has torn into the government’s record on schools, accusing Labour of letting down the nation’s children and failing to deliver on its promises for education.Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, was unsparing in his criticism of education secretary Bridget Phillipson’s policies in a speech to delegates at the NEU’s annual conference in Brighton on Thursday. Continue reading...

• Wrigley Field will host a doubleheader event as part of the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week, bringing collegiate volleyball competition to the historic Chicago baseball venue. • The event represents an innovative cross-conference scheduling initiative aimed at promoting women's collegiate volleyball and expanding the sport's visibility beyond traditional venues. • This booking highlights growing interest in multi-sport event hosting and demonstrates venues' diversifying entertainment offerings beyond their primary sports.

Party members to determine MP’s political future after Dinesh Gourisetty also nominated for upper house seatGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMoira Deeming’s political future in the Victorian Liberals is about to be decided behind closed doors in the final preselection battle for the party’s upper house seats on Sunday.Liberal members were due to gather at party headquarters for the western metropolitan region convention, where Deeming faces a serious challenge from Dinesh Gourisetty, a prominent figure in Melbourne’s fast-growing Indian community. Continue reading...

• The U.S. National Science Foundation on March 24, 2026, named winners of the multi-year Critical Minerals Challenge, including alkaLi Labs, ChemFinity Technologies, Intel-E-Waste, and University of Wisconsin-Madison, to secure domestic supply chains for lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and other metals. • Winners develop innovations like engineered biosorbents recovering lithium from byproducts, tunable polymer sorbents capturing over 25 metals at room temperature, modular e-waste processing platforms, and electrochemical electrodes generating acids in situ. • The program, co-designed with Germany’s SPRIND Tech Metal Challenge, uses donated e-waste from IBM and Aurubis with U.S. Naval Research Laboratory collaboration for national security relevance and real-world validation.

Sudanese and Afghan students with offers to study in UK say government’s ‘emergency brake’ is discriminatoryThe women banned from studying in BritainSix students from Sudan and Afghanistan have accused the home secretary of racial discrimination and launched legal action to try to overturn a ban on them taking up university places in the UK.The students – five from Sudan and one from Afghanistan – have undergraduate degrees in medicine and science-based subjects and received offers from universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London. Continue reading...

• California's new legislation AB 2602 and AB 1836 now require explicit consent and detailed descriptions for creating digital replicas of performers, addressing growing concerns over generative AI in entertainment. • Union agreements place additional limitations on how entertainment companies use generative AI tools, providing protections for performers and creatives amid ongoing industry consolidation. • The Los Angeles entertainment sector continues to navigate back-to-back crises including COVID-19, strikes, and fires, but industry experts predict consolidation will create opportunities for nimble new players and innovative talent pursuing independent projects.

Animal Aid says reclassification of research facilities as key infrastructure could catch even most peaceful actionA charity has filed a legal challenge over a “chilling” change in the law that restricts protest outside animal testing facilities in England and Wales by reclassifying them as “key national infrastructure”.Animal Aid says last month’s amendment to the Public Order Act could capture even the most peaceful, non‑disruptive advocacy. It claims the change is unlawful because it goes beyond parliament’s intention at the time the act was passed. Continue reading...

Kennedy’s appointees promoted ‘treatments’ like bleach enemas, but new committee has only one autistic memberThe first public meeting of US autism advisers – notably, since Robert F Kennedy Jr reshaped the committee – was cancelled recently with few details, coinciding with the creation of a rival organization that has prompted some questions within the autistic community about their focus.Kennedy, the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) who has long argued for a debunked link between vaccines and autism, chose entirely new members for the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) in late January, with fewer autistic people and several anti-vaccine advocates. Continue reading...

• Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) is President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, inheriting issues like immigration enforcement disputes, disaster response backlash, and a monthlong DHS funding lapse due to Democratic demands for ICE reforms. • Democrats seek bans on masks for deportation officers, end to roving patrols, and judicial warrants for home entries, while Republicans resist; Mullin must balance mass deportation pressures versus targeted enforcement on criminals, per former ICE acting director John Sandweg. • Mullin's congressional ties to Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader John Thune position him to ease funding battles, with Thune calling it the 'change Democrats wanted,' though Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) insists reforms go beyond leadership swaps.

Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in five states are challenging bans that restrict purchases of sugary foods as part of state-level public health initiatives. The restrictions, implemented to address obesity and diet-related diseases, have sparked legal disputes from program participants who argue the limitations infringe on food choice and dignity. Public health officials supporting the bans contend that limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and processed foods reduces healthcare costs and improves nutrition outcomes. The cases highlight ongoing tensions between state efforts to promote healthy eating behaviors and individual rights to food selection within federal assistance programs.