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• Pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Pfizer announced a strategic research collaboration focusing on oncology and immunology, with combined commitments totaling $4.8 billion over five years to accelerate drug development and clinical trial timelines. • The partnership will leverage Eli Lilly's metabolic disease expertise and Pfizer's vaccine platform capabilities to pursue combination therapies for hard-to-treat cancers, with initial clinical trials expected to commence in mid-2027. • Industry analysts view the deal as emblematic of Big Pharma consolidating R&D resources amid rising drug development costs exceeding $2.6 billion per approved medication, while also signaling confidence in oncology market growth.

Rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid announce new party before Knesset vote expected later this yearTwo of Benjamin Netanyahu’s most formidable political rivals say they are joining forces in an attempt to oust the Israeli prime minister’s coalition government in the election expected later this year.The former prime ministers – rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid – issued statements announcing the merger of their parties, Bennett 2026 and Yesh Atid (There is a Future). Continue reading...

• Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have launched joint military exercises involving 8,000 NATO troops in response to Russian force mobilization along the eastern border, marking the largest Baltic-focused NATO drill this year. • Russian military intelligence reports indicate approximately 35,000 Russian troops have gathered near the Belarus-Poland border; NATO commanders assess this as a potential preparation for military action. • Pentagon officials have authorized increased US military presence in the region, with 2,500 additional American troops authorized for rapid deployment if tensions escalate further.

Philip Rycroft says promises on issues from economics to immigration have not lived up to expectationsBritain should start talking about rejoining the EU, according to a former senior civil servant who ran the Brexit department.Philip Rycroft, who was permanent secretary of the Department for Exiting the EU, said the “argument was there to be won” about going back into Europe, adding that a “clear-headed appraisal of what is in the country’s best interests” was needed. However, he said rejoining the bloc could be a “long and windy” road. Continue reading...

Paramount Skydance CEO fetes administration as it weighs $110bn merger with CNN parent WarnerBros DiscoveryDozens of protesters, including members of Congress, gathered along the National Mall on Thursday to protest an “intimate” dinner being held by Paramount Skydance chief executive David Ellison “in celebration of the First Amendment” and “honoring the Trump White House and CBS White House Correspondents”, and attended by Donald Trump.Paramount has faced criticism for the dinner, which has been seen by some as illustrative of the cozy relationship between the Ellisons and the White House – right as the Trump administration is weighing whether to approve the company’s $110bn merger with CNN parent company WarnerBros Discovery. The dinner comes before Saturday’s White House correspondents’ dinner, which Trump will attend. His defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, is expected to sit at one of the many tables bought by CBS News for the event. Continue reading...

• Kenneth Walker III has signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent, joining Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions. • The running back addition strengthens Kansas City's offensive backfield ahead of the 2026 NFL season. • The move reflects the Chiefs' continued roster building to maintain their competitive edge in the AFC.

Exclusive: Formby, an ally of Jeremy Corbyn who quit role in 2020, says Labour is now ‘in hock to corporate sponsors’A former Labour general secretary has defected to the Green party, in the latest sign that allies of Jeremy Corbyn are moving in large numbers to Zack Polanski’s party.Jennie Formby, who managed the Labour party from 2018 to 2020, told the Guardian she had signed up as a Green party member and intended to campaign for it before May’s local elections. Continue reading...