Iniaes

In U.S. politics

President Trump says he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war, while an activist remains on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, saying he will stay there until the war ends and Congress asserts more control over war powers. On another front, a Supreme Court voting rights ruling has intensified state redistricting fights after the court struck down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana.

In business and labor

SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative deal with studios after negotiations centered on pay and protections around generative AI. Meanwhile, Spirit Airlines has shut down, leaving passengers to sort out refunds and how exactly budget travel has decided to exit the stage.

In public safety

Portland police say a person was found dead after a car crashed into the Multnomah Athletic Club, caught fire, and was later found to contain explosives. In Birmingham, a 19-year-old man has been charged after a bomb hoax forced the evacuation of Peter Kay’s show, after a suspicious bag report turned out to be nothing suspicious at all, which is reassuring in the bleakest possible way.

In international news

Mayon Volcano has erupted in the Philippines, sending ash and debris across the Bicol region.

In entertainment and sports

Wu Yize reached the World Snooker Championship final after edging Mark Allen 17-16, then Shaun Murphy joined him by coming back from 15-13 down to beat John Higgins 17-15. At the Kentucky Derby, Golden Tempo won the 152nd running, and Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to train a winner of the race.

In international security

The U.S. is warning European allies that weapons deliveries could be delayed after stockpiles were drained during the war in Iran. In Tehran, an Iranian general says more fighting with the United States is still possible after President Trump rejected the latest peace proposal, which is a very reassuring way to describe diplomacy.

In Gaza

Israel’s expanding “orange line” is tightening movement restrictions across Gaza and creating new no-go zones for civilians. The result is a shrinking map and a growing risk to people already trapped by the conflict.

In U.S. news

Police in Portland are investigating after a car crashed through the front entrance of the Multnomah Athletic Club, caught fire, and left one person dead inside. Investigators also found evidence of a possible explosive device, prompting a bomb squad response and FBI assistance, while nearby streets remain closed.

In Arizona, investigators still have no suspect three months after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her home in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills. More than 30,000 tips have come in, but officials say few have turned into actionable leads.

In consumer safety

An arrest in Austria followed the discovery of rat poison in a jar of HiPP baby purée, triggering a recall from the manufacturer. Separately, Harley-Davidson is recalling nearly 90,000 motorcycles in the U.S. over a parts issue involving the Airbox Baseplate on certain 2024 to 2026 models.

In politics and crime

Two members of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s party in Mexico’s Sinaloa state said they would temporarily step aside after the United States charged them and eight others with drug trafficking. The U.S. case appears to be landing with the sort of force that tends to interrupt careers.

In migration

More than 300 migrants were launched in small boats from French and Belgian beaches in what appears to be an effort to evade patrols. GB News counted about 360 arrivals at Dover in a day, bringing the year’s total close to 6,800, as Britain and France keep trying the expensive version of the same experiment.

In sports

Arsenal beat Fulham 3-0, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring twice to move them six points clear of Manchester City. West Ham, meanwhile, lost 3-0 at Brentford after hitting the woodwork four times, which is one way to stay in a relegation fight.

In the courts

A federal appeals court in Louisiana has ruled that mifepristone can no longer be prescribed through telehealth or sent by mail, reinforcing an in-person pickup requirement for the abortion pill. The decision is another major blow to access, and because apparently reproductive health was not already complicated enough.

Separately, an Associated Press review says federal judges found the Trump administration violated court orders in at least 31 lawsuits during the first 15 months of his second term, with more than 250 additional noncompliance incidents flagged in immigration cases. The review cites disputes over layoffs, deportations, spending cuts, and other immigration practices.

In crime

In Bristol, Virginia, police say a 3-year-old boy died after a tractor overturned while he was riding on his father’s lap. Investigators say the child’s father, Austin Tester, and the boy’s grandmother waited 22 minutes before calling 911. Both have been jailed without bond, and the charges include felony murder, child abuse, neglect, and obstruction of justice.

In a separate case, a man has been charged with murdering his father after first reporting the death as a suicide. Police say inconsistencies in his account and physical evidence led them to challenge that story.

In London, four people were injured in a drive-by shooting in Brixton early Saturday, and one man is in a life-threatening condition.

In business and travel

Spirit Airlines has shut down, leaving booked passengers stranded with no immediate options on the carrier and no bailout deal in place. A neat little reminder that “budget airline” and “financially stable airline” are not always the same sentence.

In the Middle East

President Trump says hostilities with Iran have ended under the ceasefire, while also telling lawmakers the U.S. has moved past the legal deadline for seeking congressional approval. He has also boasted about the Navy’s role in enforcing the blockade and seizure of an Iranian oil ship, describing the operation, with characteristic restraint, as “like pirates.”

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s health ministry says Israeli strikes in the south killed 13 people, including four women and a child, as fighting with Hezbollah continues despite the ceasefire.

In Europe

The Pentagon says the U.S. will withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months, and NATO is reviewing the plan. The move follows a continuing feud with European allies, because apparently diplomatic subtlety is no longer in fashion.

In Britain

Only 17 prosecutions were brought after 553 suspected domestic abuse-related suicides in England and Wales between 2020 and 2025, according to new figures. The findings are renewing calls for more thorough police investigations in these cases.

In football, U.S. consortium Arise Capital Partners has completed its takeover of Sheffield Wednesday.

In travel and aviation

Spirit Airlines says it has started an orderly wind-down of operations and is canceling all flights after running out of cash, with higher fuel costs and a stalled rescue effort helping push it over the edge. Meanwhile, an EasyJet flight from Gatwick to Turkey was diverted to Kosovo after two drunk passengers caused onboard chaos, and the pair were removed by police before the plane continued. Aviation, as always, remains a compelling argument for seatbelts and patience.

In international affairs

China’s UN envoy says keeping the ceasefire in place and reopening the Strait of Hormuz are urgent priorities, and that the waterway’s closure will be a major issue in talks between Trump and Xi. Separately, China is urging that UN peacekeepers stay in Lebanon as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies, with UNIFIL also reporting growing casualties.

In U.S. politics

Trump appeared to hint at a possible military operation in Cuba after, in his words, the U.S. “finishes the job” in Iran, while Washington announced new sanctions on the island. Havana condemned the measures as collective punishment.

In culture, heritage, and science

Nepal has brought a 13th-century Buddha statue back from New York and restored it to its original temple in Kathmandu, after the piece was stolen in the 1980s. In science, NASA says it has tested a new lithium-plasma electric propulsion system at 120 kilowatts, a record for the U.S. and a step toward future Mars missions, if not exactly a weekend commute.

In U.S. politics and courts

A federal appeals court has restricted access to mifepristone by blocking the mailing of abortion pills, a major blow to medication abortion access nationwide. Separately, ActBlue is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, saying his investigation is political retaliation for the platform’s work fundraising for Democrats.

In other developments, former Florida congressman David Rivera was convicted of secretly lobbying U.S. officials on behalf of Venezuela, and the New York Times is asking a New York court to unseal an alleged suicide note tied to Jeffrey Epstein. The Trump administration also accidentally exposed Social Security numbers for healthcare providers in a public Medicare database, which is exactly the sort of thing public databases are not meant to do.

In the war on Ukraine

Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure are putting real pressure on Moscow’s refining capacity, which Bloomberg data says fell to a 16-year low in April. The repeated attacks, including several on the Tuapse refinery, have triggered fires, emergency measures, and more strain on fuel supplies and state revenue.

On the Iran front

There are signs of movement in U.S.-Iran diplomacy, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that Tehran has adjusted its demands over the Strait of Hormuz blockade. At the same time, the White House is reviewing new military options while telling Congress it does not need authorization, because the administration says the war was already terminated under the ceasefire. The paperwork, as ever, remains a philosophical exercise.

In tech

Microsoft is rolling out Xbox mode to all Windows 11 PCs, giving users a full-screen interface meant to make the system feel more like a console or Steam’s Big Picture mode. The company is also adding a preview of its Auto SR upscaling feature to the Xbox Ally X handheld and giving Xbox consoles a dashboard update with more customization. One operating system, apparently, was still not enough Windows.

In Washington

President Trump’s Qatari-built Air Force One is still very much a luxury jet, just now with a $400 million overhaul and more top-secret communications gear. Most of the plush interior is staying put, including the leather seats, couches, and faux bookcases, with only a few changes for presidential use. The seals change, the furniture mostly doesn’t, because apparently even statecraft likes a tasteful waiting room.

Trump also signed an executive order expanding sanctions on the Cuban government, broadening the target list to include agents, officials, supporters, and people tied to the security apparatus. The administration says it is increasing pressure on Havana as Cuba’s humanitarian crisis deepens.

On Iran, Trump said negotiations are still going nowhere and that he canceled a planned April 25 trip by envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He told Congress separately that the ceasefire means he does not need authorization for war, setting up the usual fight over who gets to decide when a conflict really ends, and who gets to start the next one.

In global security

Rebel groups in Mali, including JNIM and Tuareg separatists, are stepping up attacks on the military government. Reports say checkpoints have appeared near the capital and a northern town has been seized, which is not the sort of map update anyone wants to wake up to.

In tech and defense

Elon Musk’s xAI and the Trump Justice Department are trying to block Colorado’s new AI law before it takes effect on June 30. The measure would bar bias in high-risk AI systems used in hiring, health care, and other settings, while the challengers argue it is unconstitutional and amounts to forced ideological regulation.

Separately, the Defense Department has reached agreements with seven tech companies to bring their AI tools onto classified military systems. The Pentagon wants faster adoption, which is one way to describe putting machines closer to the machinery of war.

In the U.S.

Thousands took part in May Day Strong protests across the country, with organizers urging a day of no school, no work, and no shopping. In Manhattan, Sunrise Movement protesters chained themselves to the front of the New York Stock Exchange and blocked exits before police arrested them.

Consumer alert

Afrin is being recalled because its packaging does not meet federal standards meant to protect children. The product itself is not the issue, but the packaging creates a poisoning risk, which is a deeply unhelpful design choice for something sold over the counter.

In U.S. news

Oklahoma Republican state Senate candidate Barry Christian was found dead two days after being reported missing. No cause of death was given in the summary.

In Atlantic City, Franklin J. Felipe De La Paz, 26, has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Jaylou Marlenne Pineda-Lopez in an apartment on April 22. Prosecutors say he faces aggravated manslaughter and weapons charges, and the investigation is still open.

In sports

The Knicks did not so much beat the Hawks as remove them from the premises, winning Game 6 by a very civil 140-89 to advance to the next round. There was also a fight and late ejections, because apparently the night needed one more subplot.

In the U.K.

England’s new Renters’ Rights Act is due to take effect in May 2026, and tenant group Acorn says it is the biggest change to renters’ rights in a generation. The law will end section 21 no-fault evictions, ban bidding wars, cap rent in advance at one month, tighten rent-rise rules, and give renters the right to keep a pet.

Separately, the conviction of Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan for criminal damage has been overturned after a confrontation with a trans activist over a phone.

In business

Alta says development of its dark fantasy multiplayer VR game Reave is ending, and the current playtest will be the last. The game will become unplayable after May 4, with the company citing rising costs and difficult VR market conditions.

The Real Greek restaurant chain says it is on the brink of collapse, blaming unsustainable cost pressures across its 28 branches. Britain continues to discover that “cost pressures” is just corporate shorthand for “everything got more expensive and nobody likes that.”

In security and conflict

Russia’s new S-71K cruise missile is reportedly built with a mix of recycled components and foreign electronics, including parts made in the United States and other countries. Ukrainian military intelligence says the weapon is designed for cheaper mass production and air-defense saturation, with a range of about 300 kilometers and a warhead repurposed from a Soviet-era bomb.

In the Middle East

Israeli police arrested a 36-year-old man after a Christian nun was pushed to the ground and kicked near King David’s Tomb in East Jerusalem, leaving her bruised. Israeli, Vatican, French, and church officials condemned the attack.

In media and courts

A Texas appeals court has paused the order that would have allowed The Onion to take over Infowars, after Alex Jones appealed the decision. The next hearing is set for May 28, because even chaos has a calendar.

In courts

A former Conservative councillor, Philip Young, has pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children, after already admitting 11 counts of rape and 11 counts of drugging his former wife. In a separate case, Superdry co-founder James Holder has been found guilty of raping a woman after a night out in Cheltenham in 2022. And in London, Abdullah Albadri has been found guilty after trying to climb the railings at the Israeli embassy with a knife. Courts, as ever, staying busy.

In tech and AI

Elon Musk and OpenAI chief Sam Altman are in federal court in Oakland as a major trial gets underway over OpenAI’s future, its charitable roots, and who gets to control the company behind ChatGPT. Separately, OpenAI says it plans a limited release of its GPT-5.5-Cyber model to a select group of “cyber defenders,” after criticizing Anthropic for doing something rather similar. Apparently access is now a feature, not a principle.

In Washington

The U.S. war with Iran has hit the 60-day mark, and lawmakers are split over whether the president needs congressional approval to keep it going. At the same time, the partial DHS funding fight is over for now, after Trump signed a bipartisan bill restoring most of the department’s money, while immigration enforcement funding is being handled separately and faces another vote later this month. Trump also withdrew his surgeon general nominee and picked Dr. Nicole Saphier.

In the Middle East

Israel’s military reportedly intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, seizing 22 vessels and taking them to Crete. Separately, Ukraine has thanked Melania Trump for helping secure the return of at least 26 abducted children taken to Russia or occupied parts of Ukraine.

In business and consumer news

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority says most filling stations did not profiteer when petrol and diesel prices rose, arguing that higher oil prices, not wider retailer margins, drove most of the increase. It says a minority of retailers did raise margins and that it will keep looking at that in its next report. Drivers, naturally, are still being told to shop around.

In public policy

Some lawmakers are considering capping Social Security benefits for higher earners as one way to help shore up the program.

In the Americas

In Brazil, Congress has moved to override President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s veto and cut former President Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence, after Bolsonaro was convicted over plotting a coup following the 2022 election. It is, apparently, still possible to make a conviction look negotiable if you have enough allies in the room.

In Arizona, authorities are searching for Nancy Guthrie after a masked intruder abducted her from her home in Pima County. The FBI has joined the case as investigators examine a ransom demand and possible financial motives inside the family. In Washington state, six people, five students and a security guard, were hospitalized after a stabbing at Foss High School.

At Michigan State University’s Wells Hall, police arrested Xin Tong after finding chemicals and equipment that could be used to make methamphetamine. Officials later said no meth lab was actually operating in the building and no risk to the campus community was found, which is a small mercy in a story that needed one.

In global risks and rights

The head of Yara says a fertiliser shortage linked to the Iran conflict could hit crop yields and push food prices higher, with billions of meals potentially at risk if supply is disrupted. That is the kind of chain reaction that starts in geopolitics and ends in grocery bills.

UN Women is warning that women in public life are facing more aggressive online abuse, driven by AI, anonymity and weak legal protections. The report says journalists, campaigners and other public figures are seeing deeper threats in digital spaces, including AI-assisted sexual violence used as a tool of harassment.