UK: Labour Make Gains in Local Elections
Ongoing local election results in England have so far seen victories for Labour, the Lib Dems, independent candidates, and the Green Party at the expense of the UK's governing Conservative Party....
Politics
Hamas Considers Latest Cease-Fire Proposal
In a statement, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said he spoke with Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Thursday, and Hamas is considering the most recent Gaza cease-fire proposal with a 'positive spirit....
Science & technology
US Seeks Pledge by PRC, Russia Saying AI Won't Control Nuclear Weapons
A US official claimed during an online briefing on Thursday that the US had encouraged both Russia and China to openly declare that nuclear weapons should always be in the control of humans rather than artificial intelligence (AI)....
Environment & Energy
Sunak Announces Major Initiative for Nuclear Energy, Submarines
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared a "national endeavour" for a £763M (US$964M) investment in nuclear energy by 2030, including over £200M ($252M) to secure Barrow as the site for the UK's nuclear submarine building.
Health
US Government Testing Ground Beef for Bird Flu
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Monday said it would begin testing ground beef samples from grocery stores in states where the H5N1 bird flu has been found in dairy cows....
Money
Microsoft, Google Report Profits Fueled by AI Investment
Tech firms Google and Microsoft reported major profit increases for Q1 of 2024, driving up their respective stock prices and possibly indicating the viability of their heavy investment in artificial intelligence (AI)....
Crime & justice
Spain: Pedro Sánchez to Remain in Office Amid Corruption Probe
Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, announced Monday that he will not resign from his position, ending speculation about his future five days after he took time off to "reflect" on whether or not to step down.
Culture
Mattel Announces New, More 'Inclusive' Scrabble
Toy and game manufacturer Mattel announced it will launch a more 'inclusive' and 'collaborative' version of Scrabble, marking the biggest change in the 75-year history of the board game....
Sports
NBA Ban Raptors' Jontay Porter for Gambling Scandal
The National Basketball Association (NBA) banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for life on Wednesday after determining that he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and bet on games — going as far as to bet against his own team....