Top U.S. & World Headlines — May 1, 2026

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Hegseth says clock paused on deadline to seek approval for Iran war

33 minutes ago
James FitzGerald and Brandon Drenon
The defence secretary was responding to senators' questions on Thursday

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has argued that the clock has paused on a deadline for the Trump administration to seek approval from Congress for the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Another Disgrace: Investment group comes forward to buy the Vancouver Whitecaps and move team to Las Vegas

The Greek Courier

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — An investment group has emerged with plans to purchase the Vancouver Whitecaps and relocate our Major League Soccer team to Las Vegas. For countless fans who have poured their hearts and souls into supporting the team, this news feels like a gut punch. The thought of losing our Caps, which has been a part of our community and our identity, is heartbreaking. We must rally to protect our team, as we know we’re fighting for more than just soccer; we’re fighting for our community and the spirit that unites us all.

‘Public health time bomb’: How France allowed cadmium to poison its crops and soil

Analysis France
Issued on: 01/05/2026 - 07:18
By: Benjamin DODMAN

French residents are three to four times more likely to register unsafe levels of cadmium in their bodies than their European counterparts, ingesting dangerous amounts of the carcinogenic metal through the food they eat. Experts blame government inaction, farming practices and a historic reliance on North African phosphate-based fertilisers that is rooted in the colonial era.

Nationwide May Day protests expected to pick up mantle of 'No Kings'

National 

May 1, 2026

By Scott Neuman

May Day demonstrations are expected to draw crowds across the country on Friday, with organizers calling for a boycott of work, school and shopping to protest the Trump administration's policies — and what activists describe as a billionaire takeover of government.

‘When did it come out?’ Trump remains disengaged as events unfold around him

Too often, the president sounds like someone who just wandered into the Oval Office, blissfully unaware of current events

Apr. 30, 2026, 1:04 PM EDT
By Steve Benen

For proponents of voting rights and racially diverse democracy, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais was a brutal gut punch. University of California at Los Angeles law professor Richard Hasen wrote in a Slate analysis that the decision, written by Republican-appointed justices, “will go down in history as one of the most pernicious and damaging Supreme Court decisions of the last century.”

Congress votes to reopen key parts of DHS, after House GOP caves on ICE funding

By Sarah Ferris, Manu Raju, Annie Grayer, Lauren Fox
Updated 37 min ago

Congress voted to reopen key parts of the Department of Homeland Security — including the Transportation Security Administration — on Thursday after weeks of GOP infighting that prolonged a record shutdown of the critical agency.

Scared and angry British Jews demand more from government after knife attack

By Marissa Davison and Ben Makori

April 30, 2026, 5:19 AM PDT

Updated 1 hour ago

LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) - Scared, angry at the government, and wondering whether they need to leave the country, British Jews in the north London suburb of Golders Green were reeling a day after an attacker stabbed two men ​in the street.

Convicted Harvard Scientist Rebuilds Lab in Shenzhen

 By Sam Cavanaugh
Published on April 30, 2026
Source: Wikipedia/Kris Snibbe, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Charles M. Lieber, once a marquee name in American nanoscience, has quietly put a brain–computer research operation back together inside Shenzhen’s state backed science network. The new setup puts him at the helm of i‑BRAIN, an institute that pairs nanofabrication tools with a nearby primate research complex. For U.S. observers, the move highlights recurring tensions between academic openness and national security controls over dual use technologies.

Kremlin says Russian forces will stay in Mali as insurgents press attacks

By Reuters

April 30, 2026

3:13 AM PDT, Updated 1 hour ago

Summary

• Al Qaeda affiliate claims capture of Hombori base
• Insurgents threaten Bamako siege
• Russian presence in Mali faces strategic setback
• Funeral held for slain defence minister Sadio Camara

MOSCOW/BAMAKO, April 30 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on ​Thursday that Russian forces would stay in Mali to help the military-led government battle insurgents as ‌West Africa's al Qaeda affiliate claimed to have seized more territory.

Mirroring Gaza, Israel is destroying towns and villages in southern Lebanon

April 30, 2026, 5:00 AM ET
By Kat Lonsdorf, Jawad Rizkallah

MANSOURI, Lebanon — The center of the village lies in ruins. A row of single-story shops blown out, goods scattered on the ground, glass shattered along the sidewalk. Homes and buildings are crumpled into themselves, unrecognizable. The mosque is blackened and burned, the minaret split in two. A Lebanese civil defense emergency vehicle is crushed next to the rubble, its windshield smashed.

Israel intercepts Gaza flotilla near Crete and detains 175 activists

55 minutes ago
David Gritten

Pro-Palestinian activists say at least 22 boats from a flotilla carrying aid for Gaza have been intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters near the Greek island of Crete.

The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) denounced the action as "piracy", saying those on board had been seized unlawfully more than 965km (600 miles) from Gaza, which is under an Israeli naval blockade.

Timmy the Humpback Whale Is Free After Spending Weeks Stranded in the Shallows of the Baltic Sea

Two private investors funded the latest rescue following multiple unsuccessful attempts
By Moná Thomas
Published on April 29, 2026

NEED TO KNOW

• Timmy the humpback whale was rescued after weeks of being stuck in shallow waters off Germany's Baltic coastline
• A rescue mission funded by two private investors transported Timmy to deeper waters near Denmark
• Local officials say the unique rescue operation was a groundbreaking success

Man accused of spying for Russia arrested in Berlin, prosecutors say

The suspect allegedly gave his Russian intelligence handler information about German military aid for Ukraine and photos of NATO military convoys moving along motorways.

Copyright AP Photo

By Franziska Müller & Gavin Blackburn

Published on 29/04/2026 - 14:17 GMT+2

Iran’s highly enriched uranium likely is still at the Isfahan site, UN nuclear chief tells AP

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Updated 2:08 PM PDT, April 29, 2026

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by airstrikes last year and faced less intense attacks in this year’s U.S.-Israeli war, the U.N. nuclear agency’s leader told The Associated Press.

Supreme Court guts key provision of Voting Rights Act

By John Kruzel / REUTERS

REUTERS/WILL DUNHAM/FILE PHOTO

WASHINGTON >> The U.S. Supreme Court today gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act — making it harder for minorities to challenge electoral maps as racially discriminatory under the landmark civil rights law — in a victory for Louisiana Republicans and President Donald Trump’s administration.

JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon says a credit-led recession would be ‘worse than people think’

Dimon says Europe should adopt Draghi competitiveness proposals

By Nora Redmond

Published: April 29, 2026 at 8:07 a.m. ET

Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says an economic downturn sparked by weakness in credit would encompass more than just the private credit segment and be worse than many expect.

Trump threatens Iran with AI picture of himself with a gun: ‘No more Mr. Nice guy!’

Politics
Published Wed, Apr 29 2026
4:54 AM EDT
Updated 2 Hours Ago
Key Points

• Trump threatened Iran in a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning.
• The post comes as the crucial Strait of Hormuz stays blockaded and as the status of talks with Iran remains uncertain.
• Attempts to continue negotiations in the last few days appear to have stalled.