Top World News

May 4, 2026 - World

Ron DeSantis approves maps that give Republicans an advantage in four more races in November’s midtermsUS politics live – latest updatesFlorida governor Ron DeSantis signed a new gerrymandered congressional district map into law Monday which gives Republicans an electoral advantage in four additional races in November’s midterm elections.“Signed, Sealed, and Delivered,” DeSantis said in a post on X, with a map of the new districts attached. Continue reading...

May 4, 2026 - World

‘Deep-seated fire’ forces temporary closure of Eugene O’Neill Theatre, which is home to the long-running musicalSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA fire broke out Monday in the Broadway theater that hosts the The Book of Mormon, forcing the long-running musical to close, at least temporarily, as the historic venue undergoes repairs.The blaze, which began in an electrical room, caused “substantial damage” to the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, according to David Simms, New York fire department assistant chief. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Continue reading...

May 4, 2026 - World

Prime minister uses European Political Community summit to begin negotiations for UK participation in schemeKeir Starmer has said the benefit of joining the European Union’s £78bn loan scheme for Ukraine “outweighs the cost” as he argued the continent must move at pace to bolster its own defence.The prime minister, who said the UK’s involvement in the recovery loan plan would also help create jobs at home, acknowledged that tensions were high between Donald Trump and Europe, particularly over military issues. Continue reading...

May 4, 2026 - World

"Using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy" the foreign ministry said.

May 4, 2026 - World

US operation announced as ‘Project Freedom’ dramatically raises stakes in conflictMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe US has launched Donald Trump’s operation to open a route through the strait of Hormuz for hundreds of ships trapped with their crews in the Gulf, in a move that brought the region back to the brink of full-scale war as Iran sought to reassert its blockade.The US operation, which got under way on Monday after being announced as “Project Freedom” by Trump on Sunday night on his social media site, dramatically raised the stakes in a conflict that had been in a month-long period of uneasy limbo. Continue reading...