Colombiaâs first-round presidential election will take place on May 31. There are risks of political violence, illegal armed group activity, and disinformation. The March legislative and primary elections were largely peaceful, but the electoral environment has deteriorated in recent weeks. The priority is to reinforce and standardize protection protocols for campaigns.
The U.S. economy grew by 2% in the first quarter of 2026. The growth is less than the 2.2% to 2.3% most economists had predicted and shows some signs of contraction due to the war with Iran. The services sector, especially healthcare, propped up the economy. Oil prices have been a big impediment to growth, with Brent crude this week hitting a four-year high of more than $122 a barrel.
GDP grew 2% in the first three months of 2026. Government spending jumped 10% since last quarter. Domestic investment grew 6.4%. Consumer spending is slowing as the war with Iran has soured consumer sentiment and increased inflation expectations. On Thursday, global oil prices reached a wartime high of $126 a barrel as peace talks between Iran and the US have reached a standstill.
Taiwan's economy expanded at its fastest pace in nearly 39 years thanks to demand for artificial intelligence technology. The island is a global powerhouse in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips, which power AI. The Iran war has raised concerns about the potential impact on the economy, particularly the critical chips sector.
Beijing warns Tokyo that it could soon be able to produce nuclear weapons. China wants the United Nations to make Japan's potential pursuit of nuclear arms an "important agenda item" at an ongoing UN convention. China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and will assume the rotating presidency of the body in May.
DePaul University is teaming up with former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to create an institute dedicated to journalism and "racial justice" as trust in the media plunges. The Institute is clearly part of the advocacy wing of journalism headed by a polarizing political figure. Media outlets are struggling to survive.
Pamela Adie's film âĂŹfĂ©â was censored in Nigeria. She is concerned about the impact of AI on the way information is organised and retrieved and how it will shape how knowledge is produced in the future. Adie is working with The Equality Hub to build a streaming platform for African stories outside state control.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will not grant a rare meeting of its active judges to hear an appeal of an $83 million verdict against President Donald Trump for defaming a magazine advice columnist over an encounter three decades ago. Trump appealed to the Supreme Court. The high court has not yet decided whether to hear the case. E. Jean Carroll sued Trump for defamation in November 2019.
Miccosukee Tribe observes corn dance season on lands sacred to them in the Everglades. Alligator Alcatraz is a migrant detention site that now looms among the tribal lands. The light from the facility interferes with an important aspect of the tribe's religion, the orientation of the stars. The tribe and environmental groups will continue their litigation over the Alligator alcatraz.
The Israeli army lacks resources in Lebanon. Lebanon is a sovereign country. Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon are perceived as a bulwark against the Israeli enemy. Netanyahu broke the ceasefire in early 2025. The Lebanese are sovereign in their own land and have the right to defend and protect themselves.
Swedish researchers found that young Atlantic salmon exposed to cocaine and its breakdown product, benzoylecgonine, swim farther and more widely in the wild than the control group. The study was done at Lake VĂ€ttern in Sweden. It highlights the need for improved wastewater treatment and more comprehensive environmental monitoring.
Amazon beat Wall Streetâs first-quarter earnings expectations. Amazon Web Services saw its net sales increase 28% year-over-year, climbing to $37.6 billion. It was the fastest growth rate for AWS in 15 quarters. Amazon's free cash flow decreased to $1.2 billion for the trailing twelve months, driven by a year- over-year increase in purchases of property and equipment related to AI.
Some of the data collected by this provider is for the purposes of personalization and measuring advertising effectiveness. Google DoubleClick registers and reports the website user's actions after viewing or clicking one of the advertiser's ads. Google AdSense experiments with advertisement efficiency across websites using their services.
Coconut oil and its derivatives can release toxic vapours and cause oxygen depletion in enclosed spaces. In Rotterdam, two crew members died when they entered a cargo oil tank during a routine CCNO discharge. In Lianyungang, China, five crew members collapsed due to toxic gas exposure.
Sudanese Doctors Network has warned that more than 100,000 displaced people in Blue Nile State face a potential humanitarian catastrophe as the country's rainy season approaches. Children make up about 40 per cent of the displaced population, while women and older people account for roughly 60 per cent. The organisation called on international agencies to intervene immediately by providing food, medicine and clean water.
Ahmed al-Sharaa has just traveled to the Gulf to establish himself as a partner. The rich oil monarchies are rethinking after the Iran war. Iran's missile terror has shown that the Gulf states are not immune to the conflicts in the region. The rulers are looking for ways to strengthen their independence from Washington and maintain their strategic relevance.
Anna Badkhen's great-uncle and his wife had no children of their own. Uncle Lyonya and Auntie Anya's collection of Baltic amber necklaces were souvenirs of her annual summer migration from a featureless postwar high-rise in Leningrad to Latviaâs seashore splendor.
In 2025, Engie boss Vincent Verbeke made it clear that nuclear energy was no longer one of Engie's "strategic ambitions". The French energy company is focusing on renewable energies and flexibility. The government under De Wever had already announced its move back to nuclear power a year ago.
Pakistan's fuel import bill has risen from $300 million before the conflict to $800 million now. The knock-on effects will be severe, impacting everything from agriculture and transport to the price of food and basic goods. The State Bank of Pakistan raised its key policy rate by a full percentage point to 11.5 percent. Pakistan is heavily dependent on imported energy and higher costs worsen its already precarious balance-of-payments position.
The black-red coalition has agreed on a cost cap for tenants in the planned reform of the "Heating Act". Landlords should contribute to the costs of network fees and fuel when installing a new gas or oil heating system. Central and controversial requirements of Robert Habeck's heating law are to be overturned. New heating systems should be operated with a growing proportion of climate-friendly fuels.
There is rampant abject poverty in Africa. The politics of poverty began with the European sea expeditions from the late 15th century that ushered in the 400-year slave trade. The purpose of the slave trade was to secure low-prized raw material from Africa and other non-Western societies and ready markets for the same goods once processed in European factories. Political independence ushered in neocolonialism.
FDA contamination testing results on 312 samples from 16 brands confirm the safety of infant formula in the U.S. The tests were searching for contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and âforever chemicalsâ known as PFAS. If you feel strongly about health care v. healthcare, now's your chance to weigh in.
Louisiana will have to redraw its congressional map because of the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling. The ruling effectively guts a major section of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 civil rights law that prevents racial discrimination in voting. The White House called the decision "a complete and total victory". Donald Trump said he would redraw congressional maps in response to the ruling.
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