HSBC profits fall amid $400m fraud-related charge and Iran war 05. May 2026 (14:57) London-headquartered bank’s shares slide as it sets aside an extra $300m to cover effects of Middle East conflictBusiness live – latest updatesHSBC has taken a $1.3bn (£961m) hit to profits, amid the fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran and fraud in the troubled private credit sector.The London-headquartered bank said profits fell 4% in the first three months of the year, dropping $100m to $9.4bn, compared with the same period in 2025. Revenue increased 6% to $18.6bn. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Moscow shuts down airports and mobile signals as Victory Day parade looms 05. May 2026 (14:56) Kremlin tightens security ahead of Russia’s biggest national celebration on 9 May amid fears of Ukrainian drone strikesRussia shut down airports and temporarily cut mobile internet access for many users in Moscow on Tuesday, as it tightened security ahead of the 9 May Victory Day parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany.The parade – Russia’s foremost national celebration – has already been scaled back and will proceed without heavy military hardware for the first time in nearly two decades, amid fears of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Macron backs Armenia’s pro-Europe PM as re-election campaign draws to close 05. May 2026 (14:52) French president pitches in for Nikol Pashinyan, who faces stiff challenge from pro-Russia parties in vote next monthEmmanuel Macron has made an unabashed pre-election pitch on behalf of Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, saying the country’s destiny lay with Europe.The French president also accused Russia of abandoning Armenia after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war that led to Azerbaijan displacing tens of thousands of Armenians. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man accused of starting Palisades fire was ‘angry, intense, driving erratically’, lawyers say 05. May 2026 (14:35) Jonathan Rinderknecht’s attorneys say he’s being used as scapegoat for Los Angeles fire department’s failure to fully extinguish earlier blazeSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe man accused of sparking the deadly Palisades fire in Los Angeles was upset over a failed relationship and his lack of plans for New Year’s Eve – and he ranted about being angry at the world before the initial blaze was ignited, according to court documents filed by prosecutors.Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, has pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. It began on 7 January 2025 in the hillside neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Malibu and killed 12 people. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on 1 January that burned undetected deep in root systems before flaring back up a week later. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump accuses pope of ‘endangering a lot of Catholics’ with Iran stance 05. May 2026 (14:24) US president directs fresh criticism at pontiff days before secretary of state Marco Rubio’s visit to VaticanMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has issued a fresh verbal attack against Pope Leo XIV, accusing the pontiff of “endangering a lot of Catholics” because “he thinks it’s fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon”.The remarks come two days before Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, meets Leo at the Vatican in an effort to ease the tensions sparked by Trump’s previous broadside against the Chicago-born pontiff over his condemnation of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
France serves up €1 meals to all university students in effort to cut hardship 05. May 2026 (14:16) Ministers take action after survey shows almost half of students had gone without food for financial reasonsFrench universities have begun offering €1 (86p) meals to all students regardless of income in a measure designed to address financial hardship.Student unions have been pushing to extend the €1 rate – down from the usual €3.30 – for a three-course meal to all students, which was previously only available to those with low incomes or receiving financial aid. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
London Marathon sets record after 1.8% of UK adult population applies for 2027 race 05. May 2026 (14:06) Over one million entries received from UK runnersLondon also sets record with 1.3m total applicationsThe London Marathon has set yet more records with organisers announcing that 1.8% of the UK adult population – more than one million people – have applied to run in next year’s race.Running’s boom was also reflected in a world record 1,338,544 global application for the 2027 London Marathon – up from 1.13m for this year’s race and more than double the amount they received in 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK’s long-term borrowing costs hit highest level since 1998 05. May 2026 (14:05) Rise in bond yields due to fuel prices and political stability concerns will eat away at Rachel Reeves’s fiscal headroomBusiness live – latest updatesThe UK government’s long-term borrowing costs have hit their highest level since 1998, amid rising fuel prices and concerns about political stability.The yield – effectively the interest rate – on 30-year UK government bonds (gilts) hit 5.76% at lunchtime on Tuesday, up 0.11 percentage points – exceeding the 27-year high reached last autumn. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Albanese government abandons beleaguered inland rail project connecting NSW with Queensland 05. May 2026 (14:00) Originally envisioned to run 1,700km from Melbourne to a port near Brisbane, the mega infrastructure project will now only connect Beveridge in Victoria to Parkes in NSWGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Albanese government will drastically scale back the beleaguered inland rail project, abandoning plans to connect country NSW and Queensland by rail, as the price tag blows out to more than $45bn.Originally envisioned to run 1,700km from Melbourne to a port near Brisbane, the mega infrastructure project will now only connect Beveridge, on the outskirts of Melbourne, to Parkes in central-west New South Wales – about half the distance – with the government reallocating $1.75bn of the funding to other national rail upgrades. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ohio voters head to polls to select candidates for midterm elections 05. May 2026 (12:30) State expected to play major role in deciding whether Republicans maintain control of Congress in his final two yearsVoters in Ohio on Tuesday are selecting candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections. The state is expected to play a major role in deciding whether Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans maintain control of Congress for the final two years of his term.The race with the highest national profile is Ohio’s Senate special election, in which Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, is vying to unseat the Republican incumbent, Jon Husted, and return to the chamber after failing to win re-election in 2024. The winner will serve the final two years of the term JD Vance won in 2022, before he became vice-president last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
