A man has been detained after stabbing two people in Golders Green, North London, on Wednesday. Shomrim volunteers, a Jewish neighborhood watch group, detained the suspect before police arrived; officers deployed a taser. Two victims were being treated by Hatzola, a Jewish volunteer emergency organization. The attack follows an arson last month that destroyed several Hatzola ambulances in the same area. Counter-terrorism officers have arrested more than two dozen people this month in investigations into attacks on Jewish-linked premises.
The United Arab Emirates announced it will quit OPEC+ on May 1 after nearly 60 years as a member. The UAE is the fourth-largest producer in the alliance, pumping approximately 3.4 million barrels per day before ongoing disruptions forced production cuts. Russia said it plans to remain and hopes the coalition will continue operating despite the exit. Finance Minister Siluanov warned that uncoordinated production policies could drive prices lower. The departure is the most significant exit from OPEC+ since the 2016 alliance was formed, reducing its control over global production from approximately 50% to around 45%.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will testify before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, his first appearance since the U.S. war against Iran began on February 28, 2026. The hearing will examine the administration's $1.5 trillion defense budget and a conflict that has killed 13 American troops and wounded 400. Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, prompting a U.S. naval blockade and the deployment of three aircraft carriers. Democrats have introduced six articles of impeachment against Hegseth for waging war without congressional authorization.
The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate at 3.5% to 3.75% for the third consecutive time. Elevated oil and gas prices stemming from the Iran war pushed average U.S. gasoline costs to $4.23 per gallon, with economists forecasting April's inflation rate could reach 3.9%. Jerome Powell's term as Fed chair expires May 15, with Kevin Warsh expected to succeed him. Most economists now predict the Fed will not cut rates until late 2026 or 2027, with 30-year mortgage rates expected to remain in the low 6% range.
Trump announced on April 29 that his administration is reviewing a possible reduction of the 40,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany. The move follows sharp criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said Iran was "humiliating" the United States in negotiations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed British and French diplomatic efforts on the Strait of Hormuz as "silly," saying Europe should "get in a boat" rather than negotiate. Trump further warned Iran to "get smart" about reaching a nuclear deal or face military consequences, posting an image of himself with an assault rifle captioned "no more Mr Nice Guy."
President Trump urged Iran to "get smart soon" and sign a deal, posting on Truth Social a mock-up image of himself wielding a machine gun. The Wall Street Journal reported Trump instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran's ports, as resuming bombing or walking away carried more risk. The conflict, which began February 28, has thrown energy markets into turmoil, with oil prices rising nearly 3 percent on Wednesday. Trump's approval rating fell to 34 percent, the lowest of his current term, as Americans soured on his handling of the cost of living and the war.
Meta Platforms has been found preliminarily in breach of EU law for failing to prevent children under 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram, following a two-year European Commission investigation. Investigators found children could bypass age restrictions by entering false birthdates and that Meta's tools for reporting underage users were ineffective. Meta can now examine the file and mount a defense. If upheld, the company faces a fine of up to 6 percent of its $201 billion global annual turnover.
Trump and Putin spoke by phone for 90 minutes on Wednesday, discussing proposals to end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Kremlin described the conversation as "friendly and professional." Putin expressed support for the current U.S.-Iran ceasefire and floated solutions to Iran's nuclear program, though the Kremlin declined to elaborate on specifics. The call came after their previous meeting in Alaska in 2025.
The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Louisiana must redraw its congressional map, declaring that creating a second Black-majority district was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Black voters make up about one-third of the state's population but were placed in only one district. The court declined to strike down Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. A remedial map was used in the 2024 election, where Democrat Cleo Fields won the newly drawn seat.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in New York City on Wednesday for the second leg of their US state visit, the first by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II in 2010. The royal couple will lay a wreath at the National 9/11 Memorial and meet first responders and families of victims. Camilla will visit the New York Public Library to deliver a Winnie-the-Pooh doll marking the character's 100th birthday. Charles will tour a Harlem after-school urban farming initiative addressing youth food insecurity. The visit comes amid heightened US-UK tensions over the Iran war.
The four tech hyperscalers reported earnings this week with OpenAI looming large over their results. Microsoft has invested $13 billion in OpenAI, while Amazon recently committed $50 billion to make OpenAI's models available on AWS. Alphabet and Meta compete through their own AI models and talent. Manhattan is experiencing an AI real estate boom, with firms leasing offices 60% larger than their current head count.
Elon Musk testified Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, that he was deceived into investing more than $40 million in OpenAI by founders who promised to maintain its nonprofit structure. Musk claims Sam Altman and Greg Brockman betrayed the company's founding mission by transforming it into a profit-driven corporation linked to Microsoft. He is asking the court to revoke the recent restructuring, remove Altman as CEO, restore nonprofit control, and return alleged unjust gains of approximately $150 billion. OpenAI called the lawsuit unfounded and motivated by envy.
Ruben Rocha, the governor of Mexico's Sinaloa state, has been indicted by the U.S. Justice Department along with nine other Mexican officials on charges of conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel to traffic narcotics into the United States. The indictment marks the first time a sitting Mexican governor has been charged by American authorities. The DOJ alleges Rocha was elected in 2021 with the backing of Los Chapitos, the cartel faction run by El Chapo's sons, in exchange for allowing the group to operate with impunity and ship drugs northward.
A US naval blockade has pushed Brent crude to approximately $120 per barrel and US gasoline prices to a four-year high, with exports through the Strait of Hormuz collapsing to just 4% of normal levels. President Trump declared the blockade a success and rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the strategic chokepoint, warning that Iran "can't get their act together" on nuclear negotiations. Iran has warned of "unprecedented action" if the blockade continues. Goldman Sachs noted demand weakness, with April consumption potentially 3.6 million barrels per day below February levels.
Banco Santander reported first-quarter net profit of 5.455 billion euros, a 60 percent increase, boosted by a 1.895 billion euro gain from the sale of Santander Bank Polska. Excluding that extraordinary item, ordinary profit reached 3.560 billion euros, up 12 percent year-over-year. The bank added 8 million customers in the quarter to reach 176 million total. Insurer Mapfre posted net profit of 310.9 million euros, up 12.7 percent, and approved a complementary dividend of 0.11 euros per share payable on May 28.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would urge King Charles III to return the Kohinoor diamond to India if the two had a private conversation during the monarch's visit to New York. Mamdani made the statement at a press conference before attending a 9/11 Memorial ceremony where he met the king and Queen Camilla. The Kohinoor diamond, housed in the Tower of London, has been disputed between England and India for decades. A royal family spokesperson declined to comment.