United States eases World Cup 2026 visa rules for supporters
The United States has announced a targeted easing of visa requirements for the 2026 World Cup, removing a financial guarantee previously required from supporters of selected countries. Fans holding valid match tickets will no longer need to deposit a 15,000 dollar bond, a measure that had been part of a pilot program designed to strengthen......
World Cup 2026 halftime show to feature Shakira, Madonna and BTS in New York final
The 2026 World Cup final will stage a historic halftime show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on 19 July 2026. The event will mark the first time a World Cup final includes a dedicated halftime concert. Organizers confirmed a lineup bringing together Shakira, Madonna and BTS, three global acts spanning Latin pop, American......
Akhannouch launches Rabat regional health authority reform plan
Aziz Akhannouch chaired the first board meeting of the Territorial Health Grouping for the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region on May 14 in Rabat, marking a new stage in Morocco’s national healthcare reform strategy. The inaugural session approved the institution’s organizational structure, action program and 2026 budget, along......
UN demands answers after Taliban detain Afghan journalists
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has voiced strong concern over the detention of at least three Afghan journalists by Taliban authorities, urging officials to clarify the legal basis for the arrests and guarantee due process protections for the detainees. The arrests add to mounting international concern over the erosion......
Amazon cancels Lord of the Rings MMO after years of setbacks
Amazon Games has confirmed the cancellation of its long troubled massively multiplayer online game based on the world of The Lord of the Rings, ending another major attempt to build a large scale online experience around one of fantasy’s most valuable franchises. Company executive Jeff Grattis said the studio continues exploring other......
NOAA raises El Niño odds as forecasters warn of extreme event
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has sharply increased the probability of an El Niño developing in 2026, signaling growing concern that the climate phenomenon could become one of the strongest recorded in modern history. The agency’s Climate Prediction Center now estimates an 82% chance that El Niño conditions......
Chinese AI stocks become nearly impossible to short before July
Chinese investors seeking to bet against the country’s hottest artificial intelligence stocks are facing a severe shortage of shares available for borrowing. The problem centers on MiniMax and Knowledge Atlas Technology, two generative AI firms that debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in January and rapidly became some of the market’s......
AMD and Arm gain server CPU share as Intel slips
AMD and Arm have continued to take market share from Intel in the server processor segment in early 2026, as artificial intelligence driven data center demand accelerates structural shifts in global chip spending. A new analysis from UBS shows that competitive dynamics in the CPU market are changing faster than traditional seasonal patterns,......
Streeting resignation triggers Labour leadership challenge against Starmer
Wes Streeting has resigned from his role as health minister, setting off a direct leadership challenge within the Labour Party against Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The move follows weeks of internal tension and a series of poor local election results that intensified pressure on the party’s leadership. His resignation marks a significant......
Mediterranean navigation season disrupted by weather and fuel crisis
The 2026 Mediterranean navigation season has opened under severe disruption as extreme weather events, aviation fuel shortages, and geopolitical tensions reshape maritime tourism across the region. Conditions that typically support stable growth in yacht charters and cruise activity have been replaced by operational uncertainty and rising......
Ingredion explores $3.7 billion takeover of Tate & Lyle
Ingredion is in discussions to acquire Tate & Lyle in a deal that could value the British ingredients group at about 2.74 billion pounds, or 3.7 billion dollars. The proposal, confirmed by Tate & Lyle, would rank among the largest transactions in the global food ingredients sector this year. The potential offer structure includes......
Asteroid 2026 JH2 passes closer than satellites near Earth flyby
An asteroid newly identified as 2026 JH2 is set to pass close to Earth on 18 May, reaching a distance of about 90,000 kilometers from the planet’s surface. That brings it closer than some satellites in higher Earth orbits, though scientists confirm there is no risk of impact. The object was detected only days before its closest approach......
China’s Jiuzhang 4.0 quantum system sets photon record
A team of scientists in China has developed a programmable quantum computing prototype that manipulates thousands of photons at once, marking a major milestone in optical quantum information processing. The system, called Jiuzhang 4.0, was created by researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei and is described......
Hackers claim sale of Mistral AI source code after supply chain attack
Cybercriminals linked to the TeamPCP group are claiming to sell around 5 gigabytes of alleged internal source code repositories belonging to Mistral AI for $25,000, escalating concerns over a broader software supply chain campaign that recently targeted multiple artificial intelligence and open source projects. The offer appeared on a hacker......
Meta ad revenue projected to hit $240 billion amid AI spending surge
Meta Platforms is expected to generate about $240 billion in advertising revenue during 2026, according to a new report from WARC Media, reinforcing the company’s dominance in digital advertising even as investors grow concerned about mounting artificial intelligence costs. The report estimated that Meta’s advertising business......