De acordo com um relatório da Semaforparece que o C-suite da Boston Dynamics – a empresa que fez o vídeos originais de robôs ambulantes assustadores– está sob certa pressão, já que a Hyundai, a montadora coreana que comprou uma participação majoritária na Boston Dynamics em 2021, exige um grande aumento na produção.
No início deste ano, na CES, a Boston Dynamics e a Hyundai exibiram uma nova atualização surpreendentemente capaz para a sua série Atlas de protótipos de robôs que, alegou, tinha uma versão pronta para produção, pronta para ser fabricada em “uma nova fábrica de robótica capaz de produzir 30.000 robôs Atlas por ano”.
Então, em fevereiro, como observa a Semafor, o CEO da Boston Dynamics, Robert Playter, se aposentou. Então, por alguma razão, o CTO e o CFO saíram. As fontes anônimas da Semafor são, aparentemente, ex-funcionários e afirmam que esse grupo de executivos foi forçado a sair. Saídas adicionais aparentemente incluíram pesquisadores e engenheiros seniores. O conselho de administração está supostamente preocupado com o fato de os concorrentes – provavelmente a Tesla entre eles – estarem em seu encalço. Os ex-funcionários dizem que a Hyundai está pressionando a Boston Dynamics para gerar “dezenas de milhares” de robôs nos próximos anos para suas fábricas automotivas.
Nesse contexto, é interessante observar o gerente geral do projeto Atlas, Zachary Jackowski, que foi um dos líderes da empresa no palco da CES, no podcast Automated no mês passado. Nessa entrevista, ele fala sobre a saída de Playter, a aposentadoria do robô de pesquisa Atlas e a transição para a fabricação de um produto Atlas vendável:
Jackowski compara robôs humanóides de uso geral aos LLMs. Em termos que lembram o que você pode ouvir de um entusiasta da produtividade do Openclaw, ele fala sobre como, graças aos LLMs, “a tampa da engenharia de software program e do software program em geral foi explodida”. Ele acrescenta: “Estamos vendo a mesma coisa na robótica. A mágica é a generalidade.”
Nas palavras da Semafor, a Boston Dynamics está “sob pressão para acelerar a entrega de humanóides funcionais à Hyundai”. A apresentação da CES prometeu a capacidade de fabricar 30.000 unidades em um ano, e parece que é isso que a Hyundai deseja ver o mais rápido possível. A Boston Dynamics está fabricando quatro robôs Atlas por mês enquanto descobre como aumentar a produção em larga escala.
A declaração da empresa à Semafor sobre as mudanças dentro da empresa concentra-se no aumento da produção e diz em parte: “Essas mudanças são projetadas para nos ajudar a nos preparar para o próximo capítulo da Boston Dynamics, onde precisaremos de uma estrutura que apoie nossa capacidade de fabricar robôs em massa e aumentar rapidamente a escala nesta indústria emergente”.
Pergunte apenas sobre Qualquer um sabe o que há de errado com o namoro moderno e provavelmente lhe dirá a mesma coisa: os aplicativos são uma droga. Eles são construídos em um modelo de pagamento para ganhar. Menos pessoas estão encontrando parceiros de qualidade. Alguns estudos até sugeriram que o aumento do tempo com eles leva a maior depressão e ansiedade, ao mesmo tempo que contribui para a solidão entre os homens. Ao todo, a busca por encontrar o amor através de um toque criou uma geração de solteiros esgotados e assexuados, desconfiados dos aplicativos de namoro.
Mas os aplicativos de namoro não são o único problema – pelo menos não são mais o principal. De acordo com pesquisas recentes, o custo do namoro em 2026 superou o preço médio de uma pessoa solteira, e a divisão entre quem pode pagar um namoro é maior do que nunca.
Uma esmagadora maioria dos solteiros nos EUA (86 por cento) afirma que preocupações com dinheiro os levaram a adiar o namoro ou a reingressar no grupo de namoro, de acordo com um estudo. enquete publicado em abril pela empresa de serviços financeiros JG Wentworth. Um Índice de Progresso Financeiro Actual BMO relatório no início deste ano descobriu que a “inflação das datas” está a aumentar, com o custo whole médio de uma knowledge a aumentar 12,5% em 2026, para 189 dólares, uma taxa que está a ultrapassar o custo de vida. E os que ganham menos são os mais atingidos: 33% das pessoas que ganham menos de US$ 50 mil por ano dizem que pararam completamente de namorar, enquanto 15% das pessoas que ganham mais de US$ 100 mil fizeram uma pausa whole no processo de namoro, de acordo com dados recentes. pesquisar de Louis Jadot e Morning Seek the advice of.
“Para mim, isso sinaliza uma mudança actual: a conexão não é mais algo que as pessoas buscam espontaneamente; é algo que elas precisam orçamentar, justificar e, às vezes, optar por abandonar totalmente”, diz Farnoosh Torabi, analista financeiro e apresentador do Então dinheiro podcast. “Isso pode tornar as pessoas mais intencionais, mas também pode tornar o namoro mais limitado e mais desigual.”
O que estas novas pressões económicas criaram foi uma fricção inevitável: as pessoas, como observou Torabi, querem ser mais intencionais em relação ao namoro – os eventos de namoro presenciais aumentaram em 2025, de acordo com dados que a plataforma de bilhetes Eventbrite partilhou com a WIRED – mas fazê-lo tornou-se financeiramente mais difícil.
Nestes tempos económicos instáveis, o namoro está lentamente a transformar-se num luxo exclusivo para os ricos.
Como Brandon Wade, co-CEO do website de namoro de luxo In search of, vê, você não deveria namorar se não puder pagar. “Até que tenhamos alcançado um nível de segurança financeira para fornecer, como podemos amar? Você não está amando e dando de um lugar de abundância. Você está dando de um lugar de falta.”
Especialmente os homens da Geração Z à Geração X parecem estar optando por não namorar. A narrativa, centrada principalmente em relacionamentos heterossexuais, tornou-se extremamente comum nas redes sociais à medida que mais pessoas sentem o aperto.
Usuário TikTok @eddieeye71pai solteiro e músico amador, postou um vídeo recente em que fala sobre os altos custos que tem visto, lembrando que parou de namorar há 18 meses. “Sinto que tive mais controle sobre minhas finanças”, diz ele. Usuário TikTok @Imjustln postou um vídeo onde ele diz que também se sente tenso: “Não posso estar namorando nesta economia. Não estou apenas gastando US$ 80 em um tanque de gasolina, estou dirigindo de 45 minutos a uma hora para ir ver as pessoas em um encontro noturno e, em seguida, gastando US$ 80 a US$ 100 por encontro – tipo, o que está acontecendo? Acabei de fazer isso duas noites seguidas. Claro que não!”
Essa pitada também pode, em parte, explicar por que o discurso do sugar child – e as realidades económicas do namoro – capturou recentemente o zeitgeist.
EUSe o estereótipo do filme alegre é um cobertor confortável de caxemira – o tipo de filme que deixa os espectadores extasiados no sofá enquanto os créditos rolam e Bridget Jones finalmente consegue beijar Mark Darcy – eu provavelmente deveria notificar uma equipe qualificada de especialistas que o meu próprio é um conto de alienação adolescente, hipocrisia suburbana, pavor apocalíptico e um homem em uma monstruosa fantasia de coelho emitindo instruções severas sobre a morte. Por outro lado, tem uma trilha sonora consideravelmente melhor.
Donnie Darko, de Richard Kelly, explorou realidades alternativas décadas antes dos filmes da Marvel e All the pieces In all places All at As soon as tornarem o multiverso uma pedra de toque da cultura pop. Suas ruas arborizadas, o céu de Halloween e os adolescentes pedalando pelos subúrbios eram como um projeto mais estranho e triste para Stranger Issues muito antes de Hawkins existir. É um sonho febril suburbano sobre destino, loucura e cronogramas em colapso, um quebra-cabeça de física de pesadelo impregnado de pavor existencial. Mas por trás de toda a estranheza do filme cult, é também a história estranhamente edificante de um garoto solitário e danificado que finalmente entende seu lugar no mundo – e se sacrifica para salvá-lo tendo como pano de fundo algumas das atmosferas pop alternativas mais luminosas dos anos 80 já registradas.
Como um adolescente geek de fora, Donnie enfrenta todos os problemas comuns que você pode encontrar em um filme típico do ensino médio de John Hughes: valentões brincalhões à espreita em todos os corredores da escola, pais bem-intencionados que não têm ideia de quem é seu filho, uma sensação permanente de claustrofobia suburbana que permeia tudo como podridão sob tinta fresca. Ele desliza pelo filme sobre rodas de bicicleta, como se tentasse fugir do comum. Mas ele também sofre do que podem ser delírios psicóticos, recuperando-se do choque de uma experiência de quase morte e carregando o tipo de tristeza química que pode fazer a adolescência parecer uma cela acolchoada.
Apesar de tudo isso, Donnie emerge como a única pessoa em toda a sua comunidade que está disposta a enfrentar as forças do conservadorismo distorcido e tacanho e da hipocrisia sorridente personificada pelo nefasto e pedófilo guru de autoajuda de Patrick Swayze, Jim Cunningham, e sua pomposa soldado de infantaria da guerra cultural, Kitty Farmer (a fabulosa Beth Grant). A sua recusa em ser infantilizado pelo culto anti-intelectual sem sentido que eles vendem marca-o como o pensador mais claro numa cidade que funciona no piloto automático, apesar de todos os seus problemas. Ao longo do filme, ele trabalha a viagem no tempo e expõe as fraudes adultas ao seu redor. Ele até encontra uma maneira de aceitar sua própria morte, se isso significar que as pessoas que ele ama podem evitar os destinos (em sua maioria terríveis) apresentados a eles pelo condenado universo tangente que se separa da linha do tempo principal nos quadros de abertura do filme. Ele é nada menos que um super-herói – como sua eventual namorada, Gretchen Ross, aponta brand no início, quando diz que seu nome soa como um – embora construído para um público de desajustados, pensadores excessivos e sonhadores solitários.
Para ilustrar esse espírito de inconformismo romântico e elegante, Kelly invade a década de 1980 como um ladrão de lojas de discos com luvas de veludo, com gosto requintado e nenhum interesse nas latas de lixo. Se a trilha sonora tivesse apenas o machucado e brilhante Love Will Tear Us Aside do Pleasure Division e o arrepiante e sobrenatural Underneath the Milky Approach da Igreja para nos levar à euforia movida a dopamina, esta ainda seria uma das maiores seleções de músicas de filmes de todos os tempos para agraciar um único filme. O fato de explosões irresistíveis de serotonina pop como o sombriamente majestoso The Killing Moon de Echo & the Bunnymen e Head Over Heels de Tears for Fears também aparecerem quase parece uma trapaça. Mas esses pequenos milagres polidos não existem apenas para agradar nosso gosto; Kelly os utiliza como bombas emo acionadas pelo tempo, entregando cargas de nostalgia, pressentimento e desejo adolescente exatamente quando o filme mais precisa deles.
Para aqueles de nós que se sentiram um pouco diferentes enquanto cresciam, um pouco (ou muito) mais neurodiversificados, um pouco selvagens, o efeito é tão reconfortante quanto um abraço caloroso de alguém que te entende. O mocinho aqui é uma aberração que se transfer pelos subúrbios em direção a relâmpagos de sonho, com a capacidade de farejar besteiras hipócritas, censoras e reacionárias como um porco trufado. Os bandidos do Brylcreemed são aqueles que nos dizem para ficarmos quietos, colorir dentro das linhas e obedecer ao roteiro. Felizmente, não podemos ouvi-los porque estamos muito ocupados aumentando o quantity e pedalando até o anoitecer. Passamos pelos gramados do Halloween, sob céus de sódio, sem intenção de voltar antes do nascer do sol.
I was scrolling through TikTok the other night, and all of a sudden, I came across a familiar face: my colleague.
I’ve worked with her for a year and never realised she has hundreds of thousands of followers on the app. She does confessional-style videos where she talks about her life while doing her makeup. I got sucked down a bit of a black hole watching until I came across one where she talks about someone she really doesn’t like – and I don’t want to give details but it sounds exactly like me.
She called me an “energy drain”, a “negative Nancy” and a “pick-me”. It had hundreds of comments from strangers agreeing and absolutely slating me. I am mortified.
Nowhere on her profile does she say where she works and she never specifies it’s about a real person but surely there’s something I can do? This is defamation! I feel like complaining to my manager or saying something to her – what should I do?
***
Katie Elliott is an experienced HR consultant and the founder of HR Katie Ltd, where she supports small business owners. With more than 15 years in HR, she offers clear, practical advice to help leaders navigate team challenges, manage performance, and lead with confidence.
***
First of all, I want to say that I’m sorry you’re in this predicament. It’s never a nice feeling knowing that you’ve been perceived or judged in a way that you think is inaccurate, let alone in a very public forum – even if you haven’t been named. A pile-on, especially from strangers, can be humiliating and degrading, and it can leave us feeling very vulnerable and exposed, especially where we are unable to defend ourselves.
I can relate. I actually went semi-viral on TikTok once back in 2023 when I did a stitch video with someone talking about being unfairly dismissed by her employer. It is extremely jarring when people jump on the bandwagon of telling you you’re wrong, or stupid, or you don’t know what you’re talking about. So I completely get it.
As humans, we have a negativity bias. There could be hundreds of supportive comments, but if there’s one negative, well, we’re going to remember that one forever.
Social media-related workplace problems are rising
For all of its brilliance and innovation, due to its rapid growth, so much of social media and our use of it is uncharted territory. There tends to be rampant misinformation and minimal regulation, especially when it comes to workplace boundaries and knowing what is acceptable or not.
Sadly, situations like these are on the rise and you are absolutely not alone. Last year, a poll by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service found that there had been a 44 per cent rise in workplace conflict, with social media-related activity, including disparaging comments and disputes, being a huge factor driving this spike.
Employee handbooks are outdated
Unfortunately, so many company social media guidebooks only extend to protecting the company from reputation damage and data confidentiality rather than their employees. Even then, written warnings encouraging workers to maintain “professional conduct” are murky territory. I mean, what even constitutes “professional conduct”, especially if our social media platforms are intended to be personal, private and not work-related? At what point does the line get crossed?
Most company social media policies were written in the days when people used to criticise their employer on a private Facebook status. But it’s different now on platforms such as TikTok, where you’ve got this live captive audience, and people grow huge loyal followings.
I wouldn’t be surprised in the years to come because of the rise of these kinds of issues that companies really do knuckle down on their employees, particularly those with huge followings, and put more stipulations in place of what or what isn’t allowed.
It’s hard to prove intent
The difficulty we’ve got here is that you don’t 100 per cent actually know this video is about you because you haven’t been named or identified.
Unfortunately, descriptors such as “energy drain” and “negative Nancy” are opinions rather than statements of fact. And as much as we don’t like to hear it, people are entitled to their opinions. This kind of thing is notoriously difficult to build a legal case around. It’s going to be really difficult to prove intent or raise any kind of formal claim.
Go to HR and request updated social media conduct guidelines
Check your employee handbook. Your company should have a social media policy in place, so it’s worth knowing what it says before you do anything. If you’re genuinely concerned, you could raise it with HR, but go in carefully. If colleagues have expressed that they find you difficult to work with, flagging it upward could backfire. The last thing you want is to make yourself the story, especially if the original video turned out to be about someone else in the first place.
A softer approach is to request a review of the social media clause in your handbook. You don’t need to make it personal. You can simply say you’ve noticed some employees have significant public followings and ask whether the current policy covers that adequately. Something like: “Are we confident our social media guidelines are fit for purpose?” That keeps it professional, removes you from the centre of it, and prompts the right conversation without pointing fingers.
Avoid speaking to your manager
I’d avoid venting to other people. It can quickly turn into rumour, and without solid evidence or context, you risk becoming the subject of a complaint yourself.
I’d also steer clear of going to your manager formally at this stage. There isn’t really enough to go on. If you walk in saying someone is trying to undermine you, that’s hard to walk back. You are potentially escalating something without really having that much information. I’d be cautious.
Time for self-reflection
Just on a side note, let’s look at the bigger picture. In the nicest possible way, I want to ask, is everything okay? If someone were to say to your face that you’re an energy drain – could you contest it? Do you pick faults with colleagues or bring a negative energy into the workplace?
What’s going on outside of work? Do you have community? Friends? Hobbies? Is there anything you could do to help keep yourself busier and less distracted by social media?
In life, we will come up against challenging situations, and where I can, I like to turn negatives into positives. Could this be a moment of self-reflection – or free feedback? Perhaps where you can interrogate how you come across to the world?
A Suprema Corte concedeu na segunda-feira liberdade ao parlamentar de Lok Sabha, Rajesh Ranjan, também conhecido como Pappu Yadav, para abordar o Tribunal Superior de Patna solicitando que listasse sua petição pendente buscando a atualização de sua cobertura de segurança da categoria ‘Y’ para ‘Z’.
Yadav, um deputado em exercício do distrito eleitoral de Purnia, em Bihar, buscou uma atualização de sua cobertura de segurança, citando supostas ameaças da gangue do gangster Lawrance Bishnoi.
A 360-degree spin, a five-second time penalty for an illegal pitlane exit, and an eventual fifth-place finish from the front row does not sound like a good weekend for Max Verstappen on the surface of it.
But the four-time world champion packed up from Miami in jovial fashion, even joking he might have a future in rallying after his dramatic spin on lap one. Gone, at least for now, were the grumblings about the regulation overhaul for this season.
He may only be a lowly seventh place in the drivers’ standings, but it could be that Miami proves the pivotal moment in Verstappen and Red Bull Racing’s 2026 campaign.
Red Bull is no stranger to drama within its four walls and there had been plenty in the opening few races: notably threats of Verstappen’s departure, as well as the exodus of his influential right-hand man Gianpiero Lambiase to arch rivals McLaren.
But in Florida, the mood was of a far happier camp with the team once again showing their impressive propensity for in-season development by having used the enforced five-week hiatus to rectify some gremlins with the RB22.
It helped that Verstappen finally felt like he had a car he could believe in after a raft of upgrades for race four. Those included a new floor, a revised engine cover, a changed front wing and the introduction of the innovative “Macarena” front wing first seen on track by Ferrari. In addition, its engineers have dramatically cut the weight of the car.
The biggest alteration, in Verstappen’s eyes, was unseen: a rebuild of the steering column. It had been an issue since Bahrain winter testing, but it was one thing trying to identify the problem and another to find the right fix. Both were achieved in the break from the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races being canned amid the ongoing unrest in the Middle East.
Suddenly, he was able to go from an also ran to being a genuine contender for pole position in Miami qualifying. No wonder, he called it an “incredible turnaround” having for the first time this season finally felt like he was in control of the car – his rare error of that 360 aside.
Red Bull have been on a PR offensive in the lead-up to Miami inviting journalists to their Milton Keynes base and pushing the message they are not a busted flush after their heroic turnaround of last season.
Team principal Laurent Mekies was forced to hit back saying in one interview, “We are not a sinking ship” before adding, “we’re going to succeed, just beware”. At the time, it seemed an overly bullish statement bearing in mind their pre-Miami position. After the weekend, it is far less fanciful.
Verstappen congratulates race winner Kimi Antonelli (Photo: Getty)
And what of Verstappen? He didn’t drive in the manner of a man looking to exit the F1 grid, getting his elbows out with some very physical racing, sufficiently so for Carlos Sainz to accuse him of doing “whatever he wants” on track.
The regulation changes for Miami regarding engine harvesting and deployment in response to driver complaints do not go far enough in his eyes – he referred to them as “a tickle” – but it is at least a step in the right direction.
And having been an advocate for a return to the V8 engines, he will have been buoyed by the comments of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem that they will be returning in 2031.
Red Bull are not naive enough to everything has been solved. There are still issues with the RB22 but the chassis is heading in the right direction, while the team’s first in-house power unit under Ben Hodgkinson’s watch has clearly been a success.
It has led some to argue it is the quickest on the grid although Mekies is adamant it is two to three tenths of a second a lap down on that of Mercedes.
Red Bull now have a further two-and-a-half weeks to remedy their gremlins further before the next race in Canada. They have not suddenly turned into title winners overnight but, having come back from a 100-plus point deficit last season, count them and Verstappen out at your peril.
eu recebi muitos, muitos presentes de Star Wars ao longo dos anos. Passei o primeiro dia de Natal que me lembro pilotando Luke e seu X-wing pela casa. Conheci Darth Vader (David Prowse) quando tinha 6 anos. Ainda posso sentir um arrepio de medo quando ele passou pelas portas duplas, estendendo a mão por cima da multidão para apertar minha mão enquanto meu pai me segurava. Nunca questionei por que o Lorde das Trevas dos Sith estava no Woolworth’s.
Quando me tornei pai, tive uma nova desculpa para visitar aquela galáxia muito, muito distante e comprar brinquedos novos. (Ainda me arrependo de ter vendido o meu em uma liquidação de garagem para arrecadar fundos para nossa primeira casa.) Minha esposa e eu amamos os filmes originais e nossos filhos preferem a trilogia prequela, mas todos nós gostamos de assistir os programas mais recentes juntos. Todo mundo sabe que sou um fã e recebi (e dei) inúmeros presentes de Star Wars ao longo dos anos. Estes são alguns dos meus favoritos.
Atualizado em 4 de maio de 2026: Atualizei este guia para o que é não oficialmente conhecido mundialmente como Star Wars Day, adicionando presentes de Ruggable, Goal Darts, Lego e Displate, removi alguns itens descontinuados e atualizei preços.
More than 20 million people are eligible to vote in Thursday’s local elections in England – and their verdict could shape the nation’s political landscape for many years to come.
Labour is on course for a wave of devastating losses that will pile fresh pressure on the embattled Prime Minister, and could even trigger attempts to oust Sir Keir Starmer from office.
But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is also braced for a dismal day at the polls as the two-party system continues to fracture.
According to the Tory peer and pollster Lord Robert Hayward, Labour will lose around 1,850 of the 2,500 council seats it is defending across the country, while the Conservatives will shed around 600 of the 1,300 seats they control.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is expected to gain 1,550 seats, while the resurgent Green Party of England and Wales, led by Zack Polanski, is predicted to pick up around 500 seats.
The Liberal Democrats – whose leader, Sir Ed Davey, insisted last month that the party would “keep on winning” – are expected to gain around 150 seats.
Shorts – Quick stories
UK POLITICS
What to expect from the imminent local elections
Caption: CARDIFF, WALES – MAY 06: A box of ballot papers at the election count at the House of Sport on May 6, 2022 in Cardiff, Wales. Every council seat in Scotland, Wales and London is being contested in the local elections and there are polls across much of the rest of England to fill around 6,900 council seats. 91 seats or around 1% of the seats are uncontested due to only one candidate being put forward. Labour is expected to strengthen its hold in Wales. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images) Photographer: Matthew Horwood Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
Your guide to the local elections on Thursday, which are set to reshape the political landscape of the UK and potentially threaten Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.
What you need to know
Elections are being held across Scotland, Wales and England on 7 May.
In Wales, voters will choose members of the Senedd (Welsh parliament).
Voters in Scotland will elect MSPs to the 129-seat parliament at Holyrood.
In England, 136 local authorities will hold elections.
There are also a handful of local mayoral elections in London.
Big Read
6 min read
How will the results unfold?
Polling stations open at 7am on Thursday 7 May. Voters in England will need to show photo ID to be able to cast a vote.
Millions of people will take to the polls before they close at 10pm.
In England, 46 of the local authorities will count and declare overnight, with results expected between in the early hours of the morning on 8 May.
The results in Scotland and Wales are expected to trickle in from Friday afternoon.
The remaining English authorities begin counting ballots on Friday morning, with results announced throughout the day.
Status quo upended
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 30: Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives a media statement on the government’s response to a stabbing in which two Jewish men were wounded at 10 Downing Street on April 30, 2026 in London, England. On Wednesday, two Jewish men aged 76 and 34 were stabbed in the Golders Green area of north London. The suspect, aged 45, was tasered and arrested. Police have declared the attack a terrorist incident. The two victims were taken to hospital and are said to be in stable condition. (Photo by Jack Taylor – WPA Pool/Getty Images) Photographer: WPA Pool Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
A poll for The i Paper by BMG Research predicted Labour and the Conservatives will see heavy losses with the two insurgent populist parties making major gains.
Reform is on 28 per cent, nine points ahead of Labour on 19 per cent.
Exclusive
3 min read
Caption: An archive image of the cruise ship Hondius, in Vlissingen, Netherlands May 17, 2025. IMAGE OBTAINED BY REUTERS/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES VERIFICATION: – Reuters confirmed the location from the shipyard, signage and fuel depot which matched file and satellite images. – Coordinates of the shipyard: 51.461283930722175, 3.6998162498897433. – The date when the pictures were taken was verified by original file metadata. Photographer: IMAGE OBTAINED BY REUTERS Provider: via REUTERS Source: Handout
health
What caused the fatal cruise ship outbreak?
A rare outbreak of hantavirus, transmitted by rodents, has killed three on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, leaving one Briton in intensive care.
What’s the situation?
A suspected hantavirus outbreak has left three people dead and one in intensive care.
It occurred on the MV Hondius cruise liner, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.
The ship is now grounded in South Africa, and five more suspected cases are under investigation.
One British national is reportedly in intensive care and tested positive for the virus.
NEWS
3 min read
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus cases are usually linked to environmental exposure, such as contact with waste from infected rodents.
In rare cases they can spread between people, resulting in severe respiratory illness.
It can cause two diseases, one that primarily affects the lungs and the other that attacks the kidneys.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the respiratory illness, is most commonly found in the Americas.
What are the symptoms?
Photographer: ljubaphoto Provider: Getty Images
So it begins
At the outset, it has flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and fever, one to eight weeks after exposure.
Respiratory effects
Four to ten days later, coughing, shortness of breath and fluid in the lungs appear.
Caption: Adult man wearing a yellow hoodie in a living room, coughing or sneezing into elbow. Photographer: ti-ja Provider: Getty Images Source: E+
Young women patient’s hand receiving IV drip medicine after surgery – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
No known treatment
There is no specific therapy, so treatment includes rest and fluids. Some may be put on a ventilator.
One-minute jab on the NHS could treat tens of thousands of patients
The immunotherapy injection works by telling the body’s immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells.
Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 MONDAY MAY 4
Screen grab taken from PA Video dated 27/04/26 of a nurse preparing a new one-minute injection for more than a dozen cancers, at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Hertfordshire. The immunotherapy injection, being rolled out on the NHS, works by telling the body’s immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells and is powerful against several types of the disease, including lung, breast, head and neck, and cervical cancer. Issue date: Monday May 4, 2026. PA Photo. Until now, patients have had to spend long periods on a drip to get the drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) into their system. Photo credit should read: Shivansh Gupta/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Photographer: Shivansh Gupta Provider: Shivansh Gupta/PA Wire Source: PA
How it works
The new pembrolizumab injection is effective against multiple cancers, including lung, breast and cervical. It is given every three weeks as a one-minute injection or every six weeks as a two-minute injection.
The immunotherapy jab works by helping the body recognise cancer cells and destroy them.
Caption: Screen grab taken from PA Video dated 27/04/26 of Stephen Friend, 67, who received a new one-minute injection for melanoma at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Hertfordshire. The immunotherapy injection, being rolled out on the NHS for more than a dozen cancers, works by telling the body’s immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells and is powerful against several types of the disease, including lung, breast, head and neck, and cervical cancer. Issue date: Monday May 4, 2026. PA Photo. Until now, patients have had to spend long periods on a drip to get the drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) into their system. Photo credit should read: Shivansh Gupta/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Photographer: Shivansh Gupta Provider: Shivansh Gupta/PA Wire Source: PA
Analysis
4 min read
Who will benefit?
Previously, patients had to spend up to 45 minutes on a drip to be administered the cancer drug.
The new injectable form means treatment time can be slashed by up to 90 per cent.
Roughly 14,000 patients start pembrolizumab therapy each year in England. Most will now switch to the jabs.
NHS national clinical director for cancer, Professor Peter Johnson, said: “It will help free up vital appointments for NHS teams.”
Analysis suggests the injection cuts the amount of time staff spend on preparing treatment by 44 per cent.
Just in time for spring
I feel appreciative, really. I mean, we don’t have to pay for it. It’s been wonderful. Now I can spend more time on gardening, especially now spring is here.
Shirley Xerxes, 89, first Nhs patient to receive the new injection
Caption: Screen grab taken from PA Video dated 27/04/26 of Shirley Xerxes, 89, who was one of the first patients to receive a new one-minute injection for bowl cancer at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Hertfordshire. The immunotherapy injection, being rolled out on the NHS for more than a dozen cancers, works by telling the body’s immune system to recognise and kill cancer cells and is powerful against several types of the disease, including lung, breast, head and neck, and cervical cancer. Issue date: Monday May 4, 2026. PA Photo. Until now, patients have had to spend long periods on a drip to get the drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda) into their system. Photo credit should read: Shivansh Gupta/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Photographer: Shivansh Gupta Provider: Shivansh Gupta/PA Wire Source: PA
Can you learn to love pigeons? A much-unloved animal in the UK
Features writer Kasia Delgado went on a safari to see if she could look past their rat-like nature
The tour guide
People think pigeons are stupid but lots of studies have shown them to have amazing memories, that they can identify people by their facial features, and they have an extraordinary sense of direction.
Florence Wilkinson, author of Wild City: Encounters with Urban Wildlife, took Kasia on a tour.
Positives of pigeons
War heroes
During the Second World War, carrier pigeons were routinely used to send messages, and they saved thousands of lives.
Homing ability
Scientists have put them in blacked-out vans and put miniature goggles on them to blur their vision and still the pigeons manage to return home.
The Dove family
We think of them as all grey, but they vary in shades, and some of them are quite amazingly coloured, says Florence.
Kasia’s feeding test
As I gingerly chuck some seed, wincing slightly, 15 or so flap their wings at me. I wouldn’t say I feel content or relaxed but I don’t hate it as much as I thought I would. I can see they’re not going to do me harm and after all, they’re just enjoying some free food.
A common myth?
Disease carriers
Research has found that between 1941 and 2004, there were only 207 reports worldwide of pathogens transmitted from pigeons to humans.
Not all walks are created equal
Read on to find out how to supercharge yours into an unbeatable health-builder
How to supercharge your walk
Get a bit breathless
All walking paces are linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease but there are additional gains made by those who walk at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity.
Walk uphill
Try to find varying inclines to increase energy and muscle burn.
Add weights
The extra resistance challenges your heart to work harder, increasing cardiovascular fitness.
How to supercharge your walk
Uneven ground
Mountainous and uneven terrain work your stabilising muscles harder, increasing the difficulty and output from your walk.
Go Nordic
Using poles engages the arms as well as the legs and core, turning walking into a full-body workout.
A walk is beneficial at any time of day, but after eating could be best. Research has found that 10- to 30-minute walks taken 10 to 30 minutes after a meal can reduce the peak blood-sugar measurements reached.
Slower and lower blood sugar throughout the day reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
How to supercharge your walk
Go green
Walking in nature has more psychological benefits than concrete. It’s shown to significantly reduce anxiety and depression.
Improve your posture
Staying tall through the spine, open your chest and keep your eyes forward (not leaning over on your phone..).
Meet outside
Walking is a good time to have conversations, whether with your boss or a friend.
Mistakes to avoid
1Focusing on step count – most research suggests that benefits plateau at 7,000 steps a day.
2Using ankle weights – they can tug at the hip flexors and the knees.
3 Doing one-and-done – just hiking for three hours on the weekend, and nothing throughout the week, means you’re missing out on benefits.
4Thinking it’s not a workout – walking packs in cardio and brain-boosting effects without the recovery time of intense exercise.
Eight million people in the UK are living with heart or circulatory disease
And while chest pain is a well-known symptom, there are more subtle signs you should be aware of too.
Overlooked signs of heart disease
Dizziness and fainting
An abnormal heart rhythm can cause a dizzy feeling. While much dizziness is not serious, it can be associated with life-threatening complications.
Increased breathlessness
This breathlessness could be due to blockages and reduced blood flow in the arteries.
Swollen ankles
Unusual swelling can indicate a problem with the body’s circulatory system and kidneys.
Worsening fatigue
Ongoing and worsening fatigue can indicate an underlying health issue, and it could be a sign that your heart isn’t working as effectively as it should be. If persistent fatigue is impacting you day-to-day, the best thing to do is speak with your doctor.
Ruth Goss, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation
Overlooked signs of heart disease
Indigestion-type symptoms Discomfort in the stomach, chest and ribs, or a burning sensation in the chest area, could all be symptoms of heart disease.
Erectile dysfunction If it’s an ongoing issue, there could be an underlying health problem, including atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), diabetes or high blood pressure.
Emotional detachment is a key life skill
Read on to find out how to embrace it, from GP Dr Radha
Healthy detachment
[Detachment] is not selfish – we can still care and empathise. We don’t avoid, we just balance and respond rather than react because we are not too invested in the outcome. This is very different from emotional numbing, which often happens after trauma.
dr Radha Modgil
When we need detachment
Toxic friendships
When you feel that an interaction brings out the worst in you, or that you are having to watch everything you say or do.
Dysfunctional families
Healthy detachment is helpful when we become overly invested in trying to control or fix someone.
Work issues
It’s helpful in situations you are not in control of and helps you leave work behind at 5pm.
How to start it
Examine your beliefs
You may have been conditioned to think that it is your responsibility to fix everything. Is this a fact or based on old patterns?
Look at the impact
Consider what negative impact your “fixing” has; it can keep situations stuck, or infantilise others from growing up.
Which problems are in your control?
Understanding what problems are ours to hold and which aren’t can help avoid emotional burnout.
How to maintain it
Firm boundaries
This means understanding your sense of self, what is yours and what is not and sticking to it.
Self-care
Recognise and look after your own energy levels, mental health and your need to live your own life.
Be objective
Try to have a factual, calm, rational attitude in moments of conflict. This includes trying to release the need to control.
I spent a week in the world’s happiest country
Here are the five ways I brought Finnish culture back to the UK.
Sauna, sauna, sauna
A regular Finnish sauna boasts a wealth of health benefits: improved cardiovascular health, reduced blood pressure, lower risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia.
In Finnish culture, the sauna is available for everyone: it’s the great equaliser and forms a gently ritualistic part of the day.
Immerse yourself in nature
It is enshrined in Finnish law that anyone living in or visiting Finland has the freedom to roam the countryside, forage, fish, ski, or camp temporarily.
70 per cent of Finland is forest and they have an estimated 180,000 lakes, of which Lake Saimaa (the one I visited) is the largest.
It plays into the Finns’ love of solitude: having space to think. I have found myself not only treasuring the greenery I can find in London.
Eastl local and drink coffee
Finnish diet
Diets are rich in oily fish and local produce: whole grains, Arctic berries, dairy, wild mushrooms, and game like reindeer.
Coffee
The Finns are the number one coffee drinkers in the world. This is both a social ritual and a historic legacy.
I’m cherishing my coffee breaks that bit more, as well as enjoying smoked fish and pickles for lunch
Have fun
Play is embedded from early childhood, as it is seen as a fundamental pillar of development. For every 45-minute lesson, children enjoy unstructured play for 15 mins.
While adults don’t get the same level of structured play, hobbies and a clear demarcation between work and life ensure adults retain a sense of leisure. Every year in July, businesses slow down.
Do not take the good for granted
Finns actively remember not only their suffering through the war, but the fact that the peace they enjoy requires constant maintenance.
Greenwich Park (Photo: AP Photo/Joanna Chan)
Since my visit, I am actively appreciating things like London’s public transport system, or the number of parks my dog can run in. We are fools if we take it for granted.
Voters in Wales and Scotland will also go to the polls to choose new devolved parliaments.
The Scottish National Party is expected to top the polls north of the border, with Reform emerging as the main opposition at Holyrood and pushing Labour into a distant third.
In Wales, Plaid Cymru is likely to be the biggest party in the new-look 96 member Senedd, with Reform coming in second ahead of the previously dominant Labour Party.
Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said the elections “look like being an absolute bloodbath for Labour and Keir Starmer, an incredibly unpopular Prime Minister leading an incredibly unpopular Government that, fairly or unfairly, voters are blaming for pretty much everything that’s going on right now”.
In normal times, Starmer “would probably face a challenge in the wake of the huge losses of councils and councillors it’s set to face”, Bale said.
But the Middle East crisis may offer a stay of execution, with the Prime Minister emphasising the need for stability at a time of such geopolitical uncertainty.
London falling?
Labour is under pressure across the country, but its collapse could be most spectacular in the capital, where it currently holds nearly two thirds of council seats.
The party is expected to lose control of a number of London councils as younger progressive voters switch to the Greens in large numbers. Boroughs that could flip from red to green include Hackney, where the party currently holds 43 of 57 seats, and Lambeth, where it holds 54 of 63 seats.
Green Party posters on display in Hackney, where the party could take control of the local council from Labour (Photo: Carl Court/Getty)
A YouGov MRP poll last month suggested that Greens could take Lewisham, where Labour currently holds all but two of 54 seats. Polanski’s party is also expected to make big inroads in Southwark, Islington and Camden – Starmer’s home council – while Labour also faces pressure in inner London from pro-Gaza independents.
The Conservatives could also compound Labour’s misery in the capital on an otherwise gloomy night for Badenoch’s troops. The Tories are expected to take back Barnet, where Labour currently have a 21-seat majority.
They also need a gain of just three seats to wrest back control of Westminster, which Labour won to much fanfare in 2022. The Conservatives are also targeting Wandsworth, the party’s erstwhile flaship London council which also fell to Labour four years ago, although a victory here is considered less probable.
Binned off
Outside of London, Labour also looks to be in deep trouble in Birmingham, where it holds a narrow majority.
The city council – the largest local authority in Europe, serving more than a million residents – has endured a torrid few years.
It declared itself effectively bankrupt in September 2023 and imposed swingeing budget cuts, as well as a 17.5 per cent council tax rise over two years. Bin collectors have been on strike over proposed pay cuts since March 2025, with rubbish frequently piling up in the street.
Despite currently holding 65 of 101 seats, polling suggests that Labour’s support is set to collapse, leaving it with as few as nine councillors and the authority under “no overall control”. The Greens, pro-Gaza independent candidates and Reform are all expected to make big advances.
Labour also faces a battering in Bradford, which it control with 46 of 90 seats. The Greens are pouring heavy resources into the West Yorkshire city with the hope of emerging as the biggest party.
Here comes Nigel
Reform looks certain to be the biggest overall winner in England, as it was in last year’s elections.
This reflects the party’s high poll numbers, but also the fact that it is starting virtually from scratch (in 2022, Reform picked up a mere 93 votes in Billesley, Birmingham, the only ward it contested in the city).
Farage will be anxious for a second year of large gains to demonstrate he is a credible contender for Downing Street in 2029.
Hayward, the polling expert, said: “The key question for Reform is whether they will perform to last year’s level or will they fall back somewhat.”
There are signs that former Labour voters are defecting in large numbers to Farage’s party in previous fiefdoms such as Sunderland, which has been run by the party for 52 years and where it still holds two thirds of the 75 council seats.
Reform swept to power last year in neighbouring County Durham and is aiming to gain a majority this week in Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s home city.
Barnsley, where Labour is defending 46 of its 63 seats, and Wakefield, where it holds 48 of 63, are typical of the councils where Reform is seeking to entrench its support across the former “Red Wall”.
Labour is also going backwards in Blackburn, where its overall majority of three is highly vulnerable to advances by pro-Gaza independents and Reform.
Polls suggest a “Black Country surge” could also propel Reform into power in Walsall, where the Tories hold 29 of 60 seats.
They could also make big advances in Sandwell, a historically rock-solid Labour territory, as well as in Dudley, where there is a minority Conservative administration.
Essex County Council, which covers Farage’s parliamentary seat of Clacton, has been run by the Conservatives for 29 years. But polling suggests that Reform could sweep to power, as well as winning Thurrock district council and making gains in others across the county.
It is also expected to emerge as the biggest party in Suffolk, where the Tories have an overall majority of 13, and in Norfolk, where polls suggest Reform could win more than 50 of the 84 seats because collapsing Conservative support.
Reform’s hopes in London are highest in Havering, a right-leaning area which is currently run by a residents’ association. One of the borough’s MPs, Andrew Rosindell, defected to Reform from the Conservatives in January.
The party will also hope for strong showing in the outer London boroughs of Bromley, Bexley and Hillingdon, which are all under Conservative control.
Lib Dems
The Liberal Democrats are on course for further gains following a decade of advances in local government.
They are aiming to capitalise on slumping Tory popularity in the Home Counties to become the biggest party in West Sussex and East Sussex, although Reform could make strong gains in both councils.
Davey’s party will hope to become the biggest party in Newcastle-upon-Tyne as Labour continues to lose its grip on the city. The Greens are also expected to pick up seats on the council, which is currently fragmented with a number of independent groupings.
The Lib Dems need just two gains to take overall control in Stockport, its strongest area of support in Greater Manchester. The party will also want to bolster its majority of one in Kingston-upon-Hull – but its ambitions could be stymied by Reform’s appeal in pro-Brexit East Yorkshire.
Where’s are England’s elections?
32 London boroughs
Six county councils
18 unitary authorities, including the newly-created East Surrey and West Surrey
32 metropolitan districts
48 district councils
Five London boroughs and Watford will elect local authority mayors
What about outside of England?
Scottish Parliament – 129 seats (73 in constituencies, 56 from regional lists)
Welsh Senedd – 96 seats (Six from each of 16 constituencies)
Um raro conjunto de cartas e fotos dos primeiros tempos dos Beatles, nas quais eles escrevem sobre se sentirem estrelas pela primeira vez, será exibido em Hamburgo.
A coleção, de um período influente em que a banda morou na cidade alemã, inclui a única carta existente com palavras de Paul McCartney e John Lennon, que foi escrita para o irmão do baixista, Mike McCartney.
A exposição gratuita, que acontece de 8 a 25 de maio e faz parte do pageant anual do porto de Hamburgo, Hafengeburtstag, gira em torno dos cinco membros originais da banda durante um período que moldou enormemente seu som e aparência entre 1960 e 1962.
Mike McCartney, que doou algumas das cartas para a coleção reunida pela autoridade combinada da região da cidade de Liverpool e pelo Senado de Hamburgo, disse: “É fascinante, porque elas [give] você tantos segredos sobre eles enquanto eles estão se desenvolvendo.
“Foi extraordinário, porque o nosso filho estava apenas a dizer o que está a acontecer lá, numa terra estrangeira, sobre a água. E foi uma fase muito importante no seu desenvolvimento”, disse Mike ao Guardian.
As cartas, também coletadas do The Cavern Membership e do Liverpool Beatles Museum, revelam os pensamentos de Lennon, Paul McCartney e George Harrison, bem como os do baixista authentic, Stuart Sutcliffe, que morreu brand após o período de Hamburgo de hemorragia cerebral aos 21 anos, e do baterista authentic, Pete Finest, que foi contratado especificamente para sua primeira visita a Hamburgo.
Em uma carta de Finest para sua mãe, ele lembra como ele, Lennon e McCartney se sentiram como estrelas embarcando em seu avião, tendo sido entrevistado por um membro da imprensa sobre eles terem sido eleitos a banda número um de Liverpool.
Fotografias tiradas por Sutcliffe, que foi elementary no estilo da banda – e foi o primeiro a ter o penteado moptop da banda, dado a ele por sua noiva, Astrid Kirchherr – também aparecem na exposição. Ele decidiu ficar em Hamburgo com Kirchherr enquanto os outros companheiros de banda voltavam para Liverpool.
Mike McCartney disse que os Beatles faziam reveals “sem parar” durante sua estada em Hamburgo, chegando a se apresentar por oito horas em algumas noites. “Eles tomavam todas essas pílulas para mantê-los funcionando, tanto para cima quanto para baixo”, disse ele. Quando Paul voltou de Hamburgo, ele estava visivelmente mais magro, disse Mike, mas estava claro que a banda havia passado para o próximo nível.
“A música quando eles tocavam em Liverpool – por Deus, você conseguia ouvir o profissionalismo. A diferença period que eles tinham saído de Hamburgo, feito o trabalho duro – quero dizer, mais do que trabalho duro. Period como se eles fossem como giz e queijo quando voltaram para Liverpool. E eles estavam fora do grupo principal em Liverpool, porque estavam tão juntos, tão unidos, tão diferentes.”
Uma carta de Paul para Mike, escrita em maio de 1962, dá uma visão da florescente cena musical ao vivo de Hamburgo, com Paul revelando como eles foram informados de que as lendas do rock’n’roll americano Chuck Berry e Jerry Lee Lewis poderiam em breve visitar a cidade, e como Paul esperava que os Beatles pudessem se apresentar com Berry.
Também traz um longo trecho de Lennon, ditado ao colega de banda, que começa com um poema caprichoso sobre manter o queixo erguido e lamenta Mike por não conseguir um emprego como cabeleireiro, sem saber se ele realmente conseguiu ou não, e se estende por várias páginas, com personagens como Jesus e o piloto de F1 Stirling Moss aparecendo.
A Autoridade Combinada de Liverpool disse que está potencialmente pensando em trazer a exposição para casa no futuro, depois de uma série de seis partes da BBC ser filmada em Hamburgo sobre os primeiros dias dos Beatles.
Mike disse que inicialmente não guardou as cartas por nenhum motivo específico e que “nem percebeu seu significado” até muito recentemente. Sua esposa o chamou de colecionador por guardar esses itens por mais de 60 anos, disse ele. “Mas estou feliz por ter feito isso, até certo ponto. Porque se eu não tivesse acumulado, você não teria essas cartas únicas.”
Mike também foi músico, da banda The Scaffold, que tem um field set de singles e álbuns disponíveis, e foi fotógrafo, tirando fotos dos Beatles em seus primeiros dias, que mais tarde foram reunidas no livro Mike McCartney’s Early Liverpool.
Ele disse que ele e seu irmão deixaram de usar cartas para se comunicar. “Agora ele faz FaceTime, parecendo um desalinhado”, disse Mike. “Ele nunca faz a barba. Eu sempre digo ‘seu desgraçado desalinhado’. Nós apenas conversamos sobre nada… e tudo.”
Com Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), de dois anos, fundada pelo ator que virou político C. Joseph Vijay, liderando em mais de 100 assentos, de acordo com as primeiras tendências a partir das 13h do dia da contagem em Mondau (4 de maio de 2026), muitos de seus titulares de cargos na linha de frente têm apresentado fortes desempenhos até agora.
Vijay, que disputou duas cadeiras – Perambur em Chennai e Tiruchi East – lidera em ambas as cadeiras por uma margem confortável. Os líderes da linha de frente do partido, incluindo o secretário-geral N. Anand (T. Nagar), o coordenador-chefe do comitê de alto nível KA Sengottaiyan (Gobichettipalayam), o secretário-geral – gerenciamento de campanha eleitoral Aadhav Arjuna (Villivakkam), o secretário-geral – política e propaganda KG Arunraaj (Thiruchengode) e o tesoureiro P. Venakataraman (Mylapore), assumiram uma liderança confortável.
