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Reform is set to take control of these areas – what it means if you live there

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Reform UK is on course to make significant gains in this week’s local elections.

Polling from YouGov in the West Midlands suggests Nigel Farage’s party is set to top the polls in all 13 of the authorities holding contests in what is often considered a “swing” area between Labour and the Conservatives.

From a standing start in virtually all areas, Reform would take control of eight councils and be in contention in the remaining five, YouGov says.

Shorts – Quick stories

The eight councils projected to turn turqouise are Cannock Chase, Tamworth, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Dudley, Redditch, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Walsall and Rugby.

In Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull, the projected result is within five points or less.

Here The i Paper looks at what promises have been made and what a Reform-led council could mean for households in the region.

Bins

One of the most high-profile political stories in the West Midlands is the ongoing bin strike in Birmingham.

Refuse workers first walked out more than a year ago in a dispute over jobs and conditions, leading to rubbish piling up the streets and residents plagued by an increase in rats.

Last week, Labour leaders announced a new offer was on the table which both sides said could end the dispute, though it has not yet been completed.

Other political parties raised suspicions about the timing of the announcement, and discussions of how the strike should be handled continues to be a major issue in the run-up to polling day.

Reform’s campaign in Birmingham has been led by 24-year-old Jex Parkin.

He has pledged to end the strike telling the BBC: “We’d seek the correct legal advice from both parties in order to get an end to the bin strike, clean up our streets, get the finances in order and deliver change for Birmingham.”

In separate comments to the Birmingham Mail, Parkin added that he would end the strikes by offering “fair pay deals that also demand proper productivity”.

The prospect of dealing with Reform has already caused a headache for Unite the Union which is leading the walkout.

Some factions of the trade union movement feel general secretary Sharon Graham has not made enough effort to distance herself and her organisation from Farage.

Last month, it emerged Graham had spoken to Reform’s leadership in private about the bin strike.

Graham confirmed the meeting but said she was willing to speak to all political parties to seek their support to end the dispute.

The situation remains delicate and the consequences of a Reform victory in Birmingham are unclear.

Council tax

Reform has made repeated promises to cut taxes and alleged waste in local government spending in recent years.

The party is delivering a similar message ahead of the elections on 7 May.

In Sandwell, chairman Ray Nock had pledged to freeze council tax next year and scrap parking charges.

The council, currently controlled by Labour, put up council tax by 4.99 per cent this year, the fourth consecutive year there has been the maximum increase permitted.

Leaders said it was the only way to cover spiralling costs with a deficit expected to reach £48m by 2030.

Reform has faced similar problems delivering the cuts in council tax and spending it promised in other areas.

In nearby Worcestershire, Reform has had to raise council tax by 9 per cent to tackle a financial crisis at the authority, despite having pledged to cut it during campaigning.

However, Nock told the Express and Star that his team, including four candidates who work as accountants, believes it can cut costs in Sandwell.

“The council tax keeps going up every year, and that can’t carry on,” he added.

Crackdown on HMOs

Reform has also promised to crackdown on the spread of HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupation) in the West Midlands.

During a visit to Sedgley, a town in Dudley, Farage dismissed Labour’s recent announcement that it will close hotels housing asylum seekers, claiming that it would mean they are simply moved into HMOs instead.

Speaking to reporters, Farage said: “Hotels closing on the face of it might look like good news but it’s probably incredibly bad news because the people who were in the hotels don’t just disappear in a puff of smoke.

“They then get put into HMOs in residential streets.

“If you look at the statistics for Dudley, Wolverhampton, look at Smethwick, look at all these towns around here, basically you guys here are the HMO capitals of Britain.”

Farage said that councils should start rejecting planning applications for HMOs in their area, and rejected the idea that they are restricted by planning laws.

He said Reform-led councils in the region would be “very bloody-minded” and “make things much more difficult” for developers.

Potholes and green belt

Other policy areas where Reform has been making promises in the West Midlands include roads, housing and policing.

The party claims it will fix more potholes than other parties.

Labour is acutely aware of how much it is a topic that bothers voters in the area, with the party’s West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, announcing plans for a new fund for road repairs worth £240m earlier this year.

But in Dudley, for example, Reform candidate Marco Longhi claims local people have been “totally ignored” when it comes to road repairs and is promising only his party will “fix the mess”.

In Solihull, Reform leader Michael Gough has vowed to protect green belt land wherever possible to “end the speculative housing free-for-all that has plagued the borough under previous leadership.”

The council is currently led by the Conservatives, but with every seat up for election this year, Reform is in contention to change the balance of power.

With two thirds of the borough designated as green belt, new housing is a major issue and the council was forced to withdraw its local plan, its overall blueprint for housing, in 2024 due to disagreements over where an extra 2,000 homes can be built.

A new plan has yet to be submitted with the government setting a deadline of December 2026.

Reform leaders in Solihull say their position is that brownfield land should be built on first and that their party would prioritise sites such as UK Central near the M42 motorway and the HS2 Interchange.

Labour facing ‘record-breaking meltdown’

Jon Tonge, professor in British politics at the University of Liverpool, said he is expecting “record-breaking” losses for Labour in the local elections, with the party losing as many as 1,800 seats.

He predicts the West Midlands to be one of the success stories for Reform, partly because it is an area where authorities are electing all councillors, not just a third as is usually the case.

“They are potentially very volatile, there could be huge changes there,” he added.

“Labour will do pitifully I think on Thursday, even if you think you can’t bring yourself to vote Reform as a Labour supporter, which plenty of Labour people will feel like that, they will stay at home.”

Tonge said that the result could also see Reform looking to enter coalitions with the Conservatives in some areas, but that ultimately the party will face the same difficulties it has governing in other places.

“I think there’s a slightly improved knowledge of local governance in 2026, but they are still political novices, they haven’t got any experience,” he said.

“Farage, in fairness, has been quite open about the need for more governing capability. It’s a very steep learning curve for them.”

Hope retorna ao Maple Leafs com uma vitória remota na loteria

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TORONTO – Que diferença um dia faz.

Embora esta ousada nova period do hóquei Toronto Maple Leafs – co-liderada pelo GM John Chayka e pelo conselheiro-chefe Mats Sundin – tenha começado com uma das revelações de gestão mais tensas do esporte moderno na segunda-feira, os fãs do clube estavam comemorando 24 horas depois.

Na terça-feira, toda a decepção e desilusão da maior queda ano após ano desta equipe torturada deu lugar a algo novo e inspirador e muito raro nesta temporada.

Os Maple Leafs nem sempre jogam na NHL Draft Lottery. Mas quando o fazem, eles vencem.

“Bem, você precisa de um pouco de sorte”, disse Chayka, entre sorrisos de duende. “E conseguimos esta noite.”

Terminando 2025-26 com uma derrapagem de sete jogos e caindo para o 28º lugar na classificação da NHL, os Maple Leafs tinham 58,5 por cento de likelihood de cair entre os cinco primeiros do draft e entregar sua primeira escolha geral ao rival Boston Bruins – uma ressalva da negociação Brandon Carlo – Fraser Minten de 2025.

As probabilities dos Leafs de ganhar na loteria – o que aconteceu há 10 anos, a última vez que perderam os playoffs – eram de apenas 8,5%.

Essas probabilities diminuíram para 4,5 por cento depois que as duas primeiras das quatro bolas da loteria foram sugadas pelo Magical Ping-Pong Ball Sucker-Higher de Gary Bettman.

Então a sorte de São Patrício bateu duas vezes. Toronto empatou exatamente o que precisava no flip e no river para levar o pote.

A combinação que desbloqueou a primeira escolha geral do draft de 2026 e perfurou as nuvens com um raio de sol dourado: 7–2–11–12.

“Estou extremamente feliz pela base de fãs do Toronto Maple Leafs”, disse Sundin, que também foi escolhido pela primeira vez em 1989. “É ótimo conseguir a primeira escolha. Ótima noite. Ótima loteria.”

Um Chayka “exultante” mal teve likelihood de recuperar o fôlego.

Ele ainda está esperando para se sentar com seu capitão e seu treinador principal. Caramba, ele nem se encontrou com seu diretor de escotismo amador, Mark Leach, e com uma equipe de escoteiros herdada que fará a escolha número 1.

Contratado sob ceticismo de vários cantos da liga, o novo GM foi colocado no espremedor da mídia na segunda-feira e tirou um trevo de quatro folhas na terça-feira.

“Segundo dia de trabalho”, disse Chayka. “Vamos nos reunir, vamos passar por tudo, como deveríamos, e ser tremendous diligentes e ter certeza de que sabemos tudo.

“Sempre há muita diligência quando você escolhe primeiro no geral e certifica-se de acertar.”

Nem Sundin nem Chayka informaram qual cliente potencial de primeira linha eles estão inclinados a selecionar em 26 de junho no KeyBank Heart em Buffalo – o mesmo native onde os Maple Leafs compraram um Auston Matthews de cara nova em 2016.

“Jogador emocionante”, disse Chayka sobre McKenna. “Eu o acompanho há vários anos. E o nível de habilidade, a criatividade, a habilidade do disco e seu arremesso e lançamento são todos muito especiais. Então, bom pacote.

“Eu sei que há muita paixão por muitos jogadores, incluindo Gavin.”

Da mesma forma, Sundin tem rastreado Stenberg na Suécia.

“Ivar teve uma temporada forte, desde o Campeonato Mundial Júnior”, disse Sundin. “Então, será muito bom acompanhá-los provavelmente no Campeonato Mundial deste ano.

“Rascunho forte. Então, será interessante olhar para esses diferentes jogadores agora sabendo que é a primeira escolha geral. Portanto, temos muito trabalho pela frente.”

Os feitiços inesperados de terça-feira passam do tempo.

Toronto não pode se dar ao luxo de afundar novamente em 2027 ou 2028, já que as escolhas do primeiro turno estão agora comprometidas com Filadélfia (por meio da negociação de Scott Laughton de 2025) e Boston, respectivamente, sem qualquer proteção.

Certamente a adição de um ala pronto para a NHL contribuirá muito para intrigar um Matthews em conflito, energizar um camarim oprimido e reconquistar uma base de fãs descontentes.

“Não creio que isso mude a visão ou a estratégia. Mas certamente quando estas coisas acontecem, pode mudar o rumo e os prazos”, disse Chayka.

“É um salto fortuito.”

Os deuses do hóquei estarão sorrindo para todos os fãs dos Leafs que farão uma viagem no início do verão e apontarão seus carros para o oeste no velho QEW.

Com uma parada rápida para festejar em Buffalo.

How many interest rate rises experts expect

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The Bank of England kept interest rates on hold last week but some experts predict rises later in 2026, which means mortgage deals could increase yet again.

The Bank tends to increase rates as inflation rises above its 2 per cent target.

As it is currently sat at 3.3 per cent, and set to climb further, an increase to the current bank rate of 3.75 per cent is expected to happen in the next couple of months.

The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation measure is expected to rise because of the impact the conflict in the Middle East is having on oil prices, which will likely feed in to the prices of other goods and services.

But how much prices – and interest rates – could rise by is still a topic of much debate, alongside what the impact could be on mortgage rates?

Why might interest rates rise later this year?

Interest rates are used as a tool to keep inflation at or around the Bank’s 2 per cent target.

The base rate, sometimes called the bank rate, is the core interest rate in the UK, and is the rate of interest the Bank of England pays to commercial banks, building societies and financial institutions that hold money with it.

If the Bank increases interest rates, it broadly means that the cost of borrowing money – for example via mortgages or loans – is more expensive, and the rate of return people get for saving money is higher.

This can discourage spending and borrowing, with the aim being that this lower demand for goods keeps prices from rising dramatically.

Since the conflict in the Middle East started earlier this spring, inflation has already risen, and is expected to rise further. Part of this is down to the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key shipping lane for oil.

At its latest meeting last Thursday, the Bank of England published three scenarios for the conflict, and in all three, inflation would rise from its current level.

Economic forecasters also expect higher inflation. Pantheon Macroeconomics currently forecasts inflation of 3.8 per cent in the third quarter of the year, while accounting firm RSM UK says it is “almost certain to go higher” later in 2027.

How much could interest rates rise by?

As a result of inflation going higher, some forecasters expect there to be multiple interest rate hikes this year, though this is by no means guaranteed as some others do not expect any hikes at all.

Financial traders’ bets suggest that they expect roughly two interest rate hikes this year, which would take rates to 4.25 per cent.

Below is a table of several major forecasters and where they expect interest rates to be by the end of 2026.

Explaining their reasoning for backing two hikes, Pantheon Macroeconomics said: “We see the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee’s updated guidance as open to hikes, and now forecast two hikes in 2026, followed by three cuts starting in 2027, compared to our call for one hike and two cuts
previously.”

Deutsche Bank said: “Given elevated geopolitical uncertainty, risks of multiple rate hikes can no longer be discounted. But for now, we just about stick to our call for no change in bank rate over the coming quarters.”

What would it mean for mortgages?

How the Bank of England’s movements affect mortgage rates depends exactly on what product you are on.

If you are on a tracker mortgage, this will follow the Bank’s changes directly. For example, if you have a tracker at a rate of 3.96 per cent, and the Bank hikes rates by 0.25 percentage points, your mortgage goes to 4.21 per cent.

If you have a standard variable mortgage, the same broadly applies. Though your lender doesn’t technically have to follow the Bank’s movements, in practice they generally do.

Fixed-rate mortgages, the most popular type, operate very differently.

If you have a fixed-rate mortgage, the rate you locked in is not affected by the base rate at all, but if you’re getting a new fix, because yours has expired, it will be impacted.

Fixed rates tend to be priced on a combination of factors, including how keen lenders are to drum up business, and something known as swap rates. These swap rates tend to follow predictions for where the Bank of England base rate will go in the future and they are based on traders’ bets.

As a result, they’re currently a lot higher than the base rate – with the cheapest at around 4.45 per cent.

The average two-year fix is currently 5.77 per cent, according to Moneyfacts, whilst the average five-year is 5.68 per cent (although there are cheaper deals to be found depending on the size of your deposit or equity).

If the Bank of England base rate stays the same, it could show that predictions of rises were wrong, and swap rates – and therefore mortgage rates – may fall.

One or two hikes across the course of the year – in line with market predictions – could mean fixed rates stay broadly the same.

But if it starts to look like there will be three or more interest rate hikes this year, then mortgages could become even more expensive.

Lewis Shaw, a broker at Shaw Financial Services, said: “If we get the one to two hikes that are already priced in, you’d expect fixes to be fairly stable, with only small moves up or down as lenders tweak margins, funding costs and chase or avoid business.

“If we end up with fewer hikes than currently priced, or cuts come into view sooner, then all else being equal you’d expect swaps to drift down and fixed rates to follow, but probably slowly rather than in big sudden chunks unless there’s a real shift in the inflation or growth story.”

Should you fix your mortgage – or could a tracker?

Some mortgage borrowers are choosing to get tracker mortgages for now. These are generally cheaper than fixed mortgages at the moment – currently some are available for less than 4 per cent.

Most of these borrowers are hoping that fixed rates drop and they can then fix on to lower rates. Many trackers have no early repayment charge, and so you can move off them on to a fix without a penalty.

Nick Mendes, of John Charcol brokers, said: “I can see the attraction at the moment if they are coming in around 0.5 per cent below the best fixes. For some borrowers, especially those who want flexibility or think rates may ease sooner than currently priced, that can make a lot of sense.

“The lower starting rate helps with monthly cashflow, and many trackers come with lower early repayment charges or none.

“The trade-off is that you are taking on more uncertainty. If inflation stays sticky or the Bank has to keep rates higher for longer, that apparent saving can narrow quite quickly. I would not say trackers are the obvious answer across the board, but I do think they deserve more attention in this market than they have had for a while.

“For borrowers who value certainty, a fixed rate still does the job. It is probably more a question of appetite for risk and flexibility than trying to guess the exact base rate path from here.”

David Hollingworth, of L&C Mortgages, said there was a halfway house option.

“It’s also possible to mix and match to hedge your bets. For example you could put half on a fix and the other half on a tracker. If rates don’t rise then you have some benefit of the lower pay rate on the tracker deal but if rates do climb your exposure is limited.”

Vivek Ramaswamy, apoiado por Trump, ganha indicação republicana para governador de Ohio

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O líder republicano de origem indiana, Vivek Ramaswamy, ganhou a nomeação republicana para governador de Ohio, posicionando-se para uma disputa de alto risco em novembro contra a democrata Amy Acton.O empresário da biotecnologia garantiu uma vitória confortável sobre o pequeno empresário Casey Putsch nas primárias de terça-feira, avançando para as eleições gerais no importante estado de Rust Belt, Ohio.Ramaswamy enfrentará agora Acton, o ex-diretor do Departamento de Saúde Pública de Ohio, que concorreu sem oposição nas primárias democratas. A corrida deverá ser acompanhada de perto em nível nacional.No seu discurso de vitória, Ramaswamy agradeceu aos eleitores, dizendo “por nos terem levado a este ponto” e acrescentou que “o verdadeiro destino é Novembro”.O presidente dos EUA, Donald Trump, apoiou anteriormente Ramaswamy e elogiou-o num put up, chamando-o de “algo especial. Ele é jovem, forte e inteligente!” Numa mensagem mais longa, Trump disse: “Vivek Ramaswamy está concorrendo a governador do Grande Estado de Ohio… Conheço bem Vivek, competi contra ele e ele é algo especial. Ele é jovem, forte e inteligente! Vivek também é uma pessoa muito boa, que realmente ama nosso país… Vivek Ramaswamy será um grande governador de Ohio e tem meu complete e complete apoio – ele nunca irá decepcioná-lo!”Laura Loomer também parabenizou Ramaswamy por vencer as primárias republicanas de Ohio para governador, considerando-as uma grande vitória.“Esta noite foi um golpe para o Woke Reich e para um candidato apoiado por Tucker que tentou minar Vivek porque ele é moreno”, acrescentou ela. Ramaswamy, que ganhou atenção nacional durante sua candidatura presidencial em 2024, mais tarde apoiou Trump. Sua campanha nas primárias teve como alvo principal Acton, apesar de enfrentar oponentes republicanos. Acton, por sua vez, é mais conhecido por liderar a resposta de Ohio à pandemia de Covid-19. O atual governador de Ohio, Mike DeWine, não busca a reeleição devido ao limite de mandato. Com ambos os candidatos agora confirmados, as eleições de Novembro deverão tornar-se uma grande disputa política.

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At 69, I still go to 36-hour parties

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Nigel Kennedy, 69, is an English classical musician who found worldwide fame for his 1989 recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, which has since sold over two million copies. Born in Brighton, he was heralded as a child prodigy and received a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music in 1997. He is as much associated with his music as he is his love of Aston Villa – he is a lifelong, highly vocal supporter and often performs in club shirts. He has one son with a previous partner and now splits his time between Poland and the UK with his Polish wife of 28 years, Agnieszka.

Here, he shares the moments that made him, from being left under the piano as a baby, to moving to New York on his own at 16.

When I was growing up, a single-parent family was taboo, so my childhood wasn’t orthodox. I was born in Brighton and we lived in Hove. I was an only child and grew up with my mum and grandma. My dad was nowhere to be seen. He was in Australia – I only met him twice – and I have four half-sisters there.

My mum used to keep me under the piano as a baby, while she taught Beethoven, Bach and Chopin. She was a piano teacher but couldn’t afford babysitters. She started teaching me when I was three. Music was in my life before any other education. 

When I was seven, I auditioned for the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School of Music in Surrey. I won a 10-year scholarship, including board and education. Then I moved to New York City on my own at 16 to study at performing arts school Juilliard.

I paid for my rent in Manhattan through busking. You didn’t need a license, so me and my friend played outside Tiffany’s. People would come out having spent thousands on some meaningless bit of jewellery and chuck $50 into the violin case, out of guilt. This was the 70s, remember. We could pay a month’s rent by playing for two hours and still have a slap-up meal in an ostentatious restaurant.

I saw being able to live in one of the most expensive cities in the world as having made it. Unlike in a concert hall where audiences are a captive, ticket-paying crowd the street felt like a more honest test of whether the music connected. With busking, people were stopping because they wanted to hear it.

I didn’t settle down until my forties. I’ve been happily married for 28 years now. I was living in Malvern in Worcestershire, running up a hill, and saw this beautiful girl sitting there: my future wife. I would play parties with my mate Caleb, and one day Agnieszka was there, in a beautiful black dress. We’ve lived in Poland for 15 years now, up in the mountains on the Slovakian border – Agnieszka’s family are all here. 

Being in touch with nature, and peace and quiet, is where music evolves from. For me, that means long walks and letting musical ideas settle without distraction – themes and phrasing often come when I’m away from the instrument, rather than forcing them in a practice room. I can go walking, up into the mountains, for 25 kilometres without seeing another motherf**ker. All I’ve got to worry about is wolves and bears, and the rutting season in November for deer.

At 69, I still party as hard as I used to. We played at Ronnie Scott’s in London recently, and the party lasted a day and a half. It makes me sad when I hear potentially interesting actors and musicians say: “I’m such a much better person now that I’ve gone teetotal.” It’s another excuse for the self-obsession we’ve all got from social media. If life is not a celebration, and just a list of thou-shalt-not commandment–orientated shit, it’s not for me. The musicians I’m playing with at the moment are notorious for being shit partiers, but I respect them because they bring such great music onto the stage.

I always wear an [Aston] Villa shirt – always. I’ve got 30 at my house in London alone, and goodness knows how many back at my main home in Poland. People associate me as much with football as music. 

I would swap all the music success for being a professional footballer. Having 40,000 people, all sharing the same dream, and scoring the winning goal, must just be such an amazing high.

I think people see me as a guy who either fixed or ruined classical music. They definitely see me as a renegade. When I walk into the villa, people sing, “His name is Nigel, he does what he wants”. I’ve never been inhibited by the imagined protocol of my work, as a lot of other so-called classical musicians might be.

Nowadays, I’d be diagnosed as having dyslexia – but they didn’t diagnose things like that when I was a kid. That’s probably a large reason why I’ve had to do a slightly more free-form job. I love reading, because it’s your imagination doing the job, but it takes me a lot longer to read a book than other people. I have absolutely no difficulty reading or learning music.

Whether it’s words or music, I’m very interested in the space between them. If you pause for thought before speaking, that’s a route to emotional communication. I’m very much into space theory – not as an airy-fairy thing, but as a way of finding truth amongst an overload of information.

Nigel is on tour until November

Este acordo de streaming oferece um ano inteiro de AMC + por menos de US $ 30

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ECONOMIZE $ 80: Até 25 de maio, assinantes novos e antigos podem se inscrever para um ano inteiro de streaming no AMC+ por apenas US$ 29,99. Isso representa mais de 70% de desconto no custo regular de US$ 109,99.

É difícil conseguir um bom acordo de streaming em 2026. Os preços das assinaturas estão subindo em geral, mas o AMC + não segue as mesmas regras, aparentemente.

Até 25 de maio, assinantes novos, recorrentes e atualizados do Premium Anual podem obter um ano inteiro de streaming no AMC + por apenas US$ 29,99 em vez do custo regular de US$ 109,99. Isso representa uma economia de $ 80 ou mais de 70%, o que reduz a taxa mensal para apenas $ 2,50. Após um ano, sua assinatura voltará ao custo whole, a menos que você cancele antes disso. Mas pense em todas as coisas que você pode assistir em um período de 12 meses.

Pode não ser o serviço de streaming mais fashionable que existe, mas o AMC + é realmente muito bom quando se trata de conteúdo. É onde você pode assistir toda a biblioteca do Shudder, tornando-a obrigatória para os amantes do terror. O terror bruxo liderado por Lili Reinhart e Lola Tung Frutas Proibidas fará sua estreia no streamer no próximo mês. É também onde você pode assistir séries originais da AMC, como a sátira do Vale do Silício A audácia e a última temporada do brilhante Entrevista com o Vampiro, agora intitulado O Vampiro Lestatque estreia em 7 de junho. Você pode usar esta assinatura de streaming agora acessível para acompanhar ou assistir novamente as duas primeiras temporadas antes da estreia da 3ª temporada. (E já que está nisso, você pode ouvir os singles de Lestat “Lengthy Face” e “All Fall Down” no Spotify).

Se você deseja ampliar seus horizontes de streaming este ano ou simplesmente adora um bom negócio de streaming, é difícil deixar passar um ano de AMC + por apenas US $ 29,99.

Putin thinks Trump just handed him a much-needed path to victory

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It didn’t look as if Vladimir Putin was going to have much to be triumphant about at this weekend’s Victory Day, the holiest day in the Putinist calendar – until Donald Trump indirectly helped him out.

For the first time, this year it seems there will be no tanks trundling through Red Square, fewer troops, and only a few foreign guests on what is usually a day of patriotic pageantry on a massive scale, centred on the Moscow parade.

It is not that Russia lacks the hardware: the war in Ukraine is increasingly one fought by drones and infantry. Rather, the apparent fear is that Saturday’s event, commemorating triumph in the Second World War (the “Great Patriotic War” in the Russian lexicon), would provide too tempting a target for Ukrainian attacks. It will all look pretty threadbare and sad.

Shorts – Quick stories

Putin even attempted declaring a ceasefire on Friday and Saturday, threatening a “massive missile strike” on Kyiv if Ukraine violated it.

But Volodymyr Zelensky said it was “utter cynicism” to “ask for a ceasefire in order to hold propaganda celebrations” while continuing to carry out strikes, with the Ukrainian president in turn announcing his own immediate, open-ended ceasefire.

Putin gives a speech each year, yet what can he say? He could announce – once again, and in defiance of the facts – the complete “liberation” of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, but he has no glorious victories to celebrate. He will probably invoke the sacrifices of the past to justify those of the present.

The Russian people and the country’s elite are feeling disaffected – and the Kremlin is looking for reasons to keep spirits up, as it grapples with challenges from Ukrainian strikes on oil refinery capacity to the stagnation of the economy.

It won’t appear in Putin’s speech, but Trump’s decision to withdraw 5,000 troops (just as a start) from Germany has provided that shot in the arm.

“A slap on the nose” is how the government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta framed Trump’s decision, an apparent rebuke for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after his critical comments on US strategy in the Gulf (or its absence).

Moscow is fully aware that the drawdown may never happen. They know Trump blows hot and cold, and one commentator noted that during his first presidency, he announced the withdrawal of 12,000 troops, but this had not been completed when his term ended, and was promptly rescinded.

The Kremlin is, however, predictably pleased by more evidence of a widening transatlantic split, especially as Trump is also threatening punitively to pull troops out of Italy (“hasn’t helped us at all”) and Spain (“is behaving terribly”).

The real impact of this move will be on Ukraine, though, not Europe.

It is not that there is any expectation of Nato’s imminent demise, but this is seen as further evidence of American impatience with European backsliding and self-indulgence. “Internal conflicts within the bloc are nothing new, and the cause isn’t the troop withdrawal or even disagreements over Iran,” continued Rossiiskaya Gazeta. “Europeans are simply unwilling to believe the inevitable: the Americans are unwilling and unwilling to fight for or in their stead.”

If anything, the Kremlin thinks that Trump’s additional imposition of 25 per cent tariffs on European cars and trucks is rather more significant, as it may lead to an all-out trade war with the EU.

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to KAMAZ Director General Sergei Kogogin, during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
‘Vladimir Putin is not planning or wanting to wage a forever war. All he needs to be able to do is to outlast the Ukrainians’ capacity to keep fighting, and the Europeans’ to keep bankrolling them,’ writes Dr Galeotti (Photo: Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin/AP)

The Kremlin doesn’t seem to see all this as making Europe more vulnerable to Russian attack. If anything, there is an awareness that any high-profile US pivot away from the continent only increases pressures to raise European defence spending. Besides, however bizarre it may seem to Westerners, for Putin and his fellow septuagenarian relics of the Cold War, there is a real belief that it is Europe that is making plans to attack Russia, not vice versa.

Any withdrawal of US forces, including the apparent decision to shelve plans to deploy long-range weapons to Germany, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, is instead being framed as a sign of America’s refusal to provide a backstop to such aggression. The Kremlin’s hope is that this will make Europe think twice about challenging Moscow.

Putin can temper his embarrassment at a bargain basement parade with renewed confidence over Ukraine, and the dream of having a real victory to celebrate next year. This may help the regime ignore or overrule those quiet voices arguing for an early end to hostilities, even at the expense of some of the Kremlin’s maximalist demands.

After all, Putin is not planning or wanting to wage a forever war. All he needs to be able to do is to outlast the Ukrainians’ capacity to keep fighting, and the Europeans’ to keep bankrolling them.

Zelensky is already being forced by political pressure to demobilise some of his troops. With European economies battered by the Gulf crisis, and the USA and EU falling out, it becomes easier for Putin to tell himself that victory is just over the horizon. And so he has no reason to talk peace.

Telangana BIE mantém round sobre o cronograma de admissão de 2026-27 suspenso

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O Conselho de Intermediário Telangana (BIE) informou na terça-feira que manteve suspensa a round sobre o calendário de admissão para o ano letivo de 2026-27, emitida na segunda-feira. A round de 4 de maio, além de anunciar a knowledge de início das aulas como 1º de junho, incluía instruções detalhadas aos diretores de diversas faculdades do Estado. De acordo com essa round, a knowledge de início das admissões period 8 de maio e as aulas deveriam começar em 1 de junho. No entanto, numa nova comunicação, dizia que a round estava suspensa “em vista de certas reformas propostas” e que “instruções revistas serão emitidas em breve”.

Publicado – 06 de maio de 2026, 10h37 IST

I went solo on my dream holiday, but joining 15 strangers was the highlight

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Swaying as we clung to the sides of open-top Jeeps, honked at by tuk-tuks and waving at pedestrians, we created a spectacle while being chauffeured through a sparkling, dusky pink city after dark.

A motorcyclist briefly gatecrashed the party, rolling his shoulders to a beat as he pulled up alongside us in traffic. The soundtrack faded as we sped into Jaipur’s Nahargarh hills for a view of Jal Mahal (water palace) in Man Sagar Lake.

I had arrived in India alone. Without the company of this friendly convoy, I would have spent the evening in a hotel bar.

Jal Mahal (meaning
Jal Mahal fort is located in the middle of Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur, with four of its five storeys under water (Photo: Zoran Ivanovic/Getty)

Solo travel is in demand. In research published by Abta last October, nearly one in five people had been on holiday on their own in the previous year – the most since the travel association started tracking solo trips in 2014. But you don’t have to remain solitary to try this growing trend.

Joining an escorted tour offers ready-made company and confidence in an unfamiliar destination. It also takes the hassle out of planning. Tour operator Mercury Holidays has recorded a 55 per cent rise in solo bookings between 2025 and 2026 across its mixed group and dedicated solo tours.

I joined one of the former on its Essence of North India itinerary, hitting the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, as well as Ranthambore National Park.

Among our group of 16 were four solos, two friends travelling together and five couples. It felt like a grown-up field trip, with gentle in-jokes, singalongs and ad-hoc geography lessons as our guide, Jaswant Singh, a Jaipur local, rolled down a map of India at the front of the coach.

His mini-lectures touched on monsoon season and less-visited parts of the country, such as the north-eastern state of Assam.

Jaswant’s expertise was the most praised aspect of our trip. The Jeep tour, which was also popular, was an extra excursion that cost £20pp, as was a visit to Chand Baori in Abhaneri, Rajasthan (£10pp), en route from Agra to Ranthambore. Sun broke through clouds above this striking inverted pyramid structure of 3,500 steps. Dating to the 9th century, it is India’s largest and deepest stepwell.

While it attracted a couple of dozen other visitors as we walked around, it was all but empty compared with the tour’s most-recognisable stops – the Taj Mahal, the red sandstone, ­Unesco-listed Agra Fort and Jaipur’s hilltop Ambar Fort with its tiled pavilions. Jaswant kept us moving while describing each site’s significance.

We packed a lot in between, indulging at buffets, haggling our way through Jaipur’s Bapu Bazar and cheering as Jaswant pulled out a bottle of Old Monk rum and “Indian” Bombay mix towards the end of day-long drive.

Mercury’s affordable itinerary attracted a ready-for-fun crowd, with an age range, on my tour, of 49 to 72. Several had travelled with the company before, including Sally Miller, 65, from east London. Her first experience with Mercury was Sri Lanka in 2017. “It was good value, and the people were as you take them, no airs and graces.”

Sally had previously joined group tours with her husband, but since he was diagnosed with dementia and she has become his carer, she has travelled less and usually to resorts with family. She missed the cultural insight of escorted tours and also booked a Morocco itinerary with Mercury last year.

The majestic UNESCO World Heritage Site, Amber or Amer fort of Jaipur in Rajasthan, India
Jaipur’s Amber Fort is among the wonders included on the itinerary (Photo: Ranjini Hemanth/Getty)

The Taj Mahal, and recreating the “Princess Di” photo from 1992 (in which she sat on bench, alone, in front of the white marble mausoleum), was the draw for many to this route, but I was looking forward to our safari drives in Ranthambore. The national park has a population of around 80–90 “royal” Bengal tigers, including cubs.

It was just after 6am and breezy as we set off on the canter – a bit like a giant Land Rover – the 14°C air warming with the rising sun. A dozen or so vehicles crowded round the park gates as men hawked tiger fridge magnets and Ranthambore-branded gilets.

Just 20 minutes into our safari, after passing the apex predator’s “fast food” – sambar deer and spotted deer – we got lucky. A tigress appeared to our left and our guide recognised her as Noori. Her fiery haunches tensed and stretched as she sauntered among trees with her tail curled high above the ground. Her rounded ears flicked to attention as she veered right and towards the road.

Wild bengal female tiger or tigress closeup in prowl and natural scenic background at ranthambore national park or tiger reserve rajasthan india - panthera tigris tigris
Tigers are a draw for visitors to Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan (Photo: Getty)

I recalled Jaswant’s advice: “You must carry your passport with you on the safari.”

“So they can identify your remains?” someone shouted from the back of the coach, only half joking.

Sitting a few metres from a skilled killer, my fear was neutralised by awe. The canter buzzed with hushed “wows” and pleas of “did you get a picture?”

India’s supreme court recently passed a ban on using smartphones in the park. No one was patted down on entry, but our guide asked a visitor to put her phone away.

The one Mercury guest with a digital camera was tasked with documenting the wildlife. A treeful of monkeys threw us side eyes as they waited for a group of worshippers at a temple in the park to put out snacks. Crocodiles lounged on riverbanks, a warthog rolled in a mudbath and Indian rollers, with jade and emerald feathered wings, fluttered in and out of the canter.

We recounted it all that night while sipping Kingfisher beers around the firepit at Ranthambore Regency. With its lush central courtyard, it was the most memorable of our accommodation. Here, birdsong woke me at dawn and dinner was a generous spread from which I piled up my plate with curries and garlic naan.

As tasty as the buffets were, I yearned for other culinary experiences – such as street food.
Trevor Hall, who’s in his sixties and from near Milton Keynes, is usually more adventurous while dining out on holiday. He and his wife have travelled independently around South East Asia, but decided on an escorted tour in India.

“Jaswant has been a seasoned professional,” Trevor said. “We couldn’t have seen the things we have without a tour.”

For a holiday so richly seasoned with once-in-a-lifetime sights, I was surprised by what lingered – the company.

Booking it

The writer was a guest of Mercury Holidays, which offers a 10-day Essence of North India tour, including accommodation, meals, return flights, seven excursions, in-country transport and a dedicated guide from £1,619 for a solo traveller, 08000 984288

More information

Most visitors need an e-visa or paper visa for India, indianvisaonline.gov.in

Esqueça a cara captura de carbono – as energias renováveis ​​são a solução climática mais barata

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Para evitar Para enfrentar os piores impactos das alterações climáticas, a comunidade world deve fazer uma transição rápida para as energias renováveis, ao mesmo tempo que expande a remoção de dióxido de carbono – tecnologias que literalmente retiram este gás com efeito de estufa da atmosfera. Ambos os esforços serão dispendiosos, mas um novo estudo sugere fortemente que os EUA devem dar prioridade ao investimento em energias renováveis ​​em detrimento de esquemas dispendiosos e com utilização intensiva de energia de captura directa de ar.

As descobertas, publicado Segunda-feira em Sustentabilidade das Comunicações, mostram que a energia renovável é muito mais rentável do que a captura direta de ar – uma estratégia crescente de remoção de carbono – na redução do carbono atmosférico. Em quase todas as regiões dos EUA até 2050, o dinheiro gasto na implantação de energia eólica ou photo voltaic proporcionará um maior benefício combinado para o clima e a saúde pública do que se fosse gasto na captura direta de ar, de acordo com o estudo.

“Nosso estudo basicamente pergunta: se alguém tem US$ 100 milhões e está disposto a investir na redução de CO2 na atmosfera, qual é a melhor maneira de gastar esse dinheiro?” o autor sênior Jonathan J. Buonocore, professor assistente de saúde ambiental na Universidade de Boston, disse ao Gizmodo por e-mail.

“Descobrimos que 100 milhões de dólares reduzirão muito mais CO2 se forem investidos em energia eólica ou photo voltaic, especialmente em redes pesadas em carvão nos EUA, do que se forem investidos na captura direta de ar”, explicou. “Além disso, investir em energias renováveis ​​reduzirá a poluição atmosférica, o que a captura direta de ar não consegue.”

Rebaixamento versus redução de emissões

A remoção de carbono e a geração de energia renovável abordam a crise climática de dois ângulos opostos. A transição de combustíveis fósseis para fontes de energia limpa evita que mais carbono entre na atmosfera, enquanto a remoção de carbono reduz a quantidade de carbono que já existe na atmosfera. O Painel Intergovernamental sobre Mudanças Climáticas determinado que ambas as estratégias serão essenciais para estabilizar o aumento da temperatura da superfície world induzido pelo CO2.

Existem várias maneiras de retirar carbono da atmosfera. Os ecossistemas da Terra fazem isso naturalmente, armazenando o carbono atmosférico capturado nos solos, nas florestas e no oceano. Os seres humanos podem aumentar estes sumidouros naturais de carbono através de várias intervenções, mas à medida que a crise climática se intensificou rapidamente, tecnologias como a captura direta de ar surgiram como uma forma mais agressiva de reduzir o carbono atmosférico.

O problema é que a captura direta de ar continua subdesenvolvida devido ao seu custo proibitivamente elevado, à procura de energia e à necessidade de escalar a produção. Ainda assim, esta tecnologia é cada vez mais reconhecida como um complemento necessário a curto prazo para a eliminação progressiva das emissões. E uma vez que os recursos para a mitigação climática são limitados, é basic descobrir a melhor forma de alocar os investimentos.

DAC ainda não pode competir

Para descobrir se a captura direta de ar poderia ser competitiva em termos de custos com a energia renovável (especificamente eólica e photo voltaic), Buonocore e os seus colegas modelaram os benefícios climáticos e de saúde pública de cada estratégia para a mesma quantidade de dólares gastos.

Os investigadores monetizaram os benefícios climáticos utilizando o custo social do carbono: o montante em dólares equivalente aos danos a longo prazo causados ​​por uma tonelada de emissões de CO2 num determinado ano. Para a saúde pública, utilizaram um modelo para estimar a exposição evitada à poluição atmosférica e a redução do risco de mortalidade, e depois monetizaram esses benefícios utilizando o valor de uma vida estatística – a mesma métrica utilizada pela Agência de Protecção Ambiental.

Como a captura direta de ar ainda está em sua infância, os pesquisadores modelaram seus benefícios sob quatro cenários diferentes de melhoria de eficiência, desde seu desempenho comercial atual (que requer 5.500 quilowatts-hora de eletricidade e US$ 1.000 para capturar uma tonelada de CO2) até um cenário “inovador” (800 kWh e US$ 100 por tonelada de CO2 capturado), que está no limite inferior das projeções publicadas.

“Somente no cenário ‘inovador’, que envolveria a melhoria da eficiência por um fator de aproximadamente 7 e a queda dos custos para 10% do que é atualmente, a captura direta de ar terá um desempenho melhor do que as energias renováveis”, disse Buonocore.

Parte do problema é que a captura direta de ar apenas take away CO2 da atmosfera. Ao substituir os combustíveis fósseis, a energia renovável reduz as emissões de partículas finas, óxidos de azoto, dióxido de enxofre e outros poluentes atmosféricos perigosos. Assim, a captura direta de ar oferece um benefício menor para a saúde pública. De facto, no precise cenário de desempenho comercial, a captura directa de ar ligada à rede produziu mais gases com efeito de estufa e danos causados ​​pela poluição atmosférica até 2050 do que compensou.

Para ser claro, Buonocore e os seus colegas não defendem que devamos abandonar a captura directa de ar, mas o seu estudo enfatiza a importância de dar prioridade aos investimentos em energias renováveis ​​no curto prazo.

“Nosso trabalho aqui indica que seria mais econômico implantar energias renováveis ​​e provavelmente fazer outras descarbonizações para basicamente ‘interromper o fluxo’ de CO2 na atmosfera, e que o DAC seria então necessário para limpar o excesso de CO2 depois que a maioria das outras principais fontes de CO2 tivessem sido interrompidas.”