Here are the biggest stories in the world today.
China announces new crackdown on fentanyl in win for US President Trump
The Chinese government will add fentanyl-related substances to their list of controlled drugs from May 1, in a move aimed at curtailing the manufacturing and distribution of one of the world’s most powerful opioids.
Taiwan scrambles jets to confront Chinese fighters after rare incursion
Taiwan has accused China of “reckless and provocative” action, after two Chinese air force jets crossed a maritime border separating the island from the mainland.
Rapper Nipsey Hussle dead after a shooting near Los Angeles clothing store he was associated with
Rapper Nipsey Hussle has died after a shooting near a clothing store he is associated with in Los Angeles, California, according to a high-ranking law enforcement official with the Los Angeles Police Department.
‘Tragic showcase’ of how climate change could affect world’s poorest
“Upside down” are the only words Manush Albert Alben has to describe life after the powerful Cyclone Idai.
Vietnamese accused of murdering Kim Jong Nam escapes death penalty with plea deal
A Vietnamese woman accused of using a deadly nerve agent to assassinate the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accepted a lesser charge of “causing hurt by a dangerous weapon.”
‘Reiwa’: Japan announces dawn of a new era
The reign of the next Japanese emperor will be known as the “Reiwa” era, the Japanese government announced Monday, ahead of the coronation of Crown Prince Naruhito next month.
Teen rushes Pope’s car in Morocco in bid to ‘appeal to the King’
A teenager who rushed towards a motorcade carrying King Mohammed VI of Morocco and Pope Francis intended to “appeal to the King due to a health issue pertaining to his parents,” Morocco’s national security agency said.
Erdogan fights to retain control of cities
Millions of people are voting in Turkey’s local elections, which are widely seen as a referendum on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The poll comes amidst an economic downturn, with the governing AK Party fearing it could lose control of Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey’s biggest cities.
Ukraine comic ‘wins’ presidential poll first round
A comedian with no political experience has won the most votes in the first round of Ukraine’s presidential elections, according to exit polls. They say Volodymyr Zelenskiy – who played the president on TV – received 30.4% of the vote, with current leader Petro Poroshenko second on 17.8%.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney score in MLS victories
Zlatan Ibrahimovic marked his return from injury with two penalties for LA Galaxy in their 2-1 Major League Soccer win over Portland Timbers. The 37-year-old striker, who had missed two games with an Achilles injury, scored from the spot after 33 minutes before Jeremy Ebobisse equalised.
Are internet unicorns really worth billions?
This week has been a momentous one for the US stock market. Lyft, the ride-hailing company, sold its shares to the public for the first time, heralding a march of the “unicorns”. A stream of these businesses – which are defined as private, venture capital-backed firms worth over $1bn – are set to follow, including Lyft’s rival Uber, online scrapbook company Pinterest and home-sharing site AirBnB.
‘It was madness’: Game of Thrones stars on how it changed their lives
On the eve of the final series, we ask 10 of its stars what the hit show has meant to them
How Zuckerberg thinks Facebook should be regulated: A brief guide
Government regulation is coming for Facebook – and Mark Zuckerberg has some ideas about how it should all go down. Over the weekend, the Facebook CEO published an op-ed in the Washington Post outlining the kinds of regulation he thinks Facebook and other tech giants should face, likely with the hope it could guide lawmakers who are calling for new rules.
Facebook will give you more info about why certain posts show up in your News Feed
Facebook is adding a feature to its News Feed in an effort to be more transparent. The social media giant is introducing a tool to help you understand why posts from friends, pages, and groups appear in its News Feed – and to some extent, control their regularity.
Roku’s new remote lets your dog control the TV for (almost) no reason at all
How many times have you sat in front of the telly and thought to yourself: Man, I wish I could just let my dog flip through the channels? Zero times, right? Still, Roku’s got a new remote called Press Paws, ergonomically designed to make it easier for your dog to use.
Google says its Files app can now actually clean your phone’s screen
Google’s Files app is pretty good for getting rid of those unnecessary files that pile up on your phone over time. Now, however, Google says the app goes one step further and cleans the actual surface of your screen. How’s that possible, you ask?
Well, that incredible optical illusion at the Louvre has been destroyed by the public
It took four days, 400 volunteers, and around 2,000 pieces of paper to install, and within a day, the public had destroyed it all. But hey, it was always going to happen, according to the artist. Taking over the main courtyard of the Louvre Museum in Paris, the installation was the work of French street artist JR, as he is only known by.
There are now three Mexicos, according to Fox News
There’s being bad at geography, an affliction from which many Americans suffer, and then there’s being really badat geography. Whoever writes the on-screen text for Fox & Friends Weekend appears to be in the latter category. How else would the morning news show have wound up with a chyron that claims the existence of three distinct Mexicos?
