Singapore
Reuters
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Singapore’s People’s Action Party won its 14th consecutive election on Saturday, extending the unbroken six-year rule and conveying a strong mandate to the new prime minister as a city-state equipment for economic disruption from the World Trade War.

The PAP, which has been ruling before Singapore’s 1965 independence, won 87 seats out of 97 parliaments, winning large margins in many of its 33 constituencies, failing to expand its profits in previous contests.

The election was a breath of popular morals amidst signs of disillusionment, where six million people were in power in the Asian financial hub, where no other kind of government was known.

The PAP has consistently won around 90% of its seats, but its share of the popularity poll has been closely monitored as a measure of the strength of its mission, with Prime Minister Lawrence Won wanting to leave a mark in his first election after one of his worst performances on record.

The PAP has not yet been officially declared a winner, but local media said it accounted for 65.57% of the vote, surpassing the 61.2% achieved in the 2020 contest.

The result is considered public support for the squealing of Wong, 52, who was US-educated and became Singapore’s fourth prime minister last year.

He took over at the end of the two-year prime minister, Lee Hucien Long, son of former leader Lee Quang Yu, the founder of Modern Singapore.

Wong needs to deal with high living costs and housing shortages. The sustained problem in one of the world’s most expensive cities faces the risk of recession and unemployment if the trade-dependent economy was hit by a trade war caused by steep US tariffs.

Wong thanked his members and said, “We are once again grateful for your strong obligation. We respect that.”

PAP victory remains the status quo, but the margins of victory in most races are important, with opposing candidates winning more than two-thirds of the vote in 18 of 33 constituencies.

“Voters spoke, they voted for stability, continuity and certainty — and they voted to give Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a strong order,” said Mustafa Izudin, a senior assistant lecturer at the National University of Singapore.

The PAP defeat is always very unlikely, but some analysts have said that if the opposition party benefited more, the election could have changed political dynamics in the future.

But that may take time. Like the previous election, Saturday was a biased event, with 46% of all candidates representing the PAP.

The ruling party ran in all seats, but won 10 seats Pap didn’t win, compared to just 26 members of the Workers’ Party.

PAP has a larger membership that affects state agencies, influences state agencies, and has far greater resources than untested enemies.

Joshua Krulanzik, a senior fellow in Southeast Asia and South Asia at the Council of Foreign Relations, said Pap’s decisive victory fell on Singaporeans who support known amounts at times of uncertainty.

“It’s a flight to safety — I don’t want to turn into a new party amid the biggest global trade tension in decades,” he said.

“The same problem lies there, just because they’re rocks in times of trouble (it).

CNN
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British counterterrorism police have arrested five men, including four Iranian citizens, on suspicion of planning terrorism laws, a statement from London metropolitan police said on Sunday.

The investigation is linked to a suspected conspiracy to target a specific location, adding that the man was arrested during the attack at many addresses across the country on Saturday.

“This is a rapidly moving investigation and we are working closely with people on the affected sites to update them,” said Commander Dominik Murphy, head of the Met’s counterterrorism command.

Met police have not stated which sites are targets for suspected attacks. The man said he was arrested in the southern regions of Manchester and London, as well as in the south town of Swindon.

“The investigation is still in its early stages and is exploring various survey lines to establish potential motivations, as well as identifying whether there is any additional risk to the public associated with this issue,” Murphy said.

According to a police statement, the four men are Iranian nationals between the ages of 29 and 46 and are detained under British terrorist law. The nationality of the fifth man whose age is not offered is still established, and Met’s statement said he was instead in custody under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.

All five remained in police custody.

“We understand that the public may be worried, and as always, I ask them to stay vigilant, whether they see or hear about anything related to them, and to contact us,” Murphy said.

Additional details of suspect arrest:

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN
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The Philippine Red Cross said a four-year-old girl and a man were killed after the driver crashed an SUV into the entrance to Manila International Airport on Sunday.

The driver crashed the car through an outer railing, then crashed into a corridor where people were standing outside the departure area of ​​Terminal 1 at Ninoiaquino International Airport, the Philippine Red Cross said in a statement.

“The incident tragically led to two casualties, a male adult and a four-year-old girl,” he said.

The driver is in police custody and the individual is being treated for the injury, the airport operator said in a statement but did not specify how many people were injured.

Currently there are no indications that the police clash is intentional.

CNN contacted police in Pasay, the area of ​​the Philippines’ capital, where the airport is located, for comment.

The Philippine Red Cross said it had deployed 18 volunteers and five ambulances to respond to the crash, including rescue vehicles for “potential escape operations.”

A video shared on social media by the Philippine government news agency showed confusion at the airport, with a black SUV crashing into the terminal entrance. People could be heard screaming and crying on the video. It appeared to indicate several people injured on the ground and baggage scattered around, as the first responders were present at the scene.

“At this point we are waiting for an official confirmation regarding the cause of the incident and the report of the injury,” a statement from the airport operator said.

“We understand the concerns this incident has caused, especially as images are being circulated on social media,” the statement said.

“We urge the public not to speculate and wait for a verified update, which will be issued as soon as it becomes available.”

CNN
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More than 2 million fans are said to have attended the sea of ​​people who buried Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday as pop superstar Lady Gaga performed a massive concert in a Brazilian city.

Guests began queuing early on Saturday mornings, ensuring a good spot for shows paid by local governments. Organizers said it was estimated that around 2.1 million revelations were among the crowd.

One fan, Lucas, told CNN he believes the concert attracted a larger audience than Madonna’s audience on the world-famous beach a year ago.

“I feel like the city is more crowded this time, but I’m very excited,” the filmmaker said.

Many fans who the star calls her “Little Monster” were wearing Gaga-themed costumes and referring to major hits such as “Poker Face,” “Born This Way,” and “Bad Romance.”

Lady Gaga’s trip to Brazil is part of a global tour to promote her new album, Mayhem. The 39-year-old genre hopping singer and actor was in Mexico City last week. There she performed two concerts.

On the eve of the Rio concert, the pop star surprised Copacabana beach fans by taking the stage for a rehearsal.

“I missed you,” she said during her first performance in Brazil since 2012.

While walking towards the stage on Saturday night, Argentine tourist Abril spoke to CNN affiliate CNN Brazil about the big moment.

“The truth is that the energy here in Copacabana is incredible,” Abril said. “Rio is incredible and always serves you in parties and magical moments.”

CNN
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At least seven people were killed and 20 injured in an attack on South Sudan’s hospitals and markets on Saturday, medical charities said fears are growing that the country can return to civil war.

A borderless doctor, also known as Mé de cinnatis Sans Frontières (MSF), condemned an early morning attack on an old Whangak hospital in the state of Jonglei, located in the northeastern part of the country.

MSF said the helicopter gunship dropped a bomb at the pharmacy and fired it in town for 30 minutes.

The pharmacy burned to the ground, all medical supplies were lost in the attack, destroying the last remaining hospitals in the area. According to MSF, nearby private markets were also bombed by drones.

“The attack has significantly violated our ability to provide life-saving care at Old Whangak, the only hospital serving more than 110,000 people in the area,” MSF said.

It is not immediately clear why the hospital was targeted or who became who, but it is not immediately clear that the country is afraid it will return to civil war amid growing tensions between South Sudan’s President Salva Kier and Vice President Leek Machar.

MSF called on all parties for the conflict to respect and protect civilians and humanitarian infrastructure, adding that Saturday’s fatal attack was the second attack on the facility, which has been less than a month later. On April 14, an armed man looted MSF hospital in Uran, Upper Nile, and blocked access to secondary health care for thousands of people, the charity said.

Whangak County commissioner Beer Bootross Beer said in an audio message aired on local television that the government forces (South Sudan National Defense Force (SSPDF)) carried out attacks on hospitals and markets, expelling more than 30,000 civilians.

Whangak County is ethnically noore and has traditionally been associated with opposition parties loyal to Vice President Macher.

“The government is using natural resources to kill its people for its own identity,” Beal said it refers to a recent government directive labeling nine counties, including Whangak, as “hostile.” He condemned violence and urged the global community to act.

CNN contacted the South Sudan government for comment.

A day before the attack, embassies in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK and the US, alongside the EU, warned of the rapidly deteriorating security situation in South Sudan, demanding that President Kiel release Vice President Machar from house arrest.

“All political parties must end their use of violence as a political tool,” the state said in a joint statement.

South Sudan split from the rest of Sudan in 2011 after decades of independence, but has since struggled to maintain peace on its territory.

It is divided along the ethnic line between the majority of Dinkas from which Kiel came from, and the Nua ethnic group in Machar, the second largest in the country.

After Kiir deleted Macher as Vice President, he entered the civil war in 2013, and the five years of conflict that followed killed an estimated 400,000 people before both parties reached a fragile ceasefire and a power-sharing agreement in 2018.

Countries that have never held national elections are now governed by a coalition led by President Kiel and five vice presidents.

After Machar was arrested in March, SPLM/A-IO issued a statement that his detention “effectively destroys the (peace) agreement (between him and Kiel).

According to a 2025 UN Refugee Agency report, the situation in South Sudan is one of Africa’s most severe refugee crisis, with 2.3 million refugees and asylum seekers in neighboring countries, and another 2 million South Sudan has been evacuated internally by conflict or natural disasters in their own country.

CNN
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Israeli Defense Forces said on Saturday it would mobilize thousands of reserves in what appears to be a growing attack in Gaza.

The move, coming amidst a deadlock at the ceasefire meeting, follows reports on Friday that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir submitted plans to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to intensify pressure on Palestinian extremist group Hamas.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan 11 reported that Zamir’s plans include evacuating Palestinian civilians from northern Gaza and central Gaza ahead of the expansion in those regions, reflecting the tactics used earlier this year in Rafa, southern Gaza.

Citing the unnamed official, Kan 11 said Netanyahu’s security cabinet is expected to approve the plan on Sunday.

The news sparked concern among the 59 hostage families still held by Hamas in Gaza.

Described as an “urgent and heartfelt” charm, the Hostage and Missing Family Forum headquarters warned on Saturday that “escalation of the battle will put both hostages and deceased immediately in danger.”

“The majority of Israeli people view hostage return as a top priority in the country,” he added.

Negotiations to ensure the release of the remaining hostages have been suspended for several weeks.

The Egyptian-Qatar-mediated lectures have repeatedly collapsed. Hamas has called for a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israel, but Israel accused Hamas of rejecting a “reasonable offer.”

On Thursday, Netanyahu explicitly stated that defeating Israeli enemies was more important than ensuring the release of remaining hostages, in a statement that sparked backlash from family representatives. Previously he had said he had defeated Hamas and secured the release of hostages as the main target for Israeli war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Saturday that it will reschedule Netanyahu’s visit to Azerbaijan from May 7-11 at a later date.

Citing “a intense diplomacy and security schedule,” he said the change has followed “the development of Gaza and Syria.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.