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Read the latest verified world, politics, business, tech, culture, and local news on BetaVoices.

  1. Innu child protection inquiry At 16, James Poker left treatment. His father says no one told him Family submissions to a public inquiry say communication failures left Poker’s family unaware of his release, medications and mental health needs before his death Apr 29, 2026
  2. Energy markets Brent crude jumps to $119 as Iran blockade fears deepen The benchmark rose nearly 7% Wednesday after reports the U.S. is preparing to extend pressure on Iranian ports while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily disrupted Apr 29, 2026
  3. Voting rights and redistricting Supreme Court narrows Voting Rights Act in Louisiana map ruling The 6-3 decision voids a congressional map with two majority-Black districts and raises the standard for vote-dilution claims under Section 2 Apr 29, 2026

Markets

Ackman’s $5 Billion Pershing Square IPO Heads to NYSE

The debut creates two listed vehicles, giving public investors exposure to both Pershing Square’s portfolio and its asset-management business

Apr 29, 2026

Emergency management

FEMA disaster fund falls below $3 billion before hurricane season

The agency has shifted into Imminent Needs Funding, limiting disaster spending to urgent response needs as a partial government shutdown strains operations

Apr 29, 2026

U.S.-Iran standoff

Trump and Iran trade new warnings as shipping standoff drags on

The White House defended its blockade as leverage while Tehran signaled possible retaliation through another key energy shipping route

Apr 29, 2026

Windsor homicide

Police name teen killed in Windsor stabbing and 18-year-old accused

Shane Cushman, 16, died after a Sunday evening stabbing near Tecumseh Road East. Police say Hatem Hameed, 18, faces a first-degree murder charge

Apr 29, 2026

Teacher discipline

Saskatchewan regulator rejects immunity bid by former private school teachers

A discipline committee ruled professional misconduct allegations against Dawn Beaudry and Louis Brunelle can proceed despite predating the teacher regulator’s creation

Apr 29, 2026

Central banks

ECB and Bank of England expected to hold rates as inflation shock clouds outlook

The Iran war has lifted energy prices and revived stagflation concerns, but economists expect both central banks to wait for clearer evidence before tightening again

Apr 29, 2026

Conservation funding

Muxton Marsh willow control gets £10,000 funding boost

Severn Trent has added money for five more years of work at the protected wetland, where willow growth has been drying out fen habitat

Apr 29, 2026

Federal Reserve

Trump-Powell feud nears its end after years of public clashes

As Jerome Powell prepares to step down and Kevin Warsh awaits confirmation, the fight over rates, renovation costs and Fed independence remains central to the handover

Apr 29, 2026

Markets

Value investor Grisanti says Microsoft and Nvidia got cheap enough to buy

Chris Grisanti of MAI Capital Management told CNBC he bought into the megacap stocks in the first quarter and plans to add on pullbacks

Apr 29, 2026

Schools and online safety

Ontario weighs broader school cellphone ban and youth social media limits

Education Minister Paul Calandra says Ontario will work with Ottawa on possible age rules for social media and is considering a near-total cellphone ban on school property

Apr 29, 2026

Ottawa sudden death

Boy dies after fall from downtown Ottawa building

Paramedics said the child, younger than eight, was found critically injured near Laurier Avenue E. Police are reviewing the circumstances

Apr 29, 2026

Oil markets

UAE quits OPEC, testing the oil cartel’s grip on supply

The Gulf producer says it is leaving OPEC and OPEC+ to focus on national interests, a move that could matter more after current Gulf disruptions ease

Apr 28, 2026

AI infrastructure

OpenAI revenue report hits Oracle and AI chip stocks

A Wall Street Journal report on missed internal growth projections raised fresh questions about AI compute spending, though OpenAI and Oracle pushed back

Apr 28, 2026

Iran war

Hormuz remains in limbo as Trump weighs Iran offer

Brent crude topped $112 a barrel and U.S. gasoline prices hit a wartime high as Washington considers a proposal tied to the strait but not nuclear talks

Apr 28, 2026

Westminster

Starmer avoids Commons inquiry over Mandelson vetting claims

MPs rejected a Conservative-led bid to send the prime minister’s comments to the Privileges Committee, despite a small Labour rebellion

Apr 28, 2026

Federal court

Soldier pleads not guilty in Maduro prediction-market case

Prosecutors say Gannon Ken Van Dyke used classified information about a January operation to place Polymarket bets that paid more than $400,000

Apr 28, 2026

Bahrain citizenship crackdown

Bahrain revokes citizenship of 69 over alleged Iran support

The Gulf kingdom says the move targets disloyalty and foreign ties; a rights group says the unnamed people were denied basic safeguards

Apr 28, 2026

Federal indictment

Former Fauci adviser indicted over alleged COVID records concealment

Dr. David Morens is accused of using private email to evade public records rules while working at the National Institutes of Health. His attorney declined to comment

Apr 28, 2026

Markets

Jamie Dimon warns rising debt could trigger a bond crisis

The JPMorgan Chase CEO said deficits, geopolitics and oil prices could combine in unpredictable ways, though he said he is not worried policymakers could manage a crisis if one comes

Apr 28, 2026

Royal diplomacy

King Charles opens U.S. visit with Trump as allies face strains

The four-day state visit began at the White House and moved to Congress, where the king urged unity amid tensions over Iran, NATO and the future of U.S.-U.K. ties

Apr 28, 2026

Late-night television

Jimmy Kimmel pushes back after Trumps urge ABC to fire him

The late-night host said his “expectant widow” joke was about the Trumps’ age difference, not a call to violence after a security scare at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Apr 28, 2026

Digital health

Conservatives seek auditor general probe of PrescribeIT

The electronic prescribing program is set to end May 29 after low uptake, raising questions over spending, oversight and intellectual property

Apr 28, 2026

Electric vehicles

More long-range EVs are falling below $40,000

A saved summary of a New York Times report says the lower-priced, longer-range segment has expanded even as the broader electric vehicle market has slowed

Apr 28, 2026

White House security

Republicans move to approve Trump’s White House ballroom after press dinner shooting

A shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has revived a stalled $400 million project that critics say needs congressional approval

Apr 28, 2026

UK politics

Starmer faces Commons vote over Mandelson vetting claims

Labour ministers are working to hold the line as opposition parties seek a Privileges Committee inquiry into whether the prime minister misled MPs

Apr 28, 2026

Artificial intelligence

AI agents are starting to shop for consumers. Experts urge caution

Retailers and payment companies are testing agentic commerce, but specialists warn that autonomous purchases can expose shoppers to costly errors and data risks

Apr 28, 2026

Track and field

Allyson Felix says she will chase 2028 Olympic comeback in Los Angeles

The 11-time Olympic medalist told Time she plans to come out of retirement and pursue a spot on the U.S. team at age 42

Apr 28, 2026

Official residences

Carney calls state of 24 Sussex ‘an embarrassment’ as decision looms

The prime minister says he will not live at the long-vacant official residence but wants future leaders to have a suitable home for hosting and security needs

Apr 28, 2026

Music

Nedra Talley Ross, Last Surviving Ronettes Member, Dies at 80

Ross sang with cousins Ronnie and Estelle Bennett in the 1960s trio behind “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain

Apr 28, 2026

Federal justice legislation

Bailey’s Law clears House of Commons, heads to Senate

The private member’s bill, named for Kelowna mother Bailey McCourt, proposes Criminal Code changes tied to intimate partner violence and bail

Apr 28, 2026

Broadway

Megan Thee Stallion to Exit ‘Moulin Rouge!’ Earlier Than Planned

The rapper’s final Broadway performance is set for Friday, with no reason given by the production for the shortened run

Apr 28, 2026

Why Spotify still does not offer an AI music filter

Deezer has started tagging and limiting some AI-generated tracks, but Spotify says the issue is harder than a simple on-off switch

Apr 28, 2026

Cult film

Heavy Metal Parking Lot’ Endures as a 17-Minute Rock Snapshot

The VHS-era documentary captured fans outside a Judas Priest show and became a beloved artifact for a generation of rock listeners

Apr 28, 2026

UK cost pressures

UK prices could stay higher for eight months after Iran war, minister says

Darren Jones said ministers are planning for supply-chain disruption, though price pressure is seen as more likely than empty supermarket shelves

Apr 28, 2026

Telecommunications

Rogers offers buyouts to about 10,000 employees in cost-cutting push

The company says some teams are being offered voluntary departure and retirement programs as it moves to reduce spending amid competitive and regulatory pressure

Apr 28, 2026

Gold supply chain

Illegal Colombian gold reached U.S. Mint, Times reports

A Times investigation traced gold from an illegal mine in Colombia to the Mint’s West Point facilities, raising questions about safeguards in a market strained by soaring prices

Apr 28, 2026