BTW Daily News - May 12, 2026

Good morning. Today is May 12, 2026. You are listening to BTW Daily News, your concise briefing on the stories shaping our world. Starting with global politics and international affairs. President Trump is in Beijing for a high-stakes summit with President Xi Jinping, focusing on trade, Taiwan, and oil in an effort to stabilize strained relations. Meanwhile, in Europe, Keir Starmer is facing a leadership crisis as nearly 80 Labour MPs call for his resignation following poor local election results. Across the Atlantic, the European Union has approved sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank, a move made possible after a leadership change in Hungary ended a previous veto. Turning to the economy and technology. Gas prices in the U.S. have surged past four dollars and fifty cents per gallon, prompting the President to propose a suspension of the federal gas tax. In the tech sector, Google is warning of a sophisticated new threat, reporting that hackers are now using artificial intelligence to find and exploit unknown software vulnerabilities. On the business front, media mogul Byron Allen has acquired a majority stake in BuzzFeed for one hundred and twenty million dollars. Moving to news in crime and law. In California, former Arcadia mayor Eileen Wang has resigned after admitting to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government. In another legal development, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, alleging the streaming service illegally collects data from children. In sports, the NBA playoffs are heating up. The Oklahoma City Thunder have swept the Lakers four-to-zero, leaving LeBron James to consider his future in the league. Over in soccer, Barcelona has captured its twenty-ninth La Liga title with a dominant two-zero victory over Real Madrid in El Clasico. Finally, for some lighter news to start your day. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were spotted celebrating in Greece, attending the wedding of teammate George Karlaftis. The couple reportedly spent the weekend dancing and celebrating in a festive atmosphere. That is the latest for this morning's briefing. Thank you for joining us. We wish you a productive and wonderful day.