Netanyahu set to retain power
Incumbent prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in a strong position as counting in the Israeli general election comes to a close, Reuters reports. Though the race with Benny Gantz’s centrist Blue and White Party is close--each tied with 35 seats in the Knesset after 95% of votes were counted--Likud is likely to be able to form a coalition government with right-wing factions. The BBC says Netanyahu told his supporters it was “a night of colossal victory”, while Gantz said in a statement, “We won! The Israeli public has had its say!”. The Guardian has live rolling coverage.
Brexit: long delay likely
British prime minister Theresa May is in for another rough couple of days after the EU appeared to rule out, again, her request for an extension of Article 50 until end of June. The Guardian cites an EU diplomat who reckons the EU 27 will offer May two possible new deadlines, December 31, 2019 or end of March 2020--a year after the UK was supposed to exit. According to the BBC, Donald Tusk has said there is “little reason to believe” May can deliver Brexit by the end of June. Even The Mail seems resigned to the fact that the prime minister, who travels to Brussels today, faces what it calls the “humiliating prospect of long Brexit”.
Uber set for $10 billion IPO
Reuters has an exclusive story that ride share company Uber will sell around $10 billion worth of stock in an initial public offering. The company will make registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission publicly available on Thursday in what would be one of the biggest technology IPOs of all time, says the news service.
IMF revises growth downwards
The International Monetary Fund expects the world economy to grow by 3.3% in 2019, another downgrade from its previous forecast of 3.5%. CNBC says the IMF cited increasing trade tensions and tighter monetary policy by the Federal Reserve as reasons for the revision. A disorderly Brexit could further cut growth by another 0.2%, according to Reuters. The news agency cited IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath saying, “This is a delicate moment for the global economy.”
Dalai Lama in hospital
The Guardian reports that Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was flown to hospital in Delhi with a chest infection.
Facebook’s sensitive AI
Facebook is using artificial intelligence to prevent users of the social media platform receiving notifications about deceased loved ones, the BBC reports.
Later today
At 3 p.m. scientists will unveil the first ever images of the event horizon of a black hole. The images are constructed from data gathered by observatories all over the globe, says The Verge in an excellent explainer. The European Commission will be broadcasting the event live via its YouTube channel.
Looking ahead
Madonna will perform at the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv on 18 May, The Guardian reports. The singer will perform two songs, including one from her new album, during the interval.
Burger King pulls cultural appropriation ad
An ad showing customers trying to eat Burger King’s new “Vietnamese Sweet Chilli Tendercrisp Burger” in New Zealand has been pulled by the company after an outcry from media users in China. Reuters reports that the fast food chain apologised and said the ad was “insensitive and does not reflect our brand values regarding diversity and inclusion,”
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts