Microsoft to report earnings as AI financial boom shows no sign of slowing

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Company has beaten Wall Street expectations in each of its previous three quarterly earnings reports

Microsoft will report its earnings for the third quarter of the fiscal year after the stock market closes on Wednesday. Analysts have predicted that revenue would grow by 10.6% year-over-year to $68.4bn, even as the company plows tens of billions into artificial intelligence as well as earnings-per-share of $3.22. The company has beaten Wall Street’s expectations on each of its previous three quarterly earnings reports.

Analysts said they view the earnings report as a temperature check on Microsoft’s artificial intelligence business, which has announced it will invest around $80bn in this fiscal year alone, though it has also terminated some data center leases in recent months. The company has invested billions in OpenAI in recent years, giving it a large stake in the ChatGPT developer.

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Massive Attack Back Kneecap Amid Coachella Backlash: ‘Gaza Is the Story’ – Rolling Stone

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  1. Massive Attack Back Kneecap Amid Coachella Backlash: ‘Gaza Is the Story’  Rolling Stone
  2. More Kneecap gigs cancelled after 'kill your MP' controversy  BBC
  3. Kneecap row: Paul Weller and Primal Scream lead musicians in signing open letter in support of rap trio  Sky News
  4. Irish rappers Kneecap deny supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, apologize for remarks about killing politicians  CBS News
  5. The nastiness and cowardice of Kneecap  New Statesman
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US supreme court seems open to religious public charter schools

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Oklahoma case is part of a broader push to erode separation of church and state, and a test of role of religion in schools

The US supreme court’s conservative majority seemed open to establishing the country’s first public religious charter school as they weighed a case Wednesday that could have significant ramifications on the separation of church and state.

The Oklahoma state charter school board approved the application for St Isidore, a Catholic virtual charter school. The ACLU and other groups filed suit, as did Republican attorney general Gentner Drummond. The state supreme court sided with Drummond, ruling that the US and Oklahoma constitutions “prohibit the state from using public money for the establishment of a religious institution”.

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Judge re-ups demand that White House show efforts to retrieve Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador

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With seven-day pause expiring Wednesday, Paula Xinis says administration must provide sworn testimony by May

A federal judge on Wednesday again directed the Trump administration to provide information about its efforts so far, if any, to comply with her order to retrieve Kilmar Ábrego García from an El Salvador prison.

The US district judge Paula Xinis in Maryland temporarily halted her directive for information at the administration’s request last week. But with the seven-day pause expiring at 5pm, she set May deadlines for officials to provide sworn testimony on anything they have done to return Ábrego García to the US.

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“Deprivation by Design”: Israel Intensifies Mass Killing Campaign in Gaza With Starvation and Daily Strikes – Drop Site News

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  1. “Deprivation by Design”: Israel Intensifies Mass Killing Campaign in Gaza With Starvation and Daily Strikes  Drop Site News
  2. Live: Israel kills at least 31 in Gaza as aid blockade starves children  Al Jazeera
  3. Devastated father wonders why an Israeli strike killed his 4-year-old daughter  AP News
  4. Headlines for April 30, 2025  Democracy Now!
  5. Reported impact snapshot | Gaza Strip (30 April 2025)  ochaopt.org
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People with endometriosis more likely to experience early menopause, study finds

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Surgical menopause occurs on average 19 months earlier, while natural menopause happens five months earlier, new global research shows

Women with endometriosis face a higher risk of premature and early menopause and are seven times more likely to experience surgical menopause, a study has found.

Surgical menopause occurs when a woman has both ovaries removed before reaching natural menopause, and may be done to treat endometriosis if other treatments fail.

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Israel has no duty to allow UN aid agency into Gaza, says US state department lawyer – The Guardian

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  1. Israel has no duty to allow UN aid agency into Gaza, says US state department lawyer  The Guardian
  2. The U.S. backs Israel's ban on the U.N.'s Palestinian aid agency at the World Court  NPR
  3. US Participation in ICJ Advisory Proceedings – Public Hearing on Israeli Obligations  U.S. Department of State (.gov)
  4. Gaza siege reaches 60th day as US defends Israel at ICJ  Al Jazeera
  5. US backs Israel's ban on UNRWA Gaza aid operations at World Court  Reuters
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Starmer and Blair poles apart, an open goal at PMQs. Did KemiKaze score? | John Crace

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Of course she didn’t. Gifted on climate policy, she used all six of her questions to call for another child abuse inquiry

On days like these, Keir Starmer might come to believe there is a God after all. Fair to say the prime minister has been under the cosh recently. His popularity ratings tanking as people continue to feel fed up that nothing still appears to be working as it should. The local elections on Thursday are unlikely to provide any joy for Labour with Reform ahead in several polls. Even the election of Mark Carney has been a mixed blessing. A reminder that some politicians get rewarded for taking a tough line on Agent Orange. The Lib Dems have declared themselves honorary Canadians.

To cap it all, Tony Blair had just published a report on climate policy that even his best friends might consider to have been “unhelpful”. Tony is a former politician who is unable to go gently into the dark night. Eighteen years after stepping down as prime minister, he still yearns for relevance.

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North Korea’s New Frigate Tests Its Weapons Days After Commissioning – The War Zone

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  1. North Korea’s New Frigate Tests Its Weapons Days After Commissioning  The War Zone
  2. North Korea’s Kim watches missile test-firings from country’s first destroyer  AP News
  3. North Korea conducts first test firing of its new warship's weapons system  Reuters
  4. Kim Jong Un oversees missile tests on new North Korean warship  ABC News
  5. China’s huge new unmanned submarine lies in wait for HMS Prince of Wales  The Telegraph
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Iran executes man accused of helping Israel kill Revolutionary Guards colonel – The Guardian

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  1. Iran executes man accused of helping Israel kill Revolutionary Guards colonel  The Guardian
  2. Iran hangs man convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad  Al Jazeera
  3. Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spy Tied To Killing Of Senior Military Officer  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
  4. Tel Aviv cancels this evening’s Independence Day events  The Times of Israel
  5. Iran hangs man as ‘high ranking’ Israeli spy after trial  South China Morning Post
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Blair’s net zero intervention invites scrutiny of his institute’s donors

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Labour insider rebukes ‘tech bros’ within Tony Blair Institute as critics question past work with petrostates

In little more than 1,600 words voicing his scepticism over net zero policies, Tony Blair this week propelled himself and his increasingly powerful institute back into the national debate.

In the past eight years, the former prime minister has built a global empire employing more than 900 people across more than 40 countries, providing policy advice to monarchs, presidents and prime ministers.

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King Charles says cancer diagnosis made him ‘one of the statistics’

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Charles reveals his experience has deepened his admiration for charities supporting the 390,000 cancer cases each year

The king has reflected on his experience with cancer, saying has brought into “sharp focus the very best of humanity”, while acknowledging that each new case is “a daunting and at times frightening experience” for those receiving a diagnosis and for their loved ones.

In a personal written message, released to coincide with a Buckingham Palace reception celebrating organisations that help people with the disease, he described himself as one of the “statistics” among the 390,000 who “sadly” receive a cancer diagnosis in the UK each year.

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EU readies ‘plan B’ should Trump walk away from Ukraine talks – Financial Times

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  1. EU readies ‘plan B’ should Trump walk away from Ukraine talks  Financial Times
  2. How does Europe want the Ukraine war to end?  dw.com
  3. If Trump abandons Ukraine, can Europe help Kyiv fight on? The clock is ticking to answer that  AP News
  4. If America Walks Away From Ukraine, What Will Europe Do?  The New York Times
  5. EU readies 'plan B' should Trump walk away from Ukraine talks, FT reports  Reuters
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Meta to report quarterly earnings amid tariff uncertainty and AI investment

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Wall Street is projecting the company will post $41.36bn in revenue on $5.21 in earnings per share

Meta is set to report its first quarter earnings on Wednesday after the bell, and investors will be looking for news on whether the company met its quarterly revenue goals of somewhere between $39.5bn and $41.8bn.

Wall Street is projecting the company will post $41.36bn in revenue on $5.21 in earnings per share.

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Downing Street forces Tony Blair to row back from net zero strategy criticism

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Labour politicians warn former PM had boosted Tory and Reform climate sceptics on the eve of local elections

Tony Blair has been forced by Downing Street to row back from his criticism of the government’s net zero strategy after furious Labour politicians warned he had given a boost to Tory and Reform sceptics on the eve of the local elections.

Climate experts also accused the former prime minister of granting political cover to fossil fuel interests and weakening momentum behind the UK’s legally binding target to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

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King Charles opens up about cancer diagnosis and treatment – NBC News

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  1. King Charles opens up about cancer diagnosis and treatment  NBC News
  2. King Charles reflects on ‘darkest moments’ of cancer diagnosis  CNN
  3. 'King's cancer message' and 'No way... Not hymn'  BBC
  4. King Charles says cancer diagnosis made him ‘one of the statistics’  The Guardian
  5. King Charles Issues Message of Support to Fellow Cancer Patients  The New York Times
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