The Guardian

State department’s R/Fimi hub closed after rightwing critics alleged it censored conservative American speechThe Trump administration is shuttering the state department’s last remaining bastion to monitor foreign disinformation campaigns.Known as the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R/Fimi) hub, the closure represents a huge victory for rightwing critics who had alleged that the office, despite only looking at foreign state-level disinformation attacks on other countries, was involved in censoring American conservative speech. It comes as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to dismantle what it describes as government overreach in monitoring speech. Continue reading... Source link :

Upheaval follows decision to shift timing of first debate over fears of clash with Montreal Canadiens ice hockey gameCanada’s Green party has been removed from the country’s two election debates amid accusations it would “undermine the integrity” of the events, just hours before leaders square off in Montreal.The last-minute upheaval follows a decision to shift the timing of the first televised debate on Wednesday evening over fears the French language showdown would clash with a closely watched Montreal Canadiens ice hockey game. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/16/canada-green-party-election-debates Author : Leyland Cecco in Toronto Publish date : 2025-04-16 15:03:00 Copyright

President doubles down on cutting public funding for leading US university in fresh social media rantSecretary of state Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Paris on Wednesday and Thursday to meet with their European counterparts about ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, the State Department said in a statement.Witkoff, who has taken a leading role in the ceasefire talks, met with Vladimir Putin last Friday, their third meeting in recent months. He told Fox News on Monday that the meeting was “compelling” and said he sees a deal “emerging”.It was a compelling meeting. And toward the

Judges were asked to rule on whether the definition of woman in the Equality Act 2010 included transgender women with gender recognition certificatesFull report: Critics of trans rights win UK supreme court case over definition of womanThe definition of a woman and sex in the Equality Act relates to “a biological woman and biological sex”, the supreme court has ruled as it unanimously allowed an appeal from gender critical campaign group For Women Scotland.A possible outcome of the case is that the court will agree with the previous interpretation of the law as it stands, but suggest parliament considers amending

March annual rate comes before expected rise because of household bills going up this monthBusiness live – latest updatesUK inflation dropped to 2.6% in March, increasing the pressure on Bank of England policymakers to cut interest rates next month asDonald Trump’s tariff wars cast an uncertain outlook.Prices growth was weak ahead of an expected rise in April as households begin to pay higher council tax and utility bills. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/16/uk-inflation-falls-bank-of-england-interest-rates Author : Phillip Inman Publish date : 2025-04-16 07:33:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Providers reprimanded for pressuring customers, exploiting women’s insecurities or trivialising medical risksThe Advertising Standards Authority has reprimanded six cosmetic treatment providers for pressuring customers, exploiting women’s insecurities or trivialising medical risks after an investigation into adverts for liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs).The cosmetic procedure, which involves injecting fillers into the buttocks to enhance their shape and size, is unregulated in the UK and can carry significant health risks, not least from potentially life-threatening infections. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/16/asa-bans-brazilian-butt-lift-ads-cosmetic-treatment-providers Author : Ian Sample Science editor Publish date : 2025-04-16 05:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Post office says it ‘definitely’ won’t collect tariffs on Washington’s behalf and Hongkongers should prepare to pay exorbitant feesHong Kong Post said on Wednesday it had suspended goods mail services by sea to the US and will suspend its air mail postal service for items containing goods from 27 April due to “bullying” US tariffs.When sending items to the US, people in Hong Kong “should be prepared to pay exorbitant and unreasonable fees due to the US’s unreasonable and bullying acts”, Hong Kong Post said in a statement. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/16/hong-kong-halts-postal-service-for-us-bound-goods-over-trumps-bullying-tariffs Author : Reuters in Hong Kong

Testimony that Instagram was ‘better’ seems to bolster allegations Meta used ‘buy or bury’ tactic to snap up rivalsMeta’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg considered spinning off Instagram in 2018 in anticipation of a potential antitrust suit, documents unveiled at a trial in Washington showed on Tuesday.​​“While most companies resist break-ups, the corporate history is that most companies actually perform better after they’ve been split up,” he wrote in an email at the time. He said there was a “there is a non-trivial chance” his company would be forced to spin Instagram and WhatsApp out anyway. Continue reading... Source link :

Greens leader tells 7.30 that falling vote share means major parties have to cooperate more. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJust a quick recap, the “verballing” Wong is accusing Peter Dutton of, was from his comments to ABC Afternoon Briefing yesterday.Dutton told host Patricia Karvelas that if “negotiations were taking place, then surely Australia would have been consulted”, and if not, that would have been a “catastrophic failureThere’s commentary I have seen reported from the Indonesian spokesperson. That’s obviously come from the administration. There are reports of negotiations or discussions that have

Ukrainians grieve and clear away wreckage in north-eastern city after morning attack that killed at least 35Europe live – latest updatesOn a warm spring day relatives gathered to say goodbye to Viktor Boiko and his wife, Olha. Their open coffins were laid out next to one other. Viktor wore his best suit. Olha was in a flowery blouse, with carnations heaped around her slippered feet. A priest sang prayers. Gravediggers lowered the couple into the ground, and shovelled earth on top. It landed with a percussive thud.“Give me a weapon. Any weapon. I want to kill those butchers in Moscow,”

Former president to address Chicago conference as concerns grow over Trump policy effects on social security; Obama condemns Harvard funding freezeObama and Yale faculty back Harvard as Trump cuts $2bn, alleging antisemitismFormer US President Joe Biden is expected to return to the national stage later today as he delivers his first major post-presidency speech.The 82-year-old Democrat, who reluctantly dropped out of the presidential race last year amid concerns about his cognitive functioning, will talk about how social security is being threatened by the policies of the Trump administration. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/apr/15/donald-trump-harvard-funding-tariffs-immigration-dei-us-politics-live-updates Author : Lucy Campbell (now); Yohannes

US president questions Ukraine counterpart’s competency as his envoy outlines ‘detail attached’ to any peace dealThe EU has said that “significant joint efforts will be needed” for a successful outcome to trade talks at the end of Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on tariffs.The European Commission, which handles trade policy for the 27 EU member states, was reporting back on a meeting between its lead trade official Maroš Šefčovič and US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and US trade representative Jamieson Greer in Washington on Monday.The EU will continue to approach these talks in a constructive manner, with a view to identify

US vice president says Trump ‘loves the UK’ and is working ‘very hard’ with Keir Starmer on a trade dealAlison McGovern, minister at the Department for Work and Pensions, has commented on those latest job statistics, which showed that the number of payrolled workers in UK fell by 78,000.The Labour MP for Birkenhead said:We’re determined to get Britain working again as part of our plan for change by overhauling job centres, creating good jobs, transforming skills, transitioning to net zero and delivering the biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation.This month, local areas are also starting to roll

Foreign minister Penny Wong has demanded full review into wounding of Ranem Abu-Izneid in November but legal team claim there have been ‘no updates’Get our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastLawyers for an Australian dentistry student who lost her eye after being struck by shrapnel in the occupied West Bank say they doubt Israel is investigating the matter despite the foreign minister, Penny Wong, demanding a comprehensive probe.Palestinian-Australian student Ranem Abu-Izneid, 20, was sheltering with her friend on 15 November 2024 at Al-Quds University in Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem, when she says a bullet fired by

Team leading South Australian search says risk of disrupting other wildlife has made it hard to capture missing pet dogElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcasNew footage of Valerie the miniature dachshund, missing since 2023, shows her sniffing around a trap and capering with a food box.But more than 500 days since she escaped from a pen on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, Valerie is still at large.Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/15/valerie-the-daschund-kangaroo-island-update-new-footage Author : Tory Shepherd Publish date

Education department says $2.3bn in funds to be frozen after university rejects slew of demands as political ployThe US education department is freezing about $2.3bn in federal funds to Harvard University, the agency said on Monday.The announcement comes after the Ivy League school has decided to fight the White House’s demands that it crack down on antisemitism and alleged civil rights violations, including shutting down diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/14/trump-harvard-funding-freeze Author : Guardian staff and agencies Publish date : 2025-04-15 01:01:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Opposition leader yesterday said he wanted to see ‘sustainable’ growth in house prices across the market. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBattle of housing supply: who’s building more?Both parties have said they’re the ones doing more on housing supply, while experts and economists have said neither is doing enough to address the supply versus demand issue.What we’re doing is dealing with supply as well as demand. The Coalition’s plan will push up prices. Our plan will ensure that more homes are built. And what we’ve seen under my government is 28,000 of

Mahdawi was at a naturalization interview in Vermont when he was taken in move his lawyers say is ‘retaliation’Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian green card holder and student at Columbia University, was apprehended by US immigration authorities in Vermont on Monday, according to his lawyers and a video of the incident.Mahdawi, who was a leader of the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia last spring, was arrested by Ice on Monday morning in Colchester, Vermont, while he was attending a naturalization interview, his lawyer said in a statement to the Guardian. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/14/mohsen-mahdawi-palestinian-detained-ice Author : Anna Betts Publish date

Alerts rang out as residents felt large earthquake in areas around San Diego, with epicenter in rural enclave of JulianSouthern Californians were rattled on Monday morning when a strong earthquake shook the areas around San Diego.Initial measurements from the United States Geological Survey rated the temblor as a magnitude 5.2, with an epicenter in Julian, a mountain town in San Diego county known for it’s apple pie, roughly 35 miles north-east of San Diego and 120 miles south of Los Angeles. Alerts rang out on phones across the region warning people to drop, cover and hold. Continue reading... Source link

Almost 4,600 fewer people went to the US in March compared with the same time last year, according to government data Get our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians are increasingly avoiding travel to the United States under Donald Trump’s second presidency, fresh data shows, with forecasters expecting tourist numbers to plummet further throughout the year.Official statistics from the US International Trade Administration reveal the number of visitors from Australia in March 2025 was down by 7% compared with March 2024 – a reduction of 4,559 people.Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Continue

Nayib Bukele visits US amid questions over return of man wrongly deported to El Salvador; US deported 10 more people to the country at the weekendDonald Trump will meet this morning with El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, at 11am ET at the White House.Referring to the cost of imprisoning the detainees in El Salvador, Trump told reporters on Sunday about Bukele:I think he’s doing a fantastic job, and he’s taking care of a lot of problems that we have that we really wouldn’t be able to take care of from a cost standpoint.He’s been amazing. We have some very bad

EU foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg after Russian attack kills at least 34 in SumySpeaking of Merz and Germany, the presumed next chancellor appears to be facing potential problems in the government forming process as the young wing of his junior partner, the Social Democrats, signaled its opposition to the coalition agreement this morning.Jusos leader Philipp Türmer told RTL/ntv that the proposed deal did not offer enough for the group to offer its backing, noting issues with policies on migration, labour and social affairs. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/apr/14/ukraine-russia-war-zelenskyy-trump-putin-europe-latest-live-news Author : Jakub Krupa Publish date : 2025-04-14 10:09:00 Copyright

James Murray insists supplies are in the country to keep furnaces going Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, national officer for the GMB union, has said she has been “wholly reassured” that raw materials are set to arrive at the Scunthorpe blast furnaces to ensure their continued operation.Speaking on the BBC Breakfast programme, PA Media reports she told viewers:I spoke to British Steel late yesterday evening and was wholly reassured, actually. I’m told that the coke that’s at Immingham Bulk Terminal will be paid for and unloaded over the next couple of days and that Government are working at pace to secure the rest

Supplier rallies small businesses as critics say overhaul would harm development of clean energy Octopus Energy has rallied thousands of its small business customers to back an overhaul of Great Britain’s electricity market.The largest energy supplier in Britain and more than 3,700 of its customers wrote to the Treasury last week calling for an immediate introduction of postcode electricity pricing. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/14/octopus-and-its-customers-ask-treasury-to-back-zonal-electricity-pricing Author : Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent Publish date : 2025-04-14 05:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.