Across

Al-Qaida-linked group JNIM claims responsibility for strikes on airport in capital, Bamako, and four other citiesIslamic militants and separatists attacked several locations in Mali’s capital and other cities on Saturday in one of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years.The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bamako’s international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali on its website Azallaq. It said the attacks were carried out jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist group. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Emails and internal memos reveal concerns immigration enforcement is interfering with police workLaw enforcement and local government officials across the US have over the last year expressed concerns that immigration operations were interfering with police work and leading to threats to officers, according to internal emails and briefings shared with the Guardian.The development comes as the US public has become afraid and distrustful of officers in their communities due to the Trump administration’s aggressive and at times indiscriminate immigration crackdown. Continue reading...

One blaze broke out north-west of Fort Lauderdale in Florida, a state known for its wetlands and evergladesMuch of the US is battling a widespread drought after a very dry winter and start to spring. South-eastern areas, in particular the states of Florida and Georgia, are experiencing some of the worst of this prolonged bout of dry weather, with calls for the risk to be labelled a level 4 “exceptional” drought in the region, the most severe category. In recent days, strong winds and low humidity conditions have brought an increased fire risk. These ingredients combined with such unusually dry ground have led to multiple large wildfires, particularly across Florida, a state known for its wetlands and everglades.A fire broke out early on Tuesday morning in Broward County, Florida, just north-west of Fort Lauderdale, scorching an area of more than 9,200 acres as of Thursday afternoon. The National Guard helped Broward Sherriff Fire Rescue tackle the blaze, which has since been brought to 50% containment. Residents nearby and farther west have been warned of reduced air quality as a result of travelling smoke. Fires have been breaking out elsewhere, with multiple active blazes across northern Florida, Georgia and into Alabama. Abnormally dry weather is set to continue over the next few weeks before the arrival of the rainy season, usually around June, with the drought and fire risk set to last. Continue reading...

YouGov survey shows cross-party consensus – but that many fear abortion access could be reduced New polling has found that whatever their party political leanings, an overwhelming majority of people support the right to access an abortion – although young people, in particular, fear reproductive rights may be reduced.The YouGov polling, commissioned by MSI Reproductive Choices to mark its 50th anniversary, found nine in 10 people support the right to access an abortion. Continue reading...

Smoke drifts into Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, as air quality declines and 50 homes destroyedSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxWildfires burning across the south-eastern US intensified on Wednesday across parts of south-east Georgia, where 50 homes were destroyed, and across north-east Florida, forcing evacuations and school closures in some communities.The Georgia forestry commission issued its first mandatory burn ban in the state’s history, effective across 91 counties in the lower half of the state, due to worsening drought conditions and rising wildfire activity. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration will require all 50 states to explain their plans to revalidate Medicaid providers as part of a national escalation of anti-fraud efforts, announced by Dr. Mehmet Oz on Tuesday. • This marks a significant expansion from previous anti-fraud initiatives that have largely focused on specific states rather than a nationwide mandate. • The move aims to strengthen program integrity and reduce fraudulent claims across the Medicaid system.

No deaths reported after latest round of severe weather in the region as officials brace residents for long recovery A trail of damaged homes and buildings dotted a wide swath of the US on Saturday after a burst of destructive winds and reported tornadoes tore off roofs, uprooted trees and rendered rural roads impassable with debris.No deaths were reported after Friday’s storms, which barreled through the upper midwest and delivered the latest round of severe weather to batter the region. Officials braced residents for a long recovery in some rural communities. Continue reading...

• Artillery and small arms fire erupted along the Line of Control in Kashmir on April 17-18, marking the first significant border clash in eight months and resulting in at least 12 reported casualties on both sides. • Pakistan accused Indian forces of violating a 2003 ceasefire agreement with unprovoked shelling near the Siachen Glacier region; India's military claimed Pakistan-based militants initiated the exchange. • Both nations mobilized additional military units to their shared border; analysts warn the escalation could undermine fragile diplomatic channels reopened in late 2025.

• The Weeknd announced a massive 75-date world stadium tour spanning North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia, beginning September 2026. • Ticket pre-sales for North American dates begin April 19, 2026, with general sales starting April 25 through Live Nation's ticketing platform. • The tour supports his upcoming fifth studio album "Midnight Requiem," expected to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in May.

• CDC reports rotavirus circulating at high levels nationwide, with 73.8% of US children vaccinated against the highly contagious virus causing severe diarrhea in infants. • Health experts attribute the late-season surge to vaccine hesitancy, noting the Trump administration's past efforts to remove rotavirus vaccine from childhood schedules. • Cases are life-threatening for kids, prompting warnings as emergency room visits remain elevated beyond typical seasonal peaks.

Data shows 85% of those infected in the state have been not vaccinated against measles as dozens are hospitalizedMeasles: how does it spread and how can I protect my child?Utah has emerged as a major center of measles infections in the US, as an outbreak that has been building for some time continues to expand.State officials reported a total of 602 measles cases on Wednesday tied to an outbreak that started last year and is still ongoing, including 19 newly identified infections, according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). Recent exposures have been reported at several preschools and elementary schools. Continue reading...

Lelia Doolan, who finished 220km trek at parliament gates, says use of Shannon airport violates Irish neutralityA 91-year-old peace activist has crossed Ireland on foot and arrived in Dublin to petition the government to bar US military flights.Lelia Doolan completed a two-week, 220km trek on Wednesday, ending at the gates of parliament accompanied by throngs of supporters. Continue reading...

Intense heat in cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC is unusual for April, weather experts sayA long-lasting weather pattern is poised to blast hot air like a furnace across the eastern United States, with the unusual heatwave threatening to shatter record high temperatures on Wednesday in big cities including New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC.The heat is unusual for April, not only because it’s scorching much of the nation so early in the year but also for its duration. The near-record temperatures are expected to last into this weekend, forecasters say. Continue reading...

• Influenza cases are peaking for a second time this season, with at least 41 states reporting high or very high flu activity. • This surge coincides with ongoing respiratory illness pressures documented by health authorities. • Increased hospitalizations strain healthcare systems, particularly affecting unvaccinated children and adults.

• Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Uganda formalized a coordinated military command structure on April 8 at a summit in Nairobi to strengthen counterterrorism operations against Al-Shabaab, which claimed responsibility for recent attacks in the region. • The joint task force will deploy approximately 8,500 personnel across border regions, with integrated intelligence-sharing platforms and unified rules of engagement for cross-border pursuit of militant cells. • The initiative marks a significant shift in regional cooperation following a series of coordinated insurgent attacks that killed over 400 civilians and security personnel in the past six months, with international donors pledging $127 million in support.

• Myanmar's military government extended a nationwide curfew to 8 p.m. to midnight on April 10, as civil disobedience movements and anti-junta protests intensified in Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyidaw following the announcement of forced military conscription. • Opposition groups reported at least 15 major demonstrations across urban centers, with internet shutdowns affecting mobile data services; the junta deployed additional armed units to key public spaces. • Human rights organizations documented at least 30 arrests of protest organizers within the past 48 hours, while military leaders warned of "zero tolerance" for anti-government activity, escalating concerns of a broader crackdown on dissent.

The restructuring will close all regional offices, which manages 193m acres of land, roughly the size of TexasSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxUS public lands will “pay the price” of a drive by Donald Trump’s officials to restructure the agency that oversees them, union leaders have warned, accusing the administration of forcing workers to decide whether to relocate or resign.All regional offices of the US Forest Service, which manages 78m hectares (193m acres) of land – roughly the size of Texas – are set to close as part of an overhaul launched by the Trump administration. The service has already shed hundreds of staff members since Trump returned to power last year. Continue reading...

Security agencies say municipalities should watch out for unusual activity, especially in water and energy sectorsMiddle East crisis – live updatesTop government security agencies issued a warning of Iran-affiliated cyberattacks on critical infrastructure across the US on Tuesday. In a joint statement, the agencies say that municipalities, especially in the water and energy sectors, should be on the lookout for unusual activity.“Cyberattacks on drinking water and wastewater systems directly threaten public health and community resilience,” Jeffrey Hall, an assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said in a statement. “A single breach can disrupt treatment or introduce contaminants, damage equipment, and erode public trust.” Continue reading...

Female journalists’ accounts of harassment trigger avalanche of allegations reaching as far as governmentJuanita Gómez was reporting on an international assignment for Caracol, a Colombian television channel in 2015, when an older colleague attempted to forcibly kiss her by inside a lift.She only managed to break free from him by pushing him away several times. Fearing any complaint would come down to the word of a “girl” against that of a senior presenter, she did not report the incident. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Seven of England’s 24 stroke centres still not providing mechanical thrombectomy 24/7 despite ministers’ pledgesThe NHS has not made a “life-changing” treatment for stroke available around the clock across England despite ministers repeatedly promising that it would.The health service was expected to improve stroke care by making a clot removal technique called mechanical thrombectomy available everywhere in the country 24/7 from 1 April. Continue reading...

• The California track and field team competed Friday across three separate meets, with several athletes posting program top-10 times and event wins during the early outdoor season. • Senior John Sesteaga led the men's 5000m with a personal-best 14:33.83, while Addie Johnson recorded a program top-10 performance in the women's 5000m with a time of 16:04.57, rising to No. 6 all-time. Redshirt freshman Sabine Kim improved her outdoor 5000m personal record by 80 seconds, finishing in 16:32.16. • The Bears' performances included a 110m hurdles win with a 15.07 personal record, a discus mark of 34.75m, and a pole vault personal best of 4.40m, demonstrating strong early-season momentum.

Strain found in 29 states and Puerto Rico carries spike mutations, but no data shows increased severitySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxBA.3.2, an Omicron variant of Covid-19 with dozens of new spike mutations, has been detected in 29 US states and Puerto Rico, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but experts say there is not yet evidence it is more severe than other recent variants.“The right response to BA.3.2 is serious attention, not alarm,” says Dr Jake Scott, a Stanford professor and infectious disease expert who authored a systematic review of Covid vaccines for the New England Journal of Medicine. Continue reading...

• Researchers from Binghamton University and University of Virginia developed a machine-learning system that analyzed over 55 million scientific papers and patents to identify truly disruptive research that changes the direction of science. • The new metric, published in Science Advances, measures "disruptiveness" — the degree to which a paper pulls a field away from its earlier path — and successfully identifies major simultaneous discoveries often overlooked by traditional citation-based measures. • The study addresses a critical gap in how science evaluates impact, recognizing that scientific progress occurs through abrupt changes rather than incremental steps, helping identify overlooked breakthrough moments in research history.

Meteorologists issue yellow weather warning, with gusts of up to 90mph expected in some areasThe northern half of the UK is expected to face gale force winds over the Easter weekend, with forecasters warning of possible travel disruption and power cuts, stemming from a “significant cold plunge from Canada into the North Atlantic”.The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for very strong winds in Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of north Wales and northern England from 6pm on Saturday until midday on Sunday. Continue reading...

• A stepwise hypertension medication algorithm, the UC Way, adopted across University of California's six academic medical centers, boosted blood pressure control from 68.5% to nearly 74% among 90,000 patients. • Among 11,500 UCSF patients, the improvement averted 72 strokes, 48 heart attacks, and 38 deaths, according to a two-year study ending mid-2025. • Developed by multidisciplinary UC Health experts and integrated into electronic health records since 2023, the tool allows customized treatment adjustments.

• A new report warns that hundreds of hospitals serving 6.6 million Americans in 44 states and Washington, D.C., face serious threats from potential Medicaid cuts. • The cuts could force hospitals to reduce services or close, severely impacting healthcare access for lower-income and underserved communities. • Medicaid remains a critical funding source for these facilities, highlighting the broad national implications for public health infrastructure.

Adelaide has the biggest price decline, with unleaded down 24.9 cents and diesel down 21.3 centsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFuel prices have started falling immediately across Australia in the wake of the government’s fuel excise cut, unexpectedly accelerating the delivery of the Albanese government’s cost-of-living relief.Prices in capital cities paused then plummeted on Wednesday, after the prime minister announced the tax on petrol and diesel would be halved to 26.3 cents a litre. Continue reading...

• President Trump's hold on the Republican Party faces its first major test in 2026 with upcoming primaries and special elections in Indiana, Georgia, Louisiana, and Kentucky. • In North Georgia's special election runoff on April 7, Trump-backed Clayton Fuller competes against Democrat Shawn Harris in a district Trump won by nearly 70% in 2024, where a narrow win could signal waning GOP enthusiasm. • Efforts to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a vocal Trump critic, intensify with funding from Chris LaCivita's groups and the Republican Jewish Coalition targeting his Northern Kentucky district.