Press

• Die Environmental Protection Agency hat Mikroplastik und Antidepressiva als Trinkwasser-Schadstoffe eingestuft und reagiert damit auf Forderungen der MAHA-Bewegung sowie auf Bedenken im Bereich der öffentlichen Gesundheit. • Die Einstufung stellt einen bedeutenden regulatorischen Schritt im Umgang mit neu auftretenden Schadstoffen in der US-Wasserversorgung dar, die bei Gesundheitsexperten und Umweltschützern Besorgnis ausgelöst haben. • Die Einstufung könnte künftige regulatorische Maßnahmen zur Festlegung von Trinkwasserstandards und Aufbereitungsanforderungen für diese Stoffe veranlassen.

Führungsoptionen im Fokus angesichts der Angst vor Wahlniederlagen, während Verbündete des Bürgermeisters von Greater Manchester die Vorbereitungen für ein Comeback intensivieren Andy Burnham hat einen Plan, „innerhalb weniger Wochen“ nach Westminster zurückzukehren, so Verbündete Während die Augen Westminsters diese Woche auf die Ausschussräume und Abstimmungslobbys des Parlaments gerichtet waren, wurde Keir Starmers politische Zukunft anderswo entschieden. Wes Streeting und Angela Rayner schmeichelten Labour-Abgeordneten in der Strangers’ Bar im Parlament, während Kollegen von ihrer „existenziellen“ Angst vor den entscheidenden Wahlen in der nächsten Woche sprachen. Weiterlesen...

• Google-Ingenieure haben TurboQuant entwickelt, eine Methode zur Komprimierung von KI-Daten, die bis zu sechsmal weniger Arbeitsspeicher ohne Leistungsverluste benötigt. • Das System ermöglicht es KI-Algorithmen, Informationen zu behalten und leistungsstarke Berechnungen mit geringeren Hardwareanforderungen durchzuführen. • Dieser Durchbruch senkt die Hürden für den Einsatz fortschrittlicher Chatbots und KI-Modelle auf Geräten mit begrenzten Ressourcen.

Der World Press Freedom Index, der 180 Länder bewertete, stellt fest, dass der etablierte Journalismus ‚erstickt wird‘Die Pressefreiheit weltweit ist laut einem einflussreichen jährlichen Index, der den wachsenden autoritären Druck auf die Medien hervorhebt, an ihrem tiefsten Punkt seit einer Generation angelangt.Der Durchschnittswert für die 180 vom World Press Freedom Index bewerteten Länder, der von Reporters Without Borders (RSF) zusammengestellt wurde, war der niedrigste in der 25-jährigen Geschichte des Index. Weiterlesen...

Die Regierung hat 25 Mio. £ zur Erhöhung der Sicherheit für jüdische Gemeinden angekündigt. Am Morgen erklärte die Innenministerin Shabana Mahmood, sie verstehe die Ängste der jüdischen Gemeinschaft im Vereinigten Königreich, während die Regierung zusätzliche Mittel zur Verstärkung von Polizeipatrouillen und Schutzmaßnahmen rund um Synagogen, Schulen und Gemeindezentren bekannt gab. In der Sendung BBC Breakfast wurde sie auf Äußerungen des Oberrabbiners Ephraim Mirvis angesprochen, wonach Menschen im Vereinigten Königreich, die sichtbar jüdisch sind, nicht mehr sicher seien, nachdem zwei jüdische Männer bei einem Angriff in Golders Green im Nordwesten Londons niedergestochen worden waren. Lesen Sie weiter...

Atomgestützte U-Boote wurden in einem Teil der Rede des Königs erwähnt, in dem die Verteidigungsbeziehungen betont wurden. Verfolgen Sie die heutigen Nachrichten live Erhalten Sie unsere E-Mail mit den aktuellsten Nachrichten, die kostenlose App oder den täglichen News-Podcast Guten Morgen und willkommen in unserem Live-News-Blog. Ich bin Martin Farrer mit den wichtigsten Geschichten der Nacht, danach übernimmt Nick Visser die Hauptberichterstattung. Die heute veröffentlichten Verbraucherpreisdaten werden voraussichtlich den heftigen Schock zeigen, den der US-Iran-Krieg unserer Wirtschaft (und unseren Geldbeuteln) zugefügt hat. Weiterlesen...

• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took questions from reporters as Cole Allen, the suspect accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, prepared for his first court appearance on Monday. • Allen is accused of opening fire at the annual dinner while politicians, journalists, and celebrities were in attendance, with Leavitt and other Trump Cabinet members present in the room. • The incident represents a serious security breach at a high-profile event attended by senior government officials and media figures.

Neither political party is immune to conspiracies in a time of intense distrust in government and media, experts say After an armed man attempted to breach the ballroom where Donald Trump was set to speak to White House journalists on Saturday, conspiracies immediately spread about whether the event was staged.The rhetoric has become a common refrain from both sides of the aisle in an era of deeply fractured politics and intense distrust in political institutions and media, and in the president himself. Continue reading...

Ian Collard tells MPs he had not seen UKSV assessment summary before briefing Olly Robbins on clearanceA top Foreign Office security official who played a key role in the granting of Peter Mandelson’s vetting clearance “felt pressure to deliver a rapid outcome” because of contacts from Downing Street, MPs have been told.In testimony relayed to parliament via the Foreign Office (FCDO), Ian Collard said he had not seen the assessment summary produced by the vetting agency when he gave an oral briefing to Olly Robbins, the department’s former permanent secretary. Instead, Collard had received an oral briefing from a member of the FCDO’s personnel security team. Continue reading...

Details about the shooting at the White House correspondents gala have started to surface as the alleged shooter is set to be charged.The suspect was able to get close to where Donald Trump and many other senior officials were gathered, before law enforcement stopped him. It happened less than two years since Trump was the target of an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a subsequent attempt at a golf course in Florida.Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief David Smith, who was in attendance. Continue reading...

Michael Glantz, a senior talent agent, says he ‘wasn’t scared’ and ‘wanted to watch’ as chaos unfolded at the eventUS politics live – latest updatesA guest at the White House correspondents’ dinner retained his table manners and was spotted calmly tucking into his salad course on Saturday, soon after gunfire rang out and heavily armed Secret Service agents swarmed into the ballroom of the Washington Hilton hotel.A video clip captured Michael Glantz, a senior talent agent with the Creative Artists Agency, leisurely forking leaves from his burrata salad into his mouth against a backdrop of a stage just yards away, by then empty of everyone save a rifle-wielding officer in tactical combat gear. Continue reading...

Trump officials use incident at correspondents’ dinner to pitch case for $400m project, arguing it will be ‘safe space’US politics live – latest updatesThe US Department of J (DoJ) has used the weekend shooting in Washington DC to pressure a preservation group to drop a lawsuit seeking to halt the construction of Donald Trump’s White House ballroom.Several Trump administration officials, including the president, seized on the incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner to advance their case for the completion of the controversial $400m project, for which the White House’s East Wing was suddenly demolished, arguing the new ballroom was needed as a “safe space”. Continue reading...

Secret Service director says security succeeded in stopping shooter before he could do further harm but others disagreeThe shooting in the White House correspondents’ gala has prompted questions over security with some asking how a shooter was able to get close to where Donald Trump and many other senior administration officials were gathered and many others praising the actions of law enforcement that swiftly stopped the attack.As details about the shooting at the Washington Hilton continued to surface, the alleged shooter Cole Tomas Allen, 31, mocked an “insane” lack of security at the Washington dinner in a manifesto reportedly send to his family 10 minutes before his assault started. Continue reading...

Alleged shooter expected to appear in federal court and could be charged with trying to assassinate TrumpThe suspected gunman who tried to storm the White House correspondents’ dinner was expected to appear in federal court to face criminal charges on Monday.The alleged shooter, identified by law enforcement agencies as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old man from Torrance in southern California, faces charges including assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer. Continue reading...

Alleged manifesto reportedly written by the suspect had Trump administration officials at top of listWhite House press dinner shooting aftermath – latest updatesInvestigators were looking into anti-Trump sentiment as being a motive for the attacker who sought to breach the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington DC where the US president and top members of his administration were present.Officials have said that the shooter likely was targeting Donald Trump and other senior administration officials. “We do believe, based upon just a very preliminary start to understanding what happened, that he was targeting members of the administration,” Blanche said in a TV interview. Continue reading...

Questions raised about political violence, security and gun control after brazen attack at event attended by top officialsWhite House press dinner shooting aftermath – latest updatesA stunned Washington faced searching questions about political violence and gun control on Sunday after shots were fired at a prestigious media gala attended by Donald Trump and senior White House officials.A man targeted a Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint in the Washington Hilton hotel the previous night before being tackled and arrested. Trump and Melania Trump were rushed out of the annual White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner as guests dived for cover under tables. Continue reading...

Trump and first lady were safely evacuated and police arrested Cole Tomas Allen of southern California at eventThe gunman who tried to breach the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington DC on Saturday night is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, the acting US attorney general, Todd Blanche, said on Sunday morning.Blanche also said officials believe that the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where he checked in as a guest at the hotel where one of the capital’s glitziest annual events was being held, the Washington Hilton. Continue reading...

Law enforcement agencies name Cole Tomas Allen as Trump posts video of man sprinting through checkpoint at hotelUS politics live – latest updatesLaw enforcement agencies have identified Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, southern California, a suburb of Los Angeles, as the suspected gunman arrested at the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington DC on Saturday night.Allen, 31, has no record of criminal charges or a civil court history in Los Angeles county, according to a records search. Continue reading...

• INDYCAR series leader Alex Palou maintains his position atop the standings as competitors intensify their pursuit and grapple with mounting pressure. • Other drivers face critical decisions regarding their approach to closing the gap with Palou in the championship race. • The competitive environment reflects the high stakes of the INDYCAR season as it progresses into its middle stages.

• The White House is ramping up pressure on Cuba for political change following Operation Absolute Resolve, which successfully extracted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. • US military presence is expanding across Latin America and the Caribbean, with a focus on combating drug-trafficking by transnational criminal organizations like Mexican Cartels, MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and Haitian gangs, topping the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment. • Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa seeks stronger US military ties after a failed 2025 referendum on foreign bases, while Paraguay ratified a State of Forces Agreement allowing temporary US troop deployments for training.

Committee to Protect Journalists says Ahmed Shihab-Eldin was found innocent after 52 days in detentionMiddle East crisis – live updatesA Kuwaiti-American journalist, who had been detained in Kuwait, has been acquitted, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who has previously worked for PBS, HuffPost, the New York Times, the BBC and Al Jazeera, was arrested on 3 March during a brief visit to Kuwait. Continue reading...

Authors including Evelyn Araluen and Melissa Lucashenko say they won’t work with publisher after it dumps Jazz Money’s book illustrated by Matt Chun, who called Bondi victims ‘affluent beneficiaries of imperialism’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian publishing house has cancelled the publication of a children’s book by an award-winning Indigenous poet over comments the book’s illustrator made about the victims of the Bondi beach terror attack, whom he called “affluent beneficiaries of imperialism”.University of Queensland said on Wednesday its publishing house would not proceed with the publication of Bila, A River Cycle, written by Jazz Money and illustrated by Matt Chun, and was considering “recycling options” for already printed copies. Continue reading...

Sacked civil servant tells select committee of ‘pressure’ to give clearance and ‘dismissive’ attitude to vettingThe civil servant sacked by Keir Starmer has given a devastating account of his government, saying Downing Street put huge pressure on the civil service to approve the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Washington ambassador despite the concerns of vetting officials.Olly Robbins, the former top official at the Foreign Office, said No 10 took a “dismissive” attitude to vetting, and Mandelson was given access to the Foreign Office building and to “higher-classification briefings” before he was granted security clearance. Continue reading...

Sacked Foreign Office permanent secretary says he was under pressure from Downing Street over appointment of US ambassadorUK politics live – latest updatesThe sacked senior civil servant Oliver Robbins has said he was subject to “constant pressure” when he arrived in the Foreign Office to get Peter Mandelson in post as soon as possible.He said the Cabinet Office urged the Foreign Office to allow Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US without the usual vetting process but the Foreign Office pushed back and the vetting eventually went ahead. Continue reading...

Newspaper broke embargo on confidential briefing note about the royal couple’s movements five days before they arrived in Melbourne for their Australia visitThe Daily Mail’s “aggressive” approach to reporting on Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australian visit has “irreparably damaged” the Sussexes’ ability to brief press ahead of trips, Guardian Australia has been told.The Daily Mail broke the embargo by publishing the royal couple’s movements five days before they landed in Melbourne, despite that information being strictly non-publishable until they arrived. Continue reading...

Donald Trump said on Sunday that US marines had taken custody of a vessel that tried to get past the American blockade on Iranian portsTehran has ‘no plans to participate’ in new talks, state media reports, as it accuses US of violating ceasefireJust to recap the latest peace talks news, and whether or not Iran will attend negotiations in Pakistan.State broadcaster IRIB on Sunday cited Iranian sources as saying “there are currently no plans to participate in the next round of Iran-US talks”.Iran has reportedly rejected participation in a second round of peace talks with the US in Pakistan, citing “Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire”, according to the official IRNA news agency.Hours before Iran’s statement, Trump said his negotiators would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening. A White House official said the delegation would be led by vice-president JD Vance and include Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.Donald Trump said in a post on Sunday that the US marines have taken custody of a vessel that tried to get past the American blockade on Iranian ports, adding that US forces stopped the ship by blowing a hole in its engine room.The US military confirmed that the US destroyer fired “several rounds” towards an Iranian-flagged ship that was attempting to pass through its naval blockade. In a statement released on Sunday, US Central Command said the USS Spruance intercepted the Iranian-flagged Touska ship as it travelled towards an Iranian port “in violation of the US blockade.”The US blockade of Iran’s ports is a violation of the ceasefire agreement and is “both unlawful and criminal”, Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said on Sunday.Oil prices jumped, the US dollar rose and stock futures fell on Monday as investors dealt with conflicting messages about the Iran war and news that the strait of Hormuz was closed again. In early Asian trading Brent crude futures jumped about 7% to $96.85 a barrel and S+P 500 futures fell about 0.9%. The euro was down 0.3% at $1.1735 and the yen eased about 0.2% to 158.95 per dollar. Continue reading...

ACT independent David Pocock is calling for a 25% tax on gas exports to fund welfare and housing. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor should use the proceeds of limiting tax concessions for property investors and a crackdown on gas export profits to fund welfare increases and build housing, charities and social service groups say.Ahead of next month’s federal budget, the Albanese government is under pressure to wind back negative gearing rules and the 50% capital gains tax discount for property investments, and to tax more of the profits from soaring commodity exports, pushed up by the global energy shock.People on the lowest incomes are skipping meals, delaying medical care and rationing energy just to get by.Frontline services are operating at capacity, facing growing demand and increasingly complex needs. Current policy settings are not meeting the needs of our communities – it’s clear that significant and sustained public investment is essential. Continue reading...

• Myanmar's military junta arrested 156 pro-democracy activists over the past week during coordinated raids across Yangon, Mandalay, and other major cities, escalating a campaign that has imprisoned over 3,000 political prisoners since the 2021 coup. • The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued a statement expressing "serious concern" about the arrests and called for dialogue; however, the statement stopped short of threatening sanctions or diplomatic consequences. • Activist networks report torture allegations in detention facilities and restricted access to legal representation, prompting calls from international human rights organizations for an independent UN investigation.

PM said he was ‘staggered’ not to have been told that Peter Mandelson had failed his security vetting before becoming ambassador to the USHello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of UK politics on Saturday 18 April.Keir Starmer is facing “judgment day” according to senior government figures over the failure in Peter Mandelson’s vetting process. Continue reading...