Strike on alleged drug vessel kills four in the Caribbean, US military says

• The Pentagon has deployed approximately 2,000 soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, providing President Trump with additional military options while he pursues diplomatic efforts with Iran. • The troop movement occurs as the Trump administration has sent Iran a 15-point ceasefire plan through Pakistani intermediaries, according to officials briefed on the diplomacy. • The dual strategy reflects efforts to find an economic off-ramp from the Middle East conflict while maintaining military readiness, though Iran has given a negative response to the ceasefire proposal.

Peers, in vote of 266 to 141, reject Keir Starmer’s proposals for public consultation to decide if social media ban should be introduced in UKThe House of Lords has backed an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s.Peers, in a vote of 266 to 141, rejected Keir Starmer’s proposals for a public consultation to decide whether a ban should be introduced. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Speaking with the Australian Politics podcast, the Liberal frontbencher says a sovereign wealth fund would set Australians up for generations to comeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie says he is open to a new 25% tax on soaring gas profits as part of a Scandinavian-style sovereign wealth fund to strengthen the federal budget amid the global energy crisis.Budget leaks suggest the Albanese government is modelling the effects of placing a flat 25% tax on gas profits, as well as possible further changes to the petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT) and corporate income tax. Continue reading...

Bill Pulte reportedly urges examination of alleged fraud as New York attorney general’s lawyer attacks ‘vendetta’ The Trump administration’s federal housing director Bill Pulte is asking prosecutors to investigate New York attorney general Letitia James for insurance fraud, according to criminal referrals reported by MS Now and CBS News.The referrals to prosecutors in Florida and Illinois allege that James may have committed mortgage insurance fraud. The allegations center on applications made to Universal Property Insurance company, which is based in Florida, and Allstate in Illinois. Continue reading...

US president says he will host Chinese leader in a reciprocal visit later this yearDonald Trump will meet Xi Jinping in May during the US president’s first visit to China in eight years, a closely watched trip that had been postponed due to the Iran war.Trump was initially slated to travel next week, but will now visit Beijing on 14 and 15 May, he wrote in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday. Trump said he would host the Chinese leader in a reciprocal visit in Washington later this year. Continue reading...

Policy brought forward as Middle East war highlights fragility of global supply chainsBritish suppliers will be prioritised for public contracts in shipbuilding, steel, AI and energy infrastructure under new guidance marking them out as sectors vital to national security.Departments will also have to either use British steel or justify sourcing it from overseas, under the rules announced by the government. Continue reading...

Government says proposed levy for international tourists is part of initiative to improve arts fundingMinisters are considering charging international tourists to access permanent collections at national museums as part of an initiative to improve arts funding.The government said there was a need for long-term options to fund the struggling arts sector in its response to a review of Arts Council England, which distributes public funding to the arts. Among the options cited was a hotel levy, a policy being consulted on. Continue reading...

Former Kilmore church being converted into mosque set alight Tuesday amid spate of Islamophobic incidentsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIslamic communities have called out a rise in “anti-Muslim hate” after a church that was being converted into a mosque was allegedly set alight in what Victoria police are treating as a “suspicious” fire.In a statement, Victoria police said the abandoned church in Kilmore, north of Melbourne, was set alight at about 1.50pm on Tuesday, causing “significant damage” to the building. No one was inside at the time and the fire was believed to have been started in the rear of the building. Continue reading...

Surcharge, spurred by oil price spikes due to the Iran war, is set to take effect on 26 April and run until January 2027The US Postal Service (USPS) plans to introduce its first-ever fuel surcharge on packages to offset rising energy costs, according to a statement.The surcharge, set at 8%, is expected to take effect on 26 April and remain in place until 17 January 2027 under the current plan. Continue reading...

Reversal by London police comes as Shabana Mahmood prepares an appeal against high court overturning ban on the groupThe Metropolitan police has said it will resume arresting people who show support for Palestine Action just weeks after it said it would no longer do so following a high court ruling that the ban on the direct action group was unlawful.After last month’s judgment, the Met police said it would immediately stop arresting people for such offences under the Terrorism Act but would gather evidence for potential future prosecutions. Continue reading...

Writer looked to topics such as computer engineering and life in a nursing home to produce richly researched booksTracy Kidder, an award-winning narrative nonfiction writer who turned everything from computer engineering to life in a nursing home into unexpected bestsellers, has died. He was 80.Kidder’s longtime publisher Random House confirmed his death in a statement on Wednesday: “Tracy’s gifts for storytelling and tireless reporting are an enduring reflection of the empathy, integrity, and endless curiosity he brought to everything he did.” Continue reading...