⢠The Trump administration unveiled a new slate of nominees to lead several federal boards and trust funds, including one that will oversee a major cultural award ceremony this year, according to announcements from the White House.
⢠The selections include close political allies and conservative commentators, reinforcing Trumpâs pattern of placing loyalists in oversight roles that manage grants, endowments, and publicâfacing institutions.
⢠Democrats and some goodâgovernment watchdogs have raised concerns that the appointments could inject partisan criteria into traditionally nonpartisan programs.
Exclusive: Greater Manchester mayor said to have identified seats where MPs would step aside to allow leadership bidAndy Burnham has a credible plan to return to Westminster âwithin weeksâ, his allies have said, with the Greater Manchester mayor expected to use a byelection fight to set out a new agenda for government.Burnham, who was blocked by Labourâs ruling body from running in Februaryâs Gorton and Denton byelection, has identified several seats where MPs are prepared to step aside for his leadership bid. Continue reading...
US presidentâs threat comes after Germanyâs Friedrich Merz suggests Trump team is being outplayed in its negotiations with IranThe US may reduce its number of troops deployed in Germany, Donald Trump has announced, days after the countryâs chancellor said America was being âhumiliatedâ by Iran.In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said his administration was âstudying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of timeâ. Continue reading...
⢠No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies (34-8) scored nine runs on 11 hits to defeat Tarleton State 9-7 in a midweek game at Olsen Field on Tuesday evening.
⢠Caden Sorrell led with two home runs, his fifth multi-homer game this season.
⢠The late rally secures momentum ahead of SEC series.
Prime minister has shed trusted staffers but can still turn to many genuine friends in and out of governmentGiven that the signs of an embattled premiership are all around â defensive-sounding interviews insisting he will be in post at the next election; a rush of stories about supposed cabinet plotting â now, more than ever, Keir Starmer needs real allies. And here, at least, there is something to feel positive about.If you talk to most Labour MPs, Starmer most likely will not lead Labour into the next election. He may even not remain in No 10 much beyond a set of Scottish, Welsh and local English elections on 7 May, which are expected to be disastrous for his party. Continue reading...
In todayâs newsletter: As political tensions rise abroad and economic pressures mount at home, âDâonald Trump faces a shifting landscape that is testing the loyalty of his âMâaga supportersGood morning. Starting a war of choice that is rapidly spiralling out of control, poll ratings at a second-term low, and a cost of living crisis intensifying for millions.Any conventional US president would be in big trouble. But Donald Trump is not a conventional president, and normal rules do not seem to apply to him. More than a third of Americans continue to believe he is doing a good job despite the global chaos he has unleashed.UK politics | Keir Starmer was looking increasingly isolated over the Peter Mandelson scandal as the Guardian learned of concerns around the cabinet table, a senior minister refused to say the dismissal of Olly Robbins was fair and several mandarins called for Robbins to be reinstated. One Labour MP called on Starmer to quit.Middle East | Iranian forces seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran doubled down on imposing separate blockades of the shipping waterway.West Bank | Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old schoolboy, were killed in the occupied West Bank after Israeli settlers opened fire near a school, witnesses and local officials said. Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a journalist after rescuers were blocked from accessing the building where she was buried under rubble because of further Israeli fire, according to several witnesses.UK news | Britainâs high military dependence on the US is âno longer tenableâ and the UK has to become increasingly independent of the special relationship, a former Nato chief has said.Palantir | The Metropolitan police has held talks with Palantir that could lead to the London force buying the US spy-tech companyâs AI technology to automate intelligence analysis for criminal investigations. Continue reading...
The prime minister has weathered the crises â for now â and there is a growing recognition that Australia is too vulnerable to world eventsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albaneseâs fuel diplomacy tour of Asia has already started paying dividends, but the real test could still be to come.After last weekâs rush to Singapore and pulling forward a planned visit, the prime minister dashed back to Australia from Malaysia on Thursday, to survey the damage at one of the nationâs only remaining fuel refineries. The hastily arranged trips, were to show a leader on the job; to demonstrate Albaneseâs attention to the fuel crisis. Continue reading...
⢠DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and her political allies have characterized Trump administration threats regarding the city's governance as a symbolic victory, suggesting they have successfully resisted federal pressure.
⢠The dispute centers on federal efforts to exert control over District of Columbia government operations, marking one of the most serious federal threats to local autonomy in 30 years.
⢠The 88-year-old congressional delegate has mounted a defensive response to defend the city's semi-autonomous status and self-governance rights.
⢠Crude oil futures surged above $85 per barrel Thursday, driven by ongoing supply constraints from geopolitical tensions and maintenance shutdowns at major U.S. refineries affecting production capacity.
⢠Energy stocks in the S&P 500 gained 2.1% on the session, with exploration and production companies outperforming as rising commodity prices improve profit margins and cash flow forecasts.
⢠Analysts noted that refinery capacity utilization fell to 87% this week, the lowest level since January, suggesting tighter margins ahead for integrated energy companies dependent on downstream operations.
Mark Rutte praises âvery frankâ talks but declines to say if president discussed potential withdrawal from allianceMark Rutte, the secretary general of Nato, has said Donald Trump was âclearly disappointedâ that the USâs allies had refused to join its war against Iran, following a closed-door meeting in Washington on Wednesday.Speaking to CNN after his private meeting with the US president, Rutte declined to say directly whether Trump raised his threat to withdraw from the military alliance over the Iran war, but described the exchange as a âvery frank, very openâ discussion between âtwo good friendsâ. Continue reading...