• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has proposed new congressional district maps designed to strip Democrats of additional House seats in the state.
• The redistricting effort is part of a broader coast-to-coast battle over legislative boundaries ahead of the 2026 midterms, with competing proposals from both parties.
• In Virginia, voters narrowly backed a Democratic remap that threatens several Republican incumbents, demonstrating the high stakes of redistricting.
• Recent defections of several Rajya Sabha MPs have renewed scrutiny on the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, introduced in 1985 to curb political defections.
• Critics argue the law has proven ineffective against contemporary challenges like party-switching in upper house elections.
• Calls grow for comprehensive amendments to strengthen disqualification provisions and address interpretation issues.
• The Environmental Protection Agency has classified microplastics and antidepressants as drinking water contaminants, responding to advocacy from the MAHA movement and public health concerns.
• The classification marks a significant regulatory step in addressing emerging contaminants in U.S. water supplies that have raised concerns among health experts and environmental advocates.
• The designation may prompt future regulatory actions to establish drinking water standards and treatment requirements for these substances.
Gaston Browne is on course to win 15 of the 17 seats in parliament after calling snap electionGaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, is set to win a fourth term in the country’s snap general election with preliminary results showing his party on course to win 15 of the 17 seats in parliament.Addressing supporters early on Friday morning, Browne said: “You have spoken, you have spoken clearly. You have indicated that the Antigua and Barbuda Labour party (ABLP) is the best institution to run this country.” Continue reading...
In today’s newsletter: The events in Golders Green this week are the latest in a line of attacks on the Jewish community that have led many to question their future in the UKGood morning. It is a terrible fact of life for British Jews that few were surprised by Wednesday’s knife attack in Golders Green, north London, in which two men were stabbed in an area home to a large Jewish community. A 45-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder.The incident is the latest in a string of antisemitic attacks, on people and property, that have struck fear into many British Jews in recent years. John Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, said many in the community are at “breaking point” and feel the UK is no longer a safe place for them to live.Iran | Iran’s supreme leader has broken his recent silence with a defiant statement hailing Iran’s control over shipping in the strait of Hormuz and vowing to guard the country’s nuclear and missile programmes.Environment | Governments have been asked to develop national “roadmaps” setting out how they will end the production and use of fossil fuels, after a landmark climate meeting involving nearly 60 countries.UK news | Winston Marshall, a former member of the band Mumford & Sons and the son of the GB News co-owner Paul Marshall, has said Britain should construct a mine-laden “floating wall” to stop small boat crossings on the Channel.Counter-terrorism | More and more young people are being drawn into the world of violent extremism, a senior police officer has warned, as a young neo-Nazi was convicted of planning a mass gun attack after being caught in an undercover MI5 sting.UK economy | The Bank of England has left interest rates unchanged at 3.75% but said the UK may need to brace for increases later this year, as “higher inflation is unavoidable” as a result of the war in the Middle East. Continue reading...
Spy tech firm says it’s just ‘a software company’ amid pressure for a ban on new contracts with government agenciesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJust weeks after it implied some cultures are inferior to others in a manifesto described by one UK MP as the “ramblings of a supervillain”, the US spy tech company Palantir says it is just “a software company” amid calls for Australian government agencies to ban any new contracts with the controversial company.In Australia, state and federal contracts with Palantir have reached nearly $80m, and federal investment in the company is reportedly more than $160m. Continue reading...
Lambeth council candidates Saiqa Ali and Sabine Mairey understood to have been detained over social media postsTwo women standing as Green party candidates in the local elections have been arrested over alleged antisemitic social media posts.The women, running in seats for Lambeth council, south London, were arrested by the Metropolitan police on Thursday morning. Continue reading...
Move comes after mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke on return of the Koh-i-noor diamond after UK royals’ visit to New YorkHundreds of antiquities valued at $14m have been returned to India by New York authorities, including some connected to the alleged art smuggler Subhash Kapoor, in a move that is likely to raise the pressure on others to make similar gestures.The return of 657 antiquities was announced by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg Jr, on Tuesday, and came as New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, waded into the historically contentious ownership of the 105.6 carat Koh-i-noor diamond. Continue reading...
The government has announced £25m to increase security for Jewish communitiesMorning. The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said she understands the fears faced by the Jewish community in the UK as the government announced extra funding to boost police patrols and protections around synagogues, schools and community centres.Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she was pressed on comments made by the chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, that people in the UK who are visibly Jewish are no longer safe, after two Jewish men were stabbed in an attack in Golders Green in north-west London. Continue reading...
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled new congressional district maps that could eliminate additional Democratic seats in the House.
• The redistricting proposal targets areas with Democratic incumbents, intensifying battles ahead of the 2026 midterms.
• Republicans see this as key to maintaining House majority, while Democrats warn of voter suppression tactics.