⢠A federal judge blocked the Trump administration's attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemeni nationals, overturning an earlier injunction.
⢠The ruling cited concerns over the administration's procedures and protections for vulnerable refugee populations.
⢠The decision represents a legal setback for the administration's restrictive immigration policies.
⢠The United States naval operations in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz have caused Iran nearly $4.8 billion in lost oil revenue, according to Pentagon estimates reported by Axios.
⢠Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, citing Press Secretary Joel Valdez, states the blockade enforces sanctions and curbs Iran's maritime oil trade to weaken funding for militant activities.
⢠The Strait of Hormuz remains central to tensions as a vital global oil chokepoint, risking escalation in energy markets and regional stability.
At a rally in Florida, the US president tells a cheering crowd âwe took over the shipâMiddle East crisis â live updatesDonald Trump has said the US navy acted âlike piratesâ as he described an operation seizing a ship amid the tit-for-tat American blockade of Iranian ports.âWe ⌠land on top of it and we took over the ship. We took over the cargo, took over the oil. Itâs a very profitable business,â said Trump at a rally in Florida on Friday. Continue reading...
⢠A federal judge issued a ruling blocking the Trump administration's attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Yemeni nationals, preventing immediate removal of beneficiaries from the program.
⢠The judicial decision came just days after the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a related case examining the administration's authority over TPS designations.
⢠The ruling protects thousands of Yemeni nationals currently in the United States who depend on TPS for legal residency and work authorization.
⢠The Trump administration has announced 'Operation Economic Fury,' implementing a comprehensive blockade against Iran as part of an expanded sanctions campaign.
⢠The initiative represents a significant escalation in economic pressure against Iran, marking a shift in US foreign policy toward more aggressive measures.
⢠This action comes amid broader geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and follows months of diplomatic tension between the US and Iran.
Vote comes as 60-day deadline looms, with two GOP backing limits and dispute over whether ceasefire pauses clockUS politics live â latest updatesThe Republican-led Senate on Thursday again blocked a Democratic attempt to stop Donald Trumpâs war in Iran, rejecting a war powers resolution that would have limited the conflict until Congress authorizes further military action.The vote was 47-50, with two Republicans â Susan Collins, a senator of Maine, and Rand Paul, of Kentucky â voting in favor and one Democrat â John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania â opposing it. Continue reading...
⢠The Trump administration filed an appeal Wednesday evening against a Massachusetts federal judge's March 16 ruling that blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s overhaul of the nation's childhood vaccine schedule.
⢠Judge Brian Murphy had ruled that Kennedy replaced the CDC's vaccine advisory committee "unlawfully" and placed any decisions made by the committee on hold.
⢠The appeal signals the administration's intention to proceed with restructuring the vaccine advisory process despite legal challenges to its authority.
⢠The United Arab Emirates withdrew from OPEC yesterday, marking a historic split from Saudi Arabia during the escalating regional crisis.
⢠This decision coincides with the Strait of Hormuz being almost entirely shut down due to a US naval blockade aimed at halting Iranian oil exports.
⢠The US is threatening to cut off major Chinese banks from its financial system to prevent processing of Iranian oil, intensifying global energy tensions.
Oil markets spooked as Donald Trump appears willing to maintain the US Navy blockade and Iran keeps strait of Hormuz all but shutThe price of Brent oil soared above $126 a barrel on Wednesday, its highest level since 2022, after Donald Trump warned the US blockade of Iranian ports could last months and peace talks remained stalled.Surging more than 13% in 24 hours, Brent crude hit a record price since the war began on 28 February. Not since Russiaâs 2022 invasion of Ukraine has Brent topped $120, with the price then peaking at $139. Continue reading...
US representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin earlier this month called agreements outrageous and unlawfulSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Trump administration blocked two permitted US wind energy projects from development this week, with an agreement to pay millions of dollars in refunds to the companies behind them if those funds are reinvested in oil and gas.US Department of the Interior officials framed the canceled agreements as a way to âpromote US energy security and affordabilityâ by funneling funds âaway from intermittent, higher-cost energy sources toward proven conventional solutionsâ, in an announcement issued Monday. Continue reading...
Meta said Monday that the transaction "complied fully with applicable law" and that it anticipates "an appropriate resolution to the inquiry."(Image credit: Jeff Chiu/AP)
⢠Blocks, an AI startup, secured $20 million in Series A funding led by EntrÊe Capital to develop autonomous digital workforces.
⢠The funding will support deployment of AI agents capable of handling complex tasks independently.
⢠This investment highlights growing VC interest in agentic AI technologies amid enterprise automation demands.
⢠Venezuelan security forces restricted opposition parties from entering their campaign headquarters on Monday, raising fresh concerns about democratic conduct ahead of this year's presidential elections.
⢠The blockade prevented opposition candidates and staff from gathering electoral signatures and organizing voter outreach efforts, significantly hampering their campaign infrastructure.
⢠International observers from the Organization of American States expressed alarm over the move, calling it a violation of political freedoms and warning it could undermine the legitimacy of upcoming elections.
⢠Active fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has intensified blockades on humanitarian corridors, trapping over 2 million internally displaced persons without access to food and medical supplies.
⢠The UN World Food Programme reported that starvation conditions now affect multiple regions, with malnutrition rates among children exceeding 40 percent in some areas.
⢠The U.S. State Department announced an additional $150 million in emergency humanitarian assistance but acknowledged that insecurity makes delivery of aid increasingly difficult.
⢠China's National Development and Reform Commission prohibited Meta's acquisition of Singapore-based AI startup Manus on April 27, 2026, requiring all parties to withdraw.
⢠Manus, with Chinese roots, was targeted in a security review of foreign investment despite Meta's compliance claims from its California headquarters.
⢠The decision heightens US-China tech tensions, impacting Meta's AI expansion and cross-border M&A in semiconductors and intelligence tools.
⢠UN International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez stated that the blockading of ships in the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Iran conflict has turned international shipping and seafarers into leverage in geopolitical disputes.
⢠The crisis highlights how vessels and crews, not involved in the conflict, are being caught up in hostilities between the United States and Iran, disrupting global trade routes.
⢠This development underscores critical weaknesses in global shipping networks, potentially leading to supply chain disruptions, higher costs, and risks to maritime security worldwide.
Footage posted online shows police telling people they were being removed due to suspicion they would interrupt ceremonyWestern Australian police say they proactively blocked 15 members of âissue motivated groupsâ from attending Anzac Day commemorations, following disruptions that marred earlier ceremonies in the eastern states.One man was arrested at the Sydney dawn service at Martin Place, where there was a small but noisy interjection of booing during the Indigenous acknowledgment of country. Booing also marred ceremonies in Melbourne and Perth. Continue reading...
⢠Myanmar's military junta has blocked UN humanitarian corridors to conflict-affected regions, preventing food and medical aid from reaching approximately 2 million people at imminent risk of famine.
⢠UN humanitarian agencies report that supplies have been halted for two weeks; the blockade coincides with intensified fighting between military forces and opposition groups in central Myanmar.
⢠The US has condemned the blockade as a war crime and called for emergency UN Security Council action, though Russia and China have signaled opposition to any intervention.
⢠The UN Security Council failed to reach consensus on a resolution extending cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria, with Russia vetoing the measure on Friday amid escalating tensions between Moscow and Western nations over the Syrian conflict's humanitarian toll.
⢠Russia's veto marks the third such blocking in two years, preventing critical medical supplies and food assistance from reaching 5.5 million internally displaced Syrians, according to UN humanitarian coordinator statements.
⢠Western diplomats warned the blockade could exacerbate an already severe humanitarian crisis, with aid agencies reporting shortages of vaccines, antibiotics, and nutrition programs across northern Syria.
Kim Leadbeater tells of plan to table identical bill that peers would be unable to stopMPs and peers who led the assisted dying bill have promised to bring it back to parliament after it ran out of time in the House of Lords.Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who tabled the private memberâs bill, said the plan would be to table an identical bill in the next parliamentary session, which would prevent peers blocking it again, as the Lords cannot stop the same bill twice. Continue reading...
The department of justice has refused to hand over key evidence from the Jeffrey Epstein files and could delay Scotland Yardâs criminal inquiry.Good morning. The UK criminal investigation into Peter Mandelson has reportedly ground to a halt after the US justice department refused to hand over evidence contained in the Epstein files.The documents relate to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which Scotland Yard believes could hold key evidence related to Mandelson, who served as business secretary and US ambassador. While the Met has asked for voluntary disclosure, the US department of justice is insisting on a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) request, a legal back and forth between countries to obtain evidence, the Telegraph has reported. Continue reading...
Officials assessing route after serac between base camp and camp one deemed unstable and too risky for climbers A large ice block on the route just above the Mount Everest base camp has forced hundreds of climbers and local guides to delay their attempt to scale the worldâs highest peak.The serac between base camp and camp one is unstable and is risky for climbers, said Himal Gautam of Nepalâs department of mountaineering on Friday. Continue reading...
⢠Navy Secretary John Phelan was fired by the Pentagon on Wednesday night amid escalating tensions with Iran over the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
⢠The firing comes as the U.S. maintains military pressure on Iran, with reports indicating the blockade is costing Iran an estimated $500 million per day and pushing the regime toward economic collapse.
⢠U.S. intelligence officials warn that Iran retains thousands of missiles and drones capable of threatening American interests in the region.
Battle of the blockades may still have more time to run as both the US and Iran try to assert control over the strait of HormuzDonald Trumpâs decision to extend the naval blockade of Iran indefinitely may do nothing to reduce world oil prices â but it could amount to a recognition that further US military escalation in breach of the nominal ceasefire comes with greater risk against a regime disinclined to surrender.In theory, Trumpâs military options are increasing. A third US carrier strike group, the George HW Bush, is due to arrive in the Middle East within days after rounding South Africa. A second taskforce of 2,500 US marines is sailing from the Pacific and is due to arrive by the end of April. Continue reading...
White House says Tehran in âvery weak positionâ; Iran says two seized ships transferred to its coast; US navy secretary exiting post âeffective immediatelyâ, says PentagonâImpossibleâ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid âflagrantâ ceasefire breaches, Iran saysWelcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.Iran has seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz a day after Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling off US attacks, while there is no sign of peace talks restarting.Trump was âsatisfiedâ with the US naval blockade and âunderstands Iran is in a very weak positionâ, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. The US president had not set a deadline on Iran submitting a peace proposal, she said, after Trump on Tuesday said he was indefinitely extending the ceasefire at the request of mediator Pakistan until Tehran responded to the USâs negotiating positions or until talks were concluded âone way or the otherâ.The Pentagon announced that the US secretary of the navy, John Phelan, would depart the office âeffective immediatelyâ, without providing an explanation for his sudden exit. The US armyâs top officer, Gen Randy George, and two other senior officers were removed earlier this month amid the continuing war with Iran.The US-Israeli war against Iran is âstarting to weaken Europeâ, Turkish president Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan has told his German counterpart. ErdoÄan said: âIf we do not address this situation with an approach that prioritises peace, the damage caused by the conflict will be far greater.âIsraeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a Lebanese journalist, Amal Khalil, and wounded a photographer accompanying her, a senior Lebanese military official and Khalilâs employer said. The death of Khalil, 43, brought the death toll to five people on Wednesday â the deadliest day since a 10-day truce between Israel and Hezbollah was announced on 16 April. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on Khalilâs death.Khalil and freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj were covering developments near the town of al-Tayri when an Israeli strike hit the vehicle in front of them, Reuters reported. They ran into a nearby house that was then also targeted by an Israeli strike, said Lebanonâs health ministry. Lebanese prime minister Nawaf Salam said Israeli targeting of journalists and obstructing relief effort constituted war crimes.Oil prices leapt 4% on Thursday after Iran vowed not to reopen the Hormuz strait amid the US naval blockade despite the truce extension. Around 0025 GMT, the benchmark US oil contract West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 4.06% to $96.73 a barrel, while the international oil benchmark Brent North Sea crude climbed 3.62% to $105.63. Both eased back minutes after.Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old schoolboy, were killed in the occupied West Bank after Israeli settlers opened fire near a school amid mounting assaults on education in the territory, witnesses and local officials have said.United Airlines implemented broad-based rises of 15-20% on fares as it sought to offset the surge in petrol prices while protecting profits, executives said. The big US carrier has also cut its 2026 flying capacity by 5%. Continue reading...
Journalists Amal Khalil and Zeinab Faraj were both caught in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon, with the former trapped under rubble for hoursIsraeli strikes in southern Lebanon wounded one journalist and left another trapped under rubble on Wednesday with rescuers temporarily blocked from reaching her by ongoing Israeli fire, Lebanonâs health ministry, a senior military official and press advocates said.Israelâs military said in a statement it had received reports that two journalists were injured as a result of its strikes, and denied it was preventing rescue teams from reaching the area. Continue reading...
The injunction pauses policy giving senior Trump official direct sign-off on federal clean energy projectsA federal judge in Massachusetts on Tuesday struck down several Trump administration actions slowing down development of clean energy, including a requirement that all solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters be personally approved by the interior secretary, Doug Burgum.Denise J Casper, chief judge of the US district court for Massachusetts, ruled that a coalition of plaintiffs representing wind and solar developers were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that the administrationâs actions violate federal statute and will cause irreparable harm if the court did not intervene. Continue reading...
Iranâs goal is to maintain chokehold on global economy even as some say it could run out of oil storage by SundayMiddle East crisis â live updatesDonald Trumpâs indefinite shelving of the plan to bomb Iranâs bridges and power station on Tuesday night is being widely described as leaving the conflict in limbo, but that is anything but the truth.Pakistan insists the prospect of talks in Islamabad has not evaporated, and positive messages are still being exchanged, but in the meantime the site of kinetic activity has switched from land to sea. Both sides are vying to prove they can enforce their blockade of the strait of Hormuz more effectively than the other. It has become a form of gunboat diplomacy brought to life in the most significant geopolitical waterway in the world. Continue reading...
Agreement for urgently needed loan reached after Ukraine resumed pumping Russian oil to Hungary and SlovakiaEurope live â latest updatesEU member states have reached agreement on unblocking an urgently needed âŹ90bn (ÂŁ78bn) loan for Kyiv and a new package of sanctions against Moscow after Ukraine resumed pumping Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, prompting Budapest to lift its veto.Cyprus, which holds the blocâs rotating presidency, said member statesâ ambassadors had agreed to launch âwritten proceduresâ for the final approval of the loan and the sanctions package, with formal sign-off on both due by Thursday afternoon. Continue reading...