• Sacred Heart University announced it will join the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) as a football-only member in 2026, while remaining part of the MAAC for other sports as part of ongoing FCS conference realignment.
• The move reflects broader changes across the FCS football landscape, with multiple programs transitioning between conferences to strengthen competitive alignment.
• Sacred Heart's addition to the CAA marks another step in the ongoing restructuring of lower-division NCAA football conferences.
• US and Israeli forces launched expanded 'Juniper Oak' drills on April 4, 2026, involving 12,000 troops simulating multi-front attacks near the Lebanon border.
• Drills feature F-35 joint operations and Iron Dome intercepts, responding to 150 Hezbollah rocket launches since March 15.
• Exercise underscores US commitment with $3.8 billion annual aid, amid warnings from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin of 'deterring wider escalation.'
• Canada and Mexico initiated formal trilateral negotiations with the United States on Thursday to revise specific provisions of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), focusing on energy sector regulations, labor standards enforcement, and digital trade frameworks.
• The negotiations emerged following months of diplomatic pressure from the Trump administration over concerns regarding Chinese investment in Mexican manufacturing sectors and alleged labor standard enforcement gaps affecting North American supply chains.
• Trade analysts estimate the negotiations could result in amendments affecting approximately $1.3 trillion in annual trilateral trade flows, with particular implications for automotive, agricultural, and energy sectors across the region.
• Japan and South Korea formalized a expanded military cooperation agreement on Thursday, establishing joint command structures and coordinated response protocols to address escalating North Korean weapons development and missile tests.
• The two nations agreed to share real-time intelligence on North Korean military activities and established a rapid-response task force designed to coordinate anti-missile defense systems within 48 hours of any provocation.
• The agreement represents the strongest formal defense partnership between the two countries in over a decade and signals growing concern about North Korea's advancing intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities.
Talks, convened by the UK, will examine ‘all viable diplomatic and political measures’ to get critical waterway openFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia will join talks with 35 nations, convened by the United Kingdom, to explore ways to reopen the strait of Hormuz, the government confirmed on Thursday.The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, announced the meeting on Wednesday, which will exclude the United States, to discuss “all viable diplomatic and political measures” to secure the waterway and restore freedom of navigation. The meeting is expected to take place at about 10pm AEDT on Thursday. Continue reading...
The discovery of a medieval Scottish ferry with a roll-on, roll-off feature for carts also provided some much-needed levityThe media ecosystem may have changed since the BBC’s spaghetti harvest report in 1957 or the Guardian’s 1977 travel supplement about the island of San Serriffe, but April fool stories are still with us.Indeed, if you picked up Wednesday’s edition of the Guardian, you may have been taken in by our report that evidence had been found of coffee being consumed in England a couple of centuries before the first known examples, thanks in part to an expert called Macky Arto. Continue reading...
Some European countries have blocked Israeli and US planes from moving weapons through their airspace. Plus, a rocket heads to the moon on Wednesday for the first time since 1972Good morning.Donald Trump has launched a tirade against European countries that refused to join the Israel-US war against Iran, calling out the UK and France, as transatlantic relations continue their downward spiral and the war wreaks havoc on the global economy.What pushback has there been from Europe? France has blocked Israeli planes from flying weapons through its airspace, while Italy refused last-minute permission for US bombers to land in Sicily. Spain has already denied the US use of its bases and airspace. The UK, however, has allowed the US to use its bases for a war that its government says is illegal.For the latest updates, follow our live blog. Continue reading...
The new rules are the first major change to the country’s laws governing child-rearing in more than a centuryDivorced couples in Japan will be able to negotiate joint custody of their children from Wednesday, in the first major change to the country’s laws governing child-rearing in more than a century.Previously, Japan’s Civil Code required couples to decide which parent would take custody of their children when they divorce. Continue reading...
Many countries in Europe have called the conflict illegal, with some blocking Israeli and US planes from moving weapons through their airspaceDonald Trump has launched a tirade against European countries that refused to join his war against Iran, calling out the UK and France, as transatlantic relations soured from the spiralling conflict that has wreaked havoc on the global economy.On his Truth Social website, the US president told governments worried about fuel prices to “go get your own oil” by force from the Gulf, comments that sent oil prices even higher. Continue reading...
• Kosovo approved a plan to send soldiers to the Gaza Strip as part of a US-backed international security force, joining Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, and Albania in making similar commitments.
• The deployment represents an expansion of the international coalition participating in the Middle East security operation.
• Kosovo's participation demonstrates growing international involvement in establishing security frameworks in the Gaza region.
• France's defense ministry announced 35 countries participating in military discussions for a defensive mission to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
• The talks address Iran's threats to toll or block the vital waterway, critical for global energy flows.
• Initiative gains traction amid US pressure on allies, potentially easing oil price spikes affecting US consumers.
London mayor could however join the House of Lords while still remaining in his current roleAllies of Sadiq Khan have dismissed reports the London mayor could join Keir Starmer’s cabinet after being made a peer, although it remains possible he could join the Lords while keeping his current job.Downing Street said reports that Khan could become a peer after crucial elections in May across England, Scotland and Wales were “speculation”, while a Labour source also declined to comment. Continue reading...
• Dawnn Lewis and Glynn Turman, veterans of the original 'A Different World' sitcom, have joined the ensemble cast of its upcoming sequel series announced on March 26.
• The classic 1980s NBC show, a spin-off from 'The Cosby Show,' follows students at the fictional Hillman College.
• This revival taps into nostalgia for 90s Black sitcoms amid growing demand for diverse streaming content on platforms like Peacock or Netflix.
• The FBI and IRS are initiating a joint investigation into nonprofits over possible ties to domestic terrorism, targeting groups promoting extreme views on immigration, gender ideology, and anti-American sentiment.
• The probe follows a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi last year ordering lists of such organizations.
• This initiative raises concerns about free speech and government overreach amid heightened security focus.
London mayor also says his party should make clear manifesto commitment on full membership in next parliamentGood morning. Shortly before the general election in 2024, Keir Starmer said he did not think the UK would rejoin the EU in his lifetime. (He is now 63.) At the time he was loath to say anything that implied the Brexit vote was a mistake. More recently, Labour has been happy to talk about the economic damage done by the leave vote, and ministers want a closer relationship with the EU, but ruling out a customs union or single market membership remain firm red lines for Labour. And even more pro-EU parties, like the Liberal Democrats, are a bit vague about when full rejoining might be an option (not least because the last thing the Brussels probably wants is another half-decade of Brexit negotiations hell).But today Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, is trying to shift the debate into a different space. In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, he has said not just that rejoining would be good in principle (which is about as far as most pro-European Labour MPs are willing to go), but that Labour should commit to rejoining in its next election manifesto.I see on a daily basis the damage Brexit has done to not just London, but Londoners, the damage economically, socially and culturally. And I’m quite clear in terms of what needs to happen, which is I do think we should join the European Union …So I think there should be a five-stage process in relation to this. Continue reading...
Mayor of London says returning to EU now more desirable because of economic instability caused by Donald TrumpLabour should go into the next general election promising to rejoin the EU, Sadiq Khan has said.The mayor of London has repeatedly made the case for joining the customs union and single market, but went much further on Wednesday night by suggesting the party should promise full membership at next ballot. Continue reading...
Foreign minister Anita Anand says she has drafted principles to reduce risk of regional spillover and wider shocksMiddle East crisis – live updatesCanada is pushing for a collective G7 and Middle East approach to de-escalating the Iran war, including off ramps that might bring an end to the conflict, the Canadian foreign minister, Anita Anand, has told the Guardian.In London to meet the UK’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, after of talks with the her Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, she said she hoped a G7 meeting chaired by France, this year’s president of the group, might start to build a broader collective approach to the crisis. Continue reading...
Sky News Arabia has been accused of broadcasting propaganda and whitewashing genocide in SudanSky is considering terminating its joint venture with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after accusations it is involved in broadcasting propaganda and genocide denial.Sky is in talks with its partner in the UAE on Sky News Arabia over the potential termination next year of the licence to use its brand. Continue reading...
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced last week Spain would refuse US access to naval and air bases in southern Spain for strikes on Iran. Iceland and the Netherlands joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. These developments occur amid US-led coalition actions in the Middle East. The moves signal growing international divisions over the escalating conflicts.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Spain will deny the US access to naval and air bases in southern Spain for strikes on Iran. Iceland and the Netherlands joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. These developments signal growing allied resistance amid the escalating US-Iran conflict. Diplomatic rifts widen as global forums see increased participation against Israeli actions in Lebanon.