Limit

EPA outlines effort to kill Biden-era rules as critics condemn RFK Jr and Lee Zeldin’s ‘hocus pocus’The Trump administration has announced a plan to kill Biden-era drinking water limits on four Pfas “forever chemicals”, and to delay the implementation of standards for two other compounds.The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing two separate rules to delay and rescind the limits. The rules must go through an approval process that can take several years, and almost certainly will be challenged in court. Continue reading...

Opposition leader to unveil plan to dramatically cut number of migrants in budget reply speech on ThursdayExplore all of our 2026 Australia federal budget coverageGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition will directly link Australia’s temporary immigration intake to the number of new homes built around the country, using housing completion figures as a hard ceiling for overseas arrivals.The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, will outline the plan to dramatically cut the number of migrants arriving into the country in his budget reply speech on Thursday night, while also promising a new $5bn housing infrastructure fund and a weakening of the national construction code to speed up building and reduce cost. Continue reading...

Ethylene oxide (EtO) is about 60 times more carcinogenic than believed in 2006, research findsA new Trump administration plan to rescind 2024 regulations for toxic ethylene oxide (EtO) pollution more broadly aims to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to strengthen public health protections around hazardous emissions and could result in more of the toxin being released into the air.Recent research has found EtO is about 60 times more carcinogenic than thought when the last regulations were developed in 2006. In 2024, the Biden EPA passed a rule that strengthened the regulations to reflect the updated science, and required the nation’s EtO emitters to collectively cut their emissions by about 90%. Continue reading...

CEO of Danish shipping group says increased costs due to higher fuel bills passed on to customersBusiness live – latest updatesThe boss of the shipping company Maersk has said the reopening of the strait of Hormuz would have a “limited impact” on cargo flows, as the industry grapples with a sharp rise in energy costs.Vincent Clerc, chief executive of the Danish shipping group, said its fuel bill had nearly doubled since the start of the conflict, adding as much as $500m (£367m) in costs per month, but it had passed this on to its customers through higher freight rates. Continue reading...

Cap of 20mph in towns and cities and 60mph on motorways would cut fuel demand and combat rising prices, IPPR saysBritain should lower speed limits for drivers as part of a package of measures to reduce the impact of the Iran war on consumers, a thinktank has said.Capping legal speeds at 20mph in towns and cities and 60mph on motorways would help reduce fuel demand and combat soaring oil prices triggered by conflict, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). Continue reading...

• The Trump administration's Department of Health and Human Services notified hospitals and nursing homes on May 4, 2026, to prioritize 'real food' over sugary drinks and dietary supplements in patient meals. • The policy shift faced immediate backlash from healthcare providers concerned about implementation and patient preferences. • This agenda aims to combat diet-related diseases amid rising obesity rates, potentially affecting millions of inpatients annually.

• India's government is changing airport privatisation rules to restrict any single entity from controlling more than 4 airports, down from Adani's current portfolio of 6, as 11 new airports are put up for bidding. • The policy shift aims to increase competition in the airport sector and prevent monopolistic control, marking a significant change from the 2018 bidding process where Adani won all 6 airports with no bid caps. • The move balances investment attractiveness with competition concerns, as industry stakeholders debate whether the new rules will deter or encourage participation from multiple operators.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers had indicated ‘transitional’ proposed changes as Labor attempts to repair a ‘structurally flawed’ budgetFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOnly applying changes to the CGT discount and negative gearing rules to new investments would “severely delay” desperately needed reforms required to repair a “structurally flawed” budget and boost the economy, Deloitte says.The consulting firm estimated that a policy which cut the 50% capital gains tax discount to 33% and abolished negative gearing would only generate $500m over the first four years of operation if existing investments were not included – an approach known as “grandfathering”. Continue reading...

Education secretary says children will face restrictions and government will consider range of views on their formChildren in the UK will face restrictions on their use of social media but the government remains open-minded about what form the limits will take, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has said.Phillipson told broadcasters on Tuesday she had concerns about the content that under-16s were exposed to online and the length of time they spent staring at screens. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sources say chancellor is examining exceptional measures to protect household budgetsRachel Reeves is considering imposing a one-year rent freeze on private sector homes amid growing alarm in government about the impact of the Iran war on voters’ budgets.Landlords in England would be banned from raising rents for a limited period of time under the proposals, which are being debated within government as part of a major cost of living package to be launched in the coming weeks. Continue reading...

Russian backing for the ruling junta has not stopped rebel fighters striking significant blows in recent daysWhen Assimi Goïta, the leader of Mali’s military junta, sat down with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in the Kremlin last summer, it symbolised Moscow’s commanding sway over Mali at the expense of the west.As the two men spoke, roughly 3,500 miles to the south, about 2,000 Russian troops were propping up the regime in the landlocked desert country, as part of Moscow’s broader push for influence across the Sahel region. Continue reading...

Measure will also limit device use during passing periods, lunch and recess and block YouTube on district devicesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Los Angeles unified school district’s board passed a resolution on Tuesday to curb students’ classroom screen time for the upcoming school year, in the latest effort nationwide to address adverse effects from excessive device use.The measure, which passed 6-0 at a Tuesday school board meeting, will set daily and weekly screen time limits for students based on grade level, prohibit elementary and middle school students from using devices during passing periods, lunch and recess, and block use of YouTube on district devices, among other provisions. Continue reading...

• Netflix's new limited series "Echoes of Tomorrow," starring Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac, premiered April 17 and garnered 68 million views in its first 24 hours. • The eight-episode psychological thriller explores alternate timelines and has already been renewed for a second season despite its standalone narrative structure. • Critics praised the series' cinematography and performances, with The New York Times calling it "a haunting meditation on choice and consequence."

Opposition accuses Narendra Modi government of using quotas as cover for redrawing electoral mapThe Indian government has failed to pass a bill to increase female representation in parliament after being accused of using the plan as a guise to redraw the country’s electoral map.It was the first time in 12 years in power that a constitutional amendment proposed by Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government was not passed by parliament. Continue reading...

Not ‘reasonable’ to impose that Siena Hopper, 25, with no criminal history, should be excluded from City of Sydney except for work or to attend courtFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA judge has overturned the bail conditions imposed by police on a Sydney anti-Herzog protester with no criminal history, saying the conditions were not “reasonable”.Lawyer Wael Skaf made an application before the Downing Centre local court to vary Siena Hopper’s bail conditions, which barred her from attending any “unlawful protests” and included a condition that she not enter the City of Sydney except for work or to attend court. Continue reading...

• The American Lung Association, joined by the American Academy of Pediatrics, filed a lawsuit against the EPA's repeal of 2024 limits on mercury and air toxics from power plants. • EPA's action will allow more toxic pollution, impacting children's health nationwide, according to Harold Wimmer, ALA President and CEO. • Pollutants like mercury could lead to brain development issues, asthma attacks, cancers, and premature deaths in exposed communities.

‘Predatory industry’ adept at pivoting quickly to target new mediums and markets, says independent senator David Pocock Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor’s plan for a partial ban on gambling advertising is ripe for exploitation, say experts and crossbench MPs, including David Pocock, warning rules applying to podcasters, social media platforms and influencers need to be tightened.But industry sources say podcast companies including Apple could consider removing all wagering advertising if there were no simple mechanism to work within the rules. Continue reading...

2015 nuclear deal negotiators say cutting off strait of Hormuz has shown Iran how it can ‘balance asymmetry of power’ with USMiddle East crisis – live updatesFormer US envoys who dealt with Iran have said that the US-Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran’s subsequent closure of the strait of Hormuz have given Iran new tools and resolve to resist pressure to shutter its nuclear programme.Two senior negotiators for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Obama-era agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief, said that the Trump administration’s war had handed Iran a coveted weapon by demonstrating its ability to cut off the strait of Hormuz, an economic chokehold that one negotiator said would help Iran “balance the asymmetry of power” with the US. Continue reading...

• OpenAI testified in support of an Illinois bill that shields AI labs from liability for products causing 'critical harm,' including potential mass deaths or catastrophic financial losses. • The legislation is part of a broader industry push amid ramped-up state and federal AI enforcement, such as Florida's probe into OpenAI for potential criminal harm. • Similar liability-limiting measures are under consideration in at least three other states, according to policy trackers monitoring AI legislation.

Seafarer tells of ‘impossible’ situation, with strait still so unsafe that crew would not cross even if told to sailMaritime and port workers: how is the Middle East conflict affecting you?‘You can try to minimise the impact that this situation has on your mental health but it’s becoming impossible.” After six weeks stranded in the Gulf, one of the 20,000 seafarers trapped by Iran’s chokehold on the strait of Hormuz is reaching their limit.Yet with the fragile Middle East ceasefire already fraying, the oil tanker worker – who first spoke to the Guardian a month ago – said any hope they may soon be free to leave had already evaporated, if it ever felt real at all. Continue reading...

Analysis of six extreme heatwaves found when temperature and humidity were accounted for, all were potentially deadly for older peopleExtreme heat is already creating “non-survivable” conditions for humans in heatwaves that have killed thousands and likely many more, according to new research that warns people are more susceptible to rising temperatures than first thought.Scientists re-examined six extreme heatwaves between 2003 and 2024 and found that when temperature, humidity and the body’s ability to stay cool were accounted for, all were potentially deadly for older people. Continue reading...

More than half of NHS trusts have cap on availability of products, forcing patients to pay for products themselvesMillions of people across the UK living with incontinence are facing shortages of sanitary products due to supplies being rationed by NHS trusts, according to a coalition of charities.The shortages are leading to a “pad gap” where people are having to pay for incontinence products themselves, according to an open letter from organisations including the Royal College of Nursing, Prostate Cancer UK, and Bowel and Bladder UK. Continue reading...

• The International Monetary Fund's Executive Board concluded its 2026 Article IV Consultation on April 2, stating there is "little room to cut interest rates in 2026" despite moderating inflation expectations. • The IMF projects U.S. GDP growth will reach 2.4% in 2026, up from 2.0% in 2025, while the federal funds rate is forecast to decline only from 3.6% to 3.4% — representing barely a single rate cut for the entire year. • Inflation is on track to hit the 2% target by early 2027, but the IMF warns that growth will peak this year and slowly decay toward 1.8%, while U.S. debt continues climbing annually.

Effort to curb grade inflation, by limiting top marks to 20% of students in a course, is opposed by most studentsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHarvard’s faculty is set to vote next week on a faculty committee proposal to cap the number of A grades per course in an effort to curb grade inflation.The proposal, which was first reported earlier this year by the Harvard Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper, would cap A grades to 20% of students in a course, with an allowance for four additional As. It also would introduce a new internal “average percentile rank” system, which would rely on raw scores rather than grade point average (GPA) to determine honors and awards. Continue reading...

• Blue Owl Capital investors requested $5.4 billion in redemptions from two private credit funds amid accelerating outflows in the financial services sector. • The fund manager reversed its policy by capping redemptions at 5% to manage liquidity pressures effectively. • This development highlights rising concerns over private credit market stability amid broader economic uncertainties.

The coalition of organizations says Trump’s executive order restricting who can receive mail ballots is unconstitutional Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA coalition of civil rights groups sued the Trump administration on Thursday, saying that a new executive order to limit mail-in voting is unconstitutional.The order, which Trump signed on Tuesday, instructs the federal government to come up with a list of eligible citizens who can vote in each state. It also instructs the US Postal Service to only transmit mail-in ballots to people on that list. Continue reading...

Critics say ‘election integrity’ plan to compile national voter list is unconstitutional and will be blocked by the courtsDonald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order seeking to restrict mail-in voting and compile a national voter list in a move that is unprecedented and likely unconstitutional.The order directs the administration to establish a federal list of confirmed citizens that can legally vote in each state, and orders the postal service to send mail-in ballots only to those on the list. During a press conference at the White House, Trump said the administration would like to require voter ID and proof of citizenship, and repeated falsehoods about mail-in voting. Continue reading...