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• A new POLITICO‑Citrin Center‑Possibility Lab survey released Friday shows that strong majorities of both Republicans and Democrats favor an independent commission to draw U.S. House district lines, weakening arguments against ending partisan gerrymandering. • The Trump administration is weighing proposals to codify independent redistricting panels by tying federal funds to states that adopt such commissions, a strategy that could reshape battleground districts in 2026 and beyond. • Civil‑rights groups and voting advocates cheered the poll findings, arguing that independent commissions would reduce partisan manipulation of maps that currently skew toward both parties.

Labour called SNP first minister John Swinney ‘shameless’ for claiming credit when it was the result of king’s US visitDonald Trump’s announcement that he will lift punishing US tariffs on scotch whisky has been overshadowed by a row between rival Scottish party leaders over claiming credit for the decision.The whisky industry and business leaders were delighted by the US president’s sudden announcement on his Truth Social network on Thursday that he would end the tariffs to mark the visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla. Continue reading...

Mark Rowley says Zack Polanski’s comments risk undermining officers confronting ‘dangerous’ suspectsThe Green party leader, Zack Polanski, thoughtlessly undermined the confidence of officers to deal with dangerous people by sharing a critical social media post after the Golders Green stabbings, according to the head of the Metropolitan police.Officers were filmed detaining the suspect after two Jewish people were stabbed in the north-west London suburb on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Decision follows backlash from Italian government and European CommissionThe jury of the Venice Biennale has quit just days before the prestigious art exhibition was due to begin, amid a row over the decision to allow Russia to participate.The resignation of the five-member international jury was announced late on Thursday in a brief statement by the Venice Biennale organisers, and came a day after the Italian culture ministry sent inspectors to Venice in search of information about the decision to allow Russia to have a pavilion at this year’s event. Continue reading...

Congress advances Homeland Security funding after Republicans used procedural tool to pass up to $75bn for ICE and border patrolSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA historically long 75-day partial government shutdown has ended after the House voted narrowly to advance funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a late-night Republican rally to boost a GOP budget blueprint.The tides turned on Wednesday evening when the House passed the Republican resolution following a last-minute deal over unrelated ethanol fuel provisions that flipped enough holdouts to push it over the line. Continue reading...

With voter loyalty a distant memory, the Lib Dems’ cost of living policies and criticism of Trump could gain them ground It has been an election buildup dominated by the rise of Reform UK and the Greens, and the contrasting woes of Labour and the Tories. But there is a chance that on 8 May the Liberal Democrats, largely ignored in recent weeks, could wake up as the biggest party in English local government.This is just one of several paradoxes for the party’s leader, Ed Davey, and his team. They are fifth in many national polls, with a rating barely changed from 2024. But Lib Dem bosses are sanguine, convinced that UK politics is now so different, so atomised, to make headline polling almost irrelevant. Continue reading...

• A politically ambitious Connecticut Democrat abandoned bipartisan negotiations on government funding amid party pressure for inclusion. • The walkout escalates tensions over federal budget priorities and spending cuts. • This could delay funding bills critical for upcoming fiscal deadlines.

Labor under pressure to scrap group voting tickets as Avi Yemini details plan to funnel votes to conservative parties at state election A rightwing provocateur’s plan to register the “Free Palestine party” and use it to funnel votes to conservative parties in Victoria’s state election has renewed concern over the state’s voting system.Avi Yemini, a former Israeli solider and self-styled investigative journalist who creates content for his YouTube channel Rebel News Australia, on Tuesday announced plans to register the party, which he said would “flow our preferences on to parties that want to free Palestine from Hamas” in the November poll. Continue reading...

• A Boston Red Sox rookie delivered a strong outing in the team's first game without manager Alex Cora, calling the day a 'whirlwind.' • The rookie reacted positively to the sudden change, helping stabilize the team amid the transition. • Cora's exit creates uncertainty for the Red Sox, testing the young roster's resilience early in the season.

• A majority of Americans express concern over rising healthcare costs and support increased federal tax spending to address these challenges, according to the Axios/Ipsos American Health Index released March 17, 2026. • The poll demonstrates bipartisan support for government action on healthcare affordability, reflecting widespread concern among the U.S. public about escalating medical expenses. • Americans also show increased trust in government handling of childhood vaccination decisions, signaling broader public confidence in health policy interventions.

• A recent study demonstrates that an updated vaccine formulation reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations among healthy adults by approximately 50 percent during the past season. • This significant efficacy improvement represents a major advancement in vaccine development and public health protection strategies. • The findings contribute to the evolving landscape of U.S. vaccine policy, as documented in CIDRAP's latest state of vaccine policy report from April 28, 2026.

Subject of charges remains unclear, after earlier case over congressional testimony was dismissedUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe justice department filed new criminal charges against James Comey, the former FBI director, on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter.The subject of the charges was not immediately clear and the justice department did not immediately return a request for comment. CNN first reported a new indictment had been filed. Continue reading...

The Politburo, a top decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party, was cited as saying by state news agency Xinhua that the economy got off to a better-than-expected start this year.

Loyalists of President Mahmoud Abbas won most races ‌in Palestinian municipal elections, election officials said on Sunday, in a vote that for the first time in nearly two decades included a city in the Gaza Strip run by rival Hamas.

The chief of the ​District of Columbia police department said investigators believe the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual dinner was ​taking place, but that no motive had been determined.

One Nation outperforms the Coalition for the first time, while the rightwing populist party’s leader has a positive rating among all age groupsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA majority of surveyed Australians approve of Pauline Hanson’s leadership of One Nation, giving her a higher job approval rating than Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor, as the Guardian Essential poll finds the rightwing populist party is outperforming the Coalition for the first time.The results come as Australians are becoming more pessimistic about the country and the economy, with the majority of respondents saying they expected things to get worse in coming months. Continue reading...

Transition and legal handover of hospital from private operator Healthscope to NSW Health occurs at 7am on WednesdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydney’s Northern Beaches hospital is officially entering the public system, ending a troubled eight-year public-private partnership, although uncertainty about the future of private services remains.The transition and legal handover of the hospital from private operator Healthscope to New South Wales Health will occur at 7am on Wednesday. The New South Wales health minister, Ryan Park, said it was a “historic day”. Continue reading...

• Anthropic's Mythos AI model, which the company deemed too dangerous for public release, has reportedly been accessed by an unauthorized third party in a significant security breach. • The incident has raised global concerns about AI safety and the security protocols surrounding advanced AI systems, particularly models flagged as high-risk by their developers. • The breach underscores ongoing tensions between AI safety considerations and cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the management of cutting-edge language models.

‘Critical debate’ about party’s identity and direction looms if it loses control of Senedd next month after 27 years in powerWelsh Labour is the democratic world’s most successful election-winning machine, coming first in Wales in every general election since 1922 and every devolved election since 1999. Come next month’s Senedd election, however, this history-making run is expected to end.Labour’s collapse has left a vacuum, and former Labour voters are going to opposite ends of the political spectrum. Plaid Cymru and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK are neck and neck in the latest poll, although coalition maths make it highly unlikely Reform would be able to form a government. Continue reading...

Former chief of staff who helped bring Mandelson out of Labour shadows for Washington post to be questioned by MPs on vetting processLike many Labour stories, Peter Mandelson’s and Morgan McSweeney’s both start at Lambeth council.Mandelson was in his mid-20s. It was 1979, and he was a new councillor under the leadership of “Red” Ted Knight. He came to despise the local party, describing the Lambeth Labour party’s leadership as “contributing very little to the economic development of south London, instead politicising everything, attacking the police and the Tory government, and making the council go broke.” Continue reading...

Extreme weather likely to continue after devastating homes and endangering millions in US south and midwestAt least one person was killed after a very powerful tornado struck northern Texas on Saturday night, as extreme weather continued to devastate homes and put millions across the south and midwestern US at risk, with wildfires also raging on in parts of Georgia.Officials from Wise county in Texas said the storm reached the area at around 10pm and caused significant damage across multiple neighborhoods. In addition to the confirmed death, six people were treated or transported by emergency responders to be treated for storm-related injuries. Continue reading...

Discrepancy in forecasts raises questions over government planning for net zeroOne vision of the UK’s future involves a decarbonised economy powered by clean, renewable energy. Another involves making the UK an AI superpower.The government departments responsible for these two visions do not appear to have agreed on their numbers. Continue reading...

Some familiar, arcane terms are returning to the fore as the Tories study the tactics Labour used against Boris JohnsonThe lexicon of a British parliamentary scandal is arcane.As Keir Starmer fights to remain prime minister, he has had to respond to a “humble address”, had his judgment picked over during an “emergency opposition day debate” and now faces the ignominy of a “privilege motion”. Continue reading...

Move creates conflict between state and administration as Trump seeks federal framework over states handling issueSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US justice department said on Friday it had intervened in a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s xAI challenging a Colorado law aimed at regulating artificial intelligence systems.In its intervention, the justice department said the law violates the 14th amendment’s equal protection guarantee by requiring companies to guard against unintended discriminatory effects while allowing some discrimination aimed at promoting diversity. Continue reading...

Philip Rycroft says promises on issues from economics to immigration have not lived up to expectationsBritain should start talking about rejoining the EU, according to a former senior civil servant who ran the Brexit department.Philip Rycroft, who was permanent secretary of the Department for Exiting the EU, said the “argument was there to be won” about going back into Europe, adding that a “clear-headed appraisal of what is in the country’s best interests” was needed. However, he said rejoining the bloc could be a “long and windy” road. Continue reading...

The department of justice has refused to hand over key evidence from the Jeffrey Epstein files and could delay Scotland Yard’s 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...

• The acting Attorney General announced charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center alleging fraud in its informant program. • Authorities assert that the SPLC's informant program paid sources to "stoke racial hatred," suggesting deliberate misuse of funds and inflammatory activities. • The investigation remains ongoing with the possibility of future indictments naming SPLC executives as defendants.

• OpenAI and Microsoft announced an expanded cybersecurity partnership aimed at combating emerging cyber threats in the AI era. • The two companies plan to deploy advanced artificial intelligence tools to enhance security capabilities across their platforms. • This collaboration reflects the growing recognition that AI-powered security solutions are essential to address increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.