• 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.
Fires that spread during drought in Georgia and Florida have blanketed cities hundreds of miles away in smokeSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxWildfires tearing through the south have forced hundreds of Georgia residents to flee in minutes, leaving them distraught about the homes and animals they left behind.The fires that spread this week during an extreme drought in Georgia and Florida have blanketed cities hundreds of miles away in smoke, leading to more air quality warnings Thursday across the southeast. Continue reading...
One pilot ordered to repay some of the $600,000 of damage caused by collision in 2021South Korea’s air force has apologised for a 2021 mid-air collision involving two fighter jets, a day after auditors said pilots were taking selfies and filming during the flight and held them responsible for the accident.“We sincerely apologise to the public for the concern caused by the accident that occurred in 2021,” an air force spokesperson said in a press briefing. The spokesperson said one of the pilots involved had been suspended from flying duties, received severe disciplinary action and has since left the military. Continue reading...
• The United Nations reported that renewed fighting in South Sudan has displaced over 500,000 people in the past month, creating a humanitarian emergency affecting food security across the region.
• The World Food Programme warned that without immediate intervention, famine conditions could emerge within 60 days, affecting approximately 8 million people across South Sudan and neighboring countries.
• The US has committed an additional $150 million in humanitarian assistance, but aid organizations stress that security challenges continue to impede delivery of food and medical supplies to affected populations.
Justice department’s focus seems to be on SPLC’s prior use of paid informants to monitor hate groups, group’s CEO says The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a prominent civil rights organization, the group’s CEO said on Tuesday.Bryan Fair, the CEO of the SPLC, said the details of the investigation were not entirely clear, though “the focus appears to be on the SPLC’s prior use of paid confidential informants to gather credible intelligence on extremely violent groups”. Continue reading...
Washington reportedly limits satellite data after minister spoke publicly about suspected facility in North KoreaThe US has partly restricted intelligence sharing with South Korea after the country’s unification minister publicly identified a suspected North Korean nuclear site, according to reports in South Korean media.Chung Dong-young told lawmakers in March that North Korea was operating uranium enrichment facilities in Kusong, a north-western area that had not previously been officially confirmed as a nuclear site alongside the known facilities at Yongbyon and Kangson. Continue reading...
Police seek warrant for Bang Si-Hyuk over allegations he illegally gained millions in investor fraud schemeSouth Korean police said on Tuesday they were seeking to arrest Bang Si-Hyuk, the chair of the agency behind the K-pop band BTS, as they expand an investigation into allegations that he illegally gained more than $100m (£74m) in an investor fraud scheme.The Seoul metropolitan police agency confirmed it had asked prosecutors to request a court warrant for arresting Bang, founder and chair of HYBE. Continue reading...
• Philippine coast guard vessels confronted Chinese fishing fleets in the Scarborough Shoal area Saturday, with Manila accusing Beijing of illegal harvesting in disputed waters and demanding immediate withdrawal.
• The incident involved three Chinese ships ramming a Philippine patrol boat, injuring two officers, prompting Manila to lodge a formal diplomatic protest through the US State Department.
• Analysts view the confrontation as part of China's broader strategy to consolidate control over contested maritime zones, with the US signaling support for Philippine sovereignty claims.
• North Korea fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on April 17, just hours before the U.S. and South Korea began combined military exercises involving 40,000 troops, according to Japanese and South Korean defense officials.
• The missiles traveled approximately 600 kilometers, prompting South Korean and Japanese military responses; U.S. Indo-Pacific Command condemned the test as destabilizing and a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
• Experts note the missile design appears improved from previous tests, suggesting continued technological advancement despite international sanctions and diplomatic isolation.
Nine-day search for two-year-old Neukgu gripped nation and sparked safety concerns for animal and publicThe internet in South Korea erupted in celebration as a two-year-old wolf that escaped from a zoo was captured safely after a nine-day search that had gripped the nation and made the animal a national celebrity.The male wolf, named Neukgu, burrowed out of his enclosure at the O-World zoo in Daejeon on 8 April. Animal rights activists questioned whether the wolf could survive outside the zoo and also worried he might be killed during capture, something that happened to a puma that escaped from the same zoo in 2018. Continue reading...
Leader of leftwing Economic Freedom Fighters was convicted last year for firing rifle in the air at 2018 rallyThe South African leftwing politician Julius Malema has been sentenced to five years in prison for firing a rifle in the air at a political rally in 2018.Lawyers for the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, South Africa’s fourth largest political party, immediately sought leave to appeal. Legal arguments are ongoing. Continue reading...
Energy crisis unfolding in Middle East has added political urgency, and more funding, to transform South Korea’s solar industryIn Guyang-ri, a farming village of 70 households about 90 minutes south-east of Seoul, people gather for communal free lunches six days a week. The meals are funded by the village’s one-megawatt solar installation, which generates roughly 10m won ($6,800) in net profit each month.“Residents eat lunch together every day, so we see each other’s faces, talk together,” says Jeon Joo-young, the village chief. “Bonds and solidarity between residents become much stronger. Life becomes more enjoyable.” Continue reading...
Appointment of Roelf Meyer seen as attempt to improve relations amid false US accusations of genocide against AfrikanersSouth Africa has appointed a former apartheid government chief negotiator during the talks that ended white rule in the 1990s as ambassador to the US, in what is seen as an attempt to improve the deeply strained diplomatic relationship between the two countries.Roelf Meyer replaces Ebrahim Rasool, who was expelled in March 2025 after he criticised the Trump administration. Continue reading...
UK official receiver understood to prefer Blastr as buyer for SSUK’s electric arc furnace in Rotherham and site in StocksbridgeBusiness live – latest updatesUK officials have entered exclusive talks with a Norwegian startup to buy the former Liberty Steel works in South Yorkshire, in a significant step towards its rescue.Norwegian-owned Blastr is understood to be the bidder preferred by the government’s official receiver to take on ownership of the UK’s largest existing electric arc furnace in Rotherham and other works in Stocksbridge, both in South Yorkshire. Continue reading...
David Hinton will receive only his £400,000 salary this year after thousands of customers were left without waterThe chief executive of South East Water has said he will forgo his bonus in an act of penitence for “unacceptable outages” that left thousands of customers in Kent and Sussex without water.David Hinton told MPs on the environment, food and rural affairs select committee that he had decided not to accept an additional “performance payment” this year. Instead, he will receive only his £400,000 salary. Continue reading...
Former victims’ commissioner Vera Baird says disciplinary action is essential to ensure people are held accountable• UK politics live – latest updatesFamilies in Southport cannot be sure that officials who made “catastrophic” errors before the murder of three girls are not still making the same mistakes, a former victims’ commissioner has said.Vera Baird KC said all those who failed to properly monitor the killer, Axel Rudakubana, should be held “personally accountable” and that authorities must not “shrug it off” with an apology. Continue reading...
Report finds there were dozens of warning signs about Axel Rudakubana as far back as 2019 and identifies five main failures of those involvedSouthport attack blamed on ‘catastrophic’ failures by agencies and killer’s ‘irresponsible’ parentsIt took seconds for Axel Rudakubana to carry out one of the most barbaric attacks on children in modern British history.Yet by the time he entered that joy-filled holiday club, where young girls sat making Taylor Swift bracelets, his deadly intentions had been known for years. Continue reading...
• Tensions between Indonesia and the Philippines intensified on April 12 after Chinese vessels were detected near disputed maritime zones, prompting both Southeast Asian nations to deploy coast guard vessels to assert territorial claims.
• The Philippines' coast guard reported being rammed by a Chinese maritime militia vessel, resulting in minor damage but heightening concerns over freedom of navigation in the strategically vital waterway.
• US Indo-Pacific Command warned that escalating incidents risk regional conflict and called for adherence to international maritime law, with Secretary of State advocating for strengthened ASEAN unity in responding to Chinese expansion.
Official report says system ‘completely failed’ because some form of violence by Axel Rudakubana had been ‘unambiguously signposted over many years’Southport attack inquiry report – latest updatesAxel Rudakubana was able to carry out the Southport atrocity because of “catastrophic” failures by multiple agencies and the “irresponsible and harmful” role of his parents, a damning inquiry has found.Sir Adrian Fulford condemned the “inappropriate merry-go-round” of state bodies passing the buck and their “frankly depressing” refusal to accept responsibility, saying: “This culture has to end.” Continue reading...
Inquiry heard evidence about state involvement with Axel Rudakubana, who killed three young girls at a dance workshop in summer 2024Chairman Adrian Fulford, who will publish his report at midday, said the obligation was to provide answers to victims and their families.Concluding the hearings in November, he said:Our principal responsibility lies to them, to provide the best possible explanation as to why and how this terrible event occurred, and to be brave about suggesting the changes that ought to be made to prevent, if we can, a repetition.Sitting through the extensive list of failings exposed during the first phase of the inquiry provoked an understandably complex mix of emotions for our clients, who battle the daily consequences of survivors’ guilt.We hope the report will expose every entity that failed to act in time to prevent this catastrophic attack, and any agencies that are found to be at fault are committed to not just learning lessons but demonstrating, publicly, that they are committed to taking every step to prevent such an atrocity from happening again.There is no regulatory mechanism to ensure that recommendations are properly considered and acted upon at the end of an inquiry, which is why we are strongly urging the chair to implement a process to monitor the progress of all recommendations and provide evidence to support them, as happened at the Manchester Arena Inquiry.Since that harrowing day, our clients’ thoughts have remained with the bereaved and will remain so today. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Guardian analysis suggests young people who pose ‘catastrophic’ threat still slipping through systemMinisters are “failing to learn the lessons” from the Southport attack and allowing violence-obsessed teenagers to remain a “catastrophic” threat to society, lawyers for victims of the atrocity have said ahead of the findings of an official inquiry.A report on the July 2024 attack by the judge Sir Adrian Fulford, to be released on Monday, is expected to strongly criticise failings by a series of agencies, including the counter-terrorism programme Prevent. Continue reading...
Shooting took place near Woolwich Dockyard train station, and another 16-year-old boy remains in custodyA 16-year-old boy from Romford has been charged with the murder of Eghosa Ogbebor, 14, who was shot dead in south-east London last week, the Metropolitan police has said.Another 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday and remains in custody, the force said. Continue reading...
• The Philippines filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on April 9, accusing China of violating international law through aggressive maritime activities, naval blockades, and environmental damage in the disputed South China Sea.
• Manila cited repeated incidents including Chinese coast guard interference with Philippine resupply missions, damage to coral reefs, and construction of artificial islands as evidence of systematic violations of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• The complaint escalates regional tensions and seeks ICJ intervention to establish binding legal precedent, with hearings expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027.
• President Donald Trump declared a national emergency from the White House on April 9, 2026, citing a crisis at the southern border as a national security threat.
• The executive action bypasses Congress to redirect Department of Defense funds for immediate border wall construction and enhanced security measures.
• The announcement triggered immediate constitutional debates and fierce opposition from political rivals, potentially unlocking significant federal resources.
• North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from near Pyongyang into the Sea of Japan at 5:20 AM UTC on April 8, 2026, reaching 500 km altitude per South Korean military.
• The launch followed US B-52 bomber flights over the peninsula; Kim Jong Un called it a 'warning to imperialists' in state media.
• It heightens regional tensions, with Japan evacuating 10,000 residents near landing zones and US vowing 'ironclad' deterrence.
Local school closes in Daejeon city as hundreds of emergency service and military personnel scour area around O-World theme park where the wolf escaped fromAuthorities are hunting for a wolf after it escaped from a zoo in Daejeon, a South Korean city with a population of 1.5million.More than 300 people – including firefighters, police and military personnel – are taking part in the search operation, an official from the Daejeon fire headquarters said. Continue reading...
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on April 8, 2026, focusing on countering North Korean threats and Chinese influence.
• Discussions covered $10 billion in new joint defense tech investments and intelligence-sharing pacts; Yoon called it 'a new era of deterrence'.
• The trilateral framework with Japan matters for Indo-Pacific security, especially after recent North Korean missile tests overflying Japan.
• The US Navy sent two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers through the Taiwan Strait on April 8, 2026, in a freedom of navigation operation challenging Chinese claims.
• Beijing scrambled 20 fighter jets in response, with state media labeling it 'provocation'; no collisions reported.
• This escalation underscores US commitment to Taiwan's defense, critical for semiconductor supply chains worth $500 billion annually.
• North Korea conducted a test of what analysts believe is an intermediate-range ballistic missile on April 6, flying 800 kilometers over the Sea of Japan in a trajectory suggesting potential reach to US Pacific territories.
• The test occurred during joint US-South Korean military exercises involving carrier strike groups and advanced fighter aircraft; North Korea condemned the drills as provocative and warned of stronger responses.
• US Indo-Pacific Command characterized the test as destabilizing and reaffirmed security commitments to South Korea and Japan; military officials increased surveillance and readiness postures across the region.
Police say 26-year-old man died at scene outside nightclub in Peckham and two others remain in hospitalFour men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was stabbed to death and two other men were injured outside a nightclub in south-east London.The Metropolitan police said officers were called at 3.54am on Monday to reports of a disturbance involving a group of people outside a nightclub in Ruby Street, Peckham. Continue reading...
