Order

• El presidente Donald J. Trump firmó una orden ejecutiva que impone sanciones dirigidas a varios funcionarios y entidades del régimen cubano que, según alega la administración, han apoyado la represión y los abusos de los derechos humanos. • La Casa Blanca afirma que la medida envía un mensaje de solidaridad a los disidentes cubanos y complementa los esfuerzos más amplios para presionar a los regímenes autoritarios en América Latina. • Críticos en el Congreso, incluidos algunos demócratas e incluso unos pocos republicanos, argumentan que la medida podría ser contraproducente al limitar el margen de maniobra de EE. UU. antes de las próximas negociaciones sobre migración y seguridad regional.

El ayuntamiento de Livorno informa que los residentes se han quejado del mal olor tras el aumento del número de mascotas. Los dueños de perros en esta ciudad portuaria italiana estarán obligados a limpiar la orina de sus mascotas en espacios públicos o enfrentar multas de hasta 500€. Luca Salvetti, alcalde de Livorno, en la costa toscana, introdujo la medida tras las quejas de los vecinos por el olor a orina de perro, especialmente en parques y áreas de juego infantiles. Seguir leyendo...

• Un tribunal estatal de Pensilvania ordenó a los funcionarios electorales que tracen un nuevo mapa del Congreso antes de junio de 2026, al dictaminar que el actual mapa respaldado por los republicanos diluía ilegalmente la fuerza electoral de las comunidades negras y latinas en Filadelfia y Pittsburgh. • El juez determinó que los distritos existentes concentraban a los votantes de minorías en un puñado de escaños demócratas “seguros”, limitando su influencia en los distritos competitivos vecinos y violando las protecciones constitucionales estatales para una representación igualitaria. • La decisión amenaza las esperanzas republicanas de mantener una estrecha mayoría en la Cámara de Representantes en 2026 y podría obligar a la legislatura a un proceso de redistribución de distritos supervisado por el tribunal si los legisladores no logran acordar un mapa de reemplazo.

• La startup de paytech transfronteriza Latitude, de relevancia en EE. UU., salió del modo sigilo esta semana con una financiación semilla de 8 millones de dólares liderada por NEA para abordar las transferencias de dinero empresariales lentas y costosas. • El financiamiento respalda la misión de Latitude de agilizar los pagos internacionales, posicionándola como un competidor en el espacio fintech ante la creciente demanda de transferencias B2B eficientes. • El lanzamiento coincide con el auge de las fintech de abril de 2026, lo que destaca la confianza de los inversores en las innovaciones de paytech a pesar de las incertidumbres económicas derivadas de los precios de la energía y la política de la Fed.

• Tortugas Neuroscience, con sede en Framingham, MA, recaudó $106 millones en un financiamiento combinado de ronda semilla y Serie A para terapias de moléculas pequeñas dirigidas a trastornos neurológicos. • Cure Ventures lideró la ronda semilla, mientras que The Column Group y AN Venture Partners colideraron la Serie A el 21 de abril. • La inversión acelera el desarrollo de tratamientos utilizando dianas biológicas validadas, abordando necesidades no cubiertas en el sector biotecnológico de EE. UU.

Ocho licencias de radiodifusión local bajo revisión después de que la Casa Blanca lanzara un ataque contra el presentador de late-night por su comentario Regístrese en el correo electrónico de Breaking News US para recibir alertas de boletines en su bandeja de entrada El principal organismo de control de los medios de comunicación de EE. UU. anunció el martes que está acelerando la revisión de ocho licencias de radiodifusión local utilizadas por ABC, en una medida que los críticos ven como un claro ejemplo de represalia política y regulatoria contra una emisora desfavorecida. El anuncio de la Federal Communications Commission (FCC) se produce después de que la Casa Blanca lanzara un ataque frontal contra el presentador de late-night de ABC, Jimmy Kimmel, por una broma que hizo la semana pasada sobre Melania Trump. Continuar leyendo...

Foreign affairs minister begins another diplomatic tour to secure Australia’s fuel and energy supply chains. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning, Nick Visser here to guide you through the day’s news. Here’s what’s on deck:The foreign minister, Penny Wong, will travel to Japan today, part of a diplomatic trip to secure fuel supplies that will also include visits to China and South Korea. She said the effort will help “ensure Australia is prioritised as a reliable energy partner”. Continue reading...

Alex Greenwich says inquest crucial to understand what failures led to Bikram Lama’s death and avoid similar deaths Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales attorney-general, Michael Daley, has been urged to order an inquest into the death of Nepali rough sleeper Bikram Lama in Hyde Park.The death of Lama – who was also known as “the birdman” for his love of the area’s pigeons – has prompted widespread calls for change, after Guardian Australia revealed last week that the young migrant’s body lay unnoticed for up to a week in bushes near a busy thoroughfare into St James station. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump signed a series of emergency executive orders from the Oval Office on April 25, 2026, enacting the 'World's Most Powerful Reset' to address national security and economic stability. • The orders grant the administration vast new powers over the U.S. economy and financial system, potentially altering the Federal Reserve's role amid foreign threats. • The actions have triggered fierce debate over constitutional authority, with volatile reactions from Democrats and Republicans, and shockwaves in global markets.

• Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have launched joint military exercises involving 8,000 NATO troops in response to Russian force mobilization along the eastern border, marking the largest Baltic-focused NATO drill this year. • Russian military intelligence reports indicate approximately 35,000 Russian troops have gathered near the Belarus-Poland border; NATO commanders assess this as a potential preparation for military action. • Pentagon officials have authorized increased US military presence in the region, with 2,500 additional American troops authorized for rapid deployment if tensions escalate further.

• A military confrontation along the Kashmir border escalated Friday when Pakistani forces fired on Indian positions near Uri, killing 12 Indian soldiers and wounding 18 others in the deadliest incident in two years, Pakistani military sources confirmed. • India's military responded with retaliatory strikes, with New Delhi claiming to have neutralized three Pakistani military positions; Pakistan denied casualties on its side but acknowledged defensive operations. • Regional analysts expressed alarm that the incident could spiral into broader conflict, warning both nations possess nuclear arsenals and recent diplomatic tensions have left few de-escalation channels open.

• President Donald Trump signed a series of emergency executive orders from the Oval Office, dubbed the 'World's Most Powerful Reset,' targeting U.S. economic stability and national security. • The orders grant the administration expanded powers over the economy and financial system, including potential alterations to the Federal Reserve's role amid foreign threats. • The actions have triggered market volatility, fierce partisan debate, and questions over constitutional authority from Democrats and some Republicans.

• President Trump issued an Executive Order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to expedite access to treatments for patients with serious mental illness. • The FDA is accelerating its review process for mental health therapies in response to the directive. • This policy shift aims to reduce barriers to treatment approval and expand therapeutic options for affected patients.

• President Trump issued a controversial 'shoot and kill' order targeting boats placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz as tensions with Iran escalate, marking an intensification of military posturing in the critical shipping lane. • Congress was briefed that removing all mines from the strait could take up to six months, creating significant concerns about extended disruptions to global energy supplies and trade. • The Chevron CEO warned of potential air travel disruptions due to expected jet fuel shortages resulting from the ongoing tensions and potential blockade of the strategic waterway.

Executive order to speed access to psychedelic treatments likely to have limited legal impact despite high-profile pushThe Trump administration issued an executive order earlier this month to accelerate access to psychedelic medication for people with “serious mental illnesses,” but experts say the order is more likely to make a difference symbolically than legally.“Policymakers and the medical field have long struggled to address the burden of suicide and serious mental illness rates in America,” the order reads, noting that some people do not respond to available treatments. Continue reading...

US president claims ‘total control’ of strait of Hormuz despite Iranian seizure of two ships and report warning it could take months to clear waterway of minesTrump claims US has total control over strait of Hormuz after Iran seizes two container shipsAnalysis: Trump may talk of regime infighting, but Iran seems united by strategy born of warHello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.Donald Trump has ordered the US military to “shoot and kill” small Iranian boats that deploy mines in the strait of Hormuz and claimed that US minesweepers “are clearing the strait right now” amid the standoff over the key waterway.Trump said the US had “hit about 75% of our targets” in Iran and that a deal had not yet been reached because Iran was “in turmoil”. Trump added to reporters in the Oval Office that he would not use a nuclear weapon against Iran as the conflict continues without a clear end in sight.Trump also said the US had “total control over the strait of Hormuz” – a claim that has drawn scepticism in the face of Iran’s seizure of two container ships and a US report warning it could take six months to clear the strait of mines.Israel’s killing of a Lebanese journalist in a strike has been met with international outrage as Lebanon’s prime minister described the attack as a “war crime”. Amal Khalil, 43, was killed in what colleagues described as a sustained attack by Israeli forces, with rescuers attempting to dig her out of the rubble of a building also targeted and prevented from providing life-saving assistance.Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said there were no “hardliners” or “moderates” in Iran, responding a Trump claim there was internal division in Iran’s leadership. Separately, Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, said Iranian state institutions “continue to act with unity, purpose and discipline”.Italian sports officials say Italy is not interested in replacing Iran at the upcoming World Cup after a suggestion to that effect by a Trump administration official. Sports minister Andrea Abodi said “it’s not a good idea” while finance minister Giancarlo Giorgetti called the suggestion “shameful”. The US said it had no objections to Iranian players participating in the Cup but they would not be allowed to bring along people with ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.Pope Leo XIV urged the US and Iran to return to talks to end the war and condemned capital punishment, calling for a new “culture of peace” to replace the recourse to violence.It remained unclear if the US and Iran would hold another round of talks in Pakistan amid efforts from mediators there towards a peace deal. Continue reading...

Force says it is ‘confident there was no offence’ and condemns ‘shameful’ behaviour by protestersThe investigation into reports of a rape outside a church in Epsom that led to widespread public disorder will close as police are “confident there was no offence”.Surrey police received a report on Saturday 11 April that a woman had been raped near a church in the early hours of the morning after leaving Labyrinth nightclub in Epsom. Continue reading...

Republicans deploy measure known as budget reconciliation to push through plan without backing from Democrats during lengthy late-night voteHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The Senate voted to adopt a $70bn budget plan to fund ICE and Border Patrol as part of a new effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).We have a multistep process ahead of us, but at the end Republicans will have helped ensure that America’s borders are secure and prevented Democrats from defunding these important agencies.Instead of pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into ICE and Border Patrol, Republicans should be working with Democrats to lower out-of-pocket costs.The Pentagon announced, without explanation, that “Secretary of the Navy John C Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately”. The head of the US navy, which is now enforcing a wartime blockade of Iranian ports, was replaced by a former Maga political candidate, Hung Cao, now acting secretary of the navy.The surprise announcement brought renewed attention to Cao’s 2023 comments that that “witchcraft” had “taken over” Monterey, California.Virginia’s attorney general, Jay Jones, promised to appeal an injunction issued by a circuit court judge that temporarily blocks the state from certifying the results of the Tuesday’s redistricting referendum.As jet fuel prices spike amid the ongoing energy crisis sparked by Donald Trump’s war on Iran, two Republican senators, Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton, denounced a proposed US government bailout of budget carrier Spirit Airlines.Representative David Scott, a Democrat from Georgia, has died at the age of 80. He is the fifth member of Congress to die in office within the last year. Continue reading...

• Military delegations from Pakistan and India held their first formal border security talks in 18 months in Islamabad, marking a significant thaw in bilateral tensions following last year's cross-border skirmishes. • Both nations agreed to reinstate a communication hotline between military commanders and establish a joint investigation committee for monitoring ceasefire violations along the Line of Control. • The US quietly supported the initiative through backdoor diplomacy, viewing improved India-Pakistan relations as essential for regional stability and counterterrorism cooperation in Afghanistan.

Budget airline says change will take effect from November and will give passengers more time to clear securityRyanair will close airport check-in desks 20 minutes earlier to avoid passengers missing flights, it has announced, amid concern over border queues in Europe.The budget airline, which carries 200 million passengers annually, will require all passengers dropping bags or checking in at the airport to do so one hour before take-off rather than the current 40-minute deadline. Continue reading...

The rural Texas region, long spared, is being fast-tracked for the border wall amid bipartisan oppositionTractors suddenly appeared at the entrance to Chispa Road near the US-Mexico border in rural Big Bend, Texas, in late March. Contractors informed Yolanda Alvarado, a cattle rancher, that they were starting work to upgrade the rough county dirt road there into a “highway” – the first step needed for semi trucks to haul the 30-foot steel pillars used to build Donald Trump’s border barrier.“That fence line, that’s where the wall is going to be,” said Alvarado, hopping out of the front seat of her flatbed truck at the gate to the family property located directly along the path of the proposed wall. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump signed a series of emergency executive orders from the Oval Office, described by the White House as the 'World's Most Powerful Reset,' impacting the US economy and financial system. • The orders invoke national security protocols to grant the administration new powers over the Federal Reserve and address economic stability amid foreign threats. • The actions triggered fierce bipartisan debate over constitutional authority, volatile market reactions, and shockwaves globally.

• President Trump signed an executive order directing federal regulators to fast-track FDA review of psychedelic drugs including psilocybin and ibogaine for treating depression, anxiety, and PTSD. • The order allocates $50 million in federal funds to states implementing or developing psychedelic treatment programs as part of a federal-state partnership initiative. • Trump highlighted that over 14 million American adults have serious mental illness, with approximately 8 million on prescription medication, framing psychedelics as addressing a national mental health crisis including suicide prevention.

• President issues executive order on April 18, 2026, to speed medical treatments for serious mental illness using psychedelic drugs including ibogaine compounds. • Order highlights clinical studies showing potential for patients with persistent conditions unresponsive to standard therapies. • Directs federal agencies to prioritize research, approvals, and access to innovative mental health interventions nationwide.

• President Donald Trump signed a series of emergency executive orders from the Oval Office, with the White House describing them as the 'World's Most Powerful Reset,' reportedly granting the administration vast new powers over the U.S. economy and financial system. • The orders are grounded in national security protocols and reportedly address economic stability and foreign threats, with details remaining tightly controlled by the White House. • The executive action has triggered fierce debate over presidential constitutional authority and sparked volatile political reactions from both Democrats and Republicans across the political spectrum.

• Artillery and small arms fire erupted along the Line of Control in Kashmir on April 17-18, marking the first significant border clash in eight months and resulting in at least 12 reported casualties on both sides. • Pakistan accused Indian forces of violating a 2003 ceasefire agreement with unprovoked shelling near the Siachen Glacier region; India's military claimed Pakistan-based militants initiated the exchange. • Both nations mobilized additional military units to their shared border; analysts warn the escalation could undermine fragile diplomatic channels reopened in late 2025.

Former SAS corporal allegedly placed man on his knees and ordered fellow soldier to shoot him, according to statement of factsAustralian soldiers have told prosecutors they executed unarmed civilians at the orders of Ben Roberts-Smith or in complicity with him, according to a statement of facts tendered to the New South Wales local court.Roberts-Smith, a Victoria Cross recipient and once one of Australia’s most lionised soldiers, faces five charges of the war crime of murder, allegedly committed while he served in the Australian SAS in Afghanistan.Each victim was unarmed and present in a location where Roberts-Smith could reasonably have suspected insurgents to be located;Each offence was committed in a situation where there was no active engagements with enemy forces and the Australian Defence Force was in control of the environment;Evidence was planted or falsely associated with each deceased to enhance reporting that each of the killings were within the lawful rules of engagement;Each deceased was handcuffed, detained for a period, and questioned prior to their execution;None of the deceased was killed in a situation where the Australian Defence Force did not have effective control of the battlespace. Continue reading...

• HBO Max greenlit 'Euphoria' Season 3 on April 16, committing to 16 episodes filming starts July 2026, starring Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi. • Creator Sam Levinson promises 'adulting consequences' in post-college storyline, addressing fan delays since 2022 finale. • The renewal, valued at $20 million per episode, cements 'Euphoria' as Max's top series with 40 million viewers per season.