Resident

जब चार्ल्स और कैमिला थ्री-लाइन व्हिप पर थे, सांसदों ने सिविल सेवकों की असहनीय बेचैनी देखी। हमें अक्सर वरिष्ठ सिविल सेवकों को खुले में घूमते नहीं देखने को मिलता। उन्हें जनता की नज़रों से दूर रखा जाता है, डेस्क के पीछे बैठे अपने मंत्रियों को समझाने की कोशिश करते हैं कि वे अपने सरकारी विभाग के लिए कुछ बहुत विनाशकारी न करें। यह कि सिर्फ अपना काम करने के लिए उन्हें नाइट या डेम बना दिया जाता है, जीवन के रहस्यों में से एक है। हममें से बाकी लोगों को बॉस के कभी-कभार ईमेल से ही काम चलाना पड़ता है। लेकिन पिछले हफ्ते, दो शीर्ष सिविल सेवकों को अनिच्छा से विदेश मामलों की चयन समिति के समक्ष कीर स्टार्मर के पीटर मैंडेलसन को अमेरिकी राजदूत नियुक्त करने के फैसले पर गवाही देने के लिए मजबूर किया गया, और यह बहुत शिक्षाप्रद भी रहा। कम से कम यह देखना कि उन्हें जनता का कोई अतिरिक्त ध्यान कितना नापसंद है। जवाबदेह ठहराए जाने पर उनकी स्पष्ट बेचैनी देखना बेहद तकलीफदेह था। पढ़ना जारी रखें...

President Lula द्वारा विधेयक पर लगाए गए veto को Brazil की congress और senate ने पलट दिया है, जिसका अर्थ है कि अब इसे supreme court की पुष्टि का इंतज़ार है। Brazil की मुख्य रूप से रूढ़िवादी congress ने धुर दक्षिणपंथी पूर्व president Jair Bolsonaro की जेल की सजा को कम करने वाले एक विधेयक को मंजूरी दे दी है, जिन्हें पिछले साल तख्तापलट की कोशिश का दोषी ठहराया गया था। यह विधेयक शुरुआत में December में congress द्वारा पारित किया गया था, लेकिन president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ने January में एक प्रतीकात्मक कदम के तहत इस पर veto लगा दिया था, जो कि Bolsonaro समर्थकों द्वारा राजधानी Brasília में की गई तोड़फोड़ के तीन साल पूरे होने के उपलक्ष्य में था। Continue reading...

• अप्रैल 2026 में White House Correspondents' Association डिनर में कई हथियारों के साथ धावा बोलने के बाद सोमवार को एक संदिग्ध पर President Trump की हत्या के प्रयास का आरोप लगाया गया। • इस घटना ने राजनीतिक बयानबाजी और हिंसा को लेकर दलीय विवादों को तेज कर दिया है, जिसमें दोनों दल इस तनाव को बढ़ाने के लिए एक-दूसरे की भाषा को जिम्मेदार ठहरा रहे हैं। • कथित हत्या के प्रयास ने Washington को झकझोर कर रख दिया है और ऐतिहासिक राजनीतिक हिंसा के साथ इसकी तुलना की जा रही है, जिससे सुरक्षा और वर्तमान राजनीतिक माहौल के बारे में चर्चा शुरू हो गई है।

• President Donald Trump और King Charles ने US और UK के बीच ऐतिहासिक 'special relationship' पर संयुक्त टिप्पणी की। • यह चर्चा United States की 250th anniversary समारोहों की तैयारियों के बीच हुई। • US Congress में King के संबोधन में राजनीतिक रूप से आवेशित संदेश शामिल थे, जिससे President Trump के लिए उनके निहितार्थों का विश्लेषण शुरू हो गया है।

• पूर्व FBI निदेशक James Comey पर मंगलवार, 28 अप्रैल, 2026 को एक Instagram पोस्ट के लिए दूसरी बार अभियोग लगाया गया, जिसे DOJ द्वारा राष्ट्रपति Donald Trump के खिलाफ धमकी के रूप में व्याख्यायित किया गया था। • Justice Department ने उस पोस्ट की नए सिरे से जांच के बाद अपनी जांच का विस्तार किया है जिसे राष्ट्रपति के संदर्भ में एक कोडित संदेश के रूप में वर्णित किया गया था। • Comey खुद को निर्दोष बता रहे हैं, उनका कहना है कि ये आरोप चल रहे राजनीतिक तनाव के बीच उनकी सोशल मीडिया गतिविधि की गलत व्याख्या का परिणाम हैं।

लेबनान के स्वास्थ्य मंत्रालय ने कहा कि रविवार को इजरायली हमलों में 14 लोग मारे गए और 37 घायल हो गए, वहीं इजरायली सेना ने निवासियों को उन सात शहरों को छोड़ने की चेतावनी दी है जो उस "बफर जोन" से बाहर हैं जिस पर उसने एक ऐसे युद्धविराम से पहले कब्जा किया था, जो शत्रुता को पूरी तरह से रोकने में विफल रहा है।

चुनाव अधिकारियों ने रविवार को कहा कि फिलिस्तीनी नगर निकाय चुनावों में राष्ट्रपति महमूद अब्बास के समर्थकों ने अधिकांश सीटों पर जीत दर्ज की है। लगभग दो दशकों में पहली बार इस मतदान में गाजा पट्टी का एक शहर भी शामिल था, जिसे प्रतिद्वंदी Hamas चलाता है।

जनवरी में, Kim Keon Hee को Unification Church से उपहार स्वीकार करने के लिए 20 महीने की सजा सुनाई गई थी, जिसने राजनीतिक लाभ की तलाश की थी। (Image credit: Ahn Young-joon)

कोलोम्बिया के दक्षिण-पश्चिमी क्षेत्र में नागरिकों और सैन्य ठिकानों पर हुए हमलों की एक श्रृंखला ने सुरक्षा संबंधी चिंताएं बढ़ा दी हैं, क्योंकि देश मई में होने वाले राष्ट्रपति चुनाव की ओर बढ़ रहा है। (Image credit: Santiago Saldarriaga)

• 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.

• President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are preparing to welcome His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom for an official visit to the White House. • The visit represents a significant diplomatic engagement between the United States and the United Kingdom at the highest levels. • Such state visits typically include formal ceremonies, bilateral meetings, and discussions on international policy matters.

• The White House is ramping up pressure on Cuba for political change following Operation Absolute Resolve, which successfully extracted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. • US military presence is expanding across Latin America and the Caribbean, with a focus on combating drug-trafficking by transnational criminal organizations like Mexican Cartels, MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and Haitian gangs, topping the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment. • Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa seeks stronger US military ties after a failed 2025 referendum on foreign bases, while Paraguay ratified a State of Forces Agreement allowing temporary US troop deployments for training.

• The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the launch of the 2026 class of Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF), showcasing its commitment to hiring top technology talent. • The new PIF class will focus on key Administration priority projects, including developing AI-powered tools to accelerate infrastructure permitting processes. • The initiative demonstrates the federal government's strategy to leverage specialized technology expertise for modernizing government operations and infrastructure development.

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...

ICC judges say there are substantial grounds to believe Duterte guided anti-drugs crackdown that killed thousandsThe former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, will face trial at the international criminal court (ICC) after judges unanimously confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his “war on drugs”.Pre-trial judges concluded on Thursday that there were substantial grounds to believe Duterte was responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder in relation to anti-drugs crackdowns which led to the killing of thousands of people. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: As political tensions rise abroad and economic pressures mount at home, ​D​onald Trump faces a shifting landscape that is testing the loyalty of his ​M​aga supportersGood morning. Starting a war of choice that is rapidly spiralling out of control, poll ratings at a second-term low, and a cost of living crisis intensifying for millions.Any conventional US president would be in big trouble. But Donald Trump is not a conventional president, and normal rules do not seem to apply to him. More than a third of Americans continue to believe he is doing a good job despite the global chaos he has unleashed.UK politics | Keir Starmer was looking increasingly isolated over the Peter Mandelson scandal as the Guardian learned of concerns around the cabinet table, a senior minister refused to say the dismissal of Olly Robbins was fair and several mandarins called for Robbins to be reinstated. One Labour MP called on Starmer to quit.Middle East | Iranian forces seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran doubled down on imposing separate blockades of the shipping waterway.West Bank | Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old schoolboy, were killed in the occupied West Bank after Israeli settlers opened fire near a school, witnesses and local officials said. Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed a journalist after rescuers were blocked from accessing the building where she was buried under rubble because of further Israeli fire, according to several witnesses.UK news | Britain’s high military dependence on the US is “no longer tenable” and the UK has to become increasingly independent of the special relationship, a former Nato chief has said.Palantir | The Metropolitan police has held talks with Palantir that could lead to the London force buying the US spy-tech company’s AI technology to automate intelligence analysis for criminal investigations. Continue reading...

Kevin Warsh, Trump’s ‘central casting’, has a long road ahead of convincing board members to lower interest ratesDonald Trump’s fate is to be frustrated by monetary policy.Even assuming he gets his way and Kevin Warsh succeeds Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve next month, it is unlikely that the president will finally gain control of the Fed. Continue reading...

• The president requires congressional approval to extend a 30-day federal takeover of unspecified operations beyond the initial period. • Lawmakers from both parties debate the scope, with costs projected at millions in taxpayer funds. • Extension could set precedent for future interventions, raising federalism concerns among states.

Lai Ching-te abandons visit after Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoke overflight permission Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, has cancelled his trip to Eswatini, the democratic island’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, after his government said several countries had revoked overflight permits because of “intense pressure” from China.Lai was to leave on Wednesday for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession. Continue reading...

Jose Ramos-Horta urged by opposition to explain diplomatic passport given to businessman behind resort project, who denies any involvement with organised crimeTimor-Leste’s opposition has questioned how foreign investors in a proposed cryptocurrency resort obtained prime beachfront real estate in the country’s capital, and has called on the president to explain why he issued a diplomatic passport to a Chinese businessman involved in the project.Speaking in parliament in Dili on Monday, Fretilin opposition party MP Florentino Ximenes da Costa “Sinarai” raised concerns about the proposed AB Digital Technology Resort, which was the subject of a months-long investigation by the Guardian and Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). Continue reading...

Eighth election in five years comes after government collapse in December, with stability and cost of living key issuesBulgarians are voting in the eighth parliamentary election in five years, with the clear frontrunner, the pro-Russian former president Rumen Radev, promising to stamp out corruption and end a succession of weak, short-lived governments.Radev, a Eurosceptic former fighter pilot who has opposed military support for Ukraine, stepped down from the presidency in January to run in the election, which comes after mass demonstrations forced out the previous government in December. Continue reading...

Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV polarizing the diverse community as faith and politics come to a headMaryellen Lewicki meets once a week for Bible study with a group of Catholic women in Decatur, Georgia, in a space they try to keep clear of politics. But Donald Trump’s name arises nonetheless.“We have one person that we pray for during the course of the week,” she said. “What my friend said is that she prays for the president every day, that God will remove that hard heart of his and replace it with a softer one that has love.” Continue reading...

Extension of three-year lifespan for bronze coincides with 25th anniversary rerelease of original romcomA record 149 days have now passed without alcohol, cigarettes or ice-cream for Bridget Jones’s statue in Leicester Square in London – and her fast is set to be extended indefinitely.Originally conceived to be in situ for three years, the bronze statue, which was unveiled in November, has now been granted permanent residence opposite the Empire Casino and adjacent to the toilets, where she joins the likes of Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and Batman as part of Westminster council’s Scenes in the Square initiative. Continue reading...

Prime minister elect says he expects new government to be in place by mid-MayElection winner Péter Magyar has confirmed work is under way to form the new Hungarian government by mid-May after holding talks with the country’s president, Tamás Sulyok, a loyalist of the outgoing prime minister, Viktor Orbán.The two leaders discussed the timetable for new parliament, which can be formed not before 4 May when the results of the Sunday’s vote need to be certified by, with Magyar saying he expected the new government to be in place by mid-May.“[Sulyok] is unworthy of representing the unity of the Hungarian nation. He is unfit to serve as the guardian of legality. He is not fit to serve as a moral authority or a role model.” Continue reading...

Sheinbaum has recently been taking a firmer stance with the US, defying pressures where other countries have cavedThe Mexican government has voiced concern about the deaths of its citizens in US custody, with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum also pushing back against the Trump administration’s decision to impose an energy blockade on Cuba.The progressive Mexican leader has walked a careful line with Trump for more than a year, addressing provocations with a measured tone and meeting US requests to crack down on cartels more so than her predecessors, in an effort to offset threats of tariffs and US military action against gangs. Continue reading...

Sharon Simmons, photographed delivering McDonald’s to Trump on Monday, lobbied for the ‘no tax on tips’ policy in 2025Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe DoorDash delivery driver who had a turn in the national spotlight on Monday by bringing a fast-food order to Donald Trump at the White House has publicly touted the president’s so-called “no tax on tips” policy before – causing some to question the encounter’s authenticity and the company to confirm it was a stunt.Sharon Simmons had lobbied in July 2025 in favor of the policy, which DoorDash supports, testifying in Congress that she was based in Nevada and driving for the delivery platform because her husband’s cancer treatments had made it difficult to make ends meet otherwise. Continue reading...

Push for states to assign presidential electors to winner of popular vote gains momentum in bid to reach 270 thresholdA national majority vote for president is one step closer to reality after Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger signed the National Popular Vote bill into law, joining an interstate compact with 17 other states and the District of Columbia.Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, states would assign their presidential electors to the winner of the popular vote, regardless of the results within the state. The compact takes effect when states representing a majority of electoral votes – 270 of 538 – pass the legislation and thus would determine the winner of the presidential contest. With Virginia, the compact now has 222 electors. Continue reading...

Orbán is out in Hungary and talks have failed to end the war in Iran – ill-fated roadtrip has been setback for Maga aimsShortly before JD Vance’s ill-fated week crisscrossing the world, Donald Trump asked him during a private Easter brunch about how the Iran negotiations were shaping up. “If it doesn’t happen, I’m blaming JD Vance,” Trump said to laughs in the room. “If it does happen, I’m taking full credit.”The joke at Vance’s expense contained an unfortunate nugget of truth: this is not an administration that rewards failure. Continue reading...