Extension

• The U.S. Congress passed a 45‑day stopgap extension of a controversial law granting warrantless surveillance authority under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, giving lawmakers more time to debate limits on bulk data collection. • The extension narrowly averted an automatic lapse of the surveillance regime, which intelligence officials say underpins roughly half of the National Security Agency’s counterterrorism and counter‑espionage operations. • Civil‑liberties groups criticized the short‑term fix, arguing that the U.S. government continues to collect vast amounts of Americans’ digital communications without individualized warrants, while the White House pressed Congress to restore full Section 702 powers.

The fuel crisis is seeing more voters keen to shift to renewable energy rather than stick with fossil fuelsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA majority of Australians support taxing profits from gas exports and extending the cut to the fuel excise, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll, despite Anthony Albanese on Wednesday ruling out a new tax on existing gas export contracts.The poll also found the fuel crisis is seeing more voters keen to shift to renewable energy rather than stick with fossil fuels. Australians also say they’re already cutting back on travel, switching to public transport and reducing their use of aircon and heating amid the global fuel uncertainty. Continue reading...

U-turn comes after Trump said the US military was ‘raring to go’. Plus, Virginia voters pass new congressional maps in blow to presidentDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.Donald Trump unilaterally announced an extension of the two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday amid frantic efforts to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.How are Trump’s negotiating tactics being received? The president’s impatience and rough-house diplomatic style, including his frequent online posting, has been a key stumbling block to restarting peace talks, writes the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour.Is Tehran united on how to deal with Washington? Analysts say it is not, with fierce disagreement among Iranian leaders over how to respond to US pressure and whether to risk a new wave of bombing.Follow the latest updates with our liveblog.How much of a boost for the Democrats is Virginia’s referendum result? It could help them win four additional House seats in November’s midterms, which could prove pivotal in an evenly divided Congress. Continue reading...

• Silicon Valley-based Resolve AI secured $40M in Series A extension funding, boosting its valuation to $1.5B to establish Resolve AI Labs focused on AI models optimized for production environments. • The funding supports development of reliable AI systems tailored for enterprise-scale deployment in US tech sectors. • This round highlights investor confidence in Resolve AI's infrastructure for bridging research-to-production AI gaps amid booming demand.

• Congress approved a temporary extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) ahead of the expiration deadline, avoiding a lapse in government surveillance authority. • The temporary extension allows additional time for lawmakers to negotiate a longer-term reauthorization of the controversial surveillance program. • The action reflects ongoing congressional debate over balancing national security needs with privacy protections in intelligence gathering operations.

• The U.S. Senate passed a 10-day extension of FISA authority on Friday, April 17, 2026, sending the bill to President Donald Trump's desk. • The measure averts a lapse in surveillance powers set to expire Monday, providing temporary continuity for national security operations. • This short-term fix highlights ongoing partisan debates over warrant requirements and reforms to Section 702 of FISA.

Trump repeatedly demanded that Republicans unify to pass a longer extension of the Fisa warrantless spying lawBoth chambers of Congress voted in quick succession Friday to pass a brief 10-day extension of a controversial warrantless surveillance law after Republican infighting tanked plans for a much longer renewal of the law with no changes.Donald Trump had repeatedly demanded that Republican holdouts “UNIFY” behind Mike Johnson, the US House speaker, in favor of an extension of section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) without changes. But chaos ensued late Thursday as Republican leadership tried and failed twice in votes attempting to reauthorize the surveillance program, before resorting to a stopgap measure. Continue reading...