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• 米議会は、外国情報監視法（Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act）に基づき無令状の監視権限を付与する物議を醸している法律について、45日間の暫定的な延長案を可決した。これにより、議員たちは大規模なデータ収集の制限について議論するための猶予を得た。 • この延長により、監視体制の自動的な失効が辛うじて回避された。情報当局者によれば、この体制はNational Security Agency（NSA）の対テロおよび対スパイ作戦の約半分を支えているという。 • 市民的自由団体はこの場しのぎの措置を批判し、米政府が個別の令状なしに膨大な米国民のデジタル通信内容を収集し続けていると主張した。一方でホワイトハウスは、Section 702の権限を完全に復活させるよう議会に促した。

• 2026年4月14日、Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) は主要ミッションを予定より早く達成し、4,700万個の銀河を網羅する史上最大の3D地図を作成した。 • このデータセットは従来のあらゆる銀河測定量の6倍に達し、宇宙の形状や大きさに関する新たな解析を可能にする。 • この画期的な成果は、量子物理学と一般相対性理論を「万物の理論」へと統合させる可能性を秘めており、US National Laboratories が世界の科学を牽引する立場を確固たるものにする。

• Lee ZeldinはSenateに対し、Trump政権の計画がEnvironmental Protection Agencyを「より効率的」にすると主張した • SenateのDemocratsは、水曜日の議会公聴会において、予算を半減させる提案をめぐり機関の指導部を非難し、Trump政権が人の健康と環境を保護するというEnvironmental Protection Agencyの任務を放棄していると告発した • Lee ZeldinのSenate環境委員会への出席は、彼が同機関の資金を大幅に削減することを主張した今週3回の予算公聴会の最後であり、同機関の職員数はすでに彼の指導の下でここ数十年で最低のレベルにまで減少している

• Gavin Adcockは火曜日、昨年のオクラホマ州で開催されたBorn & Raised Festivalでの殴り合い寸前のいさかいに言及し、Zach Bryanとの確執を再燃させる写真をソーシャルメディアに投稿した。 • その画像には、BryanがAdcockと喧嘩をしようとフェンスをよじ登ろうとする様子が写っており、Adcockの新シングル「Wannabe」を宣伝するために『この曲が金曜日にどれほどリリースされたがっているか』というキャプションが添えられている。 • 9月、Bryanはフェンスを乗り越えた後、警備員が介入する前に「男らしく戦いたいか？ゲートを開けろ」と叫んでいた。

• ReformのリーダーはGuardianからの接触を受けて情報を公表したが、資金は自身の警備のためだったという彼の主張は妥当なのだろうか？ • Nigel Farageは2024年、仮想通貨の富豪から非公表の500万ポンドを受け取っていた • Nigel Farageは、2024年の総選挙直前にReform UKのメガドナーであるChristopher Harborneから500万ポンドの個人的な贈り物を受け取ったことを認めた。彼は当時その贈り物を開示しておらず、その後1年間それについて言及することもなかった。それが一転したのは水曜日の朝、Daily TelegraphがFarageがHarborneから資金を受け取ったことを認める記事を掲載した際で、同氏はその資金が自身の個人的な警備のためであったと述べている。 続きを読む...

• ドナルド・トランプ大統領とチャールズ国王は、米国と英国の歴史的な「特別な関係」について共同声明を発表した。 • この協議は、米国の建国250周年記念行事の準備が進む中で行われた。 • 国王による米国議会への演説には政治的な意図を含むメッセージが含まれており、それがトランプ大統領にどのような影響を与えるかについて分析がなされている。

Technology tycoons Elon Musk and Sam Altman are poised to face off in a high-stakes trial revolving around the alleged betrayal, deceit and unbridled ambition that blurred their once-shared vision for the development of artificial intelligence.

Vets say whale stranded for a month near Lübeck is fit to be transported in rescue effort funded by two entrepreneursGerman officials have given the green light for a fresh attempt to rescue a humpback whale that has been stranded off the country’s Baltic Sea coast for more than a month.The 13-metre (40ft) whale’s struggle for survival has gripped Germany since the creature beached on a sandbank near the city of Lübeck, far from its natural habitat. Continue reading...

• Venezuelan security forces restricted opposition parties from entering their campaign headquarters on Monday, raising fresh concerns about democratic conduct ahead of this year's presidential elections. • The blockade prevented opposition candidates and staff from gathering electoral signatures and organizing voter outreach efforts, significantly hampering their campaign infrastructure. • International observers from the Organization of American States expressed alarm over the move, calling it a violation of political freedoms and warning it could undermine the legitimacy of upcoming elections.

• Brazilian President announced on Monday a comprehensive enforcement initiative targeting illegal logging and land invasions in the Amazon, deploying 5,000 additional federal agents to protected areas. • The government committed to reducing deforestation rates by 80 percent over the next two years through satellite monitoring and criminal prosecutions of organized trafficking networks. • Environmental groups and the U.S. State Department praised the pledge as a meaningful step toward climate commitments, though skeptics noted enforcement challenges in remote regions.

Proposal for a one-time 5% tax on billionaires in the state is opposed by Silicon Valley tech titans and Gavin NewsomProponents of a proposal to levy a one-time tax on California billionaires say they’ve gathered enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot in November.The campaign says it has collected more than 1.5m signatures, according to a statement. Continue reading...

President blames dissident Farc faction for attack on Pan-American Highway that also injured 36 people in south-western region The death toll in a weekend highway bombing in Colombia has risen to 20, with another 36 people injured, amid a surge of violence ahead of presidential elections next month.Buses and vans were left mangled in the blast on Saturday on the Pan-American Highway, in the restive south-western Cauca department. Continue reading...

• U.S. stock futures fell late Sunday with Dow Jones Industrial Average futures down 130 points or 0.3%, S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq-100 futures also declining after record highs on Friday. • West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 2% above $96 per barrel following collapsed U.S.-Iran talks announced Saturday. • The Federal Reserve's interest-rate committee meets Tuesday-Wednesday, with Chair Jerome Powell's likely final press conference anticipated amid market highs.

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...

Deepening sense of deadlock despite regional diplomacy as Washington and Tehran show no signs of compromiseHopes of a breakthrough in negotiations between Iran and the US faded further on Sunday, amid a deepening sense of a deadlock in the nearly two-month-long conflict despite intense regional diplomatic activity.Washington and Tehran appear unwilling to moderate rhetoric or make concessions, and there are no negotiations scheduled that might bring the war to a definitive end. Continue reading...

Special session comes after Virginia voted to redraw maps and as Trump pressures Republicans to protect House majorityFlorida begins a special session on Tuesday in what may be the last front of the redistricting war before the 2026 election, with Republicans trying to redraw maps to pick up more seats in Congress.Lawmakers enter the session in Tallahassee cloaked in mystery, with no preview of a proposed map to consider and no clear path for Republicans to increase their representation in what appears to be a hostile year for their party. Continue reading...

Iranian foreign minister has landed in Islamabad but his ministry says there will be no direct negotiations with the US envoyThe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched strikes in three areas in southern Lebanon against what it claimed were Hezbollah rocket launchers.The strikes hit the villages of Deir al-Zahrani, Kfar Reman and al-Sama’iya, which are north of where IDF forces are located in southern Lebanon. Continue reading...

At least 17 people hurt after incident involving two local services north of Denmark’s capitalTwo local trains have collided head-on in Denmark, injuring at least 17 people, four of whom are in a critical condition, according to emergency services.The public broadcaster DR showed images of two yellow and grey trains, both with damage to the front, facing each other in a wooded area. Continue reading...

Reuters-Ipsos, AP-NORC and NBC polls show approval in mid-30s, with economy, Iran and immigration concernsUS politics live – latest updatesA trio of political polls indicate public approval of Donald Trump’s management of the US economy, immigration and the Iran conflict is slipping, flashing warning lights for Trump-aligned Republican candidates with six months to go until the US midterm elections.Polls by Reuters-Ipsos poll, Strength in Numbers-Verasight and AP-NORC had the president’s approval rating hovering in the mid-30s, at 36%, 35% and 33% respectively, which are near his lowest numbers. Continue reading...

Conservative host says he’s ‘tormented’ by previous support for Trump – could this presage his own run for president?He can’t live with him and can’t live without him. But, finally, the conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson seems to have made up his mind about Donald Trump. Their up-and-down marriage of political convenience is heading for the divorce court.On Tuesday Carlson admitted that he will be “tormented” for a long time by his support for Trump in the 2024 US presidential election “and I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people”. What he did not say is whether this presages his own run for president in 2028. Continue reading...

Officials warn a conflict situation could cause disruption similar to recent major ransomware incidentsThe UK could face “hacktivist attacks at scale” if it becomes embroiled in a conflict and the impact could be similar to recent high-profile ransomware incidents, according to the head of the country’s online security agency.Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will warn today that nation states now account for the most significant incidents the NCSC deals with. Continue reading...

US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent says Iran’s Kharg Island storage facilities will be full and their ‘fragile’ oil wells shut in mere days because of the blockade; oil prices rise amid ongoing uncertaintyTrump announces extension of Iran ceasefire until ‘discussion concluded’Shares have been mixed in early trading across Asia, while oil prices have eased on hopes the US and Iran may resume talks to end their war.The price of Brent crude edged 0.2% lower but was still above $98 a barrel. US benchmark crude fell 0.4% to $89.29 a barrel. Continue reading...

• The Kennedy Center will hold its first award ceremony since President Trump overhauled the board of trustees earlier this year. • Changes aim to align cultural programming with administration priorities. • The event draws attention to federal arts funding debates and political influence on institutions.

Americans having less kids plus an ageing population could be a recipe for disaster that further erodes social stabilityRemember environmentalist Paul Ehrlich’s 1960s-vintage prediction about how overpopulation would deplete the Earth’s resources and condemn millions to starvation? His Malthusian condemnation of humanity’s voracious appetite has kept a grip on the debate over the future of the planet, even scaring the young out of having children.Ehrlich was wrong. Yet as we have come around to the thought that overpopulation won’t kill us all, we are being walloped by another demographic emergency: we are not having too many kids, we are having too few. This problem is real. Continue reading...

• Salesforce announced Headless 360 on Wednesday, enabling AI agents to access its platform capabilities via APIs, MCP tools, or CLI commands. • The initiative marks the company's most ambitious architectural transformation in 27 years, aiming to enhance AI integration across its ecosystem. • This development matters as it positions Salesforce as a leader in AI-driven enterprise software, potentially accelerating agentic AI adoption in business operations.

So-called Dreamers – undocumented immigrants who arrived as children – were allowed to stay in US under Obama-era programFrom January through September 2025, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported 174 people that were renewing their protections from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program, the head of the agency has said in a letter reviewed by the Guardian.The letter, written by ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, and sent to the Illinois congressional representative Delia Ramirez, also confirmed that a total of 270 Daca recipients were arrested during that same timeframe, or over the first nine months of Donald Trump’s second presidency. Continue reading...

• 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.

• Coachella Valley Music Festival opened April 16 with headliner Travis Scott drawing 125,000 fans, joined by Lady Gaga for a 30-minute unannounced 'Apocalypse' medley at Empire Polo Club. • Billie Eilish and Green Day also performed, with festival attendance up 10% from 2025 per organizers. • The event generated $600 million economic impact for Riverside County, highlighting live music recovery post-pandemic.