Power

議員らは45日間の延長に合意したが、共和党と民主党の批判者たちは監視プログラムの改革を促している 米議会は、米情報機関に令状なしの監視権限を付与する法律の45日間の延長案を可決した。 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act の section 702 をめぐる共和党内の激しい内紛により、物議を醸している監視法を数年間にわたって更新するという保守派指導者らの計画は、繰り返し頓挫してきた。 共和党の下院議長 Mike Johnson が、自党の強硬派や進歩派の民主党議員らが推進する主要な改革の盛り込みを拒否したため、木曜日も膠着状態が続いた。 Continue reading...

譲歩とみられる動きの中で数十名にlife peeragesが授与され、red benchesへの復帰が可能に Keir StarmerがHouse of Lordsの改革の加速を目指す中、議席を廃止された数十名のhereditary peersの立法権が回復した。 15名のConservativeのhereditary peers、2名のLabour、および9名のcrossbenchersにlife peeragesが授与され、red benchesへの復帰が可能になったとみられている。 Continue reading...

• University of Wisconsin–Madison の研究者を含む国際チームが、Cygnus システムの black hole から放出される particle jets の力を測定しました。 • この種のものとしては初となる今回の測定は、10年前に UW-Madison の天文学者が行った予測を裏付けるものです。 • この発見は、black hole jet mechanics に関する長年の理論を検証し、astrophysics の理解を深めるものです。

• 公聴会でCanadaに資金洗浄防止戦略が欠如していることが判明したことを受け、Cryptocurrency ATMsも禁止に直面している • Canadaは、連邦捜査官の弱体化により詐欺師の追及に苦慮し、White Houseが資金洗浄での有罪判決者を恩赦しているUSとは対照的に、金融犯罪を捜査する強力な新しい法執行機関を設立しようとしている • Financial Crimes Agency (FCA) を創設する法案は今週、議会で第1読会を完了した

• 2026年4月29日、米Supreme Courtに数百人が集まり、HaitiansおよびSyriansに対するTemporary Protected Status (TPS)を巡る口頭弁論が行われた。判事らは、同プログラムを終了させるPresident Trumpの権限を精査した。 • 審理の報告によると、裁判官団は強制送還の猶予措置を撤回する広範な行政権限に対し、懐疑的な姿勢を見せた模様である。 • 判決は、強制送還の危機にある数千人に影響を及ぼし、中間選挙を前に移民関連の行政措置の限界を試すものとなる可能性がある。

この判決は、共和党が支配する州の区割り担当者に、選挙区を細分化し、投票を跡形もなく希薄化させる権限を与えるものである。 投票権法（Voting Rights Act）は、John Lewisの血によって記された政治的な平和協定であった。 投票権法（Voting Rights Act）第2条の多くを事実上退けた米最高裁のCallais v Landry判決は、政治的平等を求めてランチカウンターやバス停、裁判所で人種隔離主義の白人至上主義者と戦った何千人ものアメリカ人たちの血とともに、その歴史を塗りつぶした。 続きを読む...

• New York City Council 選挙において、現職が低い支持率と支持基盤の分裂に苦しむ中、Zohran Mamdani による支持が疑問視されている。 • 数値の低迷にもかかわらず、不服を唱える候補者は中道派の挑戦者のために身を引くことを拒否している。 • この地方選挙は、国政にも波及し得る都市政治における Democratic の力学の変化を示唆している。

• Seviiは2026年4月28日、マシンスピードかつ大規模なAI駆動型のサイバー攻撃に対抗するため、「自律型サイバー・スウォーム防御（CSD）」機能をリリースしたと発表した。 • このADRプラットフォームは「Agentic AI Cyber Warrior」エージェントを配備し、脅威を15分以内に検知・封じ込め・解消する。また、アセットごとの固定料金モデルによりAIトークンコストを排除し、アナリストのワークロードを95%削減する。 • CSDモードは、効率的なマイクロ・オーケストレーションを実現する「Myrmidon Defense Technology (MDT)」を搭載している。Synergem TechnologiesのCEOであるFrank Holt氏は、これにより追加採用やアウトソーシングなしで予測可能な予算管理が可能になると述べている。

• SkyfireAI Inc., a US-based autonomous drone startup, raised $11 million in new funding to advance dual-use technology. • The investment targets AI autonomy for public safety, defense, and commercial drone applications. • This funding accelerates development amid rising demand for intelligent unmanned systems in critical sectors.

Though solar was initially blamed for loss of power, renewables have helped to insulate Spain from gas price rises caused by war in Middle EastOne year ago today, all of Spain, and much of Portugal, suffered through a blackout of unprecedented scale and duration. In mere seconds, a cascading sequence of events burst through the grid and created Europe’s first “system black” event in recent memory.Traffic signals failed, mobile networks stopped working entirely, petrol stations could not pump fuel and supermarkets couldn’t process payments. Madrid’s metro came to a halt and people had to be pulled out of carriages. “People were stunned because this had never happened in Spain,” Carlos Condori, a 19-year-old construction sector worker, told AFP at the time. “There’s no [phone] coverage, I can’t call my family, my parents, nothing: I can’t even go to work.” Continue reading...

Audias Flores, known as ‘El Jardinero’, of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, captured in western state of NayaritMexican special forces have arrested one of the top commanders of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel in the western state of Nayarit.Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero”, is a regional commander in control of swathes of CJNG territory along Mexico’s Pacific coast. He was considered a potential successor to Nemesio Oseguera, alias “El Mencho”, who ran the cartel and was killed in a security operation in February. Continue reading...

Coordinated attack by JNIM and the Tuareg minority inflicted significant casualties on government forces and Russian auxiliariesWhen al-Qaida-affiliated Islamic militants launched a series of attacks on military bases and raids into major towns in Mali and neighbouring Burkina Faso last summer, observers suggested they had been inspired by their counterparts in Syria, who had overthrown the regime of Bashar al-Assad and taken power six months or so earlier.Despite the tactical successes that earned them the fearful title of the “Ghost Army”, seizing swathes of territory and denying cities and the military of fuel and other essentials, the chances of Jama’at Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) definitively defeating Mali’s military regime and the thousand or so Russian mercenaries hired to defend it looked poor. Continue reading...

Sarah Mullally hails Leo for addressing the ‘many injustices in our world’ after private meeting with pope in RomeThe archbishop of Canterbury praised Pope Leo on Monday for speaking “powerfully about the many injustices” in the world, in an apparent reference to the pontiff becoming more outspoken in recent weeks, particularly in his criticism of the US-Israeli war on Iran.Sarah Mullally, who in March became the first woman to lead the Anglican church, arrived in Rome on Saturday for a visit aimed at reinforcing relations with the Vatican. Mullally had a private meeting with Leo, the first US-born leader of the Catholic church, at the Apostolic Palace, the pope’s official residence. Continue reading...

Top aide says SNP leader will seek approval to press for independence even if he fails to win majority on 7 MayJohn Swinney will call a vote seeking independence powers on the first day of the next Scottish parliament even if he fails to win an overall majority, his aides have said.The Scottish National Party leader’s senior adviser indicated that if necessary, he would rely on support from the pro-independence Scottish Greens to win that vote in order to demand the UK government gives Holyrood the legal powers to hold a second referendum. Continue reading...

Russian backing for the ruling junta has not stopped rebel fighters striking significant blows in recent daysWhen Assimi Goïta, the leader of Mali’s military junta, sat down with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in the Kremlin last summer, it symbolised Moscow’s commanding sway over Mali at the expense of the west.As the two men spoke, roughly 3,500 miles to the south, about 2,000 Russian troops were propping up the regime in the landlocked desert country, as part of Moscow’s broader push for influence across the Sahel region. Continue reading...

Health secretary’s ‘power grab’ to override Nice comes amid growing concern move may be illegal and benefit big pharmaDozens of MPs are opposing Wes Streeting’s decision to award himself power to dictate what the NHS pays for drugs amid growing concern the move may be illegal.Thirty-one MPs have signed a House of Commons motion voicing their disapproval of the health secretary being handed the power to override the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (Nice) judgment on how much the NHS should spend on individual medicines. Continue reading...

• Apple unveiled iOS 20 on April 25, 2026, featuring Apple Intelligence enhancements for on-device AI processing in Siri and Photos apps, rolling out first to US users. • Key additions include real-time language translation supporting 15 languages and AI-generated summaries for Safari, trained on 3 trillion parameters without cloud dependency. • The update addresses privacy concerns post-EU DMA rulings, boosting Apple's 45% US smartphone market share amid AI race with Google Pixel.

Statue – one of city’s most popular tourist attractions – on steps of Philadelphia Museum of Art key plank of new showA statue of Sylvester Stallone’s fictional boxer Rocky Balboa is the focal point of an examination of the power of monuments opening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art this weekend that marks two millennia of boxing and celebrity.The statue, placed on the “Rocky Steps” of the museum in 1982, six years after the the 1976 film Rocky made Stallone a star, is one of Philadelphia’s most popular tourist attractions, visited by an estimated 4 million people annually. Continue reading...

Diplomats poke fun at Donald Trump while Madonna loses her corset off the back of a golf buggyThe one upside to a rolling international crisis is that it can give backroom people a rare chance to shine. Witness, this week, the breakout stars of the Iranian diplomatic corps, who from two different diplomatic missoverions managed to poke fun at Donald Trump while maintaining the base-level decorum that so eludes the American president. Continue reading...

• Power Solutions International reduced its debt-to-equity ratio from 2,140% to 54.6% over five years, signaling substantial improvement in financial health. • The company achieved 64.5% earnings growth last year, outpacing the electrical industry average of 21.4%. • Despite recent share price volatility, the company's financial restructuring and strong earnings demonstrate improved operational performance.

Budget outlines funding for autonomous drone warfare program as experts say military unprepared for risksThe Pentagon is aiming to increase funding more than a hundredfold for an autonomous drone warfare program, according to budget documents released this week, signalling a major pivot towards AI-powered war.In its 2027 budget, the Pentagon has asked for over $54bn to fund the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, a 24,000% increase on last year. Continue reading...

• Nashville SC rose in ESPN's MLS Power Rankings after a strong week, solidifying their position as East leaders. • The team continues its impressive form, positioning them as one of the league's strongest sides. • This ascent signals Nashville's title contention potential amid ongoing MLS action.

PM says in Commons statement he has ordered inquiry into any security concerns relating to Mandelson’s tenure in USUK politics live – latest updatesThe Foreign Office has been stripped of its powers to overrule vetting decisions after the Peter Mandelson scandal, Keir Starmer has told MPs, as he sought to set out his side of events in a politically crucial statement in parliament.Saying to jeers that he accepted it appeared “incredible” he and other ministers were not told Mandelson was initially refused security vetting, Starmer also said he had ordered an investigation into any security concerns related to Mandelson’s tenure as ambassador to Washington. Continue reading...

People in affected areas urged to evacuate as quake registering 7.5 magniture occurred off the coast of SanrikuThe strength of the earthquake has been revised up to 7.5 and the biggest waves due to the tsunami are expected in Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures, authorities said.Reuters reported that prime minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had set up an emergency task force and urged citizens in the affected areas to evacuate to safety. Continue reading...

• 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.

• Wealth.com, an AI platform modernizing estate and tax planning for wealth management firms, closed an oversubscribed $65M Series B funding round. • The funding will accelerate product enhancements and expand adoption among high-net-worth advisors handling complex client portfolios. • This raise highlights surging investor interest in AI tools automating legacy financial planning processes amid rising wealth transfer demands.

• IBM launched IBM Autonomous Security on April 17, 2026, a multi-agent AI service automating detection, policy enforcement, and remediation against frontier AI-driven attacks in hybrid environments. • The solution addresses emerging 'agentic attacks' where adversaries use advanced AI models, with nearly 80% of global IT leaders citing AI as a major security risk. • IBM also released an enterprise cybersecurity assessment tool focused on threats from large language models and generative AI.