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• 環境保護庁（EPA）は、MAHA運動による提唱や公衆衛生上の懸念に応え、マイクロプラスチックと抗うつ薬を飲料水の汚染物質に指定した。 • この指定は、健康の専門家や環境保護論者の間で懸念が高まっている米国の水道水に含まれる新たな汚染物質に対処するための、重要な規制上のステップとなる。 • この指定により、将来的にこれらの物質に対する飲料水基準や処理要件を確立するための規制措置が促される可能性がある。

• Donald J. Trump 大統領は、現政権が弾圧や人権侵害を支援したと主張する複数の Cuba 政権幹部および団体に対し、的を絞った制裁を課す大統領令に署名した。 • White House は、この措置は Cuba の反体制派との連帯のメッセージを送るものであり、Latin America における独裁政権に圧力をかけるより広範な取り組みを補完するものだとしている。 • 一部の民主党員や少数の共和党員を含む Congress の批判派は、この動きは移民や地域安全保障に関する今後の交渉を前に U.S. のレバレッジを締め付けることで、裏目に出る可能性があると主張している。

• 金曜日に発表された新しい POLITICO‑Citrin Center‑Possibility Lab の調査によると、共和党と民主党の両方の大多数が、連邦下院の選挙区を画定するための独立委員会の設置を支持しており、党派的なゲリマンダリングの廃止に反対する議論を弱めている。 • Trump 政権は、独立した選挙区割り委員会を導入する州に連邦資金を紐付けることで、これらの委員会を法制化する提案を検討している。これは、2026年以降の激戦区の勢力図を塗り替える可能性のある戦略である。 • 民権団体や投票権擁護団体はこの調査結果を歓迎し、独立委員会は、現在両党に有利に偏っている区割り地図の党派的な操作を減らすことになると主張している。

• 全米で計画されている「May Day Strong」デモに合わせ、ウォークアウト、行進、その他の集会が予定されている • 金曜日のInternational Workers’ Dayに合わせ、全米3,500件の「May Day Strong」イベントの一環として、数千人が経済活動を停止させる抗議行動に参加する予定だ • 主催者は「no school, no work, no shopping」を呼びかけており、夜にかけてウォークアウト、行進、ブロックパーティー、その他の集会が計画されている

• US 上院議員が主要な Chinese 科学者らとパネルを開催し、新技術が規制されない限り社会にリスクが及ぶと警告 • US 上院議員の Bernie Sanders は水曜日、Capitol Hill でのパネルにおいて、2人の主要な Chinese 科学者と共に AI 規制における国際協力の重要性を説いた • Silicon Valley や Beijing を筆頭に、スタートアップやテック大手が AI の進化と規模拡大を競い合う中、Sanders はセーフガードを提唱する AI 懐疑派の一人となっている

• 政治的野心を持つコネチカット州の民主党議員が、参画を求める党内の圧力により、政府資金調達に関する超党派交渉を打ち切った。 • この離脱は、連邦予算の優先事項や支出削減をめぐる緊張をエスカレートさせている。 • これにより、目前に迫った財政期限にとって極めて重要な資金調達法案が停滞する可能性がある。

• フロリダ州の Ron DeSantis 知事は、下院における民主党の議席をさらに削減する可能性のある新たな連邦下院選挙区割案を発表した。 • この区割り改定案は民主党の現職議員がいる地域を標的としており、2026年の中間選挙に向けた争いを激化させている。 • 共和党員はこれを下院の多数派を維持するための鍵と見なしているが、民主党員は有権者の抑圧戦術であると警告している。

Ontario からわずか数マイルに位置する Buffalo のファンが、試合開始時に microphone が途切れた際の沈黙を埋めた。The Electric City。Nickle City。Queen City。City of No Illusions。Buffalo, New York は長年にわたり多くの愛称を得てきたが、伝統的な同盟国である二国間の緊張が高まっている現代において、ある称号がさらなる共鳴を呼んでいる。それは City of Good Neighbors である。Continue reading...

• 2026年3月17日に発表されたAxios/Ipsos American Health Indexによると、大多数の米国人が医療費の上昇に懸念を抱いており、これらの課題に対処するための連邦税による支出増額を支持している。 • この世論調査は、医療費の負担能力に対する政府の対応への超党派的な支持を示しており、医療費の高騰に対する米国民の広範な不安を反映している。 • また、米国人は子供のワクチン接種に関する政府の判断への信頼を高めており、保健政策上の介入に対する公衆の信頼が広がっていることを示唆している。

Residents and visitors in California alert each other whenever they spot the above average size animal at Pier 39A gigantic 2,000lb steller sea lion nicknamed “Chonkers” has become an unexpected local celebrity after taking up residence in the San Francisco Bay.The massive sea lion swam up to a dock on Pier 39 in San Francisco around a month ago and has remained in the area since, drawing attention from residents, visitors and social media users who have been sharing frequent photos and videos of the animal looming over its peers. Continue reading...

Candle-making kits and rubber toys among products recalled after revelation about play sand sold by HobbycraftMore than 30 children’s toys have been recalled in the UK after the Guardian revealed that play sand sold by Hobbycraft was contaminated with asbestos.Over the past three months, other children’s products ranging from candle-making kits to stretchy rubber toys have been recalled by retailers including Tesco, Primark, Matalan and M&S after being found to contain the substance. Continue reading...

• The United States announced Friday a temporary suspension of certain oil-sector sanctions against Venezuela pending the outcome of renewed diplomatic negotiations scheduled to begin Monday in Mexico City, marking the first high-level talks in 18 months. • State Department officials stated the measure aimed to create "negotiating space" for discussions on political prisoners, election transparency, and humanitarian access, with hopes of establishing a pathway toward normalized relations. • Venezuela's government welcomed the development but demanded complete lifting of financial sanctions, which have contributed to severe shortages of food and medicine affecting 28 million citizens, according to UN estimates.

Meta to lay off 10% of its staff and Microsoft to offer retirement to 7% of US workforce. Plus, Iron Maiden at 50Good morning.Meta and Microsoft are cutting thousands of employees as they bet big on AI and executives claim that the technology is meeting productivity needs.What have they said about AI? Mark Zuckerberg said in January that AI was making some hiring unnecessary. Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft’s AI chief, said in February that he believed AI would be able to replace most white-collar work within the next 12 to 18 months.How many tech layoffs have there been in 2026? In four months, more than 92,000 employees in the industry have lost their jobs, according to the tracker Layoffs.fyi. But some experts believe companies may be “AI washing” – using it as cover for a slowing labor market and demand or rising costs. Continue reading...

MPs call for investigation into Essar Energy, owner of Stanlow refinery, which shifted loans from ‘Putin’s piggy bank’ VTB to MauritiusDays after the first wave of Russian tanks surged over the border into Ukraine in March 2022, dockers at a port in northern England took a stand.Appalled by Vladimir Putin’s brutality, workers at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire vowed never to unload any Russian oil destined for the nearby Stanlow refinery, a major hub for UK fuel supplies. Continue reading...

Radio presenter arrives for case management hearing into allegations he breached his Kiis FM radio contractFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKyle Sandilands says his legal fight with ARN Media is getting “pretty ugly” and he just wants to get back on air.The former Kiis radio breakfast host made the comments on Friday morning as he arrived at the federal court in Sydney in a Rolls Royce in front of a large media pack. Continue reading...

More than 200,000 have signed petitions urging the government to break contracts, amid concerns about the company’s ‘supervillain’ manifestoOver 200,000 people have called on ministers to break contracts with Palantir in an apparent groundswell of public concern about the US tech company’s role in the NHS, police, military and councils.Two petitions have attracted 229,000 signatures, one calling for the government to end all public contracts with the firm, whose software is used by Donald Trump’s ICE immigration enforcement programme and the Israeli military, and another urging the health secretary, Wes Streeting, to cancel its £330 patient data contract with the NHS. Continue reading...

Leaders will discuss how to respond to surging energy prices amid the war in the Middle EastEurope live – latest updatesEU leaders have welcomed the end of diplomatic deadlock over a long-awaited €90bn (£78bn) loan for Ukraine, after the bloc finalised the agreement along with a 20th package of sanctions against Russia.After weeks of delay, the EU signed off on the loan on Thursday, in time for summit talks in Cyprus that are scheduled to begin in the evening and will include talks over a dinner with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Continue reading...

British foreign secretary told to impose new measures, with ruble-pegged cryptocurrency A7A5 being supported in countryMore than 20 MPs and peers have called on the foreign secretary to take action against institutions and individuals in Kyrgyzstan allegedly facilitating large-scale Russian sanctions evasion.They urged the UK to levy personal sanctions against three top Kyrgyz officials for their alleged role in facilitating Russian sanctions evasion more broadly, and more specifically for allowing Kyrgyzstan to host infrastructure supporting the cryptocurrency A7A5. Continue reading...

Georgia players celebrated championship at White HousePresident shakes hands of men, not women in videoFormer tennis star Navratilova leads criticismA White House photo celebrating a champion women’s sports team has drawn backlash due to the positioning of Donald Trump and a group of men, who overshadowed the female athletes by lining up in front of them.The University of Georgia women’s tennis team was one of several collegiate teams to visit the White House on Wednesday to mark a recent championship win. In a photo shared by press aide Margo Martin, a group of six men, including Donald Trump, took up the front row of a stage setup, with 11 women standing in the background largely obscured. Continue reading...

Move comes after Hungary and Slovakia dropped opposition following reopening of the Druzhba oil pipelineEU leaders are set to meet in Cyprus this evening to discuss the latest on the Middle East and the next EU budget, starting in 2028.But it looks like they will have a bit of a detour – and a reason to celebrate, too – as the long-awaited €90bn loan for Ukraine and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia are on course to be unblocked after four months of delays caused by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. Continue reading...

Radio company ARN’s defence alleges the shock jock denigrated executives, censors, critics and the audience of the Kyle and Jackie O ShowFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter hereKyle Sandilands repeatedly berated Kiis FM executives, the radio station’s censors, critics of the Kyle and Jackie O Show and the Melbourne audience in expletive-laden rants, according to federal court documents.The details of the alleged tirades, which aired months before the shock jock was sacked and accused of “serious misconduct” by ARN, are contained in the company’s defence of an $85m claim filed by Sandilands. Continue reading...

• The Biden administration announced comprehensive sanctions targeting Russian entities involved in chemical weapons production and deployment, following reports of their use against Ukrainian forces in recent weeks. • The Treasury Department froze assets of 12 Russian companies and individuals, with officials stating the measures aim to deter further violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention. • Security analysts warn that chemical weapons escalation signals Russia's desperation as its conventional military capabilities face sustained Ukrainian resistance.

• The US Treasury Department announced targeted sanctions against 15 military leaders and three jade trading companies linked to Myanmar's junta, citing credible evidence of systematic ethnic persecution against Rohingya and other minorities. • The sanctions block access to the US financial system and freeze assets estimated at $40 million, with the State Department formally classifying the military's actions as crimes against humanity. • International human rights bodies praised the measures but noted they represent a limited response, calling for broader multilateral action and ICC referral to hold perpetrators accountable.

News follows Guardian report on licence given to British firm exporting machinery to Armenian firm linked to Russian war effortBritish firms will face “much tougher” controls to prevent their goods from reaching Russia via other countries, undermining sanctions and aiding Vladimir Putin’s assault on Ukraine.Under plans to be unveiled on Wednesday, the government will be able to require UK manufacturers to obtain a licence if they want to export to a country suspected of acting as a staging post for exports ultimately destined for Russia. Continue reading...

• The latest POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab survey reveals strong majorities in both parties favor an independent panel for drawing House district lines. • Over 70% of Democrats and Republicans support the nonpartisan approach to prevent gerrymandering ahead of midterms. • This consensus could pressure Congress to reform redistricting processes and reduce partisan map battles.

The Kissing Booth’s Joey King and Game Of Thrones’ Maisie Williams star alongside the original cast members as the next generation of the cursed Owens familyGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailThe midnight margaritas are officially back on the menu. Within 24 hours of its debut, the first official teaser for Practical Magic 2 has surged into the Google Trends top 10, attracting millions of views and signalling an enthusiastic appetite for the return of the Owens family and all things witchy.Academy Award winners Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman will return as sisters Sally and Gillian, with Kidman sharing a video of her and her fellow star on set last year, captioned: “The witches are back”. Continue reading...