• 새로운 POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab 설문 조사에 따르면 공화당과 민주당 양측 모두 하원 선거구 획정을 독립적인 위원회가 담당하는 것에 대해 압도적으로 지지하는 것으로 나타났습니다.
• 이러한 초당적 결과는 정치적 이해관계가 얽힌 선거구 획정 과정의 개혁에 대한 대중의 갈망을 시사합니다.
• 이번 조사는 게리맨더링에 대한 유권자들의 좌절감을 조명하며, 공정한 대표성을 보장하기 위한 제도적 변화를 촉구하고 있습니다.
• 금요일 발표된 새로운 POLITICO-Citrin Center-Possibility Lab 설문조사에 따르면, Republicans와 Democrats 양당의 압도적인 다수가 U.S. House 선거구 획정선을 그리기 위한 독립 위원회 구성을 선호하고 있으며, 이는 partisan gerrymandering 종식에 반대하는 논거를 약화시키고 있습니다.
• Trump Administration은 이러한 위원회를 채택하는 주에 연방 기금을 연계하여 독립 redistricting panels를 법제화하는 제안을 검토 중이며, 이는 2026년과 그 이후 battleground districts를 재편할 수 있는 전략입니다.
• 인권 단체와 투표 옹호론자들은 독립 위원회가 현재 양당으로 편향되어 있는 지도의 당파적 조작을 줄여줄 것이라고 주장하며 설문 조사 결과를 환영했습니다.
EnComm Aviation은 해당 기업의 조치로 인해 South Sudan 및 DRC를 포함한 위기 국가들에 대한 필수적인 지원이 차단되었다고 밝혔습니다. 영국의 최대 무기 제조업체인 BAE Systems는 세계에서 가장 도움이 필요한 일부 국가들에 구호품을 전달하는 데 사용되는 항공기에 대한 지원을 중단한 후 £120m 규모의 소송에 직면해 있습니다.
Kenya에 기반을 둔 구호 화물 운영사인 EnComm Aviation은 이번 결정으로 인해 인도주의적 계약이 취소되었으며, 현재 기근 위협을 받고 있는 South Sudan, Somalia 및 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 등에 대한 물자 공급이 감소했다고 주장합니다. Continue reading...
• 1990년대 영화 'Menace II Society'와 'Tales from the Hood'로 알려진 사무엘 먼로 주니어가 라스베이거스에서 촬영 중 18개월 전 뇌수막염에 걸려 현재 생명 유지 장치에 의존하고 있습니다.
• 그의 아내 쇼나 스튜어트는 의사들이 감염을 오진했으며, 이로 인해 9개월 동안 병원과 재활 센터에 머물며 막대한 경제적 어려움을 겪었다고 확인했습니다.
• 가족들은 치료비 5만 달러를 마련하기 위해 2026년 4월 28일 GoFundMe 캠페인을 시작했으며, 라디오 진행자 커트 알렉산더의 1,000달러 기부를 포함해 현재까지 목표액의 7%가 모금되었습니다.
• A majority of Americans express concern over rising healthcare costs and support increased federal tax spending to address these challenges, according to the Axios/Ipsos American Health Index released March 17, 2026.
• The poll demonstrates bipartisan support for government action on healthcare affordability, reflecting widespread concern among the U.S. public about escalating medical expenses.
• Americans also show increased trust in government handling of childhood vaccination decisions, signaling broader public confidence in health policy interventions.
Chief minister Aminuddin Harun says he would continue in his post for now, even though he no longer enjoys majority support in the 36-seat state assembly in light of UMNO’s move over his handling of a crisis involving the state’s monarchy.
Social mobility groups say post-16 funding gap risks young people falling out of education, work and trainingA coalition of 14 social mobility organisations is urging the government to fund a “student premium” to support disadvantaged young people post-16 and prevent them from “falling through the cracks” into joblessness.State-funded schools in England currently receive additional pupil premium funding to support children from low-income backgrounds, who are eligible for free school meals. Continue reading...
Prime minister says ‘you never hear from … the people who are supportive, loyal and just want to get on with the job’Good morning and welcome to today’s live coverage of UK politics.Despite several calls for his resignation from within his own party, Keir Starmer told the Sunday Times that the “vast majority” of the Labour party are supportive of his leadership. Continue reading...
• Filipino coast guard vessels and Chinese maritime militia engaged in a tense standoff Friday near Scarborough Shoal, with both nations claiming territorial waters; no shots were fired, but vessels came within 500 meters of each other, Filipino officials reported.
• The incident involved disputed fishing rights and resource access; the Philippines detained three Chinese fishing boats accused of illegal harvesting in Manila-claimed waters, while China demanded their immediate release.
• The US State Department reiterated commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines and called for peaceful resolution, warning that any military escalation in the strategic waterway threatens global trade and stability.
• Support for Israel has dramatically shrunk among Democrats in Congress, marking a political shift.
• Last week saw a seismic change with key figures like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez highlighting the reversal.
• This internal party divide impacts U.S. foreign policy and bipartisan legislation on Middle East aid.
YouGov survey shows cross-party consensus – but that many fear abortion access could be reduced New polling has found that whatever their party political leanings, an overwhelming majority of people support the right to access an abortion – although young people, in particular, fear reproductive rights may be reduced.The YouGov polling, commissioned by MSI Reproductive Choices to mark its 50th anniversary, found nine in 10 people support the right to access an abortion. Continue reading...
Savitha Prakash, a first-generation immigrant running in local elections in Harrow, says Reform UK aims to ‘put Britain first’Savitha Prakash, an NHS doctor living in the London borough of Harrow, believes there are similarities between the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, and India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi. “He’s [Modi] one of those people, like Nigel, he walks the talk. He made [a] difference to the country,” said Prakash, who chairs Reform UK’s branch in Harrow.In particular, the 47-year-old said Farage and Modi – who have each been accused by their critics of scapegoating marginalised communities – were focused on putting the needs of the majority first. Continue reading...
More than 70% have cut down in past year on teaching assistants, who play key role in helping children with SendTwo-fifths of school leaders in England have been forced to cut back on support for children with special educational needs due to a financial crisis “more than a decade in the making”, according to a poll.Seven out of 10 (71%) leaders say they have cut down on teaching assistants (TAs) in the past year, while 49% have reduced support staff. The crisis could escalate as 81% warn of further cuts in the year ahead. Continue reading...
In today’s newsletter: As political tensions rise abroad and economic pressures mount at home, Donald Trump faces a shifting landscape that is testing the loyalty of his Maga 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...
• 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.
Actor says his opposition to South Island development near his farm has led to personal abuseThe actor Sam Neill says he has received threats of violence from supporters of a controversial goldmine that could be opened several kilometres away from his farm in New Zealand’s Central Otago district, after he publicly objected to the New Zealand government’s plans to fast-track the mine.The Australian mining company Santana Minerals is pushing to expedite a 85-hectare (210-acre) open-cast goldmine, called Bendigo-Ophir in the Dunstan mountains, an area dubbed “outstanding natural landscape” by the Central Otago district council. Continue reading...
• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine voice, praised President Trump's nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC Director and expressed his intention to work with her to restore the agency's mission.
• Kennedy's public endorsement of the pro-vaccine nominee marked a sharp reversal from his previously hard-line stance on CDC leadership and sparked significant backlash among MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) loyalists online.
• The shift comes amid congressional scrutiny of Kennedy's conflicting rhetoric on measles vaccination safety during a Thursday hearing, as measles outbreaks rise across the U.S.
But Labour’s ‘halfway house’ approach risks losing support from progressives and ‘red wall’ voters, experts sayUK politics live – latest updatesSupport for rejoining the EU rather than simply rejoining the single market is growing among British voters, with more than 80% of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green party supporters favouring this option, research mapping voter attitudes 10 years after the Brexit referendum shows.But Labour’s “muted” approach means it now risks losing support among progressive voters and in “red wall” constituencies, experts have said as part of a research by Best for Britain. Continue reading...
Bipartisan backing for special relationship is fraying as Middle East conflicts turn public opinionIsrael’s conflicts in the Middle East have driven a sea change in US public opinion, threatening a bipartisan consensus of support for military aid for Israel that has been the status quo for decades.In public opinion polling of Americans, among likely candidates for president, and even in pro-Israel lobbying circles, the special relationship enjoyed by Israel with the US is now under fire as human rights concerns from the left and a new “America First” foreign policy groundswell on the right could impact coming elections – including the 2028 presidential elections. Continue reading...
Individuals such as Matt Goodwin and Lord Frost benefited from largesse of self-styled ‘illiberal democracy’UK politics live – latest updatesThe last 16 years of Viktor Orbán’s rule have been kind to a number of British political figures – from the Tory peer David Frost to Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin and James Orr.All benefited from largesse extended by the self-styled “illiberal democracy” established by the Hungarian leader’s ruling Fidesz party, which took a particular liking for those on the harder right of British conservatism. Continue reading...
Pontiff’s comments are another sharp escalation in feud with Trump’s White House over the US-Israeli war on IranSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxPope Leo XIV has said that the world is being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” who spend billions on war, in comments that will be seen as another sharp escalation in his almost week-long feud with the White House over the US-Israeli war on Iran.The first American-born pontiff did not mention Donald Trump by name, but used his speech in Cameroon on Thursday to denounce world leaders that invoke religion to justify violence against other nations. Continue reading...
Scheme cutting bills by up to 25% expanded to cover 10,000 firms, but they will not be paid until next yearRachel Reeves has announced an expansion of support for the most energy-intensive UK businesses, as they face soaring bills as a result of the Middle East conflict.The chancellor said the long-promised British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) would be expanded to cover 10,000 companies, up from the 7,000 originally announced. Continue reading...
• A defiant House incumbent facing low polling numbers and a fragmented base has announced he will not yield to pressure to step aside for another centrist candidate, Zohran Mamdani, in an upcoming primary.
• The incumbent's decision to remain in the race despite weak polling reflects confidence in his political base despite internal party divisions.
• The contested primary underscores Democratic Party tensions between progressive and centrist factions as ambitious candidates position themselves for the upcoming midterm cycle.
• The Trump administration announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council and ended all support for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which the administration characterized as funding Hamas.
• The decision represents a significant shift in US policy toward international human rights organizations and Palestinian humanitarian assistance programs.
• The move reflects the Trump administration's hardline stance on Middle East policy and international organizations it views as hostile to US and Israeli interests.
PM says opening waterway is ‘vital’ as he rules out any UK involvement in US moves to blockade straitGood morning. The parliamentary recess is over, the Iran war disaster isn’t, campaigning is ramping up because the May elections are less than four weeks to go, and there will be plenty for MPs to discuss as they meet in the Commons this afternoon. The full timetable, as usual, is down below.Keir Starmer is in Greater Manchester this morning, on a visit linked to the English local elections. But he is expected to be in the Commons later giving an update on the UK response to the Iran war, and in an interview on Radio 5 Live a few minutes ago he confirmed that Britain will not join the US in enforcing the new blockade of the stait of Hormuz proposed by Donald Trump.We’re not supporting blockade.The strait is shut or not free for navigation in the way it should be. That means that oil and gas is not getting to market. That means the price is going up. That means everybody listening to this is facing higher energy bills. And I don’t want that to happen.I want their energy bills to be stabilised and lower. And so it is, in my view, vital that we get the strait open and fully open. Continue reading...
Human rights lawyers say NDIS workers and their clients remain at risk despite newly bolstered whistleblower protectionsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWhen Susan* came across wrongdoing at her disability support provider, she faced a choice.Say nothing, and allow her highly vulnerable clients to be put at serious risk. Continue reading...
• The U.S. Dollar Index climbed to 106.85 Thursday, marking a three-month high, bolstered by expectations for sustained higher interest rates and Federal Reserve officials' reluctance to signal imminent policy pivots.
• The euro weakened to $1.087, declining 1.3% on the week, as diverging monetary policy expectations between the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank broadened rate differentials favoring dollar-denominated assets.
• Currency strategists noted that strong dollar performance reduces competitiveness for U.S. export-oriented companies but supports purchasing power for multinational corporations with foreign earnings, creating mixed market impacts.
• US and EU officials finalized a coordinated sanctions package on April 8, 2026, targeting Belarusian entities supplying weapons to Russia.
• Measures freeze $300 million in assets and ban 50 officials, including Lukashenko allies facilitating troop transit.
• The pact strengthens transatlantic unity against authoritarian axis, vital as Belarus hosts 10,000 Russian troops near Ukraine's border.
Ron Gibson had recently expressed support for a 14-acre, $500m data center project in Martindale-BrightwoodAn Indianapolis city councilor said his home was fired at on Monday, with a note left behind suggesting he had been targeted over his support of data centers.The case involving Ron Gibson – a Democrat on Indianapolis’s city council since 2024 – comes amid growing bipartisan concern in the US over political violence in the wake of cases such as the September murder of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist. Continue reading...
Protesters held on Sunday after joining a Lakenheath Alliance for Peace encampment outside airbase in SuffolkSeven people have been arrested under suspicion of supporting banned group Palestine Action after a protest in Suffolk.They were arrested on Sunday morning after joining a peace encampment to create a blockade outside the main gate of Lakenheath airbase. Continue reading...