Control

The gambling crisis ‘demands a public health response’ and should be regulated like alcohol or tobacco, expert says Gambling addiction is spiraling “out of control” in the US, a leading campaigner for stricter guardrails has warned, as experts from around the world are set to gather in Boston to push for more regulation of the industry.The rapid expansion of online gambling, prediction markets and sports betting platforms, “demands a public health response”, according to Harry Levant, director of gambling policy at the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI), urging policymakers to intervene. Continue reading...

First interview since Moore’s firing, sentencingShiver details alleged control, repeated contactABC to air full interview on Friday morningPaige Shiver said former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore “had complete control over me” in an interview set to air Friday on Good Morning America, marking her first public appearance since Moore’s high-profile firing and sentencing, ABC said Thursday.In excerpts released by the network on Thursday, Shiver said Moore controlled “my emotions, my career … and he knew that, and he used it against me”. Continue reading...

US president says Tehran hobbled by infighting as Pentagon reportedly briefs mine clearance may take six monthsMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has again said that the US has “total control over the strait of Hormuz,” adding that Iran’s leadership was so hobbled by infighting that it was unclear who was in charge.But the US president’s claim seemed questionable in the face of the seizure of two container ships by Iranian commandos and a US report warning it could take six months to clear the strait of mines. Continue reading...

Residents waking to find line has moved overnight and they are now in free-fire zone as army takes more territoryIsraeli forces have been moving an agreed truce line in Gaza westwards over the six months since the ceasefire, expanding their zone of control and making the state of limbo ever more dangerous for Palestinians.The “yellow line” agreed in the US-brokered ceasefire in October was supposed to be temporary pending further Israeli withdrawals, but the partially observed truce has stalled after its first phase amid disagreements over the disarming of Hamas, and continued Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Continue reading...

• SpaceX's Starship completed its 15th integrated flight test on April 21, achieving full-stack booster catch at Starbase, Texas, and a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean for the Super Heavy upper stage. • The mission marked the first successful reentry and splashdown of Starship with active thermal management systems, demonstrating technological readiness for crewed lunar missions planned for 2027. • Flight duration extended to 68 minutes with multiple payload bay experiments conducted, including deployment of prototype satellite constellations and in-space refueling demonstrations.

Backed by Abigail Spanberger, the measure could boost Democrats and counter Donald Trump’s redistricting pushUS politics live – latest updatesVirginia voters will on Tuesday decide whether to adopt new congressional maps that could help Democrats win control of the House of Representatives and scuttle Donald Trump’s effort to use mid-decade redistricting to preserve Republican control of Congress.Polls show the referendum redrawing the maps has only a narrow lead in a state that Kamala Harris won two years ago. The issue appears to have engaged many voters, with nearly more than 1.37m ballots cast in early voting. Continue reading...

Jose Serrano, a sergeant, said Deisy Rivera Ortega, his wife, was arrested at an immigration appointmentA US army sergeant with 27 years of military service – including deployment to Afghanistan – has said that federal immigration agents recently arrested his wife during an appointment at an El Paso, Texas, immigration office.In an interview with CBS News published Monday, Sgt First Class Jose Serrano said that Deisy Rivera Ortega, a Salvadoran and his wife, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers under the command of the Trump administration despite receiving legal protection in 2019 that bars her from being deported to El Salvador. Rivera Ortega, who wed Serrano in 2022, has been in the US since 2016, he said. Continue reading...

• The U.S. government is evaluating a restricted rollout of Anthropic's Mythos frontier AI model to federal agencies under Project Glasswing for defensive cybersecurity purposes. • Mythos has identified thousands of vulnerabilities across operating systems and web infrastructure at unprecedented speed, far surpassing traditional manual audits that take months or years. • Officials emphasize collaboration with model providers and intelligence community to implement guardrails before wider agency access, as stated by spokesperson Barbaccia.

• Iran's military command announced it has reasserted control of the Strait of Hormuz under 'strict management and control of the armed forces' just hours after the first tankers passed through following the U.S. blockade. • The swift reversal came after President Trump declared the critical waterway open due to American naval presence and rejected NATO assistance. • The escalating situation highlights intensifying Middle East tensions and challenges to U.S. maritime control efforts in the strategically vital shipping lane.

Smoke warning for residents south of Viva oil refinery in Corio as Geelong mayor calls fire ‘unprecedented’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA major oil refinery in Geelong, which supplies half of Victoria’s fuel and 10% of the nation’s, exploded into flames on Wednesday night and the blaze was still out of control by first light on Thursday.Fire Rescue Victoria said they responded to an incident at the Mogas (motor gasoline) unit at Viva oil refinery in Corio around 11:15pm Thursday. Continue reading...

• Anthropic and OpenAI are both developing advanced AI cybersecurity products in a competitive race to control offensive and defensive capabilities, with OpenAI finalizing a security product for limited partner release and Anthropic running Project Glasswing internally. • Project Glasswing brings together major tech companies including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and others to proactively hunt critical software vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them. • A joint study by Anthropic and MATS Fellows found that Claude Sonnet and GPT-5 could produce exploits against Ethereum smart contracts worth $4.6 million and uncovered two novel zero-day vulnerabilities in nearly 3,000 recently deployed contracts.

Council backs £700,000 plan to save historic landmark at former RAF base in the New ForestA unique RAF watch office that has been crumbling for decades is to be turned into a smart hideaway home to be shared by holidaymakers – and the bats that already use it.The Landmark Trust, which rescues at-risk buildings, has been given permission to convert the ruined property in Hampshire into a holiday retreat with four bedrooms and a roof terrace. Continue reading...

• Venezuelan authorities arrested prominent opposition figure Carlos Moreno on April 5 on charges widely viewed as politically motivated; his detention marks the fourth major opposition arrest this year. • Moreno led a coalition pushing for democratic reforms and transparency; human rights groups documented allegations of torture during detention and denied him legal representation for 36 hours. • The US condemned the arrest, stating it violates international norms and democratic principles; the State Department threatened additional sanctions targeting regime officials if arrests continue.

• President Trump signed an executive order last week to place tight federal controls on mail-in voting, claiming it enables widespread cheating in blue states like California. • Trump stated 'Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating' and 'Cheating on mail-in voting is legendary,' despite no evidence of fraud. • California and other states sued, arguing states have constitutional rights to administer elections; Trump insists Democrats register noncitizens, especially Latinos.

• Calls to U.S. poison control centers involving kratom use have increased 1,231% over the past decade, according to a new weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. • The dramatic rise reflects growing kratom consumption among Americans and emerging safety concerns related to the botanical substance. • The trend highlights the need for increased public awareness and clinical guidance regarding kratom's potential health risks and interactions.

• US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on April 4, 2026, announcing plans for bilateral talks on trade imbalances and semiconductor export restrictions amid rising tensions. • The agreement includes a framework for reducing tariffs on $50 billion in goods and joint cybersecurity standards, with Sullivan stating, 'This is a step toward stabilizing our economic relationship without compromising security.' • The deal matters as it averts potential escalation in US-China tech rivalry, potentially boosting global markets and easing supply chain disruptions affecting US consumers.

• A paralyzed man successfully controlled a robotic arm by using a neural interface device that relays signals from his brain to a computer, enabling him to grasp, move, and drop objects through thought alone. • The breakthrough demonstrates the practical application of brain-computer interface technology, allowing the patient to perform complex motor tasks that were previously impossible due to paralysis. • This advancement represents a significant milestone in neurotechnology and rehabilitation, offering hope for individuals with paralysis by restoring functional control of external robotic limbs through neural signals.

• A stepwise hypertension medication algorithm, the UC Way, adopted across University of California's six academic medical centers, boosted blood pressure control from 68.5% to nearly 74% among 90,000 patients. • Among 11,500 UCSF patients, the improvement averted 72 strokes, 48 heart attacks, and 38 deaths, according to a two-year study ending mid-2025. • Developed by multidisciplinary UC Health experts and integrated into electronic health records since 2023, the tool allows customized treatment adjustments.

• Online prediction markets like Kalshi now slightly favor Democrats to gain control of the Senate in November 2026 midterms amid favorable political trends. • Key races include Texas with Democrat James Talarico challenging scandal-plagued Ken Paxton or John Cornyn, and openings in Montana after Sen. Steve Daines' retirement. • Senate control will impact judicial confirmations, potentially allowing Trump to fill a fourth Supreme Court vacancy if one arises in 2027-2028.

Badr Albusaidi claims Israel convinced Donald Trump to make the ‘grave miscalculation’ of waging war on IranMiddle East crisis – live updatesOman’s foreign minister has claimed the US has “lost control of its own foreign policy” and accused Israel of persuading Donald Trump’s administration to go to war with Iran – a conflict he described as a “catastrophe” and “grave miscalculation”.Writing in the Economist, Badr Albusaidi, the Omani minister who mediated the latest nuclear talks between Iran and the US, offered an unusually damning assessment of events leading up to the US and Israel’s bombing of Iran and the war that it has triggered across the Middle East. Continue reading...

The US announced partial rollback of AI semiconductor export restrictions on March 13, 2026, targeting key technologies amid global competition. This move is poised to boost domestic chipmakers ahead of Nvidia's GTC event next week. Nvidia, HBM, and related AI plays face heightened focus with potential upside. Policy shift aims to balance national security and industry growth.

A Washington county is intensifying efforts to curb measles transmission as cases have rapidly escalated from three to six to 12 confirmed infections, requiring aggressive contact tracing and community response measures. Public health officials are working to identify exposures, conduct testing, and persuade infected individuals and close contacts to quarantine to prevent further spread. The escalating case count reflects the highly contagious nature of measles and the challenges communities face in controlling outbreaks.