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Pillars at Cold Ashby, Northamptonshire, and Thorny Gale, Cumbria, bookended the project that modernised mappingHeritage campaigners are bidding for listing status for two concrete pillars hailed as “modest obelisks of modernity in the countryside”.These functional 120cm (4ft) stone or concrete “trig points” formed part of a 6,500-strong network of surveying posts that were vital for the development of modern mapping. Continue reading...

Tougher ethical certification process requires companies to meet standards in every one out of seven categoriesDozens of companies may be at risk of losing their coveted B Corp ethical status after the organisation behind the corporate kite-marking system raised the standards required to qualify.B Lab, which oversees B Corp certification, launched the biggest overhaul in its 19-year history earlier this month, scrapping a system under which companies must gather enough points across multiple categories to qualify. Continue reading...

• The CDC posted its first large set of genetic data from 1,000 measles viruses circulating in the US last year, with more data expected soon to assess if elimination status has been lost. • In 2025, measles cases reached 2,285 across 44 states—the worst in over 30 years—while 2026 has seen 1,575 cases by late March amid declining vaccination rates. • Delays in data release stemmed from mass layoffs and resignations; researchers criticize the Trump administration's budget cuts and slow outbreak response.

• The FDA has awarded breakthrough device designation to more than 1,200 experimental devices, including AI innovations, since 2016. • Evolving FDA criteria reflect accelerating AI integration in US health tech approvals. • Program speeds market access for transformative devices addressing unmet medical needs.

• Tensions between the United States and Turkey reached new levels on Wednesday following Turkish military incursions into northeastern Syria targeting Kurdish militant groups, operations the US opposes due to potential civilian casualties and disruption to counter-terrorism efforts. • US Secretary of State issued a formal statement urging Turkey to exercise restraint, while Turkish officials countered by questioning US commitment to NATO and threatening to restrict American military access to Incirlik Air Base absent policy changes. • The dispute reflects broader disagreements over Syria strategy, regional stability priorities, and the role of Kurdish armed groups in counter-ISIS operations, complicating US military logistics and diplomatic coordination in the Eastern Mediterranean.

• The Trump administration has proposed a federal regulation that would prohibit families with mixed immigration status from receiving housing assistance or living in public or Section 8 housing. • The proposal could evict approximately 80,000 people, including 37,000 children who are U.S. citizens, forcing mixed-status families to choose between homelessness or separation. • Advocates argue the rule directly targets immigrant families and contradicts current policy allowing federal housing assistance for families with mixed legal status, where the government only pays for individuals with legal status.

Tania Warner says she has documents showing she is in the US legally, but immigration agents were not swayedSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA Canadian woman who has been imprisoned with her seven-year-old daughter by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has cautioned other immigrants that they are at risk of detention, even if they follow the correct legal process – and warned them to keep out of sight for as long as Donald Trump is president.“Don’t go anywhere near a checkpoint, and if your papers are in processing, just lay low. Trump meant what he said – he is trying to get rid of everyone, whether they are good or bad,” said Tania Warner, 47, who is currently held with her autistic daughter, Ayla, at the Dilley immigration processing center in south Texas. Continue reading...