- 16 countries to ask EU for fiscal leeway to spend big on defense politico.eu
- Twelve EU members request activation of escape clause for defence spending, Commission says Reuters
- Germany, Greece Ask for EU OK to Ramp Up Defense Spending WSJ
- Greece requests EU exemption for 2026 defense spending boost eKathimerini.com
- Sixteen EU countries to trigger clause increasing defence spending Euronews.com
Syria says it rejects ‘foreign intervention’ after Israeli strikes
Syria pledges to 'protect all components' of society, including Druze, after Israel launches air raids near Damascus.
Australia election 2025 live: Peter Dutton to reveal Coalition policy costings; house prices rise again
Coalition claims it will save $10bn more over four years compared with Labor. Follow today’s news live
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Good morning and welcome to our live election blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Krishani Dhanji will take over.
Our top story this morning is on the “handshake” deal by the Nationals to move One Nation up its preference list that could help win the New South Wales electorate of Hunter. The deal has been made despite Pauline Hanson’s candidate being known for calling public health officials “little Hitlers” and promoting a conspiracy theory that the climate crisis has been used to control every aspect of people’s lives.
Continue reading...Drivers abandon vehicles after wildfire engulfs Israeli highway
A major highway in Israel was closed after wildfires engulfed it with flames and smoke.
Trump administration to cancel $1bn in Biden-era school mental health grants
Funding will not be continued next year after bill signed in 2022 helped schools hire more mental health workers
The Trump administration is moving to cancel $1bn in school mental health grants, saying they reflect the priorities of the previous administration.
Grant recipients were notified on Tuesday that the funding will not be continued after this year. A gun violence bill signed by Joe Biden in 2022 sent $1bn to the grant programs to help schools hire more psychologists, counselors and other mental health workers.
Continue reading...US diplomat Marco Rubio will not provide info to judge about deported man
The Trump administration remains defiant despite a judge's order to 'facilitate' return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
Cyril Ramaphosa sets up inquiry into claims of interference with investigation of apartheid-era crimes
Relatives and survivors of apartheid-era deaths and violence had alleged interference from ‘highest levels of government’
South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is setting up an inquiry into whether past ANC governments interfered with the investigation and prosecution of apartheid-era crimes, amid criticism from the families of victims.
A group of 25 relatives and survivors of apartheid-era deaths and violence sued the government in January, claiming that interference from “the highest levels of government” blocked investigations into cases referred to the National Prosecuting Authority by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
Continue reading...Fears of war with India weigh on Islamabad residents
Exchanges of live fire across the contested border between Pakistan and India have raised fears of an all-out war.
Microsoft to report earnings as AI financial boom shows no sign of slowing
Company has beaten Wall Street expectations in each of its previous three quarterly earnings reports
Microsoft will report its earnings for the third quarter of the fiscal year after the stock market closes on Wednesday. Analysts have predicted that revenue would grow by 10.6% year-over-year to $68.4bn, even as the company plows tens of billions into artificial intelligence as well as earnings-per-share of $3.22. The company has beaten Wall Street’s expectations on each of its previous three quarterly earnings reports.
Analysts said they view the earnings report as a temperature check on Microsoft’s artificial intelligence business, which has announced it will invest around $80bn in this fiscal year alone, though it has also terminated some data center leases in recent months. The company has invested billions in OpenAI in recent years, giving it a large stake in the ChatGPT developer.
Continue reading...Massive Attack Back Kneecap Amid Coachella Backlash: ‘Gaza Is the Story’ – Rolling Stone
- Massive Attack Back Kneecap Amid Coachella Backlash: ‘Gaza Is the Story’ Rolling Stone
- More Kneecap gigs cancelled after 'kill your MP' controversy BBC
- Kneecap row: Paul Weller and Primal Scream lead musicians in signing open letter in support of rap trio Sky News
- Irish rappers Kneecap deny supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, apologize for remarks about killing politicians CBS News
- The nastiness and cowardice of Kneecap New Statesman
US supreme court seems open to religious public charter schools
Oklahoma case is part of a broader push to erode separation of church and state, and a test of role of religion in schools
The US supreme court’s conservative majority seemed open to establishing the country’s first public religious charter school as they weighed a case Wednesday that could have significant ramifications on the separation of church and state.
The Oklahoma state charter school board approved the application for St Isidore, a Catholic virtual charter school. The ACLU and other groups filed suit, as did Republican attorney general Gentner Drummond. The state supreme court sided with Drummond, ruling that the US and Oklahoma constitutions “prohibit the state from using public money for the establishment of a religious institution”.
Continue reading...First 100 days of Trump
From immigration crackdowns to sweeping tariffs, Donald Trump’s second term as US president began at full speed.
US judge limits Trump’s push to rapidly deport migrants in Guantanamo Bay
Judge says administration must give migrants opportunity to express concerns about safety of deportation destinations.
Trump blames Biden for poor US economic report
“That’s Biden. That’s not Trump” President Trump blames his predecessor for the 0.3% drop in US gross domestic product.
Judge re-ups demand that White House show efforts to retrieve Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador
With seven-day pause expiring Wednesday, Paula Xinis says administration must provide sworn testimony by May
A federal judge on Wednesday again directed the Trump administration to provide information about its efforts so far, if any, to comply with her order to retrieve Kilmar Ábrego García from an El Salvador prison.
The US district judge Paula Xinis in Maryland temporarily halted her directive for information at the administration’s request last week. But with the seven-day pause expiring at 5pm, she set May deadlines for officials to provide sworn testimony on anything they have done to return Ábrego García to the US.
Continue reading...“Deprivation by Design”: Israel Intensifies Mass Killing Campaign in Gaza With Starvation and Daily Strikes – Drop Site News
- “Deprivation by Design”: Israel Intensifies Mass Killing Campaign in Gaza With Starvation and Daily Strikes Drop Site News
- Live: Israel kills at least 31 in Gaza as aid blockade starves children Al Jazeera
- Devastated father wonders why an Israeli strike killed his 4-year-old daughter AP News
- Headlines for April 30, 2025 Democracy Now!
- Reported impact snapshot | Gaza Strip (30 April 2025) ochaopt.org
People with endometriosis more likely to experience early menopause, study finds
Surgical menopause occurs on average 19 months earlier, while natural menopause happens five months earlier, new global research shows
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Women with endometriosis face a higher risk of premature and early menopause and are seven times more likely to experience surgical menopause, a study has found.
Surgical menopause occurs when a woman has both ovaries removed before reaching natural menopause, and may be done to treat endometriosis if other treatments fail.
Continue reading...Israel has no duty to allow UN aid agency into Gaza, says US state department lawyer – The Guardian
- Israel has no duty to allow UN aid agency into Gaza, says US state department lawyer The Guardian
- The U.S. backs Israel's ban on the U.N.'s Palestinian aid agency at the World Court NPR
- US Participation in ICJ Advisory Proceedings – Public Hearing on Israeli Obligations U.S. Department of State (.gov)
- Gaza siege reaches 60th day as US defends Israel at ICJ Al Jazeera
- US backs Israel's ban on UNRWA Gaza aid operations at World Court Reuters
Starmer and Blair poles apart, an open goal at PMQs. Did KemiKaze score? | John Crace
Of course she didn’t. Gifted on climate policy, she used all six of her questions to call for another child abuse inquiry
On days like these, Keir Starmer might come to believe there is a God after all. Fair to say the prime minister has been under the cosh recently. His popularity ratings tanking as people continue to feel fed up that nothing still appears to be working as it should. The local elections on Thursday are unlikely to provide any joy for Labour with Reform ahead in several polls. Even the election of Mark Carney has been a mixed blessing. A reminder that some politicians get rewarded for taking a tough line on Agent Orange. The Lib Dems have declared themselves honorary Canadians.
To cap it all, Tony Blair had just published a report on climate policy that even his best friends might consider to have been “unhelpful”. Tony is a former politician who is unable to go gently into the dark night. Eighteen years after stepping down as prime minister, he still yearns for relevance.
Continue reading...North Korea’s New Frigate Tests Its Weapons Days After Commissioning – The War Zone
- North Korea’s New Frigate Tests Its Weapons Days After Commissioning The War Zone
- North Korea’s Kim watches missile test-firings from country’s first destroyer AP News
- North Korea conducts first test firing of its new warship's weapons system Reuters
- Kim Jong Un oversees missile tests on new North Korean warship ABC News
- China’s huge new unmanned submarine lies in wait for HMS Prince of Wales The Telegraph