Trump says he and Putin will discuss land and power plants in Ukraine ceasefire talks

Posted on by

Trump says negotiators have already discussed ‘dividing up certain assets’ and that he will talk to Putin on Tuesday

Donald Trump is to speak to Vladimir Putin on Tuesday after the Russian president last week responded to a US-brokered plan for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine with a series of sweeping conditions he said would need to be met.

The Kremlin confirmed on Monday that the two leaders were due to speak on Tuesday by phone, after Trump’s statement that he planned to discuss with Putin ending the war in Ukraine. The US president also said that negotiators had already talked about “dividing up certain assets”, including power stations.

Continue reading...

Trump administration pulls US out of body investigating Ukraine invasion

Posted on by

Russia and allies were target of International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine

The Trump administration is withdrawing from an international body formed to investigate responsibility for the invasion of Ukraine in the latest sign that the White House is adopting a posture favouring Vladimir Putin.

The Department of Justice said it was pulling out of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) two years after the Biden administration joined it with a commitment to hold Putin, Russia’s president, to account for the 2022 invasion and subsequent crimes committed by Russian forces.

Continue reading...

‘So proud’: Newcastle fans reflect on historic cup win after 70 years of hurt

Posted on by

Outside St James’ Park and the Angel of the North, Magpies fans explain significance of Wembley victory

“After years and years of hurt, it was just glorious,” said 67-year-old Paul Wearmouth outside St James’ Park on the morning after the night before. “It was tremendous. I’ll be honest, I was crying. They were tears of jubilation.”

Wearmouth, a retired school caretaker, has been a fan of Newcastle United all his life and can tell you at length about how difficult a commitment that can be.

Continue reading...

Brown University professor deported despite judge’s order, defying US court

Posted on by

Rasha Alawieh’s case highlights Donald Trump’s escalating immigration policies and tensions with universities

A Brown University medical professor was deported to Lebanon over the weekend despite having a valid US work visa, defying a judge’s order blocking her immediate removal from the country.

The case centering on Rasha Alawieh, 34, comes as Donald Trump’s second presidential administration has been escalating its immigration policies and attacking universities.

Continue reading...

Lucy Letby calls for public inquiry into baby deaths to be halted

Posted on by

Ex-nurse says inquiry should be suspended until review of convictions has finished

Lucy Letby has called for the public inquiry into her crimes to be halted, arguing there is now “overwhelming and compelling” evidence undermining her baby murder convictions.

Lawyers for the former nurse took the extraordinary step of writing to Lady Justice Thirlwall on Monday to say that the inquiry – which is due to end on Wednesday – should be suspended immediately.

Continue reading...

Trump makes unsupported claim Biden pardons are ‘void’ as he used autopen

Posted on by

President claims without evidence that January 6 panel members’ pre-emptive clemency was not signed personally

Donald Trump claimed on Monday, without offering evidence, that pardons signed by Joe Biden were “void, vacant and of no further force and effect” because they were signed with an autopen.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an autopen as “a device that mechanically reproduces a person’s signature”.

Continue reading...

Trump administration poised to ‘strand rural America with worse internet’ to help Musk, official warns

Posted on by

US official urges stop to plan to re-evaluate Biden program to connect communities to high-speed internet, which will likely benefit Starlink

Small town USA is facing a “significant risk” that the Trump administration is going to abandon key elements of a $42.45bn Biden-era plan to connect rural communities to high-speed internet so that Elon Musk can get even richer, a top departing commerce department official warned in an email.

Evan Feinman, who headed up the so-called Bead program for the last three years, urged governors across the country to lobby their congressional delations in Washington to stop the Trump administration from implementing plans he said could have “deeply negative outcomes” for American homes and businesses.

Continue reading...

Syria claims Hezbollah kidnapped, executed three Syrian soldiers, responds with shelling – report – The Jerusalem Post

Posted on by
  1. Syria claims Hezbollah kidnapped, executed three Syrian soldiers, responds with shelling - report  The Jerusalem Post
  2. Fighting erupts on Syria-Lebanon-border; Aoun orders army to respond  Al Jazeera English
  3. Syrian troops exchange fire with Lebanese army, armed groups in northeast Lebanon  Reuters
  4. Syria’s new government confronts Hezbollah - analysis  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Fighting erupts along the Lebanon-Syria border after 3 Syrian soldiers were killed  The Associated Press
Posted in Uncategorized

Melbourne residents receive letter offering $200k for information on Hong Kong pro-democracy activist

Posted on by

Exclusive: The anonymous ‘wanted’ letter contained a photograph of Kevin Yam, a lawyer who has criticised the crackdown on dissent in the territory

A small number of Melbourne residents have received anonymous letters purporting to offer a police bounty of $203,000 if they inform on Kevin Yam, an Australian citizen and pro-democracy activist wanted for alleged national security crimes in Hong Kong, linking him to two nearby locations.

A spokesperson for the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, told Guardian Australia the letter was “deeply worrying” and that the matter would be raised directly with officials from China and Hong Kong.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

New US airstrikes on Yemen increase pressure on Iran-aligned Houthis – Reuters

Posted on by
  1. New US airstrikes on Yemen increase pressure on Iran-aligned Houthis  Reuters
  2. Iranian general responds to Trump threats against Houthi rebels  Fox News
  3. What’s happening in Yemen? A breakdown of the Houthi-US violence  Al Jazeera English
  4. Houthi missile, drone attack on U.S. Navy ships failed, official says  ABC News
  5. What to know about Yemen’s Houthi rebels as the US steps up attacks on Iran-backed group  The Associated Press
Posted in Uncategorized

EU to probe aluminium imports redirected by Trump tariffs – Financial Times

Posted on by
  1. EU to probe aluminium imports redirected by Trump tariffs  Financial Times
  2. The French Power Player in Charge of Boosting ‘Made in Europe’  The Wall Street Journal
  3. Drafts of EU steel plan show focus on energy, CBAM, more  EURACTIV
  4. EU to Look at Import Limits for Aluminium Sector, Draft Document Shows  U.S. News & World Report
  5. EU proposes provisional anti-dumping duties on steel coils from three countries  GMK Center | English
Posted in Uncategorized

Guardian Essential poll: Albanese scores highest approval rating in almost 18 months as support for Dutton slips

Posted on by

PM’s approval rating increases to 46%, up four percentage points since the last poll, as Labor and Coalition run neck-and-neck on a two-party preferred basis

More Australians approve of Anthony Albanese as the country’s leader than disapprove of him for the first time in almost 18 months since the referendum on the proposed Indigenous voice to parliament.

Albanese’s approval rating has increased to 46%, up four percentage points from earlier in March, the latest Guardian Essential poll shows, while his disapproval rating fell to 45%.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Former Bank of England deputy warns Rachel Reeves against kneejerk cuts

Posted on by

Charlie Bean says OBR forecasts are ‘flaky’ and cautions against trying to hit targets five years away

The former Bank of England deputy governor Charlie Bean has warned the chancellor against making kneejerk cuts in next week’s spring statement to try to hit fiscal targets that are five years away.

Rachel Reeves is preparing to slash spending, including on disability benefits, in response to weaker forecasts from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) – prompting a backlash from within her own party.

Continue reading...

Hungary’s government submits bill to ban Budapest Pride event

Posted on by

Ruling coalition continues its crackdown on LGBTQ+ people under its ‘child protection’ legislation

Hungary’s ruling coalition is continuing its crackdown on the country’s LGBTQ+ community, as members submitted a bill to parliament that would ban the popular Budapest Pride event and allow authorities to use facial recognition software to identify people attending.

The bill, presented on Monday, is almost certain to pass as the coalition has a two-thirds majority in parliament.

Continue reading...