56 m. ago Jury orders Chevron to pay more than $744m for destroying Louisiana wetlands

Verdict marks end of the first trial of 42 lawsuits filed about 12 years ago, alleging firm’s projects destroyed the regionsChevron has been ordered to pay more than $744m in damages for destroying parts of south-east Louisiana’s coastal wetlands over the years.The ruling, which came in the form of a civil jury verdict on Friday, marks the conclusion of the first trial among 42 lawsuits filed about 12 years earlier which alleged that the company’s oil and gas projects have led to the degradation of the region’s wetlands. Among other things, the wetlands play a key role in offering the area a measure of protection from hurricanes. Continue reading...

Economics

68 m. ago As Trump's tariffs trigger market meltdown, leading bank warns there is now a 60 per cent chance of a global recession

As the market meltdown triggered by Donald Trump's trade war accelerated, the FTSE 100 suffered its sharpest drop since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Economics

85 m. ago Tsunami warning issued after 6.9 earthquake rattles Papua New Guinea

The shallow quake was centered offshore, 120 miles off the island of New Britain.

Events

93 m. ago Cruz says Republicans face midterms ‘bloodbath’ if tariffs trigger recession

Warning from Texas senator comes as president’s trade war sends US markets into tailspin

Politics

2 h. ago Papua New Guinea tsunami warning over horror 3m tall waves after huge earthquake

An urgent tsunami alert has been issued for Papua New Guinea after an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale - the US Geological Survey warned of large three-metre waves

Events

2 h. ago Tony’s Chocolonely issues urgent Easter egg warning over fears they could contain metal shards

A firm has recalled batches of their milk chocolate and caramel sea salt Easter Egg products over fears they may contain metal fragments.

Events

2 h. ago US department ‘disappointed’ by UK court’s conviction of anti

Livia Tossici-Bolt was found guilty at Poole Magistrates’ Court of two charges of breaching a Public Spaces Protection Order.

Events

3 h. ago Big Tech, banks and small caps end week in bear market territory

Fed chief Jay Powell warns that Trump’s levies will slow US growth and increase inflation

Economics

3 h. ago Sadiq Khan urged to intervene over Borough Triangle tower blocks plan

Local resident and actress Juliet Rylance warns the community is ‘gravely concerned’ by the development receiving approval

Politics

3 h. ago Tony's Chocolonely issues urgentEaster egg warning over fears they could contain metal shards

People have bought giant Tony's Chocolonely eggs affected by the recall have been urged not to eat them and to return them for a refund - because they could contain 'unsafe' pieces of metal

Events

3 h. ago US prepares for deadly floods with many National Weather Service offices understaffed

Dangerous weather comes after Trump administration job cuts left nearly half of offices with 20% vacancy ratesDonald Trump on Friday approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky as the central US braces for what experts in the region have warned could be a “generational” flooding event, as severe spring storms that have killed at least seven continue to wreak havoc.Millions are affected across a swath of the US stretching from Texas to Ohio, and the powerful storm system that has raged for two days is expected to stall over the country’s midsection, the National Weather Service (NWS) said, fueling further deluges and possible tornadoes in areas already drenched from thunderstorms bringing heavy rains. Continue reading...

Events

3 h. ago Chemical industry seeks exemptions from US pollution rules as part of Trump administration offer

Industry groups representing hundreds of chemical and petrochemical manufacturers are seeking blanket exemptions from federal requirements to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and benzene

Politics

5 h. ago Tornado damage is taking longer to confirm in some areas as the National Weather Service deals with staff shortages

Scientists have warned that the loss of employees could result in forecasting disruptions

Economics

5 h. ago Fed chair warns of high inflation and slower growth as Trump tells him to cut interest rates – live

Federal Reserve chair says ‘we face a highly uncertain outlook’ as president tells him to cut interest ratesPeople in the US: how have your shopping habits changed due to Trump’s tariffs?Trump insists he won’t back down from global trade war as markets slumpThe Trump administration is taking aim at Brown University with threats to freeze $510m in grants, widening its promise to withhold federal funding from schools it accuses of allowing antisemitism on campus, according to multiple media outlets including Reuters and the New York Times.University officials said they had not yet been formally notified, but the school was among dozens warned last month that enforcement actions could be coming as the administration seeks to crack down on academic institutions . Continue reading...

Events

5 h. ago 23andMe’s demise is a warning: the US needs to overhaul genetic data protection | Dalton Conley

We’re moving toward a society where genetic information is a part of everyday life – and we don’t want it in the wrong handsWith a heavy heart, I clicked on my 23andMe account on a recent morning, confirming that I wanted to delete my data. The genetic testing company filed for bankruptcy late last month and the California attorney general and others have recommended that users delete their data lest it be acquired by less scrupulous companies as the company is stripped for parts during bankruptcy proceedings.I was one of the company’s earliest customers and had used their service to genotype not just myself but my entire extended family. I even got my kids’ babysitter a kit.Dalton Conley is Henry Putnam university professor of sociology at Princeton University and author of The Social Genome: The New Science of Nature and Nurture Continue reading...

Events

5 h. ago The Energy Department identifies thousands of nonessential positions at risk of DOGE cuts

The Energy Department has identified thousands of federal workers it deems "nonessential" and would not be protected if there is a large-scale reduction in force

Events

6 h. ago Data obtained by AP shows 20% vacancy rates at nearly half of National Weather Service offices

Data obtained by The Associated Press shows that close to half of the local National Weather Service forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates as severe weather chugs across the nation’s heartland

Society

6 h. ago US ‘testing’ if Russia is serious about peace in Ukraine, says Marco Rubio

Secretary of state says Putin ‘will have to make a decision’ as US officials appear to be growing impatientThe US will know within weeks whether Russia is serious about pursuing peace with Ukraine, the secretary of state said on Friday, warning that Donald Trump was not “going to fall into the trap of endless negotiations” with Russia.“We’re testing to see if the Russians are interested in peace. Their actions – not their words, their actions – will determine whether they’re serious or not, and we intend to find that out sooner rather than later,” Marco Rubio told journalists in Brussels after talks with Nato allies. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago The Guardian view on Donald Trump’s tariff ultimatum: tribute for access to America’s empire | Editorial

As the White House retools US imperialism with import duties, others must resist dependency – deepening regional ties and reducing exposure to chokepointsWhen Donald Trump stood before union auto workers in the Rose Garden he declared “Liberation Day”, promising to stand up for Main Street. Whether that pledge will be fulfilled is moot. He will declare victory either way. What the US president offered was not just an economic programme, but an imperial one.Mr Trump’s logic, if it exists, lies in the 397-page report on “foreign trade barriers” he brandished on Wednesday. Its message is brutally simple: you may sell your goods to Walmart shoppers, but only if you let US cloud services hoover up your data, US media flood your screens and US tech monopolies operate on their terms – not yours. TikTok is the test case for Trump’s platform nationalism: only US firms may mine data, reap profits and rule the digital empire. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago FTSE suffers biggest daily drop since early in the pandemic as Wall Street slides again – business live

Global trade war escalates as Beijing hits back against Donald Trump with new tariffs on US goodsChina retaliates to Trump’s ‘bullying practice’ with 34% tariffs on US importsIMF warns of ‘significant risk’ to global economy from Trump tariffs as markets slideAnalysis: Trump’s ‘idiotic’ and flawed tariff calculations stun economistsNew Civil Liberties Alliance, a conservative legal group, has filed what it says is the first lawsuit seeking to block Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports, saying the US president overstepped his authority. Reuters reports:The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Florida, alleges that Trump lacked the legal authority to impose the sweeping tariffs unveiled on Wednesday as well as duties authorized on February 1 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.“By invoking emergency power to impose an across-the-board tariff on imports from China that the statute does not authorize, President Trump has misused that power, usurped Congress’s right ...

Economics