5 h. ago FBI arrests Wisconsin judge and accuses her of obstructing immigration officials

Hannah Dugan apprehended in courthouse where she works after agency says she helped man evade authoritiesUS politics live – latest updatesThe FBI on Friday arrested a judge whom the agency accused of obstruction after it said she helped a man evade US immigration authorities as they were seeking to arrest him at her courthouse.The county circuit judge, Hannah Dugan, was apprehended in the courthouse where she works in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 8.30am local time on Friday on charges of obstruction, a spokesperson for the US Marshals Service confirmed to the Guardian. Continue reading...

Events

7 h. ago Pete Hegseth’s controversial chief of staff leaves post unexpectedly

Exit comes after Joe Kasper was implicated as orchestrator of power grab that led to dismissal of three Pentagon officialsUS politics live – latest updatesJoe Kasper, the controversial chief of staff to the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who was central to a dramatic power struggle at the Pentagon, has left his post, in an unexpected departure.Despite Hegseth’s assurances just days ago in a TV appearance on the Fox & Friends show that Kasper would merely transition to “a slightly different role” within the department, Kasper confirmed to Politico in a Thursday interview he will instead return to government relations and consulting, maintaining only limited Pentagon ties as a special government employee. Continue reading...

Politics

9 h. ago Reform UK on course to win in two mayoral contests – UK politics live

Polling predicts victory for party in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull/East Yorkshire with the Greens possibly taking West of EnglandThere are six mayoral elections next week. Two of them are for single-authority mayors (Doncaster and North Tyneside), but the others are for combined-authority mayors (or regional mayors – like metro mayors, but not just covering city regions). Today YouGov has released polling covering all four of these contests and it suggests Reform UK is on course to win two of them easily. And the Green party is narrowly ahead in a third, the poll suggests.Here are the polling figures.In theory the Tories should be winning in Lincolnshire as they hold most of the parliamentary seats in the area and have dominated local politics forever. But it’s also the most Reform-friendly part of the country. It contains Richard Tice’s constituency and numerous seats in which they came second. Plus their candidate is a former Tory MP – Andrea Jenkyns, famous for her Boris Johnson...

Politics

11 h. ago Swiss leader says Trump administration foresees ‘privileged’ talks with 15 countries on US tariffs – US politics live

Karin Keller-Sutter, Swiss president, says Switzerland is among 15 countries with which US plans to hold negotiations to reach deals over tariffsThe Swiss president says Switzerland is among 15 countries with which the United States plans to conduct “privileged” negotiations to help reach a deal after sweeping US tariffs on dozens of countries that have shaken global markets, reports the Associated Press (AP).Karin Keller-Sutter, in an interview with broadcaster SRF published Friday, said she was “satisfied” with talks in Washington this week that included an International Monetary Fund conference and her one-on-one meeting with US treasury secretary Scott Bessent. Keller-Sutter also serves as Switzerland’s finance minister. “The United States has defined a group of 15 countries with which it wants to find a quick solution in this tariff question. Switzerland is part of this group of these 15 countries,” she told reporters separately late on Thursday in Washington, according to the ...

Politics

12 h. ago Reeves hints at priority as she says ‘trading relationship with Europe arguably more important’ than US – UK politics live

Chancellor said she understood the focus on possible deal with US, but added the EU remained ‘our nearest neighbours and trading partners’Water company bosses face up to two years in prison if they cover up illegal sewage spills under new laws coming into force, PA Media reports. PA says:The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said no prison sentences have been handed to water company executives since privatisation despite widespread illegal sewage discharges, and the tougher penalties were essential because some firms have obstructed investigations.Environment secretary Steve Reed said: “Bosses must face consequences if they commit crimes. There must be accountability. From today, there will be no more hiding places.”I’m now pretty optimistic that we are moving in a good direction.In the end, I think everybody understands that this is about our security in Europe. It requires cooperation between democracies, friends, allies, countries with the same values.The...

Politics

24 h. ago Trump targets Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue with memorandum

President directs attorney general to investigate supposed foreign contributions, an unsubstantiated rightwing claimThe Republican president is taking aim at a Democratic fundraising platform, issuing a presidential memorandum to crack down on supposed foreign contributions to elections, an unsubstantiated claim from the right..Donald Trump announced the memo on Thursday, directing the attorney general to investigate, and report to the president, “concerning allegations regarding the use of online fundraising platforms to make ‘straw’ or ‘dummy’ contributions and to make foreign contributions to US political candidates and committees, all of which break the law”. Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Trump tariffs: President vents at China over Boeing as Beijing denies claims of trade deal talks

Beijing called claims of trade talks ‘groundless as trying to catch the wind’ and having ‘no factual basis’ as Trump insisted they were happening

Politics

27 h. ago Trump denies aid for Arkansas after storms that killed more than 40 people

Latest denial of disaster funding comes as Trump has repeatedly stated he wants to eliminate FemaUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump has denied federal disaster relief funds to the people of Arkansas, which saw dozens of people die from a series of deadly tornados last month, as legislators plead for him to reconsider.More than 40 people have been found dead after a series of tornados and severe storms hit Arkansas and neighboring states Mississippi and Missouri in March, according to CNN. Continue reading...

Events

29 h. ago Trump to meet with top Atlantic editor who was accidentally added to Hegseth Signal group chat – live

President says he will meet with Jeffrey Goldberg and two Atlantic reporters to ‘see if it’s possible for The Atlantic to be ‘truthful’’South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he talked about the war in Ukraine and the need to foster good bilateral relations with the US in his phone call with Donald Trump.“We both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible to stop further unnecessary deaths... to meet soon to address various matters regarding US-South Africa relations,” Ramaphosa wrote in a post on X. Continue reading...

Politics

29 h. ago Trump tariffs live: President vents at China over Boeing as Beijing denies claims of trade deal talks

Lawsuit comes as president warned he could re-impose higher tariffs in as little as two weeks

Politics

31 h. ago Civil rights advocates say Trump order guts protections against discrimination

Order directs federal agencies to ‘deprioritize enforcement’ of laws where policies have discriminatory effectsUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s executive order on Wednesday eliminating “disparate-impact liability” from federal civil rights enforcement has sparked condemnation from legal and civil rights advocates who argue it guts protections that have shielded Americans from discrimination for decades.The order directs federal agencies to immediately “deprioritize enforcement” of laws where policies have discriminatory effects, even without discriminatory intent – a cornerstone of modern civil rights protection. It also instructs the attorney general to begin repealing or amending regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Continue reading...

Politics

32 h. ago US interior agency to fast track fossil fuel and mining permits over ‘fake emergency’

Department cites Trump’s ‘energy emergency’ declaration to expedite permissions from multiple years to 28 daysUS politics live – latest updatesThe US interior department has announced plans to radically fast track permitting for projects involving fossil fuels and mining citing Donald Trump’s ‘energy emergency’ declaration that many experts say does not exist.The move would reduce to a maximum of 28 days permitting procedures that previously could take multiple years, the department said late Wednesday. Continue reading...

Politics

32 h. ago 5 passenger habits that could cost drivers thousands and risk 9 penalty points

It's not just drivers that have to worry about breaking the law, their passengers can cause them bother too

Events

32 h. ago China calls reports of ongoing US tariff talks ‘baseless’ while Trump claims administration ‘actively’ seeking deal – live

Spokesperson for China’s ministry of commerce says any claims of progress in China-US negotiations are ‘without factual evidence’South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he talked about the war in Ukraine and the need to foster good bilateral relations with the US in his phone call with Donald Trump.“We both agreed that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible to stop further unnecessary deaths... to meet soon to address various matters regarding US-South Africa relations,” Ramaphosa wrote in a post on X. Continue reading...

Economics

33 h. ago Google broke the law. It’s time to break up the company | Courtney C Radsch

Two recent US cases have found the search giant is functioning as an illegal monopoly. This should be a turning pointIn less than a year, US courts have ruled that the world’s most powerful tech company broke the law – twice.In August, a federal judge in Washington ruled that Google illegally maintained its search monopoly by locking up defaults on browsers and devices. In April, a federal judge in Virginia found that Google illegally monopolized the digital advertising market, manipulating auctions, restricting and stifling competitors. These two rulings, the most significant antitrust wins against a tech giant in decades, should be a turning point in the digital economy.Dr Courtney C Radsch is director of the Center for Journalism and Liberty at Open Markets Institute Continue reading...

Events

35 h. ago UK deal with EU will not return to ‘arguments of the past’, minister says

Exclusive: Nick Thomas-Symonds says growth is highest priority of talks as Keir Starmer prepares to meet EU chiefNick Thomas-Symonds: A new deal with the EU is exactly what Britain needs. Here’s how Labour will achieve itUK politics live – latest updatesThe UK’s new deal with the EU will be a break from “debates and arguments of the past,” the UK’s chief negotiator, Nick Thomas-Symonds, has said, pledging that growth would be the highest priority of the talks.It comes as Keir Starmer prepares to meet the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, in London, as momentum builds towards a crucial EU-UK summit in May. Continue reading...

Politics

36 h. ago Trump tariffs live: Dozen US states sue to stop ‘insane’ policy as president threatens more global levies

The lawsuit comes as the president warned he could re-impose the higher tariffs in as little as two weeks

Politics

40 h. ago Social media giants ordered to protect kids or risk breaking law in 'watershed moment'

Social media giants have been sent a final list of measures they must put in place to protect kids online by July - or risk being fined 10% of their global turnover

Events

51 h. ago Treasury secretary says China tariffs not sustainable as US signals willingness to de

Scott Bessent said the tariffs – 145% on Chinese products and a retaliatory 125% on US products – would have to come down before talks can proceedStock markets rise as Trump backtracks on high China tariffs and firing Fed chairNato secretary general Mark Rutte will visit the US and meet the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and the national security adviser, Mike Waltz, according to a media notice shared by the military alliance’s press office.Rutte will visit the US on 24 and 25 April. Continue reading...

Politics

54 h. ago Law firms targeted by Trump ask judges to permanently bar executive orders against them – live

Law firms Perkins Coie and WilmerHale say Trump’s executive orders against them are acts of retaliation that violate US constitutional protectionsNato secretary general Mark Rutte will visit the US and meet the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and the national security adviser, Mike Waltz, according to a media notice shared by the military alliance’s press office.Rutte will visit the US on 24 and 25 April. Continue reading...

Events