22 h. ago Musk may soon leave the White House, but his bromance with Trump will remain

Rather than an explosive split that many predicted, Musk instead appears set to keep close ties with Trump and retain influence on US politicsAfter months of exerting extraordinary power over the US government and becoming a mascot for Donald Trump’s new administration, the first signs that Elon Musk may shift away from his prominent role in the White House began to appear this week.Both Trump and JD Vance have stated in interviews over the past few days that Musk would eventually leave the administration and the “department of government efficiency” (Doge) that he founded, their most direct statements yet on his tenure. Politico also reported on Wednesday that Trump had told members of his inner circle that the Tesla CEO would be departing in the coming weeks, though Musk called the article “fake news”. Musk is a “special government employee”, a designation that technically carries a 130-day term that, depending on how the administration chooses to log those days, could run out at ...

Politics

26 h. ago India’s parliament rushes through vote granting Modi direct control over conflict

Indian government assumes control of conflict-hit Manipur after months of ethnic violence and political paralysis, sparking opposition backlash over a late-night parliamentary vote

Politics

3 d. ago Perilous and chaotic, Trump’s ‘liberation day’ imperils the world’s broken economy – and him | Martin Kettle

While the president has identified the need to do things differently, his strategy risks a slump, hitting the very Americans he claims to championIt would be “liberation day” in the US, the White House announced. Well, we shall see. Yet even if one puts the noise and nastiness that accompany a Donald Trump announcement to one side – in this case tonight’s pronouncement that there will be an executive order announcing “reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world”, a 10% tariff on the UK and 20% on the EU – the significance of the theatre is hard to miss. Whether they presage the US’s liberation, or instead the disintegration of the global trading order, Trump’s tariffs add up to an attempt to transform a badly broken economic model. And that is something that affects us all.Trump’s announcement was awash with insult and rambling nonsense. The rest of the world had looted, raped and pillaged, had scavenged and ransacked America – shocking claims if they had come from any othe...

Politics

3 d. ago Perilous and chaotic, Trump’s ‘liberation day’ endangers the world’s broken economy – and him | Martin Kettle

While the president has identified the need to do things differently, his strategy risks a slump, hitting the very Americans he claims to championIt would be “liberation day” in the US, the White House announced. Well, we shall see. Yet even if one puts the noise and nastiness that accompany a Donald Trump announcement to one side – in this case tonight’s pronouncement that there will be an executive order announcing “reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world”, a 10% tariff on the UK and 20% on the EU – the significance of the theatre is hard to miss. Whether they presage the US’s liberation, or instead the disintegration of the global trading order, Trump’s tariffs add up to an attempt to transform a badly broken economic model. And that is something that affects us all.Trump’s announcement was awash with insult and rambling nonsense. The rest of the world had looted, raped and pillaged, had scavenged and ransacked America – shocking claims if they had come from any othe...

Politics

3 d. ago Tesla quarterly sales slump 13% amid backlash against Elon Musk

Drop is likely combination of ageing lineup, increased competition and backlash to Musk’s politicsTesla sales declined in the first three months of the year, another sign that Elon Musk’s once high-flying electric car company is struggling to attract buyers.The drop of 13% is likely due to a combination of factors, including its ageing lineup, competition from rivals and a backlash from Musk’s embrace of rightwing politics. It also is a warning that the company’s first-quarter earnings report later this month could disappoint investors. Continue reading...

Economics

3 d. ago Trump and Musk have ushered in a terrible era of cataclysm capitalism. But I have a plan to counter it | Julia Steinberger

The speed with which US democracy is being dismantled is dizzying, but if we organise resistance now we can stop thisEverything is moving too fast. The Trump-Musk administration is tearing through US government, universities and health organisations, firing tens of thousands of employees, eliminating billons in funding. The scope and speed of the attack is dizzying. It is almost impossible to keep up with the ongoing destruction, let alone to organise the resistance. None of this is accidental.We need to understand the origins of the Trump blitzkrieg to counter it in the US and prevent it from spreading abroad. The speed of the attack can be traced to Trump strategist and “accelerationist” Steve Bannon, and aligns with his information warfare tactic to “flood the zone” to confuse, disengage and disorient. Whether on climate or Covid, rumours, lies and conspiracy theories create a chaotic cacophony, leaving the public disoriented, fearful and prey to oversimple Trumpist messages: bla...

Politics

4 d. ago Republicans win special elections for two key House seats in Florida

Randy Fine beats Josh Weil in Mike Waltz’s former district, and Jimmy Patronis wins seat vacated by Matt GaetzRepublicans on Tuesday won special elections for two US House of Representatives seats in Florida vacated by Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, dashing Democratic hopes for an upset victory in the first federal special elections held since the president began his second term.But Democratic candidates Josh Weil and Gay Valimont are on track to lose the solidly red districts by much smaller margins than the more than 30 points that Democrats lost them by in November. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Florida stays Republican as US House seats go to Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis – live

Democrats had hoped to flip seats vacated by Mike Waltz, now US national security adviser, and Matt GaetzUS voters are headed to the polls on Tuesday in Wisconsin and Florida in elections that some see as a test of Donald Trump’s popularity and the political clout of his billionaire ally Elon Musk.The most closely watched contest is a battle for a seat on Wisconsin’s seven-member supreme court. Conservatives are trying to flip ideological control of the court, which currently has a 4-3 liberal majority. The contest, which features liberal judge Susan Crawford facing off against conservative Brad Schimel, will have huge consequences in the state. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Republicans hold onto a Florida House seat after help from Trump and Musk

Right-wing state Senator Randy Fine wins special House election in closer-than-expected race

Politics

4 d. ago Florida special election: Republican Randy Fine wins Waltz’s former House seat

Fine takes Trump adviser’s seat despite Democrat Josh Weil putting up stiff challenge in Trump-dominated districtRepublican Randy Fine won a special election Tuesday for a House seat in Florida vacated by Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, although Democrats are likely to perform better in the Republican district than they did in November.Democratic candidate Josh Weil put up a stiff challenge in the eastern coastal district that Trump carried by 30 percentage points in the November elections, but the AP called the race for Fine early on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Cory Booker breaks record for longest speech by US senator as he condemns Trump policies for more than 24 hours – live

Democratic senator slams Trump administration’s various policies and beats the all-time US record held by Strom Thurmond (24 hours and 18 minutes)Cory Booker holds marathon Senate speech to warn of Trump’s ‘harmful’ policiesUS voters are headed to the polls on Tuesday in Wisconsin and Florida in elections that some see as a test of Donald Trump’s popularity and the political clout of his billionaire ally Elon Musk.The most closely watched contest is a battle for a seat on Wisconsin’s seven-member supreme court. Conservatives are trying to flip ideological control of the court, which currently has a 4-3 liberal majority. The contest, which features liberal judge Susan Crawford facing off against conservative Brad Schimel, will have huge consequences in the state. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Cory Booker has criticized Trump on Senate floor for more than 23 hours, nearing record – live

Democratic senator slams Trump administration’s various policies and is close to the all-time US record held by Strom Thurmond (24 hours and 18 minutes)Cory Booker holds marathon Senate speech to warn of Trump’s ‘harmful’ policiesUS voters are headed to the polls on Tuesday in Wisconsin and Florida in elections that some see as a test of Donald Trump’s popularity and the political clout of his billionaire ally Elon Musk.The most closely watched contest is a battle for a seat on Wisconsin’s seven-member supreme court. Conservatives are trying to flip ideological control of the court, which currently has a 4-3 liberal majority. The contest, which features liberal judge Susan Crawford facing off against conservative Brad Schimel, will have huge consequences in the state. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Democratic senator Cory Booker holding marathon speech to highlight ‘recklessness’ of Trump policies – US politics live

New Jersey Democrat began talking on Monday night to highlight ‘a nation in crisis’ and was still going at 7.30am eastern time on TuesdayWisconsin and Florida voters head to polls in test of Trump’s popularityUS voters are headed to the polls on Tuesday in Wisconsin and Florida in elections that some see as a test of Donald Trump’s popularity and the political clout of his billionaire ally Elon Musk.The most closely watched contest is a battle for a seat on Wisconsin’s seven-member supreme court. Conservatives are trying to flip ideological control of the court, which currently has a 4-3 liberal majority. The contest, which features liberal judge Susan Crawford facing off against conservative Brad Schimel, will have huge consequences in the state. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Special elections to give voters’ verdicts on Trump’s chaotic first months – US politics live

Votes in several states on Tuesday could offer a glimmer of hope to DemocratsWisconsin and Florida voters head to polls in test of Trump’s popularityDonald Trump’s executive order seeking to overhaul the nation’s elections faced its first legal challenges Monday as the Democratic National Committee and a pair of nonprofits filed two separate lawsuits calling it unconstitutional.The Campaign Legal Center and the State Democracy Defenders Fund brought the first lawsuit Monday afternoon. The DNC, the Democratic Governors Association, and Senate and House Democratic leaders followed soon after with a complaint of their own. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago The first major referendum on Trump and Musk comes this week

Analysis: Elon Musk and Democrats both have their eyes on Florida’s congressional race and Wisconsin’s supreme court, writes Eric Garcia

Politics

9 d. ago Human rights groups rebuke Kristi Noem’s visit to El Salvador prison: ‘political theatre’

Homeland security chief went to infamous prison holding deported Venezuelans as White House targets immigrantsUS politics live – latest updatesHuman rights organizations on Thursday denounced the US homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem’s, visit to the notorious prison in El Salvador that is holding hundreds of Venezuelans deported from the US earlier this month without a hearing, calling her actions “political theatre”.Critics condemned Noem’s visit as just the latest example of the Trump administration’s aim to spread fear among immigrant communities, as the cabinet member stood in a baseball hat in front of a line of caged men bare from the waist up. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Human rights groups rebuke Kristi Noem’s visit to El Salvador prison: ‘political theater’

Homeland security chief went to infamous prison holding deported Venezuelans as White House targets immigrantsUS politics live – latest updatesHuman rights organizations on Thursday denounced the visit by the US homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, to the notorious prison in El Salvador that is holding hundreds of Venezuelans deported from the US earlier this month without a hearing, calling her actions “political theater”.Critics condemned Noem’s visit as just the latest example of the Trump administration’s aim to spread fear among immigrant communities, as the cabinet member stood in a baseball hat in front of a line of caged men bare from the waist up. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago In the shadow of Trump’s tariff threats and claims of a ‘51st state.’ Here’s what to know about Canada’s snap election

President Donald Trump’s tariff aggressions and talk of incorporating the country as a 51st state has flipped Canadian politics upside down in recent months, allowing the once-unpopular Liberals to mount an extraordinary comeback

Politics

1 week ago Iranian activist is sentenced to 178 lashes and 18 months in prison after she was arrested for not wearing a hijab

Hamideh Zarei, a former political prisoner, was released earlier this month from Rasht Central Prison after spending nearly a month behind bars - only to now face a brutal new sentence.

Events

2 w. ago So it’s victory for Kirsty Coventry in the IOC elections. Who says cards with a rigged deck isn’t an Olympic sport? | Marina Hyde

The Zimbabwean has global sport’s top job but Britain’s Sebastian Coe was snubbed, and with good reason: he might have changed thingsCongratulations to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the surprise election of its new president, Kirsty Coventry, confirming its status as one of the few electorates on Earth never to have had a change election. Another one is Fifa, with those two organisations’ eternal contest to be the worst-run governing body remaining easily the hardest-fought rivalry in world sport.Yes, the IOC has been in its 144th special session to elect a new leader. Don’t worry – it hasn’t been all hard beds, spartan canteens and bad lighting, as is inflicted on the poor old cardinals in Conclave. The three-day event inevitably took place at a five-star luxury Greek resort.Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication...

Politics