3 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

5 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

8 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

8 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

21 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

23 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

25 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

26 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

27 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

28 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

28 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

31 h. ago Rats the ‘size of dachshunds’ terrify Birmingham residents as bin strike prompts fear of surge in rodent

Union officials have said the end of the bin strikes are in ‘touching distance’ after a seven week standoff

Events

31 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

32 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

47 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

50 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

51 h. ago Trump says he is suing Perkins Coie law firm after it filed suit against executive order – live

US president claims he is suing law firm for ‘egregious and unlawful acts’ Nato 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

52 h. ago Badenoch declines to criticise Jenrick over Reform coalition comments – UK politics live

Spokesperson for Tory leader says she agrees with colleague that ‘we need to bring centre-right voters together’Rosie Duffield, the independent MP who left Labour after the election in part because she felt her gender critical views made her unwelcome in the party (although her resignation letter focused on welfare issues), has claimed that Keir Starmer no longer arguing a trans woman is a woman shows he is a “manager rather than a leader”.Speaking on LBC, Duffield said:It’s just another sign of the prime minister’s lack of leadership skills. I’m bound to say that, he’s a manager rather than a leader. He responds and reacts rather than leads from the front, and this is what we’re seeing again from him.Nigel Farage is peddling a dangerous fantasy by claiming the UK can be self-sufficient in gas.After sixty years of drilling, the truth is the UK has already burned most of its gas. That’s down to geology, not politics, and no amount of hot air from Farage will change that. Continue rea...

Politics

53 h. ago Keir Starmer urges MPs to ‘lower the temperature’ in debate on gender ruling

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pushes PM on what she says is a change of stance over definition of a womanUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has urged MPs to “lower the temperature” in debating last week’s supreme court ruling on gender, as he was challenged repeatedly on the subject by Kemi Badenoch during prime minister’s questions.The Conservative leader, who took the place of her shadow equalities minister, Mims Davies, to respond to a Commons statement about the ruling on Tuesday, used all her allocation of questions to push Starmer over what she said was his change of stance. Continue reading...

Politics

54 h. ago Starmer calls for ‘lower temperature’ in trans debate as Badenoch says he must admit he was wrong about defining women – UK politics live

PM faced questions at PMQs after No 10 spokesperson said on Tuesday he does not believe transgender women are womenRosie Duffield, the independent MP who left Labour after the election in part because she felt her gender critical views made her unwelcome in the party (although her resignation letter focused on welfare issues), has claimed that Keir Starmer no longer arguing a trans woman is a woman shows he is a “manager rather than a leader”.Speaking on LBC, Duffield said:It’s just another sign of the prime minister’s lack of leadership skills. I’m bound to say that, he’s a manager rather than a leader. He responds and reacts rather than leads from the front, and this is what we’re seeing again from him.Nigel Farage is peddling a dangerous fantasy by claiming the UK can be self-sufficient in gas.After sixty years of drilling, the truth is the UK has already burned most of its gas. That’s down to geology, not politics, and no amount of hot air from Farage will change that. Continue ...

Politics