8 h. ago UN Gaza investigator Francesca Albanese says US sanctions against her a sign of ‘guilt’

United Nations’ special rapporteur for Palestinian territories stresses all eyes must remain on Gaza as she urges ‘let’s stand tall, together’Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, has responded to news that she will be sanctioned by the Trump administration with a post on X saying “the powerful punishing those who speak for the powerless, it is not a sign of strength, but of guilt”.On Wednesday, as part of its effort to punish critics of Israel’s 21-month war in Gaza, the state department sanctioned Albanese, an independent official tasked with investigating human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories. Continue reading...

Economics

10 h. ago Head Start will be cut off for immigrants without legal status, Trump administration says

The Trump administration says it will restrict immigrants in the country illegally from enrolling in Head Start, a federally funded preschool program

Events

10 h. ago Trump administration opens investigation into Minnesota agency's affirmative action policy

The Trump administration has launched an investigation into the Minnesota Department of Human Services over its newly updated affirmative action hiring policy

Events

11 h. ago US state department announces plan to lay off nearly 15% of its domestic staff

Several hundred bureaus will be merged or eliminated after supreme court sided with Trump administrationThe US state department has announced that it plans to move forward with mass layoffs as part of the most significant restructuring of the country’s diplomatic corps in decades. Officials say the cuts will align their mission with Donald Trump’s vision of America first.The layoffs, which are commonly called reductions in force (or RIFs), along with voluntary redundancies, will affect nearly 15% of the state department’s domestic staff. A senior state department official said that was close to 1,800 people. The restructuring will also see several hundred bureaus merged or eliminated entirely. The department advises the president and leads the US in foreign policy issues. Continue reading...

Politics

12 h. ago George Mason University faces investigation in Trump administration's anti

The Trump administration on Thursday opened a civil rights investigation into the hiring practices at George Mason University, expanding a national campaign against diversity policies to Virginia’s largest public university

Politics

14 h. ago Mahmoud Khalil files $20m claim against Trump administration for false imprisonment

Precursor to a lawsuit also claims the Palestinian activist was maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemiteLawyers for Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist who was detained by the Trump administration for months, have filed a claim for $20m in damages against the administration, alleging Khalil was falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemite as the government sought to deport him over his prominent role in campus protests.The filing – a precursor to a lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act – names the Department of Homeland Security, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the state department. Continue reading...

Events

16 h. ago US joins Ukraine peacekeeping coalition talks with force now ‘ready to go’

A representative of Mr Trump’s administration joined coalition of the willing talks for the first time.

Politics

18 h. ago Fate of Aukus nuclear submarine deal may be delayed months as UK and Australia wait on Trump review

Snap Trump administration review of the $360bn deal announced a month ago will extend well beyond initial 30-day timeframeGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia and the UK potentially face months of more uncertainty over the future of the Aukus agreement, amid expectations a snap Trump administration review of the nuclear submarines deal will extend well beyond its initial 30-day timeframe.The author of Britain’s Aukus review, Sir Stephen Lovegrove, said both countries would contribute to the Pentagon assessment but warned there was “a way to go” yet before advice to US President Donald Trump was settled.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Politics

18 h. ago Trump names Sean Duffy as interim Nasa head after rejecting Elon Musk ally

President appoints his transportation secretary as interim administrator of space agency as it faces crisis amid Trump’s budget cutsDonald Trump has appointed his transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, as interim administrator of Nasa, six weeks after withdrawing the nomination of Elon Musk ally and billionaire Jared Isaacman for the permanent role.The president announced the appointment on Truth Social on Wednesday evening, praising Duffy’s work on transportation infrastructure and describing him as someone who will be “a fantastic leader of the ever more important space agency, even if only for a short period of time”. Continue reading...

Politics

20 h. ago Trump officials axed an online portal for its key climate report. Read it in full here

Guardian makes legally mandated gold standard report widely available after administration deleted websiteThe future of the US government’s premier climate crisis report is perilously uncertain after the Trump administration deleted the website that housed the periodic, legally mandated assessments that have been produced by scientists over the past two decades.Five national climate assessments have been compiled since 2000 by researchers across a dozen US government agencies and outside scientists, providing a gold standard report to city and state officials, as well as the general public, of global heating and its impacts upon human health, agriculture, water supplies, air pollution and other aspects of American life. Continue reading...

Politics

21 h. ago Bhutan tried to erase us. Now, Trump’s America is helping | Lok Darjee

The administration has deported over two dozen refugees back to the very nation that tried to erase us. Democrats must speak upIn mid-March 2025, I sat quietly in the back of a small, crowded room at the Asian Refugees United center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, surrounded by members of the Bhutanese diaspora. The silence was heavy, thick with fear and uncertainty. This modest office, once a vibrant hub for refugee youth, cultural celebrations, and literary competitions, had become an impromptu crisis center, where community leaders scrambled to make sense of the Trump administration’s escalating immigration crackdown on Bhutanese refugees across the country.Robin Gurung, the organization’s executive director, briefly outlined our legal rights. Another organizer then read aloud the names of those detained, awaiting deportation – or worse, already deported to Bhutan, the very country that once expelled them. Continue reading...

Politics

21 h. ago Judge to weigh blocking Trump on birthright citizenship despite supreme court ruling – US politics live

US district judge to grant class action status to a lawsuit seeking to represent any babies whose citizenship status would be threatened The Trump administration this week pressed five African presidents to take in migrants from other countries when they are deported by the US, two officials familiar with the discussions told Reuters on Thursday.The plan was presented to the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon during their visit to the White House on Wednesday, according to a US and a Liberian official who both asked not to be named.Donald Trump released an intemperate letter to Brazil’s president imposing a 50% tariff and complaining about the prosecution of his friend, former president Jair Bolsonaro, for the crime of simply trying to stay in office despite losing an election and then inciting a riot by his supporters to derail the transfer of power.Brazil’s current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, rejected Trump’s demand that the charges again...

Politics

27 h. ago Trump administration sanctions UN expert Francesca Albanese over criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza

Move against independent human rights abuses investigator represents latest US effort to punish critics of Israel’s war

Politics

32 h. ago Trump administration reportedly planning to fire 2,145 Nasa employees

Cuts further the push to slash federal government through early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignationsThe Trump administration is reportedly planning to cut at least 2,145 high-ranking Nasa employees with specialized skills or management responsibilities.According to documents obtained by Politico, most employees leaving are in senior-level government ranks, depriving the agency of decades of experience as part of a push to slash the size of the federal government through early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignations. Continue reading...

Politics

32 h. ago Trump administration reportedly planning to cut 2,145 Nasa employees

Cuts further the push to slash federal government through early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignationsThe Trump administration is reportedly planning to cut at least 2,145 high-ranking Nasa employees with specialized skills or management responsibilities.According to documents obtained by Politico, most employees leaving are in senior-level government ranks, depriving the agency of decades of experience as part of a push to slash the size of the federal government through early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignations. Continue reading...

Politics

33 h. ago Trump administration holding immigrants from 26 countries at Guantánamo prison

The increase in immigration detainees at the island prison comes as the Supreme Court has freed up the Trump administration to deport undocumented immigrants to countries beyond their nation of origin

Events

34 h. ago US issues sanctions against UN official investigating abuses in Gaza

Trump administration targets Francesca Albanese, a special rapporteur, in latest action against critics of Israel’s warThe Trump administration announced on Wednesday it was issuing sanctions against an independent official tasked with investigating human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories, the latest effort by the United States to punish critics of Israel’s 21-month war in Gaza.The state department’s decision to sanction Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, comes after a recent US pressure campaign to force the international body to remove her from her post failed. Continue reading...

Events

34 h. ago US issues sanctions against Francesca Albanese, UN official investigating abuses in Gaza

Trump administration targets special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, in latest action against critics of Israel’s warThe Trump administration announced on Wednesday it was issuing sanctions against an independent official tasked with investigating human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories, the latest effort by the United States to punish critics of Israel’s 21-month war in Gaza.The state department’s decision to sanction Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, comes after a recent US pressure campaign to force the international body to remove her from her post failed. Continue reading...

Events

36 h. ago The damning evidence that blows a hole in FBI's claims that Jeffrey Epstein didn't blackmail powerful friends

Dozens of CDs, binders, and mystery hard drives found at Jeffrey Epstein's New York mansion have cast doubt on the Trump administration's controversial memo about their review.

Events

37 h. ago US issues sanctions against UN investigator probing abuses in Gaza

The Trump administration has announced it is issuing sanctions against an independent investigator tasked with probing human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories

Events