Democrats won the redistricting fight in Virginia. Was Trump’s gerrymandering war all for nothing? 22. April 2026 (19:50) The Democratic counteroffensive to GOP efforts to redraw maps sets the stage for Republicans to lose in the midtermsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxMonths into his second term, Donald Trump wagered that he could beat the historic trend of the party in power losing seats in midterm elections if Republican-led states redrew congressional maps to sweep Democrats out of office.The gamble is looking to be a bust, or at best a draw, for the president, after Democrats fought back with their own redistricting efforts, the latest of which came to fruition in Virginia on Tuesday, when voters approved a plan that could remove all but one of the five Republicans in its current House of Representatives delegation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
RFK Jr faces intense questions in US Senate on measles and flu deaths 22. April 2026 (19:43) Health secretary says ‘I had nothing to do with the measles outbreak’ and claims to support measles and MMR vaccinesThe health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, faced intense questioning from several US senators on Wednesday during a hearing largely focused on how the administration has responded to the measles outbreak and the spread of vaccine misinformation.In his opening remarks to the Senate finance committee, the senator Ron Wyden criticized Kennedy’s messaging on vaccines, saying: “When it comes to vaccines, Robert Kennedy has used this once-in-a-lifetime platform to make parents doubt themselves and doubt their doctors,” before adding: “The secretary has ducked, bobbed and weaved without taking the responsibility of saying what needs to be said: vaccines save lives in America.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tourist charged with damaging historic Florentine fountain in pre-wedding prank 22. April 2026 (19:42) Police catch woman, 28, climbing colossal 16th-century statue of Neptune to touch its genitals as a dareA tourist has been charged after allegedly climbing a colossal marble statue in Florence to touch its genitals for a pre-wedding prank.Experts said the woman caused thousands of euros of damage to the Neptune fountain in Piazza della Signoria. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Impossible’ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ‘flagrant’ ceasefire breaches, Iran says 22. April 2026 (19:31) Iranian forces seize two ships in critical waterway as Washington and Tehran maintain separate blockadesMiddle East crisis – live updatesIranian forces have seized two ships in the strait of Hormuz as the US and Iran doubled down on imposing separate blockades of the shipping waterway.The standoff over the strait – through which about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied fossil gas passed through during peacetime – has raised doubts about whether stalled peace negotiations will resume. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Virginia votes on new congressional map with control of House at stake 22. April 2026 (19:25) Backed by Abigail Spanberger, the measure could boost Democrats and counter Donald Trump’s redistricting pushVirginia voters will decide on Tuesday whether to adopt new congressional maps that could help Democrats win control of the House of Representatives and scuttle Donald Trump’s effort to use mid-decade redistricting to preserve Republican control of Congress.Polls show the referendum to redraw the maps has only a narrow lead in a state that Kamala Harris won two years ago. The issue appears to have engaged many voters, with nearly more than 1.37m ballots cast in early voting. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
British woman died in Ghana trying to recoup money from scammers, inquest told 22. April 2026 (18:13) Janet Fordham died in crash after travelling to see man who claimed he would help to recover money from earlier scamsA British woman who was scammed out of up to £1m in a string of so-called romance frauds died in a road crash after travelling to west Africa to try to recoup some of her lost fortune, an inquest in Devon has heard.Janet Fordham was cheated of her life savings and her home over a period of five years by fraudsters apparently based in the UK, Germany, the US and Ghana, the inquest in Exeter was told. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Two are stronger than one’: Boston Marathon duo praised for helping struggling runner cross finish line 22. April 2026 (18:07) Ajay Haridasse needed assistance at 26-mile markAaron Beggs and Robson De Oliveira came to aidA pair of Boston Marathon runners who teamed up to help a fellow athlete across the race’s finish line have been praised for their “beautiful moment” of sportsmanship.Ajay Haridasse, a 21-year-old university student from Wakefield, Massachusetts, found himself stumbling after passing the 26-mile mark in Monday’s race. After falling for a fourth time, he was “getting ready to crawl” to the finish line, Haridasse told the Boston Herald. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Roman Abramovich takes Jersey to European human rights court over Chelsea sale proceeds 22. April 2026 (18:02) Lawyers for oligarch claim freezing of £5.3bn of assets ‘unfair and abusive’ amid row over use of funds for Ukraine Roman Abramovich has gone to the European court of human rights (ECHR), claiming that a criminal investigation into his financial affairs by the Jersey authorities has breached his human rights, according to reports.The former owner of Chelsea FC, who is sanctioned in the UK over his links to Vladimir Putin, is under investigation in Jersey over allegations of corruption and money laundering. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour MP calls for Starmer’s resignation to end ‘psychodrama’ – UK politics live 22. April 2026 (18:01) Jonathan Brash says ‘own goals’ are distracting from Labour’s achievementsUK inflation accelerated to 3.3% in March after the Iran war triggered the biggest jump in fuel prices for more than three years, Richard Partington reports.Today the Liberal Democrats staged a photocall to publicise their line about this being “Trumpflation”. Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem deputy leader and Treasury spokesperson, said:People across our country have been struggling for years with a devastating cost-of-living crisis and Donald Trump’s idiotic war in Iran has added to it. The cost of fuel is soaring, mortgage rates are rising and fixed energy deals are already going up by hundreds of pounds.But what is utterly inexcusable is that there are politicians in this country - Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch - who are happy to cheerlead Donald Trump as he hikes people’s bills. All the while this Labour government promised to fix the country but instead we’ve got political Groundhog Day: yet more sleaze and scandal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Billionaire sues digital currency venture co-founded by Trump and sons for illegal account freezing 22. April 2026 (17:58) Justin Sun alleges World Liberty Financial installed tools to prevent sale of his tokens after they became tradeableBillionaire crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun on Tuesday sued World Liberty Financial, the digital currency venture co-founded by Donald Trump and his sons, alleging that World Liberty illegally froze his holdings of tokens issued by the company.Sun, the largest investor in World Liberty, alleged in the lawsuit, filed in a federal court in California, that the company secretly installed tools to prevent the sale of his tokens after they became tradeable in September 2025. The lawsuit also alleges that World Liberty threatened to “burn” – or permanently delete – his holdings, even while they were in Sun’s digital wallet. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
