Sinlaku rips through Northern Mariana Islands as strongest tropical cyclone this year 15. April 2026 (16:52) More than 1,000 people were in shelters across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as Sinlaku moved awaySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxSuper Typhoon Sinlaku hammered the Northern Mariana Islands, flipping over cars, toppling utility poles and ripping away tin roofs.Authorities were just beginning to assess the damage left behind by the typhoon, which first hit the islands on Tuesday night local time and continued with a barrage of fierce winds and relentless rains for hours on Wednesday. So far, there have been no reports of deaths. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Camp Mystic official says she still hasn’t reported flood deaths to Texas agency 15. April 2026 (16:41) Camp’s medical officer testified at a hearing as state health agency reviews camp’s application to reopen this summerSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe medical officer for Camp Mystic, the Christian summer camp in Texas where 27 girls and counselors were killed in a catastrophic flood last year, testified this week she has still not officially reported the deaths to the state health agency reviewing the camp’s application to reopen.Mary Liz Eastland, a member of the family that owns and operates the camp, appeared in court this week as part of a hearing tied to a lawsuit brought by the family of eight-year-old camper Cecilia “Cile” Steward, whose body has not been found. The family is seeking to temporarily close off the camp’s flooded areas to preserve the damage as evidence while their lawsuit proceeds. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Game of Thrones and Euphoria given age ratings as BBFC deploys new AI tool 15. April 2026 (16:26) Regulator says tool, which creates reports for humans to review, has helped classify entire UK catalogue of HBO MaxTV shows including Game of Thrones and Euphoria have received age ratings for the first time in the UK, after the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) deployed an AI tool to help assess content.The BBFC has developed a tool to identify content that triggers compliance issues, such as violence, nudity and bad language. The flagged scenes are then passed over to BBFC staff for human review. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ant smuggler sentenced to a year in jail by Kenyan court 15. April 2026 (16:07) More than 2,200 ants were found in Zhang Kequn’s luggage at Nairobi airport, with baggage destined for ChinaA Chinese national has been sentenced to a year in prison and fined by a Nairobi court for attempting to smuggle thousands of ants out of Kenya, a lucrative trade in east Africa that was exposed last year.The insects are mostly destined for China, the US and Europe, where they become pets and can be worth about $100 each. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Uncharted territory’: uncertainty as US vaccine guidance falls apart under Trump 15. April 2026 (15:38) Several shots – including flu and Covid – lost their CDC recommendations under overhauls from the White HouseSeveral shots lost their recommendation from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after a judge’s stay against changes made by the Trump administration – which may affect access to the shots in some states. And no new vaccine recommendations may be made as long as the vaccines committee is halted.Access to existing vaccines – and the future development of new vaccines – has been increasingly called into question under the second Trump administration, as the now-halted Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made controversial recommendations and health officials made unilateral changes to routine vaccines, with long-term and global implications. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hungary’s prime minister-elect vows to suspend ‘propaganda machine’ state media 15. April 2026 (15:32) Péter Magyar compares media coverage to Nazi-era Germany and aims to ‘restore its public service character’Europe live – latest updatesHungary’s prime minister-elect has vowed to suspend state media news coverage, describing it as a “propaganda machine,” when his government takes office around mid-May.Péter Magyar, whose landslide election victory on Sunday brought an end to Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power, detailed his plans for the suspension as he gave two tense interviews to public radio and television on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Republicans struggle to highlight Trump’s cuts as Americans see little effect on Tax Day – US politics live 15. April 2026 (14:53) Republicans had hoped that Trump’s 2025 tax cuts would be at the forefront of voters’ minds, but many have reportedly not noticed a differenceUS taxpayers spend hundreds more on military What does strict voter ID bill mean for US democracy? Ask your questionsSign up for the Breaking News US emailAt a Turning Point USA event in Georgia on Tuesday, vice-president JD Vance was heckled by a protester who seemed to criticized the conflicts in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza.“Jesus Christ does not support genocide,” the audience member shouted. The vice-president addressed the demonstrator and agreed with their statement, before responding to further comments from the heckler who appeared to say that the administration “supports a genocide in Gaza”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hungary’s voters shunned Orbán – but it may be too early to celebrate end of Europe’s far right 15. April 2026 (14:46) Leaders of Poland and Germany hail Péter Magyar’s majority as a turning of the tide – but analysts say there were other reasons for defeat of prime ministerFor Poland’s Donald Tusk, the crushing defeat of Hungary’s illiberal prime minister, Viktor Orbán, after 16 years in office was evidence that the world was “not condemned to authoritarian and corrupt governments”.Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, also believes the two-thirds majority secured by Orbán’s centre-right challenger, Péter Magyar, in Sunday’s elections was “a clear signal against rightwing populism” that showed “the pendulum is swinging back”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Heatwave threatens to shatter high-temperature records across eastern US 15. April 2026 (14:41) Intense heat in cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC is unusual for April, weather experts sayA long-lasting weather pattern is poised to blast hot air like a furnace across the eastern United States, with the unusual heatwave threatening to shatter record high temperatures on Wednesday in big cities including New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC.The heat is unusual for April, not only because it’s scorching much of the nation so early in the year but also for its duration. The near-record temperatures are expected to last into this weekend, forecasters say. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer rejects accusation that Labour is ‘complacent’ on defence funding 15. April 2026 (14:40) PM responds to warnings by former Nato chief George Robertson, saying defence spending is increasing rapidlyUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has said he does not agree with George Robertson’s comments about the government’s “corrosive complacency” on defence funding, as the prime minister faced sustained pressure on the issue.Questioned in the Commons about the claims by Robertson, the former Labour defence secretary and Nato chief who co-authored a defence review for the government, Starmer insisted that defence spending was increasing rapidly. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
