Trump accuses ally Meloni of lacking courage for not joining attacks on Iran 14. April 2026 (19:11) Remarks come as Italian PM suspends defence agreement with Israel amid growing domestic pressure over conflictDonald Trump lashed out at one of his closest allies on Tuesday, saying Italy’s Giorgia Meloni lacked courage in light of her failure to join the US in attacking Iran.“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” the US president said in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Severe storms damage the Plains and midwest as forecasts warn of tornadoes 14. April 2026 (19:05) Thousands face power outages and a number of schools close across region as forecasters warn of hail and floodingSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA day after severe storms damaged communities in the Plains and the midwest, forecasters warned that storms could bring giant hail, tornadoes and severe wind gusts to the regions again on Tuesday afternoon and evening.Authorities in Kansas reported several people with minor injuries after storms passed through on Monday. Three people were left with minor injuries in rural Franklin county, about 50 miles (80km) south-west of Kansas City, according to the sheriff’s office. In the town of Ottawa, officials said there was structural damage, but no deaths or injuries. A National Weather Service survey team will assess damage in the Ottawa area on Tuesday to determine whether a tornado passed through there, according to Chelsea Picha, a meteorologist with the weather service’s office in Topeka. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette saved from closure by Maryland non-profit 14. April 2026 (18:59) Parent company of non-profit news website Baltimore Banner announces it acquired paper for undisclosed sumThe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which has roots that date back to 1786, was set to close next month, in a major blow to the city and a sign of the distressed state of local news. Not any more.On Tuesday, the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, the parent company of the Baltimore Banner non-profit news website in Maryland, announced it had acquired the Post-Gazette for an undisclosed sum. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Infected blood scandal compensation to rise 14. April 2026 (17:51) Additional £1bn allocated to payments for victims and their relatives, including extra £35,000 for former Treloar pupilsCompensation payments will rise for people affected by the infected blood scandal, including an extra £35,000 each for pupils who were experimented on at school without their knowledge, the paymaster general has announced. The government has allocated £1bn for the payments.The final report of the inquiry into what has been described as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history was published in May 2024. The compensation scheme that followed has also been blighted by controversy. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Group of Labour MPs proposes new policies to beat rightwing populism 14. April 2026 (17:50) The policies include a Swiss-style EU deal, lower electricity prices and reduced dependence on the USA group of Labour MPs is to propose a series of new policies to defeat rightwing populism, including a Swiss-style deal with the EU, lower electricity prices, a robust defence of climate policies and a reduced dependence on Washington.Among those contributing to a new collection of essays is the former cabinet minister Anneliese Dodds, who calls for a fundamental reappraisal of the UK-US relationship, saying alliances should be based on “a hardheaded assessment of which nations share our values and goals.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli ambassador to Germany condemns Bezalel Smotrich’s tirade against chancellor 14. April 2026 (17:45) Ron Prosor says verbal attack on Friedrich Merz referencing Nazi regime ‘erodes the memory of the Holocaust’Israel’s envoy to Germany has criticised a far-right Israeli cabinet member who made historically charged accusations against the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, saying the attack “[eroded] the memory of the Holocaust”.In a rare rebuke of a top Israeli official by an active ambassador, Ron Prosor said he wished to “unequivocally condemn” Bezalel Smotrich’s tirade against Merz, in which he made reference to the Nazi regime and said: “You will not force us into ghettos again.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Bizarre’ lack of urgency in putting UK on war footing, says defence review co-author 14. April 2026 (17:41) Fiona Hill, a former White House chief adviser, joins ex-Nato chief in criticising Starmer’s leadership on defenceUK politics live – latest updatesA co-author of Britain’s strategic defence review has joined criticism of Keir Starmer’s leadership on military policy, warning of a “bizarre” lack of urgency in defence planning.Fiona Hill, a former chief adviser to the White House on Russia, echoed the concerns of George Robertson, her co-author with Gen Richard Barrons on the strategic defence review (SDR), over what he had called the prime minister’s “corrosive complacency”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mark Carney’s Liberals secure majority, calling it Canada’s ‘time to come together’ 14. April 2026 (17:36) Byelection wins and defections push Canada’s Liberals into majority government under the prime ministerMark Carney has said he will govern with “humility, determination and a clear understanding of what this moment demands” after his Liberals swept three byelections Monday evening, forging a parliamentary majority just more than a year after he took power.Carney has achieved only the third majority government in two decades – and has done so in a highly unusual fashion, cobbling together both ballot box wins and defections from rival parties. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK’s armed forces are in a sad state – and they have only themselves to blame 14. April 2026 (17:02) The MoD shows little sign of learning from its mistakes – no wonder the Treasury is reluctant to agree to its demandsGeorge Robertson, Tony Blair’s first defence secretary, a former Nato secretary general and an author last year of the latest in a series of evasive strategic defence reviews, accused Keir Starmer on Tuesday of a “corrosive complacency towards defence”. He said the prime minister was not willing to make the “necessary investment”.Lord Robertson could have directed his fire elsewhere. He must know that no government department has been so complacent in the face of years of devastating evidence of waste, profligate contracts, and policy decisions that have avoided confronting new but increasingly clear security threats to Britain and other western countries. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Debased himself’ and risking Australia’s reputation: Liberals torn up about Taylor’s Trumpian immigration plan 14. April 2026 (17:00) Howard-era former minister Amanda Vanstone criticises parts of hardline policy but backs English language requirementGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer Howard government minister Amanda Vanstone has warned Angus Taylor against turning immigration into heavy-handed law enforcement, saying most migrants from countries run by dictators and extremists move here to escape authoritarianism.Releasing the first elements of a new hardline immigration policy on Tuesday, the opposition leader sparked criticism from refugee advocates, Pauline Hanson and even one sitting Liberal MP, who all likened the plans to policies from US president Donald Trump. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
