Top World News
May 1, 2025
Trump has launched more attacks on the environment in 100 days than his first term
Blitzkrieg has hit protections in place for land, oceans, forests and wildlife, and will worsen the climate crisisDonald Trump has launched an unprecedented assault upon the environment, instigating 145 actions to undo rules protecting clean air, water and a livable climate in this administration’s first 100 days – more rollbacks than were completed in Trump’s entire first term as US president.Trump’s blitzkrieg has hit almost every major policy to shield Americans from toxic pollution, curb the worsening impacts of the climate crisis and protect landscapes, oceans, forests and imperiled wildlife. Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
Trump’s attack on federal unions a ‘test case’ for broader assault, warn lawyers
Executive order cites national security to strip bargaining rights from more than 1 million federal workersThe Trump administration is seeking to strip collective bargaining rights from large swaths of federal employees in a test case union leaders argue is part of a broader attack on US labor unions that could land before the US Supreme Court.A Trump win would deliver a severe blow to labor unions in the US. Some 29.9% of all federal workers were represented by labor unions in 2024 compared to 11.1% for all US workers. Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
Private firms look to fill research gaps left by federal grant cuts: ‘We can’t wait four years’
Trump and Musk have gut National Institutes of Health and experts are wary of private efforts’ ability to replicate public serviceThe federal government has slashed research since Donald Trump took office – hacking away at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its grants, staff and long-held partnerships with academia.Now, some private companies said they want to pick up strands of research that might have otherwise been funded by the federal government. The effort has stoked little optimism among experts, who caution that private efforts cannot remotely replicate the breadth, depth or public service provided by federal funding. Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
UK factories suffer export slump at fastest pace for five years as tariffs dent demand
Decline in output and new orders allied with rising economic and trade uncertainties are prompting layoffs, survey findsBusiness live – latest updatesBritain’s factories suffered a slump in export orders last month as Donald Trump’s globally unsettling tariff regime sent overseas demand for UK goods tumbling at the fastest pace in five years.Manufacturers reported rising economic and trade uncertainties in April as some tariffs took effect and other threatened border taxes loomed, forcing them to lay off workers for a sixth consecutive month. Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
Robert De Niro supports daughter Airyn as she comes out as trans: ‘I don’t know what the big deal is’
After her announcement of her transition, the actor said: ‘I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter’Robert De Niro has expressed support for his daughter Airyn after she came out as transgender.In a statement to Deadline, De Niro said: “I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is … I love all my children.” Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
Family owners of Bet365 weigh up potential £9bn sale of gambling empire
Exclusive: Company headed by Denise Coates holds talks with Wall Street banks about full or partial sale of assetsThe billionaire Coates family behind Bet365 are weighing up a sale of their online gambling empire that could value the business at £9bn, the Guardian has learned.The company, headed by Denise Coates, has held talks with Wall Street banks and US advisers in recent weeks about a full or partial sale, sources familiar with the matter said. Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
US and Ukraine sign minerals deal | First Thing
May 1, 2025
Coalition costings reveal larger deficit over coming two years with cuts to foreign aid and environment programs
Long-awaited costings of more than 200 policies show Coalition would gut long list of environment and clean energy programs if returned to powerElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignPolls tracker; Election guide; Interactive seat explorerParty policies; Micro parties explained; Full election coverageListen to the latest episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastA Coalition government would drive the budget deeper into deficit over the coming two years, as the shadow finance minister, Jane Hume, insisted her party’s plan to save $17.2bn by slashing the number of Canberra-based public servants by 41,000 through “natural attrition” was achievable.If returned to power, the Coalition would gut a long list of environment and clean energy programs, including scrapping the Net Zero Economy Authority, reversing Labor’s tax breaks for electric vehicles, and redirecting money slated for the home batteries program. Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
Man arrested in Japan after allegedly driving car into schoolchildren, say reports
Seven children returning from school injured in suspected deliberate attack in Osaka, according to local mediaA man has been arrested in the Japanese city of Osaka after allegedly driving his car into seven schoolchildren in a suspected deliberate attack, local media said.The children, who were on their way home from school, were injured and taken to hospital but all seven remained conscious, according to the public broadcaster NHK and other outlets. Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
US and Ukraine sign minerals deal that solidifies investment in Kyiv’s defense against Russia
Move seals a deal to create a fund the Trump administration says will begin to repay roughly $175bn provided to UkraineThe US and Kyiv have signed an agreement to share profits and royalties from the future sale of Ukrainian minerals and rare earths, sealing a deal that Donald Trump has said will provide an economic incentive for the US to continue to invest in Ukraine’s defense and its reconstruction after he brokers a peace deal with Russia.The minerals deal, which has been the subject of tense negotiations for months and nearly fell through hours before it was signed, will establish a US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund that the Trump administration has said will begin to repay an estimated $175bn in aid provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the war. Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
Bennelong candidate appears to distance himself from Liberal party with Chinese-language ad
Exclusive: WeChat ad narrow-cast to Chinese-Australian community spruiks Scott Yung’s ‘independent thinking’Election 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignPolls tracker; Election guide; Interactive seat explorerParty policies; Micro parties explained; Full election coverageListen to the latest episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastThe Liberal candidate for Bennelong, Scott Yung, appears to be distancing himself from the party as a paid ad tells the Chinese-Australian diaspora that he does not “blindly follow” instructions, highlighting his previous criticism of Scott Morrison.A Chinese language ad, launched on the Australian Financial News WeChat page on Thursday morning, carried the headline “He once publicly criticised his party leader” and highlighted Yung’s “independent thinking”.Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
Coalition plans to have two nuclear power plants operating by mid-2030s – as it happened
This blog is now closedCoalition costings reveal larger deficit over coming two years with cuts to foreign aid and environment programsPolls tracker; Election guide; Interactive seat explorerParty policies; Micro parties explained; Full election coverageListen to the latest episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastDutton’s Wednesday night visit to KooyongLast night, Peter Dutton was in the inner Melbourne seat of Kooyong, held by independent Monique Ryan. Continue reading...
May 1, 2025
Dutton says Labor’s super plan is a ‘quasi inheritance tax’. What’s going on?
Many countries impose a form of inheritance tax on deceased estates, but does Albanese’s policy fit the bill?Election 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignPolls tracker; Election guide; Interactive seat explorerParty policies; Micro parties explained; Full election coverageListen to the latest episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastPeter Dutton has described Labor’s plan to reduce tax breaks on superannuation balances larger than $3m as a “quasi inheritance tax”.The description was made days out from polling day, as the major parties tore apart their opponent’s policies in a last-ditch effort to win votes.Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Continue reading...
