Cyclone Alfred update: more than 70,000 in two states without power as winds and torrential rain batter Australia’s coast | Tropical Cyclone Alfred

More than 70,000 people in two states have lost power, as damaging winds, huge waves and heavy rainfall from the approaching Tropical Cyclone Alfred begin to batter coastal communities. Forecasters say Tropical Cyclone Alfred might make a “prolonged” coastal crossing, as the category two storm moves slowly towards landfall in southeast Queensland. The Bureau of … Read more

US to revoke student visas over ‘pro-Hamas’ social media posts flagged by AI – report | US news

The US state department will use artificial intelligence to revoke visas of foreign students who it perceives as supporters of Hamas, Axios reported on Thursday, citing senior state department officials. Donald Trump signed an executive order in January to combat antisemitism and has pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in … Read more

London air pollution down since Ulez extended to outer boroughs, study finds | Low emission zones

People in London have been breathing significantly cleaner air since the expansion of the ultra low emission zone (Ulez), a study has found. Levels of deadly pollutants that are linked to a wide range of health problems – from cancer to impaired lung development, heart attacks to premature births – have dropped, with some of … Read more

Migrants and refugee families in the UK denied childcare funding, report finds | Immigration and asylum

Tens of thousands of children in migrant and refugee families in the UK are being denied access to government-funded childcare because of benefit restrictions linked to their parents’ immigration status, a report says. Having “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) means parents are not entitled to 30 hours of free childcare and are having to … Read more

Newsom condemned for ‘throwing trans people under bus’ after sports comment | Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California believed to be eyeing a run for president in 2028, is facing fierce backlash from LGBTQ+ rights advocates after his suggestion that the participation of transgender women and girls to compete in female sports was “deeply unfair”. In the inaugural episode of his podcast, This is Gavin, the … Read more

St Vincent and the Grenadines buys island central to Garifuna culture | St Vincent and the Grenadines

Members of the Garifuna community are celebrating “a historic and long-awaited victory” after the Caribbean nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) announced the purchase of a privately owned island where thousands of their ancestors perished from disease and starvation. The uninhabited island of Baliceaux has long held great significance for the Garifuna people, … Read more

Thirteen Syrian security officers killed in clashes with Assad loyalists | Syria

Thirteen Syrian security officers have been killed in clashes with remnants of the Assad regime in the deadliest attack against the country’s new authorities since the dictator was toppled. Armed men attacked checkpoints and security officers in the coastal town of Jableh and the countryside of Latakia province, as part of a “premeditated” attack on … Read more