Ministers delaying inquiry into treatment of migrant carers, RCN says | Care workers

Ministers are dragging their heels on an investigation into the mistreatment of migrant carers, the country’s largest nursing union has said, as it continues to receive complaints about low pay, substandard accommodation and illegal fees. Nicola Ranger, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, has written to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, to … Read more

Taiwan hails ‘historic’ TSMC deal with US, but will it lose the ‘silicon shield’ protecting it from China? | Taiwan

TSMC’s chief executive, CC Wei, smiled broadly as he stood next to Donald Trump in the White House on Monday, announcing what he said was the biggest foreign direct investment on US soil in history. His company – the producer of most of the world’s most advanced semiconductors – would boost its existing $65bn US … Read more

‘There’s no other solution’: Polish abortion centre opens in challenge to strict laws | Poland

They poured on to streets across Poland in their hundreds of thousands, carrying placards reading “The revolution has a uterus” and “My body, my choice”. In late 2023 they helped vote in a prime minister who promised a swift overhaul of the country’s draconian abortion laws. Now, after more than a year of stalled promises, … Read more

Inside the Islamic State prisons the west is trying to forget – podcast | Islamic State

A few weeks ago, Michael Safi travelled to north-east Syria, an area controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Here, suspected foreign fighters for Islamic State – including those from Britain – have for years been imprisoned without charge and with no idea of when they would be released. Few prisoners in the camp say … Read more

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