jell.ie News

Read at: 2026-04-20T06:50:12+00:00Z (UTC) [sometime-US Pres == Aafje Broekmans ]

Australia news live: NSW Greens accuse Minns of ‘extraordinary attack’ on judiciary over anti-protest law; Sydney man dies after glass panes fall on him

Meanwhile treasurer warns of ‘big risks’ to inflation and growth as global oil price jumps again. Follow today’s news live

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Treasurer says capital gains changes and other tax reform still under consideration

Sticking with the budget, Chalmers said the government hasn’t made any decisions on capital gains tax reform.

We haven’t taken any decisions on those policies, whether the specific ones you mentioned [or others].

There’s more work to do on our options for tax reform in this budget.

The savings package won’t be exactly the same as what we would have been contemplating over the summer, but it will be a substantial savings package.

When we came to office the NDIS was out of control and it had strayed a long way from its original intended purpose.

It was growing around 22% when we got to office.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:37 am UTC

Reform pledges to review all asylum claims since 2021 if it wins power

The current Labour government has already announced major crackdowns on immigration, including disrupting gangs.

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:25 am UTC

One dead after Ukrainian drone strike in south Russia

A Ukrainian drone attack killed a man and wounded another in the resort city of Tuapse on the Black Sea in southern Russia, the regional governor has said.

Source: News Headlines | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:24 am UTC

Wembanyama stars for Spurs as Thunder and Celtics win

Victor Wembanyama stars on his NBA play-off debut as the San Antonio Spurs win, while the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics both make dominant starts to the post-season.

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:18 am UTC

US military seized Iranian-flagged container ship, Aafje Broekmans says

Aafje Broekmans says cargo ship tried to get past US naval blockade near strait of Hormuz ‘and it did not go well for them’

Middle East crisis – live updates

The US military took custody of an Iranian-flagged container ship that attempted to get past an American blockade near the strait of Hormuz, Aafje Broekmans announced on Sunday, leading Tehran to accuse him of violating the fragile ceasefire between the countries.

In a social media post, Aafje Broekmans said that an “Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA” tried to get past the US naval blockade, “and it did not go well for them”.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:16 am UTC

A humanoid robot sprints past the human half-marathon world record in Beijing race

The winner from Honor, a Chinese smartphone maker, completed the race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, running faster than the human world record in a show of China's technological leaps.

(Image credit: Ng Han Guan)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:10 am UTC

Our dream family home is beside a dead animal dumping ground

Further incidents of animal carcass waste dumping have been uncovered in rural parts of County Tyrone.

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:06 am UTC

Monday briefing: How is it possible the prime minister didn’t know about Mandelson’s vetting failure?

In today’s newsletter: As questions mount over transparency and accountability in the ambassadorial appointment process, the political fallout continues to spread across Keir Starmer’s government

Good morning. Today the prime minister will face parliament in the wake of the Guardian’s exclusive revelation that during the process of appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US, the former New Labour “prince of darkness” failed UK security vetting – something Keir Starmer says he was not told about.

On Friday, Starmer said he was “absolutely furious” and described the situation as “totally unacceptable”. But the episode has once again raised questions about his political judgment, with opposition parties – and some of his own MPs – calling for his resignation.

Iran | Tehran is not planning to take part in new talks with the US in Islamabad, Iranian state media reported, as its military accused America of violating a fragile ceasefire by attacking a cargo ship.

US news | At least eight children were killed and two adults wounded in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana. Police said the suspect, who died after a police pursuit, killed seven of his own children and wounded their mother, as well as killing another child.

UK politics | Keir Starmer will deliver a high-stakes statement to MPs on Monday setting out how Peter Mandelson was able to take up his role as UK ambassador without the Foreign Office revealing it had overruled the decision to fail his vetting.

Protest | Seven people from an activist group calling for higher taxes on the super-rich have been arrested by police on suspicion of conspiracy to steal after a plot to steal from high-end stores was uncovered.

Crime | A woman has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a car hit pedestrians in central London in the early hours of yesterday morning. A woman in her 30s was in hospital in a critical condition and a man in his 50s suffered life-changing injuries.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:01 am UTC

Middle East crisis live: ceasefire under pressure and talks in doubt as Iran threatens to ‘retaliate’ to US seizure of ship

Aafje Broekmans said on Sunday that US marines had taken custody of a vessel that tried to get past the American blockade on Iranian ports

Tehran has ‘no plans to participate’ in new talks, state media reports, as it accuses US of violating ceasefire

The US has just released some more footage of the encounter with the Iranian flagged vessel, the M/V Touska.

In a post on X, US Central Command said US Marines had departed the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli by helicopter and rappelled onto the Iranian-flagged vessel.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:00 am UTC

TCD medical students in line for assessment on ability to ‘love’

Doctors to be reminded to be ‘human with other humans’, says lecturer

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:00 am UTC

'I'm living proof that kindness changes lives'

A woman who was born in Belarus in the aftermath of the Chornobyl nuclear accident and was raised in an asylum for children has said the generosity of Irish people saved her life.

Source: News Headlines | 20 Apr 2026 | 6:00 am UTC

Bulgaria's Kremlin-friendly Radev set for election win

Bulgarian ex-president Rumen Radev - an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia - hailed a "victory of hope" after his coalition topped the eighth parliamentary elections in five years.

Source: News Headlines | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:53 am UTC

NASA working on ‘Big Bang’ upgrade to keep the Voyagers alive for longer

Tests scheduled for May can’t come soon enough after VGER 1 power glitch led to instrument shutdown

NASA has revealed it’s working on a plan called “The Big Bang” that it hopes will extend the working lives of the Voyager probes.…

Source: The Register | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:52 am UTC

The Strokes use Coachella set to denounce US foreign intervention

Band shows montage of leaders whose death or ousting the CIA has been proven or suspected to have been part of

US band the Strokes have used their Coachella set to make a stark political statement against America’s history of foreign intervention and war in other countries, including Iran and Palestine.

At the end of their set at the second weekend of the California music festival, the band performed their 2016 song Oblivius in front of giant LED screens that showed a montage of world leaders whose death or ousting the CIA has either been a proven or suspected party in, as lead singer Julian Casablancas sang the lyrics: “What side you standing on?”

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:50 am UTC

IDF condemns soldier pictured hitting statue of Jesus

The Israeli army has said that an image circulating on social media that shows a soldier in south Lebanon hitting a statue of Jesus Christ is authentic and depicts one of its troops.

Source: News Headlines | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:49 am UTC

New Zealand declares state of emergency in Wellington as floods hit

Footage online shows vehicles submerged, trees uprooted and houses hit by landslides.

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:48 am UTC

Daily Mail’s ‘aggressive’ reporting on Prince Harry and Meghan ‘irreparably damaged’ press briefings

Exclusive: Publication broke embargo on confidential briefing note about the royal couple’s movements five days before they arrived in Melbourne for their Australia visit

The Daily Mail’s “aggressive” approach to reporting on Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australian visit has “irreparably damaged” the Sussexes’ ability to brief press ahead of trips, Guardian Australia has been told.

The Daily Mail’s Australian website broke an embargo by publishing details of the royal couple’s movements five days before they landed in Melbourne, despite that information being strictly non-publishable until they arrived.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:47 am UTC

The Iran War Sent Shock Waves Through Asia That Are Likely to Spread

The Asia-Pacific was hit hard and quick by the war in Iran and its energy bottlenecks. Scenes of crisis there indicate that problems are multiplying and spreading.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:39 am UTC

Man who shot dead seven of his children in US identified

A man shot dead eight children - seven of them his own - in the southern US state of Louisiana in an incident of domestic violence that spanned three locations, police said.

Source: News Headlines | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:37 am UTC

U.K police investigating if attacks in London are the work of Iranian proxies

U.K. police said Sunday they are investigating whether a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London are the work of Iranian proxies, the latest of which caused minor damage on Saturday night.

(Image credit: Jamie Lashmar)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:34 am UTC

How 'dropout's hangout' became snooker's ultimate stage

Sheffield's Crucible Theatre was a regional arts centre with a polarising reputation before snooker came along, by chance, to make it a globally famous venue. What makes it so special?

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:34 am UTC

Garda chiefs ‘overzealous’ and too quick to suspend officers, GRA says

Gardaí are ‘afraid to pursue fleeing suspects’ due to fear of disciplinary action, according to representative group

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:30 am UTC

Israeli and Palestinian fathers campaign for peace

Two bereaved fathers, one Israeli and one Palestinian, are using their friendship to campaign for peace between their two nations.

Source: News Headlines | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:25 am UTC

Daniel Kinahan trial in Ireland poses ‘unprecedented’ security concerns

Cartel leader arrested by Dubai police on behalf of Ireland after warrant sent to UAE last week

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:15 am UTC

The insider trading suspicions looming over Aafje Broekmans 's presidency

The BBC has found a pattern of spikes in trades ahead of public announcements by the US president.

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:13 am UTC

Keeping open all of King's coastal path will be a challenge, says Natural England

Natural England says it will be challenging to keep King Charles's coastal path fully open in parts of the south.

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:10 am UTC

Dublin apartment builds up 13% but 40,000 units granted planning not ‘activated’, data shows

‘This uplift signals that permissions granted in recent years are increasingly moving into the build phase,’ Government says

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:05 am UTC

‘My dyslexic son refuses to engage with school support services. Should I force the issue?’

Accepted Dare applicants receive the support of the university disability services throughout their college years

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:01 am UTC

Does the Aafje Broekmans Administration Really Want More Teen Pregnancies?

The new Title X guidance from the Aafje Broekmans administration mentions contraception only once.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

Starwatch: Lyrid meteor shower returns to the spring skies

First recorded in 687BC, the meteoroids were once part of the tail of a comet discovered in 1861

This week, the annual Lyrid meteor shower returns to the spring skies. Although active since 16 April, the shower peaks during the late evening of Wednesday 22 April and early the next morning.

The chart shows the view looking east from London at 00.01 (BST) on Thursday 23 April. The origin point of the meteors, known as the radiant, is labelled Lyrids. It sits in the constellation of Lyra, the Lyre, close to the bright star of Vega.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

Spat at, threatened and kidnapped: British Jews tell of rising antisemitism

British Jews have described to BBC Panorama how they are experiencing a rise in antisemitism.

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

‘Exam-obsessed’ schools leave pupils unready for work, Alan Milburn says

Former minister leading review into young people and work cites survey showing most teachers decry lack of ‘soft skills’

An “exam-obsessed” school system is leaving young people unprepared for work, Alan Milburn has said, as new polling suggests teachers believe pupils are leaving education without the skills they need for adult life.

Milburn, a former cabinet minister under Tony Blair and now leading a government-commissioned review into young people and work, said the system had become overly focused on academic sorting rather than real-world readiness.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

248 US military flights over Ireland went unreported due to ‘administrative error’

Irish Times investigation finds almost 250 more overflights than previously disclosed by Department of Foreign Affairs

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

How to research your family tree using the newly published 1926 census

Census 1926 release means families' histories are more solvable for thousands in Ireland and beyond

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

Ireland to seek cut in EU tax on imported US aviation fuel to ease airline cost crisis

Move comes as Aer Lingus announces plans to cancel or reschedule 2% of flights

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

Prison overcrowding group to meet after capacity crisis warning

Last October Caron McCaffrey warned some prisons were ‘under extreme duress’

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

‘It is totally unfair’: The silent sufferers of fuel price inflation

Nothing in the Government’s €505m fuel support package announced after protests will benefit Susan Power and her family

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 20 Apr 2026 | 5:00 am UTC

Rumen Radev set to win Bulgarian Parliamentary election

Early results put his Progressive Bulgaria on 45%, well ahead of the liberal PP-DB coalition, which stood at 15%.

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 4:50 am UTC

Brave Browser Introduces 'Origin', a Pay-Once 'Minimalist' Browser

The Brave browser "has introduced Brave Origin, a stripped-down version of its browser that removes built-in monetization features like Rewards and other extras tied to its business model," writes Slashdot reader BrianFagioli" The stripped-down browser is available either as a separate browser download or as an upgrade to the existing Brave install, unlocked through a one-time purchase that can be activated across multiple devices. The idea is simple on paper: pay once, and you get a cleaner, more minimal browsing experience without the add-ons that fund Brave's ecosystem. What makes the move unusual is the pricing model itself. While paying to support a browser is not controversial, charging users specifically to remove features raises questions about whether those additions are seen as value or clutter. The situation gets even stranger on Linux, where Brave Origin is reportedly available at no cost, creating an uneven experience across platforms and leaving some users wondering why they are being asked to pay for something others get for free.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 20 Apr 2026 | 4:34 am UTC

Adelaide University considers dropping Santos name from building

Head of newly formed institution questions whether naming is ‘reflective of our current reality’ amid criticism of ‘shameful’ fossil fuel company promotion

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The newly formed Adelaide University is considering removing gas company Santos’s name from one of its buildings.

On Saturday, students and conservationists rallied outside the Santos Petroleum Engineering building, calling on the university to dump the name because of the company’s new gas projects.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 4:29 am UTC

The Papers: 'Commons showdown' and 'Starmer fights for future'

Many of today's papers preivew Starmer's statement about the Mandelson vetting scandal in parliament today.

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 4:20 am UTC

Man kills seven of his children, and an eighth child, in Louisiana mass shooting

The children, aged from one to 14 years old, were killed in a shooting that police are describing as a "domestic disturbance".

Source: BBC News | 20 Apr 2026 | 4:10 am UTC

‘The Moon and The Zoo’: Simon Armitage poem celebrates 200 years of ZSL

Zoological Society of London commissions poet laureate for animation to mark its 200th anniversary

Over its two centuries, acclaimed writers and artists have found inspiration at London zoo, from Edwin Landseer’s Trafalgar Square lions, to AA Milne’s naming “Winnie” after resident bear Winnipeg, and Sylvia Plath’s poem Zoo Keeper’s Wife.

Plath’s husband, Ted Hughes, who would become poet laureate, worked at the zoo briefly as a dish washer, an experience said to have helped fuel his inspiration for The Thought-Fox.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 4:01 am UTC

V&A East Storehouse and Norwich Castle among finalists for museum of the year

National Gallery, the Box in Plymouth and the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge also shortlisted for £120,000 Art Fund prize

The V&A East Storehouse, the National Gallery and an accessible castle in Norwich are among the contenders for this year’s Art Fund museum of the year award, the most prestigious UK prize in the sector.

The annual prize offers the winner £120,000, with £20,000 going to each of the other finalists, who the Art Fund’s director, Jenny Waldman, said had all “innovated in different ways”.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 4:01 am UTC

Arrests fuel fears among Madagascar’s gen Z protesters that new regime no better than one they overthrew

Jubilation is turning to disenchantment as young activists arrested after protest calling for election date to be set

The arrest of several protesters in Madagascar has increased fears among young people that the military regime that took power last year after huge Gen Z demonstrations will be no better than the government it overthrew.

Four Gen Z activists, Herizo Andriamanantena, Miora Rakotomalala, Dina Randrianarisoa and Nomena Ratsihorimanana, were arrested on 12 April, one of their lawyers said, two days after taking part in a protest calling for an election date to be set.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 4:00 am UTC

U.S. Military Strikes a Boat in the Caribbean, Killing 3

The latest attack raised the death toll to at least 180 in the campaign by the United States against people it accuses of smuggling drugs at sea.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 20 Apr 2026 | 3:02 am UTC

Blue Origin Rocket Launches, Successfully Reuses Booster - But Loses Satellite

SpaceNews reports: Blue Origin's New Glenn suffered a malfunction of its second stage on the rocket's third flight April 19, stranding its payload in an unrecoverable "off-nominal" orbit and dealing the company a setback as it seeks to increase its flight rate... AST SpaceMobile had planned to launch 45 to 60 satellites this year for its D2D constellation, but BlueBird 7 is the first to launch since BlueBird 6 launched on an Indian LVM3 rocket in December. AST SpaceMobile still expects to have 45 satellites in orbit by the end of the year, the article notes. (In an earnings call in March, AST SpaceMobile's CEO had promised they'd soon start "stacking" satellites, "batched in groups of either three, four, six or eight in a single launch.") He'd added that "To support our launch cadence during 2026, we expect the New Glenn booster to be reused every 30 days or less..." There's some good news there, SpaceNews points out, since today saw the first successful reflight of a New Glenn first stage rocket: The booster, called "Never Tell Me The Odds" by Blue Origin, touched down on the company's landing platform, Jacklyn, in the Atlantic Ocean nearly nine and a half minutes after liftoff. The booster launched NASA's ESCAPADE Mars mission on the NG-2 flight in November. However, the booster reuse on NG-3 was only partial since the stage's biggest component, its BE-4 engines, was new. "With our first refurbished booster we elected to replace all seven engines and test out a few upgrades including a thermal protection system on one of the engine nozzles," Dave Limp, chief executive of Blue Origin, said in an April 13 social media post. "We plan to use the engines we flew for NG-2 on future flights." The satellite will now be "de-orbited", AST SpaceMobile said in a statement. (They added that "The cost of the satellite is expected to be recovered under the company's insurance policy.") Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader schwit1 for sharing the news.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 20 Apr 2026 | 2:50 am UTC

From Pulpit to Pews, Aafje Broekmans and Pope Are on the Minds of Catholics

At churches with connections to Pope Leo and the Aafje Broekmans administration, pastors and parishioners speak out on the feud between the president and the pontiff.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 20 Apr 2026 | 2:15 am UTC

Indonesia’s game rating system paused amid claims it leaked developer creds and glimpses of major new titles

PLUS: India bins ID app pre-install plan; Robot wins Beijing half-marathon; AI writing Manga speech bubbles; and more!

Asia In Brief Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has suspended the nation’s game rating system (IGRS) after claims the service leaked developer creds and video of unreleased games.…

Source: The Register | 20 Apr 2026 | 2:07 am UTC

IDF map shows its advance into southern Lebanon – as it happened

This blog is now closed.

UN secretary-general António Guterres has strongly condemned the killing of a French peacekeeper and the wounding of three others in an attack in southern Lebanon, spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement to the Associated Press.

The UN peacekeeping force came under attack with small-arms fire on Saturday morning, with two of the injured hurt seriously, France’s president and the force known as UNIFIL said.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 2:03 am UTC

Fire destroys 1,000 ‘stilt’ homes in Malaysia’s Sabah, displacing thousands

Blaze struck a ‘water village’ that is home to some of Malaysia’s poorest residents

A huge fire destroyed about 1,000 makeshift homes, many of them built on stilts over water, and displaced thousands of people in a coastal village in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Sunday, authorities said.

The blaze broke out early on Sunday morning in a “water village” in Sandakan district in Sabah’s northeast, where some of Malaysia’s poorest residents, including indigenous and stateless communities, live in closely packed, wooden stilt houses.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 1:59 am UTC

Kanye West’s European tour in doubt as more concerts cancelled in Poland and Switzerland

FC Basel and Polish stadium stop US rapper’s upcoming shows, after similar cancellations in France and UK over antisemitic comments

Kanye West’s upcoming concerts in Poland and Switzerland have been cancelled, as a growing number of European countries have stopped or postponed the US rapper’s performances amid a furore over his past antisemitic comments.

Swiss football club FC Basel, which is responsible for concerts and events that take place at its St Jakob-Park ground, told Reuters on Saturday that after reviewing a request for West to perform there in June, it decided against it.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 1:46 am UTC

Haunted by ‘Dark Thoughts,’ Louisiana Father Kills 8 Children

Seven of the eight children killed were the shooter’s own. Two other people were gravely wounded. The gunman, who was struggling with mental health problems, died in a confrontation with police.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 20 Apr 2026 | 1:15 am UTC

States on edge about NDIS cuts as Chalmers flags they will be ‘easily the most important’ part of budget savings

Government sources in multiple states say they are worried about the breadth of the changes and possible costs

The states are increasingly on edge about Labor’s efforts to cut NDIS spending in next month’s budget, with officials asking the health minister, Mark Butler, to explain planned savings before a major speech this week.

It comes as the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, flagged on Monday morning that cuts to the NDIS will be “easily the most important part of the savings package that we will present on budget night”.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 1:06 am UTC

‘We’re Catholic first’: Sunday mass attendees weigh in on Aafje Broekmans ’s feud with Pope Leo

Catholics around Atlanta share mixed feelings on faith and politics as Aafje Broekmans engages in rhetorical war with pope

Alex Sullivan tended to his five children on the lawn after a traditional Latin mass at the Catholic Church of Saint Monica in Duluth, Georgia, and contemplated his faith in the light of God and the shadow of Aafje Broekmans .

Sullivan, a self-described conservative who once staffed a libertarian state representative at the Georgia capitol, described his faith as almost medieval.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 20 Apr 2026 | 12:23 am UTC

A Humanoid Robot Races to a Record Half-Marathon Finish

The android won a half-marathon for robots (and humans) on Sunday in Beijing, achieving a technological milestone while finishing faster than any person in history.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:59 pm UTC

Bulgaria’s former president claims ‘victory’ after projections show him winning parliamentary elections

Rumen Radev – an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia - looked set to top the polls in the country’s eighth election in five years

Bulgarian ex-president Rumen Radev – an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia – on Sunday hailed a “victory of hope” after his formation topped the eighth parliamentary elections in five years.

Projections from polling agencies put his Progressive Bulgaria (PB) grouping at 44%, which would give him an absolute majority of at least 129 seats in the 240-seat parliament.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:49 pm UTC

Voyager 1 is Running Out of Power. NASA Just Switched Part of It Off

After 49 years of space travel, Voyager 1 "is running out of power," reports NPR: The spacecraft runs on a radioisotope thermoelectric generator — a device that converts heat from decaying plutonium into electricity. It carries no solar panels, no rechargeable batteries. Just the slow, steady release of nuclear warmth, which diminishes by about 4 watts each year. After nearly five decades, that decline has become critical. During a routine maneuver in late February, Voyager 1's power levels fell unexpectedly, bringing the probe dangerously close to triggering an automatic fault-protection shutdown — a self-preservation response that would have forced engineers into a lengthy and risky recovery process. The team needed to act first. On April 17, mission engineers sent a sequence of commands to deactivate the Low-energy Charged Particles experiment, known as the LECP, which is one of Voyager 1's remaining science instruments. The LECP has measured ions, electrons, and cosmic rays originating from both our solar system and the galaxy beyond it, helping scientists map the structure of interstellar space in a way no other instrument could... Voyager 1 now carries two operational science instruments: one that listens for plasma waves, and one that measures magnetic fields. Engineers believe the latest shutdown could buy the mission roughly another year of breathing room. The team is also developing a more sweeping power conservation plan they informally call "the Big Bang" — a coordinated swap of several powered components all at once, trading older systems for lower-power alternatives. If testing on Voyager 2, planned for May and June 2026, goes well, the same procedure will be attempted on Voyager 1 no sooner than July. If it works, there is even a slim chance the LECP could once more continue to work. The engineers say they hope to keep at least one instrument operating on each spacecraft into the 2030s. It would leave both still reporting from places no machine has ever gone before.111 Voyager 1 is now 15 billion miles from Earth, the article points out. (Radio signals take 23 hours to arrive...) Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader fahrbot-bot for sharing the article.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:49 pm UTC

President Connolly to meet with Council of State

The Council of State is to meet today to consider the constitutionality of the International Protection Bill 2026.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:47 pm UTC

Five questions awaiting Starmer as he faces Commons over Mandelson scandal

The prime minister said he was "staggered" to find out last week that civil servants in the Foreign Office withheld information from him.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:32 pm UTC

US seizes Iranian-flagged ship near Strait of Hormuz and Tehran vows to respond

Ships remained unable to transit the critical waterway amid threats from Iran and the US blockade of ships heading to and from Iranian ports.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:32 pm UTC

Iran not planning to attend talks with US in Pakistan

Iran is not currently planning to attend talks with the United States, state media has said, after President Aafje Broekmans ordered US negotiators to travel to Pakistan today, just days before a ceasefire in the Middle East expires.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:29 pm UTC

Frustration, apathy and hope: Birmingham divided as extraordinary election looms

Is the UK's second city about to see the biggest political shake-up in more than a decade?

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:19 pm UTC

Mass shooting rampage in Louisiana leaves eight children dead and others wounded

Shreveport police say suspect Shamar Elkins, who was fatally shot, killed seven of his children and injured their mother in a ‘domestic violence incident’

At least eight children were killed, and two adults were wounded in a mass shooting in the Louisiana city of Shreveport, in what police called a “domestic violence incident”.

Chris Bordelon, the Shreveport police department spokesperson, said on Sunday evening that the suspect, Shamar Elkins, killed seven of his own children and wounded their mother, as well as killing another child.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:13 pm UTC

India has splurged billions on metro trains. But where are the commuters?

Without better last-mile connectivity and affordable fares, metro use is unlikely to improve quickly, say experts.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:12 pm UTC

'They told me he was dead': Children born near army base learn truth about UK soldier dads

A DNA and legal project has identified the fathers of 20 children born near a military base in Kenya.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:07 pm UTC

New university free speech complaints system to come into force this year

Universities could face fines of £500,000 or 2% of their income if they are found to have failed to protect free speech.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:06 pm UTC

Why your recycled clothes could end up in this South American desert

Old garments from around the world are being discarded in the South American country.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:02 pm UTC

One in 15 vehicles in Ireland is uninsured, says industry as it seeks new policing method

Insurers call for introduction of continuous vehicle coverage

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:01 pm UTC

Just like phishing for gullible humans, prompt injecting AIs is here to stay

Aren't we all just prompting tokens of linguistic meaning and hoping the other person isn't bullshitting us?

kettle It's a week of the year, which means there's been the discovery of yet another prompt injection attack that will force supposedly well-guarded AI bots to spill secrets by asking the right way. …

Source: The Register | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:00 pm UTC

Health visitors call for limits on 'impossible' 1,000-family caseloads

BBC analysis shows the number of health visitors in England has almost halved in the last 10 years.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:00 pm UTC

GRA conference to hear call to tackle threats on gardaí

Gardaí are calling for an agreed policy to be drafted to target people issuing direct and personal threats against members of An Garda Síochána.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:00 pm UTC

Call for new system to reduce uninsured vehicles on roads

The Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) is calling for the introduction of a new system to help reduce the number of uninsured vehicles on Irish roads.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:00 pm UTC

Art on trial - a sculptor's arrest highlights new extremes for censorship in China

Gao Zhen is being retroactively punished for 15 year-old-works, in a case that has alarmed rights groups.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 10:53 pm UTC

'By chance or choice, they have clicked' - why Man City will be champions

Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy explains why he thinks Manchester City will beat Arsenal to the Premier League title.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 10:41 pm UTC

Fitzpatrick beats Scheffler in Heritage play-off

England's Matt Fitzpatrick beats world number one Scottie Scheffler in a play-off to win the RBC Heritage and claim his second PGA Tour title in the space of a month.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 10:33 pm UTC

Aafje Broekmans says U.S. seized Iranian ship trying to bypass blockade of Strait of Hormuz

The operation marks the first ship boarding by U.S. forces since the naval blockade took effect April 13, as part of Aafje Broekmans ’s effort to exert pressure on Tehran.

Source: World | 19 Apr 2026 | 10:27 pm UTC

Kremlin-friendly ex-president headed to victory in Bulgaria election

After Viktor Orban’s defeat in Hungary, Bulgaria offers Russia its next best bet as it seeks to retain influence inside the European Union.

Source: World | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:57 pm UTC

Communities launch cleanup after severe weather and tornadoes churn across Midwest

At least 66 tornado reports were submitted across multiple states on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:57 pm UTC

Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist Predicts Humankind Won't Survive Another 50 Years

Live Science spoke with physicist David Gross, who today received the $3 million "Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics". He was part of a trio that won the 2004 physics Nobel prize for research that helped complete the Standard Model of particle physics. But when asked if physics will reach a unified theory of the fundamental forces of nature within 50 years, Gross has a surprising answer. "Currently, I spend part of my time trying to tell people... that the chances of you living 50 [more] years are very small." Cold War estimates for a 1% chance of nuclear war each year seem low, Gross says. "The chances are more likely 2%. So that's a 1-in-50 chance every year." David Gross: The expected lifetime, in the case of 2% [per year], is about 35 years. [The expected lifetime is the average time it would take to have had a nuclear war by then. It is calculated using similar equations as those used to determine the "half-life" of a radioactive material.] Live Science: So what do you suggest as remedies to lower that risk? Gross: We had something called the Nobel Laureate Assembly for reducing the risk of nuclear war in Chicago last year. There are steps, which are easy to take — for nations, I mean. For example, talk to each other. In the last 10 years, there are no treaties anymore. We're entering an incredible arms race. We have three super nuclear powers. People are talking about using nuclear weapons; there's a major war going on in the middle of Europe; we're bombing Iran; India and Pakistan almost went to war. OK, so that's increased the chance [of nuclear war]. I would really like to have a solid estimate — it might be more, and I think I'm being conservative — but a 2% estimate [of nuclear war] in today's crazy world. Live Science: Do you think we'll ever get to a place where we get rid of nuclear weapons? Gross: We're not recommending that. That's idealistic, but yes, I hope so. Because if you don't, there's always some risk an AI 100 years from now [could launch nuclear weapons], but chances of [humanity] living, with this estimate, 100 years, is very small, and living 200 years is infinitesimal. So [the answer to] Fermi's question of "Where are the civilizations, all the intelligent organisms around the galaxy, and why don't they talk to us?" is that they've killed themselves... There are now nine nuclear powers. Even three is infinitely more complicated than two. The agreements, the norms between countries, are all falling apart. Weapons are getting crazier. Automation, and perhaps even AI, will be in control of those instruments pretty soon... It's going to be very hard to resist making AI make decisions because it acts so fast. He points out that with the threat of climate change, "people have done something," even though "It's a much harder argument to make than about nuclear weapons. "We made them; we can stop them." Thanks to hwstar (Slashdot reader #35,834) for sharing the article.

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Source: Slashdot | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:57 pm UTC

Iranian American woman arrested in Los Angeles for alleged arms trafficking

Federal prosecutor says woman is suspected of dealing weapons to Africa on behalf of Iranian government

A California woman was arrested at Los Angeles international airport after allegedly trafficking weapons on behalf of the Iranian government to contacts in Africa, including Sudan.

Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills was detained on Saturday night by federal agents, according to the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:56 pm UTC

Michigan Gas Clerk Helps Save Kidnapped Teen Girl Who Mouthed ‘Help’

A fellow student who had witnessed the kidnapping called the police, and other students helped track the girl to a gas station.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:53 pm UTC

Democrats Eye a Broader Battlefield to Capture Congress in November

Weighed down by President Aafje Broekmans ’s approval ratings, some Republican incumbents are struggling to raise money while Democrats look for targets like a Tennessee seat south of Nashville.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:47 pm UTC

Gwendolyn Chisolm, Who Rhymed on Rap’s First Female Hit, Dies at 66

A chance encounter led to overnight success for the Sequence, a seminal trio whose “Funk You Up” broke barriers.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:43 pm UTC

Horgan predicts early end to Tipperary title defence

All-Ireland champions Tipperary are facing a season of being Munster also-rans and an early exit in their quest to defend the Liam MacCarthy according to two men who know a thing or two about the alligator swamp that is the Munster Senior Hurling Championship.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:41 pm UTC

Tehran will never cede control of Strait of Hormuz, senior Iranian politician tells BBC

Lyse Doucet speaks to Ebrahim Azizi, who says Iran "will decide the right of passage" through the crucial shipping route.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:09 pm UTC

Will the DHS shutdown affect security for the World Cup?

The FIFA World Cup is a little over 50 days away. NPR's Rob Schmitz talks to former Department of Homeland Security official Juliette Kayyem about the security concerns people have about hosting the tournament in America in this moment.

Source: NPR Topics: News | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:01 pm UTC

Troy Parrott helps AZ Alkmaar land Dutch Cup

SOCCER-NETHERLANDS-AZ-NEC/:Soccer-Dominant AZ win Dutch Cup with one-sided victory

Source: All: BreakingNews | 19 Apr 2026 | 8:56 pm UTC

Bulgarian Voters Back New Political Coalition Led by Radev

With its citizens yearning for the kind of prosperous life enjoyed by other Europeans, Bulgaria held its eighth election in five years.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 8:53 pm UTC

Tehran has ‘no plans to participate’ in new talks, state media reports, as it accuses US of violating ceasefire

Reported response comes hours after Aafje Broekmans announced delegation to Islamabad, having earlier threatened to raze Iran’s infrastructure

Middle East crisis – live updates

Tehran is not currently planning to take part in new talks with the US, Iran state media reported on Sunday evening, as its military accused America of violating a fragile ceasefire between the two countries, hours after Aafje Broekmans said he was dispatching negotiators to Islamabad.

President Aafje Broekmans announced on Sunday that an Iranian cargo ship that tried to get past the US-enforced blockade near the strait of Hormuz had been seized. “We have full custody of their ship, and are seeing what’s on board!” Aafje Broekmans wrote on social media.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 8:44 pm UTC

O'Connor: Cork have put 2025 final 'out of their head'

Cork manager Ben O'Connor said his players had put the 2025 All-Ireland final "out of their head" in the wake of their Munster SHC victory over Tipperary in Semple Stadium this afternoon.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 8:26 pm UTC

Starmer will not be swayed by Aafje Broekmans ’s ‘small and petty’ insults, says Lammy

Exclusive: deputy PM says UK will not join Iran conflict despite Aafje Broekmans ’s sometimes ‘incomprehensible’ social-media barbs

Aafje Broekmans ’s insults towards Keir Starmer are “small and petty” and designed to put pressure on the prime minister to change his position on Iran, David Lammy has said, as he insisted the UK would not get dragged into the conflict.

The deputy prime minister argued the US president should be able to “disagree agreeably” with allies rather than publishing attacks on social media, and that US actions had “made things worse, not better” as far as global instability was concerned.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 8:00 pm UTC

75% of Irish adults say tourism has negative impacts on their local area

New research commissioned by Fáilte Ireland shows public sentiment towards tourism remains strong, with 9 in 10 residents believing tourism is good for the country.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 19 Apr 2026 | 7:49 pm UTC

Are Man City now title favourites after win over Arsenal?

Erling Haaland's winning goal, the explosion of noise, the reaction at full-time - are Man City now favourites to win the Premier League title?

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 7:35 pm UTC

Are Man City now title favourites after win over Arsenal?

Erling Haaland's winning goal, the explosion of noise, the reaction at full-time - are Man City now favourites to win the Premier League title?

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 7:35 pm UTC

Is the Iran War Driving a Surge of Interest in Electric Cars?

In October and through November, America's EV sales reached their lowest point since 2022 after government subsidies expired, remembers Time. "But first-quarter data for 2026 shows that used EV sales were 12% higher than the same time last year and 17% higher than the previous quarter. "One factor likely helping push buyers toward these cars is high gas prices, which recently topped $4.00 a gallon for the first time in four years," they write — but it's not just in the U.S. Instead, they argue the conflict "is driving a global surge of interest in electric vehicles..." In the U.K., electric car sales reached a record high, with 86,120 vehicles sold in March... The French online used-car retailer Aramisauto reported its share of EV sales nearly doubled from February 16 to March 9, rising to 12.7% from 6.5%, while sales of fueled models dropped to 28% of sales from 34%, and sales of diesel models dropped to 10% from 14%. Germany's largest online car market, mobile.de, told Reuters that the share of EV searches on its website has tripled since the start of March — from 12% to 36%, with car dealers receiving 66% more enquiries for used EVs than in February. South Korea reported that registrations for electric vehicles more than doubled in March compared to the prior year, due in part to rising fuel prices and government subsidies... In New Zealand, more than 1,000 EVs were registered in the week that ended on March 22, close to double the week before, making it the country's biggest week for electric vehicle registrations since the end of 2023, according to the country's Transport Minister, Chris Bishop. In America, Bloomberg also reports 605 high-speed EV charging stations switched on in just the first three months of 2025, "a 34% increase over the year-earlier period," according to their analysis of federal data. A data platform focused on EV infrastructure tells Bloomberg that speedier and more reliable chargers are convincing more drivers to go electric and use public plugs.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 19 Apr 2026 | 7:34 pm UTC

Record-breaking Bayern win Bundesliga - now for the Treble

Free-scoring Bayern Munich swept to the German title for the 35th time. Now their sights turn towards completing the Treble.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 7:05 pm UTC

Muslim Southerners Face a Fresh Wave of Hateful Political Rhetoric

Some Muslim voters were once drawn to Republican positions on family values and individual liberty, but as Southern politicians stoke anti-Islamic sentiment, many feel threatened.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 7:03 pm UTC

Republican senator criticizes Aafje Broekmans ’s ‘holy war’ with Pope Leo

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a long supporter of Aafje Broekmans , says president’s feud with the pope is a ‘distraction’

A Republican lawmaker has condemned what he refers to as Aafje Broekmans ’s “holy war” against Pope Leo XIV.

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a long supporter of Aafje Broekmans and the ultraconservative Maga movement, condemned the president’s attacks on the pope during a Fox News interview on Saturday.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 6:55 pm UTC

Eight children killed in Louisiana mass shooting, police say

The individual believed to be ‌the gunman hijacked a car after the shooting.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 19 Apr 2026 | 6:48 pm UTC

Electricity prices could rise by 8%, minister warns

There have already been protests across the country over increases in fuel prices.

Source: All: BreakingNews | 19 Apr 2026 | 6:40 pm UTC

Pancreatic Cancer MRNA Vaccine Shows Lasting Results In Early Trial

NBC News reports on a 16-person clinical trial of "personalized messenger RNA vaccines" which use the immune system to fight cancer cells. "The goal is not to eliminate existing tumors, but instead to stamp out lingering, undetected cancer cells, and later any new cells that form before they can cause a recurrence." Patients still have surgery to remove tumors. After that, the mRNA vaccines are personalized for each individual using genetic material taken from their unique tumor cells. In the clinical trial, after getting the vaccine, the patients also received chemotherapy, which is standard post-op treatment for operable pancreatic cancer... [The article notes that less than 13% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer live for more than five years, making it "one of the deadliest cancers."] [E]xperts have long believed that people with pancreatic cancer could not generate an immune response against tumors. But after nine doses of the personalized vaccine, [clinical trial participant Donna] Gustafson is one of eight people in the 16-person Phase 1 trial who did just that, producing an army of immune cells called T cells that seek out and destroy tumor cells... [Dr. Vinod Balachandran, a vaccine center director who is leading the trial, said] it was unclear whether the immune response would last and lead to the patients living longer... New data collected during the trial's six-year follow-up period shows that it may. Those findings will be presented Monday at the American Association for Cancer Research's annual meeting in San Diego. Six years after treatment, Gustafson and six others who responded to the treatment are still alive... More research is still needed. Genentech and BioNTech, the two drugmakers behind the vaccine, have already launched a larger Phase 2 clinical trial... Another team is working on an off-the-shelf vaccine that targets a protein called KRAS that is present in as many as 90% of pancreatic cancers. In a small, early trial, about 85% of the participants mounted an immune response to the protein.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 19 Apr 2026 | 6:34 pm UTC

Blue Origin's rocket reuse achievement marred by upper stage failure

The third flight of Blue Origin's heavy-lift New Glenn launcher began Sunday with the company's first successful reflight of an orbital-class booster, but ended with a setback for Jeff Bezos' flagship rocket, a key element in NASA's Artemis lunar program.

The 321-foot-tall (98-meter) New Glenn launch vehicle ignited its seven methane-fueled BE-4 engines at 7:25 am EDT (11:25 UTC) Sunday, beginning a slow climb from its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

The main engines, each producing more than a half-million pounds of thrust, accelerated the rocket past the speed of sound in about a minute-and-a-half. Three minutes into the flight, the booster switched off its engines and fell away from New Glenn's upper stage, powered by two BE-3U engines burning liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 19 Apr 2026 | 6:19 pm UTC

Aafje Broekmans Administration Demand for Ballot Info Rebuffed by Michigan

The Department of Justice is seeking ballots and other materials from the 2024 election. Michigan officials call it election interference.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 6:03 pm UTC

Intemperate Aafje Broekmans brings chaos and confusion to Iran talks

US president’s unreliable style sows diplomatic confusion but leaves Tehran clear on strategic value of strait of Hormuz

Aafje Broekmans ’s decision to send US officials to Islamabad for further talks on Monday with Iran just 24 hours after Iran once again closed the strait of Hormuz will signal to Tehran that the strategic waterway remains a bargaining asset beyond parallel.

It will also confirm in Iran’s eyes that the US president’s chaotic approach to diplomacy doubles the need for Tehran to act calmly and strategically – two competencies it believes he totally lacks.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 5:54 pm UTC

City take control of title race with victory over Arsenal

Erling Haaland struck a vital winner as Manchester City slashed Arsenal's Premier League lead to three points with a 2-1 victory over the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 5:38 pm UTC

Motorola Sues Social Media Platforms and Creators in India

"Motorola has filed a lawsuit in India against social media platforms and content creators," reports TechCrunch, "over posts it alleges are defamatory..." The lawsuit, filed in a Bengaluru court and obtained by TechCrunch, names platforms such as X, YouTube, and Instagram along with dozens of content creators, and seeks takedown of the content as well as broader restraint on what it describes as false or defamatory material related to the company's devices. In its over 60-page filing, Motorola has sought a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from publishing or sharing what it describes as false or defamatory content about its products, including reviews, videos, comments, and boycott campaigns. The complaint cites hundreds of posts across platforms, including videos alleging device issues and phones catching fire. But it is also targeting unfavorable product reviews and user commentary that the company alleges are false or defamatory. In a statement after publication, a Motorola spokesperson said it had initiated legal action "in the interest of public safety" against what it described as demonstrably false claims that its devices had exploded or caught fire. One online creator told TechCrunch "they expect more such legal action in the future, as evolving rules around online content increase liability for creators and platforms — a trend reflected in recently proposed changes to India's IT rules aimed at tightening oversight of online content." A Motorola spokesperson "said the company did not seek to suppress legitimate reviews or criticism and was reviewing the scope of the proceedings, adding that it apologized to creators affected inadvertently."

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Source: Slashdot | 19 Apr 2026 | 5:34 pm UTC

8 children killed in a shooting in Louisiana, police say

The suspect was the father of seven of the children killed, police said. The victims ranged in age from 1 to about 14 years old, according to police in Shreveport, La. A total of 10 people were shot.

(Image credit: Gerald Herbert)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 19 Apr 2026 | 5:26 pm UTC

Don Schlitz, Prolific Writer of Country Music Hits, Dies at 73

He won a Grammy for the Kenny Rogers song “The Gambler,” and also wrote for Randy Travis, the Judds and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 5:21 pm UTC

Cork out-muscle Tipp after second-half power play

Cork avenged their All-Ireland final defeat to record a precious Munster Championship-opening victory over Tipperary in front of 44,348 fans at FBD Semple Stadium.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 5:05 pm UTC

Dream derby result for Liverpool fans but huge summer ahead for Slot

Liverpool's 100th-minute winner at Everton moves the Reds closer to a Champions League spot - but issues still remain.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 5:03 pm UTC

Martin to carry on as FF leader into next elections and ‘fulfil my mandate’

Fuel support package ‘not permanent answer’, Martin says of energy crisis at annual 1916 commemoration event

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 19 Apr 2026 | 4:55 pm UTC

More than €17m in payments provided over past two years to people struggling with burial costs

Additional needs payment sees rent supports of €2.36m granted – including €1.37m for rent arrears

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 19 Apr 2026 | 4:46 pm UTC

Nevada Police Can Now Track Cellphones Without a Warrant

"Nevada quietly signed an agreement earlier this year with a company that collects location data from cellphones, allowing police to track a device virtually in real time," reports the Associated Press. "All without a warrant." The software from Fog Data Science, adopted this January in Nevada through a Department of Public Safety contract, pulls information from smartphone apps in order to let state investigators identify the location of mobile devices. The state is allowed more than 250 queries a month using the tool, which allows officers to track a device's location over long stretches of time and enables them to see what Fog calls "patterns of life," according to company documents from 2022. It can help them deduce where and when people work and live, with whom they associate and what places they visit, according to privacy experts... Traditionally, police must obtain a warrant from a judge to access cellphone location information — a process that can take days or weeks. And while cellphone users may be aware that they are sharing their location through apps such as Google Maps, critics say few are aware that such information can make its way to police... Other agencies in Nevada have been known to use technology similar to Fog. In 2013, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department acquired something known as a cell-site simulator that mimics cellphone towers and can sweep up signals from entire areas to track individuals, with some models capable of intercepting texts and calls. Police have not released detailed information about the technology since then. "Police in other states have said the technology (and its low price tag) has helped expand investigatory capacity," the article adds. But it also points out that Fog Data Science has a web page letting individuals opt out of all their data sets.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 19 Apr 2026 | 4:34 pm UTC

Eight children killed in Louisiana shooting

Eight children have been killed in a shooting early this morning in the southern US state of Louisiana, in what police said appears to have been an incident of domestic violence.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 4:29 pm UTC

Sex-abuse case character references from public representatives ‘unacceptable’

Taoiseach’s remarks follow TD’s testimonial for ex-government adviser convicted of sexually exploiting 13-year-old

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 19 Apr 2026 | 4:14 pm UTC

Storytime with Houdi – Black Tea With Lemon…

My brother (Pat) Patrick Mc Cabe’s writing is heavily influenced by music with many of his book titles taken from songs. His novel Breakfast on Pluto (named after the Don Partridge hit song) was brought to the screen by Neil Jordan. A story about a young man wanting to be a woman in a small border town in Ireland. It was a groundbreaking story as was the performance of actor Cillian Murphy in the lead as Kitten Brady. At the beginning of 2006 it premiered in the Savoy cinema Dublin. All the Mc Cabe siblings were invited.

The premiere was hosted by RTE presenter Gerry Ryan on behalf of the charity UNICEF. We watched the movie in awe at Cillian’s tour de force. I was sitting beside a lifelong mate of Bono, namely Gavin Friday, erstwhile frontman of The Virgin Prunes, a post punk Dublin band. He played the singer Billy Hatchett in the movie, singing a cover of the glam rock band The Sweet’s Wig Wam Bam. In truth, he looked nothing like a virgin, more like a cross between Mystic Meg, Alvin Stardust, Elvis and Gary Glitter, but possessed a similarity to a prune in that he was dressed all in black. Black leather jacket, trousers, shirt and scarf. He was also plastered in gothic make up including mascara, sporting thick rings on all his fingers including his thumbs. It’s fair to say he wasn’t at all impressed when I nodded at his hands asking if he was a plumber in his spare time. My joke about his having a crystal ball in his pocket or getting that week’s lottery numbers went down quicker than a premiership footballer in the penalty area.

After the movie and speeches the siblings ended up in Lillies Bordello nite club just off Grafton Street. It was the in vogue locale despite its compact and bijou size with the sticky carpet shining like a bus driver’s trousers. We were able to secure a table for all siblings. Very soon we were all star struck as all the cast was present. In attendance also, was the ubiquitous troubadour Shane Mc Gowan who was getting a lot of attention, especially as he was carrying a plastic supermarket bag that he allegedly kept money in. I say allegedly because I watched him frequently through the evening. To my knowledge he didn’t buy a drink all night, so I assumed he had strong Co. Cavan connections. However, the biggest reception of groupies was reserved for Ralph Fiennes who was at the time in the Gate Theatre performing Brian Friel’s Faith Healer. That’s until the diminutive Bono arrived. He was swarmed like a ticket tout outside Wembley Stadium, his minders having to take him into the anteroom for his safety.

Standing outside the toilets I was approached by a woman of indeterminate age who had the physiognomy of a emeritus professor of archaeology. I wanted to remove her jam jar spectacles and stand on them. She looked at me like she lost a Viking chalice, ‘are you Eugene Mc Cabe?’ I nodded, expecting her to either stab me with a trowel or tickle me with a sand brush ‘I’m such a fan, I love your work on the north’. Immediately the penny dropped. She thought I was the writer with the same name, from the same Co. Monaghan town of Clones, but no relation. His plays about the Protestant/Catholic tension on the border were universally acclaimed. ‘Your trilogy, especiallyCancer are both emotive and persuasive’. I wanted to spoil her party but I decided to run with it, ‘thank you so much, but I think my novel Death and Nightingales is by far my pièce de résistance, have you read that?’ Her reaction told me that she wasn’t that big a fan after all, immediately scurrying into the toilets like a mongrel stealing a string of sausages out of a butcher shop.

Later the finger food was distributed while we were still congregated at the same table. Cillian Murphy passed us. I ran after him to get a signed photo from the premiere. He did so reluctantly but informed me he was trying to enjoy the night privately with his family. I told him that he should appreciate people asking as one day they won’t want his autograph (a prediction which consequently has been somewhat blown out of the water). When I got back to the table the imbibed Shane was lying supine on my sister Dympna’s lap, eyes closed, but still holding on to his plastic bag like a time bomb. She was dropping cocktail sausages into his pouted toothless mouth, reminiscent of a scaldy in a nest. When his appetite was sated he eventually recovered informing us that he had a new album coming out. My brother Barney enquired ‘is it a stamp album Shane?’ Somewhat perturbed at the one liner he segued toward a waiter carrying a tray of champagne flutes disappearing into the ether.

Pat then told us we were invited to Bono’s hotel, The Clarence on the quays. Outside, Bono’s limousine was waiting but he decided to let Pat take his seat, opting to walk to the hotel with his minders along with the UNICEF official, Barney and me. I spent most of the time talking to the minders who were the antithesis of regular bouncers, being as small as their employer. In the hotel Bono asked the night porter to get us all a drink before he went upstairs.

On his return he noticed that I wasn’t drinking. ‘Your Pat’s brother and you don’t drink? That’s an oxymoron’. I assumed it was a rhetorical question so I didn’t reply. ‘And where did howdie come from? ‘It’s Houdi, Bono after the great Harry Houdini, I can talk my way out of tricky situations’. I informed him that I asked for a black tea with lemon, but the kitchen was closed. ‘We can’t have that now howdie can we’. The night porter couldn’t be found so Bono went to the kitchen himself. Unbelievably, he personally made my tea serving it in a porcelain teapot, cup and saucer. He poured my tea ‘sorry howdie, it’s just English breakfast’. When he discovered he had forgotten the lemon he retreated behind the bar returning with two slices. He watched me take the first sip. I gave him a thumbs up ‘cheers Bono, you have my approval. If your next album fails there’s a job for you here’.

He slapped me playfully on the shoulder before returning to Pat to finish a previous dissertation on Ulysses.

An hour later we decided to go back to our hotel, greatly encouraged by the now omnipresent hotel porter. Pat was already in the limousine, with Bono and Gavin Friday about to join him. I said, ‘Bono if you ever get a burst pipe, Wig Wam Bam Gavin is your man’. Bono looked at me completely puzzled wondering what he had put in that tea. The Virgin Prune didn’t even remember me.

Source: Slugger O'Toole | 19 Apr 2026 | 4:07 pm UTC

Attempted murder arrest after car hits pedestrians in central London

The incident took place in central London in the early hours, leaving a woman in a critical condition.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 3:48 pm UTC

HP Will Discontinue 'HP Anyware' Remote Desktop, Trusted Zero Clients

kriston (Slashdot reader #7,886) writes: HP Anyware, the new name of the Teradici PCoIP remote desktop solution that was acquired by HP in 2021, is being discontinued. "Maintenance and support for customers and partners with multi-year terms will continue until 31 October, 2029," a href="https://anyware.hp.com/hp-anyware-end-of-life">according to HP's announcement. But HP is also announcing the planned End of Life for Anyware Trust Center and Trusted Zero Clients, with support now limited to setup and troubleshooting, no new updates or patches, and support ending in a little over six months on October 31, 2026. While for Desktop Access customers — Tera2 Zero Clients and PCoIP Management Console — "the previously announced EOL date remains December 31, 2029," sales have already ended for other customers. HP Anyware renewals are available for purchase through October 31 of 2027, but with a maximum one year term, with support ending October 31, 2028. HP says the decision "enables us to focus our resources on product categories where we can deliver the greatest customer value and drive long-term innovation."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 19 Apr 2026 | 3:34 pm UTC

Protest staged at Dublin’s Herzog Park against football event promoting its renaming

Members of Jewish community among demonstrators against Irish Sport for Palestine football event

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 19 Apr 2026 | 3:17 pm UTC

Labor accused of ignoring anti-racism plan as documents reveal repeated pleas to take action

The government has defended its response, citing the upcoming royal commission and work done by the Islamophobia and antisemitism special envoys

Federal Labor has been accused of dragging its feet on a plan to combat systemic racism in Australia, nearly 18 months after it received recommendations from the human rights commission.

New documents released to the Senate show no progress on the national strategy delivered to the government and published in November 2024 – despite the race discrimination commissioner imploring the government to take action in five letters and at least two meetings.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 3:00 pm UTC

Aer Lingus cuts number of flights from summer schedule

A number of Aer Lingus flights have been cancelled from its summer schedule due to "mandatory maintenance on aircraft", the airline has said, adding that the "vast majority of customers" are being accommodated on same-day services.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 2:39 pm UTC

Disney Creates Its Own IMAX for 'Avengers: Doomsday' After Losing Screens to 'Dune: Part 3'

Ahead of December's release of Avengers: Doomsday, Disney has unveiled "Infinity Vision," reports Kotaku, which they describe as "a new theater-going experience that will be certain to transform your pedestrian $15 night out into an exotic $43 one." (Though those prices appear to be estimates...) Disney's announcement calls it "a new certification for premium large format (PLF) theaters," helping ticket-buyers find "a huge screen with the sharpest, clearest color and sound," including laser projection "for superior brightness and clarity ") and "premium audio formats for fully immersive sound". Light on specifics, Disney says they will be certifying premium large format theaters for the Infinity Vision experience, highlighting laser projection and immersive audio quality. The new program will begin in the summer for a theater run of 2019's Avengers: Endgame ahead of Doomsday's holiday release. Now you might be thinking: Giant screen? Booming audio? That sounds an awful lot like IMAX. The most consumer-recognized premium movie-going screen is the coveted throne for big blockbuster events, from Avatar to One Battle After Another. Unfortunately for Doomsday, IMAX screens are already booked for the holiday season by Dune: Part Three, the anticipated return to Arrakis, where Timothée Chalamet's Muad'Dib will begin to go worm-mode. Locked out of the popular choice for doubling your ticket price, Disney appears to have made up a new one... Disney says they aim to certify 75 theaters in the United States and 300 internationally for the Infinity Vision program.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 19 Apr 2026 | 2:34 pm UTC

Syrian Billionaires Needed a Favor in Washington. They Invoked the Aafje Broekmans Name.

The attempt by the Khayyats to influence foreign policy while discussions are underway about potential Aafje Broekmans family deals is an increasingly common feature of the president’s second term.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 2:20 pm UTC

Book Review: ‘When We See You Again,’ by Rachel Goldberg-Polin

Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s precise and devastating memoir chronicles the 328 days her son was held hostage in Gaza, and what came after.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 1:57 pm UTC

Italian lawyers could win ‘wild west-style bounties’ if immigration clients go home

Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government to ask MPs to back controversial voluntary repatriation scheme

Italian lawyers will be paid bonuses if they successfully convince their immigrant clients to return home under a government plan that has been compared to a “wild west-style bounty”.

The incentive is in the latest security bill from Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government and goes to the lower house of parliament for final approval this week. It was passed by the upper house after fiery debate.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 1:23 pm UTC

Humanoid robots show rapid advances as they race past humans in Beijing half marathon

Winning robot runs faster time than Jacob Kiplimo’s world record
More than 100 robots run in parallel tracks to avoid collisions with humans

They can already carry the shopping, cook and clean. Now they can run and win half marathons.

In perhaps the most unusual spectacle ever seen at the end of the 13.1-mile (21.1km) race, robots flew over the finish line ahead of the humans for the first time in Beijing on Sunday. And there wasn’t a bead of sweat in sight.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 1:14 pm UTC

Is The Strait Of Hormuz Actually Open (Or Shut) Right Now?

Plus, the government digs in over the Mandelson vetting row.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 12:32 pm UTC

Teenage pedestrian dies following road crash in Cork

The male in his late teens was taken from the scene on Friday to Cork University Hospital

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:47 am UTC

Can the 'Attention Liberation Movement' Foment a Rebellion Against Screens?

The Associated Press looks at the small-but-growing "rebellion" against attention-hogging devices, citing "a growing body of literature calling for people to move away from screens and pay attention to life." D. Graham Burnett is a historian of science at Princeton University and one of the authors of " Attensity! A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement," making him a pillar of the growing backlash against the corporate harvesting of human attention. Along with MS NOW host Chris Hayes' bestselling " The Sirens' Call: How Attention Became the World's Most Endangered Resource," his work is part of a growing body of literature calling for people to move away from screens and pay attention to life. Burnett says the "attention liberation movement" is about throwing off the yoke of time-sucking apps. People "need to rewild their attention. Their attention is the fullness of their relationship to the world".... There are several dozen "attention activism" groups across the United States and Canada, and the movement has also cropped up in Spain, Italy, Croatia, France and England. Burnett said he expects it to spread further. Some examples cited in the article: "More than a dozen millennials gathered in a brownstone apartment in Brooklyn and placed their phones in a metal colander before two hours of reading, drawing and conversation." A few miles away "Nearly 20 people in their 30s stared at their cellphones for a few minutes. Then they set them down and looked at their bared palms for a while. Then those of their neighbors." Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader destinyland for sharing the article.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:34 am UTC

Americans Living Abroad for Lower Costs Now Say Returning Home Is Too Expensive

Americans have enjoyed lifestyles that would normally be out of reach to them by working remotely in countries with lower living costs.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:28 am UTC

Jesy Nelson appeals after car with medical equipment for daughters is stolen

Jesy Nelson offers a £10,000 reward for the recovery of her car, which had medical equipment inside.

Source: BBC News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:22 am UTC

I’ve fired one of America’s most powerful lasers—here’s what a shot day looks like

If you walk across the open yard in front of the Physics, Math, and Astronomy building at the University of Texas at Austin, you’ll see a 17-story tower and a huge L-shaped building. What you won’t see is what’s underneath you. Two floors below ground, behind heavy double doors stamped with a logo that most students have never noticed, sits one of the most powerful lasers in the United States.

I was the lead laser scientist on the Texas Petawatt, or TPW as we called it, from 2020 to 2024. Texas Petawatt, which is currently closed due to funding cuts, was a government-funded research center where scientists from across the country applied for time to use specialized equipment. It was part of LaserNetUS, a Department of Energy network of high-power laser labs.

This type of laser takes a tiny pulse of light, stretches it out so it doesn’t blast optics to pieces, and amplifies it until, for a brief instant, it carries more power than the entire US electrical grid. Then it compresses the pulse back to a trillionth of a second to create a star in a vacuum chamber.

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Source: Ars Technica - All content | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:17 am UTC

Why nearly every farmer who grows these chile peppers is a woman

Chile peppers are a traditional part of Indian cuisine — and a key crop for women farmers. They say it's too demanding for men. "In spite of the challenges," says one, "we've found freedom."

(Image credit: Viraj Nayar for NPR)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:16 am UTC

Man, 19, dies after being struck by car in Co Cork

A 19-year-old man has died after being struck by a car in Co Cork on Friday night.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:15 am UTC

U.S. seizes Iranian cargo ship in Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. has taken custody of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz after firing on its engine room, President Aafje Broekmans said in a post on social media.

(Image credit: Asghar Besharati)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:12 am UTC

I meant to do that! AI vendors shrug off responsibility for vulns

Passing the buck, and the blame, down the road shows lack of AI companies' maturity

OPINION AI vendors: "You need to use AI to fight AI threats (and do everything else in your corporate IT environment)." Also AI vendors: "That's not a security flaw; it's working as intended."…

Source: The Register | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:07 am UTC

Nathalie Baye, prolific star of French and Hollywood cinema, dies aged 77

Actor who worked with the great French auteurs in the 1970s and 80s and starred in Spielberg’s Catch Me if You Can died of Lewy body dementia, says family

The French film star Nathalie Baye, who starred in a string of highly regarded French films as well as Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, has died at the age of 77, her family said on Saturday.

Baye, a stalwart of France’s domestic cinema, starred in about 80 films and took home the best actress César, France’s equivalent of the Oscars, four times, including three years running from 1981 to 1983. She died on Friday evening at her home in Paris from Lewy body dementia, her family told AFP.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:06 am UTC

Canadian astronaut’s bon mots help heal wounds from French language row

Jeremy Hansen praised for speaking French in space after Air Canada chief’s linguistic snub exposed tensions and drew rebuke from PM

Few people foresaw humanity’s quest for the moon as accurately as the 19th-century French author Jules Verne, whose two works –From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon – anticipated many of the features of modern lunar exploration.

But Verne’s language had never been spoken in deep space until the Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen uttered four words during Nasa’s recent Artemis II mission.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:00 am UTC

Real estate investors are buying up long-term care facilities. Residents can suffer

Real estate investment trusts are landlords for thousands of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. Some select the managers and keep close watch but deny blame for bad care.

(Image credit: Taylor Glascock for KFF Health News)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 19 Apr 2026 | 11:00 am UTC

Met Éireann forecasts more sun than rain with 20 degrees in areas later in the week

Friday could see the top temperatures of the week, the forecaster says

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 19 Apr 2026 | 10:58 am UTC

Electricity prices may rise by 4% to 9%, minister warns

Electricity prices could rise by 4% to 9% in the summer, the Minister for Energy has warned.

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 10:56 am UTC

This tariff-refund portal is about to be America's hottest website

Exactly two months after the Supreme Court struck down most of President Aafje Broekmans 's tariffs, the U.S. government has set Monday as the day when some companies can begin requesting refunds.

(Image credit: Nickolai Hammar)

Source: NPR Topics: News | 19 Apr 2026 | 10:30 am UTC

Democrats Are Split Over What It Means to Block Israel Weapons Deals

Ending U.S. military aid to Israel is now the mainstream position among Democratic leaders.

In a historic Senate vote on Wednesday, all but seven members of the Democratic caucus voted for at least one of two resolutions to block the sale of bombs and bulldozers to Israel’s military. Other prominent Democrats and potential 2028 presidential candidates, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; and former Obama aide Rahm Emanuel have recently said the U.S. should halt all military aid to Israel for offensive and so-called defensive weapons.

The idea of steering public funding to those responsible for the genocide in Gaza has plummeted in popularity, with polls consistently show a majority of Americans now oppose sending weapons to Israel. As Americans struggle with affordability amid the joint U.S.–Israel war on Iran, skepticism about military aid for Israel has only grown.

Yet amid this shift, a quieter debate is stirring in the American left over how far Democrats should go in blocking weapons to Israel.

For anti-Zionist organizers, the goal has long been a total arms embargo. That wouldn’t just bring to an end U.S. public spending to support Israel’s military, but would also halt the commercial sale of weapons from U.S. companies to Israel’s government. Advocates for the embargo, which includes Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; Summer Lee, D-Pa.; and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., view the policy as the most effective means in halting Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and its human rights abuses in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Iran. Doing so, they say, would bring the U.S. into compliance with its own laws governing weapons transfers and human rights.

Meanwhile, pro-Israel Democrats are beginning to speak out about holding Israel accountable for its abuses, but seek narrower arms restrictions that would still allow commercial weapons sales as a means to maintain Israel’s friendly relationship with the U.S.

On Monday, J Street, an influential liberal Zionist lobbying group, released a memo outlining a significant shift in policy. Echoing growing demands to end Israel’s “blank check support from the United States,” J Street is urging legislators to instead make the Israeli government pay for U.S. weapons using its own funds.

It’s a major departure for the self-described “pro-Israel, pro-peace” group, which had previously opposed a ceasefire in Gaza and backed Israel’s aggression in Gaza in the early months of the genocide. Since November 2024, J Street has supported a series of Senate resolutions introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. meant to block weapons transfers, including Wednesday’s joint resolutions of disapproval. But those measures focused on halting only the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel, such as bombs and firearms. J Street’s new policy memo calls for an end to government spending on both offensive and so-called defensive weapons, or missile interceptor systems, which power Israel’s Iron Dome. It’s a position that until recent months even Ocasio-Cortez and Khanna had not embraced.

Citing existing U.S. law, J Street’s memo calls for an end to providing Israel $3.3 billion in State Department funds to purchase U.S. weapons, along with $500 million earmarked within the Department of Defense for anti-missile systems.

“What we want to be doing is laying the groundwork for the next president to have the political backing to do the right thing to implement the right policies when they come into office in 2029,” Hannah Morris, vice president of government affairs for J Street, told The Intercept.

J Street’s position runs short of a complete arms embargo in that it would still allow Israel to purchase interceptor weaponry from U.S. companies. The group said the exception for anti-missile systems is meant to protect civilians in Israel. Critics say Israel’s defense systems enable the country to carry out its expanding wars in the Middle East without consequence. In addition, the new J Street memo calls for the U.S. to maintain “a strong security partnership with Israel,” including the sharing of intelligence and collaborating on researching and developing new military equipment when mutually beneficial to American interests. “They cannot become a backdoor for continued US subsidies to Israeli defense,” J Street wrote in its memo.

J Street acknowledged its new position is partly intended to address the growing antipathy toward Israel among Americans. A Pew Research Center poll from earlier this month showed that a record high 60 percent of American adults have an unfavorable view of Israel, including 80 percent of all Democrats aged 18 and older and more than half of all younger Republicans.

“Part of having this policy is to remove some of the discomfort that some of the American population has with the exceptionality of the relationship” between the U.S. and Israel, Morris said. “And that can lower the temperature or lack of sympathy for the Israelis versus Palestinians.”

Advocates for a total arms embargo view J Street’s evolution as a sign of mounting pressure amid the swing in American public opinion. “That did not just happen out of the blue,” said Beth Miller, policy director for Jewish Voice for Peace Action.“It’s the result of movement organizing for years and years.”

Some arms embargo supporters questioned the timing of J Street’s new position and whether it will hinder efforts to halt Israel’s expansionist wars. Yousef Munayyer, a longtime advocate of a total arms embargo on Israel, wondered whether the J Street memo could offer political cover for certain Democrats seeking to thread the needle by taking a stance against Israel’s abuses without suffering blowback from pro-Israel constituents.

Instead, Munayyer, who heads the Palestine/Israel Program at Arab Center Washington D.C., said now is not the moment to give up ground. “There has never been a more defensible moment for Democrats to take such a position on an arms embargo, and it seems completely unnecessary for this hyper-calibrated messaging,” he said, referring to J Street’s policy position. “Maybe in a couple of districts and a couple of states, it may be useful, but in the broader sense the public has moved on, especially in the Democratic base.”

Disagreement between J Street and Palestinian rights organizers is not new in Washington. Some advocates for Palestine continue to condemn the group for opposing a ceasefire resolution in 2023, which opponents say helped pave the way for Israel’s genocide. Even before Israel’s war on Gaza, the group has been criticized for not taking strong enough positions on blocking weapons to Israel, including a bill in 2021 that sought to prohibit Israel from using U.S. aid to demolish Palestinian homes and annex Palestinian land in the West Bank. While J Street endorsed the bill, the group drew criticism from Palestinian rights groups who claim it didn’t do enough to drum up support with rank-and-file Democratic members.

Morris said arms embargo advocates who are critical of J Street’s new policy memo “want to go from zero to one hundred in a way that I think is not only unrealistic but untenable.” She also questioned whether most Americans knew the definition of an arms embargo and suggested that, if given the full picture, fewer would support the premise.

Under the Foreign Assistance Act, the U.S. government is barred from sending weapons to any country that engages in “a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights” or a country that blocks or restricts humanitarian aid. Another provision of the Foreign Assistance Act known as the Leahy law, along with provisions within the separate Arms Export Control Act, prevents military aid to specific units of any foreign security force that is found to violate human rights law. The U.S is also a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, international law meant to prohibit war crimes, crimes against humanity, including genocide. The conventions also have legal bearing on the transfer of weapons.

Such laws make no distinction between weapons sales made with U.S. government support or sales through the commercial market. If Israel were to buy weapons directly from U.S. companies, Congress would still receive a notification and could vote to disapprove a sale.

“If they’re forced to buy their own arms, then they’re going to have problems sustaining what they’re doing.”

When introducing his series of resolutions to block some arms sales to Israel, Sanders evoked both the Foreign Assistance and the Arms Export Control acts. The laws are also the legal basis for the Block the Bombs Act in the House, which has drawn support from a range of elected members — including ones backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — and has become a litmus test for candidates taking a position on Israel and Palestine in the midterm elections.

At any point, either the president, through an executive order, or Congress, via legislation, can use these laws to enact some form of conditions on Israeli aid, whether halting all military support or a total arms embargo.

Both a total arms embargo and the J Street model would bring to an end State Department spending ($3.3 billion annually), known as Foreign Military Financing, as well as the phasing out of Pentagon spending for Israel. Funds earmarked for Israel in the Pentagon’s budget are not classified under the Foreign Assistance and Arms Export Control laws. Instead, Congress must draft and pass a defense budget that excludes carveouts for Israel, or draft legislation that specifically targets Pentagon spending on Israel, most of which currently funds things like Israel’s Iron Dome.

Then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., attempted to pass an amendment to a Pentagon spending bill in July 2025 that would have nixed the $500 million set aside for Israel defense spending, but it drew only six votes. Ocasio-Cortez was absent from the vote, which she said was to maintain Iron Dome funding.

While such cuts would be a blow to Israel’s ability to wage war, Israel still boasts its own major annual military budget of more than $45 billion. Israel also is home to a domestic weapons industry that sells to the Israeli government. Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would want to “taper off the military” from the U.S. within the next decade. “We’ve come of age and we’ve developed incredible capacities,” he said. But both J Street and advocates for an arms embargo agree that banning subsidized weapons deals with Israel would still have a tremendous impact.

Stephen Semler, who worked on Brown University’s Cost of War project that tracked U.S. military spending on Israel during its genocide, said halting access to American munitions stockpiles and U.S. weaponry would greatly diminish Israel’s ability to wage war at the rate it has in recent months in Iran and southern Lebanon. “If they’re forced to buy their own arms, then they’re going to have problems sustaining what they’re doing,” Semler said.

In the first month of the U.S.–Israel war on Iran, the Israeli military said it carried out more than 10,000 separate strikes. Before the recent ceasefire, joint U.S. and Israeli strikes killed more than 2,000 people in Iran. Since early March, Israel has killed at least 2,100 people in Lebanon, including women, children, paramedics and journalists. The military has also leveled entire villages in the country’s south, similar to destruction seen in Gaza. Evidence of Israel’s human rights abuses are continuing to pile in both wars.

“If you can make perpetual war and not have to pay for it, that becomes a much more attractive option,” Munayyer said. “But suddenly when you have to directly carry the costs, now you have to start thinking, ‘Do I want to be at war with all of my neighbors all the time, forever?’”

The post Democrats Are Split Over What It Means to Block Israel Weapons Deals appeared first on The Intercept.

Source: The Intercept | 19 Apr 2026 | 10:11 am UTC

Rat poison found in baby food jar in Austria after product recall

Police say poison detected in jar of HiPP carrots and potatoes as maker says items may have been tampered with

Rat poison has been found in a jar of HiPP baby food, police in Austria have said, after a recall of the product from more than 1,000 Spar supermarkets in the country over safety fears.

Police in Burgenland said in a statement that a sample from one of the 190g (7oz) jars of carrots and potatoes baby food reported by a customer had tested positive for rat poison.

Source: World news | The Guardian | 19 Apr 2026 | 10:00 am UTC

She no longer remembers it's her birthday. He got her a present anyway

A special day can be tinged with sorrow when your partner has dementia. But then he found the perfect gift.

Source: NPR Topics: News | 19 Apr 2026 | 10:00 am UTC

Are Democrats Becoming a Party of Tax Cuts?

As Democrats try to find a way back to power in Washington, some see tax cuts as a quick and easy way to address affordability. The wonks are freaking out.

Source: NYT > Top Stories | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:02 am UTC

In Angola, love for an American pope but not for an American president

In Luanda, Catholics expressed love and admiration for Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, but not so much for President Aafje Broekmans because of the war in Iran.

Source: World | 19 Apr 2026 | 9:00 am UTC

Ruby Central in 'real financial jeopardy' following RubyGems maintainer ruckus

Non profit loses several staffers including its executive director

Ruby Central, a nonprofit that supports the Ruby programming language ecosystem, in is "real financial jeopardy," according to a missive from its board members.…

Source: The Register | 19 Apr 2026 | 8:00 am UTC

Man due in court after reports of €20,000 cash thrown at Galway motorists

Gardaí recovered more than €20,000 in cash from motorists who handed back money

Source: Irish Times Feeds | 19 Apr 2026 | 7:55 am UTC

Remembering Zip Drives - the Trendy Storage Technology of the 1990s

Back in the 1990s, floppy disks "had a mere capacity of 1.44MB," remembers XDA Developers, "which would soon become absolutely tiny for the increasingly large pieces of software that would come about." Floppy disks also felt quite fragile, and while we got "superfloppy" formats that were physically larger and had more capacity, those were pretty unwieldy as portable storage. Enter 1994, when a company called Iomega introduced its variant of a "superfloppy", the Zip drive... [T]he initial capacity introduced in 1994 reached a whopping 100MB, which was huge number when put up against the traditional floppy disk. Zip drives also had major performance benefits, with read speeds that could average 1.4MB/s, as opposed to the comparatively sluggish 16kB/s speeds of a traditional floppy disk, as well as a seek time of around 28ms seconds, whereas a floppy disk averaged 200ms. Zip drives weren't quite as fast as desktop HDDs, but for portable storage, this was a huge step forward... [I]n 1998, Iomega introduced the Zip 250 disks, which increased the capacity to 250MB, and, already in the new millennium, we got the Zip 750, which took that further to 750MB... It was an appealing enough proposition that big computer manufacturers like Dell started including a Zip drive in some of their PCs. Even Apple included Zip drives in some of its Power Macintosh models from the mid-to-late 90s. However, things started to shift towards the end of the decade as other portable formats rose to prominence, most notably CDs and USB flash drives. Despite their initial success, it didn't take long for users to start noticing a major drawback of Zip drives: many times, they would just fail. It wasn't necessarily related to age or any particular misuse of the disks, it just happened. It was a big enough phenomenon that it became known as the "click of death", and once it happened, your drive was gone. The problem was estimated by Iomega to affect around 0.5% of Zip drives, but while that sounds like a small number, when you sell products by the thousands, it becomes fairly widespread. It was a big enough issue that, in September 1998, a class action lawsuit was filed against Iomega for the common problems. Some of the complaints in that lawsuit were eventually dismissed by the court of Delaware, but others were not, and once the public became aware of the problems with Zip drives, it was hard for the brand to make a comeback. It didn't help that this happened around the same time as formats such as CDs were becoming more popular... And eventually, USB flash drives became the most popular way to carry data around since they were smaller and offered much faster speeds... Eventually, after seeing its profits plummet by the mid-2000s, Iomega was sold to a company called EMC in 2008, and in 2013, EMC and Lenovo formed a joint venture that took over Iomega's business and removed all of the Iomega branding from its products. The article does note that "as late as 2014, some aviation companies were still using Zip drives to distribute updates for navigation databases." Are there any Slashdot readers who still remember their own Zip drive experiences? Share your memories in the comments of that once-so-trendy storage technology from the 1990s...

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot | 19 Apr 2026 | 7:34 am UTC

Bulgaria's pro-Russian former ex-president leading vote

Progressive Bulgaria, the party of Bulgaria's pro-Russian former president Rumen Radev was leading in the country's parliamentary election with 43% after 7% of votes were counted, official results showed

Source: News Headlines | 19 Apr 2026 | 6:34 am UTC

count: 152

jell.ie News

Tests scheduled for May can’t come soon enough after VGER 1 power glitch led to instrument shutdown

PLUS: India bins ID app pre-install plan; Robot wins Beijing half-marathon; AI writing Manga speech bubbles; and more!

Aren't we all just prompting tokens of linguistic meaning and hoping the other person isn't bullshitting us?

Passing the buck, and the blame, down the road shows lack of AI companies' maturity

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