“Australia has proposed taxing digital giants Meta, Google and TikTok a proportion of their revenue to pay for news reporters. The government released draft legislation Tuesday it intends to introduce to Parliament by July 2 that would create a financial incentive for the social media companies to strike deals with news organizations to pay for journalism. The platforms’ criticisms included that the proposal was a ‘digital services tax’ that misunderstood the evolving advertising industry and would fail to deliver a sustainable news sector.” (04/28/26)
“Prominent journalist Andrzej Poczobut has been released from jail in Belarus in a swap with Poland that saw a total of 10 people freed as the authoritarian leader of Belarus seeks improved relations with the West, officials in both countries said Tuesday. Poczobut, a correspondent for the influential Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza and a leading figure among Belarus’ Polish minority, was serving eight years in prison in a case condemned as politically motivated. His 2021 arrest after covering pro-democracy rallies in Belarus drew widespread criticism. He later was awarded the Sakharov Prize, the European Union’s most prestigious human rights award. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski called Poczobut a symbol of the fight for freedom in Belarus but also of the effectiveness of the Polish state in leaving no one behind. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who welcomed Poczobut at the border about midday Tuesday, posted on X that the journalist was ‘unwavering.'” (04/28/26)
“The United Kingdom is set to appeal the High Court’s landmark ruling that the government’s ban on Palestine Action was illegal. The two-day hearing, which begins on Tuesday at the Court of Appeal in London, comes after top judges described the proscription of the direct-action group as a terrorist organisation as ‘disproportionate’ in February. This week’s case marks the latest development in the legal battle between the state and the activist network whose stated mission is to target companies associated with the Israeli military. Since the UK banned Palestine Action last summer, thousands of Britons have participated in a coordinated campaign of civil disobedience, with more than 2,700 people arrested under terror laws for holding up signs reading, ‘I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.’” (04/28/26)
“Canada is launching a government-owned investment fund to pay for major development projects in the country, Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced. The Canada Strong Fund, a first for the country, will invest in energy, infrastructure, mining, agriculture and technology, with an initial contribution of C$25bn ($18.4bn; £13.5bn). The fund will also allow Canadians who have ‘a bit of extra money’ to invest into it directly, but experts have warned it risks ‘limited returns.’ The move is part of a broader goal by the Carney government to boost Canada’s economy in face of US tariff threats. At Monday’s announcement in Ottawa, Carney said that Canada was at a critical point in its history due to its changing relationship with the US, requiring it to invest and build at an urgent pace.” (04/28/26)
“Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Monday that the Justice Department has asked a court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom, citing the weekend’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Completion of the $400 million ballroom, which has been under construction since early fall, has been threatened by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s lawsuit, leaving a construction site where the East Wing of the White House once stood. A federal and Republican push for its completion has intensified after an armed man was arrested at the annual charity dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, with lawmakers and White House officials claiming the 90,000-square-foot ballroom is a security necessity.” (04/28/26)
“Two highly contentious ballot measures are expected to come before California voters in November. The first is the GOP-backed brainchild of a conservative California Assembly member. If passed by voters this fall, it would require voters to bring a valid government-issued ID to vote. At present, California voters are only required to give their name and address to cast their ballot. Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, who represents San Diego, has argued that a voter ID law would help protect against voter fraud, while Democrats push back and say the measure is part of the Trump administration’s agenda to keep people away from the polls. … A second proposal introduced by SEIU, the state’s largest health care union, would impose a one-time wealth tax on the net worths of the state’s more than 200 billionaires and use the revenue to fill the gap in health care funding due to President Donald Trump’s 2025 budget bill.” (04/28/26)
“The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Mexico’s most powerful criminal enterprise, suffered another blow Monday when the Mexican military captured one of its top leaders in the northwest of the country, two months after the cartel’s leader was killed. Audias Flores Silva, also known as ‘El Jardinero,’ or The Gardener, was seen as a possible successor to the killed leader and the United States had a $5 million reward out for information leading to his arrest. The CJNG regional commander was captured while he was hiding in a roadside ditch near the community of El Mirador in the state of Nayarit, Mexican officials said Monday. No one was killed or injured during his arrest, according to Mexico’s government.” (04/27/26)
“A Ukrainian drone attack has caused a ‘large-scale fire’ at Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea, forcing the evacuation of nearby buildings, local officials said on Tuesday. The Rosneft-owned refinery delivers oil products mainly for exports but operations have been halted since April 16 following an earlier drone attack, industry sources said. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the reports. Kyiv has stepped up strikes on Russia since March, with U.S.-brokered talks on the war in Ukraine on pause and Washington mainly focusing on the Iran war.” (04/28/26)
“For generations, cops have obtained warrants to lawfully seek information from a specific suspect in a crime. The Supreme Court on Monday is considering whether investigators can also use so-called ‘geofence warrants’ to do the reverse — scanning cell phone data of thousands of innocent individuals in hopes of finding a suspect to apprehend. The landmark case is the first time the justices will consider whether [sic] the controversial practice of digital dragnets, which have grown in popularity among law enforcement with advances in technology, violate constitutional protections against unreasonable searches.” [editor’s note: There’s no ambiguity in “particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized” – TLK] (04/27/26)
“Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on the country’s south killed 14 people on Sunday, the deadliest day since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into force over a week ago. The health ministry said the dead on Sunday included two women and two children, adding that 37 other people were wounded. Israel said one of its soldiers was also killed. The US-mediated ceasefire – which started on 16 April and has been extended to mid-May – has brought a significant reduction in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, though both sides have continued to fire at each other, trading blame over breaches.” (04/27/26)
