Bulgarians set to vote in eighth election since 2021 as anger over corruption grows
Bulgarians headed to the polls on Sunday (19 April) in their eighth election in five years, with early signs pointing...
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order as early as Thursday directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take steps to close the U.S. Department of Education, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The draft order, which is labeled “pre-decisional” and subject to change, includes a statement criticizing federal oversight of education. “The experiment of controlling American education through Federal programs and dollars—and the unaccountable bureaucrats those programs and dollars support—has failed our children, our teachers, and our families,” it reads.
Eliminating the department has long been a favored proposal among conservatives. Following her Senate confirmation, McMahon reportedly sent an email to staff stating that she would “send education back to the states,” emphasizing that both Trump and American voters had entrusted her with the task of streamlining or eliminating the department’s bureaucracy.
The U.S. Department of Education was established by Congress in 1979 with the goal of strengthening federal support for equal educational opportunities and supplementing state efforts. In a 2023 campaign video, Trump had previously promised, “One other thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington, DC, and sending all education and education work and needs back to the states.”
While an executive order cannot unilaterally close a federal agency without congressional approval, the administration could potentially undermine the department’s functions and reassign its duties. The move comes amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to reduce federal spending and reshape domestic policy.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
Two Indian-flagged ships were shot at in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, India's Foreign Ministry said, as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again, less than 24 hours after reopening the 167km long sea passage, which is essential for global trade.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is open, lifting markets and sending oil lower. Meanwhile the U.S. blockade remains in place as President Donald Trump warns the ceasefire may not be extended. Talks continue as a fragile Israel-Lebanon truce holds, while the regional death toll has surpassed 5,000.
Six people have been killed after a man opened fire in a supermarket in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Saturday (18 April). Ukraine's Security Service said it was investigating the incident as a "terrorist act."
Global leaders and diplomats gathered in southern Türkiye on 17 April for the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, focusing on uncertainty, conflict, and the future of global cooperation.
Secretly filmed footage from two UK laboratories has reignited debate over animal testing in drug development, after a former worker alleged that monkeys, dogs and other animals endured prolonged distress during safety trials for new medicines.
Cleanup efforts are underway in Lena, Illinois, after a suspected tornado tore through the village on Friday (17 April), damaging homes, schools and infrastructure, leaving thousands without power. Residents and emergency crews spent Saturday clearing debris, and working around downed power lines.
North Korea fired ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday (19 April), accelerating its weapons tests amid heightened regional tensions linked to the Iran war and renewed diplomatic signals toward the United States and South Korea.
Construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue after an appeals court granted an administrative stay, temporarily blocking a lower court order that had halted parts of the work.
European countries should expand the role of natural gas in their energy systems to reduce the risk of supply shocks caused by international crises, an energy industry chief has said.
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