Israel’s parliament on March 30, 2026, passed a law making death by hanging the default sentence for Palestinians convicted in West Bank military courts of deadly, nationalistic attacks, in a 62-48 vote that included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voting in favour. Championed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the measure mandates executions within 90 days of sentencing (with limited postponement up to 180 days), allows civilian courts to impose death or life sentences where defendants acted to “negate the existence” of Israel, and will not be applied retroactively. Rights groups, Israeli opposition figures and international bodies condemned the law as discriminatory and potentially unlawful; the Association for Civil Rights in Israel immediately filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking annulment. The law prompted protests across the occupied West Bank, calls for strikes by Fatah and warnings from EU officials, the United Nations and Amnesty International. Officials and legal experts say implementation could be delayed or blocked by pending high‑court review, while security analysts warn the measure could fuel further unrest and retaliatory violence in an already volatile region.

The BBC has terminated the contracts of long-serving presenter Scott Mills after receiving “new information” about his personal conduct, the broadcaster said. The decision, announced after Mills was taken off air last week, followed renewed scrutiny of a historic Metropolitan Police inquiry that began in December 2016. Police say a man was questioned under caution in July 2018 over allegations relating to alleged offences said to have occurred between 1997 and 2000; a file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service and the probe was closed in May 2019 after prosecutors concluded the evidential threshold for charges was not met. The BBC confirmed it was aware of the police investigation in 2017 and said it is reviewing what was known then. The corporation also apologised for not following up on a separate allegation raised with it in 2025. Mills, 53, issued a statement saying he had fully cooperated with police in 2018 and asking for privacy, while several outlets report the broadcaster has pulled or is reviewing programmes featuring him.

A powerful undersea earthquake of magnitude 7.4 struck the Northern Molucca (Maluku) Sea off Ternate, Indonesia, on April 2, 2026, the US Geological Survey said. The quake, later revised down from earlier estimates of 7.8, occurred at a depth of about 35 km with an epicentre roughly 120–127 km west-northwest of Ternate. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and US tsunami authorities issued alerts for coastal areas within 1,000 km, including parts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia; local agencies recorded small tsunami waves up to about 0.75 m in North Minahasa and smaller sea-level changes elsewhere. Indonesia’s meteorology agency and disaster authorities reported building damage in Ternate, Bitung and Manado, and at least one fatality in North Sulawesi. Dozens of aftershocks were recorded, the largest around magnitude 5.5. Warnings were later lifted after the immediate tsunami threat passed, but authorities urged continued vigilance in coastal communities.

Spanish police launched an investigation after Islamophobic and xenophobic chants by some supporters marred Spain’s 0-0 friendly with Egypt at RCDE Stadium in Barcelona on March 31, 2026. Fans were heard jeering Egypt’s national anthem and chanting phrases such as “who doesn’t jump is a Muslim,” prompting stadium announcements and anti-discrimination messages on screens that failed to stop the abuse. Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra said they had opened a probe. The incident drew swift condemnation from Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Justice Minister Félix Bolaños and players including Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who described the chants as “disrespectful and intolerable.” Egypt’s FA also denounced the behaviour and said it was coordinating with relevant international bodies. The match, moved from Qatar because of regional security concerns, was a World Cup warm-up for both sides and ended scoreless; it highlighted recurring problems of racism in Spanish football, including past high-profile abuse cases involving other players.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced a joint plan on April 1–2 to end a record-long partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by advancing a two-track funding approach. Republicans said they would move to fund most DHS components through the regular appropriations process — potentially taking up a Senate-passed bill as soon as this week — while deferring funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to a separate, party-line budget reconciliation bill. The GOP leaders said the reconciliation route would secure immigration enforcement and border security funding for up to three years and bypass the Senate filibuster. The announcement follows weeks of GOP infighting after House Republicans initially rejected the Senate plan; it comes amid pressure from President Donald Trump, who publicly urged a reconciliation bill by June 1. Democrats have insisted on reforms to immigration enforcement — including warrant and mask restrictions — after high-profile deadly enforcement incidents; those policy demands are not included in the Republican statement. The shutdown has disrupted airport security and left many DHS workers without pay during the 47-day funding lapse.

A U.S. federal judge on April 1, 2026 permanently blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order directing all federal agencies to cut funding to National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), ruling the measure unlawful and unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss found the order represented viewpoint discrimination and unlawful retaliation in violation of the First Amendment. The ruling does not erase the operational damage already done — Congress previously moved to defund public broadcasting and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has effectively shut down — but Moss said the executive order swept beyond the CPB and barred agencies from funding NPR and PBS regardless of program merit. Plaintiffs included NPR and several local member stations; their lawyers hailed the decision as a significant win for press freedom. The White House called the ruling “ridiculous” and indicated it would seek further legal remedies. NPR CEO Katherine Maher and PBS chief Paula Kerger praised the judgment. The case is expected to be appealed, and practical effects on remaining program-specific grants and emergency funding remain to be litigated and clarified.