Spanish police opened an investigation on April 1 into Islamophobic and xenophobic chants heard during Spain’s 0-0 friendly against Egypt at the RCDE Stadium in Cornellà de Llobregat near Barcelona. Around the 10th minute a section of supporters repeatedly chanted a slogan translated as “whoever doesn’t jump is Muslim”; parts of the crowd also whistled during Egypt’s national anthem. Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra said they are working with the Prosecutor’s Office for Hate Crimes and Discrimination to analyse stadium footage and social media to identify those responsible and determine whether criminal charges or administrative sporting sanctions apply. The stadium displayed anti-discrimination messages and public announcements during the match, which drew about 35,000–37,000 spectators. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, Justice Minister Félix Bolaños, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish Football Federation and players including Muslim winger Lamine Yamal condemned the behaviour. The Egyptian Football Association and other bodies also denounced the incident. The match, a pre-World Cup warm-up relocated from Qatar because of regional conflict, has raised concerns about racism in Spanish football and reputational risks ahead of Spain’s role in the 2030 World Cup.

The BBC has sacked presenter Scott Mills after new information emerged relating to a historic police investigation, the broadcaster said, terminating his contracts with immediate effect. The Metropolitan Police confirmed an inquiry began in December 2016 into alleged offences said to have taken place between 1997 and 2000; Mills was questioned under caution in July 2018 and a file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which decided there was insufficient evidence to charge and the investigation was closed in May 2019. The BBC said it was made aware of the police inquiry in 2017 but acted after 'new information' surfaced recently and has apologised for failing to follow up on a separate allegation raised with the corporation in 2025. Mills, 53, who took over BBC Radio 2’s flagship breakfast show in January 2025 and had a long tenure at the broadcaster since 1998, issued a statement saying he cooperated with police and that the CPS found no grounds to prosecute. The broadcaster has pulled Mills from current projects and replaced him on at least one Race Across The World podcast; it said it is investigating what BBC staff knew and when.

A Daily Mail investigation published March 31, 2026, alleges that Bryon Noem, husband of former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, maintained an online alias and participated in fetish forums tied to “bimbofication.” The report says investigators reviewed hundreds of messages, photos and videos, some showing Bryon in women’s clothing and improvised prosthetic breasts, and alleges he paid roughly $25,000 to models via payment apps. One participant told the outlet Bryon — reportedly using the name “Jason Jackson” — acknowledged his wife’s long‑running rumored relationship with adviser Corey Lewandowski, saying “I know. There’s nothing I can do about it.” Bryon has not denied engaging in the chats but reportedly rejected claims he created a national security risk; a spokesperson for Kristi Noem said the family was “blindsided” and “devastated.” President Donald Trump commented that he felt “badly for the family.” The story has drawn local sympathy from neighbors and warnings from former intelligence officials about potential exploitation of such personal vulnerabilities.

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.

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.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 31, 2026 directing federal agencies to compile lists of verified U.S. citizens eligible to vote and to tighten rules on mail‑in ballots. The order tasks the Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration and other agencies to use federal records — including the controversial Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database and Social Security data — to produce state-by-state voter lists. It directs the U.S. Postal Service to send absentee ballots only to those on approved federal lists, mandates barcoded, trackable ballot envelopes and urges the Justice Department to prioritize prosecutions of officials who issue ballots to ineligible individuals. The White House said noncompliant states could face withheld federal funding. The move prompted immediate legal challenges: Democratic leaders, the DNC and several states vowed to sue within days of the order, arguing it is an unconstitutional encroachment on state authority over elections. Election experts and secretaries of state across parties warned of data inaccuracies and the risk of disenfranchising lawful voters, while noting prior court rulings have blocked similar executive actions.