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BackgroundOn 2026-04-13, IBM entered a $17 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).The DOJ alleged IBM considered "race, color, national origin, or sex" in hiring and promotions and misused government‑contract funds for DEI initiatives.Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi had urged the DOJ to target illegal DEI programs in companies receiving federal money.Settlement DetailsIBM denied wrongdoing; the settlement is not an admission of liability.The payment resolves claims that IBM used contract funds for DEI programs and then sought reimbursement.This marks the first enforcement action under the DOJ’s Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which targets recipients of federal funds who violate civil‑rights laws.Strategic ImpactThe $17 million fine represents roughly 0.03% of IBM’s FY2025 revenue of about $60 billion, indicating a modest direct financial hit but a significant reputational signal. The settlement may prompt IBM and other federal contractors to reassess DEI budgeting and compliance frameworks to avoid future litigation.Analysts view the case as a bellwether for how the DOJ will enforce civil‑rights compliance in the private sector, especially for firms that rely on government contracts.

The United Kingdom's decision to ban Israelis from attending the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) over Israel's actions in Gaza has sparked concern within the college about its reputation. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced the ban in September after Israel planned a major ground assault on Gaza City.The British government made the decision amid widespread condemnation of Israel's escalation of the war. Previously unreported correspondence shows that the move prompted discussion within the RCDS about potential harm to its reputation as an institution that welcomes students of all backgrounds.RCDS commandant George Norton asked a senior military official, Tom Copinger-Symes, for help in shaping the public narrative while a government minister was preparing to answer a question about the ban in the UK's upper house of parliament. Norton sought to ensure that the public understood the college played no role in the decision.In an email, Norton told Copinger-Symes that it would be important for the government minister to highlight that the college does not invite or select participants in its courses, and that invitations were a government-to-government matter. He emphasized that the college's reputation as a welcoming institution could be harmed by the perception that it was deciding which countries to invite or not.The emails, obtained by Al Jazeera via a Freedom of Information request, reveal the college's efforts to distance itself from the government's decision. The MOD spokesperson stated that decisions about military education and training are made on a case-by-case basis and following robust assessment of benefits and risks.The UK-Israel relationship has been strained due to Israel's actions in Gaza, where over 72,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military operation. The RCDS did not respond to a request for comment.

In a dramatic escalation, police in Noida, a suburb of the Indian capital, deployed tear gas to quell a four-day-old protest by factory workers on Monday. The demonstration had turned violent, with protesters torching vehicles and peltng stones in parts of the satellite city.The police stated that they used "minimum force" to maintain law and order. Narendra Kashyap, a lawmaker from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where Noida is located, urged protesters to engage in discussions with the government regarding their demands.Senior police and administrative officials are making persistent efforts to counsel the workers and encourage them to maintain peace and restraint, according to a statement by the Gautam Budh Nagar police.The protest visuals showed dozens of protesters marching on the street, chanting slogans, while security personnel in anti-riot gear looked on. Other images depicted an overturned vehicle with flames and protesters attempting to break through barricades.Noida, one of Asia's largest planned industrial townships, houses thousands of industrial units. The rising living costs globally, exacerbated by the US-Israel conflict with Iran which has impacted fuel supplies, have added to the workers' grievances.In a similar protest in the neighboring state of Haryana last week, the government ordered a 35 percent increase in minimum wages following demonstrations near production units of several car manufacturers.Vinay Mahoti, a 30-year-old worker from Bihar employed at a hosiery company in Noida, highlighted the workers' demands, including fixed duty hours, overtime pay, and adherence to federal government guidelines by companies.

Relentless drama unfolded at Aintree on Saturday as I Am Maximus clinched a second Grand National win, joining an exclusive club that includes the legendary Red Rum. The race saw all 34 runners finish without serious injury, underscoring the event’s safety despite its reputation for chaos.The victory marks I Am Maximus as only the third horse since the mid‑1930s to win the National twice, and the first to achieve the feat in non‑consecutive years since Red Rum’s 1974 triumph. Having finished a close second in 2025, the gelding now sits second only to Red Rum in the all‑time Aintree hierarchy.Trainer Willie Mullins admitted the horse’s temperament could spark a bar‑room brawl, recalling a “lairy” incident at a village parade two years ago. “He’d eat you without salt,” Mullins joked, suggesting future photo‑ops may be limited if the horse’s spirit remains untamed.Owner JP McManus, who celebrated a record fourth National win on the day, is expected to aim the champion at next year’s race. If I Am Maximus stays sound, a 2027 return could become one of the season’s marquee storylines.Betting markets reflected the horse’s popularity: a widely reported £100,000 wager at 8‑1 odds was placed before the race, and the gelding entered as the 9‑2 favourite, positioning him among the shortest‑priced favourites in National history. The only cheaper price on record belongs to Poethlyn, who opened at 11‑4 in 1919.Age also played a role. I Am Maximus’s win makes him the first horse older than nine to win since Pineau De Re’s 2014 victory. By comparison, Red Rum captured his third National at age 12 in 1977, but modern course changes have generally favoured younger runners.Unlike Tiger Roll, whose third attempt was thwarted by owner Michael O’Leary’s weight objections, I Am Maximus has already carried top weight to victory, demonstrating a robustness that may appeal to McManus for future campaigns.With the horse’s celebrity status soaring, the racing calendar now enjoys a twelve‑month window to capitalise on his fame, building anticipation for what could be a historic third National appearance.

A French court has fined Lafarge, a French cement maker, more than €1m (£870,000) and sentenced its former boss, Bruno Lafont, to six years in prison for paying protection money to Islamic State and other terror groups to maintain its business in war-torn Syria from 2013 to 2014.The ruling follows a 2022 case in the United States in which Lafarge pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to US-designated “terrorist” organisations and agreed to pay a $778m fine (£580m). This was the first time a company had faced the charge.The Paris court found that Lafarge, which is now part of the Swiss conglomerate Holcim, paid nearly €5.6m via its subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS) to terror groups and intermediaries to keep its plant operating in northern Syria.The company’s former chief executive, Bruno Lafont, was sentenced to six years in prison for financing terrorism, which a judge ordered him to start serving immediately. Lafont’s lawyer said he would appeal.The presiding judge, Isabelle Prevost-Desprez, said: “This method of financing terrorist organisations, and primarily IS, was essential in enabling the terrorist organisation to gain control of Syria’s natural resources, allowing it to finance terrorist acts within the region and those planned abroad, particularly in Europe.”Lafarge established a “genuine commercial partnership with IS”, she said, which added to the “extreme gravity of the offences”.Lafarge had finished building a $680m factory in Jalabiya in 2010, just before Syria’s civil war erupted in March the following year amid opposition to the brutal repression of anti-government protests by the then president, Bashar al-Assad.While other multinational companies left Syria in 2012, Lafarge evacuated only its expatriate employees and left its Syrian staff in place until September 2014, when IS seized control of the factory.In 2013 and 2014, LCS paid intermediaries to access raw materials from the Islamic State organisation and other groups and to allow free movement for the company’s trucks and employees. It paid groups including Islamic State and Syria’s then al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.

Marie‑Louise Eta will take the touchline for Union Berlin’s upcoming Bundesliga match against Wolfsburg, becoming the first woman to coach a men’s team in one of Europe’s top‑five leagues. The 34‑year‑old was promoted on an interim basis after the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart, who was sacked following a 3‑1 defeat to bottom‑placed Heidenheim.Union sit seven points clear of the relegation‑playoff zone with five games remaining, but a dismal run of two wins in 14 matches has left the club teetering near the drop‑zone. Club officials turned to Eta, citing her continuity and proven tactical acumen, to halt the slide.Eta’s appointment is the latest milestone in a rapid rise through Union’s ranks. In the 2023‑24 season she became the Bundesliga’s first female assistant manager under Nenad Bjelica, and earlier in 2024 she briefly commanded the men’s side, overseeing a win, a draw and a loss while Bjelica served a suspension. Her prior success with Union’s under‑19 men’s squad further cemented her reputation as a forward‑thinking coach.Speaking in a 2023 interview, Eta emphasized that she wants to “convince with quality and substance” rather than rely on tokenism. Former England women’s manager Sarina Wiegman hailed her as a “trailblazer”, noting that such progress reflects football’s broader societal shift toward gender equality.Germany is already seeing more women in senior coaching roles: Sabrina Wittmann leads third‑tier side FC Ingolstadt, while Corinne Diacre previously managed Ligue 2 club Clermont Foot in France. In England, Hannah Dingley made history as caretaker of Forest Green Rovers before moving to Manchester City’s academy.Eta’s current stint with the men’s team is expected to be short‑lived. She has already signed a contract to become head coach of Union Berlin’s women’s side next season, where she will continue to develop talent in the Frauen‑Bundesliga. Nonetheless, her presence on the technical area this weekend offers a powerful visual for aspiring female coaches worldwide.Social media reactions have been mixed. While a minority of users resorted to sexist trolling, Union’s official X account defended Eta vigorously, dubbing her a “football goddess” and firing back at detractors. Eta, a former Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam, said she draws motivation from messages sent by young women and girls she has inspired.The upcoming match will not only test Union Berlin’s fight against relegation but also serve as a symbolic moment in the ongoing effort to break the “grass ceiling” in professional football.

Scientists at London's Institute of Cancer Research and the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dublin have announced a new AI-driven approach to identify how patients with advanced bowel cancer will respond to bevacizumab, a drug recently introduced by the NHS. The method uses PhenMap, an AI tool that integrates complex data on the genetic makeup of tumors, allowing researchers to track patterns of how different patients react to the drug. This development aims to spare potentially thousands of patients from being given drugs that would be ineffective in fighting their cancers. In the UK alone, nearly 10,000 cases of advanced bowel cancer are identified every year, with young adults seeing a particular rise in diagnoses. Bowel cancer has the second-highest mortality rate of any cancer, behind only lung cancer. While survival rates can be as high as 98% when caught early, the five-year survival rate for advanced bowel cancer can be as low as 10%. The study tracked 117 European bowel cancer patients who had been treated with chemotherapy and bevacizumab. Researchers identified a group of patients who all had the same gene mutation and were at a high risk of having negative reactions. The scientists behind the tests now hope to expand the number of patient samples and see if the results can be used in treatments for other types of cancer. Anguraj Sadanandam, a professor in stratification and precision medicine at the ICR, said: “Once bowel cancer spreads to other parts of the body, there are very few treatment options available for patients. It is therefore positive that patients can now access the targeted drug bevacizumab on the NHS. However, we know that the majority of patients won’t benefit from the drug, meaning thousands of people in England could be facing unpleasant side effects unnecessarily.” Sadanandam added that while the findings were encouraging, the tool would need to be tested on a larger cohort to be validated. “In future, I hope this approach will lead to a test that can be used by clinicians, to ensure patients receive personalised care that has the highest chance of working against their cancer.”

History’s Greatest Fails pairs author Elizabeth Day with historian Dan Jones to explore celebrated historical missteps. After a witty reunion anecdote about their Cambridge days, the duo tackles the myth of Richard III’s villainy and promises a future episode on Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, dubbed the "Ross and Rachel of early modern history."Strangely follows presenters Poppy Damon and Luke Jones as they plunge into off‑beat news stories, such as the macabre tale of a surgeon who amputated his own legs and the obscure origin of Neil Hopper’s "eunuch‑maker" moniker. The show balances factual depth with a tongue‑in‑cheek tone.Passenger Seat is a slow‑burn true‑crime podcast produced by Pennsylvania writer Tom Joudrey. The inaugural season recounts the 2012 kidnapping of Jennifer Hurst in Ohio, unraveling the puzzling motive behind the crime and the surprising gratitude she later expressed in court.Big Bro With Kid Cudi marks rapper Kid Cudi’s entry into the "celebrity podcast industrial complex". His first interview features Kylie Jenner, who drops the usual Kardashian PR veneer to discuss family dynamics, her upcoming acting role in the film The Moment, and a brief nod to Timothée Chalamet.Northern News reunites comedian Amy Gledhill with Ian Smith to spotlight odd and delightful headlines from the north of England that often slip under the radar. Regular contributors such as Stevie Martin, Alison Spittle and Phil Wang add extra comic flair.

Manchester City delivered a decisive 3-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a result that reduced Arsenal's nine‑point cushion to six and gave Pep Guardiola's side fresh impetus in the Premier League title race.City seized control early in the second half, with Nico O'Reilly heading in from a Rayan Cherki cross in the 51st minute. Six minutes later, Cherki’s incisive play produced a disguised pass to Marc Guéhi, who finished to make it 2-0. A third goal followed as a swift counter‑attack saw Cherki again on the ball, delivering a cross that O'Reilly converted, sealing the win.The match also highlighted individual milestones: Cherki notched his 10th league assist, becoming the first debutant since Dimitri Payet (2015‑16) to reach double‑digit assists in a Premier League season. Meanwhile, Guéhi recorded the first away player to keep two clean sheets at Stamford Bridge in a single campaign, having previously done so with Crystal Palace.Strategically, the win narrows the gap to Arsenal, leaving City six points behind with a game in hand. Should City overcome Arsenal at the Etihad this weekend, they could overtake the Gunners and re‑establish themselves as front‑runners for the title.Chelsea, hampered by the absence of injured captain Reece James and the suspension of Enzo Fernández, struggled to match City’s intensity. Their disciplinary record remains a concern, having amassed the league's highest number of yellow cards for dissent (16). Despite moments of promise from Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto and João Pedro, the Blues lacked the cutting edge in the final third and were out‑classed in midfield.Guardiola’s halftime adjustments proved pivotal; the team increased tempo, sharpened passing angles, and pressed higher, turning a sluggish first half into a dominant second‑half display. The victory not only restores confidence after a recent FA Cup win over Liverpool but also underscores City’s ability to respond swiftly to rivals’ slip‑ups, a pattern that has defined many of their recent title pursuits.