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UK central bank has left rates on hold, and warned that CPI inflation will be higher in the near term as a result of the ‘new shock to the economy’ from Middle East crisisWhy are mortgage rates going up when the Bank of England base rate hasn’t changed?Fed holds interest rates steady as Iran war drives up oil prices and inflation fearsMiddle East crisis live: Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ entire South Pars gasfield if Iran strikes QatarEuropean stock markets have dropped sharply at the start of trading, hit by worries about surging energy prices.In London, the FTSE 100 blue-chip

Anger grows after a closed-door briefing from attorney general where she refused to commit to testify under oath despite subpoenaDemocrats walk out in protest at Epstein briefing from BondiSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Furious Democratic lawmakers have moved to impeach attorney general Pam Bondi after walking out of a closed-door briefing about the Jeffrey Epstein files on Wednesday.We asked her multiple times, are you going to come and speak with us under oath? She would not say yes. Filibuster, filibuster, filibuster, would not

Hungarian PM, who is facing an upcoming election, appears in no mood to compromise as EU leaders meet in Brussels this morningEU leaders are meeting in Brussels this morning for what was meant to be a discussion on the bloc’s competitiveness and economy, but “events, my dear boy, events” mean they will have to focus on Hungary’s ongoing spat with Ukraine and the Middle East instead.Less than four weeks before a key parliamentary election in Hungary, Viktor Orbán will once again come under pressure to unblock the EU’s €90bn loan to Ukraine, which he is blocking over a dispute about

Increased output from wind generation and batteries, and falling electricity contract prices, are expected to deliver lower energy billsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPower prices on Australia’s east coast are predicted to fall from July because of increased output from wind generation and batteries, and falling electricity contract prices, with potential savings up to $1,320 for some small businesses.In a draft decision on Thursday, the Australia Energy Regulator (AER) proposed a price reduction for customers on standing electricity plans – known as the “default market offer” –

US president says Israel will not launch another attack on the giant gasfield shared by Iran and Qatar, but promises to destroy it if Tehran retaliatesIsrael strikes Iran’s South Pars gasfield hours after forces kill intelligence minister Fighting intensifies between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon‘Growing stagflation risk’ is unsettling markets, warns strategistIn other Asia business news today, Japan’s Nikkei was down 2.5%, while South Korean equities fell 1.5%. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell more than 1.5%.“It is now hitting the plumbing of the global energy system. What is unsettling markets now is the growing stagflation

Lawmakers leave closed-door meeting after AG refuses to commit to honoring subpoena to testify under oathDemocrats on the House oversight committee walked out of a closed-door briefing from attorney general Pam Bondi about the Jeffrey Epstein files on Wednesday, leaving what California congressman Robert Garcia called “an outrageous fake hearing” after Bondi refused to commit to honoring a subpoena to testify under oath.The committee voted to subpoena Bondi earlier this month, with five Republicans joining Democrats to demand that the attorney general answer questions about the justice department’s failure to properly release files from the federal investigations into Epstein. Continue

New York Times report leads to multiple cancellations of events meant to celebrate the late labor organizerSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxLawmakers, union leaders and several community organizations expressed their shock and disgust after several women shared allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior and abuse by the late labor organizer César Chávez.The New York Times released an investigation on Wednesday detailing the allegations, which revealed that for years the co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW) union had groomed and sexually abused girls who were involved in the movement. Continue reading... Source

Treasurer plans ‘ambitious’ changes to target intergenerational inequity. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia last night co-sponsored an emergency declaration condemning Iran’s attacks on seafarers and merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.The declaration was moved at the International Maritime Council.That’s one of the things I would hope that the prime minister will be looking at. These are all the questions that need to be answered.If that support is needed to make sure that we can get the fuel to where the shortages are, that’s something that absolutely should be looked at.

UAE and Qatar condemn targeting of South Pars gas field; Esmail Khatib confirmed killedIran threatens Gulf energy facilities after Israeli attack on its largest gasfieldFighting intensifies between Israel and Hezbollah in southern LebanonIran is still exporting millions of barrels of oil, with about 90 ships, including oil tankers, having crossed the strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the war with Iran, according to maritime and trade data platforms reports.This is despite Iran saying it had closed the vital waterway to vessels from the US and its allies. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/mar/18/iran-war-live-updates-oil-prices-hormuz-trump-larijani-key-leader-killed-israel-strikes Author : Tom Ambrose (now); Taz

Producers say alleged victim of grooming was ready to tell his story and show raises urgent issues around online safetyChannel 5 has defended its controversial drama about the downfall of Huw Edwards, saying it raises the “urgent” issue of grooming and online safety and gives voice to his alleged victim, who worked with the programme to tell his side of the story so “no one who has been silenced feels they are alone”.Starring Martin Clunes as the disgraced former BBC newsreader, the drama charts the claim of a relationship and texts between Edwards and a vulnerable young man who was

Republicans almost certain to push through appointment following the ousting of Noem amid public backlash to her aggressive immigration approachSign up for Breaking US News US emailsWe’ll also be watching several events on Capitol Hill today. This includes the confirmation hearing of Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Republican senator Markwayne Mullin at 9:30am ET. As that gets under way, director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI director Kash Patel will face questions from Senate lawmakers. They’ll be joined by CIA director John Ratcliffe, and we’re expecting questions about the administration’s first major defection

Nick Thomas-Symonds says he does not accept former deputy PM’s comments around immigration plansNick Thomas-Symonds, the Cabinet Office minister, argued in interviews this morning that people in government agreed with Angela Rayner about wanting to deliver change quickly. (See 8.52am.)But he would not accept her criticisms of Shabana Mahmood’s plan to make most immigrants wait much longer until they can apply for indefinite leave to remain. Rayner said this was “un-British”, because the new rules will apply to people already in the UK, which she argued did not amount to fair play. Thomas-Symonds said he disagreed.No I don’t think that

Researchers say their prototype is a big step towards fully functioning batteries with rapid charging timesAustralian scientists have developed what they say is the world’s first proof-of-concept quantum battery.Quantum batteries, first proposed as a theoretical concept in 2013, use the principles of quantum mechanics to store energy, and have the potential to be more efficient than conventional batteries. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/mar/18/world-first-quantum-battery-australian-scientists-say Author : Donna Lu Publish date : 2026-03-18 07:29:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

House to consider amendment that would pardon women in England and Wales affected by prior ‘unjust’ lawsWomen who have been arrested, investigated and convicted under abortion legislation in England and Wales “must not be left behind” if the law is changed to prevent women being criminalised in future, campaigners have said.Last summer, the House of Commons voted to end the criminalisation of women who terminate their pregnancies outside the legal framework, through a new clause in the crime and policing bill. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/18/lords-urged-to-ensure-women-criminalised-for-abortion-are-not-left-behind Author : Hannah Al-Othman Publish date : 2026-03-18 05:00:00 Copyright for syndicated content

Australian prime minister says US–Israeli war on Iran has shifted the international reality, likening current economic shock to Covid pandemic and Ukraine invasionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese says the federal government is preparing new measures to help shield households from the economic fallout of the war in Iran, likening supply chain and fuel disruptions to the Covid-19 pandemic.Announcing a snap meeting of national cabinet on fuel supply set to take place on Thursday morning, the prime minister used a speech to the Australian Automotive Dealer

Chancellor seeks ‘genuine break with the past’ in tackling centralised and ‘geographically unequal’ countryRachel Reeves has announced that the Treasury will draw up proposals to hand England’s mayors a share of national tax revenues as part of a radical plan to rebalance the economy.The chancellor promised “a genuine break with the past” that would shift spending power away from Westminster, as she promised to create investment-led growth across the UK. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/17/rachel-reeves-plans-regional-national-tax-revenues-mais-lecture Author : Heather Stewart Economics editor Publish date : 2026-03-18 00:01:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

US president says his country does not ‘need or desire’ the help of Nato, Japan, Australia or South Korea. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastARN confirms Kyle Sandilands contract terminatedARN just issued a statement confirming Kyle Sandilands’ contract had been terminated and the Kyle and Jackie O show cancelled.ARN has just announced that they’ve terminated my contract. I don’t accept it.My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is.They sacked Jackie. They suspended me. They wouldn’t even let me pick up the phone to call

Relations deteriorate as Gustavo Petro claims government of Trump ally Daniel Noboa bombing targets in ColombiaPresident Gustavo Petro has accused Ecuador of bombing targets inside Colombian territory, saying later that the burned remains of nearly 30 people had been found near the border, in a sharp deterioration in relations between the two neighbouring countries.The Colombian leader said on Tuesday that an attack which had left “27 charred bodies” did not appear to have been carried out by Colombia’s own forces or any illegal armed groups which he said do not have armed planes. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/17/colombian-president-ecuador-bodies Author

President says he will ‘never (ever) endorse anyone’ who votes against Save America act as Senate prepares to take up debate on controversial billSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA top counter-terrorism official in the Trump administration has resigned over the ongoing war on Iran.Joe Kent, who reported to director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, said that he “cannot in good conscience” support the joint conflict with Israel.You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, including Rachel Reeves’s Mais lecture at Bayes Business School in LondonThe number of people in England and Wales falling into insolvency has jumped.There were 11,609 individual insolvencies registered in England and Wales in February, the Insolvency Service has reported this morning. This was 18% higher than in February 2025 and 6% higher than in January 2026.The individual insolvencies consisted of 768 bankruptcies, 4,210 debt relief orders (DROs) and 6,631 individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs). The number of DROs in February 2026 was a record high in the monthly time series going back

Emily Thornberry is the latest figure to call on the king’s visit to the US to be delayed, citing the ongoing war against IranNigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, Robert Jenrick, his Treasury spokersperson, and Richard Tice, his business spokesperson, are holding their press conference now. As the BBC reports, they will commit the party to getting rid of VAT and green levies on energy bills.There is a live feed here.This strategy will provide unprecedented funding for local media outlets to invest in innovation and infrastructure, almost tripling the size of funding for community radio, harnessing the power of local

Michele Bullock says high inflation hurts everyone, but there still seems to be an extraordinary level of complacency about potential fallout from the US-Israel war on IranGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Reserve Bank has made some controversial calls over recent years, but hiking interest rates in the middle of a historic global energy shock is right up there.If this Middle East conflict lasts for months, not weeks, and drags the world and our economy down, then Tuesday’s decision to increase households’ borrowing costs will not age well. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/mar/17/the-rba-has-made-one-of-its-most-controversial-calls-in-recent-years-and-this-rate-rise-may-not-age-well Author

Liz Kendall announces £1bn funding to help design large-scale quantum computers for scientists, researchers, public sector and businessThe UK will not let quantum computing talent slip through its fingers and must learn lessons from US dominance of the AI race, the technology secretary has said, as the government announced a £1bn quantum funding pledge.Liz Kendall said the government hoped to retain homegrown quantum startups, engineers and researchers rather than lose them to competing countries, with the US stealing a march on its western rivals in AI. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/17/uk-must-learn-lessons-from-ai-race-and-retain-its-quantum-computing-talent-says-minister Author : Dan Milmo Global technology editor Publish

Trump says delay of ‘a month or so’ requested while key official insists move is not to pressure Beijing to help unblock strait of Hormuz; Iraqi officials say drones and rockets attacked embassyEuropean countries reject Trump’s call for help to reopen strait of HormuzHow have you been affected by the latest Middle East events?Are fuel price increases making you cut back?The United Arab Emirates’ air defences are currently responding to incoming missile and drone attacks from Iran, the Gulf state’s ministry of defence has just said. It posted on social media that sounds being heard there are from air defences

Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman says death toll has reached 400 people ‘so far’ as Islamabad denies targeting facility for drug addictsHeavy casualties were feared in Kabul after a hospital that treats drug users was hit by airstrikes, which Afghanistan blamed on Pakistan’s military.Pakistan dismissed the accusation, saying the strikes on Monday – which were also launched against eastern Afghanistan – did not hit any civilian sites. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/16/afghanistan-accuses-pakistan-of-kabul-hospital-strike-killed Author : Guardian staff and Associated Press Publish date : 2026-03-17 01:08:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.