The Guardian

Senior figures said to have been skeptical over Keir Starmer’s appointment of ‘arrogant’ veteran politician, later sacked over connections to Jeffrey EpsteinSign up for the Breaking US News US emailThe US military is deploying thousands of additional marines and sailors to the Middle East, three US officials told Reuters on Friday.One of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the USS Boxer, along with the marine expeditionary unit onboard, were departing the west coast of the US about three weeks ahead of schedule. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/mar/20/trump-mandelson-starmer-supreme-court-iran-us-politics-latest-news-updates Author : Marina Dunbar (now) and Tom Ambrose

Mozambique-flagged vessel boarded this morning with UK assistance, French military confirms, as Macron says Iran war will not distract France from support of UkraineMeanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron has confirmed the seizure of the tanker, which he said belonged to the Russian shadow fleet.In a strongly worded post on X, he said:“The French navy boarded this morning in the Mediterranean a new vessel from the shadow fleet, the Deyna.The war in Iran will not divert France from its support for Ukraine, where Russia’s war of aggression continues. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/mar/20/spain-tax-france-elections-pope-leo-eu-iran-war-energy-costs-europe-latest-news-updates Author : Jakub Krupa Publish date :

LSE research found some Reform councillors have denied the reality of climate science, and mention of climate has been removed from strategy documentsGood morning. Seven weeks from today, counting will be taking place for the English local elections and, unless the polls are more wrong than they have ever been before, Reform UK will be celebrating record wins. The commentary will focus on the implications for national politics. But councils have significant powers, and a report today says Reform wins in local government could have a significant impact on climate policy.We know that Reform UK are opposed to net zero,

Exclusive: Richard Hermer, who is Jewish, says Tory leader and shadow minister seem ‘to only have an issue with Muslim events’Richard Hermer, the attorney general, has challenged Kemi Badenoch to say whether she would object to Jewish prayer in public, after the Conservative leader backed one of her shadow ministers who said an Islamic prayer event was intimidating and un-British.Hermer, one of the UK’s most prominent Jewish politicians, said Badenoch’s decision to support the views of Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, put her on a par with Reform UK and Tommy Robinson, the far-right activist. Continue reading... Source link

Government faces political fight as industry says mooted 25% levy on exports would hurt Australia’s economy and energy securityGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGas giants will lobby against any federal government moves to introduce a 25% export levy on windfall profits, as crossbenchers pressure the prime minister to redirect billions of dollars in “wartime profits” to Australians struggling amid the global energy crisis.It comes after the prime minister’s department asked Treasury to model the effects of placing a flat 25% tax on gas exports, the ABC reported on Friday, along with any further changes to

Colombia-born Estefany Rodríguez, whose detention had alarmed press freedom advocates, freed on $10,000 bondThe Nashville journalist who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this month was released from a Louisiana detention center on Thursday after spending 15 days in custody.Estefany Rodríguez, who covers immigration and other topics for the outlet Nashville Noticias, was detained in Nashville on 4 March and spent a week at a county jail in Alabama before being transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana. Her lawyers said Rodríguez was detained without warrant. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/19/journalist-detained-ice-released Author : Maanvi Singh Publish

Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFar north residents in the path of Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle say they have taken shelter as winds begin to swirl in the remote Cape York Communities.Sara Watkins, the owner of Coen Mechanical and the Little Bush Pantry in the township of Coen – population about 330 – say they moved to a more secure brick building when the winds picked up about 4am, local time.The wind has really started to pick up, you can hear a couple of things moving around outside.Until the wind started it

Authorities warn of strong winds, heavy rain, flooding and coastal storm surgeHow did global heating fuel Tropical Cyclone Narelle?Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSevere Tropical Cyclone Narelle was poised to make landfall in far north Queensland on Friday morning, likely as a “high-end” category four system but still posing a severe threat to several remote communities.Locals took shelter early in the morning as the winds began to pick up ahead of forecast winds over 250km/h. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/mar/20/tropical-cyclone-narelle-poised-to-hit-far-north-queensland-as-high-end-category-four-storm Author : Ben Smee and Graham

US president was meeting with Japanese PM when he said: ‘Who knows better about surprise than Japan?’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxIt would be funny if it wasn’t so Trumpy.Hosting the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in the Oval Office on Thursday, Donald Trump could not resist mocking Japan about its 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor during the second world war. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/19/trump-mocks-japan-pearl-harbor-iran-war Author : David Smith in Washington Publish date : 2026-03-19 18:48:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Nigel Farage echoed Nick Timothy’s comments after he said public prayer for Ramadan was an ‘act of domination’Starmer claims Tories have ‘problem with Muslims’ after Timothy tweetCleverly is trying to show a video, but it is not working. So he just invites Kemi Badenoch to start her speech.The Conservatives are launching their local elections campaign. There is a live feed here. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/mar/19/labour-eu-iran-covid-local-elections-meningitis-latest-news-updates Author : Andrew Sparrow (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) Publish date : 2026-03-19 16:14:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

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