The Guardian

Federal agencies have until 13 March to formulate staff reduction plans as allies and critics react to Trump’s marathon Congress speechWelcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of US politics and the Donald Trump administration. I’m Tom Ambrose.We start with news that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is considering reducing its workforce by as much as 50%, according to reports. The agency has already laid off about 7,000 of its 90,000 employees since Donald Trump came to power.Donald Trump on Tuesday declared that his administration was “just getting started” as Democratic lawmakers protested with placards that read “lies” and “false” during

Class action accuses International Distribution Services of abusing ‘dominant position’ in marketA £1.2bn class action claim accusing the owner of Royal Mail of abusing its “dominant position” in the market for sending bulk mail has been given the green light to proceed to trial by UK competition authorities.Bulk Mail Claim Ltd, a recently formed company representing an estimated 290,000 customers who claim they were overcharged as a result of Royal Mail’s behaviour, has won clearance to proceed with its legal challenge from the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/05/green-light-for-bulk-mail-claim-against-royal-mail-owner-to-go-to-trial Author : Mark Sweney Publish date :

US president says he ‘appreciates’ Ukrainian counterpart’s offer to work towards peace deal under Trump’s ‘strong leadership’In other late developments you shouldn’t miss, the prospective partners in Germany’s next government have said they will seek to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending.Centre-right election winner Friedrich Merz, who is trying to put together a coalition government with the centre-left Social Democrats, said the two sides would propose exempting spending of more than 1% of gross domestic product on defence from rules that limit the government’s ability to borrow money. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/mar/05/donald-trump-volodymyr-zelenksyy-ukraine-russia-greenland-tariffs-europe-live-news

In today’s newsletter: Pjotr Sauer explains Russia’s response to the new Trump administration following a fraught week in global relationsGood morning. In his address to Congress last night, Donald Trump recited a letter from Volodymyr Zelenskyy offering to return to the negotiating table – and warmly welcomed the tone of discussions his administration has held with Russia. “We’ve received strong signals that they are ready for peace,” he said. “Wouldn’t that be beautiful?”That was not the first sign of Trump’s faith in Vladimir Putin’s promises – but it served to underline what is surely the most radical US foreign policy

Dispute emerges after deputy prime minister Winston Peters questioned why MPs used the name Aotearoa in debatesThe speaker of New Zealand’s parliament has told lawmakers to stop complaining about the use of the Māori name for the country, after the deputy prime minister strongly objected to hearing it in the house.In a ruling on Tuesday, Gerry Brownlee said that while “New Zealand” is the official name, the Māori name “Aotearoa” is used widely, including on currency and passports. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/05/new-zealand-parliament-maori-name-aotearoa-row-peters-menendez-brownlee-ntwnfb Author : Eva Corlett in Wellington with agencies Publish date : 2025-03-05 05:31:00 Copyright for syndicated

Despite Peter Dutton’s February proposal, shadow treasurer says divestment will be ‘confined to supermarkets and hardware’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAngus Taylor has appeared to backflip on the Coalition’s commitment to crack down on insurance companies if they do not bring down premiums.In February, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, told Sky News the Coalition was prepared to “intervene” in the insurance market.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/05/chalmers-accuses-coalition-of-horrendous-contradiction-as-taylor-appears-to-backflip-on-insurance-crackdown Author : Krishani Dhanji Publish date : 2025-03-05 02:35:00 Copyright for syndicated

President opens primetime speech with ‘America is back’ while Democrats heckle and booTrump’s Congress speech – latest updatesDonald Trump on Tuesday declared that his administration was “just getting started”, after a radical start to his presidency that has seen his administration slash the size of the federal workforce, upend longstanding American alliances and rattle markets with an escalating trade war.“America is back,” Trump declared, opening the his primetime speech to a joint session of Congress, the first of his second term. Republicans broke into a boisterous chant of “USA”. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/donald-trump-congress-address-speech Author : Lauren Gambino Publish

Ahmed Rashid Nadir charged over two offences and granted bail to appear at Downing Centre local court on 19 MarchFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA second Bankstown nurse involved in a viral video showing both he and his colleague allegedly threatening Israeli patients has been charged by Strike Force Pearl detectives.Ahmed Rashid Nadir, who worked at the Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital in Sydney’s west, was arrested on Tuesday evening, and later charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend, and possessing a prohibited drug.Sign up for

President could announce minerals deal believed to have been scuppered, reports say, as Canada and China retaliate against tariffsOne in three Americans approve of Donald Trump’s handling of the cost of living, a sign of unease as he enacts steep tariffs on imports that are stoking inflation worries, according to a new survey.The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump’s approval ratings below 40% on a range of issues, including the economy, foreign policy and corruption. The notable exception was his 49% approval rating on immigration policy. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/mar/05/trump-congress-speech-address-latest-updates Author : Léonie Chao-Fong Publish date : 2025-03-05 00:03:00 Copyright

Beachside and low-lying suburbs most at risk, city council flood map shows, when category-two storm hits coastTropical Cyclone Alfred LIVE updates and latest newsAlice thought Brisbane wouldn’t flood twice in one decade. Now she’s bracing for AlfredGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAuthorities in Brisbane say 20,000 properties in the city are at risk of inundation by storm surge or flooding as Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues its ominous track towards the populated south-east Queensland coast.Updated tracking maps on Wednesday morning show Alfred maintaining its intensity, speed and likely path to landfall.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking

Queensland premier says ‘very small number’ of people evacuated so far and ‘if you are told to evacuate, you should leave and I can’t be more blunt than that’. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSandbag queues ‘about an hour’ in Brisbane – WellsThe federal sports minister, Anika Wells, also spoke on the Today Show this morning from Brisbane and said it was the “calm before the storm”.At the moment that’s the shortest it’s been in 24 hours. It’s a big couple of days ahead for south-east Queensland. We’re more than up to

Conservative alliance and Social Democrats to propose exempting spending of more than 1% of GDP on defenceThe prospective partners in Germany’s next government have said they will seek to loosen rules on running up debt to allow for higher defence spending.They said they will also seek to set up a huge €500bn ($533bn ) fund to finance spending on Germany’s infrastructure over the next 10 years. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/04/germanys-future-coalition-partners-to-relax-debt-rules-to-boost-defence-budget Author : Agencies Publish date : 2025-03-04 20:01:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Alice Mackey, 42, remanded in custody over death of Annabel Mackey, who was found in a pond in 2023A 42-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of her two-year-old daughter who died after being found in a pond.Police were sent to a report that Annabel Mackey had gone missing from her home in Kingsley near Bordon, Hampshire, on 10 September 2023. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/04/woman-charged-two-year-old-daughter-pond-hampshire-annabel-mackey Author : PA Media Publish date : 2025-03-04 18:46:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Designation comes after Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the start of Israel-Hamas warUS politics live – latest updatesThe US state department has reinstated the “foreign terrorist organization” designation for Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi group, fulfilling an order announced by Donald Trump shortly after he took office.The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, announced on Tuesday the department had restored the designation, which carries with it sanctions and penalties for anyone providing “material support” for the group. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/yemen-houthis-terrorist-organization Author : Associated Press in Washington Publish date : 2025-03-04 17:16:00

US president also claims he will imprison ‘agitators’ a day after administration called for review at Columbia UniversityDonald Trump threatened on Tuesday to halt all federal funding for any college or school that allows “illegal protests” and vowed to imprison “agitators”.“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,” the US president wrote on Truth Social. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/trump-university-funding-protests Author : Anna Betts Publish date : 2025-03-04 15:53:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Egypt proposes reconstruction of territory to create ‘sustainable, green and walkable’ housing and urban areas An Arab summit draft communique on Tuesday adopted an Egyptian plan for Gaza’s future and called on the international community and financial institutions to provide support for the plan quickly.Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP Tuesday that disarming is a red line for his movement and other Palestinian militant groups in negotiations to extend the fragile Gaza ceasefire. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/mar/04/arab-league-summit-gaza-strip-donald-trump-middle-east-crisis-live-news Author : Charlie Moloney Publish date : 2025-03-04 14:47:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Staff at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall alleged to have allowed or encouraged nearly 70 fights involving young detaineesThirty officers at a southern California juvenile detention facility have been charged for their role in facilitating so-called “gladiator fights” between youth in their care, the state’s attorney general said on Monday.A grand jury indictment alleges the officers at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles county allowed and sometimes encouraged nearly 70 fights to take place between July 2023 and December 2023. More than 140 victims between the ages of 12 and 18 were involved. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/california-juvenile-detention-gladiator-fights-charges Author

President expected to ask for more money for immigration crackdown as Democrats invite fired federal workers to speechTrump to lay out second-term vision in key address to CongressUS vice-president JD Vance said that the best way to protect Ukraine from another Russian invasion is to guarantee the US has a financial interest in Ukraine’s future.“If you want real security guarantees, if you want to actually ensure that Vladimir Putin does not invade Ukraine again, the very best security guarantee is to give Americans economic upside in the future of Ukraine,” Vance said in the interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity

UK fund manager reverses 2021 rebrand that was criticised by brand expert as ‘ill thought-out’Business live – latest updatesWhen the UK fund manager Aberdeen removed the vowels from its name four years ago, it prompted a wave of whimsical mickey-taking and caused its boss to accuse those mocking Abrdn of “corporate bullying”. Now, its new boss has performed a U-turn and returned to the company’s original name – but without capital letters.Alongside the Edinburgh-based company’s annual results, chief executive Jason Windsor, the former finance chief who was promoted to the top job in September, announced the “pragmatic decision” to bring

Few hours after Starmer’s statement to Commons on Monday, White House suspended all military aid to UkraineGood morning. Yesterday Keir Starmer had a comfortable two hours in the Commons during which MPs from all sides praised him, lavishly and sincerely, for the leadership he has shown on Ukraine, trying to hold the US and Europe together, while mobilising European efforts to build up support for Ukraine.There were probably only two moments when Starmer lashed out; first at Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, whom he accused of fawning over Vladimir Putin; and then at Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at

White House official says US is reviewing its aid to ‘ensure that it is contributing to a solution’US has suspended all military aid to Ukraine, White House official says, in wake of Trump-Zelenskyy rowHungary’s government has offered support to the Donald Trump administration’s decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine as the country defends itself against Russia’s invasion and illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory.A spokesperson for Viktor Orbán’s government said “The US president and the Hungarian government share the same stance: instead of continuing weapons shipments and the war, a ceasefire and peace talks are needed as soon as possible.”To

Markets tumble as US president’s levies against Canada, Mexico and China come into effectChina and Canada unveiled retaliatory measures against the US after Donald Trump imposed his sweeping tariffs plan at midnight US time, despite warnings it could spark an escalating trade war.US tariffs have come into force of 25% against goods from Canada and Mexico, the US’s two biggest trading partners, and 20% tariffs against China – doubling the levy on China from last month. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china Author : Callum Jones in New York Publish date : 2025-03-04 06:04:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to

Moscow trying to improve its claim to entire Kherson region in time for peace negotiations, says governorRussian forces are repeatedly trying to seize a foothold across Ukraine’s Dnipro River, dispatching troops on high-casualty missions to gain territory for future peace negotiations, according to the Ukrainian governor of Kherson region.Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian forces were trying to cross in four locations to justify their claim to the whole oblast, one of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow says it wants to incorporate. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/04/russia-sending-suicidal-missions-to-win-foothold-over-dnipro-river-says-ukraine Author : Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor Publish date : 2025-03-04 05:00:00 Copyright

Reserve Bank board members say February cut does ‘not commit them to further reductions in the cash rate target at subsequent meetings’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Reserve Bank is cautious about future cash rate cuts and doesn’t view last month’s decision to reduce the official interest rate level as a commitment to make further reductions, according to the minutes of the bank’s recent board meeting.The 18 February meeting minutes, released on Tuesday, deflate the hopes of mortgage holders of another quick-fire reprieve in lending rates. They

Singer, who met Dean when she was 18, says ‘words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years’Carl Dean, devoted husband of Dolly Parton and also the inspiration behind Parton’s iconic hit Jolene, died on Monday. He was 82.According to a statement provided to the Associated Press by Parton’s publicist, Dean died in Nashville, Tennessee, and will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/03/carl-dean-husband-dolly-parton-dies Author : Guardian staff and agencies Publish date : 2025-03-04 01:22:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.