The Guardian

Minister Pat McFadden says at least half will be permanently cancelled in effort to reduce wasteful purchasesThousands of Whitehall officials will have their government “credit cards” suspended this week in Labour’s latest crackdown on what it regards as wasteful spending in the civil service.Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister, said on Monday he would freeze almost all of the 20,000 government procurement cards (GPCs) within days with a view to permanently cancelling at least half of them. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/17/thousands-whitehall-credit-cards-suspended-spending-crackdown Author : Kiran Stacey Political correspondent Publish date : 2025-03-17 22:30:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to

Lawyers say many of at least 27 who drowned in 2021 might have survived if rescue services had searched for longerMany of the people who drowned in the biggest ever loss of life in a migrant dinghy in the Channel could have been saved if rescue services had searched for them for longer, lawyers for their families have said.Their comments came after the independent Cranston inquiry which is scrutinising the circumstances surrounding the mass drowning, heard evidence from an expert into survivability in the water. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/17/many-victims-of-channel-dinghy-tragedy-could-have-been-saved-inquiry-hears Author : Diane Taylor Publish date : 2025-03-17 20:46:00

Jim Chalmers says nation must focus on resilience, not retaliation to Trump tariffs. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFor more on the OECD’s gloomy outlook, you can see our global story.TLDR: The Paris-based boffins have downgraded the prospects for global growth this year and next, including a sharp hit to activity in the US, Canada and Mexico. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/mar/18/australia-news-live-trade-tariffs-budget-jim-chalmers-economy-inflation-cost-of-living-election-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-ntwnfb Author : Martin Farrer Publish date : 2025-03-17 19:52:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Ivy League school is latest US university to make step with aim to make it affordable to ‘more students than ever’Harvard University is offering free tuition to more students, the Ivy League school announced on Monday, joining a growing number of higher education institutions in the US to take such a step.The announcement from Harvard says that undergraduate tuition at the institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will be free for students of families who make annual incomes of $200,000 or less. The university will also make schooling completely free for students from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or less, with

Chancellor tells financial, environmental and health watchdogs she wants to cut down on overlapping regulationRegulators will face twice-yearly performance reviews from ministers, aimed at forcing them to be more growth-friendly, as the chancellor warned that “too much bureaucracy” is holding back the economy.Rachel Reeves met financial, environmental and health regulators in Downing Street on Monday and urged them to continue to streamline their approach, to make it more pro-business. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/17/rachel-reeves-tells-regulators-too-much-bureaucracy Author : Heather StewartHelena Horton Publish date : 2025-03-17 17:15:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

James Boasberg sets 4pm ET hearing as rights groups say Trump deportation of Venezuelans could be ‘blatant violation’ of court orderWhat is the Alien Enemies Act and how is Trump using it?Professor deported despite judge’s order, defying US courtThe justice department says that Rasha Alawieh, a kidney specialist working in Rhode Island who was deported to Lebanon despite having a US visa, had “sympathetic” photos and videos of Hezbollah leaders on her phone, according to Politico.Alawieh’s deportation raised concerns because a judge had required 48 hours’ notice before being sent out of the country, and because she was detained despite

US official urges stop to plan to re-evaluate Biden program to connect communities to high-speed internet, which will likely benefit StarlinkUS politics live – latest updatesSmall town USA is facing a “significant risk” that the Trump administration is going to abandon key elements of a $42.45bn Biden-era plan to connect rural communities to high-speed internet so that Elon Musk can get even richer, a top departing commerce department official warned in an email.Evan Feinman, who headed up the so-called Bead program for the last three years, urged governors across the country to lobby their congressional delations in Washington to stop

Judges dismiss appeal from campaigners who argued ‘eye-watering’ cost of loan was not in public interest The court of appeal has upheld Thames Water’s £3bn emergency bailout loan, in a decision published on Monday.Appeal court judges dismissed an appeal from environmental campaigners and a small group of Thames creditors after a three-day hearing last week. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/17/appeal-court-rules-in-favour-of-3bn-bailout-for-thames-water Author : Sandra Laville Environment correspondent Publish date : 2025-03-17 13:01:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Diane Abbott says a wealth tax of 2% on people with assets over £10m would raise £24bn a yearAmanda Spielman, the former head of Ofsted, has accused the government of putting the interests of teaching unions ahead of the needs of pupils.In an article for the Daily Telegraph, she launched a wide-ranging attack on the eduction secretary, Bridget Phillipson, arguing that her policies would put educational improvement in England into reverse.There is much interest from other countries in what has been achieved in England, and in learning from us. Just in the past year I have been working in Flanders

US says airstrikes are intended to deter rebel group from attacking Red Sea shippingIranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said earlier today that Iran will respond to Trump’s letter “after full scrutiny”.The Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, has been reporting on the significance of Trump sending the letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who as Iran’s supreme leader is the highest authority in the country, and what it signals about the fraught relationship between Washington and Tehran. Here is an extract from his piece:The letter, the first step Trump has taken towards Iran since he announced the US was seeking to

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says the conditions Russia has presented suggest Putin doesn’t really want peaceTens of thousands of people from across Serbia joined an anti-corruption rally in Belgrade on Saturday, in what is regarded as the culmination of months of protest that have shaken the grip of the country’s autocratic president, Aleksandar Vučić.The anti-government rally is likely to be the biggest ever held in the Balkan country. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/mar/17/russia-us-ukraine-donald-trump-vladimir-putin-volodymyr-zelenskyy-ceasefire-peace-talks-europe-latest-live-news Author : Jakub Krupa Publish date : 2025-03-17 08:50:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

At least 34 people killed as storms sweep midwest and southern states, while rain causes chaos in Melbourne raceAt least 34 people have died across six states in the US in the past week as a powerful storm system swept through the midwest and south, impacting states such as Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Mississippi. The storms brought a devastating combination of dust storms, tornadoes, wildfires, flash flooding and large hailstones, and left behind a trail of wrecked vehicles, severely damaged buildings and widespread power outages. More than 60 million Americans have been affected by the severe weather.Since Friday,

In today’s newsletter: the former Philippines president was arrested and taken to The Hague after a tense standoff. It’s a much needed win for the international criminal court – but success is far from a givenGood morning.Last Tuesday, chaos erupted at Manila’s main airport as authorities arrested the Philippines’ 79-year-old former president Rodrigo Duterte, who had arrived from Hong Kong. An arrest warrant issued in secret by the international criminal court (ICC) accused him of crimes against humanity for his alleged involvement in killings during his brutal “war on drugs”.Benefits | Keir Starmer is to defy growing anger by driving

Thinktank says unauthorised absence is ‘a leading cause’ of performance gap between disadvantaged pupils and peersUnauthorised school absence is a leading cause of the widening performance gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in England, according to analysis from a respected thinktank.The research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) found that all of the increase in the “disadvantage gap” among 16-year-olds since 2019 can be explained by students on free school meals (FSM) missing more time off school than other pupils, putting them several months behind in terms of their results. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/17/unauthorised-school-absence-widening-disadvantage-gap-in-england Author : Richard

Newly minted prime minister will sit down with Macron and Starmer but has no immediate plans to meet with Donald TrumpMark Carney, the new Canadian prime minister, is headed to Paris and London seeking alliances as he deals with Donald Trump’s attacks on Canada’s sovereignty and economy.Carney is deliberately making his first foreign trip to the capital cities of the two countries that shaped Canada’s early existence. At his swearing-in ceremony on Friday, Carney noted the country was built on the bedrock of three peoples: French, English and Indigenous. He said Canada was fundamentally different from the US and will

Radio National, Triple J, ABC Classic and ABC News Radio were all down due to a technical issue from about 8am AEDT on Monday, broadcaster saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter hereThe ABC’s national radio services were hit by a major unexpected outage for more than 90 minutes on Monday morning, with Radio National’s flagship RN Breakfast affected on both analogue and streaming services.Radio National was restored at about 9.30am AEDT, but ABC technicians were still working on other services mid-morning on Monday after an apparent technical glitch hit

Portions of eastern US under watch for dangerous winds and tornadoes as storm moves out on SundayPortions of Pennsylvania, New York, and mid-Atlantic and south-east states were still under a National Weather Service watch for damaging wind and tornadoes, as the death toll from weekend storms rose to 36 people across six states.In a White House statement, Donald Trump said he was monitoring the tornadoes and storms, adding that “36 innocent lives have been lost, and many more devastated”. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/16/extreme-weather-storms-tornadoes Author : Guardian staff and agencies Publish date : 2025-03-17 00:38:00 Copyright for syndicated content

Alexandra Clarke, 26, was on a diving excursion near Koh Tao when blaze broke outA British tourist is missing in Thailand after the tour boat she was travelling on caught fire off the island of Koh Tao.Alexandra Clarke, 26, from Lambeth, south London, was onboard the Davy Jones Locker for a diving excursion. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/16/british-tourist-missing-after-diving-boat-catches-fire-off-thai-island Author : Donna Ferguson Publish date : 2025-03-16 23:12:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Body found in North Nowra area believed to be girl last seen on Sunday afternoonFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA body has been found during a search for a missing six-year-old girl.The girl was last seen in North Nowra, in southern NSW, on Sunday afternoon.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/17/body-found-in-nsw-bushland-believed-to-be-missing-six-year-old-girl Author : Australian Associated Press Publish date : 2025-03-16 21:03:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Treasurer faces $26bn deficit in 25 March budget. Follow today’s news liveThe premier of Queensland, David Crisafulli, appeared on the Today show this morning following media reports suggesting tropical cyclone Alfred will cost the budget around $1.2bn.Asked if he was concerned the hit might signal a limit to the amount of financial assistance affected residents would receive, he said the state government’s focus was “to make sure we go from response to recovery”.We’ve got to do things differently. So I acknowledge it might cost a little bit more up front to do that. But why would you replace things to

Prime minister's move against Shin Bet’s Ronen Bar will prompt further accusations of authoritarianismBenjamin Netanyahu has announced he will seek to dismiss the director of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, through a cabinet vote later this week, in a move that will prompt further accusations of authoritarianism.The Israeli prime minister said in a video statement on Sunday that “ongoing distrust” made it impossible for him to continue to work with Ronen Bar, who has led Shin Bet since 2021. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/16/netanyahu-seek-dismiss-head-israel-internal-security-service-shin-bet Author : Jason Burke in Jerusalem Publish date : 2025-03-16 19:30:00 Copyright for syndicated

The Toxicator closed for about an hour on its first day after a burst pipe flooded the area nearby with sewageA toxic waste-themed ride at Alton Towers had to be temporarily closed on its opening day – after a burst pipe flooded the nearby area with sewage.Toxicator, the park’s newest ride, was shut for about an hour on Saturday after the area nearby was evacuated. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/16/alton-towers-new-toxic-waste-themed-ride-briefly-closes-due-to-sewage-leak-toxicator Author : Hannah Al-Othman Publish date : 2025-03-16 17:26:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Steve Witkoff says US discussions with Russian president ‘positive’ and ‘solution-based’ and leaders likely to speakDonald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he expected the US president to speak with Vladimir Putin this week, saying that the Russian president “accepts the philosophy” of Trump’s ceasefire and peace terms.Witkoff told CNN that discussions with Putin over several hours last week were “positive” and “solution-based”. He declined to confirm when asked whether Putin’s demands included the surrender of Ukrainian forces in Kursk; international recognition of Ukrainian territory seized by Russia as Russian; limits on Ukraine’s ability to mobilize; a halt

Exclusive: Doctor Who writer says he feels ‘a wave of anger heading towards us’ and hostility in UK as well as USRussell T Davies has said gay society is in the “greatest danger I have ever seen”, since the election of Donald Trump as US president in November.Speaking to the Guardian at the Gaydio Pride awards in Manchester on Friday, the Doctor Who screenwriter said the rise in hostility was not limited to the US but “is here now”. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/16/russell-t-davies-gay-society-greatest-danger-ever-seen-trump Author : Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent Publish date : 2025-03-16 15:27:00 Copyright for

Adrian and Joanne Fenton hit with penalty after calling police when they found a boy hiding inside bike-rack coverA couple who were fined £1,500 after reporting a boy who had stowed away on the back of their motorhome for their journey from France to Essex have had the penalty cancelled.Adrian and Joanne Fenton, from Heybridge, were fined by the Home Office for “failing to check that no clandestine entrant was concealed” when they returned to their home across the Channel. Continue reading... Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/16/essex-couple-fine-reporting-channel-stowaway-cancelled Author : Hannah Al-Othman Publish date : 2025-03-16 14:04:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs