Labour failing to live up to ambition to reform public services, analysis finds

• The Embassy of Switzerland's Foreign Interests Section in Tehran has temporarily closed due to the deteriorating security situation in Iran, effective until further notice. • The closure reflects heightened tensions in the region as the U.S. and Israeli military operations continue against Iran, now entering their fourth week. • The suspension of Swiss diplomatic operations, which typically represent U.S. interests in Iran due to the absence of direct U.S.-Iran diplomatic relations, indicates serious concerns about personnel safety in the capital.

• A joint U.S.-Ecuador military strike on March 6 targeting an alleged narco-terrorist training camp actually destroyed a dairy farm in the remote Ecuadorian village of San Martín in the Amazon jungle, according to a New York Times investigation. • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted video of the strike online claiming the U.S. was "bombing Narco Terrorists on land," but local residents reported Ecuadorian soldiers had arrived three days earlier by helicopter, interrogated and beat farmworkers, and set fire to structures before the bombing occurred. • The Alliance for Human Rights, an Ecuadorian coalition, filed a 13-page complaint with Ecuadorian authorities and the United Nations over the incident, raising serious questions about civilian casualties and military conduct in the operation.

• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on March 25, 2026, that President Trump will hit Iran harder if Tehran does not accept military defeat. • The US is closely tracking efforts to secure oil tanker passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian threats. • This escalation threat underscores Trump's strategy to force Iran into capitulation, potentially prolonging the conflict without regime change.

• Iranian strikes on US bases in the Middle East prompted thousands of American troops to relocate to hotels and office spaces throughout the region on March 26, 2026. • The attacks represent an existential threat to Gulf states, which urged the UN to intervene amid escalating regional tensions. • This displacement highlights vulnerabilities in US forward bases, forcing operational shifts and increased reliance on civilian infrastructure during ongoing conflict.

The deposed Venezuelan president and his wife appeared in a Manhattan courtroom as rival protests took place outsideThe deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro had a smile on his face as he walked into a Manhattan court with shackles around his ankles and affably shook hands with attorneys at the defense table.But though he appeared at ease on Thursday, Maduro, who was captured in Caracas by US special forces on 3 January, faces a “narco-terrorism” indictment that could land him in federal prison for life. Continue reading...

Conservative former cabinet minister says nurse convicted of murdering seven babies has suffered a miscarriage of justiceThe police force which conducted the investigation into the nurse Lucy Letby made “egregious” failures and did not follow official guidance or best professional practice, David Davis has said in parliament.Speaking in the final parliamentary debate before the Easter recess, the Conservative former cabinet minister made a series of criticisms of Cheshire police and said Letby has suffered a miscarriage of justice. Davis said Cheshire police failed to appoint appropriate medical and statistics experts, and pursue all possible lines of inquiry into why babies died and collapsed on the “failing” neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester hospital in 2015-16. Continue reading...

BMA’s decision to withdraw from talks with government and NHS chiefs has sparked a war of wordsNHS bosses have accused resident doctors of seeking to cause “maximum harm” to patients by striking for six days next month over pay and jobs.Wes Streeting has given resident – formerly junior – doctors in England until 2 April to reconsider their rejection on Wednesday of his “generous” offer to end the dispute. It would have given them £700m in extra pay over the next three years. Continue reading...

Oscars to end over two-decade run at Dolby Theatre the same year it moves broadcast to YouTubeThe Oscars are moving to a new venue, ending a more than two-decade run in Hollywood during the same year the Academy moves its annual awards broadcast to YouTube.The Academy Awards will move to the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles starting in 2029. The venue, located within the 4m sq ft LA Live sports and entertainment complex will serve as the Oscars’ new home from the 101st ceremony through 2039. Continue reading...

Charities say taxes should rise for banks, defence and energy companies which stand to make windfall profitsMiddle East crisis liveRachel Reeves is being urged to raise taxes on businesses generating “windfall” profits linked to the US-Israel war on Iran to fund emergency cost of living support for UK households.With the government under pressure to respond, a group of leading charities, campaigners and trade unions said the chancellor could raise billions by taxing “excess profits” linked to the conflict. Continue reading...

Cyclone has re-intensified to category-four storm off the coast near Exmouth. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then Stephanie Convery will take you through the day.Isolated Western Australian coastal towns were in the firing line as Tropical Cyclone Narelle continued to build in strength overnight as it rolled parallel to the coast before expected landfall later today. Continue reading...

Tehran denies it is ‘begging to make a deal’ and continues strikes across swathe of Middle EastMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has urged Iranian leaders to negotiate an end to the near-month-long war or face further assassinations of senior officials amid intensified military action by the US and Israel.The latest threat on Thursday came as Israel said it had had “blown up and eliminated” the Revolutionary Guards’ naval commander, Alireza Tangsiri, and several senior officers in a strike on the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Continue reading...

Announcement comes after IOPC said it was examining force’s response to allegations made in 2014 and 2015A police force under investigation over its handling of sexual abuse claims against the self-professed misogynist Andrew Tate has reopened an inquiry into allegations against him.Hertfordshire police said they had made the decision to reinvestigate alleged rape and sexual assault offences in the light of previous failures in 2014 and 2015. Continue reading...