Prepares

Energy minister Michael Shanks reassures drivers ahead of chancellor’s statement to MPsGood morning. At lunchtime Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, will give a statement to MPs that will cover what the government is doing, and (more tentatively) might do, in response to the soaring global energy prices caused by the Iran war. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, also creating a global energy shortage, the Conservative government ended up spending £40bn supporting families and firms with energy bills over the following winter. Reeves’s problem is that she has not got £40bn spare. With spring upon us, and people starting to turn down their central heating, the issue may not seem particularly pressing in many households (although heating oil and petrol prices are already soaring.) But, by the end of this year, this could be the sort of colossal economic crisis that gets remembered for half a century.As Chris Mason explains in a good preview, Reeves is expected to cover three points. She is expected to confirm that the government wants to give the Competition and Markets Authority new powers to deal with any potention profiteering by oil companies. She will confirm that the government wants to go “further and faster to secure the next generation of nuclear power and to reclaim Britain’s place as a leading nuclear nation” (as the Treasury puts it in its overnight preview).[Drivers] should do everything as absolutely normal because there is no shortage of fuel anywhere in the country at the moment. We monitor this every single day, I look at the numbers personally. There’s no issue at all with that …People should go about their business as normal. That’s what the RAC and the AA have said. It’s really important people do that. There’s no shortage of fuel and everything is working as normal.Look genuinely, people shouldn’t change their behaviour or their habits in the slightest. Continue reading...

• D.C. United faces Atlanta United FC on Saturday, March 21, in their third road match of the 2026 MLS season in Atlanta, Georgia. • D.C. recently won 2-1 at Chicago Fire, with Tai Baribo scoring 3 goals this season and Matti Peltola netting his first MLS goal. • Atlanta sits 1-3-0 with 3 points, led by Alexey Miranchuk's 3 goals and Miguel Almiron's 3 assists.

Thousands of police prepare to deploy to South Korea’s capital ahead of K-pop’s most anticipated comebackSeoul has stepped up security ahead of BTS’s huge comeback concert on Saturday, which more than a quarter of a million fans are expected to attend, with authorities raising the terror alert in the area and preparing to deploy thousands of police to the capital.South Korean president Lee Jae Myung warned at a cabinet meeting this week that “the issue is safety” and urged heightened vigilance by the interior ministry and emergency services to prepare for every possibility. He described the concert as an important occasion to reaffirm the country’s global cultural standing. Continue reading...

Russian billionaire accused of missing ‘last chance’ to release money to help victims of Ukraine warUK officials are preparing for a possible court case against Roman Abramovich after he missed a deadline to release £2.4bn he raised from selling Chelsea FC.The Russian billionaire failed to hand over the money by the deadline of 17 March, amid a dispute over how it will eventually be used. Continue reading...

Sweeping bill would require proof of US citizenship for new voters passed by House but faces steep odds in SenateUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA sweeping restrictive voting bill that would require proof of US citizenship for new voters, among other measures, could be debated in the Senate as early as Tuesday.The Save America Act is a rebranded version of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility act, or the Save Act, a bill that has been circulating through Congress in some iteration for more than two years. Continue reading...

Congressional Republicans, backed by President Donald Trump, are advancing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act in the Senate next week after House passage last month, mandating documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration alongside photo ID requirements. The bill's strict documentation rules, lacking a phase-in period, could immediately impact midterm elections, potentially burdening millions including married women, people of color, and rural voters who may lack easy access to birth certificates or passports. Critics like Rebekah Caruthers of the Fair Elections Center warn it denies eligible Americans their voting rights, moving the U.S. opposite representative democracy, while Republicans claim it bolsters election integrity against rare noncitizen voting. If signed by Trump, the provisions apply without delay for November midterms.

Congress is slated to debate the Save America Act next week, a Trump-backed bill mandating citizenship proof for voter registration and restricting mail-in ballots. The proposal aims to enhance election integrity amid partisan divides. Critics warn of disenfranchisement risks for millions, while supporters cite fraud prevention. Passage could reshape 2026 midterms and beyond.