Prime minister says government needs to show it is on families’ side as new screen-time guidance launched• UK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has promised a “fight” with social media firms amid efforts to limit children’s use of mobile phones, tablets and TVs, as new official guidance recommends children under five spend no more than an hour a day on screens.The guidance, developed by a panel led by the children’s commissioner, Rachel de Souza and children’s health expert Prof Russell Viner, advises screen time for children under two should be avoided other than for shared activities. Continue reading...
The deal would mean TSA staff, who screen airport passengers, baggage and cargo, would start being paid for the first time since mid-FebruarySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The Senate has ended a budget standoff that has forced thousands of airport security staff to work without pay and caused long delays at airports.Democrats held firm in our opposition that Donald Trump’s rogue and deadly militia should not get more funding without serious reforms.US markets saw their biggest slump since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran on Thursday as Donald Trump said the conflict’s impact on oil prices had not been as bad as he expected. The Dow closed 450 points down, while the S&P 500 dipped 1.7%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 2.3%, plunging into correction territory, which happens when an index falls at least 10% below its most recent peak. More here.The department of treasury announced that US paper currency will soon feature President Donald Trump’s signature to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary. The move marks the first time a sitting US president’s signature will appear on legal tender. To accommodate this change, the treasurer’s signature will be removed for the first time since 1861. More here.The Senate failed to achieve 60 votes needed to pass an amendment to the Save America act that would require voters to present photo ID to cast a ballot. The chamber voted 52-47, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for it to pass. No Democrats voted for it. Earlier today, Trump urged Republicans to terminate the Senate filibuster.During a cabinet meeting today, Donald Trump said that Iran was letting 10 oil tankers through the strait of Hormuz as an apparent goodwill gesture in the supposed negotiations. He also repeated his earlier remarks that Iran is “begging to make a deal”.Donald Trump wants to renovate the White House’s treaty room, traditionally a meeting space for diplomats and statesman, into a guest bedroom with an en suite bathroom, according to the New York Times. Continue reading...
The 42-year-old is the 26th person charged after February rally against Israeli president that led to violent clashes between police and protestersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLawyers have raised concerns that New South Wales police used heavy-handed tactics when arresting an anti-Isaac Herzog protester this week, after eight tactical officers were sent to their home at 5am and “smashed the door open”.The 42-year-old was the 26th person to be charged after the protest at Sydney town hall in February against the visiting Israeli president. The police response on the night of the protest is being investigated amid allegations of police brutality. Continue reading...
• International medical graduates play a vital role in addressing the U.S. physician shortage projected at 86,000 by 2036, particularly for Medicare patients and underserved communities.
• The American Medical Association's March 27, 2026 National Advocacy Update calls on representatives to co-sponsor H.R. legislation to support these essential workers.
• This effort aims to ensure adequate healthcare workforce amid growing demands from aging populations and expanded coverage.
• Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta Platforms are collectively projected to spend approximately $630 billion on data centers and AI chips in 2026 alone, representing massive capital commitments to AI infrastructure.
• Industry analysts suggest this $630 billion splurge may still prove insufficient to meet the surging computational demands for artificial intelligence development and deployment.
• The investment reflects intensifying competition among tech giants to secure AI capabilities and infrastructure advantages in an increasingly AI-dependent market.
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...
• The U.S. House passed the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act (H.R. 7296/S. 1383) on February 11, 2026, by a 218-213 vote, requiring documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration.
• The act mandates counties to verify citizenship, conduct ongoing voter list maintenance, and comply with uniform federal standards, overriding some state systems without added funding.
• Priority for Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House, it expands county administrative burdens on election officials amid debates over voter integrity.
• The House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved five bipartisan bills on March 25, 2026, providing tax relief to natural disaster victims, sexual assault survivors, and pre-school teachers while enhancing IRS customer service and whistleblower protections.
• Key measures include the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act (H.R. 5366, passed 41-0) and the Supporting Early-childhood Educators’ Deductions Act (SEED Act, H.R. 5334, passed 43-0), allowing up to $350 annual deductions for classroom expenses for standard deduction filers.
• The IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act (H.R. 7959) strengthens protections for tax fraud informants; all bills received strong bipartisan support amid ongoing tax proposal discussions.
• The latest patch for Borderlands 4 significantly boosts PC performance with native frame rates increasing by 43 percent.
• The optimization patch addresses performance issues that players had reported since the game's launch.
• VideoCardz reports the improvements represent one of the most substantial performance gains from a monthly update this year.
The new album draws from the musician’s early childhood memories of growing up in Liverpool and his relationship with Lennon, with musical styles that span his entire career• Alexis Petridis on single Days We Left Behind: ‘As McCartney-esque as possible’Paul McCartney has announced his 18th solo album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane – its title a reference to the route from Liverpool to the Speke shoreline, the area where the former Beatle spent his young childhood.A press release described the 14-track record as McCartney’s most introspective album yet, a “collection of rare and revealing glimpses into memories never-before shared, along with some newly inspired love songs”, presumably about McCartney’s third wife, Nancy Shevell, whom he married in 2011. The musical styles are said to span his entire career, including “Wings-style rock, Beatles-style harmonies, McCartney-style grooves, understated intimacy, melody-driven storytelling, character songs”. Continue reading...
Higher blend has been prohibited in warm weather because of concerns it could worsen smogThe US Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it would temporarily allow widespread sales of a higher ethanol gas blend in a move that they hope will tamp down consumer prices that have soared since the Iran war began.The higher blend has been prohibited in warm weather because of concerns it could worsen smog. Continue reading...
Prime minister says UK must do more to regulate against potential harms after landmark ruling in US courtSir Keir Starmer has said he will tackle “addictive features” in social media amid increasing signs the UK government is preparing to crackdown on risks to children after a landmark US court verdict which held Meta and YouTube responsible for harms caused by designing addictive technology.The prime minister said the verdict in a California court signals a rising public expectation for more aggressive regulation and said: “I’m absolutely clear that we need to go further.” Continue reading...
Aipac-backed lawmakers denounce ‘extremist’ violence in West Bank as support for Israel becomes a political liabilityAs Israeli settlers ramp up violent attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, often as Israeli forces stand by, denunciations are mounting in the US, even from Democratic legislators and public figures who are typically staunch defenders of Israel.In recent days, dozens of settlers have torched homes and vehicles and attacked Palestinians in apparently coordinated attacks. Since the start of the month, Israeli settlers and police have killed at least 10 Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, including two young brothers and their parents as they returned from a Ramadan shopping trip. Continue reading...
The government has launched a consultation on banning social media for under-16s but peers voted to move fasterHouse of Lords pushes for Australian-style social media ban for under-16sGood morning. It is going to be a busy political news day, but potentially quite a mixed and messy one. Keir Starmer is in Helsinki for a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (the northern European military pact – the Nordics, the Baltics, the Dutch and the UK), and he has already been speaking to the media. In the Commons it is the last day before the Easter recess, which means it is “take out the trash day” – the trash, in this case, being government announcements that have to be reported to parliament (so they can’t be announced during the recesss), but which have been held back because they’re moderately embarrassing (or sometimes just too dull). There are 24 written ministerial statements (full list here). Few, if any, of these are likely to produce big headline stories, but there should be a lot here for people interested in the workings of government.And, with the parliamentary session also about to end soon (the new king’s speech is expected to take place on Wednesday 13 May), the government is also trying to get all its bills onto the statue book. And it faced a new problem last night after peers voted for a second time to insert a clause into the bill committing the government to an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s.Obviously we’ll study that ruling very carefully, but I’m absolutely clear that we need to go further.The status quo isn’t good enough. We need to do more to protect children. Continue reading...
Homebuyers lose confidence amid higher rates and Iran war-linked price rises across the economy, buyers agent saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSurging numbers of homes are being passed in at auction as higher interest rates weigh on demand and the number of properties for sale hits highs not seen since 2021.The national auction clearance rate last week was just under 57%, the lowest this year, with Sydney’s at 55%, Cotality data shows. The remainder includes both houses that did not sell at auction and houses withdrawn before auction. Continue reading...
Courts in Australia may be willing to hold social media companies accountable for real-world harm, lawyers sayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian law firms are investigating the scope for future legal cases after a landmark US court ruling that found Meta and YouTube liable for deliberately designing addictive products.A jury in Los Angeles ruled against the two tech giants on Wednesday, finding both to be negligent and having failed to provide adequate warnings about the potential dangers of their products. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Speaking with the Australian Politics podcast, the Liberal frontbencher says a sovereign wealth fund would set Australians up for generations to comeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLiberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie says he is open to a new 25% tax on soaring gas profits as part of a Scandinavian-style sovereign wealth fund to strengthen the federal budget amid the global energy crisis.Budget leaks suggest the Albanese government is modelling the effects of placing a flat 25% tax on gas profits, as well as possible further changes to the petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT) and corporate income tax. Continue reading...
• The White House added Jentadueto, Jentadueto XR for Type 2 diabetes, and Striverdi Respimat for COPD to TrumpRx, enabling cash discounts on brand-name drugs from Boehringer Ingelheim.
• Consumers can bypass insurance for lower prices on these medications via the website, expanding access amid high health care costs.
• The move supports broader efforts to reduce drug prices as NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya's acting CDC role ends March 26.
Exclusive: Parental consents in Greater Manchester up 40% as demand surges in various parts of the countrySchool immunisation services and pharmacies are reporting surging demand for routine vaccinations after the Kent meningitis outbreak in which two teenagers died.Thousands of teenagers across England have booked or received jabs in past fortnight against the A, C, W and Y strains of meningitis (MenACWY), and diphtheria, polio and tetanus (Td/IPV). Continue reading...
• Researchers led by Professor Silvia von Karstedt discovered that loss of Caspase 8 protein in small cell lung cancer triggers inflammation promoting tumor growth and spread.
• The study, published in Nature Communications on March 25, 2026, shows this loss reprograms cancer cells into an aggressive neuron-like state associated with relapse.
• Findings from the CECAD Cluster of Excellence explain the cancer's notorious aggressiveness and poor prognosis.
• NASA announced a $20 billion moonbase initiative on March 25, 2026, as part of expanded lunar exploration plans.
• Simultaneously, unprecedented wildfires ravaged Colorado, Great Plains, and Nebraska, with one fire scorching over 600,000 acres (240,000 hectares) in days.
• The blazes highlight escalating climate-driven fire risks in the US West and Midwest.
• The U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on March 24, 2026, sending it back to the House to increase housing supply through reforms.
• The legislation targets zoning and permitting barriers to boost construction amid ongoing housing shortages.
• Passage marks a key step in addressing national housing crisis, potentially easing affordability for millions if enacted.
• General Services Administration proposed changes to the federal grant system on March 24, 2026, potentially affecting funding distribution.
• Updates could impact afterschool, summer, and educational programs reliant on grants.
• Public comments accepted through March 30, 2026, shaping 2026 policy landscape.
Industry fears strait of Hormuz closure could disrupt shipping of crucial parts for UK and German North Sea projects• Business live – latest updatesA string of large offshore wind projects in Europe are facing potential delays as the Iran war threatens to disrupt shipping of crucial parts manufactured in the Gulf.Industry sources are concerned that components ordered from suppliers in the United Arab Emirates could become trapped if shipping remains effectively blocked through the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Labor bill recognising all animals as sentient and raising care requirements won’t be introduced before state electionWarning: This article contains graphic contentGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA bulldog trapped on a balcony, forced to live among its own faeces. A corgi kept in similarly squalid conditions, surrendered by its owner after community outrage. A Maltese shih tzu beaten with a metal pole – its attacker spared jail.These are the kinds of animal cruelty cases the Victorian government promised to target with new laws almost a decade ago. But Guardian Australia can reveal those reforms have been shelved indefinitely. Continue reading...
• Iran's military dismissed US diplomatic overtures and launched intensified attacks on Israel and Gulf targets on March 25, with one Iranian drone striking Kuwait International Airport and igniting a fuel tank fire, while multiple drones were also intercepted in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
• Iran maintained its control over the Strait of Hormuz and allowed safe passage only to vessels not involved in "aggression," while continuing daily missile and drone attacks against Israel that Israeli forces said they intercepted with missile defense systems.
• Despite the military escalation, Iranian officials remained concerned about Israeli airstrikes that have reportedly killed senior Iranian officials, and Pakistan offered to mediate between the US and Iran as international parties sought de-escalation.
Idris Robinson says Texas State violated his constitutional rights over off-campus talk seized on by pro-Israel activistsPhilosophy professor Idris Robinson has sued Texas State University officials, asserting that the school violated his constitutional rights by ending his contract after he gave a talk on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict off-campus in another state where a fight broke out, the Guardian has learned.Perhaps in part because Robinson did not introduce himself as connected to Texas State at the event, it took several pro-Israel social media accounts a year to identify him and launch a campaign to get Robinson fired, targeting the school’s leadership and accusing him of being a terrorist and inciting violence. Continue reading...
• The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing on March 18, 2026, focusing on healthcare providers amid ongoing policy debates.
• Reported on March 25, the session examined provider challenges, potentially influencing upcoming health legislation in the US Congress.
• This follows recent hearings on Medicare fraud, highlighting congressional scrutiny of healthcare delivery and costs.
Susie Wiles was on plane and witnessed event, according to files shown to House judiciary committeeFederal prosecutors examined whether Donald Trump showed a classified map to people on his plane after his first term, including to his now White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, according to justice department materials produced to the House judiciary committee.The incident was described in a 13 January 2023 briefing memo prepared for the then attorney general, Merrick Garland – roughly six months before special counsel Jack Smith charged Trump with retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club. Continue reading...
Dayton Webber’s former playing partner says: ‘Dayton has a great family, and I care about that family. Yet obviously, there is somebody [who] died’The former doubles partner of a professional, championship-winning cornhole player who had his four limbs amputated in his infancy and is now accused of a deadly shooting says he was shocked to learn about the case, calling it an instance of at least two families being torn apart in one fell swoop.“I’ve been mad, sad – it sucks,” Mike Hoffman said of his past cornhole teammate Dayton Webber during a telephone interview on Tuesday. Continue reading...
