Trump and border czar Tom Homan confirm plan to assist TSA agents amid partial government shutdown standoffDonald Trump and his border czar, Tom Homan, have followed through on promises from the president's administration to send in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to US airports beginning on Monday to assist with security amid extremely long lines - and to help airport security agents who have been working without pay since 14 February because of a partial government shutdown.ICE agents were seen at airports such as Atlanta, Newark, New Orleans and New York's John F Kennedy. CNN reported nine other airports where ICE agents were seen. Continue reading...
Pet owners fear there is no viable alternative service after Great Western Exotics owner deems business unviableOn a nondescript industrial estate on the outskirts of Swindon, a faint squawking was heard in the distance, as bird lovers from Exeter to Edinburgh brought their brightly coloured budgies and macaws to an exotic animal hospital.But now, the UK's premier parrot surgery, which treats all kinds of creatures, will be shut down after it was bought out by a conglomerate that has decided the business is not viable. Continue reading...
Democratic Senate hopeful says experience of being key witness in Trump's first impeachment makes him right choice for FloridaAlex Vindman is not a man to hold a grudge. Ask him about the bullying, intimidation and retribution meted out by Donald Trump and Maga acolytes following his appearance as a key witness in the first of the president's two first-term impeachments, and he almost shrugs it off.For people that know anything about me, I basically smile all the time," he says. Continue reading...
More than 30 people face charges after collision between two trains that killed 57 people in February 2023A long-awaited trial has begun into Greece's worst train tragedy, which killed 57 people in 2023, leaving the entire country in shock.Thirty-six people face charges and more than 350 witnesses are due to be heard at the trial that opened in the central city of Larissa, near where a freight train and a passenger train collided on 28 February 2023. Continue reading...
Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland is ferret-free after 4.5m five-year partnership led by RSPB NIPredatory feral ferrets have been removed from an island for the first time ever, in a boost for Northern Ireland's largest seabird colony.Rathlin Island is ferret-free after a 4.5m five-year partnership led by RSPB NI involving islanders, charities, volunteers and a red labrador called Woody. Continue reading...
In what is beginning to look like a fragmented five-party system, small swings carry outsized political consequencesCabinet reshuffles, party infighting, policy reversals, byelections, defections and apparently huge swings in support - the UK's political news cycle feels especially relentless at the moment.But if you look closely at the polls since last year's local elections, remarkably little has changed. Continue reading...
While Labour braces for a rout that could see off Starmer, a rising drive to keep out Farage is complicating expectationsLocal elections are often regarded as a referendum on the sitting government, with many previous administrations taking a bloody nose from the electorate but successfully fighting back by the next general election.Senior Labour figures have taken to reeling off a list of midterm results - 1999, 2003, 2012 - to prove that point. As we get closer to the general election, it will be less about people's view of the parties generally and more about the actual choice in front of them," one said. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: Off Duty revisits the conviction of Alexander Villa, raising troubling questions about how it was builtGood morning. On the evening of 29 December 2011, Clifton Lewis - an off-duty Chicago police officer working as a security guard at a minimart on the city's west side - was shot dead during a robbery. The killing prompted a huge manhunt and an intensive investigation by the Chicago police department. Years later, prosecutors said they had their man, and in 2019 Alexander Villa was convicted of Lewis's murder and sentenced to life in prison.But the case against Lewis has long been contested - and as the Guardian's new investigative podcast series, Off Duty, explores, there are troubling questions about how that conviction was secured, from confessions that were later recanted to evidence that appears shaky or missing. And it revolves around a justice system that, once it settled on a suspect, seemed unwilling to reconsider.Iran | The global energy crisis caused by the war in Iran is equivalent to the combined force of the twin oil shocks of the 1970s and the fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the head of the International Energy Agency has warned.UK news | Four ambulances belonging to the Jewish community ambulance service have been set on fire in Golders Green, with police saying they were treating the incident as an antisemitic hate crime".Technology | Palantir is to be granted access to a trove of highly sensitive UK financial regulation data, in a deal that has prompted fresh concerns about the US AI company's deepening reach into the British state, the Guardian can reveal.UK news | An undercover police officer has admitted he was exposed as an infiltrator by his own blunder, which has been described by activists as worthy of Inspector Clouseau, the spycops public inquiry has heard.Business | Several porridge products in the UK have been recalled over a possible mice contamination at their manufacturing site. Continue reading...
Doubling tariffs on imported steel will raise cost of the metal when Iran war is already inflating steel and concrete pricesOne of HS2's biggest contractors has warned the government that raising tariffs on foreign steel imports will exacerbate" cost pressures for the UK construction industry, amid growing concern over the 100bn railway's rising budget.Ministers said last week they would double the tariffs on imported steel and slash the amount that can be bought from overseas, in an attempt to save Britain's struggling steelmakers. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#74DYY)
From steel to screen, podcasts to defence, Sheffield's economy is diversifying amid a wave of new investmentIt has seen its fair share of Hollywood parties - albeit with a twist. Instead of champagne and caviar it is usually Guinness and scampi fries. Red carpet? There aren't even cushions on the seats.The tiny Sheffield pub, Fagan's, has raised more than a few toasts in the last year as Adolescence, the Netflix hit made by two of its owners, scooped multiple awards at the Emmys and Golden Globes and became one of the world's most-watched dramas. Continue reading...
City hall veteran beats rightwinger Rachida Dati in French capital, while far-right RN fails to win Marseille and Toulon in French local electionsThe Socialist Emmanuel Gregoire has been elected mayor of Paris, beating the former rightwing minister Rachida Dati, with Marine Le Pen's far-right, anti-immigration National Rally (RN) failing to take key cities targeted in Sunday's second round of local elections.Gregoire took a victory bike ride with future councillors in Paris on Sunday night to show that the French capital would continue its pro-cycling and environmental policies. Continue reading...
National leader Christopher Luxon drops in preferred PM stakes with rise in people saying country heading in wrong directionThe personal ratings of New Zealand's prime minister, Christopher Luxon, have dipped, polling shows, as his government's handling of the economy fails to impress voters ahead of the November election.The RNZ-Reid Research poll, released on Monday, also found a growing number of people felt that New Zealand was heading in the wrong direction. Continue reading...
Cause of the fire that killed Pierce, who had covered the Minnesota hockey team for a decade, is under investigationNHL reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children were killed on Saturday in a weekend house fire in Minnesota, the league announced on its sports website Sunday.Pierce, 37, covered the Minnesota Wild as the correspondent for NHL.com for the past decade. Continue reading...
PM's cost of living champion' calls for consideration of temporary measure to prevent profiteering from Iran warThe government's top cost of living adviser has called on ministers to explore a temporary cap on the profits of energy and petrol companies to prevent them from cashing in excessively on the war in the Middle East.Richard Walker - a Labour peer, the chair of Iceland supermarkets and the prime minister's cost of living champion" - said he had asked the government to examine limiting how much businesses were able to benefit from higher energy prices after Iran's blockade of the strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route for Europe's oil and gas, and the wider conflict in the region. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#74DWE)
Researchers say lack of sleep could be a factor among young people interacting online for more than three hours a dayChildren who are on social media for more than three hours a day are more likely to develop depression and anxiety as teenagers, according to research.Experts said the impact was likely to be linked to a lack of sleep caused by using social media late at night, and that the link to depression was more pronounced in girls. Continue reading...
Repayments also affect financial stability of nearly half of graduates, according to report by UK bankPeople with student loans who are working towards a home deposit save almost 2,000 less per year than those without the debt, according to a new report by Barclays.The bank also found that 44% of student loan holders claim that repayments limit their ability to build long-term financial stability, while 41% say it prevents them from entering the housing market. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent on (#74DWF)
Survey suggests companies willing to hire care-experienced young people but few have changed recruitment processesThousands of young people leaving care in England are being left locked out" of work by employers who say they are open to hiring but make few changes to adapt, a charity has warned.Calling on employers to act on their promises, the Drive Forward Foundation said care leavers were almost three times more likely to be out of work than their peers. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#74DVT)
Programme is being billed as the most ambitious housebuilding project in England for half a centuryMinisters have confirmed the locations for seven new towns, which include under-developed inner-city land, a historic village and an existing new town.The programme is being billed by the housing and communities department as the most ambitious housebuilding project in England for half a century, with the planned construction of between 15,000 and 40,000 homes in each new town. Continue reading...
by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspon on (#74DF6)
Centre-left Robert Golob and rightwing populist Janez Jana are frontrunners in contest after polarised campaignCampaigners in Slovenia warned of a surge in anti-Romany rhetoric as the country headed to the polls on Sunday, leaving many bracing for the outcome of a vote that has become, in part, a referendum on how the country treats its most marginalised.In Sunday's vote, the prime minister, Robert Golob, of the centre-left Freedom Movement party, faced off against the rightwing populist and Donald Trump ally Janez Jana. Continue reading...
If approved on Monday, as expected, Mullin would replace Kristi Noem, whom Trump fired in early MarchDonald Trump's nomination of Republican senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to be the president's next head of homeland security on Sunday advanced toward final confirmation after the US Senate voted 54-37 to limit debate on the appointment.The confirmation vote could come sometime on Monday. If approved, as expected, Mullin would replace Kristi Noem, whom Trump fired from the role of homeland security secretary on 5 March. Continue reading...
Her husband, 19 Kids and Counting's Joseph Duggar, was recently charged in separate case with lewd behavior against a childArkansas police have arrested Kendra Duggar, the wife of reality TV personality Joseph Duggar, on misdemeanor child abuse charges, in the latest scandal to envelop the family featured on TLC's 19 Kids and Counting.Kendra Duggar faces four counts each of endangering the welfare of a minor and second-degree false imprisonment, according to the Washington county sheriff's office in Arkansas. She has a hearing scheduled for Monday. Continue reading...
Customers told not to eat affected pot and sachet products and to return them to place of purchase for refundSeveral porridge products in the UK have been recalled over a possible mice contamination at their manufacturing site.The British porridge and oat drink brand Moma issued a warning for seven versions of its pots and two of its sachets. Continue reading...
Accusations of intimidation and harassment within UK diaspora including aggressive' and coercive' videos onlineIranians living in the UK have expressed safety concerns to authorities amid heightened tensions linked to the conflict with the US and Israel.Online videos of individuals allegedly being aggressive" and coercing" in London, which is home to one of the UK's largest Iranian communities, have led to some feeling unsafe. Continue reading...
Today show host Savannah Guthrie's family released new statement asking for help in locating missing mother, 84Savannah Guthrie and her family have released a new statement about their missing mother, urging Tucson, Arizona, residents to come forward with potential clues about 84-year old's Nancy Guthrie's whereabouts.In their statement on Sunday, the NBC Today show host and her siblings said: We continue to believe it is Tucsonans, and the greater southern Arizona community, that hold the key to finding resolution in this case. Someone knows something. It's possible a member of this community has information that they do not even realize is significant." Continue reading...
Inquiry into sexual assault claims did not establish that chief prosecutor's actions amounted to misconduct, judges adviseThe international criminal court's governing body is expected to meet on Monday to assess the advice of a panel of judges who have challenged the findings of an investigation into the chief prosecutor, Karim Khan.Last year a UN inquiry into the allegations about Khan's behaviour is understood to have established a factual basis for claims of misconduct against him. The senior British lawyer has been accused by a complainant of sexual abuse. Continue reading...
US president's backing comes as Hungary's PM faces toughest election campaign of 16 years in officeDonald Trump has endorsed Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, who faces his toughest electoral challenge next month since taking power 16 years ago, as Europe's far-right leaders gather for a grand assembly" in Budapest.In a video message, the US president told the national-conservative Cpac Hungary conference in the capital on Saturday that Orban, who has been trailing in the polls behind a centre-right rival for more than a year, was a fantastic guy". Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#74DP7)
Shadow justice secretary had called Trafalgar Square event an act of domination'James Cleverly has said he disagrees with his Conservative frontbench colleague Nick Timothy that public Muslim prayers are an act of domination, as another senior Tory called for the party to respect the right to worship.Kemi Badenoch has defended Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, after he posted images of mass prayer at a Ramadan event on Monday evening in Trafalgar Square, calling it an act of domination" and straight from the Islamist playbook". Continue reading...
Exclusive: Townsville lawyer and former detective Darren Robinson's appointment by attorney general Deb Frecklington has brought back a lot of trauma' for Indigenous community
The phrase should evoke optimism, positive expectations about the future, trust and belonging. That seems almost out of reach in a chaotic worldOne term has already become the well-intentioned weasel word of 2026: social cohesion". A phrase that can be dropped into speeches, inquiries and legislation, its meaning shape-shifts depending on the audience. Is it about glue" or the rule of law? About community resilience or countering fear? Does it mean finding places of real exchange, or shutting up and getting on?Although it has been in the political lexicon for years, the terror attack that targeted Jewish people celebrating Hanukah in Bondi last December brought social cohesion to the fore as an urgent problem to solve. Continue reading...
University polling and focus groups found sharpest increase in those worried about national security was cohort aged 18 to 24Nearly half of Australians believe a foreign military will attack the country within five years, as anxiety over national security issues rises sharply, a new study suggests.The Australian National University's National Security College report found that two-thirds of those polled in 2026, including an increasing number of teenagers and young adults, were worried about national security issues. Continue reading...
Heather Danae Lewis who was one of 30 people charged in Minnesota church protest showed she did not attend eventFederal prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against a woman accused of participating in a controversial January protest at a Minnesota church after the woman apparently did not attend the event at all.Prosecutors notified a federal judge they intended to drop charges against Heather Danae Lewis, who was one of 30 people charged in connection with an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest that disrupted a service at Cities church in St Paul. Officials have charged the protesters with civil rights crimes, saying they interfered with the right of the congregants at the church to exercise their religious beliefs. The media professional Don Lemon, who was at the event reporting on the protest, was among those charged. Continue reading...
Three cases previously confirmed reclassified by UK Health Security Agency after further testingThe number of confirmed meningitis cases linked to the Kent outbreak has fallen from 23 to 20.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Sunday that three cases previously thought confirmed had been downgraded after further testing. Continue reading...
Leon Panetta calls president naive' over strait of Hormuz closure and says the chickens are coming home to roost'Donald Trump is stuck between a rock and a hard place" after three weeks of war in Iran and sending a message of weakness" to the world, Leon Panetta, a former US defence secretary and Central Intelligence Agency director, has told the Guardian.Panetta, who served in the Bill Clinton and Barack Obama administrations, recalled that national security officials were always keenly aware of Iran's ability to create an energy crisis by blocking the strait of Hormuz. That very scenario is now unfolding, leaving Trump with no exit strategy beyond wishful thinking. Continue reading...
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