Keir Starmer says UK will ‘have to act’ to curb addictive features of social media 29. March 2026 (12:02) In his strongest intervention yet, PM says some features ‘shouldn’t be permitted’, while education secretary says things ‘are going to change’Keir Starmer has backed banning addictive social media features in his strongest intervention yet on curbs that could be placed on tech companies, saying the features “shouldn’t be permitted”.The prime minister said the government was “going to have to act” on the algorithms that hook young people and children to social media, such as scrolling or “streaks” that encourage daily usage of apps. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Exhausted Palestinians struggle to put lives back together as world’s gaze fixes on Iran 29. March 2026 (11:12) Five months after a ceasefire was announced in Gaza, airstrikes are still killing civilians, and the humanitarian situation remains direThere is little left that connects Palestinians in Gaza with their prewar existence. The contours of life have become darker and far more brutal, as if the population has been stripped of its past.“Drones never stop buzzing overhead, gunfire and shelling continue almost daily and naval boats fire towards fishermen,” said 56-year-old Ahmed Baroud, a father of five displaced in Deir al-Balah. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
First sugar-free Easter on UK TV as chocolate ads are pushed past 9pm 29. March 2026 (10:10) Ban on junk food adverts has cut advertising spend and prompted a debate over the policy’s impactThe UK will have its first Easter without the traditional barrage of TV ads for chocolate eggs and hot cross buns as the ban on junk food advertising makes the sweetest tradition of the year a sugar-free viewing experience.New regulations, which came into force at the beginning of the year, prohibit products high in fat, sugar and salt from appearing in TV ads before 9pm, as part of efforts to tackle rising childhood obesity. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Undercover police officer was sacked for assaulting partner, spycops inquiry hears 29. March 2026 (09:00) Conviction revealed during questioning of Rob Hastings about a second woman whom he deceived into intimate relationshipAn undercover officer who deceived a woman into an intimate relationship was later convicted and dismissed from the police for assaulting his long-term partner, the public inquiry into undercover policing has heard.Rob Hastings, who infiltrated pro-Palestinian and left wing protest groups for three years during his covert deployment, was convicted of assaulting his now ex-partner and mother of his three children in 2014. He was sacked by the Metropolitan police for gross misconduct as a result. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Middle East crisis live: Explosions in Tehran as Yemen’s Houthis heighten risks of Iran war 29. March 2026 (08:42) War continues to escalate with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis confirming a second wave of attacks on Israel since they joined the war on SaturdayRead the full reportSyria’s assistant defence minister said Sunday that his country’s forces had repelled a drone attack from neighbouring Iraq targeting one of Syria’s last US military bases.“Earlier today, the US base in Qasrak, located on our territory, was attacked by four drones launched from Iraqi territory,” Sipan Hamo said on X, adding that “the drones were shot down without casualties”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reform insiders fear links to extreme figures such as Andrew Tate will scare off voters 29. March 2026 (08:00) Nigel Farage has called Tate an ‘important voice’ for young men and held back from criticising his misogynistic viewsReform insiders are becoming increasingly irritated by the party’s association with Andrew Tate and other extreme online celebrities whose views are too toxic for the mainstream voters Nigel Farage needs to win over.Insiders have revealed that as Reform prepare for power they are trying to end their association with more controversial figures on the right such as Tate, whose extreme and misogynistic content could taint the party’s credibility. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli strikes and US troop buildup put Pakistan’s peacemaker role under pressure 29. March 2026 (08:00) Islamabad is attempting high-wire diplomacy between US and Iran, but Israel could spoil any chance of success Intensifying Israeli bombing of civilian targets in Iran and an expanding US military force in the Gulf are casting a dark shadow over Pakistan’s hopes of hosting peace talks between Iran and the US.Pakistan is attempting high-wire diplomacy, using its relative neutrality as a country with good relations with Iran and the US, to provide a venue for negotiations. It is not a player in the Middle East and does not host any American military bases, so it does not bring the baggage of other potential regional mediators. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Goodbye Graaff-Reinet: South African town’s name change stirs racial tensions 29. March 2026 (06:00) Minister’s decision to ditch town’s colonial-era identity and honour anti-apartheid activist divides residentsA South African town is divided over changing its name from the colonial-era Graaff-Reinet to Robert Sobukwe, after the anti-apartheid activist, in a debate that has inflamed racial tensions.Petitions have been signed, rival marches held and a formal letter of complaint sent to the sports, arts and culture minister, Gayton McKenzie, who approved the name change on 6 February. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man arrested in Derby after car hits multiple pedestrians, with some seriously injured 29. March 2026 (04:05) Derbyshire police said a number of people had been injured, some of them seriously, in the incident in the city centreA man has been arrested after a car hit and injured pedestrians in Derby on Saturday.Derbyshire police said a number of people had been injured, some of them seriously, in the incident in the city centre. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Exmouth isolated and inundated in wake of Cyclone Narelle as Chevron works to restart stalled gas plants 29. March 2026 (03:20) Roofs torn off buildings in Exmouth, power lost and homes floodedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAuthorities were still working on Sunday to restore power to communities hit hard by Cyclone Narelle as a popular tourist town remained effectively cut off.After lashing coastal communities with 250km/h winds and dumping a year’s worth of rain in a day, the now-subtropical low again headed offshore after ripping through parts of Western Australia. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
