Antisemitism has ‘become normalised’ on UK campuses, says Union of Jewish Students 16. March 2026 (10:00) Poll of students of all faiths and none found almost a quarter had seen Jews targeted for their religion or ethnicityOne in five students would be reluctant to, or would never, houseshare with a Jewish student, according to a survey by the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) that says antisemitism has “become normalised” on UK campuses.A UJS poll of 1,000 students “of all faiths and none” found almost a quarter (23%) have seen behaviour that targets Jewish students for their religion or ethnicity and nearly half (47%) have witnessed justification of the 7 October attacks by Hamas. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump steps up pressure on European allies to help protect strait of Hormuz 16. March 2026 (08:53) US president says it is ‘only appropriate’ for Europe to help, and warns failure to do so would be ‘very bad’ for NatoDonald Trump has ratcheted up the pressure on European allies to help protect the strait of Hormuz, warning that Nato faces a “very bad” future if its members fail to come to Washington’s aid.The effective closure of the vital waterway by Tehran in retaliation for airstrikes by the US and Israel has proved catastrophic for global energy and trade flows, causing the largest oil supply disruption in history and soaring global oil prices. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Chris Minns and Jewish groups condemn ‘horrid rhetoric’ from DJ at opening night of Sydney Biennale 16. March 2026 (08:50) US-based Zubeyda Muzeyyen, AKA DJ Haram, claimed a ‘Zio-Australian-Epstein empire’ was responsible for silencing dissentersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe premier of New South Wales has ruled out cutting funding for Sydney’s Biennale arts festival after Jewish groups condemned language used by US artist DJ Haram at an opening night event at the White Bay Power Station in Sydney.At the centre of the controversy was the artist’s claim during her set that a “Zio-Australian-Epstein empire” was responsible for silencing dissenters. The words appear to link Israel to the convicted sex offender and New York financier Jeffrey Epstein and, critics say, feed into longstanding antisemitic tropes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Dozens of Australian petrol stations run out of fuel as panic-buying continues 16. March 2026 (08:08) NRMA says record-high fuel may be here to stay in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane after prices soared early in the Middle East conflictFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDozens of service stations across Australia have run out of petrol as distributors struggle to keep up with customers panic-buying as the conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt prices.The NRMA has warned regulators “missed” the chance to stop price hikes, as booming wholesale demand pushes fuel prices to a “permanent high” on the east coast. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Plans to cut NHS international workforce appear overambitious, say MPs 16. March 2026 (07:00) Health service in England has saved more than £14bn hiring from overseas, report says, as doubt is cast on aim to reduce international recruitment to 10%Ministers’ plans to cut the international workforce within NHS England appear overambitious, MPs have said, as a report reveals the health service saved more than £14bn by recruiting doctors, nurses and midwives from overseas.Many of the countries recruited from were struggling with staff shortages, and the UK had a moral duty to offer support, rather than simply extracting what it needed, the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on global health and security found. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Inquiry launched into HMRC anti-fraud scheme that wrongly cut child benefits 16. March 2026 (07:00) Flawed Home Office travel records identified thousands of parents suspected of claiming while living abroadThe UK’s public spending watchdog has launched an investigation into a controversial government anti-fraud scheme that resulted in thousands of families being wrongly stripped of their child benefit payments.The National Audit Office (NAO) will examine how HM Revenue and Customs designed and implemented a scheme that used flawed Home Office travel records to identify parents suspected of living abroad while still claiming child benefit. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
More than 100 Labour MPs call on PM to stop assisted dying bill being blocked 16. March 2026 (07:00) Letter sent to Starmer claims ‘small number of peers have been using procedural tactics’ to stymie its progressMore than 100 Labour MPs have called on Keir Starmer to stop the House of Lords from blocking the assisted dying bill and give it more time to return to the Commons, with the legislation now certain to fall owing to lack of time.The private member’s bill, sponsored by Labour’s Kim Leadbeater, will fall when the parliamentary session comes to an end in May because peers have used multiple amendments and lengthy debates to prevent it from being put to a vote. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
High levels of debt on essential UK bills are the ‘new normal’, warn campaigners 16. March 2026 (07:00) Average arrears for housing, utilities and council tax for low-income households all rose last yearHigh levels of debt on essential bills have become the “new normal” for many low-income households, the charity StepChange said on Monday, with average arrears for housing, utilities and council tax all going up last year.People’s budgets have been stretched in recent years as they have faced higher prices for many goods and services, and the crisis in the Middle East has led to concerns over a new wave of increases. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fewer Britons giving to charity, study says, with donations down by £1.4bn 16. March 2026 (07:00) Charities Aid Foundation says giving no longer a ‘deeply embedded cultural norm’ amid rising cost of livingBritain is rapidly losing the charity habit, with public donations to good causes plummeting by more than £1.4bn last year and millions of people saying they can no longer afford – or do not want – to give, according to an analysis.The Charities Aid Foundation (Caf) said in its annual report that, while the British remained generous at heart, society was witnessing a big transformation in attitudes towards charitable giving. Just half of people gave to charity in 2025, down from 61% a decade earlier. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump claims he has ‘absolute right’ to impose new tariffs after supreme court blow 16. March 2026 (06:09) US supreme court has ‘ransacked’ the country, president argues, in wake of its ruling against his trade agendaDonald Trump has claimed he has “the absolute right” to impose new tariffs after the US supreme court ruled many of the import duties he imposed last year were illegal.The president attacked the court in a late night broadside on Sunday, accusing it of having “unnecessarily RANSACKED” the US – and failing to show him sufficient loyalty. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
