Trump hits back at Republican Senate majority leader over Save America act 11. March 2026 (22:36) John Thune refusing to alter rules to force a vote as US president says he won’t sign any legislation until bill is passedSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump hit back at Republican Senate majority leader John Thune over the latter’s refusal to alter rules to force a vote on the Save America act, a sprawling bill that would upend elections for American voters amid the midterms.Trump delivered a blunt message for Thune to reporters outside the White House on Wednesday: “He’s got to be a leader.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New satirical statue depicts Trump and Epstein as doomed lovers from Titanic 11. March 2026 (20:40) Latest sculpture titled ‘King of the World’ includes plaques with pointed commentary on pair’s past associationA woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets. The appearance of a golden statue depicting Donald Trump and the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein as doomed lovers from the movie Titanic is confronting Washington with a murkier mystery.The nearly 12-ft sculpture, unveiled on Tuesday on the National Mall, is the third piece of guerrilla art satirising Trump’s past relationship with Epstein attributed to The Secret Handshake, a shadowy collective whose members remain anonymous. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mandelson documents raise questions about Starmer’s decision-making 11. March 2026 (20:30) PM knew of US ambassador’s ‘close relationship’ with Jeffrey Epstein and potential conflicts of interest from his lobbying roleFour months after Peter Mandelson was sacked as UK ambassador to Washington over his links with Jeffrey Epstein, he sat down for a primetime BBC interview. A less hubristic individual would have long since slunk away into the shadows.But despite all the condemnation and humiliation surrounding his departure, Mandelson seemed intent on maintaining a public profile. “Who knows what’s next?” he told Laura Kuenssberg. “I don’t know what’s next. I’m not going to disappear and hide – that’s not me”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Inconceivable’ Gerry Adams was not involved in IRA bombings, claims former British army commander 11. March 2026 (20:18) Richard Kemp tells high court former Sinn Féin leader would have authorised attacks carried out in EnglandA former British army commander has told the high court it is “inconceivable” that Gerry Adams was not involved in the authorisation of IRA bombings.Richard Kemp said there was evidence from “a multitude of intelligence” spanning 20 years about the former Sinn Féin leader’s membership of the paramilitary organisation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Birmingham bin workers’ strike: why did it start and when will it end? 11. March 2026 (20:14) Unite union began all-out strike more than a year ago and city remains without full waste collection serviceIt has been more than a year since Birmingham’s bin workers began their all-out strike that has left residents without a fully functioning waste collection service – and there is still no end in sight.The strikes have attracted global media attention as pictures emerged of towering waste and overflowing bins on the streets of the UK’s second largest city. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Dances With Wolves actor to be sentenced in Nevada after sexual abuse conviction 11. March 2026 (20:09) Nathan Chasing Horse found guilty on 13 of 21 charges in case that affected Indigenous communities across USSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxNathan Chasing Horse, the actor known for his role in Dances With Wolves, is scheduled to be sentenced next Wednesday after being convicted of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls, bringing to an end a case that deeply affected Native American communities across the country.The sentencing comes about a month after a Nevada jury found him guilty on 13 of the 21 charges brought against him. Many of the convictions stemmed from allegations involving a victim who was 14 years old when the abuse began. The jury cleared him of several other sexual assault counts. Chasing Horse has denied all accusations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least 17 killed after drone strikes school in Sudan 11. March 2026 (20:08) Strike in Shukeiri killed teachers and health care workers and is latest incident in three-year warAt least 17 people, most of them schoolgirls, were killed on Wednesday when an explosive-laden drone blamed on Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces struck a secondary school and a health care centre.At least 10 people were wounded in the strike in the village of Shukeiri in the White Nile province, according to Dr Musa al-Majeri, director of Douiem hospital, the nearest major medical facility to the village. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Billionaire Zara founder Amancio Ortega to receive €3.23bn dividend 11. March 2026 (19:38) Payment for Inditex founder, the world’s 15 richest person, tops last year’s dividend of €3.1bnThe billionaire founder of Zara is to receive a company record €3.23bn (£2.8bn) dividend this year from the world’s biggest fashion retailer.Amancio Ortega, who still controls 59% of Spain’s Inditex and whose daughter Marta Ortega Pérez is now chair, will receive half his dividend in May and half in November – as will other shareholders. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Elevating injured Mojtaba Khamenei to supreme leader shows Iranian war machine can run on autopilot 11. March 2026 (19:31) Lack of public appearances prompted speculation about new leader’s mortality after multiple family members diedThe confirmation that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured in the first wave of Israeli attacks underlines how desperate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (ICRG) was to ensure their wounded choice was elevated to high office, and how confident it is that the wartime machinery can operate almost on automatic pilot without him.The full scale of Khamenei’s injuries and speed of his recovery remain unclear, but a broken leg and facial injuries are the minimum. It is not a medical bulletin on which the authorities are seeking to dwell, although Ali Larijani, the secretary of the supreme national security council, chose his words carefully in saying “his condition has not been reported as critical”, a phrasing that suggests he has not personally seen him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Donald Trump’s mixed messages on Iran leave questions unanswered 11. March 2026 (19:30) More than a week into the US-Israel war on Iran, president has provided little clarity on how the conflict might endThis was originally published in This Week in Trumpland; sign up to receive it in your inbox every WednesdayOne week into the war with Iran, the central questions about the conflict remained largely unanswered: what would constitute victory, how long the crisis might last and whether the United States was responsible for a deadly strike on a girls’ elementary school that has come to embody the war’s early controversy.On Saturday, leaning against the bulkhead outside the press cabin as Air Force One cruised toward Florida, Donald Trump still struggled to clarify his own message. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
