Politicians seek meeting with Travelodge CEO after Maidenhead sexual assault case 07. March 2026 (14:06) Call for urgent meeting comes after woman was assaulted by man who had been given her key card by hotel staffMore than 20 MPs have demanded an urgent meeting with the CEO of Travelodge after a woman was sexually assaulted by a man who had been given her room number and a key card by hotel staff.The MPs said the case of Kyran Smith, 29, who was jailed for seven-and-a-half years last month, raised “deeply concerning” questions. He attacked the woman after a party in December 2022. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US agency did not perform safety checks of more than 100 food ingredients, analysis finds 07. March 2026 (14:00) Review of FDA records by the Environmental Working Group reveals firms are exploiting rule to send new chemicals in food systemMore than 100 substances widely used in common US foods, supplements and beverages underwent no health and safety review by the US Food and Drug Administration, a new analysis of federal records finds.The review of FDA records by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) non-profit reveals that diverse products across the food pyramid, such as Capri Sun drinks, Kettle and Fire organic broth, Acme smoked fish, and Quaker Oats snack bars, use a range of substances that have not undergone review by regulators. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK recruiter emerges from insolvency for third time, avoiding millions owed in tax 07. March 2026 (14:00) Hampshire business seems to have benefited from ‘phoenixism’, which costs the taxpayer about £800m a yearA UK recruitment business has been acquired out of administration for a third time in four years as part of a succession of deals that left some of the former management team in place and millions of pounds owed to the public purse.The chain of insolvencies appears to contain more examples of phoenixism – a process when companies are liquidated and directors are able to rise from the ashes with a new entity, free of debts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Families say infected blood scandal compensation scheme creates ‘penalty for dying’ 07. March 2026 (13:00) Charities warn estates of victims who died before the scheme began are losing hundreds of thousands in financial loss paymentsFamilies of victims of the infected blood scandal have criticised the government for imposing a “penalty for dying” in its compensation scheme, which has seen them lose out on hundreds of thousands of pounds.The scheme awards payouts to living victims and the families of those who have died after being infected with HIV or hepatitis as a result of being given contaminated blood products by the NHS. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘We were ready’: Democratic attorneys general lead fight to stop Trump 07. March 2026 (13:00) As some elected leaders choose to play nice with the president, Democratic AGs have done the opposite – to impressive effectSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxFour Democratic attorneys general, sitting in their offices from New York to California with state flags and books behind them, announced a new lawsuit on Thursday, alleging the president, yet again, had broken the law by attempting to create new tariffs without congressional approval.It’s a now familiar scene for the group of top law-enforcement officials who have collectively filed more than 50 lawsuits against the Trump administration, serving as a counterweight to the president’s quest to expand his power and circumvent the constitution. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump skirts Congress over Iran war as Republicans simply step aside 07. March 2026 (13:00) Senate blocks war powers measure and House follows suit – now president can bomb Iran free from congressional interferenceBefore US troops invaded Iraq, George W Bush asked Congress to pass a resolution authorizing military force against Washington’s longtime nemesis, a request that lawmakers obliged.Twenty four years later, the United States is at war with a different Middle Eastern rival – Iran – under a different Republican president – Donald Trump. But this time, the president did not bother to seek permission from the Senate and House of Representatives before joining Israel in launching the air and naval campaign. And far from objecting, Congress’s Republican majorities have simply stepped aside. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US bomber lands in UK after warning of surge in strikes on Iran 07. March 2026 (12:37) B-1 Lancer, which can carry 24 cruise missiles, arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday eveningMiddle East crisis – live updatesA US bomber has landed at an RAF base in Britain after Washington warned that strikes on Iran would “surge dramatically”.The 146ft B-1 Lancer, which is capable of carrying 24 cruise missiles, arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday evening after Keir Starmer had granted permission for “defensive” US action against Iranian missile sites from UK bases. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran rejects Trump’s demand for unconditional surrender as a ‘dream’ 07. March 2026 (12:12) Masoud Pezeshkian issues rare apology to neighbouring Gulf states for Iranian strikes as war enters eighth dayMiddle East crisis live: latest news updatesThe president of Iran has rejected Donald Trump’s call for the country’s unconditional surrender as a “dream”, while issuing a rare apology for Iranian strikes that had targeted sites in neighbouring Gulf states.In a prerecorded address broadcast on state television on Saturday, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said the country would never capitulate, responding to remarks by the US president, who said on Friday that only Iran’s total submission could bring the war to an end. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Operation Epstein Distraction’: Trump’s bloody Iran ‘hype videos’ seem to target niche audience 07. March 2026 (12:00) White House wages online propaganda campaign with aggressive and tasteless videos seemingly designed for young rightwing American men Rap and EDM. Clips from action movies. Heads-up displays from video games.As the war with Iran approaches its second week, the White House has leaned into an online propaganda campaign that seems less about intimidating Iran or projecting US strength abroad than it is about reaching a rather niche domestic audience: young rightwing American men who spend a lot of time online. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Texas fracker turned escort says repression allowed business to flourish 07. March 2026 (12:00) Mickey says his stint as a handyman transformed into a lucrative sex business due to the region’s ‘self-denial’A western Texas fracker starring in a podcast about how his attempted moonlighting as a handyman turned into lucrative sex work largely solicited by distracted oil industry professionals’ housewives says he believes his region’s repressive sexual attitudes gave his side gig an opening to flourish.“There’s an inherent kind of self-denial,” the subject of The Handyman of West Texas, identified only as Mickey, said in a recent interview. “We all have these thoughts. But we lie to ourselves and try to conform to … how you’re supposed to be repressing your own pleasure.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
