‘They say you have to buy blessings’: the London women who gave everything to a controversial church 03. March 2026 (07:00) Regulator rules Universal Church of the Kingdom of God did not protect vulnerable donors, including woman who says she gave life savings“Sometimes you’re seeing God as a genie, where if I give him all this money, He will bring me what I want,” Sarah says.The 27-year-old spent years in the grip of “prosperity gospel”, whose followers believe cash donations to evangelical churches unlock divine blessings of health and wealth. So did Jennifer*, 29, who says she handed over her life savings.Name has been changed Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Welsh ‘revolution’ required to hit target of 1m speakers by 2050, says report 03. March 2026 (07:00) Welsh language commissioner calls for ‘transformative’ intervention, amid Reform UK threats to undo new powersA “revolution is required” to protect the Welsh language, according to a major new report.While the number of Cymraeg speakers has remained more or less stable for decades, it has not risen in line with significant population growth, making the language more vulnerable, according to the Welsh language commissioner’s five-year report, published on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran war heralds era of AI-powered bombing quicker than ‘speed of thought’ 03. March 2026 (07:00) Speed and scale of US military’s AI war planning raises fears human decision-making may be sidelinedThe use of AI tools to enable attacks on Iran heralds a new era of bombing quicker than “the speed of thought”, experts have said, amid fears human decision-makers could be sidelined.Anthropic’s AI model, Claude, was reportedly used by the US military in the barrage of strikes as the technology “shortens the kill chain” – meaning the process of target identification through to legal approval and strike launch. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rachel Reeves’s plans could be hit by Middle East conflict, say economists 03. March 2026 (06:00) Warning comes as OBR projections in the spring forecast are expected to show public finances moving in the right directionSoaring global energy prices as a result of the widening Middle East conflict will jeopardise Rachel Reeves’s plan to conquer inflation and rekindle growth, economists have warned as she prepares to deliver her spring forecast later today.Responding to the latest projections from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the chancellor will insist she has “the right economic plan for our country, in a world that has become more uncertain”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian troops safe after drone strikes air base near Dubai as Hastie says rules-based order a ‘fantasyland’ 03. March 2026 (05:50) Liberal MP says rules are irrelevant when Trump acts as an ‘apex opportunist’, following a drone strike at UAE’s Al Minhad airbase where Australian troops are basedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCoalition frontbencher Andrew Hastie has declared anyone who thinks the rules-based order still exists is living in a “fantasyland”, amid an escalating US-Israel war on Iran, and as the government confirmed Australian troops in the region were safe after a weekend drone strike.Australian troops posted at the defence force’s headquarters in the United Arab Emirates are all accounted for after a weekend drone strike, the federal government said, amid the growing conflict sparked by US and Israeli bombings in Iran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s show of force in the Middle East creates a weakness China can exploit 03. March 2026 (05:36) Beijing can again leverage its critical minerals dominance over an increasingly busy US military, as Taiwan slides further down the White House list of prioritiesAs the US and Israel opened a new chapter of chaos in the Middle East, China stands to benefit from a Washington establishment that does not have the political or physical resources to focus on Asia.Officially, China has condemned the attacks. Wang Yi, the foreign minister, called them “unacceptable” and called for a ceasefire, rhetoric that is typical of Beijing in response to Donald Trump’s increasingly erratic foreign policy moves. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police improperly granted Kelly Wilkinson’s estranged husband bail days before he murdered her, inquest hears 03. March 2026 (04:59) Rape allegations meant magistrate should have determined Brian Earl Johnston’s bail, Queensland coroner’s court toldFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastKelly Wilkinson was flagged as a high-risk aggrieved person by both Queensland police and a domestic violence service but was murdered by her estranged husband days after he was improperly granted bail, an inquest has heard.Wilkinson had made rape allegations against Brian Earl Johnston which should have been treated as “show cause” offences and have been heard by a magistrate, the inquest heard. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Potts Point shooting: man shot dead by NSW police in Sydney after allegedly assaulting two women 03. March 2026 (04:11) New South Wales police allege man entered inner Sydney apartment complex on Tuesday morningFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man has been shot dead by police in Sydney’s Potts Point after allegedly entering an apartment complex and assaulting two women.New South Wales police said officers from Kings Cross command were called to a unit block on St Neot Avenue in Potts Point at about 10.50am on Tuesday, following reports an armed man had allegedly entered the complex and assaulted two women. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Luke Kornet says Atlanta Hawks’ theme night with strip club Magic City objectifies women 03. March 2026 (03:39) Club is popular with athletes and rappersKornet says night helps objectify womenSan Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet has called on the Atlanta Hawks to abandon their collaboration with a famous strip club.Magic City is an Atlanta institution and been mentioned in a string of hip-hop records, as well as hosting rappers such as Drake, Lil Yachty, Migos, Jack Harlow and Future. It is also popular with athletes: past visitors have included Michael Jordan, while MLS’s Atlanta United celebrated their title at the club in 2018. The club gained widespread attention in 2020 when the Los Angeles Clippers’ Lou Williams visited the club after leaving the NBA’s quarantine bubble during the Covid pandemic. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
China’s Two Sessions to reveal Xi’s economic and defence plans as military purge casts shadow 03. March 2026 (02:44) Top politicians will gather to set growth target with focus on technology self-reliance amid rising US competitionThousands of delegates will arrive in Beijing this week for China’s annual Two Sessions, one of the most important events in the country’s political calendar and a rare opportunity for the global media to see Beijing’s top lawmakers up close.The Two Sessions” are concurrent gatherings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), an advisory body. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
