TSA staffing shortage and upcoming World Cup will create ‘perfect storm’, warns acting head 25. March 2026 (20:08) Ha Nguyen McNeill testified before House committee about airport wait times amid DHS funding shutdownSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe acting head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday that airports across the country are experiencing the “highest wait times in TSA history”, as the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enters its sixth week.At a House homeland security committee hearing, Ha Nguyen McNeill said her agency has been shut down for 50% of the fiscal year so far – a stretch that includes last year’s record-breaking 43‑day lapse in federal funding. She told lawmakers that by Friday, TSA employees will have missed $1bn in paychecks as a result of the closures. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Maternal mortality rises in US aid-dependent countries under Republican presidents, study shows 25. March 2026 (20:05) Cuts to family planning aid are linked to an 11% increase in deaths during pregnancy and childbirth in some countriesWhen Republican presidents win power in the US there is a stark consequence for many pregnant woman around the world – a significant rise in maternal mortality as aid is withdrawn, a new study has found.Global family planning aid typically drops under Republican presidents and then rises again by 48% once Democratic presidents are elected, the research, published in BMJ Global Health, finds. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fifteen new councils to be created in south and east of England 25. March 2026 (19:49) New unitary councils will replace 43 county and district councils, in latest round of local government overhaulFifteen new councils will be created in the south and east of England under the latest round of a major local government overhaul, aimed at boosting economic growth and accelerating mass housebuilding plans.The new unitary councils will replace 43 counties and districts across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Hampshire, with hundreds of councillors’ roles axed. A decision on future arrangements for East Sussex and West Sussex has been delayed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Italy’s tourism minister resigns amid turmoil from referendum failure 25. March 2026 (19:35) Giorgia Meloni made public request for Daniela Santanchè to quit in effort to restore credibility after voters rejected judicial reformItaly’s embattled tourism minister has resigned, heeding a call to step down as the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, strives to restore credibility after a bruising defeat in a referendum that has thrown her far-right government into turmoil.The resignation on Wednesday of Daniela Santanchè, a prominent and brash member of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, came after the prime minister took the unusual step of calling in a public statement for her to go. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘It’s bizarre’: Iranians try to maintain semblance of normal life as conflict drags on 25. March 2026 (17:51) Explosions lit up Tehran skyline as Israel launched new airstrikes but by morning joggers were in the parkMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe days after Nowruz, the Persian New Year, are usually a bustling time in Tehran, with spring arriving, trees blossoming, businesses reopening after the holidays, and people returning to work and school.This year, however, Iranians are trying to maintain a semblance of ordinary life against the constant backdrop of explosions, airstrikes – and a conflict many fear may drag on for weeks or months. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK iPhone users face over-18 age check to use services after update 25. March 2026 (17:32) Ofcom says decision is ‘real win for children and families’ but some users raise concerns over privacyMillions of Apple iPhone customers in the UK will now have to confirm they are 18 or older to use all available services, including by showing a credit card or by scanning an ID.The move, believed to be a first for a European market, comes amid pressure on tech companies from the government to do more to protect children online. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Republicans introduce bill to fund Iran war amid fight over DHS shutdown 25. March 2026 (17:29) Party intends to craft a bill using the reconciliation procedure, which will allow it to circumvent the Senate filibusterUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailSenate Republicans on Wednesday announced plans to begin a unilateral push for legislation that may include funding for Donald Trump’s war with Iran and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while also including elements of a voter ID bill that is a priority of the party’s right wing.The legislative effort – which could take weeks to play out and has no guarantee of success – comes amid a protracted standoff with Democrats over the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has led to lengthy lines at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at some airports. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bond between dogs and humans dates back more than 15,000 years, study finds 25. March 2026 (17:00) Research suggests hunter-gatherers were feeding dogs and giving them ritual burials as early as the last ice ageThey are humankind’s best friend, and now ancient DNA analysis has revealed that the enduring bond between dogs and humans dates back more than 15,000 years.The groundbreaking research, published in the journal Nature, pushes back the oldest genetic evidence for domestic dogs by 5,000 years, revealing that hunter-gatherers were feeding the animals and giving them ritual burials long before the emergence of agriculture. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US has caused $10tn worth of climate damage since 1990, research finds 25. March 2026 (17:00) US, top carbon emitter in history, has ‘a lot of responsibility’ for causing ‘substantial’ harm globally, scientist saysThe US has caused an eye-watering $10tn in global damages to the world over the past three decades through its vast planet-heating emissions, with a quarter of this economic pain inflicted upon itself, new research has found.By being the largest carbon emitter in history, the US has caused greater harm to worldwide economic growth than any other country, ahead of China, now the world’s largest emitter that is responsible for $9tn in GDP damage since 1990, according to the findings of the paper. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Savannah Guthrie says her family is ‘in agony’ in first interview since mother’s disappearance 25. March 2026 (16:55) Today show co-host appeared in pretaped interview as her mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing for seven weeksSavannah Guthrie, the co-host of NBC’s Today show, has described her family’s ordeal as “agony” in her first interview since her mother’s disappearance more than seven weeks ago.“Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. We are in agony. It is unbearable,” Guthrie said through tears in a preview of the pretaped interview with her co-host, Hoda Kotb, which previewed on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
