Iran gives negative response to US ceasefire plan amid push for talks 25. March 2026 (16:54) Pakistani intermediaries deliver 15-point plan but some proposals proved intractable in previous negotiationsMiddle East crisis – live updatesIranian officials expressed initial disapproval of a US ceasefire plan on Wednesday, even as intermediaries suggested direct talks between the two could start as early as this weekend.Representatives from Pakistan who reportedly delivered the US plan to Iran told the Associated Press that it was a 15-point proposal that would include sanctions relief for Iran, dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme, restricting its use of missiles and reopening the strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about 20% of the world’s oil. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Skeleton of Three Musketeers hero d’Artagnan may have been found 25. March 2026 (16:51) Archaeologists believe remains found in Maastricht, Netherlands, may be of soldier who inspired novel characterMore than three-and-a-half centuries after a musket ball to the throat put an end to decades of exemplary swashbuckling, the French soldier who inspired Alexandre Dumas and went on to be immortalised on the stage and screen – not to mention as a plucky cartoon dog – may rise again.Workers repairing a church in the Dutch city of Maastricht have discovered a skeleton that could belong to the 17th-century Gascon nobleman Charles de Batz-Castelmore – better known as d’Artagnan – whose exploits led Dumas to make him the hero of the Three Musketeers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Could the continent’s far right be suffering from a Trumplash? 25. March 2026 (16:20) France’s National Rally missed key targets in local elections ahead of next year’s seismic presidential vote – and the mainstream is doing OK elsewhere, too• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThe Rassemblement National is not invincible. A year out from a make-or-break presidential vote, that might be the main lesson (though there are others, which may prove more significant) from last weekend’s local elections in France. What’s more, news elsewhere – Giorgia Meloni’s referendum defeat in Italy, Janez Janša beaten in Slovenia, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán in trouble, the left bloc largest in Denmark – might suggest the rest of Europe’s far right are not having it all their own way, either.But let’s focus first on France – if only because while local elections are rarely a wholly accurate guide to future national outcomes, these ones seem to provide some pointers – and the stakes in the country’s next major election are vertiginously high. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Former Google executive Matt Brittin selected to be next BBC director general 25. March 2026 (16:17) Former Olympic rower to lead corporation as it hammers out future funding model with governmentMatt Brittin, Google’s former top executive in Europe, has been named the BBC’s next director general.Brittin, who stepped down as Google’s president in Europe, the Middle East and Africa last year, will replace Tim Davie at a crucial time for the corporation, as it hammers out its future funding model with the government. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran war threatens to delay large offshore wind projects in EU and UK 25. March 2026 (16:17) Industry fears strait of Hormuz closure could disrupt shipping of crucial parts for UK and German North Sea projects• Business live – latest updatesA string of large offshore wind projects in Europe are facing potential delays as the Iran war threatens to disrupt shipping of crucial parts manufactured in the Gulf.Industry sources are concerned that components ordered from suppliers in the United Arab Emirates could become trapped if shipping remains effectively blocked through the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lars Løkke Rasmussen: Denmark’s pipe-smoking kingmaker who cleans his teeth with soap 25. March 2026 (16:16) Man credited with cooling Greenland tensions with Donald Trump is poised to play central role in any coalition dealEurope live – latest updatesAt the end of a long, gruelling night for the biggest parties on the right and left, there was one veteran of Danish politics who came out of Tuesday’s general election with a smile on his face – and a pipe in his mouth.Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the two-time prime minister whose Moderates party is not aligned with the country’s left or right-leaning political blocs, is poised to play a central role in any coalition deal reached in the coming weeks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US airports continue to see long lines and fewer TSA staff amid partial DHS shutdown – live 25. March 2026 (15:04) Some airports advise travelers to arrive four hours before their scheduled flights asTSA staff, who have been working without pay for over a month, are not reporting for dutySign up for the Breaking News US emailPoliticians on both sides of the aisle have attempted to seize on the airport chaos, with each party pointing the finger at the other.This morning Republican senators Tom Cotton and Bernie Moreno took to X to blame Democrats for the partial homeland security shutdown over the party’s stance on issues pertaining to ICE. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australians can expect high fuel costs to linger for far longer than the war in Iran 25. March 2026 (15:00) Rising inflation and unemployment mean effects of Iran war could be even worse than the post-Covid cost-of-living crisisGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs diesel prices make history by passing $3 a litre in nearly every capital city around the country, the stresses of high fuel costs are beginning to show.Truckies are warning they will go out of business if they can’t renegotiate their contracts with customers; farmers are warning the same, telling families that food in our supermarkets could soon cost more. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Long-promised animal cruelty prevention laws quietly shelved by Victorian government 25. March 2026 (15:00) Exclusive: Labor bill recognising all animals as sentient and raising care requirements won’t be introduced before state electionWarning: This article contains graphic contentGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA bulldog trapped on a balcony, forced to live among its own faeces. A corgi kept in similarly squalid conditions, surrendered by its owner after community outrage. A Maltese shih tzu beaten with a metal pole – its attacker spared jail.These are the kinds of animal cruelty cases the Victorian government promised to target with new laws almost a decade ago. But Guardian Australia can reveal those reforms have been shelved indefinitely. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia refuses to say how many Chinese nationals are arriving by boat, saying it may damage bilateral relations 25. March 2026 (15:00) Exclusive: Indonesia reports growing number of attempts by Chinese nationals to organise boat journeys, as Australian authorities refuse to reveal detailsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government has refused to reveal how many Chinese nationals have arrived in Australia by boat since 2024, saying that disclosing the figure may harm relations with other countries.However, reports by Indonesian police show that there has been a consistent trend of Chinese nationals attempting to reach Australia through Indonesia as an alternative to “zouxian”, or “walking the line” – the illegal migration route from Mexico to the US through the Darian Gap. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
