World’s broadcasters urge EU to tighten rules for big tech in smart TV battle 23. March 2026 (14:31) Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung control operating systems, allowing them to act as gatekeepers, letter claimsBusiness live – latest updatesThe world’s largest broadcasters have pushed for the EU to enforce its toughest regulations against virtual TVs and smart assistants built by Google, Amazon, Apple and Samsung.The call came in a letter from the Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT), whose members include Canal+, RTL, Mediaset, ITV, Paramount+, NBCUniversal, Walt Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Sky and TF1 Groupe. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
No 10 refuses to comment on Trump posting TV sketch mocking Starmer on social media – UK politics live 23. March 2026 (14:30) Spokesperson said PM is ‘entirely focussed on the job’ when asked about the US president posting a clip from Saturday Night Live UK Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, was speaking for the government on the morning news programmes earlier. Speaking to LBC, he confirmed that the government wanted the Competition and Markets Authority to deal with any potention profiteering by oil companies. Pennycook said prices were “prices are soaring in places” and “we’re seeing a huge differentiation in prices across the country, which is why the CMA have put fuel retailers on notice”.Donald Trump has said he has instructed the defence department to postpone all airstrikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, Yohannes Lowe reports. This is subject to the “success” of ongoing “meetings and discussions”, Trump said in a Truth Social post. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump erects statue of Christopher Columbus in White House grounds 23. March 2026 (14:24) Monument made from shattered pieces of original statue tossed into Baltimore’s inner harbor by protesters in 2020US politics – live updatesA statue of Christopher Columbus has been installed in the grounds of the White House in the latest attempt by Donald Trump to position the controversial explorer as a foundational hero of the US.The president had the 13ft statue, which weighs one ton, placed outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, on Pennsylvania Avenue. It is a replica of a monument to Columbus that was torn down and tossed into Baltimore’s inner harbor by protesters in the city amid widespread anti-racism protests in 2020. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump extends Iran deadline by five days and claims ‘productive’ talks 23. March 2026 (14:11) President delays threat against energy infrastructure after Iran’s threats of retaliation, while Tehran denies any talksMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has extended by five days his deadline to “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power stations and energy infrastructure if Tehran does not allow shipping to move freely through the strait of Hormuz, claiming that the US and Iran have held “very good and productive conversations” on an end to the three-week-old war.There was no immediate official reaction from Tehran to Trump’s announcement, which was made in a post on Truth Social and appeared to avert a potentially massive escalation of the conflict, at least for now. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California sheriff running for governor seizes over 650,000 ballots from 2025 election 23. March 2026 (14:00) Republican Chad Bianco investigating Prop 50 vote despite officials denying claims of ballots being cast unlawfullyA California sheriff who is running as a Republican for governor has seized more than 650,000 ballots from last year’s election, escalating an ongoing conflict with state officials.Chad Bianco, Riverside county’s sheriff, says he is carrying out an investigation into allegations that ballots were unlawfully cast in last year’s election that resulted in the passage of Proposition 50. The proposition redrew congressional districts to help gerrymander the state in favor of Democrats, in response to similar measures in Republican states like Texas. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Absolute moral rigour’: new Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire’s ideals face stern test 23. March 2026 (12:48) Leftwing victor has pledged to cut officials’ expenses and luxuries, but first must turn his attention to a series of crisesWhen Paris’s new leftwing mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire, leapt on a bike for a victory tour along the French capital’s large network of new cycle lanes on Sunday night, he was sending a crucial message to Paris residents.Not only would he continue to build bike lanes and keep limits on cars in the city, keeping the French capital’s pro-cycling focus on environmental issues and reducing its dangerous air pollution., he was also seeking to style himself as humble, frugal – “of an absolute moral rigour”, in his words – after promising to shrink Paris officials’ hefty expenses accounts and end the use of chauffeur-driven cars. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump whistleblower Alex Vindman: ‘Sitting on the sidelines was not an option’ 23. March 2026 (12:00) Democratic Senate hopeful says experience of being key witness in Trump’s first impeachment makes him right choice for FloridaAlex Vindman is not a man to hold a grudge. Ask him about the bullying, intimidation and retribution meted out by Donald Trump and Maga acolytes following his appearance as a key witness in the first of the president’s two first-term impeachments, and he almost shrugs it off.“For people that know anything about me, I basically smile all the time,” he says. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pro-EU liberals see narrow win in Slovenia as key Italian referendum enters final hours – Europe live 23. March 2026 (11:41) The result in Slovenia will relieve EU diplomats and means the incumbent will lead exploratory talks to form the next governmentEurope correspondentMeanwhile, Donald Trump has endorsed Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, who faces his toughest electoral challenge next month since taking power 16 years ago, as Europe’s far-right leaders gather for a “grand assembly” in Budapest. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK mortgage interest rates will rise four times this year, markets predict 23. March 2026 (11:36) Investors believe Bank of England is likely to act amid sustained rise in inflation from Iran warBusiness live – latest updates‘Trumpflation’: how the Iran war’s economic storm could affect BritonsThe Bank of England will raise the cost of borrowing four times this year, pushing UK interest rates from 3.75% to 4.75% amid the conflict in the Middle East, according to financial market speculators.In a blow to mortgage payers, international investors are betting that the UK is vulnerable to a sustained rise in inflation after the US-Israel attack on Iran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Long-awaited trial into Greece’s deadliest train crash begins 23. March 2026 (09:38) More than 30 people face charges after collision between two trains that killed 57 people in February 2023A long-awaited trial has begun into Greece’s worst train tragedy, which killed 57 people in 2023, leaving the entire country in shock.Thirty-six people face charges and more than 350 witnesses are due to be heard at the trial that opened in the central city of Larissa, near where a freight train and a passenger train collided on 28 February 2023. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
