Funding for populist-right ‘media-political complex’ exceeded £170m in five years, research finds 23. March 2026 (06:00) Handful of billionaires gave huge sums in particular to media organisations that boosted rightwing politicians, says Liam Byrne MPMore than £170m was given to MPs, political parties, media organisations and thinktanks aligned with the UK’s populist right over the past five years, new research from the Labour MP Liam Byrne has found.Byrne, a former cabinet minister who chairs parliament’s business committee, said he had identified a “media-political complex” funded largely by a handful of billionaires. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Arson attack on volunteer ambulances in north London being treated as antisemitic hate crime, police say 23. March 2026 (05:53) Police say four ambulances from Jewish community ambulance service were damaged in a suspected arson attack in Golders GreenFour ambulances belonging to the Jewish community ambulance service were set on fire in Golders Green early on Monday, with police saying they were treating the incident as an “antisemitic hate crime”.Officers were called to Highfield Road, Golders Green, around 1.45am on Monday after receiving reports of a fire. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Middle East crisis live: IEA chief says Iran war energy crunch worse than 1970s oil crises and Ukraine war combined 23. March 2026 (05:52) Fatih Birol says world is losing 11m barrels of oil per day, more than the 1973 and 1979 energy shocks combined; IRGC threatens to completely close strait of Hormuz if Trump acts on infrastructure threatsIran vows to destroy Middle East water and energy facilities if US attacks power plantsTurning to Indonesia now, the country is eyeing up to 80tn rupiah ($4.7bn) in savings to cushion its economy from the fallout of the war in the Middle East, according to the government.South-east Asia’s largest economy is also considering fuel-saving measures including one day of remote working a week for government and certain public sector workers amid soaring global oil prices.In this attack, which was against international laws, one of the centre’s security colleagues was martyred and another person was injured. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
ABC staff to strike for first time in 20 years with widespread news disruption expected 23. March 2026 (05:45) Union says below‑inflation pay rises and insecure work threaten the future of Australia’s public‑interest journalismFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter hereMore than 75% of ABC staff will walk off the job on Wednesday for the first time in 20 years, triggering severe disruption to the public broadcaster’s news services for 24 hours.Without producers, camera operators and directors it is almost impossible to put shows including the prime-time current affairs flagship 7.30 to air. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New Zealand PM’s ratings dip as fragile economy fails to impress before November election, poll shows 23. March 2026 (04:22) National leader Christopher Luxon drops in preferred PM stakes with rise in people saying country heading in wrong directionThe personal ratings of New Zealand’s prime minister, Christopher Luxon, have dipped, polling shows, as his government’s handling of the economy fails to impress voters ahead of the November election.The RNZ-Reid Research poll, released on Monday, also found a growing number of people felt that New Zealand was heading in the wrong direction. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Minnesota Wild reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children found dead in house fire, NHL says 23. March 2026 (01:04) Cause of the fire that killed Pierce, who had covered the Minnesota hockey team for a decade, is under investigationNHL reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children were killed on Saturday in a weekend house fire in Minnesota, the league announced on its sports website Sunday.Pierce, 37, covered the Minnesota Wild as the correspondent for NHL.com for the past decade. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Study links children’s social media use with anxiety and depression in teenage years 23. March 2026 (01:01) Researchers say lack of sleep could be a factor among young people interacting online for more than three hours a dayChildren who are on social media for more than three hours a day are more likely to develop depression and anxiety as teenagers, according to research.Experts said the impact was likely to be linked to a lack of sleep caused by using social media late at night, and that the link to depression was more pronounced in girls. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Student debt eats away home deposit savings to tune of £2,000 a year, says Barclays 23. March 2026 (01:01) Repayments also affect financial stability of nearly half of graduates, according to report by UK bankPeople with student loans who are working towards a home deposit save almost £2,000 less per year than those without the debt, according to a new report by Barclays.The bank also found that 44% of student loan holders claim that repayments limit their ability to build long-term financial stability, while 41% say it prevents them from entering the housing market. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thousands of care leavers in England ‘locked out’ of work as firms slow to adapt 23. March 2026 (01:01) Survey suggests companies willing to hire care-experienced young people but few have changed recruitment processesThousands of young people leaving care in England are being left “locked out” of work by employers who say they are open to hiring but make few changes to adapt, a charity has warned.Calling on employers to act on their promises, the Drive Forward Foundation said care leavers were almost three times more likely to be out of work than their peers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire elected mayor of Paris 22. March 2026 (23:30) City hall veteran beats rightwinger Rachida Dati, while Marseille’s leftist incumbent defeats far-right opponentThe Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire has been elected mayor of Paris, roundly beating the former rightwing minister Rachida Dati.He instantly took a victory bike ride with future councillors on Sunday night to show that the city would continue its pro-cycling and environmental policies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
