‘The saddest day for Muslim worshippers in Jerusalem’: al-Aqsa mosque closed at Eid 20. March 2026 (06:00) Palestinians say the move is part of a wider Israeli strategy to leverage security tensions to tighten restrictionsFor the first time since 1967, al-Aqsa mosque – Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site – will be closed at the end of Ramadan on Friday, with tensions rising among Palestinians as Israeli authorities keep the complex shut, forcing worshippers to hold Eid prayers as close as they can to the sealed site.On Friday morning hundreds of worshippers were forced to pray outside the Old City, as Israeli police barricaded the entrances to the site. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
University of Liverpool acquires entire archive of poet Roger McGough 20. March 2026 (06:00) Archivist Jo Klett says the 40 boxes of material will provide ‘a full picture of Roger’s entire working career’“It’s a joy to be old,” wrote Roger McGough, one of Britain’s most popular, prolific and funniest poets. “The dog dead and the car sold.”Another joy might be decluttering. After the departure of dozens of boxes of notebooks, manuscripts, drafts, project files, journals, posters, letters, personal artworks and more, McGough has admitted his house is significantly emptier. “If anyone wants to buy some old empty filing cabinets then get in touch … through you,” he joked. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Father of meningitis victim, 18, tells of family’s ‘immeasurable’ devastation 20. March 2026 (06:00) Michael Kenny’s daughter Juliette, a sixth-former at a school in Kent, died one day after showing symptomsThe father of an 18-year-old school pupil who died after the meningitis outbreak in Kent said his family’s devastation is “immeasurable” as he called for better protection for young people.Juliette Kenny died last Saturday, one day after first showing symptoms of vomiting and discoloration in her cheeks, her father, Michael Kenny, said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gas giants warn against windfall gains tax as Pocock says ‘wartime profits’ should go to struggling Australians 20. March 2026 (05:18) Government faces political fight as industry says mooted 25% levy on exports would hurt Australia’s economy and energy securityGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGas giants will lobby against any federal government moves to introduce a 25% export levy on windfall profits, as crossbenchers pressure the prime minister to redirect billions of dollars in “wartime profits” to Australians struggling amid the global energy crisis.It comes after the prime minister’s department asked Treasury to model the effects of placing a flat 25% tax on gas exports, the ABC reported on Friday, along with any further changes to the petroleum resource rent tax (PRRT) and corporate income tax. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Three flight attendants taken to hospital after Delta flight hits severe turbulence on descent into Sydney 20. March 2026 (05:09) Flight 41 from Los Angeles encountered patch of rough air shortly before landing in Sydney, leaving four crew injuredFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThree flight attendants were taken to hospital from Sydney airport on Friday morning after their plane hit a bad patch of turbulence just before landing.Delta Air Lines flight 41 from Los Angeles encountered the turbulence during its descent into Sydney, with four crew members injured, a Delta spokesperson confirmed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anthony Albanese claims hecklers at Lakemba mosque unhappy Labor outlawed ‘extremist organisations’ 20. March 2026 (04:54) Prime minister makes hasty exit after people heard yelling phrases including ‘disgrace’, ‘shame’ and ‘genocide supporters’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAnthony Albanese has claimed he was heckled by people at one of Australia’s largest mosques because they were unhappy his government has outlawed “extremist organisations” like Hizb ut-Tahrir, although he failed to provide any evidence for his claim.The prime minister and the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, were at Lakemba mosque in Sydney’s west on Friday morning before celebrations for the end of Ramadan, one of the most sacred dates in the Islamic faith. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reliant on imported fuel, Pacific islands appeal for help as oil prices surge 20. March 2026 (03:52) Samoa and Tonga raise supply concerns with foreign partners as businesses and residents in Papua New Guinea grapple with higher fuel prices amid the Iran warThe leaders of some Pacific countries have appealed for help with oil supplies while others urge against “panic buying” as the import-reliant nations grapple with fears over possible fuel shortages and escalating costs caused by war in the Middle East.Oil prices have surged to nearly $110 a barrel after strikes against energy infrastructure in Iran and the Gulf states. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nashville journalist arrested by ICE released after 15 days in detention 20. March 2026 (02:23) Colombia-born Estefany Rodríguez, whose detention had alarmed press freedom advocates, freed on $10,000 bondThe Nashville journalist who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this month was released from a Louisiana detention center on Thursday after spending 15 days in custody.Estefany Rodríguez, who covers immigration and other topics for the outlet Nashville Noticias, was detained in Nashville on 4 March and spent a week at a county jail in Alabama before being transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana. Her lawyers said Rodríguez was detained without warrant. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
China has been preparing for a global energy crisis for years. It is paying off now 20. March 2026 (02:14) As other Asian economies race to conserve energy, China has huge reserves of oil and gas as well as alternative energy sources like wind and solarMiddle East crisis – live updates Xi Jinping has been preparing for a crisis like this for years. China must secure its energy supply “in its own hands”, its president was reported to have said during a visit to one of its vast oilfields in 2021.The US-Israel war on Iran plunged the Middle East into a deep conflict, with the strait of Hormuz – one of the most important waterways in global trade – all but closed and key energy facilities across the region under attack. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
NSW will continue to green-light coalmine expansions – ignoring a warning from its own climate agency 20. March 2026 (02:00) Minns Labor government criticised over strategy as no new mines have been proposed for several yearsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales government will continue to green-light coalmine expansions, effectively rejecting a warning from its climate agency that approving new developments would be inconsistent with the state’s legislated emissions targets.Releasing a statement on the coal industry’s future, the Labor government said it would no longer consider proposals for “standalone greenfield coalmines” on undeveloped sites. But it would continue to allow expansions and time extensions at existing mines. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
