Trump’s DHS pick, Markwayne Mullin, never served in military but talks as if he did 18. March 2026 (14:16) Oklahoma senator has repeatedly made cryptic claims about ‘overseas’ work and war experience, while refusing to explain themMullin’s DHS nomination hearing – follow liveMarkwayne Mullin, the Oklahoma senator chosen by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Homeland Security who will be considered by the Senate on Wednesday, has never served in the US military, but he routinely speaks as if he did in interviews.Two days after the US attacked Iran, for instance, Mullin told Fox News: “War is ugly. It smells bad. And if anybody has ever been there and been able to smell the war that’s happening around you and taste it, and feel it in your nostrils, and hear it, it’s something you’ll never forget. And it’s ugly.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lee Anderson filmed paid-for Cameo videos at parliament in possible rules breach 18. March 2026 (14:00) Reform MP made Valentine’s Day clips for platform despite previous warning about commercial filmingNewly unearthed Nigel Farage videos reveal support for rioter, neo-Nazi event and far-right slogansThe Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has used his parliamentary office to record paid-for personalised messaging videos, in a possible breach of rules that prohibit the commercial use of the Palace of Westminster.Anderson, who had already been warned about commercial filming in Westminster, sold two videos filmed from what he called the “beating heart of democracy in Westminster” in early February 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran’s intelligence minister ‘eliminated’ in overnight strike, Israel claims 18. March 2026 (13:56) Esmail Khatib said to be third senior Iranian figure killed in 24 hours as Israel authorises military to kill targeted officialsMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael claimed on Wednesday to have killed a third senior Iranian figure in 24 hours, stating that its forces had “eliminated” Tehran’s intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, in an overnight strike.If confirmed, his death would follow those of Ali Larijani, the head of the supreme national security apparatus, and the commander of the Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
First Thing: Trump says US does not need Nato after strait of Hormuz rebuf | Clea Skopeliti 18. March 2026 (13:41) Snub comes as Iran vows revenge for killing of Ali Larijani. Plus, judge orders reinstatement of Voice of America staffDon’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.Donald Trump has said the US does not need Nato, after a number of the organization’s members rejected his call to send their warships to reopen the strait of Hormuz.How many people have been displaced in Iran? Up to 3.2 million people, according to the UN’s refugee agency. Here, Tehran residents speak about their daily life under bombardment.For the latest updates, follow our liveblog. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US spending on first week of Iran war raises stark questions about priorities 18. March 2026 (13:00) $11.3bn more than enough to fund EPA or National Cancer Institute, where administration sought to slash budgetsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US spent $11.3bn on just the first week of its military assault on Iran. This huge expenditure dwarves the annual budgets of many of the public health and scientific agencies the Trump administration has sought to cut, raising stark questions about the country’s priorities.In the six days that followed the US and Israel’s joint attack on Iran on 28 February, $11.3bn was spent on American taxpayer-funded bombs that hit the country and caused hundreds of deaths, the Pentagon has told lawmakers. This figure does not capture the full cost of the conflict, such as deployment of forces, and will now be far higher given the ongoing nature of the war. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Afghans search for loved ones at Kabul rehab centre hit by Pakistani airstrike 18. March 2026 (12:53) Afghan Taliban government says more than 400 people killed and 265 injured, as Pakistan disputes target of strikeFamilies and friends of people who were being treated at a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul have continued to search for their loved ones two days after it was bombed by Pakistan, in the deadliest attack so far in the months-long conflict between the two countries.The Afghan Taliban government has said more than 400 people were killed and 265 others wounded in the airstrike, which took place on Monday night as people and staff at the centre were praying days before the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
RFK Jr met Republican diplomat days before controversial 2019 trip to Samoa, emails show 18. March 2026 (12:00) Records shed light on how Scott Brown – then Trump’s New Zealand ambassador, now running for Senate – responded to Kennedy’s 2019 Samoa trip ahead of measles outbreakWhen Robert F Kennedy Jr ran for president as a Democrat in 2023, he found an unexpected ally in Scott Brown. A former Republican senator, Brown had begun a tradition of hosting Republican presidential candidates for barbecues in his New Hampshire back yard, where they could stump for votes and get attention ahead of the state’s crucial primary.Kennedy became Brown’s first Democratic invitee. His appearance in September 2023 drew hundreds of people, Brown’s biggest crowd ever. Kennedy held Brown in such high regard that after he decided to run instead as an independent, he reportedly reached out to Brown as a possible vice-presidential running mate, though Brown declined. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Canada wants to build up its long-neglected Arctic. The hard question is how 18. March 2026 (12:00) Ottawa wants to modernize a region in the north that’s about six times the size of Texas, ‘just like in the 1800s’Picture an Arctic territory, marginalized by its own country, almost entirely lacking roads, ports and power sources, but rich in mining potential and suddenly feeling vulnerable to outside threats.It’s not Greenland; it’s the Canadian Arctic. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Revealed: a crypto billionaire’s political base hosting ‘anti-woke’ and rightwing activists in Westminster 18. March 2026 (12:00) Pardoned by Trump after violating US banking law, Ben Delo provides funding, networking, and podcasting space for a range of groups, including those with hardline views on migration and abortionA British billionaire convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate money-laundering controls on his cryptocurrency business is funding a political base in the heart of Westminster used by “anti-woke” and rightwing activists.Ben Delo, 42, who was pardoned by Donald Trump last year, has given support in kind to Rupert Lowe, the anti-migration MP challenging Nigel Farage from the right – while also connecting with mainstream figures including the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and former cabinet minister Michael Gove. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Senate to consider Markwayne Mullin’s nomination amid DHS shutdown 18. March 2026 (11:00) Trump pick for homeland security secretary followed firing of Kristi Noem amid blowback for anti-immigration tacticsA Senate committee on Wednesday will consider Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which Democrats have forced into a partial shutdown until their demands for guardrails on immigration enforcement are met.Donald Trump nominated Mullin, a first-term Republican senator from Oklahoma, as DHS secretary earlier this month, after the president ousted secretary Kristi Noem amid public blowback against the administration’s aggressive approach to its mass deportation agenda, which resulted in the killings of two US citizens by immigration agents in Minneapolis. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
