‘We are the family’: low-budget thriller highlights Hungary’s election tension 17. March 2026 (06:00) Audiences draw parallels between the abduction plot of Feels Like Home and Viktor Orbán’s 16-year reignIt’s seven o’clock on a Tuesday night, and one of the most popular movie theatres in Budapest is full, not an empty seat in sight. The audience is not here for a Hollywood blockbuster, but a Hungarian film that barely had the budget to be made.Feels Like Home (Itt Érzem Magam Otthon) has captured moviegoers not only with its striking visuals but also with its timing – its release coming before Hungary’s pivotal parliamentary elections on 12 April. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘National disgrace’: pothole repair backlog hits record £18.6bn in England and Wales 17. March 2026 (06:00) Only half the road network is in good condition despite 1.9m repairs last year, says industry bodyA losing battle with potholes has now seen the backlog of repairs across England and Wales reach a record £18.6bn, according to an annual industry estimate, despite councils filling in about 1.9m holes last year.The “national disgrace” of dangerously pockmarked local roads has been exacerbated by a notably wet winter, with only half of the network now reported to be in good condition. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Queensland government backflips on plan to contest all native title claims 17. March 2026 (05:57) The policy reversal came after a federal court judge asked the government to explain why it had stopped negotiating with Cape York traditional ownersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland government has made an 11th hour backflip on a secret policy to contest every new native title claim in court, on the eve of being hauled before the federal court to explain themselves.But the Liberal National party’s position appears to still be unclear after Queensland natural resources minister, Dale Last, doubled down on contesting native title in a statement to Guardian Australia on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
RBA interest rates: Reserve Bank raises official cash rate to 4.1% in blow to mortgage holders 17. March 2026 (05:06) Reserve Bank of Australia’s second consecutive increase lifts cash rate target to where it was in February last yearFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Reserve Bank has increased interest rates amid a global energy shock that threatens to push Australian inflation towards 5% in a split decision, leaving the door open to further hikes.The hike takes the RBA’s cash rate target from 3.85% to 4.1%, back to where it was in February 2025, wiping out the relief offered by two cuts last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Chris Bowen declares rush on jerry cans ‘un-Australian’ as he urges end to panic buying of petrol 17. March 2026 (05:05) Energy minister says country’s fuel supply has yet to be affected by war after meeting with suppliers and retailersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChris Bowen has insisted the country’s fuel supply is yet to be affected by the war in the Middle East while criticising a rush to buy jerry cans to fill up with petrol as “un-Australian”.The energy minister made the comments after an emergency meeting with major fuel suppliers and retailers that was convened by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to demand explanations for the recent surge in petrol prices. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Will the strait of Hormuz torpedo Trump’s war? – podcast 17. March 2026 (04:00) Events in the narrow waterway are causing chaos around the globe. Jillian Ambrose explains whyThe strait of Hormuz, a narrow stretch of water at the mouth of the Gulf, is the world’s petrol pump, a geographical bottleneck through which 20% of the world’s oil normally flows.Since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, however, Tehran has threatened to close the strait and cause mayhem. “They’ve not formally, officially shut it down, but they have said that they will set ablaze any tanker that tries to move through. For any shipping owner, for any insurer, that is as good as closed,” explains the Guardian’s energy correspondent, Jillian Ambrose. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Let the games begin: Victorian Liberals fail at sport but surprise with teamwork in viral video 17. March 2026 (03:50) Jess Wilson’s party has made a splash on social media but will they work together in the state election race?Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJess Wilson doing bombs into a swimming pool. Brad Battin in a muscle shirt curling 20kg, tattoos on show. John Pesutto throwing a discus, clad in blue jeans. Matthew Guy running, clutching a pink baton.The current Victorian Liberal leader and three of her predecessors feature in a social media video to mark what would have been the opening ceremony of the regional Commonwealth Games on Tuesday – if the state government hadn’t cancelled them. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of deadly strike on Kabul hospital 17. March 2026 (02:08) Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesman says death toll has reached 400 people ‘so far’ as Islamabad denies targeting facility for drug addictsHeavy casualties were feared in Kabul after a hospital that treats drug users was hit by airstrikes, which Afghanistan blamed on Pakistan’s military.Pakistan dismissed the accusation, saying the strikes on Monday – which were also launched against eastern Afghanistan – did not hit any civilian sites. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cheese from largest US raw milk distributor linked to E coli outbreak 17. March 2026 (01:41) Cheddar cheese from California-based Raw Farm identified as ‘likely source’ of infections across multiple statesCheese from the country’s largest raw milk distributor have been linked to a multistate E coli outbreak.Raw cheddar cheese from the California-based company Raw Farm has been identified as the “likely source” of several E coli O157:H7 infections in California, Florida and Texas, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), PBS News reported, though no Raw Farm products have tested positive for E coli. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Leqaa Kordia, a pro-Palestinian activist, released after a year in ICE custody 17. March 2026 (01:05) Kordia was taken at a check-in at an ICE office in New Jersey and was held despite court ruling thrice for her releaseA New Jersey woman who had been arrested at a pro-Palestine protest and booked into a US immigration detention center in Texas last March has been released on bond, after a year in custody.Leqaa Kordia, 33, originally from the West Bank, was arrested in April 2024 at a protest against Israel’s war on Gaza outside of Columbia University. Nearly a year later, she was taken into custody after reporting for a check-in at a Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in New Jersey. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
