Amy Madigan wins best supporting actress Oscar for Weapons 16. March 2026 (00:20) Having been nominated in 1986, the actor sets a new record for the longest gap between nominations before a winOscars 2026 – follow the action live!The winners: the full list – updating liveAmy Madigan has won the best supporting actress Oscar for Weapons at the 98th Academy Awards,.Madigan defeated a strong field to take the prize, including Elle Fanning for Sentimental Value, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another. In doing so she set a new record for the longest gap between nominations before a win; she was previously nominated in the same category 40 years ago, in 1986, for Twice in a Lifetime. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Two dead and 11 seriously ill in meningitis outbreak at University of Kent 15. March 2026 (23:50) Students in Canterbury given antibiotics for fast-acting and invasive meningococcal disease, says UKHSATwo people have died and 11 are reportedly seriously ill in hospital after an outbreak of a rare form of invasive meningitis at the University of Kent.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it had provided antibiotics to students in the Canterbury area after it detected 13 cases of invasive meningococcal disease, a combination of meningitis and septicaemia. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Triple-threat megastorm’ to scatter snow, high winds and thunder across US 15. March 2026 (23:43) Powerful storm chain to affect 200 million in US as it carries blizzard conditions, damaging winds and thunderstormsWinter’s grip has yet to release as an erratic patchwork of severe weather moved across much of the US, dumping heavy snow and making roads impassable in the upper midwest while damaging high winds swept across the Plains.As portions of the mid-south readied for thunderstorms, forecasters said the storms will spread eastward and by Monday threaten a large swath of the eastern US, with mid-Atlantic states and Washington DC at greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer to announce support for households hit by energy price spike 15. March 2026 (23:30) Prime minister expected to set out tens of millions of pounds in help for heating oil users as conflict with Iran drives up costsKeir Starmer will on Monday announce tens of millions of pounds’ worth of support for Britons hit by a spike in energy prices as a result of the Iran war.The prime minister will lay out the plans during a press conference in Downing Street on Monday, during which he will also take aim at some suppliers of heating oil for price gouging. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sharp rise in young Britons saying ill health is reason they are jobless, study finds 15. March 2026 (23:30) Share of 16- to 24-year-old Neets who report a work-limiting condition up 70% in a decade, says thinktankThere has been a sharp rise in the number of jobless young people in the UK citing health problems as the reason they are not working, according to analysis.The share of 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training – known as Neets – who reported a work-limiting condition has surged by 70% in a decade, a charity thinktank found. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK plans to send minesweeping drones to help reopen strait of Hormuz 15. March 2026 (23:30) Government reluctant to dispatch ships amid concerns complying with Trump’s demands could escalate Iran crisisMinisters are drawing up plans to send minesweeping drones to the strait of Hormuz amid concerns in Whitehall that complying with Donald Trump’s demand to send ships could escalate the crisis.The government is considering dispatching aerial minesweepers to help clear the vital waterway of mines in an attempt to allow the flow of oil exports to resume. However, officials said that sending ships, as requested over the weekend by the US president, could worsen the situation given the volatile nature of the war. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
First-round of French local elections sees strong showing for National Rally and LFI 15. March 2026 (23:26) Far-right and radical left parties likely to increase their local presence in advance of next year’s presidential raceThe first-round of the French municipal elections have seen a strong showing for Marine Le Pen’s far-right the National Rally (RN), as well as for Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s radical left, with both parties likely to increase their local presence ahead of next year’s French presidential race.The French local elections, which now go to a final round runoff on 22 March, are seen as a crucial test of the political temperature before next year’s presidential election. Emmanuel Macron’s two terms in office come to an end in spring 2027 and there is uncertainty about who will next lead the EU’s second-largest economy. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mother charged with murder of 18-day-old baby girl in central London 15. March 2026 (22:38) Zahira Byjaouane, 43, arrested on Saturday after reports baby fell from property on Horseferry Road in WestminsterA mother has been charged with murdering her 18-day-old baby girl, who fell from a height at a property in central London.Zahira Byjaouane, 43, was arrested on Saturday morning after reports that a baby had fallen from a property on Horseferry Road in Westminster. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fifth Iranian football player leaves Australia after initially accepting offer of asylum 15. March 2026 (22:07) Minister Tony Burke confirms another member of Iran’s women’s football team left Australia late Sunday nightFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA fifth member of the Iranian women’s football squad has left Australia after withdrawing her claim of asylum.The office of the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, confirmed on Monday that the woman had left late on Sunday night. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Restraining and sedating dementia patients ‘routine’ in hospitals in England, study finds 15. March 2026 (22:00) Patients experiencing raised bedside rails, doors and pathways blocked by furniture and physical interventionsPeople with dementia are being subjected to restraints and non-consensual sedation while in hospitals in England, according to the first study of its kind.These restrictive practices were found to be an “embedded aspect of routine ward care”, according to the analysis, with such examples including dementia patients having their bedside rails raised, doors and pathways blocked by furniture, experiencing verbal commands to sit down or go back to bed, and physical interventions such as non-consensual sedation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
