Hegseth says US won’t get ‘bogged down’ in Iran – but doesn’t rule out sending troops 02. March 2026 (17:15) Defense secretary refuses to establish timeline for how long operation will continue in first public remarks since strikesThe US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, has called the joint US-Israeli strikes in Iran the “most lethal and precise air power campaign in history”, indicated the US did not plan to effect a democratic transition in Iran – and refused to establish a clear timeline for how long the US operation will continue.In the first public remarks by an administration official since the war began on Saturday, Hegseth also said that the US did not have “boots on the ground” in Iran but that he wouldn’t speculate what “we will or will not do”. He also said that four US service members had been killed by a ballistic missile that managed to penetrate allied air defenses. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US Department of Education hangs Charlie Kirk banner outside DC building 02. March 2026 (17:09) Banner has sparked criticism as Kirk was a polarizing figure who made incendiary and often racist and sexist commentsThe US Department of Education has hung large banners outside its building in Washington DC, including one featuring an image of the late far-right commentator, Charlie Kirk.Kirk, who was shot and killed last September while speaking at a campus event a Utah Valley University, co-founded the conservative non-profit organization Turning Point USA, which advocates for and promotes conservative politics among young people, particularly on college campuses. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Authorities investigate mass shooting at Austin bar as potential act of terrorism 02. March 2026 (16:53) Officials continue to investigate Sunday shooting in Texas amid fears of further attacks following US airstrikes on IranAustin bar shooting leaves three dead, including suspect, and 14 woundedOfficials in Texas are continuing to investigate a weekend mass shooting at an Austin bar by a man wearing a “Property of Allah” hoodie as an act of potential terrorism, as fears rise over the possibility of further attacks following US airstrikes on Iran.Police shot and killed Ndiaga Diagne, 53, a Senegalese national and naturalized US citizen, early on Sunday after he reportedly opened fire at the downtown bar popular with university students. Two people were killed, and another 14 wounded, some of them seriously. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sydney to get its first new inner-city suburb in decades as Glebe Island becomes Bays West 02. March 2026 (16:53) ‘City-shaping’ transformation of industrial precinct to include more than 8,500 new homes and public waterfront accessGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydney will get its first new inner city suburb – known as Bays West – in decades, giving public waterfront access to Glebe Island for the first time in more than 100 years alongside 8,500 new homes.The New South Wales government on Tuesday announced that a long-awaited overhaul of the government-owned land, directly above the under-construction Bays Metro station and near the western end of the Anzac Bridge, will go ahead. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Spain denies US permission to use jointly operated bases to attack Iran 02. March 2026 (15:52) Refusal to allow use of bases in Rota and Morón follows Pedro Sánchez’s condemnation of US-Israeli actionUS-Israel war on Iran – live updatesWhat we know so far on day three of the Iran warSpain has denied the US permission to use jointly operated military bases on its territory to attack Iran as Madrid stepped up its criticism of the “unjustified and dangerous military intervention”.Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has explicitly condemned the US and Israel’s “unilateral military action” against Iran, warning that it is contributing to “a more hostile and uncertain international order”. The rebukes have been reinforced by his government’s refusal to allow the US to use bases in Rota and Morón for the continuing strikes against Iran. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘He worked on his speech in French for months’: César awards boss rejects Jim Carrey clone conspiracy theories 02. March 2026 (15:36) Gregory Caulier has attempted to quash rumours that Mask actor was replaced by a heavily made-up impersonator for his appearance picking up an honorary award in ParisThe organiser of the César awards has sought to debunk reports that a lookalike stood in for Jim Carrey at last week’s ceremony.In a statement sent to Variety on Monday, Gregory Caulier, general delegate of the Césars, said the controversy was a “non-issue” and testified to Carrey’s investment in the event, which had been in the planning since last summer. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The war in the Middle East in maps, video and photos 02. March 2026 (15:19) How the US-Israeli war against Iran exploded into a regional conflict, as Tehran retaliated with strikes across the Middle EastUS-Israel war on Iran – live updatesA US-Israeli war against Iran that began on Saturday with bombing and missile attacks that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has exploded into a regional conflict, with Tehran retaliating by launching strikes across the Middle East.By Monday, a major new front had opened with Israel bombing Lebanon after Iran’s ally, Hezbollah, launched strikes. And Cyprus said a drone attack had targeted a British base on the Mediterranean island nation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
What disrupting the strait of Hormuz could mean for global cost-of-living pressures 02. March 2026 (15:00) The narrow shipping route on Iran’s southern border carries one fifth of global seaborne crude oil, one fifth of LNG shipments and one third of the most widely used fertiliserGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDonald Trump’s attempt to overthrow the Iranian government by force could trigger a new wave of cost-of-living pressures that embattled governments and central banks around the world will struggle to deal with.The US-Israel attack on the Middle Eastern country at the weekend is the latest in a long series of global economic shocks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian wildlife in ‘harm’s way’ with volunteers left to ‘pick up the pieces’ amid climate crisis, fires and floods 02. March 2026 (15:00) Ken Henry leads push for federal government to do more to protect animals as biodiversity declinesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor is being pushed to introduce tough new national rules for protecting threatened species exposed to disasters including bushfires and floods, with the former Treasury boss Ken Henry among advocates warning that risks to wildlife could reach a point of no return.Months after a major rewrite of environment laws passed parliament, a consortium of animal protection and campaign groups want the Albanese government to standardise rescue, treatment and rehabilitation processes and help fund organisations working to protect species including endangered koalas in the May federal budget. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Men almost twice as likely as women to earn high salaries in ‘reality check’ on Australia’s gender pay gap 02. March 2026 (15:00) Workplace Gender Equality Agency report shows a slight increase in number of women in highly paid roles, which are still dominated by menGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMen are nearly twice as likely as women to be making $220,000 a year, with minimal progress made on closing Australia’s gender pay gap in the past 12 months.The federal government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) published its gender pay gap results for 10,500 employers on Tuesday. It revealed there was a slight increase in the number of women in highly paid roles, but men were still 1.8 times more likely to be in the upper quartile of earners on an average salary of $221,000. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
