Two-thirds of UK hospitality businesses plan to cut jobs and one in seven will close, survey finds 01. April 2026 (01:01) Sector cites ‘billions of pounds in additional costs’ from new business rates and increase in minimum wage thresholdsTwo-thirds of hospitality businesses are planning to cut jobs as a result of “suffocating” costs imposed by government, as new business rates and higher wage bills come into force.Many pubs, restaurants and hotel companies will see their costs increase significantly from 1 April after Rachel Reeves’s changes to business rates and an increase in minimum wage thresholds announced at the chancellor’s November budget. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Japan allows divorced couples to negotiate joint custody of children for first time 01. April 2026 (01:00) The new rules are the first major change to the country’s laws governing child-rearing in more than a centuryDivorced couples in Japan will be able to negotiate joint custody of their children from Wednesday, in the first major change to the country’s laws governing child-rearing in more than a century.Previously, Japan’s Civil Code required couples to decide which parent would take custody of their children when they divorce. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Severe disinformation campaign’ fuelling trans hate speech, Australia’s sex discrimination commissioner says 01. April 2026 (01:00) Trans and gender-diverse people experience ‘significant and preventable barriers to their safety and dignity’, report findsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe sex discrimination commissioner says there has been a concerted disinformation campaign against transgender rights since Australia’s postal survey on same-sex marriage.The Australian Human Rights Commission released a report on Tuesday – coinciding with international trans day of visibility – finding that trans and gender-diverse people experience “significant and preventable barriers to their safety, dignity and full participation in society” spanning healthcare, housing, education, employment and public life. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Want to boost the UK’s birthrate? Fix the housing crisis, research suggests 01. April 2026 (01:00) Policymakers should address financial barriers that hinder young people from starting families, says thinktank Politicians hoping to persuade young people in the UK to have more children should prioritise tackling housing affordability, according to research by the Resolution Foundation thinktank.There has been growing concern in recent years about Britain’s declining birthrate, given the long-term fiscal pressures of supporting an ageing population. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US judge orders Trump to halt $400m White House ballroom project 01. April 2026 (00:57) US president demolished East Wing of White House last year to make way for 90,000-sq-ft projectSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA US judge has halted the construction of Donald Trump’s $400m White House ballroom.The US president demolished the historic East Wing of the White House last year to make way for the project. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Silicon Valley city to give residents doorbells equipped with cameras 01. April 2026 (00:47) Milpitas approves measure to distribute smart doorbells and says residents can upload footage to police databaseA Silicon Valley city will offer its residents free wireless doorbells equipped with cameras to help police collect video evidence.The city council of Milpitas, a suburb north of San Jose, California, recently approved $60,000 to provide these devices on a one-camera-per-household, first-come, first-served basis, as was first reported by Milpitas Beat and confirmed by the Guardian. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump signs order to restrict mail-in ballots in probably unconstitutional move 01. April 2026 (00:35) President has falsely claimed ‘legendary’ fraud for limiting mail-in ballots and himself voted by mail last weekDonald Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to compile a national voter file and to restrict the use of mail-in ballots, an unprecedented move that is probably unconstitutional.The executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security to work with the Social Security Administration to compile a list of verified US citizens who can vote in every state. It also directs the United States Postal Service (USPS) to begin rule-making on a process that would require states to notify the agency of voters who intend to receive a mail-in ballot and prohibit them from receiving one unless they are on a USPS-approved list of eligible voters. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia’s superb fairywren could be extinct within decades due to climate crisis, researchers say 01. April 2026 (00:00) Scientists tracked bird population in Canberra’s botanic gardens and found climate impacts starting to affect themFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA common and well-loved bird of bush and garden could go extinct within 30-40 years due to the weather impacts of climate change, researchers say.Data derived from nearly 30 years of weekly observations tracked the lives of superb fairy wrens in Canberra’s botanic gardens, noting the changing weather’s impacts on them. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man charged after seven people seriously injured by car in Derby 31. March 2026 (23:59) Sandhu Ponnachan, 36, charged with grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving and possession of a bladed articleA 36-year-old man has been charged after seven people were injured when a car hit pedestrians in Derby, police have said.Sandhu Ponnachan, of Chariot Close, Alvaston, was charged on Tuesday night with six counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, one count of attempted grievous bodily harm, one count of dangerous driving and one count of possession of a bladed article, Derbyshire police said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Chatter and fear about US military draft emerge as Trump’s Iran war drags on 31. March 2026 (21:26) Though the US is almost certainly not going to have a draft, media commentary and online anxiety have surfacedThe United States is almost certainly not going to have a military draft to fight Iran. That hasn’t stopped the chatter, and anxiety, across the country.In recent weeks, Donald Trump has ordered a number of marines and army paratroopers to head to the Middle East, gesturing toward a possible ground war to reopen the strait of Hormuz or secure nuclear weapons material. The provocative military activity has led to speculative conversation about what it would take to invade a country twice the population and three times the territory of Iraq. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
