Centuries-old pottery firm Denby set to call in administrators 31. March 2026 (17:59) Almost 600 jobs could go amid higher cost of gas and labour and softening consumer demand Denby is set to call in administrators, putting the 217-year-old Derbyshire pottery at risk of closure with the loss of almost 600 jobs.The company, which was rescued from administration in 2009 by the restructuring experts Hilco and also owns the Burleigh brand, based in Stoke-on-Trent, is understood to have struggled with the surging cost of gas, higher labour costs, tighter financial markets and softening consumer demand for its premium homeware. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Plans for gaudy Trump presidential library in Miami spark ridicule 31. March 2026 (17:39) Video posted on social media depicts a rendering of the proposed 50-storey gargantuan structure decked in goldIn a city of respected art deco buildings, ridicule is being heaped on the latest structure proposed for Miami’s skyline: the Donald J Trump presidential library, unveiled in ambitious plans posted to social media on Monday night.A 1 minute 40 second video tour of the proposed gargantuan structure revealed it will be decked, almost inevitably, in Trump’s trademark gold, including a giant statue of him, and will feature Air Force One, the $400m Boeing “flying palace” gifted to him by Qatar, in its cavernous lobby. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pakistan and China propose five-part peace plan for Middle East 31. March 2026 (17:30) Foreign ministers Ishaq Dar and Wang Yi met in Beijing as Pakistan pushes for peacemaker roleMiddle East crisis – live updatesPakistan and China have released a joint five-part proposal for peace in the Middle East, after Pakistan’s foreign minister flew to Beijing on Tuesday to seek Chinese support for the country’s faltering efforts to negotiate an end to end the war.The one-day meeting between Ishaq Dar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, came as Pakistan continues to push for the role of peacemaker between the United States and Iran, even as the war shows little sign of relenting. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘God squad’ waives endangered species law to allow US drilling in Gulf of Mexico 31. March 2026 (17:26) Critics say exemption for fossil fuels exploits White House’s ‘self-made gas crisis’, and could doom the rare Rice’s whaleSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA US government panel on Tuesday exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act (ESA), a move which critics say could doom a rare whale species and harm other marine life.The Endangered Species Committee – which had not convened in more than three decades – voted to approve the request for the ESA exemption at the request of the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK’s smallest bird of prey among 200 species at risk of extinction, study finds 31. March 2026 (17:00) Merlin could disappear in worst-case scenario, with British isles facing ecological ‘point of no return’The merlin, Britain’s smallest bird of prey, is one of more than 200 species that will become extinct in the UK if action is not taken to curb emissions and unsustainable land use, a study has claimed.According to the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), there is a 20-year window in which decisions on climate and land use will determine the fate of dozens of Britain’s native species. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US megachurch pastor released from jail after pleading guilty to child sex abuse 31. March 2026 (16:58) Robert Morris, who started Gateway church, pleaded guilty in October to sexually abusing girl in the 1980sThe founder and former pastor of one of the US’s largest megachurches has been released from an Oklahoma jail six months after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s.Robert Morris, 64, who started Texas’s Gateway church and also once served as a White House spiritual adviser during Donald Trump’s first presidency, pleaded guilty in early October in Osage county district court on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Supreme court hearing Mississippi death penalty case over alleged racial jury bias 31. March 2026 (16:48) Doug Evans, a former prosecutor, removed nearly all Black jurors in Terry Pitchford’s 2006 trial, raising legal questionsThe supreme court is hearing arguments on Tuesday about racial bias in jury selection in a death penalty case stemming from Mississippi.Doug Evans, a now-retired prosecutor, removed all but one Black person from a jury that convicted Terry Pitchford of capital murder in 2006. The judge, Joseph Loper, allowed the juror strikes and Mississippi’s supreme court upheld the conviction. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Attack on US radar plane at Saudi base raises concern over Iran’s capabilities 31. March 2026 (16:02) Ukraine says Russian spy satellite had photographed base before strike, as Moscow accused of helping TehranMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe destruction of a US E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft in an Iranian strike on a Saudi Arabian airbase has raised questions over how a critical surveillance asset was left unprotected, and how Iran was able to launch a direct strike on the plane.The plane was one of 16 operational E-3s, which first went into production in the 1960s and carry sophisticated monitoring equipment that allow them to warn of airborne threats such as missiles, as well as surveil and monitor their assigned battle space including communications, troop and equipment movements and air defence sites. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labor’s draft party platform more assertive on China and omits mandatory jail term stance 31. March 2026 (16:00) Exclusive: the 2026 document is designed to provide ‘scaffolding’ for a long-term Labor governmentGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor’s longstanding opposition to mandatory jail terms has been omitted from the first draft of its new national party platform, after the Albanese government backed minimum sentences on several occasions.An early working draft of the ALP’s updated platform also includes more assertive language on China and seeks to position Australia as an “active middle power” in an increasingly fraught and contested world. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
ICE agents will screen attendees of Marine Corps graduation ceremonies 31. March 2026 (15:53) Families fear undocumented relatives could be turned away or detained at recruit celebrations in South CarolinaFederal immigration agents will be stationed at Marine Corps graduation events this week, the service has announced, raising fears that undocumented relatives celebrating their loved ones’ achievements will be seized and deported.The service is presenting the unusual move as a security enhancement for family events over the next few days at the Parris Island Marine Corps recruiting depot in South Carolina. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
