Easter bank holiday expected to be UK’s busiest on roads in four years 30. March 2026 (10:00) Drivers planning nearly 21m leisure journeys from Thursday to Monday despite soaring fuel prices, say expertsThe four-day bank holiday weekend is expected to be the busiest Easter on the roads in four years, despite a surge in fuel prices caused by the conflict in the Middle East.Drivers are planning nearly 21m leisure journeys between Thursday and Easter Monday, according to a study by the RAC and the traffic analytics specialists Inrix. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fears of increased small boat Channel crossings as UK-French deal nears end 30. March 2026 (10:00) New agreement delayed amid home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s demands for more interceptions of dinghiesA renewed deal between the UK and France to stop small boat Channel crossings has not yet been signed, with a day to go before the current one expires, raising questions about whether people smugglers will be able to act unimpeded from later this week.Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron announced the previous £468m deal on 10 March 2023, weeks before it came into force. The UK pays two-thirds of the cost of policing France’s northern border and the current agreement expires on Tuesday. Discussions on it began last July at the 37th UK-France summit and British officials travelled to Paris last week for another round of talks. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Victoria police called to give evidence into Indigenous man’s death in custody seek protection from self-incrimination 30. March 2026 (09:56) Request comes at the start of a two-week inquest into the death of Noongar man Jeffrey Winmar in MelbourneGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEleven police officers called to give evidence into the death of an Aboriginal man in custody have sought certificates to protect themselves from self-incrimination.The request from the Victoria police chief commissioner came at the start of a two-week inquest into the death of Noongar man Jeffrey Winmar. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Glasgow arts hub tenants condemn ‘unsustainable’ rent rises by landlord 30. March 2026 (09:17) City Property, which manages buildings for council, accused of ‘coercive and unfair’ increases and issuing eviction noticesTenants at one of Glasgow’s leading cultural hubs are battling what they describe as “unsustainable” rent increases, with critics describing the landlord responsible as a “rogue agency” imposing similar rises on vulnerable organisations across the city.With tenants expected to sign new leases or receive notices to quit last week, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the offices of City Property last Friday. The demonstration reflects growing concern about the conduct and accountability of the arm’s-length organisation that manages hundreds of buildings on behalf of Glasgow city council. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
How Tropical Cyclone Narelle turned the sky red in Western Australia 30. March 2026 (08:40) Dry ground, iron-rich earth and strong winds combined to create an eerie dust storm that was filmed in DenhamGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe skies of Shark Bay in Western Australia turned an eerie blood red before Tropical Cyclone Narelle made landfall, a phenomenon an expert said was caused by an iron-infused dust storm.Narelle crossed into WA on Friday, hitting the state roughly 900km north of Perth in the food bowl region. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK savers told to act now before Easter Sunday cash Isa deadline 30. March 2026 (08:00) Interest rates as high as 4.45% and a steep cut in next year’s allowance fuel forecast of last-minute rush Savers who want to make the most of this year’s cash Isa allowance are being urged not to leave it to the last minute, as the deadline for applications falls on the Easter weekend.The Isa wrapper allows people to save or invest money and benefit from the returns free of tax. Each tax year, people can pay in up to £20,000, which can then be moved around in subsequent years without the tax benefits being lost. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pessimism takes root in UK as shoppers struggle to afford essentials 30. March 2026 (08:00) Millions are dipping into savings or borrowing to get by as the Iran war drives up prices, survey showsThe Iran war has led to a surge in pessimism in the UK as half of households are already struggling to afford everyday essentials.The escalating conflict in the Middle East, which has driven the price of oil, gas, crop fertiliser and other raw materials sharply higher, threatens to cause another cost of living shock. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thieves steal Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse paintings worth millions from Italian museum 30. March 2026 (07:49) Four masked men entered Magnani Rocca Foundation villa, near Parma in northern Italy, and made off with artworksThieves stole paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse from a museum in Italy a week ago, police have said.Four masked men entered the villa of the Magnani Rocca Foundation, near Parma in northern Italy, and made off with the artworks on the night of 22 March, a police spokesperson said, confirming a report on the Rai television network. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kim Novak says Sydney Sweeney is ‘totally wrong to play me’ in biopic 30. March 2026 (07:30) The 93-year-old says Sweeney ‘looks sexy all the time’ and she ‘never approved’ Scandalous, drama about her romance with Sammy Davis JrKim Novak has voiced her disapproval of the casting of Sydney Sweeney as herself in an upcoming biopic, saying she is “totally wrong to play me”.Speaking to the Times, the 93-year-old actor said she would have “never approved” the biopic Scandalous, about her relationship with the musician Sammy Davis Jr. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Five EU governments found to ‘consistently’ dismantle rule of law 30. March 2026 (07:01) Exclusive: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia actively pursue regressive policies, watchdog finds‘Assault on justice’: how far-right attacks are threatening rule of law in EuropeGovernments in five EU member states are “consistently and intentionally” eroding the rule of law, Europe’s leading civil liberties group has warned, while democratic standards are deteriorating in six more, including historically strong democracies.Drawing on evidence from more than 40 NGOs in 22 countries, the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) described the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia as “dismantlers” that were actively weakening the rule of law. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
