UK music industry figures call for more black talent in executive roles 27. March 2026 (13:20) Report shows black music accounts for 80% of money generated by UK industry in past 30 yearsLeading figures in the UK music industry are calling for more work to be done to support black talent in executive roles as a report finds that 80% of UK music revenue has been generated by black music in the past 30 years.A recent report by UK Music states that black music has made £24.5bn out of the £30bn generated by the UK music industry in the past 30 years. However, industry figures have highlighted that black people are still kept out of top executive roles. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Starmer says Iran and Ukraine wars could reshape global order and ‘define us for a generation’ – UK politics live 27. March 2026 (11:49) His remarks come as foreign secretary Yvette Cooper meets her counterparts at a G7 meeting in FranceThe prime minister spoke briefly about people’s concerns over the impact of the Iran war on the cost of living.“I know that, because of what’s going in on the Iran war, people are really worried,” Keir Starmer told parents and teachers during a visit to a school in London. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Five firms including Autotrader and Just Eat investigated over fake review failings 27. March 2026 (11:35) CMA also looks into Pasta Evangelists, funeral operator Dignity and review company Feefo in latest crackdownI was paid to write fake Google reviews – then my ‘bosses’ tried to scam meBusiness live – latest updatesThe UK competition watchdog has launched investigations into five companies including Autotrader and Just Eat over concerns they have not done enough to tackle fake and misleading online reviews.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has previously investigated the tech companies Amazon and Google, said its latest crackdown includes the funeral services operator Dignity, the review company Feefo and the restaurant chain Pasta Evangelists. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Weather tracker: cold weather sweeps Europe and cyclone hits Australia 27. March 2026 (10:24) Low pressure brings unsettled conditions to southern Europe, and rain and snow to western and central areasSouthern Europe has been under a variety of severe weather warnings this week owing to widely unsettled conditions driven by an area of low pressure in the region. This area of low pressure – previously a part of the system that brought colder conditions to swathes of the UK earlier this week – moved southwards across Europe through the middle of the week.In doing so, it brought a cold front across western and central parts of Europe, with spells of rain and hill snow across the Alps on Wednesday, followed by snow showers on a brisk north-westerly wind. By Friday morning, accumulations of 20-40cm were expected above 600 metres, and with 60-100cm above 1,000 metres in the Swiss Alps. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Billy Bragg calls for big turnout at London march against far right 27. March 2026 (10:00) Musician urges public to send clear message at what is expected to be UK’s biggest ever multicultural rallyBilly Bragg has encouraged people to send a clear message to those seeking to divide the country by turning out to support what is expected to be the biggest multicultural march in UK history on Saturday.Speaking to the Guardian before the Together Alliance’s march against the far right in central London, the musician and political activist said participants hoped to “send out a message to our fellow citizens that we are willing to take a stand against [the politics of hate] being imported into the UK”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US Senate passes funding package for Homeland Security that excludes ICE 27. March 2026 (09:53) House of Representatives still needs to act before funded agencies such as airport security can reopen, CNN reportsThe US Senate has passed legislation that will finance most of the Department of Homeland Security but withhold funds from ICE and part of Customs and Border Protection, the office of the Senate Democratic party leader, Chuck Schumer, said in a statement.The agreement would fund DHS components such as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and US Coast Guard, the statement said. CNN reported that the House of Representatives would still need to act before funded agencies within the department could reopen. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Saudi Arabia urging US to ramp up Iran attacks, intelligence source confirms 27. March 2026 (09:16) Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is said to view US-Israeli war as ‘historic opportunity’ to remake Middle EastMiddle East crisis – live updatesSaudi Arabia has urged the US to ramp up attacks on Iran, a Saudi intelligence source has confirmed, while it is weighing a decision on whether to join the fight directly.The Saudi source confirmed reporting in the New York Times that said the kingdom’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has urged Donald Trump not to cut short his war against Iran, and that the US-Israeli campaign represented a “historic opportunity” to remake the Middle East. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘The violence of racist tyranny’: African Guernica goes on display alongside Picasso masterpiece 27. March 2026 (08:42) Piece by late South African artist Dumile Feni is part of new series History Doesn’t Repeat Itself, But It Does Rhyme On the second floor of the Reina Sofía, in the very spot where Picasso’s Guernica was first exhibited when it arrived in the Madrid museum 34 years ago, there now hangs a smaller, near-namesake of the Spanish artist’s most famous work.While African Guernica, which was drawn by the late South African artist Dumile Feni in 1967, may lack the scale of Picasso’s masterpiece, its depth, anger and unnerving juxtaposition of man and beast, light and dark, and innocence and cruelty, are every bit as disturbing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Beavers ‘breathe new life’ into Dorset as dams built and biodiversity returns 27. March 2026 (07:00) National Trust says one year after reintroduction they are enriching habitats and may be having kits this summerThey were released this time last year with fanfare, much hope and also, perhaps, a little trepidation.Twelve months on, there have been ups and downs for the first beavers to be (officially) reintroduced into the wild in England since the semiaquatic mammals were hunted to extinction 400 years ago. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
More than 6m vapes and pods discarded weekly in UK despite single-use ban, study finds 27. March 2026 (07:00) Number fell 23% year on year in 2025 but waste companies say recycling systems still under strain from sheer volumeMore than 6m vapes and vape pods are still being discarded every week in the UK, with waste management companies warning the sheer volume continues to strain recycling systems despite the ban on disposable e-cigarettes.According to research by the recycling campaign group Material Focus, the 6.3m vapes and pods thrown away each week in 2025 represented a 23% reduction from the previous year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
