Nicolás Maduro appears again in New York court on ‘narco-terrorism’ charges 26. March 2026 (17:43) Deposed Venezuelan president and his wife, who both pleaded not guilty, were captured by US military in JanuaryThe deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro again appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Thursday for his “narco-terrorism” case after his capture by US military forces earlier this year.The hearing opened with the defense and prosecution arguing over whether Maduro should be allowed to use Venezuelan government funds to pay for his defense. The defense has insisted that the US is violating the deposed leader’s constitutional rights by blocking government money from being used for his legal costs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Spanish woman wins legal battle to end her life under euthanasia law 26. March 2026 (17:42) Noelia Castillo, 25, has struggled with psychiatric illness since she was young and tried to kill herself in October 2022A Spanish woman who spent months fighting her father for the right to euthanasia after being sexually assaulted and becoming paraplegic is expected to end to her life on Thursday.Noelia Castillo, 25, has struggled with psychiatric illness since she was a teenager and tried to kill herself in October 2022 after being sexually assaulted. The attempt left her in constant pain and using a wheelchair. Eighteen months later, she used Spain’s euthanasia law, which was introduced in 2021, to secure permission to end her life.In Spain, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 900 525 100. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour vows to ban trail hunting as it opens public consultation 26. March 2026 (17:34) Police and animal rights activists say the practice is frequently used as a ‘smokescreen’ for illegal foxhuntingThe UK government has said it will ban trail hunting, the rural sport that police and animal rights activists have long accused of being a “smokescreen” for illegal foxhunting.“We pledged to ban trail hunting in our manifesto and that is exactly what we intend to do,” said Sue Hayman, the animal welfare minister. “The nature of trail hunting makes it difficult to ensure wild and domestic animals are not put at risk of being killed or injured – that is clearly unacceptable.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Parties launch Holyrood campaigns against backdrop of voter indecision 26. March 2026 (17:30) Change is on offer across the political spectrum, but no one knows whether apathy or tactical voting will prevailUK politics live – latest updatesHope, change, progressive change, change with fairness at its heart – from a harbour north of Edinburgh to a hipster arts venue in Glasgow’s Barras Market, Scotland’s political parties spent the first official day of the Holyrood election campaign reaching for the phrase that best encapsulates what people will get if they vote for them on 7 May.Only one of the main parties did not hold an event to set out their stall on Thursday: possibly Reform UK was too busy firefighting after another of their Scottish parliament candidates quit, bringing to four the number who have stepped down or been suspended since they stood with party leader Nigel Farage under a storm of turquoise confetti last week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Savannah Guthrie fears her fame could be reason for mother’s disappearance 26. March 2026 (17:30) Today show host calls 84-year-old mother’s disappearance ‘unbearable’ in first interview since possible kidnappingSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxSavannah Guthrie says she fears her own fame could have been the reason for her mother Nancy’s disappearance, which she has called “unbearable” in her first interview since the possible kidnapping.Guthrie, a main co-anchor of the NBC News morning show Today, discussed the possible reasons for the disappearance of Nancy, who is 84 years old and was reported missing on 1 February from her home near Tucson, Arizona, in an interview with Guthrie’s colleague Hoda Kotb. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man who murdered pregnant girlfriend has 42-year term increased to whole-life order 26. March 2026 (17:22) Shaine March killed Alana Odysseos in 2025, having been released on licence after killing a teenager in 2000A man who murdered his pregnant girlfriend after being released from prison on licence must spend the rest of his life in jail, the court of appeal has ruled after finding that the original 42-year sentence was “too lenient”.Alana Odysseos, 32, was in the early stages of pregnancy with her third child when Shaine March, now 48, killed her at her home in Walthamstow, east London, in July last year. She died at the scene from 23 slash and stab wounds. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sperm get lost in space, Australian research into microgravity impacts suggests 26. March 2026 (17:00) Study into how fertilisation could work in space finds sperm may get disorientated when trying to find an eggSperm in space are likely to get disoriented and lost while struggling to find their way to an egg, a new study has found.When exposed to microgravity in experiments, sperm tumble around like an untethered astronaut, according to Adelaide University researchers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hegseth prays at Pentagon service for ‘overwhelming violence’ against enemies 26. March 2026 (16:50) Remarks come after defense secretary calls for changes to military’s chaplain corps, which had been ‘watered down’The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed during a religious service at the Pentagon that there be “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy”.The Christian worship service, held on Wednesday before military and civilian workers at the Pentagon, was Hegseth’s first since the Iran war began, the Associated Press reported. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Arizona gun dealer accused of selling firearms to two Mexican cartels 26. March 2026 (16:49) Laurence Gray was charged with attempting to provide material support to terrorist organizationsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxAn Arizona licensed gun dealer was charged this month with attempting to provide material support to terrorist organizations after federal agents caught him allegedly selling a series of rifles and guns to two Mexican cartels.The federal charges against the American firearms dealer come amid years of pressure by the Mexican government to stop the flow of weapons into the country. Mexico’s violent and bloody internal conflict, between drug cartels and the Mexican government, has been largely fueled by American weapons smuggled into the country. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nigeria takes its place on world stage in quest to become regional superpower 26. March 2026 (15:45) Nigeria and UK look to strengthen trade and economic ties amid growing calls from Africa and Caribbean for reparative justice“There are chapters in our shared history that I know have left some painful marks,” King Charles said during a state banquet to welcome the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu, to the UK, in a year in which the monarch is expected to come under renewed pressure to make a formal apology for transatlantic slavery and colonialism.But while demands grow from African and Caribbean nations for the UK to further reparative justice, Nigeria and the UK are looking to the future of global trade. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
