Labour goes slow on rape courts pledge amid fears over shortage of lawyers

04/01/2025 15:00 The Guardian

Election manifesto promise to set up specialist tribunals to deal with huge backlog of cases has been put on holdThe government appears to have stalled on plans to set up dozens of specialist rape courts to deal with a huge backlog of cases, amid warnings there are not enough lawyers to make the proposals work.Labour pledged during the election campaign to use vacant rooms and buildings on crown court sites to fast-track rape cases and reduce the numbers awaiting trial. Continue reading...

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Middle East crisis live: Trump says US considering ‘winding down’ war; Iran reportedly fired two missiles at Diego Garcia military base

President says US ‘getting very close to meeting our objectives’; missiles fired at joint US-UK military base in Indian Ocean but neither hit, reports sayUS to send three more warships and thousands more troops, reports sayHow the Iran war has sent shocks rippling across the globeCircling back n...

21/03/2026 08:57 The Guardian

Owners from Great Britain travelling to EU warned over pet passport ‘dodge’

Bypassing animal health certificate system by using cheaper pet passport issued abroad could backfire, experts sayBritish pet owners who want to take their furry friends elsewhere in Europe have been warned not to try to dodge expensive health certificates by using a pet passport issued abroad.Befor...

21/03/2026 08:00 The Guardian

Trump hints at wind down of war as US prepares to send more troops to Gulf

Washington considers Kharg Island takeover as Donald Trump calls Nato allies ‘cowards’ for refusal to ‘help open’ strait of HormuzMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump said he was considering “winding down” military operations in the Middle East even as the US is reportedly sen...

21/03/2026 07:44 The Guardian

Israel deliberately targeting medical facilities in south Lebanon, say health workers

Medics and officials say there is systematic use of double-tap strikes in campaign to make the south uninhabitableMiddle East crisis – live updatesLebanese healthcare workers and officials say Israeli bombings have deliberately targeted medical workers and facilities in south Lebanon, including th...

21/03/2026 06:00 The Guardian

More than 230 people rescued as flash flooding hits Hawaii and fears dam could fail

Heavy rains have pummeled the Hawaiian island of Oahu and triggered the worst flooding the island has in 20 yearsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxTowering flash floods and an imminent dam failure in the northern part of Oahu triggered mass rescues and evac...

21/03/2026 05:44 The Guardian

US lifts sanctions on Iranian oil at sea in bid to ease supply pressures

Treasury secretary Scott Bessent says move will bring 140m barrels to market but insists Tehran will not benefitMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe Trump administration has waived sanctions on Iranian oil purchases at sea for 30 days to ease surging oil prices driven by the US-Israeli war on Iran...

21/03/2026 05:22 The Guardian

Iran’s willingness to escalate this high-stakes war is its greatest weapon

Regime will do whatever it takes to cling on to power – including sacrificing economies of other Gulf statesMiddle East crisis – live updatesBrinkmanship, the ability to take a country to the edge of war without plunging it into the abyss, was the cornerstone of cold war diplomacy. But in our di...

21/03/2026 05:00 The Guardian

Donald Trump ‘very surprised’ Australia declined to send troops to strait of Hormuz amid fuel crisis

US president claims he ‘always says yes’ to Australia, Japan and South Korea, after saying he didn’t need help from trio of countries earlier this weekMiddle East crisis – live updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDonald Trump says he is “very surprised” Aust...

21/03/2026 04:59 The Guardian

Israel launches fresh strikes on Tehran and Beirut - as it happened

This blog is now closed – our live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran continues in a new blog hereKuwait’s state oil firm KPC said its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was hit by multiple drone attacks early on Friday, causing a fire in some units, with no initial casualties reported, the state news a...

21/03/2026 03:40 The Guardian

One Nation dumps South Australian election candidate after reports claiming warrant for his arrest in UK

Aoi Baxter was the party’s candidate for the state seat of Adelaide in Saturday’s election Former South Australian One Nation candidate, Aoi Baxter, has been dumped by the rightwing party, after media reports claiming there is a warrant for his arrest in the UK.Baxter, who was reportedly previou...

21/03/2026 00:36 The Guardian

Territorians in path of Tropical Cyclone Narelle told to take cover in bathrooms as storm intensifies

Very destructive winds gusting up to 195km/h are forecasted, with major flooding expected in Katherine by MondayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn emergency warning has been issued and thousands are bracing for Tropical Cyclone Narelle before its landfall in the Northern T...

20/03/2026 23:58 The Guardian

US stock markets dip for fourth straight week over US-Israel war on Iran

Markets seem particularly attuned to increasing oil prices, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq down 1.5% and 2% respectivelyUS stock markets dropped again on Friday, capping off a fourth week of market turbulence as investors worried about the US-Israel war on Iran and its widespread impact on global o...

20/03/2026 20:12 The Guardian

UK ministers begin contingency planning amid economic fears over Iran war

Anger grows within cabinet over impact of war begun by Donald Trump, who branded Nato allies ‘cowards’• Middle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has branded the UK and other Nato allies “cowards” but anger is growing among cabinet ministers that his war in Iran could jeopardise Brit...

20/03/2026 19:25 The Guardian

‘It makes me feel more British’: Muslims say religious diversity in the UK part of identity

Eid al-Fitr celebrated amid political furore over claims public Ramadan prayers an ‘act of domination’On Friday morning, little space remained in Baitul Futuh mosque as thousands of people poured in to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.The south London mosque, one of the largest...

20/03/2026 18:50 The Guardian

Is it time for the UK to acknowledge the ‘rhetoric to reality gap’ on its military power?

Forces have been stripped back since the cold war but political stasis is dangerous in the face of growing global threatsMiddle East crisis – live updatesIt will have been more than three weeks since the US and Israel first attacked Iran when the first British warship finally arrives off the coast...

20/03/2026 18:50 The Guardian

Lowering speed limits among contingency plans to curb UK oil demand

International Energy Agency recommends emergency measures, including working from home, as Iran war hits fuel supplyLowering speed limits to minimise fuel consumption is among potential contingency plans being drawn up by the UK government as the crisis in the Middle East threatens global oil suppli...

20/03/2026 18:10 The Guardian

Canadian mother and daughter ‘traumatized’ by ICE detainment, husband says

Tania Warner and Ayla, her seven-year-old with autism, sent to notorious Texas detention center and told to ‘self-deport’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA Canadian woman and her seven-year-old daughter with autism who have been held by US Immigration...

20/03/2026 18:04 The Guardian

Trump administration sues Harvard again over accusations of antisemitism

Lawsuit alleges university violated civil rights of Jewish and Israeli people in aftermath of war in GazaThe Trump administration has renewed its assault on Harvard University, filing a lawsuit in Massachusetts alleging the Ivy League institution violated the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli peopl...

20/03/2026 17:19 The Guardian

Nato relocates personnel from Iraq mission to Europe amid conflict in Middle East – as it happened

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our European news coverage hereMeanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron has confirmed the seizure of the tanker, which he said belonged to the Russian shadow fleet.In a strongly worded post on X, he said:“The French navy boarded this morning in...

20/03/2026 16:12 The Guardian

UK borrowing costs hit highest since 2008 as markets expect up to three interest rate rises

Deficit rises unexpectedly to £14.3bn in February as stock markets slide amid fears that Iran war will escalateBusiness live – latest updatesUK government borrowing costs have reached their highest level since 2008, while financial markets now expect up to three interest rate rises this year as i...

20/03/2026 15:58 The Guardian

‘We need to think much bigger’: trade minister calls for greater ambition in UK-EU reset

Exclusive: Chris Bryant says policy agreements are being done in bits and pieces but a greater vision is needed by both sidesIt was all smiles and warm handshakes when the two men in charge of renegotiating the UK’s relationship with the EU met in Brussels this week.Maroš Šefčovič and the UK m...

20/03/2026 15:00 The Guardian

House of Lords has ‘signed its own death warrant’ by stalling assisted dying bill, says MP

Kim Leadbeater says people are ‘extremely angry’ at delaying tactics of peers as time runs out to pass billThe House of Lords “signed its own death warrant” over its stalling of the UK assisted dying bill, the MP Kim Leadbeater said as she joined more than a dozen terminally ill and bereaved...

20/03/2026 13:06 The Guardian

Household energy bills in Great Britain ‘could rise to almost £2,000 a year’ amid Iran war shock

Consultancy forecasts typical £1,972 annual dual-fuel bill as conflict pushes UK’s gas market past three-year highsBusiness live – latest updatesHousehold energy bills in Great Britain could increase by more than £330 a year to almost £2,000 from this summer after the Iran war pushed the UK...

20/03/2026 12:50 The Guardian

Father of killed US military member disputes Hegseth’s claim he said to ‘finish’ the job in Iran

Defense secretary had said relatives of service members killed in refueling tanker crash told him ‘do not stop until the job is done’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe father of a US military member killed in the Iran war has contradicted Pete Hegset...

20/03/2026 12:50 The Guardian

UK letting US use its bases is ‘participation in aggression’, Iran’s foreign minister tells Yvette Cooper – UK politics live

Abbas Araghchi says decision to allow use of RAF Fairford and Diego Garcia will be ‘recorded in the history of relations’ between Iran and UKThe Liberal Democrats have said the government’s waste crime action plan (see 11.18am) does not go far enough. They want the National Crime Agency to be...

20/03/2026 11:39 The Guardian

Trump aides tried to block appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to US, reports say – US politics live

Senior figures said to have been skeptical over Keir Starmer’s appointment of ‘arrogant’ veteran politician, later sacked over connections to Jeffrey EpsteinA technical glitch at the understaffed Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is masking millions of dollars in campaign contributions to state-l...

20/03/2026 11:27 The Guardian

Iran says it will show ‘zero restraint’ if energy infrastructure is targeted again | First Thing

Foreign minister issues warning after Israeli attack on South Pars gasfield that prompted retaliatory strike on Qatar. Plus, what happened to the Oscars red carpet after the ceremony?Don’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up hereGood morning.Iran has said it will show “zero restraint...

20/03/2026 11:24 The Guardian

Fire experts ‘kept awake’ over growing hazard of lithium-ion batteries

Fire service warns ubiquity of batteries in everyday products is outpacing public understanding and safety regulationsLithium-ion batteries represent a new technological hazard that one fire science expert has said keeps him awake at night, as fire service chiefs warn the ubiquity of the batteries i...

20/03/2026 11:11 The Guardian

‘It’s not sustainable’: US farmers reeling as Iran war pushes fertilizer costs up

Closure of strait of Hormuz – a key fertilizer production and transportation route – has squeezed farmers as prices jumpRodney Bushmeyer has been farming as long as he can remember. Bushmeyer’s father was a farmer, as was his grandfather.The family-run Bushmeyer Farms in Illinois dates back mo...

20/03/2026 11:00 The Guardian

Hungary officials ‘gave Ukrainian forced injection’ after raid on bank vehicles

Kyiv sources say they think injection contained relaxant meant to make people more talkative in interrogationsHungarian security operatives administered a “forced injection” to one of the Ukrainians detained earlier this month during a dramatic raid on bank vehicles carrying gold bars and tens o...

20/03/2026 10:18 The Guardian

BREAKING NEWS

21/03 09:00 - Russian ship potentially bringing oil to Cuba is test of Kremlin allyship 21/03 09:00 - To tilt Hungarian election, Russians proposed staging assassination attempt 21/03 08:57 - Middle East crisis live: Trump says US considering ‘winding down’ war; Iran reportedly fired two missiles at Diego Garcia military base 21/03 08:54 - Russian drone attack kills two in Ukraine ahead of talks in US, officials say 21/03 08:01 - Trump hints at ‘winding down’ Iran war as US deploys more troops to region 21/03 08:01 - Trump hints at ‘winding down’ Iran war as US deploys more troops to region 21/03 08:00 - Owners from Great Britain travelling to EU warned over pet passport ‘dodge’ 21/03 07:44 - Trump hints at wind down of war as US prepares to send more troops to Gulf 21/03 06:10 - Streamlining the kill chain: how AI is changing modern warfare 21/03 06:09 - Middle East war live: Trump mulls 'winding down' Iran war as US sends thousands more marines 21/03 06:00 - Israel deliberately targeting medical facilities in south Lebanon, say health workers 21/03 05:44 - More than 230 people rescued as flash flooding hits Hawaii and fears dam could fail 21/03 05:22 - US lifts sanctions on Iranian oil at sea in bid to ease supply pressures 21/03 05:00 - Iran’s willingness to escalate this high-stakes war is its greatest weapon 21/03 04:59 - Donald Trump ‘very surprised’ Australia declined to send troops to strait of Hormuz amid fuel crisis 21/03 03:58 - 300 million people celebrate Nowruz under a cloud of war 21/03 03:58 - 300 million people celebrate Nowruz under a cloud of war 21/03 03:40 - Israel launches fresh strikes on Tehran and Beirut - as it happened 21/03 03:06 - Trump administration lifts sanctions on millions of barrels of Iranian oil 21/03 03:00 - Fog and sunshine in the weekend forecast as high pressure clings on 21/03 02:07 - 'UK facing new tax hikes' and 'My Ricky's last hug' 21/03 02:01 - These Are The Best Socks To Wear If Athlete's Foot Is A Persistent Issue 21/03 01:05 - Russia's school propaganda was highlighted by Oscar-winning film - but does it work? 21/03 00:36 - One Nation dumps South Australian election candidate after reports claiming warrant for his arrest in UK 21/03 00:00 - Iran war live: Trump says no ceasefire as Khamenei issues defiant message 21/03 00:00 - Iran war live: Trump says no ceasefire as Khamenei issues defiant message 20/03 23:58 - Territorians in path of Tropical Cyclone Narelle told to take cover in bathrooms as storm intensifies 20/03 23:45 - Trump broke the global energy market - now he expects others to fix it 20/03 23:04 - Google Translate exposes Russian spy unit 20/03 22:58 - Pezeshkian says Iran not seeking war with Muslim neighbours 20/03 22:58 - Pezeshkian says Iran not seeking war with Muslim neighbours 20/03 22:52 - What Does the California Heat Mean for Fire Season? 20/03 22:07 - Iran strikes gulf oil, gas sites as war jolts energy markets, what cost for South Africa ? 20/03 21:35 - Chuck Norris: A Life in Pictures 20/03 21:17 - India cooking gas crisis forces exodus of textile workers 20/03 21:17 - India cooking gas crisis forces exodus of textile workers 20/03 21:17 - Closure of Christianity’s holiest church won’t stop Holy Fire – Russian archpriest 20/03 21:03 - Palestinian citizens of Israel demand better protection against missiles 20/03 21:03 - Palestinian citizens of Israel demand better protection against missiles 20/03 20:55 - Justice Dept. Seeks to Drop Charges Against Officers in Breonna Taylor’s Death 20/03 20:32 - UK forces join military operation to seize Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker 20/03 20:16 - Ukraine-Hungary oil pipeline row threatens EU loan 20/03 20:12 - US stock markets dip for fourth straight week over US-Israel war on Iran 20/03 20:09 - Will Europe be pulled into the Iran war? 20/03 20:09 - Will Europe be pulled into the Iran war? 20/03 19:44 - What are the risks of turning energy sites into battlefields? 20/03 19:44 - What are the risks of turning energy sites into battlefields? 20/03 19:39 - Iran: The ‘Mosaic Doctrine’, Zelensky V Orban, Hungary-splaining 20/03 19:34 - QatarEnergy CEO says warned US, industry officials against attack on energy 20/03 19:34 - QatarEnergy CEO says warned US, industry officials against attack on energy 20/03 19:33 - News24 | Switzerland blocks weapons exports to US over Iran war 20/03 19:25 - UK ministers begin contingency planning amid economic fears over Iran war 20/03 19:22 - Trump: No Iranian leaders left to talk to, says war going ‘extremely well’ 20/03 19:22 - Trump: No Iranian leaders left to talk to, says war going ‘extremely well’ 20/03 19:21 - Sri Lanka says it denied US request to land two aircraft at Mattala airport 20/03 19:21 - Sri Lanka says it denied US request to land two aircraft at Mattala airport 20/03 18:50 - ‘It makes me feel more British’: Muslims say religious diversity in the UK part of identity 20/03 18:50 - Is it time for the UK to acknowledge the ‘rhetoric to reality gap’ on its military power? 20/03 18:41 - Prof. Schlevogt’s Compass No. 48: Fabricating the war story – Iran ploy patched into plausibility 20/03 18:41 - Iranians celebrate Persian New Year in first wartime Nowruz in decades 20/03 18:41 - Iranians celebrate Persian New Year in first wartime Nowruz in decades 20/03 18:32 - 4 women killed in West Bank are first Palestinian deaths in Iran war 20/03 18:15 - Explosion hits Jerusalem’s Old City after Iran missile alert 20/03 18:15 - Explosion hits Jerusalem’s Old City after Iran missile alert 20/03 18:10 - Lowering speed limits among contingency plans to curb UK oil demand 20/03 18:04 - Canadian mother and daughter ‘traumatized’ by ICE detainment, husband says 20/03 18:03 - News24 | Ukraine-Russia peace talks resume after Middle East war pause, Zelenskyy pushes for timeline 20/03 17:59 - A Diary of War From an Unlikely Author: the Son of Iran’s President 20/03 17:44 - 'Polish populists have decided to turn anti-European': Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski 20/03 17:19 - Trump administration sues Harvard again over accusations of antisemitism 20/03 16:56 - Iran War Underscores the Diverging Aims of Trump and Netanyahu 20/03 16:37 - Myth of liberation: As war rages, trapped Iranians 'curse' the regime, the Americans & the Israelis 20/03 16:33 - 'No obvious short-term way out' of war, French top diplomat tells Israel 20/03 16:31 - Iran's Khamenei says enemy 'defeated' in Nowruz message 20/03 16:27 - 'Trump could be ready to stop the war at almost any moment,' ex-adviser John Bolton says 20/03 16:20 - Could Iran war trigger the next global food shock? 20/03 16:20 - Could Iran war trigger the next global food shock? 20/03 16:12 - Nato relocates personnel from Iraq mission to Europe amid conflict in Middle East – as it happened 20/03 16:04 - The U.S. Economy Is Insulated From High Oil Prices. Americans Aren’t. 20/03 15:58 - UK borrowing costs hit highest since 2008 as markets expect up to three interest rate rises 20/03 15:49 - AfD co-chair calls for end to funding ‘corrupt’ Ukraine 20/03 15:49 - ‘Cowards’: Trump slams NATO over lack of support in US–Israel war on Iran 20/03 15:49 - ‘Cowards’: Trump slams NATO over lack of support in US–Israel war on Iran 20/03 15:35 - What US-Israeli targets reveal about Iran war goals three weeks in 20/03 15:35 - What US-Israeli targets reveal about Iran war goals three weeks in 20/03 15:29 - Switzerland halts US arms exports amid Iran war, citing neutrality 20/03 15:29 - Switzerland halts US arms exports amid Iran war, citing neutrality 20/03 15:27 - Japan's PM walks tightrope in high-stakes Washington visit 20/03 15:20 - 'Not our war': Palestinians caught in the crossfire of Middle East war 20/03 15:12 - US easing ban on Iranian oil would signal ‘beginning of the end of war’ 20/03 15:12 - US easing ban on Iranian oil would signal ‘beginning of the end of war’ 20/03 15:04 - Deferring to Trump, G.O.P. Lawmakers Resist a Public Accounting on Iran 20/03 15:00 - ‘We need to think much bigger’: trade minister calls for greater ambition in UK-EU reset 20/03 14:52 - Iran warns UK letting US use bases is 'participation in aggression' 20/03 14:48 - Will Russian oil be the biggest winner in the US-Israel war on Iran? 20/03 14:48 - Will Russian oil be the biggest winner in the US-Israel war on Iran? 20/03 14:39 - News24 | ‘We’re boiling water for drinking’: Stranded Gulf seafarers ration food and water 20/03 14:35 - ‘Safe’ corridor opening up through Strait of Hormuz: What we know so far 20/03 14:30 - Zelenskyy says Ukraine wants timeline for next round of Russia talks 20/03 14:30 - Zelenskyy says Ukraine wants timeline for next round of Russia talks