US judge orders Trump to halt $400m White House ballroom project 01. April 2026 (00:57) US president demolished East Wing of White House last year to make way for 90,000-sq-ft projectSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA US judge has halted the construction of Donald Trump’s $400m White House ballroom.The US president demolished the historic East Wing of the White House last year to make way for the project. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Silicon Valley city to give residents doorbells equipped with cameras 01. April 2026 (00:47) Milpitas approves measure to distribute smart doorbells and says residents can upload footage to police databaseA Silicon Valley city will offer its residents free wireless doorbells equipped with cameras to help police collect video evidence.The city council of Milpitas, a suburb north of San Jose, California, recently approved $60,000 to provide these devices on a one-camera-per-household, first-come, first-served basis, as was first reported by Milpitas Beat and confirmed by the Guardian. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump signs order to restrict mail-in ballots in probably unconstitutional move 01. April 2026 (00:35) President has falsely claimed ‘legendary’ fraud for limiting mail-in ballots and himself voted by mail last weekDonald Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to compile a national voter file and to restrict the use of mail-in ballots, an unprecedented move that is probably unconstitutional.The executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security to work with the Social Security Administration to compile a list of verified US citizens who can vote in every state. It also directs the United States Postal Service (USPS) to begin rule-making on a process that would require states to notify the agency of voters who intend to receive a mail-in ballot and prohibit them from receiving one unless they are on a USPS-approved list of eligible voters. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia’s superb fairywren could be extinct within decades due to climate crisis, researchers say 01. April 2026 (00:00) Scientists tracked bird population in Canberra’s botanic gardens and found climate impacts starting to affect themFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA common and well-loved bird of bush and garden could go extinct within 30-40 years due to the weather impacts of climate change, researchers say.Data derived from nearly 30 years of weekly observations tracked the lives of superb fairy wrens in Canberra’s botanic gardens, noting the changing weather’s impacts on them. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man charged after seven people seriously injured by car in Derby 31. March 2026 (23:59) Sandhu Ponnachan, 36, charged with grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving and possession of a bladed articleA 36-year-old man has been charged after seven people were injured when a car hit pedestrians in Derby, police have said.Sandhu Ponnachan, of Chariot Close, Alvaston, was charged on Tuesday night with six counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, one count of attempted grievous bodily harm, one count of dangerous driving and one count of possession of a bladed article, Derbyshire police said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Chatter and fear about US military draft emerge as Trump’s Iran war drags on 31. March 2026 (21:26) Though the US is almost certainly not going to have a draft, media commentary and online anxiety have surfacedThe United States is almost certainly not going to have a military draft to fight Iran. That hasn’t stopped the chatter, and anxiety, across the country.In recent weeks, Donald Trump has ordered a number of marines and army paratroopers to head to the Middle East, gesturing toward a possible ground war to reopen the strait of Hormuz or secure nuclear weapons material. The provocative military activity has led to speculative conversation about what it would take to invade a country twice the population and three times the territory of Iraq. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tennessee library director fired after refusing to move LGBTQ+-themed kids’ books to adult section 31. March 2026 (21:15) Luanne James said as a librarian she had an obligation to protect the public’s right to access informationSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA Tennessee library director has been fired after she refused to relocate more than 100 LGBTQ+-themed children’s titles to the library system’s adult section.The Rutherford county library board on Monday voted to fire Luanne James following a heated emergency meeting that involved supporters of hers chanting “We stand with Luanne!” while wearing shirts that read “Protect the freedom to read.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teenager died after asking ChatGPT for ‘most successful’ way to take his life, inquest told 31. March 2026 (21:01) Luca Cella Walker asked chatbot for best way for someone to kill themself on railway line before his deathA 16-year-old boy killed himself after asking ChatGPT for the “most successful” way to take your own life, an inquest has been told.Luca Cella Walker, a private school pupil from Yateley, Hampshire, died on 4 May last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
TMZ tracks US lawmakers vacationing amid the partial government shutdown 31. March 2026 (20:17) Tabloid outlet has covered Republicans and Democrats relaxing at places such as Disney World as shutdown drags onWhen US federal workers were missing paychecks and the partial government shutdown entered its seventh week, Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, was doing what any responsible lawmaker would do: riding Space Mountain and carrying a bubble wand at Disney World in Florida.Naturally, TMZ had photos of the vacationing senator on its homepage a few days later. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK to pay France extra £16m in stopgap deal to patrol Channel beaches 31. March 2026 (20:01) Two-month arrangement aimed at preventing small-boat crossings comes as existing deal expiresThe UK will pay France an extra £16.2m to keep police patrolling Channel beaches and prevent a surge in small-boat crossings after negotiators failed to agree a permanent deal before a midnight deadline.The stopgap arrangement, which will last for two months, comes after French negotiators refused to agree to UK demands for further interventions and patrols to stop asylum seekers from reaching the UK via the Channel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
