Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing appointed president after ‘sham’ election 03. April 2026 (12:22) Min Aung Hlaing seized control five years ago and plunged Myanmar into conflict and economic chaosMin Aung Hlaing, the military general who plunged Myanmar into conflict and economic chaos when he took power in the 2021 coup has been appointed president, months after widely condemned sham elections.Min Aung Hlaing, who is wanted by the prosecutor of the international criminal court for crimes against humanity against the Rohingya Muslim minority, was voted president by lawmakers on Friday. Myanmar’s parliament is dominated by the pro-military party, which won a landslide in one-sided elections earlier this year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
People of Burkina Faso should forget about democracy, says military ruler 03. April 2026 (12:18) Ibrahim Traoré, who took power in 2022 coup, tells state broadcaster ‘we must tell the truth, democracy isn’t for us’People in Burkina Faso should forget about democracy as it is “not for us”, the military president, Ibrahim Traoré, told the country’s state broadcaster.Traoré took power in a coup in September 2022, toppling another junta that had taken power just nine months earlier. He has since stifled opposition and in January banned political parties outright. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump claims Starmer is weak as he mocks PM and UK aircraft carriers 03. April 2026 (12:09) Footage shows US president saying UK ‘should be our best’ ally and accusing PM of prevarication over sending ships • Middle East crisis – live updatesFootage has emerged of Donald Trump mocking Keir Starmer by claiming the prime minister said he would have to consult with his team before deciding whether to send UK aircraft carriers to the Middle East.In a new low for UK-US relations, Trump appeared to impersonate Starmer during an Easter lunch speech at the White House. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
How sheltered really is the US from the Gulf oil supply crisis? 03. April 2026 (12:00) As Trump suggests Middle East oil disruption is not his problem, experts say talk of US ‘energy independence’ is a smokescreen – with consumers paying the priceA month has passed since the US and Israel’s war on Iran all but closed the strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies typically flow. Prices have surged, amid fears of sustained disruption to global supplies.Donald Trump argues this is not his country’s problem. “Go get your own oil!” the president urged countries, including the UK, earlier this week. The US has “plenty”, he added. The US is “totally independent” of the Middle East, the president claimed in a prime-time address on Wednesday. “We don’t need their oil.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US senators rebuke Ticketmaster for raising fees after hidden charge crackdown: ‘bait and switch’ 03. April 2026 (12:00) Richard Blumenthal says company acts like it has ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’ as records show it upping fees to cut lossesTicketmaster quietly raised other fees after US crackdown on hidden chargesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailSenators slammed Ticketmaster for raising ticket fees following a regulatory crackdown on hidden charges as revealed in a report by the Guardian last week.The Federal Trade Commission last May began requiring Ticketmaster to disclose concert ticket fees upfront – a practice known as all-in pricing. The company eliminated the order processing fee it charged at the the end of a transaction to comply with the rule. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Put away the Aperol and raise a glass to Hugo spritz, the drink of the summer 03. April 2026 (11:54) Created in Italy and made with elderflower liqueur, the cocktail is sweeter than Aperol spritz and lower in alcoholPub gardens and bar terraces have been awash with a sea of orange in recent years as Italy’s love of Aperol spritz spread to the UK. But this year the cocktail’s cousin, a Hugo spritz, will be the drink of the summer, according to supermarkets and bars.It is already being served across the country, including at Sea Containers on the banks of the Thames and Mayfair’s swanky Claridge’s hotel in London, 20 Stories bar in Manchester and the Bridge Tavern in Newcastle. Wetherspoons has the cocktail on its menu nationwide.40ml St‑Germain elderflower liqueur.60ml prosecco.60ml sparkling water.8-10 mint leaves.Lime wedge for garnish.Mint sprig for garnish.Fill your glass with ice cubes.Add in the mint leaves.Pour sparkling wine and sparkling water over ice.Add St‑Germain elderflower liqueur.Gently stir.Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wedge. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
M&S calls for crackdown on ‘brazen, organised, aggressive’ retail crime 03. April 2026 (11:09) Bosses write to home secretary and London mayor listing series of incidents staff have faced in past week Marks & Spencer has called on the government and London’s mayor to crack down on retail crime, saying it has become “more brazen, more organised and more aggressive”, after reporting an increase in shoplifting and violence at its stores.The M&S chief executive, Stuart Machin, has written to the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and its retail director, Thinus Keeve, has written to the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, saying greater resources are needed for police to tackle the crime effectively and target repeat offenders and crime hotspots. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Storm Erminio lashes much of Greece as Saharan dust blankets Crete 03. April 2026 (11:00) South-east Italy also affected by heavy rain, and snow at higher altitudes, while deadly flooding hits AfghanistanParts of the Mediterranean have been lashed by Storm Erminio this week. Heavy rain, thunderstorms and occasional bursts of hail affected much of Greece throughout Wednesday and Thursday, with the most severe conditions across south-eastern parts of the mainland and several islands in the southern Aegean Sea, including Crete, with streets flooded and vehicles stranded.Some of the heaviest rain fell on Wednesday across Attica, a region encompassing Athens, with one weather station near the city’s international airport recording 132mm (5.2 in) in 24 hours. The most intense downpours were overnight, when the coastal town of Nea Makri was particularly badly affected; an unofficial weather station recorded about 50mm falling within just two hours. One person died in the town; a man found beneath a car was believed to have been swept away as he escaped his flooding basement home. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labour challenges Farage over cost of private jet trip to Maldives 03. April 2026 (10:21) Anna Turley questions revised £25,000 figure for failed attempt to reach Chagos Islands on jet linked to billionaireLabour has queried Nigel Farage’s claim that a return trip to the Maldives on a private jet linked to a billionaire donor cost as little as £25,000 as the Reform leader attempted to reach the Chagos Islands.Farage initially recorded his two-day trip to the Maldives as costing £12,500 funded by Thailand-based Reform megadonor Christopher Harborne, before upgrading this to £25,000 in the latest register of interests. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Every night they are bombarding’: at border crossing, some Iranians are fleeing war and some are heading home 03. April 2026 (09:00) People leaving Iran for Turkey tell of impact of bombs and internet blackouts, while others are travelling the other way to be closer to relatives in perilHe could not help but splutter out a laugh at the question. Amir, whose name has been changed for his safety, had just crossed the Kapıköy border point in eastern Turkey, a mountain pass between snow-topped peaks that is one of the few gateways to the west from Iran.Until a few weeks ago, this was a busy place, popular among Iranian daytrippers coming across to Turkey to do some shopping in the lively city of Van, a further two hours drive west, or to spend a couple of nights out in its discreet Iranian-only nightclubs and bars serving alcohol. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
