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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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H.R. 7266: Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act
Bill Text: This bill's text for status (June 29, 2026) is now available.
H.R. 5498: Small Business Health Options Awareness Act of 2026
Bill Text: This bill's text for status (June 29, 2026) is now available.
Victorian premier blames ‘inflation not corruption’ for Big Build cost blowouts amid fresh allegations
Jacinta Allan resists calls for royal commission into state’s infrastructure projects as pressure mounts following new reports Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Jacinta Allan has resisted growing calls for a royal commission into alleged corruption on Victoria’s $100bn Big Build, declaring “inflationary pressures on projects is not corruption”. It comes after an investigation by Nine newspapers and 60 Minutes reported allegations that money from the state’s Big Build infrastructure projects was being paid to gangland figures and that the state government was warned about cost blowouts due to Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) demands. Continue reading...
Pakistan carries out deadly airstrikes along Afghanistan border
The attacks on Monday were the latest flare-up of violence between the two countries, which fought a weeks-long war in February Pakistan has said at least 25 people were killed in airstrikes it launched targeting militants in eastern Afghanistan, as the Afghan government reported dozens of civilian casualties. Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said the operations were aimed at a group that it blames for a deadly weekend attack in Karachi, although Afghan authorities have repeatedly denied their territory harbours militants. Continue reading...
ABC and SBS to appear at antisemitism royal commission after complaints of ‘unbalanced’ Middle East coverage
Bondi attack inquiry broadcasters will be called as commission focuses on traditional and social media Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Representatives from the ABC and SBS will be called as witnesses to the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion , after complaints were made to the inquiry about their coverage of the Middle East. On Monday, counsel assisting Richard Lancaster SC said some submissions to the royal commission – established after the Bondi terror attack – are “highly critical” of the public broadcasters’ reporting on the Middle East conflict. Continue reading...
Shares in chipmakers underpinning AI boom rocket in first half of 2026
Value of some chip manufacturers have tripled, or more, driving Asia Pacific stock markets sharply higher Shares in chipmakers have surged in the first half of this year as investors piled into companies that make the hardware underpinning the AI boom, according to analysis. Investors have driven up the value of semiconductor and memory chip manufacturers, whose profits have soared during 2026, at the expense of some large software companies, which have fallen out of favour this year. Continue reading...
Trump news at a glance: Biden says Trump has ‘diminished’ US standing in the world as he attacks his successor
Former president calls Trump ‘a loser’ and criticizes his attempted makeover of Washington. Key US politics stories from Sunday 28 June at a glance Joe Biden has said Donald Trump has diminished America’s standing in the world “more than any president in history”. The former president delivered remarks highly critical of his successor, while giving the keynote address at a gala in Hanover, Maryland, hosted by the state’s Democratic party, which is hoping to help wrest control of Congress away from Trump and his Republican allies during November’s midterm elections. Continue reading...
Venezuela earthquake: father and son found alive in rubble after four days as death toll nears 1,500
President says ‘we always hold onto hope’ as discovery of earthquake survivors spurs fresh search efforts despite dwindling chances of survival Mortuary in Caracas ‘overwhelmed’ as Venezuela struggles to respond after earthquakes A man and his teenage son were found alive under the rubble in Venezuela on Sunday, in a town about 40km north of the capital Caracas, AFP journalists reported, as the death toll from last week’s twin earthquakes passed 1,450. The discovery of survivors in Caraballeda was made by French and American rescue teams nearly four days after back-to-back quakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck, completely destroying nearly 200 buildings in the area. Continue reading...
London mayor to override opposition to outdoor dining in Soho next summer
Exclusive: Sadiq Khan plans to use new powers after local council opposes city scheme for seasonal pedestrianisation The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, plans to override opposition to al fresco dining in Soho after the local council failed to apply to a scheme for seasonal pedestrianisation that is being introduced across the capital this summer. From 2027, restaurants in London’s entertainment district will be allowed to put chairs outside in the warmer months despite a longstanding local row on the issue. Continue reading...
About 170,000 people in England expected to die from obesity-linked heart conditions by 2035
British Heart Foundation expects about 45 people a day to die over next decade if current trends continue About 170,000 people are expected to die from heart-related conditions linked to obesity – one of the leading causes of preventable illnesses – by 2035, according to a leading charity. The analysis, conducted by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), found that about 45 people a day are expected to die from cardiovascular disease linked to excess weight and obesity in England over the next decade, as long as current trends in obesity rates continue. In the UK, about two in three adults are living with obesity, and worldwide, more than half of adults and a third of children and young people will be overweight or obese by 2050 . Continue reading...
Pause HS2 reset until you are confident it can be delivered, NAO tells ministers
Spending watchdog says high-speed rail project must be put on stable footing to avoid repeat of costly past failures Revised plans for HS2 should not be put into action until the government is confident they can be delivered, according to the public spending watchdog. The project to build the high-speed railway must be put on a stable footing to avoid a repeat of past failures, the National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report. Continue reading...
‘A privilege – and pretty terrifying’: James Norton to play Hamlet in the West End
The Happy Valley actor is lined up as the lead in German director Thomas Ostermeier’s first Shakespearean play in English James Norton is to take on his first major Shakespearean stage role and play Hamlet in the West End next year. The King & Conqueror star said it was a “privilege” and “pretty terrifying” to be cast as the tragic prince in the acclaimed German director Thomas Ostermeier’s production next autumn. Norton was last on stage in 2023 in the harrowing A Little Life, based on Hanya Yanagihara’s novel, which the actor described as the hardest thing he has ever done. Continue reading...
England facing children’s mental health ‘crisis’ as referrals hit 1m
Commissioner calls for overhaul of state support after reporting 10% rise in young patient referrals last year More than 1 million children were referred to mental health services across England last year, with referrals up 10% from the year previous, according to a report by the children’s commissioner, Rachel de Souza. She said the country faced a “crisis” in young people’s mental health. The number of patients who had an active referral to children and young people’s mental health services across England surpassed 1 million for the first time in 2024-25. This was almost double the number recorded in 2018-19, and an almost 10% rise on the previous year. Continue reading...
US celebrates Pride with parades across country – in pictures
Across the US, cities wrapped up Pride month with parades and festivals on the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprising, which underscored the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. This month’s celebrations unfolded as Trump works to roll back trans rights and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. This year’s theme for NYC Pride was ‘For All of Us’. Attender Carlos Duarte said: ‘It’s very important for us to be here … all together for love, peace and to show the world who we are.’ Continue reading...
Man charged with attempted murder after car hit pedestrians in west London
Timir Ahmed Mohamed, 34, charged with five counts of attempted murder after alleged incident on Ealing Broadway A man has been charged with attempted murder after a vehicle hit pedestrians on a busy west London road. Timir Ahmed Mohamed, 34, has been charged with five counts of attempted murder as well as dangerous driving, failing to stop, failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis and criminal damage, the Metropolitan police said on Sunday. Continue reading...
Putin admits Ukrainian strikes driving Russian fuel shortages
Russian president says Ukraine’s attacks on infrastructure are causing ‘obvious’ but not critical problems The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, acknowledged that the country was suffering from “a certain shortage” of fuel in an interview published by the Kremlin on Sunday, after repeated Ukrainian strikes in their four-year war. Kyiv calls the attacks fair retribution for Russia’s near-daily barrages on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure since its February 2022 offensive. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham to pledge ‘good growth in every postcode’ in devolution plan
Makerfield MP on course to be PM will argue for more decision-making in regions and communities as he sets out platform for government Andy Burnham will pledge to deliver “good growth in every postcode” by overseeing a significant transfer of power out of Whitehall to local communities as he sets out his case to become the UK’s next prime minister. In his first major speech since winning the Makerfield byelection, Burnham will argue for decision-making to be devolved to regions and communities to drive economic growth locally, replacing the current top-down national model. Continue reading...
British firms to get £3,000 for every long-term jobless youngster they hire
Scheme aims to help 60,000 people aged 18-24 into work as part of push to cut welfare bill and tackle youth jobs crisis Employers in Great Britain will be given £3,000 for every long-term unemployed young person they hire under government plans to reduce the welfare bill and joblessness. The scheme, which will be available to firms from Tuesday, is aimed at helping 60,000 people aged 18-24 enter work over the next three years. Continue reading...
Australia politics live: Vanuatu PM in Canberra as hopes rise over treaty; fossil fuel companies accused of marketing to children
Jotham Napat’s visit renews expectations that the two countries can sign the Nakamal pact after long negotiations. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Hanson’s press club speech a ‘reality check’ for Australians, says Watt Environment minister Murray Watt , says One Nation’s popularity dipping from 31% to 29% is due to Pauline Hanson ’s controversial press club address, but concedes the “polls will bounce around a bit.” We have seen a bit of a change in the public mood towards One Nation since Pauline Hanson’s Press Club speech. I think that speech was a bit of a reality check for a lot of Australians who were thinking about voting for One Nation, because they got to see that as much as people are under pressure at the moment, things could get worse under One Nation with all the cuts they were talking about imposing. Yes, of course, any improvement is welcome. But we know that we to provide real answers and real change to the pressure that people are feeling. I’m a half glass full sort of guy, Nat [ Barr ] and the the electorate’s very restless. People are understandably restless because they’ve seen their incomes decline back to 2011 levels under government … So it’s very volatile. The first thing you’ve got to do is get the herd moving and the herd is moving. It’s just not going through the the right gate for us at the moment. Continue reading...
Heatwave and high humidity to blast much of US: ‘impactful to anyone’
Forecasters expect days of high temperatures in central and eastern US before Fourth of July and World Cup festivities A long and dangerous heatwave will blast a large swath of the central and eastern United States for the upcoming week, the National Weather Service (NWS) said on Sunday – with temperatures rising ahead of the Fourth of July holiday and feeling even hotter because of high humidity also arriving. Already parts of the US, especially Phoenix and central Texas, and much of the south-west were experiencing temperatures of about 100F (38C) on Sunday, while the NWS warned of severe wildfire conditions developing across much of the west as new fires popped up across the region. Continue reading...
Kate completes Three Peaks challenge to raise money for cancer charity
Princess of Wales becomes first royal to climb Scotland, England and Wales’s highest mountains, 18 months after cancer remission The Princess of Wales has completed the Three Peaks challenge to raise money for a cancer charity, becoming the first member of the royal family to achieve the feat. Catherine Middleton, 44, revealed in a message on social media she had successfully taken on the trek not only as a physical endeavour but “to give something back” and raise awareness of the wider impact of serious illness. Continue reading...
Risk of serious birth injuries is rising for women in England, data suggests
About 31 in every 1,000 facing haemorrhage or severe tears, NHS figures show, in trend described as ‘national crisis’ How a Romford maternity ward was able to turn the tide after a ‘requires improvement’ rating Women in England are at their highest risk of suffering a serious injury while giving birth since records began in 2020, NHS figures show. The rate of women sustaining the most serious type of tear during childbirth rose to 31.1 in every 1,000 in January, February and March – the highest since monitoring began in 2020. Continue reading...
US homeland security secretary tells migrants to seek permanent status or leave
Markwayne Mullin’s remarks come after controversial supreme court ruling to strip TPS from over 350,000 people Migrants in the US on temporary protected status should seek permanent residence or leave, Markwayne Mullin, Homeland Security secretary, said in the wake of last week’s supreme court decision that stripped humanitarian protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants. The remarks to CNN’s State of the Union program comes after a decision that could allow Donald Trump’s administration to deport Haitian and Syrian immigrants to home countries plagued by conflict and destitution. Continue reading...
Zohran Mamdani says he and allies he endorsed carry a ‘national message’
Mayor says progressive peers who swept primaries speak to Americans ‘coast to coast’ as moderates have reservations Zohran Mamdani , the New York City mayor, said on Sunday that he and a slew of democratic socialist allies who prevailed in recent primary elections are carrying a “national message” to struggling working Americans hungry for a new kind of politics “coast to coast”. Mamdani made that triumphant clarion call on ABC News’s This Week just five days after he had seen his endorsed candidates win Democratic nominations in three races for New York congressional seats, as well as for five state legislature positions in Albany. He made no effort to disguise his delight that his clean sweep marks a dramatic shift in Democratic politics – not just in New York City, which he has led since January, but also across the US. Continue reading...