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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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The Guardian view on Andy Burnham’s buses: a blueprint for governing Britain | Editorial
The prime minister is right to think that taking Manchester’s model national could widen opportunity, clean the air and rebuild state capacity. Other public services could be next Barely a month into his premiership, Andy Burnham is already taking the lessons of Manchester’s buses national. This week his government backed the West Midlands mayor Richard Parker’s move to bring the region’s main bus operation into public control. In July, he announced that he would reinstate a £2 national bus fare cap from January 2027. He’s also expanding free bus travel for disabled people to all hours. Transport affordability is clearly part of Mr Burnham’s cost of living programme. That is to be applauded, as is the emphasis on public transport, which – importantly for Labour – reduces social exclusion, boosts local economies, and is better for the environment. Yet buses may matter to Mr Burnham for another reason: they offer a blueprint for how he wants to govern. This is because Mr Burnham seems to have a worked-out model. He told the Times this week that the prescription for services such as water, housing and energy isn’t yet clear, “with the exception of buses”. Public control, Mr Burnham reasons, gives government the power to make provision cheaper and more reliable – and to shape it around the public interest. For buses, that means the government determining the shape of the network even where private companies run the services. Municipal ownership this is not. Continue reading...
Tornadoes pummel New York’s Long Island and Delaware capital
First responders also rescued flood-stranded people after storms unleashed heavy rains in the US north-east Residents in Delaware ’s capital and on Long Island, New York , were picking up the pieces on Friday after tornadoes touched down during sudden storms that battered the north-eastern US with heavy rains and left dozens of people stranded in their cars during flash flooding. In Atlantic Beach on Long Island, the long peninsula that stretches out into the ocean to the east of New York City, images posted on social media showed a large funnel cloud over the water and small buildings torn apart at a beach club. Continue reading...
Texas slashes $50m judgment against Alex Jones over false claim Sandy Hook shooting was hoax
Appeals court slashes judgment to $1.5m in a significant legal victory for the rightwing Infowars founder A Texas appeals court has slashed the $50m judgment to $1.5m against Alex Jones, founder of the rightwing platform Infowars , over falsely calling the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut a hoax. The ruling does not affect a $1.4bn judgment against Jones in Connecticut, but is a significant legal victory for Jones after he and his company, Free Speech Systems, were found liable for damages for claiming the mass shooting didn’t happen. Continue reading...
JD Vance reportedly mocks Carney for trying to ‘out-tough’ Trump on trade
Audio recording of US vice-president apparently made at New York fundraiser and shared with Canadian Press Leaked audio from a private event has reportedly captured the US vice-president, JD Vance, mocking Canada for apparently capitulating in a trade deal and taunting the prime minister, Mark Carney, for trying to “out-tough” Donald Trump. The recording, which was apparently made at a fundraiser and shared with the Canadian Press , comes in the last stretch of a difficult negotiation in which the US president has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on Canada. Continue reading...
Firebombs thrown at supercars outside Birmingham wedding venue
Police investigating after two cars set alight in attack caught on CCTV on Wednesday Firebombs were thrown at supercars outside a wedding venue in Birmingham, setting two alight and prompting guests to sprint out of the building. West Midlands police said they were investigating the incident, which happened in the Sparkbrook area of Birmingham at around 8.30pm on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Neutrogena responds to criticism over how brand deal with Hayden Panettiere ended
Late actor in May said beauty brand cut off its relationship with her after she spoke out about postpartum depression The beauty brand Neutrogena has acknowledged making its former ambassador Hayden Panettiere “feel unsupported during a very difficult time” – alluding to when the late Hollywood actor said the company severed ties with her after she spoke about enduring postpartum depression (PPD). Neutrogena issued a statement addressing the situation four days after the 36-year-old actor was found dead at an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina. Continue reading...
NSW ‘seeking urgent advice’ on controversial court ruling that found anti-Israel vandalism was not antisemitic
Attorney general considering appeal after justice Desmond Fagan knocks back terror order request for Mohommed Farhat who wrote ‘Fuk Israel’ on cars Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The New South Wales government could appeal a supreme court judge’s controversial decision to refuse its request for a terror order over a Sydney man convicted of writing “Fuk Israel” on cars and setting another vehicle alight in late 2024. Justice Desmond Fagan this week found disparaging Israel was “political comment” not antisemitism. He rejected the state’s application that Mohommed Farhat be subjected to a one-year extended supervision order under the Terrorism Act when released from prison. Continue reading...
Cults, setups, and devastating rumours: years after their downfalls, these former NSW MPs are exacting their revenge
David Elliott and Eleni Petinos believe they were brought down by their own party. The Icac hearing has given them a chance to set the record straight Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold. It’s been almost four years since the former New South Wales MP, David Elliott, announced that he would not seek preselection for a seat in the Hills in greater Sydney after his own seat was abolished. He had realised that, thanks to branch stacking in his area, he stood no chance of securing another . Continue reading...
Jannik Sinner ‘very sad and disappointed’ as knee injury puts him out of US Open
World No 1 makes ‘difficult decision’ to miss slam ‘New York has a special place in my heart’ Jannik Sinner will miss the US Open with a right knee injury. The world No 1 has not played a match since beating Alexander Zverev last month to successfully defend his Wimbledon title, missing the Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati. Continue reading...
‘We’re not remotely prepared’: Labour MPs fear party has gone soft on climate crisis
Polls suggest growing skepticism around net zero, with politicians left feeling uncertain on how to proceed UK politics live – latest updates Britain has seen a summer of record-breaking wildfires, deadly heat and drought with almost 2, 900 heat associated deaths recorded in England during May and June alone. Homes have been destroyed more recently by the fires in the West Midlands and deadly wildfires have swept across Europe. Despite the ever more visible impacts of the climate crisis, there is widespread concern that there has been no big political push for it at the centre of British politics or a renewed case for net zero. Continue reading...
Meghan as the next Bond? Five roles that almost certainly don’t lie behind UK return
Reports say Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have returned to Britain due to ‘top secret’ acting role for Meghan – we try to guess what it might be? In 2022, two years after she and Prince Harry bolted to California in an unhappy exit from the royal family, the Duchess of Sussex was asked if she could foresee ever returning to acting. “No, I’m done,” she told Variety magazine . “I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not.” Well guess what – she’s back! At least according to news reports that claim the couple’s otherwise wholly unexpected return to the UK can be explained by one key factor – a new acting role for Meghan. Continue reading...
First ever Fat Marmot Week to kick off in effort to raise money for research
Researchers hope contest – similar to Fat Bear Week – starting Monday will be latest wildlife watching craze Monday sees the start of what researchers hope will be the latest wildlife watching craze – Fat Marmot Week. Last winter was tough for marmots living high in the Colorado mountains, where researchers say two-thirds of one population died while hibernating because of insufficient snow cover. Continue reading...
‘Shameful’: UK, Australia and Canada criticise Israel over Gaza aid convoy killings decision
Joint statement issued after IDF said it will not pursue criminal investigations into April 2024 strike that killed seven humanitarian workers Britain, Australia and Canada have called the decision of the Israeli military authorities not to open a criminal investigation into the April 2024 airstrikes that hit a convoy of aid vehicles in Gaza “shameful”. The strikes killed seven humanitarian workers from the US-based World Central Kitchen (WCK) organisation. WCK staff from the three countries were among the casualties of the attack, which prompted global outrage. Continue reading...
Burnham to dispatch 100 Whitehall officials to help regional mayors
Civil service scheme announced after PM convened local leaders to ‘situation room’ meeting from No 10 North UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham is to send more than 100 Whitehall officials to bolster the teams of regional mayors, after convening leaders from across England from his base at No 10 North to discuss how to spread growth. The government described the meeting as a “situation room” to bring local and regional leaders into national decision-making. Continue reading...
US navy carrier set to honor Black war hero may reportedly be renamed after Trump
Sources say US navy is working to rename carrier originally planned to honor second world war sailor Doris Miller The Trump administration is facing criticism over reports that a US navy aircraft carrier set to honor a Black war hero may, instead, be named after Donald Trump. The US navy had previously announced that the carrier under construction would be called the USS Doris Miller, in tribute to a sailor celebrated for his heroism during the attack on Pearl Harbor in the second world war. Continue reading...
Prince Harry and others ordered to pay interim £9.5m to Daily Mail publisher
Judge orders payment within seven days towards legal costs in failed case over alleged unlawful information gathering The Duke of Sussex and six other high-profile claimants must make a £9.54m interim payment by 4pm on 28 August towards the Daily Mail publisher’s legal costs after losing their high court case over allegations of unlawful information gathering, a judge has ruled. Associated Newspapers Ltd strongly denied the claims made by Prince Harry and co-claimants including Doreen Lawrence and Elton John. Continue reading...
WNBA commissioner says ‘haters’ trying to stir up debate about trans athletes and league
Transgender woman has never played in the league Engelbert says league being used as ‘political football’ The WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, has denounced people she said are trying to “sow divisiveness” as the league grapples with a debate over transgender athletes. Engelbert made the comments on Thursday before the Indiana Fever’s loss to the Dallas Wings at the home of the Dallas Mavericks. Demonstrators showed up outside American Airlines Center, as they have at other venues since the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports. Continue reading...
Nigel Farage called us ‘nobodies’ in the Clacton byelection. He seems to treat the town in much the same way | Attieh Fard
I had few resources as a candidate, but the contest allowed me to speak to local people about their lives and their MP. They deserve so much better In the early hours of last Friday morning, a video was posted. It showed Nigel Farage among his team of volunteers, before the votes had been counted, celebrating his victory and saying that he was not going to humiliate himself by sharing a platform at the count next to “nobodies”. He was referring to the 33 other candidates who had taken part in what was effectively an unnecessary election, one Farage himself had instigated just a few weeks earlier to send one message: that the people of Clacton were backing him, despite parliamentary investigations into his receipt of an undeclared £5m donation . The election is over, but it’s worth thinking about Clacton and those candidates, of whom I was one . Attieh Fard is a lawyer who was an independent candidate in the Clacton parliamentary byelection Continue reading...
Palestine Action ‘Barclays five’ will not be sentenced as terrorists
Activists who targeted bank in Burnley were found guilty in June of causing damage exceeding £200,000 Five Palestine Action activists who vandalised a Barclays branch in Burnley will not be sentenced as terrorists, a judge has ruled. Dubbed the Barclays five, Brendon O’Hagan, 28; Amanda Kelly, 31; Hmeera Atiqnisar, 31; Mohammed Malik, 28; and Alma Yaniv, 70, were all found guilty in June of causing damage exceeding £200,000, after breaking windows and throwing red paint at a branch of Barclays Bank in Lancashire in August 2024. Continue reading...
Former Alabama basketball player wins $9.25m in defamation case against New York Times
Kai Spears incorrectly linked to death of young mother Times says it had not lost libel case in more than 50 years An Alabama jury has awarded $9.25m in damages after finding that the New York Times defamed a college basketball player by incorrectly reporting that he was at the scene of a fatal shooting . Kai Spears, who played for the University of Alabama men’s team, sued the Times in 2023 after it published a report, citing a person familiar with the investigation, that said he was a passenger in a car involved in the shooting. The Times reported that the person had spoken “on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.” Continue reading...
Charter plane crash in Alaska kills all eight onboard near US military airstrip
‘Civilian-contracted aircraft’ crashes in western Alaska killing two pilots and six passengers, US military says A charter aircraft carrying eight people crashed at a remote radar site in western Alaska on Thursday, killing all on board, the US military said. The crash happened near Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site airport, approximately 450 miles (725km) west of Anchorage, Alaska. Continue reading...
Home Office could be blocked from deporting trafficking victims to Albania
Many males are returned even if they are trafficking victims but Home Office must now consider new legal guidance The Home Office could be blocked from deporting many young male trafficking victims to Albania after a major court ruling. Thousands of Albanian males have been identified as potential trafficking victims in the UK in recent years. Many are sent back to their country even if they are potential or confirmed victims of trafficking, as the Home Office contends they will be safe there. Continue reading...
Jamie and Jools Oliver pay themselves £1.7m dividend as profits almost halve
Pre-tax earnings slump at chef’s food and media group after one-off costs including for a new cookery school Jamie and Jools Oliver have paid themselves a £1.7m dividend – more than 40% down on last year – after profits at their cookery and media empire almost halved. Sales at Jamie Oliver Holdings remained broadly steady at £28.4m in 2025, £160,000 less than in the previous year, as a strong performance at the group’s own restaurants, franchise business, cookery schools and TV productions offset a decline in royalties, licensing and endorsements. Continue reading...
Rise in migrant deaths as 19 bodies found along Arizona border last month
Pima county figures show highest number of monthly migrant deaths in two years as critics condemn US policy According to newly released data from the medical examiner’s office in Pima county, Arizona, the remains of 19 migrants, including children, were recovered along the Arizona-Mexico border last month. The figure accounts for the highest number of monthly deaths in that area since 2024 and brings the number of total remains found to 73 this year, 14 more than the same time period last year. Continue reading...