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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Israel admits its soldiers fired at car in which Hind Rajab was killed
Military orders criminal investigation into the death of the five-year-old and six family members in Gaza in 2024 The Israeli military admitted on Wednesday its troops had opened fire on a car carrying five-year-old Hind Rajab and six family members in Gaza in 2024, saying it had ordered a criminal investigation into the killing. The death of Rajab and her family was one of the most high profile of a series of incidents involving civilian casualties during the first months of the Gaza conflict which prompted international outrage. Continue reading...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy sacks senior aide amid Ukraine corruption crisis
Pesidential deputy chief of staff Iryna Mudra dismissed day after former defence minister called for wartime election Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired a senior aide amid a fresh corruption investigation – one day after a former defence minister warned the country was facing “a crisis of governance” and needed to hold a wartime presidential election . Iryna Mudra, a presidential deputy chief of staff, was dismissed by decree after multiple reports in Ukrainian media that her house was being searched by officials investigating an alleged money-laundering scheme. Continue reading...
Farage’s futile election gamble: inside the 21 August Guardian Weekly
Political stunt brings Reform UK leader full circle. Plus: Russia’s scramble for soldiers • Get the Guardian Weekly delivered to your home address The curtain came down last week on the summer sideshow of the Clacton byelection, called by Nigel Farage amid mounting scrutiny of his finances. For our big story this week, Daniel Boffey explores what this campaign – in which the Reform UK leader’s main challenger was a parody candidate called Count Binface – tells us about the current state of politics in Britain. Continue reading...
‘Burnham’s writing cheques, this one might bounce’: homeless people doubt PM’s plan
Rough sleepers and charities say they have heard similar political declarations before but seen little success Andy Burnham calls on wider society to help end rough sleeping by Christmas As Andy Burnham set out his plan to end rough sleeping on Tuesday night, volunteers from homelessness charity Under One Sky were offering hot drinks, sandwiches, socks, underwear and soap to dozens of rough sleepers around Tottenham Court Road in central London. Among those sleeping on the streets, the prime minister’s plan was met with widespread scepticism born from long familiarity with similar political declarations. Continue reading...
Is the US actually too chicken to take on China for trade?
A weak yuan guarantees Beijing massive trade surplus even as the White House tries tamp down on Chinese imports Since China offered a truce in the trade war last October following its threat to deprive the United States of rare-earth magnets, the Trump administration has been happy to stop escalating. After all, imports from China have been falling, down by 40% in the year to June, compared with the same period in 2024. Best to declare victory and call it a day. But the US hasn’t won this battle – and there’s strong evidence to show it’s too chicken to really try. Continue reading...
First bluefin tunas caught off Yorkshire since 1960s ‘success story’ for marine conservation
Researchers laud return of giant tuna to North Sea after being fished almost to point of extinction Researchers have lauded two giant bluefin tunas being caught off the coast of Yorkshire for the first time in more than six decades as a “success story” for marine conservation. The tunas, which were caught a day apart off the coast of Whitby earlier this week, have mostly been absent along the north-east coast of Britain since the 1960s. While a small numbers of the species have been spotted in the waters around Yorkshire in the previous years, the pair were the first to be caught for market from the North Sea since licences to catch the fish were issued in July. Continue reading...
Swimmers warned of toxic algae at newly designated Thames bathing site
People told they and their pets should keep out of river at Ham amid anger over Thames Water’s treated sewage plan Swimmers are being warned not to enter the water at the first official bathing site on the River Thames, in south-west London, because of toxic blue-green algae in the water. The blue-green algal blooms are rare in moving water but are likely to be caused by the extreme heat, low river flow, and nutrient pollution from sewage waste. Continue reading...
Trump nominates abortion opponent Heidi Overton to be head of FDA
Overton has said that Congress should strictly regulate abortion drug mifepristone ‘to protect women and children’ Donald Trump nominated Dr Heidi Overton – an abortion opponent who stood next to the president as he made false claims about vaccines – to be commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “Today I am honored to nominate the wonderful Dr. Heidi Overton, MD, PhD, as our next FDA Commissioner. Dr. Heidi has been a ROCKSTAR in my Administration, where she has worked directly with Secretary Kennedy, Dr. Oz, and team, to deliver on the MOST TRANSFORMATIVE Health Agenda in History. She is known to take on the HARDEST issues, and bring me solutions that work best for the Country,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Tice should apologise to firefighters for ‘enjoy it’ remark on extreme heat, says Labour
Exclusive: Bridget Phillipson’s comments show her party feels voters have been alienated by Reform net zero attacks Richard Tice should apologise to firefighters for his comments earlier this week urging British people to “enjoy” this summer’s extreme heat, according to the Labour party chair. Bridget Phillipson has called on Reform’s deputy leader to say sorry to those who have battled wildfires across the country over the last few weeks, forcing evacuations and destroying homes. Continue reading...
Will Andy Burnham get rough sleepers off streets by Christmas? – The Latest
The prime minister has announced a £442m plan to get rough sleepers off the streets by Christmas. It solidifies tackling homelessness as a central policy for Andy Burnham’s government, and gives voters a measure by which to judge his success – although without a concrete target for ministers to hit. Nosheen Iqbal speaks to social policy editor Patrick Butler – watch on YouTube Continue reading...
Sacking turns former Zelenskyy loyalist into potent political opponent
Mykhailo Fedorov’s blistering critique comes at a time of growing pressure for democratic renewal in Ukraine For more than a month, demonstrators have gathered in Ivan Franko Square outside Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office. The protesters have been chanting a name – not that of Ukraine’s embattled president but that of the man he recently sacked as defence minister , Mykhailo Fedorov. On Sunday evening, 2,000 people marched along Khreshchatyk, Kyiv’s main boulevard, waving cardboard banners in support of their ousted hero. Zelenskyy has refused to reinstate Fedorov, who during his six months in the job was widely seen as an effective and reforming figure. On Wednesday, Ukraine’s parliament, the Rada, voted to approve a successor as defence minister, Yevhen Khmara. The move shows that Fedorov has been shut out from government permanently, and confirms his transition from trusted insider and Zelenskyy loyalist to a potent political opponent. Continue reading...
Epstein client Leon Black threatened with contempt by House panel chair
Republican James Comer writes to private equity investor demanding full cooperation with investigation The Republican chairman of the House oversight committee has threatened to hold the private equity investor Leon Black in contempt if he does not fully cooperate with the panel’s ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, amid accusations that the billionaire is purposely delaying and disrupting the panel’s inquiry. A letter released by Representative James Comer’s office on Tuesday, which was addressed to Black’s lawyer, revealed new details about the high-stakes clash between the powerful Kentucky congressman and Black, the co-founder of Apollo Asset Management who was Epstein’s friend and former client and paid Epstein tens of millions of dollars in fees. Continue reading...
White House intensifies attacks on opponents and media as Trump seeks new mouthpiece
Senator Jon Ossoff, who is up for re-election, came up with arguably the standout line of the midterm elections so far Hello there, Jon Ossoff really struck a nerve. That much is clear. Continue reading...
Reform UK are such a joke, they deserve a slot on the Edinburgh fringe | John Crace
Nige’s dodgy donations, Dicky’s love of global heating and so much more – what fun it is watching the party implode You would need to have a heart of stone not to fall about laughing. There was a time not so long ago when Reform could give a passable impression of a vaguely functional political party. One that knew its audience and had learned how to get its message across through the media. Admittedly this was largely because the party was a one-man band with all its MPs accepting that they owed their entire existence to Nige. They were satellites to his sun. Nigel Farage was Reform, and Reform was Nige. In recent months though, things have been falling apart and Reform now resemble an anarchic end–of-the-pier clown show. And chaos has seldom been this entertaining. The fun started when Nige had an uncharacteristic fit of humility and tried to pretend he was only a first among equals with the grandiose announcement of a “shadow cabinet” of four people. Largely because that’s about as many serious politicians as he had at his disposal. Continue reading...
A democratic socialist win and losses for Trump allies: takeaways from primaries in three key states
Elections in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming provide a sense of how voters are feeling ahead of November’s midterms Primaries in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming held on Tuesday provided the latest view into how voters are feeling ahead of November’s US midterm elections. One candidate aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) netted an extraordinary win while another was defeated handily. Donald Trump’s handpicked candidates received a mixed reception from voters. In Alaska, voters chose their fighters for one of the year’s marquee US Senate races, and in Florida, extremism remained alive and well among Republicans. Continue reading...
Roblox commits to privacy overhaul after eSafety discovers adults can contact children via gaming platform
Regulator says verifiable safety measures are ‘critical’ to the online service’s viability Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Roblox has committed to making changes to its online gaming platform after Australia’s eSafety commissioner discovered adults were still able to see child accounts and send connection requests without parental consent. The company has provided a legal agreement to the online safety regulator after testing earlier this year also revealed children and adults could view and respond to one another’s posts on forums outside game environments without parental consent. Continue reading...
A ‘shiny, dangling carrot’ lured Jesse into gambling. He says Labor’s reform won’t stop others being sucked in
The government says it’s stopping ‘the most toxic’ gambling company strategies. Former addicts say it will do ‘absolutely nothing’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Jesse Murphy wasn’t sure what to wear when his VIP gambling manager texted him: “Looking forward to having a beer with you!” His frequent betting had just earned the then 25-year-old free tickets to a gambling company’s corporate box at the footy with free food and alcohol. His handler was waiting for him. He told Murphy to wear a shirt before joining for drinks. Continue reading...
A fifth of older Australians who contested AI-determined home support funding got more after human review
Exclusive: Greens say department of health’s integrated assessment tool is ‘under-assessing’ far more people who may not know how to contest Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Almost one-fifth of older Australians who contested their Support at Home funding allocation determined by an algorithm had a higher level of support or higher priority allocated once a human reviewed the decision. The department of health and ageing would not provide the most current data on how many people have contested their funding allocation under the integrated assessment tool (IAT) , introduced in November, which is used across aged care to determine eligibility and classification for services, including Support at Home. Continue reading...
US treasury doubles debt buyback to steady bond market amid inflation fears
Yields, at recent highs this week, dropped after treasury’s vow to ‘provide greater liquidity support’ to bond market The US treasury is doubling its buyback of government debt in an effort to balance out the bond market and counterbalance investor concern over high inflation. The yield rate on 10-year, 20-year and 30-year treasury notes all hit 20-year highs this week, with the 30-year treasury yield rising to its highest rate since 2007. The rapid rise was concerning news for borrowers as major loans, including mortgages, are backed by treasuries. Continue reading...
Lindsey Graham’s sister and fill-in senator says she’s ‘not that informed on national security’
She made the statement during a debate when asked about potential threats to US national security in South China Sea US politics live – latest updates Asked whether Taiwan and the South China Sea threaten US national security, republican fill-in senator Darline Graham hesitated. “I’m just going to be honest here,” she told Tuesday night’s debate audience. “I’m – not that informed on national security, so – but I do support the military.” Gasps, and boos, rolled through the opera house hosting the only debate before next week’s Republican runoff – a race to succeed her brother, Lindsey Graham, who was one of the Senate’s most committed rightwing foreign policy hawks before his sudden passing in July. She did not retreat. Continue reading...
Spain to allow 500 children in Ceuta to go to mainland in immigration U-turn
Madrid government changes stance after previously saying anyone who entered territory illegally would be sent back Europe live – latest updates The Spanish government has U-turned and said it will allow 500 migrant children in Ceuta to relocate to the mainland. The majority of the estimated 70,000 people who crossed into Ceuta – a Spanish territory on the coast of north Africa – on 30 July have returned to Morocco. However, under Spanish law, the state has a duty of care to young, unaccompanied migrants until they reach the age of 18. Continue reading...
Germany’s firewall was meant to hold the far right at bay. It may have done the reverse
An AfD win in next month’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt would shatter a decades-long political consensus and reverberate throughout the EU • Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up here In just over two weeks’ time, Saxony-Anhalt – home to historic timber-framed houses, the dramatic Harz mountains and the birthplace of Martin Luther – will hold what could prove one of the most significant state elections in Germany’s postwar history. The vote, on 6 September, could see a far-right party whose local branch is officially classified by the country’s domestic intelligence service as “confirmed rightwing extremist” appoint a state premier and govern a state alone, for the first time. Continue reading...
US justice department defends prosecution of James Comey over ‘8647’ seashell post
Justice department claims there’s ‘no dispute’ over whether ex-FBI head’s post could be read as a threat against Trump The US Department of Justice has defended its prosecution of former FBI director James Comey, claiming in new court documents there is “no serious dispute” that his social media post last year featuring a photo of seashells arranged to read “8647” could be interpreted as a threat against Donald Trump. “There is no serious dispute that an objective viewer of Comey’s post could read it to mean ‘Kill President Trump’” prosecutors wrote in a document filed on Tuesday in response to efforts by Comey’s efforts to have the case dismissed. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham calls on wider society to help end homelessness by Christmas
PM says public money alone won’t solve problem but ‘we did it in the pandemic, we can do it again’ UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham has said government money alone may not be enough to get rough sleepers off the streets by Christmas, as he issued a “rallying call” for councils, charities and communities to help solve the problem. Speaking on a visit to the north-east of England, he said he felt “very passionately” about tackling homelessness and wanted the wider society to play a part in wiping it out. Continue reading...