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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Royal estates rent out homes that fail to meet legal energy efficiency standards
Exclusive: More than 100 homes on King Charles and Prince William’s inherited estates have EPC ratings of F or G • ‘It’s archaic’: the struggle to heat poorly insulated homes let by royal estates More than 100 homes on the inherited royal estates of King Charles and Prince William fail to meet the legal minimum energy standards for landlords, the Guardian can reveal. An analysis of a large sample of domestic lets on the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and the Sandringham estate found that one in five have Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings of F or G. Continue reading...
Alarmed by the alarm: people react to ‘severe alert’ on phones with message on UK wildfires
Many complained online that piercingly loud tone was ‘overreach’ while others lamented lack of action on decarbonisation On Friday at 7pm, Thérèse Coffey was nine miles away from a nuclear power station when her phone made a loud, piercing and very worrying sound: it was a “severe” emergency alert . “Was expecting [a] much more specific alert, not a generic message on wildfires,” the former Tory cabinet minister said on X. She wasn’t alone in being alarmed by the alarm sent to phones in England and Wales. In the aftermath, thousands of social media users expressed their shock at alert. Some shared funny memes and others lamented what they viewed as lack of government action on decarbonisation. Academic John Ritzema called it a “massive overreach” and said the alert system should be “meant to be for ‘drop everything and prepare for something terrible’ situations”, something Coffey echoed, saying alerts should not become commonplace to avoid “Peter cries wolf situations”. Continue reading...
Alaska candidate for US Senate seat rejects Kamala Harris’s unsolicited support
Former VP sent fundraising appeal for Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign – with half of donations going to Harris’s organization Alaska US Senate candidate Mary Peltola has rejected the support of Kamala Harris , her fellow Democrat, after the 2024 presidential candidate sent out a seemingly unsolicited fundraising appeal on Peltola’s behalf. Harris, who lost Alaska – typically a Republican-voting state – by 13 points during her unsuccessful White House run, on Wednesday sent an email from her political organization to supporters of Peltola, a former US House member. Continue reading...
Thirty years after Tupac Shakur’s killing can a murder trial offer justice?
Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis faces trial on Monday over rap star’s death that marked notorious chapter in hip-hop’s history In September 1996, rap star Tupac Shakur was gunned down in a drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas strip, succumbing days later to his injuries. His killing, which remained unsolved for decades, gave rise to fervent conspiracy theories and conjecture. Thirty years later, one man is facing trial for the ambush: Duane “Keffe D” Davis. Continue reading...
Naidoc awards honour ‘fearless, brilliant’ promoter of First Nations culture Rhoda Roberts
Proud Widjabul Wieybal woman of the Bundjalung nation recognised posthumously with the lifetime achievement award Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast One of Australia’s greatest cultural ambassadors has been recognised posthumously for dedicating her life to sharing, preserving and promoting First Nations culture through language, dance and ceremony. Proud Widjabul Wieybal woman of the Bundjalung nation Rhoda Roberts died in March aged 66. On Saturday night in Alice Springs, she was posthumously awarded the lifetime achievement award at the Naidoc awards. Continue reading...
Teenager pleas guilty to attacking California sea lion in viral video
Tyler Muehl, 18, could face a year in prison for kicking marine animal four times on La Jolla coast An 18-year-old California man has admitted he kicked a sea lion in a video that went viral recently – while referring to himself by the name of an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor – and has pleaded guilty to a federal crime. Tyler Muehl, of San Diego’s La Jolla neighborhood, faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine after acknowledging in court on Thursday that he violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act’s prohibition on harassment of wildlife, federal prosecutors said in a statement. Continue reading...
Multiple people injured in shooting at Virginia State University
School said shooting involved ‘multiple suspects’ as campus was locked down and police responded to scene Multiple people were injured in a shooting at Virginia State University, police said on Saturday morning, with several suspects still at large. The campus, about 20 miles (32km) south of Richmond, was on lockdown when police released initial details about the shooting. Continue reading...
Missed out on tickets to see the Bayeux tapestry in London? A £1,000 hotel stay will get you in
British Museum’s £33 tickets sold out in a day but some slots have been reserved for guests at five-star One Aldwych Those hoping to snare a glimpse of the Bayeux tapestry when it comes to the British Museum this September faced nine-hour online queues, with the £33 tickets sold out within a day. But the monied guests of a five-star hotel in Covent Garden have not had to go to such arduous lengths to get a view of the nearly 1,000-year-old depiction of William the Conqueror’s victory over King Harold II of England at Hastings in 1066. Continue reading...
Safety check calls after Irish teenager electrocuted taking shower in Greece
Alex McKee died when picking up showerhead in ‘outdoor and rudimentary’ bathroom on Kimolos The death of an Irish teenager, electrocuted while taking a shower in a holiday home in Greece, has led to calls for tighter checks on appliances at tourist accommodation. Alex McKee, 17, is said to have died instantly when picking up the showerhead in a bathroom described as “outdoor and rudimentary” on Kimolos. Continue reading...
Tributes paid to Jason Arday after former Cambridge professor’s death
Andy Burnham calls for reflection after ‘a tragedy on so many levels’ in comments echoed by London mayor Sadiq Khan Andy Burnham has called the death of Jason Arday, who was found dead at his home in south London on Friday, a “tragedy on so many levels”. Arday resigned as a professor at the University of Cambridge last week after allegations of plagiarism, which he denied. He was pronounced dead just after 3pm on Friday. Continue reading...
Met apologises for exposing 143 email addresses of Mohamed Al Fayed victims
London police force tells Telegraph incident was result of ‘human error’ and it is conducting an investigation The Metropolitan police have apologised for accidentally exposing the email addresses of more than 140 victims of Mohamed Al Fayed. In a group update about its investigation into the former Harrods owner, the force copied the email addresses of 143 victims of Fayed in a message that included about 12 other recipients, the Telegraph reported. Continue reading...
In JD Vance’s hometown, comment on his new memoir is hard to find
The US vice-president’s most recent memoir may be widely read in Middletown, Ohio, but no one seems to be talking about it Nearly two months since JD Vance’s most recent memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, was released, and following sales of 64,000 copies in its first week, Vance’s hometown of Middletown, Ohio, has had time to take it in. At the town library, administrators say there has been interest in the book among the wider public. Continue reading...
‘Cheap travel is not a defence’: the parents facing court for school absences in England
In one court in Kent, most cases relate to term-time holidays, but non-attendance is a complex issue and post-pandemic rates remain high As the long school summer break approached its mid-point recently, Margate beach was crowded with families enjoying the brief reprieve between the year’s fourth and fifth heatwaves. For most, thoughts of the classroom were probably not at the forefront of their minds. But for the seven mothers and two fathers who were summoned at 10am to a stuffy room in the town’s magistrates court, set just behind the beachfront strip of arcades, the subject was unavoidable. They were among hundreds of parents due in courts across England this month for failing to ensure their children had regularly attended school over the course of the last academic year. Continue reading...
How to buy a ‘mega-dinghy’: the perilous new model of Channel crossing
Boats carrying hundreds of people are a clear and alarming trend. But where do such large vessels come from? Providing a large dinghy for use in the choppy seas of western Europe was not a problem, as long as the order was for more than 20 vessels, they said. The sales manager at the Chinese company even had an online brochure for an undercover Guardian reporter, posing as a prospective client, to peruse. They had a production capacity of 500 boats a month and, yes, it was possible to get even bigger ones for the right price. They could do a seven or even an eight-metre military-style dinghy for $1,678 (£1,238) a boat, without the engines, but that would be lacking CE certification, the mandatory mark that shows a product meets EU health and safety requirements. Additional reporting by Lyndon Li Continue reading...
Sure, ‘Woke 1’ had its issues – but we have far bigger problems on our hands | Arwa Mahdawi
AOC’s remarks about past excesses have been ripped out of context. Progressives shouldn’t get roped into this sideshow There is probably no word that has been more used and abused in the last decade than “woke”. It has been rendered completely meaningless, but it refuses to die. Indeed, it has now taken on new life: in the past week, there’s been a flurry of headlines about “Woke 1.0” or “Woke One”. If you haven’t seen the phrase pop up in your newsfeed yet, it will soon. So what is this cursed phrase? There’s no official definition, but the term is largely being used to refer to the period between 2018 and 2021 when social justice language was at its peak in mainstream culture. Certain progressives, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have started to use “Woke 1” disparagingly, as a way to distance themselves from that period and signal that they stand for a new form of left-leaning politics that is more palatable to centrist Democrats. “Woke 2”, I suppose. Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Prichard Colón, boxer left with brain damage after 2015 fight, dies aged 33
Puerto Rican suffered brain bleed in only defeat WBC blamed illegal blows to back of the head Colón had won his first 16 professional fights The boxing world was in mourning Friday following the death of Puerto Rican fighter Prichard Colón at the age of 33, 11 years after he sustained brain damage in the only defeat of his professional career. Colón’s death was confirmed in statements by the World Boxing Council and the World Boxing Organization late Thursday. Continue reading...
Lindsay Clancy murder trial: prosecutors revive theory of faked suicide attempt
Prosecutors pointed to internet searches made on the family computer in the months before the killings to make their case Prosecutors revived a theory in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial case this week, suggesting she had faked a suicide attempt after allegedly strangling her three children. While prosecutors have been arguing that Clancy acted intentionally and should be held criminally responsible, her defense has said she suffered from postpartum psychosis. Continue reading...
US navy veterans and military health experts express concern over USS Abraham Lincoln sailors
Prolonged deployment is coupled with reports of water shortages, plumbing issues and attempts to jump overboard US navy veterans and military health experts are expressing concerns about the strain on sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has spent nearly nine months at sea supporting US operations in the Middle East, amid reports of poor living conditions and worsening mental health among its crew. The San Diego-based aircraft carrier left port on 21 November, originally bound for the Pacific, but was redirected to the Middle East as the US-Israel war with Iran began. It has now spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea without a significant port visit, with its deployment repeatedly extended. Continue reading...
UK’s biggest EV battery gigafactory shelves expansion as Jaguar Land Rover talks stall
Chinese-owned AESC has pushed back plans in sign of slowing transition from petrol and diesel to electric cars Andy Burnham moves to cut new EV sales targets The UK’s biggest gigafactory has shelved plans to expand production in Sunderland because of stalled talks on a deal to supply electric car batteries to Jaguar Land Rover. Chinese-owned AESC produces batteries for Nissan at its gigafactory next door to the Japanese carmaker’s Sunderland plant. However, AESC has had to push back its ramp-up plans because of lower-than-expected demand from Nissan and the lack of a deal with JLR, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Continue reading...
Double jeopardy could spell end of state case after Luigi Mangione’s guilty plea
Defense argues New York cannot try Mangione over same act or offense as federal case – the killing of Brian Thompson Luigi Mangione ’s plea to federal stalking charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s death has spurred questions about the fate of the separate Manhattan murder case against him, with experts saying New York’s double-jeopardy law could derail that trial. Mangione pleaded guilty to one count of interstate stalking resulting in death, and one count of cyberstalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death, in connection with the 4 December 2024 shooting outside a Midtown hotel. Both charges carry a potential maximum life sentence. Continue reading...
Israeli strikes on south Lebanon kill nine in worst toll since June
Two airstrikes reportedly hit homes in Ansar and Deir al-Zahrani with rescue services trying to find survivors Nine people have been killed, including three children, and 11 injured in two Israeli airstrikes on south Lebanon, the worst toll since deals in June brought a lull in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli warplanes bombed a home on the outskirts of the village of Ansar in south Lebanon, killing seven people early on Saturday morning, flattening the home. Rescue services were working at the site to try to find survivors and locate bodies. Continue reading...
Heathrow passengers face disruption after flood restricts access
Airport advises passengers travelling from terminals 2 and 3 to use rail and tube as pipe leak prevents closes road Heathrow airport has warned of disruption after flooding caused by a pipe leak has restricted access to terminals 2 and 3. Water in the central terminal area means anyone trying to travel to or from either terminal is unable enter by road. Passengers are being advised to travel by rail and tube instead. Access to the terminal car parks is also impeded, leaving passengers with parked cars unable to access them. Continue reading...
Where healthcare could sway voters, Democratic canvassers ramp up an old tactic: talking to people
In Wisconsin, voters weigh candidates who backed cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, and those who want to expand it Going door to door in western Wisconsin, Bill Hogseth tells strangers about the seizures he has multiple times a week. Hogseth, the co-executive director and lead organizer of the nonpartisan group GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin (Groww), tells them about waking up in an ambulance, and the impact of the seizures on his ability to drive and work. Usually standing on their doorsteps, he asks to hear their stories too – about ambulance rides, hospital bills, broken bones. Continue reading...
Donald Trump doesn’t just love billionaires, he loves multimillionaires too
US tax policy deprives the government of revenue and overwhelmingly serves the interests of the rich After the House passed its version of Donald Trump ’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last year – the one that paired a $5tn-plus tax cut with $1tn-plus of cuts from food stamps and Medicaid – the House speaker, Mike Johnson , explained that “this is not giving tax cuts to the millionaires”. The beneficiaries, he said, were “small business owners” that “provide the jobs in every community in America”. Johnson was playing to the myth of the modest, sturdy Main Street job creator. It is an appealing story. It’s also the most consequential piece of BS distorting American policy that deprives the government of tax revenue, stunts American capitalism, twists regulations, thwarts competition and overwhelmingly serves millionaires’ interests. Continue reading...