section
Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
5503 stories archived
Former neo-Nazi activist selected as Tory candidate for Somerset council election
Joshua Bonehill-Paine, creator of satirical Crewkerne Gazette, has convictions including harassment of a Jewish MP A former neo-Nazi activist with convictions including the harassment of a Jewish MP has been selected as a Conservative candidate for a local election in Somerset. Joshua Bonehill-Paine, the creator of the viral Crewkerne Gazette series of AI clips , is due to stand for election to Somerset council next year in a new Crewkerne South district. He told the Guardian he was an executive member of the Tories’ Yeovil branch, working as an events organiser. Continue reading...
Rupert Lowe’s ‘olive branch’ to Farage piles more pressure on Reform leader
Restore leader has countered charges he’s splitting the right while showing his party is a very real obstacle for Reform Even by the standards of their rivalry, the speed at which Rupert Lowe’s olive branch to Nigel Farage morphed into fresh recriminations between the two was swift. It began with a softly lit 12-minute video posted on Sunday by the Restore Britain leader, looking straight to camera and referring to “Nigel” as he suggested his party could be willing to cast aside its differences with Reform UK and work together. Continue reading...
Trump meets his obstinate match in Iran’s hardball regime
US president reduced to bemoaning Tehran’s ‘unbelievable duplicity’ as he struggles to find solid negotiating ground Middle East crisis live – latest updates The Donald Trump doctrine has always contained a tenuous relationship with the truth. It was his mentor, the infamous New York lawyer Roy Cohn , who taught the young real estate mogul always to claim victory and never to admit defeat. Unfortunately for Trump, in Iran the US president has found a counterpart just as stubborn as himself. As Trump claims new negotiations are to begin with Tehran this week, Iran has shown it can also reignite the conflict by lobbing ballistic missiles at US bases in the region and maintaining a stranglehold on the strait of Hormuz, effectively taking initiative in the stalled peace process. And time is of the essence for Trump as the clock ticks toward a global energy crisis and a painful midterm elections for him and his Republican party. Continue reading...
Raging Washington state wildfires destroy homes and force 60,000 people to evacuate
Hundreds of structures damaged as firefighters battle to contain 15 major wildfires amid extreme heat and drought Firefighters in Washington state are battling wildfires that have forced 60,000 people to flee and destroyed hundreds of buildings as drought and extreme heat fuel an “extraordinary” fire season in the Pacific north-west. There are some 15 major blazes raging across the state, David Upthegrove, the head of Washington’s department of natural resources, told reporters over the weekend. Continue reading...
Breakout star Alexandra Eala continues rise with first WTA title at DC Open
Filipino sensation beats Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-4 6-0 21-year-old has five straight wins over top-10 players Alexandra Eala dismantled top seed Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-4 6-0 after the weather-hit DC Open final in Washington resumed on Monday, completing a remarkable comeback to become the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour-level singles title. The 21-year-old resumed play on Monday trailing by a set but leading 2-1 in the second after Sunday’s final started nearly three hours late and was later suspended overnight because of persistent rain. Continue reading...
Judge orders return of alleged victim of trafficking sent to France under ‘one in one out’ scheme
Ruling quashes Home Office policy to refuse asylum seekers’ right to have trafficking claims reconsidered after initial rejection A high court judge has ordered the Home Office to bring an alleged victim of trafficking forcibly removed to France under the “one in one out” scheme back to the UK. It is the first ruling of its kind and could lead to more people affected by the “one in one out” policy being brought back to the UK. Continue reading...
Apple launches legal challenge against UK government demand to access data
The Home Office has made a fresh request for ‘back door’ access to encrypted iCloud data belonging to British users Apple has launched a new legal challenge against a UK government demand to access its customers’ highly encrypted data, a year after the Home Office agreed to abandon its previous request. The US tech company launched the legal complaint last month at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), an independent court that has the power to investigate claims that the UK intelligence services have acted unlawfully. Continue reading...
Author of Democrats’ 2024 election autopsy report says chapter was left out
Author says elements of missing section included questions on Biden’s decision to run for re-election, the Times reports The author of an infamous internal Democrat party report on the 2024 presidential election loss has claimed that an entire section that included a discussion of generational wealth established by high-ranking elected officials was cut from the draft version leaked and later released earlier this summer. Paul Rivera, the author of the autopsy, told the New York Times that a section titled “What Happened in 2024” was missing from the published version but had been included in the version he personally handed to embattled party chairman Ken Martin in January. Continue reading...
Serena and Venus Williams set to play doubles in Cincinnati as US Open nears
Pair last played doubles at the 2022 US Open Serena returned to action at Wimbledon before injury US Open begins 31 August in New York Serena Williams and Venus Williams are set to make their Cincinnati Open doubles debut this month after being awarded a wild card on Monday, marking their return to doubles action for the first time since 2022. The Williams sisters have won 14 major doubles titles, including six at Wimbledon, plus three Olympic gold medals. Continue reading...
Two people have died amid US cyclosporiasis outbreak, Michigan officials say
US sees first fatalities due to intestinal illness, though both had significant underlying health conditions Two people have died from cyclosporiasis in Michigan, the state’s health department said on Monday, marking the first fatalities in the largest US outbreak of the intestinal illness. Both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been affected by cyclosporiasis and dehydration, according to medical records. Continue reading...
Scottish seabird hunt cancelled for first time in 400 years
NatureScot refuses licence for hunt on Hebridean island of Sula Sgeir in which up to 2,000 gannet chicks are killed A controversial Scottish seabird hunt will not go ahead for the first time in 400 years, in what campaigners have called a “victory for common sense”. In the annual guga hunt, up to 2,000 gannet chicks are killed over a 10-day period on the uninhabited Hebridean island of Sula Sgeir, 40 miles north of Lewis and Harris. Continue reading...
Maguire survives missed cuts and controversy to headline Solheim Cup wildcard picks
Irish golfer one of four wildcard picks for Europe Rookies Ramirez, Nadaud and Rhodes also selected Leona Maguire has retained her place in Europe’s Solheim Cup team despite a disappointing 2026, with the Irish golfer one of four wildcard picks named by Anna Nordqvist on Monday. Maguire joins three rookies – Julia López Ramirez, Nastasia Nadaud and Mimi Rhodes – in completing the European side who will attempt to reclaim the trophy in the Netherlands next month. A missed cut for Maguire in the Women’s British Open last week meant the 31-year-old had failed to play in the closing 36 holes of four from a possible five majors in 2026. In the one where she made the cut, the Women’s PGA Championship, Maguire tied 53rd. She started this week ranked 83rd in the world. Continue reading...
Mauricio Pochettino’s US return is risky, expensive and probably unnecessary | Leander Schaerlaeckens
In giving the head coach another World Cup cycle, US Soccer is tempting fate for negligible benefit Mauricio Pochettino and US Soccer enjoyed their time together. Or, rather, they enshoyed it, as Pochettino would pronounce it in his thick Argentinian accent, which charmingly carries over when he speaks English. Continue reading...
Reform UK has proposed using the navy to stop small boat crossings. Is their plan feasible?
Nigel Farage said his party would send the military to the Channel to intercept and return dinghies carrying migrants to France The Reform leader, Nigel Farage, whose summer has been dominated by the Guardian’s disclosure of a £5m undeclared donation and his connections with a fraudster, emerged on Monday to claim that his party would launch the “largest military operation in the English Channel since World War Two” to prevent small boat crossings. Pointing to unrest at the Spain-Morocco border, he said the Royal Navy would be sent to the Channel to intercept all dinghies carrying asylum seekers should the party win power at the next general election. Continue reading...
Stronger EU borders needed after Ceuta crisis, von der Leyen says
European Commission president says work needed in five areas of migration control including returning more people The president of the European Commission has called for action to strengthen Europe’s borders after tens of thousands of people arrived and quickly left the Spanish territory of Ceuta, triggering a furious row between Madrid and other European countries. In a letter to Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, on Monday, Ursula von der Leyen said: “From this incident, it is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points, including vigilant monitoring and the use of physical barriers where needed.” Continue reading...
Driver jailed for four years after faking brake failure on motorway
Nathan Owen drove his electric Jaguar at up to 86mph and lied to police it was malfunctioning and out of his control A man who drove his electric Jaguar at up to 86mph on motorways falsely telling police the car was malfunctioning and out of his control has been jailed for four years and three months. Nathan Owen fabricated not being able to brake in a “frighteningly stupid” ploy to avoid paying car finance, Liverpool crown court heard. Continue reading...
Kay Granger, first Texas Republican woman elected to House, dies aged 83
Representative who did not seek re-election in 2024 died of Alzheimer’s disease, her son said Kay Granger, who served in the US House for almost three decades as the first elected Republican woman from Texas , died on Sunday, her family said. She was 83. The cause of death, according to her son JD Granger, was Alzheimer’s disease. Continue reading...
How Ceuta migrant crisis exposes divisions within Europe - The Latest
Dozens of people died attempting to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta after an estimated 50,000 crossed from Morocco last week. The incident has led to a political crisis in Spain and criticism from EU countries. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s European community affairs correspondent, Ashifa Kassam – watch on YouTube Continue reading...
French boy thrown from Tate balcony has ‘smile back’ after hospital release
Family update on GoFundMe page says child, who was six when badly injured in 2019 incident, is now back at school A boy thrown from the viewing balcony in the Tate Modern art gallery has a “smile back on his face” after being discharged from hospital, his family have said. The French youngster, whose name remains undisclosed for privacy reasons, was six when he was badly hurt in an attack by then teenager Jonty Bravery at the London attraction on 4 August 2019. Continue reading...
Republican holdouts say they will back Todd Blanche for attorney general
Move comes after Blanche gives senators written assurance he will drop Trump’s $1.8bn anti-weaponization fund Two Republican senators who threatened to block Todd Blanche’s bid to permanently become attorney general announced they will advance his nomination after he confirmed in writing that a planned $1.8bn slush fund for Donald Trump’s allies was dead. The US Senate judiciary committee is due to vote on Tuesday on whether to approve the nomination of Blanche, who is already acting attorney general, and send it to the wider Senate for a vote. Continue reading...
Anti-war politician flees Russia amid pre-election crackdown on dissent
Boris Nadezhdin, who gained prominence after standing against Putin in 2024, says he is now in France The prominent Russian anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin has fled to Paris as Moscow tightens its grip on dissent before parliamentary elections later this year. Nadezhdin, a veteran liberal politician, gained international prominence during Russia’s 2024 presidential election when his long-shot campaign against Vladimir Putin unexpectedly gathered momentum before electoral authorities barred him from running . Continue reading...
What chaos? Farage tries to distract with immigration plans – podcast
Nigel Farage has promised that Reform UK would call in the navy to tackle small boat Channel crossings. Will this familiar-sounding immigration policy distract from the party’s internal problems? Plus – as we learn more about Andy Burnham’s plans for devolution, is this the biggest rewiring of the UK state since the second world war? Read about Richard Tice being investigated by parliament’s standards watchdog here You can read Alexandra’s report on Andy Burnham’s trip to Dover here and about constitutional reform here Please keep sending your comments and questions to politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com You can watch Politics Weekly on our YouTube channel here Continue reading...
July was driest month in southern England since records began
England and Wales provisionally record driest July in nearly 200 years, Met Office says July 2026 was the driest month in southern England since records began nearly 200 years ago, the Met Office has said. England and Wales also provisionally recorded their driest July since records began in 1836. Wales had its joint warmest July on record for mean temperature, and England recorded its second warmest July. Continue reading...
Trump administration sued for blocking insurance coverage of gender-affirming healthcare
Coverage for gender-affirming care is no longer covered by federal plans, and workers must pay out of pocket US federal employees and their families are joining a class-action lawsuit against the Trump administration for blocking insurance coverage of gender-affirming healthcare. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF) and the DC-based law firm Correia & Puth filed the lawsuit on Monday morning against the federal office of personnel management (OPM), arguing that the prohibition violates Title VII, which protects against sex discrimination. Continue reading...