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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In breaks 73-year record to become longest-running UK No 1 single
Duetting stars surpass record set in 1953, when crooner Frankie Laine hit the top with I Believe Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have scored the longest running UK No 1 single in history with Rein Me In , beating a record that has stood since 1953. Back then, the UK singles chart had been running for less than a year and contained just 12 songs when I Believe, a bombastic ballad by US crooner Frankie Laine, hit No 1 and spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart. Continue reading...
Tony Romo placed on leave from CBS Sports after OWI arrest in Wisconsin
CBS sidelines Romo indefinitely after arrest JJ Watt promoted to lead booth in absence Arrest followed Wisconsin OWI traffic stop Tony Romo has been placed on leave from his role as the lead analyst on CBS’ NFL coverage following his arrest last week on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence. CBS Sports announced Friday that the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was on leave “until further notice”. JJ Watt will join Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson as CBS Sports’ lead NFL team during Romo’s absence. Continue reading...
Mahershala Ali on Marvel’s cursed Blade reboot: ‘If they wanted to do it, we would’ve done it’
Two-time Oscar winner was to take on role of vampire-hunting antihero but said project is no longer happening Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali has confirmed that his Blade reboot is no longer going forward. The star of Moonlight and Green Book had been attached to play Marvel’s vampire-hunting antihero in 2019. The role had originally been played by Wesley Snipes in three films between 1998 and 2004. Continue reading...
Florida woman’s autopsy report reveals extent of alligator attack
Brittany Clark struggled for her life before dying from brutal injuries in rare attack, autopsy report confirms A woman who was killed in a rare alligator attack while swimming with her boyfriend in Florida struggled for her life before dying from the brutal injuries inflicted on her by the animal, newly released autopsy results confirmed. The report containing the results of Brittany Clark’s autopsy, published on Thursday, also contained new details about the extent of the 28 June mauling that unfolded in Seminole county’s Little Big Econ state forest. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on England’s centralised state: Andy Burnham must unbundle it | Editorial
Devolution should finance transport, skills and industry, not become a rightwing contest to promise the largest tax giveaway That England is among the rich world’s most centralised countries underpins Andy Burnham’s critique of the economic history of the past 40 years. Only post-communist Europe deindustrialised as rapidly as Yorkshire and the Midlands did in the 1980s. Centralisation did not close every factory or pit, but left regions without the powers, finance or institutions to cushion the shock or build a resilient, replacement economy. Hence Mr Burnham’s radical and welcome plan to unbundle English government. There are three facets to his devolution programme. The first are the detailed and concrete proposals contained in a cabinet paper Mr Burnham released on Friday. This appears to be a blueprint to create a decentralised state organised around mayors as the key regional economic actors, while jointly governed pan-regional agencies could emerge, say for transport, energy, investment and industrial systems, that cross mayoral boundaries. Regions without mayors will get a chance to have one – or limit themselves to weaker powers. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on the Lovell telescope: budget cuts to physics are bad science and worse politics | Editorial
Funders have picked a damaging fight with scientists and the public. They should reconsider their plans The iconic Lovell telescope, housed at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, has always expanded our view of the universe – from tracking the Sputnik launch in 1957 to its current contributions to the study of dark matter. It is now threatened with closure after it was announced that government funding will not continue past March 2028. The projected savings are just £2.8m a year. This is just the latest in a rolling package of cuts from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) – which disperses government funding to particle, astro and nuclear physics, among other disciplines – aimed at saving about £160m over the next four years. The STFC has insisted that the measures are a result of cost overruns. That may be true, but it is hard not to see this as part of a larger shift in what kind of science the government funds and prioritises, and what areas it allows to wither. Continue reading...
Will Trump be Burnham’s undoing, or the making of him? The answer lies in Europe | Jonathan Freedland
In an increasingly dangerous world, our European neighbours are finding safety in numbers – but Britain is on the outside. The new PM’s task is to change that There is an orange cloud in the sky. I’m not referring to the wildfires ravaging parts of Europe and East Anglia, though they are connected. I mean the looming pall from across the Atlantic that threatens to spoil the sunny start to the premiership of Andy Burnham – and whose name is Donald Trump. Burnham’s first 10 days or so in office have gone about as well as he or any of his team could have dared hope. His net approval rating has risen by 17 points, according to one early poll , gaining ground with every category of voter except supporters of Reform UK, though they too like some of what they see. His easy manner, no-notes speech-making and agility on social media have won plaudits, including from a usually sceptical press. Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
HIV prevention drug could reduce cases globally but USAID cuts prevent access, say experts
Injectable PrEP drug holds promise but investment in HIV prevention has declined dramatically worldwide Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email New innovations in HIV prevention could dramatically reduce the number of new HIV cases around the globe, but US foreign aid cuts will mean that those that most need the new medication will be unable to access it, according to experts at the Aids 2026 Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . One year ago, the World Health Organization recommended that governments around the world prioritize expanded access to lenacapavir, an injectable version of the HIV prevention medication PrEP that requires only two injections annually. PrEP, which also comes in the form of daily oral medications and bimonthly injections, is 99% effective in preventing sexually transmitted HIV for people who take it consistently. Continue reading...
Martin Rowson on Andy Burnham’s plans for care reform – cartoon
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India’s monsoon in danger as El Niño predicted to bring hot and dry global conditions, experts warn
El Niño forecast to strengthen from August to October, resulting in higher temperatures and more extreme weather India’s monsoon is in danger and hotter, drier conditions are forecast across much of the world as a stronger El Niño weather system is taking hold, weather experts have warned. The El Niño system will strengthen from August to October, which will bring higher temperatures globally, with increasing rainfall in some regions while other suffer drought, according to new data and forecasts released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Friday. Continue reading...
‘It’s OK to mess around’: how ‘mop man’ stole the show at Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games
CJ Miller from West Lothian has delighted global audiences with ‘sheer stupidity’ of his half-time dances The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have already provided plenty of highlights. But fans across the world have been dazzled by one particular breakout star: the “mop man”. When a cleaner came out at half-time during a netball match to wipe down the court before the restart, everything appeared normal. But as the cleaner swept, and the first bars of Queen’s I Want to Break Free rang out in the venue, he went from sweeping to a standing split. Continue reading...
Hamas agrees to Trump’s plan to disarm in Gaza – The Latest
Donald Trump has declared a breakthrough in negotiations over the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, but Israeli government officials have voiced scepticism over the deal. Lucy Hough speaks to Julian Borger, the Guardian’s senior international correspondent – watch on YouTube Continue reading...
Can Trump’s Hamas disarmament plan work and will Israel agree to withdraw from Gaza? - The Latest
Donald Trump has declared a breakthrough in negotiations over the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, but IsraelI government officials have voiced scepticism over the deal. Lucy Hough speaks to Julian Borger, the Guardian’s senior international correspondent Continue reading...
Boss of £300m used-car firm was ousted after ‘orchestrated plan’ by investors, judge rules
Multimillionaire Peter Waddell is also found to have been properly dismissed from Big Motoring World for gross misconduct A multimillionaire used-car salesman was ousted from his £300m company after “a pre-conceived and orchestrated plan” devised by private equity investors that had backed his business, a high court judge has ruled. Peter Waddell, 60, was forced out as the chief executive of the Kent-based dealership Big Motoring World in 2024 in a coup that resulted in “more-or-less open warfare” at the car seller and caused “unfair prejudice” to the investment company that held Waddell’s majority stake. Continue reading...
Ayami Sato, the greatest pitcher in women’s baseball, is ready for her American debut
A six-time world champion and three-time World Cup MVP, Japan’s Ayami Sato joins the new Women’s Professional Baseball League hoping to help build the sport’s future When Ayami Sato takes the mound as the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Queens on Saturday, it will be the culmination of a professional career that has spanned 16 years and three countries. The right-handed hurler is largely considered the best pitcher in the history of women’s baseball. She has the awards and experience to prove it, and now she’s taking on America when she makes her debut in the Women’s Professional Baseball League, the first pro women’s baseball league in the United States since the 1950s. Even though most Americans tuning into the WPBL may not have heard of her, Sato’s resume speaks for itself. Sato’s fastball has been clocked at nearly 80mph and her curveball has a devastating spin rate that is higher than many Major League Baseball pitchers. As a member of the Japan National Team since 2010, Sato has won six gold medals. She is the only player in Women’s Baseball World Cup history to win three consecutive MVP awards. As a member of the now-defunct Japan’s Women’s Baseball League, Sato led the league in strikeouts in three of the last four seasons. And most recently, in 2024 she became the first woman to play pro baseball in Canada as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Intercounty Baseball League. Continue reading...
Healey sets budget for late October, promising to ‘spread money and power’ around UK
Chancellor will have to find money for Burnham’s policies while sticking to fiscal rules as borrowing costs rise Andy Burnham’s government has set a date for a late October budget to “spread money and power” out of Westminster as the new prime minister pushes forward his tax and spending plans. Announcing an autumn budget for 28 October, the chancellor, John Healey , said Labour would stick to its fiscal rules with its agenda to give businesses and households stability for the future. Continue reading...
How does MLS pick up the World Cup mantle? Casemiro helps, but it’ll take much more
The World Cup gave MLS unprecedented momentum. Keeping it will depend less on signing aging icons than convincing America’s best young players to stay “Thanks World, we’ll take it from here,” is Major League Soccer’s message to the American public. Yet two moves in the last week were emblematic of the issues the league faces in taking on the mantle of North America’s hosting of the game’s grandest stage. A rising, under-the-radar homegrown player left for Europe, and a veteran with immense pedigree arrived, likely to close out his career. Sebastian Berhalter’s swapped title-chasing Vancouver Whitecaps for Middlesbrough of the EFL Championship. Free agent Brazil legend Casemiro traded Manchester’s Old Trafford for Nu Stadium in Miami. Continue reading...
NSW should compensate elderly woman whose public housing was inundated with sewage, ombudsman finds
Ombudsman finds Homes NSW acted unreasonably and recommended additional payment for distress and suffering Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An elderly public housing tenant whose home was damaged by sewage overflows will be fully compensated by the New South Wales government after it disposed of her personal belongings without her consent and failed to properly support her insurance claim. The NSW Ombudsman on Friday published its report after an investigation in which it found Homes NSW acted unreasonably in how it handled the tenant’s contaminated belongings and “failed to provide full and accurate information to the insurer”. Continue reading...
These boots are the safest for US wildland firefighters. Fewer and fewer can afford them
The handcrafted leather boots are a century-old tradition – but with money tight, the cost of up to $800 is harder to justify For 18 years, one of the most important relationships in Luke Mayfield’s life was with his boots. As a hotshot – one of the US’s elite firefighting crews sent deep, on foot, into wildfires – Mayfield hiked a thousand miles a fire season in his boots, stood in them 16 hours a day and slept near them on assignments that lasted weeks in terrain no truck could reach. Like every wildland firefighter, he learned the rituals of their upkeep: how to grease them, how to lace them, how soon before the season to break in a new pair so the blisters came during training instead of on duty. Continue reading...
Trump defends $1.8bn slush fund that is holding up Todd Blanche confirmation
President calls for former personal defense lawyer to be ‘immediately approved’ as attorney general Donald Trump has defended controversial plans for a $1.8bn slush fund even as they threaten to derail the nomination of his former personal lawyer Todd Blanche for US attorney general. Blanche “should be immediately approved” by the US Senate, the president declared in a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday morning, defending the payout scheme proposed by his officials in the Department of Justice as it holds up Blanche’s confirmation. Continue reading...
Iran strikes tankers under US escort in Hormuz strait as Trump gathers cabinet to discuss war
Energy prices have soared again since fighting between US and Iran resumed two weeks ago as conflict spreads across Middle East Middle East crisis live – latest updates Iran said it struck two tankers trying to pass through the strait of Hormuz under the escort of the US military, as Donald Trump gathered his cabinet at to discuss the stalling war and rising prices as midterm election in the US loom. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said they had hit two tankers trying to pass through the strait on Friday. Continue reading...
Second police official in St Paul alleges sexual harassment by mayor
Kaohly Her is accused of inappropriate conduct and creating a ‘sexualized work environment’ by senior officials US politics live – latest updates A second senior police official in St Paul has alleged sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct by the Minnesota city’s Democratic mayor, Kaohly Her, following confirmation that an inquiry into her behavior was launched earlier this year. The new claims were reported on Thursday by the Minnesota Star Tribune, which said it obtained further details of the mayor’s alleged actions that gave rise to the original complaint by Axel Henry, the police chief of St Paul. Continue reading...
Here comes the alt-bride: wedding gowns enter a more experimental era
Celebrities including Charli xcx and Gabbriette and avant-garde brands honour tradition while also rejecting it If a wedding day brings to mind a bride dressed in a big white dress, the styles coming down the aisle in the near future may strike you as a little different. Whether it is through celebrity references, or new brands, wedding gowns are entering a more experimental era. For Charli xcx’s marriage to the 1975 drummer George Daniel last year, the bride wore a minidress and sunglasses . Continue reading...
Two men to file wrongful arrest lawsuit over Nancy Guthrie disappearance case
Move seeking $3.25m in damages six months after mother of Today show host Savannah Guthrie was last seen safe Two men questioned early in the search for NBC’s Today Show host Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother said they will file a $3.25m wrongful arrest lawsuit against the sheriff who detained them, as the investigation passes the six-month mark this weekend. Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen safe while at her Tucson, Arizona, home on 1 February. Authorities, including the FBI, believe she was kidnapped. But despite a number of leads and blood spatters at the house, no further trace of her has been found, and no suspects have emerged. Continue reading...