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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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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...
Daughter of British couple killed in Spanish wildfire rejects claim they ignored order to leave
Exclusive: Danielle Kirton calls on Ed Miliband to help her get answers about why evacuation order came too late The bereaved daughter of a British couple who died in a Spanish wildfire is calling on Ed Miliband to get answers from Spain’s government about why her parents were not told to evacuate until it was too late. Severe wildfires have burned across Spain and France since early July, killing people, destroying thousands of homes and forcing more than 300,000 people to flee. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham calls on Infantino to resign over ‘outrageous’ World Cup plans
UK prime minister is the first head of a major nation to call on the under-pressure Fifa president to step down UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham has called on the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino , to resign over his “outrageous” plans to sell a stake in the World Cup. Infantino faces growing pressure over his proposals, which triggered a backlash among major football bodies and prompted the resignation on Friday of a key advisor. Continue reading...
Drifting SpaceX rocket heading for accidental collision with moon
Scientists and sky gazers will watch intently as rocket’s upper stage slams into lunar surface on Wednesday A drifting SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the moon after launching a pair of lunar landers more than a year ago. The rocket’s upper stage will unintentionally slam into the moon on Wednesday, carving out a crater and sending up a plume of dust and rubble that scientists – and sky gazers – are eager to observe. Continue reading...
State department to offer Trump-branded US passports to Americans outside Washington DC
Passports with the president’s portrait, previously only available in DC, will be offered at 27 agencies nationwide US politics live – latest updates Americans outside the nation’s capital will soon be able to get limited-edition passports that feature a picture of Donald Trump and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the state department announced. The department’s 27 passport agencies nationwide will start offering the special travel documents next month. They previously had only been available at the Washington DC passport office for in-person applicants. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham signals he will scrap plans to curb jury trials
Prime minister says he has ‘concerns’ about one of most significant overhauls of Keir Starmer’s government UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham has indicated he will scrap plans to curtail jury trials in England and Wales, abandoning one of the most significant overhauls of Keir Starmer’s government. The prime minister said he had “concerns” about the proposals and that his “instincts” were to keep juries at the heart of the justice system. Continue reading...
A World Cup with no participants – it could be Gianni Infantino’s boldest move yet | Marina Hyde
You’ve got to admire the Fifa president’s chutzpah in trying to flog off football’s greatest prize. If only Uefa wasn’t being so pesky about it all Imagine a plan so distasteful that even the Americans and a Middle Eastern nepo-royal football boss can’t be doing with it. Such is the status of Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s scheme to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors . More historically, perhaps, the 55 nations that make up Uefa have reacted to this horror show by voting unanimously to boycott Fifa tournaments , including World Cups, if Infantino presses ahead. That would mean Spain and Portugal boycotting their own men’s World Cup next time around, which you’d think – not to call it too soon – would come off as slightly bad vibes. A testing moment, then, for the haunted cue-ball. Again. Can it really already be time to turn to Infantino once more, even after he appeared in this spot only on Tuesday , after his 15-page Instagram crash-out about his haters? Yes. Yes, I’m afraid it can. Demanding the federations of the world sell off the World Cup to some fund led by Donald Trump’s son-in-law’s brother will regrettably draw attention to you in ways that will prove difficult to control. As indicated, the Fifa president’s plan has contrived to appear vulgar to the North American confederation, Concacaf, as well as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
UK petrol price hits Iran war high, adding to pressure on households
Average pump price reaches 160p a litre, while diesel is up 14.5p to 179p and forecast to go to 185p soon Business live – latest updates The price of petrol has hit a new Iran War high at UK forecourts, adding to the financial pressure on millions of households about to embark on their annual holiday. The RAC said that in “very unwelcome news for drivers” the average pump price had reached 160p a litre, reversing the drop down to 151p in early July that followed the announcement of a fragile Middle East ceasefire . Continue reading...
Hull funeral director who left bodies to rot in mortuary jailed for 20 years
More than 80 loved ones spoke of horrors of learning about Robert Bush’s crimes, including mother of a miscarried baby A funeral director has been jailed for 20 years for leaving dozens of bodies – including a miscarried baby – “rotting” in his mortuary and giving bereaved families the wrong ashes. Robert Bush, the owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Services in Hull, pleaded guilty to 67 offences spanning 12 years and affecting hundreds of families, including 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial. Continue reading...
Top Democrats accuse Republicans of becoming ‘gelatinous blobs’ on Iran war | First Thing
Senators Warren and Van Hollen attack Republican ‘rubber stamps’ in Congress for surrendering authority to Trump. Plus, could AI take your job? Some workers in China already know the answer Good morning. Senior Democrats accused Republicans in the US Congress of becoming “gelatinous blobs” who will not stand up to Donald Trump and “rubber stamps” for his war on Iran. What else is happening in Washington? Trump has said a deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza. However, briefings from both sides exposed disputes over its implementation that could prove difficult to overcome. What has Blanche said? Blanche has already said publicly that the payout fund to compensate victims of so-called government weaponization is not moving forward amid bipartisan backlash. But Cornyn and Tillis had sought assurances in writing, something Blanche has refused to do. Cornyn also sought to clarify the terms of the tax immunity portion of the agreement. Continue reading...
Trump to meet cabinet at Camp David as Iran war drags on – US politics live
President grapples with finding a resolution to Middle East conflict that has pushed up gasoline prices ahead of vital midterm elections Sign up for the US Breaking News email Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. President Donald Trump will convene a cabinet meeting later today at his Camp David retreat as he grapples with how to resolve his war against Iran. President Donald Trump has said he may pull Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney-general until senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis leave office. The Republicans have demanded written assurances about the settlement of the president’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. Cornyn recently lost the GOP primary in Texas and Tillis is not seeking reelection. The US Senate narrowly rejected a largely symbolic effort to check Donald Trump ’s war in Iran, as a war powers resolution directing the president to end hostilities failed in a 49-50 vote. The House Democratic Women’s Caucus called on Thursday for an ethics committee investigation of Republican congressman Max Miller , a former Trump aide who has been accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife and former girlfriend. New polling commissioned by Fox News shows Texas Democrat James Talarico narrowly ahead of the state’s Trump-backed Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton , in their contest for a seat in the US Senate . Continue reading...
Huge great white spotted traveling up US and Canada as shark sightings surge
Contender, largest tagged male great white, heading north as overheating oceans alter range of several shark species The largest tagged male great white shark in the Atlantic Ocean has been identified traveling up the US and Canada coastline amid a surge in sightings of sharks that are increasingly shifting their movement patterns due to the overheating of the oceans. The great white shark, named Contender, is nearly 14ft long and weighs more than 1,650lbs. The hulking fish has been pinged in several locations off North Carolina and Maine as he headed north for the summer, with Contender’s last known location located off Nova Scotia in Canada on 11 July. Continue reading...
I’m a Haitian TPS holder. 350,000 of us hold our breath as Congress decides our future | Josianne Valsaint
Temporary protected status allowed me to rebuild my life. Now thousands like me help keep this country running Right now, across the country, there are more than 330,000 Haitians collectively holding their breath over the future of lifesaving immigration protections provided through Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Three hundred and fifty thousand is a big, meaningful number – but for many, it’s still just a number. In the case of Donald Trump and his supporters in Congress, the number of lives at stake has mattered little. Trump has been incessant in his efforts to eliminate TPS for Haitians. In doing so, he’s broken with a bipartisan tradition dating back to 1990 of prioritizing the safety of people from other countries who cannot return home because of dangerous conditions. And it’s how he’s done it, too: without consideration for the ongoing violence , civil unrest , lack of infrastructure, and political instability in Haiti. But what Trump has also failed to acknowledge are the lives built here by that same huge number of people. Continue reading...
Archbishop of Canterbury vows to support £100m pledge helping communities affected by enslavement
During her first visit to Ghana, Dame Sarah Mullally expressed regret and said the controversial fund symbolises the Christian belief in repentance At a former British castle where thousands of enslaved Africans were held before being shipped across the Atlantic, the archbishop of Canterbury expressed “lament” for the Church of England’s involvement in transatlantic chattel slavery and reaffirmed her commitment to a controversial £100m fund for affected communities. Dame Sarah Mullally made the comments on Thursday during a visit to the Cape Coast castle, a 17th-century fortress that was built by Swedish traders, but occupied by the Danish and the Dutch, before the British seized it in 1664. Continue reading...
Chinese super embassy in London gets go ahead after High Court challenge is dismissed
The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association had challenged the decision to grant planning permission Construction of a new Chinese super embassy in London can go ahead after the High Court dismissed a challenge to the government’s decision to grant planning permission. The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association (RMCRA) brought legal action against the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the London borough of Tower Hamlets. Continue reading...
AOC 2028: could she be the first female US president? | Politics Weekly America
Leftwing Democrats are having their political moment in the sun, with Zohran Mamdani in New York, Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and the endless calls for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president in 2028. Has Democratic socialism shifted from the political fringe to the mainstream? And can this group lure back the all-important swing voters? Jonathan Freedland speaks to Bhaskar Sunkara , the president of the Nation magazine, founding editor of Jacobin and author of The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality Continue reading...
Can Andy Burnham turn a flying start into sustained success?
Labour has regained the lead in polling but the new PM will need to widen his appeal further to win a general election Andy Burnham has spent his first two weeks as prime minister in a blitz of hyperactivity. Bus fares, business rates, energy bill cuts, defence, Ukraine and devolution – he has been everywhere. But at his speech on Wednesday at Jewish Care in north London, there was a stark reminder of how much even the most energetic prime minister can cut through. Continue reading...
‘It ain’t the same’: inside the bitter battle to free Ben & Jerry’s
Ben Cohen says his ice cream company has been silenced by corporate ownership – and a boycott of Magnum brands could force a sale Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the tub is still great, but the brand’s newest chocolate-covered ice cream bar on a stick? “It ain’t the same,” Ben Cohen, the company co-founder, told the Guardian. Sure, the chocolate coating is still thick enough, but the ice cream itself is “kinda fluffy”, Cohen said – an insult in the ice cream world that suggests extra air was added to cut costs. Continue reading...
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana charged with attacking prison staff
Rudakubana, serving life sentence for murders of three girls at dance event in 2024, charged with multiple assaults The Southport killer Axel Rudakubana serving life in prison for the murders of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in 2024 has been charged with multiple assaults on prison staff, police have said. On 29 July 2024, Rudakubana, then 17, launched a frenzied knife attack in Southport, north-west England, killing Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. Continue reading...
World-renowned climber Nirmal Purja among 10 struck by avalanche on Pakistan mountain
Rescuers say four bodies found in search for team caught in Broad Peak avalanche, after trackers showed rapid descent The world-renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja – a former British Special Forces member – is among 10 climbers caught in a deadly avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak. Rescuers on Friday said four bodies had been found and efforts were under way to retrieve them despite the harsh weather. Two of the dead have been identified: Pur Bahadur Gurung, a Nepali citizen, and Nadhira Alharthy, who was the first Omani to climb Everest. Continue reading...
Will Burnham fix our barbaric prisons – or cave to rightwing populism? The answer is a tragedy | Simon Jenkins
England and Wales’s prisons are overcrowded, drug-infested and barbaric. Labour has halted a once-in-a-generation effort to change that sorry state Andy Burnham’s “pausing” of the Starmer government’s prisoner release scheme and the resignation of its architect, James Timpson , are disasters. They indicate a Downing Street that puts populism ahead of policy. England and Wales’s prisons are a total disgrace. Timpson was the first justice minister in 15 years prepared to handle them. Now he has gone. Although he said it had been an “honour” to serve in the government, it is reasonable to assume he resigned in disgust. In August 2024 , the prison population in England and Wales hit a record high. The following March, a savage report from the public accounts committee warned that prisons, already full to bursting, could not cope with such numbers and would overflow by the start of 2026. Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Infantino increasingly embattled after senior adviser resigns over World Cup sell-off plans
Infantino’s role as president under increasing pressure 143 of Fifa’s 211 members now stand against scheme Gianni Infantino’s authority has been dealt a fresh blow after Carlos Cordeiro, one of his senior advisers, resigned with immediate effect in protest at proposals to sell a stake in the World Cup. In the latest embarrassment for Infantino, who saw European FAs threaten to boycott future Fifa tournaments on Thursday, the former US Soccer chief Cordeiro criticised “a bad deal for football” and pointed out that the global governing body already sits on huge amounts of debt-free reserves. Continue reading...