section
Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
3685 stories archived
Licence to drill? How a Trump-linked Texas oil company is elbowing its way into Greenland
Greenland Energy says billions of barrels of crude lie beneath territory and claims it has exploration permits – a claim flatly denied by Nuuk On 10 June, a snowy-haired American in his 60s addressed the residents of a remote Greenland hamlet. He was there to tell them about a business venture supported by figures linked to Donald Trump. “So,” Robert Price said via an interpreter, “we have a project to drill for oil here.” The Texas oil company that Price represents, Greenland Energy, hopes to prove that billions of barrels of crude lie underground by bringing in 300 shipping containers of drilling kit. Continue reading...
LGBTQ+ cruise ship refused entry to Egypt days after Turkey turned it away
Scarlet Lady’s 2,000 passengers informed of change as one of those onboard pledges to ‘sparkle and spend elsewhere’ A LGBTQ+ cruise ship blocked from Turkish waters earlier this week has been refused entry into Egypt. The Scarlet Lady’s 2,000 passengers, including the Broadway performer Patti LuPone , woke on Thursday morning to find a note placed under their cabin doors informing them that the ship was urgently looking for alternative ports. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham urged to scrap income tax and NI in radical fiscal overhaul
Economists including Jim O’Neill write an open letter calling for a single levy to replace six major taxes Prominent economists including Andy Burnham ally Jim O’Neill, are urging him to pursue radical tax and spending reform, to “unlock the gridlock that plagues the country”. O’Neill joins Jonathan Portes, economics professor at Kings College London, and Danny Sriskandarajah, chief executive of the New Economics Foundation, in calling for bold action in an open letter. Continue reading...
Republicans ask WNBA to protect Caitlin Clark from possible ‘racially motivated’ attacks
Clark has been on the end of hard fouls during career Black players routinely receive racist abuse in WNBA Eleven Republican politicians have written to the WNBA asking the league to protect Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark from “multiple attacks” on court. Clark has been on the receiving end of hard fouls since she entered the league in 2024 after a stellar college career with Iowa. Recently, the Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas hit Clark in the throat during a game. Thomas was not called for a foul at the time but the WNBA later suspended her for one game. Thomas and her family received racist abuse and death threats after the incident. Continue reading...
Species’ ingenious survival strategies no match for human destruction, red list reveals
Newly endangered animals include desert frogs and snails in extreme ocean depths, both threatened by mining Life has colonised every corner of the planet by evolving ingenious survival strategies but these are increasingly being overwhelmed by destructive human activities, this year’s red list of endangered species has revealed. Many snails, limpets and clams have adapted to life at crushing depths in the oceans on hydrothermal vents where water temperatures can reach 450C (842F). But an assessment for the red list found that two-thirds of the hundreds of mollusc species found only on deep sea vents were at risk of extinction because of deep-sea mining . Continue reading...
MPs urge Labour to ditch £330m Palantir software contract with NHS
Cross-party group backs call last month from science and technology committee to look at alternative options A second parliamentary committee has urged Labour to scrap Palantir’s £330m contract with the NHS, increasing pressure on the next prime minister over government deals with the controversial US tech company. MPs on the health and social care select committee want the NHS to cut ties with Palantir and find a replacement for its system, which is supposed to unify and analyse huge amounts of often highly sensitive NHS health data. Continue reading...
First Thing: Second day of US strikes on Iran as Trump says Tehran ‘behaving very badly’
Explosions reported in southern Iran in most extensive exchange of fire since interim ceasefire. Plus the complicated legacy of beat poet Allen Ginsberg Good morning. The US military carried out strikes on Iran for a second day , hours after President Donald Trump said an interim agreement to end the war was “over”. Iranian state media reported explosions in the port city of Bandar Abbas in the strait of Hormuz; in Sirik, another southern coastal city; and the south-western Bushehr province, home to Iran’s nuclear-power-plant complex. US Central Command confirmed the strikes. On Tuesday, three cargo ships transiting the strait of Hormuz were attacked, leading to the most extensive exchange of fire between the two sides since the interim deal was signed last month. At the Nato summit in Ankara yesterday, Trump said: “Anything that happens is going to happen very fast” and that the latest strikes would not result in “long-term” military action. “They are behaving very badly,” Trump said, accusing Iran of launching drones and a missile at ships. What are the economic impacts of the renewed hostilities? US stock markets fell on Wednesday, and Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, jumped more than 5% to crest $80 a barrel. The International Monetary Fund lowered its global economic growth forecast to 3%, citing conflict in the Middle East. Jorge León, the head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy, said : “Tanker traffic through the strait of Hormuz has essentially stopped, which tells you more about risk perception right now than any statement from Washington or Tehran.” Who could replace Platner? Maine Democrats have until 27 July to select a replacement to face Susan Collins in a race widely seen as pivotal to control of the Senate. The state party said it would hold a nominating convention to pick a new candidate. Troy Jackson, Janet Mills, Valli Geiger and Shenna Bellows are among the names in the frame – with Joseph Gedeon profiling them and assessing their prospects in this piece . Continue reading...
US in talks with Fifa over capitalising on World Cup success with 2029 Club World Cup
US officials have held talks with Fifa over tournament Unclear whether White House has been involved The United States has expressed interest in hosting the 2029 Club World Cup as it seeks to capitalise on the commercial and sporting success of staging the World Cup. Fifa has held talks with US officials about its plans for 2029, but the World Cup co-hosts have yet to commit to a bid because the details of the selection process have not been confirmed. Continue reading...
Invest in Britain or I’ll force you to, minister tells pension funds
Business secretary Peter Kyle says asset managers should feel a patriotic duty to make the UK a success Business live – latest updates The business secretary, Peter Kyle , has warned UK pension funds to “get off their high horses” and invest in Britain or be forced to do so by law. Expressing frustration at the level of investment in British companies after years of government initiatives, Kyle said the UK’s biggest asset managers “should feel a patriotic duty in making Britain a success”. Continue reading...
Mosque effigy on loyalist bonfire in Northern Ireland condemned as ‘vile’
Amnesty calls pyre – due to be burned on Friday in Moygashel – ‘blatant attempt to stir up anti-Muslim hatred’ A loyalist bonfire in Northern Ireland featuring an effigy of a mosque has been condemned as an incitement to hatred. The effigy sits atop a tower of pallets that is to be burned on Friday night in the County Tyrone village of Moygashel as part of wider loyalist commemorations. Placards beneath the display read “secure our borders” and “end the threat of radical Islam”. Continue reading...
Wimbledon 2026: Muchova v Gauff, Kostyuk v Noskova semi-final updates – live
Updates from Thursday’s semi-final action in SW19 Wimbledon Q&A with Tumaini Carayol | Mail Katy In the meantime: if you’ve got any questions for our tennis correspondent Tumaini Carayol – from Fery’s ridiculous run to predictions for the final weekend and whether Britain (Fery aside) is underachieving in the game – he’s online right now: Hello! And welcome to women’s semi-finals day, where it’s a case of no Sabalenka, no Rybakina, no Swiatek, no Andreeva, absolutely no problem, because we’ve got two absorbing match-ups: Coco Gauff v Karolina Muchova and Marta Kostyuk v Linda Noskova. Continue reading...
US and Iran trade most intense strikes since ceasefire extended
At least 14 people killed in Iran in overnight attacks as Trump declares the agreement ‘over’ Middle East crisis live – latest updates The US launched airstrikes against Iran overnight on Thursday, killing at least 14 people, while Tehran responded by hitting Gulf countries in the most intense exchange of fire since a shaky ceasefire was extended last month. The tit-for-tat strikes on Thursday were the largest since Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding on 17 June aimed at extending the ceasefire and giving space for negotiations for a permanent truce. Continue reading...
Brian Potter, British songwriter behind hits for Glen Campbell, Take That and more, dies aged 87
Versatile Essex-born hitmaker known for Rhinestone Cowboy, It Only Takes a Minute and many more had been living with Alzheimer’s disease Brian Potter, one of the most versatile and successful British producers and songwriters of his generation, has died aged 87. He had been living with Alzheimer’s disease in recent years, his daughter told Billboard. Working with American songwriting partner Dennis Lambert, the Essex-born Potter was behind an astounding array of 1970s hits spanning pop, soul, soft rock, country and beyond. The best-known include Glen Campbell’s Rhinestone Cowboy, a US No 1 in 1975; It Only Takes a Minute, a barnstorming disco hit for Tavares and later Take That; Player’s super-smooth Baby Come Back, another US No 1; and Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got), one of the biggest hits for soul-poppers the Four Tops. Continue reading...
EU’s ‘unpleasant and dangerous’ border checks need overhaul, says Greek airports boss
Airports have had to use gazebos to shield passengers from sun as they wait to be processed, says Alexander Zinell The boss of 14 Greek airports has called for a serious overhaul of the EU’s new border checks, after being forced to erect gazebos for passengers to cope with queues. The chief executive of Fraport Greece, Alexander Zinell, joined a growing chorus of critics calling out “fundamental flaws” in the entry-exit system (EES), which requires non-EU passengers to have their fingerprints and photo taken at the start of the their trip and verified every time they leave or re-enter the Schengen zone. Continue reading...
‘His legacy is cringe’: how Charlie Kirk became a punchline among the young - even his supporters
Crude memes of the Maga luminary are exploding online – less than a year after conservatives were suppressing any slander against him Ten months since his assassination, Charlie Kirk’s name and likeness are still proliferating online. Just not the way the far-right activist would have wanted. Audio of the gunshot that killed him has become a TikTok meme, as have ironic reposts of the apparent AI-slop song We Are Charlie Kirk, which was originally created as a posthumous tribute. He was the butt of a crude joke during the Netflix roast of Hollywood star Kevin Hart in May. The next month, a viral tweet encouraged people to take “a shot” in his honor on Juneteenth. And a trend known as “Kirkification” has emerged, in which internet pranksters superimpose his face on to unlikely images, such as the Mona Lisa , a woman in a bikini, or Jeffrey Epstein . Continue reading...
Labour MPs to rebel on political funding reforms, demanding tougher measures
Exclusive: Demands include ban on cryptocurrency donations after controversies over Nigel Farage funding UK politics live – latest updates Labour MPs are to rebel next week over the government’s reforms to political funding, pushing ministers to introduce tougher measures including a ban on cryptocurrency donations and much lower spending limits. MPs on the all-party, anti-corruption group are canvassing support for four amendments to the representation of the people bill that would significantly tighten the government’s plans. Continue reading...
US chemical accidents rising as Trump rolls back protections, report finds
Deaths and injuries up as critics condemn administration’s ‘appalling’ plan to gut federal disaster management system The number of US chemical accidents is rising just as the Trump administration guts protections against the disasters, a new analysis of federal data by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer) non-profit found. The report found the number of chemical accidents, explosions, fires and other emergencies that release chemicals into the atmosphere was up by at least 51% since 2021. Deaths and injuries were up at least 20%. Continue reading...
Sharp rise in domestic abusers using finances for coercion, UK charities say
Refuge reports ‘staggering’ 78% annual increase in referrals for cases of technology-facilitated or economic abuse Domestic abuse charities have reported a “staggering” increase in perpetrators using technology and finances to control their victims, with a “concerning” rise in people being coerced into car finance agreements. Data from Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse charity, reveals a 78% rise in referrals for cases of technology-facilitated or economic abuse in the past year. Continue reading...
Extreme temperatures causing rise in heatstroke among pets, UK vets warn
Experts say most cases used to be seen in pets after exertion or being left in cars, but they are now being affected at rest Extreme temperatures are causing heatstroke in pets even when they are restricted to homes and gardens, vets have warned, as parts of the UK enter a third heatwave of the year . Experts say that in the past cases of heatstroke in pets typically occurred when owners walked their dogs in the heat of the day or left them in a hot car, but cases are now being seen in animals resting at home. Continue reading...
Maine Democrats plan convention to replace scandal-hit Platner – US politics live
Senate pick announced his withdrawal in angry video accusing party and media of acting as ‘judge, jury and executioner’ Sign up for the Breaking News US email Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. The Maine Democratic party has voted to hold a convention after its Senate pick Graham Platner withdrew from the race following accusations of sexual assault. Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would ask the US supreme court to reconsider its ruling that the 14th amendment to the US constitution guarantees birthright citizenship in light of what he described as shocking new evidence: a hospital in Texas advertising its services to expectant mothers in Mexico on a pair of billboards. “Signs and Billboards are being put up all over our Southern Border, and Mexico, advertising BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP, with ‘Deliveries starting at $4000’, the president wrote on his social media platform, in what appeared to be a wild exaggeration of a Fox News report on just two billboards. Donald Trump flew from Turkey to England onboard the older Air Force One on Wednesday, rather than the new, Qatari-gifted aircraft he used to travel to the Nato summit in Ankara, an unexpected change in plans that prompted questions about security fears. Trump later boarded the new plane at Mildenhall air force base in the United Kingdom for the trip back to Washington. Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s World Cup taskforce, has defended Donald Trump’s lobbying of Fifa to lift the suspension of US player Folarin Balogun for Monday’s game against Belgium. The US president claimed that Brazilian referee Raphael Claus , who showed Balogun a red card in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, was “a little bit suspect, if you check his past”. US stock markets fell on Wednesday as the US continued strikes on Iran and the Federal Reserve flagged concerns that would warrant higher interest rates. Donald Trump’s declaration at the Nato summit in Ankara that the Iran-US ceasefire is over sent oil prices sharply higher on Wednesday. Brent crude, the global benchmark, jumped more than 5% to crest $80 a barrel. A Manhattan federal court judge on Wednesday ordered the release of the more than $5m Donald Trump owes E Jean Carroll following her successful 2023 sexual abuse and defamation trial against him. Less than an hour after the judge issued his order, Trump filed paperwork indicating he was appealing the decision. Continue reading...
What is cyclosporiasis, the parasitic illness causing ‘explosive’ diarrhea?
Illness surging in Michigan and other US states is rarely life-threatening, CDC says – but it can have severe effects Cases of cyclosporiasis – a parasitic illness that can cause “explosive”, watery diarrhea – have surged across the United States in recent days, health officials have said, with an abnormally large outbreak of almost 1,000 cases reported in Michigan . Michigan typically reports about 50 cases a year, making the current outbreak the largest in the state’s history and one of the nation’s biggest in recent years. Ohio has also reported a sharp increase, with 177 cases as of 2 July, since the CDC’s last count. Continue reading...
The US delivered their best modern World Cup performance – and also let themselves down
Mauricio Pochettino’s team delivered several thrilling performances on home soil. The way it ended was somewhat less exhilarating So now what? How are we supposed to think about this supposedly golden generation of the United States men’s national team who have fallen short of expectations at this World Cup on home soil? How do we come to terms with the sense that this team beat Paraguay 4-1 in their opener – the most impressive performance in the program’s history – but also lost dismally against Belgium by the same scoreline in the last 16? Leander Schaerlaeckens is the author of The Long Game: U.S. Men’s Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts , which is out now . He teaches at Marist University. Continue reading...
Why are we so obsessed with Taylor Swift’s wedding? | Dave Schilling
With marriage rates in decline, the appeal of a big wedding that we can live vicariously is stronger than ever Finally, after decades, I have something in common with Taylor Swift. It feels great to say that out loud, in public. No, I’m not famous, rich, particularly attractive, or a woman. I really, really can’t sing. Like, not even my karaoke is tolerable for human ears (dogs seem to be fine with it). No, our sole point of connection in the cosmic swirl of life is that we’ve both been married. I can’t compare this achievement to winning a Grammy or selling out Crypto.com Arena 16 times, but it has to be on the list somewhere. My wedding did not come close to the upwards of $50m floated by People Magazine as the cost of Swift’s. We got the venue for free because my wife’s family owned it, which is its own sort of privilege. Lena Dunham didn’t attend, but I certainly sent enough invites. Still, getting someone to agree to tolerate you “till death do you part” is no small feat. Did we get divorced three years later? Of course. I can’t believe she dealt with me even that long. Will Taylor and Travis Kelce beat our record? Depends on how often he forgets to put the toilet seat down in one of their numerous homes across the country . That guy just seems like the sort to make that mistake regularly. Don’t ask me how I came to this conclusion. I trust my own eyes. Dave Schilling is a Los Angeles-based writer and humorist Continue reading...
Trump immigration cuts could worsen US caregiver shortage, experts say
The loss of protections for Haitian and Syrian workers could worsen shortages of nurses, aides and home care workers The Trump administration may remove the temporary protected status (TPS) of Haitians and Syrians in the US, the US supreme court ruled in late June – a move that will worsen America’s growing caregiver shortage, experts say. The US is now experiencing its fastest increase in the aging population in more than a hundred years, and more than 20% of the US population will be 65 or older by 2030. But the population of caregivers has not grown at the same pace, leading to staffing shortages. Continue reading...