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Politics
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US stock markets fall amid Iran strikes and potential higher interest rates
Dow down 1.09%, or 500 points, as S&P 500 sees a small loss and tech-heavy Nasdaq rises slightly Middle East crisis live US stock markets fell on Wednesday as Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran was over and the Federal Reserve flagged concerns that would warrant higher interest rates. Trump’s comments on the Iran-US war at the Nato summit in Ankara sent oil prices sharply higher. Brent crude, the global benchmark, jumped more than 5% to crest $80 a barrel. US stocks fell in step, with the Dow down 1.09%, or 500 points, at closing Wednesday afternoon. The S&P 500 saw a small loss while the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose slightly. Global stocks had fallen earlier in the day, with the UK’s FTSE 100 down 1% as Japan’s Nikkei fell 2.1%. Continue reading...
US military launches fresh strikes on Iran – Middle East crisis live
Iranian state media report explosions in several locations hours after Donald Trump threatened further military action at Nato summit Iran’s IRNA is reporting power cuts in Chabahar after reports of explosions from the area. Tonight’s strikes come 24 hours after the US had launched strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets around the strait of Hormuz and revoked a temporary sanctions waiver for Tehran to export oil after Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Australia news live: Telstra warns of ‘secondary issue’ after yesterday’s network outage; trains in regional Victoria cancelled again
Carrier says some customers still can’t connect to triple zero on its network. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Public transport commuters in New South Wales and Victoria have been urged to plan ahead and seek alternative travel plans this morning as networks continue to be affected by yesterday’s Telstra outage. The NSW transport department said last night that passengers on Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink regional rail services “should expect flow-on impacts” and “plan ahead and check the latest service information before commencing their journey due to ongoing disruptions affecting rail operations”. Victorians have been advised “not to travel on V/Line services” if possible, with regional train services reduced to “a very limited coach service”. Metro rail services in both Sydney and Melbourne remain unaffected. Late last night, Telstra confirmed a secondary issue flowing on from yesterday’s widespread national mobile outage that affected calls, including triple zero. Continue reading...
Maddy Cusack did not want Sheffield United to know about talks with club’s former chaplain, inquest told
Dr Delroy Hall said Cusack struggled to juggle two jobs Cusack was found dead at her home in September 2023 The former club chaplain at Sheffield United has told an inquest into Maddy Cusack’s death that she repeatedly asked him not to inform the club that she had been speaking to him. Dr Delroy Hall volunteered in the role at Sheffield United from 2017 until November 2023, about two months after Cusack’s death on 20 September 2023. Hall told the court on Wednesday that he thought players would come to him to discuss problems as a “last resort”. Cusack spoke to him multiple times in August 2023, including specifically on 23 August, and Hall said she asked him three or four times: “Please don’t tell anyone I’m talking to you.” In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org , or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Fourth person killed by agents from Trump’s Memphis anticrime taskforce
Shooting death at an extended-stay motel is fourth officer-involved death since initiative began in September Federal agents killed a man at a Memphis motel Wednesday morning in a Drug Enforcement Administration operation with the Memphis Safe Task Force, the fourth officer-involved death since the anticrime initiative began in September. Donald Trump established the federal taskforce by executive order last year, amid a surge of troops and federal law enforcement agents to Democratic-run cities that he claimed were overrun with crime. All four of the deaths have occurred in the last two months. Continue reading...
White House’s World Cup head defends Trump lobbying Fifa over red card
Andrew Giuliani claims actions of referee Raphael Claus over US player Folarin Balogun ‘very, very highly suspicious’ 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 a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, was “a little bit suspect if you check his past”. This was apparently a reference to a match-fixing investigation by Brazil’s senate in 2024 that examined how referees were assigned to games but did not accuse Claus of wrongdoing. Continue reading...
Mahmood to close loophole blocking deportation of Rochdale grooming gang ringleader
Home secretary expected to amend Immigration Act but hurdles remain if Pakistan continues to refuse to take Shabir Ahmed back Shabana Mahmood is planning to change the law so the government can move towards deporting the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang. The home secretary is expected to amend the 1971 Immigration Act, which prevents Shabir Ahmed from being removed from Britain. Continue reading...
Police investigate £37,500 donation to Jenrick leadership campaign
Met confirms inquiry after elections watchdog referred allegations that donations in 2024 were from foreign source Police have launched an investigation into £37,500 of donations to Robert Jenrick’s campaign to become Conservative leader in 2024 after a referral from the elections watchdog. The Metropolitan police confirmed on Wednesday they were undertaking an inquiry after the Guardian revealed in April that they were assessing the evidence about donations to Jenrick, who has since joined Reform UK. Continue reading...
How social media is changing Wimbledon from eminent tournament to ‘bucket list’ event
From high-profile influencers to live ticket-queue tracking, some fear aggressive marketing is ruining championships From photos of influencers in crisp white linen dresses posing in front of floral displays at Centre Court to videos promising hacks to beat the queues and secure tickets, the hype around Wimbledon has never been bigger on Instagram and TikTok. The social media frenzy has caused concerns that Wimbledon is increasingly becoming a tourist event rather than a tennis tournament, overrun with influencers using the championship’s iconic aesthetic to build their profiles and attracting attenders more interested in dressing up and taking photos than watching the games. Continue reading...
Atmosphere in Iran remains highly charged after Ayatollah’s funeral and escalation of grievances with US
World is witnessing a turning point, says ministry spokesperson, as Iran seeks to assert independence amid rising tensions Before a foreign ministry press briefing at the Grand Hotel Tehran, the assembled reporters were asked to stand for the national anthem that duly blared from fuzzy speakers. At the podium, the ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, claimed the world was witnessing a turning point in the history of Shia Islam. A century from now, he claimed, the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be revered as a second Imam Hussain, the martyred grandson of the prophet Muhammad. Donald Trump, meanwhile, would be seen as a latterday Yazid, the tyrannical 7th century caliph. Continue reading...
Sabre-rattling to ‘tremendous love’: erratic Trump dominates final hours of Nato summit
Alliance leaders, who had feared the worst, will hail US president’s renewed support for article 5 as key victory An erratic and at times irascible Donald Trump has said he felt a “tremendous love” from western leaders at the Nato summit, only hours after lambasting them over their defence spending and not helping the US in attacking Iran. The US president’s mixed messaging dominated the final hours of the two-day gathering in Ankara, Turkey, beginning with him publicly calling Iran’s leadership scum and renewing his demand for control of Greenland . Continue reading...
Marine Le Pen ‘wants to talk politics’, but can she drown out the legal noise?
The French far-right leader’s presidential campaign is clouded in uncertainty under the shadow of an embezzlement conviction Marine Le Pen ’s decision to run for French president in 2027, despite her legal woes, has drawn comparisons from her opponents to Donald Trump. Just as the US president felt his voter base cared little about legal investigations against him, the French far-right leader shrugged off the leftwing protesters who shouted “criminal!” as she launched her presidential campaign at a market walkabout in western France on Wednesday. The previous day, an appeal court had upheld her conviction for the embezzlement of European parliament funds. Continue reading...
From menacing threats to comical misnomers: Donald Trump’s unlikely tale of love and darkness at Nato
US president veers from praising the alliance to threatening Iran and confusing world leaders’ names Having arrived at Nato ’s annual summit under a familiar cloud of resentment and grievance, Donald Trump ’s farewell message on Wednesday was an unlikely tale of love and darkness. Addressing journalists in the presence of his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy , the US president surprised everyone by directing his affections at an alliance he spent much of the previous day spewing bile over, citing the now well-worn gripe about Greenland, among others. Continue reading...
UK has ‘no future’ if it fails to act on ecosystem collapse threatening national security
MPs demand publication of full report that outlines catastrophic consequences amid concerns for food security Members of parliament have demanded full publication of an explosive report by the UK’s spy leaders that found the collapse of ecosystems overseas would have catastrophic consequences for the UK’s national security, warning that the UK has “no future” if the findings are not urgently acted on. Despite growing concerns for the UK’s food security, likely to be worsened by the third heatwave this summer currently afflicting the UK and swathes of the northern hemisphere, the government has refused to publish the full report, which has circulated among defence officials for more than a year. Continue reading...
Trump switches back to flying on older Air Force One for England trip instead of new Qatari jet
US president unexpectedly changes plans to fly to England after using Qatari-gifted aircraft to travel to Turkey Donald Trump will fly from Turkey to England aboard the older Air Force One, rather than the new, Qatari-gifted aircraft he used to travel to Turkey, an unexpected change in plans that prompted questions about security fears. Trump first announced the change in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, where he said that “to honor our brave men and women of the Military, we are sending the brand new, and truly spectacular, Air Force One to Mildenhall Air Force Base, in the United Kingdom, to give them a chance to tour the Aircraft”. Continue reading...
Reform’s Fleet Street ‘spoilers’: how party deploys tactic to get ahead of stories
Richard Tice’s NCA leak claims in the Telegraph would not be the first time Reform has used a more sympathetic outlet UK politics live – latest updates Late on Tuesday afternoon, as the British media was absorbing Nigel Farage’s shock decision to hold a byelection amid scrutiny over his finances , his Reform UK party supplied the Telegraph with a different story. The article revealed that Richard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, had accused the National Crime Agency (NCA) of leaking financial information to the media. Both he and Farage had been the subject of the claimed leaks, Tice said. Continue reading...
Pierpaolo Piccioli’s couture debut reimagines Balenciaga in his own colourful image
Italian designer brings sculptural silhouettes and playful palettes to storied house, while it is hats off to Giorgio’s niece at her second Armani Privé show The house of Balenciaga takes haute couture very seriously indeed. Cristóbal Balenciaga was so horrified by the rise of mass-produced clothes that in 1968 he abruptly shuttered his brand and retired to his native Spain, announcing that “high fashion is mortally wounded”. So Pierpaolo Piccioli, who now helms the house , approached the brief of his first Balenciaga couture collection conscientiously, despite having 25 years of experience at Valentino. At a preview, the haute couture war room where he worked on the show for nine months was plastered with images that ranged from a 1961 Balenciaga dress to Spanish golden age art – Zurbarán’s chic saints, Velázquez’s doll-like infantas – and a monumental Hepworth pierced megalith. Continue reading...
Former Wisconsin judge spared prison for obstructing ICE arrest of immigrant
Hannah Dugan was fined $5,000 for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade ICE agents A former Wisconsin judge who was convicted of felony obstruction for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has been spared prison. A federal judge on Wednesday instead fined Judge Hannah Dugan $5,000, citing her otherwise law-abiding life in issuing the sentence. Continue reading...
Count Binface on Clacton byelection: ‘I didn’t know old Farage was going to self-detonate’
Parody candidate, expected to be Reform leader’s only challenger for seat, suggests ‘perhaps it’s all a fever dream’ Count Binface had been looking forward to a relaxing journey back to his home planet of Sigma IX when Nigel Farage dropped a political bombshell on Tuesday. Instead, Britain’s hottest new political property said he was left with no choice but to perform a swift intergalactic handbrake turn when news broke that Farage had resigned as MP for Clacton, triggering the possibility of a byelection in the English coastal constituency he has represented since 2024. Continue reading...
Aid worker who organised World Cup screenings in Gaza killed in Israeli strike
Mohamed al-Wahidi died when a missile struck his taxi shortly before Egypt played Argentina in their last 16 match A Palestinian aid worker who had organised screenings of World Cup matches in Gaza was killed by an Israeli missile strike just before the game between Egypt and Argentina on Tuesday evening. Two brothers aged eight and 10 and another man who was in the street near the site of the attack were also killed. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on the flamingo revolution: Albanians are standing up for their rights, as well as for nature | Editorial
Plans for a mega-resort, backed by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, have spurred broader questions about who politics is serving For more than a month, thousands have taken to the streets of Tirana to protest against their government , in the biggest outbreak of unrest in Albania since the collapse of communism more than three decades ago. What began with environmental concerns about protecting a nature reserve and the more than 2,500 species it hosts has become the flamingo revolution, questioning the very direction of the country. Albanians are angered that multibillion dollar luxury developments backed by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump threaten one of the last wild areas on the Adriatic – Zvërnec, its lagoon and the nearby island of Sazan – and are furious at the lack of transparency surrounding the projects. The government says that deals are not finalised. But videos of bulldozers on beaches triggered the mass protests. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...
US judge orders release of $5.8m Trump owes E Jean Carroll after court loss
Manhattan judge’s order frees funds from Trump’s 2023 sexual abuse and defamation verdict after supreme court appeal failed Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A Manhattan federal court judge has ordered the release of more than $5m Donald Trump owes E Jean Carroll following her successful 2023 sexual abuse and defamation trial against him. Trump had deposited this $5m million jury award, plus 11% interest, into a court-controlled account about six weeks after Carroll’s win. Judge Lewis Kaplan’s order directs the disbursement of these court controlled funds, which now total some $5.8m due to interest accrual. Continue reading...
Marine Le Pen will run for election in 2027. Will she have to wear an electronic tag?
Court clears way for RN leader to be presidential candidate after she was found guilty of overseeing a scheme that misused more than €4m of EU money • Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up here So she’s running. Written off by many after her conviction last year for embezzling public funds, Marine Le Pen, France’s far-right figurehead, insisted yesterday there was “no scenario in which I will not be a candidate” for the French presidency in next year’s elections. Hours earlier, a Paris appeals court had confirmed she was guilty of overseeing a scheme that misused more than €4m of EU money. But the court cleared a way for Le Pen to mount her fourth tilt at France’s highest office, and she has taken it. Continue reading...
City regulator urges judges to dismiss larger payout claims in car loans scandal
FCA clashes with consumer group pushing for bigger compensation, alleging lack of transparency and conflict of interest The City regulator is trying to get the only consumer group arguing for higher motor finance scandal payouts thrown out of court, alleging that its co-founders have not been transparent about their funding and potential conflicts of interest. The accusations, laid out in legal filings on Wednesday, are the latest controversy in the long-running saga surrounding mis-sold car loans, with fears of large payouts having resulted in heavy lobbying by banks and a controversial intervention by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves. Continue reading...