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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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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...
Starmer says Trump wants to ‘stay in touch’ after he steps down
PM suggests maintaining links with US president will be part of his continued responsibility to UK-US relationship Europe live – latest updates Donald Trump has agreed to stay in touch with Keir Starmer after he steps down from No 10 despite his increasingly tense relationship with the UK prime minister over recent months. After meeting at the Nato summit in Ankara, Starmer suggested that maintaining links with the US president would be part of his continued responsibilities to the strategic relationship between the two countries. Continue reading...
Emmy nominations 2026: the list of key categories
With strong showings for newcomers Pluribus and Widow’s Bay, nominations for the 78th Emmys, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, are out ahead of the 14 September show Emmy nominations 2026: The Pitt and Hacks lead in an impressive year for HBO Mariska Hargitay to host 78th Emmy awards The 2026 Emmy award nominations have been announced. Here is the list of the key categories. Continue reading...
Ben Jennings on Nigel Farage taking on the establishment – cartoon
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Three arrested in fraud investigation at University of Greater Manchester
Police ‘exploring evidence’ of more than £1m in fraudulent activity involving 60 transactions and more than 1m emails Three people have been arrested as part of an investigation into financial crimes involving the University of Greater Manchester, including allegations of fraud, bribery and money laundering. The Greater Manchester police (GMP) said it was “exploring evidence” of more than £1m in fraudulent activity involving 60 transactions and more than a million emails, alongside the Crown Prosecution Service’s serious economic crime unit. Continue reading...
Trump asks judge not to order release of $5.8m payment to E Jean Carroll
Trump’s request stems from the supreme court’s 29 June decision not to review his appeal Donald Trump has asked a judge not to order the release of more than $5m in court-held funds that he owes E Jean Carroll in her successful 2023 sexual abuse and defamation civil trial against him. Trump had deposited this multimillion jury award, plus 11% interest, into a court-controlled account about six weeks after Carroll’s win. For this money, which now totals about $5.8m, to be released, a judge has to order directing the court-controlled fund to do so. Trump has denied all wrongdoing. Continue reading...
US court says Trump name must stay off Kennedy Center during appeal
Trump administration requested pause on lower court’s ruling after Trump’s name was removed from facade in June A US appeals court ruled on Wednesday that Donald Trump ’s administration cannot restore the Republican leader’s name to the facade of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington while he challenges a judge’s order that required its removal . The decision by a three-judge panel of the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit denied a request from the Trump administration to pause a lower court judge’s order in a lawsuit brought by Joyce Beatty, a Democratic representative and Kennedy Center board member. Trump’s name was removed from the iconic Washington theater center’s facade and signage last month. US district judge Christopher Cooper ordered the removal in May, and also blocked Trump’s plans to close the center for two years of renovations starting on 4 July. Continue reading...
‘He did not deserve to die’: family of man fatally shot by ICE agent speaks out
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed by agent in Texas while on his way to work, and family found out from news reports The family of a Mexican immigrant who was fatally shot by a federal immigration agent on Tuesday in Texas called for an independent investigation into his killing, as questions swirl around federal officials’ claims and lack of transparency. “He did not deserve to die,” said Ronaldo Salgado, the son of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, during a press conference led by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) on Wednesday in Houston, Texas. Continue reading...
Millions of pounds and many, many questions: the untold story of why Reform figures face NCA scrutiny
Exclusive: The details behind the financial transactions that bankers have flagged up to the National Crime Agency The rise in public support for Reform UK – and Nigel Farage’s own prediction that he expects to be the UK’s next prime minister – has put the party and its leader in unfamiliar territory. Their policies and candidates are coming under greater scrutiny, and now, so is their funding. Continue reading...
Trump gives Zelenskyy vague promise of licence to manufacture Patriot missiles
Licence would be diplomatic coup for Kyiv but process of making munitions would likely be expensive, complex and long Europe live – latest updates Donald Trump has told Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine may be allowed to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors to counter Russian ballistic attacks. It would be a diplomatic coup for Kyiv, which has been struggling to counter Moscow’s increasing missile threat. The US president’s commitment, however, was vaguely framed, and he admitted he had not spoken to the US defence and aerospace companies Lockheed Martin and RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon) that produce the Patriot system. It also remained unclear how quickly manufacturing of the expensive and complex munitions could be stepped up. Continue reading...