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Politics
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Mark Carney is celebrated abroad – while consolidating power at home | Shiri Pasternak
The Canadian prime minister’s reckoning with Trumpism in Davos clashes with his attacks on environmental, Indigenous and labour rights The Canadian prime minister is a hero around the world for his Davos speech that reckoned with a reconfiguration of power in the shadow of Donald Trump. But at home, Mark Carney is mirroring the US president by radically centralizing power within his office and cabinet and taking a hatchet to dozens of laws protecting environmental , Indigenous and labour rights , all in order to enact his economic agenda. Shiri Pasternak is an associate professor in criminology at Toronto Metropolitan University and a member of the Infrastructure Beyond Extractivism research team, a collaboration between critical scholars and Indigenous land defenders across North America Continue reading...
‘You have to believe’: Qwan’tez Stiggers, the New York Jets player who went from delivery driver to the NFL
When Stiggers’ father died, he left college to help his mum and 12 siblings. He worked as a delivery driver and thought his football dream had ended. But he made it in the end Qwan’tez Stiggers had only been in college for a few days when his world fell apart. Seven months after the car crash that put him in a coma, Stiggers’ father died. Stiggers quit college and returned home to support his mother, Kwanna, and 12 siblings. It was a huge blow to the 18-year-old. His partner, Cheyenne, was also processing a tragedy after her teenage sister had been killed by a stray bullet. Over the last six years, Cheyenne and Qwan’tez have helped each other off the bottom of an emotional well. Working as a delivery driver and washing trucks while his old teammates progressed in their football careers could have driven him off the rails. “I wouldn’t necessarily say I was envious but I wanted better for myself,” says Stiggers. “I had a child, was living with my wife – my girlfriend at the time – and got those late-night delivery jobs to pay the bills. Continue reading...
Australia must recruit hundreds more to crew Aukus submarines, retired admiral warns
As USS Colorado showcases the program in Perth, Peter Briggs says personnel is just one of the ‘huge issues’ it faces Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australia faces an uphill battle to recruit and train enough naval personnel to serve on submarines planned for the future fleet of nuclear-powered vessels under the controversial $368bn Aukus deal , a retired admiral has warned. As the Virginia-class submarine USS Colorado arrived at HMAS Stirling south of Perth on Tuesday for a month of routine maintenance and to help build Australian expertise, retired admiral Peter Briggs said more people needed to be enrolled in the navy’s submarine program. Continue reading...
GSK shares dive as weaker sales and mounting costs unnerve investors
British pharma company reports declining profits amid concerns over looming patent loss of its blockbuster HIV drug Shares in GSK slid on Wednesday despite the UK drugmaker reporting better-than-expected financial results, as investors were unnerved by weaker vaccine sales, restructuring charges and its overall outlook. Britain’s second-biggest pharmaceutical company reported a 19% decline in pre-tax profit to £1.9bn in the July to September quarter and £318m of restructuring charges, with more to come. Continue reading...
Budget 2026: key points at a glance
John Healey is announcing his financial update – here are the main points, with political analysis Budget 2026 live – latest updates John Healey starts by saying that his budget is “delivered at a time when global uncertainties and pressures are swirling worldwide and hitting people here at home”. Continue reading...
Dream say WNBA finals concerns went unheeded as teams prepare for 12.30pm Thursday start
Crucial Game 6 will take place on Thursday afternoon Game moved to larger State Farm Arena in Atlanta Hawks’ NBA game on same day could not be moved The Atlanta Dream say their concerns about finding a suitable home venue for the WNBA finals went unheeded as they prepare to play the Golden State Valkyries in a crucial Game 6 on Thursday. The Dream’s normal home, Gateway Center Arena, has a capacity of about 3,500 people. To accommodate the increased interest in the team during the finals, the Dream have played their two home games so far at the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena, which can seat more than 17,000 fans. Continue reading...
Will it be AI or the climate crisis that ends humanity? We can make it neither | Adam McKay and Philip Eubanks
Both of these threats have the same roots: private entities seeking to cash in. We have the power to stand against them A summer of extreme heat, entire villages obliterated in Nepal, a super El Niño breaking records, Exxon publicly saying we may reach 3C by 2050 – could it possibly be any worse? How about throwing AI extinction in the mix? Continue reading...
Dementia cases in US projected to rise dramatically by 2050, study finds
Increase will add strain on healthcare system already struggling amid cuts by Trump administration, experts say The number of people with dementia in the United States is projected to increase dramatically over the next 25 years, which will place increasing strain on a healthcare system already struggling to help them amid cuts by the Trump administration, experts say. According to a new study in Jama Neurology , the annual incidence of new dementia cases globally will more than double, from 11.4m in 2023 to 24.7m in 2050. In the United States, the number of adults diagnosed with dementia each year will increase from 514,000 in 2020 to 1m by 2060, according to a Jama study published in 2024. Continue reading...
Bafta trustees may have broken charity law by accepting free guest tickets
Chair of membership council says legal advice obtained at own expense suggests offences could have been committed Bafta trustees may have breached charity and company law by accepting free tickets for guests at the organisation’s awards ceremonies, the chair of its membership council has claimed. Michael Pritchett told members at Bafta’s annual general meeting that legal advice obtained at his own expense suggested offences could have been committed by trustees who approved the charity’s accounts, which stated that no trustees had received remuneration or benefits. Continue reading...
Both blocs claim upper hand in crucial Israeli election | First Thing
Benjamin Netanyahu vows to form new coalition while opposition bloc leader says result shows prime minister should step down. Plus, a scathing review of Elon Musk’s AI-generated version of The Odyssey Good morning. Israel could be in for weeks of political haggling after exit polls and partial official results showed neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition nor the opposition bloc led by the former general Gadi Eisenkot had won enough seats to form a government. With 70% of the vote, or 4m ballots, counted so far, the Netanyahu bloc had 54 seats, the Eisenkot-led Change bloc 47 seats, and the Palestinian parties 19 seats. Sixty-one seats are needed for a majority. What have the two leaders said so far? Israel’s longest-serving prime minister vowed to assemble a coalition through agreements between his Likud party, far-right factions and Jewish religious parties. Eisenkot had said earlier in the evening that “people decided in favour of change” and Netanyahu should have “announced today his retirement from politics”. What does the increase in the Palestinian bloc mean? The election was marked by a record participation by Israeli citizens of Palestinian origin, a discriminated minority that makes up about 20% of the country’s population. Julian Borger explains from Nazareth that opposition leader Eisenkot will have to work with Arab-Israeli leaders to have a hope of governing. Millions of other Palestinians living under Israeli rule in the occupied West Bank and Gaza cannot vote. Here is what we know about the declared results so far . Our live coverage continues on the website . What else has Trump been saying about fossil fuels? Trump suggested on Tuesday that Venezuela would become the 51st US state as the president showed off a tanker he claimed had “1m barrels of oil on it” from the country, nine months after deposing its president. Continue reading...
Flávio Bolsonaro on flight to Miami after fleeing Brazil following election defeat
Far-right senator and family expected to land in US after crossing into Argentina and then flying out of Ecuador A jet carrying the far-right Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro has left Guayaquil in Ecuador and is on its way to Miami, Florida, where it is expected to arrive mid-morning on Wednesday. After losing Sunday night’s election to the incumbent president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , Bolsonaro disappeared for more than 24 hours, until Argentina’s migration authorities said he had entered the country by land on Tuesday night. Continue reading...
Judge rules Trump-appointed US prosecutor in Los Angeles is not serving legally – US politics live
Department of Justice says it intends to appeal as administration tries to keep president’s ally Bill Essayli in office Sign up for the Breaking News US email Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. A federal judge has ruled that Republican Bill Essayli is not legally serving as the top US prosecutor in Los Angeles. Faced with widespread voter discontent over the spike in oil prices since he attacked Iran, Donald Trump staged his rally in Corpus Christi, Texas on Tuesday alongside a vast oil tanker, the Angerona , which, the president said, had just arrived from Venezuela bearing a personal gift for him: a million barrels of oil. A senior State Department official told the Associated Press that the US will “will issue visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family and allow them entry into the United States”. In his remarks to supporters in Lubbock, Texas, Trump attacked James Talarico , the Democratic nominee for Senate, for having shown compassion for transgender children who demonstrated for their rights at the Texas state capitol in 2023. Trump lied that “our gasoline prices are lower than when Barack Hussein Obama – our oil prices, gasoline, lower than they were with Obama”. Continue reading...
Coalition talks loom in Israel as Netanyahu and Eisenkot blocs set to fall short of majority
Projections show votes for Palestinian parties surged in a tight contest that saw the highest turnout in decades Israel election – live updates Israel election: what we know so far Analysis: Rise of Palestinian parties in Knesset will redraw Israel’s political landscape Israel’s future hung in the balance on Wednesday morning as it became clear that Benjamin Netanyahu had lost his governing majority, and his political fate now depends on whether opposition Jewish parties are prepared to forge a common front with Palestinian parties, whose support surged in Tuesday’s elections. The leader of the Jewish opposition bloc, the retired general Gadi Eisenkot, appeared to rule out such a broad coalition in a premature declaration of victory overnight for what he called a “Zionist majority”. Continue reading...
Russell Brand gives evidence in rape and sexual assault trial – latest updates
Brand, 51, has been charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter, began by going through the indictment and asking him if he committed the offences, to which he replied “no” to each. Shortly after the prosecution concluded its case this morning, Brand took to the stand to give evidence as the defence begins. Continue reading...
Loves me, loves me not: Trump and allies target Fox News over coverage
In social media posts, president has said network is ‘doing little to help’ Republican party in midterm elections Donald Trump has always viewed conservative media as a tool to help him and his party achieve political victory and stay in power. But with polls flashing red for his party ahead of next week’s midterm elections, the president and his allies have trained their fire on the most prominent player in the space: Fox News. For years, the president has criticized Fox’s non-partisan polling operation, and in recent weeks he has called out the network for not sufficiently airing his midterm rallies – even when they are not particularly newsworthy. Continue reading...
A US woman feared dead was reported alive in Mexico. But cops now say that isn’t true
Mexican police had said they found Shayna Feinman in Tijuana, raising the hopes of missing Arizonan’s family Arizona authorities say their Mexican counterparts were resoundingly mistaken when they publicly claimed recently that they found alive a woman who was feared slain after disappearing in 2024 – a turn of events that her sister has called “turmoil” and “heartbreaking”. The case in question centers on Shayna Feinman, who was reported missing in rural Yavapai county, Arizona, in March 2024 at age 38. Continue reading...
Fed set to hold interest rates steady in last decision before midterms
US central bank last month raised rates for first time since 2023, in move that infuriated Donald Trump The US Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates unchanged on Wednesday during its last rate-setting meeting before the midterm elections, keeping rates at one of the highest pre-election levels seen in over 20 years. Last month, Fed officials raised rates for the first time since 2023, citing rising inflation. Inflation has hovered for years above the Fed’s target rate of 2%, and for most of this year, the annualized inflation rate has remained above 3%. Continue reading...
We are seeing the rise of psychopatriarchy everywhere | V (Formerly Eve Ensler)
Psychopatriarchy is jet fuel to racism, colonialism, imperialism and capitalism For those of us who have spent our lives trying to dismantle this endlessly destructive paradigm of patriarchy, it has become increasingly clear in recent months that something more terrifying is afoot. The wheels are off the cart. We are in the midst of a chaotic, demented acceleration of the most violent and cruel aspects of this system which has evolved into what I am calling Psychopatriarchy. V (formerly Eve Ensler) is a playwright and activist and the founder of V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women and girls Continue reading...
Healey poised to overturn cut to cash Isa allowance in first budget
Chancellor’s predecessor Rachel Reeves had planned to reduce allowance from £20,000 to £12,000 a year from April Business live – latest updates What to expect from the budget: who wins, who pays? John Healey is to use his first budget to ditch plans to slash the annual cash Isa allowance, the Guardian understands, preferring a carrot rather than a stick to encourage people to invest more in shares. City experts welcomed news that the chancellor will overturn a decision by his predecessor, Rachel Reeves, to cut the allowance from £20,000 to £12,000 a year from April to get more money flowing into UK company stocks. Continue reading...
Ten reported dead after two trains collide in Spain – Europe live
Spain’s rail system operator ADIF said the crash occurred Wednesday morning in the province of Toledo At least 10 people are feared dead and many more injured after two high-speed trains collided in Toledo province in central Spain. Spain’s state rail infrastructure authority said services between Madrid and the southern region of Andalucía had been suspended “following a rear-end collision between two trains” on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...
Africa’s ‘unprecedented’ Ebola outbreak could reach UK, says top health official
Jean Kaseya, of the Africa CDC, warns of the illness spreading like Covid unless more funding is secured to increase preparedness and possible treatment The “unprecedented” spread of the Ebola outbreak means it could reach the UK and other countries, according to one of Africa’s top health officials. As the current outbreak reached 10,000 cases, with almost 5,000 deaths , Dr Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compared the outbreak to the Covid pandemic, which first took hold in China before spreading to countries across the world, claiming millions of lives, and ravaging health systems and economies. Continue reading...
Spain train crash: at least 10 feared dead after collision in Toledo province
High-speed service reportedly runs into back of another train, knocking two carriages off track At least 10 people are feared dead and many more injured after two high-speed trains collided in Toledo province in central Spain. Spain’s state rail infrastructure authority said services between Madrid and the southern region of Andalucía had been suspended “following a rear-end collision between two trains” on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...
Jay-Z is the perfect Super Bowl shill for a league of billionaires
The rapper lends the NFL a veneer of credibility but is unlikely to push back on the establishment figures who run the league On Monday the NFL named Jay-Z as the headliner for this season’s Super Bowl half-time show. His company, Roc Nation, produces the show under a 2019 deal reportedly worth $5m a year, and the agreement was extended for another five years in 2024. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said his one request when the partnership began was that Jay-Z “ take the stage himself one day “. Goodell’s wish makes total sense: Jay-Z is the perfect choice for the half-time show, and that’s not a compliment. The NFL wants a shill who can still pass for a rebel, and nobody in American music plays that part better than Jay-Z. Continue reading...
Budget 2026 live: chancellor says scrapping of gas standing charges will save 60% of homes £45 a year
John Healey says UK faces ‘difficult moment’ as he prepares to deliver first budget of Andy Burnham’s government You be the chancellor: play our budget game to see if you can balance the books John Healey found time to hold a meeting with Martin Lewis , the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, in Downing Street this morning. Lewis is one of the most trusted voices on personal finance in Britain, and he has been campaigning for standing charges to be removed from gas bills for some time. Speaking to the media afterwards , Lewis said Healey was in a good mood. He said he asked the chancellor if there would be a support scheme to help people with energy bills from January, when costs are set to rise sharply. Lewis said Healey would not confirm anything, but he said that “reading between the lines” he gathered that there will be an announcement on this. Lewis speculated that this could be an increase in the warm homes discount, or it could be help for people in lower council tax bands. The biggest issue in energy right now is that we’re expecting a 27% rise in the price cap in January. I asked the Chancellor whether he will be intervening on that. He told me I’d have to wait for the budget, but reading between the lines, yes, there will be an announcement today. Whether it’s an increase in the Warm Home Discount, or whether it’s council tax band, or whether it’s done via a payout for people in say council tax bands A-D as a proxy for household income as Rishi Sunak did who knows. Continue reading...