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Politics
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Starmer to rally European allies at Nato summit amid concerns over US stance
Outgoing PM will stress British commitment to defence spending at meeting in Ankara to counter Trump rebukes Keir Starmer will seek to work with European allies to shore up support for Nato at its summit in Ankara on Tuesday amid concerns that Donald Trump could further destabilise the military alliance with threats over defence spending. Downing Street said the prime minister and other international leaders would be focused on “building a stronger and more European Nato” as they attempt to address the US president’s concerns in the Turkish capital. Continue reading...
Australia news live: Wong says China’s missile test in Pacific a ‘destabilising act’ that could ‘lead to miscalculation’
Foreign affairs minister says Australia made clear its displeasure at China’s long-range missile test and will keep doing so. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action. Western Australia’s Labor premier, Roger Cook , has conceded his party will have a tough fight to retain a previously safe seat after a retiring MP triggered a byelection in which One Nation could launch a strong challenge. More coming up. Continue reading...
Woman accuses Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner of sexual assault
Democratic candidate for Senate, who has faced series of scandals, denies allegation reported by Politico A woman has accused Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Maine, of sexual assault, according to an exclusive report by Politico. Jenny Racicot, 41, dated the oyster farmer former marine veteran and alleges he forced her to have sex despite repeated objections. Continue reading...
Trump’s World Cup intervention has ruined the game | Robert Reich
We try to teach our children to follow the rules. Now an American president has chosen the opposite tack I’m rooting for the US as we take on Belgium today in Seattle for a place in the World Cup quarterfinals. But the game isn’t what it was – before Trump asked the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, to review the suspension of the US’s top scorer, striker Folarin Balogun, who got a red card in a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina and would otherwise have been suspended from Monday’s match. Continue reading...
Idaho woman who said infant twins died from vaccines charged with murder
Andrea Shaw and husband appeared on RFK Jr-linked podcast after deaths in May last year of 18-month-olds An Idaho mother who said her 18-month-old twins died last year after receiving three vaccines has been charged with murder in their deaths, officials said last week. Andrea Shaw, 23, was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her toddlers, Tyson and Dallas, who were found dead in a shared bed on 1 May last year. Continue reading...
Lauren Bennett, singer on LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem, dies aged 37
British-born vocalist competed on The X-Factor before joining the girl groups Paradiso Girls and G.R.L. Lauren Bennett, member of the girl group G.R.L. and featured artist on LMFAO’s global smash hit Party Rock Anthem, has died at the age of 37. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Lauren,” the group wrote on their Instagram page. “Our hearts are broken, and we cannot begin to express how much she meant to us.” A cause of death was not specified. Continue reading...
Do bees have inner lives? Slow-motion video reveals bumblebee behaviour similar to ‘liking’ or ‘disliking’
Bees respond to tasty treats or plain water based on context, study that may provide support for establishing insect sentience shows Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast When bumblebees taste something good, they reach out their glossa – or insect tongue – for a while afterwards, almost as if they are licking their lips. And when they don’t like something, the insects will shake their heads and wipe their mouths. Scientists who captured the miniature facial expressions on slow-motion video say the behaviour is consistent with “liking” and “disliking” responses observed in mammals. Their results have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Continue reading...
Consultant doctors in England vote for NHS strikes over pay and working week
Year-long mandate for action prompts fears of fresh disruption after resident doctors recently ended dispute Consultant doctors in England have voted for strikes over the next 12 months in pursuit of higher pay and a shorter working week, prompting fears of renewed disruption in the NHS. Consultants, who earn an average of £152,000, want ministers to agree a multi-year pay deal to address what they say is the 25% fall in the value of their salaries since 2008-09. Continue reading...
Fraudster George Cottrell seen at numerous Reform events despite ‘no formal role’ in party
Nigel Farage urged to clarify ‘dependence’ on Cottrell, who also joined Reform leader in Abu Dhabi in December Nigel Farage has been accompanied by his friend George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster, to numerous Reform events and fundraisers and a trip to Abu Dhabi, raising questions about the claim that he has no official role in the party. Labour has called on Farage to clarify his “personal and financial dependence” on Cottrell, who also has been supporting his lifestyle through accommodation and security before the election. Continue reading...
Fourth of July weekend marked by dozens of US deaths from gun violence
At least 43 killed and many wounded, including woman and child hurt at World Cup gathering in Los Angeles A weekend of celebrations as the US marked its semiquincentennial was marred by outbreaks of gun violence that claimed dozens of lives and left multiple other people wounded. Those hurt included a woman and a child among four shot during a gathering of Mexico soccer supporters in Los Angeles following their team’s World Cup elimination on Sunday night. Continue reading...
Typhoon Maysak kills two and forces thousands to evacuate in China
Tropical storm causes extreme flooding in south of the country with heavy rainfall expected in coming days A tropical storm has killed two people, caused dam breaches and forced tens of thousands to evacuate in southern China. Typhoon Maysak killed two people in Nanning, in China’s southern Guangxi province. Maysak – which lashed Vietnam and China’s southern island province of Hainan over the weekend – will dump the water it sucked up on its way across the South China Sea as it weakens and heads inland, meteorologists say. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on apprenticeships: young people need help getting started at work | Editorial
Existing staff are taking too much of a fund intended for new recruits. Ministers must take charge of redirecting it For the roughly 64% of young people who do not go to university, apprenticeships are vital gateways to the world of work. The way that funding has flowed away from them and towards older workers in recent years was flagged as a problem in the interim report from Alan Milburn’s review on young people and work in May. Mr Milburn’s recommendations are still some months off. Apprenticeships are not solely for school‑leavers: people of all ages should be able to apply for paid trainee posts. But it is clear that the way incentives in the system have tilted against younger adults is one reason behind the huge rise in the number who are not in education or jobs. The positive signs are that ministers will not wait for Mr Milburn to do something about this. A letter from Jacqui Smith , the skills minister, to the recently formed agency Skills England, last month, asked for urgent advice about which apprenticeship programmes should receive funding increases. It also announced an ambition for 50,000 more young apprentices, annually, by March 2029 – reversing almost half of the decade-long decline. 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...
More than 300,000 pupils estimated absent from school after England World Cup win
Exclusive: Initial figures yet to be confirmed by Department for Education, which said schools ‘at the heart’ of the celebration About 332,000 fewer children were in school on Monday morning than a week earlier, according to initial figures, as attendance fell after England’s 3-2 World Cup win over Mexico . School registers were down more than three percentage points on last week, after England manager Thomas Tuchel advised parents to “write an excuse for school and let them watch” . Continue reading...
Cuba suffers third nationwide blackout in six months
The impoverished island was already struggling to keep the lights on before the US imposed a blockade in January Cuba on Monday suffered its third nationwide power outage since the start of the year, the state electricity company said. The impoverished island was already struggling to keep the lights on before US president Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade in January, which has depleted the already dwindling supply of fuel for Cuba’s power plants. Continue reading...
Keir Starmer intervened to oppose Fifa’s plan to move England kick-off time
PM stepped in over proposal to shift World Cup match to an earlier time, amid concerns it would benefit Mexico Keir Starmer intervened through diplomatic channels to oppose Fifa’s plan to bring forward England’s World Cup game against Mexico, amid concerns the change would hand the hosts an unfair advantage, it is understood. The prime minister instructed officials to argue against proposals to move the kick-off from 1am UK time (6pm local time) to earlier after being alerted by the Football Association that it would reduce England’s time to acclimatise to the high altitude in Mexico City. Continue reading...
‘Attacked behind the scenes’: Children of Blood & Bone author Tomi Adeyemi distances herself from film adaptation
The Nigerian-American writer says she ‘will not watch’ Gina Prince-Bythewood’s adaptation of her fantasy bestseller Tomi Adeyemi, the author of the popular YA fantasy Children of Blood and Bone, has distanced herself from the forthcoming film adaptation of her book. “There is a reason I will not post anything about the adaptation of my work,” the Nigerian-American author said in group chat messages shared to TikTok . Continue reading...
Farage is on the brink but if he goes, Labour can’t rest easy: people still need something worth voting for | Gaby Hinsliff
The Reform funding scandals could yet bring down its leader – and give Andy Burnham a head start. The biggest pitfall would be complacency No politician is greater than their party. However bright you shine, you’re never so indispensable that you couldn’t be replaced tomorrow – or so, at least, convention has it. But there’s one man at Westminster to whom convention rarely applies, and that’s why the multiple funding scandals now engulfing Nigel Farage are such a watershed moment in British politics. For without him – should it ever come to that – what exactly would be left of Reform UK? We’re getting ahead of ourselves here, obviously. But no further ahead than most of Westminster, now agog with speculation over Farage’s future. The parliamentary standards commissioner has yet to rule on whether the Reform leader should have declared the £5m the Guardian revealed he had taken from the British-Thai crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, never mind the extra wedge he is now alleged to have received from “Posh George” Cottrell, a longstanding sidekick formerly jailed for wire fraud in the US. (For the record, Farage insists he broke no rules because he wasn’t active in politics at the time, though the Cottrell money was allegedly spent in part on staff to beef up Farage’s social media, and MPs are obliged to declare significant benefits of a non-personal nature for a year prior to getting elected.) Perhaps the commissioner’s ruling, when it comes, can help shed some light on whether Farage simply has a lot of rich friends anxious for him to live his best life and perfectly oblivious to what he could do for them in power, or whether something rather seedier might have been going on. Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist 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...
Canada buys 12 hi-tech German-Norwegian submarines after bidding war
TKMS beats South Korean rival to multibillion-dollar contract that will deepen Canada’s Nato ties Canada has selected a German-Norwegian consortium to build a dozen cutting-edge submarines in one of the country’s largest-ever defence contracts that will further deepen its Nato ties before a crucial summit this week. On Monday the prime minister, Mark Carney, announced the winner of a tightly contested battle for the lucrative government contract to replace their fleet of ageing, secondhand subs, most of which are undergoing maintenance. Continue reading...
Angela Rayner goes full beige in her push for an Andy Burnham promotion
Angie did her best to not say anything controversial in a presenting gig on LBC. Let’s hope it was a one-off It’s been quiet. Too quiet. There was a time, not so long ago, when Angela Rayner was being widely tipped to be the UK’s next prime minister after Keir Starmer. Not least by sources – ahem – extremely close to Ange herself. Just as soon as she had settled her outstanding tax bill to HMRC . Then along came Andy Burnham. The momentum seemingly unstoppable. And Angie faded into the background. Her leadership challenge consigned to the dustbin of Westminster gossip. She was happy where she was. Turning down Keir’s offer of becoming health secretary while hoping for a more permanent promotion under Andy. They also serve who only stand and wait. Continue reading...
EasyJet shares jump almost 10% after it agrees £5.5bn takeover bid
Airline’s board to recommend offer of £6.90 a share in deal analysts say shows UK firms are being bought on the cheap Shares in easyJet surged nearly 10% after the airline agreed to a £5.5bn takeover at the fifth attempt, but analysts said that it showed UK firms were being bought on the cheap. The low-cost carrier’s board will recommend shareholders accept an offer price of £6.90 a share from Castlelake, a US private equity firm, after rejecting four previous bids of as little as £5.60 per share. EasyJet shares closed at 610p on Monday. Continue reading...
Farage cries ‘witch-hunt’ but this may be Reform’s Partygate moment
Media scrutiny of party leader’s finances has undermined his claim to be a politician in tune with typical voters UK politics live – latest updates With his personal funding once again under media scrutiny, Nigel Farage, the rightwing Reform UK party leader, is adamant he is the victim of an “establishment plot” trying to stop him from reaching Downing Street. This time, Farage is facing questions about support for his lifestyle from the convicted criminal George Cottrell, just months after it was revealed by the Guardian that he also took £5m from the cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne as a personal gift. Continue reading...
Cuban zoo celebrates birth of Bengal tigers amid energy crisis
Arrival of endangered cats, including rare white cub, revitalises team straining under fuel and medicine shortages For the Cuban zookeeper Ángel Cordero, the sight of four Bengal tiger cubs playing in a cage at the Cuban national zoo is a small miracle on an island stifled by shortages of fuel, medicine and days-long power outages. The birth of these endangered big cats – including an exceedingly rare white tiger – has revitalised a team of zoo workers, he said. Continue reading...
Uefa has put European football on war footing with Fifa over Balogun decision | Matt Hughes
European governing body’s dramatic move could have major implications for the future of the sport Perhaps the only globally renowned figure who has been more conspicuous by his absence at this World Cup than Donald Trump is the Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin, although both men have more than made up for their silence over the last 24 hours. By endorsing a statement in which Uefa accused Fifa of crossing “a red line” in making the “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision to lift the USA striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension for Monday’s last-16 tie with Belgium, Ceferin has effectively put European football on a war footing with the world governing body, a dramatic move that could have major implications for the future of the sport. Continue reading...
Waking up to the good news of England’s win was strange and unfathomable. Let’s embrace it while we can | Zoe Williams
Years of unremitting disasters have convinced me not to go to sleep with hope in your heart. But that footballing victory took me back to more innocent times When I went to bed on Sunday, football commentators were killing time waiting for the England match by talking about Donald Trump, Fifa president Gianni Infantino and Folarin Balogun’s red card, waived for the US because of reasons . None of the available words – “unacceptable”, “cheaty”, “absolutely stinks” – covered it. There’s no chance of Trump’s US playing nicely in an international tournament, especially when it’s hosting most of it. Does the US just get the trophy, whatever happens? Do they fashion two trophies, one for the winner and one for most winning host? It was all a big deal for geopolitics, but for the more immediate matter of how to take seriously a competition in which there were no longer rules, it wasn’t the end of the world. Whatever happened, it definitely wouldn’t end in a showdown between the US and the UK, fixed in advance by a president determined to celebrate 250 years in style. Because, by tomorrow, I thought, England would be out. If we’ve learned anything from the past decade, it’s not to go to sleep waiting for news. Whatever the dawn breaks over will be bad. Continue reading...