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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
3924 stories archived
Zelenskyy calls for ‘strong decisions’ at Nato summit after Russia kills 11 in overnight strikes on Kyiv – Europe live
Ukraine’s president makes plea ahead of summit this week in Ankara after over 68 missiles and 350 drones hit capital city European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen backed Zelenskyy’s call for stronger air defence for Europe, saying this will be discussed at the Nato summit in Ankara this week and pledging that Europe will “keep increasing the pressure until Russia ends the bloodshed.” In a post on X, she said: “Last night, the Russian regime once again blindly attacked civilians from the air, with over 400 drones and missiles attacking the capital. Ukraine urgently needs more air defence. We will discuss it this week in Ankara at the @NATO Summit. Last week we provided the first €4 billion under our €90 billion loan, to strengthen Ukraine’s defence with advanced drone technology. More is coming very soon. And we are working hard to seal the deal on the 21st sanctions package in the next days. We will keep increasing the pressure until Russia ends the bloodshed .” Continue reading...
Middle East crisis live: Funeral procession for supreme leader Ali Khamenei begins in Iran
Millions join funeral procession in capital of Tehran to mourn Khamenei who was kiled in US-Israel airstrikes in February Good morning, and welcome to the Middle East live blog. Today marks the start of a mass funeral procession for Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Continue reading...
Here is a police statement: we are not woke or anti-woke, or fighting a culture war. We just strive to be fair | Matt Jukes
As a review highlights leadership deficiencies, we see the need for improvement. But being dragged into polarised debates doesn’t help Matt Jukes is deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police ‘Nepotism and bias’ rife in England and Wales police leadership, report finds It has become almost impossible to discuss policing today without someone trying to place it on one side of a political argument or another. Depending on who is speaking, policing is either “too woke” or not progressive enough. Police leaders are criticised for doing too much, then criticised for doing too little. This can become a distraction from the question that really matters: are we building a police service capable of protecting the public, treating people fairly and keeping communities safe? Matt Jukes is deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan police Continue reading...
Brazil’s World Cup exit raises a question: are they more a brand than a team?
A decidedly unremarkable Brazilian team had looked tentative at this tournament. A sixth World Cup title looks a long way off Brazil were 1-0 down . At first, a few yellow jerseys wandered up the aisles and out to the concourse, writing off the small fortunes they had invested in being here, never mind the chances of their nation lifting a sixth World Cup. Then it was a steady stream of Brazil fans heading to the exits. They knew how this was going to end. That Brazil would be eliminated here in the last 16, knocked out at the earliest stage since 1990. That they would have gone six World Cups without lifting the trophy, their longest title drought. Continue reading...
Big brewers ‘misleading drinkers’ over craft beer credentials, says Camra
Campaign group calls on watchdog to investigate sector amid claims of anti-competitive practices elbowing out independents Big brewers are misleading drinkers about their products’ “craft” credentials and geographical origin, the ale enthusiasts’ club Camra has claimed, as it called on the consumer watchdog to investigate the beer market. Camra asked the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) to launch a review of whether small breweries are being unfairly elbowed off the bar by larger rivals’ anti-competitive tactics. Continue reading...
Revealed: landmark Scottish AI project has no prospect of meeting renewables promise
Exclusive: Government and developers privately acknowledged Lanarkshire datacentre site had power provision ‘issue’ ‘It’s smoke and mirrors’: hope turns to fear in Scottish village chosen for AI datacentre What are Britain’s AI growth zones and are the plans feasible or ‘complete bunk’? A landmark AI development billed as delivering jobs and prosperity has misrepresented its plans to channel a nuclear reactor’s worth of power to a site in rural Scotland, a Guardian investigation has found. When it was announced in January, the government promised that an £8.2bn AI datacentre complex in Lanarkshire – built by the US firm CoreWeave and the Scottish company DataVita – would be powered entirely from on-site renewables and built by 2030. Continue reading...
Anthony Albanese’s ‘shag, marry, date-gate’ underscores the double-edged sword of social media appearances
Everything in Canberra is content now, from performative questions to calculated outbursts and comments about Kylie Minogue Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese probably didnt expect an interview with a comedian in her “Bush Barbie” character would have kickstarted the biggest firestorm of the week. But the prime minister, appearing alongside a stuffed copy of his beloved cavoodle Toto – fell victim to an entirely avoidable and regrettable controversy when he played along with a “shag, marry, date” game. Continue reading...
Sky owner announces £1.6bn takeover of ITV’s broadcasting arm
US telecom giant Comcast to snap up free-to-air TV channels and streaming platform to create UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster Sky has announced a long awaited £1.6bn deal to buy ITV’s broadcasting and streaming arm to create the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster. Sky, which is owned by the US telecoms company Comcast, will pay £1.2bn in cash initially for ITV’s media and entertainment business, which include its free-to-air TV channels in the UK and ITVX streaming platform. It has agreed to pay a further up to £200m in the second half of 2028, depending on 2027 advertising revenues. Continue reading...
Turkey blocks cruise ship carrying 2,000 LGBTQ+ passengers and a ‘furious’ Patti LuPone, citing ‘moral values’
Broadway star, who is performing on the vessel, expresses shock after authorities ban Scarlet Lady from docking in Kuşadası A cruise ship carrying 2,000 LGBTQ+ passengers and the Broadway performer Patti LuPone has been blocked from entering Turkey after local authorities said their behaviour didn’t “align with the structure of our society and our moral values”. Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady set sail from Athens, Greece, on 5 July for what was billed as “an epic all-gay voyage” over 10 days run by Atlantis, a US company that puts on cruises and vacations for LGBTQ+ people. Continue reading...
Meta bosses grilled over decision to cut ‘censorship’ that has potentially unleashed more antisemitic content
‘Over-enforcement poses significant risk to the communities that we try to protect,’ royal commission told A decision aimed at reducing “censorship” on major social media sites including Facebook and Instagram potentially led to greater levels of hate speech, the royal commission into antisemitism has heard. Meta announced in January 2025 , after the re-election of Donald Trump in the US, that it would “reduce censorship”, get rid of factcheckers and only tackle illegal and very serious violations proactively, relying on users to report less serious breaches. Its platforms include Facebook, Instagram and Threads. Continue reading...
Millions join funeral procession for Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei
Crowds grew as they moved through Tehran as mourners wore black and carried flags with the slogan ‘we will rise’ A millions strong crowd assembled on Monday to take part in the funeral procession of Iran’s assassinated supreme leader. The scale, and depth of the march, however engineered, is an extraordinary turn around for a country that only seven months ago was gripped by street protests that saw thousands killed by government security forces. Many will say that the assembly was a monument to a misconceived war launched on Iran by Donald Trump in February. Continue reading...
China tests long-range missile in Pacific in move Australia condemns as ‘destabilising to region’
Australian government confirms it was informed by China of its intent to conduct the test on Monday China has conducted a long-range missile test in the Pacific, in a move the Australian government has condemned as “destabilising to the region”. A test missile topped with a dummy warhead landed in “designated waters” of the Pacific, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday. The missile test was a “routine arrangement” of China’s annual military training, with prior notification to relevant countries, Xinhua said. Continue reading...
Half of affordable new homes in rural England could be at risk if planning rules relaxed, analysis shows
Exclusive: National Housing Federation says ending quotas for developers could cost 32,000 homes over 10 years Half of all affordable housing supply in rural England could be under threat under plans being considered by ministers to relax regulations for private housing developers, according to analysis. The government has proposed ending affordable housing quotas – known as section 106 agreements – for new developments of between 10 and 49 houses in an effort to jumpstart sluggish housebuilding rates. Ministers are due to make a final decision within weeks on whether developers should be allowed to make cash payments to local authorities instead. Continue reading...
Likely origin of mysterious ‘space balls’ found on Queensland beaches revealed by Australian Space Agency
Organisation says objects consistent with ‘debris from a foreign rocket body that recently re-entered the atmosphere’ The Australian Space Agency has said the six so-called “space balls” found in north Queensland were likely from a “foreign rocket body” that had recently re-entered the atmosphere after being in orbit. The six mysterious objects were found by the public washed ashore in the Forrest Beach area, north of Townsville, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and were suspected of containing hazardous chemicals. Continue reading...
‘Don’t mention the special relationship’: how should UK’s next PM handle Donald Trump?
Little-known abroad, Andy Burnham has a chance to define a new era of US-UK relations. Should he seek to charm or bargain with the bully in the White House – or treat him ‘like a poorly informed constituent’? If, as expected, Andy Burnham becomes the British prime minister later this month, one of his first telephone calls is likely to be with Donald Trump. Trump’s mother was Scottish and he has a nostalgic fascination with Britain. But managing a relationship with the erratic, transactional and demanding US president has been a diplomatic minefield for Burnham’s predecessors. Continue reading...
How BT’s ‘no nonsense’ first female chief helped turn company around
The firm’s share price has risen 80% under Allison Kirkby’s leadership – but pressure remains for her to deliver further growth If timing is everything, then Allison Kirkby may have judged it perfectly. Since becoming BT’s first female chief executive more than two years ago the company’s share price has climbed 80%, an investor-pleasing turnaround that has seen Kirkby well-rewarded with a pay and bonus package of £5.6m last year , the largest for a boss of the telecoms company in well over a decade. However, there are questions over how much credit Kirkby can take for the apparent revival of the business. Continue reading...
Ukraine hopes to sign ‘drone deals’ with seven Nato countries by end of year
Kyiv offers expertise on how to develop radar systems and ground stations as it turns from buyer to security provider Ukraine hopes to sign major defence deals with at least seven Nato countries by the end of the year, according to a top official, highlighting a new aspect of Kyiv’s foreign policy intended to show it can be a provider as well as a recipient of military hardware and expertise. Kyiv has signed “drone deals” with six countries in recent months. Three are Middle Eastern states, who became eager for Ukrainian support after being targeted with Iranian long-range Shahed drones after the US-Israeli war on Iran began in spring. These are the same weapons that have targeted Ukrainian cities relentlessly over the past four years. Azerbaijan has also signed an agreement with Kyiv, as well as the Nato members Latvia and Lithuania. Continue reading...
The EU that the UK left no longer exists | Mujtaba Rahman
Andy Burnham’s rise has stoked talk of the terms for a future British return – but this is the wrong question The question of the UK’s relationship with the EU has resurfaced with Keir Starmer’s premiership drawing to a close and Andy Burnham, his likely successor, preparing to enter No 10. Wes Streeting, until recently one of the contenders for the top job and now a possible future chancellor of the exchequer, went as far as to say recently that Britain should be back in the EU . The “rejoin” debate in the UK has focused squarely and, parochially, on two things. The first is the cost imposed by Brexit on the UK economy , the second is the price of rejoining – in other words, whether the UK would be able to win back its previous opt-outs from the Euro and Schengen areas. Mujtaba Rahman is the managing director for Europe at Eurasia Group, a political risk research and consulting firm Continue reading...
H.R. 9600: Common Sense 250 Act of 2026
Bill Text: This bill's text is now available.
H.R. 9598: No Fencing at Lafayette Square Act
Bill Text: This bill's text is now available.
H.R. 9597: Civil War Defenses of Washington National Historical Park Act
Bill Text: This bill's text is now available.
H.R. 9601: CANADA Act
Bill Text: This bill's text is now available.
H.R. 9596: Federal Jobs for STARs Act of 2026
Bill Text: This bill's text is now available. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi [D-IL8] is the sponsor of this bill.
H.R. 9596: To remove educational barriers to Federal employment for workers who are skilled through alternative routes, and for other purposes.
Introduced: Sponsor: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi [D-IL8] This bill was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform which will consider it before sending it to the House floor for consideration. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi [D-IL8] is a member of the committee.