section
Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
3966 stories archived
UK woman, 21, arrested in Thailand after allegedly stabbing boyfriend to death
Officers found the body of a 34-year-old man in a luxury rental home in the Pattaya area, local media says A 21-year-old British woman has been arrested in Thailand after allegedly fatally stabbing her boyfriend, according to local media reports. The Bangkok Post reported that on Thursday morning local time, officers found the body of a 34-year-old man, who operated a cannabis farm, in a luxury rental home in the Pattaya area, a beachside region two hours outside of Bangkok known for its large expat population and nightlife. Continue reading...
Labour should win next election under Burnham after work already done, Starmer says
Prime minister holds no ‘personal animosity’ toward Burnham and emphasises success at improving NHS waiting lists and ‘stabilising economy’ Labour “should go on to win the next election” under his likely successor, Andy Burnham, Keir Starmer has said, based on what he has achieved while in power. In his first interview since he announced he will quit as prime minister, Starmer also said he held no “personal animosity” toward Burnham, who is expected to succeed him. Continue reading...
America is destroying itself. It’s no surprise | Stephen Marche
Scholars will somedy wonder how the richest country in history chose to throw it all away. But the crisis has been there since the beginning The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence has arrived at a moment of some embarrassment for the Republic. The United States of America, established to overthrow a mad king, has elected, 250 years later, a mad king of its very own. America is setting itself on fire at its birthday party. It always had a dramatic streak. In 30 or 40 years, scholars of history, if they exist, will want to know how the richest country in history, with the world’s most powerful alliance network, and a scientific and research capacity fuelled by the talent of the world, chose to throw it all away. Continue reading...
‘Trump accounts’: Wall Street-backed investment funds for children to go live
Savings plans for children born between January 2025 and December 2028 launched as president seeks electoral boost Trump accounts, a savings vehicle named after the US president and authorized by congressional Republicans, are set to go live on Saturday, offering American parents a new way to save money for their children by investing in funds managed by major Wall Street firms. All accounts established for children born between January 2025 through December 2028 – nearly the entirety of Donald Trump’s second term – will receive $1,000 from the government. Parents, friends and employers will be able to deposit as much as $5,000 a year into the accounts. Continue reading...
British Medical Association could axe up to a third of its staff amid cash crisis
Exclusive: Anger at union’s decision to put 200 of its 600 staff in England at risk of redundancy The British Medical Association is threatening to axe up to a third of its entire workforce to help it tackle a significant cash crisis. The doctors’ union has placed 200 of its 600 staff in England at risk of redundancy. That has triggered anxiety and fury among staff, who have accused the BMA of appalling behaviour and “hypocrisy”. Continue reading...
Crowds gather as six-day funeral for former Iranian supreme leader begins
Up to 30 million people expected to attend delayed events for Ali Khamenei, killed at start of war with US and Israel The funeral of the former Iranian supreme leader has begun as the gates of the sprawling Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran let in thousands of mourners early morning who had been waiting through the night to enter the grounds. Iran is staging mass funeral processions for Ali Khamenei – whose 37-year reign was brought to an end in February by the first airstrike of the war launched by the US and Israel. Continue reading...
Trump launches America’s 250th birthday weekend with attack on communism – video
Donald Trump has kicked off America’s 250th birthday weekend with an attack on the 'communist menace' in America. The US president spoke for half an hour on Friday night at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the latest stop on his tour celebrating the milestone anniversary of the US declaration of independence from Britain Trump launches America’s 250th birthday celebrations with partisan attack Continue reading...
Some Americans are reluctant to cheer for the US at the World Cup. They shouldn’t be | Alexander Abnos
There are plenty of reasons for Americans to feel discomfort about the behavior of their country. But sports have a way of bringing joy and unity The US men’s national team are on the verge of history. One win away from matching their best-ever run in the World Cup’s modern era, they are playing with more verve and quality than they ever have before at this stage. Wednesday’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina has begotten a rarity: American soccer, in the spotlight, in America. To longtime US soccer fans, the question of whether to support this particular team at this particular time is barely a question. Or if it is one, it’s vaguely along the lines of “should I breathe?” Continue reading...
World Cup 2026 power rankings: undisputed No 1, co-hosts surge and giants fall
We assess the standing of the nations who played in the tournament’s last 32 before the next round of games begins Les Bleus look unstoppable – all six of our judges ranked them No 1. Sweden did their best to cope with the French front four but were blown away by the slickest operation in town. Even when an opponent is feeling comfortable, Michael Olise or Kylian Mbappé can produce genius without notice, ripping apart the best-organised defences. “I did say that I wanted to enjoy this World Cup to the fullest,” Mbappé told reporters after the Sweden game. It is hard to imagine the fun stopping any time soon. Continue reading...
What’s holding back Britain’s green energy revolution? – a visual story
Labour has approved a wave of renewable energy projects, but turning plans into power remains slow. Why is that? Labour has a race on its hands if it is to lock in its promise to achieve a virtually zero-carbon electricity system by 2030. Britain’s next prime minister will have to move fast: the climate emergency is raging , high energy bills are driving up the cost of living and the reactionary right is threatening a fossil fuel push if it wins power. Continue reading...
Labour MPs call on water firms to save Britain’s lost lidos
Group, whose constituencies have derelict or at-risk pools, are campaigning to make outdoor swimming available for all Cooling, blue expanses of water have been a lifesaver for many lucky enough to live near a lido during the recent UK heatwave. Now, a group of 20 MPs, along with the Fabian Society, are calling for this relief to be made accessible for all by getting water companies to fund the reopening of the country’s lost lidos. Continue reading...
Overseas education project for women and girls axed by UK after two years
The programme, aimed at keeping 1m girls in school across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, withdrawn after aid cuts A leading higher education programme, aimed at keeping 1 million girls in school across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, has been axed by the British government just two years after it was announced. The scheme, Strengthening higher education for female empowerment (SHEFE), which was unveiled with some fanfare two years ago by the outgoing Conservative government, had a £45m budget to increase access to higher education for 1 million students worldwide. It has now had its tender withdrawn, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said. Continue reading...
World Cup 2026: Cape Verde give Argentina mighty scare; last 16 begins amid Mexico v England fixture chaos – live
⚽ All the latest news and reaction from the World Cup ⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Knockout draw | Mail us “We did our best and we did it with bravery. Never did we fail to stay true to our identity, which is why I am so proud of what my players did.” The words of Cape Verde coach Bubista after his team gave Lionel Messi and Argentina a mighty scare in Miami. Rival boss Lionel Scaloni, taking charge of his country for the 100th time, was a relieved man. “We suffered a very difficult game, we are still here but it won’t be easy, this is a very difficult World Cup. I hope the fans can have a drink now to relax for a bit.” Continue reading...
‘My childhood stopped’: woman sues CPS after taking stepfather to abuse trial
Annie’s lawyers argue that prosecution was so badly executed it breached her human rights At her kitchen table, in a village in southern England, Annie* sits with a blue folder stuffed with court documents, witness statements and correspondence relating to the trial of her stepfather, whom she had reported to police for alleged childhood abuse. As she prepared to tell her story for the first time, she was flooded with emotion when a photograph fell from the folder. The square Polaroid showed a young girl standing in a field beside a pony, dressed in jodhpurs and a riding hat. Continue reading...
Pull an all-nighter? How parents, schools, fans and police plan to cope with England’s 1am kick-off
Popular national pastimes of drinking and football will make post-Mexico Monday a day of sore heads and sleepy children England are through to the round of 16 in the World Cup and, as is customary in the run-up to a major international footballing fixture, the country may be losing its mind. Because piled on top of the 60 years of hurt for the men’s team, England fans have another obstacle to overcome with the forthcoming fixture: a gruelling kick-off time of 1am BST. Continue reading...
Brexit rule change means British teens in EU face soaring student fees for UK degrees
Brexit means ‘home fee’ qualification ends in 2028, leaving those hoping to study in UK not now eligible for loans British teenagers living in the EU could be priced out of UK universities in two years’ time as a Brexit rule change means they face the double whammy of paying costlier international fees, while losing access to student finance. British passport holders living in the EU still qualify for “home fee” status at UK universities. But this will no longer be the case when the grace period ends in 2028, meaning the first wave to be affected are starting their A-levels, or equivalent, this autumn. Continue reading...
UK and Ireland leaders fear for union’s future under Farage-led government
Politicians across Celtic nations braced for constitutional turmoil if Reform continues to rise The rise of Nigel Farage has prompted political leaders across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to game the unthinkable: the break-up of the United Kingdom. Unionists who wish to save the union and nationalists who wish to end it are bracing for constitutional turmoil if Reform UK emerges triumphant – with Farage as prime minister or official leader of the opposition – after the next election. Continue reading...
Trump launches America’s 250th birthday celebrations with partisan attack
In a speech at Mount Rushmore on Friday evening, the US president claimed a resurgent ‘communist menace’ posed a severe threat the country Donald Trump has kicked off America’s 250th birthday weekend with an extraordinary partisan attack on what he called the “communist menace” in America, framing its supporters as “the enemy of July 4th, 1776”. The US president spoke for half an hour on Friday night at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the latest stop on his tour celebrating the milestone anniversary of the US declaration of independence from Britain. Continue reading...
Britain has so many stories. The reason we fund the arts together is so we can tell them | James Graham
Dear England, Ink, Sherwood … I owe my career to publicly funded art. Never downplay it: it’s how we speak to each other James Graham is a British playwright and television writer It shouldn’t feel like a contentious image: a large cross of St George – England’s national flag – being unfurled and laid out on a raked stage. But at that time, in that place, and in this way, you could feel one of those unique, intake-of-breath moments that happen sometimes in the theatre. The place in question was the Nottingham Theatre Royal in the East Midlands, one of my local theatres when I was growing up. The play – forgive the self-aggrandisement – was my own, Dear England, about Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England men’s football manager: the first production in the country to receive funding through Arts Council England’s incentivising touring scheme. And the time was the opening night of the play’s nationwide tour in September 2025. Continue reading...
As the US marks 250, does the special relationship still exist – or is the UK just irrelevant?
The gap between America and Britain has grown economically as Trump asserts ‘the UK is dying’. Culturally, however, it’s a different story On 1 June 1785 John Adams travelled to London to become the first US ambassador to Britain, in which capacity he was to meet George III. By his own admission, Adams trembled at the encounter. After all, it had been less than a decade since he helped Thomas Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence denouncing the king as an absolute “tyrant” who had “plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people”. A trepidatious Adams trudged through the London drizzle to St James’s Palace, where he presented his credentials to King George. He bowed three times, then declared he would be “the happiest of men if I can be instrumental in recommending my country more and more to your Majesty’s royal benevolence”. Continue reading...
Cornwall van dwellers face homelessness amid council crackdown
Half of county’s planning infringement notices target caravans in fields, fuelling eviction fears for vulnerable people People living in caravans and horseboxes on farms in Cornwall because they can’t afford or find a house to rent are facing homelessness after a crackdown by the council. Cornwall council recently announced that it was one of the top five authorities in England for enforcing infringements of planning regulations. Half of those notices, it said, were served on caravans in agricultural fields. Continue reading...
Burning flags, busty blondes and bison skulls: 48 photographs that capture America at 250
From the gold rush to civil rights, the moon landing to 9/11, the US has always understood, mythologised and sold itself through the power of the still image The United States was founded in 1776, but did not begin to see itself until the autumn of 1839, when daguerreotypes, the first form of photograph, reached American cities. You could argue the US began again on the morning it could look at its own face. At first photography seemed to answer the democratic promise of 1776. A portrait was no longer reserved for the rich; almost anyone could now leave a trace of their existence. The gold rush became one of the first great American dramas to find the camera: ordinary diggers squinting into the lens, looking beyond it for gold. A more emblematic American scene can scarcely be imagined: what would be called the American Dream, a lottery everyone plays and very few win. The myth was not that they all found gold – it was that the search itself made them American. Continue reading...
Sydney records hottest June since 1859 as expert warns new high a ‘signature’ of global warming
Bureau of Meteorology says city’s mean temperature reached 16.1C, surpassing the previous record of 15.7C set in 1991 Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Sydney has officially experienced its hottest June since records began, following a winter month of spring-like warmth. While early weather data suggested the month was merely among the warmest, the Bureau of Meteorology confirmed on Friday that June 2026 broke the all-time mean temperature record at Observatory Hill, where tracking first began in 1859. Continue reading...
Chris Minns admits NSW Labor needs to ‘climb Everest’ to stay in power as protesters interrupt state conference
The New South Wales premier warns of One Nation threat as he addresses party conference Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, admits the Labor party needs to “climb Everest” to stay in power amid rising threats posed by One Nation. But Minns, who received a standing ovation as he circled Sydney’s town hall before addressing the NSW Labor conference on Saturday, did not avoid the protests over conflict in Gaza which have marked party conferences in previous years. Continue reading...