section
Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
5059 stories archived
Family pays tribute to New Mexico man killed by bear: ‘He was a strong person’
Relatives of Benjamin Halona remember his career as wildlife firefighter and his zeal for selling tamales Relatives of a New Mexico man who was fatally mauled by a bear inside his home recently say they are choosing to remember his firefighting career and zeal for peddling tamales rather than his rare, brutal manner of death. As Benjamin Halona’s sister, Gloria Halona, and her daughter, Samantha Vandever, put it, that is the least he deserved after the quiet dignity that he showed becoming a widower in February and subsequently grappling with health problems that required him to use a walker and a wheelchair to move around. Continue reading...
‘Pitiful’: experts condemn initial US aid contribution for Nepal flood victims
Sum of $500,000 has been increased as death toll passes 1,000 but specialists decry Trump dismantling of USAID Aid experts have denounced the US’s “embarrassing” and “pitiful” initial response to the Nepal flood disaster after the US state department announced it was releasing $500,000 in emergency funds to help the relief effort. The modest sum – which has since been increased – allocated in response to the devastation caused by mudslides in the mountainous Asian country was mocked on social media , where users contrasted it with the amount spent on other Trump administration priorities. Continue reading...
The deportation of Milo Yiannopoulos signals a rupture within Maga | Moira Donegan
The far-right provocateur helped galvanize a movement that no longer needs him. Now his imitators are claiming victory It’s been a long, slow decline for Milo Yiannopoulos. From the vantage point of 2026, it’s easy to forget that he was once a big deal. The British-born far-right provocateur, who was arrested by ICE in Louisiana and deported from the US this week, was among the first media figures to ride the “ gamergate ” controversy and ensuing rightwing populist wave that brought Donald Trump to office in 2016. An editor of the then ascendant Breitbart News from 2014 to 2017, Yiannopoulous was an early adopter of the media strategy of algorithm-optimized outrage bait, trawling the internet and a consulting large network of well-placed sources in search of stories he could use to fan the flames of online culture war discourses. He would write a story mocking a feminist, or fire off a tweet saying something racist about Muslims, and the ensuing firestorm of controversy would result in online arguments, media coverage, and his own promptly and decisively rising star. Rinse, repeat. Continue reading...
Four charged with murder after newborn baby stabbed to death in Sheffield
The two men and two women are also accused of causing or allowing death of a child and perverting course of justice Four people have been charged with murder after a newborn baby girl was stabbed to death in Sheffield. Two men and two women are to appear in court on Wednesday accused of murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and perverting the course of justice by taking steps to conceal the killing of an infant. Continue reading...
Guinea-Bissau voters approve new constitution expanding presidential powers
Changes include fewer seats in parliament and new rules on presidential candidates ahead of December elections Guinea-Bissau voters have approved a new constitution significantly expanding presidential powers ahead of elections due in December. According to provisional results, 70% of voters approved sweeping changes in the tiny west African state’s first constitutional amendment since revisions that ended the one-party socialist state more than three decades ago. Continue reading...
Range Rover launches its first electric vehicle, with starting price of £154,070
Fully electric SUV unveiled after year-long delay and will be built at Jaguar Land Rover’s plant in Solihull Range Rover has launched its first electric vehicle – a year later than planned – offering a greener option for fans of gargantuan British-made SUVs who are also conscious about the climate crisis. Due to be built in Solihull, the home of the marque since 1970, the vehicle comes with an eye-watering price tag, starting at £154,070. Continue reading...
Nate Boyer, the Green Beret who stood beside Kaepernick: ‘The vitriol was more disrespectful than the protest’
Ten years after he helped shape the quarterback’s anthem protest, the former NFL player and Army veteran says he still sees it as an act of patriotism Nate Boyer was stunned. The former NFL long snapper and United States Army Green Beret had big plans for his MVP (Merging Vets and Players) foundation, an organization that helps veterans and NFL players address the challenges that await once they take the uniform off for good. MVP was all set for a season-long college football activation tour thanks to a five-figure sponsorship from a well-known brand that happens to be one of the NFL’s longstanding partners. Boyer and his team were prepping for their trip to Columbus for Ohio State’s home opener. Everything was ready to go. Thousands in upfront costs had been spent. Then the company pulled out. “They suddenly stopped replying to emails,” Boyer says. “Finally, on that Thursday, when I was at the airport en route, I called our point person, also a veteran, who begrudgingly told me what was going on.” Continue reading...
Dream team or stuff of nightmares? Rams’ bold moves could go either way
LA added Myles Garrett and brought Aaron Donald out of retirement to create the NFL’s most menacing defense. A Super Bowl trip still isn’t a guarantee Last Saturday night, NFL Network premiered the 2025 edition of America’s Game, the annual NFL Films-produced documentary on the reigning Super Bowl champions, this time starring the Seattle Seahawks. Less than 24 hours later, the Los Angeles Rams announced that they had lured Aaron Donald out of retirement and signed him to a one-year, $20m contract that could reach $30m with incentives. Continue reading...
No eggs, no potatoes but ‘a lot of imagination’: how Spain cooked in war’s hunger years
Book recreates recipes from period following end of Spanish civil war when people faced food shortages Few dishes are simpler to prepare than Spain’s signature dish of tortilla de patatas , which – aside from disputes about onions – requires nothing more than two basic ingredients and a pinch of salt. But where to begin if you have neither eggs nor potatoes? That is the question the chef and food writer Berta Álvarez Acal sets out to answer in Recetas de Guerra (Wartime Recipes), a compilation of recipes covering the years of hunger after the end of the Spanish civil war in 1939. Continue reading...
Ryanair warns air fares in Europe will jump next year if oil price stays high
Budget carrier says airlines could go bust as it cuts passenger targets to reduce exposure to ‘unhedged winter oil’ Business live – latest updates Ryanair has warned that air fares in Europe will jump next year if the oil price remains high and that some airlines could go bust. The Irish budget carrier has cut its passenger target for the year to 31 March, down from 216 million customers to 214 million, to help reduce its exposure to “unhedged winter oil” during the unprofitable off season, with jet fuel currently trading at $140 (£104) a barrel. Continue reading...
Global bond sell-off intensifies as US-Iran tensions stoke inflation fears
UK borrowing costs driven up, adding to challenges facing John Healey as he prepares for first budget Business live – latest updates The global government bond sell-off resumed on Wednesday, driving up the UK’s borrowing costs and exacerbating the challenges facing John Healey as he prepares his first budget. The yield – effectively the interest rate – on 10-year UK government bonds, or gilts, jumped to just below 5.3% in early trading: its highest level since mid-2008. Continue reading...
Top seed Alexander Zverev survives near five-hour marathon at US Open
German scrapes home 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4 in thriller ‘I think this is the longest first-round match I’ve played’ Alexander Zverev rallied just in time to avoid becoming the first men’s No. 1 seed to lose in the first round of a grand slam tournament since 2003, edging Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4 in a US Open match that ended in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Zverev couldn’t cash in on repeated chances to break Sonego’s serve for much of the night and was in danger of becoming the first top-seeded man to fall in his first match in a major since Ivo Karlovic beat Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon in 2003. Continue reading...
Sadiq Khan fined by fast-track court over untaxed car City Hall says he doesn’t own
London mayor convicted under ‘conveyor-belt justice’ system where magistrates can decide outcomes in seconds UK politics live – latest updates The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has been convicted and fined for not taxing a 24-year-old car in a controversial fast-track court system. He was found guilty last month under a system that critics have described as “conveyor-belt justice”, with magistrates deciding on hundreds of daily cases and sometimes spending less than a minute on them. Continue reading...
BP appoints new chair after contentious ousting of Albert Manifold in May
Ian Tyler, who was already in role on interim basis, selected and pledges to ‘lead the board’s evolution’ BP has appointed a new chair after a months-long search following the controversial ousting of Albert Manifold , seeking to draw a line under the boardroom turmoil at the oil and gas company. Ian Tyler, who has served as the interim chair and sat on the BP board as a non-executive director since April 2025, is assuming the role on a permanent basis immediately. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham to face first PMQs as borrowing costs rise – UK politics live
PMQs comes as Resolution Foundation says it is not ‘realistic’ to think defence spending can increase without tax rises Good morning. Andy Burnham will face PMQs for the first time as PM today but he already has a fairly good idea of the questions he might get from Kemi Badenoch because she rehearsed them all yesterday. Here is an excerpt from the press release the Conservatives put out yesterday summarising those questions – and their take on how Burnham responded. Kemi Badenoch asked if Burnham would: -Set out a plan to get defence spending to 3% of GDP; Continue reading...
Fake 10 Downing Street listing on Booking.com highlights security failures
Consumer watchdog Which? set up and accepted payment for fake listing for ‘1 bed apartment in heart of London’ Successive politicians have clawed their way past colleagues over the years to call the residence home. Yet in an offer that probably seemed too good to be true, the property site Booking.com has been accused of “systemic security failures” after it was able to set up and accept payment for a fake listing for 10 Downing Street. A property listed as a “1 bedroom apartment in the heart of London” – with the exact address and a picture of the prime minister’s home – was listed on 18 June by researchers from the consumer watchdog Which?. Continue reading...
EU holds talks on response to Leipzig drone attack after Germany formally blames Moscow for incident – Europe live
Foreign policy chief says drone attack last month ‘had all the hallmarks of state sponsored terrorism’ as she prepares to lead talks today Separately, German police are also investigating another attempt to disrupt the country’s energy grid, this time at a electricity substation in Bergheim in the west of the country. A local police spokesperson said they are “not assuming a technical failure but a deliberate act,” without revealing more details. The region’s power supply was not affected. Continue reading...
Britain is OK with public ownership, but only by foreign powers. Why?
Arthur Downing, author of Power and the People: A History of British Energy, says all-encompassing rapid transition will need a mutualised system Have you ever wondered why it is that most houses in the UK are reliant on gas boilers? Not what’s stopping more people from replacing them with heat pumps, but instead why and how the gas boiler became so ubiquitous in the first place? Arthur Downing, the author of the new book Power and the People: A History of British Energy, can tell you exactly why. “We only have boilers in our houses because of a state-owned enterprise that went into everybody’s home and installed natural gas-suitable appliances at no direct cost,” he says. The nationalised gas industry of the 1940s to the 1980s, which oversaw this huge project, was for three decades one of the “most dynamic, innovative, efficient industries in Britain”, Downing says. Yet few of us would use these terms to describe it as such now. Continue reading...
Free cholesterol tests on the NHS are great – but here’s the five-point health MOT I’d really like to see | Devi Sridhar
You could be walking around symptom-free and not know you’re pre-diabetic, living with hypertension or at a high risk of a heart attack Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Benjamin Franklin’s adage goes. Yet that simple prescription has been hard to follow in the current NHS. As has been frequently highlighted , one of the biggest challenges for the health system is not just how much we spend per capita, but where and when it is spent. In England, there has been an ongoing shift within the NHS budget towards acute hospital care – treating people in hospitals, often after they are already quite ill – while funding for primary care such as GPs has fallen. The consequence is that the NHS is increasingly paying for serious and expensive disease treatment, rather than investing upstream to prevent disease in the first place. We spend heavily on dealing with heart attacks, strokes and other life-threatening conditions, rather than identifying those who are at higher risk and intervening earlier to reduce their chances of getting ill. Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh Continue reading...
Gingers of America: portraits of people with ginger hair across the US
For his latest in a series of work photographing people with red hair, photographer Kieran Dodds interviewed and made portraits of hundreds of people with ginger hair, with widely varying backgrounds and heritage, across the US between 2024 and 2026. Dodds asked each interviewee the same question at the end of the interview: What unites the states? We hear some of the responses A new book of this work is available to preorder here ‘Although almost everyone featured in the project is ginger, it is not really about hair. It is structured around themes raised time and again in the conversations I had with portrait sitters, and which I reflected on during my travels in the states’ – Kieran Dodds Continue reading...
Almost half of world’s farmers poisoned by pesticides every year, experts find
Study reveals that pesticide poisoning kills 11,000 people each year, with India accounting for nearly 60% of fatalities Almost half of the world’s farmers are poisoned by pesticides every single year, a study has found. Using publicly available data from 2006-2023, the study, which was commissioned by Pesticide Action Network , found there to be an estimated 402-433m cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning of farmers and farm workers every year. Continue reading...
Ukrainian film-maker criticises EU after it cuts Venice Biennale funding over Russia controversy
Sergei Loznitsa likens removal of €2m grant to ‘a punishment in kindergarten’ on eve of Venice film festival One of Ukraine’s most acclaimed film-makers has criticised the European Commission’s decision to cut off funds to the Venice Biennale over the opening of Russia’s pavilion, likening it to “a punishment in kindergarten”. The Biennale drew heavy criticism this spring when it allowed Russia to use its pavilion for the first time since 2022, despite the ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...
Conservative reshuffle is a response to shifting political tides
With mix of One Nation centrists and rightwing hawks, Tories hope new shadow cabinet can bring back voters When Kemi Badenoch steps up to the dispatch box for prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, she will face a very different opponent. And while all eyes will be on Andy Burnham’s first PMQs, those in the Conservative ranks will be watching their own leader’s performance just as closely. Badenoch attempted to get out of the traps quickly this week, instigating a reshuffle of her frontbench like a conscientious head girl refilling her pencil case for the start of term. Out went the unassuming shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, replaced by the Thatcherite Andrew Griffith. He will lead a new economic unit alongside the City minister, Richard Fuller, and Claire Coutinho, who will replace Griffith as shadow business secretary and act as his deputy after her parental leave. Continue reading...
UK must end all trade with Israel, says co-founder of BDS movement
Exclusive: sanctions against ministers and settler groups are ‘smoke and mirrors cop-out’ says Omar Barghouti Britain’s legal and ethical obligation to stop a genocide in Gaza requires it to take bigger steps than halting trade with illegal Israeli settlements or imposing further sanctions, Omar Barghouti, the co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has said. He described sanctions against individual settler groups or extremist ministers as a “smoke and mirrors cop-out and distraction” from the UK’s legal obligation under international law to end all support for Israel, including arms exports, trade deals and academic relations that “may directly or indirectly enable Israel’s illegal occupation” of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Continue reading...