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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Zaghari-Ratcliffe condemns Iran’s ‘cruel’ rearrest of wildlife activist couple
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in prison with Sepideh Kashani, who worked with husband Houman Jokar to save Asiatic cheetah Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has described the rearrest of two Iranian environmentalists, one of whom she met at Evin prison, as “unimaginably cruel and alarming”. Husband and wife Houman Jokar and Sepideh Kashani were arrested by the ministry of intelligence at their home on 1 July. No reason has been given and their whereabouts are unknown. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham has body of work that speaks volumes about how he gets football | Rob Draper
Prime-minister-in-waiting has been a key figure in overhauls behind the scenes of the game, as well helping to create the Hillsborough Independent Panel Picking up the country when it is in a slump of self-doubt is perhaps within Andy Burnham’s reach. And football, close to Burnham’s heart, may provide the template. There have been several occasions in the past 20 years when English football has been in a state of anguish, but a nadir came in 2007, when Burnham made one of his most significant interventions to the national game. If England win the World Cup , expect the prime-minister-in-waiting to take at least a slice of the credit. England had just lost 3-2 to Croatia at Wembley and failed to qualify for Euro 2008, the game where Steve McClaren was dubbed “the wally with the brolly” , the pouring rain adding to the sense of despair. At Wembley that night Burnham was with James Purnell, now poised to become his chief of staff in No 10, as guests of the Premier League’s then chief executive, Richard Scudamore. Burnham was the minister for culture, media and sport, having succeeded Purnell, who had been moved to the Department for Work and Pensions, this being the early days of Gordon Brown’s Labour premiership. Continue reading...
North Carolina woman, 82, survives nine days trapped in her bathtub after fall
Joan Rivet drank water she managed to splash up to her face by turning faucet on with her foot An 82-year-old North Carolina woman says she survived falling in her bathtub and being trapped there for nine days by turning the faucet on with her foot and drinking water that she managed to splash up to her face – all while drifting in and out of consciousness. Joan Rivet recently shared her remarkable survival story with North Carolina’s The Mountaineer newspaper, providing an extreme example of the kinds of emergencies that can face the millions of older Americans who fall by accident annually, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates . Continue reading...
First the £10 pint, now the £6.50 flat white: coffee industry faces inflationary pressures
From harvests dampened by El Niño to wage and tax rises, getting coffee beans from crop to cup costs more than ever Drinkers across the UK were shocked when a pint in some London bars hit £10, and now a cup of coffee is facing a similar inflationary rate. Some baristas are now charging £6.50 for a flat white. Higher energy bills, inflated by the war in the Middle East , as well as government policies which have increased tax and wages, are filtering through into coffee prices, experts said. Continue reading...
Queensland unlawfully detained children in adult watch house without private toilet access, tribunal finds
State ordered to apologise after ruling finds it breached law when detaining teenagers in a Cairns watch house Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Queensland government broke the law and violated the human rights of three children by detaining them in an adult-only watch house without private toilet access or clean clothes, according to a tribunal judgment. The case was brought by three teenagers separately detained in the Cairns watch house between June 2021 and 2022. They were then aged between 13 and 17. Continue reading...
Minister suggests Shabana Mahmood will use visa threats to deport Rochdale grooming gang leader to Pakistan – UK politics live
Cather Atkinson hinted that the Home Office may threaten to stop issuing visas to Pakistan unless it agrees to accept Shabir Ahmed Good morning. Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, will be in the Commons for much of the afternoon and she is involved in several of the main news stories in the mix today. MPs are debating the second reading of the immigration and asylum bill, meaning that those Labour MPs opposed to her plans may speak out at some point. (Her most controversial proposal is about extending the amount of time migrant workers have to wait until they can apply for indefinite leave to remain [ILR], and that is not actually part of the bill , but it would be surprising if ILR does not come up.) We are also expecting a Home Office statement about security, in the light of the murder of Ann Widdecombe. As Aletha Adu reports, the police, who have arrested a man on suspicion of murder, have said at this point there is no evidence to suggest the killing was politically motivated. But that has not stopped Nigel Farage , the Reform UK leader, doing exactly that. And Mahmood is also due to give MPs details of how she plans to amend the law so that the Rochdale grooming gang leader, Shabir Ahmed, can be deported. I understand that the home secretary will be having more to announce on this later today. She has been absolutely clear that this government will take action to see Shabir Ahmed removed, and we’ve seen the success that she has had when it comes to removals in previous cases. There were previous negotiations where countries refused to take back foreign national offenders. And Shabana was able to secure those returns. I can’t get ahead of what the home secretary will be announcing today, but she has a strong track record on being able to see progress where people previously have said things weren’t possible. Continue reading...
Iran launches attacks on American military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait after fresh US strikes – Middle East crisis live
US military says it hit dozens of Iranian sites in strikes on Monday while UN chief warns that a return to full-scale fighting would be ‘catastrophic’ US launches new attack wave on Iran as Tehran says diplomacy has proven ‘futile’ A US-Iranian memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on 17 June extended a ceasefire in the war by 60 days to allow the restoration of trade through the strait of Hormuz and create breathing space for talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief, the main points of contention between Iran and the west. Apart from some indirect technical talks, those negotiations have failed to materialise, and fighting has continued between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which was supposed to be covered by the agreement. Continue reading...
Macron hosts Zelenskyy, Starmer and Merz for Ukraine talks – Europe live
French president hosts ‘coalition of the willing’ in Paris amid hopes that Ukraine’s recent advances could force Putin towards negotiations French president Emmanuel Macron is going to host the Coalition of the Willing in Paris later today amid hopes that Ukraine’s recent advances in strikes on Russia could force Vladimir Putin to a negotiating table. The meeting at the Hôtel des Invalides – hosted just before Bastille Day – will b ring together over 20 European leaders for further talks on how to help Kyiv and put more pressure on Moscow. Continue reading...
‘We should be dead’: Perth’s Indigenous community felt ignored after alleged Invasion Day bombing attempt, inquiry told
Police were told of unspecified threats before the 26 January rally but did not meet with organisers until after, parliamentary inquiry into racism told Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Indigenous community members who witnessed the alleged attempted terror attack at the Invasion Day rally in Perth have told a federal inquiry into racism and hate directed at First Nations people that they felt dismissed and ignored by authorities. Western Australia police declared the incident was being investigated as a terror attack nine days after an alleged homemade bomb, filled with ball bearings, screws and other projectiles, was thrown into the crowd of 2,000 people at Forrest Place on 26 January. Perth man Liam Alexander Hall has been charged with terrorism offences and is in custody, and his lawyers have indicated he intends to plead not guilty by way of insanity . Continue reading...
‘A true gentleman’: actors, directors and leaders pay tribute to Sam Neill
The star of more than 100 films is remembered as a champion of New Zealand’s arts, culture and environment, and a generous collaborator and friend Sam Neill, star of Jurassic Park films and The Piano, dies aged 78 Sam Neill’s 20 best roles Sam Neill’s friends, peers and admirers have rushed to pay tribute to the actor, after his sudden death on Monday at the age of 78. Australian director Phillip Noyce, who directed Neill in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm alongside Nicole Kidman, told the Guardian: “Sam was perhaps the most gentlemanly actor I ever encountered. Level-headed and sincere in a show business world of crazy egos. His word was his contract.” Continue reading...
More than 120 families contacted as police investigate alleged abuse by Sydney childcare worker
Police allege there are 136 victims of the man’s offending, which allegedly took place over a 16-year period Australia federal police have contacted more than 120 families as they investigate alleged offending by a former Sydney childcare worker. The man, 35, has been charged with 329 offences allegedly committed over a 16-year period against 136 victims. Continue reading...
Oil prices leap and stocks fall amid US-Iran strikes over Hormuz
Brent crude jumps nearly 5% and Asian markets drop, with chipmakers including SK Hynix among hardest hit Business live – latest updates Oil prices jumped and stocks fell after the US launched a fresh wave of attacks against Iran amid an escalating standoff over the strait or Hormuz. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, rose 4.7% to $79.59 a barrel. Asian stock markets dropped sharply, with South Korea’s Kospi down 8% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 and China’s Shanghai Composite 2% lower. Continue reading...
More than 16,000 refugees unable to reunite with families in UK, says Refugee Council
Suspension of family reunion route has left many stuck in conflict zones or using people smugglers to reach safety More than 16,000 refugees have been unable to reunite with families in the UK, leaving them either stuck in conflict zones or resorting to using people-smugglers to reach safety, according to the Refugee Council. The government suspended the refugee family reunion route last September. It allowed a person granted refugee status to apply to bring immediate family members such as a spouse and their children under 18 to reunite with them in the UK. The indication was that the suspension would last until the spring of this year. Continue reading...
Monday briefing: You ask the questions – is Britain ungovernable?
In today’s newsletter: Andy Beckett takes your questions – and mine – about where UK politics is at and where it’s headed, from leadership churn and policy choices to electoral reform and more Good morning. This week, we anticipate the arrival of Britain’s seventh prime minister in the space of a decade. Barring a sequence of events too freakish to contemplate this early in the day, Andy Burnham will be declared Labour leader on Friday and invited to form a new government thereafter. Sceptical as I am about doomy predictions on Britain’s chronic ungovernability, I wanted to speak to somebody who could offer some deeper context. Step forward Guardian columnist Andy Beckett , who also writes vivid modern histories about the country’s defining political ideas, and step forward you – First Edition readers – who responded when I asked what contemporary liabilities we should be talking about. Middle East | The US military has launched a new wave of attacks against Iran amid the escalating standoff over the strait of Hormuz, with Tehran saying the latest strikes had “rendered futile” all the diplomatic efforts of the past few months. UK news | Senior police figures and politicians have warned against speculation during the murder investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s death, after detectives said there was “nothing to suggest” political motivation. US politics | Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally in Washington, died this weekend after a short illness, his office announced . Far right | Elon Musk’s family foundation took Tommy Robinson to Russia, according to the billionaire X owner’s father. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said on Sunday the news was a sign Britain “must do more to defend its democracy”. UK politics | Reform UK would have held just 15% of the donations it received last year if a proposed £100,000 cap on political donations had been in force, according to analysis shared with the Guardian. Monday | Green MP Hannah Spencer presents her Maximum Workplace Temperature Bill to the Commons, which would establish an independent body to recommend safe working temperatures. Tuesday | MPs debate capping political donations as they seek to strengthen a new law on party funding. Wednesday | Sir Keir Starmer will face his final PMQs. Continue reading...
Struggling pub landlords given a lifeline by England’s World Cup heroes
One manager expects takings to treble during England’s semi-final with Argentina on Wednesday; while national sales are up 10% The beleaguered pub sector is getting a boost from England’s World Cup run, with some landlords reporting roaring sales as anticipation builds for a bumper night on Wednesday for the semi-final clash with Argentina. Lisa Mayall, the manager of the British Oak in Kingswinford near Dudley in the West Midlands, was jubilant after England’s 2-1 win against Norway on Saturday night and brisk takings at the pub’s till. She expects hundreds more customers for the team’s next game at 8pm BST. Continue reading...
UNSW academic subjected to Nazi salutes in class, antisemitism commission hears
Royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion hears lived experiences of Jewish students and academics Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An academic at UNSW was subjected to Nazi salutes by students in his business class, the royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion has heard. The fourth block of hearings, taking place in Melbourne this week, is examining the lived experiences of Jewish students and academics, including the response of universities to combat hate. Continue reading...
Is the most popular song played on Australian radio stations the product of generative AI?
Josh Fawaz’s song, a cover of Like a Prayer, has raised questions over how generative AI is being used in music and whether it should be declared An Australian producer has gone from a little-known artist to a viral sensation in a matter of months, with his hit song catapulting onto global charts and receiving thousands of radio spins. There’s just one problem: music experts and other musicians are questioning whether he produced it. They claim Josh Fawaz’s most popular song, a cover of Madonna’s Like a Prayer which reached the #1 spot on the National Radio Airplay chart, could have been made using AI. Continue reading...
Britons give classic round tomato the red card as coloured and vine varieties score
Premium cherry-on-the-vine are poised to take top spot in Britain’s £1bn-a-year tomato market For a long time the classic round, red tomato has dominated British salads and sandwiches, but its supremacy is coming under threat as sales of rainbow colours and the upmarket rival “cherry on the vine” take off. “Non-red tomatoes” sales are up 21% this year, a growth rate that far exceeds the overall market, according to Paul Faulkner, of Evesham Vale Growers. Continue reading...
Swedish MEP files police complaint accusing Danish colleague of racist hate speech
Abir Al-Sahlani targeted on social media after condemning anti-immigration chants in European parliament A Swedish MEP has filed a police complaint accusing a fellow MEP of racist hate speech after she was targeted on social media over her condemnation of far-right, anti-immigration chants in the European parliament. The complaint, which was filed last week with police in Sweden, relates to the aftermath last month of the decision by some rightwing MEPs to erupt in chants of “send them back” following a vote aimed at increasing deportations across the EU. Continue reading...
Mastermind of €88m Louvre heist thought they ‘could have taken more’
Alleged thieves in October 2025 robbery damaged a gem-encrusted crown worn in the 19th century by Empress Eugénie Two men suspected of making off with €88m (£75m) worth of crown jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris last October have reportedly told investigators that the alleged mastermind behind the heist was disappointed by the haul and thought “they could have taken more”. The French newspaper Le Monde cited transcripts of the alleged thieves’ questioning last month by two investigating judges in charge of the inquiry, offering detailed insights into the burglary that made global headlines and led the museum’s director to resign . Continue reading...
H.R. 8684: Transparency in Billing Act of 2026
Bill Text: This bill's text for status (July 13, 2026) is now available.
H.R. 4541: EARLY Act Reauthorization of 2025
Bill Text: This bill's text for status (July 13, 2026) is now available.
Jana Armstrong’s former partner appears in court charged with murder after body found near Toowoomba
Dharminder Singh ‘asserts his innocence’, lawyer tells reporters, amid outpouring of grief for young mother in Queensland city Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The former partner of a woman whose body was found near Toowoomba at the weekend has appeared in court for the first time after being charged with her murder. Dharminder Singh covered his face and appeared to sob as he appeared in Toowoomba magistrates court via video link, charged with the murder of 30-year-old Jana Armstrong. Continue reading...
Fire bomber planes battle Fointaineblue forest blaze near Paris
Wildfire quickly burnt more than 800 hectares, with villages evacuated, highway partly closed and high-speed rail disrupted French officials rushed two firefighting planes to the Paris region on Sunday after a “very virulent” fire of “exceptional scale” erupted in the sprawling Fontainebleau forest about 60km (40 miles) south-east of the capital. The fire began late afternoon in the one-time royal hunting preserve that today is dotted with quiet villages. It raced across 800 hectares (2,000 acres) and was still spreading early on Monday, officials said, causing the partial closure of the A6 highway, the country’s main north-south artery, and disrupting traffic during a busy, heatwave-stricken summer travel weekend. Continue reading...