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Politics
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Keir Starmer issues formal state apology over forced adoption scandal
After decades of campaigning by those affected, PM says state ‘did not do enough to protect’ mothers and children Keir Starmer has formally apologised for the British state’s role in historic forced adoptions after decades of campaigning by mothers and children affected. The government said the “state did not do enough to protect mothers, children and families”, that it “failed to prevent harm from continuing” and that it bore responsibility for funding and legitimising the system that allowed the adoptions to take place. Continue reading...
Vatican excommunicates all members of ultra-conservative rebels SSPX
Schism caused by ordaining of four bishops without papal consent presents first crisis for Pope Leo Europe live – latest updates The Vatican has excommunicated a rebel group of ultra-conservative Catholics who defied Pope Leo by ordaining bishops without his consent, creating a schism in the Roman Catholic church. In a statement on Thursday, cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who heads up the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the group from the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), founded in the Swiss village of Ecône in 1970, had “committed an act of a schismatic nature” which, under canon law, is punishable with automatic excommunication. Continue reading...
Far-right French mayor causes outrage after barring staging of play about migrant
Playwright says decision is warning of what may happen if National Rally runs country amid accusations of cultural censorship In Anglo-French playwright Alexis Michalik’s play Passeport, a young man has been beaten and left for dead in the notorious Calais refugee camp known as ‘the Jungle’. When he wakes up, he has no idea who he is – and his only possession is a blue Eritrean passport containing the name Issa. With two others from the camp he decides to leave, but not to take the perilous Channel crossing to the UK but instead to try to integrate into France and obtain the necessary papers to remain. Continue reading...
Anger as report says Trump hijacked US anniversary to serve own agenda – US politics live
Newly-released congressional report says president hijacked United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations to serve ‘political ideology and pet projects’ Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog. Donald Trump hijacked the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations to serve “political ideology and pet projects”, a congressional report released today has revealed. I can’t, in my time here in Congress, remember anything even remotely like this: watching this trusted, venerable charity organisation, the National Parks Foundation, literally be hijacked for a craven political agenda that tries to steal the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and turn it into something that’s all about Trump, advancing this very divisive agenda and even enriching Trump and those around him. The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche , said that federal prosecutors and law enforcement officers will focus on keeping pregnant non-citizens from giving birth in the US to acquire birthright citizenship. He did not mention that Donald Trump ’s father was born in New York to a non-citizen mother who arrived six months pregnant. Trump batted down questions about the $1.2bn he earned from crypto businesses , according to his latest annual financial disclosures. Trump refused to renew the North American trade pact he once championed as his signature deal, opting instead to keep it alive on a short leash of annual reviews. The mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani , plans to deliver what his office calls a “major address” on Friday to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, “surrounded by recently naturalized citizens.” A federal judge blocked a proposed restriction on mail-in voting across the US, challenging a crackdown on elections ordered by Donald Trump . During a visit to a new museum dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt , Trump asked an AI rendition of the 26th president about the Panama canal. Trump then lied to supporters about the exchange. Continue reading...
Release of Rochdale grooming gang leader ‘really scary’, says whistleblower
Exclusive: Health worker Sara Rowbotham fears for women and girls because of ‘weak’ probation service The impending release of the Rochdale grooming gang leader is “really scary” for local women and girls because of failings in a “weak” probation service and his lack of remorse, a former health worker who exposed the paedophile ring has said. Sara Rowbotham, whose team gathered evidence that led to the imprisonment of Shabir Ahmed and eight other men in Rochdale, said she is “terrified” by the prospect of meeting him in the street. Continue reading...
Trump hijacked US’s 250 anniversary to serve ‘political ideology and pet projects’, congressional report says
House Democratic subcommittee report outlines web of alleged corruption, wire fraud and pay-to-play schemes Donald Trump staged a hostile takeover of the US’s 250th anniversary celebration to enrich political allies, harvest voter data and promote Christian nationalist ideology, according to a congressional investigation released on Thursday. The interim report, “From Vanity to Insanity: How the White House Cheated the American People Out of Their 250th Birthday”, outlines a web of alleged corruption, wire fraud and pay-to-play schemes orchestrated through a shadow corporation embedded within the National Park Foundation (NPF) . Continue reading...
Let us celebrate America’s birthday. And, despite it all, hope for another 250 years | Francine Pose
Democracies rarely last, but ours has. That alone is worth celebrating One reason to celebrate America’s national big birthday – our 250th on the Fourth of July – is to honor the unusual longevity of our democratic experiment. Democracies rarely last, but ours has. Even if we know its flawed history – the land grab and slaughter of the indigenous population; slavery; enduring racial, gender and economic inequalities – it’s hard to fault the admirable, high-minded idealism of the Bill of Rights and the US constitution. I’m all for celebrating democracy. The bicentennial was fun. I lived outside a small rural town where there was a parade, a fife and drum corps, tricornered hats, flags and fireworks. Then president Gerald Ford had sponsored civil rights legislation. Roe v Wade was three years old. There were brilliant and honorable judges serving on the US supreme court. The Vietnam war had ended. Obviously there were problems: our growing military presence in Central America, the bankrupting and colonization of American inner cities, growing disparities. Even so, there was a hope in the air, a sense that things might be looking up. Continue reading...
Wimbledon 2026: Swan v Keys, plus Swiatek and Zverev in action on day four – live
All the latest news from Thursday’s live action at SW19 Order of play | Sinner battles past Borges | Mail Daniel Wotcha one and all and welcome to Wimbledon 2026 – day 4! And guess what? It’s yet another jazzer. We begin with some attractive-looking contests on outside courts, Alex de Minaur taking on Adrian Mannarino and Diana Shnaider, beaten French Open finalist, meeting Liudmila Samsonova. And if to that we add GB’s Arthur Fery v Otto Virtanen – conqueror of Ben Shelton – and already we’re wondering if anyone’s got any spare eyes, though we’ve barely even got going. Continue reading...
Young Indonesian couple publicly caned after kissing on TikTok
Unmarried man and woman whipped 21 times each because they had violated province’s version of Islamic law A young couple in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province have been publicly caned after a Sharia court convicted them of violating Islamic law by kissing during a TikTok livestream. The court ordered the couple, a 22-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman, to be whipped with a rattan cane 21 times each for kissing without being married. At least 100 people witnessed the caning, carried out by a group of people wearing robes and hoods on a stage in Bustanussalatin City Park in Banda Aceh. Continue reading...
Bankers and unions set for clash over possible Burnham tax raid on UK banks
City bosses say move would be economically disastrous, but union leaders urge likely new PM to ignore ‘vested interests’ Battle lines are being drawn between City bosses and trade unions over a possible tax raid on UK banks to help fund Andy Burnham’s package for struggling households this winter. While bankers have warned the move would be “economic suicide”, union leaders have said Britain cannot afford to be “held hostage” by City lobbyists, given growing pressures to find money for defence and cost of living support. Continue reading...
Understanding Ebola’s wildlife origins is crucial to preventing next big outbreak
If we don’t know the source, not only do humans remain at risk but wildlife can suffer needlessly via retaliation While virologists and public health departments were palpitating over the news of an Andes virus infectious disease outbreak on a cruise ship (13 cases, three deaths), in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the Bundibugyo virus, the root of the current Ebola outbreak (currently more than 1,250 cases and at least 362 deaths), was smouldering under the radar. Bundibugyo virus is a horrifying, highly fatal pathogen. Symptom onset is sudden and includes headaches, diarrhoea, malfunctioning kidneys and liver, and, less frequently, internal and external bleeding (hence the term “haemorrhagic disease”). Grimly, contagiousness remains after death, meaning the family and loved ones of the deceased can be exposed when they wash and clothe the body in preparation for the funeral. Continue reading...
Russia ‘mounted drone surveillance of European nuclear sites over 18 months’
Researchers say Moscow acted with ‘substantial impunity’ in 144 incidents, including over RAF Lakenheath The Kremlin orchestrated a concerted surveillance campaign using drones launched from shadow fleet vessels over an 18-month period which targeted nuclear sites in the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, researchers have said. Analysis by the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) of 144 incidents in more than a dozen countries beginning in late 2024 concluded Russian intelligence had operated with “substantial impunity”, leaving authorities across Europe flat-footed and confused. Continue reading...
KPMG appoints chair who claimed leak allegations were ‘completely false’ and called senator’s actions ‘inappropriate’
Greens senator says appointment of Michael Ebeid ‘risks entrenching the very culture and leadership that need to change’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast KPMG has appointed a new chair who previously claimed leak allegations were “completely false” and described a senator’s actions in revealing the scandal as “very inappropriate and unfair”. Michael Ebeid was appointed to lead the embattled firm on Thursday after the former chair, Martin Sheppard, resigned while under fire from a parliamentary inquiry into the firm’s ethical failings. Continue reading...
Russian strikes on Kyiv kill at least 13 – Europe live
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that at least 20 sites were attacked overnight, with ‘most of them ordinary residential buildings’ in Kyiv At least 13 people were killed and dozens injured overnight in Kyiv, local authorities said, as Russia launched its latest massive drone and missile attack on the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of Thursday. Continue reading...
Starmer to issue formal apology to mothers and children harmed by historic forced adoption policies – UK politics live
Between 1949 and 1976, an estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers and placed for adoption in England and Wales Good morning. Keir Starmer is clearing the decks in his last three weeks in office, and today he is going to settle one unresolved issue when he delivers a formal apology on behalf of the state to victims of forced adoption policies that were in place in the middle of the last century. Between 1949 and 1976, an estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers and placed for adoption in England and Wales as a result of a culture of shame surrounding pregnancy outside marriage. The mother and baby homes involved were mostly run by religious organisations, but councils were involved in placing children for adoption. Survivors of historical forced adoption are to get the state apology they have spent decades campaigning for when Keir Starmer says sorry in parliament. The prime minister is expected to stand in the Commons and acknowledge the harm caused when an estimated 185,000 babies of unmarried mothers were adopted in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976. Continue reading...
Over-40s with obesity have normal-BMI cholesterol and blood pressure levels, study finds
Success of statins and blood-pressure drugs hailed as researchers find some people with obesity were ‘better off’ Many adults who are obese have “indistinguishable” cholesterol and blood pressure levels compared with those with a healthy weight, largely because of the use of statins, according to a study. In some cases, people with obesity were “better off” than those of a healthy weight, researchers added. Continue reading...
World Cup 2026: England, USA and and Belgium through; Spain and Portugal face last-32 tests – live
⚽ All the latest news from day 22 of the tournament ⚽ Bracketology | Knockout stage draw | And email us Ben Fisher had a quiet night in Seattle … not! This time Senegal’s players did not depart the field prematurely owing to a burning sense of injustice, as they did in the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, but they did exit another knockout match aggrieved after Belgium advanced to the last 16 deep in extra time. The winning goal, a nerveless Youri Tielemans penalty which capped an extraordinary comeback from 2-0 down, came with 124 minutes and 44 seconds on the clock, cementing its place as the latest goal in World Cup history. Continue reading...
They say Andy Burnham is ‘good at politics’ – but the proof will only come in time | Zoe Williams
The PM-in-waiting brings the promise of likability and a mission voters can believe in. He’ll need all that and more to survive There is some uncertainty and trepidation in these liminal days before the nomination period for the next Labour leader opens. But it’s not about the “who” of the next prime minister so much as the “what”. How different can Andy Burnham be , given that he is bound by the same manifesto, assailed by the same headwinds? It’s widely agreed that he has a vision where his predecessor did not, but each wing of Labour loyalists is projecting their own version of what it is. Old-school Blairites are seeing one of their own, given Burnham’s hinterland and his announcement of James Purnell as his chief of staff. The Labour right is taking heart from the rumours of Shabana Mahmood as chancellor, and Josh Simons’ role in the policy team. The soft left is betting on Burnham’s transformation – via the Hillsborough scandal, the infected blood scandal, the geographical and economic inequalities of Covid – from New Labour careerist to a new kind of thinker. It feels churlish to point it out, but they can’t all be right. Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Why is Nigel Farage being paid so much to promote a gold bullion company?
Reform UK leader was paid £270,000 for 12 hours’ work – but who is behind Direct Bullion and what does it do? Tell us: have you invested in gold through a specialist bullion company? Despite the demands of being the MP for Clacton and leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage has found time to develop several alternative income streams since being elected to parliament. His side hustles include being a social media influencer, presenting on GB News, and a stint recording on-demand videos for the Cameo platform – during which he appeared to endorse a neo-Nazi event, called for the release of the jailed rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, and was duped into voicing a pro-IRA slogan. Continue reading...
‘Hugging is forbidden’: women jailed for life – in pictures
Former public defender Sara Bennett spent 13 years photographing women convicted of homicide. She traces their lives in prison – and what happens as they re-enter the outside world Continue reading...
A goal, a red and a LeBron James shout: Folarin Balogun gets the spotlight in US’s wild World Cup win
The versatile striker was dangerous in his time on the field on Wednesday, but that time was prematurely ended with a surprising ejection The day after the US supreme court upheld birthright citizenship, Folarin Balogun – a player who wouldn’t have even been on the pitch if not for the longstanding, constitutional law – pushed the United States through to the World Cup last 16. Just two days short of his 25th birthday, Balogun scored the opening goal in the US’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina , his third of the tournament. Then, about 20 minutes later, Balogun was sent off, given a straight red card for what appeared to be inadvertent contact with Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemović. It was a shocking turn of events for the Monaco forward, who was among the US’s best performers on Wednesday, as he has been for the entirety of the tournament. Continue reading...
Burnham’s No 10 North: could two-centre government be made to work?
Plan to move part of Whitehall to Manchester wins praise but would involve major logistical challenges and costs ‘It’s a stellar idea’: readers on Andy Burnham’s No 10 North plans It first found fame as the centre of Manchester’s textile industry and later as the home of celebrated nightclub Sankeys. But now Ancoats, on the northern edge of Manchester city centre, could become the somewhat unexpected heart of British government. The site of a disused retail park, which was once home to Toys R Us, Argos and JD Sports, has been earmarked to host the new No 10 North that prime minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham has pledged to set up. Continue reading...
‘It’s a stellar idea’: readers on Andy Burnham’s No 10 North plans
Some hail the opportunities greater devolution could bring, while others question the cost Burnham’s No 10 North: could two-centre government be made to work? Andy Burnham has said if he becomes prime minister, he would create a new “No 10 North” in Manchester as the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain” to oversee a devolution of power and resources across the UK. While full details of how this will work have not yet been made available, we asked Britons what they thought of the idea in principle. Continue reading...
EU-approved pesticide found to have potential effects on brain development
New study on fluazinam’s neurotoxicity comes up with different findings from earlier report based on manufacturer’s data Researchers who re-ran a crucial fungicide study on neurotoxicity have come up with significantly different findings, and campaigners argue that the substance should now be withdrawn from the market. In 2005, a study conducted by Huntingdon Life Sciences on behalf of ISK, the manufacturer of fluazinam, on the development of neurotoxicity of fluazinam in pregnant rats concluded there were no statistically significant effects in relation to brain development in the rats’ offspring. Continue reading...