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Politics
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Mexico v Ecuador: World Cup 2026 last 32 – live
⚽️ Kick-off time: 7pm local/11am AEST/2am BST/9pm EDT ⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Jonathan Team news will drop in a few minutes and kick-off is still some time away, giving you plenty of opportunity to join in the conversation by emailing me at jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com. You could rhapsodise over France and celebrate Norway , the two nations through to the round of 16 already today, or ponder what went wrong for the Netherlands and fellow European powerhouses Germany yesterday. Continue reading...
UK poll highlights fears about access to emergency contraception
Doctors say survey shows need for morning-after pill to be available at corner shops, petrol stations and supermarkets Almost half of the UK population believe it would be difficult to access emergency contraception on a Sunday, while nearly two-thirds think they would struggle after 10pm, according to a survey. The research, carried out by YouGov, found that only 7% of people believe it would be difficult to access emergency contraception during the daytime on a weekday. Continue reading...
Northern Rail Project risks repeating costly HS2 failures, MPs warn
The £45bn scheme to link cities across north of England with new or upgraded lines has no convincing or properly costed plan, committee says Building Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) risks repeating the failures of HS2 with “no convincing plan” to deliver it within a £45bn budget, an influential committee of MPs has warned. The government announced in January its commitment and funding for the NPR project to connect cities across the north, consisting of new or upgraded lines between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York and Sheffield. Continue reading...
Women with irregular periods should be checked for PMOS, NHS says
Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome is underdiagnosed and inconsistenly managed, according to Nice Up to 4 million women with irregular periods should be investigated for polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, according to new NHS guidance . PMOS, previously known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, is believed to affect up to 13% of reproductive age women , the World Health Organization estimates. Continue reading...
‘The things that connect us are fraying’: James Graham short film explores what it means to be English
Ahead of England’s first knockout game of the World Cup, Love Letter to England celebrates what English people have in common What does it mean to be English? Ahead of England’s first knockout game of the World Cup, Ian McKellen and the award-winning playwright James Graham have released a short film that attempts to answer that deceptively simple question. The film, Love Letter to England, explores and celebrates what people across the country have in common. It draws on early contributions to the National Conversation, a UK-wide initiative that began last month . Continue reading...
Jamaican delegation to travel to UK to lodge formal slavery reparations petition with King Charles
Visit to monarch planned for 6 September and will take Jamaica’s mission for reparatory justice to the ‘next level’ Jamaican officials will travel to the UK in September to formally lodge an unprecedented petition with King Charles to seek legal guidance on their slavery reparations claim from Britain, the country’s government announced on Tuesday. Speaking in the parliament of the Caribbean nation, Olivia Grange, the culture minister, confirmed that the trip was planned for 6 September, and was intended to take Jamaica’s mission for reparatory justice to the next level. Continue reading...
Alyssa Thomas calls out WNBA after receiving death threats, racial abuse from Caitlin Clark foul incident
Thomas blasts commissioner for silence on player safety Mercury star was suspended for hit to Clark’s throat Play was ‘complete accident’ and ‘unfortunate’, she says Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said she has received death threats and been called racial slurs in the aftermath of her one-game suspension after she made contact with her fist to Caitlin Clark’s throat in last week’s matchup against Indiana. Thomas also criticized WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert for not doing more to protect the league’s players when she spoke with reporters on Tuesday at the team’s practice facility. Continue reading...
Judge blocks rule to strip public service workers of student loan forgiveness
Trump, who had signed an order to the effect, handed legal defeat after judge sided with Democratic-led states A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from implementing a new rule stripping public service workers of eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness if it deems their employers to have a “substantial illegal purpose”. US district judge Myong Joun in Boston sided with Democratic-led states, cities and non-profits that argued the US Department of Education’s rule would allow it to target groups supporting immigration rights, transgender healthcare and other causes the Trump administration disfavors, by disqualifying them from the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Continue reading...
H.Res. 1399: Directing the Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release records relating to monetary settlements involving acts of sexual harassment.
Agreed To (Simple Resolution): Last Action: On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 420 - 0, 1 Present (Roll no. 233). Explanation: This simple resolution was agreed to on June 30, 2026. That is the end of the legislative process for a simple resolution.
On Agreeing to the Resolution: H RES 1399 Directing the Committee on Ethics to preserve and publicly release records relating to monetary settlements involving acts of sexual harassment
Vote: Passed 420/0 Rep. Krishnamoorthi [D-IL8]: Yea
EU diplomats clash with Trump administration over top Bosnia and Herzegovina post
Diplomats in Sarajevo failed to agree on a candidate for the high representative role, which carries a lot of power and influence across the Balkans Diplomats from the US and Europe have been unable to resolve their differences and agree on a new top international envoy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a standoff which has become a transatlantic test of wills over influence in the Balkans. A meeting in Sarajevo to select a new high representative, a post with far-reaching powers, ended without a compromise, in a spat that has undermined western cohesion in the region in the Trump era. Continue reading...
Charlie Kirk’s widow and parents to attend hearing for man accused of his killing
Hearing set to begin 6 July would mark the first time Kirk’s family has been in the courtroom with the suspect Charlie Kirk’s parents and his widow Erika Kirk are expected to attend a key hearing next week in Utah for the murder case against the man accused of slaying the conservative political activist, according to multiple news outlets. The preliminary hearing, set to begin 6 July, would mark the first time Kirk’s family has been in the courtroom with Tyler James Robinson, the 23-year-old charged with aggravated murder related to Kirk’s death. Continue reading...
How Trump is making the US's 250th anniversary about himself – video
The Fourth of July marks a momentous occasion for the US – 250 years of independence – but somehow Donald Trump has managed to make it all about himself. The Guardian's Washington bureau chief David Smith analyses how Trump has hijacked America's 250th and how instead the event should have been cause for a unifying celebration Donald Trump hijacked America’s 250 and turned it into a ‘theatre of the absurd’ Only Donald Trump could make America’s special 250th birthday all about him Continue reading...
More than half of asylum seekers rejected under tightened laws will remain in UK
Home Office assessment shows new limits on human rights route based on family ties could result in another 11,700 claims turned down More than half of the people whose asylum and visa claims will be rejected under tightened human rights laws will continue to live in the UK, according to the Home Office’s own assessment. Documents released on Tuesday show that plans to set new limits on article 8 of the European convention on human rights are expected to result in another 11,700 people having their claims rejected. Continue reading...
Australia politics live: Labor makes move to crack down on consultants after latest scandal
Federal government releases options paper to improve regulation of accounting, auditing and consulting firms. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The federal government has released an options paper to improve the regulation of accounting, auditing and consulting firms in Australia, the latest move in the wake of the KPMG scandal, in which partners leaked client information and mishandled the whistleblower who raised the alarm. KPMG staff leaked confidential Lendlease and Optus information to colleagues who were applying for lucrative audit contracts at Westpac, Dexus and Telstra. At least three partners were involved. In recent years, we have seen behaviour from some large accounting, auditing and consulting firms in Australia that is not fair and honest. This has undermined trust in the firms themselves and raised broader questions about the resilience of the frameworks meant to uphold market integrity. If you’re in that position, hearing that the government is waiting for Deloitte to finish a report before they can increase the childcare subsidy, doesn’t hold up. Families can’t budget around a maybe. I’ve written to the minister, and I want the government to commit to a national commission with a firm timeline – not keep it on the “considering” pile. Continue reading...
After last-32 upsets, US approach is simple: ‘We’re not going to go crazy’
US plays Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday evening Edin Džeko poses a challenge for US center backs Few knew what to expect from the newly hatched round of 32 when Fifa expanded the field for the 2026 World Cup. After Monday, we’ve gotten an answer: it resembles international knockout soccer as we’ve known it to be. Favorites (like Germany and the Netherlands) can’t rest on their laurels. Complacent play can, and often is, punished. The outside expectation is that the US enter their round of 32 clash with Bosnia & Herzegovina as the favorite, especially so given they will have a considerable home-field advantage. Continue reading...
Trans youth athletes vow to keep playing after US supreme court sports ruling
Justices upheld laws in West Virginia and Idaho, boosting similar restrictions in 25 other states Transgender youth athletes have vowed to keep playing sports and fighting for equal access to teams after the US supreme court ruled in favor of laws banning their participation. The court’s conservative supermajority on Tuesday upheld laws in West Virginia and Idaho prohibiting trans girls from participating in women’s teams, finding the laws were constitutional. Continue reading...
Maddy Cusack’s eating habits changed after manager’s comment, girlfriend tells inquest
Grace Riglar fights back tears giving evidence Cusack called Sheffield United omission a ‘personal attack’ The girlfriend of the late Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack has told an inquest that Cusack’s former manager Jonathan Morgan called her a “psycho” and that her eating habits changed after he allegedly made a comment referencing her weight. Grace Riglar, who played for Sheffield United for one season alongside Cusack, fought back tears multiple times during an emotional and lengthy evidence session at Chesterfield coroner’s court on Tuesday. At one stage she had to take a break while being cross-examined by lawyers representing Sheffield United. Continue reading...
Patient being tested for suspected Ebola virus at Glasgow hospital
Patient reported to have been admitted to the Queen Elizabeth university hospital in the early hours of Tuesday A patient is being tested for the suspected Ebola virus at a Glasgow hospital, the Press Association has reported. It is understood the patient was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth university hospital in the early hours of Tuesday. Continue reading...
Burnham left with £4.7bn bill for Starmer’s new defence investment plan
Ally of PM-in-waiting says four-year boost for the armed forces is an ‘unexploded bomb’ Britain has finally grasped the nettle on defence, but tough choices lie ahead Andy Burnham will have to find an extra £4.7bn for defence in his first budget, after Keir Starmer announced a £298bn defence investment plan (Dip) without having fully identified how it will be funded. Sources close to the Makerfield MP said he would not try to renegotiate the Dip after the outgoing prime minister announced its details at a press conference on Tuesday. £47bn on new nuclear submarines, including the Dreadnought replacement for the Trident submarines and the new Aukus attack submarine project, being developed with Australia and the US. £13bn on a new nuclear warhead and £1.7bn on nuclear fuels. Another promise to pay £1bn for 12 Lockheed Martin F-35A jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs will come after 2030. £8.6bn on the development of the Gcap next-generation fighter aircraft in a joint project with Italy and Japan, plus an extra £1.1bn to keep existing Typhoons in service until the 2040s. A total of £5bn more on drones, £1bn more than announced in last year’s strategic spending review, with investments in air, land, sea and underwater drones to operating alongside soldiers, warships and fighter jets. Continue reading...
Britain has finally grasped the nettle on defence, but tough choices lie ahead
The new PM must balance the security budget and other urgent spending priorities, with little room for manoeuvre Keir Starmer’s defence investment plan leaves behind spending problems that his successor will not be able to avoid. Military budgets will be well short of the UK’s Nato commitments by the end of the decade, and European allies and a combustible White House are likely to notice. Continue reading...
Key takeaways from supreme court birthright ruling: ‘Citizenship is the right to have rights’
Court rules Trump’s executive order limiting foundational right violated the 14th amendment of the constitution Explainer: What is birthright citizenship? Supreme court decisions often provide a window into the court’s ideological leanings and judicial philosophies. In recent years, the court, which is composed of six conservative and three liberal justices, has issued rulings that have dramatically reshaped the federal government and American life. On Tuesday, the court struck down Donald Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, delivering a blow to a central piece of the Trump administration’s agenda in one of the most highly anticipated decisions of the term. Continue reading...
New York: two killed and 20 injured in Long Island Expressway crash
Officials say coach bus struck vehicle in Queens, triggering chain collision involving four other vehicles Two people were killed and 20 others injured in a multi-vehicle crash on the Long Island Expressway in Queens, New York , on Monday night. The deadly collision has prompted a federal investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) after occurring at about 11.45pm. Continue reading...
Royal Navy man jailed in 2001 for two murders allegedly sexually assaulted four others, jury told
Winchester court hears accusations of offences by former petty officer Allan Grimson against males as young as 14 A former Royal Navy petty officer, jailed for life 25 years ago for murdering two young men, sexually assaulted four other boys and men in the same era, a jury has been told. Allan Grimson was jailed in 2001 for battering Nicholas Wright, 18, and Sion Jenkins, 20, to death at his flat above a parade of shops in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in 1997 and 1998. Continue reading...