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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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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...
Guardian Essential poll: voters reject key One Nation policies as support slips
Survey shows two-point fall in vote amid concern about Pauline Hanson’s links to Gina Rinehart and ability to run country Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Australians have emphatically rejected some of One Nation’s key policies, including shutting down SBS and ending multiculturalism, with voters raising concerns about Pauline Hanson’s closeness to the billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart and whether the party has the skills needed to run the country, according to a new poll. But even as the latest Guardian Essential poll finds voters have major reservations about Hanson and her party, more than half of respondents said they were either definitely or at least considering voting for One Nation at the next election. Continue reading...
Anisimova begins redemption tour with convincing win but Svitolina crashes out
Last year’s beaten finalist defeats Gjorcheska 6-3, 6-2 Svitolina suffers surprise 5-7, 2-6 loss to Snigur It will take a lot more before the memory of last year’s Wimbledon final will be entirely out of Amanda Anisimova’s system but the American began the job in convincing fashion on Tuesday, beating Lina Gjorcheska of North Macedonia 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round. Twelve months ago, Anisimova beat Aryna Sabalenka to reach her first grand slam final only to crumble, her 6-0, 6-0 humbling by Iga Swiatek one of those horrible sporting moments where it almost feels bad to be watching. At the time it seemed like it was a loss that would linger for months but, remarkably, she bounced back immediately, beating Swiatek on her way to the US Open final, where Sabalenka beat her in a tight two-setter. Continue reading...
H.Con.Res. 108: Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Lebanon.
Failed House: Last Action: On agreeing to the resolution Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 189 - 235 (Roll no. 232). Explanation: This resolution failed in the House on June 30, 2026.
H.Con.Res. 108: Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in Lebanon.
Vote: Failed 189/235 Rep. Krishnamoorthi [D-IL8]: Yea
‘Tonnes and tonnes of rubble’: more than 58,000 buildings estimated to have been destroyed in Venezuela earthquakes
Preliminary analysis of satellite data suggests magnitude of natural disaster could dwarf official estimates More than 58,000 buildings may have been damaged and destroyed by the twin earthquakes that hit Venezuela last week, according to a preliminary analysis of satellite data that suggests the scale of the destruction could dwarf official estimates. Last Wednesday’s back-to-back quakes – which measured magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 – killed at least 1,943 people, injured more than 10,571, and left tens of thousands missing amid the rubble. The UN migration agency has said that up to 6.8 million people could be affected by the disasters, and would require shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare and essential relief items. Continue reading...
What to know about the US supreme court ruling on birthright citizenship
What will Trump do now after justices’ stunning rebuke? In a stunning rebuke to Donald Trump’s aggressive anti-immigrant agenda, the US supreme court ruled against the president’s highly contentious attempt to end the right to US citizenship for children born in the United States. The justices ruled that the Trump administration violated a provision of the 14th amendment, which was affirmed by the supreme court 128 years ago. Continue reading...
H.Res. 1398: Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8800) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to
Failed House: Last Action: On agreeing to the resolution Failed by recorded vote: 198 - 224 (Roll no. 231). Explanation: This resolution failed in the House on June 30, 2026.
On Agreeing to the Resolution: H RES 1398 Providing for consideration of the bills H.R. 8800, H.R. 8595, and H.R. 8884; and providing for consideration of the resolution H. Res. 1383
Vote: Failed 198/224 Rep. Krishnamoorthi [D-IL8]: No
On Ordering the Previous Question: H RES 1398 Providing for consideration of the bills H.R. 8800, H.R. 8595, and H.R. 8884; and providing for consideration of the resolution H. Res. 1383
Vote: Passed 215/210 Rep. Krishnamoorthi [D-IL8]: Nay
Jetway jackpot: man wins $3.3m on slot machine at Las Vegas airport
‘That’s one way to spend a layover,’ says gambling company after lucky traveler wins big on $10 stake Generally people want whatever happens in Vegas to stay there – but this might be an exception! A lucky traveler transiting through Las Vegas’s Harry Reid international airport on Sunday won more than $3.3m from a slot machine there, prompting facility officials to write on X on Tuesday: “Now that’s one way to spend a layover. Continue reading...
US supreme court agrees to hear challenges to assault-weapons bans
Justices to consider whether bans on AR-15s and similar semi-automatic firearms violate second amendment The US supreme court will consider whether bans on semi-automatic rifles, often called assault weapons, violate the second amendment. The justices said Tuesday they will hear appeals challenging bans on the AR-15 and similar semi-automatic firearms in Connecticut and the Chicago area. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on the defence investment plan: the UK needs security, not dependency on a wayward US | Editorial
Sir Keir Starmer cuts civilian investment while deepening reliance on American power. That doesn’t feel like national renewal Since Brexit, Daphne du Maurier’s final novel, Rule Britannia , has been seen as a prescient warning about the UK cutting itself adrift from Europe. After joining and then leaving the EU’s predecessor, the Common Market, in a referendum, Du Maurier imagined the UK facing such economic instability that its prime minister submits to a US takeover. Britain is occupied by US forces, sparking an uprising that eventually forces them to leave. Sir Keir Starmer’s defence investment plan (Dip) would not belong in Du Maurier’s novel, but has the same nightmare logic: a Britain adrift from Europe told that fiscal necessity and national security require deeper incorporation into American power. It shows the strain inside Sir Keir’s government that the plan took a year to move from strategic defence review to partial funding plan. John Healey, the former defence secretary, resigned after deciding that the Treasury’s offer could not fund the strategy. His successor, Dan Jarvis, told MPs that the plan was worth £298bn over four years , which is £15bn above last year’s spending review settlement. Mr Jarvis said that he had secured £1.5bn more than was on offer when he arrived. Against the defence ministry’s demands, that looks less like a breakthrough than proof of why Mr Healey walked. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on Colombia’s election: Trumpism has gone transnational | Editorial
A warning from Latin America about US money, platforms, data and paranoid politics should not be dismissed lightly When Colombia’s leftwing presidential candidate, Iván Cepeda, conceded defeat last week, he did so with notable grace. His ally, the outgoing president, Gustavo Petro, was much less composed. In a series of social media posts, Mr Petro argued that Donald Trump had interfered in the contest that brought the far-right lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella to power. The claim should not be taken as proof of a stolen election. But nor should it be dismissed as paranoia. Mr Trump did publicly endorse Mr de la Espriella. His razor-thin win was in contrast to the scale of his alarmingly rightwing programme . He promises mega-prisons, a war on rebels , a shrunken state, renewed oil exploration, fracking and corporate tax cuts. This won’t be easy. Mr Petro’s Pacto Histórico is the largest party in the country’s congress . Unsurprisingly, Mr de la Espriella wants to govern through executive decree coupled with militarised state power. He aims to “ disembowel ” the left. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...
Ella Baron on Keir Starmer and new funding for drones – cartoon
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Wimbledon attendees chance their arm against robot tennis stars’ serves
Tournament’s serving machine can deliver balls in the style of anyone from John McEnroe to Elina Svitolina Could you return Emma Raducanu’s 110mph serve, or receive a 145mph stroke from Andy Murray? What about Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s 153mph torpedo, which broke Wimbledon records last year? This year’s tournament attendees have had the opportunity to try their luck on the court, facing off against a robotic serving machine rather than their tennis heroes. Continue reading...
Starmer and Reeves launch delayed defence plan with a sense of resigned relief
New defence secretary goes along with £1.5bn addition to spending plan that led to his predecessor’s resignation and Starmer’s in turn Starmer warns Burnham not to borrow to fund defence as he reveals £15bn plan There was an air of melancholy as the defence investment plan (Dip) was announced at Malloy Aeronautics in Maidenhead. A sense that the main figures were fading out of history even as the legacy was being written, as if the event were sepia-tinted. The Dip was supposed to be Keir Starmer’s lasting bequest to the country. His gift to an ungrateful nation. And if it is to be his swansong, it couldn’t be more Keir if it tried: something that manages not to satisfy any of the major players involved – the military, nor our allies – and probably not even Keir himself. The story of his time in government. Continue reading...
Democracy ‘under assault’ from significant third parties at 2025 federal election, parliamentary inquiry finds
Parliamentary inquiry recommends new laws to police behaviour at polling booths Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast New laws are needed to police behaviour at polling booths after Australia’s democracy came “under assault” at last year’s federal election – including from third parties such as Plymouth Brethren Christian Church members and rightwing lobby group Advance – the chair of a parliamentary inquiry has said. The proposed new code of conduct for campaigners was among several recommendations in the interim report from the Labor-led committee reviewing the 2025 ballot, which was tabled on Tuesday afternoon. Continue reading...