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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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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...
Six feared dead after ‘bizarre’ sinking of charter boat off Canadian coast
The vessel, thought to have been carrying 10 people, did not issue a mayday call before sinking in the strait of Georgia Search teams in Canada have launched a recovery effort for six people believed to have drowned in a “bizarre” sinking of a fishing charter off the coast of Vancouver. Police and rescue crews praised a couple who were passing in their yacht for making a critical mayday call and saving stranded passengers by pulling them onboard their craft. Continue reading...
Republican lawmaker re-emerges in US House after months of absence over ‘depression’
New Jersey’s Tom Kean Jr, who last voted in March, says he was diagnosed with depression after entering hospital Tom Kean Jr, a Republican congressman who disappeared from the Capitol for nearly four months with little explanation, re-emerged on Tuesday and said that he was absent while dealing with depression. “Several months ago, due to health concerns, I entered the hospital for some testing. I did not believe that this would result in a long-term stay. I was given the diagnosis of depression,” Kean said in a speech on the floor of the House Tuesday morning. Continue reading...
David Lammy to ask US about case of woman strangled by US fighter in UK
Parliament comments follow investigation revealing how man was tried at court martial on US airbase David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, is raising with the US government the “extremely concerning” case of an American fighter pilot who avoided a trial under English law for strangling a woman at his home in Cambridge. Lammy, who is also the justice secretary, told parliament on Tuesday that he wanted the US government to give a full account of the case of Sarah Steele, an academic who was assaulted by the pilot. Continue reading...
‘They will attack me if I stay’: immigrants in South Africa flee for safety amid violence and anti-foreigner protests
More than 2,000 anti-foreigner protesters march through Durban city centre as the arbitrary deadline passes for undocumented migrants to leave the country South Africa was holding its breath on Tuesday as mass anti-immigration protests were held across the country. They come after a weeks-long campaign against foreigners that has seen at least four killed and tens of thousands fleeing for safety. In the coastal city of Durban, where violence had been expected, the streets were unusually quiet and shops were shuttered as tension hung thick in the air. Continue reading...
LeBron James reportedly leaving Lakers, opening door for union with Curry at Warriors
41-year-old won title with Lakers in 2020 Reports have linked James with move to Warriors LeBron James looks set to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, with ESPN reporting he has told the team he will continue his NBA career but with a different team. James will turn 42 during the 2026-27 season but his long-time representative, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, said the 22-time All-Star intends to continue his playing career. However, he intends to do so away from the Lakers, with whom he won a championship in 2020. Continue reading...
Four men allegedly stole over $529,000 in elaborate ATM heists in Connecticut
Four men arrested and charged for allegedly taking part in ‘jackpotting’ scheme targeting ATMs at rest stops along I-95 A group of four robbers netted more than $500,000 in an elaborate “ jackpotting ” scheme targeting ATMs at rest stops along Interstate 95 in Connecticut, federal prosecutors in the state have alleged. The men targeted at least nine cash machines during a 10-day spree in August, according to a press release on Monday by the US attorney’s office, which charged the four with a range of federal offenses. Continue reading...
US-Iran talks over $6bn Iranian assets to restart
Two sides yet to have face-to-face meeting since signing deal to reopen strait of Hormuz Talks at an indirect level between US and Iranian officials over unfreezing at least $6bn Iranian assets will recommence on Wednesday in Doha, Iran has said. The two sides are yet to have their first face-to-face meeting since signing a deal to extend the ceasefire and reopen the strait of Hormuz. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were in Qatar on Tuesday for talks covering regional issues including the Iran ceasefire and Lebanon, but Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, stressed these were with Qatari mediators. “They are not here for their negotiations with the Iranians,” he said. Continue reading...
World Cup matches played in potentially dangerous heat as players’ union makes climate warning
Nine of the group stage games played in severe heat, analysis finds, as union points to lessons for the whole sport Nine matches in the World Cup group stage were played amid potentially dangerous heat and humidity, a Guardian analysis shows, as global players’ union Fifpro warned that heat would have to “play a bigger part” in the sport’s future scheduling decisions. The findings come as likely record-breaking heat and humidity will hit the midwest and eastern US this week and could make conditions even more challenging for players and fans at some games. Continue reading...
‘But we’re just 1% of emissions’: do smaller countries’ climate efforts matter?
Past and present leaders of wealthy nations such as UK and Germany have argued their actions are insignificant On first hearing, it is a position that sounds reasonable. “When our share of global emissions is less than 1%,” Rishi Sunak argued when he was the UK prime minister in 2023, “how can it be right that British citizens are now being told to sacrifice even more than others?” Sunak is not the only world leader to have cited such figures while delaying cuts to pollution. In 2019, Scott Morrison, Australia’s then prime minister, used his country’s 1.3% of global emissions to reject any suggestion Australia was not “doing our bit” on climate breakdown. In July, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, pointed to his country’s 2% share of global emissions while supporting loopholes in European climate targets. A few months later the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, followed suit, flagging the EU’s 6% share. Continue reading...
Is the new defence plan enough to keep us safe? – The Latest
The prime minister has unveiled his long-delayed defence investment plan, promising an extra £15bn in defence spending over the next four years. The funding, which will be spent on drones, nuclear projects and RAF fighter jets, has been made available through cuts to energy, transport and housing projects. Keir Starmer urged his likely successor, the Labour MP Andy Burnham, not to borrow more money to pay for it. Lucy Hough speaks to Guardian policy editor Kiran Stacey – watch on YouTube Continue reading...
Italian MEP suggests government wants to ‘hide truth’ about Albania migrant centre
Cristina Guarda says delegation was denied access to cells in offshore detention facility, at which six people have attempted suicide An Italian MEP has questioned whether the Italian government is trying to “hide the truth” about conditions at an offshore migrant detention centre in Albania after a delegation she was part of said they were prevented from conducting a full inspection. Cristina Guarda, from Italy’s Greens and Left Alliance (AVS), said staff at the Italian-run facility in Gjadër had refused to give MEPs from the Greens/EFA group key information, such as how many people were being held at the centre, and that they had not been allowed to access their cells. Continue reading...
US treasury secretary warns oil and gas companies to lower prices: ‘we’re watching’
Scott Bessent says he ‘encourages them to be good actors’ after Trump ranted about prices not dropping fast enough Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, issued a veiled warning to oil and gas companies to lower their prices on Tuesday, a day after Donald Trump berated those retailers on social media for not dropping their prices fast enough and demanded they target $2.50 a gallon. “I would encourage them to be good actors, especially in the 250th anniversary, because we’re watching,” Bessent said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday morning, addressing big oil, independent and international retailers. Continue reading...
Pochettino’s press conference barbs highlight the World Cup’s journalism culture clash
The US manager has enjoyed a solid rapport with the media, but a key difference in custom has rankled USA say they’re ready for surprises in Round of 32 Mauricio Pochettino ’s most recent press conference should have been a routine affair. The US had lost 3-2 to Turkey , yes, but they’d played well enough in the second-half aside from conceding the last-minute winner. What’s more, the match was statistically meaningless, with the US having secured top spot in Group D days earlier. It was their best ever World Cup group-stage showing Instead, the team’s head coach went out of his way to chide those in attendance. Continue reading...
House prices fall in four capital cities as Sydney values drop nearly $50,000 this year
More than half of homes taken to auction not selling while median property price in Adelaide started to slide in June Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast House prices are now falling in four capital cities with the Adelaide market beginning to slide in June, while Sydney values have dropped by $48,000 since the start of the year. Data from Cotality, released on Wednesday, showed Sydney and Melbourne recorded their biggest one-month decline in values since August 2022, falling 1.2% and 1% respectively. Continue reading...
Trump administration puts religious freedom at heart of US health policy
Critics say the new focus could reshape LGBTQ+ healthcare, abortion access and vaccine policy The Trump administration is moving religious freedom to the forefront of its health policies, a move that will likely affect reproductive health, LGBTQ+ healthcare, and vaccine policy. “They are very much putting religious freedom front and center,” said Dorit Reiss, a professor at UC Law San Francisco. But “it tends to privilege a conservative form of Christianity and, for example, protect discrimination against LGBTQ people.” Continue reading...
‘He isn’t political’: the Ukrainian-born oligarch targeted by a Monaco bomber
Questions remain as to why somebody would want to kill Vadym Iermolaiev, who has a personal fortune of $225m Monaco in shock after parcel bomb injures Ukrainian-born business leader Nobody paid much attention to the man with the backpack, as he approached the entrance to a beige-coloured Monaco apartment building. It was 9pm, Monday evening. The street – rue Révérend-Père-Louis-Frolla – is located in a quiet hillside part of the wealthy principality, close to the border with France. The man left his bag on the front steps. Soon afterwards, the Ukrainian-born oligarch Vadym Iermolaiev emerged, together with his wife and their 13-year-old child. There was an explosion and CCTV captured an image of the suspect, wearing a black jacket and a bucket hat, running from the scene towards the neighbouring French town of Beausoleil. Continue reading...
What’s the catch? Menus across Australia to show seafood’s country of origin
From 1 July, restaurants need to tell customers whether their fish and seafood was caught in Australia or overseas Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast From 1 July, diners across the country will see a small but notable change on menus. The federal government has made it mandatory for hospitality venues to designate a seafood product’s country of origin: “A” for Australian, “I” for imported and “M” for mixed. Continue reading...
Like being ‘stabbed in the back’: abuse survivors left without trials after Christian Brothers’ unprecedented legal tactic
Order wants to set up its own scheme outside of court to pay survivors, who have been told they will not get what they are owed in full Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An abuse survivor feels as if he has been stabbed with a “sharp, long, bladed knife to the back” after his trial was aborted at the 11th hour due to an unprecedented legal tactic by the Christian Brothers. Last week, the Christian Brothers sought a permanent halt to hundreds of cases lodged by survivors of abuse at its schools and orphanages, arguing it was about to go broke and could not afford to meet them. Continue reading...
Shetland councillors back plans to build tunnels to link some of largest islands
Financing options to be investigated for first two subsea projects that would link Mainland with Yell and Unst Councillors on Shetland have backed plans to build up to four tunnels to link some of the largest and most populated islands, after years of isolation and decline. The council voted on Tuesday to investigate financing options for the first two subsea tunnels, which would link Shetland’s Mainland with the two large northerly islands of Yell and Unst. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham says he will end culture of briefing against female ministers
PM hopeful tells meeting of women’s parliamentary Labour party that any staff who undermine female members of his team will be sacked UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham has said he will to end the culture of briefing against female ministers, promising Labour MPs he will sack any staff who undermine women in his team. Speaking at the meeting of the women’s parliamentary Labour party in Westminster, Burnham also strongly criticised descriptions of him as “the first female Labour PM” in the Spectator. Continue reading...
Rochdale grooming gang ringleader cannot be deported, victims told
Provisions in Immigration Act prevent Shabir Ahmed, due to be released, being sent to Pakistan The ringleader of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang is due to be released from prison this week and cannot be deported from the country, his victims have been told. Shabir Ahmed, 73, known to his victims as “Daddy”, was convicted of multiple counts of rape and sexual offences against girls in 2012. Continue reading...