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Politics
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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...
US supreme court upholds birthright citizenship in blow to Trump agenda
Court rules against Trump administration on policy that people born in the United States are citizens Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox The US supreme court has upheld birthright citizenship, which provides nearly all people born in the country with citizenship, ruling against a central piece of Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda . The president had issued an executive order on the first day of his second term that sought to undo birthright citizenship. The order would override the US constitution, which it cannot do, though his administration has argued the order instead interprets the constitution correctly. Continue reading...
US supreme court strikes down limit on spending by political parties in support of candidates
Case stems from 2022 lawsuit challenging Federal Election Commission’s enforcement of limits on ‘coordinated party expenditures’ Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox One of the last remaining barriers between wealthy donors sending unlimited funds to federal political candidates fell after the US supreme court struck down a lower court ruling that limited spending by political parties in support of their candidates. The case, National Republican Senatorial Committee v Federal Election Commission, stems from a 2022 lawsuit by JD Vance, Republican former congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, challenging the Federal Election Commission’s enforcement of limits on so-called “coordinated party expenditures”. Continue reading...
Nigel Farage received £270,000 from gold marketer he promotes
Reform UK leader’s Direct Bullion payment is double his fee from 2025 UK politics live – latest updates Nigel Farage received £270,000 from a gold marketer for which he is a brand ambassador, his single biggest payment as an MP. The Reform leader has been criticised in the past over his £400,000-a-year second job promoting the idea for Direct Bullion that people should buy physical gold and put it in their pension pots. Continue reading...
US supreme court upholds laws excluding trans women from competing in female sports
Justices voted to overturn judgements issued by lower courts in favor of trans students who sued after being barred from competing in West Virginia and Idaho US supreme court decisions – live updates The US supreme court has upheld laws in two conservative states excluding transgender girls and women from competing in female sports in a far-reaching ruling certain to impact trans rights throughout the US. The court’s nine justices voted to overturn previous judgements issued by lower courts in favor of two trans students who had sued after being barred from competing in West Virginia and Idaho respectively. Continue reading...
People with strong chest and back less likely to have a heart attack, analysis suggests
Researchers think people with greater muscle density in torso area, who are also less likely to die prematurely, are those who exercise more People with strong chest and back muscles are less likely to have a heart attack or die prematurely, analysis using artificial intelligence suggests. Researchers led by the University of Edinburgh used AI to examine hospital scans of 1,722 patients, aged mostly in their 50s, who had chest pain. Continue reading...
Why is Elon Musk boosting an anti-immigrant film loved by the far right? | Mehdi Hasan
Does anyone seriously think this kind of amplification is harmless? Elon Musk has long described himself as a “ centrist ”. He likes to pretend that he hasn’t changed his views; it’s the Democrats who have lurched to the left. He’s merely a free speech advocate; a self-styled “ moderate ” resisting the excesses of the “ woke mind virus ”. But when you pay attention to his actual digital footprint – the tweets, the retweets, the algorithmic amplification – a very different, much darker picture emerges. The world’s richest person clearly isn’t interested in cultivating a neutral marketplace of ideas; rather, he has turned Twitter/X into a platform where far-right and racist content is repeatedly rewarded and amplified. Continue reading...
Trains disrupted on UK’s busiest intercity line as cows wander on to tracks
London to Manchester among routes affected after cows blocked west coast mainline for more than three hours Business live – latest updates A herd of cows has disrupted travel for thousands of train passengers after wandering on to Britain’s busiest intercity railway line. Trains between London and Manchester were among those cancelled, with delays and disruptions affecting multiple train services on Tuesday after the errant cows blocked the west coast mainline in Staffordshire for more than three hours. Continue reading...
Burnham’s No 10 North ‘will be based on brownfield site on edge of Manchester’
The prime minister in waiting is seeking an interim base in the city centre before Ancoats site is completed in 2028 A civil service base that is under construction in Manchester has been earmarked for Andy Burnham’s No 10 North, according to reports. The northern centre of government will be in Ancoats, on the outskirts of Manchester city centre, but the site is not due to be completed before 2028, according to the Manchester Evening News . Continue reading...
Number of billionaires globally soars by 13% amid AI shares boom
Billionaires’ wealth grew by 25% on average in the year ended in April, research from Swiss bank UBS finds Business live – latest updates The number of billionaires in the world has jumped by 13% to a record 3,302 people, new figures show, as the super-rich accumulate wealth at an accelerating rate. Billionaires’ wealth grew by 25% on average in the year ended in April, compared with a 10.8% rise in average personal wealth around the world, the Swiss bank UBS found. Continue reading...
New Orleans man named Santa Claus arrested in child predator sting
Police allege the 75-year-old tried to meet someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy after explicit online chats Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A New Orleans man who legally changed his name to Santa Claus was jailed recently on allegations that he tried to use a dating app to sexually prey on someone he believed to be an underage boy. Claus, 75, initiated contact through the app with an undercover detective who was posing as a 15-year-old boy as part of a sting operation being carried out over the weekend to arrest potential child predators, said a statement from police in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner. Continue reading...
Hospitality VAT cut: can it help the sector and at what cost to UK taxpayer?
Drop to 10% for pubs and eateries would be in line with most of Europe, but critics say it favours multinationals Business live – latest updates Nearly a quarter of hospitality businesses are losing money, fresh data has shown , reigniting calls among chefs, pub owners and restaurateurs for their sector to be handed a reduced rate of VAT. It may seem like a no-brainer because the measure would ease pressure on the ailing sector and put the UK in line with most European countries. But critics say the measure would be extremely costly and reward big multinational businesses, without necessarily helping to spur growth. Continue reading...
Florida woman swimming in river killed in rare alligator attack at state forest
Officials say 31-year-old woman’s arm was severed in attack at a river in Seminole county’s Little Big Econ forest A woman swimming in a Florida river was killed recently in a rare alligator attack that severed one of her arms, state officials said. The deadly attack took place at Seminole county’s Little Big Econ state forest, about 25 miles north-east of Orlando, on Sunday as the 31-year-old victim was in the Econlockhatchee River. Continue reading...
ICE releases Texas nun intercepted walking to church dressed in her habit
Diocese officials in south Texas say a nun was released after members of Congress intervened A Roman Catholic nun was released from the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) after the agency arrested her while she walked to mass in her habit in south Texas. Sister Leticia Ugboaja was walking to Our Lady of Sorrows church in McAllen, Texas, just a few miles from the US-Mexico border on Sunday when she was detained by ICE officers, the church said in a statement on social media. Continue reading...
Labour MPs tell Burnham to ignore ‘deluded’ calls for more North Sea drilling
Critics debunk economic claims as research finds Rosebank development would produce estimated 250m tonnes of CO2 UK politics live – latest updates Scores of Labour MPs have urged the prospective prime minister Andy Burnham to rule out the “tin-eared” and “deluded” development of the Rosebank oilfield in the North Sea, which new research indicates would produce as much carbon dioxide as the UK does in 10 months. Estimates seen by the Guardian show that Rosebank, which mainly contains oil , would produce about 250m tonnes of CO 2 over its lifetime. That is the equivalent of about 70% of the UK’s annual emissions. Continue reading...
Mexico face up to their most terrifying opponent: the ghost of World Cup game four
El Tri have made a habit of qualifying from the group stage and then falling at the first hurdle. They are hoping the memory of 1986 will help end the curse In Mexico, the phrase ya merito (“almost there”) is closely linked to the country’s men’s football team. In Mexican Spanish, it’s a colloquial, almost affectionate expression; a way of describing something that’s close enough to touch, but that can never quite be reached. Now the phrase seems to capture something more profound about Mexico’s national team – shorthand for El Tri’s habit of not exactly failing, but always just falling short. Continue reading...
UK ‘minded to’ intervene in Paramount’s $110bn takeover of Warner Bros Discovery
Lisa Nandy to ask regulators to assess mega-merger involving Channel 5, CNN and TNT Sports on grounds of media plurality and competition The UK culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, intends to ask the British media and competition watchdogs to examine Paramount’s $110bn (£85bn) acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. The WBD takeover deal will create a media powerhouse controlling assets including: the Hollywood studios behind franchises including Superman, Batman and Top Gun; the UK’s Channel 5; news channel CNN; TNT Sports, which broadcasts Champions League, Premier League and the Olympics; and the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming services. Continue reading...
One million migrants in Spain apply to regularise status in new scheme
Programme defending benefits of immigration attracts double number of applicants expected More than 1 million undocumented migrants and asylum seekers have applied to regularise their status in Spain under a government programme to harness and defend the benefits of immigration at a time when most European countries are pulling up the drawbridge. Although the massive regularisation initiative, announced by the socialist-led government in January, was originally intended to benefit about 500,000 people, it had attracted more than twice that number of applicants by the time the registration period ended on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Starmer warns Burnham not to borrow to fund defence as he reveals £15bn plan
The prime minister unveiled his long-awaited defence investment plan on Tuesday after months of delays Keir Starmer warned his successor not to borrow more to pay for defence as he raided energy, transport and housing projects to pay for a £15bn military spending plan. The prime minister revealed his long-awaited defence investment plan (Dip) on Tuesday after an 11-month government row that cost him his defence secretary and arguably contributed to his downfall. Continue reading...
Muskets in hand, historical re-enactors are in demand as US celebrates 250 years
‘Living historians’ have stepped back into the spotlight as US prepares to celebrate its semiquincentennial this week In 1972, a young man named Joe Ryan was teaching his middle school class in northern Westchester about the American Revolutionary when one of his students posed a question. “Mr Ryan, were our ancestors stupid?” he asked. Continue reading...
A generational shift is transforming the US-Israel relationship | Kenneth Roth
The Iran war has accelerated the fraying of ties. An end to unconditional US support would force a reckoning with reality A generational shift is under way in the relationship between the United States and Israel. Tensions were already palpable because of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Benjamin Netanyahu’s role in pushing Donald Trump to join a counterproductive war against Iran was the last straw. Stopping unconditional US support for Israel would certainly be important for curbing US complicity in Israeli war crimes . It may also be the best thing for Israel if it is to have any hope of avoiding the dangerous dead end of relentless military escalation. And it is a prerequisite for Palestinians to have any prospect of escaping Israel’s endless occupation. Kenneth Roth is a Guardian US columnist, visiting professor at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, and former executive director of Human Rights Watch. He is the author of Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments Continue reading...
I’ve worked closely with both Andy Burnham and Keir Starmer. A single quality separates them | Nazir Afzal
Personable warmth is something that mistrustful voters sorely need, and Burnham has it. But he’ll also need a little of what Starmer has to succeed in No 10 Keir Starmer has stepped down and Andy Burnham is, in all likelihood, about to walk through the door of No 10. I have had the rare privilege of working closely with both men. For five years I served as a chief prosecutor while Keir Starmer was director of public prosecutions (DPP). And for much of Burnham’s time as mayor of Greater Manchester, I worked with him on violent crime, working-class representation and community cohesion. I have watched both lead, up close and under real pressure. And as the country changes hands, I keep returning to the single quality that separates them – because it happens to be the quality Britain needs most right now. Nazir Afzal is a former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England Continue reading...
Gravity is undefeated: Ja Morant’s spectacular fall back to Earth is complete
The guard was once touted as the future face of the NBA. Now, after off-court problems and injuries, he has been hustled out of the city that made him a star When Ja Morant jumps into the air, he levitates past the natural apex of his arc, as if gravity decided to give him an extra half-second of respite. Men a foot taller or with 50 lbs more muscle don’t have as much spring as is packed in his 6ft 2in frame. He can end up almost fully horizontal when he dunks. He is hardly a one-dimensional player though: he sees the game in higher definition than his peers too, zipping passes to teammates a beat before his opponents process the situation. Morant is rarely the best player on the floor at a given moment, but he often seems to be having the most fun. His highlights invite smiles. What could be cooler than a little guy outperforming giants with craft? Imagine if, in the NBA finals, Jalen Brunson had dunked over Victor Wembanyama. Morant knows what that would feel like, because he’s done it . The Memphis Grizzlies drafted Morant second overall in 2019. They watched him blossom into 2020 Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star as the franchise player on a semi-reliable playoff team. In 2022, he scored 47 points in a playoff win against the Golden State Warriors, the eventual champions that year. As a young star with such a particular style, Morant figured to reach even greater heights, on the Grizzlies and as one of the faces of the league. Continue reading...