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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Ferocious criticism from all sides underlines Macron’s isolation
French president has compounded impression of arrogance with strategic errors – and consequences could be profound Europe live – latest updates The near-universal chorus of condemnation that greeted Emmanuel Macron’s address to the nation on Sunday, after one of the most violent days of rioting and looting in France’s recent history, was a stark reflection of just how weakened he now is. Speaking from his office at the Élysée Palace, the president delivered an eight-minute speech expressing “anger and shame” after a weekend in which a town hall was set ablaze, 2,000-plus shops were looted, 2,300 people were arrested and 1,000 police injured. Continue reading...
New details emerge on two killed after woman drove through Kansas soccer game
A boy, six, and woman, 35, were killed and 10 were injured after a woman drove on to the field at a youth soccer game New details have emerged about two people – including a child – killed when a woman drove a vehicle through a youth soccer game in Kansas, as officials on Monday continued to investigate the cause of the tragedy . Chris Adrian, a middle school soccer coach, said his family was heartbroken over losing his six-year-old son, Cole, who died after the incident at Wichita’s Stryker Sports Complex in which 10 others were hurt, some seriously. Continue reading...
Masts removed from bomb-laden WWII ship in Thames in bid to avoid explosion
American warship sank in 1944 with approximately 1,400 tonnes of munitions onboard A sunken US wartime ship in the Thames estuary holding enough unexploded bombs to devastate a Kent coastal town and send a tidal wave through London has been made slightly safer, ministers have announced. Engineers have removed the masts of the SS Richard Montgomery – a second world war cargo ship that sank in 1944 with approximately 1,400 tonnes of munitions onboard – without triggering the kind of feared explosion that has kept the wreck under constant guard for decades. Continue reading...
Farage claim that £5m was reward for Brexit was ‘not press office line’, close aide says
Exclusive: Undercover footage of Dan Jukes raises fresh questions about Reform leader’s statement that £5m gift was for security Nigel Farage undermined his own claims that a £5m gift was for security when he referred to the money as a reward for Brexit, according to one of his closest aides. The apparent admission came in undercover footage seen by the Guardian in which Dan Jukes says that it is “priced in” for Farage to profit from politics. Continue reading...
‘Concerning issues’ found at GB power grid by inquiry into cover-up claims
Neso control room staff accused senior executives of covering up extent of blackout risks during June heatwave Independent investigators have found significant and concerning “cultural issues” at Great Britain’s grid operator after control room staff accused senior executives of covering up the extent of blackout risks in the UK during the June heatwave. An external legal firm tasked with investigating a series of whistleblower allegations against the National Energy System Operator (Neso) raised concerns over how high levels stress among control room engineers was handled by the company. Continue reading...
Kenyan starvation cult leader guilty of murder of 190 children and one adult
Paul Mackenzie and his church set up sect that ordered followers to starve themselves and their children, say prosecutors A Kenyan court has found the starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of murder over the deaths of 190 children and one adult in one of the world’s worst cult-related disasters in recent history. Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 after police received a tipoff, and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola forest near the coast in south-eastern Kenya. Continue reading...
France protests escalate with riots, looting and 2,400 arrests – The Latest
Last weekend there were mass protests across France, with more than half a million people estimated to have been involved. The unrest included rioting, looting and violent clashes with outnumbered police in cities including Paris, Marseille and Limoges. The interior minister conceded that police ‘lost control’ in some cities, while President Emmanuel Macron demanded a full security review. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s Europe correspondent, Jon Henley – watch on YouTube Continue reading...
Supreme court rejects effort to revive plea deal for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in 9/11 attacks
Agreement would have spared Mohammed risk of execution in exchange for guilty plea and life in prison The supreme court on Monday rejected an effort to revive a plea deal for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the attacks on 11 September 2001. The agreement would have spared Mohammed the risk of execution in exchange for his guilty plea and a sentence of life in prison without parole. Continue reading...
Houthi attack kills 53 in biggest single loss of life since Yemen civil war reignited
More than 200 mostly young people said to be injured after ballistic missile attack on training camp for government forces At least 53 people have been killed in a Houthi ballistic missile attack on a training camp for Yemeni government forces in the largest single loss of life since the country’s civil war reignited in September. The attack on the al-Alam camp in Shabwa province, southern Yemen, was said to have injured more than 200 others, mostly young recruits, and described as a disaster by the country’s UN-recognised government. The injured were taken from the police and army training camp in the Jardan district to a hospital in the local capital, Ataq, where pleas for blood donations were made. Continue reading...
Shall we have another EU referendum? Maybe – but not yet | Polly Toynbee
We saw last time what reckless reliance on close polling led to. The omertà on rejoining has now been broken, but it would be folly to move too soon When I hear that word again, a shudder runs down my spine. I want to groan, hold my head in my hands and wail. The horror! No, never again, not another referendum. But the idea is back in play as Andy Burnham looks for ways to reverse a decade of economic stagnation. As the prime minister dared to unlock the door to a Brussels reunion you could hear Ode to Joy burst out from all remainers. But the prospect of a re-run of the most self-destructive vote in our history is dismaying. Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts to miss rest of season after blood clots travel to his lungs
28-year-old will take blood thinners for condition Tanner McKee has taken over as Eagles starter Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will miss the rest of the season after further testing revealed blood clots in his lungs, the team announced Monday. Hurts’s condition is considered stable and he “has no significant functional limitations,” the team said. His treatment for a new diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli will involve blood thinners, during which time he is unable to participate in contact activities. Continue reading...
Strait of Hormuz scoured for spilt cargo after Iran attacks container ships
At least 15 vessels struck in waterway in past 10 days, with rumours spread that they carried valuable goods People have been scouring the strait of Hormuz for spilt cargo after Iran attacked at least 15 container ships traversing the crucial waterway in the past 10 days. Some ships have been hit by drones, others by mines. On Sunday, a ship was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade launched from a small boat 120km (75 miles) north-east of the Saudi port of Jubail. Continue reading...
Drone attack near market kills 80 in Sudan
Witness says drone struck twice at transport hub in al-Dibab, in one of deadliest single attacks of war A drone strike near a market in southern Sudan on Sunday evening killed 80 people, mostly commuters catching rides home. Ahmed Wadi, a witness, said the attack in the town of al-Dibab in West Kordofan state left “50 bodies who I helped bury, one of them my own brother Mohamed”. Continue reading...
Man who heckled Abdul El-Sayed is former Josh Hawley aide, records show
Thomas Teepell, who worked for Republican senator, demanded El-Sayed disavow Muslim Brotherhood A man who heckled Democratic candidate for Senate Abdul El-Sayed and demanded he disavow the Muslim Brotherhood at a Michigan townhall is a former aide to the Republican senator Josh Hawley, according to congressional staff records. At the event on Saturday, an attendee who gave his name only as “Tommy” shouted from the crowd, asking whether El-Sayed would disavow the movement. El-Sayed answered: “Sure, yeah, absolutely,” then turned the question around, asking whether the man assumed he wouldn’t. Continue reading...
Who is Alan Milburn and will he get young people back to work? – podcast
As young people take to the streets across the world to protest over living standards, Andy Burnham is hoping the former health secretary Alan Milburn has the answers to prevent similar unrest in Britain. The long-awaited Milburn review will recommend investing in jobs and apprenticeships for under-25s by taking money from the welfare budget. It sounds very Blairite, so how does it fit with the prime minister’s overall plans – and will Labour MPs like it? You can read Kiran’s interview with Alan Milburn here You can read Pippa’s article on Andy Burnham’s long-term realities here Watch episodes of Politics Weekly on our YouTube channel here Send your questions to Pippa and Kiran on politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com Continue reading...
Foamy war? St Andrews students play out modern take on ancient ritual
Scottish university’s annual tradition once involved giving out raisins but fancy dress and shaving cream now in vogue Nobody at the University of St Andrews in Scotland seems to remember how Raisin Monday became a giant foam fight. For 600 years, first-year students have taken part in the ritual of thanking older students for mentoring them through their first few weeks of university life. Traditionally, freshers would give their elders a pound of raisins – hence the name. This Monday however, hundreds wore fancy dress as they streamed on to St Salvator’s lower college lawn at 11am armed with cans of shaving foam, covering one another in soapy clouds as they have for the past few decades. Groups of students dress as Smurfs, mice, bananas, grandmas, sunflowers and chefs to participate in the annual rite of passage. Continue reading...
Hegseth wrong to say most non-US Nato forces in Afghanistan did not fight, says No 10
Downing Street emphasises sacrifices of UK troops and reasserts ‘unwavering’ support for Ukraine amid softening US policy towards Russia UK politics live – latest updates Downing Street has criticised Pete Hegseth for downplaying the role of Nato allies in helping the US with combat operations in Afghanistan, saying Donald Trump’s defence secretary had been wrong to do so. The direct condemnation came as No 10 more carefully distanced itself from Trump’s increasing willingness to engage with Russia, saying the UK’s backing for Ukraine was “unwavering”. Continue reading...
Tricky time for lunchboxes: banana shortage hits supermarket shelves after cool weather in Queensland
Dearth of bananas coincides with poor apple harvest and lack of summer stone fruit Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A shortage of Australia’s most popular fruit, bananas, has hit supermarket shelves at a tricky time for lunchboxes, right as apple season winds down after tough growing conditions and summer stone fruit is yet to arrive en masse. Cool weather in key Queensland growing regions has severely slowed banana production, leaving major supermarkets Coles, Woolworths and Aldi with sparse displays or very green stock. Continue reading...
After 25 years, Australian dance star Lucy Guerin bows out of the company she founded
The choreographer said goodbye to Lucy Guerin Inc by dancing in public for the first time in 13 years - which she found ‘incredibly confronting’ If there is one thing the professional dancer learns never to expect, it’s longevity. The physical demands on the body and increasing risk of injury tend to necessitate short careers. Melbourne-based choreographer Lucy Guerin has certainly bucked that trend, with a CV spanning decades and several international awards under her belt. But after 25 years at the helm of her eponymous company, she is now stepping away, conferring her artistic directorship on choreographer Melanie Lane. Before she left, Guerin returned to the stage for an exquisite solo show, Place Dances, inside Melbourne’s Buxton Contemporary art gallery. It was the first time she had danced publicly in 13 years. “I have found it incredibly confronting, to be honest,” she says, hours before the premiere. “As a dancer, you always remember in your body what it feels like to do an arabesque or a jump. And part of me thought I could still do all those things if I just got back in the studio and trained a bit.” She laughs at her own hubris. “But I’m afraid that wasn’t the case.” Continue reading...
Albania accused of rushing through Trump-linked resort in formerly protected landscape
Dutch MEP says government is trying to avoid EU environmental rules as protests over luxury development turn violent MEPs have accused Albania of deploying “sneaky” practices to fast-track a proposed Trump-linked luxury resort in the country amid protests that have turned increasingly violent. As the prime minister, Edi Rama, pledged to “listen to the voices of young people” taking to the streets, there was mounting criticism of his failure to address demonstrators who had long opposed the controversial project peacefully. Continue reading...
The Canary news website announces closure after ‘vicious campaign against us’
Leftwing outlet said it had faced ‘multiple attacks’ and ‘malicious lies’ which made its situation unsustainable Business live – latest updates The leftwing news site the Canary has announced that it is closing indefinitely. Earlier this year the media outlet was blocked from accessing funds and has faced allegations of internal turmoil . The outlet, founded in 2015 at the height of support for the then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, said in a social media post it would be closing “for the foreseeable future”. Continue reading...
Massachusetts lieutenant governor candidate ends campaign after arrest
Police said Shawn Oliver was arrested on suspicion of operating under influence of alcohol after a car crash The Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in Massachusetts announced the suspension of his campaign on Sunday hours after he was arrested in a suspected drunk-driving crash. Shawn Oliver, a city councilor in New Bedford and a corrections officer, said in a post on X he was ending his campaign because “the election is too important to be overshadowed by personal matters”. Continue reading...
ICE agents broke US citizen’s arm as they detained him in California, officials say
Ricardo Gonzalez was injured and taken to hospital after confrontation in Long Beach, according to officials Federal immigration agents broke the arm of a US citizen in what a Democratic congressman said was a “brutal attack” during a confrontation with protesters in California. Video of Saturday’s encounter in Long Beach shows Ricardo Gonzalez, identified as a former city employee, handcuffed and face down in a gutter, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) officers kneeling on his back. Continue reading...
Ellie Goulding admits error over promoting diamonds from controversial Australian mine
Singer ‘mortified’ about wearing diamonds from Argyle mine at centre of environmental concerns about Indigenous land The singer Ellie Goulding has admitted her error at having promoted diamonds at the centre of environmental concerns about Indigenous land in Australia, despite having spent years campaigning on environmental issues – including the effects of mining on ancestral lands. She appeared at a event in London earlier this month for the jewellery brand Boodles, modelling some of its newly acquired pink diamonds , some of which came from a controversial mine in Western Australia. Continue reading...