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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
3626 stories archived
Man fatally shot by ICE is mourned at vigil: ‘dedicated to the American dream’
Congressman says Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s ‘blood is on Trump’s hands’ after federal agents killed Texas builder The builder got up every morning long before dawn, left home to pick up his construction crew and then headed out to work on yet another house somewhere across the sprawl of Houston . Fourteen hours later, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo would return to the wife he’d met as a teenager in Mexico and the modest house he’d built for his family on the city’s east side. Continue reading...
US congressman says ‘IDF is lying’ about his detention by settlers and soldiers
Israeli ambassador to US accuses Ro Khanna of political stunt to distract from support for Graham Platner Ro Khanna accused the Israeli government and military of “lying” on Sunday about the US congressman’s detention by armed settlers and Israeli soldiers during a recent visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Khanna – a California Democrat – had posted video evidence on social media of Israeli settlers and soldiers blocking the path of his convoy on Wednesday in the South Hebron hills, near the village of Zanuta, where Israelis have driven Palestinians from their homes in what Amnesty International calls a government-backed “ethnic cleansing campaign”. Continue reading...
More than 100 firefighters tackle railway embankment blaze in east London
Fire in Walthamstow producing a ‘significant amount of smoke’, says London fire brigade More than 100 firefighters are tackling a fire at a railway embankment in east London. Twenty-five fire engines and about 125 firefighters were called to the incident near Vallentin Road in Walthamstow. Continue reading...
Police: speculation during Widdecombe murder investigation is ‘unhelpful and distressing’
Politicians should not comment before facts are established, says former chief constable, after Farage describes killing as ‘premeditated murder’ Senior police figures and politicians have warned against speculation during the murder investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s death, after detectives said there was “nothing to suggest” political motivation after an intervention from Nigel Farage. Devon and Cornwall police said on Sunday the killing investigation was not being treated as terrorism nor as politically motivated. Officers said they remained open-minded about the motive and urged the public not to speculate, warning it was both unhelpful to the investigation and distressing for Widdecombe’s family. Continue reading...
Two men die after going into sea to rescue children at County Durham beach
Youngsters confirmed safe but men pronounced dead after being brought out of water at Seaton Carew, Hartlepool Two men have died after going into the water at a beach in County Durham to try to help two children who had gotten into difficulty, police said. Officers were called at about 3.45pm on Sunday after concerns were raised about two youngsters in the water at Seaton Carew beach in Hartlepool. Continue reading...
‘Mr President, you’re not far behind God’: Lindsey Graham in his own words
The South Carolina senator illustrated the changing face of the Republican party, from being an anti-Trump voice to a supporter of his war with Iran Lindsey Graham dies after sudden illness aged 71 Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina senator who died on Saturday night , unexpectedly at the age of 71, was a politician who more than many illustrated the changing face of the Republican party in the age of Donald Trump. A former House member, Graham sat in the Senate from 2003 as a foreign policy hawk and a close friend and ally of John McCain, the relatively socially liberal Arizona senator who became the party’s presidential nominee in 2008. My Story, 17 June 2015 Washington Post, 5 October 2018 Press conference, 20 November 1998 Press conference, 24 October 2019 CNN, 8 December 2015 CNN, 8 December 2015 CNN, 8 December 2015 CNN, 8 December 2015 Press gaggle, 25 February 2016 To CBS News, 2 March 2016 Social media, 3 May 2016 Press gaggle, 12 May 2016 To MSNBC, 2 June 2016 New York Times, 25 February 2019 New York Times, 25 February 2019 New York Times, 25 February 2019 Congress, 6 January 2021 Fox News, 6 May 2021 South Carolina, 10 June 2026 Continue reading...
Martha Lillard, last known US polio survivor using iron lung, dies aged 78
Lillard, of Oklahoma, contracted polio when she was five and slept inside cylindrical metal device to help her breathe The last known US person living with polio and relying on an iron lung has died aged 78. Martha Lillard, who contracted polio at age five and spent most of her life dependent on an iron lung machine that helped her breathe, died on 26 June in Oklahoma, according to an online obituary . Continue reading...
Former Spanish PM accused of racism in remarks about French football team
Political leaders in both countries rebuke Mariano Rajoy after he writes team ‘does not have any French players’ The former Spanish conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy is facing growing accusations of racism after writing in a World Cup newspaper column that the French national team “does not have any French players”. Rajoy, who was in office from 2011 to 2018, pondered Spain’s looming semi-final showdown with France in an article for the online newspaper El Debate on Friday. Continue reading...
Bull bison tosses Yellowstone tourist 8ft in air, with run-in caught on video
Man reportedly seriously injured by the bison, described as ‘agitated’ and ‘charging anything’ by photographer An enraged, 2,000lb (900kg) bull bison hooked a tourist and tossed him 8ft into the air at a campsite in Wyoming ’s Yellowstone national park on Friday – an encounter captured by a professional photographer who said the animal was “agitated, pissed off and charging anything and everything”. The tourist was reported to be seriously injured by the male bison while walking with his grandson through the Bridge Bay campground, south of Fishing Bridge. Continue reading...
Graham’s death triggers a scramble to replace him – what happens next
South Carolina governor will pick successor to serve out Graham’s term as Trump says ‘I have somebody I think would be great’ Lindsey Graham dies aged 71 – latest updates US politicians and foreign leaders pay tribute to Graham South Carolina’s governor, Henry McMaster, has the political decision of a lifetime with the unexpected death in office of Senator Lindsey Graham. The Republican governor and loyalist of Donald Trump will appoint a new senator to serve out the remainder of Graham’s term, which ends on 3 January. Whoever McMaster appoints will likely have a leg up in a special primary election on 11 August to fill Graham’s place on the November ballot, which he won despite facing five challengers from his party in June. That election calendar favors candidates with wide name recognition and deep institutional support. Continue reading...
Labrador rescued after ‘eating discarded cannabis’ on Ben Nevis hike
Owner Christina Bluhme feared the worst after Tokyo began to lose consciousness while climbing the UK’s tallest mountain A dog has been rescued from Ben Nevis after falling ill from eating cannabis discarded on the mountain trail. Christina Bluhme was halfway up the UK’s highest mountain last weekend when her black labrador, Tokyo, lost the use of her legs and began drifting in and out of consciousness. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on Trump and Tehran: everyone loses when the US and Iran overplay their hands | Editorial
Strikes and bluster on both sides, with Israel urging on Washington, are endangering the progress made The cycle’s familiarity should not obscure the gravity of the consequences as the US and Iran return to threats, strikes and a futile search for an exit from war via escalation. On Sunday, Tehran said that it had closed the strait of Hormuz again. The World Food Programme is already feeding 1.5 million fewer people this year owing to the illegal war launched by the US and Israel. Vulnerable countries are suffering most as existing crises are compounded: an extra 2.5 million people in Somalia and 2.3 million in Afghanistan are struggling to meet basic food needs. Even de-escalation would not fix this humanitarian crisis. The full impact on food production has yet to be felt. The strait was key to global fertiliser exports; as prices soared, many farmers cut back on use. The drying up of remittances from migrant workers in the Gulf hurts Asian as well as African nations . Continue reading...
Reform would have held just 15% of last year’s donations under proposed £100,00 cap, analysis shows
Exclusive: Party’s average registered donation was £137, 496, almost six times that of Labour or Conservatives Reform UK would have held just 15% of the donations it received last year if a proposed £100,000 cap on political donations had been in force, according to analysis shared with the Guardian. The analysis by Friends of the Earth using Electoral Commission data highlights the party’s reliance on a handful of wealthy backers ahead of a showdown over political funding. Continue reading...
Scrapping early release for sex offenders could leave no capacity in jails, says David Lammy
Exclusive: Deputy PM says opponents have ‘no solutions’ to possible collapse of justice system in England and Wales Drugs, drones and heat: Amber Rudd and David Lammy begin search for answers to prisons crisis Opponents of plans to release rapists and sex offenders early from prison have “no solutions” to halt the criminal justice system’s possible collapse, David Lammy has said. Under pressure from Labour MPs – including the former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips – to curb the early release scheme, the deputy prime minister said failing to implement it could leave no capacity across jails in England and Wales in November. Continue reading...
Georgia teen to appear in plea hearing over 2024 school shooting that killed four people
Colt Gray, now 16, expected to change plea after pleading not guilty to 55 criminal counts in Apalachee shooting The teenager accused of killing two students and two teachers during a 2024 shooting at Apalachee high school in Georgia has been scheduled to appear in court later in July for a “non-negotiated” plea hearing, according to records. Documents filed on Friday in Barrow county superior court in Winder, Georgia, show that Colt Gray is expected to change his plea at a hearing on 24 July, with the court scheduled to hold proceedings for both the plea and sentencing, as the Associated Press reported. Continue reading...
Lindsey Graham obituary
Long-serving South Carolina Republican senator who was an ally of Donald Trump and an ardent supporter of Ukraine Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina, who has died suddenly aged 71, had just returned from Kyiv after a meeting with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was Graham’s 10th visit since the 2022 Russian invasion ; Zelenskyy, who came away with promises of the aid that had been on and off with the Trump administration, called him a “true defender of freedom”. It was a good demonstration of both Graham’s firm stance on US power overseas, and his opposition to Russia. “Putin will not stop in Ukraine,” he said. “To be weak in Ukraine means you lose in Taiwan.” Continue reading...
Starmer to use last week in power to push through Hillsborough law
Stalled legislation aims to prevent cover-ups and help families seek justice after major disasters Keir Starmer is expected to use his final week in office to push the Hillsborough law through its remaining stages in the Commons after months of delays. This bill aims to strengthen support for families seeking justice after major disasters and create new offences for officials who deliberately mislead the public or seek to block accountability. Continue reading...
Germany records nearly 100 drowning deaths, many of them young men, in June heatwave
Authorities confirm worst toll in more than 20 years, as extreme temperatures in Europe force early closure of Eiffel Tower Nearly 100 people, the largest proportion of whom were young men, died by drowning in Germany last month, authorities have said, as extreme temperatures in western Europe that have been blamed for hundreds of excess deaths geared up again. In Germany’s worst death toll from drowning for more than two decades, 99 people died in June, according to official figures, after temperatures rose as high as 41.7C (107.1F) in some areas. Continue reading...
Dorothy’s aged care home charged $52 a day for Foxtel, wine and newspapers that were no use to her. She wasn’t alone
Exclusive : Many aged care residents in Australia are charged for services they can’t use or understand, prompting an investigation from the regulator Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Jeff Gilling was surprised when he looked at the contract for the aged care home his mother, Dorothy, was about to enter. Contained within it was a $52 daily fee for Foxtel, outings, newspapers and a choice of wines. Continue reading...
Australia to ditch paper arrrival cards for incoming travellers
Digital customs declaration to be phased in at all international airports and seaports after successful Qantas trial Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The days of filling out paper arrival cards are to end for millions of travellers arriving in Australia on international flights. The Albanese government has announced it will roll out digital passenger cards to all Australian international airports and seaports after a “successful” trial on Qantas flights into Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Continue reading...
One Nation’s rise puts the next election in ‘unknown territory’ – but does Pauline Hanson really have a path to government?
Data shows the rightwing party faces an obstacle in the form of urban seats – and the effect of preference flows is harder to predict Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast One Nation’s spectacular rise from a distant 6% of the vote in the last election to first or second in some recent polls has upended Australian politics. It has also made it a lot harder to predict what exactly will happen at the next election. Traditionally, pollsters and election experts would look at how preferences flowed in previous elections when estimating two-party preferred numbers, or translating polling into seat projections. This was fairly predictable when almost every seat would come down to a contest between Labor and the Coalition. Continue reading...
Back to the noughties for young fashion-conscious England fans
For many watching their team beat Norway at a south London nightclub the look was as important as the game The Carpet Shop nightclub in Peckham, south London, is ordinarily packed with rowdy crowds at the weekend. But Saturday night’s liveliness wasn’t congregated around the DJ on the dancefloor, the crowd was at the sold-out venue for England’s victorious quarter-final game at the 2026 World Cup, and the young spectators were there for the fashion as much as they were for the football. Luke Grandon and Mattia Guarnera, both 27, are “massive” football fans, and their love for the game is expressed in their outfits. “I have a massive collection of vintage football shirts”, said Guarnera, who is wearing a white polo shirt with “LOVE” printed on the back from the limited-edition World Cup-themed collaboration between Lyle & Scott and the British artist Reuben Dangoor. Continue reading...
UK couple found burned and semi-conscious in Almería amid Spanish wildfires
Pair airlifted to hospital in two-hour rescue operation after Guardia Civil searched area for survivors A British couple have been found badly burned and semi-conscious in a Spanish ravine amid deadly wildfires that have swept through the country’s Almería province, according to local media reports. The couple were on holiday in the region and were thought to be out hiking when they were caught up in the wildfire, which has so far claimed the lives of 12 people and burned more than 6,000 hectares (14,800 acres) . At least 23 people are missing. Continue reading...
Ukrainian drone strikes force Russia to suspend shipping in Sea of Azov
Vital maritime corridor closes after 90 vessels – including shadow fleet oil tankers – are attacked in under a week Russia has been forced to suspend shipping in the Sea of Azov after 90 vessels were targeted by Ukrainian drones in less than a week. Ukraine’s drone forces chief, Robert Brovdi, said on Sunday that his units had hit 10 tankers and four ferries overnight, as well as a major oil refinery in the city of Syzran. There were multiple strikes on electricity sub-stations in occupied Crimea, he added. Continue reading...