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Source tells the Guardian Platner intends to officially withdraw on Monday; Democrats have limited time to finalize an alternative Senate nominee in Maine

But it remains unclear how much of substance will change - and whether it will be enough to rebuild the party's electoral coalitionOn the final day of Labour's party conference in 2023, when the public was still reeling from the brutal Hamas attack on Israel just days before, Keir Starmer took to the airwaves for the traditional broadcast round - but gave one interview that would have particularly damaging fallout.Sitting down with LBC's Nick Ferrari, the then opposition leader asserted Israel's right to defend itself, a stance that was in line with the broad political consensus at the time. But then he also appeared to suggest it had the right" to withhold power and water from Palestinian civilians. Continue reading...

Outgoing PM has not ruled out drawing up honours list when he stands down in just over 10 days time, despite previously opposing itKeir Starmer has signalled he could hand out resignation honours when he leaves Downing Street, despite pledging three years ago he would not hand out gongs when he eventually stood down.The prime minister twice declined to rule out drawing up a list of honours when he stands down as prime minister in just over 10 days time, to be succeeded by Andy Burnham. Continue reading...

Bipartisan group warns HHS that older adults and people with disabilities risk being pressured to end their livesLawmakers urged the health and human services (HHS) secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, on Thursday to establish strict hospice reporting rules to prevent discrimination and coercion in medically assisted suicide.The bipartisan group of members of Congress warned that older adults, people with disabilities, or those with disaffected caregivers face a particular risk of being pressured to end their lives. Continue reading...

Staggered release of ChatGPT 5.6 follows similar restrictions on rival firm Anthropic's latest AI modelsOpenAI released its latest advanced AI model, called ChatGPT 5.6, on Thursday after earlier delaying the public rollout over US government concerns about cybersecurity. The Trump administration had requested last month that OpenAI limit the release to a small group of government-approved users.OpenAI complied with the White House's request last month. The company stated in a blogpost that it had briefed government officials on ChatGPT 5.6's capabilities and restricted the model to trusted partners at their behest. The product's wider release came after additional testing by the government's Center for AI Standards and Innovation agency, according to Axios. Continue reading...

Father Ted co-creator detained by armed officers at Heathrow airport last year over gender-critical posts on XThe Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has been paid 25,000 in compensation by the Metropolitan police and received an apology after his arrest over his gender-critical social media posts.Linehan, 57, was detained by armed officers at Heathrow airport last September after a 10-hour flight from Arizona. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Source close to co-claimant Prince Harry says he is protective of social campaigner and will not see her out of pocket'Doreen Lawrence, the social justice campaigner, will not foot any of a multimillion-pound bill for the failed attempt to sue the publisher of the Daily Mail, the Guardian understands.Lawrence, the mother of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, whose case was the subject of a long-running Daily Mail campaign from the late 1990s, was one of seven claimants defeated in court over claims the Mail titles used unlawful methods to source stories. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Call for ministers to tighten bill amid Nigel Farage funding controversiesLabour MPs are to rebel next week over the government's reforms to political funding, pushing ministers to introduce tougher measures including a ban on cryptocurrency donations and much lower spending limits.MPs on the all-party anti-corruption group are canvassing support for four amendments to the representation of the people bill that would significantly tighten the government's plans. Continue reading...

Reporting suggests FBI involved in seizure of Ismael El Mayo' Zambada Garcia from Mexican territory in 2024Mexico has launched an investigation into whether the US lied about its involvement in the capture and secretive transfer of a top Sinaloa cartel member in 2024, in what would be a potential violation of the country's sovereignty.The US has long denied it played any role in the operation to detain the drug lord Ismael El Mayo" Zambada Garcia, a founder of the Sinaloa cartel, inside Mexico. Recent reporting by the local media outlet Pie de Nota, however, suggested that the FBI was involved in his capture. Continue reading...

Cross-party group backs call from science and technology committee to look at alternative options, citing serious mistrust'A second parliamentary committee has urged Labour to scrap Palantir's 330m contract with the NHS, increasing pressure on the next prime minister over government deals with the US tech company.MPs on the health and social care select committee want the NHS to cut ties with Palantir and find a replacement for its system, which is supposed to unify and analyse huge amounts of often highly sensitive NHS health data. Continue reading...

Businessman stands trial over death of Maltese journalist killed by bomb in her car after she reported on corruptionMoments before the explosion that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia, the journalist screamed in panic, a witness has told the trial of the man accused of ordering her murder.Caruana Galizia was killed in 2017 by a remotely detonated bomb placed under the driver's seat of her car, after writing a series of reports on political and financial corruption in Malta. The government's handling of the investigation led to mass protests and ultimately to the resignation of the Maltese prime minister, Joseph Muscat. Continue reading...

The local truckers association has said it may suspend operations, after several eyewitnesses decried the murder of Ahmad EsleemA Palestinian driver bringing food aid from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) into Gaza has been killed by an Israeli soldier, according to eyewitnesses and the local truckers association, which said it may suspend operations in protest.Ahmad Esleem was shot in the head on Wednesday when an aid convoy stopped because of a breakdown to one truck soon after entering Gaza, according to three accounts. Israeli soldiers ordered the drivers to dismount and one of them shot Esleem in the head when his hands were raised. Continue reading...

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Britain expands heat alerts while estimates suggest June's death toll could surpass 20,000 across continentThe UK is sweltering through the peak of its third heatwave of the year as countries around Europe struggle to recover from an early onslaught of baking summer heat.Punishing temperatures pushed higher by fossil fuel pollution have broken records across the continent in recent weeks. Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record, scientists confirmed on Thursday, accompanied by high global ocean temperatures that could cause mass-mortality events" for some species. Continue reading...

Reform UK leader also tells the Daily Mail he did not anticipate main parties would not stand candidates in Clacton byelection

Recep Tayyip Erdoan presented engraved revolvers - with bullets - to his guests in Ankara, causing security concernsWhat does a world leader do with a gun and six bullets? That was the conundrum Nato leaders faced after the Turkish president offered them each a revolver after the Ankara summit.Keir Starmer was the first to mention the highly unusual gift presented by Recep Tayyip Erdoan to his guests. On the flight back from Ankara, where Nato leaders had gathered for two days, the British prime minister said he and others had received a revolver engraved with their names. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Questions grow over George Cottrell's role as party says he has never held an official position

President ordered investigation after fictitious federal body allocated funding and office space, triggering renewed scrutiny of corruptionA fictitious federal entity that was allocated 1.3 billion naira (705,248) in Nigeria's 2026 budget has precipitated a political storm in Africa's largest democracy in the run-up to January's general election.The fake agency came to light last October when Femi Gbajabiamila, the president's chief of staff, wrote to the police alleging that his signature, along with official seals and reference numbers, had been forged by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who was claiming to have been appointed by the presidency to head the presidential foreign intervention promotion council (PFIPC). Continue reading...

Demonstrations at 18 sites set up as radical transformation plan put to board of Europe's biggest carmakerVolkswagen's proposal to slash up to 100,000 jobs and close factories faces a major test on Thursday as it is formally put to its supervisory board, with protests planned at all plants in Germany.IG Metall organised demonstrations involving shop stewards and union council members at 18 sites at Europe's biggest carmaker, including at its headquarters. The influential staff union told the chief executive, Oliver Blume, that he could not pass the buck for failures of recent years on to the workforce". Continue reading...

Exclusive: PM-in-waiting says party must do better' in approach to Middle East and he will put more pressure on Israel

Highly unprecedented anomaly' meant 135 people given incorrect scores and wrongly informed of promotionsThe air force has canceled the promotions of dozens of service members after discovering what it said was a grading error in a test of their security knowledge.The isolated and highly unprecedented anomaly" was announced in a press release on Tuesday, which said 135 airmen and women had been awarded incorrect scores on the security forces specialty knowledge test (SKT) and been wrongly informed they had earned promotion. Continue reading...

At least 17 people killed in Iran in overnight attacks as Trump declares the agreement over'

Some stations in Spain recorded temperatures of up to 44C after western Europe experienced the warmest June on recordA high temperature warning has also been issued for a dozen counties in the Republic of Ireland, PA reported.Irish national forecaster Met Eireann said temperatures could exceed 27C during the day with overnight temperatures staying above 15C. The agency warned of water safety issues, heat stress, and uncomfortable sleeping conditions as a result. Continue reading...

Questions swirl about origins of gifts, loans and donations as even party supporters wonder if it can weather the storm

Measures would make it easier for victims to seek compensation, with companies such as Bolt and Lime held responsible for damageVictims hit by rental e-scooters on German streets will have an easier time gaining compensation from their operators under legislation due to pass parliament that would put the vehicles on a similar legal footing to cars.The draft law by the right-left coalition government, which has been welcomed by consumer rights advocates, says that given the rapid rise in the use of e-scooters in recent years coupled with high accident rates, rental operators such as Lime and Bolt should be held liable. Continue reading...

As Trump's immigration crackdown continues, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's death marks another high-profile killing by ICE officersEarly on Tuesday morning, 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo took his coffee and a meal his wife had prepared for him, said goodbye to his dog, and left the house he built. He drove his white van, picked up three co-workers, and headed towards a construction site to work on some houses.But Salgado never made it to work. During a targeted enforcement operation", officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot and killed Salgado and arrested the three other men. Continue reading...

The advocacy group's Where We Are In Film study finds a decrease in queer people of color and zero trans characters in 2025 filmsLGBTQ+ characters are slowly disappearing from film in a trend that disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ characters of color, according to a report published today.An annual study of films by Glaad (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has found that just 46 of 225 films released in 2025 contained LGBTQ+ characters, making only 20.4% of last year's movies inclusive of the queer community. Continue reading...

Versatile Essex-born hitmaker known for Rhinestone Cowboy, It Only Takes a Minute and many more had been living with Alzheimer's diseaseBrian Potter, one of the most versatile and successful British producers and songwriters of his generation, has died aged 87. He had been living with Alzheimer's disease in recent years, his daughter told Billboard.Working with American songwriting partner Dennis Lambert, the Essex-born Potter was behind an astounding array of 1970s hits spanning pop, soul, soft rock, country and beyond. The best-known include Glen Campbell's Rhinestone Cowboy, a US No 1 in 1975; It Only Takes a Minute, a barnstorming disco hit for Tavares and later Take That; Player's super-smooth Baby Come Back, another US No 1; and Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got), one of the biggest hits for soul-poppers the Four Tops. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Party hoped to mount serious challenge in mayoral race but attention has been diverted to Essex

Indian prime minister wows crowd of 25,000 at Marvel Stadium as he praises role of diaspora in the India-Australia success story

Experts say rise in social media attacks on players such as Kylian Mbappe need to be viewed in wider political context

Premier Jeremy Rockliff says the traffic cones and street signs of Tasmania can breathe a small sigh of relief'

Welsh singer and Eurovision entrant's other hits included Footloose soundtrack smash Holding Out for a Hero Alexis Petridis on Bonnie Tyler: She totally eclipsed her power-ballad peers, and created an astonishingly wide variety of pop

Local media in Hengzhou report king ratsnakes and cobras among hundreds in flood waters caused by typhoon MaysakHundreds of snakes, including cobras, have escaped from flooded breeding farms in southern China as severe storms continue to batter parts of the country.State media reported that a snake farm in Hengzhou, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was hit by flood waters after days of heavy rainfall caused by typhoon Maysak, prompting warnings for nearby residents. Continue reading...

Albanese said Australia's relationship with India has never more consequential than it is today'

South Australian police investigating death of elderly person Liberal senator Kerrynne Liddle claimed was a result of the outage

Neso asks for extra supplies from electricity generators to cope with added demand on Thursday nightGreat Britain's energy system operator has warned that extreme temperatures" could hit power supplies on Thursday night, as the UK entered its third heatwave of the year.The National Energy System Operator (Neso) issued a notice overnight asking for extra supplies from power generators to cope with the added demand from households turning on fans and air conditioners to cope with the high temperatures. Continue reading...

Jillian Segal tells royal commission the public broadcasters' coverage of the Middle East lacks balance and paints Israel in a negative light

Reputation for frumpiness is over as M&S wins over younger audience with shows at Silverstone, Ibiza and now LFWThis autumn's London fashion week boasts plenty of familiar labels, from Burberry to Alexander McQueen, ready to show off their wares. But on Wednesday there was an unexpected addition: Marks & Spencer is joining the luxury lineup.The British high-street retailer will celebrate its 100th anniversary in the fashion industry by staging a catwalk show in September highlighting its latest women's and menswear collections. Continue reading...

Two women who alleged they were raped by Tyrion Davis in Suffolk had to testify at an invasive court martial on a US baseMinutes after fleeing the home of an American airman, Rebecca called 999 in tears to report that he had raped her. She recalls vomiting at a police station in Suffolk as she described being repeatedly and violently attacked.Officers took her to a sexual assault referral centre for an intimate examination. There, a nurse measured and photographed her injuries, including bruises and bite marks on her neck. Continue reading...

Author argues symbols such as daisy wheels are no more than the working marks of stonemasonsOver the years, English Heritage and Historic England have claimed to have identified large numbers of witches' marks" or ritual protection symbols" on the walls of historic buildings, including medieval churches and houses.Now a leading architectural historian has said there is absolutely no evidence" that these marks have anything to do with witches or any mystical meanings". Continue reading...

Carrier says some were unable to connect to emergency hotline a day after mobile network went down

Temperatures across ravaged region 3C above average as scientists warn of risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure

Attacks on three locations across Iran came after three tankers in the strait of Hormuz were targeted on TuesdayThe US military carried out strikes on Iran for a second day, hours after president Donald Trump said that an interim agreement to end the war was over".Late on Wednesday Iranian state media reported explosions in the port city of Bandar Abbas in the strait of Hormuz; in Sirik, another southern coastal city; and the south-western Bushehr province, home to Iran's nuclear-power-plant complex. Continue reading...

US president says new strikes are retribution' after ships hit in strait of Hormuz; Iranian state media report explosions in several locations

Ministers also considering licence requirement and regulator to try to cut bills and increase choiceUK vets may have to have a licence and cap prescriptions for pet medicine at 21 under plans being considered by the government.Ministers are also considering establishing a regulator for the veterinary sector, including inspections, a mandatory licensing system and published compliance reports to improve accountability and choice. Every vet practice could need an official operating licence - similar to GP surgeries and care homes - under proposals in a white paper. Continue reading...

Foreign affairs select committee says Peter Mandelson episode was nothing short of disastrous' for governmentPolitical selections for ambassador posts should be subject to a veto by MPs, a parliamentary committee has recommended, as it made damning criticisms of how Peter Mandelson became Britain's top diplomat in Washington.The foreign affairs select committee concluded that Mandelson's appointment was nothing short of disastrous", highly damaging" for the British government and painful and offensive to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein". Continue reading...

Interim report into Pip found process had systematic and deep-rooted problems and required bold and radical overhaulA landmark government review of disability benefits has warned challenging discussions" remain on how to overhaul and pay for a system it concludes is unfit for purpose and too often leaves vulnerable claimants dehumanised and degraded.The Timms review of the personal independence payment (Pip) concluded the benefit, claimed by nearly 4 million people in England and Wales, suffered from systematic and deep-rooted problems that had undermined public trust in the benefits system. Continue reading...

Ethics and integrity commission chief says overhaul is crucial to help restore trust in standardsAll lobbying of government ministers, aides and senior officials should be publicly declared - from WhatsApp chats to party conference meetings - in a fundamental shake-up of transparency laws, the government's ethics watchdog has said.A review led by Doug Chalmers, the head of the ethics and integrity commission, has called for a new register to highlight who is lobbying, which policies they are seeking to influence and who in government they are meeting. Continue reading...

The 1970s soap parody made a household name of Lasser, who was also known for her collaborations with ex-husband Allen and later films including Requiem for a DreamLouise Lasser, star of cult 70s sitcom Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and early films by Woody Allen (to whom she was married for four years), has died aged 87. The New York Times reported she died at home in Manhattan".Lasser's role as a satirically conceived housewife in suburban Ohio in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, designed as a parody of daytime soap operas, made her a national star, landing her on the cover of People magazine and Rolling Stone. The series lasted a year and a half, between January 1976 and July 1977, but due to its five-days-a-week schedule squeezed more than 300 episodes out of its two season run. Lasser's Hartman, with her signature pigtails, was preoccupied with domestic minutiae but found herself in unsettling and disturbing situations, including bizarre deaths. The show was intended to explore the changes sweeping ordinary life in the US in the 1970s. Continue reading...