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Treasurer points to other reforms after Labor members call for fairer return' from natural resources. Follow today's news live

Karoline Leavitt insisted nuclear deal is contingent' on condition revealed by Trump in a social post

Republican Blake Miguez is weighing what district to run in after state redrew map following supreme court decisionA congressional candidate from Louisiana who was the subject of a police report accusing him of rape - which he denies - says he is hoping to again earn" Donald Trump's endorsement as he considers precisely where to run amid redistricting.The candidate, Blake Miguez, is weighing running in one of two districts, neither of which he lives in but which he is allowed to run. He has been mulling that choice after the supreme court's landmark decision in Callais v Louisiana prompted the state to swiftly redraw its US House districts - and after he had secured the president's backing under the previous congressional map. Continue reading...

Secretary general Antonio Guterres tells security council the Middle East is being pushed to the edge of the unimaginable' amid latest threats from Donald Trump

Ratepayer Protection Pledge' president has touted is non-binding as people continue to struggle with rising billsDonald Trump has announced that about 200 entities have signed on to his non-binding Ratepayer Protection Pledge", expanding a voluntary commitment which claims to ensure US consumers will not bear the cost of the AI datacenter build-out.Trump delivered remarks on Thursday at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters, alongside Lee Zeldin, the agency's administrator, and Chris Wright, the energy secretary. Other attenders included governors who signed on to the pledge, including Brian Kemp of Georgia, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Spencer Cox of Utah and Jeff Landry of Louisiana. Continue reading...

Residents in Ladera Ranch in Orange county voice concerns after six children diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma

Conservative leader is becoming more confident and forging a message for her party, but faces a new opponentSo, Andy Burnham seems like a nice guy." Those were the slightly unexpected opening words of Kemi Badenoch's first speech since the change in prime minister. But make no mistake: she was there to bury her opponent.Even Badenoch-sceptics inside the Conservative party and farther afield agree the Tory leader is becoming more confident, and has been able to forge an increasingly coherent message for her party, one based on a promise of economic competence. Continue reading...

MPs and others condemn behaviour of CT Group, which offered cash for positive coverage of clientsA political lobbying firm secretly paying journalists for articles favourable to its clients is facing calls to reveal full details of the payments, after the practice was denounced as a dangerous attack on democracy".MPs, senior lobbyists and transparency campaigners all condemned the behaviour of CT Group, the firm co-founded by the campaign strategist Lynton Crosby, an election guru previously hired by David Cameron and Boris Johnson. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Clinical assessments concluded Rudakubana could not be safely managed in prison, sources sayThe Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been moved from prison to a psychiatric hospital after an assessment by psychiatrists, the Guardian can disclose.He was transferred to Broadmoor high-security hospital from the category A prison Belmarsh this week after it was concluded that he could not be managed safely in a prison environment, sources confirmed. Continue reading...

Hospitality businesses call on Andy Burnham to cut VAT and extend help to hotels and restaurantsPubs, clubs and live music venues in England will receive a 20% discount on their business rates bills as part of a 100m aid package but Andy Burnham has immediately faced calls to be more ambitious.The prime minister said the measure, aimed at supporting the high street and easing cost of living pressures, would be fully funded, including through a review of relief for businesses deemed not to make a positive contribution to communities, such as vape shops. Continue reading...

Shalina Rahman, 42, and daughter Sameeha, 15, were on holiday in West Mersea and boy is believed to be family memberThe teenage girl and woman who died in the waters off an Essex beach were trying to help a seven-year-old boy who had got into difficulties, police believe.Family members identified the pair as Shalina Rahman, a 42-year-old British-Bangladeshi teacher who is married to a Bangladeshi politician, and her 15-year-old daughter, Sameeha. The boy, believed to be a family member, was also said to be on life support in a hospital in London after the incident. Continue reading...

Mykhailo Fedorov says only in his former post could he combat procurement corruption and complete the army's transformation'EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has offered a bit more detail on the new package of sanctions, saying they are the largest round in four years," and will hit Putin where it hurts most."In a statement, she said:We have agreed on the 21st sanctions package against Russia.It delivers sweeping measures targeting Moscow's financial system, its military-industrial complex and energy sector, that keep Russia's war economy running. Continue reading...

New PM says no prisoners will be released under the policy until there is an urgent review of schemeKemi Badenoch is speaking in central London at the moment and is expected to say that Andy Burnham is still thinking like the mayor of Manchester".Going by what he's announced so far, Andy Burnham's ambitions for Britain are too small," she was expected to say.My message to British businesses is quite simple: to British businesses, to British innovators, to British investors: I will back you as your Chancellor, and I'll back you in financial services, in technology, in retail, in industry, in all parts of the economy.I'm just as concerned about the cost of business as I am about the cost of living. Continue reading...

September exercise called off after Kenya raises concerns over funding and jurisdiction for criminal offencesThe British army has been forced to cancel training for its troops in Kenya after the Kenyan government refused to ratify a bilateral defence agreement.While the UK government wanted to renew the existing agreement, Kenyan lawmakers had sought changes to give local authorities greater powers to hold British soldiers accountable for any offences committed in the country. Continue reading...

Benchmark rises sharply over fears Houthi militia could strangle Saudi exports as US-Iran fighting intensifiesThe oil price has climbed back above $100 a barrel for the first time in two months, as a fresh escalation of the Middle East conflict threatens to compound disruption to global oil supplies.The benchmark oil price rose sharply on Thursday, after reaching $95 a barrel the day before amid fears that Yemen's Houthi militia could strangle Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea while US-Iran tensions over oil flows through the strait of Hormuz intensify. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Analysis of NHS England data reveals stark impact of air pollution in deprived areasChildren living in the poorest areas across England are 40% more likely to be admitted to hospital for respiratory infections, an analysis of NHS England data shows, with experts raising the alarm on the impact of air pollution on young people's health.The analysis, based on data obtained via freedom of information requests by the charity Impact on Urban Health, revealed 1,941 out of every 100,000 children living in the most deprived fifth of England were admitted to hospital for respiratory illnesses in 2024-25. Continue reading...

The men were convicted over alleged plan to stage coup and organise deadly demonstrations over fuel prices last yearTwo Russian men have been found guilty by an Angolan court of terrorism and spying, after being accused of planning a coup and helping to organise deadly demonstrations in the southern African country last year.Lev Lakshtanov and Igor Ratchin were sentenced to eight and 11 years in jail respectively. They had denied the charges, claiming they were in Angola for cultural and business activities. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester chief constable says crucial data on phones seized from Heaton Park synagogue attacker was not examinedGreater Manchester police have apologised for a missed opportunity" to act before an attack on a synagogue.The force's chief constable, Sir Stephen Watson, said the phones of the Heaton Park synagogue attacker Jihad al-Shamie were seized by officers but crucial data was not examined. Continue reading...

Live, rolling coverage of business, economics and financial markets as traders fear attacks from Yemen and Iran creating two-chokepoint problem'The Houthi attacks off the coast of Yemen targeted Saudi Arabian tankers, but two Chinese vessels carrying Saudi oil appear to be trying to exit the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Reuters reports.From Reuters:Two Chinese supertankers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil are exiting the Red Sea via the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Thursday, shipping data showed, even as a Saudi vessel came under attack in the region.The ships' attempt to transit the strait will clearly test how tightly the Houthis will impose the naval blockade on Saudi Arabia they announced on Monday. Continue reading...

PM says those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared' as scandal spirals into widespread angerNarendra Modi has vowed to set up fast-track courts" to speed up the punishment of officials accused of leaking examination papers, as the Indian prime minister seeks to quell a youth-led cockroach" protest movement that has rocked Delhi and posed one of the biggest challenges to his government.In his first public remarks on the movement, Modi posted on X: Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth ... Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared." Continue reading...

Angel Rampersad, Michael Swinton, Isabella Gonzales and Tyler Feehan were among 18 US troops killed in the warA 30-year-old husband and father of two. A 25-year-old officer just weeks away from earning his MBA. A 19-year-old recent high school graduate. And a 28-year-old from Queens, New York, with a radiant smile".The Pentagon this week identified three American service members who were killed, and a fourth believed to have been killed, in the Middle East over the past week amid an escalation in attacks between the United States and Iranian forces. Continue reading...

CBA chair says contempt charge over closing speech by Rajiv Menon KC has left lawyers fearful of doing their jobThe prosecution of a leading human rights barrister for contempt of court over his closing speech during a trial of Palestine Action activists has left lawyers fearful of doing their job, the chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) has said.Rajiv Menon KC is due to stand trial next week, accused of breaching the judge's directions in the trial of six people for a direct action protest at an arms factory of the Israeli subsidiary Elbit Systems UK in Filton, near Bristol, in 2024. Continue reading...

Oradea is only major city in EU where local authorities have repeatedly blocked Pride plansCampaigners in a Romanian city have vowed to go ahead with plans for a Pride march after local authorities denied them permission for the fourth consecutive year.Since 2023, campaigners in the western city of Oradea - population 180,000 - have sought authorisation for Pride events. Each year, however, they have come up against opposition, turning Oradea into the only major city in the EU where local authorities have repeatedly blocked Pride plans. Continue reading...

One Nation leader labels family violence leave ridiculous' and decries woke' support of women's rights in November podcast

Budget airline, which has two US investment firms vying to buy it, also affected by passengers booking laterThe low-cost airline easyJet has revealed a 70% slide in profits because of soaring fuel costs and later bookings as a result of the conflict in Iran, only weeks after it agreed to a 5.7bn takeover.The carrier reported a pre-tax profit of 85m between April and June compared with 286m during the same period a year earlier, as its fuel costs increased by 105m after the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East in late February sent energy prices rocketing. Continue reading...

Follow the day's news live

Alan Greer, who killed himself after officers visited his home, could be Police Scotland's Wayne Couzens moment'A police officer who took his own life in May was a rapist who attacked at least nine women over 14 years.PC Alan Greer's offending came to light when his first known victim, a woman he raped in her home in Glasgow in 2012 after she had called the police to report being the victim of a crime, reported the attack late last year. Continue reading...

NT minister for trade and business Robyn Cahill makes scientifically inaccurate claims while pushing to make territory datacentre capital of the globe'

BMW, Ford, Nissan and Toyota, plus parts maker Bosch, wrote joint letter to ministers in AprilMajor carmakers privately lobbied the UK government to revoke a ban on new petrol and diesel cars after 2035, according to documents that reveal for the first time the efforts to overturn a key decarbonisation policy.BMW, Ford, Nissan and Toyota, plus the parts maker Bosch, wrote a joint letter to ministers in April calling for an open technology approach" including petrol and diesel cars after 2035, when the government had said new cars must produce zero carbon emissions. Continue reading...

Dunedin will be the focal point, having last experienced such an eclipse in 1163 - before any humans reached New ZealandHotels are booking out two years in advance in the New Zealand city of Dunedin as it prepares for the region's first total solar eclipse in more than 850 years.At 4.17pm on 22 July 2028, the moon will pass in front of the sun, casting a roughly 100km-wide shadowy band across parts of southern New Zealand. Everywhere within that band - from tourist hotspot Queenstown in the west to Dunedin city in the east - will be plunged into daytime darkness for 2 minutes and 51 seconds. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Darren Rosheski won NHS payout over partner Helen Dutton's death from rectal cancer after GP misjudged her symptomsI remember the doctor, after he'd examined Helen and found a large lump in her colon, saying it's very sinister - we need to bring you in to be investigated."Darren Rosheski is recalling the moment a consultant doctor at Tameside hospital broke the news to his partner, Helen Dutton, that her symptoms - which also included back pain, passing blood and altered bowel habits - were so worrying that they needed further tests. Continue reading...

Scientists believe sunfish-smashing behaviour could be form of entertainment or to help younger whales feedOrcas have been observed ramming into giant fish so hard that the prey explode, possibly as a form of gory entertainment.On several occasions, orcas were observed to hold sunfish in their jaws while a second whale smashed into the target at high speed, causing it to break into thousands of pieces. Since the fish had already been killed, scientists suggested the behaviour may represent a form of play. Continue reading...

More than 70 attacks have been recorded over past year, including acts of violence, property damage and vandalismOne mosque is attacked in Britain every five days, according to new data released by the government's partner for monitoring anti-Muslim hatred.More than 70 attacks on mosques in the UK have been recorded over the past year, which include acts of intimidation, violence, property damage, harassment, anti-Muslim hate speech, online abuse and vandalism. Continue reading...

New prime minister has made Sarwar - the first senior Labour figure to call for Keir Starmer's resignation - a peerScottish Labour's rivals in Holyrood have slammed Anas Sarwar's shock decision to resign as leader to sit in Andy Burnham's new government, calling him a chancer" and accusing him of lying to voters.The prime minister has made Sarwar - who was the first senior Labour figure to call for Keir Starmer to resign - a peer and given him a ministerial post at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, No 10 announced on Wednesday. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed.The Jordanian army said it intercepted four Iranian missiles on Wednesday with two additional missile falling in an open area, AFP reports.The two missiles that the army did not intercept fell in two remote, uninhabited areas, without causing any human casualties or material damage" the army said in a statement. Continue reading...

Jamieson Greer denies tariffs have pushed up prices during grilling from lawmakers over cost-of-living concernsDonald Trump's chief trade official denied the president's sweeping tariffs have increased prices for US families, as lawmakers challenged him over cost-of-living concerns across much of the country.US inflation surged to a three-year high earlier this year. During a heated exchange before US senators on Wednesday, however, US trade representative Jamieson Greer appeared to claim Trump's controversial economic agenda had not driven prices higher. Continue reading...

In Kentucky and West Virginia, rescuers freed trapped residents as states face catastrophic floods and damageTropical storm Bertha made landfall in St Bernard parish, on the Gulf coast south-east of New Orleans, Louisiana, on Wednesday afternoon, the US national hurricane center said.The Miami-based forecaster added that maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 45mph (75km/h) with higher gusts. Continue reading...

European Commission says Paramount Skydance's decision to end Universal venture addresses merger concernsParamount Skydance's 80bn takeover of Warner Brothers took a step closer to being realised after it won conditional approval from the European Union.The European Commission said Paramount's offer to end a film distribution joint venture with Universal Pictures addressed its concerns over the potential merger. As part of its commitments in the EU, Paramount has 13 months from the date of closing the deal to pull out from the venture. Continue reading...

PM says he wants to ensure everything has been looked at' amid outrage at policy from family of PC Andrew HarperAndy Burnham is immersed in a deepening political row after ordering a review of plans for the early release of thousands of killers, rapists and sex offenders from prison in September.After the family of PC Andrew Harper expressed outrage that his killers may be eligible for release, the prime minister responded by pledging to make sure that everything has been looked at again" before a fresh tranche of about 6,000 offenders were freed on tags. Continue reading...

Campaigners in Ukraine pledge to continue nationwide protests until Mykhailo Fedorov gets his job backVolodymyr Zelenskyy was under growing pressure to reinstate his sacked defence minister on Wednesday, after campaigners said they would continue indefinite nationwide protests until Mykhailo Fedorov got his job back.On Tuesday, Zelenskyy bowed to public demands by firing Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. He appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new head of the country's armed forces, as part of a radical reshuffle of the top military command. Continue reading...

Public prosecutor for the region said suspect had been initially arrested shortly after the murder on 29 April last yearA 70-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of Karen Carter, the British expat found dead in south-western France last year, according to reports.According to the Dordogne Libre and others, the woman was charged on 2 July with Carter's murder in Tremolat, in the Dordogne, and is under judicial supervision". Continue reading...

Party chair queries status of funds Reform leader received from crypto billionaire Christopher HarborneThe Conservatives have asked HMRC to investigate whether Nigel Farage should have paid tax on the 5m gift he received from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.The party chair, Kevin Hollinrake, wrote to the tax authorities questioning whether it was a payment to compensate him for running to be an MP. Continue reading...

UK warehouse landlord says board unanimous in recommendation to accept best and final offer'The board of the UK warehouse landlord Segro has U-turned and said it would be willing to accept a 14bn takeover by Segro's bigger US rival, Prologis, in a deal that would be one of the largest foreign takeovers of a UK-listed company.In the latest blow to the troubled London stock market, Segro said in a statement that its board had unanimously concluded" it would recommend its shareholders accept what Prologis called its best and final offer", made just hours before a deadline. Continue reading...

Brussels talks between senior diplomats now underway in attempt to sign off 21st package of sanctions, after previous failed attemptsThe Venice Biennale said it would challenge a European Union decision to withdraw a 2 million grant in response to the return of Russia to its 2026 edition, despite continuing aggression on Ukraine, Reuters reported.The Italian government sharply criticised the move, while the European Commission warned it would suspend or terminate funding if the Russian pavilion returned. Continue reading...

Proposal throws global south countries under the bus', says ActionAid UK director

Exclusive: Guardian investigation of CT Group uncovers practice that appears to seek hidden influence over public opinionA political lobbying firm founded by the former electoral strategist for David Cameron and Boris Johnson secretly pays journalists to write pieces for British newspapers that are favourable to their clients, a Guardian investigation can reveal.In a practice that appears to create a backdoor for private companies to influence public opinion, lobbyists for CT Group - co-founded by the campaign strategist, Lynton Crosby - told an undercover reporter that they had paid journalists to place apparently independent stories in newspapers. Continue reading...

New defence secretary emphasises military will be spending priority over other departments under Burnham

Figures come as large parts of southern Europe endure another record-breaking period of extreme temperaturesFrance recorded more than 5,700 excess deaths during its June heatwave, authorities have said, as swathes of southern Europe continue to endure another record-breaking period of extreme temperatures.The French national health agency said on Wednesday that it had recorded 5,764 excess deaths between 17 June and 2 July, an excess mortality rate of 36%. Continue reading...

As measles, hantavirus and cyclospora spread, experts say lost staff and expertise are slowing the responseA series of health challenges - hantavirus, screwworm, Ebola, cyclospora, measles, whooping cough, bird flu - are exposing the widening gaps in America's ability to prevent, identify and halt infectious disease outbreaks.The rapid dismantling of the US public health system at all levels means the US is in worse shape than it was before the Covid pandemic, former top CDC officials say. Continue reading...

New PM says the main perpetrator in the killing of PC Andrew Harper will now not be subject to early release' and he will also review whole policy'Wes Streeting said the US president was right" to demand Europe pays more for its own defence.Donald Trump has been increasingly critical of Europe for relying too much on the US for its security, and has demanded Nato allies reach 5% of GDP on defence spending by 2035.President Trump has called on Europe to carry a greater share of the burden for our own defence, and he is right to do so. The UK has always been a leading light on defence spending, but the world is changing and in these dangerous uncertain times it is clear that we have needed to go further.That's why we've committed 298bn over the next four years, including an additional 15bn on top of last year's spending review settlement. At the recent Nato summit, all members reaffirmed our commitment to 3.5 by 35 [3.5% of GDP by 2035]. Continue reading...