Police monitoring both Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom' march and also the annual Nakba day' pro-Palestine marchStrict conditions on the timings and the routes of both demonstrations are in place.Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom march will begin in Kingsway and move along the Strand before ending in Parliament Square. Crowds are expected to gather for the rally from 11am. Continue reading...
As Keir Starmer endures a slow ousting, his predecessor recalls the day in 2016 when colleagues tried to force him out - and assesses who might come nextYeah, I do feel [sorry for him]," said Jeremy Corbyn, with only a little hesitation. On a personal level it must be devastating. It is a horrible feeling. You suddenly realise that this person doesn't trust you at all and really doesn't wish you well at all, and you suddenly realise that any trust that was there actually disappears."There are few in politics who have had the experience of being the subject of a Labour party-style coup, the British equivalent of being dragged from your office to be put up against a wall. Letters of resignations from so-called political friends, condemnatory statements on social media, all dripped out for maximum effect with the end goal of pushing the target, once the subject of standing ovations and gushing plaudits, out on their tail. Continue reading...
Polyclass' of 6 million people consider themselves to belong to more than one social category, researchers sayMore than a third of Britons say they have changed social class, with upper-middle and upper-class people most likely to identify as belonging to more than one class, according to a survey.Working-class people were the least likely to say they had changed class or identified with more than one, with 70% saying they were in the same social category they were born into, the study by research firm Attest found. Continue reading...
Week of leadership jostling has left Keir Starmer looking vulnerable and short of time - even though no challenger has officially come forwardIt was a minute or so into his BBC interview on Friday morning, after being asked about moves" to remove Keir Starmer, that Steve Reed ran out of patience. There is no contest," he interrupted. Moves' mean nothing. People need 81 nominations to stand against the prime minister."The housing secretary, a close ally of Starmer and a founding member of the Labour Together thinktank that catapulted him to power, was right, of course: no one has formally challenged the prime minister, let alone ousted him. Continue reading...
Firms do not offer cover for some models, or charge more than for equivalent petrol cars, research findsUK insurers are more hesitant to cover some hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) from China than cars from other countries, research suggests.While some drivers can save money by buying cars made in China, they may have more limited options to get insurance than those buying electric, hybrid and petrol cars from Europe, the US and South Korea. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Social affairs correspondent on (#75NGR)
Rent donations on GoFundMe up 60% since 2022, with 100,000 donors helping people keep a roof over their headsA record number of people in the UK are turning to crowdfunding to cover rent and household bills, with GoFundMe reporting more rent-related fundraisers were created in April than in any month on record.The platform said donations towards rent support had risen by 60% since 2022, with more than 100,000 people a month contributing to help others meet their housing costs. Continue reading...
As continent faces tough headwinds, leaders are bearing brunt of delivering bad news to frustrated electoratesPeople hate you," the adviser informed his leader. A think-piece in a daily newspaper noted that almost everyone agrees on one thing: they don't like him".The recent disastrous set of local election results in the UK built on Keir Starmer's longstanding reputational problem: only 11% of Britons believe he has been a good or great prime minister, and nearly 60% believe he has been poor or terrible, according to polling by YouGov. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe, and Carmela Fonbuena in Manila on (#75NCF)
Chaotic week in which enforcer of war on drugs' flees senate building leaves government looking incompetent'The wanted man outran security agents, rallied protesters and even serenaded the media with a military hymn. Then, after a sudden exchange of gunfire, the Philippines' most controversial lawmaker slipped out of the heavily guarded senate building in the middle of the night.Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is wanted by the international criminal court for crimes against humanity, is now nowhere to be seen. Continue reading...
Property portfolio in spotlight as Reform UK leader faces official inquiry over money accepted from billionaireA week ago, Nigel Farage was toasting Reform UK's successes in the May elections, and bragging about his prospects of becoming prime minister.But there is a saying about a week in politics - and it has been a long seven days for the party leader, who is now facing questions over a 5m gift and his extensive property portfolio. Continue reading...
by Morgan Ofori (now); Zesha Saleem and Taz Ali (earl on (#75MRV)
This blog is closing now, you can read more on this story hereLabour's deputy leader, Lucy Powell, has backed Andy Burnham's efforts to return to parliament, saying there will be no attempt to stop the Greater Manchester mayor from fighting an upcoming byelection in Makerfield.Speaking at a Fire Brigades Union conference in Coventry, she saidWe could have further to fall as a party and we absolutely need to come back together as one team, because we've got to take the fight to [Nigel] Farage. We are at real risk of Nigel Farage walking up Downing Street in a few years time, and we can't let that happen.But we've got to do our politics differently. We've got to end the factionalism. We've got to embrace all the different traditions of the Labour party, all the different voices, and bring one team back together. Continue reading...
Saffron Cole-Nottage became stuck headfirst and might have lived had ambulance service alerted fire service immediately, coroner saysA woman who drowned after getting stuck headfirst in sea defence rocks might have been saved if the ambulance service had alerted the fire service quicker, a coroner has said.Saffron Cole-Nottage, 32, was walking the family dog with her daughteron the seafront at Lowestoft, Suffolk, when she fell as the tide was coming in on 2 February 2025. Continue reading...
by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent on (#75N48)
The film-maker, who won the Grand Prix for A Hero in 2021, condemned both the killing of protestors and the conflict's bombing campaigns during a Cannes press conferenceOscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has described the deaths of civilians in Iran as extremely cruel and tragic" during a press conference at the Cannes film festival.Farhadi, whose new Paris-set drama Parallel Tales premiered on the Croisette on Thursday night, was asked about working free from censorship in France, the war involving Iran, the US and Israel, and the repression of protesters in his native country. Continue reading...
by Presented by Lucy Hough with Hannah Al-Othman; pro on (#75N49)
Andy Burnham may have a route back to Westminster - and a path to the Labour leadership. But first the Greater Manchester mayor must win a byelection in Makerfield, where Nigel Farage has vowed Reform UK will throw absolutely everything' at the contest.Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian's north of England correspondent Hannah al-Othman, who has been talking to voters in the constituency Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#75N30)
Lead singer Stuart Murdoch's self-deprecating It Only Takes One Lion is inspired by team's current song, Yes Sir, I Can BoogieThe lyrics came to Stuart Murdoch in the hazy aftermath of Scotland's dramatic qualification for the World Cup.The Belle and Sebastian frontman had watched his side's playoff victory over Denmark through his fingers before deciding to write his own anthem to a team he has followed for more than 50 years. Most people recognised instantly the next day that they'd witnessed the most important Scottish game ever," says Murdoch. That was our magic moment." Continue reading...
Group of MPs and peers in effect accuse government of failing to comply with parliament's will over release of filesA powerful parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing files relating to Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador has revealed that the government is withholding his vetting file despite not having the authority to do so.In an extraordinary intervention, the intelligence and security committee (ISC) has criticised the government over its handling of the release of Mandelson-related papers and in effect accused ministers failing to comply with parliament's will. Continue reading...
Man arrested after admitting to taking relic from church and planning to throw it in river, say policeAn 800-year-old relic believed to be the skull of Saint Zdislava, stolen this week from a Czech church, has been recovered encased in concrete as experts work to extract it, police have said.A suspect has been arrested, who allegedly confessed to taking the skull of Saint Zdislava of Lemberk from a glass shrine in the basilica of St Lawrence and St Zdislava in the town of Jablonne v Podjetdi on Tuesday. Continue reading...
The Manchester City striker will feature in Viqueens, an animated film by director Harald Zwart, who described him as powerful, fearless and uniquely Norwegian'Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is to make his feature acting debut, in an animated film as the voice of a Viking - called Haaland.According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Norwegian international is to play an animated version of himself" in Viqueens, directed and co-written by Harald Zwart, the Dutch-Norwegian director of The Karate Kid and Agent Cody Banks. Continue reading...
Migrants are generally younger than the average Australian, are skilled and more educated. And they typically pay more tax than they receive in benefits
by Jason Burke International security correspondent on (#75N1R)
Army supported by Russian mercenaries launches airstrikes after offensive by coalition of Islamist extremists and Tuareg separatistsMali's armed forces, supported by Russian mercenaries, have launched airstrikes targeting a rebel alliance of Islamist extremists and Tuareg separatists as the ruling junta struggles to maintain its hold on power in the unstable west African country.Earlier this week warplanes targeted the key northern town of Kidal, which was lost when the rebels launched a surprise offensive across much of Mali in late April. Continue reading...
Adam Kent suspended after Tory councillors joined forces with Greens and Lib Dems to end Reform's minority controlThe Conservatives have suspended the party's leader at Worcestershire county council after he made a deal with the Greens and Liberal Democrats to oust Reform.Reform UK gained control of the council a year ago but its tenure has been marked by a series of controversies and political infighting. This included a bitter leadership battle in which the now former Reform councillor Jo Monk was replaced as leader of the council in April. Continue reading...
by Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent on (#75MRX)
Redress to customers for force-fitting devices in homes includes 20m penalty and 70m of debt write-offsThousands of British Gas customers who had prepayment meters force-fitted in their homes will between them receive compensation and energy bill debt write-offs worth up to 112m in the biggest energy supplier settlement on record.Great Britain's energy regulator found that British Gas forced PPMs on homes that were not keeping up with their bills at the height of the Russian gas crisis, in one of the most complex investigations in Ofgem's history. Continue reading...
Exclusive: DHS made social media posts out of a protester's arrest at gunpoint. Christian Cerna speaks out about the lengthy prosecution that derailed his lifeChristian Cerna, 28, was driving with his partner and their two young children through Los Angeles, when two vehicles rammed his car and a group of men jumped out and trained their guns on them.It was 11 June 2025, and as Cerna exited his vehicle with his hands raised, he realized the masked men weren't street criminals as he initially feared. They were Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Continue reading...
Record heat in North and Central America coincides with egg-sized hailstones in eastern ChinaExtreme weather across several parts of the world this week has brought record-breaking temperatures to Honduras, North America and Indonesia.Honduras smashed its all-time May maximum temperature record earlier this month - only for it to be broken again on 13 May in Choluteca, known as the furnace of Central America. Temperatures climbed to 42.2C (107.9F), surpassing the previous record of 42.1C. With intense heat forecast to persist over the coming weeks, more records are expected to fall. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#75MV3)
Tube stoppages due on two 24-hour periods from midday on Tuesday and Thursday next week but sources say RMT seeking talksHopes have been raised that next week's strikes by London Underground drivers could yet be averted, after sources said the RMT union had put out feelers for talks.The RMT members, almost half of London's Tube drivers, are due to strike for two 24-hour periods from midday on Tuesday and Thursday, closing some lines entirely and bringing widespread travel disruption to the capital until the weekend. Continue reading...
News will come as a shock to staff, especially at Cranfield, but the institutions' bosses say intention is growthThe announcement that King's College London is to absorb Cranfield University came as a surprise but not a shock to England's higher education leaders, who have been braced for sudden announcements about job cuts and course closures.But for staff and students at both institutions the news will have come as a shock, particularly at Cranfield, the smaller, highly focused postgraduate technology and management college that has its own airport. Continue reading...
Redevelopment of the former Department of Lands building on Sydney's Bridge Street wins National Trust heritage awardIt was once a grand old sandstone masterpiece, where returned soldiers would cram into marble corridors to anxiously await lottery draws that could change their lives.Then the 20th century happened. Continue reading...
One Nation leader and Barnaby Joyce flew on Gina Rinehart's plane from the Sunshine Coast to Mount Isa before taking charter to tour flood-affected communitiesPauline Hanson billed taxpayers almost $16,000 in private charter flights to travel around flood-affected Queensland on the suggestion of billionaire Gina Rinehart, despite previously claiming the trip was at no cost to the taxpayer".In January, Hanson and Barnaby Joyce flew on Rinehart's luxury Gulfstream G700 from the Sunshine Coast to Mount Isa, after which they travelled on charter flights to flood-affected communities around Julia Creek to meet local mayors. Continue reading...
by Presented by Nosheen Iqbal with Rafael Behr; produ on (#75MMK)
Guardian columnist Rafael Behr talks through a tumultuous day for Labour and Keir Starmer - following the resignation of health secretary Wes Streeting, and the renewed possibility of a Westminster comeback for Andy BurnhamAfter a week of speculation and gossip, Thursday seemed to be the day the Labour leadership contest really took off. Officially though, Keir Starmer is still in place ... and not going anywhere.Guardian columnist Rafael Behr talks through a frantic day that started with Wes Streeting's resignation as health secretary and ended with the very real possibility of his rival - Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham - returning to parliament. Continue reading...
Visit comes after US-Cuba relations deteriorated significantly, and as the island nation declared it had absolutely no fuel' because of US blockadeCIA director John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials in Havana on Thursday as a way to improve dialogue between the US and the communist-run island, the Cuban government said.The meeting took place in a context marked by the complexity of bilateral relations, with the aim of contributing to the political dialogue between both nations", a statement said. Continue reading...
We know that Mark Carney wants to sort of embrace Europe,' says competition director Martin GreenCanada is welcome to join Eurovision if it wishes, its director has said, months after the country revealed it wanted to explore" joining the song contest in its federal budget.Eurovision director Martin Green told the BBC on Wednesday that Canada hadn't yet applied, but would be welcome to. Continue reading...
Charity says calls to its Childline service about online sexual abuse and exploitation have risen 36% in a yearChildren reported a rise in online blackmail attempts involving sexual images in the UK last year, according to a leading charity.The NSPCC said contacts with its Childline service relating to online sexual abuse and exploitation rose by 36% last year, driven by an increase in cases related to online blackmail. Continue reading...
by Philip Oltermann European culture editor on (#75MHN)
Export's performances scandalised Austria in the 1960s, but are now recognised for exposing the objectification of the female bodyValie Export, the Austrian performance artist and film-maker who inverted the male gaze in ways that were provocative, shocking and often outrageously fun, has died aged 85.The artist's own foundation announced on Thursday evening that Export died in Vienna earlier the same day, three days before her 86th birthday. Continue reading...
Health officials say close contacts being offered antibiotics as a precaution after cases discovered in ReadingA young person has died and two others are being treated after an outbreak of meningitis in Berkshire, health officials have said.It follows a major outbreak in Kent, linked to a Canterbury nightclub, that killed two people and left more than a dozen needing hospital treatment in March. Continue reading...
Media law experts cast doubt on viability of a defamation lawsuit promised by Netanyahu over Nicholas Kristof essayIsrael's prime minister, Benjamin Nethanyahu, and foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, have threatened to sue the New York Times for defamation over the publication of an essay by Nicholas Kristof detailing allegations that Palestinian women, men and children have been raped and sexually abused in Israeli military detention.Following the publication by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times of one of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press, which also received the backing of the newspaper, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar have instructed the initiation of a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times," Israel's ministry of foreign affairs wrote in a social media post on Thursday. Continue reading...
Revelation seen as serious blow to candidacy of Flavio Bolsonaro, Brazil's leading rightwing presidential hopefulFlavio Bolsonaro, Brazil's leading rightwing presidential hopeful, has been caught on tape asking a banker accused of corruption for $26.8m (20m) to fund a film about his father, the former president Jair Bolsonaro.The leaked voice memos and text messages were published on Wednesday by the Intercept Brasil, and later acknowledged by Flavio Bolsonaro, a far-right senator who is tied in polls with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead of October's election. Continue reading...
Council of Europe members plan to change interpretation of rights laws to make it easier to deport peopleKeir Starmer's government has been accused of trying to water down legal protections for torture victims as ministers from 46 countries including the UK prepare to make it easier to deport refused asylum seekers and foreign criminals.Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, is expected to agree a political declaration" on Friday with other members of the Council of Europe, which oversees the European convention on human rights (ECHR). Continue reading...
by Pippa Crerar, Kiran Stacey and Jessica Elgot on (#75M8B)
Greater Manchester mayor would need to win Makerfield seat before launching campaign for Labour leadershipAndy Burnham now has a potential route back to parliament and a chance to become Labour's next leader after an MP said he would trigger a byelection by standing down from his seat.The move ended days of speculation about whether Burnham could secure a possible path back into Westminster and underlined the increasingly precarious nature of Keir Starmer's premiership. Continue reading...
by Presented by Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey, produc on (#75MEA)
Andy Burnham has announced he will attempt to return to Westminster after the Labour MP Josh Simons said he will vacate his Makerfield seat in order for Burnham to run in a byelection. It follows a day of breaking news in which the health secretary, Wes Streeting, resigned, saying he has lost confidence in the prime minister, and Angela Rayner announced she had been cleared by the HMRC. Where does this leave Keir Starmer, the leadership of the Labour party, and the country? Continue reading...