Home secretary expected to amend Immigration Act but hurdles remain if Pakistan continues to refuse to take Shabir Ahmed backShabana Mahmood is planning to change the law so the government can move towards deporting the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang.The home secretary is expected to amend the 1971 Immigration Act, which prevents Shabir Ahmed from being removed from Britain. Continue reading...
Met confirms inquiry after elections watchdog referred allegations that donations in 2024 were from foreign sourcePolice have launched an investigation into 37,500 of donations to Robert Jenrick's campaign to become Conservative leader in 2024 after a referral from the elections watchdog.The Metropolitan police confirmed on Wednesday they were undertaking an inquiry after the Guardian revealed in April that they were assessing the evidence about donations to Jenrick, who has since joined Reform UK. Continue reading...
MPs demand publication of full report that outlines catastrophic consequences amid concerns for food securityMembers of parliament have demanded full publication of an explosive report by the UK's spy leaders that found the collapse of ecosystems overseas would have catastrophic consequences for the UK's national security, warning that the UK has no future" if the findings are not urgently acted on.Despite growing concerns for the UK's food security, likely to be worsened by the third heatwave this summer currently afflicting the UK and swathes of the northern hemisphere, the government has refused to publish the full report, which has circulated among defence officials for more than a year. Continue reading...
From high-profile influencers to live ticket-queue tracking, some fear aggressive marketing is ruining championshipsFrom photos of influencers in crisp white linen dresses posing in front of floral displays at Centre Court to videos promising hacks to beat the queues and secure tickets, the hype around Wimbledon has never been bigger on Instagram and TikTok.The social media frenzy has caused concerns that Wimbledon is increasingly becoming a tourist event rather than a tennis tournament, overrun with influencers using the championship's iconic aesthetic to build their profiles and attracting attenders more interested in dressing up and taking photos than watching the games. Continue reading...
World is witnessing a turning point, says ministry spokesperson, as Iran seeks to assert independence amid rising tensionsBefore a foreign ministry press briefing at the Grand Hotel Tehran, the assembled reporters were asked to stand for the national anthem that duly blared from fuzzy speakers.At the podium, the ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, claimed the world was witnessing a turning point in the history of Shia Islam. A century from now, he claimed, the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be revered as a second Imam Hussain, the martyred grandson of the prophet Muhammad. Donald Trump, meanwhile, would be seen as a latterday Yazid, the tyrannical 7th century caliph. Continue reading...
Italian designer brings sculptural silhouettes and playful palettes to storied house, while it is hats off to Giorgio's niece at her second Armani Prive showThe house of Balenciaga takes haute couture very seriously indeed. Cristobal Balenciaga was so horrified by the rise of mass-produced clothes that in 1968 he abruptly shuttered his brand and retired to his native Spain, announcing that high fashion is mortally wounded".So Pierpaolo Piccioli, who now helms the house, approached the brief of his first Balenciaga couture collection conscientiously, despite having 25 years of experience at Valentino. At a preview, the haute couture war room where he worked on the show for nine months was plastered with images that ranged from a 1961 Balenciaga dress to Spanish golden age art - Zurbaran's chic saints, Velazquez's doll-like infantas - and a monumental Hepworth pierced megalith. Continue reading...
Hannah Dugan was fined $5,000 for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade ICE agentsA former Wisconsin judge who was convicted of felony obstruction for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has been spared prison.A federal judge on Wednesday instead fined Judge Hannah Dugan $5,000, citing her otherwise law-abiding life in issuing the sentence. Continue reading...
Parody candidate, expected to be Reform leader's only challenger for seat, suggests perhaps it's all a fever dream'Count Binface had been looking forward to a relaxing journey back to his home planet of Sigma IX when Nigel Farage dropped a political bombshell on Tuesday.Instead, Britain's hottest new political property said he was left with no choice but to perform a swift intergalactic handbrake turn when news broke that Farage had resigned as MP for Clacton, triggering the possibility of a byelection in the English coastal constituency he has represented since 2024. Continue reading...
by Seham Tantesh in Gaza and Julian Borger in Jerusal on (#76VN7)
Mohamed al-Wahidi died when a missile struck his taxi shortly before Egypt played Argentina in their last 16 matchA Palestinian aid worker who had organised screenings of World Cup matches in Gaza was killed by an Israeli missile strike just before the game between Egypt and Argentina on Tuesday evening.Two brothers aged eight and 10 and another man who was in the street near the site of the attack were also killed. Continue reading...
by Leyland Cecco in Toronto and agencies on (#76V42)
Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in prison in India, is accused of orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023US and Canadian authorities say they have dismantled" the leadership of a notorious Indian criminal group, charging dozens of operatives who have inflicted pain and cruelty on people, victims around the globe", including a high-profile murder in Canada that strained diplomatic relations between Canada and India.At a press conference on Tuesday, members of the FBI and Canada's Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said as part of Operation Hard Ball - a multiyear federal investigation into murder-for-hire plots, shootings, extortion and drug trafficking - they had charged 37 people, some of whom were already in custody. Authorities are still searching for seven fugitives in the US, two in India and one in Europe. Continue reading...
FCA clashes with Consumer Voice, alleging lack of transparency and conflict of interestThe City regulator is trying to get the only consumer group arguing for higher motor finance scandal payouts thrown out of court, alleging that its co-founders have not been transparent about their funding and potential conflicts of interest.The accusations, laid out in legal filings on Wednesday, are the latest controversy in the long-running saga surrounding mis-sold car loans, with fears of large payouts having resulted in heavy lobbying by banks and a controversial intervention by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves. Continue reading...
Count Binface to be one of few challengers to Nigel Farage as major parties boycott contestFor anyone involved in British politics, an invitation to be interviewed on Radio 4's Today programme is the ultimate badge of seriousness. There are probably hundreds of MPs who have never made it onto the programme because they have not been deemed important enough.But, as if to prove the point that the Clacton byelection really is a farce" (see 7.59am), this morning Today had an interview with Count Binface, the serial joke byelection candidate who may turn out to be Nigel Farage's main opposition in Clacton.Probably not, but then you know my job is to celebrate and defend the wonders of British democracy.And look at this, eh? The fact that you are interviewing me on the Today Programme, because all the other parties aren't standing, says more about them than it does about me.I don't believe that single-handedly will tackle homophobia, racism or indeed any hate crime. But I do strongly believe that returning power back to people's hands is a huge part of the role we should all be playing as elected public servants - and it's how we build trust again. Continue reading...
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, is believed to have left UK for Zimbabwe before bodies of his family were discoveredA man suspected of murdering his wife and two daughters near Bedford has been urged by police to hand himself in after fleeing to Zimbabwe.Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, known as Zandile, and Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were found dead in their 1.3m detached house in Carnoustie Drive, Great Denham. Police forced entry to the house on Monday after receiving reports that the family had not been seen for days. Continue reading...
HBO and Apple shows head up this year's nominations while Richard Gadd's Baby Reindeer follow-up Half-Man only receives one nodThe second season of hit hospital drama The Pitt and the final season of Hacks dominate this year's Emmy nominations, announced on Wednesday.The Pitt leads with 25 nominations while Hacks has 24, both scoring a big win for HBO, the latter series also breaking an Emmy record for most nods ever received by a comedy in a single year. Continue reading...
John Edwards resigned in June after independent investigation following claims of sexual harassment and bullyingThe UK information commissioner who resigned over sexual harassment and bullying claims is understood to be taking legal action against a woman who flagged his conduct.The science and technology secretary, Liz Kendall, said she was appalled" by the fact that John Edwards was preparing to serve legal papers on one of the incredibly brave" women at the ICO who raised concerns about his behaviour. Edwards resigned from his post as the UK's data regulator in June after an independent investigation. Continue reading...
France's far-right leader plans to take part in 2027 vote after court of appeal upholds her conviction for embezzlementThe French far-right leader Marine Le Pen launched her presidential campaign on Wednesday, after a decision by a court of appeal shortened her ban on running for office, allowing her to take part in the 2027 vote.Le Pen said voters would decide her future. Continue reading...
Experts warn that some marine species are at risk of mass mortality events' in ever-warming oceansUK waters are being hit with an extreme" marine heatwave, the Met Office has said, as scientists warn that high ocean temperatures globally could result in mass-mortality events" for some species.The forecasters said these elevated temperatures have developed rapidly because of last month's heat dome, during which most of Europe sweltered in its worst ever heatwave that scientists said would have been impossible without the climate crisis. Continue reading...
Climate crisis prompts calls for workplace temperature limits and rights to heat breaks and adjusted working hoursAs Europe's sweltering summer continues, trades unions are mounting a push for new laws to counter deadly heat stress that is linked to an estimated 230 workplace deaths a year.This year's toll may be even higher, with 1,300 excess European deaths already connected to the June heatwave by the World Health Organization, and other estimates running as high as 20,000. Continue reading...
Environmental protection agency and independent studies have found food biggest source of chemical exposureThe US Food and Drug Administration has rejected a legal petition demanding it set limits on toxic Pfas forever chemicals" in food, marking another setback for public health advocates' push to limit exposures to the dangerous compounds.The agency is refusing to set limits despite a growing body of science and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finding food is the biggest source of Pfas exposure. Testing has found the levels of Pfas in single servings of some contaminated foods to be equivalent to drinking many glasses of contaminated water. Continue reading...
Report says new film has finished filming - although title and release date not yet confirmedTwenty-four years after Staines's foremost political interlocutor was last seen on the big screen in Ali G Indahouse, Ali G is set to return to cinemas.As reported by The InSneider, a new movie has wrapped production, with filming locations including Oxfordshire, where Baron Cohen was spotted in character last summer, and in the US. A title and release date have not been confirmed and representatives for the star declined to comment. Continue reading...
The fearless 23-year-old is determined to keep a level head as he prepares to face Flavio Cobolli on WednesdayA week ago, very few people knew who Arthur Fery was. But he has been propelled into the limelight as the last man standing after a disastrous start to Wimbledon for British players.Fery, who is ranked No 114 in the world, defied expectations on Monday night when he triumphed on Centre Court over one of the top players for most of the past decade, the former world No 3 Grigor Dimitrov. Continue reading...
Kristy McBain criticises shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson for testing' Triple-zero system during major network blackoutThe communications minister, Anika Wells, has accused Barnaby Joyce and Angus Taylor of going off half-cocked" by raising without evidence the prospect of China having been behind the major Telstra outage affecting millions of Australians nationwide.Wells's fellow federal minister Kristy McBain also criticised the shadow communications minister, Sarah Henderson, after the Liberal senator said she had tested" the Triple-zero system by making unnecessary calls to the emergency line - which carries a criminal penalty. Continue reading...
Rubbish dumps can expose birds to contaminants, raising questions over whether landfill foraging helps or harmsStorks are gaining weight from a diet of literal junk, according to research that suggests the previously disappearing birds face potential health risks as a result of increasingly eating from rubbish dumps.Landfill offers what appear to be quick and convenient meals for white stork populations in Europe. But new research suggests they may be gaining a short-term energy boost at the cost of hidden long-term health effects. Continue reading...
Ofcom levies largest-ever consumer protection fine after finding firm deliberately mishandled millions of phone callsVirgin Media has been fined 28m by the UK telecoms watchdog for repeatedly preventing customers from cancelling their contracts over a near-three-year period.Ofcom discovered that Virgin Media likely mishandled" millions of phone calls between the start of 2022 and autumn 2024, with deliberate call-dropping tactics, unnecessary call transfers and putting customers on hold for no reason". Continue reading...
Shoppers urged to seek quality products or alternatives as data shows demand surpassing least year's totalBritons are expected to buy nearly 8m mini fans this year as they are surging on to the market" in the hot weather - but almost half of those are expected to be low-quality products that end up in landfill within a year.Waste managers and recycling campaigners have raised concerns as the number of online searches for electrically powered handheld fans, which sell for as little as 2, has already surpassed that seen in the whole of 2025 in the first six months of this year. Continue reading...
Early flight data showed the K2 Airways plane with five crew on board possibly crashed into the sea southwest of KarachiA Pakistan-registered Boeing 737 cargo plane with five crew members on board lost contact with air traffic control on Tuesday night after reporting a navigational system problem on its way to Karachi, Pakistan aviation authorities said.Early flight data indicated the 27-year-old converted freighter operated by K2 Airways from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates possibly crashed into the sea southwest of Karachi after a series of sharp altitude changes, before a steep final descent, according to flight-tracking service Flightradar24. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent on (#76V62)
Despite promises of successive governments, gap between richest and poorest areas consistent since 1997Britain's deep regional income divide has barely changed in 30 years despite the promises of successive governments to narrow the gap, according to a report showing the challenge for Andy Burnham.As the prime minister-in-waiting prepares for government, the Resolution Foundation said almost no progress had been made since 1997 to tackle stark divisions in household income, before housing costs are taken into account, between the richest and poorest parts of the country. Continue reading...
Man flown from France as part of legal entry programme decries effect on others who may have a similar case'An asylum seeker brought to the UK by the Home Office has said it feels unjust that he was allowed into the country only because someone else was deported.The individual benefited from the one in" part of the controversial one in, one out" scheme, where one asylum seeker who reached the UK on a small boat is forcibly returned to France in exchange for another being brought legally to Britain. Continue reading...
Government's former extremism adviser sounds alarm as idea that diversity is harmful becomes mainstream view'Two in five Britons believe Muslims cannot integrate into British society and more than half believe the country's national identity is disappearing due to diversity", a report authored by a former government adviser on extremism has found.Sara Khan, who stood down in 2024 as the UK's first counter-extremism commissioner, said such views contrasted sharply with accompanying findings that showed 85% of Muslims favour integration". Continue reading...
College freshman's mother identified his body after he was reported missing following 4 July boat trip with friendsOn 4 July, Nolan Xavier Wells, an 18-year-old from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and a group of friends went on a boat trip to Horn Island, a barrier island about 10 miles off the Mississippi Gulf coast. Wells's friends all returned back home that evening, but Wells did not, prompting his mother to report him missing and ask for help on social media, triggering a two-day search that caught national attention. That search came to an end on Monday, when a body was found on the island. On Tuesday, Wells's mother, Christine Wonsley, identified the body as belonging to Wells.His father, our family, friends and I are absolutely devastated," Wonsley wrote in a Facebook post. My heart is broken for my sweet son who was always willing to cheer and uplift others. Nolan was a special soul, God took his time creating our son." Continue reading...
French far-right leader announces decision after court orders her to wear ankle tag over embezzlementThe French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has announced she will run for the presidency in 2027 and will lodge an appeal to France's highest court over her sentence to wear an electronic ankle tag for the embezzlement of European parliament funds.Tonight, I am a candidate in the presidential election," Le Pen, 57, told TF1 television on Tuesday night. Continue reading...
Experts say the critical reservoir system is careening toward a breaking point as the US west's climate warms and driesLake Powell, the US's second-largest reservoir, threatens to plunge to unprecedentedly low levels this year after a historically bleak snowpack failed to raise its water level, scientists and water experts have said, adding renewed urgency to stalled talks over how to conserve a water source depended on by tens of millions of people in the US south-west.The 185-mile Colorado River reservoir currently stands at about 22% of its capacity, or roughly 5.6m acre-feet. Lake Powell fell below that level for a few months three years ago. But those 2023 levels were recorded in the winter, when the reservoir, which straddles the Utah-Arizona border, hits its lowest ebb. Spring runoff carried the level back up to 9.6m acre-feet by June, according to data from the US Bureau of Reclamation. Continue reading...
by Jakub Krupa (now); Lucy Campbell (earlier) on (#76TBW)
Far-right leader gives TV interview saying that she will appeal against part of today's ruling which cast doubt on a presidential runThe opening speeches are now under way in Ankara, and you can watch them below.This is the Day 1 industry event, not the leaders' summit, mind you. Continue reading...
World news | The Guardian