by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#6YTDY)
Deputy PM says government must show it is helping people amid concerns about potential for more riots in EnglandImmigration and deprivation are the main factors causing public disenchantment with politicians and the government that has led to social unrest and rioting, Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, has warned.According to an official summary of Tuesday's meeting of the cabinet, Rayner, who is leading a wider government project on improving social cohesion, also highlighted the increasing amount of people spending time alone and online as a driver of disturbances. Continue reading...
Vatican invites 1,000 social media missionaries to digital jubilee conferenceMixing prayer and gospel with poetry, art and bodybuilding, the rising stars in the influencer world are not just those flaunting fashion and travel but also Roman Catholic priests spreading the word of God.Pope Francis latched on to the trend and, just months before his death in April, made the mission of evangelising on social media a priority for the church. Continue reading...
Javon Riley, 33, accused of attempted murder and GBH with intent for alleged role in Dalston shooting last MayA nine-year-girl was shot in the head while eating inside a Turkish restaurant with her family when a gunman on a motorbike opened fire during a planned assassination" of rival gang members, a court has heard.
by Yohannes Lowe (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#6YT3M)
Deputy PM urges government to acknowledge people real concerns' and flagged deprivation where worst riots erupted last summerAn attempt by three former MPs to force the UK government to hold an inquiry into the impact of Russian disinformation on the Brexit vote and other recent elections has failed at the European court of human rights.The Strasbourg court ruled on Tuesday that countries had a wide margin" in determining how to tackle attempts at electoral interference, and ruled against a case brought by Ben Bradshaw, Caroline Lucas and Alyn Smith. Continue reading...
At least a dozen people injured in strikes, after the two countries agreed to meet for negotiations on WednesdayRussian authorities have systematically involved children in the design and testing of drones for the country's war in Ukraine through nationwide competitions that begin with innocent-seeming video games and end up with the most talented students headhunted by defence companies, an investigation has found.The revelations, part of an investigation by the exiled Russian news outlet the Insider, are the latest to show just how much Russia's leaders are dragging the country's youth into the war effort in Ukraine, with patriotic" and militarised education often spilling over into outright participation. Continue reading...
US automaker's second-quarter core profit fell 32% and it expects tariff impact to worsen in the third quarterGeneral Motors announced Tuesday that Donald Trump's tariffs knocked $1.1bn off its operating income in its last quarter.The US automaker's second-quarter core profit fell 32% to $3bn and said it expects the tariff impact to worsen in the third quarter. The company stuck to a previous estimate that trade headwinds threaten to hit the bottom line by $4bn to $5bn. GM said it could take steps to mitigate at least 30% of that impact. Continue reading...
Teenagers who take part in video games tell of being headhunted to work on technology used against UkraineRussian authorities have systematically involved children in the design and testing of drones for the country's war in Ukraine through nationwide competitions that begin with innocent-seeming video games and end up with the most talented students headhunted by defence companies, an investigation has found.The revelations, part of an investigation by the exiled Russian news outlet the Insider, are the latest to show just how much Russia's leaders are dragging the country's youth into the war effort in Ukraine, with patriotic" and militarised education often spilling over into outright participation. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6YT51)
Bus driver arrested and bailed after doubledecker hit aqueduct in EcclesPolice in Greater Manchester are appealing for witnesses after the roof was ripped from a doubledecker bus when it hit a low-level aqueduct.The incident happened at about 3pm on Monday, when the number 100 Bee Network bus struck the Bridgewater canal aqueduct on Barton Lane in Eccles. Continue reading...
Principal at kindergarten in Gansu province reportedly wanted to attract more enrolments by enhancing' the colour and look of the food served to childrenChinese authorities have arrested six people and launched disciplinary investigations into almost 30 others after more than 230 kindergarten children were poisoned by food coloured with industrial-grade lead paintThe incident, which occurred in Gansu province earlier this month, is one of China's worst ever school food safety incidents and has drawn national attention. An investigative report released by the Gansu provincial party committee on Sunday found a litany of failures in safety and oversight, as well as attempts to cover up the incident, bribe people in charge and modify test results. Continue reading...
Consultants and other NHS staff also respond to Guardian callout, with most expressing outrage at BMA's demandsThe health secretary, Wes Streeting, is hoping that a constructive" meeting with leaders of the British Medical Association last week will avert five days of planned strikes by resident doctors in England. The public, meanwhile, is struggling to muster much sympathy for the cause: recent polling showed approval for resident doctor strikes had halved from 52% a year ago to 26%.This was also reflected when people got in touch with the Guardian to share their views on the planned industrial action - among them resident doctors, NHS consultants, other health service staff and other public sector workers. Continue reading...
Surrey chip shop staff left terrified' by immigration raid as ministers called on to lower penalties for small businessesA fish and chip shop owner has been handed a devastating" 40,000 fine by the Home Office after hiring a man who had allegedly forged his identity, as ministers face calls to reduce the size of such penalties for small businesses amid a surge in enforcement.In March, Home Office immigration officers stormed Big Fry Fish & Chips in Egham, Surrey, in a raid that left staff terrified". Officers took away a man, who was employed by the shop, on the alleged grounds that he did not have to right to work in the UK. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#6YT1M)
Living Standards Coalition writes to energy secretary calling on him to do more to help struggling householdsEd Miliband has been urged by more than 100 Labour MPs to explore radically overhauling UK energy bills to cut costs for the those who use the least power.The energy secretary is understood to be considering a number of options for more progressive energy pricing, with changes to the standing charge and discounts for the least intensive consumers - known as rising block tariffs - all being reviewed. Continue reading...
Archives reveal political manoeuvring to ensure DUP's inclusion in 2004 Remembrance Sunday ceremonyTony Blair's government altered the rules on party leaders laying wreaths at the Cenotaph to keep unionists onboard with Northern Ireland's peace process, newly released files show.The decision was taken in the run-up to the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in 2004 to change rules drawn up in 1984 that meant leaders of parties who won at least six seats at the previous general election could lay a wreath. Continue reading...
Actor's Theo Huxtable provided an entire generation of Black youth and teens a relatable characterFor Black youth and teens growing up in the mid-1980s, The Cosby Show offered something rarely seen on television up until that time: a sitcom that placed characters who looked like them in a positive light.And Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Theo Huxtable was the character generation X most related to. Fans took quickly to social media on Monday as news of Warner's accidental drowning in Costa Rica spread. Continue reading...
The White House confirmed that Trump called Netanyahu to rectify' the situation after ongoing clashes in the city of SweidaDonald Trump was caught off guard" by Israeli strikes on Syria last week, the White House has said, adding that the US president called Benjamin Netanyahu to rectify" the situation.Israel launched strikes on the capital Damascus and the southern Druze-majority city of Sweida last week, saying it aimed to put pressure on the Syrian government to withdraw its troops from the region amid ongoing clashes there. Continue reading...
British Muslim Trust expected to begin monitoring incidents from early autumn, government saysThe UK government has appointed a new partner to monitor anti-Muslim hatred, months after its relationship with the Islamophobia reporting service Tell Mama ended.The British Muslim Trust (BMT) - a new organisation - is expected to begin receiving reports and monitoring incidents from early autumn, after being selected as the recipient of the government's new combatting hate against Muslims fund", a statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said on Monday. Continue reading...
Representatives led by Patrick Dodson met Queen but memo reveals PM advised to plead diary problems'Tony Blair's government was privately lobbied by Australia not to meet representatives of Indigenous communities who were described as troublemakers".Papers released from Britain's National Archives shed light on the behind-scenes-discussions about a delegation that came to the UK in late 1999. Continue reading...
National archives show officials worried about public perception' of discounts up to 60% for then-PM - scrutiny also faced by StarmersTony and Cherie Blair were advised by senior officials to pay back thousands of pounds they received in discounts on designer clothing to avoid public scrutiny while he was prime minister, newly released documents reveal.Just as questions were raised over donations of designer attire to Keir Starmer and his wife, Victoria, No 10 suffered headaches over the Blairs' wardrobe. Continue reading...
Adviser to former PM said Bush's pursuit of regime change in Baghdad could also cause regime change in London'The stark terms in which the US was warned that invading Iraq without a second UN security council resolution could cost Tony Blair his premiership have been revealed in newly released documents.Blair's foreign policy adviser, David Manning, warned Condoleezza Rice, the then US national security adviser: The US must not promote regime change in Baghdad at the price of regime change in London." Continue reading...
David Lammy joins ministers from 24 other countries in issuing call for immediate end to Gaza warThe UK has joined 24 other countries in condemning Israel for depriving Palestinians of human dignity" as they issued a call for an immediate end to the war in Gaza.David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary, joined ministers from Australia, Canada and France in urging the Israeli government to lift restrictions on the flow of aid, arguing that the suffering of civilians had reached new depths". Continue reading...
Military targets key humanitarian hub that was relatively unscathed by war after ordering Palestinians to leaveIsrael has launched substantial air raids and a ground operation in Gaza, targeting Deir al-Balah, the main hub for humanitarian efforts in the devastated Palestinian territory, amid urgent warnings of widening starvation in the coastal strip.The latest assault comes a day after the highest death toll in 21 months inflicted by the Israeli military on desperate Palestinians seeking food aid, with at least 85 killed on Sunday in what has become an almost daily slaughter. Continue reading...
State and city officials had called presence of marines provocative during protests against Ice raids in the cityThe Pentagon's chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, confirmed to the Guardian on Monday that the entire deployment of 700 active-duty US marines is being withdrawn from Los Angeles more than a month after Donald Trump deployed them to the city against objections of local leaders.The redeployment of the marines comes a week after 2,000 national guard troops were withdrawn from the city. The troops were sent to the city last month by the federal government after violence broke out on the fringes of protests against immigration enforcement sweeps in LA. Continue reading...
Ice hockey player Gary Kelly died at Ibiza Rocks Hotel as did fellow Scot Evan Thomson, who fell to his death on 7 JulyAn Ibiza hotel and music venue has cancelled a number of music events after the deaths of two British men on its premises in the space of two weeks.Gary Kelly, 19, who was a professional ice hockey player for the Dundee Stars, died at the Ibiza Rocks hotel on Monday. His club paid tribute to the hugely talented and charismatic individual" who had a great future ahead of him". Continue reading...
Attorney general says detainees from Cecot prison returned under deal with US suffered a range of abusesVenezuela's attorney general, Tarek Saab, said on Monday that his office would investigate El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, and two other officials for the alleged abuse of Venezuelans detained in the country.More than 250 Venezuelans held in El Salvador's notorious Cecot prison returned to Venezuela on Friday under the terms of a prisoner exchange agreed with the US. Continue reading...
Omar Fateh's endorsement gives momentum to progressive left's rise after Zohran Mamdani's primary win in New YorkA Democratic socialist member of the Minnesota state senate won his party's endorsement for the Minneapolis mayoral race over the incumbent, giving momentum to the progressive left's political rise.Omar Fateh, a state senator from Minneapolis's southside, beat Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey, who served as mayor during the George Floyd protests and through the pandemic. Fateh gained momentum after Zohran Mamdani, also a democratic socialist and state lawmaker, won the primary for New York City mayor. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#6YSQF)
Intelligence assessment before proscription found that vast majority of group's activities were lawful, court hearsAn intelligence assessment before Palestine Action was banned under anti-terrorism laws found that the vast majority of its activities were lawful, a court has heard.Raza Husain KC, appearing for Huda Ammori, a co-founder of the group, said Yvette Cooper's decision to proscribe the group on 5 July was repugnant" and an authoritarian and blatant abuse of power". Continue reading...
by Luke Harding in Kyiv and Dan Sabbagh on (#6YS9H)
Germany vows to expedite delivery of Patriot systems after one drone hits Kyiv metro station sheltering civiliansVolodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of an assault on humanity" after a barrage of drones and missiles hit Ukraine, as Germany promised to supply five Patriot air-defence systems to help an under-pressure Kyiv.Ukraine's president said Moscow had launched more than 420 drones and more than 20 missiles in its latest overnight attack, killing at least two people and targeting a metro station in the capital where people were sheltering for the first time. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now); Joe Coughlan and Tom Bryant (ea on (#6YSB9)
Deaths reported as Israeli tanks move in on area IDF believes Hamas are holding some hostagesAgence France-Presse (AFP) reports that defence minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the Israeli military has just struck terror targets of the Huthi terror regime at the port of Hodeida and is forcefully enforcing the prevention of any attempt to restore the previously attacked terror infrastructure."In a separate statement, the army said that among the military infrastructure struck were engineering vehicles... fuel containers, naval vessels used for military activities and force against the State of Israel and vessels in the maritime zone adjacent to the port, and additional terror infrastructure used by the Houthi terrorist regime."As I have made clear - Yemen's fate is the same as Tehran's. The Houthis will pay a heavy price for launching missiles toward the State of Israel. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6YSMY)
Pledge by PM will renew pressure on Labour to end two-child benefit cap despite estimated 3.6bn annual costKeir Starmer said he wants to reduce child poverty by the end of the parliament, as the prime minister comes under mounting pressure to end the two-child benefit cap.The prime minister told MPs on Monday it was his aim to cut the number of children living in poverty by the time of the next election, going further than the manifesto pledge his party made before last year's election. Continue reading...
Broadcaster to take precautions in future after whistling, shouting and music leave parts of exchange inaudibleA German public broadcaster has said it is reviewing its procedures after a live interview with the leader of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland was interrupted by protesters.During the television interview with ARD on Sunday, Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD, appeared at times to struggle to hear the questions being asked of her as protesters gathered below the provisional stage for the interview in Berlin. Continue reading...
by Yohannes Lowe (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#6YSB8)
Work and pensions secretary announces next statutory government review into retirement ageTony Diver, the Telegraph's associate political editor, is among the journalists at Nigel Farage's conference. He has shared Reform's policy costing document. The party estimates that the total cost of halving crime would be 17.4bn over a five-year parliament, with an annual cost of 3.48bn.Nigel Farage has been speaking at a press conference in London about what he has framed as lawless Britain". Here are some of the highlights of the conference, which you can watch at the top of the blog. The Reform leader did not cite specific evidence or data to back up many of his claims:He claims successive home secretaries have based claims that crimes in England and Wales are falling on completely false data". He says if you look at police recorded crimes there are significant" rises in crime, particularly those against the person.Farage says we are facing nothing short of societal collapse" in many parts of the country, with people scared to go out to the shops" and to let their kids out".He says criminals and law-abiding citizens respect police less than they used to.He says low level offences - like phone snatching and shop lifting - are rife in London and not being prosecuted.Most people don't even bother calling the police to report a crime because they know officers are unlikely to take any action, Farage said.Farage said that nobody in London understands how close we are to civil disobedience" in Britain.He said that offenders convicted of more than three serious crimes should be on a course towards life imprisonment".Reform would put more knife arches in train stations and other transport hubs to clamp down on crime, Farage suggested.He said that every shoplifting offence would be prosecuted and every mobile phone theft investigated if Reform got into government at the next election.Farage indicated that the party would force Reform UK councils to take new prisons in their areas as part of the party's plans to tackle crime.
Yostin Andres Mosquera took Albert Alfonso and Paul Longworth's body parts in suitcases to bridge in BristolA man has been found guilty of murdering two men in London whom he decapitated and dismembered before taking their body parts in two suitcases to the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.Yostin Andres Mosquera was convicted at Woolwich crown court of the murders of Albert Alfonso, 62, and Paul Longworth, 71, on 8 July last year in the flat the civil partners shared in Scotts Road in Shepherd's Bush, west London. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#6YSHW)
Exclusive: Veteran campaigner and secretary of local pensioners group was handled roughly and detained for eight hours under terrorism lawsA 74-year-old woman has said she was left shaken and frightened" after being arrested at a pro-Palestine rally under terrorism laws in what she called an attempt to restrict freedom of speech.Audrey White, from Liverpool, was among more than 100 people detained across the UK at the weekend on suspicion of supporting the recently-proscribed group Palestine Action. Continue reading...
Expectations of further interest rate cuts, the growing presence of investors and an enduring lack of supply have combined to put sellers back in control
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#6YSFD)
Police say formal identification yet to take place but body is believed to be that of Booth, who went missing on SaturdayA body has been found in a lake following an extensive search for a woman who went missing in Cheshire on Saturday morning.Rachel Booth was reported missing in the early hours of Saturday, police said. The 38-year-old was last seen in Sandiway at 3.50am when she was captured on CCTV at a petrol station shop, wearing black exercise clothing and trainers. Continue reading...
Judge upholds decision to allow club to build 39 new courts, after campaigners called for it to be overturnedA proposed expansion of the Wimbledon tennis site will go ahead after the high court ruled in favour of an original decision to allow a further 39 courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, on the grounds of the old Wimbledon Park golf club.A judicial review, which started as this year's 138th championship was under way, came after campaign group Save Wimbledon Park took legal action against the Greater London Authority (GLA) over its decision last year to allow the All England Lawn Tennis Club to almost triple its size. Continue reading...
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