The Guardian
Revealed: chancellor poised to raise taxes on banks in budget
John Healey is poised to tax Britain’s banks in his 28 October budget to help offset the damage inflicted on the public finances by war in the Middle East, the Guardian understands. The chancellor has been in Bangkok, where the International Monetary...
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MI5 warns of rightwing shift from anti-migrant opinion to terrorism
Extremists with anti-migrant opinions are becoming increasingly likely to consider carrying out terrorist attacks against immigration centres and asylum hotels in the UK, the head of MI5 has warned. Ken McCallum said a shift from radicalised rightwing...
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PM: Britain’s relationship with EU ‘not good enough’
Andy Burnham has promised a “serious dialogue” over the UK’s future place in Europe, saying the existing relationship is “not good enough”, as he frames next month’s Brussels summit as a possible first step to EU membership. The prime minister said...
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Manchester City shrug off cheating taunts with big win at Liverpool
Enzo Maresca praised Manchester City for “making their own noise” at Liverpool as they brushed aside the controversy and threats surrounding the club with a comprehensive 3-0 win at Anfield. City, in their first outing since the club were found guilty...
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US faces global outrage over public execution plan
The US is facing global condemnation over a “barbaric” plan to execute a disabled man by firing squad and livestream it to the public, with critics comparing the administration to dictatorships in Iran and Afghanistan. The Pentagon confirmed on...
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Last hours of sisters who took own lives
Jane Adetoro and her younger sisters, Christina and Rebecca Walters, were “the closest sisters and the best friends”, according to their family. Devoted to their father, Joseph, whom they messaged every day, the adult siblings lived quiet lives in the...
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Special education overhaul under threat amid surge in applications
Labour’s flagship reforms to special education in England are at risk of unravelling because parents are rushing to secure support for their children before the system changes, new analysis has found. The Institute for Government thinktank says the...
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French police fire teargas at school protests
Police fired teargas at protesters as 250,000 pupils, teachers and parents demonstrated in France on the biggest day yet of a campaign for better high school conditions that has been marred by violent clashes with police. The French prime minister,...
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Sharp rise in under-50s cancers a ticking timebomb, say experts
Cases of seven types of cancer have risen sharply among younger people in England, major research has found, prompting warnings that lifestyle choices are costing thousands of lives each year. The number of people under 50 diagnosed with prostate...
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‘Horrifying’ scale of child-on-child sexual abuse in schools revealed
Lawyers and campaigners have condemned the “horrifying” scale of child-on-child sexual abuse in schools after a Guardian investigation revealed thousands of sexual offences against under-13s, including multiple rapes, are reported to police every...
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School inspections to be overhauled yet again
School inspections in England will be overhauled for the second time in a year, after a barrage of complaints that the new system is dangerously stressful and damaging teachers’ mental health. Lucy Powell, the education secretary, will tell the...
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Welfare changes may axe disability benefit for young
Ministers are working up sweeping plans for welfare changes, including scrapping a key disability benefit for under-25s and replacing it with a multibillion-pound package of support to get into work, the Guardian has learned. Whitehall sources said...
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Esther Rantzen, 1940-2026 Broadcaster and campaigner dies at 86
Esther Rantzen, the Bafta-winning TV presenter and founder of Childline, has died aged 86. She announced a diagnosis of stage four lung cancer in 2023, and became a vocal campaigner to change the law around assisted dying. Last month she announced she...
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‘Today we draw a line on a decade of division’
Andy Burnham has staked his future on a gamble that the public will back radical progressive policies on social care, electoral reform and Europe, telling voters that his agenda will break the mould of the last 40 years and “allow us to rise...
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Men held near airbase released on bail
Five men arrested over a suspected bomb plot at RAF Fairford were released on bail yesterday as police investigated why they had been so close to the US base in three vans with suspicious material in the back. The five suspects were revealed to be...
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Five men arrested after explosives found near RAF base used by US
Counter-terrorism police are investigating whether Iran is behind a suspected bomb plot after armed officers found explosives on three vans parked minutes from an RAF base used by the US military. The Guardian understands that after five men were...
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Premier League in turmoil after Man City found guilty
English football was in turmoil last night after Manchester City was found guilty of the vast majority of more than 100 charges related to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. The serial champions now face the possibility of being...
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Xi sets out terms to keep peace with US
Xi Jinping has called for extensive cooperation with Washington to avoid putting the US and China on a military collision course, amid rising tensions over artificial intelligence, trade and Taiwan. At the start of his summit meeting with Donald Trump...
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Iran hits out at ‘bully’ US but says it wants talks
Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, turned the tables on Donald Trump yesterday, describing America as the true bully and terrorist in the Middle East while also insisting that Iran had always shown a commitment to the negotiating table. In a defiant...
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Trump praises Burnham but says Chagos Islands deal is ‘terrible’
Donald Trump has asserted his relationship with the UK is “more up” with Andy Burnham than under Keir Starmer despite tensions between the two countries on thorny issues including regulation of artificial intelligence, the Chagos Islands and the war in...
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UK to give support to Saudi jets in bid to counter Houthi fighters
The UK has agreed to provide defensive air support to Saudi Arabia to help counter Houthi fighters and restore stability in the Middle East while driving down the cost of living at home, Andy Burnham has said, ahead of his first meeting with Donald...
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The designer Edeline Lee dressed artists from the Royal Ballet in dance-inspired pieces for her London fashion week show in north London yesterday, which also featured Victoria Starmer.
Victoria Starmer has taken part in a London fashion week show, one of her first public appearances since her husband, Keir Starmer, stepped down as prime minister. Lady Starmer appeared at yesterday’s Edeline Lee show. The London-based Canadian...
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Sensitive police data held on ‘vulnerable’ cloud platform
Vast troves of highly sensitive police data are sitting on Microsoft cloud platforms that are vulnerable to “compromise” by foreign actors and the US government, a Guardian investigation can reveal. The files include criminal records, victim...
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UK must fully commit to hitting net zero by 2050, says Burnham
The UK must fully commit to reaching net zero by 2050, Andy Burnham has argued in his strongest comments yet on the issue, saying it is no longer possible for Britons to believe they are not already affected by a changing climate. Writing for the...
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‘A true life force’
The British-American novelist, playwright and commentator Bonnie Greer has died aged 77. In a statement, her husband David Hutchins said that she died on Tuesday evening following a brief illness. Greer’s “intelligence, courage and distinctive voice...
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Matthew Rhys makes Emmys history
When Matthew Rhys made history as the first actor ever to win two best lead Emmy awards in one night, he paid tribute to his roots. “To the great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurturer as anyone else,” said the proud Welshman now living...
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Ministers seek law change to make £72m donations to Reform illegal
Andy Burnham’s government could thwart Reform UK’s unprecedented £72m donations with retrospective restrictions on political donors that will include tough new residency requirements, ministers have announced. In a move that is likely to set off...
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Reform’s £72m in donations ‘may be caught by new bill’
Unions, MPs and donors have urged ministers to look again at party funding rules, after Reform UK insisted £72m in donations from two crypto billionaires were within the law. Andy Burnham, a previous backer of caps on domestic donations, has so far...
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Narrow defeat for new bill to legalise assisted dying
A renewed attempt to legalise assisted dying has been voted down by MPs in a decision that is likely to scupper the idea for a political generation, sparking anger among supporters after an earlier bill was blocked by the Lords. A private member’s...
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‘A hammer blow’: plan for English tourist tax angers hotel industry
Ministers are facing outrage from the hospitality industry after they announced mayors in England would be given sweeping powers to levy taxes on holiday accommodation such as hotels and Airbnbs. The plan, unveiled yesterday by Angela Rayner, the...
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Police launch inquiry into alleged overseas donations to Reform UK
The financial scandal around Reform UK deepened last night as the police expanded their investigation into allegations of illegal foreign donations. Police confirmed they would broaden their inquiries into Reform after Channel 4 News broadcast an...
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UK condemns ‘ethnic cleansing by Israeli terrorists’ in West Bank
Settler terrorists supported by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government were committing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, said yesterday, in the UK’s starkest condemnation since the foundation of the Israeli state. Andy...
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UK hardens stance on Israel with ban on illegal settlements trade
Ed Miliband will announce what he has described as a broad reset of the UK’s relations with Israel today, promising the government will take a more active approach in supporting the Palestinian cause. In an intervention expected to draw fierce...
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Far-right AfD wins German state poll
The populist far-right, anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland has emerged as the winner in a crucial state election in Germany, securing a historic result as it more than doubled its support, and appears to be on the brink of becoming the first...
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Pressure on Farage as donor scandal engulfs Reform UK
Nigel Farage sought to shore up his damaged leadership yesterday by trying to distance himself from two of his most senior officials reported to the police for apparently plotting to evade the law on foreign donations. As the scandal engulfed Reform...
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Trailblazing feminist campaigner Gloria Steinem dies aged 92
Gloria Steinem, the American feminist and journalist whose activism helped push through greater rights for women around the world has died, aged 92. She “passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved...
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Thousands still missing in devastated communities
Searching for the body of his wife in the mud, Dil Bahadur Shrestha laments that he does not even have a shovel left. He has been using his hands to try to find her as he picks through the ruins of his house. On Wednesday morning last week, Jamuna...
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Brexit and Thatcher to blame for UK’s era of low growth, says PM
Andy Burnham has blamed Brexit and Margaret Thatcher for a decade of low growth in the UK, arguing that Britain needs to be brutally honest about having taken “a series of wrong turns” in the last 40 years. In his first Commons appearance since he...
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‘Nothing more to give’
Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football seven weeks after Argentina were beaten by Spain in the World Cup final in the US. The 39-year-old captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 and two Copa América titles after...
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Burnham keeps PC’s killers in jail but fears grow over prison capacity
PC Andrew Harper’s killers will remain behind bars after a critical intervention by Andy Burnham, but the move has prompted warnings that overcrowded prisons would be left “one major event away from disaster”. Announcing a major U-turn on the early...
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‘We have nothing left. The flood took away everything’
The three women sat together in the army tent and wept. They cried out for their sons, their husbands, their homes. On Wednesday morning, flash floods had coursed through the Himalayan mountains, and a monstrous black wave had taken everything from...
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Race to get aid to Nepal and Tibet amid warnings of further floods
The international community was scrambling yesterday to get aid into flood-stricken parts of Nepal and Tibet as authorities warned that a lake that had formed at the site where the deadly torrents occurred was rising and at risk of bursting. The flash...
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Hundreds feared dead in Nepal flash floods
More than 150 people had been confirmed dead last night and hundreds were missing after flash floods hit the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and Tibet in China, with officials saying areas of India were also at risk. The disaster was caused by a...
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Dolly Parton 1946-2026
Dolly Parton, one of the greatest singer-songwriters in country music who was also much cherished for her philanthropy, has died aged 80. The star’s death was announced by her nephew Brian Seaver on Instagram. “I have imagined the heaviness of this...
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Burnham accuses Kremlin of ‘outrageous’ threats to Britain
Andy Burnham has accused the Kremlin of “outrageous threats to my country” as Russia warned of an escalation in tensions after the UK’s decision to present Ukraine with newly declassified blueprints to allow Kyiv to improve its production of long-range...
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Britain will help Ukraine make its own long-range missiles, says PM
Britain will boost Ukraine’s capacity to make its own long-range missiles, Andy Burnham will announce today, as he travels to Kyiv on his first foreign visit as prime minister. Burnham will arrive in Ukraine on its independence day at a crucial time...
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MPs have already accepted £400k of freebies this year
MPs have been accused of failing to learn their lesson over freebies after taking almost £400,000 of hospitality to concerts and sporting events this year, with Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Wes Streeting among those accepting tickets. Despite the...
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Night of strikes on Kyiv kills at least 15
A heavy Russian missile and drone bombardment killed at least 15 people around Kyiv yesterday in one of the biggest aerial attacks on Ukraine’s capital since the start of the war. Vitali Klitschko, the city’s mayor, said homes, a school and a...
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Burnham pledges to get all rough sleepers off streets by Christmas
Andy Burnham has urged local leaders to offer all rough sleepers in England a route off the streets by Christmas, as he pledges another £100m to end street homelessness. Telling the Guardian that rough sleeping has become so common he worried it now...
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Boost special needs internships to tackle youth jobs crisis – Milburn
Specialist internships designed to secure work for young people with special educational needs should be put on “turbocharge” to help tackle the growing youth jobs crisis, a government review is to propose. Alan Milburn who is leading a review of...
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Former Cambridge professor Jason Arday found dead
Jason Arday, the black academic who resigned last week as a professor at the University of Cambridge, was found dead at his home in south London yesterday. The Metropolitan police said officers were called to Arday’s address by the London ambulance...
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Temperatures hit 38.1C as fifth heatwave peaks
The UK recorded its hottest day of the year yesterday, with a provisional temperature of 38.1C (100.6F) in southern England as Europe sweltered under a major heat dome. As temperatures on the continent approached 40C at the peak of the summer’s fifth...
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Labour wants ‘deeper’ ties to EU under Burnham, says minister
The UK will move faster and be more ambitious on achieving closer ties with Europe under Andy Burnham’s government, his new chief post-Brexit negotiator has said. Hamish Falconer, the cabinet minister in charge of the EU reset talks, said there was...
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Two-thirds of NHS trusts set to cut mental health care
Millions of adults and children in England face having to wait longer for mental health care as more than two-thirds of NHS providers are planning to reduce or shut services this year, the Guardian can reveal. With mental health services already under...
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Toxic pollution in every body of water in England
Every single English water body is polluted with toxic chemicals, new government data shows, while just 14.3% of surface waters achieved good ecological status. Each of the country’s rivers, lakes and estuaries was assessed by the Environment Agency...
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Four injured in Covent Garden stabbing
A woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed in Covent Garden, central London, police said. The Metropolitan police said the men, aged 34, 39, 42 and 52, were found with stab wounds. They were taken to a major trauma centre after the...
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Oil giants make $90bn from price surge as climate crisis engulfs Europe
Eight of the biggest oil companies amassed profits of more than $90bn in just three months as the Iran conflict sent energy prices soaring and the emissions-fuelled climate crisis caused deadly heatwaves. The windfall war profits have reignited calls...
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Greece fires spread as a continent waits for rain
Farmers across Europe are warning of a slump in food production and rising prices as crops suffer as a result of extreme heat, drought and wildfires. The vegetable growers association Légumes de France has warned that thousands of tonnes of products...
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UK facing food shortages due to drought, say farmers
Britain could face shortages of certain foods after parts of England faced a punishing drought, the president of the National Farmers’ Union has warned. Farms across the country faced floods over the winter, making planting extremely difficult, and...
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Burnham ‘risks his first revolt’ over North Sea oil
Andy Burnham was warned last night that he could face the first revolt of his premiership, as Labour MPs and climate experts condemned his apparent support for renewed drilling for North Sea oil and gas. The prime minister gave the strongest...
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Wildfire in Suffolk burns near nuclear plant
Hundreds of people were evacuated and a major incident declared yesterday as a wildfire spread over more than 150 hectares on the coast of Suffolk, just a few miles from the Sizewell B nuclear power station. Meanwhile, amid the hot, dry and windy...
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Drought declared in half of England
Half of England is officially in drought, with July set to be the driest on record after winter floods, the Environment Agency has said. The “flash drought” developed quickly because of unusually low rainfall and high temperatures. The seven areas in...
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Burnham calls for consensus on ‘urgent’ fix for social care crisis
Andy Burnham has promised “problem-solving, not point-scoring” before a speech on social care today in which he will set out his strategy for resolving one of the most intractable issues in British politics. The prime minister has invited Kemi...
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‘He was an utter joy’
Bill Oddie, who found fame with the TV comedy The Goodies before establishing himself as an authority on wildlife, presenting television series including the BBC’s Springwatch, has died aged 85. Colleagues and old friends paid tribute yesterday, with...
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Miliband vows to give UK ‘global leadership’ role on climate crisis
The foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, is to indicate he will put the climate crisis and overseas development at the heart of UK international relations by taking up the country’s seat on the board at the World Bank. The position, which is usually...
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Water bosses’ pay rises despite ban on bonuses
Water company bosses’ total pay has risen over the past year despite a ban on bonuses and outrage over bills and pollution, the Guardian can reveal. One water boss, Mark Thurston of Anglian Water, received £1.9m – including a £500,000 “retention...
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Burnham: No 10 North is Britain’s biggest ever rebalancing of power
Regional mayors are to be given a leading role in UK economic policy, Andy Burnham said yesterday, as he declared the opening of No 10 North “the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen”. The prime minister has revived the national economic...
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France had 5,700 excess deaths in June heat
France recorded more than 5,700 excess deaths during its June heatwave, the authorities said yesterday as swaths of southern Europe continued to endure another record-breaking period of extreme temperatures. The French national health agency said it...
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Burnham implores cabinet to find ways to tackle cost of living crisis
Andy Burnham is under mounting pressure to explain how he will pay for his policy pledges after imploring his new cabinet to examine “all possible ways” to tackle the cost of living crisis yesterday. On his first full day in power, the prime minister...
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Burnham arrives as PM with promise to ‘bring back hope’
Andy Burnham said his arrival in power would “bring back hope” to Britain yesterday as he launched his premiership with the surprise appointment of John Healey as chancellor and a promise to repair the damage caused to communities during the Thatcher...
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Time for UK to face up to its challenges – Burnham
Andy Burnham will warn today that Britain must be honest about the challenges it faces as he becomes its sixth prime minister in a decade. The Labour leader is preparing to introduce measures to ease the cost of living and allow more North Sea fossil...
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