Burnham to warn UK must be honest about its challenges as he prepares to become PM

• The US-Iran ceasefire is reportedly crumbling, leading to the reimposition of a US naval blockade on Iran. • This escalation marks a significant shift in international affairs, signaling a breakdown in diplomatic efforts to maintain regional stability.

• The global economic and political systems, which functioned effectively for nearly 80 years following World War II, are currently facing significant stress. • This era of stability was established after the United States assisted Britain and its allies in winning the Second World War.

New Labour leader takes over from Keir Starmer and will head to Downing Street to appoint his cabinetUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has formally become the UK prime minister after meeting King Charles at Buckingham Palace, the fourth person to hold the role in less than four years and the sixth within a decade.Burnham, who took over from Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour party on Friday, accepted the appointment as prime minister shortly after Starmer had gone to the palace to resign to the monarch. Continue reading...

Chinese retail platform handed penalty over listings for items such as counterfeit products and unsafe toysBusiness live – latest updatesAliExpress, the Chinese online retail platform, has been fined a record €550m (£470m) by the EU over its failure to stop illegal goods including harmful clothing, cosmetics and kitchen gadgets being sold through its site.The European Commission fine is the biggest yet exacted by the bloc under the Digital Services Act (DSA), legislation that came into force in 2024, to protect consumers from illegal goods, deceptive or addictive marketing techniques. Continue reading...

Global increase in cases of predators coercing children to harm themselves or produce child sexual abuse materialCases of predators coercing children into producing sexual photos and videos of themselves have surged globally in the past year, a cruel phenomenon known as “sadistic online exploitation”, child safety experts and law enforcement officials warn.In cases of sadistic online exploitation, perpetrators target vulnerable teens on social media platforms and online games. These predators then compel their victims into producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), harming themselves and others, or, in extreme cases, attempting suicide.In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International Continue reading...

Man charged with murder after Kirandeep Kaur was allegedly stabbed while in bed with husband and babyThe family of a woman who was killed as she slept in bed with her husband and three-month-old baby have said they want justice, and for her body to be returned to India.A man has been charged with murder over the attack on Kirandeep Kaur in her home in Hayes, west London, on the morning of 12 July. Kaur, who had reportedly been living in the UK since 2024 on a student visa, allegedly suffered a stab wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at 8.26am. Continue reading...

OMB proposal would upend entire grant-making system – and put vast sums into hands of political appointeesIt was a late Friday afternoon in Boston when Harvard School of Public Health professor Nancy Krieger, a social epidemiologist, received an email that would reshape the next year of her life.It was from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – her nearly $1m grant to study how discrimination affects population health was canceled. Continue reading...

Youth-led movement calls on education minister to quit in one of India’s largest anti-government rallies in yearsThousands of protesters defied police orders and descended on Delhi to demand the resignation of India’s education minister in one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in years.A huge crowd, largely made up of students and gen Zs, filled the streets in the heart of India’s capital from early Monday morning shouting anti-government slogans, while hundreds had already camped out overnight. Continue reading...

Sergio Furnari said he thought the lifesize sculpture – which no one commissioned – would raise ‘millions’ of dollarsA New York sculptor has been left furious after spending $100,000 of his own money to build a lifesize statue of Charlie Kirk, only to find that no one wants to buy it.Sergio Furnari, originally from Italy, had hoped the statue of the deceased far-right activist, which he intends to display in Times Square, would raise “millions” of dollars. Instead, he said he has been inundated by messages from people saying they intend to urinate on the sculpture. Continue reading...

Former state legislator in strong position to become Democratic candidate after several appointments drop out over the weekend In other news, the Trump administration has filed a first-ever petition to a secretive and dormant court created 30 years ago to consider government requests to deport so-called “alien terrorists” from the US.The Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC) was established in 1996 but had never received a petition until Wednesday, when the US justice department filed an application seeking the removal of an individual whose name is withheld from the single-page document posted on the court’s website. Continue reading...

Statement by Israeli embassy in Canberra challenges proposed positions on settler violence and annexation of Palestinian territoryGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIsrael has made an intervention into the Labor party’s internal processes, publicly criticising a draft policy platform that it claims risks blaming Israel for the Gaza conflict while giving “insufficient attention” to the role of Hamas.The Israeli embassy in Canberra issued a four-page statement on Monday challenging the proposed positions on Palestine, Hamas and settler violence in the West Bank, due to be debated at this week’s Labor national conference. Continue reading...

Senator says Trump revisiting failed run against Biden ‘distracts from important things’ such as Iran warRather than continue fixating on the 2020 election defeat that ended his first presidency, Donald Trump could instead “do something positive”, including resolving the US war in Iran, Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman said in an interview on Sunday.“I don’t know why the president is dragging up all this stuff,” Fetterman remarked on CNN’s State of the Union, three days after Trump dedicated a televised, primetime address to claims about Chinese meddling in the 2020 White House race that he lost to Joe Biden. “You’re the president. Do something positive – and you are talking about 2020; that’s been settled over six years ago. Continue reading...