Emma

• India is currently navigating a strategic rivalry between the United States and China as both superpowers compete for global dominance. • The conflict centers on a struggle for technological leadership, economic control, and the rewriting of national security rules. • New Delhi risks losing its strategic autonomy, or its ability to make independent foreign policy decisions, if it is forced to choose a side in a bipolar world order.

Militant feminist led campaigns to legalise abortion and divorce and went on to become foreign minister Emma Bonino, the radical Italian politician who led campaigns to legalise abortion and divorce against the objections of the Vatican, has died aged 78.“Today we lose not only our leader but also one of the most clear-sighted, courageous and free figures in the political history of our country,” the small party she founded, More Europe, said on Facebook on Friday. Continue reading...

• Canadian trade chief Maninder Sidhu has been invited to join EU trade talks in Dublin next month to strengthen ties between Brussels and Ottawa. • Five nations, including Germany and Denmark, are meeting in Copenhagen today to agree on deporting failed migrants to non-EU return hubs. • Ukraine faces a critical shortfall of interceptor rockets as Russia increases missile strikes on civilian infrastructure and key assets.

Futuro Nazionale’s speedy rise in polls prompts questions over whether PM will return to her roots before electionEurope live – latest updatesGiorgia Meloni’s government has become the longest-running in Italy since the second world war – a milestone the prime minister is determined not to let pass unnoticed.In the port area of Bari, capital of the southern Italian region of Puglia, where Meloni hosted the G7 in 2024 and where she spends her summer holiday, preparations are well underway for a festival-style showcase of her rightwing administration. Continue reading...

• President Trump signaled on Thursday that he is prepared to withdraw the nomination of Todd Blanche for Attorney General. • The decision follows a standoff with Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who presented demands that Trump refused to meet. • This move highlights the president's willingness to sacrifice a key cabinet appointment to avoid conceding to political opponents.

European leaders have made positive noises about the new UK PM, but he is likely to face the same restrictions as StarmerUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham is unknown in Brussels, but that will soon change. In his schedule for the autumn is an EU-UK summit that may underscore the same dilemmas that have confronted previous British prime ministers in the relationship with Europe.EU leaders were quick to offer congratulations to Britain’s prime minister, the seventh since the 2016 Brexit referendum. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said she looked forward to strengthening the EU-UK partnership “for the security of our shared continent” and “the prosperity of people on both sides of the Channel”. The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, invited Burnham to visit Berlin “very soon”, noting that the UK and Germany’s “deep connection is particularly evident in these times”. Continue reading...

Plus, Trump pays out to E Jean Carroll, somnolent Little House on the Prairie, and why I’ll be avoiding salad in the USIt’s the last week of school and, in our case, the last week of primary school, ever, which I thought wouldn’t be a big deal but now we’re here, I’m sliding off my axis about the cruel passage of time. It’s not about my children, who can’t wait to crack on, it’s about me, me, me. Continue reading...

The Makerfield MP enters No 10 as prime minister on Monday. But who will he choose to join him at the table?Keir Starmer is expected formally to resign as prime minister on Monday morning at Buckingham Palace, with Andy Burnham being invited to take on the role shortly afterwards. Once back in Downing Street mid-morning, Burnham will begin assembling his cabinet. Continue reading...

• Emma Watson made a rare public appearance at a high-profile event alongside other notable figures, including Prince William and Benedict Cumberbatch. • The appearance marks a significant return to the spotlight for the 'Harry Potter' star, who has largely retreated from Hollywood. • Watson has not taken on a new movie role in seven years, making her presence at the event a point of interest for the entertainment industry.

• World Cup analyst and manager Emma Hayes used her jacket to share a pointed message during Sunday's coverage following a wave of sexist trolling. • The controversy stemmed from criticism regarding ITV's aesthetic choices, specifically involving a kitchen setting that Hayes and others viewed as sexist. • By addressing the issue publicly on air, Hayes highlighted the ongoing challenges and gender-based prejudices faced by women in sports broadcasting.

• Emma Hayes, the celebrated manager, faced widespread ridicule after appearing on an ITV analysis set designed to look like a kitchen during England's victory over Croatia. • Critics argue the "sexist gimmick" undermines Hayes' expertise as an exemplary pundit and represents a significant missed opportunity for the broadcaster. • The controversy highlights a shift in World Cup coverage, with the BBC operating from Salford and former talisman Gary Lineker moving to Netflix for his "Rest is Football" podcast.

• European leaders are prioritizing "technological sovereignty" during the G7 summit and VivaTech conference in France to reduce the region's heavy reliance on American AI firms. • The discussions center on enhancing AI competitiveness and implementing strategic regulations to foster a more independent European tech landscape. • This push matters as Europe seeks to balance strict regulatory frameworks with the need to innovate and compete globally against US tech giants.

In today’s newsletter: An argument about money has also spotlighted questions about Britain’s place in the world and the changing face of warfareGood morning. What conflict has raged longer than the hundred years war? The fight between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury over defence spending.I’d love to claim this as my own, but avoid patter theft this early in the day. So I’ll credit my colleague Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian’s defence and security editor, who spoke to me ahead of this week’s G7 meeting, in France, where Keir Starmer arrived yesterday for what could be his final international summit. The prime minister can anticipate candid discussions about international partnerships in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, both of which may soon demand increased involvement from the British military.Middle East | Donald Trump has declared that the strait of Hormuz will be “completely open” from Friday, as western leaders gathering at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains battled to prevent the fragile US deal with Iran from almost immediately unravelling.UK politics | Political hatred and division in the UK is probably worse now than during the Brexit referendum, when Jo Cox was murdered, says Kim Leadbeater, Cox’s sister who is now also a Labour MP.Crime | A schoolteacher described as a “serial manipulator and a serial liar” has been found guilty of sexually abusing and murdering a baby he and his partner had adopted.Environment | Half of the world’s children are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards threatening their health, education and survival, according to a Unicef report.US news | Eight people are presumed dead after a B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday morning at a US air force base in California’s Mojave Desert, officials said. Continue reading...

Flood of tributes for Victorian athlete, who died while overseasFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLocal Australian athletics organisations have paid tribute to 2025 Stawell Gift finalist Jemma Stapleton, 25, who died while on holiday overseas with her family.The cause of death has not yet been disclosed, though an online fundraising page shared by her brother said she “tragically lost her life in an accident”. Continue reading...

• Approximately 25% of mid-sized firms across Europe are currently struggling to secure necessary financing to maintain or grow their operations. • This funding gap creates a significant hurdle for the business landscape, potentially stifling innovation and economic stability within the region. • The dilemma highlights a systemic disconnect between the capital needs of mid-market enterprises and the available lending options.

• Actor Emma Thompson has condemned the "ludicrous" lack of representation for older women in cinema following a study by the Age Without Limits campaign. • The research revealed a stark gender and age imbalance in hit films, finding that more movies star men named Chris than women over the age of 60. • Thompson argues that the input of older women is systematically minimized and marginalized across media, employment, and public life.

Diplomats poke fun at Donald Trump while Madonna loses her corset off the back of a golf buggyThe one upside to a rolling international crisis is that it can give backroom people a rare chance to shine. Witness, this week, the breakout stars of the Iranian diplomatic corps, who from two different diplomatic missoverions managed to poke fun at Donald Trump while maintaining the base-level decorum that so eludes the American president. Continue reading...

Merger will ‘prioritise the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good’, letter statesJoaquin Phoenix, Ben Stiller, Mark Ruffalo, Yorgos Lanthimos and Kristen Stewart are among more than 1,000 film and TV industry professionals who have signed an open letter protesting against Paramount’s pending acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, the parent group that owns HBO, HBO Max, CNN, TBS and Food Network, as well as the Warner Bros TV and film studios.“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritise the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good,” states the letter, which was published on Monday on BlocktheMerger.com. Continue reading...

Legal experts say attacking Iran’s infrastructure would constitute a war crime – but would military officers be held responsible?Middle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump’s threats to carry out mass bombing of civilian infrastructure in Iran present US military officers with a dilemma: disobey orders or help commit war crimes.It is an urgent matter for the US chain of command. In an explicit-laden threat, he set a Tuesday 8pm Washington time deadline for the Iranian government to open the strait of Hormuz or face “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one”. Continue reading...

• Google open-sourced Gemma 4 AI model under Apache 2.0 license, enabling broad customization and commercial applications. • The release advances accessible AI development following prior Gemma iterations. • Model strengthens Google's position in open source AI competition with rivals like Arcee.

Leftwing victor has pledged to cut officials’ expenses and luxuries, but first must turn his attention to a series of crisesWhen Paris’s new leftwing mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire, leapt on a bike for a victory tour along the French capital’s large network of new cycle lanes on Sunday night, he was sending a crucial message to Paris residents.Not only would he continue to build bike lanes and keep limits on cars in the city, keeping the French capital’s pro-cycling focus on environmental issues and reducing its dangerous air pollution., he was also seeking to style himself as humble, frugal – “of an absolute moral rigour”, in his words – after promising to shrink Paris officials’ hefty expenses accounts and end the use of chauffeur-driven cars. Continue reading...

City hall veteran forecast to beat rightwinger Rachida Dati, while Marseille’s leftist incumbent leads far-right opponentThe Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire was on track to be elected mayor of Paris on Sunday night, roundly beating the former rightwing minister Rachida Dati, early projections showed.Grégoire, a Socialist MP with a long track record at city hall, was running for a united left including the Greens. He was projected to have won with about 53%. This would mark a clear win against Dati, who served in government under Emmanuel Macron and Nicolas Sarkozy and had sought to win the French capital for the right after 25 years governed by the left. Continue reading...

• Nominees Emma Stone, Timothée Chalamet, Teyana Taylor, Rose Byrne, and Jessie Buckley arrived in style at the 98th Oscars red carpet on March 15, 2026, in Hollywood. • Other attendees included Nicole Kidman, Kieran Culkin, Chase Infiniti, Zinzi Evans with Ryan Coogler, and Joel Edgerton, all captured at the Dolby Theatre. • The fashion-forward looks highlighted the glamour of the Academy Awards ceremony.