Give

New member for Makerfield and expected next prime minister joins other MPs who donate some or all of their payAndy Burnham has said he will be donating 15% of his MP’s salary to local causes in his constituency of Makerfield.An MP’s salary currently stands at £98,599 and a number of MPs currently donate all of their salary or a part of it to charities and causes in the areas they represent. Continue reading...

Three pumped storage hydroelectric power station sites in Scotland on list of 16 long-duration electricity storage plansThe energy regulator has given the provisional green light for the construction of the first new hydropower projects in more than 40 years, part of plans to reduce Great Britain’s reliance on energy imports.Ofgem has published a list of 16 long-duration electricity storage projects, facilities that can store and release electricity for periods of eight hours or more, it has provisionally agreed can proceed. Continue reading...

• The House of Representatives has given final approval to a landmark housing bill designed to increase the housing supply and lower costs. • The legislation provides funding to convert abandoned infrastructure into residential spaces and creates a framework for reforming outdated zoning regulations that currently limit large-scale developments. • Key provisions include raising financing limits for public housing renovations and codifying a recovery program to expedite funding for communities rebuilding after disasters.

Church marks 300 years with exhibition and online archive telling of UK’s first Black voters, and history of compassion and protestFrom a family of chimney sweeps including one of Britain’s two earliest documented Black voters, to the mystery of a 19-year-old youth believed enslaved, St Martin-in-the-Fields church on Trafalgar Square still has secrets to share as it marks its 300th anniversary.Standing at the heart of London’s political and cultural life for three centuries, its ranks of engraved memorial stones set into the floor and walls of the crypt and cafe are yielding glimpses into long-forgotten lives of ordinary Londoners. Continue reading...

Donald Trump has indicated he will sign rare bipartisan initiative to tackle affordability after 358-32 vote in HouseThe House gave final approval on Tuesday to a broad bipartisan bill aimed at lowering the cost of housing, with lawmakers in both parties eager to show progress on affordability issues ahead of this year’s midterm elections.The 358-32 vote sends the bill to Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it into law on Wednesday at the Capitol. The Senate passed the legislation 85-5 on Monday. Continue reading...

Move for greater prominence on social media comes as ministers warn online misinformation risk becoming ‘existential for our democracy’Plans to hand established broadcasters and media companies greater prominence on digital platforms like YouTube and TikTok have been unveiled, as ministers warned online misinformation risked becoming “existential for our democracy”.In proposals that set up a new clash with global tech companies, content from the likes of the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 would have to be awarded more promotion by their algorithms – with special rules considered for times of social unrest or crisis. Continue reading...

• A viral thought experiment circulating among European policymakers warns of an "AI doomsday scenario" where the EU is sidelined by global tech powers. • The scenario predicts that by 2031, a tech-dominant United States and a robot-building China will effectively "tear apart" and carve up Europe. • This projection highlights the risk of Europe's economy falling into ruin and its own AI ambitions remaining stillborn due to a lack of competitiveness.

Two payments of $50m will boost Ukraine’s air defence and munitions supply. Follow today’s news live• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Nick Visser with the main action.Jim Chalmers has defended the government’s changes to its controversial capital gains tax reforms and rejected claims it amounted to a backflip forced by business interests. More follows soon. Continue reading...

Jamie Varley jailed for life and partner John McGowan-Fazakerley jailed for 19 years over death of Preston DaveyA secondary school teacher has been jailed for life for sexually abusing and murdering the baby boy he was adopting with his partner.Jamie Varley, 37, was sentenced to a whole life order by a judge on Thursday for abusing and killing 13-month-old Preston Davey. It means he will stay in prison for the rest of his life and never be eligible for parole, Mr Justice Turner said. Continue reading...

Steven Mills and Tiffany Score reached an agreement with the biological parents of their child after fertility clinic’s mix-upA Florida couple who learned they had been given the wrong embryo after their newborn, Shea, appeared to be of a different race, will retain permanent custody of the child.Steven Mills and Tiffany Score reached a custody agreement with Shea’s biological parents – identified anonymously as Patient 004 – in a court filing last week from their lawsuit against the Florida clinic allegedly responsible for the embryo snafu. Continue reading...

Exclusive: devolving tax is part of plans to give local areas more power in areas including justice, health and educationMinisters are considering handing over billions of pounds raised by business rates to regional mayors as part of one of the biggest shake-ups of the English tax system in recent years.Steve Reed, the local government secretary, said the government was working on plans to devolve the tax, which has been the subject of recent protests by pubs and other hospitality businesses. Continue reading...

Victoria police confirm no formal arrests were made during the protests in South Melbourne on Friday nightGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastProtesters have clashed with Pauline Hanson supporters, with one man given a move on notice outside a Melbourne venue hosting a One Nation fundraiser on Friday.Michael Nelson, who was convicted of offensive behavior and fined last week for disrupting a Melbourne Anzac Day dawn service, was restrained by officers outside the South Melbourne venue. Continue reading...

Artan deemed a threat to national security by US officials‘I promise you that I will attend the next one’The World Cup referee from Somalia who was denied entry to the US arrived on Wednesday in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, where he was received by a crowd of supporters and officials.Omar Artan was due to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making Fifa’s final list for the tournament. He is one of Africa’s top referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025. Continue reading...

David Stroud grabbed a woman’s hair and asked if he could kiss her two days after legislation took effectA train passenger has become the first person to be sentenced under a new harassment law after a prosecution brought by the British Transport Police (BTP).David Stroud, 44, grabbed a woman’s hair and asked her “can I kiss you?” on a rail journey to London on 3 April, two days after the new legislation came into force banning harassment motivated by a person’s sex. Continue reading...

President attends Spurs v Knicks game at MSGKnicks aiming to win first title since 1973Donald Trump was loudly booed when he was shown on the video screens at Madison Square Garden on Monday night before Game 3 of the NBA finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks.Trump was shown on the jumbotron while the Star-Spangled Banner was being sung before the game, and jeers and boos broke out around the arena. The president, with his granddaughter Kai behind him, was shown for a little over eight seconds and held a salute the whole time with a smile on his face. A few seconds later, the video board showed Knicks players in line and the boos turned to cheers. Continue reading...

Chokehold on shipping route draws Houthis in Yemen back into conflict as commenters see ‘no turning back’Middle East crisis – live updatesIran’s reversion to large-scale military exchanges with Israel broadened the conflict that began in February not only by making the Israeli attacks on Hezbollah a direct casus belli for Iran for the first time, but also by drawing the Houthis in Yemen back into the conflict with as yet incalculable consequences.Some in Tehran, buoyed up by past perceived military success and emboldened by the chokehold of the strait of Hormuz, would like to turn this moment into the point of no return in the conflagration with Israel. A minority would welcome the abandonment of ceasefire talks with the US, an outcome for which they have been agitating for weeks. Continue reading...

Companies such as Apple and Google have until September to install software or face legislation, says PMUK politics live – latest updatesApple and Google have been given until September to install software that blocks explicit images on children’s mobile phones or face legislation enforcing its requirement, Keir Starmer said on Monday.The prime minister said tech companies must activate nudity-detection algorithms or other technical solutions on smartphones and tablets to prevent users taking photos or sharing images of genitalia unless they are verified as adults. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the process used to award billions of dollars in federal scientific research grants. • Critics and researchers, including former NOAA chief scientist Craig McLean, warn that the changes could allow political officials to exert undue control over critical scientific studies. • This shift matters because it could potentially limit the scope of independent research and prioritize political agendas over objective scientific inquiry.

• The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical Gen-Z political movement, has launched a protest and issued a formal ultimatum to Pradhan. • The CJP is demanding a resignation within seven days, citing a lack of government response to their ongoing demonstrations. • The movement highlights the growing influence of digital platforms and meme-based campaigning in shaping youth political engagement.

• Former President Trump signed an executive order in April titled “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness” to fast-track research and drug approvals for psychedelic-assisted therapy. • The order aims to increase clinical trial participation and explore innovative research models to treat serious mental health conditions. • This federal push provides a new path for psychedelic research in Missouri, where state lawmakers have failed for several years to pass similar legislation.

Brendan Banfield convicted of killing Christine Banfield and man lured to couple’s Virginia home as fall guyA Virginia man who was having an affair with the family’s Brazilian au pair was sentenced on Friday to life in prison without parole for the murder of his wife and a man who was lured to the couple’s home as a fall guy.Brendan Banfield, a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) law enforcement officer, claimed he shot Joseph Ryan after he came across Ryan attacking his wife on the morning of 24 February 2023. But prosecutors said Brendan Banfield and au pair Juliana Peres Magalhães set Ryan up in a scheme to kill Christine Banfield, a pediatric intensive care nurse. Continue reading...

• India has launched a new Index of Industrial Production (IIP) series to provide more accurate data on an economy now driven by renewables, infrastructure, and manufacturing. • The update addresses gaps in industrial tracking, reflecting the modern shift in how the country produces goods and manages resources. • This change is critical because the previous data failed to capture the rapid evolution of industrial sectors, which are key drivers of national growth.

• The Sensex plummeted by over 1,100 points during a mid-session trade on Wednesday, driven by a combination of tech stock declines and rising energy costs. • Crude oil prices surged toward the $100 per barrel mark due to renewed geopolitical tensions and flare-ups in the Persian Gulf region. • The market volatility caused the Indian rupee to weaken, dropping by approximately 50 paise in intra-day trading.

• Missouri State Rep. Dave Griffith is advocating for psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat veterans suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. • The initiative follows an April executive order signed by Donald Trump titled “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness,” which aims to speed up drug approvals and clinical trial participation. • The order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allocate at least $50 million to support state governments developing programs for psychedelic drugs.

Watchdog says ‘publishers will now have effective tools to prevent content being used to power AI features in search’Publishers will be able to opt out of their content being used to train Google’s AI models and power its search summaries, the UK competition watchdog has announced as it imposes new conduct requirements on search services.“Publishers will now have effective tools to prevent their content being used to power AI features in search, such as AI Overviews,” the Competition and Markets Authority said. Continue reading...

Emails appearing to show Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information were handed to Buckingham Palace in 2020, says BBCEmails handed to Buckingham Palace six years ago appear to show that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information while he was a government trade envoy, it has been reported.The BBC said on Saturday that an archive of more than 30,000 emails was handed to the lord chamberlain, the most senior officer in the royal household, in 2020. Continue reading...

Exclusive: IPPR report backed by TUC proposes ‘worker support levy’ to boost employees’ influenceWorkers urgently need more bargaining power over the way AI is adopted in the workplace to ensure the benefits are fairly shared, according to a TUC-backed report from a leading thinktank.The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is calling for a package of measures to boost employees’ influence at what it calls a “pivotal moment in the history of work”. Continue reading...

• The Supreme Court has provided constitutional backing to the Systemic Institutional Revision (SIR), affirming its validity as an administrative reform. • The ruling clarifies that previous adjudicatory proceedings against individual electors do not constitute a constitutional bar against systemic revisions of electoral rolls. • The court noted that the presumption under Section 114 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (now Section 119 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023), is rebuttable and does not permanently freeze voter rolls.