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London mayor points to ‘terrifying scenes’ this summer amid speculation Burnham may back Jackdaw and Rosebank projectsSadiq Khan: This burning summer is the proof: the voices of climate denial aren’t just delusional, they’re deadlySadiq Khan has called on the government to commit to revamped climate action and to reduce the UK’s reliance on oil and gas, as the UK endures a summer of drought, wildfires and heatwaves.Writing in the Guardian, the mayor of London said that Andy Burnham’s administration must reaffirm its commitment to net zero and make clear it will continue to reduce the UK’s reliance on oil and gas “to get Britain back on track.” Continue reading...

A horrific knife attack on a street in June sparked another summer’s night of racial violence, stoked by loyalist groups. How did the unrest erupt – and why do many fear it will happen again?Shortly after 10.30pm on Monday 8 June, as a summer twilight lingered over Belfast, a horrific scene unfolded on Kinnaird Avenue: a man straddled and repeatedly stabbed a figure lying on the ground in a bloody assault that ended only after onlookers intervened.Others captured the drama on cameraphones and uploaded the footage to social media. Once seen, the grainy images were hard to forget, and by dawn on Tuesday 9 June they were ricocheting around X, WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram and other platforms. Continue reading...

Disruption after power failure at regional signalling centre likely to continue until noon with many crews and trains in wrong locationsBusiness live – latest updatesRail passengers are facing a second day of travel disruption across parts of north-west England, after a power failure hit the signalling centre controlling the railway in the region.The power failure, which occurred shortly before 2pm on Thursday, triggered widespread cancellations and delays to services including CrossCountry and London Northwestern Railway. Continue reading...

• India is experiencing a shift in political contestation, moving beyond traditional party machinery and electoral vote-bank consolidation toward "digital pressure politics." • Recent civil agitations demonstrate that single-issue pressure movements are gaining significant leverage by utilizing digital communication networks to organize and mobilize. • This evolution matters because it reshapes democratic accountability, allowing citizens to exert influence on the government between election cycles rather than only during polls.

Passengers awaiting Northern and TransPennine trains advised not to travel, with cancellations and other services delayedTrains across parts of north-west England have ground to a halt after a power failure hit the signalling centre controlling the railway in the region.Passengers awaiting Northern and TransPennine trains have been advised not to travel, with widespread cancellations and other services delayed by more than an hour already. Continue reading...

First runner-up, Myla Hadley, will represent the state at the Miss USA pageant after Brittany Boltinhouse’s removalA pageant queen recently crowned Miss North Carolina USA has been stripped of her title after a string of alleged racist posts resurfaced.Brittany Boltinhouse, 27, was formally dethroned on Wednesday by pageant organizers A Blaize Productions after what it said was “a thorough review of recently surfaced information”. Continue reading...

Republican congressman was investigated for untoward and inappropriate advances toward two female staffersThe US House of Representatives ethics committee on Monday recommended that Chuck Edwards, a Republican congressman, face censure after determining he “fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment” by giving gifts and lavishing attention on two young female staffers.The bipartisan panel began investigating the second-term North Carolina congressman earlier this year, after receiving complaints about his conduct. In their report, they determined Edwards broke House rules by singling out the two unidentified aides for special treatment that made them uncomfortable and harmed relations with other employees. Continue reading...

Volunteers painstakingly gather plastic pellets washing up on beaches after ship collision on 19 July“You’ve got a local community that really cares about the coastline,” said Alice Laverty, reflecting on the huge army of volunteers who had taken to crisis-hit beaches in north-east England with passion and only the most basic tools. “They’ve all got a dustpan, a brush, a bucket, a kitchen sieve.”On beaches from Cambois in Northumberland to Seaburn on Wearside, up to 2,000 dedicated volunteers have been painstakingly sifting through sand to find tiny, lentil-sized pellets of plastic. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed a freelance journalist for The New York Times regarding a 2025 report on a failed U.S. military operation in North Korea. • In a separate development, the United States will implement new tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on over 60 trading partners. • These tariffs are scheduled to take effect on July 24, signaling a significant shift in international trade policy.

• Indian political discourse is shifting away from traditional venues like Parliament House and television studios toward a "New Digital Chamber" driven by social media. • This transition is characterized by politicians using mobile phones and carefully curated backgrounds to communicate directly with the public, bypassing formal institutional rules. • The trend matters because it allows political narratives to be shaped outside of official legislative oversight and the structured environment of party headquarters.

Move, which will end decades of production in area, comes as new CEO tries to simplify firm and cut debtBusiness live – latest updatesBP has put its North Sea oil and gas business up for sale, as it looks to end decades of production from the region.The oil major announced on Friday morning that it had launched a formal process to market its North Sea business for a potential sale. The move comes as BP’s new chief executive, Meg O’Neill, tries to simplify the company and cut its debt levels. Continue reading...

Live, rolling coverage as British oil company looks for buyer amid political dispute over future drilling licencesThe owner of British Airways has reported a steep fall in profits and said it expects no growth in passenger capacity this year as the US-Israeli war in Iran takes its toll.International Airlines Group (IAG) said it expected demand to stay strong, but added that its “disciplined cost control” could only partly mitigate the impact of “a significant fuel price increase” caused by the attacks on Iran. Iran closed the strait of Hormuz in response to the attacks, a key export route for oil from the Gulf.With these results IAG has again demonstrated that its excellent fundamentals are supporting continued value creation for our shareholders, despite the impact of the crisis in the Middle East and wider geopolitical events.The UK has been our home for more than 100 years and will continue to play an important role in our future. We’re proud of the jobs we create, the contribution we make to the UK economy, and the work we do to keep energy flowing every day.The North Sea remains integral to the UK’s energy system. However, as we focus our portfolio and direct capital to our highest-value opportunities, we believe our North Sea business will be better positioned as part of another company. It has world-class people, resilient assets and a proud heritage, and it is precisely these qualities that can attract an owner ready to back its next chapter. We are seeking an outcome that recognises that value.I indicated in the phone call that we had, a week last Monday, that I would take a pragmatic approach when it comes to the North Sea, and that is my intention as we go forward from here.There is a resource there. When people are struggling, we can’t ignore that. Hence, me indicating that to the president. Continue reading...

• A new report identifies a "threat axis" consisting of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, documenting 616 specific instances of security cooperation between the four nations. • The report warns of a "simultaneity problem," where these strategically aligned powers could coordinate actions to force the United States to manage multiple global crises at once. • This alignment is significant because it shifts the geopolitical landscape from isolated regional conflicts to a cohesive bloc capable of challenging U.S. security interests.

Lightning kills a New Jersey man as rescues, power outages and travel disruption hit regionBands of deadly, extreme weather including torrential rain and high winds sparked flash flooding and tornado warnings in several north eastern US states Tuesday night and into Wednesday, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands of people and playing havoc with travel.A 32-year-old man was killed on Tuesday afternoon in a lightning strike in Monroe township, New Jersey, authorities said. Continue reading...

Three years after Maui wildfires many still struggle with ‘biological, emotional and social consequences’, study saysA spate of ferocious wildfires across North America and Europe, worsened by the climate crisis, have incinerated homes and forests and forced thousands of people to flee. Previous fires suggest the effects of these blazes may linger for years to come.The current fires and their plumes of smoke can appear to be a temporary, if immediate, crisis. Nearly 1,000 fires have sprung into life in the boreal forests of Canada, causing the evacuation of towns and toxic smoke to waft into major Canadian and US cities, prompting threats of retribution from Donald Trump, who bizarrely accused Canada of “poisoning” his country’s air. Continue reading...

• North Korea continues to violate UN Security Council resolutions with overt nuclear enrichment and long-range missile development efforts. • U.S. intelligence agencies estimate that North Korea has enough plutonium to produce at least six nuclear weapons, and possibly up to sixty. • The crisis between North Korea and South Korea is a significant concern for U.S. involvement in the Korean peninsula.

Experts who helped Burnham draw up Manchester carbon neutral pledge say backtracking would send wrong message amid wildfires and heatwavesEurope wildfires – latest updatesLeading climate scientists who created Greater Manchester’s carbon neutral by 2038 commitment are urging Andy Burnham to unequivocally reject new drilling in the North Sea.In a letter to the prime minister they said he, as previous mayor of Greater Manchester, had unveiled one of the UK’s most ambitious local climate programmes that tackled housing, green growth and public transport. Continue reading...

• Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) experienced a climb in its share price, driven by overall strength within the gold sector. • The price increase is attributed to broader market sentiment and investor positioning rather than a specific change in the company's internal business performance. • This movement highlights how gold-sector stocks are currently reacting to macroeconomic trends and investor demand for precious metals.

• North Korea has vowed to strengthen its nuclear arsenal and explicitly rejected a call for denuclearization from Asean. • In other global developments, Ukraine reportedly hit an Iranian ship, prompting Tehran to vow that the attack will not go unanswered. • Domestic infrastructure concerns have risen in India after the Rs 4,200 crore Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway showed damage just 13 days after its inauguration.

King’s Fund report finds men and women live, on average, for 80 years and nearly 84 years, but gains are in southThe north-south divide in life expectancy in England has grown over the past decade, with people in northern regions facing more illnesses such as heart disease and cancer, but also suicides and deaths related to alcohol and drug misuse.Provisional figures show life expectancy reached an all-time high in 2025, with men and women in England living, on average, for 80 years and nearly 84 years respectively, but the gains were overwhelmingly in the south, the King’s Fund said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Blunder at Rosebank, UK’s biggest undeveloped oilfield, comes as government considers granting licenceProduction at Britain’s biggest undeveloped oil and gasfield could be delayed for months after equipment from a rig was accidentally dropped in the North Sea, the Guardian can reveal.Andy Burnham’s new government is under pressure from the fossil fuel industry to allow oil to be retrieved from the Rosebank site despite opposition from climate campaigners and some Labour MPs. Continue reading...

PM will chair the inaugural meeting of the national economic council that will aim to shift economic decision-making away ‌from LondonOn Monday, while the cameras were fixed on that famous black door in Downing Street, something important was happening 165 miles away. A small team of officials and advisers were walking into an office building in Manchester to set about the remaking of the British state.This was the beginning of No 10 North: the first major act of this government and what I hope will be seen as its most defining.No 10 North will be responsible for accelerating devolution. It will drive reindustrialisation and growth across every postcode of the UK. It will remove barriers to regeneration, from council housebuilding to public transport infrastructure. Crucially, No 10 North will bring the whole of Whitehall together behind places rather than standing in their way. Our long-term ambition is clear: to achieve equivalent living standards across all the regions and nations of the UK.” Continue reading...

Burnham says ‘no one in government loses when power is shared’ as he revives Brown-era national economic councilIt’s not just a No 10 in the north, it’s an engine for growth throughout the whole UK | Andy BurnhamRegional mayors are to be given a leading role in the UK’s economic policy, Andy Burnham has said, as he called the opening of No 10 North “the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen”.The new prime minister has revived the national economic council [NEC], first set up by Gordon Brown to put the government on a war footing during the 2008 financial crash, arguing that economic growth requires the same level of urgency, focus and collective action. Continue reading...

• SpaceX has launched a mission for Northrop Grumman designed to extend the operational lifespan of aging satellites. • The mission utilizes specialized spacecraft to rendezvous with and dock with existing satellites, providing additional propulsion and stability. • This capability is critical for maintaining essential space infrastructure without the high cost and risk of launching entirely new replacement satellites.

• Chinese open-weight AI models are dominating developer platforms, with a modified version of Alibaba’s Qwen model topping the Hugging Face open LLM leaderboard as of March 2026. • Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue reports that Chinese labs have adopted open source as their default, producing a significantly higher volume of models and datasets than U.S. players. • This shift is disrupting the business models of U.S. AI labs and has sparked a policy debate regarding potential bans on these models.

Car chase began in Queensland after report of armed man on Gold Coast late on Saturday, police sayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNew South Wales police have declared a “critical incident” after a man died following a police pursuit in the northern rivers area, hours after the same man allegedly evaded Queensland police while armed with a gun.The 25-year-old from Queensland was found unconscious at the wheel of a vehicle, which had driven down an embankment south of Murwillumbah, about 2am on Sunday, NSW police said. Continue reading...

Poor air quality from wildfires continues to plague New York City as neighborhoods hit by thunderstormsSaturday is delivering a double dose of dangerous weather across the north-eastern US, with smoky skies from Canadian wildfires giving way to severe thunderstorms that have already triggered a flash flood warning as torrential rain pounds parts of the region.After a brief break on Friday, smoke from the wildfires moved back into New York City and surrounding communities on Saturday, sending air quality back into unhealthy levels. Continue reading...

Kyle Bylin and Jeremy Morrison uncovered the truth after Bylin received an at-home DNA test as Christmas giftA DNA discovery has led two families to accuse a North Dakota hospital of changing the course of their lives after learning two newborns were allegedly switched at birth nearly four decades ago.Kyle Bylin uncovered the truth after receiving an at-home DNA test during a Christmas gift exchange. The test connected him with his biological aunt through a genealogy platform, prompting her nephew, Jeremy Morrison, to take his own DNA test. The results confirmed the two men had been raised by each other’s biological families. Continue reading...