Steps

Leavitt’s departure three months before midterms raises questions over who will communicate Trump’s messages as his approval rating falls to record low, says YouGov pollingHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s decision to step down from the role comes less than three months before the midterm elections.The two most senior members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, secretary of state Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, flew out of last month’s Nato summit in Turkey on what was effectively a decoy plane after an Iranian threat, while Trump was secretly moved to a smaller military jet, a senior US official said Wednesday. Continue reading...

• During the Monsoon session in New Delhi, NDA MPs launched a counter-protest in the Parliament complex, targeting Rahul Gandhi. • The NDA members staged a march centered on recent police action against protesting students in Jharkhand to shift the offensive against the opposition. • Former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticized Gandhi, labeling him a "habitual liar" who avoids parliamentary accountability and answers.

Melissa Donnelly, the national secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, will replace the outgoing ACTU headGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMelissa Donnelly, the national secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, will take on the role as the next head of the trade movement in Australia, after the resignation of Sally McManus.The Australian Council of Trade Unions’ secretary and its president, Michele O’Neil, revealed last month they would be stepping down after eight years together as the first all-female leadership team in the ACTU’s 99-year history, playing a major role in shaping the Albanese government’s workplace agenda. Continue reading...

British Columbia battling 102 fires day and night across province, as breakneck speed hampers firefighters’ effortsCanada’s federal government has announced it will provide urgent assistance to British Columbia after an onslaught of unprecedented fast-moving wildfires forced about 22,000 people to flee their homes in frantic evacuations.A total of 102 wildfires were raging across the province on Sunday, of which nearly half were categorised as “out of control”, according to the BC Wildfire Service. Of those fires, 78 ignited during the past week. Continue reading...

• Google is facing a significant leadership shake-up as several senior engineers and leaders of the Gemini AI model depart the company. • Veteran engineers Jeff Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat are leaving to launch a new startup called Discovery Loop, which will focus on machine learning, science, and engineering breakthroughs. • These high-profile exits occur amid growing concerns that Google is falling behind its competitors in the global artificial intelligence race.

Trump loyalist, who also has president’s endorsement, has spent millions trying to prove 2020 election was ‘stolen’Mike Lindell is leaving his role with the company to focus on his campaign to become the next governor of Minnesota. In a social media post published Tuesday, Lindell said that the company is strong enough to withstand his departure.“This decision is not about walking away. It is about stepping forward to serve. I am putting Minnesota above myself, my title, and my business interests so I can give this campaign and the people of our state my full time, energy, and attention,” Lindell said. Continue reading...

• South Korea is implementing additional measures to stabilize its stock market and restrict retail investor access to leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs). • The decision follows a severe market rout that resulted in the loss of billions of dollars in investor holdings. • The policy shift was announced late Wednesday following an emergency meeting led by Finance Minister Koo Yun Cheol and top financial authorities.

• Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo is stepping down from his leadership role, according to an official government announcement. • Warjiyo first assumed the position of governor in 2018, overseeing the nation's monetary policy and financial stability for several years. • The transition marks a significant shift in Indonesia's central bank leadership, which is critical for managing inflation and currency stability.

• Yogendra Yadav reports on the "Sansad Chalo March" led by the Cockroach Janata Party on July 20, where student protesters brought their grievances to the Prime Minister's doorstep. • The movement emphasizes a shift for the Opposition, moving away from traditional electoral politics toward a "politics of resistance" centered at Jantar Mantar. • This shift matters as it signals a growing trend of grassroots activism and direct confrontation with government authority over student issues.

• Hungarian President Sulyok has signed a constitutional amendment that effectively ends his term, resolving a political dispute with the new government. • Sulyok criticized the move in a Facebook video, claiming the forced amendment proves that the rule of law and democratic power-sharing have been "trampled on" for political gain. • His presidency will officially conclude at midnight on Monday, at which point Parliament Speaker Ágnes Forsthoffer will assume his duties.

• On 14 July, the European Union held intergovernmental conferences in Brussels to advance the membership process for four candidate nations: Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, and Ukraine. • These meetings served to ceremonially inaugurate or conclude specific negotiation tracks, representing the most significant enlargement effort in over two decades. • This move signals a strategic shift in EU expansion, integrating Eastern European and Balkan nations to strengthen regional stability and political alignment.

• Israeli identity management startup Oak has emerged from stealth mode after securing $60 million in seed funding. • Co-founded by serial entrepreneur and former army major Shai Morag, the company aims to replace manual, operations-based identity processes with risk-based triggers. • The solution addresses security gaps created by AI agents and anomalies, such as employees logging in from unusual locations.

Government to launch campaign to help people cope with events such as weather emergencies or cyber-attacksThe British public should begin taking “small but important steps” to secure and protect water, power supplies and basic phone signal in case of further severe weather emergencies, national crises or cyber-attacks, Downing Street has said.Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, told MPs “the risks we face from climate change cannot be underestimated”, and warned of the “significant and prolonged disruption to essential services” extreme weather events could cause. Continue reading...

PM suggests maintaining links with US president will be part of his continued responsibility to UK-US relationshipEurope live – latest updatesDonald Trump has agreed to stay in touch with Keir Starmer after he steps down from No 10 despite his increasingly tense relationship with the UK prime minister over recent months.After meeting at the Nato summit in Ankara, Starmer suggested that maintaining links with the US president would be part of his continued responsibilities to the strategic relationship between the two countries. Continue reading...

• Starring Choi Min-sik, the Netflix production "The Boy in the Back Row" has achieved a strong global debut following its release on the 26th. • According to FlixPatrol data from the 29th, the title broke into the Top 10 rankings in 32 countries within just three days of launch. • The film's reach spans diverse markets, including South Korea, Japan, several Southeast Asian nations, and regions such as Egypt, Greece, and Morocco.

• The United States and Iran have paused military strikes and are sending delegations to Qatar this week to engage in diplomatic efforts. • Despite the movement toward Qatar, Tehran has explicitly denied agreeing to a direct meeting with U.S. officials. • This fragile pause highlights the deep-seated tensions and unresolved conflicts between the two nations as they struggle to find common ground.

• The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led by founder Dipke, has escalated its protests by launching a nationwide campaign titled 'Pradhan Go Back'. • Activist Sonam Wangchuk is set to join the movement at Jantar Mantar this Sunday to show solidarity with the campaign's goals. • As a key part of the protest, Wangchuk will begin an indefinite fast to draw attention to the issues driving the movement.

• The city of El Obeid in North Kordofan, Sudan, faces an imminent ground offensive by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies after 18 months of siege-like conditions. • Credible reports indicate a high risk of atrocity crimes and widespread human rights violations as the conflict intensifies in the region. • This escalation underscores the urgent need for international intervention to prevent mass atrocities and ensure accountability for perpetrators.

Gen Christopher Donahue, commander of forces in Europe and Africa, is leaving after just 18 months in the jobThe army’s commander of its forces in Europe and Africa – who was famously the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan in 2021 – is unexpectedly stepping down from his post after just 18 months in the job, the Army confirmed late Tuesday.Gen Christopher Donahue, commanding general of US Army Europe and Africa and commander of Nato’s Allied Land Command, will relinquish his command on 2 July, according to an army statement provided to the Associated Press. He is the latest in a line of nearly two dozen top military leaders to either retire or depart their jobs early under the leadership of the defense secretary Pete Hegseth, who has undertaken an effort to thin the ranks of the military’s top brass with the mantra “less generals, more GIs”. Continue reading...

Judge decides Timothy Hudson should face trial as an adult, though he will be held in an approved juvenile facilityA teenager charged with sexually assaulting and killing his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship turned himself over to the custody of federal authorities on Monday after a judge reversed his decision on pretrial release now that the teen is charged as an adult.The US attorney’s office in Miami confirmed that Timothy Hudson is in custody. US magistrate Judge Edwin Torres filed the order to revoke Timothy’s pretrial release last Wednesday, but the order was sealed until Monday afternoon. The order stated that Hudson should surrender to US marshals at the federal courthouse in Tampa Monday morning. Continue reading...

Luca Parmitano to pilot all-male crew of four paving way for planned first human landing on Artemis IV in 2028Jared Isaacman, the Nasa administrator, hailed the creation of “Earth’s first starfleet” on Tuesday as he revealed the Artemis III crew and details of the next stages of the space agency’s project to return humans to the moon.An Italian astronaut, Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (ESA), will be the pilot of the planned two-week mission to lower Earth orbit next year that will test lunar landers from private companies Blue Origin and SpaceX. Continue reading...

• On May 27, 2026, the CFTC and DOJ charged Michele Spagnuolo, a Google software engineer based in Switzerland, with insider trading. • Spagnuolo allegedly exploited confidential data regarding Google’s 2025 “Year in Search” rankings to gain an unfair advantage in prediction markets before the information was made public. • This case highlights the increasing regulatory scrutiny of prediction markets and the application of traditional insider trading laws to non-traditional financial assets.

Joint-chair and director of relegated club to tackle ‘false allegations’‘I am absolutely not the person the media has decided to paint me as’David Sullivan has announced his resignation as a joint-chair and director of West Ham with immediate effect in a statement.Sullivan and his legal representatives published his intention to stand down on the club’s website on Saturday “for the benefit of transparency”. It read: “I have recently become aware that factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life are due to be broadcast and published. Continue reading...

Veteran broadcaster makes ‘one of hardest decisions of my entire life’ weeks after revealing spread of cancer to spineThe veteran broadcaster Bob Harris has announced he is stepping down from BBC Radio 2 after 30 years so he can focus on “getting well again”, six weeks after revealing his prostate cancer had spread into his upper spine.The 80-year-old host of The Country Show and Sounds of the 70s, known as “Whispering” Bob Harris, said his health problems were forcing him to step down and that it had been “one of the hardest decisions of my entire life”. Continue reading...

• The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has proposed 10 critical steps to restore press freedom in Bangladesh, focusing on ending criminal prosecutions of journalists. • The CPJ urges the government to reform restrictive laws, ensure accountability for media attacks, and stop smear campaigns that incite violence against reporters. • This initiative seeks to align national practices with Article 39 of Bangladesh's Constitution and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Sterling Nasa had tickets to see Justin Hurwitz’s La La Land in Concert. When the keyboardist suddenly fell ill, he found himself on stage performingGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLa La Land is a much adored homage to Hollywood, where dreamers take chances and seize unexpected moments.On Saturday night at the ICC’s Darling Harbour theatre, that idea became a reality for a 21-year-old university student who was thrust into the spotlight at a live performance of the movie’s score – and saved a concert from derailment. Continue reading...

Labour’s Makerfield byelection candidate understood to have changed stance on no recourse to public funds policyUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has rolled back from his previous calls for ministers to scrap a restriction on immigrants claiming benefits as the Makerfield byelection places greater scrutiny on his policy positions.As Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham has called several times for an end to the rule known as no recourse to public funds (NRPF), which since 1999 has prevented new arrivals getting access to benefits or public housing before they are granted settled status. Continue reading...

Jonathan Andic said he was temporarily standing aside as vice-chair of fashion chain after being named a suspect in death of Isak AndicJonathan Andic, son of the Mango founder Isak Andic, is stepping down temporarily as the fashion group’s vice-chair after being named a suspect in the investigation into his father’s death.In an open letter published on Tuesday, Andic strongly protested his innocence, saying the accusation bore “no relation to reality”, but that “dismantling it” would take a long time. Continue reading...