38 h. ago Most Americans oppose gerrymandering in new poll – unless their opponents do it first

Democratic leaders in California have launched a redistricting effort to counter Texas’s new congressional map

Politics

3 d. ago UN human rights staff urge leadership to declare Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide

Internal letter also calls on UN member states to suspend arms sales, saying ‘criticising Israel is not enough’Middle East crisis – live updatesHundreds of employees of the United Nations’ leading human rights agency have backed an internal letter telling its leadership to declare Israel’s offensive in Gaza a genocide and to call on UN member states to suspend arms sales to Israel.The 1,100-word letter, signed by about a quarter of the 2,000 staff of the Geneva- and New York-based Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), says the Israeli offensive in Gaza meets the legal threshold of genocide and that this means “arms sales, transfers and related logistical or financial support to Israeli authorities” constitutes a clear breach of international law by all those involved. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Democratic leaders push for Congress to do more on school shootings: ‘Thoughts and prayers are not enough to prevent gun violence’

Democrats including Elizabeth Warren and Nancy Pelosi have called for urgent reform after two children were killed in Minnesota

Politics

5 d. ago Democratic leaders still support arming Israel. Their voters largely do not, citing Gaza ‘genocide’

An internal DNC dispute about withholding weapons sales to Israel reflects a larger truth: Democratic support for Israel is dwindling the longer the war in Gaza goes on, Eric Garcia writes

Politics

5 d. ago Trump chooses not to end the Gaza slaughter. That’s why I’ll boycott the state dinner when he meets King Charles | Ed Davey

To refuse an invitation like this goes against all my instincts, but I want to send as strong a message as I canEd Davey is leader of the Liberal DemocratsLib Dem leader to boycott king’s Trump banquet in protest over GazaA mother holding a baby boy so thin from starvation you can see his skeleton. The lifeless bodies of children killed while queueing for water. Emaciated hostages, still held captive by Hamas almost two years after those appalling terror attacks.These images and countless more have horrified us all in recent months. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza must stop. The famine must end. The hostages must be returned home.Ed Davey is leader of the Liberal Democrats Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Tories and Reform offer only ‘easy answers and snake oil’ on UK

Nick Thomas-Symonds also accused Nigel Farage of ‘dividing communities and stoking anger’Responding to Ofgem announcing that the energy price cap will rise by 2% (see 8.47am BST), Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said:The last thing struggling families and pensioners need is higher energy bills this winter. The government should cancel this rise and take up our plan to halve energy bills instead.Ministers should be cutting bills by making sure energy firms pass on the benefits of cheap renewables, not putting up bills yet again. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Why we're standing shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces

Iain Brown explains why Pinsent Masons has set up an Armed Forces Network to support veterans and staff currently serving

Events

6 d. ago Trump urges Democrats to ‘call him’ to send troops to their cities in apparent attempt to legitimize threats of federal takeovers – live

Despite criticism of repeated threats to take over police and send in National Guard, president claims Democratic leaders should demand takeoversLev Menand, a law professor at Columbia law school, said Donald Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve chief Lisa Cook is a “procedurally invalid removal under the statute”.Menand, who authored a book about the Fed’s actions during the coronavirus pandemic, also said for-cause firings are typically related to misconduct while in office, rather than based on private misconduct from before an official’s appointment. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Democratic leaders withdraw measure clarifying the party position on the Israel

The Democratic National Committee leadership has withdrawn a measure that would have clarified the party’s position on the Israel-Hamas war

Politics

6 d. ago The Guardian view on Nigel Farage’s mass deportation plan: Trumpism in a union jack | Editorial

Reform UK’s leader isn’t offering border control. He’s dismantling democratic constraints and replacing them with fear and authoritarian fictionNigel Farage wants you to believe Britain could deport 288,000 people annually. That’s nearly 800 a day – 30 times the current rate of asylum-related returns. This is a fantasy concealing his real aim: to destroy public trust in democratic institutions, crush legal constraints and turn fear into power. Mr Farage isn’t trying to fix the asylum system. In fact, he wants to dismantle the political framework necessary to achieve that goal: the treaties, parliamentary conventions and centuries of legal protections. In their place, a Reform government would operate by executive fiat cloaked in nationalist rhetoric.“Operation Restoring Justice” is a louder, more extreme version of Rishi Sunak’s failed 2023 strategy to detain everyone, deport everyone and process no one. This led to a backlog of unheard asylum claims, spiralling hotel costs and publ...

Politics

7 d. ago ‘Fire with fire’: The doomsday political scenarios after Texas and California launch their warheads over redistricting

A mid-decade redrawing of congressional maps would have implications far beyond the 2026 midterm elections, write John Bowden and Eric Garcia. The Independent’s interactive maps illustrate the Cold War-like scenarios at play between Democratic and Republican leaders for control of the US House of Representatives — and potentially the last two years of the Trump presidency.

Events

8 d. ago Trump news at a glance: Jeffries says president ‘playing games’ with American lives as national guard to be sent to Chicago

House minority leader decries plan confirmed by Pentagon while Chicago mayor calls it ‘most flagrant violation of our constitution in the 21st century’ – key US politics stories from Sunday 24 AugustHakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader and New York Democratic congressman, said Donald Trump had “manufactured a crisis” to justify sending federalized national guard troops into Chicago next, over the heads of local leaders.Jeffries, appearing on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, accused the US president of “playing games with the lives of Americans” with his unprecedented domestic deployment of the military, which has escalated to include the arming of troops currently patrolling Washington DC – after sending troops into Los Angeles in June. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Trump ‘manufactured crisis’ to justify plan to send national guard to Chicago, leading Democrat says

As White House moves to militarize more cities, Hakeem Jeffries says president is ‘playing’ with Americans’ livesDonald Trump has “manufactured a crisis” to justify the notion of sending federalized national guard troops into Chicago next, over the heads of local leaders, a leading Democrat said on Sunday, as the White House advanced plans to militarize more US cities.Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader and a New York Democratic congressman, accused the US president of “playing games with the lives of Americans” with his unprecedented domestic deployment of the military, which has escalated to include the arming of troops currently patrolling Washington, DC – after sending troops into Los Angeles in June. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Silicon Valley is full of wealthy men who think they’re victims, says Nick Clegg

Former Lib Dem leader and Meta strategist writes in new book that power in tech capital is interlaced with ‘self pity’Silicon Valley is full of hubris and hugely wealthy and macho men who think they are victims, the former politician and Facebook executive Nick Clegg has said.The former leader of the Liberal Democrats makes the claim in a new book chronicling his three careers as an MEP in Brussels, an MP and deputy prime minister in Westminster and as a communications and public policy strategist in San Francisco. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Block Elon Musk’s bid to supply UK home energy, Ed Davey urges

Exclusive: Lib Dem leader says giving Tesla a foothold in Britain’s energy market could be national security riskElon Musk’s company, Tesla, should have its application to supply energy to UK homes blocked on national security grounds, Ed Davey has told ministers.The Liberal Democrat leader argued that giving the electric car manufacturer a foothold in the British energy market would be “a gravely concerning move considering Elon Musk’s repeated interference in UK politics”. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Nigel Farage demands Keir Starmer gives him some Reform UK peers in the House of Lords as he blasts 'democratic disparity'

The Reform leader has hit out at a 'democratic disparity' that sees his party have no representation in Parliament's unelected upper chamber.

Politics

2 w. ago Protesters confront federal officers as Trump tightens grip on DC policing

Democratic leader says ‘no fucking way’ as president signals he could declare emergency to keep control past 30 daysUS politics live – latest updatesProtesters heckled federal law enforcement officials as they reportedly stopped dozens of cars at a checkpoint along a busy street in Washington DC on Wednesday night, underscoring tensions after Donald Trump announced he was taking control of the city’s police department and deploying the national guard in the city.Around 20 law enforcement officers, some of whom appeared to be from the Department of Homeland Security, pulled over drivers for infractions such as broken taillights and not wearing seatbelts, according to the Washington Post. At least one woman was reportedly arrested as more than 100 protesters gathered and reportedly yelled things like “get off our streets”, according to NBC News. Some protesters began warning drivers to avoid the area, the outlet reported. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Schumer on the ropes: Weak Trump responses see Democratic leader suffer worst

Voting for Trump’s spending bill and sending only “very strong letter” to the president appear to have dinged Schumer’s approval in his home state

Politics

3 w. ago Middle East crisis live: Israel security cabinet approves plan to take over Gaza City amid reports of disagreements with military

The announcement comes after Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intended to take full control of Gaza and hand over the territory’s governance to friendly Arab forcesThe Axios reporter Barak Ravid has cited an Israeli official as saying Israel’s occupation of Gaza City is to involve besieging Hamas fighters there while carrying out a ground offensive.Ravid’s post on X says:Senior Israeli official tells me: The operation that the IDF is currently preparing for is only in Gaza City. The goal is to evacuate all Palestinian civilians from Gaza City to the central camps and other areas by October 7. A siege will be imposed on the Hamas militants who remain in Gaza City, and at the same time, a ground offensive will be carried out in Gaza City. The Prime Minister and the Defense Minister have been authorized to approve the IDF’s final operational plan1. Disarming Hamas of its weapons.2. Return of all hostages – both the living and the deceased. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago New white armbands to support young referees across grassroots football

Specsavers is proud to announce its partnership with the Scottish FA's #LetThemRef campaign, a bold nationwide initiative designed to protect young match officials and transform behaviour across grassroots football.

Events