11 h. ago Government breaks silence on snap General Election after 680k Brits demand one

After amassing more than 680k signatories in just one week, the Government has finally responded to the ever-growing call for a snap General Election to be held this year

Politics

17 h. ago Nicola Sturgeon hints she could debate JK Rowling over trans rights controversy

The former Scottish first minister said she did not know if the Harry Potter author would be willing to take part in a debate with her.

Politics

33 h. ago New UK porn laws petition reaches 515k as raging Brits demand Government cancel it

The rules state that online platforms are required to take measures to prevent children from accessing harmful content, such as pornography or material promoting suicide.

Politics

2 d. ago Marles insists Australia ‘not supplying weapons to Israel’ but critics argue ‘parts of weapons are weapons’

Acting prime minister decries ‘misinformation’ regarding arms exports while Greens claim ‘hollow talking points aren’t washing with the public’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government won’t follow Germany and introduce new export restrictions to pressure Israel, with the defence minister, Richard Marles, insisting no weapons are being sent from Australia to aid the killing in Gaza.Marles, the acting prime minister, said on Sunday that Australia was not exporting any weapons for use by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a claim rejected by human rights campaigners and the Greens. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago ‘Transnational repression’: Australia condemns Hong Kong’s attempts to silence exiled dissidents

G7 nations’ joint statement says arrest warrants and bounties for pro-democracy campaigners are undermining human rights and state sovereigntyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Australian government has signed a joint statement issued on behalf of G7 nations condemning Hong Kong for seeking to “silence, intimidate, harass, harm or coerce” pro-democracy campaigners living abroad.The statement, which was also made on behalf of New Zealand, Sweden and the Netherlands, has described the issuing of arrest warrants and bounties for exiled dissidents as acts of “transnational repression” that undermine human rights and state sovereignty. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Spanish beach bars demand urgent action as they reveal cost of Brits staying away

The president of the Association of Entrepreneurs of Concessions has demanded that the Balearic government take urgent action to head off this summer's negative results before more businesses and jobs are lost

Politics

5 d. ago 'Majority' of Brits demand a snap general election as Keir Starmer faces humiliation

A petition calling for an "immediate" general election to be held has reached more than 137,000 votes as it soared past the 100,000 needed for Parliament to consider it worthy of a debate by MPs

Politics

8 d. ago Argentina’s Javier Milei vetoes bills that would have raised pensions and disability benefits

Self-styled anarcho-capitalist prompts outrage after claiming bills would ‘break government’s fiscal balance’Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has vetoed three bills that would have increased pensions and disability benefits, prompting outrage from both groups and the lawmakers who had approved the measures.The self-styled anarcho-capitalist claimed the bills would “break the government’s fiscal balance” and insisted there was “no money” to fund the measures, which Congress had approved in early July. Continue reading...

Economics

3 w. ago GMB paused for huge government breaking news announcement just minutes into ITV show

Good Morning Britain viewers were issued with the sudden update as Kate Garraway quickly passed over to a reporter outside Downing Street.

Politics

3 w. ago Tasmanian election: Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff declares victory as Labor loses ground after forcing early poll

Support grows for incumbent government in election triggered by no-confidence voteGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTasmania faces a period of political talks after a snap election delivered another hung parliament and more seats to the Liberals than Labor.The Liberal premier, Jeremy Rockliff, declared victory on Saturday night after his party secured 14 seats to Labor’s nine, both short of the 18 required for a majority. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Brits demand end to BBC licence fee over Masterchef, Glastonbury and Gaza scandals

Anger over the BBC comes in the wake of a series of significant controversies, including Bob Vylan's Glastonbury set, Gregg Wallace's MasterChef candal and an investigation into the coverage of Gaza

Politics

4 w. ago Teenage vaping has ‘turned a corner’ in Australia, says Mark Butler, as data shows falling rates

Report finds vaping rate among children aged 14-17 years has declined, with some describing embarrassment about being a ‘vaper’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government believes dangerous vaping rates among younger Australians may have turned a corner after years of rapid growth, with new research showing take-up could have peaked among teenagers and high school-age children.Data released by the health minister, Mark Butler, on Wednesday showed that vaping rates fell from 17.5% at the start of 2023 to 14.6% in April this year among children aged 14-17 years.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago Treasury minister says ‘headline’ rate of income tax won’t go up, in hint thresholds might be frozen in budget – UK politics live

Darren Jones also declines to rule out wealth tax when questioned about government plansRecord-breaking extreme weather is the new norm in the UK, a report by the Met Office says. Damian Carrington has the story.Here is the Met Office summary. And here is the full report.The number of days with temperatures 5°C above the 1961-1990 average has doubled for the most recent decade 2015-2024 compared to 1961-1990. For 8°C above average the number has trebled and for 10°C it has quadrupled. This shows how the hottest days we experience in the UK have increased in frequency dramatically in just a few decades. Continue reading...

Politics