7 h. ago Photos of Bolivia’s road to the polls under the shadow of an economic crisis

Bolivia is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, marked by high inflation and severe fuel shortages, as voters prepare for the Aug. 17 general election, where they will choose a new president and legislators in both chambers.

Economics

8 h. ago 9 people plead not guilty in a Texas elections probe involving 'vote harvesting'

Nine people have pleaded not guilty to felony charges brought forth in a rural Texas county by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton as part of a widening elections investigation

Politics

11 h. ago Rita Wrote a Letter: Paul Kelly’s sequel to How to Make Gravy is an affectionate goodbye to Joe

Almost 30 years after Kelly released his Christmas classic, we finally learn what became of his cast of characters Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email“She’s the one to save me,” errant protagonist Joe declares of Rita, his long-suffering partner and unpaid therapist, in the prison letter that forms the lyrics of Paul Kelly’s 1996 single How to Make Gravy.The perennial Christmas classic was recently voted the ninth-best Australian song of all time. Almost 30 years after he wrote it, Kelly has released a sequel, Rita Wrote a Letter, in which we finally learn what became of Rita while Joe was in jail: she wised up and moved on.Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...

Politics

36 h. ago New York City mayoral race: Mamdani leads Cuomo by 19 points, poll shows

Poll says 44% of voters for Mamdani and 25% for Cuomo as Elise Stefanik chips away at Hochul’s lead in governor raceThe closely watched New York mayoral and governor’s races appear to be forming into shapes that will bring little comfort to centrist Democrats, with both elections happening in November.A new Siena Institute poll released on Tuesday shows New York City’s Democratic socialist mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, leading former New York governor Andrew Cuomo by 19 percentage points – while the Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik is chipping away at incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul’s lead in a hypothetical contest for the New York governor’s mansion in 2026. Continue reading...

Politics

36 h. ago Republican’s town hall descends into chaos as angry voters rage over Epstein files and Trump agenda

Voters called the California lawmaker a ‘liar’ and launched expletives at him throughout Monday’s event

Politics

39 h. ago Cristiano Ronaldo put Tottenham transfer target above Lamine Yamal in shock vote

As Manchester City ponder the future of one of their young stars who has been linked to Tottenham Hotspur, Cristiano Ronaldo's view on the matter has already been made clear

Events

39 h. ago These are the best public bathrooms in America — and you can vote on your favorite

Nine bathrooms across New York City, Minnesota, Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Florida, New Hampshire, Texas, and California are among the finalists in Cintas’ best restroom competition

Politics

41 h. ago Vote in our Independent Money poll: Do you know the interest rate on your main savings account?

Each week, we invite readers to share their views on the financial stories making headlines – and impacting your bank balance

Economics

43 h. ago 'Labour must act on bin strikes or people will vote with feet' says Unite chief

As Birmingham's bin strike enters the sixth month, Real Britain guest columnist Sharon Graham, general secretary of trade union Unite, says workers are not being supported.

Politics

46 h. ago Some Democrats want to use gerrymandering. That’s a bad idea | Carlo Invernizzi

When a house is on fire, more fire won’t helpWhen Texas Republicans unveiled yet another contorted congressional map last week – one that would all but erase Austin’s Latino-led seat and increase the Republican party’s federal House tally by up to five seats in total – the outcry from Democrats was immediate and justified. But beyond the Democratic state legislators’ brave effort to stymie the proposal by boycotting the vote, a different refrain has also been heard by leading Democrats in other states: if they do it, why can’t we?Governor Gavin Newsom of California has vowed to “fight fire with fire”, advancing a proposal that would redraw California’s own congressional map to offset Republican gains in Texas. New York’s Kathy Hochul has also embraced the prospect of aggressive gerrymandering in Democratic-controlled states, sidestepping the independent commissions that Democrats themselves had once championed and successfully implemented in both California and New York. Continue re...

Politics

61 h. ago Maine can't enforce foreign election interference law that appeals court calls unconstitutional

Maine can’t enforce a voter-approved foreign election interference law that a federal appeals court says likely violates the Constitution by limiting political donations

Politics

2 d. ago WRU's expected 'optimal solution' as board to vote and tensions rise

The likely outcome from the upcoming consultation is a reduction to two professional clubs

Politics

2 d. ago India’s election body faces scrutiny as voter list anomalies prompt allegations of ‘vote theft’

Opposition leader accuses election commission of aiding Narendra Modi’s ruling party through mass voter deletion

Politics

3 d. ago Here’s the truth about Britain’s immigration hysteria: Starmer and co have whipped it up to get cheap votes | Nesrine Malik

He is part of a political establishment that is fuelling a crisis way beyond the point that they can ever be seen to solve it. It’s a cynical, idiotic doom loopImmigration has been a fixture of Britain’s political discourse for so long, it now feels, like Voltaire’s god, that if the issue did not exist, we would have to invent it. What would our politics look like, what would the broad majority of Britain’s media do with themselves, without immigration? It has become such a feature of the country’s political culture, it amounts to a sort of historical exhibit: “rivers of blood”, the “hostile environment”, “go home” vans, “controls on immigration” crockery, the Brexit “breaking point” poster, the Windrush scandal, “stop the boats”, “island of strangers”. And now, summer riots.What conjoins all of these is one thing: misinformation. I have banged on for years in this column about the disconnect between immigration discourse and the reality of how hard and expensive it is to enter the ...

Politics

3 d. ago After a torrid 100 days, Germany’s Friedrich Merz is mocked as a ‘dead man walking’. He must fight back | John Kampfner

With the AfD surging, it could soon be the largest party here. But, if he acts now, that dark scenario need not come to passJohn Kampfner is the author of In Search of Berlin and Why the Germans Do It BetterThe passing of the 100-day milestone for any world leader usually denotes the end of their honeymoon period. Friedrich Merz has not been able to enjoy even a single day of grace, beginning with the very moment he was supposed to be elected Germany’s chancellor but wasn’t. On 6 May, as Angela Merkel watched from the visitors’ balcony, the Bundestag voted and declined to approve its new leader. For a few hours, chaos ensued, until the second round of voting saw his chancellorship approved, so the swearing in could proceed.It was a symbolic act of defiance, and because it was a secret ballot, it wasn’t clear how many of the 18 dissenters came from Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) or from their new coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD). But it cast a shadow over the new admi...

Events

3 d. ago Blow for Reeves as company hiring plans ‘at record low’ in wake of national insurance hike

Labour chancellor has warned the public that the change they voted for in last summer’s election was ‘never going to happen overnight’

Politics

4 d. ago Pete Hegseth reposts video that says women shouldn’t be allowed to vote

Progressive evangelical group says ideas shared by pastors and amplified by defense secretary are ‘very disturbing’The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, recently shared a video in which several pastors say women should no longer be allowed to vote, prompting one progressive evangelical organization to express concern.Hegseth reposted a CNN segment on X on Thursday that focuses on pastor Doug Wilson, a Christian nationalist who co-founded the Idaho-based Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), In the segment, he raises the idea of women not voting. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Welsh town named one of the happiest places to live is also one of the prettiest to visit

Caernarfon in Gwynedd was voted by the Guardian to be the third happiest to live in the UK - and one visit will show you why it's one of the prettiest places to visit

Politics

5 d. ago Hegseth reposts video on social media featuring pastors saying women shouldn't be allowed to vote

The man who oversees the nation’s military has reposted a video on X, formerly Twitter, about a Christian nationalist church that included various pastors saying women should no longer be allowed to vote and should “submit” to their husbands

Politics

5 d. ago Israel issues chilling deadline for a million Palestinians to flee Gaza

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Israel to immediately reconsider its decision after the plan to re-occupy Gaza was approved overnight by a majority vote

Politics