23 h. ago DoJ urged to investigate US group accused of working as Modi

Prominent Sikh gurdwara says Pennsylvania-based Hindu American Foundation has promoted ‘interests of the BJP’One of the largest Sikh houses of worship in the US is calling on the Trump administration to investigate a non-profit it has alleged is working as a “foreign agent” on behalf of the the Indian government and prime minister Narendra Modi.The Fremont Gurdwara Sahib, which said it draws 5,000 Sikh worshippers every week and is a “fulcrum” of the Sikh community in the US and around the world, has asked the Department of Justice to launch a national security investigation into the Hindu American Foundation, to determine whether the Pennsylvania-based non-profit should be required to file as an Indian foreign agent. Continue reading...

Economics

23 h. ago Lack of recent meetings with Treasury an ‘issue of concern’, says Swinney

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will lay out her spending plans on Wednesday.

Politics

30 h. ago Could an alliance of eight small countries turn out to be Europe’s anchor? | Paul Taylor

Amid geopolitical storms and the rise of populism, the ‘Nordic-Baltic eight’ is gaining clout as a bulwark of western resolveWith Europe’s political kaleidoscope spinning wildly in the populist winds, a group of northern countries is gaining weight as a geopolitical anchor. Known as the Nordic-Baltic eight (NB8 in diplomatic jargon), it brings together small northern European states that, individually, might have little clout in international security and politics. But since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, they have wielded growing influence as a pressure group for western resolve, offering an attractive blend of democratic security, defence integration and societal resilience.Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden established their regional cooperation format in 1992, after the end of the cold war, with regular meetings of prime ministers, parliamentary speakers, foreign and defence ministers and senior government officials. It beg...

Politics

46 h. ago Thousands protest in Madrid against government of prime minister Pedro Sánchez

Ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ party has faced series of corruption allegations over past yearTens of thousands of people have gathered in central Madrid to protest against the government of Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, and to demand an early general election as his party, his administration and his family continue to be beset by a succession of corruption allegations.Sunday’s protest, called by the opposition conservative People’s party (PP) under the slogan “Mafia or democracy”, attracted between 45,000 and 50,000 people, according to the central government’s delegation to the region. Organisers, however, put the attendance at 100,000. Continue reading...

Politics

46 h. ago Thousands protest in Madrid against Pedro Sánchez’s government

Ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ party has faced series of corruption allegations over past yearTens of thousands of people have gathered in central Madrid to protest against the government of Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, and to demand an early general election, as his party, his administration and his family continue to be beset by a succession of corruption allegations.Sunday’s protest, called by the opposition conservative People’s party (PP) under the slogan “mafia or democracy”, attracted between 45,000 and 50,000 people, according to the central government’s delegation to the region. Organisers put the attendance at 100,000. Continue reading...

Politics

48 h. ago Molly Russell’s father urges PM to act over online harms as ‘app cap’ considered

Ian Russell told Sir Keir Starmer to ‘act decisively’ in toughening legislation to protect young people online.

Politics

4 d. ago Netanyahu defends arming Palestinian clans accused of ties with jihadist groups

PM says it ‘saves lives of Israeli soldiers’ despite accusations government is giving weapons to ‘criminals and felons’The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has admitted arming clans in Gaza that he says are opposed to Hamas, following accusations that members of these criminal gangs allegedly looted humanitarian aid and have ties to jihadist groups.Netanyahu’s comments came after Israeli media reports quoted defence sources as saying Netanyahu had authorised giving weapons to a clan reportedly led by a man known as Yasser Abu Shabab, a Rafah resident from a Bedouin family, known locally for his involvement in criminal activity. Israel allegedly provided Abu Shabab’s group, which calls itself the “Anti-Terror Service”, with Kalashnikov assault rifles, including weapons seized from Hamas. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago Gaza facing ‘dark days’, Starmer says, as he vows to consider ‘further action’

At the despatch box, the Prime Minister described the Israeli government’s conduct in the 25 mile-long strip as ‘counterproductive and intolerable’.

Politics

6 d. ago Tories brand blaming weather ‘lazy’ as likely days for Channel crossings double

The Government published the statistics after a record number of daily arrivals, as the Conservatives hit out at ministers for blaming the weather.

Politics

7 d. ago Sir Keir Starmer rules out second Scottish independence referendum while he is Prime Minister

The Prime Minister says his government needs to focus on the economy rather than the constitution.

Politics

7 d. ago Paloma Faith uses her ‘voice for the voiceless’ on Gaza campaign

She was part of a demonstration that put a banner with a message said to be from a Gazan child saying ‘Prime Minister I don’t want to die’.

Politics

7 d. ago Starmer warned of need for ‘chunky tax rises’ to pay for new military spending

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was ‘100% confident’ cash would be available for all plans laid out in the new strategic defence review.

Events

7 d. ago Starmer acknowledges need for swift clarity on winter fuel payments

The Prime Minister also did not steer away from suggestions that an announcement on the payment could come at the spending review on June 11.

Politics

8 d. ago UK must change approach to defence in an insecure world, Starmer warns

The Prime Minister could not say when his aim of raising defence spending to 3% of the UK’s economic output would be realised.

Events

8 d. ago Populist Nawrocki’s triumph threatens Poland’s place at Europe’s top table

Victory of radical-right candidate could seriously destabilise the coalition government of pro-EU prime minister Donald TuskEurope live – latest updatesThe victory margin of the nationalist Karol Nawrocki in Poland’s presidential elections may have been wafer-thin, but it marks a huge upheaval in the country’s political landscape whose impact will be felt not just in Warsaw but across the EU.Backed by the previous ruling conservative Law & Justice (PiS) party and, openly, by Donald Trump’s Maga movement, Nawrocki, a radical-right historian, defeated his liberal rival, the capital’s mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, by 50.89% to 49.11%. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Keir Starmer to unveil strategic defence review and put UK on ‘war

Prime minister to launch strategic defence review in Glasgow this morningStarmer repeats his claim that he has an ambition to get defence spending up to 3% of GDP in the next parliament.Q: But “ambition” is not a commitment. I can have a commitment to lose weight. That does not mean it will happen.What you can take from this is, yes, that 3% but I am not, as the prime minister of a Labour government, going to make a commitment as to the precise date until I can be sure precisely where the money is coming from, how we can make good on that commitment, because I don’t believe in performative fantasy politics, and certainly not on defence and security.Nato has been the single most effective alliance for keeping the peace for 80 years, and our job is not just to celebrate that as we do, but to ask ourselves the searching question as I ask myself on a daily basis, which is, how do we ensure that Nato preserves the peace for decades to come for this generation? Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago UK to build up to 12 new attack submarines and invest £15bn in warheads

The Government will unveil its strategic defence review on Monday.

Economics

9 d. ago Not providing public cash for arms ‘student union politics’, says Healey

The comments come ahead of the Prime Minister announcing the outcome of a major defence review during a visit to Scotland.

Politics

1 week ago Welfare reforms will lead to rise in homelessness, charities warn Government

Charities have urged a rethink by Government on the proposed welfare reforms.

Events

1 week ago Swinney warns of ‘critical economic threat’ of UK Government immigration policy

The Prime Minister released a White Paper on immigration earlier this month.

Events