43 h. ago Anyone showing support for Palestine Action ‘will feel full force of the law’, justice minister says – UK politics live

Government defends decision to proscribe protest group after mass arrests at a demonstration in Westminster over the weekendIn other news, a hostile environment era deportation policy is being expanded by Labour as the government continues to try to limit the threat from Reform by talking and acting toughly on migration.Foreign criminals from 15 more countries, including India, Bulgaria and Australia, face deportation before they have a chance to appeal against the decision to remove them, in a widening of the government’s “deport first, appeal later” scheme.Richard Dannatt wrote privately to two separate Home Office ministers asking them to address the “threat” posed by the group after its activists targeted a factory in 2022.The activists caused extensive damage to the factory which is run by Teledyne, a US multinational that sells technology for military, aerospace and other applications. Lord Dannatt has been a paid adviser to the company since 2022. Continue reading...

Politics

69 h. ago Staff at UK’s top AI institute complain to watchdog about its internal culture

Whistleblowing complaint warns Alan Turing Institute is in danger of collapse due to government threats over fundsStaff at the UK’s leading artificial intelligence institute have raised concerns about the organisation’s governance and internal culture in a whistleblowing complaint to the charity watchdog.The Alan Turing Institute (ATI), a registered charity with substantial state funding, is under government pressure to overhaul its strategic focus and leadership after an intervention last month from the technology secretary, Peter Kyle. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Texas house again fails to meet quorum as governor threatens to add more Republican seats to gerrymandered map – live

State legislature fails to meet quorum for third day; Greg Abbott says ‘we may may it six, or seven, or eight’ about number of added gerrymandered seatsTexas house meets without necessary number of lawmakersAccording to new reporting by the New York Times, the president has secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American drug cartels that the Trump administration considers terrorist organizations.According to the Times’ sources, US military officials have started drawing up options for how the military could go after the group. The Times also notes that this escalation would be the most “aggressive step” in the administration’s “campaign against cartels”. They also noted that this continues the president’s preference for using “military forces to carry out what has primarily been considered a law enforcement responsibility to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs”. Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago Texas House again fails quorum as governor escalates threats and Democrats face second bomb threat amid redistricting battle – live

Hotel where several Texas Democrats are staying has second bomb threat this week, police say; Greg Abbott says he will keep calling special sessionsAccording to new reporting by the New York Times, the president has secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American drug cartels that the Trump administration considers terrorist organizations.According to the Times’ sources, US military officials have started drawing up options for how the military could go after the group. The Times also notes that this escalation would be the most “aggressive step” in the administration’s “campaign against cartels”. They also noted that this continues the president’s preference for using “military forces to carry out what has primarily been considered a law enforcement responsibility to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs”. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Haiti prepares for new leadership as gunfire erupts and gangs threaten to overthrow government

A wealthy businessman is slated to become president of Haiti’s transitional presidential council, marking the first time that the private sector is in control of the country’s two executive branches

Events

7 d. ago Prison bosses make room for possible influx before planned protests across England

Exclusive: possible arrests at protests against Palestine Action ban and asylum hotels likely to stretch prisonsPrison bosses will make room for a possible influx of arrested demonstrators this weekend amid concerns that some jails are close to full, the head of the national governors’ body has revealed.Police have threatened to make hundreds of arrests if a planned protest in London this weekend over the proscription of Palestine Action goes ahead. There are also at least eight planned demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum seekers. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago Government defends Online Safety Act after X claims it threatens free speech

The move came after Elon Musk’s social media platform X criticised the new law which it described as ‘heavy-handed’.

Politics

8 d. ago Pension age debate threatens to splinter Germany’s fragile coalition

Merz walks fine line as ‘lazy Germans’ debate sparks protest and economy minister calls to raise retirement age to 70The fact that ageing Germany’s generous pension system is unsustainable is political Berlin’s worst-kept secret, but a controversial call to save it by hiking the retirement age to 70 has sparked howls of protest and threatened to destabilise the fractious government.The chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has largely sidestepped the ticking timebomb of the greying population since taking office in May, preferring instead to announce sweeteners such as tax breaks for older Germans to continue working past the retirement age. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Louisiana scraps $3 billion coastal restoration funded by oil spill settlement

Republican Governor Jeff Landry views the project as a threat to the state’s way of life

Economics

3 w. ago Governments have the right to expect MPs to support their decisions

Editorial: If anything, given the sheer size of the rebellion on social security – 130 of his own MPs threatening to defeat a government bill – Keir Starmer has been too lenient

Politics

3 w. ago Top human rights group leaves El Salvador after threats made by country’s president

Cristosal says decision to leave country and relocate employees comes after organisation was targeted by Nayib BukeleEl Salvador’s top human rights organisation, Cristosal, announced on Thursday it is leaving the country because of mounting harassment and legal threats by the government of President Nayib Bukele.The organisation has been one of the most visible critics of Bukele, documenting abuses in the strongman’s war on the country’s gangs and the detention of hundreds of Venezuelan deportees in an agreement with the US president Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Top rights group leaves El Salvador after threats from its government

Cristosal says decision to relocate employees was because of organisation being targeted by President Nayib BukeleEl Salvador’s top human rights organisation, Cristosal, announced on Thursday it is leaving the country because of mounting harassment and legal threats by the government of President Nayib Bukele.The organisation has been one of the most visible critics of Bukele, documenting abuses in the strongman’s war on the country’s gangs and the detention of hundreds of Venezuelan deportees in an agreement with the US president Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Wales facing shortage of teachers as students put off by long hours, high stress and workload

The Welsh Government education reform agenda "is quite seriously threatened if the crisis in initial teacher education is not addressed", Senedd warned

Society

4 w. ago I faced the threat of jail for exposing ministers' secret £7bn migration scheme and saw first

Never before had I witnessed such an extraordinary scene in almost 30 years of reporting from the Press benches of the Royal Courts, writes SAM GREENHILL.

Politics