60 m. ago ‘A common enemy beyond ideologies’: Spain’s PM announces plan to tackle climate crisis

Pedro Sánchez says country’s deadly August wildfires show society needs to mobilise and take immediate actionSpain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has announced a 10-point plan to prepare the country for the climate emergency, warning that “if we don’t want to bequeath our children a Spain that’s grey from fire and flames, or a Spain that’s brown from floods, then we need a Spain that’s greener”.Sánchez said August’s heatwave-fuelled wildfires – which killed four people, burned through an area six times the size of Ibiza, and required “the biggest human and technical deployment” ever seen in Spain – showed immediate action must be taken to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Events

96 m. ago Keir Starmer: I want to speed up closing down migrant hotels

Labour has vowed to end the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers by the next election but the Prime Minister said he has set the ‘challenge’ of emptying them sooner

Events

98 m. ago Prime Minister says he is ‘very encouraging’ of people flying national flags

The widespread flying of flags, after an online campaign called Operation Raise the Colours, has become contentious.

Politics

1 hour ago Keir Starmer’s legacy could be electoral reform – or Farage as prime minister | Polly Toynbee

MPs are voting to get rid of first past the post in mayoral elections. Doing the same at a national level would be an antidote to Reform UKWake up to the peril. As MPs return to parliament, they should abandon that self-deluding pretence that it could never happen here in our “moderate” and “tolerant” land. On the contrary, Britain is at more risk of a populist right takeover than many of our European neighbours. With Labour in an electoral slough of despond, and the Tories looking dead already, the reptilian grin of Nigel Farage haunts the political landscape after his satisfactory summer spent stoking division and cynicism.Our first past the post (FPTP) elections make us particularly vulnerable. As Rob Ford, professor of politics at Manchester University, notes: “This is now a Farage-friendly electoral system.” Reform UK has reached the tipping point where winning as little as 30% support in our corkscrewed lottery of a voting system could propel him into No 10, however much that ...

Politics

1 hour ago Keir Starmer accidentally calls Angela Rayner an ‘incredible prime minister’

Keir Starmer accidentally called Angela Rayner an “incredible prime minister” as he defended his deputy.

Politics

2 h. ago Country should be ‘proud’ Angela Rayner is deputy PM, says Starmer amid flat row

The Prime Minister said it was a ‘mistake’ for people to brief against or talk down Ms Rayner.

Politics

3 h. ago Iraq reopens historic mosque in Mosul 8 years after Islamic State destruction

Iraq's prime minister has presided over the reopening of the historic al-Nuri Grand Mosque and its leaning minaret in Mosul's Old City

Politics

3 h. ago Reeves sidelined as Starmer hires new economic team in surprise reshuffle

The prime minister has moved to get a grip on the political agenda after a torrid year and also sacked his director of communications

Economics

5 h. ago Rising star Darren Jones named chief secretary to PM in Downing Street shake

Mr Jones will be based at No 10 and ‘directly oversee work across Government to support the delivery of the Prime Minister’s priorities’.

Politics

5 h. ago The 'remarkable coincidence' that could let 'three pads Rayner' avoid inheritance tax: Deputy PM's constituency home is valued at EXACT threshold when tax becomes payable

The Deputy Prime Minister is embroiled in a deepening sleaze row over her tax affairs after it was revealed she bought an £800,000 second home on the south coast.

Economics

6 h. ago Starmer appoints Darren Jones to new role as PM’s chief secretary

Mr Jones will be based at No 10 and ‘directly oversee work across Government to support the delivery of the Prime Minister’s priorities’.

Politics

6 h. ago Keir Starmer appoints Rachel Reeves’ righthand man to new Downing Street role in mini

The prime minister has moved to get a grip on the political agenda after a torrid year and also sacked his director of communications

Politics

10 h. ago Xi Jinping criticises ‘bullying behaviour’ and Putin blames west for Ukraine war at Shanghai summit

China’s leader urges attendees to oppose ‘cold war mentality’ while Russian president claims Ukraine war was ‘provoked by the west’Xi Jinping has criticised the “bullying behaviour” of other countries while Vladimir Putin has blamed the west for his war on Ukraine, on the second day of a major summit in China which seeks to challenge western-led multilateral blocs.The Shanghai Cooperation Summit (SCO) began in the city of Tianjin on Sunday, with Xi welcoming dozens of leaders from Eurasian member states and other partner and observer countries, including Putin, and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. Continue reading...

Politics

10 h. ago Keir Starmer's 8 biggest challenges as he returns to Downing Street after recess

The Prime Minister will seek to guide his government through the migrant hotel crisis, stave off the threat of Reform, and then address the small matter of the Budget

Politics

16 h. ago ANDREW PIERCE: Corbyn poses a thorny question for Sir Lindsay

As Parliament resumes today, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle returns to a thorny issue in his inbox: should Jeremy Corbyn have special privileges at Prime Minister's Questions?

Politics

22 h. ago Starmer's new economic adviser who has backed new taxes on inheritance and the targeting of pensions

Baroness Minouche Shafik is set to be hired as the Prime Minister's chief economic adviser in the latest revamp of No 10's top team.

Economics

23 h. ago Putin given the red carpet treatment as he discusses Trump talks with Xi on sidelines of China summit

Putin, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi are among the 20 leaders meeting in China for a security summit

Politics

24 h. ago Houthis detain at least one UN worker in raids on two agencies in Sana’a

Iran-backed group’s security forces raid offices of World Food Programme and Unicef in Yemen’s capitalThe Iranian-backed Houthis have raided offices of the United Nations’ food and children’s agencies in Yemen’s capital, detaining at least one UN employee, officials said, as the rebels tightened security across Sana’a after Israel’s killing of their prime minister and several cabinet members.Abeer Etefa, a spokesperson for the World Food Programme, said security forces raided the agencies’ offices in the Houthi-controlled capital on Sunday morning. “WFP reiterates that the arbitrary detention of humanitarian staff is unacceptable,” Etefa said. Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Houthis detain at least 11 UN workers in raids on two agencies in Sana’a

UN condemns ‘arbitrary detentions’ by Iran-backed group at World Food Programme and Unicef offices in Yemen’s capitalThe Iranian-backed Houthis raided offices of the UN’s food, health and children’s agencies in Yemen’s capital, detaining at least 11 employees, as the rebels tightened security across Sana’a after the Israeli killing of their prime minister and several cabinet members.The UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said on Sunday evening: “I strongly condemn the new wave of arbitrary detentions of UN personnel today in Sana’a and Hodeidah ... as well as the forced entry into UN premises and seizure of UN property. At least 11 UN personnel were detained.” Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago UK still intends to recognise a Palestinian state, David Lammy to tell MPs

Foreign secretary to say an assessment will be carried out of whether Israel has complied with Keir Starmer’s termsDavid Lammy will tell MPs on Monday that the UK still intends to recognise a Palestinian state next month, with Israel having shown no sign of meeting the government’s demands.The foreign secretary will say in a Commons statement that government officials intend to carry out a formal assessment in the coming days of whether Israel has complied with the tests set out by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, last month. Continue reading...

Politics