1 hour ago Japan’s PM accepts ‘harsh’ election result as loss of upper house predicted

Ballot heaps pressure on Shigeru Ishiba’s minority government after it lost control of lower house in October Japan’s shaky ruling coalition is likely to lose control of the upper house, exit polls showed after Sunday’s election, potentially heralding political turmoil as a tariff deadline with the US looms.While the ballot does not directly determine whether prime minister Shigeru Ishiba’s minority government falls, it heaps pressure on the embattled leader, who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Water bills are going to keep going up, Government minister says

Steve Read said a 'steady increase in bills is what people expect'

Politics

8 h. ago Water bills to see ‘small, steady’ rise despite reform plans, says Reed

But the Environment Secretary has promised that families will never again see ‘huge shock hikes’ to their bills.

Politics

16 h. ago Middle class families could be hit with soaring water bills under Labour's new plan to subside the costs for Britain's poorest households

The proposed national social tariff is due to be presented to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a review of the water industry on Monday.

Society

20 h. ago Huge changes to water companies set out this week will 'make bills fair'

Ministers have told firms they must do more if they want to restore public trust - as complaints continue to rise and half of Brits feel they’re being ripped off.

Politics

31 h. ago Government will 'robustly defend' any compensation claims from thousands of Afghans whose lives were put at risk by massive data breach

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Government would 'robustly defend' any legal action or bid for compensation, adding these were 'hypothetical claims'.

Politics

33 h. ago MoD to ‘robustly defend’ compensation claims from Afghans in data breach case

The data breach saw details of 18,714 applicants for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme released in 2022.

Politics

43 h. ago Ministers to pledge ‘root and branch reform’ of water industry

Water bills rose by an average of 26% in April, with the cost of repairing long-neglected infrastructure said to be a significant factor.

Politics

56 h. ago John Swinney pledges to focus on independence ahead of 2026 Holyrood election

The First Minister said he would “turn the heat up” on the UK Government to allow a second independence referendum.

Politics

66 h. ago Water shortages and soaring bills as MPs issue 'monumental' warning

MPs on the public accounts committee said the system of regulating water companies needs 'a complete overhaul' to rebuild trust and ensure its poor performance improves

Events

3 d. ago UK special forces, MI6 spies and British MPs were on Afghan database that was lost by Government that obtained super

So that's why ministers wanted to hush it up: secret database the Government lost contained details of more than 100 British operatives as well as the 18,800 Afghans, defence sources revealed

Politics

3 d. ago Government 'faces £1bn compensation claim' over Afghan data breach

Lawyers representing the Afghan data breach victims say they will sue for compensation

Politics

3 d. ago Labour 'won't be able to govern' unless revolts against Keir Starmer stop, warns minister Jess Phillips

Two London MPs who rebelled lost their Government posts as trade envoys

Events

3 d. ago High water bills, filthy rivers – and now drought. This is England's great artificial water crisis of 2025 | George Monbiot

In its refusal to renationalise water, it’s clear the government operates in the interests of private capital and not of the countryFor a rich and fairly stable country, we are staggeringly ill-prepared for climate shocks. We respond to predictable crises as if we had had no warning. Lessons from previous disasters go unlearned, mistakes are recycled, failures lodged so deeply that they come to define the system.This is not because of a deficiency in the national character, but because of a deficiency in the ideology of government: an elite belief, shared by scarcely any citizens, that public intervention should be used only when all other measures have failed. Until that point, our problems should be addressed by the private sector. As drought rolls across the country once again, England’s privatised water system guarantees an irrational response.George Monbiot is a Guardian columnistOn Tuesday 16 September, join George Monbiot, Mikaela Loach and other special guests discussing the...

Events

3 d. ago Labour is accused of bid to rig next election as it is set to announce votes for 16

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is expected to set out a plan to enfranchise under-18s today.

Politics

4 d. ago A key coalition partner of Netanyahu is quitting, leaving him with minority in Israeli parliament

A key governing partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it is quitting the government, leaving him with a minority in parliament

Politics

4 d. ago Keir Starmer says Tory ministers have 'questions' to answer on data leak and secret route to UK for Afghans

At Prime Minister’s Questions, he sought to blame the previous Government for the data blunder which was kept quiet with a super injunction

Politics

4 d. ago Starmer says Tory ministers have 'serious questions' to answer on data leak and secret route to UK for Afghans

At Prime Minister’s Questions, he sought to blame the previous Government for the data blunder which was kept quiet with a super injunction

Politics

4 d. ago Defiant TikTokers vow to ignore hosepipe ban 'because they pay their water bills'... as experts share tips on how to get around it without breaking the law

Britons claim they are flouting the hosepipe ban as they continue to fill up paddling pools while the country struggles with the driest start to the year since 1976.

Economics

5 d. ago MoD could face ‘substantial’ compensation claims over data breach, lawyer says

Sean Humber, from law firm Leigh Day, said that a data breach of thousands of Afghans’ personal information was ‘catastrophic’.

Politics