76 m. ago Ontario heads to polls for snap election in face of looming Trump tariffs

Premier Doug Ford called for the early vote, arguing he needs ‘strong mandate’ in case of US-Canada trade warVoters in Canada’s most populous province head to the polls on Thursday to elect a new premier who may have to face the task of preserving Ontario’s economy in the face of punishing US trade tariffs.Doug Ford, the Progressive Conservative party leader who has been the province’s premier since 2018, called the snap election last month, arguing that he needs a “strong mandate” to steer the province through any trade war with the US. Continue reading...

Politics

5 h. ago Yoon Suk Yeol ‘ranted’ about imposing martial law over drinks with lawmakers, former ruling party leader says

Han Dong Hoo claims in new memoir he and party colleagues feared they would be arrested or even killed

Politics

6 h. ago Yoon Suk Yeol ‘ranted’ about imposing martial law over drinks, former ruling party leader says

Han Dong Hoo claims in new memoir he and party colleagues feared they would be arrested or even killed

Politics

18 h. ago Budapest Pride should be held in closed venue for ‘child protection’, says Orbán official

Prime minister’s chief of staff says event this year should be taken off streetsHungary’s Budapest Pride should be held in a “closed venue” this year rather than on a city centre avenue as in previous years, the prime minister, Viktor Orbán’s, chief of staff has said, citing child protection.The plan, announced on Wednesday, appeared to be part of Orbán’s restrictions on the activities of the LGBTQ+ community as the nationalist leader prepares for elections in 2026 in which his rightwing Fidesz party faces an unprecedented challenge from a new opponent. Continue reading...

Politics

18 h. ago Budapest Pride should be held indoors for ‘child protection’, says Orbán official

Prime minister’s chief of staff says event this year should be taken off streetsHungary’s Budapest Pride should be held in a “closed venue” this year rather than on a city centre avenue as in previous years, the prime minister, Viktor Orbán’s, chief of staff has said, citing child protection.The plan, announced on Wednesday, appeared to be part of Orbán’s restrictions on the activities of the LGBTQ+ community as the nationalist leader prepares for elections in 2026 in which his rightwing Fidesz party faces an unprecedented challenge from a new opponent. Continue reading...

Politics

23 h. ago Defence spending numbers defended by Starmer amid ‘silly games’ criticism

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch pressed the Prime Minister in the Commons over the spending increase and his plan for Ukraine.

Politics

65 h. ago The Guardian view on Germany’s election result: Merz’s task is formidable | Editorial

The victorious CDU leader is likely to be more proactive on the European stage. He will also need to forge broad alliances at home to see off the far rightFriedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union party (CDU), has a reputation for being blunt. On Sunday evening, as it became clear that the CDU had won the snap election triggered by the outgoing Social Democrat chancellor, Olaf Scholz, he did not disappoint. “For me,” said Mr Merz in a post-election television debate, “the absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA.”As recently as a fortnight ago, such a statement from a German chancellor-elect would have been inconceivable. But these are new and extraordinary times. A convinced transatlanticist, Mr Merz has previously played down the dangers to western unity posed by Donald Trump. But crude electioneering on behalf of the extreme right Alternat...

Politics

5 d. ago Fact check: Around half of prisoners say they grew up with both parents

The Conservative Party did not explain where a figure that its leader cited came from.

Events

6 d. ago Pressure grows for Starmer to boost defence spending ahead of Trump showdown

PM travels to Washington next week as the only major UK party leader who has not backed calls to hike the defence budget to 2.5 per cent of Britain’s GDP by 2030

Politics

6 d. ago South Korean police book impeached president for obstructing execution of his arrest warrant

Yoon Suk Yeol is suspected of using presidential security service to block his arrest over failed attempt to impose martial law

Events

6 d. ago Scots patients would receive free treatment in England under plan to fix NHS backlog

The plan has been put forward by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar ahead of his party conference starting today.

Science

6 d. ago Scottish Labour to prioritise school leavers who do not go to university

EXCLUSIVE: Party leader Anas Sarwar will say apprenticeships, training and jobs should have the same government focus as higher education.

Culture

6 d. ago Nigel Farage dissents from Trump’s Zelenskyy ‘dictator’ claim

Reform leader contradicts Trump rant, saying ‘you shouldn’t always take things Donald Trump says absolutely literally’Nigel Farage has contradicted his ally Donald Trump, saying Volodymyr Zelenskyy “is not a dictator” after the US president’s attack on the Ukrainian leader this week.Farage, who became one of the last UK party leaders to distance himself from Trump’s remarks, said he had been delayed in calling it out earlier because he was heading to the US to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Nigel Farage finally admits Donald Trump was wrong to call president Zelensky a dictator

Mr Farage was the last leader of a major Westminster party to weigh in on the astonishing tirade by Trump, his close friend and ally, after the others did so last night.

Politics

6 d. ago Fact check: Liberal Democrats’ 2024 manifesto supported renewal of Trident

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch questioned Lib Dem commitments to the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

Politics

7 d. ago Yoon Suk Yeol becomes first sitting South Korean president to go on criminal trial

Impeached president’s lawyers argue he had ‘no intention to paralyse the country’ by imposing martial law last December

Politics

7 d. ago Martial law was Yoon Suk Yeol’s answer to ‘legislative dictatorship’, insurrection trial hears

Lawyers for impeached South Korean president who caused chaos argue that court has no jurisdiction to put him on trial for ‘act of governance’Lawyers for Yoon Suk Yeol have told a court in Seoul that the impeached president declared martial law in late 2024 to prevent the country becoming a “legislative dictatorship” controlled by his political opponents.The claim came as Yoon became the first South Korean president to stand trial in a criminal case, brought over his short-lived declaration of martial law in early December. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago 'Disappointing' blow for Scottish Tories as another councillor defects to Reform

Party leader Russell Findlay called the news ‘disappointing’

Politics

8 d. ago Scottish Labour faces ‘challenge’ to win next Holyrood elections, Sarwar reveals

Exclusive: Increases in support for Reform UK and Scottish Greens suggest a comfortable win for the SNP in 2026Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has admitted his party faces a significant challenge to win the next Holyrood elections after its popularity slumped in the polls.His party’s support has fallen by half since the chancellor cut the winter fuel payment and raised national insurance costs last year, leaving it trailing behind the Scottish National party (SNP). Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Scottish Labour faces ‘challenge’ to win next Holyrood elections, Sarwar admits

Exclusive: Increases in support for Reform UK and Scottish Greens suggest a comfortable win for the SNP in 2026Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has admitted his party faces a significant challenge to win the next Holyrood elections after its popularity slumped in the polls.His party’s support has fallen by half since the chancellor cut the winter fuel payment and raised national insurance costs last year, leaving it trailing behind the Scottish National party (SNP). Continue reading...

Politics