The Guardian

In today’s newsletter: First Edition readers and people struggling with the cost of living tell us what the government could do to improve their lives Good morning. Don’t expect anything radical. This, the Treasury has been at pains to tell us, will be a very “low-key” budget. After weeks of speculation from journalists, a flurry of press releases from thinktanks, and a photoshoot with an obligat…

Tony Blair’s former spokesperson says attacks on UK MPs did not bring about lasting cultural change and overheated rhetoric quickly returned to politics Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Tony Blair’s former communications guru, Alastair Campbell, says the UK political system was too quick to revert to overheated rhetoric and polarisation after attacks on MPs, urging pol…

As next week’s all-but certain rate rise looms, there is one thing we can all agree on: the end of war in the Middle East can’t come soon enough Jim Chalmers is blaming the latest shocking inflation figures on the worsening Middle East conflict, and he has a point. The trouble is, voters aren’t buying what the treasurer is selling. Continue reading...

Struggling households, new homebuyers and small shops stand to gain, while banks and online marketplaces could face higher levies John Healey will present his first budget on Wednesday, which will set the tone for Andy Burnham’s premiership. Despite the chancellor’s promises in the summer that the tax and spending event would not be beset by the leaks that preceded those of his predecessor, Rache…

Mair Godley claims Essex councillor Carl Johnson told her she was ‘facilitating the invasion’ by giving language lessons A 78-year-old volunteer has claimed a Reform UK councillor accused her of “facilitating the invasion” and being akin to a Nazi collaborator during the second world war because she has helped asylum seekers learn English. Mair Godley and her husband, Nick, 77, a former chair of …

Labor government under pressure to create social media watchdog as new online safety standards bill passes lower house The federal government wants to ban AI chatbots which seek to create “emotional intimacy” after prime minister Anthony Albanese raised the alarm in a heartfelt speech about children treating these agents as their “best friend”. But Labor is coming under increasing pressure to emp…

Talks are aimed at reopening strait of Hormuz and lifting sanctions on Iran, and for Houthis to withdraw in Yemen A multipronged peace deal to reopen the strait of Hormuz within four days of sanctions being lifted and for the Houthis to withdraw substantial forces inside Yemen are at the heart of Gulf states’ plans to avert what they regard as a disastrous renewal of war between Iran and the US. …

Both blocs would fall short of the 61 seats needed to form a government as support for Palestinian parties surges Full report: Israel election too close to call as exit polls give Netanyahu bloc slightly fewer seats Analysis: Rise of Palestinian parties in Knesset will redraw Israel’s political landscape Israel election: what we know so far Supporters of the opposition bloc breathed a sigh of rel…

National trust of Victoria award celebrates much-loved arboreal icons while calling for protection of green spaces Follow our Australia politics live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast For more than 160 years, a humble ginkgo tree raised from seed in Geelong’s botanic gardens has been the backdrop to “countless local love stories”. Standing beneat…

Critics warn of climate danger as president in Texas claims change will save companies and consumers billions Donald Trump announced his administration is “terminating” Biden-era regulations holding oil and gas companies accountable for large leaks of planet-warming methane during a rally in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday evening. Trump said during a campaign rally in Texas that the change would save…

Royal tour of Caribbean comes as Commonwealth nations renew calls for Britain to engage in reparation talks King Charles has confirmed he will discuss the legacy of slavery at a summit with Commonwealth leaders as he begins his Caribbean tour. The king arrived in the Bahamas to a ceremonial welcome and attended a youth rally at Clifford Park, the site where the country officially gained its indep…

That ’70s Show actor was sentenced to 30 years in prison for two counts of rape against two women, who were also Scientologists Danny Masterson has lost the appeal of his rape conviction, meaning his 30-year prison sentence has been upheld. The actor, best known for his role on That ’70s Show, was convicted in 2023 of two counts of rape against two women in 2003, while a third charge relating to …

Hazardous storm conditions delayed retrieval efforts on mountain that has proved to be a perilous hiking spot The body of a missing California hiker, blanketed in a layer of snow, was recovered on Mount Whitney on Sunday after a blustery storm delayed retrieval operations for five days. The Inyo county sheriff’s office extended its condolences to the loved ones and family of the hiker, who has no…

President at Texas campaign rally hails deal struck with post-Maduro government as ‘greatest oil victory in history’ Donald Trump suggested Venezuela would become the 51st state of the United States on Tuesday as the president showed off a tanker he claimed had “one million barrels of oil on it” from the country, nine months after deposing its president. At a campaign rally in Corpus Christ, Texa…

Exit polls indicate opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot will have to work with Arab-Israeli leaders to have a hope of governing Israeli elections: live updates The big gains made by Palestinian parties in Israel’s general election pose an urgent and fundamental challenge to the country’s mainstream opposition: either cooperate with Arab Israelis or hand Benjamin Netanyahu a roadmap to political survi…