The Guardian

Retail analysts say breaking up food and fashion group would make sense in challenging business environment Primark may break free from Kingsmill, Twinings and the sugar business this week when Associated British Foods announces plans on a mooted demerger. The potential split comes at a tricky time for the group controlled by the billionaire Weston family, with its fashion and food arms facing to…

Federal prosecutor says woman is suspected of dealing weapons to Africa on behalf of Iranian government A California woman was arrested at Los Angeles international airport after allegedly trafficking weapons on behalf of the Iranian government to contacts in Africa, including Sudan. Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills was detained on Saturday night by federal agents, according to the top federal …

ACT independent David Pocock is calling for a 25% tax on gas exports to fund welfare and housing. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Labor should use the proceeds of limiting tax concessions for property investors and a crackdown on gas export profits to fund welfare increases and build housing, charities and social service groups say. Ahead of n…

Trump says cargo ship tried to get past US naval blockade near strait of Hormuz ‘and it did not go well for them’ The US military took custody of an Iranian -flagged container ship that attempted to get past an American blockade near the strait of Hormuz, Donald Trump announced on Sunday. In a social media post , Trump said that an “Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA” tried to get past the U…

Exclusive: deputy PM says UK will not join Iran conflict despite Trump’s sometimes ‘incomprehensible’ social-media barbs Donald Trump’s insults towards Keir Starmer are “small and petty” and designed to put pressure on the prime minister to change his position on Iran, David Lammy has said, as he insisted the UK would not get dragged into the conflict. The deputy prime minister argued the US pres…

Senior government figures fear decision to appoint former ambassador to US could cost PM his leadership Keir Starmer will deliver a high-stakes statement to MPs on Monday as he struggles to overcome fears inside his government that the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal could yet cost him his leadership. In what is set to be a dramatic showdown, the prime minister will set out how Mandelson was able…

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a long supporter of Trump, says president’s feud with the pope is a ‘distraction’ A Republican lawmaker has condemned what he refers to as Donald Trump’s “holy war” against Pope Leo XIV. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, a long supporter of Trump and the ultraconservative Maga movement, condemned the president’s attacks on the pope during a Fox News interview o…

US president’s unreliable style sows diplomatic confusion but leaves Tehran clear on strategic value of strait of Hormuz Donald Trump’s decision to send US officials to Islamabad for further talks on Monday with Iran just 24 hours after Iran once again closed the strait of Hormuz will signal to Tehran that the strategic waterway remains a bargaining asset beyond parallel. It will also confirm in …

Ahead of a showdown with MPs, prime minister looks like a man who is not really in control Keir Starmer has spent much of the last 24 hours working on a plan for what senior government figures are already describing as his “judgment day”: his showdown with MPs on Monday over the latest Peter Mandelson revelations . That the prime minister was apparently not told of Mandelson’s vetting failure has…

Take Back Power, which targets the super-rich, says seven members were arrested at a training session Seven people from an activist group calling for higher taxes on the super-rich have been arrested by police on suspicion of conspiracy to steal. Police confirmed that six women and one man were detained in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Sunday over what they said was a coordinated plan to steal …

Unclear whether Iran will take part in talks as US president repeats threat to destroy Iranian infrastructure Middle East crisis – live updates Donald Trump’s representatives will return to Pakistan on Monday for another possible round of talks aimed at ending the US-Israeli war in Iran, as the US president repeated his threats to Iranian infrastructure unless Iran agrees to a deal. The return of…

Suspect was fatally shot, according to Shreveport police, who say victims included children ranging from 18 months to 14 years Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox At least eight people are dead and others are wounded after a mass murder reported in the Louisiana city of Shreveport, according to local police . Police said that among the victims were childr…

Chris Wright says ‘I don’t know’ when asked about lower cost of gas as average price soars to $4 a gallon in US Chris Wright, the Trump administration ’s energy secretary, acknowledged Sunday that it might not be until 2027 before US gas prices come back under $3 a gallon. Asked by Jake Tapper, the CNN State of the Union host, when he thought “it’s realistic for Americans to expect the gas will g…

The government has defended its response, citing the upcoming royal commission and work done by the Islamophobia and antisemitism special envoys Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Federal Labor has been accused of dragging its feet on a plan to combat systemic racism in Australia, nearly 18 months after it received recommendations from the human rights commission. New do…

Former US president and New York mayor read to a group of children and led a sing-along at a Bronx childcare center Barack Obama met with Zohran Mamdani for the first time on Saturday at a childcare center where the former Democratic US president and mayor of New York City read to preschoolers and led a sing-along. The meeting comes as Mamdani, a democratic socialist who marked his 100th day in o…