The Guardian

Refusal to kowtow to US president has won public backing – and left Badenoch and Farage playing catch-up It is not often that Keir Starmer’s allies believe he has Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch on the run – but on Iran, they think he is on the right side of history and public opinion. “It could be the making of him,” said Emily Thornberry, the Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee, who wa…

Treasury minister Spencer Livermore trails new strategy as chancellor pins hopes on benefits of AI amid global uncertainty The NHS and Ministry of Defence will be urged to buy British tech, as the government pins its hopes on the benefits of artificial intelligence to kickstart growth in the face of the Iran crisis, Treasury minister Spencer Livermore has said. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will…

Exclusive: Guardian investigation finds data from flagship medical research leaked dozens of times Confidential health data has been exposed online on dozens of occasions, a Guardian investigation can reveal, raising questions about the safeguarding of patient records by one of the UK’s flagship medical research projects. UK Biobank, which holds the medical records of 500,000 British volunteers, …

Datacentre investment boom is one of the biggest infrastructure gambles of this era, and Britain may be uniquely exposed Stargate was to be the world’s biggest AI investment: a $500bn infrastructure project to “secure American leadership in AI”. Never shy of hyperbole, its key backer, the ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, promised “massive economic benefit for the entire world” with facilities to help people…

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Iran’s is trying to create wedges between Gulf states and the US, but Trump is very comfortable on the ‘escalatory ladder’ In its current phase, the Israeli-US war against Iran and its proxies has become a proving ground for two competing concepts of military escalation, each of which threatens to become a trap. On one side, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have failed thus far in their ill-de…

Exclusive: Lough Neagh, which supplies drinking water for 40% of NI, contains genes resistant to last-resort antibiotics Genes capable of creating antibiotic-resistant superbugs have been detected in the UK’s largest lake, which supplies drinking water to about 40% of Northern Ireland. Testing of water from Lough Neagh, which has a surface area 26 times bigger than Windermere, found genes resista…

Former spy chief says recommendations regarding intelligence agencies shouldn’t wait for royal commission’s final report Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Improvements to public safety and intelligence in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack “cannot wait until December”, former spy chief Dennis Richardson has said just days after he sensationally quit the antisemitism…

Sources tell Reuters layoffs could affect 20% or more of company as plans reflect broader tensions within big tech Meta is planning sweeping layoffs that could affect 20% or more of the company, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Meta seeks to offset costly artificial intelligence infrastructure bets and prepare for greater efficiency brought about by AI-assisted workers. No …

Commuters on Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat and Seymour lines will be first to test tap-and-go technology Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Melbourne is finally poised to join other Australian cities in the tap-and-go era, with the state government confirming public trials for contactless credit and debit card payments will launch for suburban rail commuters on Monday. …

President says forces ‘obliterated’ military targets on Kharg Island and warned its oil infrastructure could be next Middle East crisis – live updates Donald Trump said Friday that US forces have “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island and warned that the oil infrastructure there could be next. “For reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Isla…

President thanks Grenell for ‘outstanding work’ and says Matt Floca, vice-president of operations, will take over Donald Trump has announced that Ric Grenell, the longtime Republican foreign policy adviser who oversaw far-reaching changes at the Kennedy Center, which prompted many artists to abandon the performing arts venue, will be replaced by Matt Floca, vice-president of operations at the cen…

Trade body attends meeting with Rachel Reeves, hours after saying it was pulling out over suggestions of price gouging • Watchdog puts UK fuel retailers ‘on notice’ over profiteering from Iran war The trade body for the UK’s petrol station industry has got into a row with the government after claiming the “inflammatory language” used by ministers to describe rising pump prices may have incited ab…

Bolivian interior ministry says Sebastián Marset is being extradited to US, where he’s wanted for money laundering Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Sebastián Marset, an alleged Uruguayan drug trafficker and one of South America’s most wanted criminals, has been arrested in Bolivia. Marset, 34, is accused of trafficking tonnes of cocaine from South Amer…

White House contends with reality of shoddy preparations for war and unclear conditions for victory Middle East crisis – live updates Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email As US and Israeli jets descended to deliver the opening salvos of the war in Iran, Donald Trump ’s back-of-the-envelope plan for regime change in Tehran was about to run into the reality of the largest US interventi…