Andy Burnham to spend first working day at new No 10 North in Manchester – UK politics live
PM will chair the inaugural meeting of the national economic council that will aim to shift economic decision-making away from LondonAndy Burnham will hold his first meeting in No 10 North in Manchester today, the new branch of Downing Street in the north-west that the prime minister has described as “the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen”.He will chair the inaugural meeting of the national economic council [NEC], a cabinet committee first launched in 2008 by Gordon Brown in res...
Jacob Rees-Mogg confirms political return after Nigel Farage's bid to lure him to Reform UK
Jacob Rees-Mogg has confirmed his return to frontline politics after lodging a bid to be listed as a Conservative candidate. The GB News host revealed live on air that he was seeking approval to stand, his first move back into the area since losing his seat in 2024. “I've sent in my application to go back on the list this week,” Jacob revealed when pressed on the issue by Christopher Hope.“We'll see whether I get purged later,” he joked, in reference to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s drive to ensur...
Smithsonian pushed ‘revolting’ social action training after ‘whiteness’ chart apology: expert
6401931057112Smithsonian staff played a pivotal role in developing what one expert referred to as a "revolting" DEI training guide despite the taxpayer-funded institution previously walking back and apologizing for a similar chart on "whiteness," a series of House hearings this week revealed.Mike Gonzalez, a DEI and identity politics expert at the Heritage Foundation, testified that years after the Smithsonian apologized for its controversial "whiteness" chart, the National Museum of American Hi...
Oil prices surge as Congress splits on Iran war votes: From the Politics Desk
In today’s edition, we examine how the escalating Iran war is playing out in the oil markets and the halls of the Capitol. Plus, Scott Wong and Matt Dixon have a profile of the little-known new senator from South Carolina.
Truth about Joe Biden's dog: Major vanished after biting Secret Service. His fate 'on the farm' was kept hidden... until now
Truth about Joe Biden's dog: Major vanished after biting Secret Service. His fate 'on the farm' was kept hidden... until nowSign up for our DC Insider newsletterBy NICK ALLEN, US NEWS EDITOR (POLITICS) Published: 21:04, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 21:05, 23 July 2026 e-mail View comments
New Zealand names new ferry after Captain Cook and tells 'snivelling wokesters' that 'a mature country does not run from its history'
New Zealand has named a new ferry after Captain Cook and told "snivelling wokesters" that "a mature country does not run from its history." Foreign Minister Winston Peters took aim at critics who view Cook as a "harbinger of colonisation," urging them to develop a deeper understanding of their country's history."A mature country does not run from its history. A serious country does not vandalise its memory to satisfy the latest fashion in whinger politics," he declared before parliament in Welli...
The Hegseth budget: defense secretary’s $1.5tn ask reveals military-industrial chaos
The Pentagon head proposed a 44% increase – to second world war levels – while ‘woke’ programs are guttedUS politics live – latest updatesWhen the ‘“department of government efficiency” was raging unchecked through the federal government in February 2025, the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ordered his subordinates to find cuts of 8% a year for the next five years, theoretically trimming a total of $340m from the Pentagon budget.The disclosure briefly sent Palantir and defense stocks tanking...
The Hegseth budget: defense secretary’s $1.5tn ask reveals military-industrial chaos
The Pentagon head proposed a 44% increase – to second world war levels – while ‘woke’ programs are guttedUS politics live – latest updatesWhen the ‘“department of government efficiency” was raging unchecked through the federal government in February 2025, the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ordered his subordinates to find cuts of 8% a year for the next five years, theoretically trimming a total of $340m from the Pentagon budget.The disclosure briefly sent Palantir and defense stocks tanking...
A Game of Double Standards
Qatar 2022: a World Cup that exposed football’s politics, power struggles, and double standards.
‘I got carried away’: Elon Musk expresses regret about Doge and wading into Trump’s orbit
Billionaire in interview with the Economist admits he was too consumed by politics and shares predictions about AIElon Musk has admitted he became too consumed by politics during his volatile alliance with Donald Trump and his brief appointment as the president’s financial axman, running the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge).The world’s richest person, and briefly its first trillionaire after his SpaceX company floated on the US stock exchange in June, made the confession in...
US House passes war powers resolution directing Trump to withdraw US military from Iran
Resolution, which comes after similar one in June, is largely symbolic, as Trump administration says it’s unconstitutionalUS politics live – latest updatesThe US House of Representatives on Thursday for the second time passed a war powers resolution directing Donald Trump to withdraw the US military from the conflict with Iran, amid renewed fighting in the Middle East that has driven oil prices to their highest levels in weeks.The resolution proposed by Democrat Pramila Jayapal passed by a 214-2...
DAVID MARCUS: In Middle America, socialist politics ages like milk
Erick was here for a conference on transportation technology when I talked to him about his hometown of Denver, and how socialist Congressional candidate Melat Kiros recently won a shocking Democratic primary win over her more moderate rival."I’m a Democrat," Erick told me. "I lean a bit to the Republican side maybe, but these socialists are crazy."In his 40s, having lived for 15 years in England, Erick is socially liberal, but also patriotic. He has concerns about AI and data centers, but also...
Lindsey Graham's rise from family tragedy to political power explored in Fox Nation special
Long before becoming one of the most influential voices in American politics, Lindsey Graham overcame extraordinary personal hardship on a journey that would take him from rural South Carolina to the U.S. Senate."They say Abe Lincoln was our log cabin president. I guess Lindsey was our mobile home senator," Graham's law school roommate Warren Mowry said in the new Fox Nation special, "The Life and Legacy of Lindsey Graham."Through video clips and interviews from colleagues, friends and former ri...
Republicans in Congress Urge Justice Department to Investigate Former Prosecutor Jack Smith
Politics Republicans in Congress Urge Justice Department to Investigate Former Prosecutor Jack Smith July 23, 202610:12 AM ET Carrie Johnson Former US special counsel Jack Smith leaves after testifying before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigations into President Donald Trump, on January 22, 2026. SAUL LOEB/via Getty Images/AFP hide caption toggle caption SAUL LOEB/via Getty Images/AFP House Republicans are urging the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation into form...
Outcry after $1.15tn defense bill passes in the House – US politics live
Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran without first seeking congressional approval has sparked further controversy over the National Defense Authorization ActSign up for the Breaking News US emailHello and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) typically passes in Congress each year with bipartisan margins. But the $1.15tn defense policy bill passed in a near-party-line vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday has lawmakers on both sid...
Burnham offers 20% cut in business rates for pubs, clubs and live music in England – UK politics live
The prime minister said the £100m package would mean the typical pub would save around £1,100 in the next financial yearAndy Burnham said it was time to support vanishing “cherished local spaces” with his business rates reduction.The prime minister wrote on X:I’m giving thousands of pubs, clubs and music venues a 20% cut in business rates.I won’t stand by while these cherished local spaces disappear, replaced by boarded-up windows and ‘For Sale’ signs.For too long, governments have stood by whil...
‘A surprising success’: US, Mexico and Canada fans on hosting the World Cup
The joy, love, hope and fun provided by fans outweighed the commercialism, extortionate prices and ugly politicsThis summer has been so vibrant and full of life. I had my doubts but, as the World Cup approached and Boston got ready to host its first game, I started feeling the excitement and enthusiasm in the air. That mainly had to do with the huge numbers of Scottish fans who arrived for their match against Haiti. They were a delight, what with their shenanigans of putting cones everywhere, wa...
'P*** Espanya': Spain's Ferran Torres WC mural vandalised in Barcelona
A mural honouring Spain's World Cup hero Ferran Torres was vandalised within 24 hours of being unveiled in Barcelona. Created by street artist TVBoy, it was repeatedly defaced with political graffiti, including "volem seleccions catalanes" ("we want Catalan national teams"), before being removed by city authorities. Despite its brief existence, the artwork highlighted the intersection of football, art and Catalan politics.
Vijay fans burst firecrackers inside packed theatre during 'Jana Nayagan' screening
Fans celebrated Vijay's film 'Jana Nayagan' by bursting firecrackers inside a Bengaluru theatre. This unusual celebration drew widespread attention and mixed reactions online from viewers. The incident occurred during the screening of the actor's final film before entering politics. Many moviegoers recorded the moment, which quickly went viral on social media platforms. The event highlighted fan passion and reignited safety discussions within cinema halls.
Jon Stewart presses Mamdani on where he breaks with fellow Democratic socialists on prisons and borders
Talk show host Jon Stewart asked New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani where he disagrees with fellow Democratic socialists who are rising in the Democratic Party during a Wednesday episode of his podcast, "The Weekly Show."Stewart, who has long been a fixture of centrist Democratic Party politics, noted on his show that times have changed, in that "now Democratic socialism is considered the hottest trend in the Democratic Party and there's grassroots energy and all — and these Democratic socialist...