The Guardian

‘Nepotism and bias’ rife in England and Wales police leadership, report finds

Inquiry co-chaired by David Blunkett uncovers loss of focus on fighting crime, plus low standards and need for reformPolice leadership in England and Wales is plagued by “nepotism and bias” and too many chiefs have lost focus on fighting crime, a government-backed report has found.The inquiry, co-chaired by former home secretary David Blunkett, found a reset was needed at all levels, with scores of top officers facing misconduct inquiries. Continue reading...

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

Ministers to crack down on political donations as Farage faces calls for second inquiry

Measures to be announced to make funding more transparent amid new revelations about Reform UK leaderMinisters will launch a crackdown on large political donations on Monday, as Nigel Farage faces a possible second investigation into gifts he received from a convicted fraudster before becoming an MP.The government will announce a series of measures to make political funding more transparent, including restrictions on donations from foreign-based benefactors. Continue reading...

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

Making public transport fully accessible ‘could boost UK economy by £176bn’

Report says current network of buses, trains and stations effectively locks 2.8m people out of workforceInvesting in the UK transport network to make it fully accessible to disabled passengers could boost the economy by £176bn by helping millions more people into work, according to a report.Making the economic case for an inclusive transport network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) said the current system was inaccessible to almost a quarter of the working-age population. Contin

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

Minister calls on Burnham to show path to 3.5% target on UK defence spending

Dan Jarvis, who wants to stay on as defence secretary, says he is confident PM-in-waiting values national securityThe new defence secretary, Dan Jarvis, has called on Andy Burnham to increase defence spending dramatically from 2030 and “evidence the trajectory” towards a Nato target that would mean £25bn a year more for the military by the middle of the next decade.The former paratrooper said he was confident that the prime minister-in-waiting valued national security, as he openly lobbied him f

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

Mobile internet coverage in UK worse than any EU or G7 country, Which? says

Analysis finds services cheaper but country ranks 57th in network performance and 70th for download speedsBritish holidaymakers watching online videos while they sit on a European beach this summer are likely to be pleasantly surprised: the signal should be better than at home.Mobile coverage in the UK is worse than in any of the 27 EU member countries, and every other member of the G7 group of large economies, according to analysis by consumer group Which? of data from Opensignal. Continue read

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

Anthony Albanese apologises ‘unequivocally’ for podcast comment about Kylie Minogue

Prime minister picked pop singer in game of ‘shag, marry, date’ on comedy podcastAnthony Albanese has apologised “unequivocally” for his comments while playing a “shag, marry, date” game on a comedy podcast when he nominated Kylie Minogue for all three categories.The prime minister issued a statement on Monday morning after receiving criticism at the weekend for his appearance on the Bush Deep podcast with the comedian Nikki Osborne. Continue reading...

general  Jul 5, 2026

BBC World

A global hub for fake luxury goods, Vietnam cracks down on its black market

The Trump administration wants Vietnam to stamp out its booming counterfeit industry. Locals are divided.

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

Rodríguez defends Venezuela’s emergency earthquake response as number of bodies expected to soar

Many Venezuelans have accused the government of an inadequate response to the 24 June disasterVenezuela’s interim president has defended her country’s emergency response to the twin earthquakes which have killed more than 3,000 people, vowing the country would not descend into social unrest.Many Venezuelans have expressed anger at what they see as the US-backed government’s inadequate response to the 24 June disaster before international teams arrived. Continue reading...

general  Jul 5, 2026

NY Times World

Israel’s Government Threatens to Ignore a Top Court Ruling

A resolution by the country’s cabinet escalated a long-running conflict between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s judiciary. A senior government official later walked that back.

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow ends US Senate primary campaign

Lawmaker’s exit gives voters choice between progressive Abdul El-Sayed and centrist Haley Stevens in must-win seatMallory McMorrow, a Michigan Democrat, has dropped out of a contentious US Senate primary campaign, setting up a straight fight between the party’s progressive and establishment wings – represented by Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, and Haley Stevens, a congresswoman.McMorrow’s retreat marks the end of a center-left bid to hold the seat being vacated this year by the

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

Skydiver dies after incident near Nottinghamshire airfield

Body of woman, 22, found in field in proximity of Langar airfield, where popular civilian skydiving centre operatesA 22-year-old skydiver has died after a skydiving incident near a Nottinghamshire airfield, police have confirmed.Emergency services were called to Langar airfield, a former RAF base, at 12.13pm on Sunday and the woman was found in a nearby field, where she was pronounced dead at the scene, a police spokesperson said. Continue reading...

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

Australia news live: Crisafulli promises harsher youth bail laws; auction clearances below 50% again

Queensland premier vows to imprison more youth offenders at party state conference. Follow today’s news liveQueensland premier unveils new youth crime slogan: Breach Bail Go to JailDavid Crisafulli has vowed to imprison more youth offenders.We’re heading in the right direction and we’ve heard from Queenslanders who are telling us to keep going, and we will with reforms to Labor’s weak bail laws.This is a further step to make already harsh bail laws harsher. Continue reading...

general  Jul 5, 2026

NY Times World

Can Iran Keep Its Edge?

Closing the Strait of Hormuz was a huge source of leverage during the war. But playing the same card over and over is risky.

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

Florida Republican says deporting Haitians with TPS would be ‘huge mistake’

‘Haiti is a failed state’, says Carlos Giménez, congressman and Miami Cuban exile, after controversial court rulingCarlos Giménez, a Republican congressman from Florida, broke with the Trump administration on Sunday, calling on the White House to reconsider its push to eliminate temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitian migrants.Returning some 350,000 Haitians to their chaotic, dangerous homeland following the US supreme court’s ruling that the Trump administration can cut off temporary legal

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

AI poses ‘Hiroshima’-style threat to humanity without global rules, says Cooper

Exclusive: Foreign secretary warns of combined risks of AI, climate crisis, irregular migration and foreign interferenceArtificial intelligence poses a “Hiroshima”-style risk to humanity if governments do not agree to curb how it is developed, the foreign secretary has warned.Yvette Cooper urged countries, including the US and China, to agree international rules for AI, telling the Guardian she believes the issue will dominate foreign policy over the next two years. Continue reading...

general  Jul 5, 2026

The Guardian

At least 25 people die in US as record heatwave scorches swaths of country

More than 20 states reported temperatures above 100F as heat dome sits over eastern US during holiday weekendAt least about two dozen people have died amid the perilous climate crisis-driven heatwave that has scorched swaths of the US with record temperatures.As a huge heat dome sits over the county’s eastern half, extreme heat gripped millions of people in the days leading up to the US’s semiquincentennial on Saturday – and beyond it. More than 20 states experienced have reported stifling tempe

general  Jul 5, 2026

NY Times World

The Main Attraction at Africa’s Most Lucrative Horse Race? Black Wealth.

In South Africa, where the Black majority was excluded from the economy for generations, the annual Durban July event is a chance to celebrate luxury and high society.

general  Jul 5, 2026

WSJ World News

Opinion | Why Venezuela Turned Rescue Teams Away

The state of La Guaira is ground zero for drug trafficking and money laundering

general  Jul 5, 2026

WSJ World News

Opinion | Telling Time Is a Complicated Business

To stay in sync, we rely on an intricate and fragile system.

general  Jul 5, 2026

WSJ World News

Opinion | A New Path for NATO and Israel

Both alliances need reform to undo the damage Trump has done and prepare to face coming challenges.

general  Jul 5, 2026