Minister and maritime boss accused of misleading MPs over plan to stop coastguard officers’ pay 02. July 2026 (16:56) Keir Mather and Virginia McVea’s claims follow decision by Maritime and Coastguard Agency to reject worker status of coastguard rescue officersA government minister and a senior official have been accused of misleading MPs over their plans to strip coastguard officers of their hourly pay.Keir Mather, the maritime minister, was said to have made false claims on Wednesday, while Virginia McVea, the chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), was accused of having done so during a meeting with MPs a week earlier. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Brutal heatwave scorches eastern US ahead of Fourth of July weekend 02. July 2026 (16:34) National Weather Service warns heat index could reach 115F (46.1C) as heat grips midwest, Ohio valley and east coastSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA “prolonged, dangerous heatwave” is expected to intensify across parts of the central and eastern United States over the next few days and into the holiday weekend, bringing record-breaking temperatures, humidity, and dangerous conditions to millions of Americans.The National Weather Service (NWS) warned on Thursday that temperatures between 95F (35C) and 105F (40.5C), combined with high humidity, will push heat index values across parts of the region to between 100F (37.7C) and 115F (46.1C). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
German prosecutors accuse Kyiv of ordering 2022 Nord Stream sabotage 02. July 2026 (16:15) Indictment against alleged leader of gas pipeline attack claims former Ukrainian army officer was directed by stateGerman prosecutors have accused Ukrainian “state authorities” of ordering the 2022 explosives attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia with Europe, a charge likely to ignite tensions between Kyiv and Berlin, its biggest military backer.The sabotage in the Baltic Sea by a team of assailants almost entirely destroyed the seafloor infrastructure of the key source of Russian gas to Germany. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least nine monks killed in Thailand after boy drives truck into procession 02. July 2026 (15:10) Charges yet to be filed over incident in Mukdahan involving 11-year-old, as police seek to establish circumstancesAn 11-year-old boy has driven his parents’ truck into a Buddhist procession in Thailand, killing at least nine monks.CCTV footage shared by a local rescue group showed the moment the monks, wearing orange robes, were run over as they walked in procession along a road. The timestamp on the footage was shortly before 11am local time on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Stain on our history’: Starmer issues government apology over forced adoption scandal – UK politics live 02. July 2026 (15:04) Between 1949 and 1976, an estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers and placed for adoption in England and WalesStarmer said what happened to the mothers, and their children, should never have happened. He said:What happened to them, and to tens of thousands of mothers, children, and families, should never have happened. It is a stain on our history.Mothers, many young, vulnerable, and without support were coerced, bullied, or misled into feeling that they had no choice but to have their children taken away from them. What a thing to do.I have to confess, as I said to them this morning, I found it hard to read the testimonies and to hear their stories.I find it particularly hard, as a dad. How much harder it must have been for them to go through that, to set out their testimonies and tell their stories over and over again. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ministers call for better tracking of teenagers at risk of dropping out of work or training in England 02. July 2026 (15:02) Councils and schools urged to do more as figures show there is no information on whereabouts of 32,100 ‘Neets’Business live – latest updatesThe government has urged councils and schools in England to drastically improve the way they identify young people at risk of dropping out of training and work, as it admitted thousands are unaccounted for.Publishing official figures on Thursday, the government said councils had no information on the whereabouts of 32,100 young people aged 16 to 17 who were not in education, employment or training (Neet). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
FDA issues most serious recall alert for potato chip brands over salmonella risk 02. July 2026 (15:00) An estimated 650,000 bags of potato chips are affected as US agency upgraded recall of several popular brandsThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has upgraded a recall of several popular brands of potato chips to its most serious level because of the risk of salmonella contamination.Manufacturer Utz issued a voluntary recall in May for varieties of its Zapp’s and Dirty potato chips products, citing the possible presence of salmonella in dry milk powder sourced from a third party used to make a seasoning ingredient. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Riot of colour’: Gillian Ayres show in Devon just the tonic for gloomy times 02. July 2026 (15:00) Plymouth retrospective of artist, who died in 2018, aims to ‘champion and celebrate the power of the imagination’She spoke about indulging in colour, feasting on beauty, feeling a little giddy when drinking in glorious hues and textures – and not searching too deeply for meaning.So in these gloomy times, a major retrospective of the work of the artist Gillian Ayres in her adopted Devon homeland may be just the job. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Anger as report says Trump hijacked US anniversary to serve own agenda – US politics live 02. July 2026 (14:58) Top House Democrat on committee that issued report says president ‘tries to steal the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and turn it into something that’s all about Trump’Full report: Trump hijacked US’s 250 anniversary to serve ‘political ideology and pet projects’Sign up for the Breaking News US emailMy colleague, Gaya Gupta, notes that the latest jobs numbers make it all the more likely that the US Federal Reserve will continue to focus on inflation at its next meeting in late July.Last month, the Fed’s new chair, Kevin Warsh, emphasized “price stability” in his first press conference since taking office and said the central bank will continue to pursue its longstanding goal of a 2% inflation rate. But this week, he told a conference of central bankers that “inflation risks have come down”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Birth tourism’ in Trump administration’s sights after supreme court setback | First Thing 02. July 2026 (14:47) Federal prosecutors to focus on issue despite court backing constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship. Plus: Greek priest whose metal music has become cult smashGood morning.The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, has said federal prosecutors and law enforcement officers will focus on combating so-called “birth tourism” – which involves tourists, temporary visitors, or undocumented immigrants traveling to the US primarily to give birth and and secure birthright citizenship for their children.What did Blanche say? “There’s other things … the federal government can do in the visa process, and the application process, to try to minimize or limit the opportunity of folks coming here not to visit, and not to do what they’re saying they’re doing on the tourist visa, but just to have a baby that can then be a US citizen. What we have to do as Department of Justice is make sure our agents … and the FBI are focused on stopping that.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
