Police charge 14-year-old boy over alleged terror plot targeting London mosques 15. July 2026 (21:32) ‘Documents of concern’ found at child’s home in the capital, with no other suspects soughtA 14-year-old boy from south London has been charged with an offence linked to “extreme rightwing terrorism” after a police search uncovered an alleged plot to target two mosques.The boy was arrested on 9 July on suspicion of criminal damage to a vehicle, but officers dispatched to his address found “a number of documents of concern” during a search, according to the Metropolitan police. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Shabana Mahmood expected to be named Andy Burnham’s chancellor 15. July 2026 (20:52) The home secretary is the frontrunner for the role ahead of ‘risky’ Ed Miliband, according to senior Labour figuresShabana Mahmood has emerged as the frontrunner to become Andy Burnham’s chancellor after a fierce briefing war over the prospect of Ed Miliband being appointed to the powerful role.Senior Labour figures with knowledge of Burnham’s thinking told the Guardian they expected the home secretary to be moved to the Treasury amid concerns that Miliband would become a target for criticism of the government. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Germany warns US against election interference after it announces grants scheme 15. July 2026 (20:45) State department says initiative will provide funding to ‘address sovereignty, migration, censorship and lawfare’Friedrich Merz has warned Donald Trump’s administration against interfering in German elections after the US state department announced a scheme to fund Maga-aligned causes in Europe.The German chancellor was responding to a new US initiative offering grants of up to $3m (£2.2m) for European charities, thinktanks and individuals. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jude Bellingham lookalikes compete for a £1,966 Deliveroo voucher 15. July 2026 (20:28) The match-winning England striker is ‘a good ambassador for young people’, says one contestantAll together now, with arms in the air: One Jude Bellingham, there’s only one Jude Bellingham …Unless, that is, you happened to find yourself in Shoreditch, east London, on Wednesday, where a dozen young men who looked vaguely like the England midfielder gathered for a lookalike contest almost as competitive as the one currently continuing in the US. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andy Burnham signals a wealth tax is off the agenda for now 15. July 2026 (20:09) Incoming prime minister says he doesn’t want to ‘create new divisions’ as Mahmood is tipped to be chancellorAndy Burnham has signalled that he will not increase wealth taxes immediately after becoming prime minister, easing concerns among the business community but limiting his economic room for manoeuvre.He said on Wednesday he did not want to “create new divisions” with his tax policy, in comments that allies said were a sign that he did not intend to raise money by taxing wealth. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump rails against New York’s statewide datacenter moratorium 15. July 2026 (20:05) AI-friendly president shared a post saying governor Kathy Hochul should scrap the one-year policy ‘IMMEDIATELY’Donald Trump railed against the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, for pausing the construction of large new datacenters, the resource-intensive facilities that power artificial intelligence.New York became the first US state to enact a moratorium on new datacenters on Tuesday, when Hochul signed an executive order mandating a one-year statewide pause on so-called “hyperscale” datacenters. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Extreme temperature warnings in place as ‘heat dome’ bakes US 15. July 2026 (20:04) Warnings about dangerous, unhealthy air also extended from Minnesota to New York as wildfires rage in TorontoExtreme heat warnings are in place for large swaths of the United States this week, as an unusual weather pattern eclipses record temperature highs.In Billings, Montana, residents experienced a sweltering 111F (43.9C) on Sunday, the hottest day in its history. Salt Lake City in Utah also hit an all-time record high on Sunday at 109F. Boston has seen more 90F days than average, according to NPR station WBUR-FM. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Venezuelan man becomes 22nd person to die in ICE custody this year 15. July 2026 (19:50) Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva, 45, found ‘unresponsive’ while being transferred between detention facilities in GeorgiaAnother person has died in federal immigration custody this week in Georgia, officials announced on Wednesday, His is the 22nd death in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody this year.Jesús Manuel Arenas-Silva, a 45-year-old Venezuelan man, died on Monday morning while being transferred between detention facilities in Georgia. In a press release, ICE said Arenas-Silva was arrested last Thursday and had been detained at the Irwin county detention center, a privately run facility in Georgia. He was being transferred to another ICE facility, the Folkston ICE processing center, when he was found “unresponsive” in a transport bus. ICE said the “suspected” cause of death was cardiac arrest. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Florence Welch’s mother says cuts to arts and humanities ‘absolutely tragic’ 15. July 2026 (19:49) Exclusive: Prof Evelyn Welch, vice-chancellor of Bristol University, believes her daughter’s success shows value of arts educationOne of Britain’s leading university vice-chancellors has described sweeping cuts to arts and humanities across the sector as “absolutely tragic”, citing her famous daughter as an example of the value of a creative arts education.Prof Evelyn Welch, the vice-chancellor of Bristol University and incoming chair of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, is the mother of Florence Welch, the singer-songwriter from Florence + the Machine. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Save the Children clashes with Labour after accusing Starmer of ‘complicity’ in Gaza deaths 15. July 2026 (19:49) Government – which provides significant portion of charity’s funding – is understood to have demanded an explanationThe charity Save the Children has angered the government with a social media post marking Keir Starmer’s impending exit from Downing Street.The organisation suggested on X that the outgoing prime minister was complicit in the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Israel-Gaza war. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
