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Pakistan tells Miliband: We’re not taking back Rochdale grooming gang leader, during first meet
Pakistan has refused Britain’s request to accept Shabir Ahmed, described as the leader of the Rochdale grooming gang, despite efforts by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to secure his deportation. The refusal leaves the Government facing continued legal and practical obstacles in removing Ahmed, who has been stripped of British citizenship but remains protected from deportation…
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Andy Burnham to abstain on assisted dying Bill ahead of Commons vote
Andy Burnham says he will abstain from the next Commons vote on the assisted dying Bill, arguing that the Prime Minister should not influence what is intended to be a free vote for MPs. The move maintains the Government’s neutral position on whether the law should change. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill…
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Division, drama and power – what next for Infantino and Uefa?
Uefa has escalated its dispute with Fifa president Gianni Infantino by seeking US court access to documents that could support potential legal action in Switzerland over Fifa’s abandoned private-investment plan. Its lawyers accuse Infantino of criminal mismanagement, secrecy and selling stakes in competitions at an unfairly low valuation, while Fifa and Infantino have not responded…
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US government snitch-finder pleads guilty to leaking state secrets to foreign spies
Former Defence Intelligence Agency IT specialist Nathan Vilas Laatsch has pleaded guilty to attempting to provide classified US intelligence to what court documents described as a “friendly foreign government”, after an FBI undercover operation. The case is particularly notable because Laatsch had been assigned to the DIA’s Insider Threat Division, which is responsible for identifying…
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Top Burnham minister defends sending her children to private school saying it doesn’t make her any less Labour
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has defended her decision to send her three children to private schools, arguing that parents may reasonably choose them for quality, special educational needs, sport or arts provision. Her comments matter because she has also supported Labour’s policy of applying VAT to private-school fees, which critics say has increased costs for…
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Scott Brown on Ruthless: Sophie Cunningham has the guts to challenge men competing in women’s sports
Former US senator and New Hampshire Senate candidate Scott Brown praised Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham on the Ruthless Podcast for opposing the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sport. The interview links a cultural issue to Brown’s Senate campaign, as he argued that sports bodies such as the WNBA risk losing support over their…
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Bigmouth strums again: was Andy Burnham’s Smiths jam in Kyiv the perfect soundtrack to a Britain in freefall?
The article reflects on Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s longstanding enthusiasm for the Smiths, highlighted by his guitar performance of Rusholme Ruffians in Kyiv. It argues that the band’s bleak yet lively portrayal of national decline, injustice and alienation makes the moment symbolically resonant amid Britain’s current political and social difficulties. Burnham’s fandom is presented as…
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Who’s Afraid of Film Festivals? After Politics Rattled Berlin and Shook Up Cannes, Venice Braces for Impact
Political controversy has already disrupted this year’s major European film festivals, with disputes over Israel and Palestine, Russia, right-wing media influence and artificial intelligence prompting withdrawals, petitions and public criticism. Venice is expected to face similar pressure as it presents a deliberately political programme amid ongoing wars and wider concerns about censorship, democracy and shrinking…
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Unsafe at any speed: AI optimists are turning cautious as safety concerns mount
The article argues that several prominent AI advocates are becoming more candid about the technology’s safety risks, despite continuing to promote its potential benefits. It says these concerns matter because increasingly capable AI systems, particularly autonomous agents, could amplify harms including fraud, misinformation, privacy breaches and biological threats. OpenAI’s Sam Altman said model capabilities were…
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Trump insists Putin WON’T attack a NATO territory and says he’s ‘had good talks with him’
Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin would not attack NATO territory, citing what he described as good talks with the Russian leader. His comments seek to reassure allies amid reports that the CIA had warned Moscow against testing the alliance, while Russia and an unnamed EU official also dismissed an imminent threat. The reports followed CIA…