Category: Politics

Downing Street brushes off claims that the chancellor misled voters about the state of the public finances ahead of the budget The Office for Budget Responsibility has said that Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, was not at risk of breaking her fiscal rules because of its productivity forecast downgrade. In a highly unusual move, Richard Hughes,…

Firefighters comb through high-rises with as many as 200 people still missing, officials announce Anger swelling in Hong Kong over deadliest fire in more than 70 years How the Hong Kong fire unfolded – visual guide The death toll from the Hong Kong apartment complex fire that began on Wednesday has risen to 128 with…

Benedict Bryant convicted of dangerous driving occasioning death after placing police car in path of 16-year-old’s trail bike in 2022 Warning: this article contains the name of an Indigenous Australian who has died A police sergeant who was told not to pursue a teenager riding a trail bike has been told he caused the death…

Storms to return after week of battering. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Centre for Public Integrity says government’s $560m grant scheme ripe for ‘pork barrelling’ The Centre for Public Integrity has raised concerns that a $560m invitation-only grant program established by the Albanese government is…

PM says: ‘We kept to our manifesto in terms of what we’ve promised. But I accept the challenge that we’ve asked everybody to contribute’ Ask the Guardian your budget questions Share your views on the new ‘mansion tax’ Budget calculator: find out if you are better or worse off The Conservative party is attacking the…

Three men arrested as 26 rescue teams on site at Wang Fuk Court residential apartment complex in Tai Po district. Follow the latest updates live Report: death toll rises as hundreds reported missing What we know so far about the blaze Bamboo scaffolding may be to blame for spread of fire A visual guide to…

Anthony Albanese announces Greens have agreed to support Labor’s rewrite of the EPBC Act. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast ‘We are very close’ on environment bill, Hanson-Young says Hanson-Young says she’s feeling more positive about a deal on the environment bill than she was at…

Damaging events could knock finances off course, says Treasury’s independent forecaster as it downgrades growth outlook Reeves says budget will cut living costs after shock OBR leak Budget 2025: key points at a glance The Treasury’s independent forecaster has warned that Rachel Reeves’s tax-raising budget will still leave the public finances in a “vulnerable” position…

Office for Budget Responsibility blames ‘technical error’ after forecasts were published before chancellor gave her statement At a glance: the key points from the budget Paul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, has rejected the concerns raised by the Resolution Foundation (see 9.54am) about the rise in the minimum wage rates. Asked about the thinktank’s comments,…

Greens expected to sign on to 11th-hour compromise after Labor offers new concessions Anthony Albanese is yet to land a deal to rewrite federal nature laws ahead of parliament’s final sitting day of the year, leaving the long-promised reforms at risk of collapse for the second time in 12 months. But political, industry and environment…