The Conservative shadow cabinet minister looked more cheerful than at any point in the 12 months since the general election. “How did they get into such a mess?”, they asked. “What are they going to do?” The answer was revealed a couple of days laterwhen Keir Starmer and his ministers made a series of emergency concessions on their flagship welfare …

US senators on Saturday were scrambling to open debate on Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget bill, which is key to the president’s second-term agenda. The bill cannot advance to the House until a debate is held and a final vote on the legislation passes the Senate. But Republicans have been divided by the controversial bill, with some rejecting the proposal …

The UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi says Iran likely will be able to begin to produce enriched uranium “in a matter of months”, despite damage to several nuclear facilities from US and Israeli attacks, CBS News said on Saturday. Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear and military sites on 13 June, saying it was aimed at keeping …