London’s population dropped for the first time since the 80s, excluding brief exodus in the pandemic - a sign people are being priced out of UK capital

Legislators also supported a law declaring a temporary state of crisis in the fuel sector that cuts excise duties on diesel

London’s population dropped for the first time since the 80s, excluding brief exodus in the pandemic - a sign people are being priced out of UK capital

Legislators also supported a law declaring a temporary state of crisis in the fuel sector that cuts excise duties on diesel

Gale-force winds have whipped up the flames prompting the evacuation of several villages, in the latest summer wildfire in Southern Europe.

Spain and France have so far borne the burnt of this summer's wildfires, caused by a succession of heatwaves and prolonged dry spells.

LONDON — The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in its ornate King Charles II Street HQ, is bracing for a shift of priorities under Ed Miliband. The new foreign secretary has embraced his post with vigor — a contrast to the more restrained style of his predecessor Yvette Cooper, who has moved to the health brief. Miliband, a former Labour leader, has made clear that he sees the development side of the brief – and his focus on climate change – as key aspects of the job. According to one person familiar with his accession talks with Andy Burnham, granted anonymity to speak freely, Miliband extracted a promise from the incoming prime minister that he would be able to pursue his determination to address the damage being done by climate change in his new job — and also foreground international development. That’s a topic sidelined by recent governments keen to cut spending to prioritize security and defense. Miliband underlined this new focus by heading straight to Paris and Madrid for informal talks with French and Spanish counterparts Jean-Noël Barrot and José Manuel Albares this week — visiting the two countries at the heart of Europe’s wildfire disasters. At a party hosted by the left-leaning IPPR think tank on Wednesday, Miliband told guests he wants climate and the environment to have a much higher profile in the role. He also added, pointedly:  “I am a politician not a chief diplomat.” It’s a sign he intends to conduct himself with a punchy style and pursue some distinct causes. On that score, he has been seeking advice from a senior figure across the political aisle — Ed Llewelyn, a former key advisor to ex-Prime Minister David Cameron and previous head of the Foreign Office with extensive diplomatic experience, latterly as U.K. ambassador to Rome. Miliband has indicated he might also soon meet Cameron himself for counsel on how to “hit the ground running,” as a person familiar with the background conversations told POLITICO. The pair used to clash furiously in the House of Commons when Miliband was opposition leader, but Cameron had a second act as foreign secretary in the dying days of Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government. In his comments at the IPPR, Miliband also reflected on what his grandfather, a Russian emigre to Poland, would have made of having “not one but two of his grandsons as British foreign secretary — I don’t think he would have believed it!” His brother David, who held the role from 2007-2010, also held background talks with Andy Burnham on a prospective return from New York, where he has been president of the International Rescue Committee since 2013. But it was Ed who seized the crown this time. Brexit shift The other main shift in U.K. power play is the return of the post-Brexit U.K.-EU reconnection to the Foreign Office’s ambit. Miliband has accepted an invitation to attend the EU’s informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers in September, POLITICO London Playbook reported Wednesday. Hamish Falconer arrives at Downing Street in London on July 20, 2026. | Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images “Britain’s national economic and security interests are served by having a stronger relationship with our European allies,” Miliband said in a statement. “As foreign secretary, I will drive this agenda into the heart of our foreign policy — because that is how we defend Britain’s interests and values.” The outward sign of that is the appointment of Hamish Falconer as Europe minister and simultaneously minister for inter-governmental relations in the U.K. He will attend Cabinet.  It’s a move that restores a linkage between the U.K.’s influential diplomatic service and Brexit negotiations, which frayed under previous arrangements. EU relations had been run out of the Cabinet Office — the government department tasked with supporting the prime minister. In a speech at the same think-tank gathering last night, Falconer linked the task of European reconnection with Burnham’s determination to bring big-picture policy changes closer to Britons and their day-to-day concerns. An experienced national security diplomat who worked on hostage releases in Afghanistan and on Gaza as a junior minister under Ker Starmer, Falconer is new to the Brussels-London beat.  But, to prepare for dealing with European tensions, Falconer has been reading the historian Brendan Sims’s study of shifting geopolitics over more than five centuries, “Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy, 1453 to the Present.” He’ll have his work cut out.  The U.K. and EU were due to hold a summit on 22 July to conclude negotiations on new trade and cooperation deals covering agri-foods, emissions and youth visas — but the meeting was postponed due to Keir Starmer’s resignation. The gathering was also expected to be used as a springboard to announce further cooperation and rebooting the Brexit settlement. New prime minister Andy Burnham has said he wants the meeting rescheduled for this year, though no date has yet been set. Hear more on Ed Miliband’s Foreign Office reset on the Politics at Sam and Anne’s podcast.

PARIS — French authorities have moved to expel from the country Xenia Fedorova, a Russian media star who has courted controversy for her pro-Kremlin narrative. Fedorova, the former head of the Kremlin-backed RT France news outlet, was handed an expulsion order by the Paris Prefecture of Police, which handles immigration matters for foreigners living in the French capital, according to a report by French newspaper Libération published Wednesday that was confirmed by POLITICO. “By spreading her narratives, [Xenia Fedorova] acts as a conduit for disinformation campaigns led by Russian authorities,” with the aim of “destabilizing public order” in France, reads the document, seen by Libération. It also accuses Fedorova of “contribut[ing] to the spread of disinformation and destabilization” in order to manipulate public opinion. The French Ministry of the Interior told POLITICO the order to remove her from the country was signed on Tuesday. Xenia Fedorova did not immediately reply to a request for comment, but her lawyer told Agence France-Presse she would challenge the decision. Fedorova headed RT France before it was shut down due to EU sanctions in 2023. She has since become a fixture on the CNews television channel, Europe 1 radio station and Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper — all owned by conservative French billionaire Vincent Bolloré. As POLITICO previously reported, the TV star’s commentary echoing Moscow talking points on Ukraine, NATO and European security was raising concerns among lawmakers and Russian propaganda experts for months, especially ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election. Le Monde also reported Fedorova has allegedly grown very close to Bolloré, a powerful figure who has been leveraging his media empire to try and influence French politics. In her coverage on Bolloré’s platforms, Fedorova has often accused French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO of warmongering, presenting Russia as a peaceful country looking to end the war in Ukraine. She also regularly criticizes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and depicts the country as corrupt and incapable of winning the war. In Brussels, some members of the European Parliament have been unsuccessfully lobbying for Fedorova to be included in the EU’s Russian sanctions packages, while several lawmakers in Paris have pushed for her residence permit to be revoked. Fedorova is now under house arrest and banned from working on French soil. However, according to Libération, the lack of diplomatic ties between Paris and Moscow will make it difficult to actually deport her back to Russia. Anthony Lattier contributed to this report.

Footage captured by a firefighter filming with his smart glasses shows his colleagues battling the blaze in the village of Le Las, in France's Gironde department, on July 27, 2026. 

The US and Saudi Arabia jointly struck Iran-backed militias on July 29 in a move that widens the conflict in the Middle East. This comes a day after the US president met with the Israeli prime minister for the first time since they started their military campaign on Iran. As the midterm elections comes closer, Donald Trump is looking to take decisive action in the conflict. FRANCE 24's Angela Diffley tells us more.

Sepp Blatter, FIFA chief for 17 years until 2015, has blasted new proposal that moves 'people's game' further from fans.

US president promises major escalation a day after new Iran attacks and his White House meeting with Netanyahu.

Washington says Tehran launched ballistic missiles at US military installations in the Middle East

Iran also fired ballistic missiles at US forces in Jordan, ending a days-long pause in direct air strikes

The artist, whose real name was Vincent Belorgey, was best known for his 2010 hit “Nightcall,” which was featured in the film “Drive,” and performed at the Paris Olympics.

The case against Pavel Durov reflected an ongoing fight over one of the world’s most popular messaging and media apps, which is widely used in the country.