Three reasons why the UK’s '3% question' on defence spending is important As Andy Burnham makes his first defence announcement on nuclear submarines, the question of whether he'll commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 lingers. @MisraAndrew explains why it matters. Read our latest newsletter: channel4news.substack.com/p/…

What England's local councils tell us about fragmenting politics After Reform’s success in the local elections in May, @MisraAndrew looks at how new councillors are faring across England in this new political landscape. Read our latest newsletter: channel4news.substack.com/p/…

The reason why fracking could still go ahead in England Exclusive data shared with Channel 4 News shows 79 areas where fracking could take place, despite Labour’s pledge of an outright ban, writes @MisraAndrew. Read our latest newsletter: channel4news.substack.com/p/…

Andy Burnham is being tipped as the next prime minister - but do we know what he actually stands for? He won a landslide in the Makerfield constituency byelection - triggering Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as Labour leader. Burnham has been involved in UK politics for decades. His popularity exploded after becoming Mayor of Greater Manchester, where his battles with Boris Johnson’s government over regional Covid lockdowns earned him his ‘King of the North’ title. His byelection victory, coupled with Starmer’s resignation, now opens a potential pathway from MP to PM after Burnham said he would “put myself forward” in the future Labour leadership process. But, while he has a vision to change the UK, it’s still unclear where the outgoing mayor stands on many of the world’s major issues. Watch the full episode of the breakdown on Channel 4 News' YouTube channel.

The 2026 World Cup is set to take place across 16 cities in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Yet, despite an expanded format featuring 48 countries, the run-up to the biggest ever World Cup ever has come with no shortage of problems. There’s soaring match ticket and transport costs, safety concerns around extreme heat, plus the inescapable fact the US is at war with one of the countries competing - Iran. Fifa is under investigation over its sky-rocketing ticket fees, while Donald Trump has been accused by human rights organisations of ‘sportswashing’. Gianni Infantino, Fifa’s President, last month defended the ticket pricing, saying it was reflective of the market rates. In this episode of the breakdown, we speak to The Athletic’s Adam Crafton to explore the controversy behind the buildup to the World Cup - and what there is to look forward to on the pitch.