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Drinking locally made alcohol is common in Nigeria, especially in rural areas where it is more affordable and poorly regulatedAt least 48 people have died and about 100 others are receiving treatment in southern Nigeria after consuming a locally brewed alcoholic concoction suspected to contain methanol, officials said on Thursday.Banji Ajaka, Ondo state's commissioner for health, said the cases had been reported in the Odigbo and Irele local government areas. A total of 182 people are believed to have been affected and some are being treated in the hospital, he said. Continue reading...

Samir Ousman al-Sheikh, part of Bashar al-Assad's regime, was in charge of Adra prison where prisoners were torturedThis article contains descriptions of torture.A US federal court in Los Angeles sentenced a former Syrian government official who ran one of the country's most infamous prisons to 60 years in prison on Thursday - the most significant punishment handed to an official of ousted president Bashar al-Assad's regime by a foreign court and to a defendant present in person. Continue reading...

The president's name was added with bolt-on lettering late last year, but institute officials argue carving it into the stone would cause irreparable harm'

Government spending watchdog warns of price of keeping publicly owned firm in businessLabour has been urged to lay out a credible plan for the future of British Steel, as the government spending watchdog warned of the startling" costs of keeping the struggling manufacturer in business with no end in sight.British Steel was taken into public ownership in July to protect the future of steel production", 15 months after the government stepped in to prevent the closure of its steelworks in Scunthorpe and the loss of 4,000 jobs. Continue reading...

Shabana Mahmood says she wants to distinguish between far-right extremism and legitimate local concerns over asylum sitesShabana Mahmood has described the anti-asylum activist Daniel Thomas as a far-right and outright racist" who will feel the full force of the law" if his organisation commits crimes near contested asylum sites such as Piddington.In an interview with the Guardian, the home secretary also wanted to reassure" concerned villagers that asylum seekers due to move in to a neighbouring former defence site would not put pressure" on local resources because they would be given self-contained facilities". Continue reading...

Anthony Kazmierczak agreed plea deal over January town-hall attack that came amid Minneapolis ICE crackdownThe man who sprayed vinegar at the Democratic US House member Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in prison after reaching a deal with prosecutors.The sentencing of 56-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak came nearly eight months after the 27 January assault. At the time, Minneapolis was facing an immigration crackdown that led to angry protests, arrests and the killing of two US citizens by federal officers. Continue reading...

Educator talks of moral obligation' and urges every wealthy white celebrity' to make similar donationYouTube star Ms Rachel has said she is matching rapper Macklemore's $1m donation to organizations supporting Palestinians, calling on other public figures to follow suit.Macklemore, who was fired as the opening act on Ed Sheeran's tour after saying Free Palestine" on stage at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, pledged to donate the entirety of his earnings from Sheeran's tour to several organizations focused on the Palestinian people. Continue reading...

New species of wild feline was discovered in Bolivia's Yungas forest that is smaller than the average domestic catA diminutive wild cat that inhabits Bolivia's cloud forest has been identified as a previously unknown species, marking the first time a new living feline species has been formally named and described in more than a century.The cat, called tilcayo by local communities, is part of a group called tiger cats found across much of South America. It was found in Bolivia's lush Yungas forest, a mountainous region where forests are often covered by clouds and surrounded by high humidity, according to researchers. It measures about 18in (46cm) long and weighs about 3lb (1.4kg), making it smaller than the average domestic cat. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sisters of Nicholas Brandram recount 44-year-old's deteriorating mental health in days before he took his lifeDays before Nicholas Brandram, the man suspected of being the Putney pusher", killed himself, he told his family that the police investigation was murdering him".He had no fight left" in him, he told his sisters, Alexia Hicks and Sophie Voelcker, and could not see an end to the Metropolitan police investigation, or the online abuse. Continue reading...

Mark Rutte said Britain will need to steadily increase defence spending to meet Nato target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035Britain needs to show a credible path" of annual increases in its defence budgets to meet a Nato target of spending nearly 30bn more on the military by the middle of the next decade, the head of the alliance said on Thursday.Mark Rutte, Nato's secretary general, said that Britain could not wait until just before 2035 to lift defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, in an unusually pointed intervention a day after he met prime minister Andy Burnham. Continue reading...

In latest extracts from upcoming memoir, Diana's brother suggests some in Buckingham Palace were relieved' at her deathThe brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, has claimed in published extracts of his new memoir that King Charles sounded giddily elated - like a lottery winner" in a phone call to him immediately after her death.Earl Spencer also says he believed Buckingham Palace wanted William and Harry and himself to walk behind Diana's coffin because the then Prince Charles was adamant" he was going to walk and palace officials feared members of the public might shout abuse at him". Continue reading...

Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has welcomed the EU's proposal for Canada to become the bloc's first associate member', despite threats from Donald Trump over the plan. The US president said Washington could impose very serious tariffs' or halt trade if the EU went ahead with the idea. But in a defiant speech to the European parliament, Carney called for deep cooperation' and said polling showed the overwhelming majority of Canadians supported closer ties with Europe. Lucy Hough speaks to Europe correspondent Jon Henley - watch on YouTube Continue reading...

Ireland joins joins Dutch broadcaster in refusing to take part in 2027 song contest, in second consecutive year of protestsIreland is to boycott Eurovision for the second year running over the appalling" ongoing killing in Gaza, the national broadcaster has said.Ireland was one of five countries, along with Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain and Slovenia, that refused to take part in the competition this year in protest against Israel's participation. Continue reading...

Attorney also said Elizabeth Siders, 34, had been almost continuously pregnant since age 15 without regular healthcareAn Ohio mother whose 16 children were rescued from appalling conditions pleaded not guilty to child endangerment and neglect charges in court on Wednesday.Elizabeth Siders, 34, is one of four family members, including her husband, Gary Siders Jr, charged with 16 charges of child endangerment and neglect after investigators found the children, who were 17 months to 18 years old, in deplorable conditions" at the decrepit family home in the tiny village of Hamden in July. Continue reading...

Exclusive: The Green leader has not spoken publicly about the motion, which is likely to be debated at the party's conference in OctoberThe Greens are pushing Zack Polanski to take a stance on a potential party policy stating Zionism is racism", with some fearing it could alienate Jewish supporters if it was passed.Polanski, who leads the Greens in England and Wales, has not spoken publicly about the motion, which came top of a members' vote of policy motions to be debated at the party conference in Brighton at the start of October, and is thus almost certain to feature. Continue reading...

After being read charges, Layne Lundeen said: I assaulted a police officer? Is that what it says? I don't have my glasses'An American Airlines passenger who was duct-taped to his seat following an alleged outburst including racial and homophobic slurs said that he does not recall the incident.On 3 September, 67-year old Layne Lundeen was restrained to his first class seat with duct tape and zip ties over alleged unruly behavior. The American Airline Flight 618 was originally traveling from Dallas, Texas to Newark, New Jersey and was diverted to Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall airport in an emergency landing. Continue reading...

Rapper won prestigious award as an unsigned artist before breaking UK Top 10 and nurturing artists including KSIThe British rapper Sway, who proved inspirational to a generation of Black British musicians thanks to his independence and frank, dextrous storytelling, has died aged 44.The news was announced by the Mobo awards, with whom Sway won best hip-hop act in 2005, the first unsigned act to do so. Proud to have him as part of our history. Our love goes out to his family, loved ones and fans," the statement read. Continue reading...

Two women who filed the suit against the Epstein estate are seeking a court-ordered program to notify potential victimsJeffrey Epstein's estate is facing a new lawsuit filed by two women who allege that Epstein possessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of them. They want a judge to order that a program be set up to identify and notify all individuals whose unlawful sexualized images" might have been in Epstein's collection, and are also seeking monetary damages.The complaint was filed this week in the US district court for the southern district of New York on behalf of two plaintiffs, who are anonymous in the filing but described as survivors of Epstein's child sexual abuse material crimes. The lawsuit was filed against Epstein's former lawyer Darren Indyke, and Epstein's former accountant, Richard Kahn, who are being sued in their capacities as co-executors of Epstein's estate. Attorneys for Indyke and Kahn, who have both said that they had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes during their employment, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the complaint on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Banker, 44, was arrested in connection with 2017 incident but family say no credible evidence' he was involvedThe family of Nicholas Brandram have denied he was the so-called Putney pusher" and said he took his own life after months of immense pressure caused by a Metropolitan police investigation".Brandram, 44, was found unresponsive at a property in Chiswick, west London, believed to be his home, on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...

Donald Tusk says very consistent and convincing' intelligence assessment point towards Russian plans for strikesMeanwhile, we are getting some interesting lines from Paris that the French president, Emmanuel Macron, convened the chiefs of the different political parties to discuss the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine and their consequences on the energy market.The meeting will be held on Friday morning at 10:30am local time on Thursday (that's 9:30am UK) and military and intelligence officers will share the information they have provided to Macron, his office said in a statement. Continue reading...

Although Mark Carney welcomed offer to become bloc's first associate member, no one seems to know what that means

It comes after the Green leader, who is standing as a candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, recorded a campaign video in UrduAndrew Griffith has delivered his speech, and he is now taking questions.Q: You want the government to pause the making tax digital programme. Is that an admission that the last government got this wrong when it introduced it?It is an admission that despite [good] intentions, the execution of that has left a lot to be desired.In fact, coming to parliament from business, I can confess the law that we pass the most often is the law of unintended consequences. And I think making tax digital is a good example of that.The truth is that Burnham and Miliband ignored the advice they were given - which was that if they were determined to sanction Israel, they should not do so before the Israeli election on 27 October.It may not be surprising that this was the message from the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, when Miliband called him on 11 August to warn sanctions were imminent. He said postpone it until after the elections,' a diplomatic source confirms. It was also the message the Israeli embassy in London - and its new charge d'affaires Chris Cantor - was relaying to the Foreign Office. Their message was clear: why do it now? Wait until after the elections, because something might change,' a senior Labour figure says. Continue reading...

Ulf Kristersson has stood down from his post, paving way for Social Democrats leader to form a governmentSweden's centre-right prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has stood down, clearing the way for Magdalena Andersson, the Social Democrats leader, to attempt to form a government.In a victory speech on Thursday, Andersson said the Swedish people had voted for a new direction for our country, voted for unity and against division". Continue reading...

Farming lobby says shoppers will see emptier shelves and higher prices because of restrictions on backpackers

The country's migration settings have become a source of discontent - but will Tony Burke's approach be seen as the right mix?

Terrible thing' happened to infant boy found wrapped in 1910 newspaper at Bishop Auckland property, says coronerA baby boy who was found with twine looped and knotted round his neck and wrapped in a 116-year-old newspaper was unlawfully killed, a coroner has concludedCrispin Oliver on Thursday said the child, known only as Baby Auckland, had been garrotted by an unknown person. Continue reading...

As concern about loneliness and social isolation grows, we spoke to people who have joined groups and set up activitiesAmid growing concern about loneliness and social isolation, new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research found the number of young people in England with no close friends has risen fivefold since 2014, with one in 20 now reporting having none at all.Making new friends as an adult is not always easy. We spoke to people who have taken deliberate steps to make new connections about what worked for them. Continue reading...

Community groups and schools work with Wales's folk arts organisation to set stories of the area's people to musicGrowing up in Wales, Liz Puleston-Jones was familiar with the country's rich heritage of storytelling and traditional music, but none of it ever seemed to have much of a connection to her life in Swansea.Researching the history of the area as part of Can y Cymoedd (When Valleys Sing), a project in nearby Port Talbot, she came across the story of Isabel Thomas, a 14-year-old girl in the 1940s who left school and lied about her age to work in a tin plate works to support her family. Continue reading...

Central bank announces surprise plan to sell billions of pounds in government bonds back to the Treasury

Exclusive: PM, who is facing pressure over whether to approve North Sea oil and gasfields, makes strongest comments yet on issue

PM's push to cut cost of living is threatened by rising inflation and higher government borrowing costs

Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, is due to address the European parliament on Thursday. Plus, how the attention economy overwhelmed children's TV

Keith Townsend says he hopes death of Ronald Paquin in prison helps victims and families to keep pressing forward'A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a defrocked Boston Catholic priest who was portrayed admitting to molesting minors in the Oscar-winning Hollywood film Spotlight says he hopes the clergyman's recent death in prison helps victims of his crimes and their families keep pressing forward every single day".We live with a big burden in our hearts and on our backs," Keith Townsend said on Wednesday while reflecting on the criminal charges which he successfully pursued against Ronald Paquin, who was imprisoned in 2019 and died in custody at age 83 on 11 September. And my hope is that people can find closure and move on." Continue reading...

Union calls for payouts to help cover travel costs and exemption for those living more than 40 minutes away

Fact-finding mission says military strikes on school and sports facility in February constitute war crimesA UN fact-finding mission on Iran has said there are reasonable grounds to believe the US was behind two military strikes on a school and sports facility in Iran in February, and that these constituted war crimes.It also found Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during their deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. Continue reading...

US president responds as Mark Carney seeks to move closer to Europe and diversify defence ties

Former 2GB and 2UE broadcaster has pleaded not guilty to 22 indecent assault and sexual touching charges

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FTSE 100 retailer, which owns UK rights to US brands Gap and Victoria's Secret, says prices could rise in autumn

Court hears Mauro Paul Coluzzi and two associates defrauded customers and banks of more than $130,000

Lords' report faces criticism from lobby groups after suggesting ban would be most effective' way to reduce public harmsThe UK should introduce a ban on almost all gambling advertising to protect public health, a cross-party group of peers has urged, prompting fury from the lobby group for bookmakers and casinos.In a 173-page report, the House of Lords liaison committee said the government had been too passive" in response to an explosion of digital advertising and social media influencers promoting the gambling sector. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: The Houthi advance along the Red Sea coast raised fears for global trade and energy supplies, while more than 100,000 Yemenis have been displaced by the fightingGood morning. The lightning advance of Houthi militants along the west coast of Yemen over the past week has prompted fears of a spiralling conflict in the region and a new oil supply crisis.For families living in the Middle East's poorest country, the most significant fighting between the Iran-aligned Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces in years is a crisis upon a catastrophe, with escalating civilian casualties and at least 100,000 displaced in recent days.UK politics | Key allies of Andy Burnham have warned the prime minister not to back down over his promises to put water companies under public control, after details emerged about the prime minister's plan to give mayors more oversight of the industry.Environment | Climate breakdown probably weakened the glacier that collapsed causing catastrophic floods and killing hundreds of people in Nepal and Tibet last month, the first scientific study of the disaster has found.Health | Women with the same medical condition as men are less likely to be offered treatment such as surgery, a stent or a strong painkiller, research has found.Europe | The UK government's EU reset summit will be delayed again unless the bloc agrees to discuss legislation that could lock British business out of parts of EU industry, government sources have said.UK news | Police searching for a three-year-old boy who went missing from a playground on the Suffolk-Essex border have found a body. Continue reading...

Thousands with HER2-low advanced breast cancer will have access to Enhertu after ministers strike deal on priceThousands of women in England with incurable breast cancer will get access to a life-extending drug on the NHS after negotiations over its cost proved successful.About 1,000 women a year with HER2-low advanced breast cancer will be able to obtain Enhertu from Thursday after ministers and the drug's makers struck a deal on its price. Continue reading...

As three siblings came of age and had to leave their pack, scientists tracked the dogs' perilous 2,500-mile odyssey to find their own territoryIt sounds like a Disney movie: three wild dogs, all brothers, on an epic journey to find a home of their own after their family tells them to leave. They dodge cars and hunters in search of a new life, navigating bushmeat snares and the hostility of a human-dominated landscape until they find a new haven on the African savannah.But this is exactly what happened in Zambia last year, when three endangered African wild dogs made the longest-ever recorded single journey of any mammal from the continent. The brothers travelled more than 2,500 miles (4,100km) over eight months in their dispersal" - when a young dog comes of age and must establish new territory to find a mate and start a family of their own. Continue reading...

Initiative aims to keep alive age-old skill, and at Muchelney Abbey in Somerset improve habitat for rare shrill carder beeIt sounds like something out of a Thomas Hardy novel: a merry band of men and women roaming the West Country cutting meadows by hand in exchange for hunks of bread and cheese.But the conservation charity English Heritage is recruiting a team of volunteer scythers to maintain 21st-century meadowland in the old-fashioned way. Continue reading...

Protesters teargassed as minister claims widespread raids and arrests under obscenity laws were to protect families'Turkish authorities have used accusations of obscenity to justify a wave of raids and arrests targeting the LGBTQ+ community, which has grown to include journalists as well as more than 150 arrested during protests against the raids.Starting in the early hours of Sunday, Turkish police carried out simultaneous raids on the offices of LGBTQ+ rights organisations and HIV-advocacy groups in the cities of Istanbul, the capital, Ankara, and the coastal city of zmir, as well as the cities of Aydn and Mersin. Continue reading...

Government estimates that one in 60 adults in Fiji now living with HIV, as escalating use of methamphetamine fuels epidemic'Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency amid a spike in infections as the Pacific nation grapples with a correlating rise in methamphetamine use.The country's health and medical services minister, Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu, said in a statement on social media that an outbreak-level response was no longer sufficient to address what he described an epidemic". Continue reading...

Independent senator had denounced as cruel' the plan to impose a $5,000 cap on allied health services for veterans