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Chancellor pledges fiscal discipline' as plan to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 deferred until 2027 reviewThe new chancellor, John Healey, will delay setting out when the UK will meet the target of spending 3% of GDP on defence until next year's spending review, the Treasury has confirmed.Healey resigned as defence secretary in June under Keir Starmer's leadership, accusing the then prime minister of being unable" and the Treasury unwilling" to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country". Continue reading...

Relatives really worried, but hopeful' as they wait anxiously for news in the aftermath of the flash flooding disaster

Operations were suspended amid fears of further destruction; 1,500 people still missing amid race to find survivors

Risk of lake bursting forces rescue teams to withdraw as residents rush up hills to escape possible river surge

Soaring demand for services has led to tenfold increase in spending in a year in some areas, says NHS AllianceNHS leaders have warned that the costs of meeting soaring demand for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism services in England are running out of control" and have become unsustainable, with spending in some areas rising by as much as tenfold over the course of a year.The NHS Alliance, which represents health managers, said the rise in demand since the coronavirus pandemic was forcing some to close waiting lists and look at reining in other services they provide. Continue reading...

Brother of former state premier tells Icac he sent message to his wife referring to a plan to damage the career of rival David Elliott

Two 17-year-olds accused of subjecting teenage girl to hours-long sexual assault granted bail

Monarch's death comes at turbulent time for royal family over association of crown princess with Jeffrey EpsteinKing Harald V of Norway, Europe's oldest reigning monarch, has died aged 89, the royal palace in Oslo has announced. He will be succeeded by his son King Haakon VIII.It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today. King Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University hospital on Friday 28 August 28 at 6.35am," the palace said in a statement. Continue reading...

Cara Severino calls parents - but still faces trek of more than 110km to reach Kathmandu on foot

Flash flooding and mudslides in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, while convective storms hit western EuropeAfter an unprecedented" deluge in Chiba in mid-August, Japan has experienced further extreme rainfall in recent days. Moisture from the Sea of Japan brought relentless heavy rain to the prefectures of Ishikawa and Toyama on Thursday.In Himi, Toyama, 361.5mm of rain fell in 24 hours, equivalent to half the average annual rainfall in London and Paris. Several rivers burst their banks, triggering flash floods and mudslides, felling and damaging buildings. Continue reading...

Expeditioners at research station on Macquarie Island will be evacuated over possible psychological stress', while 100 dead little penguins found on Tasmanian island

About 80 people sign open letter to Andy Burnham calling for legislation to protect voice ownershipNicola Coughlan, Hugh Bonneville and Matt Lucas are among a group of actors backing a campaign against artificial intelligence voice cloning.Save Our Voices Now, which is also being supported by Luke Evans, Jen Brister, Siobhan McSweeney and Pearl Mackie, aims to stop the practice in which AI technology is used to replicate a real person's voice to say anything it is prompted to. Continue reading...

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It is polite to reposition a guest's shoes when they arrive, but the emergency services in one city advise just skipping that partEtiquette, manners and consideration for others are integral pillars of Japanese society but there are times when they might go a step too far, according to one city's emergency services.The fire department in the central city of Kanazawa has urged people not to tidy up the shoes that paramedic crews have taken off when entering a house, warning it could hinder their ability to get in or out quickly, particularly when carrying someone on a stretcher. Continue reading...

Man - referred to as MM by court - will keep his identity hidden after legal challenge against suppression dismissed

Nepali and Tibetan communities plan vigils and work to raise funds for recovery in devastating' time

Flash floods have killed at least 469 people while homes and infrastructure have been swept away

Book was removed for review earlier this month following complaint but reinstated after petition and State Library letter to Waverley council

Coronor finds 31-year-old deviated from a walking track as dusk fell, four days before the winter solstice

Course at Donald Trump's Turnberry resort was painted with words Gaza is not 4 sale' and clubhouse was sprayed with graffitiSeven people charged with vandalising Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in Scotland have been accused of malicious damage having a terrorist connection".The clubhouse at the five-star Trump Turnberry hotel and resort on the west coast of Scotland was graffitied on 8 March last year and the course was dug up and painted with the words Gaza is not 4 sale". Continue reading...

Renewed scrutiny comes after police officer accused of falsifying records in order to close the cases of people who were later found deadSouth Korean police will re-examine about 310,000 missing persons cases closed over the past three years, prompted by a scandal in which an officer was arrested on suspicion of falsifying records to close files on two people who were later found dead.The case has drawn national attention, with President Lee Jae Myung ordering an investigation into the police handling of it and telling the force to draw up a reform plan. Continue reading...

Confusion and politics aside, Australia can't pretend to be removed from the world - and the millions of people in need of sanctuary

This live blog has now closed - but our coverage continues at a new blog hereEyewitness accounts have been emerging from the Tibetan side of the border, with a woman saying she was travelling from Gyirong town towards Nepal on Wednesday morning when her group encountered the flood about 4km from Gyirong port.Trees and electricity poles had already been knocked down, and the flood water was bearing down on us. We didn't dare turn around, so we could only reverse," the woman, surnamed Fang, told Xiaoxiang Morning News.I was really scared. My whole body was trembling. Continue reading...

Congressman Jamie Raskin asks president's son to detail firm's recent success after he joined 1789 Capital as partnerDemocrats on a powerful US congressional committee have launched an investigation into a venture capital firm which has thrived since recruiting Donald Trump's son.Donald Trump Jr joined 1789 Capital as a partner just days after his father won a second term in office in November 2024. Congressman Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the US House of Representatives judiciary committee, has asked the president's son to detail the firm's recent success. Continue reading...

Grand jury declined to indict anyone but said there was a sophisticated scheme' to use funds for political activity

Moscow threatens retaliation after Andy Burnham says UK will help Ukraine start producing long-range missilesRussia has said it could retaliate against the UK for its support of Kyiv by striking military targets inside and outside Ukraine, amid reports that the director of the CIA warned the Kremlin against attacking Nato during a secretive visit this week.Andy Burnham, Britain's prime minister, said on Monday the UK would allow Kyiv access to classified technology to start its own production of Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles. France has also agreed to supply missile technology. Maria Zakharova, Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Thursday Britain and France were playing with fire". Continue reading...

Representative Mike Collins has been dogged by associations to white nationalism and antisemitism

Montreal-born actor also voiced KARR in Knight Rider and the monster in Predator, having started his career on Canadian TV and radioPeter Cullen, the actor behind the voice of characters including Eeyore in Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise and Optimus Prime in Transformers, has died aged 85.He died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, a statement said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Campaigner says PM wrote in email he believed 500k cap should be reduced over time to guard against undue influencesAndy Burnham recently supported an even lower donations cap than previously reported, according to correspondence seen by the Guardian, as the row over next week's elections bill escalates.The prime minister wrote to a campaigner in May outlining his support for a 500,000 individual donations cap, which he said would guard against the perception of any one party being unduly influenced or swayed by one person or organisation". Continue reading...

Unusual heat this year may have melted ice and thawed bonds that hold glaciers in place - leading to catastrophe

Dfat minister Matt Thistlethwaite says staff are liaising with Kathmandu to find 35 missing Australians, and plans to send emergency team to the region

Rescue teams try to locate nearly 1,400 missing people, mostly tourists, after floods kill at least 353

Bosnian Serb commander responsible for Srebrenica massacre dies in prison while serving life sentence for genocideFrom the archive:

Andrew and Tristan Tate's lawyer tells court that pair, who are wanted on rape charges, are not a flight riskA lawyer for the social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate urged a US judge on Thursday to release the brothers on bail from a Miami jail as they contest extradition to Britain, where they are wanted on rape charges.Howard Srebnick, a lawyer for the Tate brothers, told the Miami-based US magistrate judge Lauren Louis that they had regularly appeared in court in Romania, where they are on pre-trial release, which he said was evidence they were not a flight risk. Continue reading...

Gold collection known as Treasure of Villena, worth at least 1.7m, is target of very well planned' raidThieves in Spain have raided the Treasure of Villena - a stunning collection of bronze age gold artefacts that has been described as the most important prehistoric trove in Europe - in the latest high-profile smash-and-grab heist on the continent.The raid on Thursday morning of the 66 mostly gold objects in the Spanish town of Villena lasted just minutes, officials said. Continue reading...

Environment Agency issues 40 flood alerts across Midlands, Yorkshire and south-east of EnglandDozens of homes have been damaged by flooding and the Met Office had issued warnings for thunderstorms and heavy rain at the end of a summer in which most of England and the whole of Wales was declared in drought.The Met Office said thundery showers in England and Wales could cause 75mm of rain to fall in just 12 hours in some areas. Continue reading...

Thai navy says routine' visit' will allow personnel to rest and recuperate amid reports of poor conditions onboardThe USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is set to make a temporary stop in Thailand next week as it heads back to the United States, Thai navy officials said, after spending more than 250 consecutive days at sea supporting US operations against Iran amid recent reports of poor living conditions and low morale onboard the vessel.The Lincoln left the Middle East several days ago after being relieved by the USS George Washington, and is now heading home to San Diego. A Thai navy official told Reuters this week that the carrier was expected to make a brief port visit in Thailand next week for the crew to rest and recuperate before continuing their journey home. Continue reading...

The party's key figures are either unable or unwilling to neatly articulate their migration targets, contradicting one another - and themselves

Thermal drone footage shows a Microsoft-backed AI datacenter powering its operations with dozens of unpermitted generatorsThe largest planned AI datacenter in New Jersey is being accused of violating federal law after a visual investigation found the site running dozens of unpermitted gas-powered generators.Thermal drone footage captured by the non-profit newsroom Floodlight last week showed the partly completed DataOne facility in Vineland was operating at least 45 of the site's 62 generators at the time. Continue reading...

Motoring series to return four years after Andrew Freddie' Flintoff suffered serious injuries in crash during filmingTop Gear, the long-running motoring show that has been off air since its co-host Andrew Freddie" Flintoff was seriously injured in a crash during filming almost four years ago, is to return to the BBC, the broadcaster has confirmed.After Flintoff's accident at Dunsfold aerodrome in Surrey, the BBC said the series would be rested" for the foreseeable future. Continue reading...

It's been a month since Andy Burnham became prime minister. And while polls have shown a Burnham bounce', the coming months will force the new PM into making some tough - and potentially unpopular - decisions that will reveal how serious he is about delivering the changes he believes the country needs. Kiran Stacey and Peter Walker look at the choices facing BurnhamPlease keep sending your comments and questions to Pippa and Kiran at politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com.Listen back to Kiran's interview with Bridget Phillipson hereAnd, read Kiran's article about possible changes to Insolvency Law here Continue reading...

Bag, camera and pipe belonging to 86-year-old are latest relics uncovered as glaciers melt due to global heatingAn 86-year-old mountaineer has been reunited with his backpack and climbing equipment after the kit emerged from a melting glacier in Austria - more than 60 years after he was forced to leave them there.Items including an ice axe, camera and a pipe dating from the 1950s or 1960s were discovered on the Sulztalferner glacier in Austria's Tyrol region, at an altitude of 2,955 metres (9,700ft) above sea level, by a hiker in July. Continue reading...

Coroner is told BBC veteran was dazzled by headlights before collision and her injuries led to bronchopneumoniaThe broadcaster Jenni Murray died days after being involved in a car crash that happened when she was dazzled by headlights, a coroner has heard.Murray, 75, was best known as the voice of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, hosting the programme for three decades and becoming the longest-serving presenter in its history. Continue reading...

Entire villages swept away after glacial collapse triggers flood in mountainous region popular with trekkers and pilgrims

Natalie McDonald, 34, and Valentina Foster, seven, died in fire less than mile from A66 crash, with police not ruling out linksA woman who died in a house fire along with her seven-year-old niece has been described as a beautiful soul".Natalie McDonald, 34, died along with her niece Valentina Foster, seven, in the blaze in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough, in the early hours of Wednesday. Continue reading...

Nepali tour operator fears 15 Australians who had been on a trek near the border with China have died after devastating flood

Number of Neets is 30,000 higher than a year ago but latest figures are a boost to efforts to reverse the rise in economic inactivity

Elderly Aids Ltd, which sells call-blocking devices, made 758,053 cold calls between May 2024 and February 2025A company that made its money promising to protect elderly people from nuisance calls has been fined 190,000 for hounding" them with hundreds of thousands of nuisance calls of its own.The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said Elderly Aids Ltd, a company selling call-blocking devices, made 758,053 cold calls between May 2024 and February 2025 to try to sell its products. Continue reading...

Premier confirms levy, which was intended to help pay for the multibillion-dollar Suburban Rail Loop and other Big Build projects, will be abolished

Airline declines to predict impact of new carry-on luggage charge on Jetstar revenue or ticket sales, saying it is offering customers choice'