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A total fire ban is in place for greater Sydney with extreme fire danger exacerbated by hot and windy conditions

Experts say invasive species are creating pollinator deserts' and could have serious impact on food securityBritish beekeepers have called for a national awareness campaign about the impact of Asian hornets as they warned the invasive species was creating pollinator deserts" and threatening food security.Native to south-east Asia, the yellow-legged hornet is thought to have arrived in Europe in 2004 and has continued to spread ever since, its numbers probably boosted by increasingly warm springs and summers. Continue reading...

Irish boxer lauded for her tenacity and inspiration before her last fight in front of 80,000 people at Croke ParkWhen Katie Taylor steps into the ring on Saturday night to defend her titles and once again enthral Ireland, there will be a bittersweet tinge. After a singular career that pioneered women's boxing, the super-lightweight champion and Olympic gold medallist is bowing out. She is 40 and it is to be her final bout.The end of an era, isn't it?" said Trevor McMahon, her brother-in-law and founder of a gym where she trains. It'll be an amazing night but it'll also be a little bit sad. Everything she did, it might not ever be achieved again." Continue reading...

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Ruling allows defense department to proceed for now in exerting greater editorial control over military news outletA federal judge has declined to stop the Pentagon from firing journalists who say they were illegally punished for speaking out about the need for the Stars and Stripes publication to maintain its editorial independence.The ruling by US district judge Trevor McFadden allows the Pentagon to proceed for now in exerting greater editorial control over the historically independent military news outlet. Continue reading...

Indira Talwani's ruling presents major setback for president as first states begin to send out mail ballots for midtermsA federal judge on Friday again blocked Donald Trump's executive order to impose sweeping restrictions on mail-in voting, the latest in a legal back-and-forth playing out less than two months before election day.US district court judge Indira Talwani initially placed a temporary order blocking the president's mandate and has now extended that prohibition with a stronger preliminary injunction. The ruling comes hours after North Carolina became the first state to start sending out mail-in ballots for the 3 November midterm elections. Continue reading...

Interior department given three months to decide whether wolves can be removed from endangered species listDonald Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing the interior department to consider de-listing gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act and to contemplate whether the agency could make it easier to authorize killing them.The order gives interior secretary Doug Burgum three months to determine whether gray wolves and Mexican gray wolves have recovered enough for the federal government to de-list them. Continue reading...

The Israeli army had helped plan the delivery of food aid on 1 April 2024, but things went wrong from the beginning and ended in seven deaths Exclusive: why seven international aid workers were killed in Israeli airstrikeOn the evening of 1 April 2024, a team of aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) stood on Gaza's Mediterranean shore overseeing the unloading of a barge full of desperately needed food on a makeshift jetty made of sand and rubble.The Gaza war had been raging for six months and Israel's closure of land crossings had left the whole territory facing the threat of famine. WCK and local Palestinian contractors had constructed the jetty out of everything they could lay their hands on, including debris from the bombed house of one of the contractors, so that the pallets of humanitarian assistance could be delivered by boat from Cyprus. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Guardian investigation reveals targeting of World Central Kitchen convoy was result of widely used military tactic Death on the road to Rafah: the night the IDF targeted World Central Kitchen aid workersSeven aid workers killed in an airstrike in Gaza were marked as targets under an Israeli military practice of establishing guilt by association, a Guardian investigation shows.A top Israeli military prosecutor announced last month that he would not pursue criminal proceedings for the April 2024 incident in which drones fired missiles at three clearly marked World Central Kitchen (WCK) cars soon after they had escorted a food aid delivery to Gaza. Three British humanitarian workers along with an Australian, a Palestinian, a Pole and a dual US-Canadian national were killed. Continue reading...

Lawmakers condemn agency for obstructing the pursuit of juice' over death of nearly blind Nurul Amin Shah AlamDemocratic lawmakers are demanding that the Department of Homeland Security turn over records and fully cooperate with an investigation into the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a nearly blind Rohingya refugee who died after US border agents left him outside a closed coffee shop on a freezing night in Buffalo earlier this year.At a press conference in Buffalo on Friday, standing just a few feet away from where Shah was found dead, Tim Kennedy of New York was joined by Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the ranking Democrat on the House homeland security committee, Lou Correa of California, and Nellie Pou of New Jersey in calling on DHS to cooperate with the Erie county district attorney's investigation. Continue reading...

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US president suggests he might support his Argentinian acolyte's drive to reclaim sovereignty of disputed islandsDonald Trump has long embraced vengeance. I am your retribution," he declared to an admiring audience at the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) as he commenced his march back to the White House.It is unlikely Argentina, and far-flung holdovers of the former British empire, were on the US president's mind at the time. Continue reading...

Officials decline to confirm whether death was one of two announced last week as Lancaster county outbreak growsA six-week-old child in Pennsylvania died from measles, the Lancaster County coroner has determined, following two measles-related deaths in the county last week.The determination comes as Lancaster county faces a growing measles outbreak. Continue reading...

The president was moved to a separate aircraft during a July trip after officials learned of a possible Iranian threat, leaving questions about the plane's defenses unansweredDonald Trump intends to use the Boeing jet gifted by Qatar for his trip to Ireland next week, marking the first time the aircraft will leave the US since concerns were raised over whether it can adequately protect the president from attack.The decision, a senior administration official told the Washington Post, comes weeks after Trump suggested the plane would be grounded for about a month while it underwent unspecified security upgrades. Continue reading...

Defense lawyer had asked for time to request emergency stay after jury was split 11 to one

Splits emerge within party after resignation of officials reported to police for apparent plot to evade donations lawNigel Farage sought to shore up his damaged leadership on Friday as he attempted to distance himself from two of his most senior officials reported to the police for apparently plotting to evade the law on foreign donations.As the scandal engulfed Reform UK's party conference in Birmingham, Farage was forced to suspend close aides Dan Jukes and head of policy James Orr after an undercover investigation by reporters from a group called Verbatim. Continue reading...

Fox announced host's departure Thursday but gave no explanation, only saying it was effective immediatelyMaria Bartiromo's lawyer sharply denied that she was fired from her job at Fox News on Friday, after reports that she was dismissed after divulging the network's editorial guidance to the White House.Fox announced Bartiromo's departure on Thursday but provided no explanation, saying only in a statement that it was effective immediately. Continue reading...

James Orr, an associate professor, was shown in Channel 4 News footage apparently trying to sidestep electoral lawCambridge University has said it is examining the conduct of James Orr, its associate professor and a top Reform UK aide, after he was filmed appearing to try to circumvent electoral laws on foreign political donations.Orr, the suspended head of policy for Reform, is one of two senior officials to step aside after claims that he orchestrated a plot to have polling paid for by a foreign firm - something that is impermissible under British electoral law. Continue reading...

Nazir Afzal to focus in review's first stage on support given to professor in immediate period before his deathThe University of Cambridge has asked Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England, to lead the first part of its review into the death of the scholar Jason Arday.Arday died at his home in south London on 14 August, nine days after his resignation as a Cambridge professor amid swirling allegations of plagiarism and inconsistencies in statements about his career. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereBritish ministers have hit back after the Argentinian president said winds of change" favourable to his country's claim to the Falklands were blowing around the world", Kiran Stacey reports.The Electoral Commission has issued a statement this morning saying it is in touch with the police about the undercover investigation into Reform UK. In a statement, it said:We are considering all relevant information, in line with our regulatory remit, and we are in touch with the Met police.The Electoral Commission has not approved the donor vetting process for Reform, or any other party. Parties are responsible for ensuring their internal processes and controls are fit for purpose. Continue reading...

Togo-sponsored resolution called to phase out traditional map that depicts continent as similar size to GreenlandThe United Nations has voted to adopt a resolution for the world to formally phase out the traditional Mercator map of the globe in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa's size.In a session at its headquarters in New York, the UN general assembly officially retired the 16th-century Mercator projection in favour of one based on the more accurate 2018 Equal Earth design. Continue reading...

British Polling Council and Market Research Society announce inquiries into JL Partners, which has been accused of breaking transparency rules

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story herein Magdeburg, Saxony-AnhaltPolls have suggested that the election on Sunday could yield Germany's first-ever state government led by the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD), shattering a postwar taboo and leaving minorities' fate in the hands of a party that has promised to launch deportations from day one". Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has told SBU to deliver appropriate, tangible response' to Kyiv strikeThe head office of Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency has been hit in a Russian drone attack, sending plumes of black smoke rising into the air in the heart of Kyiv.Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he had instructed the SBU to deliver an appropriate, tangible response" to the strike, while the foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, described it as a major escalation". Continue reading...

Troops escort settlers into al-Mughayyir and raze village outside Hebron as ethnic cleansing of West Bank continuesIsraelis have shot dead two teenagers in a Palestinian village encircled by settlers, and Israeli troops have razed an entire village outside Hebron, in the latest attacks in a surge of Israeli terror and ethnic cleansing across the occupied West Bank.The shootings targeted Khalil Abu Alia, 16, who was about to start 11th grade at the al-Mughayyir boys school, and 19-year-old Omar al-Nassan, who graduated from the same institution with top marks this summer. Continue reading...

Senior party figures do not appear united, but Farage may be more concerned about impact on performance in polls

James Elmore Jr sentenced in death of Laura Miller, whose body was found in 1986 in notorious Texas Killing Fields'A man found guilty in the death of teenager Laura Miller, whose body was recovered in 1986 in the notorious so-called Texas Killing Fields", was given a 20-year prison sentence on Thursday.James Elmore Jr received that punishment from a Galveston county jury that a day earlier had convicted him of manslaughter in connection with Laura Miller's death, which inspired her father, Tim Miller, to launch Texas EquuSearch, a non-profit organization specializing in searching for missing people. Continue reading...

Cotality says prices have declined in most capital cities over winter. Search the data to see how they have changed in your area

State decides to proceed hours after Trump administration asks supreme court to let it carry out proposed crackdownNorth Carolina became the first state to start sending out mail-in ballots for November's US midterm elections on Friday, as Donald Trump's administration fights to impose sweeping restrictions on the practice before millions of Americans cast their votes.The state's decision to proceed - hours after Trump's officials asked the supreme court to let the administration press ahead with its proposed crackdown - comes amid deep uncertainty over whether new federal rules governing mail ballots will be allowed to take effect, and whether the US Postal Service can implement the changes in time. Continue reading...

Film-maker acclaimed for his celebrations of Roma culture had been working on a historical film project' in ProvenceTony Gatlif, the French director of more than 20 films that mostly concentrated on celebrating Roma culture across the world, has died aged 77.His family said in a statement to AFP that Gatlif died on Wednesday of a health issue" while working on a historical film project" in Arles in Provence, France. The beauty of his films, his generosity, his joy, his poetry, and his love of music will remain with us forever." Continue reading...

Five jailed after targeting victim and subjecting him to ordeal linked to past relationship breakdownDramatic footage shows a kidnapped man jumping from a first-floor window into a tree before running into the street and, by chance, coming across a police car.Lincolnshire police said the ordeal of the unnamed man had been horrifying" and the presence of a marked police vehicle may have saved his life". Continue reading...

Officials say pair were rescued from Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel in Nepal after being trapped in depth of 170 metresTwo people have been pulled out alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal nine days after deadly flash floods buried the projects in deep mud and left them trapped.The workers were rescued during an ongoing operation at the Trishuli 3A tunnel, a hydropower project in one of the areas worst affected by last week's floods, according to the army spokesperson Brig Gen Raja Ram Basnet. Continue reading...

Family-run Al-Qarara Seed Bank is striving to help Palestinians gain sovereignty over their food securitySalama Ayesh Muhanna still remembers the first seeds he planted on his family's land in al-Qarara, Gaza. At just 17, Muhanna had proudly sprouted cucumbers.I was very happy because I saw the results," Muhanna says. We were farmers at heart." Continue reading...

Nick Park began modelling the character as a feline, before finding it too difficult and changing him to a dogThe creator of Wallace and Gromit has revealed that the world's most famous stop-motion animated dog was nearly a cat.As Aardman Animations marks its 50th anniversary, Nick Park, who joined the studio in 1985, told the BBC he originally modelled Gromit as a feline companion for Wallace. Continue reading...

Revelations are further blow to Nigel Farage before conference speech, with Labour reporting party to policeReform UK has suspended two senior officials after they were filmed in an undercover investigation appearing to plot to get around electoral laws on foreign donations.In a blow to Nigel Farage hours before his conference speech, the party said it had launched an investigation into the actions of James Orr, the party's head of policy, and Dan Jukes, a senior aide to Farage, after the broadcast by Channel 4 News. Continue reading...

Mourning turns to anger as residents of Kuhestak say Baloch communities are being placed in path of conflictPeople in Kuhestak, a predominantly Baloch city in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, are mourning after a strike on a wedding killed at least four people, including a child, and injured more than 60, according to local authorities.The blast hit at around 9.30pm on 1 September, turning a night of celebration into one of devastation for the small coastal community, which is on the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

Under-pressure carmaker will shed 15% of workforce and halve its product line in sector's biggest ever restructureThe car company Volkswagen has approved controversial plans to shed 100,000 jobs in a battle for survival as it faces fierce competition from Chinese rivals.After the latest round of talks this week, the company announced a further 50,000 job cuts and agreed a staggered end to current production at four German plants: Emden, Zwickau, Hanover and the Audi site in Neckarsulm between 2031 to 2034. There are no specific plans beyond that. Continue reading...

President cites Donald Trump's suggestion that he might reconsider US support for British sovereignty, and threatens swifter sanctions on British oil interestsPresident Javier Milei has said winds of change favourable" to Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands were blowing around the world" in a televised address, citing signs that Donald Trump may reconsider the US position on the islands' sovereignty.Recently, President Trump declared that the US is re-evaluating its historic position in relation to the Malvinas," he said, using the Argentinian name for the islands. Continue reading...

Firm has celebrity fans and ambassadors including Prince Harry, Jennifer Aniston and Kim KardashianFans of Oura are accustomed to using its trendy smart rings to fastidiously monitor their health but now investors are preparing to track a new metric - its share price.The San Francisco-headquartered company's filing to imminently list on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York was made public on Thursday. Continue reading...

Ed Miliband says Britain's position remains unwavering' in response to remarks by Argentina's president

Energy secretary could recommend new North Sea drilling next week, as ministers also consider approval for Rosebank oilfield

Seoul reportedly seeking parliamentary approval to send military assets to Middle East but president's office plays down claimsSouth Korea is reviewing a possible deployment of military assets to the strait of Hormuz amid pressure from Donald Trump over Seoul's reluctance to provide support in the region, according to domestic media reports.Citing unnamed government and military sources, the reportspublished on Thursday and Friday said preparations were under way and that the government intended to seek parliamentary approval for a new deployment. The reports, which appeared in major South Korean outlets, said the exact scale and timing have not been agreed. Continue reading...

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Collective training exercises for UK-based units to be suspended for most of this year amid budget pressuresThe British army has been ordered to halt non-essential training exercises in an effort to save money.Troops preparing to be deployed or on deployments, those who are on standby or in a quick-reaction role will continue to train as normal. But collective training exercises for UK-based units are being suspended for most of this year amid budget pressures. Continue reading...

As polls point to victory in Saxony-Anhalt for AfD party promising deportations, people face agonising choice: stay or goAs the Bible study session wrapped up, leaving worshippers to mingle over cake and coffee, Fatemeh, 44, fought back tears as the conversation turned to Sunday's state election in Saxony-Anhalt.I worry about it every day," she said. I can't stop thinking about my son and what might happen to us."Fatemeh worries about what might happen after the elections. Photograph: Christian Jungeblodt/The Guardian Continue reading...

New record for Australia as more than 27,000 EVs sold in August, driven by the rising cost of fuel and new government policy

Daniel Billings said I did what I did' in call from friend's house after 2024 domestic violence murder

Organ kept Tim Andrews off dialysis and acted as a bridge' while he waited for a human transplant in the USA genetically modified kidney from a pig called Wilma has kept a 66-year-old man with kidney failure alive for a record nine months and successfully acted as a bridge" to a human transplant in a world first.Tim Andrews was seriously ill with end-stage kidney disease caused by type 2 diabetes and had only a 9% chance of receiving a human kidney within five years, against a more than 40% risk of dying or being removed from the waiting list. Continue reading...

Liz Oyer says department fired her after she refused to recommend restoring gun rights of actor and Trump allyThe former pardon attorney for the US justice department, Elizabeth Oyer, filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the department and attorney general Todd Blanche, accusing them of unlawfully" firing her last year after she said she refused to recommend restoring actor Mel Gibson's gun rights.In the complaint, filed in the US district court for the District of Columbia, Oyer alleges that in early 2025, while she was serving as pardon attorney, she was asked to disregard her duties and facilitate a political favor" for Gibson based on his relationship with President Trump". Continue reading...

Office for Students made decision to punish University of Sussex with fine last year after claiming it breached free speech regulationsEngland's higher education regulator has apologised for a string of mistakes in its decision to punish the University of Sussex with a record fine that was later overturned by the high court.The Office for Students (OfS) tried to impose a 585,000 fine against Sussex last year after claiming the university breached free speech regulations involving its former professor Kathleen Stock. It was forced to back down in April after a judicial review initiated by Sussex found the OfS had closed its mind" and acted with bias. Continue reading...