World news | The Guardian

Three news outlets to sue to protect First Amendment rights; Trump claims to cherish' free press but also attacks fake news' media

Walter Moorhead, 74, jailed on suspicion of manslaughter after allegedly shooting a woman while hunting in a fieldA Maryland hunter was recently jailed on suspicion of manslaughter after he allegedly fatally shot a woman whom he mistook for a deer, according to authorities in Delaware.Walter Moorhead, 74, was hunting from a ground blind in a field near Ellendale, Delaware, at about 7.40pm on Friday when he believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle, state police said in a statement. Yet it was actually a woman whom Moorhead fired at and struck as she walked across the field with two children, the statement added. Continue reading...

Merz seeks to shore up support after CDU loses two state elections and is ejected from Mecklenburg parliament

Police responded to altercation and found injured man and another person who identified himself as a federal agentAuthorities in Illinois are investigating a case on Sunday in which a US citizen was detained by federal immigration agents before ending up at a hospital with injuries.It came the same day that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot and seriously wounded a man in Austin, Texas. Continue reading...

CDU suffered heavy losses in two regional elections, including in home state of former leader Angela Merkel, where it polled just 4.9%Staying in Germany, tens of thousands of automotive workers at Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and other car brands are protesting on factory floors across the country today for government and management help to save their jobs.

Nigel Farage dismisses loss of previous leader as bump in the road' and says party will carry on as if nothing has happened'

Helen Jenner will be party's new head in Senedd as Farage says Dan Thomas's arrest was a bump in the road'Here are some more lines from Max Wilkinson's speech to the Lib Dem conference this morning.Wilkinson, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, accused Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, of using divisive language" that you would expect from the authoritarian right". After condemning the Tories and Reform UK for their anti-migration views, he said:And what's the Labour response to this hard right agenda? Their home secretary has indulged in the sort of divisive language that we would usually expect from the authoritarian right ...Well let me tell you home secretary - no matter how hard you chase, you'll never catch up with [Nigel] Farage - that is a fool's errand.He said that it was the duty of the Liberal Democrats to stand up to the Tories and Reform UK, and the poison" they were spreading on migration. Repeatedly referring to Reform UK's Robert Jenrick as a plonker", he said:[Jenrick] and his party are plonkers with dangerous ideas ... and 72m to deliver them.And their allies in the Conservative party are weakly following them.He criticised the Conservatives and Reform UK for proposing to withdraw Britain from the European convention on human rights. He said:Leaving the European convention on human rights will not fix our asylum system.It will not stop dangerous Channel crossings - not a single boat - and it will not stop the criminal gangs.And he confirmed that the Lib Dems want to tax big tech to finance a new online crime agency. This was announced overnight and Peter Walker and Alexandra Topping have written the story up here.We will carry on as if nothing has happened

Sneaker company removes social media ad after backlash from critics who said it resembled KKK imageryThe sneaker company Converse has removed a social media ad that sparked outrage among critics who viewed it as evoking the Ku Klux Klan and lynching.The Instagram ad photo showed K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers. Critics lashed out online, saying that a white triangular image created by lighting on the skirt resembled a KKK hood - and that the way she held the sneakers made them look like the dangling feet of a lynching victim. Continue reading...

Claimants are asked to dig out decades-old medical records to prove they qualify despite inquiry's recommendationsSuzanne Morgan will never forget the day her mother died. It was nine months after she had gone into hospital with gallstones, where she received a routine blood transfusion.She went downhill rapidly," Morgan recalled. Her mother haemorrhaged in her liver, and the next day she was dead. Continue reading...

Eco-moorings help to restore seagrass in just five years, boosting sealife such as seahorses, eels and crabsOne of the UK's most precious underwater habitats - Dorset's seagrass meadows - is recovering thanks to eco moorings" designed to prevent the seabed being ripped up, a study has revealed.Scars caused by traditional anchors in some areas of seagrass in Studland Bay have almost entirely vanished, which is boosting the number of seahorses that thrive in the submerged meadows. Continue reading...

Several workers say they're opting to go without health coverage due to premium costs soaring this yearStarbucks workers say their health insurance premiums have soared this year, in some cases more than doubling, according to a recent survey conducted by Starbucks Workers United.The survey of more than 130 Starbucks workers in both unionized and non-unionized stores, shared exclusively with the Guardian, found baristas are experiencing significant hikes in costs for their health insurance coverage starting 1 October. Continue reading...

Three 18-year-old men were arrested at the unit in Norwest, police said, but officers played down link to organised crime

Chancellor acknowledges disastrous state election results but vow to push on is likely to further alienate voters, and his own party Europe live - latest updatesFriedrich Merz called it a disaster", and that was even before the full scale of the catastrophe for himself and his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) came into view after Sunday's state elections.In what one outlet called a power move", the German chancellor made a highly unusual televised speech just minutes after polls closed in the states of Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, attempting to get ahead of the narrative with a pledge to stay on and fight for his economic recovery programme. Continue reading...

Exclusive: The tax-funded research aims to protect British wildlife from the human-caused climate crisisVaccines for ash trees, skin treatments for newts and gene-edited swallowtail butterflies are among 14 tax-funded projects from the UK's invention agency" aiming to accelerate nature's ability to adapt to the climate crisis.The 54m accelerated adaptation programme from the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) - a public body that funds high-risk, high-reward tech projects - aims to investigate applications of biotechnology that can speed up wild species' evolution and help them to adapt to new threats such as global warming and disease. Continue reading...

Storm system expected to hit Izu Islands as it strengthens. Meanwhile, Atlantic hurricane season is unusually quietTropical Storm Dujuan is skirting the coast of Japan and despite avoiding a direct landfall, is still expected to leave its mark. Dujuan briefly reached typhoon status on Friday before weakening to a tropical storm again on Sunday morning. But it is expected to restrengthen back to a typhoon by Tuesday morning. Sustained winds could reach 80mph (129km/h), with gusts approaching 100mph.Although mainland Japan has avoided a direct hit, Dujuan's track takes it across the Izu Islands, where evacuation warnings are in place. Heavy rain, flooding and landslide alerts are widespread, with high waves adding another threat to exposed coastal areas and islands. Continue reading...

British Airways and easyJet among those to cancel or delay services after air traffic control fault at Prestwick

The population is ageing and we're having fewer babies. Labor should keep that in mind as the migration debate rages

Intergenerational report predicts that in four decades' time, more Australians will be dying than being born each year

This blog is now closed

Former police officer, 31, pleads not guilty to two counts of murder as his supreme court trial begins in Sydney

Texts reveal Sharangan Maheswaran had an explanation ready' but was worried about picture taken with premier prompted by dumb' Christian Ellis

Court also hears from four people who say they didn't witness alleged offence against another complainant

Temperatures in Sydney's outer west peaked at 35C and 32C in the city on Monday before a cool change from the south-east

Exclusive: Government warned skills revolution' at risk amid slow start to project with target of 30,000 starts by end of parliamentLabour has been warned its skills revolution" to tackle youth unemployment risks failure, after its flagship apprenticeship scheme enrolled only 160 young people in its first eight months.The shortfall, highlighted in a report by the Fabian Society, leaves the government well off track of achieving its ambition of 30,000 foundation apprenticeship" starts by the end of this parliament. Continue reading...

Unions, thinktanks and others say overhaul could provide investment Britain needsUnions, thinktanks, environmental groups and charities have come together to call on ministers to boost the financial firepower of the national wealth fund to empower it to invest more in Britain and rebalance the country's economy.Lower energy bills, the revitalisation of the UK's industrial heartlands and the provision of more high-quality jobs could all be unlocked by scaling up the NWF, according to a statement from organisations including the TUC, Greenpeace, WWF and the New Economics Foundation.Turbocharging the retrofitting of homes and buildings.Giving the public a bigger stake in critical infrastructure through taking part-ownership stakes in key projects.Launching a targeted investment programme to bring new green industries to communities hit hardest by deindustrialisation.Supporting a network of regional banks to funnel money into the small businesses that hold up local economies. Continue reading...

While global billionaires and multinational companies have been lured to its shores, many islanders feel left behind and priced out, with food bank use increasingOn a late Friday afternoon on the Channel Island of Jersey, tourists and locals are flocking to St Helier's waterfront where the town's sprawling beach has emerged at low tide.In one direction, they face the calm waters of St Aubin's Bay, ringed by a seaside promenade and punctuated with a tidal island hosting the 16th century Elizabeth Castle. Continue reading...

Bystanders found all four on the side of the road at Valley Heights on Sunday with stabbing injuries

Though the man of the hour is unable to attend, fans flock to Rod Laver Arena and cinemas nationwide to celebrate the songs of an Australian iconAt a Sydney shopping centre on a balmy Sunday evening, hundreds of people gathered to watch a concert that, according to its host, Richard Wilkins, would set a new livestreaming record for Australian cinemas.Experiencing a Rod Laver Arena event with popcorn in a cinema chair was unusual in itself - but so too was the fact that its hero, John Farnham, would not be performing, or even in attendance. Continue reading...

Two leaders meet in French territory off Canada as Ottawa seeks stronger relations with EU while fighting trade war with USThe leaders of France and Canada have pledged closer ties to grapple with rising geopolitical tensions, climate change and the erosion of democratic values, after they met in a French territory off Canada's Atlantic coast.The two leaders' visit to Saint-Pierre and Miquelon - the first by a French president since 2014 and the first by a Canadian prime minister - came just weeks after Donald Trump posted an image showing the islands, as well as all of Canada and other countries in North America, covered by the US flag. Continue reading...

Apiarists will lose not just the insects but the value of pollination contracts, which can be worth thousands of dollars

Australia and Finland are vying for a spot on the council, and the PM needs two thirds of member states to back him

Proposal one of many at conference responding to concern voters unaware of party's policies or what it stands forThe Liberal Democrats say they will tax big tech to finance a new online crime agency, as they try to address concerns that not enough voters know what the party stands for.The plan, to be announced at the party conference on Monday by the Lib Dems' home affairs spokesperson, Max Wilkinson, would create a new Online Crime Agency focused on offences including child sexual abuse material, trafficking in drugs and weapons, and deepfake AI-generated pornographic images. Continue reading...

Funding boost for facilities and fixed dates for trials designed to encourage more survivors to come forwardSpecialist courtrooms prioritising cases of rape and other serious sex offences are to be introduced across England and Wales, with campaigners welcoming the move as potentially transformative.The changes, designed to encourage more survivors to come forward, will include the provision of private entrances and waiting rooms, and facilities equipped for recording evidence in advance and observing sentencing remotely. Continue reading...

Jovenel Moise, 53, was shot dead in July 2021 in a killing which sparked chaos in HaitiEighteen people have been arrested in association with the 2021 assassination of the Haitian president Jovenel Moise, according to US officials.Moise, 53, was shot dead on 7 July 2021 at his private residence by a hired group of about 20 military-trained Colombian mercenaries. His security detail did not intervene to protect him. Continue reading...

Bridget Phillipson says Burnham's past criticisms of US president not an issue as PM prepares to meet Trump at UNNext month's budget will be made more difficult by Donald Trump's war with Iran, one of Andy Burnham's cabinet ministers has said, while adding she did not expect the prime minister's previous disparaging comments about the US president to be an issue.Burnham is expected to meet Trump early next week at the UN general assembly summit in New York, the pair having previously spoken twice by phone since Burnham entered No 10. Continue reading...

Jane Adetoro, Christina Walters and Rebecca Walters from Uxbridge were found on 13 MayThe deaths of three sisters found in the sea off Brighton beach did not involve any criminality or third-party involvement, police have concluded.The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, from Uxbridge, west London, were found on 13 May. A postmortem conducted that month confirmed all three women died by drowning. Continue reading...

Tensions grow as Trump tells Fox News he is considering wiping Iran out' after attacks on Riyadh by Houthi rebelsGovernments across the Middle East are bracing for an escalation of violence after Iran claimed it had received intelligence that the US was preparing for a renewed bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.In a potential sign of growing tensions before the UN general assembly in New York this week, Donald Trump cut short a weekend visit to the Camp David presidential retreat on Sunday with no official explanation, and a new security alert was issued by the state department to all US citizens in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Far-right AfD wins in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and leftwing Die Linke on course for victory in BerlinGermany's embattled chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has vowed to stay in office and fight for future-proofing economic changes despite heavy losses for his conservatives in two state elections, one to the far right and the other to a leftwing party.Preliminary results indicated Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) tallied just over the 5% threshold to enter the state parliament in the coastal region of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, its worst-ever state score, which he called a disaster". Continue reading...

Self-described moderates say Ed Davey's party offers them a home as Conservatives shift further rightClimbing the party-branded stairs of the Brighton Centre with a Liberal Britain tote bag over his shoulder, Cody Butler looks quite at home at the Liberal Democrats' annual jamboree.But asked how he is finding it, the 21-year-old replied: Odd." The former Tory activist resigned as chair of the One Nation Conservative Network and left his old party in July, arguing that centrists, remainers and members worried about the climate crisis and conservation were no longer welcome in the party. A week ago, he joined the Lib Dems. Continue reading...

Row at Athenian riviera resort turned violent after two elderly bathers reportedly argued over shortage of loungersGreek police are investigating the death of an 82-year-old man after a brawl over a sunlounger at a beach on the Athenian riviera.The man had arrived at the popular bathing spot of Vouliagmeni before 10am on Sunday hoping to secure a sunbed, but he soon began arguing with a fellow bather - described by authorities as a 76-year-old man unknown to him" - when it became clear loungers were in short supply. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Intelligence officers say Russian campaign could intensify in months, not years' - but that panic risks playing into Kremlin psy-opsEuropean intelligence officials have raised the possibility of an imminent Russian test of Nato, with one saying a potential attack could come in a matter of months, not years".The warnings come after Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, told parliament that intelligence assessments suggested Russia might launch an attack with drones or missiles on Nato territory in the coming months, as part of efforts to prove that article 5 is more theoretical than practical". Continue reading...

The queer period drama wins Oscar-predicting award, being named the most popular audience film at the festivalSpanish queer drama La Bola Negra has won this year's people's choice award at the Toronto film festival.The film, which takes place in 1932, 1937 and 2017, focuses on the lives of interconnected gay men. It premiered at this year's Cannes film festival with the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw calling it handsomely produced, lovingly detailed and confidently constructed" in a four-star review. Continue reading...

Wife of former PM takes part in designer Edeline Lee's show inspired by the Greek myth of SisyphusVictoria Starmer has taken part in a London fashion week show, in one of her first public appearances since her husband, Keir Starmer, stepped down as prime minister.Lady Starmer appeared at Sunday's Edeline Lee show. The London-based, Canadian British designer's clothes are a favourite of the Princess of Wales, and have also been worn by celebrities including singer Taylor Swift and actor and screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Continue reading...

Exclusive: James Ashby also drives new Ford Ranger given to party and is main pilot of plane donated by Gina Rinehart, which he says are not for personal use

Exclusive: Stark health inequalities in terms of deaths before age of 75, NHS data revealsAdults with severe mental illness are nearly five times more likely than their peers to die from serious physical diseases before the age of 75, according to research.The analysis of NHS data by the Rethink Mental Illness charity reveals that people with severe mental health problems die 15-20 years earlier than the wider adult population, largely due to preventable physical conditions. Continue reading...

At least three people killed and oil refinery damaged as doubts cast over initial reports of ballistic missile useUkraine has targeted Moscow and the surrounding region in a large-scale attack that involved hundreds of drones.The attack killed at least three people and damaged what Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said was one of Russia's key oil industry facilities" on the final day of the country's parliamentary elections, authorities said on Sunday. Continue reading...

Action against Ofcom comes as social media companies are being accused of using courts to slow down implementationMeta has launched a fresh legal challenge against Britain's media regulator in the latest of a slew of actions by social media companies who are accused of using the courts to slow down implementation of the Online Safety Act.Lawyers for the parent company of Facebook served notice during the week in an appeal against placing WhatsApp and Instagram, which are also owned by Meta, in a category that subjects them to additional duties. Continue reading...

Data raid comes amid targeting of lifeboat charity by far-right agitators who object to migrant boat rescuesSupporters of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have been warned that their personal information may have been stolen by hackers amid targeting of the charity by far-right agitators.In a letter accompanying the autumn copy of its Lifeboat magazine, the charity warned members that their name, contact details and records of interactions with the RNLI" could have been breached in the raid on a company it uses for customer relationship management. Continue reading...

Former president of Chile drops out after support collapsed in security council straw poll, leaving seven candidates in contestMichelle Bachelet, a former president of Chile, has withdrawn her candidacy to become the next secretary general of the UN, ending an attempt that had struggled to gain traction among security council members.Bachelet, 74, announced her decision in a video posted on Instagram on Saturday, saying: I will now continue, with the same determination as always, my international work." Continue reading...

Charles lands at Heathrow with just two bags and nowhere to go as a result of Brexit and Stockholm's hardline immigration positionDoubled over a Heathrow baggage trolley, the former British business director is sobbing uncontrollably, exhausted emotionally and physically after being deported from Sweden.Hours earlier the 65-year-old had been marched on to a plane in Stockholm, separated from his home and his Swedish wife after a five-year battle to stay in the country after Brexit came to an end. Continue reading...