by Ashifa Kassam European community affairs correspon on (#78MH3)
Critics say decree also banning burqa in schools shows Italian PM running scared ahead of next year's voteRights campaigners have accused the Italian government of ramping up divisive rhetoric in an attempt to court far-right voters ahead of next year's general election after it passed a decree aimed at capping the number of newly arrived migrants in classrooms and banning the burqa and niqab in schools.The prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, who leads the far-right Brothers of Italy party, said her government had approved what she called commonsense measures that do not divide but genuinely help to integrate". Continue reading...
by Jakub Krupa (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#78MDJ)
The pope is set to deliver a landmark speech on AI development and discuss Europe's futureLater today, Pope Leo will go to the Elysee Palace for (another) formal welcome and a meeting with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps, before visiting Unesco and delivering a speech on AI in mid-afternoon.He is then expected to go on a stroll through the streets of Paris, before going to the restored Notre Dame Cathedral. Continue reading...
The Green leader, who is Jewish, made the remarks as part of his campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras byelectionOur political correspondent, Alexandra Topping, has this profile on Sagal Abdi-Wali, the Camden council leader and Labour's candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras byelection:Sagal Abdi-Wali does not want to be the prime minister. She doesn't even want to lead her party. Labour's candidate for Holborn and St Pancras laughs and shakes her head with unusual vigour when asked if she would like to follow in the footsteps of the last member of parliament for the constituency, Keir Starmer.No, no, no, no, that's not at all, in any way, what I'm trying to do," she says during a break in campaigning in the Primrose Hill cafe in Regent's Park. I'm literally trying to get through the next few weeks and trying to be the member of parliament for this constituency, and that's all I care about."It's a message the 42-year-old leader of Camden council returns to with ruthless discipline ahead of a byelection on 8 October. It is plastered all over her campaigning material and brought up by every door-knocking Labour activist - every mention an implicit comparison between herself and her high-profile opponent Zack Polanski.All I've done, all my life, is be a committed champion for people here," says Abdi-Wali. Whether it's volunteering as a teenager or being a councillor, and all the work I did in between, that's all I've ever done. All I want to be is someone who will be visible and local and committed every single day." Continue reading...
Thomas appeared at Basingstoke magistrates court on Friday after being charged with criminal damageThe far-right activist Daniel Thomas has pleaded not guilty to criminal damage after he allegedly slashed a boat in the Channel with an emergency responder on board.Thomas, 37, of no fixed address, appeared at Basingstoke magistrates court on Friday after being charged on Thursday night. He also denied failing to disclose the pin to his phone to police, under section 53 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Continue reading...
Trump officials and Republicans are rolling back protections against heat-related illnesses and deathsWhen it's 90F on a hot summer day, Esther Minton wears a long-sleeved shirt to work.Working outside, you don't have cover. There's nowhere for you to really go if you're on a roof or if you're on the side of a building," said Minton, a member of the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 28 in New York City. Having the sun beaming on your skin all day long, you'll never make it through, so what you wear makes a difference." Continue reading...
After years of illegal mass flytipping in Gospi, fed-up residents decided to take matters into their own handsGospi is our home," eljka iki shouted to a crowd of 40,000 people outside the Croatian parliament earlier this month. The slogan is the name of a campaign she helped to set up to protest against the illegal dumping of waste in Gospi, a town in the mountainous Lika region of central Croatia.Between 2022 and 2024, waste was illegally abandoned at several sites in the town. At one of the biggest, just 50 metres from iki's home, an estimated 35,000 tonnes of waste, some of it hazardous, was dumped and buried. Continue reading...
Government-backed help to save is aimed at working people on universal credit and pays 50p for every 1 saved over four yearsAmid claims that millions are missing out, the UK government is encouraging low earners to sign up to a savings scheme that offers free cash.Help to save is a government-backed savings account that lets people earn a bonus of 50p for every 1 they save over four years. Continue reading...
Catherine Corless's exposure of almost 800 infant deaths at a home led by nuns prompted Neeson to bring the story to screenLiam Neeson still remembers his shock and shame when he read a New York Times article about the mother and baby institution in Tuam, County Galway.It was 2017 and the article chronicled the campaign by Catherine Corless, an amateur local historian, to expose abuse and neglect by Irish nuns that led to hundreds of children being buried in a mass, unmarked grave. Continue reading...
by Alexandra Topping Political correspondent on (#78MDK)
Camden council leader's message is clear: she's visible, committed and local', and has been for a long timeSagal Abdi-Wali does not want to be the prime minister. She doesn't even want to lead her party. Labour's candidate for Holborn and St Pancras laughs and shakes her head with unusual vigour when asked if she would like to follow in the footsteps of the last member of parliament for the constituency, Keir Starmer.No, no, no, no, that's not at all, in any way, what I'm trying to do," she says during a break in campaigning in the Primrose Hill cafe in Regent's Park. I'm literally trying to get through the next few weeks and trying to be the member of parliament for this constituency, and that's all I care about." Continue reading...
Patient groups decry scandalous' delays as four integrated care boards take step due to soaring demand for diagnoses Two-year waiting times highlight NHS struggle with rise in ADHD and autism awarenessNHS bodies are forcing people with suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism to wait at least two years before they can be assessed as they struggle to meet surging demand for diagnoses of neurodiversity.Four NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) covering large regions of England have adopted the approach because they cannot afford the cost of the number of assessments that people are seeking. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#78MBW)
Assessment bottlenecks have knock-on effects, with delays in medical help and access to specialist support NHS bodies in England impose two-year minimum wait for ADHD and autism assessmentsThat NHS boards have imposed minimum two-year waiting times for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism assessments shows a health service struggling to deal with the consequences of huge changes in understanding of and social attitudes to these conditions.Sharp rises in referrals for clinical assessments over the past six years mean nearly 1 million people in England are on ADHD waiting lists, with the average wait already over a year (64 weeks). About 295,000 await an autism assessment. Continue reading...
Locals raised 1m for Mayday Saxonvale scheme involving homes and park but Somerset officials agreed deal with London-based real estate companyA bold bid by residents of a progressive town in the English West Country who raised almost 1m to create what could have been the UK's largest community-led regeneration project is in tatters.More than 1,000 residents of Frome in Somerset had clubbed together with the aim of building homes, workspaces, a riverside park and a lido on a brownfield area in their town centre. Continue reading...
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said the missiles were aimed at Taif and the Yanbu area on the Red Sea, the main alternative route for Saudi oilSaudi Arabia says it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, with the latest attacks pushing oil prices to a one-week high over fears of spiralling supply disruptions.The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said the missiles were aimed at Taif in western Saudi Arabia and the Yanbu area on the Red Sea, with the Houthis claiming their attacks were aimed at a sensitive target" in the capital Riyadh and on Saudi Aramco facilities in Tanbu. Continue reading...
Holmes was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2022 but has seen her sentenced reduced several timesElizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of blood testing startup Theranos, will reportedly be transferred from a minimum security prison to a halfway home next August.In 2022, Holmes, 42, was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for defrauding Theranos investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars and ordered to pay restitution. The company falsely promoted its technology as being capable of detecting diseases, including types of cancer, from drops of finger-pricked blood. Continue reading...
Industry leaders call on government to protect homegrown produce in the interest of national securityThe gap between Britain's food and drink exports and imports has neared its highest this century, as a combination of Brexit, war in the Middle East and US tariffs dented deliveries overseas while imports soared.The UK's food and drink trade deficit has risen to more than 21bn - the largest since 2000 - in what industry leaders said was a wake-up call" for the government to protect homegrown produce in the interest of national security. Continue reading...
by Guardian moderators (now); Joseph Gedeon, Dara Ker on (#78M7D)
Who are the groups backing candidates in the midterms - and why? In our second live discussion ahead of the elections, Joseph Gedeon, Dara Kerr and Chris Stein will join us at 11am EDT on Friday 25 September to answer your questions about who is supporting the November racesWelcome to our second live Q&A about the upcoming midterm elections. Today, our reporters will be joining us to answer your questions about who is funding the campaigns, where the money is going and how it's shaping the election outlook ahead of the votes on 3 November.In the past few months our reporting team has covered in depth:How major companies that urged Congress to strengthen the Voting Rights Act continue to contribute to state political groups that are actively working to undermine the legislation.The vast extent of spending by crypto money and big tech to shape this year's races.Aipac and its linked Super Pacs' role in funding Democratic candidates facing opponents from the progressive left. Continue reading...
Thirty-seven-year-old charged with one count of criminal damage and failing to disclose his phone pin to policeThe far-right agitator and anti-migrant activist Daniel Thomas has been charged with criminal damage and failing to disclose his phone pin to police following an incident in the Channel on Tuesday, where he allegedly slashed a dinghy while a French rescuer was on board.Thomas, 37, of no fixed abode, has been charged with one count of criminal damage along with an offence under section 53 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (Ripa), for allegedly failing to comply with a notice to disclose a phone pin to police. Continue reading...
Court says Chad Bianco's conduct unlawful and seizure of ballots creates substantial risk to election integrity'California Republican sheriff Chad Bianco must return more than 650,000 ballots his department confiscated earlier this year in an unprecedented move that violated election law, a state supreme court ruled on Thursday.Allowing law enforcement unfettered access to ballots, or the ability to handle and count them in secret, based on unregulated protocols, itself creates a substantial risk to election integrity," chief justice Patricia Guerrero wrote in a Thursday opinion. Continue reading...
by Joseph Gedeon and Chris Stein in Washington on (#78M2X)
GOP stymies House-passed war powers resolution as conflict passes 200-day mark with 19 US service members killedSenate Republicans on Thursday blocked a Democratic effort to end the US war with Iran, voting down a House-passed war powers resolution as the conflict that has killed 19 American service members passed the 200-day mark.The measure, which passed the House last week with bipartisan support, failed in the Senate by a 49-50 vote. Senate Democrats, led by the minority leader, Chuck Schumer, and the senator Andy Kim of New Jersey, forced the vote under the War Powers Resolution, which allows lawmakers to bring such measures to the floor. Continue reading...
Crystal Mason has spent nearly a decade fighting conviction for casting provisional ballot that ultimately wasn't countedThe nearly decade-long case of a Black Texas woman who was sentenced to five years in prison in a controversial illegal voting case will end with an acquittal, the state's highest criminal court said in a 5-4 decision on Thursday.The woman, Crystal Mason, has been appealing against the case ever since her 2018 conviction for casting a provisional ballot that ultimately wasn't counted. In 2024, the Texas court of criminal appeals acquitted her in the case. The local prosecutor handling the case appealed that ruling to Texas's highest criminal court, which initially agreed to hear it. But on Thursday, the court reversed itself, and said it would not hear an appeal, letting the acquittal stand. It did not offer any explanation for why. Continue reading...
Officers left feeling hamstrung', says Mark Rowley after offender allowed to return to flat overlooking playgroundPressure to cut the number of prisoners on remand has led to dangerous and prolific offenders" being granted bail, the country's most senior police officer said after a paedophile was allowed to return to his flat that overlooked a children's playground.Zafer Dogan was jailed on Thursday for two years and four months after he was convicted of taking thousands of pictures of women and girls before using AI technology to turn them into nude images for his sexual gratification. Continue reading...
Israeli PM attacks critics and calls New York mayor Zohran Mamdani antisemitic' in inflammatory addressBenjamin Netanyahu delivered an inflammatory address to the United Nations on Thursday, decrying what he said was a global anti-Jewish conspiracy and swatting aside criticism of Israel's war in Gaza, as he faces down international isolation and a fight for political survival in upcoming elections in Israel.As planned protests erupted on the streets of New York City, Netanyahu took aim at critics of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the international media, regional leaders such as Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoan, the leftwing commentator Hasan Piker and the New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani in an address that doubled as a stump speech to ignite his rightwing base for the elections. Continue reading...
Deference was deafening as US president rolled out red carpet for world's biggest jailer of journalists - perhaps he was seeking tipsOne is an authoritarian who represses the media with a strong allergy to democratic elections. The other is head of the Chinese Communist party.Donald Trump welcomed the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, to the White House on Thursday, setting the stage for a scene quite unlike anything the august old building has seen over more than two centuries. Continue reading...
Monthly thank you' payments for people hosting refugees to be cut from 350 to 100 from next yearUkrainian refugees in the UK fear they could be left homeless after the government quietly axed 70% of funding for hosts of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, reducing monthly thank you" payments to them from 350 to 100.The scheme was launched after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has provided support for 181,000 of the 234,000 Ukrainians who have since sought sanctuary in the UK. Continue reading...
If you're not in the internal market, you don't get the same protection,' says French minister of policy designed to curb Chinese competitionFrance is leading a push to exclude the UK from the EU's Made in Europe" policy that could result in British companies losing out in the race to supply European countries with low-carbon technologies and electric cars.The plans were raised by Andy Burnham when he met the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, on the sidelines of the UN general assembly earlier this week. Continue reading...
Resolution Foundation says households outside London are paying hundreds of pounds a year more in council tax than they would be under a fair systemTim Shipman has written about what will be coming up at the Labour conference next week in his cover story for the Spectator. He says:Labour special advisers summoned last week to the pillared state room on the first floor of No. 10 to hear the plan for conference from Burnham's political secretary, Hayden Munro, left in no doubt that the PM wants to be a transformational figure. The conference narrative' these advisers were urged to push includes the telling line: This Labour government will bring forward the biggest change to Britain in 40 years, with a new political and economic model.' On the specifics, Burnham will pledge: We will make the choices that are needed to end rough sleeping, solve the social care crisis and get more young people into work.'Burnham will pledge to run a cost-of-living government' with further immediate action' to provide the breathing space people need', as well as outline plans to devolve power out of Whitehall', reindustrialise Britain' and take back public control of the essentials in life - such as energy, water and housing' to make them affordable again'.Ultimately, the election choice is Burnham's. If you knew what Keir's aides thought, you knew what he would do,' says a ministerial aide. But Andy has political opinions of his own.' Burnham may go for it. But those closest to him doubt it. He likes risk, but he has stuff he wants to get done,' says one close confidant. While outsiders think his ambitions require an election, Burnham thinks he can transform Britain without one. Andy really cares about the devolution stuff,' the ministerial aide observes. Most of Westminster roll their eyes but he thinks that will change the country. He thinks doing that will make him a great prime minister.'And those who think none of that will deal with Britain's economic problems seize on another clue. A Labour adviser concludes: Ultimately I think Burnham and his team will do what they often do with difficult decisions, and not make one.'What I imagine is that some schools will offer some of these subjects where their local labour market demands, and this is where our mayors and our local leaders are really helping to shape that in their area.So I wouldn't expect a school to offer all of these, as they don't offer all GCSEs at the moment. They will specialise in particular areas.If you're trying to do engineering or construction, for example, you know that involves a lot of problem solving, a lot of maths, a lot of thinking, as well as the hands-on skills that's required.So it's not dumbing down, it's the opposite of that, actually, because this is about raising the standards and the rigour and regulating these qualifications. Continue reading...
The incident is the latest in a series of recent cases involving people entering or departing the US city's sewer networkThree unidentified people were seen emerging from a manhole in New York City's Upper East Side neighborhood early Wednesday before fleeing the area, police said, in an incident that comes as many world leaders have gathered in the city for the United Nations general assembly.The incident is the latest in a series of similar cases involving people entering or emerging from New York City's sewer network in recent months that have gone viral online. Continue reading...
Warning comes hours after Poland says fire at Starlink satellite station was act of sabotage'Russia could launch a limited military attack against a Nato country in the coming months, Danish intelligence said, in one of the starkest warnings yet by western security services.In a report published on Thursday, the Danish defence intelligence service warned of a low but growing risk" that Russia could launch long-range strikes on Nato infrastructure supporting Ukraine, or carry out a limited incursion into a neighbouring country with a small number of troops, potentially operating without insignia. Continue reading...
Wallace and Gromit stop-motion models and other beloved creations raise money to train new generations of animatorsWallace's reaction as the auction got into full swing might have been a trademark good grief!" - and the enthusiasm of some of the bidding could have caused even the phlegmatic Gromit to show surprise.Fans of Wallace and Gromit and other beloved creations of the Aardman studio seized the chance to grab souvenirs when more than 200 pieces - including Wallace, Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run puppets that starred in Aardman productions - went under the hammer on Thursday. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#78KSD)
Unions say record high of nearly 25,000, including assaults on rail workers and public, shows need for more staff and policingThe number of reported assaults on Great Britain's railways has risen by a fifth to a record high of almost 25,000 incidents in a year.Unions said the horrendous" figures showed the need for more staff and policing, as the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) revealed a sharp increase in assaults on the travelling public and on railway staff last year. Continue reading...
by Carlos Mureithi in Nairobi and agencies on (#78KW0)
Fighting escalates after TPLF forms new rebel coalition aimed at overthrowing Abiy Ahmed governmentThere are growing fears of a return to civil war in Ethiopia after an offensive by rebels from Tigray into the neighbouring states of Afar and Amhara, and the formation of a new rebel coalition aimed at overthrowing the government of the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed.Fighting from 2020 to 2022 between the Ethiopian army and the political party and paramilitary group Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) killed about 600,000 people. Both sides are now accusing the other of triggering a return to open conflict. Continue reading...
Mario David Coronado Juarez was killed when his car struck a tree and burst into flames as he attempted to avoid ICELeading Democrats and immigration advocates in Michigan are demanding transparency from federal authorities after a man died in a fiery car crash as he attempted to avoid agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).Mario David Coronado Juarez, a Guatemalan national, was killed Sunday in Grand Rapids when his vehicle struck a tree at high speed and burst into flames shortly after the ICE officers tried to conduct a traffic stop. Continue reading...
MoD claims book by soldier known as Christian Craighead contains alleged breach of confidentiality contractAn injunction preventing a former member of the SAS from publishing a book about his role in a counter-terrorism operation has been extended after an application by the Ministry of Defence.The block on publication of the book in the UK will continue until the conclusion of a government legal action against the soldier, who is known only by the pseudonym Christian Craighead. Continue reading...
Taraneh and Romina Rahimi were charged with waging war against God' after joining protests against Tehran regimeThe family of 21-year-old twins who have been sentenced respectively to death and decades in jail for protesting against the Iranian regime have appealed to the United Nations for help.A formal submission of information" relating to the case of Taraneh and Romina Rahimi has been submitted by British human right lawyers on their family's behalf. Continue reading...
Paris public prosecutor opens investigation into online harassment of Riner, one of France's most popular sportspeopleParis's public prosecutor has opened an investigation into the racist abuse and online harassment of the French judo star Teddy Riner after he expressed concern about the rise of the far right.Riner, who has often been voted France's most popular sportsperson and is one of the most successful judo competitors of all time, told a TV sports show this month that he felt anxiety" about the rise of the far right in France. Numerous racist insults and hate messages were subsequently directed at him online, the prosecutor's office said. Continue reading...
Chore jackets and loose-fit trousers nod to nonconformist glamour' of Amelia Earhart and other pioneersThe Max Mara catwalk at Milan fashion week had well-cut coats, sturdy block-heeled boots, crisp white shirts and capacious suede handbags. What it quite deliberately did not have was shock value. I hope everyone watching this show can recognise something of themselves in what they see," said Ian Griffiths, the British designer who has been at this Italian house since 1987. I think that's really important. Without being critical of other brands or designers, so much of fashion alienates people and makes them feel that they aren't good enough or thin enough or young enough to wear what's being represented."Trousers were pleated and roomy, skirts long enough to be elegant but not long enough to trip you up. In shades of sand and chalk, grey and black, every piece was designed to work with everything else, and to blend into an existing wardrobe. The styling gestures - a popped collar here, a knotted belt there - stopped short of gimmick. The models could have walked off the runway and on to the Milan street - which, Griffiths said backstage, was the point. The catwalk show is only the prelude to what to me is the real presentation, which is when I see women walking down the street in my clothes." Continue reading...
Role for Anant Ambani, son of India's richest person, who also runs a controversial mega-zoo, met with incredulityNewcastle University is facing a backlash from conservationists over the appointment of the heir to an Indian oil and gas fortune who runs a controversial mega-zoo as a professor of sustainability.The university announced that Anant Ambani had been given a professorship of practice for his work in conservation, biodiversity protection, animal welfare and environmental stewardship" and significant contributions to advancing a more sustainable future". Continue reading...
Theatrical rollout across 56 territories planned for documentary about Israel's mass killing of civilians in Gaza before film will stream on Guardian websiteNAZA, the award-winning documentary from Israeli film-makers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, is set to be released in cinemas in more than 50 countries before a digital global release on theguardian.com.The film, which the Guardian produced, premiered at the Venice film festival earlier this month, where it was met with a 25-minute standing ovation - a festival record. The documentary went on to win the special jury prize. Continue reading...
Duo had US hits with their cover of Always Something There to Remind Me as well as Promises, Promises and morePete Byrne, the frontman of British new wave group Naked Eyes who carried them to repeated chart successes in the US, has died aged 74.The news was announced on the band's website and social media on Wednesday, stating that Byrne died peacefully in Los Angeles on 14 September after a brief illness. Continue reading...
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