Congresswoman awarded the convicted abuser and musician a congressional record recognition in ArlingtonDemocratic US representative Jasmine Crockett is under fire for honoring musician Chris Brown, a convicted abuser, with an official recognition at a Texas concert over the weekend.Crockett, a Texas congresswoman, awarded Brown and R&B musician Usher a congressional record recognition at a performance in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday. Appearing alongside Texas state representative Venton Jones, Crockett said she was there to honor" Brown and Usher. Continue reading...

UK union leaders meet on Monday to discuss possible support for a domestic cap on political donations

Universities Australia says party can't take skills and jobs out of the country and pretend there will be no consequences'

Hampshire and Isle of Wight force says it wants to speak to men in connection with anti-migrant unrest that left seven officers injuredPolice have released images of six men they would like to speak to after violent disorder in Portsmouth last week that left seven officers injured.About 200 people gathered at Eastney Marina on Sunday night after a small boat carrying asylum seekers arrived on the south coast having crossed the Channel. The activists dispersed the following day in the early hours. Continue reading...

Key government meeting this month will consider US bid to try James Fergie' Chambers over alleged support for HamasAttorneys for James Fergie" Chambers, the US citizen and wealthy donor to leftwing and humanitarian projects worldwide who is currently imprisoned in Madrid and sought in extradition, have submitted a brief ahead of a decisive government meeting on the case.Meanwhile, Chambers' partner, the actor and activist Stella Schnabel, met last week with multiple members of the Spanish parliament to assert his innocence. Continue reading...

At least 760,000 children in England and Wales missed lessons as more than 1,700 schools closed or finished earlyThe gruelling heatwave that hit the UK in June caused pupils to miss more than 15m hours of lesson time as soaring temperatures forced hundreds of schools to close, according to a study.The research found that at least 760,000 schoolchildren in England and Wales missed lessons owing to closures during the heatwave - one of five in the UK this summer - as temperatures inside some classrooms topped 40C (104F), leaving pupils and staff suffering from heat stress, nausea and headaches. Continue reading...

Militant feminist led campaigns to legalise abortion and divorce and went on to become foreign ministerEmma Bonino, the radical Italian politician who led campaigns to legalise abortion and divorce against the objections of the Vatican, has died aged 78.Today we lose not only our leader but also one of the most clear-sighted, courageous and free figures in the political history of our country," the small party she founded, More Europe, said on Facebook on Friday. Continue reading...

Her Horizon Fund seeks $100m to stop practice harming 230m women and girls globallyFrontline activists and leaders in the fight against female genital mutilation, which has affected more than 230 million women and girls worldwide, have welcomed an unprecedented $15.5m (11.4m) fund aimed at creating unstoppable momentum" to finally end the practice.The launch of the fund comes as women's rights are increasingly under attack and donor funding is in sharp decline, particularly for work led by FGM survivors in local communities. It is thought to be the largest single philanthropic contribution to ending the practice of FGM. Continue reading...

UK government reviewing allegations about My Surrogacy Journey after complaints about medical costsThe UK government has said it is reviewing allegations about a British-owned surrogacy service after surrogates in Mexico who faced health complications including a hysterectomy had their insurance claims rejected.The Department of Health and Social Care is considering whether the UK-based provider My Surrogacy Journey should remain listed on gov.uk as one of four domestic surrogacy agencies available to intended parents, after its Mexican sister company received complaints. Continue reading...

Terry Strada, whose husband was killed in the attacks, says she remains hopeful for justice as a lawsuit alleging Saudi support for the hijackers moves toward trialThe leader of one group of 9/11 victims' families says it has taken way too long" to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its alleged support of the terrorists who carried out the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, whose 25th anniversary was observed across the US on Friday.As that grim milestone approached, Terry Strada - the national chair of 9/11 Families United - said she felt as if it had been several lifetimes" for there to be progress in the effort to achieve a modicum of justice through our court system" in connection with the deadliest act of terror against the US. Continue reading...

Housing market has been stymied by borrowing costs, as Iran war pushed mortgage rates higherSales of previously occupied US homes declined in August to their slowest annual pace in more than a year as home shoppers grappled with rising mortgage rates and home prices.Existing home sales fell 2% last month from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98m units, the National Association of Realtors said on Thursday. This is the third straight monthly decline. Continue reading...

Many mayors welcome power to impose tourist tax but industry warns of irreparable harm' and job lossesMinisters are facing a backlash from the hospitality industry after they announced mayors in England would be given sweeping powers to levy taxes on holiday accommodation such as hotels and Airbnbs.The plan, presented on Thursday by Angela Rayner, the local government secretary, will allow mayors to impose a tourist tax" without a cap on how much they can charge and with few controls on how they can spend it. Continue reading...

Veterans recall chaos and confusion as the attacks unfolded - followed by a war on terror' that left agency with a tarnished reputationA generation of spies had lost an enemy but not yet found a role. Then came 9/11.A decade after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, al-Qaida's devastating attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001 announced to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that the long era of battling communism, for which it had been founded, was officially at an end. Continue reading...

Seven people arrested following altercation' on Bromley High Street on Thursday afternoonSeven people have been arrested after four men were stabbed in south-east London, the Metropolitan police said.Officers were called to reports of an altercation" on Bromley High Street at 2.15pm and found four men with stab wounds, the force added. Continue reading...

Bronwen James, 30, admitted offences against two girls at schools in Wiltshire and Hampshire, and found guilty of charges involving boyA former PE teacher is facing a lengthy jail sentence for grooming and sexually abusing three pupils at two schools.Bronwen James, 30, admitted offences against two girls at schools in Hampshire and Wiltshire and was found guilty by a jury of charges involving a boy. Continue reading...

Family of late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV reject committee's choice of cousin and TV presenter as new monarchA traditional Ugandan kingdom has become engulfed in a bitter succession dispute after the family of a king who recently died rejected the selection of a television news anchor as his successor.King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who became the world's youngest reigning monarch when he took the throne in the kingdom of Tooro in 1995 at the age of three, died on 27 August in the US, where he was receiving cancer treatment. Continue reading...

Republican calls department of motor vehicles a bloated bureaucracy' as he seeks to boost his longshot campaignThe longshot California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton pledged this week to abolish the state's department of motor vehicles if he is elected, promising to shutter the oft-criticized department for good and set a flat $73 annual registration fee per car.Hilton, a Trump-backed former conservative pundit running in reliably blue California, called the state's DMV a bloated bureaucracy", during a Tuesday campaign event, echoing the Trump administration's efforts to slash the federal workforce. Continue reading...

David Morales wins Democratic primary for Providence mayor, unseating the incumbent mayor, Brett SmileyIn the latest in a string of victories by progressives across parts of the US, the democratic socialist David Morales won the Democratic primary for mayor in Providence, Rhode Island, on Wednesday night, unseating the incumbent mayor, Brett Smiley.The Rhode Island state representative, who was endorsed by the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders as well as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), is now the favorite to secure the mayoralty in the deep blue city's November general election against the Republican nominee, 77-year-old David Talan. Continue reading...

The Ali G and Borat creator is reported to be taking the lead in The Popinjay Cavalier, a swashbuckling comedy Tarantino is developing for early 2027He will soon be seen resuming his old Staines rudeboy persona in the film

Home secretary tells officers to make full use' of their powers after masked vigilantes cause weekend of chaosShabana Mahmood has urged police to curb the activities of far-right, anti-migrant groups which have obvious malign intent" after a weekend of chaos caused by balaclava-wearing vigilantes.In a meeting on Thursday, the home secretary told senior officers to make full use" of their powers, including bans on face coverings, after police were assaulted and ports were disrupted in Kent and Hampshire. Continue reading...

Volunteers told to consider not wearing branded clothing and to shut lifeboat stations if they feel in danger

Boss Richard Walker is proud to be backing Britain' with a store in the capital, Stanley

The former Australian of the Year said she stood with survivors of sexual violence everywhere' and no matter who they are'

Funding cuts in 2025 left women, children, older and displaced people hard hit, with 64m fewer people receiving aidThe humanitarian aid system is crumbling as funding shrinks, pressures increase and governments not only fail to protect civilians but are increasingly responsible for endangering them, a new report warned on Thursday as figures revealed 64 million fewer people received aid last year.With aid contributions cut by 30% between 2022 and 2025 and thousands of aid workers losing their jobs, the humanitarian system has suffered one of its biggest contractions since being formed in the post-second world war era, according to the State of the Humanitarian System 2026 report. Continue reading...

Critics say threshold pushes higher-paid staff to cut back on work and often mothers to stop working to avoid losing entitlementJohn Healey has been urged to fix the 100,000 childcare cliff edge", that means some higher-paid employees cut back on work to avoid losing their entitlement.Since the latest expansion of taxpayer-funded childcare in 2024, families with young children in which both parents earn less than 100,000 a year can be entitled to 30 hours a week of care - or none at all, if one of them cross that threshold. Continue reading...

School staff tell focus groups they believe school system in England and Wales cannot deal with attendance crisisTeachers have so little belief in the importance of pupils' full school attendance that they would take their own children on term time holidays if they could, staff have told a three-year research programme.Frontline staff do not believe the school system is set up to deal with an ongoing attendance crisis in England and Wales, where nearly one in five children are now missing at least 10% of school, according to a report based on in-depth conversations with teachers. Continue reading...

Some rental platforms encourage hopeful tenants to share excessive' amount of information, Consumer Policy Research Centre review finds

Despite falls in some parts of the market, prices are showing signs of stabilising as investors exit and first-time buyers move in, analysts say

Scotland Yard confirms it is investigating allegations broadcast by Channel 4 after undercover sting

Foreign secretary says Sir Ephraim Mirvis wrong to suggest measures against Israeli settlements will make British Jews less safe

New research shows turbulent flushes create toilet-generated aerosols that can transmit legionella, influenza and norovirus

Bloc losing 13bn in revenue with one in 10 cigarettes illegal, watchdog reports

Mira Lozi says quiet diplomacy has failed to free Rami Naimi who was first seized in Dubai in 2017A British woman has spoken out for the first time about the alleged abduction, torture and coercion of her husband at the hands of Saudi authorities, after nine years of failed" quiet diplomacy.The businessman Rami Naimi was first abducted in Dubai in 2017 on his return from a trip to Australia with his father. After being tortured, he was released the following year. Continue reading...

Victorian One Nation leader says his actions hurt people I loved, and I will live with that forever'

Ed Miliband to reassert support for Palestinian rights and a two-state solution in move fiercely criticised by US and IsraelEd Miliband will announce a broad reset of the UK's relations with Israel on Tuesday, promising the government will take a more active approach in supporting the Palestinian cause.In an intervention which has already drawn fierce criticism from the US and Israel, the foreign secretary will impose a UK ban on the trade in goods and some services from illegal Israeli settlements. Continue reading...

Indigenous Australians forcibly removed under government policies more likely to have severe or profound disability, report finds

Chancellor says he wants to ensure country has buffer' against uncertainty as global bond yields hit 18-year highThe chancellor has indicated that the UK will face a tough budget next month due to Trump's war in the Middle East.In an interview with the Financial Times, John Healey said the conflict in Iran would probably have a strong influence on his first budget on 28 October. 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...

Atlanta's Bradley Carlisle first played Kris Kringle for kids with Down's syndrome and has now completed elite Santa AcademyAfter recently gaining recognition as the first professional Santa Claus with Down's syndrome in the US, Bradley Carlisle has already gotten a lot more than the traditional serving of milk and cookies that is usually left out for Father Christmas each year.That is because the 37-year-old community theater actor from suburban Atlanta landed an honorary induction into the International Santa Claus Hall of Fame upon completing one of the largest Christmas performer schools in the US in late August - a distinction meant to recognize the important representation his emergence on the holiday scene has brought, according to his supporters. Continue reading...

The hip boost' aims to create hourglass silhouette, much like Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand's padded shortsFor decades shapewear has been used to compress and cinch. But now there is a sub-genre emerging. Rather than shrinking a silhouette, it aims to add inches.This week M&S launched a bodysuit that features exaggerated padding at the hip allowing the wearer to create an hourglass shape, or at least the illusion of one. Continue reading...

Lorena Isceri was thrown off a motorway bridge, allegedly by ex-boyfriend Federico VellaA 45-year-old woman abducted and thrown off a motorway bridge near Florence has become the seventh alleged femicide in Italy since mid-August.Lorena Isceri was abducted on Thursday afternoon, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, Federico Vella, in the Rifredi area of Florence, before being forced into the boot of his car and driven towards a bridge on the A1 motorway.In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org Continue reading...

Abelardo De La Espriella posts video of himself with rows of body bags as performative populism continues to sweep AmericasColombia's hardline president, Abelardo De La Espriella, has provoked outrage after posting a video on social media in which he strides through rows of white body bags that he says contained the corpses of 23 neutralised" guerrillas.De La Espriella took power last month vowing all-out war" against illegal armed groups and he published the footage on Thursday in an apparent attempt to show he was fulfilling that pledge. Continue reading...

Bank of England governor says central bankers must explain decisions or risk being seen as unrepresentative elite'The governor of the Bank of England has said the rise of populist politicians presents a serious challenge to independent central banks.As Nigel Farage's Reform UK gathered for its annual conference in Birmingham, Andrew Bailey said central bankers must be prepared to explain their decisions to the public or risk being attacked as an unrepresentative elite". Continue reading...

Investigation broadcast by Channel 4 News shows man posing as impermissible donor' paying for polling that helped Reform

Wildfire victims rebuilt their homes in Lahaina only to find USPS had eliminated' their addresses - while houses that didn't burn receive mail as normalTwo months after a devastating wildfire whipped through Lahaina in August 2023, Pam Reader was allowed back to see what was left of her home. With a heavy heart, she returned to the Hawaiian oceanside town now filled with endless blocks of burned houses. As she rounded her corner, she saw the only thing remaining was her bright turquoise mailbox.It was an old crappy mailbox," Reader said. It was metal, though, which is why I think it survived." Continue reading...

Deadlocked jurors to return on Friday to see if they can reach a decision after dramatic day of deliberationsThe deadlocked jury in the Lindsay Clancy trial went home without a verdict Thursday in a dramatic sixth day of deliberations.Her defense lawyer told the judge that the panel's foreperson said in a note that a single juror would not follow the court's instructions about reasonable doubt and was holding up a verdict. Continue reading...

Exclusive: New environment secretary insists nothing is off the table' in dealing with ailing Thames WaterBritain's insolvency laws cannot deal with the aggressive behaviour shown by the companies that control Thames Water, the environment secretary has said, as she confirmed ministers were prepared to take it into public ownership.Angela Eagle told the Guardian she was determined to reform the water industry after being told by Andy Burnham to make it her top priority. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Angela Eagle urges people to be a bit more resilient' as she tells UK citizens to plan for national emergenciesBritish people have been urged to have enough food and water on hand to survive a few days without power or water, as the UN said the El Nino climate phenomenon was supersizing before our eyes", exacerbating extreme weather events worldwide.Forecasters say they are braced for the biggest El Nino in 1,000 years, bringing wildfires and floods to parts of the world, and the threat of a wet, stormy winter for the UK.

Maria Corina Machado says interim government does not have democratic mandate to negotiate natural resourcesThe Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has questioned Donald Trump's oil deal with Venezuela's interim government, declaring that the country's natural resources do not belong to an illegitimate regime".In her first public comments since Trump announced what he called the biggest oil deal in world history" with Venezuela last Friday, Machado walked a diplomatic tightrope between challenging the controversial agreement and trying not to rile the White House. Continue reading...

Labour chair says uch cuts could mean vital public services like hospitals, schools and law enforcement are put at risk'The Electoral Commission has released political donation figures for the second quarter of 2026. They show that Reform UK continues to rake in far more than other parties. Nigel Farage''s party had declared donations worth 5.3m. Labour got 3.6m, and the Conservatives 2.8m.Most of Reform UK's money came from Ben Delo, who gave 4m. As Rowena Mason reported earlier this year, Delo is a British billionaire convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate anti-money-laundering controls in his cryptocurrency business. Continue reading...