World news | The Guardian

Mlungisi Makhanya stable in hospital in South Africa, where he was in exile from Africa's last absolute monarchyThe leader of Eswatini's main opposition party is in a critical but stable condition after allegedly being poisoned in what allies say is an assassination attempt.Mlungisi Makhanya is in a hospital in South Africa after the alleged poisoning in the early hours of Tuesday at his home in the capital, Pretoria, where he was living in exile from Africa's last absolute monarchy, said Penuel Malinga, the secretary general of the People's United Democratic Movement (Pudemo). Continue reading...

Ukrainian president says he is grateful for latest funds but it is unclear if he will receive clearance to use US missiles deep into RussiaUkraine's foreign minister has discussed ways to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine with his Chinese counterpart at the UN general assembly, Kyiv said on Thursday.According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who had earlier met Russia's top diplomat, told a security council session this week that diplomacy was the only solution to the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Court proceedings have suggested that very few of the young people involved shared openly racist views. Judges were told youths saw the unrest as a social event

The teenager was killed by two boys, then aged 12, in a machete attack in WolverhamptonThe family of a man killed by the UK's youngest knife murderers said they are haunted by thoughts of his last moments and how scared he must have been".Shawn Seesahai, 19, was waiting with a friend on playing fields in Wolverhampton when he was killed by two boys, then aged 12, wielding a machete. Continue reading...

Inquest into Thomas's death in September adjourned to allow further criminal investigation' to be carried outA grieving family has said it is broken" and will miss its much-loved daughter, mother, sister, aunt, niece and friend" forever, after a woman was found dead at a house in Cardiff.Victoria Thomas, 45, died in the early hours of Tuesday 20 August and was found at a house on Caerphilly Road in the Welsh city. Continue reading...

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission uses special information gathering powers to examine concerning' reports from grocery suppliers

Steven Sansom, who has previous murder conviction, pleaded guilty at Old Bailey to killing Mayhew and perverting course of justiceA man has admitted murdering and dismembering Sarah Mayhew, whose body parts were discovered around south-west London earlier this year.Mayhew, who was 38 when she was murdered, was last seen on 8 March. Nearly a month later, the remains of her arms, legs and head were discovered in New Addington, Croydon, on 2 April by a dog walker. More body parts were found in May in the River Wandle in Mitcham. Continue reading...

Michael Ward says former Harrods owner presided over a toxic culture', describing it as shameful period'The managing director of Harrods has apologised and said the business failed our colleagues" following sexual misconduct allegations against the department store's former owner, Mohamed Al Fayed.In a statement, Michael Ward said it is clear Fayed presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct". Continue reading...

S&P and Moody's cut ratings by five notches on risk troubled company will run out of cashThames Water's debt rating has been slashed to the lower levels of junk by two major credit rating agencies, piling further pressure on the UK's biggest water company, which is rapidly running through cash and fighting to stave off renationalisation.S&P Global Ratings and Moody's said the utility was fast running out of money and on the brink of default. S&P cut its rating on Thames's 15bn top-ranking debt pile by five notches to CCC+, taking it into the triple-C category that is considered very risky. Thames lost its investment-grade credit rating in July. Continue reading...

Alan Sunderland to undertake independent review of online article and 7.30 story about an Australian military operation in Afghanistan

This blog is now closed

Iwao Hakamada found not guilty of 1966 murder of his boss and his family after a retrial was ordered a decade agoA Japanese man who spent almost half a century on death row has been found not guilty of multiple murders, in a closely watched trial that has raised questions about Japan's use of the death penalty.Iwao Hakamada, 88, was sentenced to hang in 1968 after being found guilty of murdering his boss, his wife and their two teenage children, and setting fire to their home two years earlier. Continue reading...

The man is accused of raping five women, with charges regarding a sixth withdrawn on Thursday. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges

More than 100 artists, curators and academics said Just Stop Oil action was in keeping with ethos of the artsMore than 100 artists, curators and art historians are making a plea for two activists who hurled tomato soup at Van Gogh's Sunflowers to be spared a jail sentence.There was no damage to the picture, which is one of the Dutch artist's most famous paintings and worth millions of pounds, but it did cause minor damage to the frame. Continue reading...

VFF chair Emma Germano says the National Farmers Federation is conducting policy by press release' and no longer represents Victorian farmers

Watchdog inspector Gail Furness announces she is examining National Anti-Corruption Commission's controversial decision

Jacob Tammer-Spence, 31, was arrested on Wednesday evening after Sitaleki Filihiahekava was fatally stabbed in attack investigators allege was somewhat targeted'

Fresh initiative comes amid tensions between US and Europe on how to press Israel to end offensive on Hezbollah

Fast fashion chain has brought catwalk trends at low prices - but faced criticism over cost to planetThe way we shop has changed beyond recognition over the past five decades, from the rise of online shopping to the death of department stores, not to mention spending booms and busts and a pandemic.All of which makes Primark's half century on the British high street, reached on Thursday, an impressive milestone. Continue reading...

Bucket-full' of non-toxic dye shocks onlookers at Milson Park, Kirribilli, as experts conclude misuse' likely to blame

Defence force personnel already deployed to the Middle East may be called on to help in an evacuation operation after Israel said it was preparing for a possible ground operation

Investigation finds staffer's report referred to doll allegedly used by father for sexual purposes' as age-appropriate toy'

Human Rights Watch alleges potential violation of international human rights law on many occasions this yearRwandan forces and M23 rebels have shelled refugee camps and other highly populated areas in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo on many occasions this year, Human Rights Watch has claimed.The NGO also accused the DRC's armed forces and its allied militias of putting the camps' residents in danger by stationing their artillery nearby in its report alleging violation of international humanitarian and human rights law in the longstanding war in the central African country. Continue reading...

Findings are despite black men being twice as likely to develop the disease than the overall adult male populationOne in four black men in the UK have been refused a prostate cancer test by their GP despite having twice the risk of developing the disease than the overall adult male population, a report has found.A PSA test measures the level of the protein prostate-specific antigen in the blood, and may be able to detect prostate cancer in its early stages. Continue reading...

Kylie Minogue and Angie McMahon both in the running for five awards each, including album of the year

Police arrest 31-year-old man in Concord after Sitaleki Filihiahekava died on Monday evening

Stephen Schwarzman's Blackstone Group will fund data centre bringing 4,000 jobs to north-east EnglandKeir Starmer is set to announce the creation of a 10bn AI datacentre, bringing 4,000 jobs to north-east England, which will be funded by a private equity firm run by a big Donald Trump supporter.The prime minister is due to host chief executives in New York on Thursday, where he is trying to drum up interest in foreign investment into the UK. He will hail the investment in an artificial intelligence datacentre" - due to be built in Blyth in Northumberland by Blackstone - as a vote of confidence in the UK". Continue reading...

American envoy to UN urges humanitarian pause and says international community cannot simply look away'

PM gives human' reason for accepting offer from Labour donor Waheed Alli and says no cash changed handsKeir Starmer has defended borrowing an 18m penthouse flat from the Labour donor Waheed Alli during the election, saying he took the offer so that his son would have a place to study for his GCSEs without having to walk past journalists and protesters outside their family home.The prime minister brought up the human" reason for having moved his family out of his Kentish Town house, saying no cash changed hands as a result of the move. Continue reading...

After Ukrainian president's appeal to world leaders in general assembly speech, Putin escalates nuclear rhetoricVolodymyr Zelenskyy has told the United Nations that Russia is planning to attack Ukrainian nuclear power plants as he repeated his calls for unity from world leaders in order to force Russia to the negotiating table to conclude a just peace".His comments came as Vladimir Putin on Wednesday escalated his nuclear rhetoric, telling a group of senior officials that Russia would consider using nuclear weapons if it was attacked by any state with conventional weapons. Continue reading...

Emergency rescue not thought imminent but commercial flight halt would probably trigger sea rescue, say sources

Women who accuse Mohamed Al Fayed of sexual assault say their examination results were shared with companyWomen who claim they were sexually assaulted by Mohamed Al Fayed have called for an investigation into why doctors allegedly subjected them and other Harrods staff to sexual health examinations before sharing the results with the company.They have urged the General Medical Council (GMC) to investigate doctors who allegedly tested Fayed's staff for sexually transmitted diseases before he sexually assaulted them or attempted to. Continue reading...

UK prime minister accuses Moscow of violating UN charter, and says it should not be present at meeting

Telecoms firm calls for crackdown after it fended off 50,000 attacks from automated bots' in a six-week periodTouts are costing UK music fans an extra 145m a year, according to research from the telecoms company O2, which said it was fending off thousands of attacks each week from automated bots" used to harvest tickets at consumers' expense.O2, which sells more than 1m live music tickets a year, called for legislation after a survey for the company by YouGov illustrated how professional touts were abusing the market and stealing tickets out of fans' hands". Continue reading...

In the graveyard slot is Wes Streeting, giving it his best shot with a greatest hits compilation to a half-empty hall UK politics live - latest updatesEver get the feeling you've woken up to the zombie apocalypse? When you left the conference on Tuesday afternoon, the place was buzzing. Delegates talking about Keir Starmer's speech. Trying to get on the guest list to the hottest parties.Then on Wednesday morning, you find that half the conference has disappeared. Just vanished. And those that remain appear to be wandering round in circles. Hungover, trying to work out what's going on. In search of some existential meaning. Most striking is the lack of queues for food. Though that could be down to the fact there is no food in the food concessions. Even the conference staff have given up. It's every man and woman for themselves. Give it a few more hours and people will be eating each other. Continue reading...

Charles Graham charged with murder of Davinia Graham, who died on 31 August at a property in the townA 77-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a woman in Cheltenham.Charles Graham, 77, appeared at Cheltenham magistrates court on Tuesday 3 September. He was charged with the murder of 67-year-old Davinia Graham, who was known to her friends as Dee. Continue reading...

Fire crews battle large blaze in Woolloongabba as smoke blankets CBD

Figures give EU diplomats more hope of reaching a post-Brexit deal to allow young holiday workers into UKJust 23,000 people came to the UK last year to work as part of the British youth mobility scheme, a fraction of the overall net migration figure, which may allay fears in the Labour government as it comes under pressure to let in young EU holiday workers.Most of the people on the youth mobility scheme (YMS) visa programme in 2023 were from Australia, with 9,900 workers, and New Zealand, with 5,300. Continue reading...

Father says staff at Countess of Chester hospital did not look as if they really knew what they were doing'The father of two triplet babies murdered by Lucy Letby has described frantic scenes as the children collapsed, with medical staff appearing to search online for tutorials to guide them through everyday" medical procedures.Letby injected air into the bloodstream of Child O and also into his stomach through a nasogastric tube, as well as administering air into the stomach of his brother, Child P. Continue reading...

The ICBM, carrying a dummy warhead, was launched into high seas' of the Pacific OceanChina has announced the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the high seas" of the Pacific Ocean, flying over the northern point of the Philippines in what is believed to be the first such test since the early 1980s.The missile launch, which the defence ministry said was carrying a dummy warhead, comes at a time of growing international scrutiny of the country's nuclear arsenal, and prompted statements of concern from several nations. Continue reading...

Lebanon says only US can end conflict, as Hezbollah confirms death of Ibrahim Qubaisi in Israeli attack on Beirut

The Guardian has scrutinised data that provides insights into the lives of those accused of taking part in the unrest. The findings provide the first comprehensive picture of the alleged rioters - and challenge some of the assumptions made about themWhen the news broke of stabbings at a children's dance class in Southport this summer, a palpable sense of grief, horror and anger rippled across the country.From the collective anguish brought on by the incident in which three young girls died, variations on the same question emerged: Who would do such a thing?" Continue reading...

Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) in Australia issues tsunami alert over an 8.2 magnitude earthquake off New Zealand before cancelling it moments later

London man bailed after Robyn Eve Maines, 24, fell from balcony of hotel near San AntonioA man from London has been arrested in connection with the death of a Wirral woman two years ago, who fell from a hotel balcony in Ibiza.Robyn Eve Maines, 24, from Wallasey, in Wirral, was found dead at about 8.30am on 25 September 2022. She is thought to have fallen from a balcony at the Hotel Rosamar in Calle Huelva, close to the resort of San Antonio. Continue reading...

Labour leader says there should be more support to help people back into jobs, vowing to do everything we can to tackle worklessness'

Shanel Tofaeono tied up store employee whose hands were shaking so much due to fear', judge says

This blog is now closed

Orthopaedic surgeon Elie Khoury performed the operations which have a usual mortality risk from 0.1% to 0.8%

Proposed legislation says those seeking an abortion after 27 weeks and six days would have to either keep the baby or adopt it out

Exclusive: Commitment to Aboriginal-controlled care comes after reports find it provides the best outcomes for children and families'