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Move by US marks sharp escalation in efforts to pressure Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro's regimeDonald Trump confirmed reports on Wednesday that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in US efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro's regime.The New York Times first reported the classified directive, citing US officials familiar with the decision. Continue reading...

Trump also claims without evidence that every US strike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat saves thousands of livesThe far-right US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is further distancing herself from her fellow Republicans and accusing men in her party of being weak".In an interview with the Washington Post, Greene expressed her frustrations with Republicans, signaling her further deviation from the political strategies of her party, as the government shutdown beginning 1 October was slated to enter its third week. Continue reading...

Authorities reportedly looking into modified flag displayed on cubicle wall of House member Dave Taylor's staffUS Capitol police are reportedly investigating after a US flag bearing a swastika was discovered inside the office of Republican House member Dave Taylor of Ohio.The image, obtained by Politico, shows a modified flag featuring red and white stripes arranged in the form of a swastika - which is virtually synonymous with the Nazis' genocidal regime. The flag was displayed on what appears to be a cubicle wall behind Angelo Elia, one of Taylor's staff members, during a virtual meeting. Continue reading...

New York mayoral contender steps into lion's den and says he is ready to speak at any time' to help lower cost of livingZohran Mamdani, the leading candidate to be the next mayor of New York, stepped into the lion's den on Wednesday when he sat for an interview with Fox News, the rightwing news organization that has spent weeks demonizing him and his democratic socialist goals.Speaking to host Martha MacCallum, Mamdani was asked about funding for his proposals, which include freezing increases on rent-stabilized apartments, providing free buses and offering free childcare - and whether other services would be cut to achieve those goals. Continue reading...

Officer, known as W80, shot Jermaine Baker during a foiled prison break in 2015The family of a man shot dead by a police officer during a foiled prison break have accused Scotland Yard of evading accountability after a case against the marksman was thrown out.The officer, known only as W80, shot Jermaine Baker as police stopped a plot to snatch two prisoners from a van near Wood Green crown court in 2015. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer releases documents submitted by deputy national security adviser to Crown Prosecution ServiceDowning Street has published three witness statements from UK's deputy national security adviser in an effort to draw as line under the row over why spying charges against two Britons accused of spying for China were dropped last month.Charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry fell away because prosecutors could not obtain evidence from Matthew Collins that Beijing represented a threat to the national security of the UK" over many months". Continue reading...

Reporters who declined to sign new set of Pentagon rules had to clear out of world's largest military headquartersPentagon reporters who declined to sign a new set of policies that press advocates and news organizations denounced as incompatible with the tenets of journalism were set to return their press badges by 5pm on Wednesday, ending decades of history of robust in-house coverage at the world's largest military headquarters.In the hours leading up to the deadline, journalists worked furiously to pack up their workspaces in two media rooms, with hallways filled to the brim with boxes and books and other souvenirs of decades of daily coverage. Continue reading...

Destruction or ongoing control by Israeli forces means roads to areas worst hit by hunger are virtually impassableEven if the Rafah crossing from Egypt to Gaza opens on Thursday, NGOs face big challenges distributing supplies to Gaza City and its surroundings in the north, the areas worst hit by hunger, experts say.Key roads are virtually impassable due to the massive destruction across the devastated territory - or are still controlled by Israeli forces. Any truck that breaks down is likely to be instantly looted. Continue reading...

Adani has strongly rejected the Australia Institute's findings, including that customers paid an average of $102 a tonne in 2022-23

Richard Bilodeau, 63, charged with two counts of murder in 1984 death of Theresa Fusco, 16, of Long IslandFour decades after prosecutors sent the wrong men to prison for the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl from Long Island, New York, DNA obtained from a discarded straw has led to the indictment of a new suspect.A Nassau county grand jury on Tuesday indicted Richard Bilodeau, 63, of Center Moriches, on two counts of murder in the death of 16-year-old Theresa Fusco, who disappeared after leaving her part-time job at a Lynbrook roller-skating rink in November 1984. Her nude body was found weeks after the assault, buried under leaves in a wooded area near the rink. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Chancellor hints at rises and calls out past scaremongering' over VAT on private schools and changes to non-domsRachel Reeves has said higher taxes on the UK's wealthy will form part of next month's budget, as she shrugged off the scaremongering" and bleating" of her critics, and stressed her determination to repair the public finances.Speaking in Washington, where she is attending the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the chancellor told the Guardian there won't be a return to austerity" and hinted at tax increases for the most well off. Continue reading...

Firm was ordered by high court to return sum paid by DHSC for unusable surgical gowns by 4pm on WednesdayA company linked to the former Conservative peer Michelle Mone has failed to pay the government any of the 122m ordered by a high court judgment for supplying unusable personal protective equipment during the Covid pandemic.Mrs Justice Cockerill ruled that PPE Medpro must, by a deadline of 4pm on 15 October, return the money it was paid by the Department of Health and Social Care for 25m sterile surgical gowns under a contract awarded in June 2020. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereLindsay Hoyle starts by telling MPs that speakers from the parliaments in Fiji and Ukraine are in the gallery. And he says it is four years to the day since David Amess was murdered.It's PMQs. Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question. Continue reading...

Aid agencies and UN officials call for more entry points to allow thousands of trucks' to enter devastated territory

Exclusive: Impact of austerity cannot be undone by end of parliament despite above-inflation funding, analysis findsCouncils in England will still be poorer by the end of this parliament than they were in 2010 despite Labour's funding increases, according to analysis by the Institute for Government (IfG).Funding cuts from 2010 to 2019 were so severe that they left gaps that could not be filled even by five years of above-inflation increases, leaving local authorities increasingly reliant on emergency funding and capable of providing only legally mandated services, the report shows. Continue reading...

Jean Laprade ordered to pay $3,500 in legal saga of hijacked planes', Interpol red alerts and inappropriate use' of AIA Quebec man has been ordered to pay C$5,000 (US$3,562) for submitting artificial intelligence hallucinations as part of his legal defense, a move the judge warned was highly reprehensible" and threatened to undermine integrity in the legal system.Quebec superior court justice Luc Morin levied the fine on Jean Laprade in a decision released on 1 October, capping a legal saga the judge said contains several elements worthy of a successful movie script", including a hijacked plane passing through several complacent airports", Interpol red alerts and the inappropriate use of artificial intelligence" by Laprade. Continue reading...

Consumers and corporates should welcome CMA proposals to overhaul regulations unchanged since the 1960sPoor Tiddles and Fido are too often getting a bad deal - or, rather, their owners are - from the large corporates that dominate the veterinary business these days. That, very roughly, is the conclusion of the Competition and Markets Authority, which was obviously barking up the right tree when it decided 18 months ago to look at a sector that can take an opaque approach to pricing its goods and services.Prices have been rising far faster than general inflation between 2016 and 2023, says the watchdog. The increases cannot be justified - at least, nothing like fully - by investment in better kit or superior services or higher salaries. And, critically, there is a big difference between the prices charged by the large chains and the independents that, pre-2013, used to represent the bulk of the industry. The CMA found that the average price charged by a practice owned by a large vet group for consultation, treatment and medicines was 16.6% higher than at an independent vet. Continue reading...

Statement by deputy national security adviser was central to CPS decision to withdraw spying charges against two men

Sebastien Lecornu may have lived to see another day, but this crise de regime could yet prove terminal for the Fifth Republic Don't get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereIn October 2022, when Rishi Sunak moved into 10 Downing St, he became the fifth British prime minister to take up the office in six years.Unleashed on the UK by Brexit, this was unprecedented political turmoil. So how might we describe what is happening in France, now on its fifth (or sixth, depending how you count) premier in two years - three of them in the past 10 months? Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more of our European news coverage hereSergiy Petrovich Lysak has been appointed as the head of the Odesa city military administration, as confirmed by an order on the website for the president of Ukraine on Wednesday, after the dismissal of the city's former mayor.Lysak was previously tasked with leading the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration.Odesa deserves greater protection and greater support.This can be done in the format of a military administration - too many security issues in Odesa have remained without an adequate response for far too long. Continue reading...

Robert Bush, 47, admits to 36 counts of fraud relating to misleading families of the deceasedA funeral director has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fraud - including misleading the parents of unborn babies - after a stash of human remains were found at his premises in Hull.Robert Bush, 47, was charged this year with 64 offences, including 30 counts of preventing a lawful burial and a fraudulent trading charge in relation to the funeral plans of 172 people spanning almost 12 years to March 2024. Continue reading...

Parties blame each other after bill halted at last minute, as fears grow over voluntary service and lottery idea is vetoed

Backlash as California governor rejects measure allowing preferential treatment for descendants of enslaved peopleCalifornia's governor, Gavin Newsom, is facing backlash from progressives over his veto of a reparations bill that would have allowed universities to give preference to applicants descended from enslaved people.Assembly Bill 7, widely supported by Democratic lawmakers, established that California colleges may consider" preferential treatment for individuals who establish direct lineage to a person subjected to American chattel slavery before 1900. The legislation, one of several reparations measures Newsom has vetoed, did not compel institutions to change admissions policies, and supporters said it was carefully written to withstand legal challenges. Continue reading...

Research also finds majority of people are against letting politicians front current affairs programmesA larger proportion of people who frequently watch GB News wrongly believe that net migration to the UK is increasing than those of other major channels, according to a study examining public attitudes to broadcasting impartiality.Research by Cardiff University, seen by the Guardian, also found public opposition to allowing politicians to front current affairs programmes - contradicting research carried out by regulator, Ofcom. Continue reading...

Chancellor also blames austerity and ongoing impact of Liz Truss mini-budget' for growing shortfall in public finances

Hackers stole personal information of 6.6m people but outsourcing firm did not shut device targeted for 58 hoursThe outsourcing company Capita has been fined 14m for data protection failings after hackers stole the personal information of 6.6 million people, including staff details and those of its clients' customers.John Edwards, the UK information commissioner who levied the fine, said the March 2023 data theft from the group and companies it supported, including 325 pension providers, caused anxiety and stress for those affected. Continue reading...

Scoreboard error gave Academy of Classical Christian Studies team the edge over Apache high schoolA US high school girls basketball team is said to have proved there are still good people in this world" after taking the unprecedented step of returning a championship it had won after realizing they had actually lost the title-clinching game.The story stems from the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association, where a crucial scoreboard error early in the game gave the girls basketball team at Academy of Classical Christian Studies the edge over its Apache high school counterpart, as CBS News recently reported. Continue reading...

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The city - the Sudanese army's last stronghold in the west of the country - has withstood more than 500 days of attacks by paramilitary RSFThe besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher has been declared uninhabitable" with new data indicating most homes are destroyed and critical levels of malnourishment among people trapped there.The stark assessment comes as the city endures constant artillery and drone attacks, shoehorning its 250,000 starving people into a shrinking urban enclave. Continue reading...

Legislative change comes five years after treaty suspended in response to city's crackdown on pro-democracy activistsExiled Hong Kong dissidents say they fear UK government plans to restart some extraditions with the city could put them in greater danger, saying Hong Kong authorities will use any pretext to pursue them.An amendment to UK extradition laws was passed on Tuesday. It came more than five years after the UK and several other countries suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong in response to the government crackdown on the pro-democracy movement, and its imposition of a Beijing-designed national security law. Continue reading...

Market not fit' for purpose and must be modernised, CMA says, with pet owners paying 16.6% more at large groups

British social media star sent back by border force after apparently arriving on tourist paperwork but with several appearances scheduledBritish social media personality Big John" Fisher has cut short a tour and appearances in Australia after saying he was detained by immigration officers for arriving on the wrong visa.Fisher, who is famous for his love of Chinese takeaway and reviews of fast food and has almost 700,000 followers on Instagram, said he was held for four hours by Australian Border Force officers after arriving in Perth on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Home affairs minister's 2024 decision to reject visa application for planned speaking tour on character grounds upheld

Supermarket supplier says new pricier range is still cheaper than bill for a night out at a restaurantBritish consumers are looking to treat themselves with an alternative to dining out despite a squeeze on household finances, according to the food entrepreneur Charlie Bigham who is launching luxurious ready meals costing up to 29.95.The supermarket supplier is selling a new five-option range, which includes a venison bourguignon made with wild-caught venison from the Scottish Highlands, in an attempt to snare consumers saving on the cost of a night out. Continue reading...

Former political staffer suing over legal costs during investigation into claims he misappropriated secret documents related to French submarines

Bloc's first affordable housing plan to cover issues such as tenants' rights, property speculation and tourist letsThe EU executive will propose rules to tackle the huge problem" of short-term rentals via platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com, as it seeks to confront the social crisis" of people struggling to afford a home, its first-ever housing commissioner has said.In an interview with the Guardian and other European newspapers, Dan Jorgensen said it was time for Brussels policymakers to take housing seriously or cede ground to anti-EU populists, who, he said, did not have the answers to the shortage of affordable homes. Continue reading...

One in four students say AI makes it too easy' for them to find answersPupils fear that using artificial intelligence is eroding their ability to study, with many complaining it makes schoolwork too easy" and others saying it limits their creativity and stops them learning new skills, according to new research.The report on the use of AI in UK schools, commissioned by Oxford University Press (OUP), found that just 2% of students aged between 13 and 18 said they did not use AI for their schoolwork, while 80% said they regularly used it. Continue reading...

Transport for NSW and councils will be able to issue penalties to operators who fail to remove illegally parked bikes

US court documents reveal Dan Bernad seeks to maintain luxurious and upper-class lifestyle' he had with Australian singer, who filed for divorce in MaySia's estranged husband is seeking more than US$250,000 (A$386,000, 187,000) a month in spousal support, according to US court documents.The Australian pop singer, full name Sia Furler, split from Daniel Bernad - the father of their 18-month-old son, Somersault, in May and filed for divorce after three years of marriage. Now the former radiation oncologist has requested the sum, as well as $US300,000 for legal fees and another $US200,000 to cover the cost of forensic accounting. Continue reading...

Exclusive: New bill seeks to ban rent processing fees, require landlords to provide proof for bond claims and establish a portable bond scheme

Rise in births to non-Japanese comes as politicians keep dodging the choice between economic decline and a more diverse populationThis week brought encouraging news for Japan's long battle to defuse its demographic timebomb: in 2024, the number of babies born to one sector of the population rose to a record of more than 22,000 - that's about 3,000 more than the previous year and a 50% increase on a decade ago.But none of the women who answered calls - invariably issued by conservative male politicians - to have more children were Japanese. Continue reading...

Scientists from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, look at 37 species to identify cause of rat hole' in pavementWith a front paw outstretched and its tail at an angle, the creature that fell on to wet concrete in Chicago left quite the memento mori.Now, researchers say they have unmasked the identity of the victim, revealing the famous rat hole" was most probably made by a squirrel. Continue reading...

Home secretary to tell meeting of interior ministers that international cooperation is way to curb irregular migrationThe failure to bring order to European borders is eroding trust in politicians and the concept of nation states, Shabana Mahmood will warn.As she hosts a meeting of fellow interior ministers to discuss migration routes through the western Balkans on Tuesday, the home secretary will say that international cooperation is the way to curb irregular migration. Continue reading...

UN has condemned US strikes on small boats it believes to be trafficking drugs as extrajudicial executions

Singer known for tracks such as Brown Sugar and Untitled (How Does It Feel) died at home from pancreatic cancer

Men who were held in Nafha prison say they were brutally beaten, bound at the hands and feet, verbally abused, allowed to contract fungal and skin diseases, and assaulted with loud music for up to two days straightBefore releasing him, Israeli prison guards decided to give Naseem al-Radee a farewell gift. They bound his hands, placed him on the ground and beat him without mercy, saying goodbye the same way they had said hello: with their fists.Radee's first sight of Gaza in nearly two years was blurry; a boot to the eye left him with blurred vision two days later. Vision problems added to the laundry list of ailments he gained during his 22-month stay in an Israeli prison. Continue reading...

Sebastien Lecornu hopes delaying changes until after 2027 election will win him enough support to surviveFrance's prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, has suspended Emmanuel Macron's flagship 2023 pension overhaul until after the 2027 presidential election in the hope of winning over enough Socialist deputies to survive a no-confidence vote.In a welcome respite for the embattled French president, the left-leaning party, which holds the balance of power in a deeply divided parliament, suggested in response on Tuesday that it would not back any of the no-confidence motions to be voted on later this week. Continue reading...

Artist behind posters for Harry Potter, The Thing and Back to the Future had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's diseaseDesigner Drew Struzan, known for some of the most iconic movie posters of all time, has died aged 78.His work included posters for films such as Back to the Future, The Empire Strikes Back, The Goonies, The Shawshank Redemption, The Thing and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Continue reading...