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But their habitat is threatened by bottom trawling in the region and Trump's plan to expand seafloor miningScientists have discovered nine new deep-sea sponge species off Alaska, offering new insights into the region's largely unexplored marine biodiversity.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) announced the discovery on Thursday, saying the species were found in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. The findings bring the total number of known sponge species in Alaska to 232. Continue reading...

Strike on kingdom's east-west pipeline could affect 4% of global oil supply. Plus, report reveals British monarchy's role in financing slave tradeGood morning. Oil prices have climbed above $108 a barrel after a series of drone attacks from Iraq's territory forced Saudi Arabia to close its east-west crude pipeline. Saudi traders said the kingdom would run out of oil stocks for export if it did not reopen within days. Gas prices also climbed higher. Energy prices have surged this year, as the US-Israel war with Iran has disrupted oil and gas supply across the Middle East.The spike came as the Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen launched several attacks against Saudi Arabia and captured the strategic island of Perim in the Bab al-Mandab strait on Sunday, expanding their control of the waterway.Where did the attack on Saudi Arabia come from? Iraq's government confirmed the attacks were launched from its territory and ordered an investigation. Baghdad is under mounting pressure to stop militant groups - including those backed by Saudi Arabia's regional rival Iran - launching attacks on Gulf countries from Iraqi soil. The US president, Donald Trump, said he believed Tehran was responsible.Why has Saudi Arabia been relying on its east-west pipeline? Riyadh has increased the use of the 745-mile pipeline since the start of the war on Iran in order to bypass the strait of Hormuz's closure. The world's biggest exporter has used the pipeline to reroute about 4m barrels a day - about 4% of global supply - but with the pipeline out of service, the Red Sea port of Yanbu now has stocks to maintain exports for just five to seven days.What is the Anthropic CEO proposing? Robert Booth explains Amodei's suggestion: first, each US AI company grants access to third-party evaluators; second, all companies in democratic countries establish common safety standards; and third, the world's democratic AI powers coordinate with autocracies - notably China - to control the race.How has Barack Obama intervened over AI? The former US president made a direct appeal to Democrats to coalesce around a unified AI safety policy, arguing that waiting for voluntary compliance from tech firms was a recipe for governance failure. Continue reading...

Paul Nowak says the donations to Reform UK suggest that Nigel Farage is a politician for sale'Paul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, has said that the two donations worth a total of 72m to Reform UK announced over the weekend show that democracy is in crisis.In his speech to the TUC conference, he called for a permanent ban on crypto donations, overseas donations, and foreign-funded political ads.Why is it that two crypto billionaires have donated 72m to Reform in just 2 days?The evidence is clear: Reform UK is a party for sale. Nigel Farage is a politician for sale. And given half the chance, they'd sell our country down the river.There is a direct political thread, a nasty politics, that links Nigel Farage, Rupert Lowe, and Tommy Robinson, with Donald Trump, Maga and the US white supremacist movement.It starts with demonising migrants. It flies flags, not as an expression of national pride, but to intimidate. It fans the literal flames that set fire to hostels and libraries. And it ends up with proto-fascist mobs roaming our streets in balaclavas, targeting brave volunteers in lifeboats. Continue reading...

The US supreme court is still weighing the administration's request to overturn a separate order blocking the rule

Warning follows series of safety incidents, with committee saying threats include public face-scanning and deepfakes

The parliament isn't set to meet until late September to elect a new speaker, and then prime ministerWhile the Social Democrats are understandably raring to take a crack at forming the next government, it's easy to overlook that, despite coming out on top again, the party has actually lost ground since 2022 - recording its lowest vote share since universal suffrage was introduced in 1921.With 95% of votes counted, the party sits at 28.1%, down more than two percentage points from 2022 (30.3%) and below its previous low of 28.3% in 2018. Continue reading...

Project will prepare volunteers across US to monitor polls, encourage early voting and respond to disinformationThe Democrats intend to train tens of thousands of volunteers to monitor the polls and counter possible voter intimidation under a new plan to protect November's US midterm elections from anticipated interference from Donald Trump and his allies.The nationwide initiative, dubbed the New Battlefield Project, will help state Democratic committees build up a vast coalition of volunteers to monitor the polls, push voters to cast their ballots early and create a network to respond to disinformation. Continue reading...

Flooding in West Bengal has led to three deaths, while severe beach erosion has been witnessed in Orange countyFlooding around the city of Malda in the Indian state of West Bengal since Thursday has had a devastating effect. So far, three deaths have been recorded and many areas are still flooded, with numerous villages affected, along with the region of Bhutni. Erosion from the flooding, reported from Khaskol, led to a disruption in river flow which led to a more severe impact in Bhutni. More than 100 boats have been sent out for evacuation.At East Basudevpur, a 20ft (6-metre) embankment collapsed, reducing the channel from 550ft to under 150ft, which could lead to further flooding unless repaired. This flooding resulted after the Ganges River rose about 75cm above its extreme danger" level owing to heavy rainfall. Continue reading...

STC's 2027 program also features Celeste Barber in Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris play, Tim Minchin as Scrooge and the return of The Picture of Dorian GraySix years after the Australian historian Jenny Hocking won her legal battle to release secret correspondence between Queen Elizabeth II, Malcolm Fraser and the governor general John Kerr, her fight to reveal the truth about Gough Whitlam's dismissal is being adapted for the stage.The Palace Letters, announced on Monday as part of Sydney Theatre Company's 2027 program, will have its world premiere at Sydney Opera House in April. It will star Georgie Parker as Hocking, with Jonathan Biggins playing Whitlam. Continue reading...

Richard Tice says contributions are legally compliant after author of review into overseas donations says rules will be applied retrospectivelyReform UK's deputy leader has declined to say when two crypto billionaires who gave a combined 72m to the party returned to the UK, as the architect of a review into overseas donations said anyone here for less than 12 months would be subject to a limit on donations.Richard Tice said that while he was completely confident Reform had complied with all current and proposed laws on donations, he could not say when Ben Delo returned to the UK from Hong Kong, or how much time the Thailand-based Christopher Harborne spent in Britain. Continue reading...

US officials reportedly raided envoy's London home and took him to American airbase without warning Met police

Police in Bali believe the two young children died as a result of violence, while a 57-year-old man is believed to have taken his own lifeIndonesian police are investigating the deaths of three Australians who died in Bali over the weekend, with initial reports suggesting a father killed his two young children before taking his own life.The man, 57, and his two children, seven and four, who are also Indonesian citizens, were discovered deceased in a bungalow in Kuta on Sunday morning. Continue reading...

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Price spike comes as rebel Houthis in Yemen target oil infrastructure and capture strategic island in Bab al-Mandab strait

A new public consultation has opened on the 150bn-litre above-ground White Horse project in Abingdon, OxfordshireThames Water has amended the blueprint of a planned mega-reservoir in Oxfordshire as the struggling utility tries to convince regulators that construction should go ahead amid warnings of catastrophic consequences".The White Horse reservoir near Abingdon is scheduled to hold 150bn litresof water with a surface area of 6.7 sq km (2.6 sq miles) - almost the same size as Gatwick airport. Continue reading...

Jean Nassif tells inquiry his statements were all talk' borne from frustration with former building commissioner David Chandler and 2GB radio shockjock Ray Hadley

Shares in tech firms tumble across Asia with Nasdaq also likely to dip later after Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceX leaders back call

Miki Zohar accuses Oscar-winning directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor of treason against the state'

Report by Israeli human rights group says systematic and broad assault being waged on conditions required for Palestinians' existenceIsrael is working towards the systematic elimination" of the conditions that sustain Palestinian collective life in the occupied West Bank, according to a major report published by the human rights group B'Tselem.The Israeli organisation's hard-hitting report, shared with the Guardian in advance of publication, says Israel is dramatically intensifying its attacks on every aspect of Palestinian life in the West Bank", including the ability to get to work, take children to school or university, receive medical treatment or municipal services, meet family and friends, cultivate land or go on vacation ... routine activities that make up human life".1,107

Indigenous senators have criticised One Nation leader saying the comments showed wilful ignorance'

In today's newsletter: As Labour MPs scramble to realign later today around a bill that could stop donations like this in their tracks, a look at new game-changing donations to a party engulfed in financial scandalsGood morning. Nigel Farage has a confirmed talent for upending the laws of political gravity, and this weekend has been no exception, as he declared himself humbled" by two donations of 36m each from cryptocurrency tycoons Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne.I'd shoehorn a joke about buses in here but, honestly, this feels too consequential for that.Economy | Former chancellor George Osborne said Britain's economy had fallen off a cliff" since Brexit - and that rejoining the European Union's customs union would be the fastest route to recovery.Technology | Sam Altman and Elon Musk backed Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's call to slow the pace" of AI development. Amodei had cautioned that an AI swarm could otherwise become capable of taking over the entire internet" within a year.Sweden | With most of the votes counted, Sweden's national election remained too close to call on Sunday night, with left-wing parties holding a lead of just a single seat according to a partial tally by the election authority.Ukraine | A train carrying Boris Johnson and the former CIA chief David Petraeus may have been the target of a Russian drone strike that hit a train engine near the Poland-Ukraine border, according to Ukrainian Railways.Travel | The air traffic control outage that caused thousands of flights to be grounded across the UK earlier in the week was caused by a military aircraft entering spurious" flight data into the system, according to a report.Monday | First ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will meet in Cardiff to discuss moves towards self-determination across the nations.Tuesday | The final report of the Thirwall Inquiry into events at the neonatal unit where Lucy Letby worked will be published. Letby was sentenced to 15 whole-life terms for murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others.Thursday | Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, will address the European parliament. Continue reading...

Motorcycle club president Peter Tiki' Mason, 71, crashed and died on the Western Highway at Trawalla, west of Ballarat, on Sunday

Commonsense change' looks to end current confusion and put passengers first, not shareholders' when services are disruptedRail passengers whose trains are cancelled will have the immediate right to travel on other operators' services to finish their journey without further charge, ministers have announced.The commonsense change" will take effect from Sunday 20 September, ending the confusion in Britain where many pre-booked tickets are not valid on other firms' trains. Continue reading...

Attenders will be asked to take part in tests to see if they have become more open to views they do not agree withFestivalgoers sometimes report feeling they have a fresh perspective of the world when they make their weary way home after a stimulating cultural gathering.A new festival of ideas" in Somerset is aiming to measure whether the beliefs and ideas of attenders and speakers really are changed by their event. Continue reading...

Electoral Commission finds abuse, particularly of women, minority ethnic and disabled people, is affecting candidates' behaviourAbuse and intimidation of election candidates is a serious and growing concern", the Electoral Commission has said, as a review of this year's local and mayoral elections in England revealed a surge in threats to those who stood.More than half of the candidates for Labour or Reform UK reported abuse while those most likely to be targeted were women, people from minority ethnic backgrounds and those with disabilities. Continue reading...

Alleged victim tells court he froze and was in disbelief' after broadcaster kissed him on corner of his lips at public eventA prominent athlete froze and was shocked and embarrassed" when Alan Jones kissed him on the side of his mouth at a public event, the broadcaster's trial at Sydney's Downing Centre has heard.The witness said the kiss on the corner of his lips happened years after Jones sent him a weekly bouquet of flowers after he had complimented the flowers on Jones's dining table. He said Jones's driver would drop the flowers at his home every week. Continue reading...

TGA issues alert after person was hospitalised after believing they were taking experimental weight loss drug retatrutide

Legal pioneer remembered as an advocate for equality and champion of women in the workplace

This live blog has now closed - you can read the latest news story hereIf you're looking just for a single story to quickly catch up on the story of tonight, let's cross to our Nordic correspondent, Miranda Bryant, for her preview.The prospect of far-right anti-immigration Sweden Democrats entering the government has understandably attracted a lot of international attention, particularly coming just days after the Alternative fur Deutschland won the regional elections in Saxony Anhalt in Germany. Continue reading...

Twenty-nine-year-old Queenslander was visiting Kelingking beach on a holiday, Nusa Penida police sayThe death of an Australian woman in a cliff fall at a popular Bali tourist destination has been described as incredibly sad".Police say the 29-year-old Queenslander was found stuck on the side of Kelingking beach cliff on Saturday morning, local time. Emergency services rushed to the scene but she fell further before they could reach her. Continue reading...

Whist drive ticket embedded in rock and news article on Great Train Robbers among items discovered during 10-year restorationLost or long-discarded items revealing glimpses of the behind-the-scenes life of Buckingham Palace staff over decades have been uncovered during the restoration of the UK monarchy's HQ.Misplaced belongings, found beneath the floorboards, in other areas of the royal residence and preserved within the fabric of the building, include a ticket to a whist drive run by the royal household's social club from nearly 80 years ago. Continue reading...

Race too close to call and may take days to become clear despite early exit polls suggesting left bloc win

Kirsty McNeill reaffirms Labour's 0.7% of GDP pledge and promises value for money to allay voter concernsThe development minister, Kirsty McNeill, has declared herself a huge believer in aid", as she reaffirmed Labour's manifesto pledge to return to a target of 0.7% of national income spending.McNeill, a former adviser to Gordon Brown and senior executive at Save the Children, declined to give any timetable, repeating the formula that the government would work towards the target when fiscal circumstances allow". Continue reading...

Prime minister vows to reindustrialise Britain' through new partnership with businessThe prime minister is to host business leaders, entrepreneurs and local mayors at Downing Street on Monday to pitch his government as a partner for growth" that can offer a stable platform for investment and jobs in the UK.Ahead of the event, Andy Burnham said the country had everything it needs to succeed", including talented people and world-class universities, but requires a culture shift in how Britain does business" if it is to unlock its full potential. Continue reading...

US president brushes off Andy Burnham's opposition to referendum and says he will remove Irish whiskey tariffDonald Trump has reiterated his support for Irish unification and brushed off Andy Burnham's opposition to a referendum.Everybody says that. Then things happen," the US president said on Sunday of the British prime minister's response. Continue reading...

PM has so far declined to insert curbs on UK-based donors, despite 72m donations from billionaires to Reform UKTrade unions, MPs and donors have urged the government to look again at party funding rules, after Reform UK insisted 72m in donations from two crypto billionaires was within the law.Andy Burnham, a previous backer of caps on domestic donations, has so far declined to insert any curbs in the elections bill that would apply to UK-based donors. Continue reading...

Jefferson county coroner says 40-year-old woman died on Saturday, while two infants died with disease in AugustA coroner in Pennsylvania announced the death of a 40-year-old woman associated with the state's ongoing measles outbreak. The death appears to mark the third in the US state's ongoing outbreak.Two previous deaths in the state were in infant children. In one case, the infant was born with a genetic defect that made her vulnerable to infection. The second infant child was infected with measles, and died of a ruptured spleen. Continue reading...

Ukrainian Railways says former British PM and David Petraeus crossed into Poland shortly before drone attack near borderA train carrying Boris Johnson and the former CIA chief David Petraeus may have been the target of a Russian drone strike that hit a train engine near the Poland-Ukraine border, according to Ukrainian Railways.Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, described the attack as Putin's terror knocking directly on the doors of the EU and Nato". Continue reading...

Call for constitutional change in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales likely to challenge Burnham's devolution agendaThe first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are to affirm their countries' right to seek independence from the UK at a summit that is likely to challenge Andy Burnham's devolution agenda.The Plaid Cymru leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, the Scottish National party leader, John Swinney, and the Sinn Fein vice-president, Michelle O'Neill, are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding at a landmark conference in Cardiff on Monday that will call on Westminster to prepare, plan and facilitate constitutional change in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland". Continue reading...

Kaegan Jude Solet, 47, taken into custody after stabbings in Houma leave four dead and one wounded, authorities sayPolice arrested a person of interest after a series of stabbings in Houma, Louisiana, left at least four people dead and another person in critical condition in hospital.The Terrebonne parish sheriff's office confirmed Kaegan Jude Solet, 47, had been taken into custody after deputies were initially called to the Ashland Drive area of Houma and located a juvenile with apparent stab wounds. Continue reading...

The man who once helped Richard Dirty' Desmond save a load of tax was wheeled out to face Laura KuenssbergYou wait years for one party donation of 36m and then two come along at once. Reform can hardly believe its luck. All hail the crypto billionaires. Tacky pale turquoise suits all round. And Nigel Farage won't have to worry about spending any of his own money - if you can call the 5m freebie his own money - on his security. Nor do those champagne and oyster lunches to discuss loose change donations of 500k from people living overseas pay for themselves. From now on Reform won't need to bother getting out of bed for anything less than eight figures.Fair to say that if it had been Labour or the Tories trousering 72m from Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo then Reform would be on full outrage rampage. How the political system was rigged against it and how the two main parties are hotwired cash machines. In bed with the super-rich. But since the money is heading towards its own bank account, everyone in the party is totally chilled. This is just the way life ought to be. Who wouldn't want a country where two billionaires can attempt to buy the democratic process? Continue reading...

Woman's family says she died of injuries after being shot in the head while sitting inside a tent near Khan YounisA pregnant Palestinian woman died on Saturday from injuries sustained after being shot in the head by Israeli forces south of Khan Younis, according to her family and medical workers, as strikes across Gaza killed at least 10 people in 48 hours.The woman, named as Iman Shalouf, 27, who was nearly eight months pregnant, was sitting inside her family's tent in the al-Mawasi area when Israeli gunfire struck her, according to paramedics and witnesses. Continue reading...

Party's economic spokesperson says donations are a breakthrough moment' as Labour's Angela Rayner warns of possible retrospective action

Combined value of 275 women's claims is far greater than amount Harrods has set aside for payoutsCompensation claims by 275 survivors of alleged sexual abuse by the former owner of Harrods Mohamed Al Fayed could reach between 100m and 150m, according to a law firm representing the women.The combined value of their claims, calculated by KP Law (KPL), which represents more than half of known survivors, is around two to three times greater than the amount the luxury department store has set aside for all abuse payouts. Continue reading...

Fire survivors and bereaved urge Barnet Group to reconsider' appointment of Laura Johnson, who pushed for cheaper contractorGrenfell survivors and bereaved relatives have criticised the outrageous decision" to hire a director who oversaw cost-cutting at Grenfell Tower in a 150,000-a-year senior council housing role.Laura Johnson, the director of housing at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) at the time of the 2017 Grenfell fire, has been appointed the permanent director of development and property at the Barnet Group, which manages the borough's 13,000 council homes. Continue reading...

In a new video, Klein and Taylor outline a ominous evolution taking shape on the far right - and how to stay loyal to this planet and each other

Iran war and turbulent global bond markets add to pressure as rate decisions loom this week in major western economies

Search and rescue agency says 107 people brought to safety from vessel hit by bad weather in Java SeaRescue workers in Indonesia said at least six people had died and 130 others were missing on Sunday after a ferry sailing between the islands of Java and Borneo capsized in bad weather.Basarnas, Indonesia's national search and rescue agency, said 107 people had been rescued from the Virgo Transport 8 vessel, which set sail on Saturday with 243 people onboard, including 30 crew members, from the East Java city of Surabaya. Continue reading...

Iran-allied Houthis say drones and missiles used in attack that targeted weapons depots and command and control centres' in southern Saudi ArabiaHouthi fighters have said they used drones and missiles to attack a military base in southern Saudi Arabia, as Yemen's Riyadh-backed government described the rebels' swift advance along the Red Sea coast as a painful" development in a new front in the Iran war.The attack at the southern Sharurah base targeted weapons depots and command and control centres that are managing the aggression against our nation and people", the Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree wrote on X. Continue reading...

Angela Rayner says manifesto pledge is not being dropped but focus is now on building council houses