by Lucy Campbell (now); Chris Hippensteel and Tom Amb on (#78JY9)
Trump lawyers say White House access is a privilege, not a right'; CNN, Politico and MS Now to present case in court after president banned outlets from White House grounds
Campaigners say plan marks a notable shift' away from oil and gas as previously pledges were only for carbon neutralityEurope's biggest economy has committed to phasing out fossil fuels by 2045, despite fierce debate about Germany's green policies.In a roadmap published on Wednesday, the German government set out for the first time an explicit promise of transitioning away" from fossil fuels, as previous pledges were only for carbon neutrality". Continue reading...
Farage referred to the new unit and said Burnham was setting it up using the excuse that Russia wants to interfere with elections'The former Labour minister leading the government's review into youth unemployment has written to 100 firms to ask them to provide work placements and jobs for young people, the Press Association reports. PA says:Alan Milburn, who was commissioned by former prime minister Keir Starmer to lead the government's review into worklessness, has approached business leaders" in sectors including rail, transport and utilities to ask them to provide more chances for young people.The Milburn review said Royal Mail, Octopus Energy, Greene King and Lloyds bank are among the companies who are already offering opportunities to school and university leavers. They are taking part in the review's First Chance scheme, which has come from the review. Continue reading...
Sentencing comes after years of appeals and retrials in the case involving former TV production assistant Miriam HaleyHarvey Weinstein was sentenced to 15 years on Wednesday after being convicted of sexually assaulting former TV production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 at his Manhattan apartment.Haley appeared in court on Wednesday morning and delivered a victim impact statement. Continue reading...
by Tom Ambrose (now); Jakub Krupa and Taz Ali (earlie on (#78JVE)
Iranian leader says US president described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of terrorism'These latest attacks come just hours before Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to the UN general assembly, so he is likely to reflect on them during his UN speech later.So far, we have had no public comment from Zelenskyy or Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha. Continue reading...
Financial pressures suspected to be behind ONS figures for England and Wales that show marriages lasting longerCouples are putting off divorce because of the cost of living crisis, lawyers have said, after figures showing the average length of a marriage ending in divorce in England and Wales reached a record high last year.The Office of National Statistics (ONS) released figures on Wednesday showing that the average marriage ending in divorce lasted for 13 years in 2025. This is the longest since records began in 1963 and up from a record low of 8.9 years in 1985. Continue reading...
by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent on (#78K4Q)
Organised crime groups offer cash to move packages containing illegal drugs, weapons and dirty cashStudents are being recruited by criminals in West Yorkshire to transfer illegal packages containing illegal drugs, prohibited weapons, stolen goods and dirty cash.Organised criminals are using social media platforms including Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook to recruit people to help them move illicit goods, particularly targeting students and vulnerable adults. Continue reading...
by Eve Livingston Scotland correspondent on (#78K4R)
Sandie Peggie accuses RCN of failing to adequately support her in dispute over sharing women's changing room with trans doctorA nurse who objected to sharing a changing room with a transgender doctor has said she felt discriminated against" by her union after raising the complaint.Sandie Peggie, who worked for NHS Fife for more than 30 years, won a partial victory against her employer after a tribunal in December 2025, when a judge upheld her harassment claim against the health board but dismissed claims of discrimination, indirect discrimination and victimisation. Continue reading...
Cooperation on OceanEye, which will help to predict extreme weather and climate events, comes amid government attempts to move closer to BrusselsBritain is to join a major new ocean science programme, led by the EU, to better forecast extreme weather and climate events, it will announce today in New York.The announcement comes as Andy Burnham's government aims to rebuild the UK's relationship with Europe, and follows warnings that this year's supersized" El Nino, tracked in the Pacific Ocean, will fuel more extreme weather globally. Continue reading...
Discovery of Gallo-Roman period structure hailed as major breakthrough' by French culture ministryAn ancient wall discovered beneath Paris has been described as a major breakthrough" by France's culture ministry, with the archaeological find possibly confirming the location of the city's original settlement.A roughly 20-metre (65ft) stretch of wall dating from the Gallo-Roman period was discovered in Paris this summer beneath a building on the Ile de la Cite, near Notre Dame Cathedral in the heart of the French capital. Continue reading...
Housing rights campaigners decry landlord's barbaric behaviour' after apartment Maricarmen had lived in for 71 years was bought by a developerThere were violent scenes in Madrid on Wednesday as riot police fought with protesters trying to prevent the eviction of an 87-year-old disabled woman from her apartment in the Retiro district.Hundreds of protesters had gathered, many of them overnight, in an effort to block the fourth attempt to carry out the eviction. Activists from the Madrid and Barcelona tenants' union, and celebrities including the actor Carlos Bardem and the singer and actor Ana Belen, joined the protest. Continue reading...
Ofcom says site's age-checking regime may not be highly effective', as required by the Online Safety ActOne of the world's most visited pornography websites is being investigated by the UK's communications watchdog over concerns it can still be accessed by children.Pornhub's age checking regime may not be highly effective", according to Ofcom, and could be in breach of online safety laws requiring strict measures to prevent under-18s from accessing sexually explicit content. Continue reading...
by Haroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent on (#78JX6)
Richard Clayton KC had undergone operation for ruptured achilles tendon day before hearing optician's appealA judge was wrong to hear a case from his bed via video link while recovering from surgery, the court of appeal has said.Richard Clayton KC, sitting as a deputy high court judge, heard an optician's appeal against a finding of serious misconduct from bed the day after returning from hospital where he had undergone an operation for a ruptured achilles tendon. Continue reading...
Bryan Seaver, who announced Parton's death to the world, is alleged to have intimidated her manager and others, which he deniesThe estate of the late Dolly Parton is involved in a dispute with the country star's nephew and former head of security, and has filed for a restraining order against him amid allegations of threats.Bryan Seaver was responsible for Parton's security, and was tasked with announcing her death on 25 August with a video, something Dolly asked of me years ago", he said. Continue reading...
Iran war, rising prices and president's low ratings give Democrats advantage, but Republicans have poured cash into key races - could it be decisive?Donald Trump pulled out all the stops at the Republican party's midterm convention two weeks ago. In speeches aimed at the voters who will soon decide whether to keep Republicans in control of Congress for the final phase of his presidency, the president dangled $5,000 checks, and warned the United States would turn into a communist country" if Democrats are elected.The unprecedented political gathering amounted to a hail-mary pass at retaining control of Congress, which history indicated Trump's Republican allies had always been likely to lose in the 3 November vote. Two weeks later, with election administrators in several states already sending out mail ballots, there is no indication the gambit has worked. Continue reading...
Arrest of Shadrack Sibiya comes as country reels from cases of femicide and alleged police corruption and criminalityOne of South Africa's most senior police officers has been charged with raping an 18-year-old woman and grooming a 16-year-old girl, as the country's police face allegations of corruption and failing to tackle violence against women and girls.Shadrack Sibiya, who was already suspended from his role as deputy national police commissioner over allegations he interfered with political killings investigations, was arrested on Monday. He is facing charges of rape, people trafficking, promoting the sexual grooming of a child and two counts of grooming a child. Continue reading...
by Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent on (#78JVG)
NHS England initiative to reduce cut-off period to three months disproportionately affecting' most deprived areasAn NHS policy to remove ghost patients" from GP lists is inadvertently leaving some of the poorest people in England without vital healthcare, analysis has found.Under previous NHS rules, inactive patients at risk of being removed from their GP practice were given six months to respond to outreach. But under NHS England's accelerated list validation timeline, introduced last October, patients now have only three months to reply. Continue reading...
New RAF unit will warn of incoming missile attacks, and support offensive and defensive operationsA new military unit dedicated to defending satellites, protecting services people need on Earth and potentially supporting offensive operations is being launched by the UK.The No III Space Effects Squadron will be announced on Wednesday, with the defence secretary, Wes Streeting, warning that Britain needs to keep pace in the new space race". Continue reading...
No trace of Gus has been found since he went missing from his family's South Australian farm on 27 September last yearThe parents of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont have made an emotional plea for any information about their unique little boy" as authorities offered a $1m reward over the disappearance.No trace of Gus has been found since he went missing from his family's enormous sheep farm in the South Australian outback almost a year ago. Continue reading...
The singer, songwriter, actor and advocate, who has died following a cardiac arrest while touring in Europe, kept his band's flame burning until the endGary Angry" Anderson - who has died aged 79 after he was hospitalised following a cardiac arrest while on tour in Germany with the band Rose Tattoo, the balls-out band he fronted for 50 years - was not a nice boy growing up. As one of the founding members of Melbourne motorcycle club the Vigilanties, Gary Anderson initially earned the sobriquet Mouse, on account of his diminutive stature.Determined to prove himself a man, he developed a penchant for taking on blokes twice his size. It earned him a new nickname: the Angry Ant. Angry" - shortened for impact - suited him better. An accomplished rabble-rouser and ferocious rock'n'roll singer, Angry Anderson ended up channelling his energy into a variety of causes. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Restoration work at Bath Assembly Rooms unearths Roman ditches containing pottery, coins and fragments of a military helmetThe restoration of a Georgian building in Bath once frequented by Jane Austen has unexpectedly provided a tantalising glimpse into the life of the city's Roman suburbanites.A network of Roman ditches containing pottery, coins, glassware and a fragment of a military helmet has been found beneath Bath Assembly Rooms in the north of the city. Continue reading...
Treasury committee rejects calls for fundamental reform of independent watchdog the Office for Budget ResponsibilityAttacks on the government's independent economic forecaster from left and right of the political spectrum are akin to shooting the messenger", according to an influential group of MPs.The Treasury committee rejected siren calls to fundamentally reform" the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and said it should not be blamed when policymakers had to make tough decisions because of tight public finances. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#78JRA)
Radical' report likely to influence party's platform also proposes abolishing inheritance and capital gains taxesA thinktank linked to Reform UK has called for the abolition of the state pension and 75bn worth of sweeping tax cuts in a radical" report likely to influence the party's platform for the next election.The Centre for a Better Britain's (CFABB) report - which also calls for weaker rules for UK banks and Trump-style investment accounts offering 1,000 to newborns - will be formally launched at a private event with City executives on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Joyce would not say which Liberals he had spoken to, while Angus Taylor denied any conversations had taken placeSenior Liberals have rubbished claims by Barnaby Joyce that he has discussed One Nation offering the Coalition a pathway to minority government after the next election, accusing him of buyers remorse after defecting from the Nationals.Joyce, who defected to join Pauline Hanson's party in December, claimed on Tuesday night he had held talks with senior Liberals about a potential deal for supply and confidence to oust Anthony Albanese from power. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan Caribbean correspondent on (#78JQB)
The move comes after Jamaica's culture minister Olivia Grange travelled to the UK earlier this month to lodge the historic petitionKing Charles has referred a landmark slavery reparations petition from Jamaica to a high-level UK appeals court for legal advice, Jamaica's culture minister announced in parliament on Tuesday.Referring to the move as a really big deal", Olivia Grange told Jamaica's MPs the monarch had confirmed that their legal questions have been passed on to the London-based privy council - the final court of appeal for UK overseas territories and some Commonwealth countries. Continue reading...
Islamic State-inspired bombings of churches and hotels in 2019 was one of the country's worst ever attacksA court in Sri Lanka has convicted 15 men over their involvement in the 2019 Easter bombings that killed 267 people, and sentenced them each to at least 200 years in prison, meaning they will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.Nearly 600 people were wounded in the suicide bomb attacks on 21 April that targeted three churches and three hotels across the country during Easter services and celebrations. The bombings, which were inspired by the Islamic State (IS) group, were among the deadliest attacks in Sri Lanka's history. Continue reading...
by Amelia Gentleman, Diane Taylor, Steven Morris and on (#78JMH)
Thomas called followers to disrupt arrival of asylum seekers in Gosport, but Border Force instead transported them to DoverCharities have condemned footage of far-right activist Daniel Thomas using a blade to slash an inflatable dinghy in the Channel while a rescue worker was onboard, in a further escalation of organised anti-immigration protest.Hundreds of protesters gathered early on Tuesday evening at Gosport in Hampshire, aiming to disrupt the planned disembarkation of asylum seekers, but the Border Force vessels carrying them landed instead in Dover early on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Wirral mother among renters turning to food banks as gap between a two-bed and housing benefit hits 158 a month - rising to as much as 324 in LondonDo you prioritise paying the rent, putting food on the table or keeping the house warm in winter? In practice, says Laura Braddock, a single mum from Wirral, Merseyside, you always pay the rent first and improvise the rest. If I've got a roof over our head, then everything else I can muddle through."The pressing problem for Braddock, 39, is that muddling through is getting harder. The monthly rent for her two-bedroom flat far outstrips the local housing allowance (LHA) she receives - and the gap may widen. Continue reading...
by Josh Halliday North of England editor on (#78JNC)
IPPR North says one bad decision could derail devolution agenda as regions gain control of billions in fundingEngland's mayors should face much greater official scrutiny to avoid Andy Burnham's devolution agenda being derailed by one bad decision", a thinktank has said.Ministers will set out plans next month to give regional leaders control over potentially billions of pounds of additional funding under a transformational" shift of power outside Whitehall. Continue reading...
Test using urine and vaginal fluid samples raises hopes thousands of lower-risk women could be spared internal ultrasounds and hysteroscopiesDoctors have developed a simple test that could help rule out womb cancer in women who experience bleeding after menopause.The approach has the potential to transform care for thousands of women each year and spare them from invasive and uncomfortable tests that can also be costly for healthcare systems. Continue reading...
County's first such clinic, at Alder Hey in Liverpool, treating children suffering from chronic bladder problems with severe cases needing dialysisChildren as young as 13 in the UK have been referred to a specialist clinic for a devastating" bladder condition linked to sustained use of ketamine.Medics at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool opened the first ketamine clinic in the UK for young people amid a surge in urology problems linked to addiction of the drug. Continue reading...
The park is the most highly visited and strong winds make trash problem worse, with gusts blowing away itemsHold on to your hats - Yellowstone national park staffers have removed a record-setting 20,100 pieces of trash from hydrothermal areas around the geyser-filled park so far this yearThe most commonly found items include 280 hats, 54 camera lens caps, 47 hair ties, 42 pencils, 36 pairs of sunglasses, 20 hotel key cards and 17 baby pacifiers. Continue reading...
President made more than 440 purchases and 700 sales despite voter anger over elected officials trading stocksDonald Trump made over a thousand stock sales and purchases worth between $79m and $270m in July, according to a Guardian analysis of his latest financial disclosure released Tuesday.His two largest sales were of Amazon and Microsoft stock, selling between $5m and $25m each on 20 July. That same day, he also sold up to $5m worth of Oracle and Costco stock, $500,000 to $1m in Nvidia, and bought up to $5m worth of shares in Intuit and Salesforce, among dozens of other transactions. Continue reading...
Ella Langley's record-breaking song has spent 23 weeks at the top, surpassing Mariah Carey's holiday anthemElla Langley's hit song Choosin' Texas has made Billboard Hot 100 history, spending 23 weeks on the chart and breaking the record for the longest-running No 1 song in the chart's 68-year old history.The track, which was released last October as the lead single on the 27-year-old singer and songwriter's album Dandelion, has surpassed Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You, which topped the charts for 22 weeks. Continue reading...
Company to award backpay to 264,000 workers as mayor Zohran Mamdani condemns use of greedy algorithms'DoorDash said it would pay $131.5m to settle a New York City government investigation that found the food delivery company underpaid or waited too long to pay workers.Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the settlement the city's largest labor enforcement action. It advances the city's longstanding effort to hold food delivery companies to a 2023 law intended to improve pay for delivery workers. Continue reading...
by Lucy Campbell, Serena Richards, Tom Ambrose and Yo on (#78J1T)
This live blog is now closed.Tehran appears to have relaxed its preconditions for reopening the strait of Hormuz, saying it is prepared to do so within seven days so long as the US takes reciprocal steps to ease the pressure on Iran.Previously Iran had set seven onerous pre-conditions for lifting the blockade including an end to war on all fronts" and a commitment by the US to cease all aggressive actions against Iran including sanctions. Continue reading...
Polo, with sustained winds of 165mph, is churning 215 miles south of Zihuatanejo but is unlikely to directly hit MexicoA tropical storm off the south-west coast of Mexico has intensified into a category 5 monster in fewer than 24 hours, fueled by stronger than usual El Nino weather patterns in the Pacific Ocean.Hurricane Polo was sending out maximum sustained winds of 165mph (266km/h) on Tuesday as its center churned about 215 miles (346km) south of the coastal city of Zihuatanejo, in Guerrero state. Continue reading...
US president may have upstaged the ghost of Soviet leader Khrushchev by musing destruction of fellow member stateDonald Trump has a habit of discomfiting delegates to the United Nations general assembly. But this year, he may have upstaged the ghost of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev by openly contemplating the annihilation of a fellow UN member state.Eleven minutes into a 40-minute address, the US president announced he had a big decision to make" over Iran, which has staged a much more determined resistance than Trump anticipated when he decided to go to war against the country in February. Continue reading...