Emissions of planet-heating methane and CO2 from natural sources are worsening the climate crisis, paper saysRising global temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels are transforming the world's forests, wetlands and tundra to the point they are releasing emissions that could further worsen global heating by as much as 30%, a new study has found.As the world heats up, permafrost in the high latitudes is thawing, fiercer wildfires are burning in drying forests and wetlands and lakes are warming. All of these changes are themselves causing the release of planet-heating methane and carbon dioxide locked in trees and soils, therefore worsening the climate crisis, the paper states. Continue reading...
by Achol Arok, Krishani Dhanji (earlier) on (#789GY)
This blog is now closedLabor introducing new laws to crack down on illegal tobaccoLabor will introduce new laws to make it easier to prosecute criminals involved in the illicit tobacco trade, as the government fights an uphill battle against the exploding black market.The new laws think about it as a list of observable indicators, very simple, fact-based things like: is the tobacco appropriately packaged? Is it a menthol cigarette even hiding in plain packaging? Is it being concealed? Does it have paperwork at the border?Or my personal favourite: is the retail price of this packet of cigarettes less than the amount of excise and GST combined? If any of these facts are proven, just one of them, that establishes the reasonable suspicion of the criminal offence of importing, possession, or conveying. It'll give powerful new tools to Border Force but every state and territory police force to go after the crooks.I said, look, my door's open if you want to talk about this. I don't know why he thinks I'm a liar. I don't quite know why he believes I lied about it.I'm disappointed he thinks I'm a coward. I don't know how he came to that opinion but that's up to him. I don't think he's a traitor. I absolutely respect the services given to our nation, like my family, has given to the service of New Zealand and Australia. Democracy's a robust thing. Continue reading...
Jamie Dimon tells UK politicians before October budget that investment could be at risk, it is understoodJamie Dimon, chief executive of the largest US bank, JP Morgan, is understood to have warned Andy Burnham and his chancellor, John Healey, against raising taxes on banks in his inaugural budget in October.The Wall Street billionaire met the politicians on Wednesday and cautioned them that higher taxes could put investment and employment in the UK at risk, it is understood. Continue reading...
Retailer says higher costs also hit first-half figures as group pursues its turnaround plan, though Waitrose grew salesLosses at the owner of John Lewis and Waitrose widened by more than 40% in the first half of the year as it struggled with higher costs and with shoppers feeling less confident about their money.The John Lewis Partnership, which operates 36 department stores and more than 300 Waitrose supermarkets, said its pre-tax loss for the six months to 1 August climbed to 124m, compared with 88m in the same period in 2025. Continue reading...
Australia declined to join move by UK, Canada and France in banning trade with illegal Israeli settlementsLabor party members have criticised the federal government for not following the UK, Canada and France in banning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, urging Penny Wong to mount a stronger response to violence against Palestinians.The Labor Friends of Palestine group wrote to the foreign minister on Wednesday, calling for Australia to join a coordinated approach with allied countries, in line with changes to the party's national platform agreed in July. Continue reading...
Dow Jones convicted of one count of deterring Selina Cheng from role at Hong Kong Journalist Association but cleared of second chargeA Hong Kong court has convicted the publisher of the Wall Street Journal of deterring a reporter from taking up a trade union role, in a case that raised concerns about press freedom in the city.The newspaper dismissed Selina Cheng just weeks after she was appointed chair of the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) in 2024. She was told at the time her termination was officially due to restructuring. Continue reading...
Multiple search and rescue vessels deployed after blaze off Palawan island leaves at least five dead, says coast guardA large-scale search and rescue operation is under way off the western Philippine island of Palawan on Thursday after a passenger ferry caught fire, killing five people and leaving scores of passengers missing.The Philippine coast guard said multiple vessels and other assets were searching for survivors as rescue teams used drift-modelling tools to identify areas where people may have been carried by currents. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: No Bayeux ticket? Everything you need to know about the sold-out exhibition - from its epic journey to London to a Game of Thrones likenessGood morning. If you live in the UK, you have probably heard about the Bayeux tapestry exhibition, which opens today, and you probably haven't got a ticket. The digital queue was nine-hours long when they first went on sale in July, and the exhibition has already broken the British Museum's record for the number of tickets sold in a single day.Some lucky individuals, including King Charles and aspiring overlord Peter Thiel, have been treated to early previews of the medieval tapestry. Guests staying at One Aldwych, a hotel where rooms go for 1,000 a night, can partake in the Bayeux experience" with a themed cocktail (mead spritzer, anyone?), a full English breakfast and preferential access to tickets.Reform | The Met police will investigate allegations that Reform UK broke electoral law relating to overseas donations as part of a wider inquiry.UK- Israel | Prominent British rabbis have backed Ed Miliband's sanctions on Israeli settlements, warning that the time for inaction on settler violence must come to an end.Technology | Just a day after three Anthropic researchers warned that artificial intelligence could kill off humanity within the decade, US politicians have begun lashing out about the risks of the burgeoning technology.UK news | Protesters who gathered outside a Portsmouth hotel mistook Pakistan's under-19 cricket team for asylum seekers.US news | Donald Trump pledged to pay every adult citizen in the US $5,000 if Republicans retain the House and Senate in the midterm elections, during a marathon speech at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas. Continue reading...
The International Atomic Energy Agency voices serious concerns' over expansion of Yongbyon facility to enrich uraniumThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has voiced serious concern" over evidence that North Korea has built a facility capable of enriching weapons-grade uranium to bolster its nuclear arsenal.The new building, located at the the country's main Yongbyon nuclear facility, can house up to 28 centrifuge cascades - machinery commonly used to enrich uranium - according to a report by the nuclear watchdog released this week. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#789PK)
Exclusive: Claimants could trade part of payment for specialist equipment, services or training under proposalSome disabled people could receive in kind" support rather than just cash payments under a radical overhaul of the personal independence payment (Pip) proposed by official government advisers, the Guardian can reveal.The proposal, from an expert committee largely made up of disabled people, is one of a number of striking emerging recommendations" likely to form the basis of the government's Timms review of Pip, expected to be published in the next two months. Continue reading...
Paul Nowak says changes to immigration rules risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentimentAndy Burnham must overhaul Shabana Mahmood's migration reforms or risk overstretching social care and fuelling far-right sentiment, the TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, has warned.Speaking ahead of the TUC's annual congress in Brighton next week, Nowak welcomed the sense of optimism" around Burnham's fledgling government, but he urged the PM to act in a series of areas, including migration and the cost of living. Continue reading...
Cohen has not personally asked Trump for a pardon, but he submitted an application to the White House after his request was denied by the Biden administrationDonald Trump on Wednesday said he would consider pardoning Michael Cohen, the former fixer whom he once branded a rat" for testifying against him in court and before Congress, but with whom he has recently staged a stunning public reconciliation.Asked by a reporter whether he would grant Cohen's appeal for presidential clemency, Trump said: If everything is checking out, it's something I would consider." Continue reading...
by Alexandra Topping Political correspondent on (#789GZ)
Sagal Abdi-Wali, who came from Somalia in the 1990s, likely to face Zack Polanski in Holborn and St Pancras contestA former child refugee who became the leader of Camden council has been selected to be the Labour candidate for the byelection in Holborn and St Pancras.Sagal Abdi-Wali, who came to the UK from Somalia as a child in the 1990s and was elected leader of Camden council in May, was chosen by Labour members to contest the north London seat vacated by Keir Starmer. Continue reading...
Brothers, arrested in Miami in July on UK rape and sex trafficking charges, to remain in custody in FloridaA US judge denied the bail request of the controversial social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate on Wednesday, ordering the brothers to remain behind bars as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom.The Tate brothers, prominent figures in the so-called manosphere", were arrested in Miami on 18 July after British prosecutors filed new charges against them and sought their extradition to the UK. Those charges included criminal charges of rape and sex trafficking. British prosecutors previously charged the brothers with rape, human trafficking and sexual assault. The Tates, who are dual British-US citizens, have repeatedly denied the accusations against them. Continue reading...
by Sandra Laville Environment correspondent on (#787XH)
OS index examines which urban heat islands' suffer the most - and which cope the best with rising temperaturesPortsmouth, Leicester, Exeter, Bristol and Nottingham will be among the cities that warm the most by the end of this century as global heating turns British cities into urban heat islands, according to research.Analysis from Ordnance Survey (OS) has created a heat vulnerability index for all cities in Great Britain. Portsmouth, which sits on the south coast of England and is home to 208,000 people, is the most vulnerable to extreme heat today and into the future, according to the research from the OS, the Met Office and the data analysis company 4 Earth Intelligence. Continue reading...
Joshua Cammidge, 31, arrested after investigation led by counter-terrorism policing LondonA man has been charged with offences related to national security as part of an ongoing investigation led by counter-terrorism policing (CTP) London, according to the Metropolitan police.Joshua Cammidge, 31, was arrested at an address in Swindon on Friday 4 September by CTP London officers, supported by officers from Wiltshire police. Searches were also carried out at a different address in Swindon. He was further arrested and detained the following day, being charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service and intending to commit or engage in conduct to prepare an act of sabotage. Continue reading...
John Ternus helms his first major event as head of $4.5tn company, where he announces first foldable iPhoneJohn Ternus, Apple's new CEO, helmed the company's annual showcase of new iPhones and other products on Wednesday. It was the first time the public saw the warm and unpretentious demeanor of the executive, who is filling the shoes of Tim Cook and his predecessor, Steve Jobs, at the $4.5tn tech giant.The event kicked off with a video montage of characters describing the best way to start a movie, from a getaway scene to a closeup of woman revealing her true identity, before the well-known voice of Cook piped in. Continue reading...
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announces decision to pull out in post on X, citing tensions over Harry-Meghan nonsense'Uganda is withdrawing from the Duke of Sussex's Invictus Games, the country's military chief has said, out of respect for King Charles amid division over the Harry-Meghan nonsense".Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of the Ugandan president, made the surprise announcement in a post on X on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Analysis of two skeletons reveals tooth wear and traces of psychoactive substance in what may be earliest known evidence for human drug takingWhat may be the earliest known evidence for human drug taking has been traced to ancient Indonesian foragers who sucked on mind-altering nuts as long as 25,000 years ago.Analysis of two exceptionally rare skeletons from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi revealed dramatic tooth wear and traces of a psychoactive substance in the individuals' remaining teeth, suggesting they routinely sucked on hard, abrasive betel nuts. Continue reading...
Charity vows to keep helping asylum seekers in Channel despite rightwing abuse as protesters gather outside HQThree police forces on the south coast of England are working to protect lifeboat volunteers, staff and buildings from rightwing activists who blame the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for helping asylum seekers to land on the British coast.Dozens of Dorset officers were posted outside the charity's headquarters in Poole on Wednesday evening as about 50 people gathered to protest against the RNLI's involvement in the small boats crisis. Continue reading...
Ed Miliband's intervention was inevitable' after Israeli government and security failures, say former ministers and diplomatsProminent Israelis have welcomed new UK sanctions as a necessary response to settlement expansion and spiralling violence in the occupied West Bank.The intervention was described - by the president of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, a former prime minister, an ex-head of the army and former ministers and diplomats - as an inevitable consequence" of Israeli government and security failures. Continue reading...
Party denies wrongdoing after Scotland Yard confirms it is investigating allegations broadcast by Channel 4 after undercover stingAlex Burghart, the deputy Tory leader, was giving interviews this morning. On Israel, he opened up a new line of attack against the government, accusing it of hypocrisy. This is what he told GB News.At the same time that Labour were saying all these things about Israel in the House of Commons, they put out a communique.They put out an account of a conversation that Andy Burnham has had with the Chinese president, and it said how constructive they wanted to be with China, how they wanted to work with China, and what a great relationship we have. Continue reading...
Oil price rises above $100 a barrel as Tehran responds to US attacks that sunk five Iranian tankersTehran has said it attacked 10 ships around the strait of Hormuz after the US sunk five Iranian tankers, as escalating strikes between the two countries sent the oil price above $100 a barrel for the first time since July.The attacks were the sharpest flare-up of strikes in weeks, as the two sides struggled to break a deadlock in the six-month-long war. Fighting in recent weeks has largely revolved around who controls the strait of Hormuz, as Iran attempts to close off the waterway and Washington enforces a blockade of Iranian ports. Continue reading...
UK foreign secretary says international community including US shares frustration' at Israel's failure to constrain illegal settlersBritish intelligence has been given assurances by its Israeli counterpart that information sharing with the UK will continue as before, Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary has said.The disclosure counters predictions that his decision to impose a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements would lead to a collapse in cooperation between the agencies. Continue reading...
After the AfD's landslide win in Saxony-Anhalt, people in the state capital share what they make of the result - and what comes next Don't get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereAsking residents in a city where a seismic political event has just taken place How do you feel?' demands chutzpah - this struck me as I walked around Magdeburg, Germany on Monday. The night before, the far-right populist, anti-immigrant, pro-Kremlin party Alternative fur Deustchland (AfD) had landslide 44% win in Saxony-Anhalt's state elections, sending shock waves to Berlin, across Germany and way beyond. Regardless of how people in the capital voted, it felt like a bit of an affront to probe. Given the radical plans of the victors, a party classified by domestic intelligence as rightwing extremist", that is what I wanted to know. But from the 21-year-old Guinean-German paramedic I met at the central bus station, collecting donations for a local hospice, to the elderly couple returning to their apartment after a stroll down the Elbe river, almost everyone I met opened up to me warmly.Judith, 88, was initially reluctant to talk, but shared some of her life story. Her experience as an eight-year-old refugee, forced to leave Poland in 1946 and eventually ending up move with her family in Magdeburg, had shaped her outlook on life, her successful career as a project engineer - as well as her politics. The news that AfD had not only won the election, but by such a wide margin, was heartbreaking", she said. Continue reading...
CPS says charges relate to alleged sexual misconduct by the actor towards five women between 2007 and 2016The actor and filmmaker Noel Clarke has been charged with six sexual offences, including two of sexual assault, after allegations made by five women.The charges against the former Doctor Who actor involve two counts of sexual assault, three counts of voyeurism and one count of exposure. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#7892W)
Show depicting attack on UK and featuring Michael Gove and Nicola Sturgeon will make people think', minister saysA docudrama depicting a Russian attack on a Britain led by an unlikely pairing of Michael Gove and Nicola Sturgeon has been praised by the defence secretary, Wes Streeting, for writing my spending review submission".Wargame, due to be broadcast on Sky this month, features a string of former politicians advised by ex-securocrats, grappling with an unusually powerful Moscow, while highlighting limitations in the British military.The Wargame airs on Sky One from 21 September Continue reading...
Authorities and public bodies to be urged to buy goods and services from Europe, but without binding quotasEuropean authorities will be encouraged to buy more domestic goods and services when they spend public money under the EU latest effort to counter China's economic might.In a further Buy European" plan, the European Commission published proposals on Wednesday for a sweeping overhaul of EU public procurement rules. Continue reading...
Andrew Frederick's body was found in property he was staying at in Grenada in JanuaryThe family of a British father who was found dead in the Caribbean in January is urging authorities in Grenada to work with UK police to uncover the truth about his death.Andrew Frederick's body was found in the property he was staying at in Grenada on 4 January. An autopsy, performed in the same week by a privately hired pathologist, concluded that the 47-year-old's death was a homicide. Continue reading...
Downing Centre court hears that the alleged victim was usually outgoing but his demeanour changed at a meeting with Jones at his apartment Listen to the podcast Alan Jones on TrialA politician who worked with an alleged victim of Alan Jones has told a Sydney court the man looked uncharacteristically sunken and diminished" when meeting with the broadcaster at his Circular Quay apartment.The former MP, who Guardian Australia has chosen not to name because it may lead to the identification of the alleged victim, known as complainant C, said the man was usually outgoing and engaged but his demeanour changed once he sat down at a table with his former boss. Continue reading...
by Rowena Mason and Angelique Chrisafis in Paris on (#788W6)
Agreement between Nigel Farage and Jordan Bardella to return migrants to France faces backlash, with critics saying it goes against France's interests and sovereignty'Reform UK has insisted its deal with France's far-right National Rally to return migrants back across the channel was fully approved by the party and signed off by its president, Jordan Bardella, amid a furious backlash in France.The agreement unveiled on Friday between Nigel Farage and Bardella, who is the 30-year-old protege of presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, appeared to directly contradict Le Pen's long-held policy of refusing to accept the return of those who arrive in the UK in small boats from France. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#7889M)
More than 1,000 flights cancelled with disruption continuing on Wednesday and airlines calling for overhaul after third incident in just over three years
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