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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...

Eighth Senate vote fails on 49-45 tally as Congress remains deadlocked on legislation amid now two-week shutdown

President presented award to Kirk's widow, Erika, on what would have been the far-right commentator's 32nd birthdayDonald Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, to the assassinated far-right commentator Charlie Kirk at the White House on Tuesday.Kirk, who was shot at an event at Utah Valley University in September, was among the most significant rightwing activists in the modern political era, galvanizing a younger generation of conservatives to engage in politics and support Trump's candidacy ahead of the 2024 election. 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...

Announcement comes after country's parliament impeaches president after weeks of anti-government protestsAn elite military unit said it had taken power in Madagascar on Tuesday, after the country's parliament impeached president Andry Rajoelina after weeks of anti-government protests.Rajoelina, who said on Monday in a Facebook Live video that he had gone into hiding after attempts to kill him, had refused demands to step down, but the demonstrators won the backing of the influential Capsat unit at the weekend. Continue reading...

In Washington Post interview, the far-right congresswoman said GOP men are afraid of strong Republican women'The 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...

PM hails Trump's part in Middle East peace deal but says what matters now is implementationEurope's most senior human rights official has called on Shabana Mahmood to review UK protest laws after mass arrests over the ban on Palestine Action, Rajeev Syal reports.The Commons authorities have confirmed that there will be two statements in the chamber after 12.30pm: first, Keir Starmer on the Middle East peace summit, and then Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland secretary, on the Northern Ireland Troubles bill being published today. Continue reading...

Activist refused to give police his phone pin when stopped at Channel tunnel in July 2024Police officers who stopped Tommy Robinson as he tried to leave the UK last year had reasonable suspicions that his phone contained information relevant to acts of terrorism, prosecutors have told his trial.The far-right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, refused to give police the pin for his phone because it had journalistic material on it" after they stopped him at the Channel tunnel on 28 July 2024. Continue reading...

PM says that law increasing age to 64 will be put on pause in bid to stave off losing a no-confidence vote that would bring down his governmentThe Kremlin said on Tuesday it welcomed US president Donald Trump's desire to focus on the search for a peace deal to end the fighting in Ukraine after achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and hoped he would be able to push Kyiv towards a settlement.Addressing the Israeli Knesset a day earlier after brokering a deal between Israel and Hamas, Trump spoke of wanting to get a deal done with Iran over its nuclear programme, but said he would turn his attention to trying to end the war in Ukraine first.We are already well acquainted with Mr Witkoff; he is effective, has proven his effectiveness now in the Middle East, and we hope that his talents will continue to contribute to the work already under way in Ukraine.The Russian side remains open and ready for peaceful dialogue, and we hope that the influence of the United States and the diplomatic skills of President Trump's envoys will help encourage the Ukrainian side to be more active and more willing to engage in the peace process. Continue reading...

Ex-official appeared in court over charge relating to a category A video, the most serious kindThe former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded guilty at Nottingham crown court to making an indecent image of a child.The former football official appeared at Nottingham crown court on Tuesday in connection with an allegation relating to a category A video, the most serious kind, recovered by officers in February. Continue reading...

Evacuations ordered in about 115 Los Angeles area homes as heavy rain and wind raise fears of mudslides and floodingA rare October storm arrived in California on Tuesday and threatened to pummel wildfire-scarred Los Angeles neighborhoods with heavy rain, high winds and possible mudslides. Some homes were ordered to evacuate.The evacuations covered about 115 homes mostly in Pacific Palisades and Mandeville Canyon, both struck by a massive inferno in January that killed more than 30 people in all and destroyed more than 17,000 homes and buildings in Los Angeles county. Continue reading...

Local pastor among victims of huge explosion in rural area where everybody knows each other'Authorities on Monday identified the 16 people killed in a devastating blast at a rural Tennessee explosives plant on 10 October, as investigators promised a painstaking process to figure out what happened by tracking down pieces of evidence that may now be miles apart.At a news conference, Chris Davis, the sheriff of Humphreys county, said people in the tight-knit community probably at least knew relatives of the victims killed in the explosion at the plant owned by Accurate Energetic Systems. The company supplies and researches explosives for the military and is a well-known employer in the area. Continue reading...

The restrictions come as many of the companies expected to be included in the ban announce changes or express opposition

Investors including MSC consider offer, with options ranging from majority stake to full control, report says

Two men and one woman arrested after explosion in Castel d'Azzano, which police believe to have been intentionalAn explosion at a farmhouse near Verona killed three police officers and injured at least 13 others, officials said on Tuesday.Police were attempting to conduct an eviction when the house blew up overnight in Castel d'Azzano, in northern Italy, in what is suspected to be an intentional act of violence. Continue reading...

European Council commissioner voices concerns after April's supreme court ruling on legal definition of a womanTransgender people risk being excluded from many public spaces as a result of the recent UK supreme court judgment and must be protected from discrimination, a human rights expert has said.Michael O'Flaherty, the European Council commissioner for human rights, said he had concerns about the climate for transgender people in the UK after April's supreme court ruling that the legal definition of a woman in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Munib al-Masri Jr is part of a campaign asking the UK to help create a just future' in Palestine - starting with an apology for its role in the crisisHe has spent 14 years in pain, adjusting to paralysis below the waist. But Munib al-Masri Jr, 37, says he forgives the Israeli soldier who shot him.Masri is among Palestinians who welcomed the UK's recognition of Palestinian statehood last month but are pushing the government to go further. The Britain Owes Palestine campaign that Masri is part of wants the UK to formally apologise for what they say is its historical role in creating the Middle East crisis, as ceasefire talks bring an uneasy peace to the region and raise questions about its future. Continue reading...

Counter-terror laws must not place unnecessary limits on fundamental rights', Michael O'Flaherty tells Shabana MahmoodEurope's most senior human rights official has called on Shabana Mahmood to review UK protest laws after mass arrests over the ban on Palestine Action.Michael O'Flaherty, the Council of Europe commissioner for human rights, said that the current legal framework allows the UK authorities to impose excessive limits on freedom of assembly and expression, and risk overpolicing" in a letter sent to the home secretary. Continue reading...

Andry Rajoelina does not announce resignation in speech broadcast on social media after military rebellionMadagascar's president, Andry Rajoelina, said he had fled the country in fear for his life after a military rebellion but did not announce his resignation in a speech broadcast on social media late on Monday from an undisclosed location.The 51-year-old has faced weeks of gen Z-led anti-government protests, which reached a pivotal point on Saturday when an elite military unit joined the protests and called for the president and other ministers to step down. That prompted Rajoelina to say that an illegal attempt to seize power was under way in the Indian Ocean island and to leave the country. Continue reading...

Shoppers hunt for deals as grocery prices rise, particularly for chocolate, fresh meat and coffee

Station leader Andy Warton says isolation takes getting used to, but a profound adventure' with auroras, penguins and icebergs awaits

Richard Marles says investigation under way into how the prime minister and other senior government staff's phone numbers appeared in the databases

This blog is now closed

University of Sydney and two academics facing racial discrimination case after colleagues accuse them of racist hate speech

UK and French organisations file legal challenge against July agreement to swap asylum seekersFifteen French and UK human rights organisations are calling for the suspension of the controversial one in, one out" treaty in a legal challenge that has been launched in France.The deal, signed by the UK and France in July, involves one asylum seeker who arrives in the UK from France in a small boat being sent back there in exchange for another selected in France to come to the UK. Continue reading...

Daniel Evans says young drama graduates who learned voice work online missed out on the physical presence of theatre trainingYoung actors who trained at drama school during the pandemic are struggling to project their voices and lack rangebecause they were denied the crucial experience of full vocal and physical presence" within a theatre, the co-artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has said. Continue reading...

Controversial law change that forced councils to put the fate of Mori wards to a public vote saw 25 vote to disestablish the guaranteed seatsThe number of guaranteed seats for Mori representatives on New Zealand councils will be slashed by more than half, following a controversial law change that forced local governments to put the fate of hard-won Mori seats to a public vote.Mori wards, which may have one or more councillors depending on local population numbers, were established in 2001 to give Indigenous voters the option to vote for a guaranteed Mori representative in local and regional authorities. Initially, councils could only establish a Mori ward by first putting it to a public vote in their area. Communities often spent years generating local support and pushing their councils to create Mori wards. Continue reading...

Education secretary warns against misleading claims online during launch of Best Start in Life' campaignParents who turn to TikTok influencers and Instagram gurus for advice on everything from potty training to childhood vaccination are at risk of falling victim to misleading and poor quality information, the education secretary has warned.Bridget Phillipson was speaking at the launch of the government's Best Start in Life" campaign - sometimes described as Sure Start Mark 2 after the last Labour government's early years policy, regarded by many as its finest achievement. Continue reading...

Institution was only university not granted extra places after seeking additional enrolment allocation from federal government

Opposition's plan announced as state parliament's lower house begins debate on landmark treaty bill

South Australian commissioner says police leaving no stone unturned' in effort to recover body of four-year-old who went missing in late September

As Israel and Palestinian families waited for loved ones to be released, Trump met world leaders to continue ceasefire talks. Will Christou, Dan Boffey and Jason Burke report on an extraordinary day in the Middle EastIt was a day of joy, sorrow and diplomatic drama in the Middle East. Chief reporter Dan Boffey was in hostages square" in Tel Aviv as the final hostages who were kidnapped on 7 October were released. As news broke out that the first seven hostages were safe, cheers erupted throughout the crowd.Boffey tells Lucy Hough about the final hostages and what their release means to people. One person in the square told him: Israel is a place where Jews are meant to be safe, and if these people didn't come home, then what is the point of Israel?" Continue reading...

South Korean president urges all-out' efforts to protect citizens after number of kidnappings in Cambodia soars in recent monthsSouth Korean president Lee Jae Myung has called for all-out" diplomatic efforts to protect citizens in Cambodia after a university student was lured there by a scam ring and allegedly tortured to death.At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Lee said protecting the lives and safety of citizens is the government's greatest responsibility" and called for all scam victims to be swiftly repatriated". Continue reading...

Voting to close at 6am on Wednesday as Australian magpie fails to make list of final contenders

Former Liberal senator launches claim in effort to obtain more than $1m in damages and legal costs

UN warns Gaza still needs lifesaving aid' as world leaders gather in Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss 20-point proposalThere was a rare moment of joy among Israelis and Palestinians on Monday as Hamas released the remaining 20 living hostages in Gaza as part of a swap deal for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, on a day world leaders met in Egypt to try to ensure the current limited truce is extended into a durable peace.The prayers of millions have finally been answered," Donald Trump declared at the peace summit, with his counterparts lined up behind him. At long last, we have peace in the Middle East." Continue reading...

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Labour says Tory government at time failed to classify China as a threat, but plenty of evidence suggests the contraryThere is a baffling contradiction at the heart of the efforts of Dan Jarvis, the security minister, to explain why the prosecution of two Britons accused of spying for China collapsed last month. The problem, he insisted in front of MPs on Monday, was that it was not the policy of a Conservative government to classify China as a threat to national security".Except there is plenty of evidence to suggest that China was recognised as a threat by the previous governments in documents and public statements by ministers and officials. All this makes the failure of the government witness - Matthew Collins, the deputy national security adviser - to set this out in three separate witness statements given to the prosecution even more surprising. Continue reading...

In speech to Israeli Knesset hours after hostages released, US president spoke of historic dawn of new Middle East'Donald Trump has vowed to use the power of his presidency to ensure that Israel recognises it has achieved all that it can by force of arms", and begin an age of cooperation in the Middle East that may ultimately extend as far as peace with Iran.In a speech to the Israeli Knesset, made hours after the last remaining Israeli hostages were released from Gaza, Trump hailed the historic dawn of a new Middle East" and an end to the long and painful nightmare" of the Gaza war. Continue reading...

George Finch, 19, says he was called a racist' and fascist' during incident in Warwickshire on FridayThe Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, has criticised disgraceful" rhetoric from the Labour and Green parties after the UK's youngest council leader was allegedly assaulted.George Finch, 19, the Reform leader of Warwickshire county council,said he was called a racist" and a fascist" before being allegedly assaulted on Friday. Continue reading...

Dan Jarvis accuses Tories of suggesting case was deliberately abandoned without a shred of evidence'The government made every effort" to support the trial of two men accused of spying for China, a minister has said, as he accused the Tories of claiming the case was deliberately abandoned without a shred of evidence".Dan Jarvis, the security minister, issued a robust defence of Jonathan Powell in the Commons after reports that Keir Starmer's national security adviser played a role in the collapse of the case. Continue reading...

US ambassador to Israel calls Bridget Phillipson delusional' for saying UK played key role, though others point to important input from British figuresAs world leaders arrived in Egypt on Monday to celebrate the first stage of the Gaza ceasefire deal and discuss the next steps, there was a curious note of disharmony between the US and the UK.Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, had appeared on the BBC on Sunday talking about the UK's key role" in shaping the agreement - only to be slapped down on X by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who called her delusional". Continue reading...

Minister calls Badenoch's claims about Chinese spy trial baseless smears'. This live blog is closedAt the Downing Street lobby briefing this morning the PM's spokesperson said it was entirely false" to suggest the government influenced the collapse of the China spying case because of concerns Beijing could withdraw investment in the UK, Downing Street said.Asked about reports in the Sunday Times which suggested a decision was taken high up in government to abandon the case so as not to damage the economic relationship with China, the PM's spokesperson told reporters:It is entirely false. The CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] decision to drop the case was entirely a matter for the CPS. There was no role for any member of this government, no minister, or special adviser, to take any decision in relation to this case. That is entirely for the CPS. Continue reading...