World news | The Guardian

Oversight of watchdog could be abused by a future authoritarian government, report warnsThe independence of the Electoral Commission must be fully restored to protect the UK's electoral integrity from a future authoritarian government, a new report warns.The Democracy in Danger report by Spotlight on Corruption found the UK government is in breach of eight different international standards on ensuring the independence of electoral bodies by maintaining the government's oversight of the watchdog.The UK government is in breach of eight different international standards on ensuring the independence of electoral bodies by maintaining the new power in place.

Class action lawsuit alleges company failed to warn about risks of using contraceptive injection Depo-ProveraThe drugmaker Pfizer faces a US lawsuit brought on behalf of women who developed brain tumours, which they say are linked to their use of the company's contraceptive injection Depo-Provera.The class action lawsuit alleges that the US pharmaceutical company failed to warn women and doctors about the increased risk of developing an intracranial meningioma if Depo-Provera, a quarterly injection, is used for more than a year. Continue reading...

The latest find is likely from the 16th century and could have originated as far away as the CaribbeanFlorida already claims to be the world capital of golf, shark bites and lightning strikes. Now a remarkable discovery following a devastating hurricane has enhanced its position as a global leader in another distinctive field: ancient canoes - some even prehistoric.State archeologists have just completed a painstaking preservation of an ancient wooden canoe discovered by a resident of Fort Myers during the cleanup from Hurricane Ian in 2022. Continue reading...

Foreign ministry attacks unjustifiable' return of measures expected to have wide effects on troubled economyWidespread UN sanctions against Iran have come back into force for the first time in a decade, prompting anger from Tehran, after last-ditch nuclear talks with western powers failed to produce a breakthrough.The sanctions, which came into effect late on Saturday and three months after Israel and the US bombed Iran, bar dealings related to Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missiles programme and are also expected to have wider effects on its troubled economy. Continue reading...

Move to further restrict access to documents prepared for government ministers may go against the right to political free speech

In once-occupied Sloviansk, war has become so routine that nobody pays attention to air-raid sirensOn a sunny afternoon this week the beach in the frontline Ukrainian city of Sloviansk was busy. Bathers paddled in a lake, sunbathed and sipped tea. At 3.30pm there was a sudden thunderclap. An artillery shell had crashed nearby, sending up a plume of twisting grey smoke. Ducks took off in panic. The swimmers glanced nonchalantly upwards and carried on bobbing in the salty water.After three years of fighting we've got used to booms. They don't bother us any more," Alyona, a pensioner in a swimsuit, explained. She pointed to a concrete box beyond a row of wooden changing cabins and outdoor showers. If the bombs are close we've got a shelter," she said. Alyona and her friend waded into the shallows. A man selling grapes sat engrossed reading a book. Continue reading...

PM previously advocated for republic but has gradually backed away from pushing for constitutional change

Man who remained in service more than eight months after involvement revealed was also charged with possessing extremist material

Exclusive: Foreign secretary says world has reached moment' it wants to end war after Donald Trump signals plan within reachThe international community is on the brink of securing a peace deal for Gaza that could finally bring an end to two years of conflict and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed thousands of lives, Yvette Cooper has suggested.The new foreign secretary, who has just returned from a UN summit, said that they had reached a moment where the world wants to end this war" after US president Donald Trump indicated a peace deal was within reach. Continue reading...

Suspect Joshua Cole allegedly used a Facebook account to threaten revenge for murder of Charlie KirkFederal authorities in Texas have arrested a man for allegedly threatening to shoot people at a pro-LGBTQ+ parade, to avenge the murder of Charlie Kirk.According to court documents viewed by the Guardian, on 18 September, the FBI's field office in Dallas was notified by Abilene, Texas, police about online threats from a local resident. Continue reading...

Son of Lindsay Foreman expresses real concerns' after mother put on drip and stepfather, Craig, constantly ill'The family of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, a British couple detained in Iran on espionage charges, have said their health is deteriorating in prison.The pair, both 52 and who previously split their time between Spain and England, were seized in Kerman, central Iran, and taken into custody in January while on an around-the-world motorcycle tour. Continue reading...

Spokesperson says claims Harry felt like an official visitor' were fabricated as duke seeks reconciliation with fatherPrince Harry has suggested that people are seeking to sabotage his reconciliation with King Charles as he hit back at invention fed" media reports on the pair's recent meeting.Harry met the king for the first time in almost two years at Clarence House in London on 10 September. Continue reading...

Ukraine's president says Kremlin checking Europe's capacity to protect its skies following new drone sightingsVladimir Putin will expand his war in Ukraine by attacking another European country, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has predicted, and accused Russia of recent drone incursions that he said were an attempt to test Nato's defences.Speaking in Kyiv after his meeting with Donald Trump at the UN in New York, the Ukrainian president said Russia was preparing for a bigger conflict. Putin will not wait to finish his war in Ukraine. He will open up some other direction. Nobody knows where. He wants that," he said. Continue reading...

After the man who killed her father is found dead in his cell, Maz Saleem reflects on living with loss and choosing not to hateNeo-Nazi murderer and bomber Pavlo Lapshyn did not get to serve out the 40-year term of his sentence. He was found dead in his cell at Wakefield prison on Tuesday, 12 years after being jailed. The circumstances of his death have not yet been publicly confirmed.The Ukrainian national was 37. He was convicted at the Old Bailey in October 2013 of murdering Muslim man Mohammed Saleem, 82, in April of that year. Continue reading...

Known for his outspoken politics, the author was acclaimed for work in theatre, opera, film and TV but wanted to be thought of as a poet above all

Moves marks escalation in diplomatic efforts in case of Mohammed Ibrahim, 16, who is being held in an Israeli military prisonThe US state department is appointing a dedicated official to handle the case of Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old dual American-Palestinian citizen who has been held in an Israeli military prison for more than seven months.Ibrahim is scheduled to meet with the new state department point person next week, marking an escalation in diplomatic efforts surrounding the Florida teenager's imprisonment at the Ofer military prison in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Continue reading...

A letter to the prime minister on the eve of the Labour conference warns of critical need' to abandon the policyTeaching unions have written to the prime minister asking him to scrap the two-child benefit cap ahead of Labour's annual conference, which begins in Liverpool on Sunday.In a letter to Keir Starmer, the unions described the policy as cruel" and said it must be fully abandoned as part of the government's delayed child poverty strategy, expected to be published before Christmas. Continue reading...

Poland's PM hails Andrzej Bargiel's completion of the challenge after two previous failed attemptsA Polish adventure skier has made history by becoming the first person to climb up and ski down Mount Everest without the use of additional oxygen.The ascent was Andrzej Bargiel's third attempt at climbing Everest - the tallest mountain on earth at 8,849 metres (29,032ft) high - after dangerous conditions forced the 37-year-old to abandon earlier attempts in 2019 and 2022. Continue reading...

Announcement of deal baffles experts and former ministers, who say there is no sign of any untapped reservesThe newfound camaraderie between the US and Pakistan was on full display this week as Donald Trump welcomed Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and the country's powerful army chief, Asim Munir, into the Oval Office, heralding them both as great leaders".Having been cold-shouldered by successive US presidents, this was the first time a Pakistani prime minister had been invited to Washington in more than six years. It was also the unprecedented second time this year that Munir - who holds no official government role - held an intimate meeting with Trump, which many took as a telling signal of where the power to cut deals really lies in Pakistan. Continue reading...

Chancellor says plan would allow thousands of young Europeans to temporarily live and work in UK, and vice versa

French authorities say about 100 people were attempting to reach the UK on a makeshift boatTwo women have died while trying to cross the Channel to Britain, French authorities said.The incident occurred south of the beaches of Neufchatel-Hardelot, where about 100 people were trying to get to the UK on a makeshift boat. Continue reading...

Health officials report 25 dead in the strip's largest city, where hundreds of thousands are trapped and starvingIsraeli strikes killed at least 32 people in Gaza overnight, according to health officials in the territory, including 25 people in Gaza City.The Israeli military continues to press ahead with an attack on the strip's largest city, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are trapped and starving, despite international pressure for a ceasefire. Continue reading...

City watchdog aims to tell drivers they will not need to use companies to apply for share of 18bn compensation schemeThe City regulator is facing a battle with claims companies over a 1m advertising campaign designed to discourage drivers from using their services to get payouts over the car loan scandal.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced this month that it would roll out a series of online and radio adverts, telling drivers they will not need to use claims management companies (CMCs) or law firms to apply for their share of the regulator's proposed 18bn compensation scheme. Continue reading...

Exclusive: PM says history will not forgive his government if it fails to confront and defeat the populist rightKeir Starmer will warn the Labour party that it is in a fight for the soul of the nation" and that history will not forgive his government if it fails to confront and defeat Reform UK and the populist right.Speaking to the Guardian ahead of a vital conference for his leadership, he said he would tell disgruntled party members that now was not the time for introspection" and infighting. Continue reading...

Opponents of scheme for people working in UK describe it as a step towards mass surveillance and digital control'More than 1.6 million people have signed a petition opposing the introduction of digital ID cards after Keir Starmer announced plans to make them mandatory for people working in the UK by 2029.The petition says no one should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system", which it describes as a step towards mass surveillance and digital control". Continue reading...

Experts say rise in consumers buying flavours such as chocolate and truffle driven by social media trends and foodie' cultureButter is no longer just salted or unsalted: British shoppers are increasingly buying flavours such as chocolate and truffle, driven by social media trends and a growing appetite for convenience in home cooking.Figures from Worldpanel, an analyst that tracks supermarket sales, show spending on flavoured butters across Britain rose by 24% in the 52 weeks to 7 September 2025, compared with the previous year. In the same period, growth for packs of flavoured butter is also up 16.2%. Continue reading...

Watchdogs say Russia offering overseas voters cash for evidence of voter fraud in possible ploy to declare election riggedThe Moldovan diaspora will hold a critical role in Sunday's high-stakes parliamentary elections as the country battles against an unprecedented Russian vote-buying operation to try to unseat the incumbent pro-European party, said the former deputy prime minister.Civilian foreign interference watchdogs say Russia is flooding the overseas voter communities with cash, including one advertising campaign offering people 500 to be election observers in the EU with the lure of bonuses of up to 30,000" for evidence of voter fraud. Continue reading...

The ongoing attacks on North Darfur's capital has left its people facing starvation, blockade and bombardment, with scant hope of reliefSpecial report: We will never, ever escape': inside the ever-tightening siege of the Sudanese city of El FasherFor 17 months, since May 2024, El Fasher, North Darfur's capital, has been trapped in one of the longest urban sieges of modern warfare, a slow war of attrition that recalls the destruction of Stalingrad and the starvation of Leningrad, combining both cruelties in a single city.The siege, progressively tightened by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has transformed the city. Trenches cut through neighbourhoods. Civilians move block by block in search of safety, while self-defence groups fight alongside entrenched garrisons. Continue reading...

The humpback whales, which were caught in a net 245km north of Brisbane, were among nine whale entanglements in past nine days

Debt sentences' rose by a third in six months, finds Royal London after FoI request to Student Loans CompanyMore than 150,000 people in the UK now have student loan debts of more than 100,000, with one borrower owing 298,000, data shows.The company that obtained the figures says these debt sentences" hanging over people are damaging graduates' ability to save for the future and get on the property ladder. Continue reading...

Ukrainian officials among those concerned Russia is manufacturing crisis to keep hold of frontline plantExternal power to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been cut for more than three days, a record outage that has prompted safety concerns over the six-reactor site on the frontline of the Ukraine war.Emergency generators are being used to power cooling and safety systems after the final power line into the plant was cut on the Russian side at 4.56pm on Tuesday and there is no immediate sign that the line will be reconnected. Continue reading...

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the past seven days Continue reading...

Leader needs to draw a line under the chaos and offer hope - to his party and to the nationIn the imposing marble rooms of the Methodist Central Hall in the heart of Westminster on Friday, the great and the good of the progressive movement gathered at what many fear is an existential moment for their brand of centre-left politics.Keir Starmer was on punchier form than usual, telling the summit audience that he was up for the fight against the populist right's industrialised infrastructure of grievance". Continue reading...

Home affairs to reconsider application after review finds man could be subject to physical harm, conversion practices and prosecution under sharia law

Attorney general says mining magnate is not a foreign investor' and is not entitled to any benefits under Australia's free trade and investment agreements'

Sellers of fresh orecchiette in southern Italy are fighting back after being accused of tricking tourists with bought waresNunzia Caputo was five years old when her grandmother put a stop to her playing on the street outside their home in Bari and summoned her to help make orecchiette, the ear-shaped pasta believed to have originated in the southern Italian port city, to be sold to passersby.I used to go out to play every afternoon with my friend Giulia," said Caputo, now 67. But then, on a whim, my grandmother said I wasn't allowed to do that any more. She told me: From now on, you must learn how to make orecchiette.' I started to cry."Tourists watch Nunzia Caputo make fresh pasta outside her house in Bari Continue reading...

King and Queen Camilla to join pontiff in late October amid jubilee year celebrations, says Buckingham PalaceKing Charles III and Queen Camilla will make a state visit to meet Pope Leo XIV for the first time at the Vatican next month, Buckingham Palace has said.The trip in late October will come about six months after the royal couple visited Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, shortly before his death in April. Continue reading...

Tasmania police say four Chinese nationals were found by another group of walkers on Friday but one woman tragically died

Hunt for suspected Porepunkah shooter cannot go on for infinitum', one retired detective says. It has to have a line in the sand somewhere'

After meeting Keir Starmer in London, Australian PM says governments must seek solutions, not seek to divide people'

Fellow educators express shock at detention of beacon of light' Ian Roberts as DHS claims he had no work authorization'The superintendent of Iowa's largest school district was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents on Friday, prompting shock among fellow educators.Ian Roberts, the superintendent of Des Moines public schools (DMPS), was apprehended on Friday morning, according to the district's board chair. Roberts appears to be held at the Pottawattamie county jail, about two hours west of Des Moines, according to the Ice online detainee database. The database lists Roberts's country of birth as Guyana.This article was amended on 26 September 2025. An earlier version said Ian Roberts was born in Brooklyn, based on past interviews. However, a 2023 statement from the district says he was born to immigrant parents from Guyana, and spent most of his formative years in Brooklyn". Continue reading...

Prince Andrew and Steve Bannon also referenced in six-page batch of documents made public with redactionsDemocratic lawmakers on Friday released documents from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein that may show interactions between the disgraced financier and prominent conservatives, including Elon Musk, Steve Bannon and Peter Thiel.The six pages of documents made public with redactions come from a batch provided by the justice department to the House oversight committee, which is investigating how the sex-trafficking charges against Epstein, who died in 2019 in federal custody, were handled.This article was amended on 26 September 2025. The seat won by Adelita Grijalva is in Arizona, not New Mexico, as we originally said. Continue reading...

The two station owners' preemption of the late-night show left about 25% of TV viewers in the US unable to watch itLocal TV conglomerate Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar Media Group said their ABC-affiliate stations will start airing Jimmy Kimmy Live! again on Friday night, ending their preempting of the show.Sinclair and fellow station owner Nexstar had continued to preempt Kimmel's late-night talkshow even after ABC had put Kimmel back on air. Continue reading...

Democrats and legal experts say indictment is latest sign Trump is turning justice system into weapon to silence criticsFor Donald Trump, the indictment of former FBI director and longtime foe James Comey was,justice in America". Legal observers and lawmakers see something far more troubling.A former Republican appointed to lead the bureau by Barack Obama and kept on by Trump until he fired him in 2017, Comey was indicted Thursday on charges related to allegedly lying to Congress five years ago during a hearing on the FBI's investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election. Continue reading...

A grand jury indicted James Comey for obstructing a congressional proceeding in a culmination of a years-long conflictThe relationship between Donald Trump and James Comey has spanned a turbulent decade, beginning during the 2016 presidential campaign and continuing into Trump's second presidency with a grand jury indicting the former FBI director on Thursday..Comey oversaw inquiries that directly intersected with Trump's political goals, first into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, and later into possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. Trump alternately criticized and praised Comey's actions during the 2016 race, but once in office their exchanges grew increasingly tense, leading up to Comey's dismissal in May 2017. Continue reading...

John McDonnell and Apsana Begum were among last still suspended for July 2024 rebellionLabour has restored the party whip John McDonnell and Apsana Begum 14 months after they lost it for rebelling over the two-child benefit cap, the Guardian understands.The pair had the whip reinstated after a conversation on Friday with Jonathan Reynolds, who became Labour's chief whip in a reshuffle earlier this month. Continue reading...

Shakur spent decades exiled after she was convicted of killing a state trooper in 1977 and escaped from prisonOn 25 September, Assata Shakur, a former member of the Black Liberation Army, died aged 78 in Havana, Cuba, according to Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Cuban officials cited the reason for her death as old age and health conditions. Shakur, a longstanding symbol of resistance and Black liberation, spent several decades exiled in Cuba after she was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper in 1977 and escaped from prison.At approximately 1:15pm on September 25th, my mother, Assata Shakur, took her last earthly breath," her daughter Kakuya Shakur wrote on Facebook. Words cannot describe the depth of loss that I'm feeling at this time." Continue reading...

Starmer's proposal has been criticised by rivals and civil liberties groups and campaigners worry about people without smartphones

New York meeting of Hague Group warns of shared responsibility to prevent genocide and proposes steps to isolate IsraelThe international community has a legal and moral duty to deny Israel the tools of genocide", the Malaysian foreign minister, Mohamad Hasan, said at a meeting in New York of the Hague Group, the growing alliance of countries dedicated to coordinating practical economic and legal steps to isolate Israel over the war in Gaza.The group, co-chaired by South Africa and Columbia, has become a central exchange for practical steps to try to pressure Israel, including stepping up collective action at ports and airports to prevent the transfer of weapons and goods to Israel, including dual-use heavy machinery. Continue reading...

Cyber security expert offers warning as tech companies prepare to bid for potentially multi-billion pound contracts