Bart De Wever travelled to Essen, Germany to hear performance conducted by Lahav Shani, the music director of the Israel PhilharmonicBelgium's prime minister, Bart De Wever, has said he attended a concert by a German orchestra that was uninvited from a Belgian festival to show support for its Israeli conductor.The cancellation of a planned performance at the Flanders festival Ghent by the Munich Philharmonic over concerns about its Israeli future chief conductor, Lahav Shani, has triggered a storm of criticism and accusations of antisemitism. Continue reading...

NSW government to rezone Paramatta Road corridor and make room for 8,000 new homes - but plan omits mooted light rail

Preventive operations' included putting air defence systems on high alert and followed serious Russian incursion earlier in the weekPolish and allied aircraft have been deployed in a preventive" operation in Poland's airspace because of a threat of drone strikes in neighbouring areas of Ukraine, and the airport in the eastern Polish city of Lublin was closed, authorities have said.The alert on Saturday lasted about two hours. On Wednesday multiple Russian drones had crossed into Poland, prompting Nato to send fighter jets to shoot them down, underlining long-held concerns about the expansion of Russia's more than three-year war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Head of Bashkortostan region reports second drone shot down and minor damage to Bashneft's Ufa refineryA Ukrainian drone has crashed into one of Russia's largest oil-refining complexes, sparking a fire and causing minor damage, a Russian official has said.The complex, which belongs to Russian oil company Bashneft, lies on the outskirts of the central Russian city of Ufa about 870 miles (1,400km) from the frontline in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Union makes announcement alongside condemnation of racial abuse George Abaraonye suffered after inappropriate remarks' celebrating shooting Charlie Kirk shooting - US politics liveThe president-elect of the Oxford Union will face disciplinary proceedings for making inappropriate remarks" celebrating the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, the union has announced on social media.George Abaraonye, a student at the University of Oxford who became president-elect of the debating society after a vote in June, posted several comments in a WhatsApp group appearing to celebrate what happened, according to the Telegraph. Continue reading...

Twelve soldiers also killed during raids on two TTP hideouts on border with AfghanistanFierce clashes broke out in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan when Pakistani security forces raided two hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban, killing 12 soldiers and 35 militants, the military said on Saturday.Twenty-two militants were killed in the first raid in Bajaur, a district in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Thirteen more were killed in a separate operation in South Waziristan district. Continue reading...

Three years after leak led to claims of social media spying, city authorities have agreed to independent investigationI've realised how damaging the whole thing's been because, you know, you can't trust people," Jen Smith says from her home in Bristol.Smith is one of a number of parents of children with special education needs and disabilities (Send) who allege Bristol city council spied on them because of their online criticism of the local authority. Continue reading...

West Midlands detectives are looking for two white male suspects after incident involving 20-year-old in OldburyMPs have expressed their shock at reports of the racially motivated rape of a 20-year-old Sikh woman, said to have occurred in broad daylight.Detectives are looking for two white male suspects alleged to have racially abused the woman during the assault - they believe one suspect had a shaved head and wore gloves. Continue reading...

Joshua Oliver, 28, pleaded guilty to arson that gutted premises in Washington, Tyne and WearA 28-year-old man has admitted to starting a fire that destroyed the constituency office of Labour MP Sharon Hodgson.Joshua Oliver, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to arson, with the resulting fire wrecking the Washington and Gateshead South MP's office in the early hours of Thursday. Continue reading...

Peter Mandelson was effective if controversial choice as ambassador before all went wrong at worst possible time'Peter Mandelson was in his element. Lounging on a sofa one June evening at Butterworth's, a bistro serving as the gastronomical centre of the Maga movement in Washington DC, the recently appointed British ambassador was being honoured with a plaque that indicated he was easing his way into the conservative circles around Donald Trump.The appointment of Mandelson, an architect of Tony Blair's New Labour project in the 1990s, had not been without controversy. He was the first political ambassador to the United States in almost half a century and had twice resigned from Labour governments in the past over scandals (not to mention his past association with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein). Continue reading...

Henderson defence precinct to be used to build surface vessels and maintain submarines

Marina Ramazashvili says son, Giorgi Bachiashvili, was the victim of a vendetta' by billionaire politicianThe mother of a jailed former aide to Bidzina Ivanishvili has accused the de facto leader of Georgia of treating her son as his personal prisoner" as she appealed to the west for help.Marina Ramazashvili, a renowned ophthalmologist in Georgia, said Giorgi Bachiashvili, who has allegedly been beaten in his prison cell, was the victim of a vendetta" waged by the billionaire politician. Continue reading...

Initial count has ALP candidate securing 61.8% of the two-party preferred vote over Liberal Serena Copley

People in at least eight states have been infected with Chagas, new report says, amid low awareness of diseaseIn February, Luna donated blood at her high school in Miami, with the goal of helping save others.She was very proud to come home and say, I gave blood today,'" her mother, Valerie, said. (The Guardian is not using the mother or daughter's full names to protect their privacy.) Continue reading...

FSA says affected items could contain shiga toxin-producing Stec strain and have been recalled as a precautionSainsbury's has recalled two varieties of its own-brand hummus over fears they may contain a deadly strain of E coli, advising customers who have bought the products not to eat them.The affected items include 315g containers of JS Classic Houmous, with a use-by date of 13 September, and 200g tubs of JS Lemon & Coriander Houmous with a use-by date of 14 September. Continue reading...

One group of marchers complained about vaccines while Indigenous and pro-Palestinian groups took to streets against racism

Official agency's figures indicate those who took journalism or marketing far more likely to regret their decision

Educational bodies from Europe to South America are boycotting Israeli institutions, though Universities UK said it did not support the actionA growing number of universities, academic institutions and scholarly bodies around the world are cutting links with Israeli academia amid claims that it is complicit in the Israeli government's actions towards Palestinians.According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 63,000 people have been killed in the territory - the majority of them civilians - with the true toll likely far higher. UN-backed experts have confirmed parts of Gaza, much of which has been reduced to rubble, are now in a man-made" famine. Continue reading...

Newcastle building society aims for those with smaller deposits and no help hoping to get on to housing ladderFirst-time buyers are being offered the chance to borrow up to 98% of the price of a property - but they cannot get help with their deposit from the bank of mum and dad.Newcastle building society's First Step mortgage is designed to help those who have been saving to get on the housing ladder. Continue reading...

This blog is closed. You can see further coverage of the Charlie Kirk shooting hereHere are some images coming to us via the wires.Democracy is the way that we have diverse societies that don't kill each other, largely," Lilliana Mason, a leading scholar of partisanship, observed recently. She added: As soon as we stop believing in it, it disappears." Dr Mason's own research suggests that there is sharply rising tolerance of political violence. On Wednesday, it claimed one more victim. Continue reading...

Philip Davis pleads for rival groups to kiss and make up' after divisive campaign to replace him

With his government mired in scandal, an operation to dethrone Starmer is now under wayThere has been a joke going around Labour MPs over the past week about three envelopes in Soviet Russia. Whenever you run into trouble, open them in order," the instructions go. Envelope one says: Blame your predecessor." So he does - and it works. The party officials are satisfied. A year later, problems arise again. He opens envelope two. It says: Restructure the organisation."He does a big reshuffle, changes some titles, and again buys himself some time. Finally, another crisis comes. He opens envelope three. It says: Prepare three envelopes." Continue reading...

Researchers say social media myths drive nocebo effect' of side-effects that are real but psychological in originSocial media misinformation about the contraceptive pill is encouraging women to view it so negatively that many give it up, a study has found.Researchers have identified myths spread on TikTok and other social media platforms as a key driver of users suffering side-effects that are real but psychological in origin. It is called the nocebo effect", the opposite of the better-known placebo effect.An expectation at the outset that the pill will be harmful.Low confidence in how medicines are developed.A belief that medicines are overused and harmful.A belief that they are sensitive to medicines. Continue reading...

Commission asked platforms to apply content warnings to protect children or others who do not want to see US shooting

Tommy Robinson, Steve Bannon, Ant Middleton and Joey Mannarino among names to speak at London eventThe killing of Charlie Kirk is being used by Tommy Robinson to mobilise support before what is expected to be Britain's largest far-right rally in decades, which will include speakers from Britain, the US and Europe.Steve Bannon, Donald Trump's former chief strategist, is among those listed to appear on stage at the rally in central London, which is expected to draw tens of thousands for an event that Robinson has been heavily attempting to monetise. Continue reading...

Fitch downgrade to lowest level on record complicates new prime minister Sebastien Lecornu and President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to control France's financesThe Fitch agency downgraded France's credit rating on Friday, as President Emmanuel Macron struggles with political instability and disagreements on how to put the country's strained public finances in order.The US rating agency, one of the top global institutions gauging the financial solidity of sovereign borrowers, downgraded France on its ability to pay back debts, from AA-" to A+", the country's lowest level on record at a major credit rating agency. Continue reading...

Total of 33 groups and 10 individuals face continued financing sanctions as government adds new entity linked to Hamas'

Film-makers pledged not to work with institutions linked to genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people'Paramount said it does not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli film-makers", making it the first major studio to respond to a recent pledge not to work with institutions that supported or were otherwise involved in the genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people".The pledge circulated by an organization called Film Workers for Palestine has more than 4000 signatures including directors and actors like Jonathan Glazer, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Olivia Colman and Mark Ruffalo. Continue reading...

President tells Fox News the radicals on the left are the problem' and refuses to seek common way forward

President makes remark on Fox & Friends after Memphis mayor said he requested financial resources insteadDonald Trump said on Friday that he will send national guard troops to Memphis as part of his administration's expanding military-led response to urban crime in Democratic-run cities.I think maybe I'll be the first to say it right now: we're going to Memphis," the US president said during an appearance on Fox & Friends, describing the violence in Memphis as dire. Continue reading...

Duke says serving others has saved him as he announces support for veterans through his Invictus foundationPrince Harry laid a wreath at a flower and flag memorial to Ukraine's war dead in Kyiv's Maidan Square during a surprise visit to support the country in its fight against Russia, as well as its thousands of seriously injured veterans.Harry said he wanted to do everything possible" to help the recovery of the thousands of military personnel who have been seriously injured in the three-year war against Russia. Continue reading...

Top Senate Republican says Democrats see shutdown as politically advantageous' as 30 September deadline loomsThe US government is drawing nearer to a potential shutdown after Donald Trump told Republicans on Friday don't even bother dealing with" the Democrats, whose congressional leaders are refusing to support spending bills that do not include their healthcare priorities.Congress is up against an end-of-the-month deadline to approve legislation funding the federal government, otherwise many departments will stop work and employees will be told to stay home. While the Senate and House of Representatives have made some progress on passing the 12 appropriations bills that make up the budget, it seems certain that Congress will need to pass a short-term measure to keep the government open beyond 30 September. Continue reading...

Reproductive rights group condemns ruling as backdoor abortion ban' and says 200 US clinics may face closureThe Trump administration can move forward with its plan to defund" Planned Parenthood by blocking it from receiving reimbursements from Medicaid, the US government's insurance program for low-income people, a federal appeals court ruled late Thursday.The ruling from the first US circuit court of appeals lifts a lower court's preliminary injunction, which had stopped the Trump administration from enacting a provision of its tax and spending bill that axed Planned Parenthood's ability to participate in Medicaid for one year. Continue reading...

Watchdog says there are also allegations of discriminatory and misogynistic comments, centring on Charing Cross police stationNine Scotland Yard officers have been suspended after an investigation was launched into claims of excessive use of force and the making of discriminatory and misogynistic comments.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the allegations centre on Charing Cross police station in central London, the source of a previous scandal for the Metropolitan police. Continue reading...

Decision means none of drugmaker's much-trumpeted 650m UK investment package is currently proceedingThe drugmaker AstraZeneca has paused a planned 200m expansion of its Cambridge research site, completing a depressing week for the UK pharmaceutical industry.The decision by the UK's largest company means none of its much-trumpeted 650m investment package in the UK - which was originally announced in March 2024 - is proceeding. Continue reading...

After disastrous week, some MPs predict challenge against PM likely if local and Welsh elections go badly next MayKeir Starmer has been warned that time is running out to repair his faltering leadership, with Labour MPs beginning to ask whether he could be challenged as prime minister.After a disastrous week in which Angela Rayner resigned and Peter Mandelson was sacked as ambassador to Washington, a number of MPs said a challenge was likely if local and Welsh elections went badly next May. Some said the one thing now protecting Starmer was the lack of an agreed replacement. Continue reading...

France, Germany and Denmark to contribute fighter jets and other assets in mission also expected to involve UKFrance, Germany and Denmark will contribute fighter jets and other military assets to an enhanced defence of Poland against future Russian drone incursions, Nato leaders announced at a press conference on Friday.The UK is also expected contribute to the Eastern Sentry mission, which will gradually be expanded across from the Arctic in the north to the Black Sea and Mediterranean in the south to better tackle Russian drones and missiles. Continue reading...

FBI said threats were hoax calls', although universities took measures to prevent incidences on campuses

Poland's prime minister praised Rutte and general Grynkewich for their decisive and swift action' and welcomed new Nato missionTusk also says the announcement with BAE Systems is only a part of our cooperation with the UK."He says he received another message from prime minister Starmer about greater UK involvement in military assistance, here in Poland, on an urgent basis," without offering further details. Continue reading...

Ryan Routh, who is accused of trying to assassinate US president at one of his golf resorts, unexpectedly spoke about evolution and HitlerThe trial defense of the man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump at one of his golf resorts in Florida in September 2024 got off to a shaky start on Thursday, after he was cut off by the judge minutes into his opening remarks.Ryan Routh, 59, who is representing himself despite having no legal education, is charged with five crimes including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. He has pleaded not guilty. Continue reading...

Former prime minister makes comments as Lords debate legislation for England and Wales for first time

Anti-corruption advocate Sushila Karki was nominated by gen Z representatives after forced resignation of predecessorNepal has sworn in its first female prime minister after a historic week in which widespread youth protests forced the resigniation of her predecessor and the dissolving of parliament.Sushila Karki, the former chief justice of Nepal, took the oath of office to lead an interim government late on Friday, after several tense days of negotiation. Continue reading...

Fellow forecasters have paid tribute to Wynne, who was described as a talented musician and enthusiastic golferThe weather presenter Jay Wynne has died at the age of 56 after a long illness, his family have said.Wynne, who joined the BBC Weather team in 2000, died in June, his brother Matthew confirmed to BBC News on Friday. Continue reading...

Scotland secretary Douglas Alexander said of Rayner's departure that MPs feel quite acutely that sense of loss'Speaking at the Reform press conference in Caerphilly, Nigel Farage said he had a very expensive week" seeking advice from tax experts, reports the PA news agency.The Reform UK leader said last year he had bought a home in his Essex constituency, but it was later reported that his partner had actually made the purchase. Questions over the home have resurfaced after Angela Rayner resigned last week over underpaying stamp duty on a seaside flat she bought this year.The money was legally hers, she bought the house. I don't have any financial stake in it whatsoever - other than she lets me stay there.I have paid a lot of money to make sure we have done everything right.I have done everything I can to prove everything I have done has been legal and correct. Continue reading...

As the federal takeover of DC police ends, Muriel Bowser is balancing leftwing pressure with a rightwing presidentDuring a press conference at the end of August, Washington DC's mayor, Muriel Bowser, made sure to say thank you" - in her own way - for Donald Trump's influx of federal law enforcement in the nation's capital.We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city," Bowser said. She admitted that, after a recent meeting with the president, his knowledge of DC had significantly increased" since his first term in the White House. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Isabel was fined three times in one week in Sydney. I was like, there's been some kind of malfunction,' she said

Hope Not Hate writes letter to PM as senior Labour MPs call for party to take firmer stand against far rightSenior Labour MPs and the UK's largest anti-fascist charity have called on Keir Starmer to mount a more heartfelt defence of diversity and anti-racism. They say they fear that Labour is not yet putting its heart and soul" into the battle against Nigel Farage and the far right.Hope Not Hate's chief executive has written a letter to Starmer in the lead up to a planned far-right demonstration in London on Saturday, demanding the prime minister speak up more against hate and racism. Continue reading...

Yellow weather warning issued from Sunday evening until 6pm on Monday for most of England and WalesWinds of up to 80mph are expected to batter parts of the UK this weekend along with heavy rain and thunderstorms, the Met Office has said.A yellow weather warning for wind has been issued from Sunday evening until around 6pm on Monday for most of England and Wales, which means delays to public transport and on roads are likely. Continue reading...

Group opposing the proscription announces major escalation' that will culminate in London on 4 October

Bride finally tracks down awkward-looking stranger she and husband noticed only when looking through photosA baffled bride has solved the mystery of the awkward-looking stranger who crashed her wedding four years ago.Michelle Wylie and her husband, John, registered the presence of their unidentifiable guest only as they looked through photographs of their wedding in the days after the happy occasion. Continue reading...