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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

General assembly backs new targets on cancer, diabetes and heart disease but Robert F Kennedy Jr objectsA new vision for tackling the global noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) crisis has failed to reach consensus at the UN after the US refused to give its support, forcing member states to a vote.After months of negotiations, the fourth political declaration on NCDs and mental health received overwhelming backing from governments at the UN general assembly on Thursday but was rejected by the US during a speech by Robert F Kennedy Jr, the health secretary. Continue reading...

Under Mark Zuckerberg's publicity video for Vibes, one Instagram user commented: Bros posting ai slop on his own app'

Ministers aim to bolster defences after spate of airspace violations, amid rising momentum for 140bn loan to UkraineThe EU has agreed to move forward with plans for a drone wall at the heart of its eastern defences as momentum grows for a 140bn loan to Ukraine based on Russian frozen assets.After a meeting with ministers from 10 mostly central and eastern European member states plus Ukraine, the EU's defence commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, said a drone wall to protect against incursions from the skies was an immediate priority and core element of the bloc's eastern flank defences. Continue reading...

Union says it's outraged and appalled' by government's order of sweeping changes to the national servicePostal workers in Canada have gone on strike after the government warned of an existential crisis" and ordered sweeping changes to the national service - including an end to door-to-door delivery within the decade.The union representing Canada Post employees described the proposed changes as an attack" on its workers who have struggled to compete with a surge in private courier services. Continue reading...

Israeli PM rebuked Western nations for embracing Palestinian statehood after scores of delegates left the hall in protest. This live blog is closed

Hungary have since accused Ukraine of pursuing anti-Hungarian policies' following the move. This live blog has closedPolish prime minister Donald Tusk warned that Russia has ill intentions towards the whole world" as he spoke about the need for European allies to remain united and vigilant in the face of Moscow's increasingly aggressive stance.European allies have never been so united... we need to be vigilant. Russia has ill intentions towards the whole world, and those who border with it are the first to feel it," Tusk told reporters when asked about recent drone incidents, Reuters reported. Continue reading...

Former French president sentenced to five years for criminal conspiracy over election campaign funds scheme with Gaddafi regimeLawyers for the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy have said they will try to ensure he serves as little time in prison as possible, after he was sentenced to five years for criminal conspiracy over a scheme to get election campaign funds from the regime of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.We're going to make sure that his incarceration will be as short as possible," Sarkozy's lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, told the BFMTV news channel on Friday after he became the first French president to go to jail. Continue reading...

ID cards have become an essential part of life for many across the bloc, with digital versions already launched in many member statesOn the continent, the debate currently raging in the UK over national ID cards has long been settled. Across Europe, physical identity cards have existed for decades, and digital versions have either already been successfully launched or are being trialled.In all bar two of the EU's 27 member states, physical ID cards, in a standard, machine-readable EU format introduced in 2021, serve both as identity documents in citizens' home countries, and for travel within the passport-free Schengen zone. Continue reading...

Oscar-winning actor says she's terrified' over Israel's deadly war and spoke about fears over erosion of free speech in USJennifer Lawrence has spoken up about Israel's war in Gaza and censorship in the US.Speaking at a press conference for her new film Die, My Love at the San Sebastian film festival, Lawrence responded to several journalists' questions about fraught political topics, despite a festival moderator attempting to shut them down, according to Deadline. Continue reading...

Plan by Bolzano authorities to charge 1.50 a night for dogs visiting province criticised as pure madness'A measure that would result in dogs being charged a tourist tax" in a northern Italian province has been criticised by an animal rights group as pure madness".Authorities in Bolzano, located in the mountainous Trentino-Alto Adige region, have proposed charging 1.50 a night for dogs visiting the province and 100 a year per dog for resident dog owners. Continue reading...

The broadcaster said the decision to stream the punk duo broke guidelines in relation to harm and offence but the set was cleared of being likely to encourage or incite crimeThe BBC has partly upheld complaints over its decision to stream the punk duo Bob Vylan's performance at this year's Glastonbury festival.The broadcaster's executive complaints unit (ECU) said that doing so broke editorial guidelines in relation to harm and offence owing to frontman Bobby Vylan's chant of death, death to the IDF", their use of the slogans from the river to the sea" and free, free Palestine", as well as referring to record company executives in the most abusive terms" as fucking Zionists". Continue reading...

Charity's board accused of failing to listen ahead of decision expected this weekend on future-proofing' plansSamaritans has been warned that thousands of its helpline volunteers could quit if controversial proposals to close half of its 200 local branches over the next decade go ahead.The mental health charity, sometimes regarded as the fourth emergency service, has about 22,000 volunteers answering calls and messages from people in crisis in the UK and Ireland. Continue reading...

The use of markings on ammunition is a new trend of shooters trying to ensure their messages are disseminated publicly, experts sayIn the past month, the US has had to reckon with three deadly, high-profile shootings, and in each one, investigators have dealt with a seldom-seen piece of evidence in shooting cases, high-profile and otherwise: messages the shooter left on shell casings and firearm magazines.The suspect in the 27 August shooting at Annunciation Catholic school in Minneapolis allegedly left several firearm magazines with messages like suck on this" written in white marker. Tyler Robinson, the man who's accused of killing Charlie Kirk, allegedly engraved his bullet casings with Hey fascist! Catch!" and Bella ciao." Authorities say the man who's suspected of opening fire at an US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) facility in Texas this week wrote Anti-Ice" on his bullet casings. Continue reading...

German factories to halt work for one week next month in blow to EV switchoverVolkswagen is to pause production at two of its plants in Germany because of weak demand for fully electric cars.The carmaker will suspend work for one week next month in Dresden as well as at its EV plant in Zwickau, which produces six EV models for VW, Audi and Cupra. Continue reading...

Watchdog deeply concerned' that firms have ramped up petrol and diesel prices at expense of consumers

Watchdog says it has found no evidence of any other potential offences' at thinktank when led by Morgan McSweeneyMorgan McSweeney, the prime minister's chief of staff, will not face another investigation into undeclared donations to the Labour Together thinktank, the elections watchdog has said.The Electoral Commission said it had found no evidence of any other potential offences" by the thinktank formerly led by McSweeney, which was previously fined in 2021. Continue reading...

Rising toll worries activists as mass detention in US increases after Trump returned to White House in JanuaryDeaths occurring in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) have reached at least 16 since January amid increasing mass detention across the country and growing concerns over conditions.On Sunday, Ismael Ayala-Uribe, a 39-year-old Mexican national and former Dreamer" - those given protections after being brought to the US as undocumented children in the past - died after being held at an Ice facility in Adelanto, California, according to a statement from the federal agency. Continue reading...

Brenda del Castillo, Morena Verdi and Lara Gutierrez were lured with a promise of a $300 payment for a sex party'

Toxic crowd-control chemicals used in Michigan and LA have caused long-lasting health effects, activists sayPeople exposed to teargas or other crowd-control chemicals during recent Gaza and immigration protests say the toxic substances have caused long-lasting health effects, including disrupting their menstrual cycles and inducing hormone imbalances, according to accounts collected by the Guardian and reports from protesters in Michigan and Los Angeles.More than a dozen people across three protests reported the health effects. Among other issues, they say they have experienced intense cramping and increased bleeding during menstruation, along with irregular menstrual cycles, weight gain and fatigue. Continue reading...

Rush to preempt' Kimmel's talkshow after FCC chair's threats comes as broadcasters seek merger approvalsIf the controversy behind Jimmy Kimmel's show is a series of dominoes that fell one after the other, from the late-night host making his comments on Charlie Kirk's killing to ABC halting production of his show, the first domino arguably fell this summer.Months before Kimmel was briefly pulled off the air, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) quietly announced it was seeking to make a huge change to broadcasting rules. Continue reading...

BBC's head of children's TV says YouTube's algorithm takes children to US-based content, rather than UK showsThe amount of American content children are consuming on YouTube risks weakening their connection to British culture and language, the BBC's head of children's television has warned.Patricia Hidalgo, the director of children and education at the BBC, said the algorithm of the all-conquering video-sharing site diverted British children on to US-based content, rather than nourishing" British programming that helps cement their cultural identity. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Author challenges assumption monks on Iona created manuscript, instead positing its origins are PictishThe Book of Kells was likely to have been created 1,200 years ago in Pictish eastern Scotland, rather than on the island of Iona, according to research that challenges long-held assumptions about one of the world's most famous medieval manuscripts.The Book of Kells is an intricate, illuminated account of the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that was long thought to have been started in the late eighth century at the monastery on Iona before being taken in the 9th century to the monastery of Kells in County Meath, Ireland, after a Viking raid. Continue reading...

Lanlan Yang has been accused of driving a $1.5m SUV that crashed into a car driven by George Plassaras, a driver for radio host Kyle Sandilands

European Broadcasting Union says vote required after several nations threaten potential boycottThe European Broadcasting Union has confirmed it will hold an online vote in November that could see the Israeli broadcaster Kan expelled from next year's Eurovision song contest.In a letter sent to participating broadcasters on Thursday, the EBU president, Delphine Ernotte Cunci, wrote there was an unprecedented diversity of views" on Israel's participation in Eurovision, and the issue required a broader democratic basis". Continue reading...

European ministers to hold talks on Friday on how to defend infrastructure after airports affected, including the closure of CopenhagenEuropean ministers are to meet for urgent talks on building a drone wall" to defend against incoming incursions from the skies after Denmark said it had been the victim of a hybrid attack" on four airports in the second such incident in days.Ministers from 10 European countries, including Ukraine, will hold talks on Friday to discuss plans for what the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has described as the bedrock of credible defence". Continue reading...

More than 1,200 industry figures claim the pledge is a document of misinformation' and that much of the Israeli film and TV industry are often the loudest critics of government policy'More than 1,200 entertainment industry figures have signed a new open letter rejecting the recent high-profile pledge by thousands of their peers to boycott Israeli films over the war in Gaza.Stars including Liev Schreiber, Mayim Bialik, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Debra Messing are among those who have lent their names to the letter, which says the previous pledge advocates" for the erasure of art". Continue reading...

The proud Yorkshireman is remembered as someone who knew how to hold a crowd - and a cricket match

While VAT is going up to finance the war and fuel is in short supply, few expect Putin to adjust his war plansRussia's economy is in deep peril, Donald Trump assured the world this week, in a dramatic change of tune on the war in Ukraine in which the US president claimed Kyiv now had a chance to win back all its territory.The reality, economists say, is more complicated. While Moscow is enduring its toughest period since the chaotic first days of the invasion, few analysts believe its economy is on the brink of a total collapse, and fewer still expect Vladimir Putin to adjust his war plans in the short term. Continue reading...

Full service carrier says it will add additional toilets to its first three new Airbus 321XLR models - but they will be in service for three years beforehand

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Red Gibson ES-355, damaged on night of 2009 Rock en Seine fight, being sold alongside acoustic used in WonderwallThe Gallagher brothers might have reconciled to embark on a record-breaking world tour, but one artefact that recalls the more fractious times in their relationship is about to come back into the public eye.A guitar that Noel says was smashed up" by Liam on the night Oasis broke up after a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris in 2009 is going to auction. The 1960s red Gibson ES-355 guitar is estimated to fetch up to 500,000. Continue reading...

Asbestos and faeces flooding cells also among problems contributing to huge backlog in cases, Law Society findsAsbestos, mould, rotten seagulls and cells flooding with excrement are among the problems experienced in crumbling courts in England and Wales, the Law Society has found.The professional body for solicitors said deteriorating buildings and unreliable technology were contributing to the record backlog in crown courts and undermining confidence and trust in the justice system. Continue reading...

We're here to invest,' says Darius Hughes as he calls comments by other pharma companies a little harsh'The UK boss of the US drugmaker Moderna, which shot to prominence with its Covid vaccine during the pandemic, has defended the country after it was labelled the worst in Europe" for drug pricing.Darius Hughes spoke as he opened a 150m vaccine site in Oxfordshire, just days after MSD, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly announced that they would ditch or pause planned UK investments amid a row over pricing between the pharmaceutical industry and the government. Continue reading...

French president said Trump assured him that would also mean end of Abraham accords' on Arab-Israeli relationsAny attempt by Israel to annex parts of the West Bank would be a red line for the US - and would represent the end of Arab-Israeli diplomatic normalisation, Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, claiming that he had been given that assurance by Donald Trump.Macron also revealed that he had presented the US leader with a three-page plan on the future of Palestine, based on the New York Declaration, the document endorsed by more than 143 states that proposes to exclude Hamas from future rule in Gaza and the West Bank. Continue reading...

Former Labour leader announces November conference after week of turmoil, without mention of Zarah SultanaJeremy Corbyn has apologised to his leftwing party's supporters for a week of turmoil and division, in a video that failed to mention its co-founder Zarah Sultana.The former Labour leader said membership was now officially open and that the new party would have its founding conference in Liverpool at the end of November. Continue reading...

Party says aide's campaign work did not need to be declared as a Labour Together donation amid new Tory attacks

As the government explores options to support suppliers it should ensure that the carmaker foots the eventual billHere are a few principles for the government to bear in mind as it contemplates intervening to support car component suppliers hit by the fallout from the cyber-attack on Jaguar Land Rover.First, JLR is a large and rich company that should support its direct suppliers itself - indeed, it will often have a contractual obligation to do so. Second, any intervention should be aimed at firms that are more exposed because their relationship with JLR is indirect - the suppliers to the suppliers, as it were. Third, even in the latter case, there is a fair argument that ministers should try to strong-arm JLR into picking up the eventual bill. One aim, after all, is to ensure that JLR's eventual return to production is as smooth as possible. Continue reading...

US state department spokesperson says officials unable to shop while Iranian people endure poverty'Iranian officials at the UN summit this week won't be able to shop in New York after the US government barred them from purchasing everything from bulk household goods to expensive watches.The restrictions on the visiting Iranians were described by a state department spokesman as maximum pressure." Continue reading...

From immigrants eating the king's waterfowl to sharia law in London, it's all there in our Nige's relativist world

Roughy 170 physicians and other medical workers claim Trump administration has weakened veterans' health system. Trump officials deny their policies are hurting veteransNearly 100 doctors who have practiced at the US Department of Veterans of Affairs (VA) issued a mass letter on Wednesday raising urgent concerns" about Trump administration policies that they said will negatively affect the lives of all veterans".The letter sent to congressional leaders, VA secretary Doug Collins and the agency's inspector general marks the first time VA physicians have spoken collectively about staffing cuts and aggressive privatization moves at the nation's largest integrated healthcare system. Continue reading...

Show at Milan fashion week saw use of adjustable elastics and pull-tapes to unexpectedly sophisticated effectAt Fendi, where Silvia Venturini Fendi is leading the house founded by her grandparents through its centenary year, family is as much part of the sales pitch as the Baguette bag. I have been thinking about childrenswear, because I have a big family, and my daughter is pregnant with twins," she said backstage. Two grandsons made a cameo appearance on the catwalk earlier this year while her 18-year-old granddaughter is her fiercest critic", the 64-year-old creative director says. (When she calls after my show, I tremble.")This season, Fendi adapted the adjustable elastics that feature in clothes made for growing bodies, making a feature of elegant grosgrain pull-tapes to add gentle definition at the hem of the jacket or the waist of a dress. The result was unexpectedly sophisticated. The casting, featuring men and women of all ages and sizes, was a triumphant showcase for how beautifully the shapes worked on different bodies. Continue reading...

Millions of Italian workers expected to get day off every 4 October in honour of Saint Francis of AssisiGiorgia Meloni's far-right government in Italy has revived a national holiday in honour of the country's popular patron saint, Francis of Assisi, in a nod to the very core of our nation's identity".Millions of Italian workers are expected to get a day off each 4 October, the feast day of Saint Francis, after the lower house of parliament approved overwhelmingly a bill making it a public holiday. The measure will pass to the senate for the final nod. Continue reading...

Company says Disney+, Hulu and ESPN price rises were planned before uproar over Kimmel's suspension prompted calls to cancelThe Walt Disney Company, which has been recently making headlines since its 17 September decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late night show on ABC, said Tuesday that it would be raising the price of its streaming services - including Disney+ and bundles that include Hulu and ESPN.On 21 October, the cost of a Disney+ and Hulu package will increase from $10.99 to $12.99 while an ad-free plan with both will still cost $19.99. Plans with Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, with ads, were previously $16.99 and are soon to be $19.99, per Disney's website. Continue reading...

Pope names James Checchio to succeed Gregory Aymond two weeks after archdiocese agreed to settle with survivorsPope Leo XIV on Wednesday named an eventual successor to New Orleans' embattled Catholic archbishop, Gregory Aymond, two weeks after his archdiocese agreed to settle with survivors of clergy sexual abuse for $230m.Leo, history's first US pope, named bishop James Checchio of Metuchen, New Jersey, as the coadjutor bishop of New Orleans. The role positions Checchio to assist Aymond initially and then succeed him when he retires. Continue reading...

US president calls for countries to close their borders and expel foreigners. Plus, Kimmel says silencing comedians anti-American' in return to airGood morning.Donald Trump took the stage at the United Nations general assembly hall for the first time in six years to launch a full-on assault on the world body, which he described as a feckless, corrupt and pernicious global force that should follow the example of his own leadership.What did Trump say? He appealed to European leaders to embrace a blood-and-soil nationalism and follow his example. It's time to end the failed experiment of open borders," he urged. You have to end it now ... Your countries are going to hell."What is the significance of the address? Those who support the values of the UN must realize the degree to which the world's superpower seems bent on the destruction of everything they believe", writes Patrick Wintour, the Guardian's diplomatic editor. The speech urgently prompts the question of how the world will operate in the absence of reliable American leadership".What is the latest in the Russia-Ukraine war? Russia is launching long-range drones into Nato countries' airspace to test the military alliance's air defences and search for weak points, Zelenskyy said Tuesday.How serious is the risk of escalation? The first step of any further escalation would be new Russian incursions. That could happen if the Russians think it may cause disruption or sow discord in Nato", says David Jordan, of the Freeman Air and Space Institute at King's College London. Continue reading...

Grijalva will be state's first Latina in Congress, shrinking Republicans' House majority even furtherAdelita Grijalva, the daughter of the late progressive congressman Raul Grijalva, won a special election on Tuesday to fill the seat left open when her father died earlier this year.Grijalva faced Republican challenger Daniel Butierez in the heavily blue seventh district in Arizona, which covers the southern parts of the state and the borderland areas. Continue reading...

Leisurewear firm reports 13.5% decline in profits in six months to 2 August, with sales drop worst in North AmericaJD Sports has said consumers' wallets are strained" as sales struggled on either side of the Atlantic and the retailer reported a fall in profits.The company, which sells a range of sports brands including Nike and Adidas, reported a 13.5% fall in adjusted profits to 351m in the six months to 2 August and warned that annual comparable sales will be down compared with its last financial year. Continue reading...