by Amy Sedghi (now) and Vicky Graham (earlier) on (#6ZRC7)
More than 40,000 have suffered new war-related injuries' with more than half left disabled, says UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesYemen's Houthis have claimed responsibility for a missile launched at Israel (see 8.17am BST), saying they fired two ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv in what they said was an initial response to Israeli attacks on Yemen.The Israeli military moved deeper into Gaza City on Wednesday, with soldiers and tanks pushing into Sheikh Radwan, one of the urban centre's largest and most crowded neighbourhoods, reports Reuters. Continue reading...
by Kat Lay Global health correspondent on (#6ZRJK)
Doctors, nurses, patients and other experts describe the loss of decades of progress in beating the virus in 100 days after Pepfar was disruptedAid cuts in east Africa have led to cases of babies being born with HIV because mothers could not get medication, a rise in life-threatening infections, and at least one woman having an unwanted abortion, according to interviews with medical staff, patients and experts.A report by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) sets out dozens of examples of the impact of disruption to Pepfar - the president's emergency plan for aids relief - in Tanzania and Uganda. Continue reading...
People take to streets against Trump administration plans to rescind funding for life-saving international programsAs Congress reconvened on Tuesday, activists gathered near the White House to protest against cuts to global HIV funding, calling attention to funds they say are being withheld illegally by the Trump administration despite being appropriated by Congress.The end of the fiscal year 2025 is 30 September, which means the majority of the withheld federal funds will disappear. The activists called for the release of the funding for programs such as Pepfar (the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief), a program established in 2003 that has saved an estimated 26 million lives around the world and promised to help bring the HIV epidemic to an end. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#6ZRG8)
Rowley says officers should not be policing toxic culture wars debates' and are in an impossible positionThe Metropolitan police have declined to drop their investigation into the comedy writer Graham Linehan for tweets about trans issues, and said that the law used by officers to detain him needs reviewing.The Met commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said on Wednesday officers should not be policing toxic culture wars debates", and while any review took place, officers would investigate only more serious cases concerning online messages. Continue reading...
The broadcaster is leaving the hit BBC programme after presenting more than 1,000 episodes and having enriched the lives of millions'Melvyn Bragg has announced that he will be leaving BBC Radio 4 show In Our Time after hosting it for 27 years. He launched it in October 1998, after being asked to present a programme during what was known as the death slot" because of its low Thursday morning audience figures.The show, which explores the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world, has proved extremely popular. It celebrated its 1,000th episode in 2023 and is regularly one of the BBC's most listened to on-demand programmes worldwide. Continue reading...
CrossPolitic has in recent weeks hosted pastors who have opposed liberal democracy and pushed authoritarian ideasThe flagship podcast of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), the Christian denomination that claims US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, as a member, has functioned as a platform for the promotion of Christian nationalist and other far-right positions.CrossPolitic, whose hosts are close associates of Idaho-based pastor Douglas Wilson, has in recent weeks hosted a theocratic Canadian pastor who has called for his country to be absorbed by the United States, and a self-styled patriot professor" who has backed the rise of Russia and China and the decline of liberal democracies and endorsed the criminalization of homosexuality in Uganda. Continue reading...
Move is attempt to attract multigenerational shoppers and bring more of that family day out'John Lewis is to host Topshop in 32 of its 36 stores from February as the clothing brand's only national stockist on UK high streets, in a drive to attract younger shoppers and their mums.Peter Ruis, the managing director of the staff-owned department store chain, said Topshop - and Topman, which is to go into six outlets - would really exemplify the new John Lewis", as it tries to broaden its appeal with more fashion, home and beauty brands, ranging from Fenty to the Conran Shop. Continue reading...
by Natricia Duncan and Anthony Lugg in Kingston on (#6ZRDX)
Polls point to very close election' between the Jamaica Labourparty and the opposition People's National partyJamaicans head to the polls on Wednesday for a closely fought general election which has been overshadowed by an investigation into potential corruption in the ruling Jamaica Labour party (JLP) which is seeking a third term in office.The latest local poll put the opposition People's National party (PNP) 3.1% lead over the JLP, but political analyst Damion Gordon cautioned that the lead was barely larger than the margin of error. Continue reading...
Machines in five of supermarket's stores work like tiny X-rays to allow shoppers to analyse fruit before buyingIt is the millennial's perennial problem: returning home after spending a small fortune on an avocado only to find the green fruit is either too squishy to slice for a salad or too hard to smash on toast.One UK retailer, however, is claiming to have found the tech to solve the textural trouble. Tesco has begun trialling in-store avocado scanners that allow shoppers to asses how ripe the fruit is before they put it in their basket. Continue reading...
Health secretary criticises Tory policing record after Father Ted co-creator arrested over posts on transgender issuesKeir Starmer wants the police to focus on policing streets and not tweets", Wes Streeting has said, after the co-creator of TV's Father Ted was arrested at Heathrow over three social media posts on transgender issues.Graham Linehan, who also created the IT Crowd, said he was intercepted by five armed officers after flying in from Arizona and was told he was under arrest over the posts. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The leftwing candidate crushed rivals Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns. Will his leadership take the party to new heights - or risk alienating hard-won moderates?Good morning. After a bruising leadership contest, Zack Polanski didn't just win the Green party vote, he cleaned up. His eco-populist" platform - which borrowed directly from Nigel Farage's playbook - earned him 85% of votes.Polanski defeated Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns, winning 20,411 votes relative to their 3,705 in a ballot of party members. The contest exposed deeper questions about Green party identity and how it positions itself amid a rapidly shifting political landscape.UK news | Britain's long-term borrowing costs have hit their highest level in 27 years, intensifying the pressure on the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, before the autumn budget.Spain | Europe and western countries' double standards over the wars in Ukraine and Gaza threaten to undermine their global standing, the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, has warned.Brazil | Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and seven of his allies, including four senior members of the military, have gone on trial for allegedly attempting to stage a coup.China | Xi Jinping warned the world faced a choice between peace or war as he capped a week of diplomatic grandstanding with China's largest-ever military parade, flanked by Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-un.UK news | Esther Ghey, the mother of the murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, and the Oscar-winning actor Kate Winslet are calling on Keir Starmer to legally ban smartphones in schools. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Whistleblowers claim food vouchers for volunteers were spent on perfume and Apple devices insteadThe head organiser of the LGBTQ Pride parade in London is under internal investigation over claims he abused his position, including by buying luxury perfumes with food and drink vouchers donated by a sponsor.Christopher Joell-Deshields, who has been chief executive of Pride in London since 2021, is facing a series of allegations from volunteer directors and others. Continue reading...
Kim Ju-ae's arrival in Beijing ahead of China's victory day military parade show she is her father's preferred successor, experts sayThe appearance of Kim Jong-un's daughter in China ahead of Xi Jinping's victory day" parade in Beijing has added to speculation that she is being groomed to become the first female ruler of North Korea.Photos released by North Korean state media showed Kim Ju-ae, who is believed to be in her early teens, stepping off her father's heavily armoured train in the Chinese capital, where she was greeted by Chinese officials at the start of her debut on the international stage. Continue reading...
by Rebecca Ratcliffe South-east Asia correspondent on (#6ZRA3)
Conservative Bhumjaithai party leader Anutin Charnvirakul gets main opposition party's conditional backing to form interim governmentTycoon-turned-politician Anutin Charnvirakul appears to have taken the lead in a chaotic race to become Thailand's next prime minister, after days of tense negotiations.Anutin, who is leader of the conservative Bhumjaithai party and perhaps best known for championing medical cannabis legalisation, has received the backing of MPs from the main opposition party People's party to form an interim government, provided he signs an agreement laid out by its leaders. Continue reading...
Interior minister says they were waiting for' official who was shot at point-blank range outside his home in killing that has shocked PeruPeru's government has said the fatal shooting of an Indonesian embassy official in Lima on Monday night was likely a contract killing".Zetro Leonardo Purba, 40, an official at the Indonesian embassy in Peru, was shot dead outside his block of flats in Lima's Lince neighbourhood while riding a bicycle home from work on Monday evening. Continue reading...
Watchdog's report says government is unable to calculate exact cost of response to data breach, raising doubt over 850m estimateMore than 7,300 Afghans are expected to be resettled in the UK as a result of a major government data breach, according to a National Audit Office report that raises doubts over officials' claims of a 850m cost.The accidental leak by an MoD official in 2022 of 18,700 Afghans' details who had worked with or for the British government led to the opening of a new route by which those endangered could seek relocation to the UK from their home country. Continue reading...
Government to ban sale of energy drinks with more than 150mg of caffeine, citing concerns over obesity and lack of concentrationUnder-16s in England will be banned from buying energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster because they fuel obesity, cause sleep problems and leave them unable to concentrate.Health experts, teaching unions and dentists welcomed the ban and said it would boost children and young people's health. It fulfils a pledge Labour included in its manifesto for last year's general election. Continue reading...
Mahdawi was arrested and targeted for deportation but the permanent US resident is resuming postgraduate studiesJust over four months after being arrested, detained and nearly deported by the Trump administration for his activism, Mohsen Mahdawi, the 34-year-old Palestinian student and US permanent resident, returned to Columbia University on Tuesday and vowed to continue speaking out.They have failed to silence me, and in fact, now I am more outspoken than before, and I will continue to work for peace and justice. I do this work not for myself alone - I do this for the future of children, whether they are Palestinians or Israelis," he told the Guardian on Tuesday in his first interview since stepping back on to campus to begin his graduate studies. Continue reading...
From Friday night to Monday night, 58 shot in 37 separate shootings in city, with no suspect in custody for most casesEight people were killed and 50 others were wounded in dozens of shootings in Chicago over the Labor Day weekend, according to police.Between Friday night and Monday night, a total of 58 people were shot in 37 separate shootings in the country's third-largest city, according to preliminary information from police. Most involved one victim, but multiple people were injured in three of the shootings. Most victims were in good or fair condition, but several were listed in serious or critical condition. In a handful of cases, police said a person of interest was being questioned, but in most, no suspect was in custody. Continue reading...
Effort comes as Trump administration cracks down on immigration, ramping up arrests and deportationsThe US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to the federal justice department to serve as temporary immigration judges, according to a memo reviewed by the Associated Press.The military will begin sending groups of 150 attorneys - both military and civilians - to the justice department as soon as practicable" and the military services should have the first round of people identified by next week, according to the memo, dated 27 August. Continue reading...
Deputy PM may have to pay tens of thousands of pounds more if tax officials judge she paid incorrect rate on property purchaseAngela Rayner faces having to pay tens of thousands of pounds more in stamp duty if tax officials judge she incorrectly paid the lower rate on her Hove flat, tax experts have warned.The deputy prime minister could be slapped with an additional tax bill if officials judge she paid too little stamp duty when she bought her 800,000 property earlier this year, they said. Continue reading...
Yvette Cooper has announced several tough policies after a summer dominated by Farage and Reform UKAfter a summer recess dominated by headlines about Reform UK's hardline immigration proposals and protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, the home secretary returned to parliament seeking to wrest back control of the narrative.Yvette Cooper has announced a flurry of tough asylum measures including suspending refugee family reunion applications, and even floated the idea that refugees could be moved out of hotels and into warehouses instead. Continue reading...
Lawyers for Bella Culley negotiating plea agreement, court reportedly toldThe pregnant British teenager Bella Culley has reportedly been told she will be released from the Georgian prison where she is being held on drug-smuggling charges if she pays a substantial fine.Culley, from Billingham, on Teesside, has been detained in the former Soviet country for more than three months after being accused of trying to bring in 14kg of cannabis in a travel bag. She has been told she faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Continue reading...
by Libby Brooks Scotland correspondent on (#6ZQY7)
Last-minute application from NHS Fife's lawyers to amend their pleadings means could delay case by monthsAn employment tribunal brought by an NHS Fife nurse who objected to sharing a changing room with a transgender doctor has concluded its evidence with conflicting interpretations of how the supreme court's landmark ruling on sex affects the case.Sandie Peggie, who has worked as a nurse for more than 30 years, contends she was subject to unlawful harassment under the Equality Act when she was expected to share a changing room with Dr Beth Upton. Continue reading...
Laken Ashlee Snelling, a 21-year-old cheer team member, faces charges of corpse abuse and evidence tamperingA University of Kentucky athlete allegedly placed her dead infant inside a trash bag later found in a closet while trying to hide the baby's birth, leading to her being jailed, according to local authorities and media reporting.Laken Ashlee Snelling, 21, faces charges of corpse abuse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant after her arrest on Sunday, police in Lexington, Kentucky, said in a statement. Continue reading...
Government spokesperson confirms migrants could be housed on industrial sitesLamb says the Greens are the antidote to Reform".That gets a big round of applause.We're a home for all those people across the country holding their heads in their hands as the Labour government lets them down again and again and again, whether it is switching from the aid budget or from people with disabilities and not bringing in taxes ... we need.And that is why, in reaction, a new Green wave is sweeping the country as people turn to us.It's already become a bit of a cliche, but we are really moving into a multi-party system, with the Greens poised to help create the next government.And, like all the best cliches, it has the distinct advantage of also being for true. Continue reading...
Carmaker says it has shut down its systems but there is no evidence customer data has been stolenJaguar Land Rover's manufacturing and retailing activities have been severely disrupted" by a cyber incident, forcing it to shut down its systems.Britain's largest carmaker said there was no evidence that any customer data had been taken. Continue reading...
Tianjin encounter comes as India and China aim to normalise ties in geopolitical repositioning prompted by Trump's tariffsThey stood together like old friends, heads thrown back in jovial laughter, clutching one another's hands affectionately. Except this was no ordinary gathering of three men, but a meeting of three of the most powerful non-western leaders: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi.The overt displays of intimacy were widely regarded by observers as a telling message of defiance aimed at their western counterparts, in particular Donald Trump, who just a few days earlier had slapped India with 50% import tariffs, among the harshest of the US president's trade penalties. Continue reading...
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Haroon Janjua on (#6ZQCZ)
Taliban appeal for aid, with casualties expected to increase as rescue teams struggle to reach isolated areasThe Taliban have called for international aid as Afghanistan reels from an earthquake that killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands more injured.Rescuers searched into the night for survivors after the 6.0-magnitude quake struck on Sunday destroying entire villages across the country's eastern Kunar province, which borders Pakistan. Continue reading...
Foreign minister says move is not aimed at Israeli people but ensuring their government respects international and humanitarian law'. This live blog is closedAt least 63,633 Palestinian people have been killed and 160,914 others injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.At least 76 Palestinian people, including 12 aid seekers, were killed in the last 24 hours alone, the ministry said. Continue reading...
Synthetic opioids known as nitazenes, linked to more than 100 deaths, can be hundreds of times stronger than other drugsHealth experts have warned that Scotland faces a fresh drug deaths crisis due to highly potent synthetic opioids already linked to more than 100 fatalities.The warning comes after the publication of official data which showed the total number of deaths from drug abuse in Scotland fell by 13% last year to a 1,017, the lowest annual figure since 2017. Continue reading...
Greens senator David Shoebridge accused Tony Burke of doing his Peter Dutton impression, dog-whistling and punching down on migrants'Up to 80,000 people in Australia may be affected by the Albanese government's proposed powers to strip basic legal protections from the non-citizens it plans to deport to Nauru, refugee lawyers warn.The proposed federal powers, revealed last Wednesday, are expected to pass parliament this week with the Coalition's support at a snap two-hour committee hearing scheduled for Wednesday night. Continue reading...
Based on a Renaissance kunstkammer, museum's basement to house a collection of exquisite silverware, paintings, bronzes and ceramicsBeneath the Georgian city of Bath, a gleaming treasury of Renaissance masterpieces created for kings, queens, church leaders and scientists is about to be unveiled.Based on the idea of the Renaissance kunstkammer - an art chamber - the basement room at the Holburne Museum is crammed with scores of exquisite pieces of silverware, paintings, bronzes and ceramics. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Experts say the move could be part of Beijing's greyzone' grab for disputed territoryChina is drilling for oil and gas inside Taiwan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a move that analysts believe is likely part of Beijing's unilateral grab for disputed territory that could also aid a future invasion of Taiwan.During July and August at least 12 oil and gas vessels and permanent structures were detected inside Taiwan's EEZ - including one within 50km of the restricted-waters border of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands - as well as several steel supports for fixed offshore drilling platforms, called jackets. Their presence inside Taiwan's EEZ have not been previously reported. Continue reading...
Protester who unfurled banner below clock face removed by cherry picker after almost four hoursA man holding what appeared to be a pomeranian dog who climbed the clock tower at King's Cross station in London to unfurl a banner calling for freedom for Iran has come down.As rain began to pour, the protester packed his banner away. He spoke to mediators and was brought down by a cherry picker at 11.50am, bringing the standoff to an end after nearly four hours. Continue reading...
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