World news | The Guardian

More than 100 organizations sign open letter as Trump administration vows to crack down on left-leaning fundingMore than 100 liberal philanthropies and institutions have issued a letter condemning acts of political violence" and pre-emptively opposing an expected Trump administration crackdown on ideologically left-leaning funding in the wake of the death of Charlie Kirk last week.The groups, including the Ford Foundation and George Soros's Open Society Foundations, denounced the recent murders of Kirk and of Melissa Hortman in Minnesota, saying such acts have no place in our democracy". Continue reading...

Leaders from Orban to Le Pen have framed the shooting as evidence of persecution - a strategy that experts say could further normalise extremism across the continent Don't get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereBefore his fatal shooting, few if any of the leaders of Europe's resurgent far right had so much as mentioned the name of Charlie Kirk. Since last week, the propaganda potential of the conservative US activist's killing has escaped none of them.Kirk, a rising star of Donald Trump's Maga movement, was hit in the neck by a single bullet as he addressed students in Utah on 10 September. A 22-year-old suspect, Tyler Robinson, has been charged, but his alleged motives remain unclear. Continue reading...

Advocates say it should be easier to dispute bond claims, as tenants in Australia's toughest rental markets are increasingly losing their deposits

Fahad Ansari launches legal action against UK home secretary after his phone was seized at Holyhead portA lawyer who filed Hamas's challenge to proscription claims he was unlawfully detained under the Terrorism Act, with his phone containing legally privileged information examined because of his client.Fahad Ansari, who issued legal proceedings on Wednesday against the home secretary and the chief constable of north Wales police, was stopped by officers at the port of Holyhead on 6 August as he returned from a family holiday in Ireland with his wife and four children. Continue reading...

Dion Rudakubana tells inquiry his younger brother, Axel, became progressively more isolated' after school expulsionAxel Rudakubana was discharged from mental health services six days before he murdered three young girls and stabbed several others at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport, it has emerged.The inquiry into the atrocity was told on Wednesday that a risk assessment was undertaken on Rudakubana, then 17, a week before the attack in July last year. Its findings have not been disclosed. Continue reading...

EU executive also seeks sanctions on two Israeli ministers, but may struggle to secure majority approval required

RSC touring troupe stage King Lear in a school hall on St Mary's before continuing to the Isle of WightBlow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!" King Lear, Act III, Scene 2A fierce wind and strong swell had turned the Atlantic into a rollercoaster and when the troupe made landfall on the Isles of Scilly, several members felt rather wobbly and looked a little green around the gills. Continue reading...

Attorney general during Trump's first term made comments to House oversight committee, transcript showsThe former US attorney general William Barr has repeated his finding that Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 death in prison was undoubtedly suicide" to a panel of lawmakers looking into the disgraced financier's crimes and connections.Barr, the top prosecutor in Donald Trump's first term when the justice department brought sex trafficking charges against Epstein, made the comments to the House oversight committee late Monday, according to an interview transcript. Continue reading...

Two army divisions work their way toward city's centre as further Israeli airstrikes destroy buildings

Jerry Greenfield says he cannot in good conscience' continue and says company has lost its independenceThe Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield has stepped away from the ice-cream brand after nearly 50 years, claiming it has lost its independence and accusing its parent company, Unilever, of having silenced" its social mission.Greenfield said in a letter posted by his co-founder, Ben Cohen, that he could no longer in good conscience" remain an employee of a business that he argued had been muzzled by the UK-listed Unilever, despite an agreement protecting its social mission when it was taken over in 2000. Continue reading...

God As My Witness shares survivors' stories and exposes church cover-ups as it returns to the scandal's epicenterA film examining the Catholic clergy molestation crisis in New Orleans recently won the prize for best documentary at Colorado's Winter Park film festival and has been chosen to be screened in the city where the scandal has unfolded.God As My Witness makes clear that those who commit these atrocities cannot hide" while giving a voice to the survivors, justice to the abused and a platform to be heard," the Winter Park film festival's director, Connor Nelson, said in a statement. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Campaign group says it was behind stunt that showed images of Trump and Epstein on castle towerThe arrest of four men after images of Donald Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein were projected on to Windsor Castle on Tuesday was Orwellian" and ridiculous", the group behind the protest has told the Guardian.The political campaign group Led By Donkeys confirmed that it was behind the stunt, which saw several images of Trump and Epstein projected on to a tower while a soundtrack questioning the relationship between to the two men was played on a speaker. Continue reading...

Veteran journalist played by Redford in 1976 film version of the Watergate expose that brought down the Nixon presidency pays tribute to a fiery' friend Robert Redford: the incandescently handsome star who changed Hollywood foreverBob Woodward, the journalist played by Robert Redford in the 1976 corruption expose All the President's Men, has paid tribute to the actor who died on Tuesday, saying he was a noble and principled force for good".In a statement posted on social media, Woodward said that Redford and he had been friends for 50 years and that he admired him - for his friendship, his fiery independence, and the way he used any platform he had to help make the world better, fairer, brighter for others". Continue reading...

Deputy leadership hopeful dismisses claims she and her rival, Bridget Phillipson, are stand-ins for prime ministerial battleLucy Powell has hit out at the sexist" framing of her deputy Labour leadership campaign, with people claiming she and her rival, Bridget Phillipson, are standing as proxies" for two men.With the contest to replace Angela Rayner under way this week, the pair have been forced to contend with political rumours that they are stalking horses for a future leadership battle. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese must now save the defence agreement with Papua New Guinea, a week after a similar plan with Vanuatu was delayed

Exclusive: Sue Roberts-Smith sends 39-page dossier to two dozen Liberal and National MPs after fresh speculation about Hastie's possible leadership tilt

Proposed Macquarie Point venue a condition for state entering AFL in 2028, but report argues it would cause unacceptable adverse impacts on Hobart'

Workers affected by university restructure advised to remove themselves from the hazardous work environment' if they believe they are at psychosocial risk

Of 1,101 subjects to be axed, 463 had no enrolments and weren't taught in 2024, according to University of Technology Sydney proposal

Retailer hopes to bounce back from summer cyber-attack with fashion picks aimed at wider age rangeAfter a cyber-attack rained on its summer, Marks & Spencer is banking on fashion to brighten its autumn.A Prada-esque, crystal-embellished, charcoal V-neck cardigan (46), a faux leather trenchcoat with a price tag of 90 - 6,810 less than the Burberry version - and a 36 short pleated skirt that offers a wearable take on Charli xcx's brat" styling will hit shop floors shortly. Continue reading...

Authorities say they no longer have legal justification to hold Christian Bruckner in jail after serving rape sentenceThe main suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is expected to be freed on Wednesday as German authorities admit they no longer have legal justification to hold him in jail.Christian Bruckner, 49, is due to be released from prison in Sehnde, northern Germany, after serving a sentence for the rape of an American woman, then 72 years old, in Portugal in 2005. Continue reading...

Negotiations soon to begin on UK's entry to Safe scheme, which it hopes will secure bigger role for its defence firmsFrance has proposed limiting the use of British-produced military components in the EU's 150bn defence fund, in a move that could complicate negotiations over the UK's entry into the scheme.Four diplomatic sources told the Guardian that French officials had proposed a 50% ceiling on the value of UK components in projects financed through the EU's 150bn Security Action for Europe (Safe) fund. Continue reading...

Jarrod Bleijie defends levy as BHP Mitsubishi Alliance moves to mothball Saraji South mine and slash 750 jobs

About 1,400 visitors were evacuated but hundreds were left stuck because of action linked to bus contract dispute, say Peru authoritiesAt least 900 tourists were stranded near the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu on Tuesday, Peru's tourism minister said, after a passenger train service was suspended due to a protest.PeruRail said service was suspended on Monday because the route in Peru's mountainous Cusco region had been blocked by rocks of various sizes" as residents clashed with authorities and bus companies. PeruRail's local unit also said third parties" had excavated part of its rail route, which affected the track's stability and slowed down the evacuation of tourists. Continue reading...

Israeli media had reported nation had been asked to step aside or compete under a neutral symbol due to controversies over Gaza war

Australian PM will leave Port Moresby without agreement, sparking a setback for Australia's strategy to minimise China's influence among Pacific nationsAnthony Albanese's strategy of pushing back against China in the Pacific has been dealt another blow, with a major defence treaty with Papua New Guinea delayed amid concerns about sovereignty.A deal was expected with the former Australian colony this week but the prime minister is set to leave Port Moresby without signing the so-called Pukpuk mutual defence treaty with his counterpart, James Marape, on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Parentkind charity also says 33% of parents of children with special educational needs reported financial strainOne in three parents have sought a special needs assessment for their child, according to a survey that reveals a surge in demand for special needs support in schools across the UK.The figures were released amid mounting apprehension in England over national plans to reform special needs provision amid rising costs and a severe shortage of dedicated special school places. Continue reading...

Commons committee finds women's concerns not taken seriously due to bias, stereotyping and racist assumptionsBlack women in England are still facing poorer outcomes in their maternity care due to systemic racism, alongside failures in leadership and data collection, according to a group of MPs.Across the UK, black women are more than twice as likely to die in childbirth compared with their white counterparts, while babies born to black mothers are at an increased risk of stillbirth. Continue reading...

George Zinn, accused of obstructing justice, was also booked in connection with images on his cell of child abuseA man who was detained moments after Turning Point USA executive director Charlie Kirk's killing has been arrested on allegations of trying to thwart authorities by falsely confessing to the fatal shooting.After being arrested on Monday, 71-year-old George Zinn faces a count of obstructing justice - a second-degree felony - in the wake of Kirk's killing at Utah Valley University (UVU). He was also booked in connection with images on his cellphone depicting child abuse, said state authorities, who took Zinn into custody after he was released from a hospital that was treating him for a medical condition. Continue reading...

Ministers had hoped to finalise deal this week that would reduce president's steel tariffs to zeroA long-coveted deal to slash US steel and aluminium tariffs to zero has been shelved on the eve of Donald Trump's state visit to Britain, the Guardian has learned.Ministers were poised to finalise a deal this week that would have reduced Trump's tariffs on British steel to zero, according to government officials. Continue reading...

Claims that brothers were sexually abused didn't supersede premeditation and deliberation' of killings, says judgeA California judge has rejected a request for a new trial for Erik and Lyle Menendez, saying the allegations that the brothers were sexually abused did not supersede their premeditation and deliberation" when they killed their parents more than 35 years ago.The ruling Monday by Los Angeles superior court judge William C Ryan comes just weeks after the brothers were denied parole and shuts down another possible path to freedom for the two who have served nearly 30 years in prison. Ryan denied a May 2023 petition seeking a review of their convictions based on new evidence supporting their claims of sexual abuse by their father. Continue reading...

Exclusive: London mayor says US president has perhaps done the most' to encourage far right

The FBI director's seeming fandom of the Premier League club also represents an unexpected clash of politicsFBI director Kash Patel appeared for a hearing in front of the US Senate judiciary committee wearing a tie featuring the logo of English Premier League side Liverpool on Tuesday.The tie drew questions across social media. For one thing, it's extremely unusual for a government official to wear a tie featuring the logo of any business, let alone a sports team. For another, Patel has not publicly expressed fandom for Liverpool in the past - at least not in words. He has previously been photographed wearing Liverpool ties on at least two separate occasions, though. The first, on 12 December 2024, came when Patel was visiting various lawmakers on Capitol Hill after Donald Trump's victory in that year's election, with Patel at the time being rumored to be a part of the administration. The second came about five months later, on 9 April 2025, at a press event touting the US authorities' capture of narcotics. By that time, Patel had been confirmed as director of the FBI. Continue reading...

The 25-year-old claims to be trafficking victim and won high court challenge in what may prove major blow to Labour policyAn Eritrean man has had his deportation to France under Labour's one-in, one-out" scheme halted at the 11th hour after he won a high court challenge.The 25-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is the first to win a challenge in the high court against the removal scheme, which is itself new. The first removal flights were due to take place on Monday and Tuesday of this week but were cancelled. The man had been due to be on a flight to France at 9am on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Labour politicians Simon Opher and Peter Prinsley were due to meet UK diplomats in Jerusalem this weekTwo British MPs have said they were denied entry into Israel during a parliamentary delegation to the occupied West Bank.Labour politicians Simon Opher and Peter Prinsley were travelling as part of the group that was due to meet British diplomats in Jerusalem this week, in addition to Palestinian and Israeli human rights organisations. Continue reading...

The actor and singer shared a statement on Instagram relating to their time together making the 1973 hit The Way We Were

Court rules former president, sentenced to 27 years for coup attempt, must pay R$1m for cockroaches' comment in 2021Jair Bolsonaro has been ordered to pay R$1m (138,000) in collective moral damages for remarks deemed racist" while he was in office.The latest ruling, delivered by a state appeals court, came less than a week after Brazil's former president was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for leading an attempted coup to overturn the result of the 2022 election. Continue reading...

Head of state broadcaster says it is impossible to look the other way' over Israel's actions in GazaSpain has become the latest country to confirm it will not take part in next year's Eurovision song contest if Israel participates, with the head of its state broadcaster saying the genocide currently taking place make[s] it impossible for us to look the other way".The majority decision by RTVE board members makes Spain the first of the big five" Eurovision countries that contribute the most money to the event to take such action in response to Israel's offensive in Gaza. Continue reading...

Tommy Robinson's free speech' protest attracted more than 100,000 people - and it was easy to find links to key political figures and events in the US

US president adds that Zelenskyy will have to make a deal' and that Ukraine is in serious trouble' as he departs for UK state visitEU commissioners will on Wednesday agree to impose new sanctions against Israel over its war in Gaza, a spokesperson for the commission said on Tuesday.Tomorrow, commissioners will be adopting a package of measures on Israel," spokesperson Paula Pinho said, as reported by Reuters.Specifically, a proposal to suspend certain trade provisions in the agreements between the EU and Israel." Continue reading...

Kemi Badenoch and Ed Davey attack PM's record over US ambassador during commons debate that was skipped by StarmerVikram Dodd is the Guardian's crime correspondent.Police expect to arrest 50 more people following Saturday's large far-right-led march through London, the commissioner of the Metropolitan police said this morning.If you are Conservative right-minded, then the future is Reform. The country is going to change a lot. The same people who thought that Brexit would not happen think that Reform will not happen. They are in for a shock. Continue reading...

Report cites scale of killings and aid blockages, and calls on member countries to punish those responsible

Relatives remember a dependable, kind and funny woman and remain traumatised by her deathPerhaps the Kenyan market town of Nanyuki's greatest claim to fame was that it straddles the equator. But now it has become synonymous with something darker. It was here where Agnes Wanjiru was born and lived and where she was brutally killed.Her family searched for her for months before her body was found stuffed into a septic tank at the same hotel where she had last been seen alive. Continue reading...

Second deportation flight takes off from UK without migrants on boardDowning Street has denied that the government's returns deal with France is in chaos after plans to forcibly remove from the UK people arriving in small boats were abandoned for a second day.Asked by reporters if the latest delay meant the so-called one in one out" agreement was a shambles", the prime minister's spokesperson said No". Continue reading...

Intimidation strategy said to be part of broader campaign to quash and bypass independent and critical publicationsAs newsrooms learned that President Trump had filed another multibillion lawsuit against a major outlet to have provoked his scorn - this time his home town paper the New York Times - media executives again puzzled over his long-term aims in repeatedly deploying the law.Different theories abound over the strategy, from creating a chilling effect on the media to feeding an anti-mainstream media sentiment among his most vigorous supporters. One firm conclusion, however, is that the tactic is here to stay. Continue reading...

Liberal leader to deliver speech arguing against permanent dependency on government' and pledging to means-test welfare payments

Program aims to replace liquid fuels - which make up a third of Australia's emissions - with cleaner alternatives made from canola, sorghum and sugar

From autumn 2026 all schools and after-school clubs must collect and hold students' phones until the end of the day

High court judge issues arrest warrant, saying a suspect has been charged in relation to 2012 death of 21-year-oldA warrant has been issued for the arrest of a British national on suspicion of the murder of the Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru, who was found dead in the grounds of a hotel near an army base in 2012.The high court judge Alexander Muteti issued the arrest warrant earlier on Tuesday in Kenya, with the prosecution telling the court a suspect had been charged with murder, and seeking the application for a warrant of arrest to facilitate his extradition to Kenya. Continue reading...

State forced to stop gathering critical data on pregnancy experiences after Trump administration's shakeupThe Trump administration's shakeup of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has forced Mississippi to stop gathering critical data on women's experiences before, during and after pregnancy - even as the state recently declared a public health emergency over its surging infant mortality rate.Mississippi has suspended data collection for Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (Prams), a national database that has been integral to policymaking on maternal and infant health for nearly four decades, the Guardian has learned. Continue reading...