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British Polling Council and Market Research Society announce inquiries into JL Partners, which has been accused of breaking transparency rules

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story herein Magdeburg, Saxony-AnhaltPolls have suggested that the election on Sunday could yield Germany's first-ever state government led by the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD), shattering a postwar taboo and leaving minorities' fate in the hands of a party that has promised to launch deportations from day one". Continue reading...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has told SBU to deliver appropriate, tangible response' to Kyiv strikeThe head office of Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency has been hit in a Russian drone attack, sending plumes of black smoke rising into the air in the heart of Kyiv.Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he had instructed the SBU to deliver an appropriate, tangible response" to the strike, while the foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, described it as a major escalation". Continue reading...

Troops escort settlers into al-Mughayyir and raze village outside Hebron as ethnic cleansing of West Bank continuesIsraelis have shot dead two teenagers in a Palestinian village encircled by settlers, and Israeli troops have razed an entire village outside Hebron, in the latest attacks in a surge of Israeli terror and ethnic cleansing across the occupied West Bank.The shootings targeted Khalil Abu Alia, 16, who was about to start 11th grade at the al-Mughayyir boys school, and 19-year-old Omar al-Nassan, who graduated from the same institution with top marks this summer. Continue reading...

Senior party figures do not appear united, but Farage may be more concerned about impact on performance in polls

James Elmore Jr sentenced in death of Laura Miller, whose body was found in 1986 in notorious Texas Killing Fields'A man found guilty in the death of teenager Laura Miller, whose body was recovered in 1986 in the notorious so-called Texas Killing Fields", was given a 20-year prison sentence on Thursday.James Elmore Jr received that punishment from a Galveston county jury that a day earlier had convicted him of manslaughter in connection with Laura Miller's death, which inspired her father, Tim Miller, to launch Texas EquuSearch, a non-profit organization specializing in searching for missing people. Continue reading...

Cotality says prices have declined in most capital cities over winter. Search the data to see how they have changed in your area

State decides to proceed hours after Trump administration asks supreme court to let it carry out proposed crackdownNorth Carolina became the first state to start sending out mail-in ballots for November's US midterm elections on Friday, as Donald Trump's administration fights to impose sweeping restrictions on the practice before millions of Americans cast their votes.The state's decision to proceed - hours after Trump's officials asked the supreme court to let the administration press ahead with its proposed crackdown - comes amid deep uncertainty over whether new federal rules governing mail ballots will be allowed to take effect, and whether the US Postal Service can implement the changes in time. Continue reading...

Film-maker acclaimed for his celebrations of Roma culture had been working on a historical film project' in ProvenceTony Gatlif, the French director of more than 20 films that mostly concentrated on celebrating Roma culture across the world, has died aged 77.His family said in a statement to AFP that Gatlif died on Wednesday of a health issue" while working on a historical film project" in Arles in Provence, France. The beauty of his films, his generosity, his joy, his poetry, and his love of music will remain with us forever." Continue reading...

Five jailed after targeting victim and subjecting him to ordeal linked to past relationship breakdownDramatic footage shows a kidnapped man jumping from a first-floor window into a tree before running into the street and, by chance, coming across a police car.Lincolnshire police said the ordeal of the unnamed man had been horrifying" and the presence of a marked police vehicle may have saved his life". Continue reading...

Officials say pair were rescued from Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel in Nepal after being trapped in depth of 170 metresTwo people have been pulled out alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal nine days after deadly flash floods buried the projects in deep mud and left them trapped.The workers were rescued during an ongoing operation at the Trishuli 3A tunnel, a hydropower project in one of the areas worst affected by last week's floods, according to the army spokesperson Brig Gen Raja Ram Basnet. Continue reading...

Family-run Al-Qarara Seed Bank is striving to help Palestinians gain sovereignty over their food securitySalama Ayesh Muhanna still remembers the first seeds he planted on his family's land in al-Qarara, Gaza. At just 17, Muhanna had proudly sprouted cucumbers.I was very happy because I saw the results," Muhanna says. We were farmers at heart." Continue reading...

Nick Park began modelling the character as a feline, before finding it too difficult and changing him to a dogThe creator of Wallace and Gromit has revealed that the world's most famous stop-motion animated dog was nearly a cat.As Aardman Animations marks its 50th anniversary, Nick Park, who joined the studio in 1985, told the BBC he originally modelled Gromit as a feline companion for Wallace. Continue reading...

Revelations are further blow to Nigel Farage before conference speech, with Labour reporting party to policeReform UK has suspended two senior officials after they were filmed in an undercover investigation appearing to plot to get around electoral laws on foreign donations.In a blow to Nigel Farage hours before his conference speech, the party said it had launched an investigation into the actions of James Orr, the party's head of policy, and Dan Jukes, a senior aide to Farage, after the broadcast by Channel 4 News. Continue reading...

Mourning turns to anger as residents of Kuhestak say Baloch communities are being placed in path of conflictPeople in Kuhestak, a predominantly Baloch city in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, are mourning after a strike on a wedding killed at least four people, including a child, and injured more than 60, according to local authorities.The blast hit at around 9.30pm on 1 September, turning a night of celebration into one of devastation for the small coastal community, which is on the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

Under-pressure carmaker will shed 15% of workforce and halve its product line in sector's biggest ever restructureThe car company Volkswagen has approved controversial plans to shed 100,000 jobs in a battle for survival as it faces fierce competition from Chinese rivals.After the latest round of talks this week, the company announced a further 50,000 job cuts and agreed a staggered end to current production at four German plants: Emden, Zwickau, Hanover and the Audi site in Neckarsulm between 2031 to 2034. There are no specific plans beyond that. Continue reading...

President cites Donald Trump's suggestion that he might reconsider US support for British sovereignty, and threatens swifter sanctions on British oil interestsPresident Javier Milei has said winds of change favourable" to Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands were blowing around the world" in a televised address, citing signs that Donald Trump may reconsider the US position on the islands' sovereignty.Recently, President Trump declared that the US is re-evaluating its historic position in relation to the Malvinas," he said, using the Argentinian name for the islands. Continue reading...

Firm has celebrity fans and ambassadors including Prince Harry, Jennifer Aniston and Kim KardashianFans of Oura are accustomed to using its trendy smart rings to fastidiously monitor their health but now investors are preparing to track a new metric - its share price.The San Francisco-headquartered company's filing to imminently list on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York was made public on Thursday. Continue reading...

Ed Miliband says Britain's position remains unwavering' in response to remarks by Argentina's president

Energy secretary could recommend new North Sea drilling next week, as ministers also consider approval for Rosebank oilfield

Seoul reportedly seeking parliamentary approval to send military assets to Middle East but president's office plays down claimsSouth Korea is reviewing a possible deployment of military assets to the strait of Hormuz amid pressure from Donald Trump over Seoul's reluctance to provide support in the region, according to domestic media reports.Citing unnamed government and military sources, the reportspublished on Thursday and Friday said preparations were under way and that the government intended to seek parliamentary approval for a new deployment. The reports, which appeared in major South Korean outlets, said the exact scale and timing have not been agreed. Continue reading...

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Collective training exercises for UK-based units to be suspended for most of this year amid budget pressuresThe British army has been ordered to halt non-essential training exercises in an effort to save money.Troops preparing to be deployed or on deployments, those who are on standby or in a quick-reaction role will continue to train as normal. But collective training exercises for UK-based units are being suspended for most of this year amid budget pressures. Continue reading...

As polls point to victory in Saxony-Anhalt for AfD party promising deportations, people face agonising choice: stay or goAs the Bible study session wrapped up, leaving worshippers to mingle over cake and coffee, Fatemeh, 44, fought back tears as the conversation turned to Sunday's state election in Saxony-Anhalt.I worry about it every day," she said. I can't stop thinking about my son and what might happen to us."Fatemeh worries about what might happen after the elections. Photograph: Christian Jungeblodt/The Guardian Continue reading...

New record for Australia as more than 27,000 EVs sold in August, driven by the rising cost of fuel and new government policy

Daniel Billings said I did what I did' in call from friend's house after 2024 domestic violence murder

Organ kept Tim Andrews off dialysis and acted as a bridge' while he waited for a human transplant in the USA genetically modified kidney from a pig called Wilma has kept a 66-year-old man with kidney failure alive for a record nine months and successfully acted as a bridge" to a human transplant in a world first.Tim Andrews was seriously ill with end-stage kidney disease caused by type 2 diabetes and had only a 9% chance of receiving a human kidney within five years, against a more than 40% risk of dying or being removed from the waiting list. Continue reading...

Liz Oyer says department fired her after she refused to recommend restoring gun rights of actor and Trump allyThe former pardon attorney for the US justice department, Elizabeth Oyer, filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the department and attorney general Todd Blanche, accusing them of unlawfully" firing her last year after she said she refused to recommend restoring actor Mel Gibson's gun rights.In the complaint, filed in the US district court for the District of Columbia, Oyer alleges that in early 2025, while she was serving as pardon attorney, she was asked to disregard her duties and facilitate a political favor" for Gibson based on his relationship with President Trump". Continue reading...

Office for Students made decision to punish University of Sussex with fine last year after claiming it breached free speech regulationsEngland's higher education regulator has apologised for a string of mistakes in its decision to punish the University of Sussex with a record fine that was later overturned by the high court.The Office for Students (OfS) tried to impose a 585,000 fine against Sussex last year after claiming the university breached free speech regulations involving its former professor Kathleen Stock. It was forced to back down in April after a judicial review initiated by Sussex found the OfS had closed its mind" and acted with bias. Continue reading...

Ex-secretary of state joins Nancy Pelosi, Jill Biden, Roxane Gay and others in heralding groundbreaking feminist

Itamar Ben-Gvir claims proposal for illegal forced displacement of 2 million people is realistic' and concrete'Israel's far-right national security minister has set out a plan for the illegal forced displacement of all Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, to force them abroad.Speaking in the run-up to close-fought Israeli elections, Itamar Ben-Gvir said the plan aimed to remove 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza in the first year, followed by the rest of its population of roughly 2 million over the next six years. Continue reading...

Swap rates rise to three-year high as increase in oil prices leads to fears of higher inflation

Police say two lorries were driven into industrial estate in Runcorn and attached to trailers holding about 800 barrelsThe famous tagline Guinness is good for you" applies only when the drink is bought and paid for, police have said, after thieves made off with more than 70,000 pints' worth.Officers believe two lorries were driven into a depot in Runcorn on Monday, each attached to a waiting trailer holding a combined total of about 800 barrels before being driven away. Continue reading...

A Maltese businessman has been cleared of involvement in the journalist's death, but his trial revealed the challenges faced by those leading the search for her killersThe conclusion of the longest-running murder trial in Maltese history has left a country in turmoil, and a grieving family still searching for answers.At 7.30pm on Wednesday, gasps and cheers echoed around hall 22 of the courts of justice in Valletta, as a jury pronounced a businessman accused of ordering the murder of the investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia not guilty. Continue reading...

Jump lifts currency to highest level against dollar in a month, while global markets remain jittery

Futuro Nazionale's speedy rise in polls prompts questions over whether PM will return to her roots before election

McDonagh's new film, Wild Horse Nine, stars John Malkovich as an agent in 1970s Chile who feels guilt and regret' over his role in global interventionsThe US's history of intervening in democratic processes around the world deserves more attention in the light of current political developments, playwright and film-maker Martin McDonagh has said, as his Oscar-tipped film about a rueful CIA agent premieres at the Venice film festival.I've been very interested in the truth of what the CIA has been doing over the last 60 years, and the awful things they've done all around the world," McDonagh said about Wild Horse Nine, his first film since his 2022 tragicomedy The Banshees of Inisherin. I think maybe something that's not talked about enough. We know what the KGB are like, but we probably don't question the CIA's activity as much as we ought to." Continue reading...

Air bases used by US in the UAE and Kuwait hit as the Israeli defence chief says Iran's regime fears collapse due to economic pressuresIran has continued to demonstrate an ability to target bases in the Gulf used by the US despite six months of war and a new sanctions regime described by the Trump administration as an economic D-day".As Iran's military targeted US bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, despite threats of further strikes by the US president, Israel's defence chief warned that economic pressures from the sanctions could lead Tehran to escalate to more extreme measures". Continue reading...

Pedro Sanchez continues to defend Rabat after police report claiming border forces helped 70,000 cross border

Climate crisis could increase incursions of Aedes aegypti, which can transmit Zika virus and dengue, experts sayAn invasive mosquito capable of transmitting tropical diseases has been found breeding in homes in east London, with warnings that the rapidly warming climate will lead to greater incursions of invasive mosquitoes".This is the first time the species has been identified breeding in the UK and the fourth time it has been detected. Continue reading...

Migration spokeperson says if Centre party wins power it will change law to end plight of British citizens hit by post-Brexit policyA leading Swedish opposition party has promised an urgent reprieve for British nationals facing deportation from the country over Brexit administrative issues.Niels Paarup-Petersen, the migration spokesperson for the Centre party, said it would introduce laws to end the suffering of people such as the 78-year-old British widow Joyce Thomas if, as polls project, it forms a new centre-left coalition after the general election in 10 days' time. Thomas has been told to leave by next Wednesday after 21 years in Sweden. Continue reading...

Helen Paterson's work on advancing how police and courts understand memory is recognised in prestigious Eureka prizes

Ben Delo, who was convicted in 2022 for failure to apply anti-money laundering controls, is party's second biggest donorReform UK has been given a further 4m from the British crypto billionaire Ben Delo, with the party saying it is confident the formerly Hong Kong-based businessman will not be caught by the new overseas donor cap.Delo, who was convicted in the US in 2022 for failing to implement adequate anti-money laundering controls in his cryptocurrency business before being pardoned by Donald Trump, has previously given 4m to Reform in January. Continue reading...

After judge allows partial access rights, Catherine Birmingham and Nathan Trevallion say the enforced separation broke each of our hearts'A couple have told of their heartache, trauma and stress after fighting for two years for their right to parent their children as they choose in the glare of the world's attention.The three children of a Melbourne woman, Catherine Birmingham, and her British partner, Nathan Trevallion, were removed from their dilapidated" off-grid home in Italy last year. Continue reading...

Famous for the 1963 expose in which she worked as a Playboy Bunny, her books and journalism took on many varieties of discriminationGloria Steinem, the American feminist and journalist whose activism helped push through greater rights for women around the world has died, aged 92.Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her", a statement shared to her Instagram page said. Continue reading...

Claim relating to infamous apartheid-era shooting of protesters part of wave of litigation for apartheid-era crimesThe day dawned brightly on 21 March 1960, as residents of the South African township of Sharpeville gathered to protest against pass laws, which forced Black, Indian and Coloured" South Africans to carry documents at all times specifying where they were allowed to be.Abraham Mofokeng joined the march, one of dozens organised nationwide by the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), a breakaway group from the African National Congress (ANC). The weather was very nice, the sun was out. You could not have suspected that the day would go so horribly," said Mofokeng, who was then a 20-year-old factory worker. Continue reading...

Firm will complete fewer homes than expected in year to 31 October - between 1,350 and 1,400The British housebuilder Crest Nicholson has warned of a surprise loss this year as it bemoaned difficult trading in a subdued" property market.In an unscheduled trading update, the company said it would complete fewer homes than expected in the year to 31 October - between 1,350 and 1,400, down from its previous estimate of 1,400 to 1,500. Continue reading...

Charles Perrottet, the younger brother of the former premier, tells Icac that claims made by Jean Nassif in the call were bravado' and far-fetched'

Polanski says he will stand up for people struggling to pay their bills' if he becomes MP for Holborn and St Pancras

Gretsch Synchromatic 160 acoustic guitar expected to sell for as much as 120,000, as star lot in auction of items owned by late personal assistant Siobhan BaileyOne of the most iconic items in George Michael's career, the acoustic guitar he energetically strummed in the video for 1987's Faith, is going up for auction.The guitar, a Gretsch Synchromatic 160 with a sunburst finish to the body, has an estimated sale price of 60,000-120,000. It comes with a case featuring the words Rockabilly Rebel pasted on it - a reference to the twangy, 1950s-referencing sound of Faith, which topped the US charts for four weeks and became a foundation stone of Michael's post-Wham! solo career. Continue reading...