World news | The Guardian

Original image shot by Brian Duffy estimated to fetch 300,000 when it goes under the hammer in OctoberThe original image for David Bowie's Aladdin Sane album could become the most expensive album artwork ever sold when it goes under the hammer with an estimate of 300,000.The famous picture of Bowie with a lightning bolt across his face could beat the record set by Led Zeppelin's debut album artwork, which sold for $325,000 in 2020. Continue reading...

Bloc urged to end unethical double standard' of allowing sale of products deemed too dangerous for EU farmsEuropean chemical corporations have issued plans to export increasing quantities of toxic" pesticides deemed too dangerous to spray on EU farms, an investigation has found, despite a pledge to end the practice.Planned exports of domestically banned pesticides rose from 81,600 tons in 2018 to 122,000 tons in 2024, according to export notifications obtained via freedom of information requests by Unearthed, the investigative newsroom of Greenpeace, and the Swiss nonprofit Public Eye. Continue reading...

Prime minister expected to warn UK is at a crossroads' as he sets out plan to counter Nigel Farage and ReformKeir Starmer will make a major intervention this week, pledging a progressive fightback and promising the UK will reject the division and hate fuelled by the far right.The move comes ahead of Labour's conference amid increasing pressure on the prime minister from within his own party, where even senior loyalists have voiced fears that he has not mounted a passionate enough attack on Reform UK and rising racism in Britain. Continue reading...

Foreign minister says getting energy supplies elsewhere is a nice dream' while describing western European officials as fanatics'Hungary will not wean itself off Russian energy supplies, the country's foreign minister has told the Guardian, despite the White House's demand for Nato allies to stop buying Russian oil.Donald Trump has demanded that Europe halt Russian oil imports, but in an interview on the sidelines of the 80th annual session of the UN general assembly, Peter Szijjarto said: We can't ensure the safe supply [of energy products] for our country without Russian oil or gas sources," while adding that he understood" Trump's approach. Continue reading...

Study says US president seeks to interfere in elections and move the ideological centre of gravity' in European politicsThe Trump administration is waging a culture war on Europe by aggressively promoting the Maga movement's political and ideological allies on the continent and publicly humiliating the EU on the world stage, a joint report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and European Cultural Foundation has concluded.The study argues that the US president is actively seeking to interfere in European elections, transform the transatlantic relationship toward conservative values and rally Europe's rightwing populists around the theme of free speech. Continue reading...

Han Hak-ja, aged 82, is detained after Seoul court hearing over claims she told church officials to bribe wife of then president Yoon Suk YeolThe 82-year-old leader of the Unification Church was arrested in South Korea early Tuesday as investigators probe allegations that the church bribed the wife of jailed former president Yoon Suk Yeol and a conservative lawmaker.Han Hak-ja, the widow of the church's South Korean founder, Sun Myung Moon, has denied allegations that she directed church officials to bribe Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, and the lawmaker. Continue reading...

Resolution Foundation says move could raise additional 6bn a year and level the playing field' on income taxRachel Reeves has been urged to take 2p off the rate of employee national insurance and add it to income tax in her autumn budget, to raise billions of pounds while protecting workers' pay packets.Putting forward plans to raise up to 30bn, the influential Resolution Foundation thinktank called on the chancellor to level the playing field" on how different forms of income are taxed. Continue reading...

Lib Dem leader to use conference speech to urge extra funding for mRNA research and accuse Nigel Farage of cheering US funding reductionsThe UK should import US scientists whose cancer research projects have been cut by Donald Trump, Ed Davey will argue at a Liberal Democrat conference that has focused heavily on how the party can respond to hard-right populism.In his closing speech, Davey will also criticise Nigel Farage, saying the Reform UK conference applauded the Trump administration's decision to slash funding for mRNA vaccines, which are being trialled as a way to offer personalised immunotherapy treatment for some cancers. Continue reading...

Late-night host reinstated after brief suspension related to comments on Maga and Charlie Kirk that Disney called insensitive'Jimmy Kimmel is headed back to air.Disney announced on Monday that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would return to broadcast this Tuesday, after a brief but highly criticized suspension that sparked a national debate on free speech and the muzzling tactics of the Trump administration. Continue reading...

Israeli PM has threatened bilateral action and annexation of occupied Palestinian land but there are risks in eitherBenjamin Netanyahu was quick to denounce the recognition of a Palestinian state by many of Israel's historic allies, but the prime minister may be struggling to decide how to turn rhetoric into a concrete response.His options are perhaps more constrained than he would have his supporters believe. He has variously threatened annexation of occupied Palestinian land and bilateral action against countries that joined the tide of recognition. Continue reading...

Cocker spaniel was being kept full-time in Magilligan prison but is now in family home after free Bailey' campaignThe six words that Northern Ireland's dog-lovers were waiting to hear came on Monday: Bailey is now out of prison."A vocal campaign to free the cocker spaniel who committed no crime culminated in his release from Magilligan prison and transfer to an undisclosed location to begin a new life. Continue reading...

First 34 students, who have full scholarships, welcomed after months of campaigning by academics and others

Nigel Farage claims his party would save 234bn by scrapping indefinite leave to remain

Community worker said Leonard Farruku, from Albania, was told he was being taken to a hotel in SwindonAn asylum seeker who died onboard the Bibby Stockholm was tricked" into going to the barge after point blank" refusing, an inquest has heard.Leonard Farruku, 27, from Albania, was found unresponsive in a shower cubicle onboard the accommodation vessel at Portland Port, Dorset, on 12 December 2023. Continue reading...

Experts say move by nations including UK and Australia won't change government policy and could strengthen its grip on power

Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White team up for first movie in Star Wars universe since 2019The Star Wars universe is returning to the big screen with our first look at The Mandalorian and Grogu, next summer's big bet from Disney.The film follows the hit Disney+ show The Mandalorian and was born out of the delay insisted on the fourth season by the Hollywood strikes of 2023. In that time, the strategy for the franchise was re-evaluated and a film was prioritised over the fourth season. Continue reading...

Anthony Olubunmi George, who arrived in 1986 and has no criminal convictions, given right to remainA disabled Nigerian man who has lived in the UK for almost 40 years has won an appeal to stay in the country despite the Home Office wanting to deport him.Anthony Olubunmi George, 63, came to the UK at the age of 24 in 1986. He has not left the UK since and has no criminal convictions. He had two strokes in 2019 that left him with speech and mobility issues. Continue reading...

Reform UK plans to force non-citizens to apply for visas with high salary thresholds and no access to NHS services

Premier Group Recruitment went into administration with debts of 2.9m - including 647,000 owed in taxAn insolvent UK recruitment company, which owes the UK exchequer hundreds of thousands of pounds, has been acquired for an initial 10,000 by a venture created by the previous owner - despite him receiving millions from the business in its final three years.Premier Group Recruitment went into administration this month with debts of 2.9m - including 647,000 owed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which had commenced enforcement proceedings against the company. The recruiter's assets were acquired three days later by a new company, PGGBR Ltd, founded by Andrew Woosnam, Premier's 99% shareholder. Continue reading...

Human rights group says hundreds of skeletons found exposed or buried just below ground during research into killings of civiliansHundreds of bodies could have been buried at a mass grave discovered in Egypt's Sinai province by human rights campaigners.Bodies lying on the surface and others buried barely 30cm below were found at a burial site near a military outpost by the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights. Continue reading...

The vice-president JD Vance used his speech to call Kirk a martyr for the Christian faith'. Plus, a behavioral scientist shares how she stays focused

Michael Bene is repaying 763 advance' despite evidence he did not attend face-to-face verification interviewA special needs teacher has spent almost a year trying to clear his name after a fraudulent universal credit claim was made using his identity, which has left him on the hook for hundreds of pounds in repayments.The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has refused to acknowledge the fraud, even though Michael Bene has supplied evidence he was in the Scottish Highlands when the claimant attended a face-to-face verification interview in Cheshire. Continue reading...

Two-year-old boy dies and homes buried as remnants of Tropical Storm Mario bring downpours and thunderFlash flooding and landslides led to the death of a two-year-old boy in California in the US last week, after heavy rainfall followed on the heels of Tropical Storm Mario further south. The storm skirted the Pacific coast of Mexico with minimal disruption, eventually dissipating to the west of Baja California on Tuesday, but the remnants went on to cause havoc on Thursday. Residual moist air from the tropical storm was drawn north-east towards California, bringing heavy downpours and thunder to central and southern counties.The heaviest rainfall was in the mountains of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, where up to 68mm (2.67in) fell in a few hours. Further north, Death Valley - famously one of the driest places on Earth - received 15mm of rain, triple the average rainfall for September and a full quarter of the yearly average. Continue reading...

Small business owners told telecoms group of stress four years before 62 launched 120m high court claimVodafone franchisees warned the telecoms group of the massive impact" commission cuts were having on their mental health four years before a group of 62 launched a 120m high court claim against the company, it has emerged.Franchisees of the high street chain said they were feeling stressed and had suffered from anxiety" as a result of the decision to cut fees, in research that also indicated they had little trust in Vodafone's word. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Labour Together report, endorsed by Steve Reed, says devolving power can improve services while saving money

At least two groups supporting UK asylum seekers have closed their offices after credible threats to their safetyMore than 150 lawyers, human rights, refugee and environmental organisations have said they are being pressured into silence" after some received rape and death threats from far-right and anti-migrant protesters.At least two refugee NGOs that have been supporting asylum seekers who have received notices from the Home Office that they will be forcibly removed to France under Labour's controversial one in, one out" scheme have closed their offices after credible threats to their safety. Continue reading...

Essex-based John Brandler seeking final loan payments as well as three murals from exhibitions companyA bitter row has broken out between a British art dealer and an Italian exhibitions company over three enormous Banksy murals that were loaned three years ago and which the dealer insured for 15m.John Brandler, an Essex-based specialist in work by the graffiti artist, is pursuing legal action after losing patience with Metamorfosi in Rome, which stages temporary touring exhibitions. Continue reading...

Oscar winner's comments come days after suspension of Jimmy Kimmel by ABC and Disney, a decision heavily criticised by major stars including Pedro Pascal and Olivia RodrigoAngelina Jolie has said I don't recognise my country" amid the threats to free speech in the US, saying anything anywhere that divides or limits personal expressions and freedoms from anyone, I think, is very dangerous".At Spain's San Sebastian film festival on Sunday, the Oscar winning actor was asked by a journalist: What do you fear as an artist and an American?" Continue reading...

Communications minister Anika Wells says telco has no excuses here' after last week's outage linked to three deaths across two states

Washington Post says announcement imminent despite guidelines showing drug is safe for pregnant women to takeDonald Trump's administration is expected to tie pregnant women's use of the popular medicine known as Tylenol to a risk for autism, contrary to medical guidelines, the Washington Post has reported.Trump officials on Monday are also expected to announce an effort to explore how the drug leucovorin could purportedly and potentially treat autism, according to the Post report published Sunday, which cited four sources with knowledge of the plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made. Continue reading...

Witness recounts shooter yelling free Palestine' while targeting someone as investigators try to determine motiveA man shot one person to death and wounded two others at a New Hampshire country club as a wedding took place there on Saturday, according to authorities.A witness to the attack - named as Tom Bartelson of Pepperell, Massachusetts - said his nephew was getting married at the time of the shooting, and he recounted hearing the shooter yell the children are safe" and free Palestine" while evidently targeting someone. Continue reading...

Military steps up Gaza City takeover campaign as high-rise towers targeted and residents ordered to leaveIsraeli strikes killed at least 40 people in Gaza on Sunday, including 19 women and children, as well as five people in Lebanon.At least 14 people were killed in a single strike on a residential block in southern Gaza City, health officials at al-Shifa hospital said. Another attack killed at least eight Palestinians in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to al-Awda hospital. Continue reading...

Huge crowds pack the streets to oppose endeavours to help ex-president escape jailTens of thousands of Brazilians have taken to the streets to demand no amnesty be granted to their country's former president Jair Bolsonaro after he was convicted of plotting a coup.The far-right populist was sentenced to 27 years in prison earlier this month for illegally attempting to cling to power after he lost the 2022 presidential election to his leftwing opponent, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Continue reading...

Thinktank poll reveals voters unclear what party stands for despite photo opportunities winning more media coverageThe Liberal Democrats should drop their stunts and offer a more serious policy programme if they want to gain support among voters, according to a study presented at the party's annual conference.Polling by the More in Common thinktank, shown to Lib Dem members at the gathering in Bournemouth, suggested that while it has the scope to go beyond its historic total of 72 MPs at the last election, many voters tempted by the party remain uncertain about what it stands for. Continue reading...

After 13 years, warrant has been issued for UK suspect, but Robert James Purkiss would need to be extradited to face charges

Arrest warrant issued for Robert James Purkiss, with Kenyan government seeking his extradition to face charges

Russian Il-20M reconnaissance plane ignored requests to make contact in latest in what are seen as provocative acts by the KremlinTwo German Eurofighter jets were scrambled on Sunday to intercept a Russian military aircraft above the Baltic Sea, as Estonia said it would call an emergency meeting of the UN security council after Russian planes violated its airspace.Germany's air force said the Russian Il-20M reconnaissance plane had switched off its transponders and ignored requests to make contact. The Eurofighters took off from the Rostock-Laage airbase to head off the aircraft as it flew in international airspace. Continue reading...

Dozens of police officers injured as anger erupts over billions allegedly spent on bogus relief projectsTens of thousands of Filipinos took to the streets on Sunday to protest against government corruption after it was alleged that taxpayers have lost billions of dollars to bogus flood relief projects.Students, church groups, celebrities, and citizens from different political camps filled the streets in Manila and other cities. Continue reading...

As well as being deeply symbolic, the move is also a major foreign policy shift for the Labour governmentThe UK's formal recognition of Palestinian statehood is deeply symbolic on the world stage, but the major foreign policy shift is also a significant political step for the Labour government at home. The announcement followed mounting pressure on Keir Starmer from within the Labour party and beyond. Continue reading...

Murano resident reported children, aged between 12 and 13, to the policeItaly might be a football-loving country but that did not stop police in Venice from pursuing a group of unlikely targets: 14 children who fell foul for playing the game in a public square, leading to fines presented to their parents, in a move that has sparked a debate about the rights of young people to play outdoors.The children, aged between 12 and 13, were playing football in Pino Signoretto square in Murano, an island of about 4,500 inhabitants in the Venetian lagoon, on 12 September when a resident, annoyed by the noise they were making, reported them to the police. Continue reading...

Tributes paid to consummate pro' and rock solid' presenter of Newsnight, Watchdog and GMTV's News HourTributes have been made across the world of television to the rock solid broadcaster and ultimate gentleman" John Stapleton, who has died at the age of 79 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2024.Stapleton's agent, Jackie Gill, said on Sunday: John had Parkinson's disease, which was complicated by pneumonia. His son Nick and daughter-in-law Lise have been constantly at his side and John died peacefully in hospital this morning." Continue reading...

Strip away the pinball machines and photo booth props at Cpac, and the scale of Ley's challenge in simply keeping the Coalition alive, let alone making it competitive again, becomes clear

Electric vehicle take-up is a factor driving change, with manual lessons expected to become clear minority'For many teenagers, it feels like the first taste of true adulthood: sinking the clutch to the floor, coaxing the gearstick into first and lurching into motion.But soon, such a milestone could seem as archaic as travelling by horse and cart. Continue reading...

Reach's chief content officer says issue is part of a national trend that goes wider than the partyThe publisher of the Nottingham Post has spoken of an increasingly Trumpian approach" to the media creeping into British politics, amid a Reform-led council's continuing ban against the title.The 150-year-old paper, as well as its website, Nottinghamshire Live, have been prevented from speaking to Reform's Nottingham county council leader, Mick Barton, while he has also prevented the titles from receiving updates and press releases. Continue reading...

Barbie Reynolds, 76, and husband Peter, 80, said it was never explained to them why they were imprisonedA British couple who were reunited with their family in the UK after being released from almost eight months in detention in Afghanistan have said they feared being executed by the Taliban.Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife, Barbie, 76, who arrived at Heathrow on Saturday, said it was never explained to them why they were imprisoned in Afghanistan after their arrest in February. Continue reading...

Move comes as Anthony Albanese tries to secure meeting with Donald Trump and amid warnings that recognition could spark punitive measures' from the US

Piece on website of LEYF, which runs nurseries across London, talked of party's growing appeal to mothers'The company running the House of Commons nursery and others across London has been criticised for publishing an article on its website praising Reform UK's conference and claiming anti-immigration protests were driven by a sense of injustice".The article, which was taken down by LEYF nurseries after an approach by the Guardian, was written by its chief executive, June O'Sullivan, after her visit to the party's conference. Continue reading...

In Manchester and beyond creative responses to the unwelcome message of raise the colours' are appearing

Albanese government under pressure to ensure stiff penalties are imposed as emergency management minister blasts telco as absolutely disgraceful"