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Politics
Policy, power, and the news of the day.
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Australia has just 12,000 sea lions left – and ‘carnage’ may await them as bird flu takes hold, scientists warn
Virus has already caused catastrophic losses in pinnipeds in South America and sub-Antarctica, particularly among pups Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Scientists have warned deadly H5 bird flu could cause “carnage” for Australia’s seal and sea lion populations after detection of the virus in long-nosed fur seals in South Australia. SA confirmed Australia’s first case in a mammal on Saturday after a dead long-nosed fur seal found at Beachport on the Limestone Coast tested positive for H5N1. Continue reading...
Guns, axes, explosives: violent museum heists are on the rise, says Europol
EU police agency says shift could point to involvement of new criminal networks focused on specific artefacts Robberies at European museums are becoming increasingly violent, with thieves brandishing guns, assaulting staff and using sledgehammers, axes and even explosives to smash their way into buildings and display cases, according to a report by Europol The EU police agency said that while museum thefts were generally seen as a non-violent form of organised property crime, member states had detected a recent shift “towards violent and forceful methods” that could point to the involvement of new criminal networks focused on specific cultural artefacts. Continue reading...
Man suspected of killing five people in Oregon found dead, officials say
Authorities suspect Benjamin Charles Parker, 36, died by suicide after he was found in vehicle in Washington state A man suspected of killing five people in rural Oregon was found dead in a suspected suicide, local law enforcement officials said on Sunday. The five homicide victims were found on Saturday at a home in a rural community near Forest Grove, Oregon, about 30 miles (48km) outside Portland, when authorities responded to a report of a vehicle fire. Continue reading...
Video shows hundreds held captive after Nigeria mosque kidnapping
Gunmen attacked worshippers in Dekara village on Friday taking women, children and older people An armed group has posted a video showing what residents said were about 600 women, children and older people abducted in an attack on a mosque in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State last week. The video, posted on Facebook and WhatsApp, showed large groups of people seated in a forested area surrounded by armed men. Several children could be heard crying in the background. Continue reading...
Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott found guilty of sexually abusing children
Five-day trial at high court in Glasgow heard Dott subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse The former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been found guilty of sexually abusing two primary school age children. The 49-year-old subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse, with the girl targeted between 1993-96 and the boy between 2006-10. A five-day trial at the high court in Glasgow heard Dott exposed himself in front of both children, touched them inappropriately, and kissed them. On Monday, he was found guilty of two counts of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour towards them. In both cases the abuse happened in the Glasgow area. Continue reading...
‘Staggering’: watchdog condemns police after Indigenous teenager on bus wrongfully arrested – then searched
Ombudsman Iain Anderson says he is concerned police ‘had no clearly understood definition of racial profiling’ Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The commonwealth and ACT ombudsman has criticised the Australian federal police for failing to clearly define “racial profiling” after police in Canberra pulled guns on an Indigenous teenager who they mistook for a suspect in an aggravated burglary. The scathing investigation, released on Tuesday, made eight recommendations to the Australian federal police (AFP) and ACT Policing after investigating the November 2025 incident. ACT Policing sits under the AFP as the community policing arm. Continue reading...
Why does the New York Times keep calling the left ‘divisive’?
The newspaper often uses the word to describe elections with progressive contenders, implying a previous whole destroyed by the left “El-Sayed and Stevens Project Party Unity After Divisive Race,” announced the New York Times on 5 August, the day the democratic socialist Abdul El-Sayed beat out his centrist Democratic rival, Haley Stevens, in the Michigan senatorial primary. “Divisive” is now the Times’s favorite attack word, deployed repeatedly to disparage and try to undermine the astonishing recent advances by self-identified democratic socialists and other progressive candidates. Four days after that first story, the Times again landed “divisive” under “Obama and El-Sayed Discuss Unity After Ugly Michigan Primary.” El-Sayed, it asserted, had “narrowly prevailed in a divisive primary after campaigning on a progressive and anti-establishment platform”. Continue reading...
Survivors of violent crime criticise MoJ for not explaining offender restriction zones
Campaigners accuse ministers of trying to grab headlines with announcement before a working system is ready Survivors of violent crime and families of victims have criticised the UK government for announcing “world first” plans to introduce restriction zones for serious offenders freed from prison within a few weeks without spelling out how they would work. Key campaigners who have championed the idea of the zones , designed to “lock” offenders into specific areas, accused the government of seeking to grab headlines rather than providing the detail that would reassure survivors and families. Continue reading...
Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon price rises in western Europe ‘highest in world’
World’s largest streaming services have also increased subscription costs repeatedly in US, research finds Business live – latest updates Subscribers to Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video in western Europe have faced higher price increases than in any other market in recent years, according to research. Over the past four years the world’s largest subscription video streaming services have dramatically changed their business models introducing lower-priced, basic advertising tiers to attract new subscribers , while also increasingly monetising users willing to pay more for a premium experience. Continue reading...
Indiana mayor calls it ‘unacceptable’ for thousands to have no power two weeks after storm
Gary mayor says 12 days is ‘too long’ for residents to go without power after storm downed trees on to power lines The mayor of Gary, Indiana , has said it is “unacceptable” that thousands of residents in the city are still without power nearly two weeks after an 11 August storm known as a derecho brought 90 mph, straight-line winds, downing trees on to power lines. “We’re at day 12, and 12 days is too long for families to be without power,” Eddie Melton, Gary’s mayor, said in a video address on Sunday , adding that he is continuing to pressure the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (Nipsco) to restore the city’s power before the end of Tuesday. Continue reading...
Twelve people arrested over A66 crash that killed seven including two police officers
Nine men and three women aged between 19 and 61 arrested as part of investigation of events leading to deadly collision Twelve people have been arrested on suspicion of offences including being involved with organised crime as part of the investigation into events leading to a crash on the A66 which killed two police officers and five others. Cleveland police said nine men and three women, aged between 19 and 61, had been arrested on suspicion of offences ranging from possession of a firearm to participating in the activities of an organised crime group. Continue reading...
At least six injured in Reno, Nevada, wildfire as 42,000 forced to evacuate
Fast-moving, ‘human-caused’ fire in Reno leaves thousands of homes and businesses without power, officials say Tens of thousands of people in Nevada were urged to evacuate as a fast-moving, wind-driven wildfire bore down on the city of Reno. The Hawk fire began on Saturday to the north-west of the city, and quickly grew, showing “extreme fire behavior”. Continue reading...
French police accused of rising use of violence to stop Channel crossings
NGO criticises ‘human cost’ of UK-funded crackdown on attempts to set off from French beaches in small boats People trying to cross the Channel to the UK have reported an increase in French police use of violence on beaches to prevent them from getting into dinghies, according to a French NGO. Utopia 56, which works on beaches from where migrants attempt Channel crossings, says so far this year 2,720 people have reported being victims of French police violence, compared with 1,954 over the same period last year, when crossings overall were much higher. Continue reading...
Up to £464m ‘moved through more than 3,000 UK high street shell companies’
Research shows firms are branded as beauty and convenience but apparently operate in money-laundering and terrorist financing sectors Up to £464m has “moved through” more than 3,000 UK shell companies branded as beauty and convenience stores but apparently operating in the money-laundering and terrorist financing sectors, a new analysis sets out. The companies – listed as hairdressers, barber shops and salons, on the one hand, or mini-marts and corner shops on the other – show “remarkably similar lifespans” of about six months despite their seemingly different purposes. Continue reading...
Race Across the World star Jo Gardiner dies a year after son
Gardiner, who had cancer, is remembered as ‘one of a kind’ after competing in BBC show with son Sam in 2020 Tributes have been paid to the Race Across the World star Jo Gardiner, who has died a year after her son and co-star Sam was killed in a car crash. The physiotherapist from Manchester died after “a long and courageous battle with cancer”, relatives said. She was 61 and is survived by her other son, Charlie. Continue reading...
Former Illinois sheriff’s deputy who killed Sonya Massey in her home dies aged 32
Sean Grayson, who was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2023, was serving a 20-year sentence for second-degree murder The former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted of fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home after she reported a possible prowler to 911, has died, his attorney said Sunday. Sean Grayson died on Sunday, lawyer Daniel Fultz – who represented the ex-Sangamon county deputy at his trial – told NBC News and CBS News . The Associated Press contributed Continue reading...
First Thing: New Fed chair Kevin Warsh faces early test amid bond market worries
Key speech to be delivered this week at Jackson Hole said to focus on productivity and demographics in the US. Plus, how do you vaccinate 1,000 little penguins in the wild? Good morning. The new US Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, faces a critical test this week amid anxiety in government bond markets over inflation and Donald Trump’s tax and spending plans. As the world’s most powerful central bank prepares for its annual Jackson Hole conference, analysts said bond traders would be looking for signals from Warsh over its commitment to fighting inflation. However, Warsh has signalled reluctance to use his speech on Friday for the “more traditional setup” of dropping hints over how the US central bank may respond to inflationary pressures when its officials next meet to set interest rates in September and December. Instead, he has said his Jackson Hole speech could be “focused on bigger questions”, including concerns over productivity and demographics. Why is this a crucial moment for the Fed? The gathering of the world’s most powerful central bankers in the Grand Teton national park is a blue riband event in the financial calendar. However, the meeting comes as selling pressure intensifies in the $30tn US government debt market despite efforts by the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, to assuage investor worries after he committed to at least double Washington’s purchases of US Treasury bonds. What did Joshua Aviles say about his father’s arrest? “I’ve been deployed for over nine months, out at sea in the Middle East aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, fighting for a country that has given me everything. I just got a call that my dad was taken by ICE. We have done everything through immigration to get his green card approved, and we are just waiting. This is heartbreaking for me. I don’t know how I can mentally continue working 12+ hour days knowing that my dad is somewhere, possibly being treated like a criminal.” How did the DHS respond? The DHS said Luis Manuel Aviles Roa entered the US illegally and would remain in immigration and customs enforcement detention pending removal proceedings. “Having a family member in the military is not a free pass to violate our nation’s laws,” the DHS said. Continue reading...
Trump’s border wall construction threatens rock art as old as the pyramids: ‘The ancestors are still here’
The president’s border wall plan could damage or destroy ‘the oldest-known books in North America’ On an overcast summer morning, Carolyn Boyd, an archeologist at Texas State University, stood at the foot of a cave in west Texas, looking up toward a series of towering murals painted on a rock wall. Three massive human-like figures soared toward an overhang that had sheltered the painting from the elements since they were drawn here perhaps 4,000 years ago. An artist herself, Boyd knows how hard it would have been to paint these long, crisp lines. Before starting, the bands of Indigenous hunter-gatherers who lived in this west Texas valley, where the Pecos River empties into the Rio Grande, would have spent weeks pulverizing gypsum, hematite, limonite and manganese to make paint. They would have gathered massive quantities of sotol stalks to fold its fibers into scaffolding. The painting itself would have required teamwork and precision, with people at the bottom guiding artists on the wall as they painted figures stretching up to 30ft tall. Continue reading...
New Mexico to continue funding gender-affirming care for minors after federal cuts
Trump administration finalized rule to end Medicaid support for care including hormones and speech therapy New Mexico will continue funding gender-affirming care for minors after a federal rule ending Medicaid support for such care goes into effect. On 13 August, the Trump administration finalized a rule – set to go into effect on 13 October – that will end funding for gender-affirming care through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Chip). Continue reading...
Iran vows to retaliate against countries that cooperate with fresh US sanctions
Test of US rhetoric will rest on whether nations such as India, China and Russia view economic threats as credible Iran has vowed to retaliate against any country that cooperates with the US attempt to impose fresh sanctions against Iran in what the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has billed as “the single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary”. In advance of the US announcement, the United Arab Emirates, Iran’s single biggest trading partner in the Middle East, announced it was ending all trade with Iran, a move Tehran believes was coordinated between Washington and Dubai. Continue reading...
Distracted Italian pedestrians who cross road while on phone could be fined under new code
Updated draft highway code follows several court rulings assigning blame for road accidents to careless pedestrians Italy’s updated highway code will target pedestrians who stare at their mobile phones while crossing the road, as the country’s transport ministry strives to improve road safety by cracking down on perilous distractions. The offence, contained in a draft version of the highway code which is expected to be approved by mid-October, carries fines of €75 or more. Continue reading...
'Scared to death' evacuees escape fast-moving wildfire in Reno, Nevada – video
A fast-moving Nevada wildfire exploded to more than 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares) on Sunday, pushing from the Sierra foothills toward the centre of Reno and forced nearly 90,000 residents to evacuate as flames threatened neighbourhoods and reached the edge of the University of Nevada campus Continue reading...
Top US firms that backed Voting Rights Act donate to groups working to undermine it
Watchdog data shared with Guardian shows contributions to Republican Attorneys General Association and others Over a dozen US companies that signed a 2021 letter urging Congress to strengthen the Voting Rights Act continue to contribute to state political groups that are actively working to undermine the legislation, according to a campaign finance watchdog. Researchers at the Center for Political Accountability (CPA), a nonpartisan organization that tracks financial disclosures, found that companies – including Airbnb, DoorDash, Target and Zillow – that signed the letter are contributing to groups known as 527 organizations that prop up key state races, according to data provided exclusively to the Guardian. Continue reading...
Social media goes into overdrive with Lindsay Clancy conspiracy theories
Algorithms are responsible for fever pitch content surrounding trial, including misinformation, experts say As the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children, starts to wind down, a now international discussion on social media about the case has hit a fever pitch as viewers examine details of the trial and question the state of maternal mental healthcare in the United States. Amateur sleuths and armchair psychologists have been creating content throughout the several weeks of the trial, pointing out perceived discrepancies in evidence. They’ve pointed to Clancy’s last recorded heart rate and body temperature as “smoking guns”, suggested that Patrick Clancy, Lindsay’s ex-husband and father of the children, actually committed the crime, despite no legal evidence to back up the claim . Continue reading...