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Politics
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Rubio says US will work with allies to stop drug-trafficking as three killed in latest boat strike
Rubio visits Ecuador and welcomes cooperation after campaign of unilateral strikes on alleged ‘narco-terrorists’ US secretary of state Marco Rubio gave new clarity on the approach toward combating drug trafficking in Latin American waters, saying the Trump administration was focused on working with allied countries and aligning with their laws but insisting the military will “still blow up ships if need be.” The public acknowledgment of a shift in US strategy comes a year after Washington began a campaign of unilateral deadly strikes against those it calls “narco-terrorists” operating boats in international waters. Continue reading...
Rhode Island’s Democratic governor loses primary amid anger over bridge
Helena Foulkes beats incumbent Dan McKee after criticizing handling of Providence’s Washington bridge, now expected to be completed in 2028 Rhode Island’s Dan McKee became the first sitting governor to lose a primary in nearly a decade, bested not by a more progressive challenger or a more youthful upset but by frustration over a bridge. McKee lost his Democratic primary to Helena Foulkes, a former longtime executive with Rhode Island-based retail pharmacy CVS, the Associated Press said on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Democrat John Fetterman makes surprise cameo at Republican convention
Senator lends support to ‘great friend’ Dave McCormick, Republican running for re-election in Pennsylvania Democratic senator John Fetterman made a surprise virtual appearance at the Republican midterm convention, delivering a video address supporting Dave McCormick, a Republican running for re-election in Pennsylvania. Fetterman, who has increasingly broken with his party since his election in 2022, said he would always reject “extremes and socialism” in the video, repeating an oft-used Republican critique of the Democratic party’s increasingly popular left wing. Continue reading...
Lawmakers blast AI companies after researcher warns of human extinction by 2030
Former Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon said AI will become ‘superhuman systems’ that can cause human extinction by the end of the decade Just a day after three Anthropic researchers warned that artificial intelligence could kill off humanity within the decade, lawmakers have begun lashing out about the risks of the burgeoning technology. Ted Cruz, a republican senator from Texas, said in an interview on ABC’s The View, that AI poses a “catastrophic risk” and that he “read that whole tweet thread that that developer put out. It was highly concerning. Continue reading...
Teachers say holidays in term can be worth more than time in school
School staff tell focus groups they believe school system in England and Wales cannot deal with attendance crisis Teachers have so little belief in the importance of pupils’ full school attendance that they would take their own children on term time holidays if they could, staff have told a three-year research programme. Frontline staff do not believe the school system is set up to deal with an ongoing attendance crisis in England and Wales, where nearly one in five children are now missing at least 10% of school, according to a report based on in-depth conversations with teachers. Continue reading...
UK chancellor urged to remove £100k childcare ‘cliff edge’ prompting parents to cut work hours
Critics say threshold pushes higher-paid staff to cut back on work and often mothers to stop working to avoid losing entitlement John Healey has been urged to fix the £100,000 childcare “cliff edge”, that means some higher-paid employees cut back on work to avoid losing their entitlement. Since the latest expansion of taxpayer-funded childcare in 2024, families with young children in which both parents earn less than £100,000 a year can be entitled to 30 hours a week of care - or none at all, if one of them cross that threshold. Continue reading...
Notorious Ecuadorian crime gang designated a terrorist group by US
Trump administration to seek extra funding from Congress to ‘dismantle’ Los Tiguerones over narcotics trafficking The US has designated Ecuador’s Los Tiguerones gang, which stormed a television station during a live broadcast in 2024, as a terrorist organisation as the Trump administration expands its campaign against narcotics traffickers it says are destabilising Latin America. US secretary of state Marco Rubio made the announcement in Quito, where he met Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa, one of several rightwing allies of Donald Trump whom Rubio is courting as a security partner during a three-nation tour through Latin America that began on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Missouri’s Trump-backed voting maps approved by federal panel challenged in supreme court
Opponents requested an emergency filing as state’s elections plunged into uncertainty over redrawn districts Opponents of congressional redistricting in Missouri appealed to the US supreme court on Wednesday after a federal panel let stand a ruling allowing the state to use a new map backed by Donald Trump in November’s midterms. The map’s challengers, including a group opposed to the Republican-drawn map called People Not Politicians, made the request in an emergency filing, moving swiftly after Stephen Clark, a St Louis-based chief US district judge, issued his decision on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Trump says he would consider pardon for former attorney Michael Cohen
Cohen has not personally asked Trump for a pardon, but he submitted an application to the White House after his request was denied by the Biden administration Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would consider pardoning Michael Cohen, the former fixer whom he once branded a “rat” for testifying against him in court and before Congress, but with whom he has recently staged a stunning public reconciliation. Asked by a reporter whether he would grant Cohen’s appeal for presidential clemency, Trump said: “If everything is checking out, it’s something I would consider.” Continue reading...
Politics live: Kevin Rudd urges more multilateral diplomacy; UK hopeful Australia will join West Bank trade ban
Follow the day’s news live Don’t appease One Nation on migration warns Malinauskas The wickedly popular South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas , has issued a stern warning for the federal government not to join the “madness” of cutting migration to appease One Nation. Above all else, preserve our strong migration program. While the correct political response to anti-immigration politics and populists is not appeasement. More troubling is the prospect of mainstream politics entering a political race to the bottom for who can cut migration numbers the most. This is not unfortunate – this is madness. Imagine if we did this to the mining industry, there world be an ad on every television station and mobile phone about how we’re killing the goose that lays the golden egg. It is crazy. Continue reading...
Former child refugee selected as Labour candidate in byelection for Starmer’s old seat
Sagal Abdi-Wali, who came from Somalia in 1990s, will likely face Zack Polanski in Holborn and St Pancras contest A former child refugee who became the leader of Camden council has been selected to be the Labour candidate for the byelection in Holborn and St Pancras. Sagal Abdi-Wali, who came to the UK from Somalia as a child in the 1990s and was elected leader of Camden council in May, was chosen to represent Labour members in the north London seat vacated by Keir Starmer. She was previously the chair of the local constituency Labour party, after first being elected as a Labour councillor in 2022. Continue reading...
Ultrarunner Megan Eckert shatters US men’s and women’s records with 636 miles in six days
Distance tops US men’s mark by more than 30 miles Eckert also beat women’s world record she set last year While some teachers spent the second week of September easing into their school routines, Megan Eckert was making more ultrarunning history. The New Mexico middle school math teacher shattered the six-day women’s world record and the American men’s record by running 636.482 miles, completing her feat on Wednesday morning in Balatonfüred, Hungary. Continue reading...
Trump officials push to exclude undocumented immigrants from US census
Census Bureau also considers race and ethnicity questions in overhaul that would have dramatic effect on voter maps The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed changes to the US census intended to exclude immigrants without legal status in addition to other groups, with potentially significant effects on the allocation of federal resources and drawing of districts in the US House of Representatives . In a proposed rule published in the Federal Register, the Census Bureau also announced it was considering changes to the data it collects about race and ethnicity, amid the Trump administration’s push to rid the government of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Continue reading...
Victoria’s koalas in chronically poor health and population is half what was previously estimated
Exclusive: State government delayed releasing major report into the health of the koala population for more than 12 months Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Victorian government sat on a report for more than 12 months that found the state’s koala population was in chronically poor health. The review of the state’s koala populations, led by state science agency the Arthur Rylah Institute in conjunction with scientists from major universities, was completed for the Victorian government in June 2025. Continue reading...
Andrew and Tristan Tate denied US bail as brothers fight extradition to UK
Brothers, arrested in Miami in July on UK rape and sex trafficking charges, to remain in custody in Florida A US judge denied the bail request of the controversial social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate on Wednesday, ordering the brothers to remain behind bars as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom. The Tate brothers, prominent figures in the so-called “manosphere”, were arrested in Miami on 18 July after British prosecutors filed new charges against them and sought their extradition to the UK. Those charges included criminal charges of rape and sex trafficking. British prosecutors previously charged the brothers with rape, human trafficking and sexual assault. The Tates, who are dual British-US citizens, have repeatedly denied the accusations against them. Continue reading...
Man in Swindon charged with assisting Russian intelligence agency
Joshua Cammidge, 31, arrested after investigation led by counter-terrorism policing London A man has been charged with offences related to national security as part of an ongoing investigation led by counter-terrorism policing (CTP) London, according to the Metropolitan police. Joshua Cammidge, 31, was arrested at an address in Swindon on Friday 4 September by CTP London officers, supported by officers from Wiltshire police. Searches were also carried out at a different address in Swindon. He was further arrested and detained the following day, being charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service and intending to commit or engage in conduct to prepare an act of sabotage. Continue reading...
Indonesian foragers may have sucked on mind-altering nuts 25,000 years ago, research finds
Analysis of two skeletons reveals tooth wear and traces of psychoactive substance in what may be earliest known evidence for human drug taking What may be the earliest known evidence for human drug taking has been traced to ancient Indonesian foragers who sucked on mind-altering nuts as long as 25,000 years ago. Analysis of two exceptionally rare skeletons from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi revealed dramatic tooth wear and traces of a psychoactive substance in the individuals’ remaining teeth, suggesting they routinely sucked on hard, abrasive betel nuts. Continue reading...
Senior UK rabbis come out in support of sanctions on Israeli settlements
Spiritual leaders stress diversity of views within Jewish community and warn against inaction on settler violence Prominent British rabbis have backed Ed Miliband’s sanctions on Israeli settlements, warning that the time for inaction on settler violence must come to an end. The intervention comes after the UK’s chief rabbi, the spiritual leader of mainstream Orthodox Jews in the UK, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, described UK sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as a “dark day for British Jews” and warned they could embolden people who “use hatred as a weapon against Jews”. Continue reading...
Uganda to withdraw from Invictus Games ‘out of respect for King Charles’, says military chief
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announces decision to pull out in post on X, citing tensions over ‘Harry-Meghan nonsense’ Uganda is withdrawing from the Duke of Sussex’s Invictus Games, the country’s military chief has said, out of respect for King Charles amid division over the “Harry-Meghan nonsense”. Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of the Ugandan president, made the surprise announcement in a post on X on Wednesday. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on UK-EU relations: voters would reward greater ambition | Editorial
The architects of Brexit know it has failed. That presents Andy Burnham with an opportunity to set a bolder new agenda Modesty is not a trait commonly associated with Nigel Farage. Something else must explain the Reform UK leader’s reluctance to talk about what is undoubtedly his biggest achievement. Few individuals can boast of having influenced British politics as drastically as Mr Farage, with his record of campaigning for Brexit before that word was even coined. He will for ever be associated with the demand for emancipation from Brussels, but is rarely heard celebrating its completion. It barely earned a mention in speeches at his party’s annual conference last week. The simple reason is that none of the promises made about the benefits of life outside the EU have been fulfilled. Leaving made the country poorer , and voters know it. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...
The Guardian view on Donald Trump’s oil deal: Venezuela pays for his vanity | Editorial
The US president seized a nation’s natural wealth in a modern-day version of gunboat diplomacy to feed his ego – not to lower Americans’ fuel bills Imperialism does not require a flag to be planted or a governor dispatched. It can be a powerful nation deciding who governs a smaller, weaker country, and on what terms and for whose benefit its resources will be developed. Donald Trump’s kidnapping of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, putting his deputy – Delcy Rodríguez – in his place as president, and then her signing a deal handing a fifth of the country’s proven oil reserves to the US , amount to a modern version of 19th-century gunboat diplomacy. Regime change supplied America’s commercial concession. This won’t bother Mr Trump. But it should. The US president has oversold his neocolonial spoils. The additional production Venezuela is supposed to bring online might bring down oil prices eventually, but not anytime soon. Crucially, what Mr Trump calls “t he biggest oil deal in history ” won’t cause the price at the pump to fall before November’s midterms. When so many American voters are struggling to pay energy bills , it’s hard to see how unrealised Orinoco Belt riches are going to help Republican candidates. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...
‘It’s a good start’: prominent Israelis welcome UK sanctions on illegal settlements
Ed Miliband’s intervention was inevitable after Israeli government and security failures, say former ministers and diplomats Prominent Israelis have welcomed new UK sanctions as a necessary response to settlement expansion and spiralling violence in the occupied West Bank. The president of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, a former prime minister, an ex-head of the army and former ministers and diplomats described the intervention as an “inevitable consequence” of Israeli government and security failures. Continue reading...
Apple to introduce its new CEO – and a folding iPhone – at annual showcase
John Ternus will helm first major event as head of $4.5tn company, alongside new products John Ternus, Apple’s new CEO, will helm the company’s annual showcase of new iPhones and other products on Wednesday. It will be the first time the public will get a feel for the executive, who is filling the shoes of Tim Cook and his predecessor, Steve Jobs, at the $4.5tn tech giant. Not much is publicly known about Ternus’s leadership style, even though he has worked at Apple for 25 years . He has kept a low profile and is known for a calm manner and attention to detail . Ternus started at the company in 2001 and in 2013 became the vice-president of hardware engineering. By 2021, he was heading the entire hardware department. Continue reading...
‘Mr Congeniality’ Burnham advises Badenoch to ditch the point-scoring over defence spending
Leader of the opposition rehashes last week’s questions on defence policy but comes up short against a new PM who preaches consensus politics The case of the dog that didn’t bark in the night. Sometimes prime minister’s questions are as notable for the topics that the leader of the opposition doesn’t ask about as for the ones she does. So you have to assume that Kemi Badenoch now realises she was on the wrong side of public opinion on the weekend’s protests and the government’s decision to impose sanctions on Israeli illegal settlements. I guess it’s hard to be too vocal when you fundamentally agree with the rioters. And maybe she has noticed that many of her own party are a little queasy about Palestinian land being seized and people being killed. And no reaction from the US about the sanctions. Continue reading...