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Politics
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Mark Carney rebukes Trump officials, urging US to ‘start being serious’ amid escalating trade war
Canadian PM is set to retaliate against tariffs levied by Donald Trump and criticized US officials over insults US politics live – latest updates Mark Carney has rebuked Donald Trump’s administration and urged officials in Washington to “start being serious” amid escalation trade tensions between the US and Canada. Days before Canada is due to retaliate against Trump’s sweeping tariffs with its own duties on US goods, the Canadian prime minister criticized US officials for insulting his country. “It is beneath their office,” he said. Continue reading...
Todd Haynes and Wallace Shawn among signatories of letter backing Mark Ruffalo amid antisemitism charge
More than 170 Jewish artists, also including Joel Coen, Hannah Einbinder and Miranda July, have supported the actor after he criticized Paramount A collective of more than 170 prominent Jewish artists – including Todd Haynes , Joel Coen , Miranda July , Hannah Einbinder , Wallace Shawn and Naomi Klein – have signed an open letter supporting Mark Ruffalo . The actor had been accused of invoking antisemitic tropes after he criticized Paramount Skydance, the media company owned by David Ellison, a Donald Trump ally. Ruffalo had spoken out about the $111bn merger with Warner Bros Discovery (WBD). Continue reading...
Olivia Rodrigo is standing up for the vulnerable. I wish Taylor Swift would do the same | Arwa Mahdawi
This weekend, Rodrigo raised millions for charities that benefit women and girls, and she has previously been vocal about Gaza and Ice. With free speech increasingly under threat, her peers should take note Donald Trump, the 80-year-old president of the United States, spent his weekend whining about a lake and posting memes of Donald’s Ducks . While he was busy with his ducks, Olivia Rodrigo, a 23-year-old pop star, spent her weekend trying to Make America Somewhat Decent Again. On Saturday, Rodrigo hosted the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival , bringing together female artists to raise money for women-focused non-profits which have had their funding slashed by the Trump administration. The festival raised $10m (£7.4m) which Melinda French Gates matched, bringing the total to $20m. In a perfect world a singer holding a benefit concert for feminist charities wouldn’t be radical stuff. But we don’t live in a perfect world, do we? We live in hell. Trump has successfully bullied US institutions into doing his bidding. Universities have defunded Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programmes, many media outlets have kowtowed to the US’s self-styled king and tech CEOs have jumped into bed with him. Women’s rights are going backwards globally and our civil liberties are under attack. Continue reading...
NSW government to resume pill testing at music festivals but rejects calls for wider community rollout
Use of sniffer dogs and searches will continue despite health and harm reduction groups arguing they could lead to riskier drug taking Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Drug testing will resume at New South Wales music festivals from October, but will not be rolled out into the wider community despite calls from peak health and harm reduction groups, while the controversial use of sniffer dogs and searches will continue. On Wednesday the state government announced NSW Health will consult with the music festival industry and harm reduction organisations to roll out pill testing at up to 15 music festivals each year. Continue reading...
House prices head for historic 10% drop as fourth interest rate hike looms
Cotality data reveals property prices are now falling in more than 90% of Australian suburbs, while analysts expect market downturn to continue Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The prospect of the steepest property market downturn in history will not stop the Reserve Bank from delivering a fourth interest rate hike as it battles to bring inflation back under control , economists say. New data from Cotality revealed house prices are now falling in more than 90% of Australian suburbs, amid a perfect storm of higher borrowing costs, a weak economy, and a once-in-a-generation change in the tax treatment of property investors. Continue reading...
Inside knowledge or ‘making stuff up’? Charles Perrottet’s advice to Jean Nassif put under microscope by Icac
Brother of former treasurer and premier faces questions about texts that appear to indicate he was aware of fast-tracking policy before it was announced Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Did the former premier’s brother, Charles Perrottet, have prior knowledge of a Covid-era New South Wales government policy to introduce a fast track to approve major developments? Did he take steps to ensure that developments owned by the fugitive developer, Jean Nassif, were successful through the fast track? Continue reading...
New system for screening mail-in ballots risks denying entire batches, says whistleblower
US senator says that project, a key part of Trump’s voting restrictions, is ‘perilously rushed and potentially unlawful’ A new system to screen millions of mail-in ballots for this November’s US midterm elections was thrown together so hastily, and tested so little, that a single scanning glitch could see entire batches of ballots turned away, a whistleblower has told Congress. The project – a key part of Donald Trump’s new restrictions on voting – is “perilously rushed and potentially unlawful”, according to the US senator Richard Blumenthal, who disclosed the warning in a letter to David Steiner, the postmaster general, on Tuesday. Continue reading...
US Open 2026: Fery, Rybakina, Fritz and Keys in action on day three – live
Alcaraz victorious on return | Sabalenka up and running Alex Eala is already a global star: next up, the US Open You can email Katy and follow us on TikTok and Bluesky Hello, hello! Full disclaimer: this is my first day back after nearly three weeks on holiday and I’ve also spent the past three hours trying and completely failing to install some computer updates. So it may take a bit of time before I’m firing on all cylinders. Though Madison Keys, Flavio Cobolli and Elena Rybakina will be hoping for far smoother starts, as they get the action under way on the main courts on this third and final day of the first round, with Mirra Andreeva, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur to follow later in the day session, along with the British trio of Arthur Fery, Jan Choinski and Fran Jones. Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, Gael Monfils and Alexandra Eala, meanwhile, play in the evening session* as Monfils - after Stan Wawrinka’s emotional goodbye yesterday - begins his final grand slam on his 40th birthday. Allez Gael! Two send-offs in two days would be too much to handle. * By which point I estimate there’s a 0.03% chance of me figuring out how to resolve my IT issues Continue reading...
Norway’s new king swears oath of allegiance with daughter at his side
Haakon VIII promises to uphold 1814 constitution but his queen misses ceremony because of post-surgery ‘complications’ King Haakon VIII swore an oath of allegiance before Norway’s parliament on Tuesday in the first major stage in the passing of the crown since the death of his father after 35 years on the throne. Wearing a ceremonial uniform, Haakon, who became king when Harald V died on Friday, promised to uphold Norway’s 1814 constitution with his 22-year-old daughter, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra, by his side. Continue reading...
Dyson launches £420 toothbrush that films ‘live cleaning footage’ inside your mouth
James Dyson says ‘complete dental system’ will also include toothpaste and mouth rinse that each cost £8.50 It is the live stream you never wanted to see but may find impossible to resist: rolling footage beamed live from inside your mouth while you are cleaning your teeth. Dyson, the home appliance maker that made its name inventing bagless vacuums and bladeless fans, has turned its attention to oral hygiene with a £420 all-singing, all-dancing toothbrush that can clean, floss and even spray tiny jets of mouthwash. Continue reading...
Judge tells jury in Lindsay Clancy trial to keep deliberating after deadlock
Clancy does not deny strangling her three children but says postpartum psychosis led to her actions The judge has told the jury in the Lindsay Clancy trial to keep deliberating after it said it was unable to come to a unanimous decision in the controversial case of the mother who killed her three children. Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse in Massachusetts, doesn’t deny strangling her children but says postpartum psychosis led to her actions. Prosecutors argue she knew what she was doing. Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. Continue reading...
Oklahoma man charged with murder after 2 killed in explosion at marijuana extraction facility
Authorities have charged Ryan Bassham after the deadly explosion at the marijuana extraction facility he owns An Oklahoma man has been charged with murder after a large explosion at a marijuana extraction facility that killed two of his employees and damaged surrounding businesses, prosecutors said Monday. Ryan Bassham, 35, turned himself in this weekend after being charged with two counts of first-degree murder in Thursday’s blast at Solos Extracts near Tulsa, authorities said. The explosion at about 1am partially tore the roof from a building, crumpled doors and scattered debris around an industrial park. Continue reading...
US border patrol expected to aid Grand Canyon search for missing person
Nearly 80 people have been rescued, and two people confirmed dead, after flood hit national park A US border patrol technical search team is expected to deploy in the Grand Canyon, as authorities continue the search for at least one missing person after a fatal flash flood washed through the national park over the weekend. Authorities are rushing to scour the area as more heavy rain and thunderstorms in weather forecasts threaten additional debris flows, flash floods or rock falls. Continue reading...
Four Maga defectors on what led them to walk away: ‘I’d been addicted to fear and rage’
Ex-Maga supporters unpack their role in bolstering Trump’s platform and share what brought them to the Leaving Maga non-profit support network Since Donald Trump ’s first presidential campaign a decade ago, “Make America great again” (Maga) has evolved from a slogan into an identity, one that claims to center conservative, “America first” values and relies on lies and conspiracy theories to stay afloat. And while Maga has survived impeachments, indictments and a lost election, some devotees are walking away – and doing so loudly. Rich Logis, a former Trump campaign volunteer, left Maga in 2022, publishing a public apology to help others see that it was OK to challenge the movement. The overwhelming response led him to found the non-profit Leaving Maga , a network of support groups and meetups for people to unpack their role in bolstering Trump’s platform. Logis said he doesn’t persuade people to leave; he just gives them a place to land when they do. The group’s billboard campaign, now running in 27 states, is built around a simple message: “Having doubts? You are not alone.” Continue reading...
Autistic boy who took replica knife to school has exclusion quashed by high court
Boy’s mother says she hopes case will help others, as judge says exclusion should be ‘a tool of last resort’ The mother of a 10-year-old autistic boy who had his permanent exclusion from a primary school quashed by the high court has said she hopes the ruling helps other children. The boy, who cannot be named, was permanently excluded from his primary school, part of the Lift academy chain, after coming to school in July 2025 with a replica butterfly knife, which he handed to a friend to use against another child during an altercation in the playground. Continue reading...
High winds during El Niño could be deadly for England’s stressed trees, say experts
Head of tree collections at Kew ‘very worried about this autumn’ as hot, dry summer has caused brittleness High winds associated with El Niño could cause widespread mortality among tree species already weakened by a prolonged period of extreme heat and drought, experts have warned. This summer much of Europe has been scorched by a series of record-breaking climate crisis-induced heatwaves . The impact is notable across much of England’s countryside, where once green land has turned brown, and many trees are undergoing “early autumn” – wilting and losing their leaves early – to cope with extreme heat. Continue reading...
MapQuest app reaches No 1 on US Apple list after defying Trump’s Lake Ontario order
Navigating app surpasses Google and Apple Maps on top-downloaded US chart after posting ‘we’re not changing it’ A pioneering online mapping app that defied Donald Trump by refusing to rename Lake Ontario has become the most in-demand navigation tool in the US. MapQuest, which was openly dismissive of the president’s 27 August executive order directing federal agencies to refer to the smallest of the Great Lakes as “Lake America” amid a trade spat with Canada, leapfrogged rivals Google Maps and Apple Maps to top the most-downloaded list, as first reported by TechCrunch . Continue reading...
Raise the Colours member denies murder of man in Staffordshire
Billy Allison, 36, pleads not guilty to charge over Matthew O’Gara’s death after incident outside Lichfield bar A man accused of murdering a businessman outside a bar in Staffordshire has pleaded not guilty. Billy Allison, 36, a member of the flag-raising group Raise the Colours, appeared at Stafford crown court on Tuesday and entered not guilty pleas to the murder of Matthew O’Gara and to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to a second person. Continue reading...
Alleged Charlie Kirk killer faces judgment on standing trial and death penalty
Tyler Robinson has not yet entered a plea, but should a judge find probable cause, an arraignment could follow Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Nearly a year after Charlie Kirk was shot dead at a Utah university, a judge on Tuesday is expected to rule on whether the Utah man accused of killing the conservative activist will stand trial and whether he should face the death penalty. At a 10 am hearing in Provo, Utah, judge Tony Graf will decide whether there is sufficient evidence to try Tyler Robinson, 23, and allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for the murder of one of the US right’s most prominent figures. Continue reading...
Summer of 2026 was UK’s hottest on record, Met Office says
Meteorologists say average mean temperature of 16.5C was made 130 times more likely by climate crisis This year’s summer was the UK’s hottest on record, according to provisional Met Office data, with the season’s mean temperature made 130 times more likely as a result of the climate crisis. The summer saw record-breaking and back-to-back heatwaves scorch much of Europe. In England, temperatures peaked at 38.1C (100.1F) at Kew Gardens in London on 13 August, with June already confirmed as the country’s hottest since records began in 1884 . Scientists have said these heatwaves are only possible because of the climate crisis driven by burning fossil fuels. Continue reading...
Gaps in NHS end-of-life care ‘denying ill children chance to die at home’
Campaigners say some care boards in England flouting their legal duty, resulting in ‘cruel’ postcode lottery Seriously ill children are being denied the chance to die at home because the NHS in many parts of England is flouting its legal duty to provide the care needed to make that happen, critics say. The widespread failure to provide at-home end-of-life care is forcing children who want to die at home to instead do so in hospital. Campaigners have described it as “cruel”. Continue reading...
Los Angeles villa that was hub for German exiles fleeing Nazis reopens after narrow wildfire escape
Spectacular Villa Aurora, which was nearly destroyed in last year’s fires, leading the recovery as Pacific Palisades emerges from a dark chapter A hillside villa that served as a cultural hub for German writers and artists fleeing the Nazis and narrowly escaped destruction in last year’s Los Angeles wildfires reopened its doors to the public this weekend, marking the latest milestone in the city’s slow recovery from one of the darkest chapters in its history. Hundreds of friends of the Villa Aurora, a 1920s Spanish Mediterranean house that has taken on a second life as a cultural center with a fierce commitment to artistic freedom, international dialogue and democracy, crowded into the house on Sunday to mark the resumption of speaker events and artistic residencies. Continue reading...
US public libraries at ‘breaking point’ amid ideological attacks, report finds
PEN America study details verbal and physical threats to librarians, funding cuts and proliferation of book bans Public libraries in the US are “at breaking point” because of an onslaught of political interference, harassment and ideological censorship, a new report published on Tuesday said. Book bans, cancelled story hours, attacks on librarians, funding cuts and the undoing of libraries’ independent governance are examined by the free expression advocacy group PEN America in its study called Out of Circulation : Expanding Censorship in Public Libraries. Continue reading...
Naomi Osaka pays tribute to NBA star Allen Iverson in basketball-themed US Open outfit
Japanese player wears Iverson’s signature cornrows Outfit also has newspaper clippings about Osaka Naomi Osaka channeled former NBA star Allen Iverson before her US Open first-round victory over Anastasia Zakharova on Monday. Osaka made her usual fashionable entrance for her tournament opener, which she won in straight sets. The two-time US Open champion emerged on to the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium wearing a long, white skirt and a gray, hooded robe featuring newspaper clippings about her. Continue reading...