Top World News
Handling of China spying case was ‘shambolic’, security committee concludes
Report says ‘systemic failures’ led to collapse of trial, but found no evidence of UK government interference Parliament’s security committee has criticised prosecutors for pulling their charges against two men accused of spying for Beijing, in a damning report that concluded the handling of the case was “shambolic”.MPs said that a process “beset by confusion and misaligned expectations” and “inadequate” communication between the government and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had contributed to the collapse of the trial, while several “opportunities to correct course were missed”.It was “unclear” why the CPS had concluded that a July 2024 ruling concerning a Bulgarian spy ring “altered the legal landscape so significantly” that they had to change their approach.It was “surprised” the CPS had deemed the government’s evidence insufficient to put to a jury when it had set out how China “posed a range of threats to the United Kingdom’s national security” that “amounted to a more general active threat”.The government “did not have sufficiently clear processes for escalating issues where there was a lack of clarity” and “the level of senior oversight” from cabinet ministers and national security advisers “was insufficiently robust”. Continue reading...
More than 200 leading cultural figures call for release of jailed Palestinian leader
Group including Margaret Atwood, Ian McKellen and Richard Branson sign open letter to free Marwan BarghoutiMore than 200 leading cultural figures have come together to call for the release of Marwan Barghouti, the jailed Palestinian leader seen as capable of uniting factions and bringing the best hope to the stalled mission of creating a Palestinian state.The prestigious and diverse group calling for his release in an open letter includes a variety of prominent names, including the writers Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith and Annie Ernaux; actors Sir Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Josh O’Connor and Mark Ruffalo, and the broadcaster and former footballer Gary Lineker. Continue reading...
Numbers leaving A&E without treatment triples in six years
Soaring demand has led to ‘shocking’ rise in untreated patients leaving NHS emergency departments in England, data showsThe number of people in England walking out of A&E without treatment has tripled in the past six years, new figures show.Analysis of NHS data by the Royal College of Nursing shows soaring demand for urgent hospital care and long waits has led to what it describes as a “shocking” rise in the number of patients leaving emergency departments untreated. Continue reading...
Quality of migraine care dependent on ethnicity, UK survey finds
Ethnic minority people more likely to experience poor treatment and even racism, Migraine Trust research showsPeople from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to experience worse migraine care and to fear discrimination because of their condition, a survey by a leading UK charity has found.Migraines are characterised by a severe headache, alongside other symptoms including dizziness, numbness and vision problems. About one in seven people in the UK are affected by the condition. Continue reading...
Fabergé egg made for mother of Russia’s last tsar sells for £23m
Christie’s says the sale price is the highest for a Fabergé, beating a £8.9m auction in 2007A vintage jewel-studded Fabergé egg that belonged to the mother of Russia’s last emperor has been sold for a record £22.9m in London.The Winter egg was commissioned in 1913 by Emperor Nicholas II as an Easter gift for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, and is described as one of the most lavish of Fabergé’s imperial creations. Continue reading...
YouTube says it will comply with Australia’s under-16s social media ban, with Lemon8 to also restrict access
Australia’s under-16s social media ban might take weeks to work but all platforms are on notice, government saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastYouTube will comply with the federal government’s under-16s social media ban, but its parent company Google has warned the laws “won’t keep teens safer online” and “fundamentally misunderstands” how children use the internet.Guardian Australia can also reveal that Lemon8, a newer social media app which has experienced a surge in interest recently because it is not included in the ban, will restrict its users to over-16s from next week. The eSafety Commission had previously warned it was closely monitoring the app for possible inclusion in the ban. Continue reading...
Police were skeptical about tip that led to arrest of UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect
Officers joked about tip that Luigi Mangione was at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, where they arrested himPolice involved with Luigi Mangione’s arrest were so skeptical that the tip on his whereabouts was true that they joked about a reward sandwich in text messages, Manhattan state court proceedings revealed on Tuesday.“He said, ‘if you get the New York City shooter, I’ll buy you a hoagie from a local restaurant,’” testified Joseph Detwiler, an Altoona, Pennsylvania police officer, of texts exchanged with a supervisor. “I said, ‘Consider it done.’” Continue reading...
How do ‘Trump accounts’ work – and who will benefit?
Donation of $6.25bn for children’s investment accounts prompts wave of questions – but details remain scarceA tech billionaire and his wife said on Tuesday they would pour $6.25bn into individual investment accounts for 25 million children under 10, prompting a wave of new questions about how these so-called “Trump accounts” will work.The creation of these accounts was included as part of Donald Trump’s sprawling tax and spending bill, which he signed into law in July. Every child born between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2028, can receive a Trump account that includes a $1,000 initial deposit from the administration. The money will then be invested. Continue reading...
Family members identify victims of shooting at toddler’s birthday party in California
Dead included children, aged eight, nine and 14, and a 21-year-old man who were shot at a banquet hallDetails are beginning to emerge about the victims of the shooting at a toddler’s birthday party in Stockton, California, that left four people dead and at least 11 injured over the weekend.The dead included children, aged eight, nine and 14, and a 21-year-old man who were shot at a banquet hall in the Central valley city where they had gathered with at least 100 other people to celebrate a two-year-old’s birthday. Continue reading...
Trump administration is ‘selling out’ admiral to shield Hegseth over boat strikes, officials say
White House names Adm Frank M Bradley as officer who ‘directed the engagement’, distancing Hegseth from accountabilityUS politics live – latest updatesThe Pentagon on Tuesday scapegoated a navy admiral for the extrajudicial double-tap strike that killed survivors of a 2 September attack on an alleged drug boat and vowed to continue operations, even as lawmakers investigate whether the attack constituted a war crime.At a Pentagon briefing on Tuesday, Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon press secretary said that the decision to re-strike the “narco terrorist vessel” was made by Adm Frank M Bradley, “operating under clear and long standing authorities to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States was eliminated”. Wilson added that Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon secretary, “stands behind Admiral Bradley, 100%”. Continue reading...
Putin says Russia not seeking war with Europe but is ‘ready’ to fight amid peace talks – as it happened
This live blog is now closed.Russia ‘ready’ for war with Europe, Putin says as peace talks with US beginIn parallel to Witkoff’s meeting in Moscow, we will also follow Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s first visit to Ireland.He has arrived in Dublin last night, and has a busy schedule today, paying a brief visit to the country’s new president Catherine Connolly, before meeting with key government figures including the taisoeach, Micheál Martin, and addressing both chambers of the Irish parliament in the afternoon. Continue reading...
Trump calls Somali immigrants ‘garbage’ as US reportedly targets Minnesota community
US president’s xenophobic rant comes amid reports of ramped-up deportation efforts in Ilhan Omar’s districtUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump on Tuesday called Somali immigrants “garbage” and said they should be sent back home in a rant that came as the administration is reportedly increasing immigration enforcement against undocumented Somalis in Minnesota.In a xenophobic rant during a cabinet meeting, Trump went off on Somalis and Ilhan Omar, the congressional representative who is from Somalia and is a US citizen. He said Somalia “stinks” and is “no good for a reason”. Continue reading...
