Fighter jets purchase would put UK in breach of nuclear treaty, says CND

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Legal opinion for campaign group says deal amounts to reversal of UK’s commitment to nuclear disarmament

Britain will violate its nuclear disarmament obligations if Labour presses ahead with the £1bn purchase of 12 F-35A fighter jets, according to a specialist legal opinion prepared on behalf of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

Two international lawyers argue that the government’s plan to reintroduce air-launched nuclear weapons for the RAF will break a key provision of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) signed by the UK and 190 other countries.

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Former FBI director James Comey indicted for making false statement to Congress and obstruction of justice

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Indictment comes after Trump instructed US attorney general to prosecute Comey and others he considers political foes

James Comey, the former FBI director and one of Donald Trump’s most frequent targets, was indicted on Thursday on one count of making a false statement to Congress and one count of obstruction of justice, according to a person familiar with the matter, in the latest move in the president’s expansive retribution campaign against his political adversaries.

“No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case,” Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, tweeted on Thursday.

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Civilian injuries in Gaza similar to those of soldiers in war zones, study finds

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Wounds such as burns or leg injuries more common in Gaza than among US soldiers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan

Civilians in Gaza have sustained injuries of a type and on a scale more usually seen among professional soldiers involved in intense combat operations, research has found.

A study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that some types of wounds – such as burns or injuries to legs – were more common among civilians in Gaza than among US soldiers fighting in recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Trump signs memo targeting ‘domestic terrorism’ amid fears of leftwing crackdown

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US president criticizes ‘anarchists and agitators’ as he unveils memo expected to meet fierce legal pushback

Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum on Thursday aimed at reining in what he has called a radical leftwing domestic “terror network” but which seemed likely to meet fierce legal pushback from critics depicting it as a licence for a broad crackdown on his political opponents.

At a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, the memorandum was presented as aimed at “establishing a comprehensive strategy to investigate, disrupt and dismantle all stages of organized political violence and domestic terrorism”.

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In largest strikes yet, IAF jets bomb Houthi military sites in Yemen after drone attack – The Times of Israel

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  1. In largest strikes yet, IAF jets bomb Houthi military sites in Yemen after drone attack  The Times of Israel
  2. Israel Attacks Yemeni Capital, a Day After Houthi Drone Strike  The New York Times
  3. Israeli strike on Yemen's Houthis reportedly kills eight  BBC
  4. Israeli strikes pound Yemen’s capital as Houthi leader decries Gaza war  Al Jazeera
  5. At least 50 reported killed in Israeli attack on Yemen  The Irish Times
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Trump Says He Won’t Allow Israel to Annex the West Bank – The New York Times

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  1. Trump Says He Won’t Allow Israel to Annex the West Bank  The New York Times
  2. WATCH LIVE: Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu addresses U.N. General Assembly  PBS
  3. Trump stakes Gaza peace hopes on 21-point plan as Israel, Houthis continue deadly fighting  Fox News
  4. Trump promises Arab, Muslim leaders he won’t let Israel annex the West Bank  Politico
  5. Trump says he won't let Netanyahu annex the West Bank  Axios
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White House tells agencies to prepare for firings if government shuts down

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Democrats accuse Trump of intimidation tactics after memo outlines much more aggressive step than previous shutdowns

The White House is telling federal agencies to prepare large-scale firings of workers if the government shuts down next week in a partisan fight over spending plans – prompting the Democrats to accuse Donald Trump of intimidation tactics.

In a memo released on Wednesday night, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse next week, is not otherwise funded and is “not consistent with the president’s priorities”.

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European broadcasters to vote on expelling Israel from Eurovision 2026

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European Broadcasting Union says vote required after several nations threaten potential boycott

The European Broadcasting Union has confirmed it will hold an online vote in November that could see the Israeli broadcaster Kan expelled from next year’s Eurovision song contest.

In a letter sent to participating broadcasters on Thursday, the EBU president, Delphine Ernotte Cunci, wrote there was an “unprecedented diversity of views” on Israel’s participation in Eurovision, and the issue required “a broader democratic basis”.

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Big trees in Amazon more climate-resistant than previously believed

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Forest is ‘remarkably resilient to climate change’, but remains under threat from fires and deforestation

The biggest trees in the Amazon are growing larger and more numerous, according to a new study that shows how an intact rainforest can help draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and sequester it in bark, trunk, branch and root.

Scientists said the paper, published in Nature Plants on Thursday, was welcome confirmation that big trees are proving more climate resilient than previously believed, and undisturbed tropical vegetation continues to act as an effective carbon sink despite rising temperatures and strong droughts.

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Netanyahu’s jet largely avoids European airspace in unusual route to New York – ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

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  1. Netanyahu's jet largely avoids European airspace in unusual route to New York  ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
  2. Netanyahu takes unusual flight route over Europe amid threat of war crimes arrest  CNN
  3. Binyamin Netanyahu’s long haul to New York to ‘avoid arrest’  The Times
  4. Israeli Prime Minister & Others Address United Nations General Assembly  C-SPAN
  5. Netanyahu flies circuitous route to UN summit ‘to avoid arrest’ in Europe  The Guardian
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