Indian accused of plotting to murder Sikh leader extradited to US
Nikhil Gupta is charged with trying to hire a hitman to assassinate US citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Zuma’s MK party to join South Africa’s opposition alliance
MK says it will lead the resistance to the "unholy alliance" of the ANC and the Democratic Alliance.
In Pictures: Eid al-Adha celebrations around the world
In pictures: Muslims celebrating Eid al-Adha around the world.
Mbappé urges youth to vote against ‘extremists’
The footballer says the upcoming French election is a "crucial moment" for his country.
Nigel Farage claims young people have had their minds ‘poisoned’ with negative views about Britain – UK general election live
Farage launches party manifesto in traditional Labour stronghold of Merthyr Tydfil
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have been campaigning in Hampshire this morning. Stefan Rousseau from PA Media took this picture of them on the train.
The SNP has called for a social tariff that would guarantee cheap energy bills for people who are poor, disabled or elderly.
We believe that there are certain things that every citizen should have access to as a right. Healthcare free at the point of need, a social security safety net, pensions for older people, and free education including free university tuition.
But it is time that we recognised that these rights need to go further, to reflect the realities of the modern world.
Connectivity – fast broadband and good mobile phone connections – are critical to modern life. In fact, in rural Scotland and the Isles, it is critical to the whole future of the economy.
As more and more people work from home at least part of the week, often you literally cannot do your job without a decent internet connection. That’s why, to help people get jobs, keep jobs and keep more of their hard-earned cash, there should be a social tariff for broadband and mobile charges too.
Coldplay: vinyl copies of new album Moon Music will be made from old plastic bottles
Band say carbon emissions for vinyl production will be reduced by 85% thanks to new method, as they announce 10th studio album
Coldplay are aiming to make the most ecologically sustainable vinyl record yet, for their newly announced album Moon Music.
Each 140g vinyl copy of Moon Music, released 4 October, will be manufactured from nine plastic bottles recovered from consumer waste. For a special “notebook edition”, 70% of the plastic has been intercepted by the environmental nonprofit The Ocean Cleanup from Rio Las Vacas, Guatemala, preventing it from entering the Gulf of Honduras and the Atlantic Ocean.
Continue reading...Middle East crisis live: Benjamin Netanyahu dissolves Israel’s war cabinet
Move could signal end to coalition and more control by Israeli PM over war in Gaza
Hostilities continue in Rafah and southern Gaza despite the Israeli military’s announcement on Sunday of tactical pauses in operations to allow humanitarian aid to enter, Reuters reports Unrwa chief Philippe Lazzarini, told the media in Oslo on Monday.
In its latest operational update, Israel’s military has claimed it is still operating in the Rafah area of Gaza, where it says “IDF troops located numerous weapons and struck a number of structures rigged with explosives that posed a threat to the forces.”
Continue reading...Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow trying to ‘maximise depletion of our troops’ before aid arrives, Ukraine army chief says
Ukraine says Russia is intensifying attacks and trying to gain more territory before military aid, including F-16 jets, arrive
We have more comments from the daily briefing with journalists attended by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
He was asked about the Ukraine peace summit, held in Switzerland over the weekend, during which western powers and their allies denounced Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine but failed to persuade major non-aligned states to join their final statement.
No, it won’t spoil them. We will, of course, take into account the position that these countries have taken, this is important to us and we will continue to explain our reasoning to them.
Many of them, and this was a common point of view on this event, confirmed their understanding of the absence of prospects for any serious, substantive discussions without the presence of our country … If we talk about the overall effectiveness of this meeting, it is close to zero.
Continue reading...Boss of US firm given £4bn in UK Covid contracts accused of squandering millions on jets and properties
Rishi Sunak’s team helped fast-track deal with firm founded by Charles Huang, who says contracts generated $2bn profit
In California, state of sunshine and palm trees, a small group of men are locked in a big legal fight over the money made by a US company selling Covid tests to the British government. The founder of Innova Medical Group says his business collected $2bn (£1.6bn) in profits, one of the largest fortunes banked by any medical supplier during the scramble for lifesaving equipment in the early months of the pandemic.
In a storm of claims and counter-claims, Innova’s boss, Charles Huang, is accused by former associates of “squandering” or moving $1bn of those profits, spending lavishly on luxury aircraft, an $18m house in Los Angeles and “homes for his mistresses”.
Continue reading...Israeli PM scraps war cabinet after key departures
The move comes just over a week after two centrist politicians quit the top decision-making body.
Torrential rains trigger deadly landslides in Ecuador
At least six people have died in mudslides triggered by heavy rain in central Ecuador.
Putin taunts West as North Korean trip confirmed
Russia's president is due to meet Kim Jong Un on Tuesday, his first visit to North Korea since 2000.
Gershkovich trial to be held behind closed doors
Russia accuses the Wall Street Journal reporter of collecting "secret information" on behalf of the CIA.
Strong winds hamper crews battling Los Angeles area’s first major fire of the year
Winds blew embers ahead of flames and thwarted efforts by aircraft crews to drop water: ‘It sprays everywhere we don’t need it’
Strong winds were pushing flames through dry brush in mountains along Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles and officials warned residents in the wildfire’s path to be prepared to leave if it explodes in size again.
The blaze, dubbed the Post fire, was just 2% contained Sunday evening. No injuries were reported. The cause was under investigation.
Continue reading...UK elections: what is tactical voting and how does it work?
The campaign group Best for Britain has launched its guide on how to vote to have the best chance of ousting the Tories. We look at what tactical voting involves and what the group is recommending
Continue reading...EU passes law to restore 20% of bloc’s land and sea by end of decade
Narrow win for supporters after fierce farmers’ protests, loss of green seats to far right and political wrangling
The EU has passed a landmark law to protect nature after a knife-edge vote, ending a months-long deadlock among member states spooked by fierce protests from farmers.
The law, which has proven to be the most controversial pillar of the European Green Deal and nearly failed at the final hurdle, sets a target to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea by the end of the decade.
Continue reading...Donald Trump looking for ‘fighter’ as Republican running mate
Sources close to ex-president say gender and race irrelevant over pick who’s ‘America first’ and believes in agenda
Donald Trump is looking for a “fighter” as his running mate in this year’s presidential election and regards factors such as their gender or race as irrelevant, according to sources close to the former US president.
Conventional wisdom used to hold that Trump was likely to choose a woman or a person of color as his potential vice-president in an effort to broaden his appeal. But aides close to the presumptive Republican nominee currently say he will not take so-called identity politics into account.
Continue reading...Benjamin Netanyahu dissolves Israeli war cabinet
Move is apparent rebuff to far right and attempt to tighten grip on decision-making over Hamas and Hezbollah
Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the Israeli war cabinet that had been overseeing the conflict in Gaza, rebuffing his far-right allies who had been seeking seats, and apparently moving to solidify his grasp on decision-making over the fighting with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah across the Lebanese border.
The prime minister announced the move to ministers, saying the war cabinet had been established as part of an agreement in which the moderate politician Benny Gantz and his National Unity party joined an emergency coalition last year.
Continue reading...Mourners killed by car in Malawi VP’s funeral convoy
Saulos Chilima is being buried in his home village later, after being killed in a plane crash last week.
First Thing: Global spending on nuclear weapons up 13% in record rise
World’s nuclear states on course to spend $100bn in 2024. Plus, Benjamin Netanyahu dissolves war cabinet
Good morning.
Global expenditure on nuclear weapons is estimated to have risen by 13% to a record $91.4bn in 2023, according to calculations from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Ican), propelled by a sharp increase in US defense budgets.
Which nuclear powers have increased spending? All nine: US, China, Russia, the UK, France, India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea.
What does Ican say about this trend? With funding forecast to hit $100bn in 2024, Susi Snyder, one of the research’s authors, argued that it could be spent instead on environmental and social programmes.
What will Netanyahu do after dissolving the cabinet? Netanyahu is expected to hold consultations about the war with a small group of ministers.
Continue reading...