World news

Europe

Macron says ‘welcome back’ after Burnham floats Britain’s return to EU

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has floated the idea of Britain rejoining the European Union.

Elon Musk’s advice, ‘beardos’...and Fort Trump? Hegseth’s bonkers speech reshapes military future

Addressing junior personnel at Quantico, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled six major initiatives to overhaul military standards

Paris court convicts six men of manslaughter over migrants disaster in Channel

PARIS, Sept 30 - A Paris court on Wednesday found six men guilty of manslaughter over the drowning of more than 30 people in the Channel five years ago, the worst disaster on record involving migrants in the narrow seaway separating France and Britain.

Americas

Biggest ever university donation: Ken Griffin gives $3 billion to Carnegie Mellon, will become member of board of trustees

No university in the history of US education has received such a donation until Citadel founder Ken Griffin pledged an unprecedented $3 billion to

Spain, France align on welcoming UK back to EU, strengthening China trade defences

MADRID, Sept 30 - Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and France's President Emmanuel Macron expressed enthusiasm on Wednesday for Britain rejoining the EU, and agreed Europe must strengthen its trade defences against China.

Americas

Senate punts bill to permanently ban Chinese cars until after midterm elections

A bill aiming to permanently ban the sale of Chinese vehicles in the United States stalled in the Senate as lawmakers headed for the exits until after the November midterm elections

Asia

Annapurna Circuit: Trekkers helicoptered off mountains as more deadly landslides hit Nepal

A month after mass catastrophic flooding, around 30 people have died in landslides and heavy rain.

Europe

Spain orders probe after rights group alleges troops abused migrants in Ceuta

MADRID, Sept 29 - Spain's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday it had alerted prosecutors to an Amnesty International report alleging the military tortured or mistreated migrants in Ceuta, and ordered an internal probe into whether any personnel were to blame.

Europe

Sweden should apologise for injustices against Sami people, commission says

STOCKHOLM, Sept 30 - The Swedish government should apologise to the indigenous Sami people for past injustices and Sami interests should be given stronger consideration against mining and wind power projects, a government-appointed commission said on Wednesday.

US billionaire sent wife to Pakistan, secretly divorced her under Sharia law, paying only $50. 13 years later, Texas Supreme Court cancels foreign talaq

Texas Supreme Court has ruled that a divorce granted through Sharia law in Pakistan is not valid in the US state.

Italy's main opposition PD boycotts antisemitism bill vote amid split on left

ROME, Sept 30 - Italy's Democratic Party did not take part in a parliamentary committee vote on Wednesday on a highly contested bill against antisemitism, highlighting divisions on the left over a law seen as potentially curbing criticism of Israel.

Americas

What to know about the viral claim about Brazil's patron saint jolting a tight presidential race

A comment by Brazil's presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro has sparked controversy, raising fears he might remove Our Lady of Aparecida as the country's patron saint

Europe

Romanian PM-designate Muresan loses confidence vote, prolonging political crisis

BUCHAREST, Sept 30 - Romania's Prime Minister-designate Siegfried Muresan failed to win a parliamentary vote of confidence on Wednesday, extending a political crisis that threatens the country's investment grade rating.

Europe

Blind man challenges British Museum over lack of audio tours for Bayeux Tapestry

LONDON, Sept 30 - The British Museum is facing legal action over its Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, with lawyers representing a blind man alleging the museum is breaching equalities laws by not providing audio-described tours.

South West Water fined £7.8 million over hundreds of sewage spills across Devon and Cornwall after 18 charges, including 231 discharges at Harlyn beach and more than 336 illegal spills near Bodmin

South West Water has been fined £7,867,733 for hundreds of illegal sewage spills across Devon and Cornwall, with a judge describing the company’s

Middle East

Trump hijacks ‘Hispanic Heritage’ event to tout ballroom, Iraq war and ... Giants QB Jaxson Dart

Along the way, he made false claims about his support among Latinos, the result of the 2020 election and then capped it all off by uttering a racial stereotype about Hispanics, writes John Bowden

Middle East

Netanyahu names ‘true hero’ Indian pilot who opened cockpit door after being stabbed on flight to Israel

Israel said Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed repeatedly while trying to stop the deadly crash

Americas

Hegseth confirms plan to cut 20% of US top military brass and rails at ‘beardos, weirdos and wimps’

Pentagon head hails military with ‘no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals’ in anti-DEI rant

Europe

Tourists say their Maryland travel company left 70 women stranded in France and isrefusing to give refunds

Some customers said they were left to arrange and pay for their own flights and accommodations after the France trip was cut short

Americas

Pete Hegseth appoints Elon Musk to US taskforce on future of warfare

A year after his explosive tenure at Doge, the SpaceX CEO is back in the Trump administration’s good graces

UK accuses China of using academics to spy on AI and other tech research

LONDON, Sept 30 - Britain's MI5 spy agency issued an unprecedented alert on Wednesday to warn that a Chinese organisation was involved in funding academic research into topics such as AI on behalf of Beijing's state security service.

Pete Hegseth just spiraled into religious fervor while shouting about killer bots

An energized, wide-eyed Hegseth claimed the entire free press is committing treason before suggesting that more Christian chaplains in the military might help them build killing drones and achieve more ‘lethality’, writes Holly Baxter

Europe

Protesters camped out across Spain demand passage of housing measures

MADRID, Sept 30 - Thousands of protesters camped out on Madrid's main square and in other Spanish cities demanded on Wednesday that parliament swiftly approve new measures to protect tenants and curb the country's acute housing crisis.

Brazil briefed French, German officials on alleged US, Russian election interference

PARIS, Sept 30 - A French and German delegation travelled this month to Brasilia, where intelligence officials briefed them on alleged US and Russian interference before Brazil's election, according to sources and documents seen by Reuters.