Brazilian Amazon deforestation falls to lowest on record as pivotal vote looms pred 17 urami in 47 minutami Forest clearance lowest since records began in 1988 in success for Lula ahead of presidential run-offDeforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen its lowest level since records began, new government data shows.But whether this globally important success is maintained or reversed is on a knife edge ahead of a presidential election run-off on 25 October between two candidates with sharply different visions for the future of the rainforest and how that affects relations with the US under Donald Trump. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Case against Leon Black dismissed after plaintiff said she was ‘medically incapable of continuing’ pred 17 urami in 58 minutami In civil suit, ‘Jane Doe’ alleged billionaire raped her after being ‘handed off’ by Jeffrey Epstein. Black denied the allegations and called claims a fabricationA federal judge has agreed to dismiss a lawsuit brought against Leon Black after the plaintiff in the case, who had accused the private equity billionaire of rape, said she was “medically incapable of continuing” and at risk of “acute psychiatric crisis”, including suicide.The woman known only as “Jane Doe”, who claimed in a lawsuit that was first filed in July 2023 that she had been “handed off” to Black by his associate Jeffrey Epstein and then sexually assaulted by him, had been acting without a lawyer in the case. Doe has alleged that the assault occurred in 2002, when she was a teenager. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Well-known individual’ tries to secure permanent injunction against Guardian and ITN pred 18 urami in 23 minutami Lawyers tell high court that client could harm himself if serious allegations against him are made publicA “well-known individual” is trying to secure a permanent injunction against the Guardian and ITN to prevent them from publishing details of serious allegations made against him.At a high court hearing on Friday, the claimant’s legal team said there was a serious risk that he could harm himself should the allegations be made public.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Katie Zacharia fired after five days as White House press secretary pred 18 urami in 32 minutami Zacharia hosted widely panned first briefing on Tuesday and faced scrutiny after admitting she didn’t pass bar examKatie Zacharia was fired as the White House press secretary on Friday, just five days after she assumed the role, according to a White House official not authorized to speak publicly.Zacharia had a rocky start to her tenure as press secretary, hosting a widely panned first briefing on Tuesday. She had also faced questions over her legal credentials after admitting she did not pass the bar exam. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
No 10 leaves option open to impose Chinese EV tariffs if UK joins EU scheme pred 18 urami in 34 minutami Beijing warns against ‘discriminatory’ step after France drops opposition to British role in Made in Europe packageNo 10 has left the door open to imposing tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles as part of the Made in Europe package, prompting a warning from Beijing that such a move would be “discriminatory”.Downing Street said on Friday that it would “welcome the objective to have the UK included in the Industrial Accelerator Act” after France dropped its opposition to Britain joining the scheme. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Amber Guyger, police officer who murdered black neighbor in his home, released from prison pred 18 urami in 58 minutami Guyger, convicted of murder of Botham Jean in Dallas in 2018, served seven years of 10-year sentenceThe former Dallas police officer who was convicted of murdering Botham Jean after entering his apartment and shooting him in 2018 was released from prison on Friday morning after spending seven years in prison.Amber Guyger, 38, regained her freedom a little more than two weeks after the Texas board of pardons and paroles approved her release, despite opposition from Jean’s family. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Met police investigating row over founding of Your Party pred 19 urami in 14 minutami Inquiry said to have been launched after force received report ‘relating to alleged unauthorised access of a political party’s database’ Police are carrying out a criminal investigation into a row over the founding of Your Party, which split the leftwing party as it was established last year.A spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan police said they had launched an investigation after they received a report in September 2025 “relating to the alleged unauthorised access of a political party’s database”, the Politico website reported. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK national security adviser under pressure over wife’s comment on supporting Palestine Action pred 19 urami in 41 minutami Author Sarah Helm, married to Jonathan Powell, wrote to back novelist Sally Rooney’s support of proscribed direct action groupThe UK’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, is under pressure to distance himself from a comment made by his wife, the award-winning writer Sarah Helm, in support of Palestine Action.The post was made in defence of the critically acclaimed Irish novelist Sally Rooney, who said she had been forced to pull her books from shelves in the UK after pledging proceeds from their sales to Palestine Action. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Brazil’s Lula says he now backs lowering age of criminal responsibility to 16 pred 19 urami in 56 minutami Lula reverses position on age of responsibility for ‘heinous’ crimes in what many see as a desperate electoral gambitBrazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has announced that he now supports lowering the age of criminal responsibility for “heinous” crimes from 18 to 16, reversing a longstanding policy in what is widely seen as a desperate electoral gambit.The U-turn, which Lula announced during a Thursday night interview with TV Globo, comes with the presidential runoff in just over a week. The incumbent faces an uphill battle to overturn the first-round victory of his opponent, the far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who remains slightly ahead at the polls. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Barack Obama pays tribute to Manchester cotton workers and cites them as an inspiration pred 19 urami in 56 minutami Speaking at live UK event, former US president expresses hope rooted in the past and discusses the modern challenges to democracyBarack Obama cited the “wonderful” story of how Manchester cotton workers stood in solidarity with enslaved African Americans as an inspiration for our times in a live appearance in the city.Tens of thousands of people packed Co-op Live in the city on Thursday for An Evening With Barack Obama, where the former US president was interviewed by the writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
