HSBC director Nicholas Brandram, 44, was found unresponsive by emergency services on Tuesday evening A senior city banker suspected of pushing a woman into the path of a moving bus in the “Putney pusher” case has been found dead. Nicholas Brandram, 44, was discovered at his home in Chiswick, west London, on Tuesday. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent3h ago
Wage increase brings Amazon’s US minimum pay in line with Costco and includes new grocery discount benefit Amazon has raised its minimum wage in the US to $20 an hour, with average pay at the company reaching $24 an hour, according to the company. The pay increase represents a $1 increase from its starting level. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Michael Sainato4h ago
Ivan Jennings, 46, sentenced to five years after pleading guilty to encouraging terrorism on social media A rightwing extremist who discussed poisoning Jews and Muslims and called for the killing of migrants and minority communities has been jailed. Ivan Jennings, 46, called for the murder of hundreds of people he labelled “subhumans”, saying it was “justified and actually needed”, in extreme far-right groups over a period of three months in 2024. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Robyn Vinter and agency4h ago
Three more GOP members voted for war powers resolution to force withdrawal from the conflict as election looms US politics live – latest updates As the US war with Iran drags on, the ranks of Republicans signaling the conflict is a liability for their party continues to grow. When the House of Representatives on Tuesday evening considered its sixth war powers resolution intended to force Donald Trump to withdraw troops from the conflict, three Republicans who had not supported the previous efforts broke with their party to vote this one to passage. Earlier that day, a Republican who had lost his primary after repeatedly clashing with Trump proposed impeaching the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, alleging a variety of constitutional transgressions including prosecuting the war against Iran without congressional authorization. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Chris Stein4h ago
In the Trusster’s latest appearance, she says Blair and Brown had a plot to dismantle civilisation and the Tories were part of the woke establishment Some things you can set your watch by. Like every time small boats are in the news, the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, will manoeuvre himself in front of a camera to suggest that all male migrants are either murderers or rapists. Probably both. But some things feel older than time itself. Like Liz Truss trying to persuade the world she was right all along. Most former prime ministers leave Downing Street relatively quietly. Lord Big Dave, the Maybot and even Boris nurse their grudges in private. Rishi lives in semi-retirement – almost a recluse – and only attends parliament when it suits him. Keir has been almost totally airbrushed out of history in a couple of months. Continue reading...
The Guardian•John Crace4h ago
Americans have not won tournament since 2012 US youth teams have struggled in recent showings Timing of U-20 World Cup has drawn criticism The United States were eliminated from the U-20 Women’s World Cup in the last 16, falling to Brazil on penalties on Wednesday after playing to a 1-1 draw after extra-time. Brazil goalkeeper Thaís Lima made a crucial save on Emeri Adames’s attempt to begin the shootout, opening the eventual 5-4 finish in Katowice, Poland. The result extends a difficult run of form for US youth national teams across the men’s and women’s programs. This is the third time since last October that a US youth team has failed to win a knockout game at a World Cup: the U-17 boys and the U-17 girls both exited in the last 16 of their respective tournaments in shootouts. The U-20 men fell in the quarter-final of their World Cup in October 2025. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Jeff Rueter4h ago
Body found in pond in Suffolk village of Brantham, where Noah was last seen on Tuesday afternoon Police searching for a three-year-old boy who went missing from a playground on the Suffolk-Essex border have found a body. Noah Woods was last seen at 3pm on Tuesday in Merriam Close, Brantham, near Manningtree, before becoming separated from a relative. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Jamie Grierson4h ago
Writer and actor, 40, had long struggled with endometriosis before undergoing total hysterectomy at age 31 Lena Dunham has welcomed her first child with her husband, Luis Felber, via surrogate. The 40-year-old writer and actor, known for her creation of and role in the HBO television series Girls, revealed her daughter’s birth in a Vogue op-ed published on Wednesday. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Maya Yang5h ago
By standing behind support act Macklemore, who was removed from the tour for his vocal support of Palestine, these artists are demonstrating the self-sacrifice necessary to stand against those crushing free speech In a statement about Macklemore being dropped from his US stadium tour for making pro-Palestinian comments, Ed Sheeran defended his own publicly apolitical stance: “If we only ever focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change.” Every other musician involved with the tour – support acts Finneas (Billie Eilish’s brother), Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish songwriter Aaron Rowe, plus Sheeran’s Irish backing band, Beoga – has made their approach to advocating for change clear, pulling out of the remaining dates to protest against the censorship of Macklemore and to express support for the Palestinian people. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Laura Snapes5h ago
Seeing a pallid, washed-out face in the mirror? Prepare to be diagnosed … Name: Ferritin face. Age: The name is new, but the symptoms are old. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Guardian Staff5h ago
Mike Johnson cancels votes on Thursday, meaning House members will avoid voting on impeaching Pete Hegseth US politics live – latest updates The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson , announced on Wednesday that he would again cancel votes scheduled for Thursday, sending lawmakers home one day early ahead of the midterm election recess. The latest change to the legislative schedule means House members will avoid voting on Republican Thomas Massie’s resolution to impeach the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth , and comes amid a frenzied attempt to propose legislation on artificial intelligence . Continue reading...
The Guardian•Ariana Baio in New York and Shrai Popat in Washington5h ago
Readers are divided on whether the triple lock should stay or go The article about whether the pensions triple lock should be ditched omits several key facts ( ‘Costing billions’: is the pensions triple lock a lifeline or simply unaffordable?, 12 September ). The triple lock was introduced in 2010 to attempt to reinstate the value of the state pension relative to average earnings. The new state pension is just over £12,547 per annum, as your reporter says; older pensioners get a basic £9,615. Both are well below the European average, which is over €16,000 (about £13,800) per year. The UK median wage is above £39,000 a year. Moreover, the age at which the UK state pension becomes payable is among the highest in Europe. The discussion on the affordability of the state pension seems to regard it as expenditure for no return. It is not. Pensioners spend money into their local economy, which generates tax revenues in the form of VAT and income tax from younger people who are dependent on pensioner money for their employment. Better-off pensioners pay income tax in the usual way. In fact, a pensioner with any income at all above the new state pension will pay tax on it as the personal tax free allowance is now £12,570, only £23 above their pension income. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Guardian Staff5h ago
Labour has also increased fundraising from members in response to Reform’s £72m donations from crypto billionaires Labour has hosted major party donors at No 10 for a drinks reception, as the party comes under growing pressure from MPs and unions to consider a donations cap. The Guardian understands that high-level donors, including business leaders and philanthropists, were hosted by cabinet ministers in Downing Street for an evening reception on Tuesday. Donors from the party’s Rose Network give thousands of pounds a year to the party. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Jessica Elgot and Pippa Crerar5h ago
Andrew Forsey urges the government to restore the link between free school meals and the holiday activities and food programme There are 500,000 children growing up in poorer families who are confronted by a similarly cruel cliff edge to the one covered by your article ( Chancellor urged to fix £100k childcare ‘cliff edge’ that prompts parents to cut work, 10 September ). It is this group of children who, having recently become eligible for means-tested free school meals during term time, are disqualified from accessing the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme. While the government has rightly acknowledged the need for those children to receive extra help during term time, it has somehow reached the decision that this need does not extend into the school holidays. HAF is a terrific programme providing nutritious meals, enriching activities and free childcare for many families. Since its introduction, eligibility for it has always been linked to the receipt of free school meals. But the government’s decision to break that link will result in working parents, earning as little as £7,500 a year, being unable to access this vital support. Any gains accruing to their children in term time risk being wiped out by this lack of support in the holidays. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Guardian Staff5h ago
Lucy Letby case | At one’s peak | Leaving the debate | Cut from the same cloth | End of the odyssey | A word’s worth Re the Thirlwall report on the Lucy Letby case ( Thirlwall report: what did it say about Lucy Letby case and what does it recommend?, 15 September ), babies in neonatal intensive care units are saved by having consultant neonatologists (ie paediatricians who have undergone subspecialist training in neonatal medicine) doing rounds twice daily (in addition to being immediately available), trained neonatal nurses and appropriately resourced units – not by installing cameras on cots and insulin fridges. Dr Chris Fitzpatrick Retired consultant obstetrician ; former CEO of Coombe hospital, Dublin, Ireland • Following the introduction of a competitive element in the nominative determinism debate ( Letters, 15 September ), I’d like to advise everyone that I am at my peak. Steve Munro St Osyth, Essex Continue reading...
The Guardian•Guardian Staff5h ago
Teenager continues development with two goals at Ipswich Merino: ‘He is a big talent and we have to take care of him’ Mikel Merino says Max Dowman reminds him of Lamine Yamal after the Arsenal prodigy continued his development by scoring twice in his side’s 4-2 win against Ipswich . Dowman, who has been given a host of opportunities at senior level by Mikel Arteta, starred after being handed his first appearance of the season, at Portman Road on Tuesday. The 16-year-old attacker’s classy double eased Arsenal into the last 16 of the Carabao Cup and left Arteta admitting that containing the hype around the England youth international is not an easy task. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Jacob Steinberg5h ago
Sunny, who joined the Obama family at the White House in 2013, was the second Obama dog after Bo, who died in 2021 Sunny Obama, the Obama family’s second beloved Portuguese Water Dog, died on Tuesday, Barack Obama announced on Wednesday morning. “Yesterday, we lost a cherished member of our family,” the former president wrote on social media, attaching a photo of the 14-year-old dog whom he called “a force of nature”. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Ariana Baio5h ago
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, published when Dillard was 28, skyrocketed her to become one of the most prominent nonfiction writers of her generation Annie Dillard, author of the Pulitzer prize-winning book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, died aged 81 at her home in South Wellfleet, Massachusetts on Tuesday. Maggie Nelson, Dillard’s literary editor, confirmed her death to the New York Times . Continue reading...
The Guardian•Marina Dunbar5h ago
Rachida Dati accused of lobbying for carmaker Renault-Nissan when she was member of European parliament Rachida Dati , a former French culture minister, has gone on trial in Paris on corruption charges linked to dealings with the Renault-Nissan carmaking group. Dati, 60, is accused of illegal lobbying when she accepted €900,000 (£770,000) in lawyer’s fees from a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan while she was a member of the European parliament. The court will have to decide what the money was for. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Angelique Chrisafis in Paris5h ago
Even as the ‘extremist’ AfD seeks further election gains in Germany, Europe’s leaders can learn from Sweden’s dangerous embrace with far-right ideology Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Europe’s focus turned nervously to Sweden on Sunday, after an explosive election in Germany just a week earlier placed a far-right party, officially classed as “extremist”, on the brink of power in a German state for the first time since the Nazi era. A party with neo-Nazi roots has been pulling the government’s strings in Sweden for the last four years – would the country’s general election put the far right formally in government? Or would enough Swedes opt for a gear change, having seen the Sweden Democrats’ hardline (some would say poisonous ) agenda in action? Votes were still being counted on Wednesday but it was immediately clear that the far-right Sweden Democrats had suffered a setback ; their first loss of support among voters since it entered parliament for the first time 16 years ago. The party slipped from being the country’s second biggest party to its third. Continue reading...
The Guardian•Katherine Butler, associate editor, Europe6h ago