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The Guardian — page 9

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‘We are prey’: discovery of seven women’s bodies fuels anger over femicide in South Africa

String of female murder victims found near Johannesburg’s international airport, including five in the past week The discovery of the bodies of seven women around Johannesburg’s international airport, including five in the past week, has prompted an outpouring of fear, grief and anger over a lack of progress in tackling femicide. When Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo did not return after going for a run on 9 September, her eight-year-old daughter alerted relatives, who contacted police. The 38-year-old’s body was found on Saturday and identified by relatives on Monday. The news of her disappearance had gone viral. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Rachel Savage in Johannesburg20h ago

Xhaka promises ‘fire’ from Sunderland on long-awaited return to Europe

Captain looking forward to intimidating atmosphere when Wearsiders host AZ, after 53 years away When Sunderland last played European football, club directors viewed it as a useful means of raising the cash necessary to fund floodlight upgrades at Roker Park necessitated by England’s widespread adoption of colour television. Back in the autumn of 1973 a lighting system compatible with the demands of broadcasting in black and white was proving increasingly outdated and Sunderland responded by doubling admission prices for the second leg of their opening European Cup Winners’ Cup tie against Vasas of Budapest. Coming at a moment when miners and railway workers were engaged in long-running industrial action and north-easterners’ finances were duly tight, it dictated that a disappointing crowd of under 23,000 turned out to watch Dennis Tueart’s penalty secure a 3-0 aggregate win. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Louise Taylor20h ago

Iranian football returns in the shadow of war and with row over last league title

Prolonged league suspension due to war and falling behind Saudi spending power are weakening the sport in Iran Just three months ago, Iran was one of the biggest stories in football as Team Melli arrived at the World Cup to try to play in the US, a country that had been bombing and firing missiles at Tehran and other targets. A disallowed goal and a last-minute effort that hit the bar in the final group game against Egypt confirmed Iran’s group-stage exit – to the delight of some US officials – by the narrowest of margins. It also signalled the abrupt end of international attention. This week there was a return, however, to international action as Esteghlal and Tractor SC started out in the AFC Champions League Elite. It comes after the Persian Gulf League kicked off in mid-August, almost six months after it was postponed at the end of February, and subsequently abandoned as the war continued. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•John Duerden20h ago

Neagley review – this violent Reacher spinoff is a glorious hour off from normal life

Jack Reacher’s right-hand woman takes the lead in a show which requires you to think about nothing other than baddies being beaten up Neagley. It’s pronounced “Neely” but after that, honestly, it’s very simple. Neagley is Frances Neagley, Jack Reacher’s friend and former colleague in Reacher (pronounced “Reacher”, though as rarely as possible for our guy is a man of big arms but few words). That’s the hit series starring Alan Ritchson and his arms as the eponymous hero, a monosyllabic meat-mountain around whom a bestselling series of crime novels by Lee Child has revolved for the last few decades. Reacher is a former military police officer who now goes about breaking the heads and faces of those he deems deserving – “a sort of artisanal fascist”, as the novelist and devoted fan Paraic O’Donnell once matchlessly put it. Neagley was his right-hand woman in the days when he put together a special investigations unit to – uh, investigate special things, I guess? Details do not matter much in Reacher. The whole thing is designed to slide seamlessly out of your mind the minute the credits roll, leaving you restored and refreshed by an hour off from thinking about anything other than battered, groaning baddies. Sometimes the action pauses for a one-liner or a shot of Reacher’s bare bottom, but they’re quite restorative, too. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Lucy Mangan20h ago

Sky closes in on broadcast rights for first women’s British & Irish Lions tour

Lions to play five fixtures in New Zealand in 2027 Sky has held live rights for men’s Lions since 1997 The inaugural women’s British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand next year is expected to be broadcast live on Sky Sports in a significant boost for the women’s game. Sky has held live rights for men’s Lions fixtures since the 1997 tour of South Africa, and the broadcaster is understood to be in advanced discussions about adding the women’s series to its portfolio. The first women’s Lions will play three Tests against the Black Ferns and two tour matches next September, with Sky expected to broadcast all five fixtures. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Exclusive by Matt Hughes20h ago

Von der Leyen to set out challenges and opportunities for EU in ‘state of the Union’ speech – Europe live

European Commission president sets out opportunities and challenges facing the European Union It’s also worth noting that this year’s SOTU will see a special guests in attendance: Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney. He will listen to von der Leyen’s speech as Canada seeks closer ties with the EU – particularly on defence, digital regulation and trade - amid growing tensions with and outright repeated threats from US president Donald Trump. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Jakub Krupa20h ago

Record heatwaves bring Britain’s second-best butterfly season in 16 years

Volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and moths, with painted ladies up 335% on last year The recording-breaking heat of 2026 delivered the second-best British butterfly season of the past 16 years, according to the Big Butterfly Count . The largest insect count in the world, in which more than 100,000 volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and day-flying moths, confirmed what many people experienced – a noticeable profusion of butterflies during the five-heatwave summer. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Patrick Barkham21h ago

Barclaycard sent me a bill for someone else’s account

It told me a year ago I had applied for a credit card – now it is it telling me my payment is overdue A year ago I got an email from Barclaycard stating that my “application was successful” for a credit card. I had made no such application. I immediately reported this to Barclaycard . More emails arrived and I made repeated phone calls to customer service. I was assured it was a simple typo rather than fraud, and that my email address would be removed. However, I’m now receiving notifications that the latest account payment is overdue. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Anna Tims21h ago

Al-Qaida and IS-linked violence in Africa’s Sahel belt set to hit record levels this year

Twenty-five years after 9/11, figures compiled by conflict monitor underline how Sahel region has become centre of Islamist terror Islamist extremist violence in Africa’s Sahel region is set to reach historic highs after a series of sweeping offensives by groups linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State, according to new figures compiled by the conflict monitor Acled . As the US marks the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks launched by al-Qaida against targets in Washington and New York, the statistics underline the continued expansion of the veteran organisation in parts of Africa – in stark contrast with its relative weakness elsewhere. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Jason Burke International security correspondent21h ago

Redwood by Ben Macintyre review – a superbly wrought tale of cold war defection

This story of Soviet agent and his MI6 handler in revolutionary Iran is a page-turning masterpiece Ben Macintyre uses the acronym MICE to describe the reasons people betray their countries: Money, Ideology, Coercion or Ego. In the set-piece that opens his latest work of true-espionage, we discover a new reason: erectile dysfunction. Stressed, drinking too much, under constant surveillance, furious about the corruption of his colleagues and frustrated with his home life, the KGB’s Vladimir Kuzichkin is offering to betray the secrets of his homeland and its Iranian allies, if only a British doctor can help him have sex again. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Oliver Bullough21h ago

The other side of Croatia: ‘a landscape that could out-Tuscany Tuscany’

Weekenders from Zagreb head to the rolling green Samobor Hills for nature, vineyards, delicious local food and Habsburg-era architecture ‘You’re going to Samobor? You must try kremšnita ,” my Dubrovnik friends told me before I set off on my trip north. “But I’ve already had kremšnita in Zagreb,” I told them. They do it better in Samobor , they insisted. I wasn’t about to get embroiled in a battle of the cream cakes in a region where Croatians, Slovenes and Austrians all like to celebrate their own versions of this decadently thick, fat custard slice topped with puff pastry and icing sugar. But I was more than willing – happy, even – to follow everyone’s suggestions to try kremšnita in Hotel Livadić’s Kavana Livadić , in Samobor’s main King Tomislav Square, a mere half-hour drive west of Zagreb. It lived up to the hype – delicately rich, creamy and with a light touch. After spending a few weeks in sun-bleached Venetian Dalmatia, amid the scrubby, limestone Dinaric Alps, I had swapped empires and was firmly in Habsburg Croatia. Here, in Zagreb County’s prettiest town, handsome baroque houses in pastel shades of buttery yellow, apricot and pistachio, festooned with stucco, line narrow King Tomislav Square, whose umbrella-shaded cafe terraces were filled with Croatians getting their morning fix of coffee and chatter. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Mary Novakovich21h ago

Wednesday briefing: Why tech companies might be only too happy for us to believe AI will ‘kill us all’

In today’s newsletter: It is hard to tell fact from fiction when it comes to AI. What is really going on – and what should the government do about it? Good morning. As a general rule, it pays to be suspicious of any gigantic company that claims it’s developing a tool capable of destroying humanity. But in recent days, a number of warnings from the AI industry have suggested that even tech insiders are starting to worry about what they have unleashed. In a lofty essay published on Saturday, Dario Amodei, the founder of Anthropic (the company behind Claude), argued that tech companies need to “slow” the pace at which they’re developing the newest and most sophisticated AI models. Lucy Letby | Three babies might have survived if hospital had acted upon concerns over Lucy Letby, an inquiry has found . Lady Justice Thirlwall condemned the ‘complete failure’ to protect babies on neonatal unit at Countess of Chester hospital. UK politics | The leader of Reform UK in Wales stood down after arrest on suspicion of assault . Dan Thomas, a former Tory councillor, was elected to Senedd as leader of the opposition in May. AI | The progressive senator Bernie Sanders and rightwing strategist Steve Bannon have called for restrictions on artificial intelligence (AI) but offered competing visions for what they termed a “cold war” with China. UK news | Young people in Rotherham face a local jobs market with the fewest suitable opportunities in Britain, according to a report that warns stark regional divisions are fuelling a crisis in youth work. Defence | John Healey is in talks with the Canadian government about joining a new global defence bank intended to help allies rearm to counter mounting security threats, just weeks after Rachel Reeves rejected the move. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Hettie O'Brien21h ago

UK inflation expected to have risen in August as cost of living squeeze tightens – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. We’re about to learn whether the UK’s cost of living squeeze tightened last month. 7am BST: UK inflation report for August 9.30am BST: UK housing prices and rents report 1.30pm BST: US retail sales report 7pm BST:Fed decision 7pm Fed presser 7.30pm Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Graeme Wearden21h ago

A moment that changed me: I felt hugely self conscious about my skin - until I had a revelation

For years, my vitiligo controlled my life, and I was constantly trying to disguise it. But one day, I realised I could take a very different and extremely liberating approach The microphone felt heavier than I expected. As I stood on stage at a London comedy club last December, I looked out at a room full of strangers sitting quietly, waiting for me to make them laugh. It felt nerve-racking and surreal. I had spent years hiding my vitiligo, hoping people wouldn’t notice it. Now I was about to joke about it in my set. I was three years old when I developed my first patch of vitiligo on the back of my hand, which later spread to my arms, legs, face and other parts of my body. By the time I was six years old, 70% of me was covered. I was too young to understand what was happening. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Natalie Ambersley22h ago

Sydney man who allegedly called 13-year-old Muslim girl a ‘terrorist’ berates judge after bail refused

Omar Yassine was arrested and charged with stalking and intimidation after allegedly hurling insults at year 8 student wearing a hijab Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A middle-aged man accused of a “disgusting” Islamophobic attack on a 13-year-old girl has berated a judge after he was denied bail Omar Yassine made an eventful court appearance on Wednesday after being held by police overnight for allegedly verbally abusing the Muslim schoolgirl on a Sydney bus. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Australian Associated Press22h ago

TV tonight: Bafta-winning documentary makers follow far-right protesters

A depressing look at the anti-immigration movement in England ‘Til I Die. Plus: Kevin McCloud is back with Grand Designs. Here’s what to watch today 10pm, Channel 4 Here comes the year’s most depressing hour of TV. This film follows Liam Tomsett from Crowborough, East Sussex, who positioned himself as an anti-immigration leader when the government announced that an army camp would be used to house asylum seekers in the town. The cameras follow him and far-right protesters as they wade deeper into the movement. From the Bafta-winning team behind Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods, and the pulled BBC documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, it is shocking and scorched with anger. Hollie Richardson Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Hollie Richardson, Priya Elan, Ali Catterall, Hannah J Davies and Ellen E Jones22h ago

‘Anywhere, anytime’: Victoria police and PSOs to get random stop and search powers after Labor backflip

Premier Ben Carroll adopts Coalition’s stance on Jack’s Law, which gives police and PSOs power to randomly search people for knives with metal detectors The Victorian premie has made another policy backflip, announcing a re-elected Labor government would give police and protective services officers the power to stop and search people for knives using handheld metal detectors – despite experts warning of a lack of evidence the measure reduces violent crime. Ben Carroll on Wednesday announced he would match a commitment made by the Coalition opposition last year to introduce Queensland’s Jack’s Law , named after 17-year-old Jack Beasley, who was fatally stabbed in Surfers Paradise in 2019. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Benita Kolovos Victorian state correspondent22h ago

Slave-trade wealth was embedded in Britain’s financial system, research finds

Dozens of Bank of England directors and founding subscribers invested in trafficking of enslaved Africans The Bank of England and the British financial system were for centuries deeply involved in the enslavement and transatlantic trafficking of millions of African people, according to new research on Britain’s slavery history. Research by historians compiling the Register of British Slave Traders has found that the scale of the financial system’s involvement in enslavement is greater than previously known or acknowledged. The Bank of England, the central bank owned by the government since nationalisation by Clement Attlee’s Labour administration in 1946, had dozens of financiers involved in its foundation who were also significant investors in the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•David Conn Investigations correspondent22h ago