The Guardian

Visitors caught trying to take pieces as crowd flock to site, while National Trust hope tree might regrow from stumpMembers of the public have been urged not to try to take branches from the felled Sycamore Gap tree as souvenirs. Some visitors have been caught by police attempting to take pieces of the tree, which belongs to the National Trust, from inside the police cordon.Visitors have flocked to the site to say goodbye to the landmark, which stood for more than 300 years in a small valley alongside Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland before being found chopped down on Thursday morning. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/29/public-urged-not-to-take-branches-from-sycamore-gap-tree-as-souvenirs

Author : Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent

Publish date : 2023-09-29 17:10:36

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Reaction from the White House and Congress poured in after Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving female senator in US history, died at age 90Full report: Dianne Feinstein dies aged 90Tributes pour in to ‘role model for many’ Joe Biden is out with a statement remembering Dianne Feinstein, who he crossed paths with during his time in the Senate:Senator Dianne Feinstein was a pioneering American. A true trailblazer. And for Jill and me, a cherished friend.

In San Francisco, she showed enormous poise and courage in the wake of tragedy, and became a powerful voice for American values. Serving in the Senate together for more than 15 years, I had a front row seat to what Dianne was able to accomplish. It’s why I recruited her to serve on the Judiciary Committee when I was Chairman – I knew what she was made of, and I wanted her on our team. There’s no better example of her skillful legislating and sheer force of will than when she turned passion into purpose, and led the fight to ban assault weapons. Dianne made her mark on everything from national security to the environment to protecting civil liberties. She’s made history in so many ways, and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations.

Often the only woman in the room, Dianne was a role model for so many Americans – a job she took seriously by mentoring countless public servants, many of whom now serve in my Administration. She had an immense impact on younger female leaders for whom she generously opened doors. Dianne was tough, sharp, always prepared, and never pulled a punch, but she was also a kind and loyal friend, and that’s what Jill and I will miss the most.The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 5525, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2024, and for other purposes. Hours before a Government shutdown, House Republicans are playing partisan games instead of working in a bipartisan manner to fund the Government and address emergency needs.
In a blatant violation of the funding agreement the Speaker and the President reached just a few months ago, the bill endangers the vital programs Americans rely on by making reckless cuts to programs, regardless of the consequences for critical services from education to food safety to law enforcement to housing to public health. It also fails to address key emergency funding needs where lives are at stake, ignoring the Administration’s request for resources to combat the fentanyl crisis and effectively manage the border, support the people of Ukraine as they defend their homeland from Russia’s illegal war, and stand with communities across America as they recover from natural disasters. In addition, H.R. 5525 fails to provide the resources needed to avoid severe disruptions to Government services—risking unnecessary delays for travelers by underfunding the Federal Aviation Administration; loss of access to nutritious food for pregnant and postpartum women and children by underfunding the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and deterioration in service for the over 71 million Americans who rely on the income support Social Security programs provide.… Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2023/sep/29/government-shutdown-diane-feinstein-mccarthy-republican-politics-live-updates

Author : Léonie Chao-Fong (now) and Chris Stein (earlier)

Publish date : 2023-09-29 16:08:53

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Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a state of emergency across New York City, Long Island and the Hudson ValleyLaGuardia Airport has announced that all access to Terminal A is currently closed.The airport added that it is experiencing delays as a result of the weather conditions and warned travelers to avoid the area until further notice. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2023/sep/29/new-york-rain-flash-flooding-weather-live

Author : Maya Yang

Publish date : 2023-09-29 14:50:01

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Readers have been contacting the Guardian with their emotionally detailed personal memories of the felled treeShare your memories and pictures of the Sycamore Gap treeShock, sadness and anger over the destruction of the 300-year-old Sycamore Gap tree have been emotionally detailed by readers contacting the Guardian with personal memories of its picturesque presence.The tree meant so much, to so many. A local man, Michael Palmer, summed it up: “Sycamore Gap is a Northumberland symbol, more than a piece of landscape, more than just a tree; it’s as instantly recognisable as the Palace of Westminster or the Liver Building.” Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/29/more-than-just-a-tree-recollections-of-northumberlands-sycamore-gap

Author : Amelia Hill

Publish date : 2023-09-29 13:37:58

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Paris public prosecutor’s office examining ski resort deal involving LVMH owner and Russian oligarch Nikolai SarkisovThe Paris public prosecutor’s office is investigating financial transactions involving the French billionaire Bernard Arnault and a Russian businessman.The prosecutors are investigating transactions involving Arnault, whose ownership of the luxury goods group LVMH has made him the world’s second richest person after Elon Musk, and Nikolai Sarkisov, Reuters reported, citing a statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office. Sarkisov is the co-owner, along with his brother, Sergei, of the Russian insurance company Reso-Garantia. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/sep/29/bernard-arnault-lvmh-nikolai-sarkisov

Author : Reuters

Publish date : 2023-09-29 12:04:34

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Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the People’s party, received the most votes in July’s election but failed to get enough support to form a governmentAs expected, socialist MP Óscar Puente did not mince his words – or as the Spanish idiom has it, there are no hairs on his tongue.“Mr Feijóo, you entered this chamber as leader of the opposition, and as the newspapers have it, you’ll leave it having become the leader of the opposition. But you’re not just that. You’re the leader of the opposition and a scourge! A scourge of who? Sánchez- who else could it be – the font of all evil!” Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/sep/29/spain-parliament-vote-prime-minister-bid-alberto-nunez-feijoo-election-europe-news-latest-updates

Author : Lili Bayer in Brussels

Publish date : 2023-09-29 10:51:29

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PM preparing to curb English councils from introducing speed limits ahead of party conferenceAndrew Griffiths, a Treasury minister, has defended the government’s tax plans after the Institute for Fiscal Studies said British households were facing the biggest rise on record, Kiran Stacey and Richard Partington report.Here is the IFS report. And this is from Ben Zaranko, a senior research economist at the IFS and one of the report’s authors.It is inconceivable that this parliament will turn out to be anything other than a tax-raising one – and it looks nailed on to be the biggest tax-raising parliament since at least the second world war. This is not, for the most part, a direct consequence of the pandemic. Rather, it reflects decisions to increase government spending, in part driven by demographic change, pressures on the health service, and some unwinding of austerity. It is likely that this parliament will mark a decisive and permanent shift to a higher-tax economy. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2023/sep/29/rishi-sunak-anti-car-policies-tories-20mph-speed-zones-ulez-keir-starmer-uk-politics-latest

Author : Andrew Sparrow

Publish date : 2023-09-29 09:21:01

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People’s party leader expected to fall short in vote, which would leave door open for rival Pedro SánchezAlberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of Spain’s conservative People’s party (PP), will conclude his all but doomed attempt to win power on Friday when he once again asks MPs to back him as the next prime minister despite lacking the necessary votes in congress.Although the PP finished first in July’s snap general election, it failed to win enough votes to form a government, taking 137 seats in Spain’s 350-seat congress, and scored a far less emphatic win over the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) than had been expected. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/29/alberto-nunez-feijoo-again-asks-spanish-mps-to-back-him-for-pm

Author : Sam Jones in Madrid

Publish date : 2023-09-29 08:00:38

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Metropolitan police confirm 17-year-old has been charged over rush-hour killing of schoolgirl in south LondonA 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of 15-year-old Elianne Andam who was stabbed to death in Croydon, south London, the Metropolitan police have said.More details soon … Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/29/croydon-stabbing-boy-17-charged-with-murdering-15-year-old-elianne-andam

Author : PA Media

Publish date : 2023-09-29 06:50:39

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Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on Russian substation in Belaya, setting transformer on fire, says local governor; rocket hits ‘infrastructure object’ on outskirts of MykolaivRussia-Ukraine war at a glanceAFP: A Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on a substation in a Russian village close to the border on Friday, cutting off the power supply to a hospital, the regional governor said.In Belaya, less than 25 kilometres (16 miles) from the border, “a Ukrainian drone dropped two explosive devices on a substation”, Kursk regional governor Roman Starovoyt said on the messaging platform Telegram.Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg and the defence ministers of Britain and France visited Kyiv, where President Volodymyr Zelenskiy lobbied for more air defence systems. Their visits came in advance of Kyiv’s first Defence Industries Forum, where Ukrainian officials were to meet representatives from more than 160 defence firms and 26 countries.International regulators are incapable of properly monitoring safety at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, according to a critical dossier compiled by Greenpeace that has been sent to western governments. The environmental campaign group concludes the International Atomic Energy Agency has too few inspectors at Europe’s biggest nuclear plant – four – and that there are too many restrictions placed on their access.Brussels warned European companies and governments that it could ban the sale of certain components to Turkey and other countries from where Iran and Russia are sourcing parts for drones and other weapons striking Ukrainian cities. The comments from the European Commission follows a leak to the Guardian of a document in which Kyiv detailed the use of western technology in Russian and Iranian drones.Belarus claimed on Thursday that a Polish helicopter had twice violated its airspace as tensions escalate between the two countries amid the conflict in Ukraine. The defence ministry said it had scrambled aircraft but provided no further details. In a separate statement, the Belarusian foreign ministry said it had summoned the Polish charge d’affaires and demanded that “an objective investigation be carried out immediately.The EU has extended the right of refugees from Ukraine to stay in the bloc by a year to March 2025, as Russia’s war against their country continues. The EU triggered its temporary protection directive days after Moscow’s February 2022 invasion to allow the millions of people fleeing Ukraine to remain.Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said an escalating grain exports dispute between Kyiv and Warsaw was detrimental to both countries. Poland has extended an embargo on Ukrainian grain, going against a European Commission decision to end the restrictions and triggering a diplomatic spat between the allies.Ukraine’s air force claimed on Thursday its air defence systems had shot down 34 of 44 Shahed drones that Russia launched overnight, while a regional official said no casualties were caused by the attack. “Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units and mobile fire groups were engaged to repel the attack,” the military said on the Telegram messaging app.Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said his region was the main target, but the attack left no casualties. “Our air defence forces did an excellent job,” Kiper said on Telegram.There were also strikes on Kirovohrad oblast and an infrastructure object was hit in Mykolaiv. One man was killed and another was injured in Kherson overnight. Three people have been hospitalised after a strike on Antonivka, near the Dnipro River.Alexander Bogomaz, governor of Russia’s Bryansk region, claimed on Telegram that electronic warfare had been used to down a Ukrainian drone on the approach to the city of Bryansk. “There were no casualties or damage. Operational and emergency services are on site,” he wrote. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/sep/29/russia-ukraine-war-live-updates-russian-power-substation-drone-attack-belaya-near-border-mykolaiv-city-rocket

Author : Helen Sullivan

Publish date : 2023-09-29 05:23:26

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Exclusive: Sir John Leighton says galleries still need to broaden audience beyond Edinburgh middle classes and touristsScotland’s national galleries, which house some of the country’s greatest works of art, need to do far more to make themselves accessible and inclusive, their outgoing director general has said.Sir John Leighton, who is retiring in February after 17 years as head of the National Galleries in Scotland (NGS), said the organisation “still has a long way to go” to broaden the audience beyond Edinburgh’s middle classes and tourists. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/29/scotland-national-galleries-long-way-to-go-inclusive-outgoing-chief-john-leighton

Author : Severin Carrell Scotland editor

Publish date : 2023-09-29 04:00:35

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The man, facing two counts of rape in Toowoomba, was set to have been named under law changes due to take effect on TuesdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastA high-profile man accused of rape has been granted a temporary court order preventing him from being named when new Queensland laws come into effect next week.The man was charged with two counts of rape in January, after being accused of the offence in Toowoomba in 2021, but he is yet to be committed to stand trial.This story was updated on 29 September 2023 after an earlier version said an interim order had been made by the court. A temporary order has been made. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/29/queensland-court-interim-order-protecting-identity-high-profile-man-accused-rape-toowoomba

Author : Eden Gillespie

Publish date : 2023-09-29 02:55:45

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Commission report gives 222 recommendations including introduction of disability rights act and end to segregated education. Follow the day’s news liveGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastRishworth won’t confirm adoption of any disability royal commission recommendations, ahead of report releaseFamilies and Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth has refused to confirm if the government will be adopting any of the recommendations made in the disability royal commission report ahead of its public release today.I’m not going to comment on any specific recommendations.Obviously, we need to also make sure people with disability have choice and control.You never change a country for the better through fear, you change it through hope and optimism and compassion and justice.That’s what this referendum is about.This is a body that won’t provide funds, that won’t run programs, that will just give advice to the government, and that experience of past bodies, and issues that have arisen has been factored in by Indigenous Australians when they’ve made this request. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2023/sep/29/australia-news-live-disability-royal-commission-final-report-voice-referendum-debate-taipan-helicopters-grounded-afl-nrl-grand-final-heatwave-heat-sydney-melbourne-weather

Author : Mostafa Rachwani

Publish date : 2023-09-29 02:08:41

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People with disabilities ‘continue to experience high rates of violence and abuse, multiple forms of neglect, and sexual and financial exploitation’, final report statesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastSignificant change is required for Australia to be a truly inclusive society for people with disabilities, who “continue to experience high rates of violence and abuse, multiple forms of neglect, and sexual and financial exploitation”, a royal commission has found.The final report of the royal commission into violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of people with disability was made public on Friday after four and a half years of hearings, reports, submissions and powerful testimony from people with disabilities and their loved ones. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/29/disability-royal-commission-inquiry-final-report-handed-down-findings

Author : Stephanie Convery, inequality reporter

Publish date : 2023-09-29 00:36:36

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Syriza leader says it will be an ‘honour’ to take a break from politics for obligatory service, which he has to start by the beginning of 2024Just a few days after being elected the new leader of Greece’s leftwing main opposition party, Stefanos Kasselakis has said he will take a brief break from politics – to join the military.Kasselakis, 35, said he plans to present himself “soon” for military service, which is obligatory for all Greek men. Continue reading…



Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/29/stefanos-kasselakis-new-leader-of-greek-opposition-party-to-do-military-service

Author : Associated Press

Publish date : 2023-09-28 23:27:39

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