Greens’ Zack Polanski to stand in byelection for Keir Starmer’s seat – UK politics live

• Israel announced it is closing the British consulate in Jerusalem in retaliation for sanctions imposed by the UK Labour government. • The closure follows the UK's decision to unveil a package of sanctions targeting settlements in the West Bank.

• Retired Admiral Cem Gürdeniz published an analysis on September 8, 2026, proposing new security frameworks for Europe and West Asia to move toward a multipolar global order. • The author suggests implementing a "New Helsinki Process" in Europe and a "New Westphalia Process" in West Asia to manage confessional and political differences.

• The Middle East Council on Global Affairs is organizing the Hili Forum 2026 to analyze how Gulf states can improve security and economic resilience during regional instability. • The forum focuses on the unresolved U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and the lack of progress toward Arab-Israeli peace.

Three men are on trial over the death of brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their friend, US citizen Jack Carter Rhoad, in EnsenadaThe father of two Australian surfers killed in Mexico two years ago testified in court on Tuesday that his life had been turned into hell, as the high-profile trial continued into its second day.Three men are charged in the killing of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, aged 30 and 33, respectively, and their 30-year-old American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, who were on a surfing trip to Mexico’s Pacific coast in April 2024. Continue reading...

Key thinkers suggest other radical measures in Compass report such as free personal social care and abolishing LordsAndy Burnham should tackle inequality in the UK by introducing a wealth tax, universal free personal social care and bringing gas and electricity networks under public ownership, according to a report from more than a dozen influential thinkers.In the lead-up to the first budget of the chancellor, John Healey, this autumn, the Compass thinktank has collated 70 policy options from 15 leftwing thinkers that they argue would deliver on the prime minister’s promise to end 40 years of neoliberalism. Continue reading...

A continent-wide crisis of confidence is creating fertile ground for far-right narratives of decline, report suggestsEuropeans overwhelmingly want a strong, united and independent Europe but question whether it can get there, according to a study that suggests a continent-wide crisis of confidence is creating fertile ground for far-right narratives of decline.The report, based on 5,800 interviews in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK and analysis of the way Europe is discussed in the politics and media of 15 countries, paints a picture of an ambitious but disillusioned public. Continue reading...

The president’s substantial holiday gifts to four White House aides were made public via financial disclosures released by the administration Donald Trump gave sizable holiday gifts to four White House aides, according to new financial disclosures released by the administration, including $45,000 to executive assistant Natalie Harp.Communications adviser Margo Martin and deputy director of Oval Office operations Chamberlain Harris also received $45,000, while director of Oval Office operations Walt Nauta received a $20,000 gift. Continue reading...

Key regions of the brain linked to movement, learning and emotions were affected and may lead to cognitive problems Babies born to mothers with anaemia have smaller brains, particularly in key regions linked to movement, learning and the regulation of emotion, according to a study.Researchers said the differences, first detected at the age of one, could lead to cognitive problems when children started school. Continue reading...

Jeremy Greenwood tells inquiry note contained agreement with Jean Nassif as counsel assisting says ‘threads of your story pull apart very quickly’A Liberal operative has denied making up a “pink” or “fuchsia”-coloured piece of paper which he says was the record of an agreement with a property developer worth up to $5m, a corruption inquiry has heard.Jeremy Greenwood told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Wednesday that the note, which he did not mention in a preliminary interview with the watchdog, was not a “recent invention”. Continue reading...

Roni Carlson, in wake of mistrial, says holdout juror could not be persuaded while colleague calls him ‘very arrogant’A lone juror in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of the murder of her three children, would not agree to acquit Clancy despite expressing reasonable doubt about whether she was guilty, the jury’s foreperson said in an interview airing Monday.Speaking to NBC 10 Boston just days after Clancy’s trial ended in a mistrial, Roni Carlson, the foreperson, confirmed there was one holdout juror who would not be persuaded to acquit Clancy due to insanity.In the US, call the national maternal health hotline on 1-833-852-6262. In the UK, the Pandas foundation offers support via WhatsApp on 07903 508334. In Australia, the national maternal and perinatal mental health hotline is 1300 726 306. Continue reading...

Penny Wong has concerns about blanket ban announced by UK, France and Canada, but says new ‘targeted measures’ planned over Israeli settlersFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia is preparing another round of sanctions against Israel, but has stopped short of joining the UK in banning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.Overnight, the UK government offered its strongest condemnation yet of Israel’s occupation, with the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, calling efforts to control the West Bank unlawful. He said his government agreed there was “ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, which has access to NDIA data, used Palantir as part of a multi-agency fraud taskforce Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPersonal information of national disability insurance scheme participants may have ended up in controversial software company Palantir’s analytics platform as part of a massive multi-agency sharing program investigating fraud, Guardian Australia can reveal.There have been calls to ban the use of Palantir’s software by the Australian government since May, after it implied some cultures are inferior to others in a manifesto described by one UK MP as the “ramblings of a supervillain”. Continue reading...