Iran says a deal with Oman to reopen the strait of Hormuz is close to being finalised – Middle East crisis live

• During a UN Security Council debate, India urged the international community to take immediate action to mitigate humanitarian fallout and food crises caused by ongoing global conflicts. • Indian Envoy P Harish emphasized the impact of trade disruptions on food security and detailed the domestic measures India has implemented to protect its own food supplies.

• India's Permanent Representative P Harish urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to take immediate action to mitigate the humanitarian fallout of global conflicts. • Speaking during a Tuesday open debate titled "Food Under Fire," Harish highlighted how modern conflicts create ripple effects that extend far beyond the immediate zones of hostility.

• A left-wing NGO reported that "Jewish terrorists" attacked its activists in the West Bank on August 25, while a Palestinian woman was reportedly detained after reporting settler violence at her home. • In a separate diplomatic clash, Sa'ar booted Dutch representatives from a US-backed Gaza coordination center, citing the implementation of "anti-Israel measures."

• UN Secretary-General informed the Security Council that 2025 recorded the highest number of armed conflicts since the Second World War. • The report highlighted record-breaking levels of acute hunger globally, marking a critical humanitarian crisis.

The sense of futility hanging over the room was almost overwhelming as Robert Jenrick took the stageIt’s turning out to be one of the longer sulks in Nigel Farage’s already sulk-filled career. Few politicians are better at having a strop and holding a grudge than Nige. At least on this side of the Atlantic. Donald Trump could give Farage a run for his money, but skin doesn’t come much thinner than Nige’s. He’s the soul of the Reform party as long as he’s the centre of attention and the yes-men and women – that’s everyone – around him are saying yes. But the moment reality challenges his narcissism, the mirror cracks.There was a time when you couldn’t keep Nige away from a TV camera or a gathering of reporters. It’s what he lived for. But ever since the Guardian revealed his £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, Farage has gone all shy. Unable to bear the humiliation of being seen for the man he really is. The posh. The entitled. The venal. The grifter. Everything he has spent the last 25 years trying to persuade people he isn’t. Continue reading...

Bird eggs intercepted in homemade incubators at Johannesburg airport as officials try to halt wildlife traffickingSouth African police have arrested two Thai nationals in separate incidents for allegedly attempting to smuggle endangered parrot eggs out of the country as authorities try to stem the tide of wildlife trafficking.A 50-year-old Thai national was arrested at OR Tambo international airport in Johannesburg on 20 August, carrying 50 bird eggs in a homemade incubator in a hand-luggage bag, South Africa’s environment ministry said in a statement. Continue reading...

‘This is a profoundly flawed decision that endangers our children and is an affront to Texas values,’ Ken Paxton saysA federal judge has, for a second time, struck down a Texas state law banning drag performances in settings where children may be present.In a ruling issued on Tuesday, US district judge David Hittner said Texas cannot enforce its drag show ban. He said that the measure improperly restricts speech and violates the first amendment of the US constitution. Continue reading...

Concerns over planning process as George Town council gives go-ahead for 288MW AI factory despite opposition from localsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe day before Anthony Albanese secured agreement with states and territories to develop national datacentre standards, a small council in Tasmania was grappling with the existing regulations in the face of strong community opposition to a new AI factory planned for its town.The George Town council voted 6-1 to approve the plans of Australian developer Firmus to build a 288 megawatt (MW) datacentre at Long Reach, north of Launceston, but said it did so reluctantly. Continue reading...

Research finds just 0.1-0.4% of the total insured population will ditch insurance, while the government will save as much as $940m a yearGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRemoving the higher private health insurance rebate for people aged 65 and over is good policy that is unlikely to place additional pressure on public hospitals, according to health economists.The proposed changes, set to take effect in April 2027, will mean the private health insurance rebate will depend only on how much money a person earns – matching the rules for people aged under 65. Continue reading...

Sentiment in hospitality and brewing sectors more positive since business rates action, trade bodies’ survey findsPubs, bars and hotels have reported a “Burnham bounce” in optimism as a result of the prime minister’s overtures to the sector, polling suggests, but they warn that the goodwill could evaporate without further tax relief.Andy Burnham has positioned himself as a staunch ally of the UK’s hospitality industry both before and since his arrival at No 10, last month announcing a discount on business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues. Continue reading...

Lethal temperatures ​and wildfires have exposed a widening gulf between voters demanding ​action and politicians unwilling to confront the long-term choices global heating requires• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThe climate crisis means “we’re going to have to change everything – the way we live, the way we produce, the way we trade,” France’s veteran radical-left firebrand, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, told the summer congress of his France Insoumise party last weekend.The term “climate change”, said Mélenchon – the most likely rival to Marine Le Pen in next year’s presidential run-off, according to one poll this week – may sound “almost reassuring”, but its actual impact will feel like “landing on another planet whenever we leave home”. Continue reading...

Reform MP seeks to heap pressure on Tory leader amid confusion around details of meeting with Giorgia MeloniRobert Jenrick has accused Kemi Badenoch of telling “a pack of lies” about her meeting with the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, as he launched a deeply personal attack on his former boss.The Reform UK MP sought to heap pressure on the Conservative leader amid confusion about whether Meloni had used a meeting in Rome with Badenoch to urge her to “be her own woman” and resist doing a deal with his party. Continue reading...