MI5 issues spy alert to UK universities over Chinese front company stealing research

• Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger appointed Douglas Mercado, a visiting lecturer in public and international affairs, to the advisory board of the state’s Office of New Americans in September 2026. • Mercado cited his decades of professional experience supporting refugees, internally displaced persons, and disaster-impacted communities as the basis for his appointment.

• The United Nations concluded its 81st General Assembly amid rising geopolitical tensions that threaten global cooperation and peace. • The organization is currently facing a rupture of multilateralism, which is the process of multiple countries working together to solve shared problems.

• Interconnected conflicts are expanding on both sides of the Red Sea while the United States continues to provide inconsistent policy signals. • The African Union estimates that the conflict leading to the 2022 Pretoria Agreement resulted in approximately 600,000 deaths.

• Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned on September 29 that mass draft evasion and the potential collapse of the Israel Defense Forces are the greatest dangers facing the country. • The Israel Defense Forces reported that its troops physically prevented harm to a Palestinian family during a settler riot in the West Bank.

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that the United States and other partners must better understand India's concerns regarding cross-border terrorism. • The minister indicated that a lack of understanding on these specific security threats could negatively impact diplomatic relations.

Bear known for sitting in solitude won tournament celebrating the animals’ ability to eat large amounts of fishA chunky ursine called Backpack has out gobbled a challenge from an outsized female nicknamed the Dancing Queen to waltz – or rather waddle – off with the Fat Bear Week title at Alaska’s Katmai national park.Backpack, a 20-year-old quiet giant known for sitting in solitude for long periods on his rock on the Brooks river, won by barely 5,000 votes in the public tournament celebrating the brown bears’ ability to eat as many fish, Alaska rangers announced. Continue reading...

Institutions have for years turned to China for funding opportunities but national security concerns are mountingMI5 issues spy alert to UK universities over Chinese front company stealing researchThe security alert issued by MI5 regarding a Chinese state-owned conglomerate accused of conducting espionage in the UK reveals the extent to which British intelligence remains concerned about Beijing’s influence, and risks casting a shadow over UK-China cooperation at a time when the bilateral relationship is enjoying a revival.The UK’s domestic security service on Wednesday warned researchers and academics to cease work with the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT), an organisation MI5 described as a “significant threat”. Continue reading...

Burundi joins several other African nations in accepting people deported under Trump’s hardline policyBurundi has agreed to join a clutch of ⁠other African nations in receiving migrants from other countries deported from the US under ⁠Donald Trump’s hardline ⁠immigration ​policy.However, the authorities in Bujumbura, the country’s economic capital, said Burundi will only accept those not accused of crime or terrorism links, said ⁠Nancy Ninette Mutoni, a spokesperson for the country’s president, Évariste Ndayishimiye. Tuesday’s announcement gave no details of numbers, timing or financial ⁠details. Continue reading...

Met calls move ‘milestone’ moment that paves way for ‘very best possible evidence for charging decisions’Police investigating the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire have handed over files of evidence relating to 20 companies and 54 individuals to prosecutors.The Metropolitan police described the move as a “milestone” moment that paved the way for what it said would be “the very best possible evidence for charging decisions”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Alexander Millington-Cotes says call from police has given him hope concerns are being taken seriouslyThe stepson of Sir Ranulph Fiennes has been contacted by police and says he intends to speak to them this week over his concerns about the wellbeing of the explorer.Alexander Millington-Cotes – who is estranged from his mother, Louise, Fiennes’ second and current wife – said an officer from Cheshire police had called him in recent days. Continue reading...

PM’s oratory at least as good as Blair’s, says Andrew Marr, while Mail asks who pays for Honest Andy’s ‘New Jerusalem’UK politics live – latest updatesWhen assessing British political speeches, even many critics of the New Labour years measure success against Tony Blair, a leader whose podium appearances are regarded as the peak of oratory.On that measure, Andrew Marr, the former BBC political editor and now the New Statesman’s chief political commentator, reached for the ultimate accolade. “Rather to my surprise, I have to report Andy Burnham is at least as good a platform speaker as Blair,” he said. “Perhaps better.” Continue reading...