MPs vote against legalising assisted dying in England and Wales

• India is currently navigating a strategic rivalry between the United States and China as both superpowers compete for global dominance. • The conflict centers on a struggle for technological leadership, economic control, and the rewriting of national security rules.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin will meet in New Delhi for the BRICS Summit 2026 to address economic and geopolitical challenges. • Prime Minister Modi specifically called for lasting peace in West Asia and emphasized the safety of seafarers.

• Cuba is experiencing a severe power crisis that is disrupting basic services following the imposition of sanctions. • National electricity generation in August met less than one third of the country's total demand.

• President Zelenskyy will attend the 2026 UN General Assembly to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. • President Putin is not expected to attend the event.

• The UN General Assembly opened its 81st session on Tuesday, September 8, at the UN Headquarters in New York. • The incoming president pledged to restore public trust in the institution amid ongoing wars, humanitarian crises, and intensifying climate change.

• India has established itself as a dependable first responder by providing swift humanitarian aid during crises in Venezuela and Afghanistan. • The response effort combined military mobility, indigenous technology, and medical expertise to reach these geographically distant nations.

• World leaders will gather in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026, for the 18th BRICS Summit to discuss cooperation and sustainability. • India will serve as the Chair of the summit, taking responsibility for facilitating discussions and coordinating negotiations among member nations.

Far-right German party’s newly elected representatives face fresh scrutiny as it tries to form government in Saxony-Anhalt• Why is the AfD’s state victory significant and what might happen next?The Alternative für Deutschland is facing scrutiny over the suitability of some of its prospective new MPs – including a former Stasi officer and a former pornography actor – just days after its historic win in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.Presented by the AfD’s lead candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, for a photocall in the state capital of Magdeburg on Thursday, some of the members-elect were revealed to have a range of questionable backgrounds, including criminal records, Stasi pasts and connections to far-right networks. Continue reading...

Phra Wachirayan Wi arrested alongside woman he was filmed having sex with in latest scandal to hit country’s clergyPolice in Thailand have arrested a senior Buddhist monk on suspicion of embezzling $2.8m intended for his monastery, alongside a suspected female accomplice he was filmed having sex with.The case is the latest scandal to hit the clergy in Buddhist-majority country, after a sex and extortion case involving senior monks last year prompted public outrage and calls for greater scrutiny of temple finances. Continue reading...

Federal environment department tells industry representatives the government does not want to ‘exacerbate cost of living pressures’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Albanese government has been accused of breaking a promise after it shelved a longstanding commitment to bring in packaging standards intended to force manufacturers and retailers to cut plastic waste.The federal environment department told industry representatives via email last week that the promise would not be kept before the next election because the government did not want to “exacerbate cost of living pressures”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: FoI documents show senior health officials were warned of concerns about assessment tool weeks after it launchedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPeople with dementia were warned not to apply for home support because of fears their care would be downgraded by the government’s aged care algorithm.Documents released to Guardian Australia under freedom of information (FoI) laws reveal the warnings came within weeks of the November rollout of the algorithm, which is used to determine funding packages and priority of need for older Australians requiring home support. Continue reading...

The 23ft-long trackway, consisting of four three-toed footprints, two left and two right, date from 66.5m years ago The first known series of footprints from an adult Tyrannosaurus rex has been found in North Dakota by a team of scientists.The 23ft-long trackway – consisting of four three-toed footprints, two left and two right – was first identified in the south-west of the state, in the dinosaur fossil area known as Hell Creek Formation, last year by researchers from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in Colorado and Liverpool John Moores University in the UK. Continue reading...