Change

Farming lobby says shoppers will see emptier shelves and higher prices because of restrictions on backpackersGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastThe farming lobby’s claim that immigration rule changes will increase food prices for households is wrong, Tony Burke has said, describing moves to speed up processing of backpacker visas as a positive step for agriculture.Burke unveiled Labor’s long-awaited reforms at the National Press Club on Thursday, flagging that the plan was more limited than the government would like, due to a lack of support for wider legislation from the Coalition. Continue reading...

• Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition exchanged fire recently as part of the ongoing conflict in Yemen. • The Houthis claimed to have shot down a Saudi jet, while the coalition reported rebel attacks near the city of Mecca. • These conflicting reports highlight the continued instability and volatility for civilians and military forces in the region.

• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that states must continue sending out mail ballots using their existing long-term processes. • The decision follows a challenge by Democratic state officials and voting rights groups who argued the president lacked the constitutional authority to restrict mail voting. • This ruling ensures that mail-in voting remains available to voters and prevents the federal government from using Postal Service control to eliminate the practice before a major election.

In today’s newsletter: Plaid Cymru, the SNP and Sinn Féin have signed an agreement for greater powers, as pressure grows on Westminster over the UK’s futureGood morning. Back in May, the shape of British politics shifted dramatically. I’ll forgive you if you were too preoccupied refreshing Andrew Sparrow’s live blog for the latest speculation about Keir Starmer to notice, but since 7 May, centre-left nationalist parties that ultimately aspire to leave the UK have been in government for the first time simultaneously in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.This week sees the initial codification of that shift. In Cardiff yesterday, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, Scottish National party leader John Swinney and Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill (who shares power with the Democratic Unionist party) affirmed their countries’ right to seek independence from the UK. Along with the leader of the opposition in Ireland, Mary Lou McDonald, they signed a memorandum of understanding that called on Westminster “to prepare, plan and facilitate constitutional change in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland”. And they posed for a fair number of group photos too.Reform UK | Andy Burnham’s government could thwart Reform’s unprecedented £72m donations with retrospective restrictions on political donors that will include tough new residency requirements, ministers have announced.AI | Donald Trump has dismissed calls to increase controls on AI as a “sick conspiracy”, as stocks linked to the technology slumped after appeals from Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceX leaders on the weekend for the industry to slow down.Nato | Nato fighter jets shot down a drone over Lithuania after an alert was issued in the ‌capital and surrounding region, while Poland scrambled fighter jets less than a day after retrieving a suspected Russian drone adrift in its waters.Middle East | Yemen’s Houthi rebels have seized two strategic islands in the Red Sea, reinforcing the Iran-backed group’s ability to control a key shipping route, as concerns mount that the world is facing a new oil supply crisis.Lucy Letby | Two leading experts have quit Lucy Letby’s defence team over concerns about the “scientific credibility” of some of its evidence. Continue reading...

• Supreme Court Justice nominee Kim Seong-Su expressed regret on the 14th for an oversight that caused public concern. • Kim stated that he will closely read the changes of the times to help the judiciary move in step with current societal shifts. • This commitment suggests a willingness to adapt judicial interpretations to align with rapidly changing social norms.

CDC announces changes to how it reports measles deaths as Pennsylvania continues to confirm more casesThe Trump administration has changed the way it counts measles deaths amid an outbreak in Pennsylvania, which on Sunday saw the third apparent measles-related death in the state reported by a local coroner.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now using data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which is a way to track mortality trends over time, according to a note published to the agency’s website on 4 September. Continue reading...

• A three-judge panel nominated by Joe Biden refused to lift an injunction on Thursday regarding the Trump administration's proposed mail ballot changes. • The judges ruled that the president lacks the legal authority to regulate election policies managed by individual states. • This decision prevents the federal government from unilaterally altering how mail-in ballots are handled before the upcoming midterm elections.

Labour MPs and unions are pressuring the government to legislate for a stricter cap on political party donationsGood morning. This afternoon peers will debate the second reading of the representation of the people bill. If you hear a loud bang echo around the Lords chamber, it will be the sound of stable door being shut after the horse has bolted.At the end of 2024 the Sunday Times carried a report saying that Elon Musk was considering donating $100m to Reform UK. It made a good headline, but the idea seemed so preposterous that no one at Westminster really took it very seriously. Musk is not a British citizen, and so it would have been illegal for him to have given the money directly anyway; he would have had to have donated via UK companies.We’re completely confident that [the Delo and Harborne] donations comply with not only the existing rules, but they also comply with the rules currently going through parliament, albeit with that retrospective element …Unless [Labour] literally try and change the rules again as it’s going through the House of Lords, in which case it would have to go back to the Commons. I mean, anything’s possible with this sort of dictatorship currently ruining the country. You know, we’re the victims of a coup.These donations are made in accordance with the rules and the regulations, and you’ve now got a hyperventilating hypocrisy from the socialists ruining this country, who are trying to change the rules retrospectively, which is it’s not the fair way, it’s not the British way, and I think most people will say ‘does that just mean that Labour are terrified of the progress of Reform and they’re trying to create an unlevel playing field? Continue reading...

Attenders will be asked to take part in tests to see if they have become more open to views they do not agree withFestivalgoers sometimes report feeling they have a fresh perspective of the world when they make their weary way home after a stimulating cultural gathering.A new “festival of ideas” in Somerset is aiming to measure whether the beliefs and ideas of attenders and speakers really are changed by their event. Continue reading...

• American tennis players Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe have secured spots in the U.S. Open final after Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. • The headliner match between the two Americans was scheduled to start after 11 p.m. Eastern time, a timing described as not ideal for broadcasters or fans. • This matchup creates the first opportunity in 23 years for an American man to win the U.S. Open title.

The city’s mayor and Tennessee’s governor threw their support behind the name change last monthThe Nashville airport is to be renamed after Dolly Parton, a board of commissioners voted on Friday, in tribute to the Smoky Mountain singer who is estimated to bring $1.8bn each year to Tennessee through her Dollywood theme park.The decision ensures that Parton, who died last month at 80 years old, will be memorialized with her name on an airport, although the renaming process will take time to complete. Continue reading...

• The European Union is accelerating efforts to finalize its seven-year budget and climate change policies before France holds elections in 2027. • The Financial Times reports that Paris has issued warnings regarding the urgency of securing these key documents. • These agreements determine the long-term funding and environmental regulations that will impact businesses and governments across the EU member states.

• Drew Cline, chairman of the state Board of Education, reflected on the lasting political and cultural impact of the September 11 attacks. • Cline stated that the events left Americans less united, less patriotic, and less trusting of both outsiders and each other. • The perspective suggests that the trauma of the attacks continues to darken American politics and culture with persistent fears and hatreds.

The new ‘true-scale’ map shrinks Europe and North America while enlarging Africa – and depicts the disputed Kuril islands as ruled by MoscowJapan has asked for the revision of a new world map adopted by the UN because it said it made the disputed Kuril islands appear to belong to Russia.The UN general assembly voted on Friday to adopt the new map, which makes the African continent larger while also shrinking North America and Europe, drawing condemnation from the US. Continue reading...

Residents denounce suggestion to rename state ‘New America’, save some Republicans who insist it was ‘satire’US politics live – latest updatesWhen scrolling through social media over the Labor Day weekend, actor, comedian and native New Mexican Steven Michael Quezada was stopped cold by a post about Donald Trump’s recent call to rename New Mexico to New America.“At first I thought, nah, that’s got to be a joke,” said Quezada, who played drug enforcement agent Steven Gomez in the legendary TV series Breaking Bad. Continue reading...

Podcast will be on YouTube site of Mike Graham, fired from TalkTV after racist post appeared on his Facebook pageWhen Liz Truss launched her podcast last year, she declared it would bring a “counter-revolution” to take on the “deep state”, which, she said, “tried to destroy” her.The revolution, however, has not yet arrived. Truss, whose stint as UK prime minister abruptly ended after her disastrous mini-budget crashed the economy, has so far failed to find a wide audience with her media career. Continue reading...

• The Stock Exchange of Thailand is listing 28 new depositary receipts, which are certificates representing shares of foreign stocks. • The new lineup includes major global firms such as Intel, Dell, Palantir, Airbus, and Chinese chip-equipment maker Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. • This move allows local investors to gain direct exposure to high-profile international technology and aerospace markets without needing foreign brokerage accounts.

Satirical program’s new title is ‘inspired by bravery and patriotism’ of Apple and Google, who capitulated to Trump’s requests to change Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’In light of Donald Trump’s attempts to rename a gulf, lakes and even states after “America”, South Park, the animated satirical program that has long skewered those in power, has announced an official name change. For its 29th season, the Comedy Central series will be known as “South America”.“Inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are changing the name of South Park to SOUTH AMERICA,” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker said in a statement. “We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount – a Skydance Capitulation.” The show’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, owned by Trump ally David Ellison, is poised to become one of the biggest media conglomerates in the US after the Trump administration approved its $111bn merger with Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), drawing much creative industry backlash.The 29th season of “South America” will premiere on 16 September, and stream globally on Paramount+. Continue reading...

President cites Donald Trump’s suggestion that he might reconsider US support for British sovereignty, and threatens swifter sanctions on British oil interestsPresident Javier Milei has said “winds of change favourable” to Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands were “blowing around the world” in a televised address, citing signs that Donald Trump might reconsider the US position on the islands’ sovereignty.“Recently, President Trump declared that the US is re-evaluating its historic position in relation to the Malvinas,” he said, using the Argentinian name for the islands. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration has petitioned the US Supreme Court for permission to implement sweeping changes to how mail-in ballots are handled. • This move escalates a month-long legal dispute regarding an executive order issued by the President concerning election procedures. • The request is critical as it seeks to alter voting protocols immediately preceding the upcoming November midterm elections.

• Lawsuits and whistleblower claims have been filed to challenge the Trump administration's attempts to alter mail-in voting rules ahead of the upcoming elections. • Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) highlighted a whistleblower letter alleging the U.S. Postal Service is rushing to create an online ballot screening system. • Critics argue these policy changes and technical implementations could jeopardize the integrity and efficiency of the midterm elections.

Exclusive: New environment secretary insists ‘nothing is off the table’ in dealing with ailing Thames WaterBritain’s insolvency laws cannot deal with the aggressive behaviour shown by the companies that control Thames Water, the environment secretary has said, as she confirmed ministers were prepared to take it into public ownership.Angela Eagle told the Guardian she was determined to reform the water industry after being told by Andy Burnham to make it her top priority. Continue reading...

• A federal judge is reviewing whether to extend a ban on proposed U.S. Postal Service (USPS) changes to mail ballot handling for the upcoming midterm elections. • Judge Talwani previously blocked the administration's implementation of an order from Donald Trump in June, citing concerns that the changes were being introduced too close to the election. • The Supreme Court recently ruled that the initial block was premature because the USPS had not yet published the specific regulations governing the order's application.

• Experts from the Brookings Institution are analyzing the long-term global implications and policy requirements resulting from the war in Iran. • The conflict has highlighted a "jarring reckoning" regarding the fragility of economic security across Asia within a degraded geopolitical landscape. • This analysis matters as it identifies critical vulnerabilities in international trade and regional stability triggered by the escalation.

Bureau of Meteorology suggests El Niño has already broken records, with Pacific ocean temperature change exceeding 2C in six monthsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereThe growing El Niño weather phenomenon to Australia’s east is already breaking heat records, with forecasts showing it will likely easily surpass previous events, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, as seperate research suggested climate change had greatly shortened the odds of the event hitting record extremes.On Thursday the UN’s weather agency said the event in the Pacific was continuing to strengthen and would probably persist until early 2027, warning it had the “potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world”.Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter Continue reading...

• Former President Donald Trump is proposing changes to mail-in voting procedures that could significantly impact election outcomes in key states ranging from Florida to California. • The proposed shifts aim to restrict or alter how mail-in ballots are cast and processed, targeting specific vulnerabilities in current state-level voting laws. • These changes matter because they could shift the balance of power in critical swing states and affect voter turnout across diverse demographics.

• 196 countries adopted the Paris Agreement on December 12, 2015, during the COP21 summit in Paris to combat the global emergency of climate change. • The agreement emphasizes the need for international cooperation and coordinated solutions across all levels of government to address environmental degradation. • This initiative is critical because climate change transcends national borders, requiring a collective global shift toward a low-carbon economy to mitigate negative impacts.

• Three additional companies are preparing to leave the London Stock Exchange following a series of takeover offers. • This trend follows a broader wave of mergers and acquisitions that are removing firms from the capital's under-pressure stock market. • While current investors are benefiting from immediate financial payoffs, analysts warn that the long-term implications for the UK market could be bleak.