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• World leaders are meeting at the United Nations this week to address global conflicts, artificial intelligence, and climate change. • The organization has faced financial troubles over the past 12 months that forced cutbacks to humanitarian aid and peacekeeping operations. • These divisions and funding shortages limit the ability of the international community to coordinate responses to global crises.

Salmon companies operating in Tasmanian marine areas deployed almost 1,800 explosives in first half of 2026, government figures revealGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMore than 150,000 underwater explosives have been used to deter seals at Tasmanian salmon farms since 2016, according to new government data.Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE Tas) data released last week revealed salmon companies directed almost 1,800 underwater explosives at seals at fish farms in the first half of 2026. Continue reading...

• Italian authorities launched investigations into at least 23 medical professionals suspected of helping irregular migrants avoid detention centers. • The doctors are accused of falsely certifying migrants as ill to prevent their transfer to holding facilities. • These legal actions create professional and legal risks for healthcare workers providing care to migrants in Italy.

• Simply Wall St identified three undervalued European small-cap stocks that have seen recent insider buying despite broader market volatility. • The pan-European STOXX Europe 600 Index ended the week down due to fluctuating energy prices and tensions in the Middle East. • Investors may find opportunities in these small-cap companies because strong fundamentals and insider purchases often signal internal confidence in a stock's value.

• Tech leaders and governments are currently divided over whether artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to humanity. • Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei cited an incident where an AI "swarm" from OpenAI and Hugging Face conducted cybersecurity attacks as evidence of potential catastrophic damage. • This disagreement creates uncertainty for AI developers regarding the necessity of independent safety evaluations and international coordination to pace development.

Nigel Farage dismisses loss of previous leader as ‘bump in the road’ and says party will ‘carry on as if nothing had happened’UK politics live – latest updatesNigel Farage dismissed the loss of Reform UK’s leader in Wales last week as a “bump in the road”, as the party unveiled a replacement.Helen Jenner becomes Reform UK’s new leader in Wales after Dan Thomas stood down last Tuesday after he was arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviours. Continue reading...

Friedrich Merz clinging to power after Christian Democratic Union loses two state electionsEurope live – latest updatesGermany’s beleaguered leader, Friedrich Merz, has sought to shore up support for his flagging chancellorship among senior members of his conservative party after its drubbing at the polls in two state elections.Merz, who has vowed his fractious coalition government will plough ahead with an unpopular reform agenda, held an early meeting in Berlin with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)’s leadership on Monday. Continue reading...

• Asian stocks rose recently as investors anticipated a trade truce between the United States and China ahead of a meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. • South Korea's Kospi index climbed 1.7 percent to 7,007.72, driven by a 5 percent jump in Samsung Electronics shares. • The market gains reflect investor optimism regarding international trade stability and the ongoing artificial intelligence boom despite safety warnings from U.S. tech leaders.

• World leaders are meeting at the United Nations this week to address global conflicts, political divisions, artificial intelligence, and climate change. • The organization has faced financial troubles over the past 12 months that forced cutbacks to humanitarian aid and peacekeeping operations. • These budget constraints limit the ability of the international body to provide critical support and security in war-torn regions.

• United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres returned to New York this week for his final U.N. General Assembly. • The gathering occurs as diplomacy falters regarding ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. • Deep divisions within the global body threaten the ability of world leaders to reach consensus on international security.

Several workers say they’re opting to go without health coverage due to premium costs soaring this yearStarbucks workers say their health insurance premiums have soared this year, in some cases more than doubling, according to a recent survey conducted by Starbucks Workers United.The survey of more than 130 Starbucks workers in both unionized and non-unionized stores, shared exclusively with the Guardian, found baristas are experiencing significant hikes in costs for their health insurance coverage starting 1 October. Continue reading...

• Switzerland recently adopted a new national security strategy to increase its resilience and ability to defend itself against armed attacks. • The strategy marks a shift for the famously neutral nation as it prepares for the possibility of a wider conflict beyond Ukraine. • This move signals a broader trend of European countries strengthening military readiness to protect their borders and stability.

Lib Dem leader says he is proud of party’s record at Brighton conference Good morning. Ed Davey became Lib Dem leader in 2020, which means he is technically the longest-serving leader of a national party in the UK. (“Technically” because, while Nigel Farage only became leader of Reform UK in his current incumbency in 2024, he had led it before when it was called the Brexit party and, if you include Ukip, he has been leader of the anti-migrant, anti-EU right in British politics for more than 20 years.) After six years in charge, it is inevitable that some Lib Dems are starting to complain and, with the Lib Dem conference taking place in Brighton, Davey has been giving interviews this morning where he has had to respond to complaints from his critics.The most vocal has been Julian Brazil, the leader of Devon county council, who told the BBC yesterday that the Lib Dems were “sleepwalking into irrelevance” with Davey at the helm.We’ve grown really fast in recent years under my leadership. Record number of MPs. We’re running more councils than the Conservatives – councils up and down the country.[I’m] really proud of that record and it means when you have a bigger party, you can’t please everyone all the time.I would say to the Devon councillor, we’ve now got six Liberal Democrat MPs in Devon. That’s not happened since the 1920s.We have a huge number of councillors across Devon and are leading the way in Devon, and I could go around the rest of the country. Continue reading...

• Tech-led shares rose across Asia-Pacific markets on Tuesday as oil prices declined. • South Korea’s tech-heavy index gained 1.5%, while MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.8%. • Chinese blue-chip stocks increased by 0.6% as investor sentiment improved for major companies.