The Guardian

English winemakers expect ‘vintage year’ after record-breaking summer heat

Hot weather means sweeter grapes, but outlook gloomier for beermakers, as drought diminishes barley harvestEnglish sparkling winemakers expect their earliest grape harvest and a “vintage year” after a scorching summer quickly ripened grapes.However, beer sellers have warned of a potential shortage after record-breaking temperatures and a drought hitting much of England has caused poor yields of barley. Continue reading...

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The Guardian

Hawaii has often dodged the path of hurricanes. Why did it see so many storms this summer?

Despite its location, the island chain has avoided the worst effects, but Hurricanes Lowell and Lala left a trail of damage this yearHurricane Lowell surged near the Hawaiian Islands this week, leaving a trail of downed trees and power lines, crumbled roads, sunken boats and destroyed piers on the island of Kauai.Residents were left to grapple not only with the damage, but the rising risks to the tropical archipelago as sea surface temperatures climb. Continue reading...

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The Guardian

Much of Europe already levies a tourist tax – a nice little earner for Italian hotspots

While England makes its first foray into unfamiliar territory, it’s proved a boon for Italy’s cash-strapped municipalities A nightly tourist tax may be unfamiliar territory in the UK, but countries in continental Europe have been cashing in on these kinds of levies for decades.Tourists usually need to pay the tax on the day they check out of a hotel or holiday let, and are often surprised by an extra fee on top of their accommodation costs. Continue reading...

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The Guardian

Two arrested in London on suspicion of aiding Iran’s foreign intelligence

Arrests of woman, 42, and man, 60, follow Met search of addresses in north and north-west LondonA man and a woman have been arrested by counter-terrorism police in London on suspicion of assisting Iran’s foreign intelligence service.The arrests of the 42-year-old woman and 60-year-old man were made after searches at addresses in north and north-west London on 24 June, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

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The Guardian

Lindy Cameron appointed first ever female head of UK Foreign Office

High commissioner to India replaces Olly Robbins, who was sacked over Peter Mandelson scandalThe Foreign Office has its first ever female head after the appointment of Lindy Cameron, the high commissioner to India.Cameron’s new role as permanent undersecretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office means she will replace Olly Robbins, who was sacked over the Peter Mandelson scandal. Continue reading...

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NY Times World

Cargo Ship Fire in Eastern China Kills 25

The ship was docked in the port city of Qingdao for repairs at the time of the blaze, whose cause remained unclear, according to state media.

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The Guardian

MPs on both sides urge Commons not to take ‘extraordinary risk’ of forcing through assisted dying bill

Joint appeal issued by Labour MPs Gareth Snell, who voted for the bill, and Meg Hillier, who voted againstMPs who voted for and against assisted dying have urged their respective sides not to take the “extraordinary risk” of forcing through the bill using an obscure parliamentary procedure if it continues to be blocked by the Lords.Two Labour MPs have written a warning letter to colleagues in the crucial hours before the next vote, Gareth Snell who voted in favour of the bill, alongside Meg Hil

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Washington Post World

Iranian-backed Houthis fight to block Red Sea passage for Saudi oil

Houthi control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait would be a setback for the Trump administration in its war with Iran, which has already blocked the Strait of Hormuz.

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The Guardian

Ralph Lauren proves the American dream still sells at New York fashion week

Designer mixes burnt-out velvet and shredded denim with a mythology that keeps getting more profitableThe opening show of fashion’s month of catwalks was not on the official schedule, but Viola Davis and Cynthia Erivo were snuggled on to celebrity-packed benches in a cathedral-sized marble hall where tapestry-hung walls and a gilded coffered ceiling framed a view over lower Manhattan.Ralph Lauren, who is 86, took his bow at the end of this show casually dressed in a varsity jacket spelling out N

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The Guardian

Japan seeks change to new UN world map over Russia 'misconception'

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...

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The Guardian

Chemical companies reach $455m settlement with North Carolina over ‘forever chemicals’ claims

Chemours, DuPont and Corteva reach settlement after lawsuits accuse companies of polluting drinking water Chemours, DuPont and Corteva on Thursday reached a $455m settlement with ⁠North Carolina and 11 local entities over Pfas contamination claims tied to ⁠Chemours’ Fayetteville Works ⁠plant and ​other historical discharges.Lawsuits accusing major chemical companies of polluting U.S. drinking water ⁠with toxic Pfas chemicals – a group of pollutants referred to as “forever chemicals” – have led ⁠

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The Guardian

Elon Musk attacks film-maker behind documentary about him

Tech mogul calls director Alex Gibney a ‘bitter old man’ who has ‘zero integrity’ in series of posts on XElon Musk has issued an angry tirade at the film-maker behind a four-hour documentary about his life and influence, labelling director Alex Gibney a “bitter old man” who has “zero integrity”.Gibney, who has previously made films about the collapse of Enron, WikiLeaks and Vladimir Putin, premiered his Musk documentary at the Venice film festival this week. He said he believed the world’s riche

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The Guardian

OpenAI not on track to reduce risk of ‘catastrophic’ loss of control, says board member

US government adviser Paul Christiano warns of risks to AI industry as he joins OpenAI’s non-profit foundationOpenAI is not on track to reduce risks of “catastrophic” loss of control to an acceptable level, a member of its non-profit board has warned, amid spreading public and political concern that super-advanced AIs could one day wipe out humanity.Paul Christiano, a US government technology adviser, said “there is a meaningful risk that rapid acceleration in AI capabilities leads to catastroph

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The Guardian

Malta warned of corruption crisis after Daphne Caruana Galizia verdict sends ‘chill down the spine’

Labour peer tells Council of Europe inquiry failure to implement legal protections still putting journalists at riskEurope live – latest updatesMalta is vulnerable to “repeated instances of high-level corruption” unless it strengthens the rule of law and protections for journalists, the Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti said at the opening of an inquiry into judicial failures following the death of Daphne Caruana Galizia.Chakrabarti, a member of the House of Lords and former director of the human ri

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The Guardian

Ryanair will dispute passenger’s claim he was sucked out of window

CEO Michael O’Leary tells reporters the businessman was sucked ‘towards’ but not out of the openingBusiness live – latest updatesRyanair has said it will be “disputing” that any part of a passenger’s body was sucked outside when a window on one of its aircraft broke while in flight.US investigators are examining the incident which left Ljubisa Karović, 61, severely injured when the window beside him shattered on a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany in July. Continue reading...

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WSJ World News

Yemen’s Iran-Backed Houthis Sweep Toward Strategic Bab al-Mandeb

The militant group captured the port of Mokha and left Saudi-backed government forces in retreat, expanding its control near a chokepoint for energy exports.

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The Guardian

Fascism on the rise in the UK, Anglican bishop says

Arun Arora, bishop of Kirkstall in Leeds, condemns ‘twisted theology’ of groups who demonstrated at south coast ports at weekendUK politics live – latest updatesFascism is on the rise in the UK, a Church of England bishop has warned, condemning the “twisted theology” of the self-described “Christian patriots” who demonstrated at ports on the south coast last weekend.The masked, black-clad, anti-migrant agitators – led by Daniel “Danny Tommo” Thomas, a former bodyguard of far-right influencer Tom

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The Guardian

Glencore’s former head of oil pleads not guilty to bribery charges

Billionaire Alex Beard and his former deputy appear in London court over alleged payments to African officialsGlencore’s billionaire former head of oil trading has pleaded ⁠not guilty ⁠to ​two bribery charges after allegedly facilitating payments to west African officials in order to advance the Swiss commodity group’s operations ⁠in the continent.Alex Beard, 59, denied two counts of conspiracy to make ⁠corrupt payments at London’s Southwark crown court on Thursday, in a case brought by the Seri

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The Guardian

Houthis seize key Yemeni port of Mocha in drive to take control of Red Sea coast

Iran and its proxies move closer to full control of two shipping chokepoints as regional conflict widensYemen’s Houthi rebels are making a concerted drive to take full control of the country’s Red Sea coast, claiming control of the key port of Mocha, in the most serious wave of fighting with the Saudi-backed government in years.Seizure of the coast would be a strategic disaster for Saudi Arabia and the US, taking Iran and its proxies closer to full control of two chokepoints for western shipping

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The Guardian

Secret systems used by Israel in mass killings of Gaza civilians revealed in new film

Testimony from Israeli military insiders involved in surveillance and remote killings features in documentary produced by the GuardianTestimony from 24 Israeli military insiders ​on the secret ​systems used in ​the war on Gaza​ has been revealed in a new documentary film about the mass killing of Palestinian civilians.NAZA, a film from the Oscar-winning Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, shown at the Venice international film festival on Thursday as the only documentary competing f

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