The Guardian

Wallace’s dog Gromit was nearly a cat, reveals creator as Aardman turns 50

Nick Park began modelling the character as a feline, before finding it too difficult and changing him to a dogThe creator of Wallace and Gromit has revealed that the world’s most famous stop-motion animated dog was nearly a cat.As Aardman Animations marks its 50th anniversary, Nick Park, who joined the studio in 1985, told the BBC he originally modelled Gromit as a feline companion for Wallace. Continue reading...

general  5d ago

BBC World

UK support for Falkland Islands 'unwavering', No 10 says

The comments come as Argentinian president Javier Milei says the "winds of change" favoured his country's claim on the British overseas territory.

general  5d ago

NY Times World

Philippines’ Vice President Faces Arrest Over Assassination Threats

A court issued a warrant for Sara Duterte, who is accused of having threatened President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and two of his relatives.

general  5d ago

NY Times World

U.N. to Vote on African Proposal for a New World Map

The Equal Earth projection shows countries’ true size relative to one another, unlike the centuries-old Mercator map, which critics say makes Africa look smaller than it is.

general  5d ago

The Guardian

ICE bans hugging inside California’s largest detention center. Families are fighting back

In the California City facility, ‘contact visits’ are strictly forbidden – but detained residents aren’t staying quiet. Are officials listening?Teresa Reyes drove 300 miles to be with her son on his 32nd birthday in May, but she couldn’t give him a gift, share a meal with him or give him a hug. She couldn’t even touch him.Her son, Guillermo, a tattoo artist from San Jose, is locked up in the California City immigration detention center, California’s largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I

general  5d ago

The Guardian

JD Vance accused of ‘gaslighting’ after saying he is ‘skeptical’ US struck Iranian wedding | First Thing

Vice-president’s claim US-Iran conflict is not war draws ridicule from Democrat Ro Khanna. Plus, iconic feminist Gloria Steinem dies aged 92Good morning. The US vice-president, JD Vance, has responded to claims that an American strike was responsible for killing four people, including a child, at a wedding celebration in southern Iran by saying that “sometimes things happen”. The deaths were reported by the Iranian Red Crescent, which operates independently of Tehran and is treated by most inte

general  5d ago

BBC World

Body of world's youngest traditional king returns home to Uganda amid succession row

King Oyo died in the US last week aged 34 after receiving treatment for an aggressive form of cancer.

general  5d ago

The Guardian

Missouri supreme court blocks congressional maps backed by Trump for midterms – US politics live

The decision marks a setback for Republicans in a national redistricting battleSign up for US Breaking News emailsHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The Missouri supreme court blocked a Republican-drawn new congressional map ⁠from being used in November’s midterm ⁠elections, a blow to the party’s ​odds for maintaining its narrow US House majority.The Trump administration filed an emergency request asking the US supreme court to lift order blocking USPS from implementing mail-in votin

general  5d ago

NY Times World

Families Mourn Nepal Flood Victims

With thousands still missing in Nepal’s floods, some families have turned to symbolic cremations to honor their loved ones. Our South Asia bureau chief, Mujib Mashal, witnessed one of the ceremonies.

general  5d ago

The Guardian

Iranian town mourns after deadly strike on wedding

Mourning turns to anger as residents of Kuhestak say Baloch communities are being placed in path of conflictPeople in Kuhestak, a predominantly Baloch city in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, are mourning after a strike on a wedding killed at least four people, including a child, and injured more than 60, according to local authorities.The blast hit at around 9.30pm on 1 September, turning a night of celebration into one of devastation for the small coastal community, which is on the strait o

general  5d ago

NY Times World

Families Turn to Symbolic Cremation After Nepal Floods

Thousands are missing, and some families have lost hope of recovering their bodies. To carry out his sacred duty, a son lights the funeral pyre for a straw effigy of his father.

general  5d ago

NY Times World

Haze From Indonesian Wildfires Blankets Parts of Malaysia, Philippines

A powerful El Niño is fanning what could be Indonesia’s worst fire season in years, one that is also raising fears of a regional health crisis.

general  5d ago

NY Times World

Inside the Nepal Tunnel Rescue Operation

An Australian engineer advising the effort described how two men were freed after nine days trapped in a tunnel at the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower plant.

general  5d ago

BBC World

Europe targeted by spiralling campaign of sabotage and Russia is the chief suspect

Germany has blamed Russia for an attack on Leipzig airport but there has been a series of suspicious incidents elsewhere.

general  5d ago

BBC World

US diesel prices hit an all-time-high

Fuel prices have soared since the Iran conflict began at the end of February, mirroring the surge in wholesale oil prices.

general  5d ago

NY Times World

Nigel Farage to Speak at Reform UK Conference Amid Scrutiny Over Party Finances

Advisers to the Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage were captured on film apparently arranging contributions from a man posing as a foreign donor.

general  5d ago

The Guardian

Thieves target mail order sales as Pokémon card prices soar

As one card recently sold for £12m, opportunistic thefts have surged – envelopes are being opened en route, costing small businesses thousandsPokémon’s success over the last 30 years has seen it grow from a much-loved Game Boy classic, to a world-dominating brand with TV shows, spin-off games, toys and even a theme park. The trading card game is a huge part of that, with more than 85bn cards printed over its lifetime, and the appetite for them shows no signs of slowing down. Packs get snapped up

general  5d ago

The Guardian

Health-tracking smart ring maker Oura to list on US stock market

Firm has celebrity fans and ambassadors including Prince Harry, Jennifer Aniston and Kim KardashianFans of Oura are accustomed to using its trendy smart rings to fastidiously monitor their health but now investors are preparing to track a new metric – its share price.The San Francisco-headquartered company’s filing to imminently list on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York was made public on Thursday. Continue reading...

general  5d ago

WSJ World News

Two Men Pulled Alive From Tunnel Nine Days After Nepal Flood

The rescue sparked hopes in country where more than 1,250 are dead and some 5,000 are missing.

general  5d ago

BBC World

After renewed US-Iran strikes - how could the conflict end?

Three experts give their BBC their thoughts on whether an imminent end to the conflict is likely.

general  5d ago