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Trump threatens to stop trading with EU over ‘laughable’ membership offer to Canada

Donald Trump has threatened the EU with “serious tariffs” and a halt to trade after the bloc proposed making Canada its first ever associate member – an idea he derided as “laughable”. The US president said that if the EU moved forward with the plan, Washington could impose “very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe”. He added: “If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.” Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, is due to address the European parliament on Thursday, a day after the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, invited his country to become the EU’s first “associate member”. Von der Leyen pitched closer cooperation on tech, defence and energy to Carney, telling the European parliament that, as democracies faced a “fracture in the international rules-based system”, Brussels and Ottawa needed to pull closer together. She said: “This is a partnership not against anyone else, but for our common strength. In short, we want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible.” In response to Trump’s comments, France’s Europe minister Benjamin Haddad said on Thursday that Washington had no power to veto EU decisions. “It is not up to the United States – or ‌anyone else – to choose the political and geopolitical direction of the Europeans. Once again, we have a relationship ⁠with Canada, and we are fully entitled to seek to deepen it,” Haddad ‌told Public Sénat TV channel. A European Commission spokesperson said: “As our president made clear yesterday, the proposed strengthening of the relationship with Canada is not against anyone else, but for our common strength.” Carney has called for a “unique alliance” with the EU as Canada seeks to reduce its heavy dependence on US trade. After meeting EU leaders in Strasbourg on Wednesday, he described the EU and Canada as “natural partners, united by shared values” and said that both sides were focused on “a deeper partnership that reinforces our mutual sovereignty to create more opportunities and prosperity for our peoples”. An associate membership agreement would have to be approved by the EU’s 27 member states, who generally support closer ties with Canada, but were taken by surprise by the term. Canada and the EU already have a trade deal and numerous bilateral agreements, but have been moving closer since Donald Trump returned to the White House and raised tariffs on both old allies, while repeatedly talking about Canada becoming the 51st US state and lambasting the EU. In a sign that Canada was seeking to further diversify its defence ties ⁠away from ⁠the US, Carney’s office announced on Wednesday that the country had formally applied to join the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force military ⁠coalition. The force is a rapid response ‌military partnership comprised of 10 North Atlantic Nato member states including Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. On Wednesday, Carney and the British prime minister, Andy Burnham, held a bilateral meeting at the grounds of Everton football club. The leaders, who are both fans of the premiership club, then attended the team’s game against Wolves. The two discussed deepening defence cooperation and the opportunities and ⁠challenges presented by ⁠artificial intelligence. Downing Street said both prime ministers emphasised the importance of building close ties with European partners, particularly on trade and defence. The 27-member EU has never had an associate membership category, although it has close ties with Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, allowing deep economic integration with these countries, who follow many EU rules. However, it remains to be seen what associate membership means, including for Canada’s relationship with the EU single market. Von der Leyen said on Wednesday that it was time to move from cooperation based on trade to a broader “alliance for the future” and “bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible. “We will work on intelligent manufacturing. We will create a tech alliance. We will integrate defence industrial bases. We will make the Arctic a flagship joint project,” she said. She listed energy, critical minerals, batteries, AI, cyber and economic security as other fields of cooperation. “This is a partnership not against anyone else, but for our common strength,” she said. With Agence France-Presse and Reuters

Trump threatens EU with ‘serious tariffs’ after proposal to make Canada first associate member – Europe live

Back to Trump’s threats over the proposed “associate membership” for Canada overnight, France’s Europe minister Benjamin Haddad said in response that the EU has no power to veto EU’s geopolitical choices. “It is not up to the United States – or ‌anyone else – to choose the political and geopolitical direction of the Europeans. Once again, we have a relationship ⁠with Canada, and we are fully entitled to seek to deepen it,” Haddad ‌said in an interview on Public Senat TV channel, reported by Reuters.

Thursday briefing: Yemen’s war continues to threaten oil supplies– but what about its people?

Good morning. The lightning advance of Houthi militants along the west coast of Yemen over the past week has prompted fears of a spiralling conflict in the region and a new oil supply crisis. For families living in the Middle East’s poorest country, the most significant fighting between the Iran-aligned Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces in years is a crisis upon a catastrophe, with escalating civilian casualties and at least 100,000 displaced in recent days. Houthi fighters have captured strategic islands across a critical Red Sea trade route, the Bab al-Mandab strait, one of the most important shipping routes in the world – almost 15% of global sea trade passes through it. The strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas transited in peacetime, has remained largely blocked since the US and Israel launched airstrikes in February, so the prospect of Iran and its allies exerting pressure on two maritime choke points has global implications. The price of crude oil has already begun to spike. For today’s newsletter, I spoke to Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House, about this new and dangerous dimension to the ongoing war in Yemen, and why fears over oil and global trade must not overshadow the plight of ordinary Yemenis. First, this morning’s headlines. Five big stories UK politics | Key allies of Andy Burnham have warned the prime minister not to back down over his promises to put water companies under public control, after details emerged about the prime minister’s plan to give mayors more oversight of the industry. Environment | Climate breakdown probably weakened the glacier that collapsed causing catastrophic floods and killing hundreds of people in Nepal and Tibet last month, the first scientific study of the disaster has found. Health | Women with the same medical condition as men are less likely to be offered treatment such as surgery, a stent or a strong painkiller, research has found. Europe | The UK government’s EU reset summit will be delayed again unless the bloc agrees to discuss legislation that could lock British business out of parts of EU industry, government sources have said. UK news | Police searching for a three-year-old boy who went missing from a playground on the Suffolk-Essex border have found a body. In depth: The fight for Yemen’s Red Sea coast The current escalation of violence in Yemen has its roots in a civil war that broke out in 2014 between the Yemeni army and the Houthi movement, which champions Yemen’s Shia Muslim minority. A year later, the Houthis – part of Iran’s “axis of resistance”, a loose coalition of armed groups that includes Hamas and Hezbollah – toppled the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. Al-Muslimi grew up in a remote mountain village in Yemen, where his family made honey, one of the country’s most lucrative and popular exports. His mother used to tease him because the bees didn’t recognise him after he spent long periods studying away from home – he was the only person in his family who had to wear a beekeeping suit. Al-Muslimi now writes about how the years-long internecine conflict has had a devastating impact on the honey trade and the farmers who tend Yemeni bees. At least 150,000 people have been killed since 2014, mainly through aerial bombardment by the Saudi-backed coalition that supports the Yemeni government, which has resumed this week. About 4.5 million people – the population of Birmingham and Greater Manchester combined – have already been displaced by fighting over the past decade, while the UN estimates that more than 18.2 million – twice the population of London – are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. The situation now is “worse than 2015”, says Al-Muslimi, with global attention diverted to crises in Syria, Sudan, and Ukraine and now focused on oil prices and regional consequences. “There is even less willingness to help civilians.” After the Houthis captured the port city of Mocha, birthplace of the global coffee trade, last week, Al-Muslimi heard local media reports of more than 240 pregnant women ready to give birth without accessible healthcare. “It’s absolutely nuts,” he says. “This is a country that was already suffering so many things, including indifference.” *** How has the conflict escalated in the past week? It has been plain for months to Yemen-watchers that the Houthis were preparing for a significant offensive, says al-Muslimi. This erupted about a week ago with the militants seizing control of parts of the west coast and gaining a hold over the Bab al-Mandab strait, including the strategic port of Mocha and key islands of Perim, Greater and Lesser Hanish in the 20-mile stretch of water that forms a natural chokepoint on the trade route connecting Asia with Europe. With government supporters in disarray, the degree of division among anti-Houthi forces is complicating the fight back. The Houthis have achieved what Al-Muslimi calls “the most consequential change in territorial control in Yemen for years”. Since then, the Houthis have claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, including the bombing of a critical east-west oil pipeline. On Wednesday a military spokesperson for the Houthis denied attempting to fly a drone close to the holy city of Mecca, and claimed that Saudi Arabia has carried out as many as 450 airstrikes in Yemen ‌this week in retaliation. The ongoing aggression is driving fears that more Muslim nations could be drawn into the conflict. *** What does it mean for global oil supply? If the Houthis were to close the Bab al-Mandab strait, vessels would be forced to reroute all the way around the southern tip of Africa. The consequences for the global economy could be dire, particularly when taken along with the ongoing blockade of Hormuz. With Iran and its Houthi allies controlling potentially a third of energy trade globally, “it’s more dangerous than a nuclear bomb,” says Al-Muslimi bluntly, “especially at a time when the world still depends massively on this type of energy”. Attacks on Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline – which is now closed for repairs and has been crucial for moving oil from the strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea export hub of Yanbu – will add further pressure to global supplies. Al-Muslimi advises caution over Houthi claims that they don’t intend to impose transit fees on vessels passing through Bab al-Mandab. The UN security council has seen evidence that, since the militants started attacks on Red Sea shipping in 2023, in response to Israel’s decimation of Gaza, the Houthis have been extracting informal payments from some shipping agencies in return for safe passage. Meanwhile, Saudi anger with Iran for assisting Houthi attacks saw the cancellation of a meeting with Gulf states about the future of the strait of Hormuz on Monday. Reports in the early hours today that Saudi Arabia may be offering more crude cargoes through Oman saw the price of Brent crude drop to $104.59 a barrel after hitting $108 earlier this week. But for perspective, it was trading at $80 a barrel in early July. This comes as the average price of diesel in the US hit $6 per gallon for the first time last week, with the Iran war, combined with Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, continuing to squeeze supply. *** What does it mean for the region? The UN security council held an emergency meeting in New York on Tuesday to discuss the escalating violence in Yemen and threats to maritime security, with members urging maximum restraint to avoid the situation devolving into a wider regional war. The conflict is the first test of a mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, announced in August – but Saudi has yet to publicly call on either for assistance. Meanwhile, Al-Muslimi says the US, a close Saudi ally, faces a dilemma. The States reached a truce with the Houthis in May 2025, after conducting airstrikes against the group after attacks on Red Sea shipping. “The existing truce gives both sides reasons for restraint,” he says. “For Trump, preserving that arrangement helps keep the US away from another costly Middle Eastern military confrontation while it remains engaged in the strait of Hormuz. The Houthis have equally strong incentives to not be drawn into conflict with the US, which caused them serious damage in the 2025 bombing campaign.” Yesterday the Guardian confirmed that officials from the US had met Houthi leaders over the weekend in Oman, where they received assurances that the ceasefire still held and that the movement had no intention of attacking US shipping in the Red Sea. While Trump condemned the Houthi advance for threatening freedom of navigation, he has far rejected any military response in support of Riyadh. Al-Muslimi calls for a more coherent international approach to his country, which he considers one of the least understood in the region. Yemen analysts have frequently criticised the US and allies for approaching Yemen’s challenges with a focus on security rather than diplomacy or development, while internal instability has been exploited by larger regional powers to fight their own proxy battles. Most importantly, he says: “While this new international dimension of Yemen’s war makes the country strategically more important to the world, it should not overshadow the plight of ordinary Yemenis”. What else we’ve been enjoying Following the release of a report into the significant abuse faced by those who run for office, Labour MP Dawn Butler writes here about how politics is becoming a “no-go zone” for too many. Charlie Lindlar, newsletters team Who do teenage girls dream of becoming? I loved seeing the variety of items significant to young women in this picture gallery by Belgian photographer Eva Verbeeck. Sundus Abdi, newsletters team We may be hurtling toward autumn, but don’t let that stop you from reading our Filter team’s rundown of the best ice-cream makers for every budget. (Kudos to Danielle Amato for bravely taking on the assignment.) Charlie I loved this piece in the Atlantic that boils down to being an ode to being silly. “Few social situations encourage or even allow unadulterated loopiness,” Lily Mayer writes. “In general, art made for adults tends to abide by this taboo. We get satire, scatological jokes, imitations, and absurdity, but rarely do we get silliness.” Charlie Sport Football | Manchester United scored two early goals but lost 3-2 to Brighton in the Carabao Cup, while Tammy Abraham scored his first goals of the season in Aston Villa’s 3-1 win at Coventry. Formula One | Formula One has announced its calendar for 2027, with an increase in sprint races to 10 events, including at Monaco, and the addition of meetings in Portugal and Turkey. Rugby union | The inaugural women’s British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand next year is expected to be broadcast live on Sky Sports in a significant boost for the women’s game. The front pages “Prisoners to ‘double up’ in single prefab jail cell units”, is the Guardian’s front page today. The Mail splashes on “‘Rest assured, we will forget her soon enough’”, the Times has “King: Grief has coloured earl’s claims over Diana”, the Telegraph writes “Palace hits back at Diana’s brother”, and the Sun’s take is “Recollections may vary … again”. The Mirror’s front page is “Heartbreak”, the i Paper’s splash is “Burnham warns of ‘challenging’ budget after 3.1% inflation”, and the Express says “We are ‘paying the price’ for Labour’s economy failure”. The FT leads on “Fed raises rates despite Trump pressure in bid to tame prices”. Lastly, Metro runs with “‘Putney pusher’ suspect dead”. Today in Focus: The Latest Ed Sheeran support acts quit after Macklemore ‘Free Palestine’ row All four supporting acts for the upcoming dates of Ed Sheeran’s tour have withdrawn in solidarity with fellow opener Macklemore. The American rapper was removed from Sheeran’s tour after comments made onstage in support of Palestine. Sheeran responded that venue owners – including Robert Kraft who owns the New England Patriots and its home stadium – had objected to Macklemore’s appearance on the tour. But after he had tried to negotiate with the venue owners ‘at length to build bridges’, ultimately the promoters made the decision to pull the plug. Artists who have pulled out include Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Beoga. Lucy Hough speaks to Guardian assistant opinion editor Jason Okundaye. Cartoon of the day | Nicola Jennings The Upside A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad The Moomin books about lovable trolls with hippopotamus snouts are coming to life in a new London exhibition, featuring previously unseen drawings by their creator, Tove Jansson. Opening in November, the show will include more than 100 works, from early Moomin sketches to photographs and films, celebrating Jansson’s enduring themes of nature, friendship, tolerance and being yourself. Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday Bored at work? And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword Wordiply

Fiji declares national HIV emergency as Pacific nation grapples with surge in cases

Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency amid a spike in infections as the Pacific nation grapples with a correlating rise in methamphetamine use. The country’s health and medical services minister, Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu, said in a statement on social media that an outbreak-level response was no longer sufficient to address what he described an “epidemic”. “Today I am formally declaring a national health emergency in Fiji,” he said. “This decision recognises the seriousness of the epidemic and the urgent coordinated response our country now needs.” The health minister said the government estimates that one in every 60 adults in Fiji is now living with HIV. “Five years ago, the estimate was one in 167. In 2025, we recorded 2,060 new HIV diagnoses,” he said, adding that one in 50 pregnant women has HIV. The emergency declaration followed on from a cabinet decision on 9 September and would require a coordinated response, he added. Home to less than one million people, the Pacific nation is facing one of the sharpest increases in new HIV infections globally, according to UNAIDS, which said that new infections spiked 12-fold between 2010 and 2025. Fiji’s location as a drug-running hub coupled with the escalating use of methamphetamine locally has fuelled the rapid spread of HIV, a situation worsened by unsafe injecting and a lack of access to clean needles. Low health awareness, cultural stigma and inadequate testing and treatment have exacerbated the crisis. Among HIV cases in Fiji with a known mode of transmission, over half were linked to sexual transmission and more than 42% to injecting drug use, according to UNAIDS. Of an estimated 9,100 people living with HIV in Fiji in 2025, only 39% were aware of their HIV status and only 22% were accessing antiretroviral treatment, the UN said. Responding to the emergency declaration, UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima said in a statement on Wednesday that the situation was a “a stark reminder to the world that AIDS is not over”. “HIV epidemics can change quickly, and countries need health and community systems that are ready to respond urgently,” said Byanyima. “Fiji has recognised the urgency of the moment and is stepping up its response.” The UN agency said it welcomed plans to introduce a needle and syringe programme, with legislative amendments expected to go before parliament, as well as efforts to expand prevention, testing and access to treatment.

Ukraine war briefing: Drone kills Russian commander just decorated after fake victory claim

Ukrainian drone forces have killed a Russian general who had just been made a Hero of Russia after false claims that Moscow’s forces had captured the Donetsk city of Kostiantynivka. Maj Gen Anton Grunis died in eastern Ukraine on Saturday. “General Grunis was eliminated on September 12,” said Ukrainian drone commander Robert Brovdi, adding that the general was the seventh Russian military commander killed by his drone forces. Another Russian commander, Apti Alaudinov, posted confirmation that Grunis had died. The battle for Kostiantynivka is gruelling for Ukraine but war analysts say it remains contested. Grunis reported personally to Vladimir Putin earlier this year that his troops helped capture Kostiantynivka and was praised by the Russian president for “doing the work”. The territorial claim ⁠remains heavily disputed – the US-based Institute for the Study of War said Russian forces had infiltrated but not fully seized the city, and Russia’s claim was part of a wider information campaign to “portray the Ukrainian frontlines as collapsing”. Grunis received the Gold Star Hero of Russia award at a ceremony in late August. Russian ⁠airstrikes damaged buildings in Kyiv and injured three in the Black ⁠Sea port city of Odesa in the ⁠early hours of Thursday, officials said. In Kyiv, debris fell ‌on ‌warehouses and near ‌a petrol station, among other locations, said the mayor, Vitali ‌Klitschko. Three people, including a ⁠child, were injured as Russia hit a 19-storey apartment building in Odesa, authorities said. Russian drones struck a passenger bus, killing five people, as well as attacking a train in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said. “There is no military logic to this, ⁠just another act of brutality,” said the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The bus was hit near the frontline city of Nikopol. Seven more people were wounded, said the Dnipropetrovsk region’s governor. Russian drones attacked a passenger train three times in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, the acting regional governor said. Passengers and crew were evacuated and no one was hurt. Zelenskyy said that ‌in addition, a locomotive was struck in Kovel near the border with Poland. Russian shelling on Wednesday killed one person in the southern Kherson region, and in the port of Odesa one death was reported. Russian attacks injured more than a dozen people in Sumy in the north and Kropyvnytskyi in central Ukraine. The Russia-installed head of areas of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region held by Moscow ⁠said a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person. Officials in Russia’s border Belgorod region said six people were injured in Ukrainian attacks. The Russian Gerbera-2 drone found in the Baltic Sea off Poland was armed with explosives, officials said on Wednesday. Polish defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Monday that the military had located the drone near the village of Rusinowo in north-western Poland and recovered it from the sea. The drone was thought to have been lost by Russia during test manoeuvres over the Baltic. Polish military prosecutors are investigating whether legal proceedings can be launched, presumably against Russia, for “causing an incident that endangers the life or health of many people and property of great value”. The Russian government has extended a ban on diesel ⁠exports until the end of October. The ban had been due to end this month. Russia introduced restrictions on exports of gasoline, jet fuel and diesel because of domestic ⁠fuel shortages driven by Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries. Reuters reported that fuel market data indicates three of Russia’s six largest diesel-producing refineries were forced to significantly cut output or halt production altogether in September because of damage caused by drone attacks. Russia’s Rosneft-owned oil refineries in the Volga river cities of ⁠Syzran and Saratov have stopped ⁠processing after Ukrainian drone attacks this month, Reuters reported on Wednesday citing three industry sources. Britain’s defence ministry has named a 40-year-old intelligence officer who died in a road crash away from the frontlines in Ukraine on Saturday. Maj Paul Wilks was commissioned from Sandhurst in 2012 and joined the Intelligence Corps, where he remained throughout his career. His commanding officer described Wilks as a “man of great intellect”, who often spoke of his love for his wife and two sons. The chief of defence intelligence described Wilks as “one of the most talented intelligence officers of his generation”. The defence secretary, Wes Streeting, said Wilks “served this country with pride and dedication”. A small number of British personnel serve in Ukraine providing security to diplomats and support the country’s armed forces. Britain’s MoD previously announced paratrooper George Hooley, 28, was killed in Ukraine in December as he watched Ukrainian forces testing a new defensive capability. A Russian strike destroyed a warehouse in Kyiv that stored props for Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former TV studio, the company said on Wednesday, adding that its staff were unharmed. Zelenskyy co-founded the Kvartal 95 production company in 2003 while working as a comedian. “We lost a large number of sets, costumes, and items that for 20 years had been part of our concerts, TV shows, movies, and series,” Kvartal 95 said. Zelenskyy spent much of his early career working in television, including in Russia. In 2013, he co-presented Russian state TV’s New Year’s Eve show. Kvartal 95 ceased work in Russia following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

‘Harrowing reading’: what the inquiry into NZ fugitive father Tom Phillips revealed

A major public inquiry into the disappearance of fugitive father Tom Phillips, who hid in New Zealand’s wilderness for nearly four years with his three children, has found authorities played down the harms he inflicted on his children, and did not do enough to protect them. Taking his children, of whom he did not have legal custody, Phillips disappeared into the rugged North Island wilderness in 2021. That disappearance was preempted by an earlier, shorter stint where Phillips went bush with his son and two daughters, aged five, seven and eight at the time. In August 2025, Phillips was shot dead by police in a shootout. Here are some key findings of the inquiry, which investigated agencies’ engagement with Phillips before and after he disappeared. Agencies overlooked harm Phillips was causing Over “significant periods”, police and Oranga Tamariki (OT), the ministry for children, “underplayed or overlooked” the harm Phillips was causing before and after he vanished, the inquiry found. They were too slow to identify important information, and the search was launched too late. Police intentionally adopted “a low-key approach”, the inquiry said. “This strategy appears to have been predicated on the misconceived view that there were no concerns for the children’s welfare.” The inquiry found OT was dismissive of multiple concerns raised by the maternal family after Phillips’ first disappearance, telling the family court the children were “completely fine” and further OT involvement was perhaps not needed. Significant family concerns minimised Had OT taken into consideration the significant concerns of the children’s mother and two other sisters, they “may have prevented or made more difficult” his second disappearance, the inquiry found. The sisters, who had lived with their stepfather Phillips for some years, repeatedly raised concerns over his pattern of isolation and harm he caused. The sisters were “uniquely placed” to comment on family dynamics and it was “regrettable the agency did not meet with them.” The children’s mother, named as Ms Smith, had told OT of Phillips’ controlling behaviour towards her. The inquiry found OT failed to hear her concerns before Phillips disappeared the second time. She also notified police that Phillips stashed multiple firearms “all over the place” six months before he disappeared. Police questioned her credibility because of a “custody dispute in the background” and did not respond to her allegations. Phillips’ state of mind and beliefs not treated seriously enough Police built a comprehensive profile of Phillips while investigating his first disappearance. His alcohol consumption concerned them, and his home was “very dirty”. They formed the view he was controlling and difficult to live with. A person close to Phillips was concerned that, if cornered, he would turn “violent”. Another told police he had a dislike of government agencies, “meaning anyone that might try to remove his children from him”. Phillips held anti-vaccination views and had told family he and the children would “just disappear” if there was another Covid lockdown. A 2021 police report, before his second disappearance, said Phillips was “prepared to put the children’s wellbeing at risk by hiding them” to deny Ms Smith access. His firearms licence was suspended and police wanted him to access mental health support. But the inquiry saw no evidence that support was explored or provided by police. The inquiry found police did not adequately share information with OT, and OT should have more carefully considered mental health concerns. Better communication between the two “may have prevented, and would likely have made more difficult” Phillips’ second disappearance. Public sighting a missed opportunity In May 2023, a woman living near Marokopa, close to the Phillips’ family farm told police a man had approached her house asking to jump start his car. She described a man fitting Phillips’ profile and said “he smelled … like someone who had not had a shower in a very long time”. She saw children in his car and later called police. A police unit was dispatched but, before it arrived, it was diverted to another incident. The inquiry found no evidence the police attempted to visit the location of the sighting, or the woman’s home. Police followed up the tip 10 days later. Authorities accept all recommendations The inquiry made nine recommendations, including urging agencies to better communicate, particularly in cases related to a child’s safety and ensuring gun safety concerns raised by former spouses are “actioned promptly”. The minister for social development, Louise Upston, apologised to Phillips’ children saying “our agencies did not take all practical steps to protect you”. The government accepted the 41 findings and nine recommendations. The police commissioner, Richard Chambers, said it was “clear there were gaps” in communication and police should have put more resources into their investigation earlier. Oranga Tamariki chief executive, Amanda Malu, said the report made for “harrowing reading”. She said the agency was immediately strengthening its checks and procedures.

Netanyahu seeks to strip citizenship from Israelis as threats to NAZA film directors intensify

Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he would seek new laws allowing Israel to strip citizenship from people who “smear” Israeli soldiers, escalating the campaign against the Oscar-winning film-makers behind the Gaza documentary NAZA, who have faced threats from senior government and military officials and groups of far-right Israelis gathering outside their families’ homes. NAZA, which was produced by the Guardian, concerns the country’s mass killing of civilians in Gaza and is named for an acronym used euphemistically by Israel’s intelligence service to indicate how many civilians it expects to die in an airstrike. The film builds on revelations first published by the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine, the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call and the Guardian from 2023 to 2025. The 80-minute documentary won the special jury prize at this year’s Venice film festival on Saturday, after receiving a 25-minute standing ovation – a festival record. Soon afterwards, however, the film’s directors, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, came under attack from members of Israel’s government, with the culture minister, Miki Zohar, calling for their citizenship to be revoked, and accusing them of “treason against the state”. Zohar on Wednesday thanked the Israeli prime minister for his announcement to change the law in order to revoke their citizenship, saying it was “time to put an end to this disgrace”. “We will revoke citizenship for anyone who defames IDF soldiers around the world – he will be deeply hurt in his pocket,’’ said Netanyahu, who intends to promote two government bills concerning defamation of IDF soldiers and the state of Israel. According to media reports, the first bill, which will be submitted through the justice ministry, will double the amount of a defamation claim to 1 million shekels without proof of damage. The second bill, which will be submitted through the interior ministry, will stipulate the revocation of citizenship for anyone who defames IDF soldiers and the state of Israel around the world. On Wednesday evening, dozens of rightwing activists gathered outside the home of the parents of Rachel Szor, one of the directors of NAZA. Among the organisers were activists and campaign staff linked to the far-right Otzma Yehudit party of Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister. Messages circulated in activist groups earlier on Wednesday urged supporters to gather outside her house. Some of the messages included explicit calls for violence. Police and border police officers were deployed at the scene. One protester called for the “death penalty for traitors” and demanded that the homes of the film-makers’ families be demolished. The latest attacks followed a series of threats and incidents targeting the directors. Ben-Gvir had called the directors “a disgrace” while Netanyahu condemned the film as “intolerable”, saying it portrayed the Israel Defense Forces as war criminals. On Tuesday, the IDF’s chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, said the military would “not allow IDF soldiers to be made targets through lies and blood libels” and would use “every tool at our disposal” against the film. The Israeli television channel i24 later reported that the military had opened a leak investigation and was seeking assistance from Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security and counterintelligence agency. The agency would respond only after receiving a formal request from the military prosecutor, who would probably first consult the attorney general, the channel reported. Netanyahu posted a video which included an old clip of Abraham confronting a soldier in the occupied West Bank’s South Hebron Hills, an area where Israeli forces have repeatedly been accused of supporting settlers during attacks on Palestinians. In the video, the Israeli PM says: “The same director who produced that terrible film that slanders IDF soldiers.” On Wednesday, far-right Israeli journalists, influencers and activists escalated their threats against the two film-makers. Rightwing activists were organising protests outside addresses linked to the directors and their colleagues. This comes after the Channel 14 journalist Yehuda Schlesinger said the directors should be “pursued” or “hunted” wherever they went, and prevented from returning to Israel. He urged Jews in Israel and abroad to make clear that what he described as “25 minutes of antisemitic applause” in Venice would come at a “heavy price”. A rightwing activist with tens of thousands of followers separately called for protesters to target Abraham’s family and associates, saying: “We’ll show him ‘collateral damage’.” He shared a photograph of Abraham’s mother and sought information about the director’s return flight so supporters could “welcome” him at the airport. A mural appeared in Ashdod depicting Abraham and Szor with crosshairs, horns, swastikas and the word “traitors” emblazoned over the top. A video showing its creation was shared by the far-right rapper Yoav Eliasi, who has more than 750,000 followers on Facebook. In an interview with Israel’s Channel 13, Abraham commented on the campaign of vilification, saying: “Of course it’s hard … [Israel] is my home, it’s the only place I want to live, a place that is important to me. So of course I’m afraid I won’t be able to return.” As the threats against the directors intensified, film-makers and human rights groups voiced support for the pair. In a joint statement, 43 local human rights organisations urged Israeli authorities to stop what they described as incitement and threats against the film-makers, and not to prosecute either them or their sources. “The institutional response to the film and the threats against its creators are characteristic of dictatorial regimes,” said the statement, signed by groups including Peace Now, Adalah, B’Tselem, Physicians for Human Rights Israel and Breaking the Silence. More than 1,500 Israeli film-makers have also signed a petition defending “freedom of expression and creation” and expressing solidarity with Szor and Abraham. “In recent days, we have witnessed an unprecedented smear and incitement campaign against the film-makers, with the line between this rhetoric and physical violence or threats to their lives narrowing rapidly,” the petition said. The signatories said the role of art and journalism was to reflect society and encourage debate, “even when facing a harsh reality”, and called for the film to be released in Israel so audiences could judge it for themselves. Szor and Abraham won an Oscar for their previous documentary, 2024’s No Other Land (co-directed with Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal), which spotlighted Palestinian resistance in the occupied West Bank. The NGOs called for a “thorough” investigation into the high number of casualties in Gaza, particularly among civilians, and for journalists to be granted unimpeded access to the territory, from which Israel has largely barred foreign reporters since October 2023. Prominent figures in international cinema have also expressed solidarity with Abraham and Szor. Laura Poitras, who directed the 2015 Oscar-winning documentary Citizenfour, about the whistleblower Edward Snowden, called the threats by Israeli government officials “a threat to journalists worldwide”. Diplomatic and foreign ministry sources told Haaretz that threats to punish the directors may have actually have boosted international media attention on the documentary. “It would have made headlines anyway, but they really helped amplify it,” a source at the Israeli foreign ministry told the newspaper. “The very fact that the government responded drew attention and headlines.” Late on Wednesday, +972 Magazine posted a video showing a man painting over the mural of the NAZA directors, replacing the word “traitors” with “heroes”. In a statement, the Guardian said said was “disturbed to see the authoritarian response to NAZA in Israel. “Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor are brave journalists and filmmakers. The attacks against them come from people who have not yet seen the film. “NAZA is based on more than three years of investigative journalism. The testimonies it contains are true and we believe they deserve to be heard. The interviews were given by confidential journalistic sources. “We will robustly defend NAZA – and the team behind it – from any attacks or attempts at censorship.”

‘Made in Europe’ law threatens UK plans for reset with EU

The UK government’s EU reset summit will be delayed again unless the bloc agrees to discuss legislation that could lock British business out of parts of EU industry, government sources have said. The “Made in Europe” legislation – formally known as the Industrial Accelerator Act – is designed to curb China’s increasing presence in European industry, but was not on the reset plan agreed by the former prime minister Keir Starmer and the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, in London in May 2025. A follow-up summit was due to be held in July this year, but was cancelled after Starmer’s resignation. The government is now looking to change the roadmap, with one source saying that “Made in Europe should be on the agenda”. It is understood that Hamish Falconer, the new cabinet minister with responsibility for the reset, told the EU’s trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, this was the UK’s new priority when the pair met last week. The trade minister, Anas Sarwar, told a gathering of UK business leaders on Tuesday they needed to let their EU partners know the risks posed by Made in Europe, which will prioritise EU suppliers in key industries including car manufacturing and defence. Ministers have privately expressed fears that the reset has lost significant momentum since Andy Burnham became prime minister, with his focus on the domestic agenda. Agreements have yet to be reached on several key issues, including what tuition fees will be paid by EU students coming to the UK on a mooted “youth experience” programme. UK sources say that while a food and drink deal and a youth mobility scheme are still on the agenda, the government will not agree to a new summit date until the bigger issues of the Industrial Accelerator Act are included in discussions. There was talk in London and Brussels that a meeting could be convened on 6 November, but it is understood this could now be pushed backuntil the end of November or beyond. One government source said: “We are willing to negotiate on the things that matter to them, but they have to be able to negotiate the thing that matters to us. Made in Europe should be on the table, definitely.” The UK fears the Made in Europe laws could jeopardise billions of pounds worth of trade if British goods are not categorised as European, locking it out of key contracts on the continent. France, which conceived the Made in Europe laws, is pushing to have the legislation passed by the end of the year, deepening fears that British manufacturing could be left behind. It is thought that France is sympathetic to the UK’s position, but believes increasing competition from China makes it more important to get the legislation on the books now, and make allowances for third countries later, a process that could take years. One EU diplomat said that there was substantial backing among key member states for the UK to be included in Made in Europe, though not all agreed. “The problem is the benefits are seen as asymmetrical,” the diplomat said. “The UK gets more out of it than the EU.” It is understood the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Italy are all in favour of the UK’s inclusion, but France remains unconvinced. The government’s newly assertive approach could give the UK some leverage in negotiations over concessions on youth mobility, something that is a political priority for many EU capitals. Another UK source said a deal on Made in Europe would be “a good faith demonstration that we can find answers and almost everything else”. A government spokesperson said: “The UK is a close and trusted European partner, committed to our shared security and economic cooperation. “We will continue to engage with the EU on Made in Europe and work together, as like-minded partners, to boost growth and open up trade.” The UK’s desire for a deal on manufacturing rules comes at time when the EU is under pressure from industry across the bloc to loosen China’s growing presence in supply chains. Last week, manufacturing bosses warned of a potential loss of 300,000 jobs this year unless incentives were put in place to make European products more attractive than cheaper parts from China. The EU’s deficit with China is now running at €1bn a day, with fears that European companies are being cannibalised from within. In her state of the union address to the European parliament on Wednesday, von der Leyen said the EU needed to grow non-Chinese supplies of rare earths and critical minerals vital to manufacturing. Her surprise offer of an associate membership deal with Canada demonstrated how far Brussels can go to court third-country partners. Speaking in the presence of the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, the EU chief said: “We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible. We must urgently reimagine our partnerships.” The EU and Canada are to hold a summit in late October to develop their future relationship. The 27-member EU has never had an associate membership category, though it has close ties with Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, enabling deep economic integration with these countries, which follow many EU rules including free movement – a red line for the UK. Carney, who is to address the European parliament on Thursday, has called for a “unique alliance” with the EU, as his country seeks to reduce its heavy dependence on US trade. Burnham met Carney at a football match in Liverpool on Wednesday night, where the two Everton fans watched their team in the EFL Cup. Burnham is also due to meet the US president, Donald Trump, for the first time at the UN general assembly in New York next week. The potential new alliance between the EU and Canada will worry UK ministers that the bloc’s priorities are shifting. Should Burnham fail to complete a food and drink deal that was already on Starmer’s reset agenda, it could have implications for October’s budget, as the economic effects of easing trade with the EU is priced in as part of growth calculations. The Conservatives criticised the UK-EU reset on Wednesday, saying a future Tory government would build a wholly independent regulatory system. Alex Burghart, the party’s deputy leader, and Victoria Atkins, the shadow environment secretary, warned the plans would make Britain less competitive. Speaking at the Policy Exchange thinktank, Burghart said: “Labour’s EU reset is the worst of both worlds and will leave Britain unable to take advantage of our country’s future growth potential. “The next Conservative government would not be bound by this arrangement and will begin work now on a genuinely independent regulatory system.”