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Swedish PM Kristersson resigns after election defeat – Europe live

Liberal party leader Simona Mohamsson praised Kristersson’s time in government, saying he led “Sweden’s most liberal government ever,” and hailing what she sees as its successes on education and crime. Her Liberal party, part of the outgoing government led by Ulf Kristersson, cleared the 4% threshold into the new parliament with 5.3% of the vote last Sunday. Mohamsson thanked Kristersson for “four important years,” and giving Sweden “a fresh start when it needed it the most.” “Now it is up to Magdalena Andersson to show whether she can put together any government foundation from the opposition’s mixed bag of left socialists, cultural relativists, and Centre Party members. My teammates to the right and I stand ready to continue governing Sweden if they fail,” she said, echoing the sentiment expressed by Kristersson himself.

Mark Carney calls for ‘deep cooperation’ between Canada and EU in Strasbourg speech

Mark Carney has welcomed the goal of Canada becoming the EU’s first associate member, calling for “deep cooperation” between Europe and his country to secure their sovereignty, after Donald Trump derided the idea as “laughable.” In an address to the European parliament in Strasbourg, Carney said polling showed that an overwhelming majority of Canadians supported much closer ties with Europe. “Canada and Europe should secure our strategic autonomy through deep cooperation in the full range of strategic capabilities,” he said on Thursday, listing sectors including critical minerals, energy security and AI. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, had on Wednesday invited Canada to become the EU’s first ever associate member in a speech in which she declared she wanted to bring the bilateral relationship “to the highest level possible”. A few hours later, Trump threatened “very serious tariffs” on Europe if the plan went ahead. The EU and Canada, which already have a web of bilateral trade and sectoral agreements, have sought to move closer in recent months in the face of Trump’s trade tariffs and relentless belligerent rhetoric. Carney received a standing ovation from MEPs in Strasbourg, who waited to shake his hand and get a selfie with the Canadian leader. European lawmakers from pro-EU mainstream parties have already praised Carney’s January speech in Davos, in which he called for middle powers to work together to preserve their sovereignty in a world of great power rivalry where the strong accept no constraints. Carney reprised the theme in Strasbourg, saying: “Canada and Europe are each strong. Europe and Canada are stronger together … The objective is not self-sufficiency, it’s collective resilience.” He went on to say: “I am not proposing a third bloc in order to become a great-power rival, only with better manners,” saying an EU-Canada alliance would be a “beacon for other democracies”. In a speech frequently interrupted by rounds of applause, Carney detailed his plans for the future relationship, saying the two sides could cooperate on critical minerals, defence industrial capacity, AI and computing, energy security, space and payments. He also called for “seamless digital trade in non-agricultural goods and a wide range of services”. He proposed a youth exchange programme that would enable young people to work, study and live in both jurisdictions, as well as Canadian membership of the Erasmus+ scheme, the EU’s education, training and sport programme. No country has ever been offered associate membership before, a category that does not exist in the EU’s treaties. The German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, floated the idea of associate membership for Ukraine as an interim step to joining the bloc earlier this year, but the idea was shot down by other member states. EU member states support the idea of closer ties with Canada, but some have reacted coolly to the name “associate membership”. Asked by a Bloomberg reporter about the concept he preferred, Carney said: “The precise nomenclature for Europe is a question for Europe,” adding that leaders and lawmakers involved “take the view [that] what matters is the substance”. He also said Canada was “not in a position, nor seeking to become, a full member of the European Union” and that the Canadian parliament would debate and vote on the future relationship. Speaking before Carney’s address, Trump warned 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.” Responding to Trump’s overnight comments, Carney said the deepening of the EU-Canada relationship was “a positive initiative” and “not a reaction to something else”.

‘We live with a big burden’: US sexual abuse survivor hopes priest’s death brings closure

A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a defrocked Boston Catholic priest who was portrayed admitting to molesting minors in the Oscar-winning Hollywood film Spotlight says he hopes the clergyman’s recent death in prison helps victims of his crimes and their families “keep pressing forward every single day”. “We live with a big burden in our hearts and on our backs,” Keith Townsend said on Wednesday while reflecting on the criminal charges which he successfully pursued against Ronald Paquin, who was imprisoned in 2019 and died in custody at age 83 on 11 September. “And my hope is that people can find closure and move on.” Those remarks by Townsend, 52, during a telephone interview were a notable reaction to the death of one of the key figures in the clergy sexual abuse and cover-up scandal with the Catholic archdiocese of Boston that – among other consequences – prompted the resignation of the institution’s archbishop, Bernard Law, at the end of 2002, as well as policy reforms across the US church. That same year, Paquin had pleaded guilty to sexually abusing an altar server from 1989 to 1992 while working at St John the Baptist church in the Boston suburb of Haverhill, Massachusetts. He was stripped of his clerical status and imprisoned in Massachusetts for that abuse, which was first publicly exposed in a Pulitzer-winning series of investigative articles by the Boston Globe newspaper’s Spotlight team. Paquin was freed in 2015. And learning of that release motivated Townsend – once a St John altar server, too – to come forward and report being abused himself by Paquin while on camping trips to Kennebunkport, Maine, between 1985 and 1989. As Townsend put it, he was between the ages of eight and 13 when Paquin molested him. Townsend recalled Paquin plying him with drugs and alcohol during the abuse, eventually leading him to battles with substance abuse addiction and incarceration. A Maine grand jury indicted Paquin in 2017 on new charges of gross sexual misconduct in connection with Townsend and another individual. Paquin faced a jury trial in November 2018 which culminated in a guilty verdict against him with regards to Townsend, though he was acquitted of having abused the other individual. Maine judge Wayne Douglas sentenced Paquin in May 2019 to 16 more years in prison. Paquin was in the Mountain View correctional facility in Charleston, Maine, when he died, the state’s department of correction said in a news release. Speaking five days later, Townsend said he first got word of Paquin’s death from his wife, who saw it circulating on the news and social media. He said he understood the many reactions which he subsequently heard or read that took delight in news of Paquin’s death. But Townsend, now a New Hampshire resident, also said he used the occasion to think about his “shaking off” the drug and alcohol addiction which had a grip on him in the wake of Paquin’s abuse. He said he contemplated the family he had built after overcoming “one of the biggest obstacles that could be thrown” at a person. “I get those who think the attitude should be, ‘Fuck him. Fuck what he did to me,’” Townsend said. “But look where I am today.” Townsend said he sought Paquin’s re-imprisonment with the aim of “protecting children … not [from] a man [but] a monster”. “Massachusetts just kind of let him go,” Townsend said. “So I had to dig deep … [because] I didn’t want anybody else to possibly have to go through [his] abuse. Maine thankfully had the balls to take this case, aggressively prosecute it and get a good outcome.” Townsend said he had not yet been able to see Spotlight, which dramatizes the Globe’s uncovering of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that roiled the city’s archdiocese. And therefore Townsend had not viewed the famous scene in the film in which Rachel McAdams, playing reporter Sacha Pfeiffer, confronts an actor portraying Paquin on his home’s front doorstep about allegations of molesting boys at St John the Baptist. “Sure, I fooled around – but I never felt gratified myself,” the actor playing Paquin, Richard O’Rourke, says in response as the journalist scribbles notes in a paper pad while wearing an astonished facial expression. “Right, um, but you admit to molesting boys at St John the Baptist?” McAdams’ Pfeiffer then asks O’Rourke’s Paquin. The latter’s reply: “Yes, yes. But, as I said, I never got any pleasure from it.” Another person closely familiar with Spotlight offered an opinion of that scene’s legacy on Wednesday. Attorney Mitchell Garabedian – who is portrayed in the 2015 movie by Stanley Tucci and has represented numerous victims of sexual abuse by Paquin and other clerics – said that part of Spotlight provided a powerful cue to survivors of clergy molesters that they were not alone. “It gave a sense of, ‘A-ha, I’m not the only one,’” in one of Hollywood’s most critically acclaimed films, Garabedian said. ‘“It wasn’t my fault, and I shouldn’t feel guilty.’” Townsend said ultimately he is grateful for anything that raised awareness about Paquin’s atrocities before his push to bring him to justice. “When I lay my head down tonight, I know it saved lives” getting Paquin imprisoned for his remaining years, Townsend added. “And that’s what matters to me.”

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.