The Sussi Tower is the second Gaza City high-rise to be destroyed in as many days
The Israeli military has destroyed a high-rise block in Gaza City, the second major tower it has targeted in as many days.
Defence Minister Israel Katz posted video of the building collapsing on X, with the caption: "We're continuing".
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which has been expanding operations in Gaza, said the Sussi Tower was being used by Hamas - a claim denied by the militant group.
It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties. Ahead of Saturday's strike, Israel dropped leaflets repeating calls for Palestinians to relocate to what it calls a humanitarian zone in the south.
In a social media post, IDF Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee urged residents to "join the thousands of people who have already gone" to al-Mawasi - an area between Khan Younis and the coastline.
However, the UN has said the tent camps in al-Mawasi are overcrowded and unsafe, and that southern hospitals are overwhelmed.
On Tuesday, five children were killed while queuing for water in al-Mawasi. Witnesses said they were struck by an Israeli drone, an incident which the IDF said was "under review".
The Mushtaha Tower, located west of Gaza City, was destroyed on Friday
The Sussi Tower is the second high-rise to be destroyed in as many days. On Friday social-media footage showed the Mushtaha Tower, in the city's al-Rimal neighbourhood, collapsing after a massive explosion at its base.
The IDF said precautionary measures had been taken to mitigate harm to civilians, "including advance warnings to the population" and the use of "precise munitions".
But Palestinians said displaced families had been sheltering in the Mushtaha Tower, and Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal accused Israel of enacting "a policy of forced displacement".
Satellite imagery shows several neighbourhoods in parts of the city have been levelled by Israeli strikes and demolitions over the past month.
The residential and commercial tower blocks in Gaza City represented an important chapter in the city's history, tied to hopes of ending the Israeli occupation and building an independent Palestinian state.
The rise of multi-storey towers – more than five floors – began after the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, which allowed tens of thousands of Palestinians to return from exile to Gaza and parts of the West Bank.
Following the Israeli withdrawal from most of Gaza in 1994, vertical expansion became a necessity to accommodate the influx of returnees.
The Palestinian Authority encouraged large investments in the construction sector, with entire neighbourhoods named after the towers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel's intention to seize all of the Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down in July.
The UN estimates nearly one million people remain in Gaza City, where it declared a famine last month. It has warned of an imminent "disaster" if the assault proceeds.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 63,746 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
The ministry also says 367 people have so far died during the war as a result of malnutrition and starvation.
One of the two cabins hurtled down the steep road, derailed and crashed into a building
Portuguese officials investigating Wednesday's deadly funicular crash in Lisbon say a cable along the railway's route snapped, but the rest of the mechanism was functioning properly.
"After examining the wreckage at the site, it was immediately determined that the cable connecting the two carriages had given way," the preliminary report said.
The carriages of Lisbon's iconic, 140-year-old Glória funicular railway are designed to travel up and down steep slopes.
Sixteen people died and about 20 were injured when one of the carriages derailed on Wednesday evening.
Five of those killed were Portuguese along with three Britons, two South Koreans, two Canadians, an American, a Ukrainian, a Swiss and a French national, police said.
Portugal's prime minister, Luis Montenegro, described the incident as "one of the biggest tragedies of our recent past".
President Donald Trump has warned that, if Venezuelan jets fly over US naval ships and "put us in a dangerous position, they'll be shot down".
His warning comes after Venezuela flew military aircraft near a US vessel off South America for the second time in two days, US officials told the BBC's US partner CBS News.
The reports follow a US strike against what Trump officials said was a "drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela" operated by a gang, killing 11 people.
President Nicolás Maduro has said US allegations about Venezuela are not true and that differences between the countries do not justify a "military conflict".
"Venezuela has always been willing to talk, to engage in dialogue, but we demand respect," he added.
When asked by reporters in the Oval Office on Friday what would happen if Venezuelan jets flew over US vessels again, Trump said Venezuela would be in "trouble".
Trump told his general, standing beside him, that he could do anything he wanted if the situation escalated.
Since his return to office in January, Trump has steadily intensified his anti-drug-trafficking efforts in Latin America.
Maduro has accused the US of seeking "regime change through military threat".
When asked about the comments, Trump said "we're not talking about that", but mentioned what he called a "very strange election" in Venezuela. Maduro was sworn in for his third term in January after a contested election.
Trump went on to say that "drugs are pouring" into the US from Venezuela and that members of Tren de Aragua - a gang proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the US - were living in the US.
The US military has moved to bolster its forces in the southern Caribbean, including through the deployment of additional naval vessels and thousands of US Marines and sailors to stem the flow of drugs.
The White House said on Friday that the US is sending 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico.
When asked about the build-up of military assets in the Caribbean, Trump said: "I think it's just strong. We're strong on drugs. We don't want drugs killing our people."
Trump is a long-time critic of Maduro. The US president doubled a reward for information leading to the arrest of the Venezuelan leader to $50m (£37.2m) in August, accusing him of being "one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world".
During Trump's first term, the US government charged Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials with a range of offences, including narco-terrorism, corruption and drug trafficking.
The Trump administration has revealed a plan to deport Kilmar Ábrego García, a Salvadoran man who has been at the centre of an immigration row, to the southern African kingdom of Eswatini.
The officer said the change was made after Mr Ábrego García raised fears of persecution in Uganda. He added that although the claims were "hard to take seriously", US authorities would "nonetheless" agree not to send him there.
Mr Ábrego García was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, and then brought back to face criminal charges.
US officials acknowledged at the time that he was removed in error.
In June he was returned to the US, where he was detained and charged with human smuggling. He pleaded not guilty.
Trump officials claim that he is a member of the MS-13 gang, an accusation he also denies.
His deportation case has become a focal point in the administration's crackdown on immigration. Mr Ábrego García has no connection to Eswatini, which is the fourth country floated as a potential deportation destination for him.
Previously known as Swaziland, Eswatini is surrounded by South Africa and Mozambique. It is one of the last remaining absolute monarchies in the world, and has been led by King Mswati III since 1986.
The US has already deported five people to Eswatini, describing them as "criminal illegal aliens" to the country.
The move sparked concern in the small nation that it was becoming a dumping ground for criminals.
Eswatini has not confirmed whether it receives payments for the deportation deal struck with the Trump administration.
The US is the fourth-largest market for the country's biggest export, sugar. Analysts suggest that Eswatini may be trying to safeguard this trade and avoid tariffs.
Mr Ábrego García entered the US illegally as a teenager from El Salvador. In 2019, he was arrested with three other men in Maryland and detained by federal immigration authorities.
South Korea is mounting an "all-out" response, as the country reels over the arrest of more than 300 of its citizens in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the US.
Seoul has dispatched diplomats to the site in Georgia, while LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant with Hyundai, said it was suspending most business trips to the US.
US officials detained 475 people - mostly South Korean nationals - who they said were found to be illegally working at the battery facility, one of the largest foreign investment projects in the state.
The White House defended the operation, dismissing concerns that the raid could deter foreign investment.
"They were illegal aliens and ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] was just doing its job," President Donald Trump said following the raids on Friday.
Video released by ICE officials showed Asian workers shackled in front of a building, with some wearing yellow vests with names such as "Hyundai" and "LG CNS."
"People on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the US," ICE said, adding that the raid was necessary to protect American jobs.
"This operation sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable," Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Steven Schrank said in a statement on Saturday.
South Korea, a close US ally, has pledged tens of billions of dollars in American manufacturing investment, partly to offset tariffs.
The timing of the raid, as the two governments engage in sensitive trade talks, has raised concern in Seoul.
Trump has actively encouraged major investments from other countries while also tightening visa allocations for foreign companies.
Many of the LG employees arrested were on business trips with various visas or under a visa waiver programme, officials say.
South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun said he felt a "great sense of responsibility for the arrest of our citizens" as he presided over an emergency meeting about the issue on Saturday.
He said the government had set up a team to respond to the arrests and that he may travel to Washington if needed.
On Saturday, LG Energy Solution said it was sending its Chief Human Resources Officer Kim Ki-soo to the Georgia site on Sunday.
"We are making all-out efforts to secure the swift release of detained individuals from our company and partner firms," it said in a statement to the South Korean media.
"We are confirming regular medications for families through an emergency contact network for detainees and plan to request that necessary medications be delivered to those detained."
The company said it was suspending most business trips to the US and directing employees on assignment in the US to return home immediately.
South Korean media widely described the raid as a "shock," with the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper warning it could have "a chilling effect on the activities of our businesses in the United States".
The factory, which makes new electric vehicles, had been touted by Georgia's Republican governor as the biggest economic development project in the state's history, employing 1,200 people.
The arrested workers were being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, until the agency decides where to move them next.
LG Energy Solution said 47 of its employees and about 250 workers for contractors at the joint venture factory were detained.
Clackamas County Sheriff's Office released this picture of the crawl space
A man was discovered living in a crawl space of a home near Portland, Oregon without the owner's knowledge, authorities say.
The man had been living there for an extended period of time, having set up a bed and lights, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said.
The owner told deputies no one should be living there and they had heard "strange noises" coming from the space.
Deputies found 40-year-old Beniamin Bucur inside the crawl space and arrested him on charges of burglary and unlawful possession of methamphetamine.
Shortly before 23:00 local time on Wednesday, sheriff's deputies responded to investigate a suspicious circumstance in a residential area close to Happy Valley, a small city south-east of Portland.
A witness reported seeing a man who was not known to live in nearby homes parking his car and walking towards the back of the buildings. The witness also noticed the door to the crawl space was open and light was coming from inside.
When deputies arrived, they noticed the door was damaged and had been locked. An extension cord was seen running through a vent.
After contacting the owner and being told no one should be there, deputies tried to open the door with the owner's keys, but they did not work. Deputies forced the door open and discovered Bucur.
Bucur "was obviously living inside", law enforcement said, as the room was fitted with various electrics, including chargers, a television, and lights plugged into the power of the house, as well as a bed.
A meth pipe was also found in the search, the sheriff's office said.
Bucur was booked into jail and his bail was set at $75,000 (£55,524).
Watch: What’s in the “missing minute” of Epstein’s jail video?
If Republican leaders in Washington had hoped that a month-long congressional recess would help the Jeffrey Epstein controversy die down, this week's frenzy of activity has dashed those hopes - at least for now.
Last Friday, the Justice Department released more than 33,000 pages of documents related to its Epstein investigation into child sex trafficking. By Monday, a consensus had formed that most of the information was already publicly available or of little interest.
Early in the week, Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Ro Khanna of California resumed their efforts to gather support for a "discharge petition" in the House of Representatives that would force a vote on publicly releasing the entirety of the government's Epstein case information.
On Wednesday, a group of Epstein victims and their families held a press conference on the steps of the Capitol to support the discharge petition and call for full disclosure in the Epstein case.
Taken together, it's the kind of drumbeat of attention that has helped the story break into the larger public's awareness. But will it stay there? Here are possible scenarios for what happens next.
Getty Images
The heat on Trump rises
The victims' press conference could mark a dramatic turn in the Epstein saga.
Missing from the Washington dialogue, which had focused on client lists and the possible involvement of the rich and powerful, were the faces of those whose lives were damaged or destroyed as children by Epstein's crimes.
The gathering at the Capitol on Wednesday put those victims front and centre - with an added promise that they would not be silenced.
Donald Trump has for months tried to brush off the criticisms of his administration's handling of the Epstein case as a "hoax" perpetrated by his political enemies.
That strategy, while effective in the past, is becoming harder in this case.
And if Massie and Khanna succeed in forcing a House vote to publicly release all remaining Epstein files - and there is new, politically damaging information in them involving Trump or other high-profile political figures - the dam could break.
The White House has denied a Wall Street Journal report that Trump was told in May by his attorney general that his name appeared in files related to the investigations against Epstein, who took his own life in prison awaiting trial.
He was friends with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, but being named is not evidence of any criminal activity. Trump has never been accused by investigators of wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein matter.
Even if there no "client list" of the Epstein's rich and powerful comes to light, the victims may will one into existence. They've promised to gather the names of those they said had close ties to Epstein and were connected to his misdeeds.
"I'm not afraid to name names," said Majorie Taylor Green of Georgia, one of the Republican members of Congress and usually a Trump loyalist. "And so if they want to give me a list, I will walk in that Capitol on the House floor and I'll say every damn name that abused these women."
These are the kind of ingredients that could fan the flames in the Epstein story as summer turns to autumn.
It rumbles on but little damage
Maybe there's nothing new in any new Epstein-related documents that make it into the public domain. Or maybe the congressional efforts to force public disclosure fall just short. Even with the victims and their families becoming more visible, new revelations or information are what drive news cycles and substantively move public opinion.
In this scenario, the Epstein story doesn't go away completely but it never becomes the kind of crisis that causes lasting political damage to the Trump administration. It is a distraction, not a disruption.
As the Republican Party prepares for midterm congressional elections next year that are shaping up to be closely contested, even a modest drag on their public approval - a diversion that keeps them from focusing on a more beneficial campaign message - could have significant ballot-box consequences.
As Trump pointed out on Tuesday, it's hard to squash a conspiracy theory. He drew parallels to the 1963 assassination of John F Kennedy and his recent orders to release more government documents.
"You know it reminds me a little of the Kennedy situation," he said. "We gave them everything over and over again, more and more and more and nobody is satisfied."
Trump will be more familiar with the recent conspiracy around former President Barack Obama's birthplace. The White House released short- and long-form certificates showing Obama was born on US soil but doubters, most notably Trump himself, were never satisfied.
Turnabout, as they say, is fair play.
Fade to black, scandal subsides
If there's one undeniable power that Trump has shown over his 10 years in the national political spotlight, it's the ability to outlast every scandal and controversy that comes his way. While the Epstein story has a toxic blend of power, abuse, sex and influence, there's no indication that this will be any different.
"He's done it before, and he will do it again" is the mantra that a White House looking for a best-case scenario might want to repeat. Without new revelations, the public will eventually tire of this story - or it will be buried by a new scandal, conflict or media frenzy.
If so, the Epstein saga will return to corners of the internet and the political fringes, joining the Kennedy assassination, US moon landing and, yes, Obama's birth certificate as the focus of only an obsessed few.
It may not be justice - it may be too late for that - but it would not be an unfamiliar ending in modern American politics.
Watch: Epstein survivors speak publicly outside US Capitol
Portuguese authorities released a highly anticipated preliminary report into the disaster at the popular tourist site, which killed 16 people this week.
The Sussi Tower is the second Gaza City high-rise to be destroyed in as many days
The Israeli military has destroyed a high-rise block in Gaza City, the second major tower it has targeted in as many days.
Defence Minister Israel Katz posted video of the building collapsing on X, with the caption: "We're continuing".
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which has been expanding operations in Gaza, said the Sussi Tower was being used by Hamas - a claim denied by the militant group.
It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties. Ahead of Saturday's strike, Israel dropped leaflets repeating calls for Palestinians to relocate to what it calls a humanitarian zone in the south.
In a social media post, IDF Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee urged residents to "join the thousands of people who have already gone" to al-Mawasi - an area between Khan Younis and the coastline.
However, the UN has said the tent camps in al-Mawasi are overcrowded and unsafe, and that southern hospitals are overwhelmed.
On Tuesday, five children were killed while queuing for water in al-Mawasi. Witnesses said they were struck by an Israeli drone, an incident which the IDF said was "under review".
The Mushtaha Tower, located west of Gaza City, was destroyed on Friday
The Sussi Tower is the second high-rise to be destroyed in as many days. On Friday social-media footage showed the Mushtaha Tower, in the city's al-Rimal neighbourhood, collapsing after a massive explosion at its base.
The IDF said precautionary measures had been taken to mitigate harm to civilians, "including advance warnings to the population" and the use of "precise munitions".
But Palestinians said displaced families had been sheltering in the Mushtaha Tower, and Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal accused Israel of enacting "a policy of forced displacement".
Satellite imagery shows several neighbourhoods in parts of the city have been levelled by Israeli strikes and demolitions over the past month.
The residential and commercial tower blocks in Gaza City represented an important chapter in the city's history, tied to hopes of ending the Israeli occupation and building an independent Palestinian state.
The rise of multi-storey towers – more than five floors – began after the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, which allowed tens of thousands of Palestinians to return from exile to Gaza and parts of the West Bank.
Following the Israeli withdrawal from most of Gaza in 1994, vertical expansion became a necessity to accommodate the influx of returnees.
The Palestinian Authority encouraged large investments in the construction sector, with entire neighbourhoods named after the towers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel's intention to seize all of the Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down in July.
The UN estimates nearly one million people remain in Gaza City, where it declared a famine last month. It has warned of an imminent "disaster" if the assault proceeds.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 63,746 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
The ministry also says 367 people have so far died during the war as a result of malnutrition and starvation.
The previous nationwide test of the emergency alert messaging system took place in 2023
The government has urged people to "keep their cool" when the national system for sending emergency alerts to mobile phones in the UK is tested on Sunday.
At 15:00 BST, compatible phones will vibrate and make a siren sound for 10 seconds, even if set to silent. They will also display a message explaining that a test is taking place.
The alerts are intended for situations in which there is an imminent danger to life, such as extreme weather events or during a terror attack.
Pat McFadden, the new work and pensions secretary, said the test is "to make sure the system works well when we need it most".
Many people reported the alert went off a minute earlier or later than planned. Some said they did not receive the alert at all.
McFadden, who until Friday's government re-shuffle served as a senior Cabinet Office minister, said: "I know Brits will keep their cool when phones across the UK make a siren-like noise... It's important to remember this is only a test, just like the fire drills we all do in our schools and workplaces."
He added: "We're carrying out the test to make sure the system works well when we need it most, and afterwards, we'll work with mobile network operators to assess performance.
"The test takes just 10 seconds, but it helps us keep the country safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," he said.
It will see compatible phones - the vast majority of those currently in use - vibrate and make a siren sound for 10 seconds, while displaying a message.
The text of the message will read: "This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby.
"You do not need to take any action. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe."
Phones that are switched off or in airplane mode will not get the alert.
Watch UK alert go off from a government test in 2023
The system has been deployed regionally five times in the past few years.
Around 4.5 million phones in Scotland and Northern Ireland were sent an alert during Storm Eowyn in January. The previous month, around 3.5 million were sent alerts in England and Wales during Storm Darragh.
The system was used last February to aid the evacuation of more than 10,000 residents in Plymouth, after a 500kg unexploded World War Two bomb was discovered.
Messages have also been targeted to relatively small areas to pinpoint those at risk, including during flooding in Cumbria in May 2024, and for similar weather conditions in Leicestershire in January.
Domestic abuse charities previously warned the system could endanger victims by potentially alerting an abuser to a hidden phone. The National Centre for Domestic Violence advised people with concealed phones to turn them off for the duration of the test.
The government has stressed that emergency alerts should remain switched on, but has published a guide for domestic abuse victims on how to opt out.
Scaling up while holding onto that newbie energy will be a challenge, they seem to be managing both for now.
UKIP in its pomp had an insurgency feel about it, but its focus was much narrower and it was never talked of as a potential government.
Its conferences, at Doncaster Racecourse, Exeter and Torquay among other places, were proudly rather homespun in feel.
This year, Reform has hired Birmingham's NEC.
It is huge and it would be easy to leave a sense of rattling around in a tin in here, but it is busy.
I recognise one of the big catering trucks in here from one of the other party's conferences.
The corporate lounge sponsored by Heathrow Airport is another staple of the big conferences.
So far, so conventional, if you like – for a big party.
But then I spot a queue of folk waiting for Nigel Farage to sign their light blue Reform UK football shirt, bought at the nearby merchandise shop.
The number 10 and Farage on the back of them all is not exactly subtle about this movement's ambitions.
Can you imagine Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Ed Davey or John Swinney pulling that off?
Not in a million years.
Reuters
Football shirts with Farage 10 printed on the back proved popular with the Reform activists
In another corner of the main exhibition hall are 10 stands, each representing a region of England or a nation of the UK.
They are indicative of the growth and professionalising Reform is attempting at lightning speed – setting up the local branch network and army of volunteers a successful national political party requires.
It's the unglamorous side of politics, a long way from the whizzy pyrotechnics of Nigel Farage's conference speech, but arguably more important.
A couple from Suffolk stop for a chat.
They have never been to a party conference before and had never been in a political party until they joined Reform recently.
Another couple from Glasgow tell a similar story.
There are plenty of sharp-suited young men about too.
Two blokes having lunch together call me over. One recently worked for a Labour MP, the other had been a lifelong Conservative voter.
Those with a former political affiliation are disproportionately disgruntled Conservatives, but not exclusively.
All around us flutter the party's banner and the conference's slogan: "The Next Step."
And those three words get to the essence of this: the story of Reform's momentum has been the stand out political development of the last year.
But can they keep growing - and, ultimately, can they win the next general election?
"Can't stop, won't stop" is the mantra of the party's senior figures privately, as their membership numbers tick towards a quarter of a million.
And as an indicator of their seriousness of purpose, what did Nigel Farage plead for in his closing address from his activists?
Was he tub thumping and cracking gags?
Not a bit of it.
"Discipline" is what he wants.
Activists who disagree in private, not in public. Activists willing to stand as council candidates.
Nigel Farage has a focus and sense of purpose I haven't seen in the best part of two decades of reporting on him.
He sees an opportunity the like of which he has never seen before.
England recovered from a shaky first-half showing to beat Australia and set up a Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Scotland.
Flanker Sadia Kabeya and replacement prop Kelsey Clifford both scored two tries in a match that was watched by Catherine, Princess of Wales and England men's summer tour co-captain Jamie George, among 30,433 supporters in Brighton.
However, full-back Ellie Kildunne and hooker Hannah Botterman were forced off with injuries. Kildunne did not return to the fray after a head injury assessment, while Botterman limped off with a back spasm. Both are frontline members of the team.
England's winning streak now extends to 30 Tests and matches a record run that ended in their defeat in the 2022 World Cup final.
Yet this performance against a Wallaroos side ranked seventh in the world will offer hope to those hoping to upset the title favourites.
England will play Scotland in a quarter-final in Bristol on Sunday, September 14, with kick-off at 16:00 BST.
England have beaten their neighbours three times since the last World Cup, with those victories coming by an average of 50 points.
Kildunne returned to the pitch to thank England's fans after the final whistle
England coach John Mitchell had questioned before this game whether Australia, who would make the quarter-finals either by avoiding a thrashing or by picking up a bonus point, would attempt to kick and contain or run and attack.
In the opening 30 minutes, they did both. And outplayed the hosts in the process.
England flunked their first two set-pieces, with Rosie Galligan spilling a line-out and Botterman going to ground at the scrum to give away a penalty.
Meanwhile, Australia fly-half Faitala Moleka found turf between the hosts' back three with clever kicks and her forwards cantered into contact, refusing to be cowed by the Red Roses' record or reputation.
Wallaroos hooker Adiana Talakai burrowed over at the back of a sixth-minute driven lineout to ensure that early superiority showed on the scoreboard.
Wing Jess Breach, winning her 50th cap, scampered in shortly after from Zoe Harrison's over-the-top miss pass to cut Australia's lead to 7-5, but England's discipline and drills remained scrappy.
Abbie Ward was pinged for a needless offside and the line-out misfired, with three going astray in the first half. When England did safely gather, Australia were able to shove a spanner in the spokes of their usually powerful driving maul.
Amy Cokayne found herself at the back of one maul that did motor over the line, only to lose the ball as she attempted to ground.
Botterman, one of England's most impressive performers so far in the tournament, was forced off shortly after.
It couldn't get much worse for England.
And it didn't. After 32 minutes, Ward put England in front for the first time, finally overwhelming some gritty Australian goalline defence to make it 12-7.
Kabeya followed her over just before half-time as England went to the rolling maul once more and finally made one stick.
A 19-7 half-time lead was flattering, however. Australia had enjoyed 63% possession, and England had had to make 69 more tackles than their opponents.
The prospect of an upset from 80-1 outsiders Australia evaporated within five minutes of the restart as Natasha Hunt smartly kicked ahead a loose ball and popped the ball up for Kabeya to score her second try.
Kildunne departed soon after and, although she returned to watch the remainder of the match from the bench, she offered an uneasy smile when shown on the big screen.
Two short-range tries from Clifford, while Australia were reduced to 14 by Moleka's yellow card, moved England 40-7 clear and out of sight.
With Australia well inside the 75-point margin of defeat that would imperil their place in the last eight, the main point of interest in the final quarter was a rejigged England backline, with Holly Aitchison coming off the bench to replace Tatyana Heard and operate in tandem with Zoe Harrison.
That experiment was slightly spoiled by a yellow card for Sarah Bern, shortly after she put the seal on the try-scoring, that reduced England to 14 for the final 10 minutes.
However, Helena Rowland put in an excellent cameo in place of Kildunne, proving enterprising in attack and making an excellent tackle when up against the pace of wing Maya Stewart.
Australia will take on Canada, the side ranked second in the world, in the quarter-finals next Saturday in Bristol.
The two premier statewide elections this fall are Democrats’ to lose, but they have a lot to prove.
Many Democrats won’t be satisfied with simply eking out a win — they are banking on resounding victories from Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia. The gubernatorial nominees, who are leaning into their national security pedigrees, are carrying the weight of a party's expectations.
The party is looking to them to springboard Democrats into next year's midterms, with control of Congress up for grabs. They’re eager to show that 2024’s drubbing was an anomaly.
“Democrats should be optimistic about these two races, but you know, the lesson from 2024 is we can't take anything for granted,” said veteran Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg, who added that President Donald Trump’s mastery of dominating news coverage runs the risk of drowning out his rivals' economic messaging.
After Democratic overperformances in local elections across the country this year, the party is bullish on their prospects. Recent polling has Sherrill and Spanberger leading their Republican opponents, Jack Ciattarelli and Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, respectively.
When pushed, operatives express more confidence about Virginia, and acknowledge maintaining their grip on the governor’s mansion in New Jersey for the third consecutive cycle presents a tougher challenge.
National Democrats have committed what they called some of their largest initial investments in these states — $1.5 million each in New Jersey and Virginia — to boost Sherrill and Spanberger. A group backed by the Democratic Governors Association also placed $20 million in advertisements in New Jersey, around twice as much as the DGA-backed group did in 2021.
The political climate in Virginia and New Jersey is far better than what they're facing in some battleground races next November. But the fear of being toppled by Republican nominees in states where Trump gained ground is adding pressure to the Sherrill and Spanberger campaigns, as are looming questions of whether they can unify their fractured coalition that cost Kamala Harris the election.
With two months before voters head to the polls in New Jersey and Virginia — and just weeks before early voting starts — here are some issues to watch.
Economy
Democrats are blaming Trump for rising costs as they emphasize affordability — an issue that catapulted him to the White House last year. If successful, that messaging is likely to serve as a blueprint for next year's midterms.
Rep. Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) argued that Sherrill’s focus on affordability will appeal to those who backed the president because he has “lied about every major campaign promise” regarding cutting costs.
Democrats see this as a way to recapture Black and Hispanic voters, who drifted toward Trump in part because they viewed him as stronger than Harris on the economy.
“Many of the voters, the Latino and Black community, were looking for possible change. They thought Trump would be that change,” said Rep. Nellie Pou (D-N.J.), who represents a diverse district that Trump won last year. “Sadly, he has not delivered on any of the promises he has made. He has not changed the economy, he has not lowered the costs. … I think the Latino and Black community will see him for what he is.”
Democrats are hoping the Trump administration's recent moves on tariffs and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will sway voters in November. Republicans, meanwhile, are toying with how to market the megabill to voters ahead of next year’s elections.
This election will put Democrats’ Trump messaging to the test. But while they try to convince voters higher costs are the president’s fault, Ciattarelli and his fellow Republicans say outgoing Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and Trenton Democrats are to blame.
In Virginia, Democrats are leaning into similar messages on affordability, arguing Trump has broken campaign promises on lowering costs since his return to the White House. The DOGE cuts, which are acutely felt in Northern Virginia suburbs outside of Washington, D.C., are paramount in the campaign as Democrats look to cast Earle-Sears as a cheerleader for Trump’s gutting of the federal workforce.
The Trump Factor
The GOP is hoping they can replicate the party’s success when Trump is not on the ballot — something that helped lift Virginia Republican Glenn Youngkin to the governor’s mansion four years ago. That red wave, however, was short-lived as Democrats successfully flipped control of the lower chamber of the Virginia legislature in 2023. Now Democrats are looking to expand their control of both chambers as well as usher in a clean sweep of all three statewide offices this year by leaning into anti-Trump sentiments.
But the president’s impact is an unknown factor in Virginia. Earle-Sears has yet to receive Trump’s endorsement, which some Republicans are bullish would help her make up ground.
An endorsement “would be a plus,” said Fairfax County GOP chair Katie Gorka. “I know that there are people, especially in Northern Virginia, who are not Trump fans. … But the bottom line is, Trump did really well for a Republican in Northern Virginia.”
In the meantime, Earle-Sears is borrowing from his 2024 culture-war playbook. In a campaign ad released Wednesday, she labeled her Democratic opponent a “woke Washington radical” who “wants boys to play sports and share locker rooms with little girls” and will allow kids to change genders “without telling their parents.”
The Spanberger campaign wants to remind Virginia voters that the Republican nominee, who advocated the Republican Party “move on” from the president just a few years ago, is now fully embracing Trumpism.
In New Jersey, Trump endorsed Ciattarelli in the Republican primary. But it’s unclear if the president’s support will provide a boost among the general electorate, in which Ciattarelli needs to earn the backing of unaffiliated and Democratic voters to chip away at Democrats’ large voter registration advantage. Recent surveys show Trump unpopular with New Jerseyans, and Democrats are confident he will drag Ciattarelli at the polls.
Ciattarelli recently told reporters he appreciates “that the White House isn't taking a heavy-handed approach” with his race, but offered to “do anything” that Ciattarelli thinks “can help the campaign.”
Ciattarelli criticized the president years ago, and Trump did not endorse the New Jersey Republican in 2021. But Trump now proclaims Ciattarelli as “100 percent MAGA” — something Democrats are eager to remind voters of. Ciattarelli argues that Democrats are more focused on talking about Trump than New Jersey.
Who will boost Democratic enthusiasm?
While Republicans can rally the base around Trump this November, Democrats lack that clear leader.
When asked about whether a campaign appearance from Harris would benefit Sherrill, New Jersey Democratic Party Chair LeRoy Jones said he is focused on “utilizing the celebrity base in New Jersey that we have,” and cited Sen. Cory Booker and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, the latter of whom came in second place during the June Democratic primary for governor.
“We have a number of individuals that give that turnout prowess,” he said.
Former President Barack Obama held rallies for Murphy and former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, as well as Virginia nominees Ralph Northam and Terry McAuliffe. Though he hasn't announced plans in either state yet, he participated in a fundraiser earlier this summer for Sherrill.
At least one potential 2028 Democratic White House candidate, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, is planning to campaign for Sherrill and Spanberger in the closing stretch of the campaign.
Black and Hispanic voters
Across the country, Republicans are looking to replicate Trump’s inroads with Black and Hispanic voters. New Jersey and Virginia will be the first post-2024 test of whether they are able to achieve that.
In the primary, Sherrill had a lower share of the vote in areas with large Black and Hispanic populations, and some have warned that Democrats are at risk of continuing to lose those voters. Ciattarelli and Sherrill are working to engage those communities, and Sherrill recently got a notable boost with an endorsement from Baraka, who performed well in areas with large Black and Hispanic populations in the primary.
In Virginia, Republicans tout their diverse slate of candidates, with a Black woman running atop the ticket, an openly gay lieutenant governor candidate in John Reid and incumbent attorney general Jason Miyares, who is of Cuban descent.
Earle-Sears' campaign also points to a recent $500,000 donation from Bob Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, as evidence she is making inroads with minority voters while picking up fundraising in the campaign’s final stretch. Spanberger enjoys a hefty 3-to-1 cash advantage, according to recent state campaign finance reports.
Spanberger was forced to play defense after a woman held a racially divisive sign last month at a campaign rally targeting the lieutenant governor. “Hey Winsome, if trans can't share your bathroom, then blacks can't share my water fountain," the sign read. Spanberger said in a social media post the sign was “racist and abhorrent.”
Democrats counter that their own diverse ticket, which includes an Indian-born woman as lieutenant governor nominee and a Black man running for attorney general, better represent the values of voters of the state than their GOP counterparts. The party also vows their ticket will, unlike the Republicans, work to protect residents from the federal government overreach.
“Folks aren't fooled in this campaign,” said Lamont Bagby, a state senator and chair of Virginia’s Democratic Party. “When we needed them to push back on the Trump administration … they did not.”
Ministers Dame Angela Eagle and Dame Diana Johnson have followed Yvette Cooper out of the door at the Home Office as Sir Keir Starmer continues his reshuffle.
The prime minister shifted Cooper to the Foreign Office on Thursday in a major shake-up of his top team prompted by the resignation of deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.
Now he is reshuffling other key ministerial posts, as he seeks to regain the initiative after the most tumultuous week of his premiership.
Ministers of state and junior ministers are given specific areas of responsibility in government departments, while cabinet ministers are in charge of the department as a whole and take part in cabinet meetings for major decisions.
Dame Angela and Dame Diana have been moved to roles in other departments, with Sarah Jones and Alex Norris brought into the Home Office, to work with new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
The moves reflects the importance the PM places on tackling illegal immigration and stopping small boat crossings.
Anna Turley has been promoted from the Whips Office to minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office, and will attend cabinet. She will also become Labour Party chair, replacing Chancellor Rachel Reeves's sister Ellie.
Ellie Reeves becomes Solicitor General, replacing Lucy Rigby, who is moving to the Treasury to become economic secretary, effectively third in command to Rachel Reeves.
Sir Keir has sacked farming minister Daniel Zeichner, having also moved environment secretary Steve Reed to Rayner's old housing brief - perhaps a sign that he wants to reset the government's shattered relationship with the farming community.
Another appointment that stands out is Jason Stockwood, vice-chairman Grimsby Town football club.
Stockwood is a local boy done very well in business, that some in the party were keen to see run as a candidate in a parliamentary seat.
He was not interested, but has been lured into the Lords and becomes a business minister.
For a government frequently criticised for lacking voices with long-standing private sector experience, the soon-to-be Lord Stockwood could prove something of an asset.
Former investment minister Poppy Gustaffson and former local government minister Jim McMahon have also left government, Downing Street confirmed.
Here is a full list of the other appointments announced so far:
Dan Jarvis joins the Cabinet Office as a minister, while remaining security minister in the Home Office
Baroness Jacqui Smith has taken up the role of skills minister in the Department for Work and Pensions. She will stay as both the skills and women and equalities minister in the Department for Education
Lord Patrick Vallance becomes a minister in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. He will remain minister in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Michael Shanks as a minister jointly in the Department for Business and Trade and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Alison McGovern has been appointed to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Sir Chris Bryant is stripped of his joint role with the science and culture departments, becoming a minister of state at the business department
Luke Pollard becomes minister of state at the Ministry of Defence
Georgia Gould is moved from a junior role at the Cabinet Office to the education department.
The biggest U.S. airlines make billions of dollars from their loyalty programs and branded credit cards, which some analysts believe are now essential to the businesses.
Many travelers love airline-branded credit cards and loyalty programs, and saving rewards for dream vacations or seat upgrades can be a powerful motivator.
On Sept. 24, The Times will host leaders, policymakers and executives in frank discussions about a consequential year in the fight against climate change.
A priest conducting a mass burial ceremony of people killed during World War II in the now-abandoned, formerly ethnic Polish village of Puzhnyky, Ukraine on Saturday.
A Homeland Security officer observing a news briefing by Mayor Michelle Wu in Boston last month, after Attorney General Pam Bondi demanded that Boston lift its sanctuary city policies.
Before his triumph in the 1986 World Series, he had a long playing career and established himself as one of baseball’s brainier and more self-assured characters.
South Korea is mounting an "all-out" response, as the country reels over the arrest of more than 300 of its citizens in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in the US.
Seoul has dispatched diplomats to the site in Georgia, while LG Energy Solution, which operates the plant with Hyundai, said it was suspending most business trips to the US.
US officials detained 475 people - mostly South Korean nationals - who they said were found to be illegally working at the battery facility, one of the largest foreign investment projects in the state.
The White House defended the operation, dismissing concerns that the raid could deter foreign investment.
"They were illegal aliens and ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] was just doing its job," President Donald Trump said following the raids on Friday.
Video released by ICE officials showed Asian workers shackled in front of a building, with some wearing yellow vests with names such as "Hyundai" and "LG CNS."
"People on short-term or recreational visas are not authorized to work in the US," ICE said, adding that the raid was necessary to protect American jobs.
"This operation sends a clear message that those who exploit the system and undermine our workforce will be held accountable," Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Steven Schrank said in a statement on Saturday.
South Korea, a close US ally, has pledged tens of billions of dollars in American manufacturing investment, partly to offset tariffs.
The timing of the raid, as the two governments engage in sensitive trade talks, has raised concern in Seoul.
Trump has actively encouraged major investments from other countries while also tightening visa allocations for foreign companies.
Many of the LG employees arrested were on business trips with various visas or under a visa waiver programme, officials say.
South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun said he felt a "great sense of responsibility for the arrest of our citizens" as he presided over an emergency meeting about the issue on Saturday.
He said the government had set up a team to respond to the arrests and that he may travel to Washington if needed.
On Saturday, LG Energy Solution said it was sending its Chief Human Resources Officer Kim Ki-soo to the Georgia site on Sunday.
"We are making all-out efforts to secure the swift release of detained individuals from our company and partner firms," it said in a statement to the South Korean media.
"We are confirming regular medications for families through an emergency contact network for detainees and plan to request that necessary medications be delivered to those detained."
The company said it was suspending most business trips to the US and directing employees on assignment in the US to return home immediately.
South Korean media widely described the raid as a "shock," with the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper warning it could have "a chilling effect on the activities of our businesses in the United States".
The factory, which makes new electric vehicles, had been touted by Georgia's Republican governor as the biggest economic development project in the state's history, employing 1,200 people.
The arrested workers were being held at an ICE facility in Folkston, Georgia, until the agency decides where to move them next.
LG Energy Solution said 47 of its employees and about 250 workers for contractors at the joint venture factory were detained.
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