World news | The Guardian

Offenders still at large after shots fired from vehicle outside licensed premises in Loganholme

State attorney general said Trump's justice department's directive to verify 20,000 ballots is completely improperCalifornia's attorney general on Saturday rebuked the Trump administration's efforts to quash alleged noncitizen voting, calling it politicizing and weaponizing the law".Rob Bonta, the state's attorney general, said the justice department acted at Donald Trump's direction. Continue reading...

Former president speaks to crowd of thousands in support of Abdul El-Sayed for US Senate and Democratic ticketBarack Obama told a Detroit crowd on Saturday that Abdul El-Sayed was fighting for change, real change, that will get money out of politics and put money in your pocket", as he threw his weight behind the Democratic Senate candidate and the rest of the ticket on the first day of early voting in Michigan.Obama said in front of thousands of onlookers at Cass technical high school in Detroit that El-Sayed would finish the job we started with the Affordable Care Act and guarantee quality, affordable healthcare to every single American". Continue reading...

Prime minister is considering different options for new relationship with Brussels ahead of summit in NovemberAndy Burnham says he wants an honest discussion" with the British public about the possibility of a return to free movement between the UK and the EU as part of his plans for a new relationship with the bloc.The prime minister has been open about his desire to revisit the relationship between Britain and Brussels. He has said a new deal could mean the UK goes all the way" and rejoins the EU. Continue reading...

Fresh deluge of wet weather comes after Storm Austen brought strong winds to many regions on FridayAmber weather warnings have come into force as the worst of Storm Boelo could be set to hit parts of the UK.Storm Boelo's winds will peak from Saturday evening, leaving areas in the warning zone, including Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England, braced for gusts of 60-70mph and even 80mph in exposed coastal spots, the Met Office said. Continue reading...

Chancellor will build on Burnham's promise that local leaders in England will no longer have to come cap in hand to Westminster'Andy Burnham has promised that local leaders in England will no longer have to come cap in hand to Westminster" ahead of a fresh drive to devolve spending power in next week's budget.In his statement on Wednesday, the chancellor, John Healey, will include plans for a new 1.5bn borrowing facility, to be drawn up in collaboration with mayors over the next two years. Continue reading...

But Elon Musk, whose company SpaceX owns Starlink, accuses Ukrainian military of violating the company's termsUkraine's military has a stable connection to Starlink", the Ukrainian government said, 10 days after its ability to use the satellite communications system was suddenly restricted.But hours after the announcement, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, whose company owns Starlink, accused the Ukrainian military of violating the company's terms. Neither Musk nor the US government, which operates Starshield using Starlink technology, took responsibility for imposing the curbs. Continue reading...

Nearly 159 million people to head to polls on Sunday in battle between leftwing incumbent and Flavio BolsonaroMore than one million supporters of Brazil's leftwing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, have streamed on to Rio's most famous beach for a giant protest they hope will propel him towards a historic election fightback against his far-right rival, Flavio Bolsonaro.Nearly 159m Brazilians will vote in the election's runoff on Sunday, with the pair tied in the polls after Bolsonaro won the first round on 4 October by 47% to 45%. Continue reading...

French police have made 1,000 arrests and Italian officers have raided homes in Milan, with protests also taking place in Spain and AlbaniaJesse, 40, a charity worker from the north of Paris, had turned out for the street march.She said: I'm so angry. I'm here to support schoolchildren's demands for better conditions. I'm so proud of them and we have to stand together." Continue reading...

Met police say Anthony Lloyd, 38, was last seen on Friday in south London, and poses a risk to himself and the public'A manhunt is under way to locate a prisoner who police say poses a risk both to himself and the public" after he absconded from a medical facility in London.Anthony Lloyd forced his way out of a health unit in Lewisham, in south-east London, shortly after 4pm on Friday, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Almost 1,000 arrested as police charge crowd in Paris and teargas used to stop protesters reaching other city centresHundreds of thousands marched in cities across France on Saturday in largely peaceful protests to support schoolchildren's demands for more teachers and repairs to dilapidated buildings, as Emmanuel Macron faces a social and political crisis in his final months as president.In Paris, at least 110,000 people marched along the eastern edge of the city, according to government estimates. They supported high schoolers but also complained of the high cost of living and the government's heavy policing, saying riot police had been sent to target school protesters over the past month, instead of the government offering political solutions. Continue reading...

Fender criticises stadium pricing, calling it bollocks' and says it won't be happening' on his tourSam Fender has responded to criticism by fans about ticket prices for his 2027 stadium tour by promising he would lower the cost, telling followers on Instagram: They're getting changed."The 32-year-old musician announced his Proper Massive stadium tour earlier this week. Continue reading...

Fund will support feasibility study for potential bid to host Games in 2040s, backed by northern mayors and top athletesJohn Healey is to announce a 7m fund to examine a potential future bid to host the Olympics in northern England in his first budget as chancellor.The fund will be used to carry out a full feasibility study for a northern Games, which, if successful, would be held in the north of England in the 2040s. Continue reading...

About 200 firefighters deployed to tackle blaze at former Nazi mountain retreat in remote part of southern GermanyPolice have arrested a 33-year-old German citizen after a fire ripped through Adolf Hitler's former mountain retreat in Bavaria, leaving the historic Nazi meeting place - known as the Eagle's Nest - largely destroyed.About 200 firefighters were deployed on Friday night to tackle the blaze at the Nazi dictator's remote, purpose-built Kehlsteinhaus residence, a protected building on the peak of Obersalzberg in southern Germany. Continue reading...

Footage broadcast on state TV shows three attackers approaching Greek Orthodox church and firing shotsNine people have been killed after gunmen opened fire at a funeral at a church in Jordan in a rare attack on the country's Christian minority.Authorities described the attack on Friday as a terrorist act by extremists. Continue reading...

Scotland Yard says it shared letter about Thomas Markle Sr allegations in 2019 but did not pass claims to other agenciesThe Metropolitan police have confirmed they gave a letter to the Duchess of Sussex in 2019 concerning alleged offending" involving her father, after accusations arose on Friday about Thomas Markle Sr having child sexual abuse images.Scotland Yard said it had received a letter in January 2019 making a number of allegations about offending outside Britain. Continue reading...

North Korean leader travels over New Yalu River Bridge to meet senior Communist party memberKim Jong-un has visited China, inaugurating a bridge that connects the two countries and saying he hopes to expand cooperation with his neighbour.The North Korean leader arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong on Saturday after crossing the New Yalu River Bridge, according to South Korea's unification ministry, which handles affairs related to North Korea, and China's official Xinhua news agency. Continue reading...

Second named storm will hit northern parts of UK as thousands remain without power after Friday's Storm AustenThe UK is bracing for a second storm this weekend, as strong winds and heavy rain are expected to disrupt travel and cause further power cuts in the north.Storm Boelo, the second named storm of the season, is expected to bring heavy, frequent showers and winds potentially exceeding 80mph to northern parts of the UK. Continue reading...

PM Benjamin Netanyahu vows to destroy this place' in retaliation for militant attack on army checkpointIsraeli troops have levelled a neighbourhood in Hebron, driving out hundreds of families in collective punishment for a militant attack on an army checkpoint outside the West Bank city, local Palestinian authorities said.The Hebron municipality estimated that 35 hectares (86 acres) had been destroyed or marked for destruction and about 1,500 people had been evicted from their homes by Saturday afternoon in the district of Ein Deir Baha. The whole city of 250,000 people was sealed off by checkpoints on every point of entry. Continue reading...

Leading restaurateur says Gulf countries actively help businesses set up, while east Asia has a better work ethicSome of London's top restaurants are opening branches in Dubai because of a tax tsunami" in the UK and better work ethic abroad, according to a leading restaurateur.James Robson, a co-owner of Fallow in St James's Market, regarded as the capital's hottest restaurant, serving 1,000 people a day, has just signed a deal to open an outpost in the Gulf. Continue reading...

Lobby group's figures, shared with John Healey, are misleading as they do not include major rival Paris, say campaignersA banking lobby group has been accused of cherrypicking data and trying to mislead the British government by claiming a tax rise for banks at next week's budget would leave London less competitive than rival financial hubs.UK Finance, which represents banks including Lloyds, JP Morgan and Revolut, commissions an annual report tallying up all the taxes shouldered by a large bank, including corporation tax, social security, VAT and bank-specific levies. Continue reading...

The 36-year-old died after two boys reportedly swept away by strong current near Bimini, police sayA British woman has died in the Bahamas while trying to rescue her two sons after a current swept them away as they were snorkelling.The Royal Bahamas police force said it had launched an investigation after the death of a 36-year-old woman on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Government campaign recommends three days' worth of stores for emergencies, but some are ahead of the gameDried foods, bottled water, medicine stocks and backup power banks: it could be the props cupboard on a disaster movie, but instead it is precisely what some UK residents are stockpiling amid official warnings about Russian state-sponsored terrorism" and the impact of the climate crisis.The government launched a campaign on Thursday advising people to set aside three days' worth of stores to deal with a whole range of eventualities, and some are already well under way. Continue reading...

Founding member of Planxty, Lunny went on to play for bands such as Moving Hearts, the Bothy Band and CoolfinThe Irish traditional musician Donal Lunny has died at the age of 79 from cancer.Lunny rose to prominence in the trio Rakes of Kildare alongside his brother Frank and Christy Moore. He went on to play in bands such as Planxty, Moving Hearts, the Bothy Band and Coolfin among others and toured the world. Continue reading...

Tim and Geli Harris have spent more than a decade fighting to protect Catfield Fen, a rare wetland in the Norfolk BroadsPolluters and regulators who fail to stop pollution must quake in their boots when they receive a letter from the lawyers for Tim and Geli Harris. The couple, who farm 460 acres in the Norfolk Broads, have now scored a hat-trick of landmark legal victories to save an internationally important wetland after they won again in the high court this month.Lady Justice Lieven found that Natural England failed in its statutory duty to protect Catfield Fen from pollution after nitrates and phosphates washed from arable fields into one of the finest examples of calcareous fen in western Europe, home to 2,500 species including rarities such as the fen orchid, crested buckler fern, breeding bittern and swallowtail butterflies. Continue reading...

Are we doomscrolling our way into a democratic crisis? That's what the playwright James Graham fears may be happening, as he suggests that our algorithms have led us into a massive crisis of the new' and are preventing us from imagining a different futureWatch the full episode with James Graham here.

Data released under freedom of information laws reveals hundreds of projects unfinished despite Tory promises on regional equality Can a 5.8bn scheme help revive Grimsby and other town centres?Most levelling up projects are not finished, years after funds were allocated, highlighting how ambitious Conservative promises of quick progress on regional equality have faltered.Data released under freedom of information laws and manually reviewed by the Guardian found 821 levelling up projects out of 1,347 were yet to be finalised as of May this year. Across the UK, 73 council areas that had a bid for a project accepted were yet to see a single one fully completed. The Guardian has identified 59 projects that were completed since the data was collected. Continue reading...

Closures within chain formerly under the WH Smith brand raise fears of high streets becoming postal deserts'Towns and even city centres face being left as postal deserts" after it emerged that more than a third of post offices within the troubled TG Jones chain are closing.So far this year 36 branches within the high street chain formerly known as WH Smith have closed and a further 34 are set to close by early 2027, according to Post Office records analysed by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Established under the Franco dictatorship, the lunchtime ritual is in decline but all is not lostA little before lunchtime each working day across Spain, evidence of one of the lingering, if less notorious, legacies of the Franco dictatorship is carefully traced in chalk, marker pen and printer ink.Beckoning to hungry workers from blackboards, whiteboards and pieces of paper hastily taped to windows, the competitively priced menu del dia, or daily set-price lunch, has been part of everyday Spanish life for more than half a century. But while 4m menus are still served each weekday, Spain is slowly losing its appetite for the familiar ritual. Continue reading...

Security forces to include elite units usually used for counter-terrorism after worst street violence in yearsFrance will deploy about 70,000 police around the country on Saturday as the government seeks to prevent more civil unrest after some of the worst street violence in years erupted on the fringes of cost-of-living protests last weekend.The interior minister, Laurent Nunez, said on Friday the security forces would include elite units usually used for counter-terrorism operations and hostage rescues, adding that there had been social media calls for violence from ultra-left" groups. Continue reading...

The prime minister has defined and dominated his country's politics for three decades and is putting his rivals on the defensive before Tuesday's general electionThey chant his name, they cheer and clap - and yet he is not the most dominant person in the room. Looming over the crowd that has gathered to hear Gadi Eisenkot, the former general who is the lead opposition challenger in Tuesday's Israeli election, is a man who is not there. It is the man Eisenkot seeks to replace as prime minister, the man who first served in that role three decades ago and who has held it, on and off, for 19 of the past 30 years. It is Benjamin Netanyahu.Naturally, the warm-up speakers at this evening rally in the modest city of Modi'in, halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, stress the virtues of Eisenkot, a son of working-class Moroccan Jews who rose through the ranks to become chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and entered politics only four years ago. But every sentence might as well end with two words that go unspoken: unlike Bibi. Continue reading...

Humble breakfast staple at heart of trend stirred up by health concerns and hearty spoonfuls of nostalgiaThe clocks may be going back in the UK this weekend, but the biggest sign winter is coming is a steaming bowl of porridge on a breakfast table.A staple for centuries, porridge is traditionally made with oats, water and a pinch of salt or sugar. However, the humble dish is now experiencing its own renaissance, with the latest iterations transforming it from drab to decadent. The trend is being driven by a growing fibre-centric movement as well as by nostalgia. Continue reading...

Super typhoon weakening but large parts of Taiwan, including Taipei, still mostly closed and flights cancelledTyphoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday killing one person, injuring more than 500, and uprooting trees and severing power as it weakened and headed north toward the Chinese coast.Earlier classified as a super typhoon and one of the strongest storms in the Pacific this year, Champi was still packing gusts of about 126km per hour (78 miles per hour) near its centre, according to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA). Continue reading...

WA politician says he considered attending Senate estimates virtually but was told it would be unacceptable'

Independent MP now serious but stable, according to update from Melbourne's Alfred hospital

Parts of Queensland, Victoria and South Australia can expect severe storms on Saturday, moving into NSW and Tasmania by Sunday

Campaigners call lack of progress staggering' as online regulator issues review of first nine months of new regimeLandmark online safety measures have failed to limit the proportion of children suffering harm from social media, the UK's online regulator has admitted, in an assessment branded staggering" by campaigners.The proportion of children being fed unsafe content that often left them frightened, confused and upset, was almost unchanged, according to an Ofcom review of the first nine months of supposedly strict requirements on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Continue reading...

David Shoebridge's newly-minted leadership under pressure over handling of misconduct allegations as Senate estimates looms

Dozens of schools in Cornwall also affected as Storm Boelo heads for Scotland, Northern Ireland and north of EnglandThousands of homes are without power and schools were closed as the first named storm of the year hit UK shores.Storm Austen brought severe conditions to parts of the south-west, with a gust of 76mph recorded at St Mary's airport on the Isles of Scilly on Friday morning. By 3pm, more than 31,000 homes in the south-west were without power, according to National Grid. Continue reading...

Republican senator faces critical re-election battle in state where president's trade war has outraged votersDonald Trump dropped some of the US's tariffs on Canada on Friday to better serve the public interest" the White House said, handing a win to Susan Collins, the embattled Republican senator for Maine, as she faces a tight re-election campaign that will help determine whether Democrats can flip control of Congress.Collins announced that the exemptions would apply to nine agricultural products, including blueberries, potatoes, apples and seaweed. She added that many of the state's farmers rely on specialized equipment and materials from across the border that are unavailable from American suppliers or cannot be replaced without incurring significant expense". Continue reading...

Justin Craig charged with official misconduct and fraud, after searching plates of wife and previous acquaintance'An Indiana police officer has been arrested on allegations that he misused Flock cameras hundreds of times in a case involving his wife and a previous acquaintance of hers.Georgetown police department officer Justin Craig was charged with official misconduct and two counts of fraud. Documents show that he searched his wife's license plate more than 80 times and that of a previous acquaintance" of hers nearly 250 times, the news outlet WLKY reported. Continue reading...

Residents in Oleshky have been enduring a worsening humanitarian crisis due to the lack of food, electricity and other resourcesThe French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu has just issued a statement on a shooting in a town west of Paris this morning where one person was killed and four others injured.Police said a gunman had opened fire in Trappes, in the Yvelines, and neighbouring La Verriere. The gunman was later arrested in nearby Coignieres. Continue reading...

Gunman opens fire from car in Trappes and Verriere, killing one and injuring five others, including a 12-year-old girlEmmanuel Macron has condemned racism in French society after a gunman opened fire from a car west of Paris on Friday, killing one person, wounding a 12-year-old girl and injuring four others in what the president called a racist terrorist attack".Macron arrived at the scene of the drive-by shooting in Trappes, a town west of Paris, on Friday night, saying he was deeply saddened by what he called the premeditated" attack. The 12-year-old girl, who was shot eight times, is being treated in hospital. Continue reading...

Unidentified object vanished suddenly and silently, anonymous senior military observers claimTwo senior military observers say they watched a mysterious black triangular object flying at an extraordinarily high speed over a sensitive site in the western US earlier this year, in the latest tranche of reported UFO sightings released on Friday by the Trump administration.The unidentified object showed none of the characteristics of a conventional military aircraft, their report to the defense department said, and it vanished suddenly and silently within seconds, leaving no exhaust trail or other evidence of its existence. Continue reading...

The board change is the latest development for the renowned New York hospital plagued by revelations related to Jeffrey EpsteinHedge fund billionaire Glenn Dubin, one of several Wall Street figures whose relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is facing scrutiny, has stepped down from the board of Mount Sinai hospital, according to sources close to the renowned New York institution.The revelation follows news earlier this year that Mount Sinai, which has long ranked as a top medical provider in New York City, had reportedly formed a committee to review its longstanding ties to the late accused sex trafficker. The hospital features prominently in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice, including an incident in which a Mount Sinai doctor appears to have operated on a young Russian woman inside Epstein's Upper East Side townhouse after she got hurt during a stay on his Caribbean island. Continue reading...

At least one injured after flooding in Four Corners region - which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and UtahSevere flooding in the Four Corners region on Friday led to water rescues - some from rooftops - and impassable roads, with some residents being told to evacuate low-lying areas of Colorado and New Mexico and others advised to shelter in place until water levels go down.It followed several busy days of flooding in the region that swamped dozens of homes in Utah. Earlier in the week, tornadoes blew off roofs, knocked trees on to houses and downed power lines in Arizona. At least one person was injured. Continue reading...

Houses being targeted because they are thought to hold immigrants, with dozens of properties affected in recent weeksCriminals are recruiting vulnerable people, including children, to damage houses suspected of being HMOs, police in Manchester believe.In recent weeks, dozens of properties have been targeted across Greater Manchester, mostly in Salford, but also in Stockport and Tameside. Continue reading...

Benjamin Netanyahu and ministers promise demolitions and forced displacement after deadly gunfightIsrael has launched a campaign of collective punishment against Palestinians in Hebron after gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and injured three near a checkpoint outside the city.Benjamin Netanyahu announced a siege on Hebron and neighbouring Halhul and said residents of the gunmen's home neighbourhoods would all be forced out. He promised mass demolitions of homes. Continue reading...

Multinational anti-war bloc' uses Istanbul summit to call for a diplomatic solution to Middle East crisisForeign ministers at a summit of eight European and Middle Eastern countries have urged the US and Israel not to renews their attacks on Iran, warning a fresh outbreak of fighting would spread conflict and push oil prices even higher.The development of a new multinational anti-war bloc" represents a challenge to the increasingly open plans by the US and Israel to relaunch strikes on Iran while talks on Tehran's nuclear programme remain deadlocked. Continue reading...

Prosecution says Robinson guilty of harassment of Daily Mail journalists because we do not live in a vigilante world'Tommy Robinson is guilty of harassing two journalists because we do not live in a vigilante world", jurors have been told, as the prosecution sought to use the far-right activist's words against him.Robinson had posted a video in which he told Daily Mail journalists he would find them after they wrote about his alleged role influencing England's 2024 riots. He told them he had obtained details of where they and their families lived and warned them to abide by men's rules". Continue reading...