The Republican, who was sent to prison in 2016 in a hush-money case tied to the allegations, died over the weekendDennis Hastert, the longest-serving Republican US House speaker, died over the weekend, a coroner said Monday. He was 84.Hastert, who was speaker from 1999 until 2007, died of natural causes at his home, according to Jacquie Purcell, the Kendall county coroner. Continue reading...
Downing Street offered more details about the redeployment of US bombers from the British airbaseYesterday, as a gimmick, the Tories were handing out Bottler Burnham" bottles of water (0% strength") to make a point about Burnham supposedly cancelling plans for an early election under pressure from the Tories. It is a version of a stunt they pulled in 2008 when they gave journalists bottles of a Bottler Brown" beer. (Gordon Brown did pull plans for an early election at the last minute; this time the jibe is unfair, because there were no Burnham plans for an early election.)The new bottles feature the image of Burnham produced by the Manchester artist Stan Chow.The SNP's effective ban on new nuclear energy in Scotland flies in the face of common-sense.No part of Great Britain should be missing out on plans for new nuclear renewal. Continue reading...
Texas tops list with 8,100 bans while Stephen King is again most banned author, PEN America findsThe US saw almost 12,000 book bans in public schools during the 2025-2026 school year, the highest number in a single year, according to the free-expression non-profit PEN America.In a report released on Monday, PEN America said that there had been 34,000 instances of book bans since the organization started tallying the increasing book censorship crisis" across US schools in 2021. Continue reading...
Departure comes amid large drop in oil receipts, rampant inflation and shrinking economyIran's oil minister has resigned days after allegations that an intermediary trust selling Iranian oil abroad owed millions of dollars' worth of export receipts to the state.Mohsen Paknejad's departure comes as Iran grapples with a dire economic situation, including inflation running at 85%. An overall drop in oil receipts has led to a massive shortfall in foreign exchange earnings and one of the biggest drops in the value of the rial since the Iranian revolution in 1979. Continue reading...
Public figures back commissioner's call for government commitment to funding legal support for those affectedThe singer and television personality Mel B has said she is heartbroken" by the Windrush scandal victims' fight for justice, as the Windrush commissioner urged ministers to commit to providing funding for legal support for those affected by the end of October.In April, the Guardian revealed that the Home Office had refused to pay compensation in more than half the claims made by victims of the scandal, in which mainly Black Britons who came legally to postwar Britain were wrongly stripped of citizenship and settlement rights. Continue reading...
by Shrai Popat (now) and Tom Ambrose (earlier) on (#78V2V)
President to visit Grand Island as his plan to allow more foreign beef imports proves unpopular in agriculture-rich state; court to hear argument over climate crisis
Exclusive: Guardian Australia investigation reveals state governments use shared graves to bury those deemed too poor to pay for funerals. It's unspeakable,' one relative says
Medical transport plane flying from Bermuda to Boston crashed off coast of Massachusetts early SaturdaySix people are presumed dead after the US Coast Guard on Sunday suspended its search for survivors of a medical transport plane crash off the coast of Massachusetts early the previous day.The aircraft, which was flying from Bermuda to Boston, lost contact with ground authorities at about 2am on Saturday, and the Coast Guard located a debris field near the island of Nantucket later that day. Continue reading...
Prime minister orders ministers to tackle students' five major demands, including organising replacement teachers and school repairsHundreds of schools in France remained fully or partially closed on Monday as teenagers continued to blockade buildings and the government struggled to contain the biggest youth protest movement in years.A 15-year-old protesting against what the demonstrators say are France's dilapidated and understaffed schools had his hand blown off on Monday in the northern town of Lens, the local prefect Francois-Xavier Lauch said. Continue reading...
Hundreds of schools in France remain closed amid planned demonstrations across the countryThe conservative People's Party is very pleased with the announcement.At last," they say on their X, with a slick election video - set to the EU's anthem Ode to Joy" - to go along with it.Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has called a snap election for 29 November, just days after rightwing parties blocked his minority government's emergency measures on housing amid widespread protests (9:10).The election will take place on Sunday, 29 November, the earliest possible date procedurally.In a fierce address, Sanchez framed the election as choice between regressing" under a far-right coalition" or keeping moving forward" with his progressive administration (9:04, 9:09, 9:17).He said the election will be about who will guide Spain through a period of disruption amid high political tensions, global instability, climate emergency, and uncertainty posed by the rise of AI (9:13). Continue reading...
After Guardian investigation uncovered drone strike that killed 12 civilians and injured many more, seven-year-old Abdiqadir Salah underwent vital operation in MogadishuOn the rickshaw ride to the hospital, Marian Haji Abdi Guled felt a mixture of joy and apprehension: the day they had been waiting for had finally arrived.Almost a year earlier, her then seven-year-old son, Abdiqadir Salah, had been seriously injured, alongside his two siblings, in what a Guardian investigation found was a US drone strike on the village of Jamaame in Somalia that killed at least 12 civilians, including eight children. Continue reading...
Culture of silence and fears of exclusion means aviation workers less likely to seek help for mental health issuesPilots and air traffic controllers in the US could soon have an easier time achieving a healthy mental altitude - a move with implications for the safety of air travel in America.The US Senate recently approved bills aimed at encouraging aviation professionals struggling with a mental health condition get treatment. Continue reading...
Flavio Bolsonaro is favorite to win 25 October runoff against 80-year-old incumbent leftwing president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Plus the pawsome' new recruit to Mexico's national guardGood morning. Brazil's presidential race will go to a second round after the far-right candidate, Flavio Bolsonaro, beat the incumbent leftwing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but failed to secure the outright majority he needed to avoid a runoff.The 45-year-old son of the disgraced former president Jair Bolsonaro will go into the second round as strong favourite, likely to pick up votes from the election's other rightwing candidates, including Ronaldo Caiado, who secured 2.1%, and Renan Santos, who won 2.2%. The second round will take place on 25 October.How have Bolsonarista politicians taken a grip on Brazil? Brazil's far right put in an even stronger than expected showing, with a succession of Bolsonarista politicians winning congressional or gubernatorial races. They included Jair Bolsonaro's second son, Carlos Bolsonaro, and his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, who both won seats in the senate. Bolsonaro's youngest son, Jair Renan Bolsonaro, was elected to the lower house of congress.What has been the latest response from Cornell University? In a video message, the Cornell University president, Michael Kotlikoff, said the school would take a serious look at the role of fraternities and sororities in campus life", adding: At their best, these organisations can provide students with friendship, belonging, mentorship and a powerful sense of community. But being part of a group can never diminish individual responsibility." Continue reading...
Precautions in place in several hospitals in eastern Russia amid uncertainty over death of Darya ShipilovaSeveral hospitals in Siberia have been placed under quarantine after the death of a woman who worked at an anti-plague institute.Darya Shipilova, an employee at an institute in the eastern city of Irkutsk, died on the night of 2 October at a regional hospital in the nearby town of Shelekhov two days after falling ill. Continue reading...
Three scientists to share 12m Swedish kronor prize for their work on light-gated ion channels and optogenetics'The Nobel prize in physiology or medicine 2026 has been awarded to three scientists for their work on investigating the mysteries of the brain.Karl Deisseroth of both Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University, Peter Hegemann of the Humboldt University of Berlin, and Georg Nagel of the University of Wurzburg have been awarded the prize for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.". Continue reading...
Musician who had hit albums with Racine and Rats later became a judge on six seasons of Canadian IdolSass Jordan, the singer-songwriter who became a significant success in Canada's rock scene in the 1990s before starring as a judge on Canadian Idol, has died aged 65.No cause of death has been given. A statement on social media said she died on 2 October surrounded by her loving family ... She remains in our hearts, an inimitable force of nature. An irreplaceable being of light and joy!" Continue reading...
Former prince to challenge whether Thames Valley police acted lawfully over searches relating to his arrestAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor is taking action against Thames Valley police to challenge the legality of search warrants that led to his arrest earlier this year, a judicial spokesperson has said.A private high court hearing is due to take place before Mr Justice Hilliard on Thursday to determine whether documents related to the the former Duke of York's call for a judicial review can be made public; with Thames Valley police in opposition. Continue reading...
Demonstrators gather in south coast town as nearly 150 people trying to reach UK by small boat brought ashoreAnti-migrant protesters have scuffled with police in Gosport, Hampshire, as they opposed the rescuing of nearly 150 people trying to reach the UK by small boat.The demonstrators gathered in the south coast town as news of the vessel's expected arrival spread. It was the second time protesters had targeted the town amid rumours of rescued people disembarking there. Continue reading...
Percentage who feel very emotionally attached to Israel' rose to 51% in June 2025, up 13 points from before Gaza warBritish Jews have become more likely to identify as Zionist, consider emigrating to Israel, and feel a close attachment to the country since the 7 October attacks, research has found.A study from the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) titled October 8 Jews: The Impact of October 7 on British Jewish Identity", by Dr David Graham, found the percentage of British Jews who identified as Zionist rose seven points to 66%, between 2022 and 2025. By June 2025, the numbers who felt antisemitism in the UK was a very big problem" had tripled to 50%. Continue reading...
The actor will perform famous TV sketches - as well as new material created with Richard Curtis, Ben Elton and Howard Goodall - in Rowan Live, which opens in FebruaryRowan Atkinson will return to the stage next year to play Blackadder, Mr Bean and other comic characters from across his career in a West End show, Rowan Live. The production, which will have a short run of 30 performances, is to feature new routines as well as his famous sketches from TV shows including Not the Nine O'Clock News.It is 40 years since I last did a comedy sketch show in the West End," said Atkinson. I thought it would be fun to perform again the sketches that began it all for myself and [writer] Richard Curtis, and in which my most well-known characters originated, alongside some surprise new material written especially for this show." He and Curtis will be collaborating once more with Blackadder writer Ben Elton and its composer Howard Goodall. Continue reading...
RMIT confirms co-pilot was a student as Australian authorities examine his time in country between 2015 and 2017An Australian university has confirmed a flydubai co-pilot who allegedly tried to hijack an Israel-bound flight studied at its Melbourne campus, but left before completing his qualification.Disaster was narrowly averted on 30 September when passengers and crew intervened to stop the alleged attempt of the co-pilot, identified by media outlets as Hammam al-Hammami, to take control of a flight to Tel Aviv with 182 people onboard. Continue reading...
The FBI arrested Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, at Los Angeles International Airport before she left for China, the agency saidUS authorities arrested a California woman on Sunday, accusing her of spying on the son of Taiwan's president at the behest of Chinese officials, the FBI said.The FBI arrested Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday before her planned departure to China, the agency said in a statement. Authorities charged Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, with acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Continue reading...
Plans to shed as many as 2,000 employees have been announced in stages, and staff fear further cuts in 2027Morale at the BBC has been severely dented by a gradual bloodletting" that has seen plans to shed as many as 2,000 staff slowly announced over several weeks, members of the corporation's staff have warned.More internal meetings have been called for this week to discuss further details of the cuts, which aim to save 500m. Some staff already fear that further waves of cuts will follow soon after in the new year. Continue reading...
Natural History Museum and British Museum among cultural institutions leveraging collections and exhibitionsThey are often free to visit but museums are bolstering their finances by putting their stamp on everything from upmarket hotel suites to trendy jumpsuits and virtual reality experiences.Forget buying a T-shirt. If you can afford the from 724" price tag, you can spend the night in the Natural History Museum family suite at the Park Plaza London Riverbank hotel, which has an interior inspired by the museum's founder, Sir Richard Owen, complete with Tyrannosaurus rex bunk beds. Continue reading...
Study of remains taken from royal cemetery at Umm el-Qa'ab appears to confirm early Egyptologist's theoryCourt officials and craftspeople serving early Egyptian kings may have been sacrificed when their ruler died, according to research that found fractures in several ancient skulls.The royal cemetery of Umm el-Qa'ab near Abydos features the tombs and enclosures of the First Dynasty rulers of Egypt, and dates as far back as 3,000BC. Continue reading...
Experts say country does not have plan to feed people in a crisis and is unprepared for future shortagesBritain does not have a plan for how to feed people in a crisis and is unprepared for potential future food shortages, according to a warning from more than 150 experts delivered to Andy Burnham.The climate crisis, geopolitical shocks, cyber-attacks and energy outages are among the threats to food chain security, according to the open letter, which claims the government is complacent about food as a national security matter".Establish a new system of local food resilience committees under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.Audit the UK's reliance on a few very large food companies and food imports.Realign national food production around nutritional needs.Create national, regional, local and community food storage schemes.Support the decentralisation of the UK's food supply. Continue reading...
Nine years on from a failed independence push, former president Carles Puigdemont will find times have changedAfter years of legal wrangling, Spain's constitutional court is expected to remove the last obstacle to the return of the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont after nearly nine years in exile this week.Puigdemont fled in 2017 to avoid being jailed for his part in the failed and illegal independence push for which nine of his colleagues were imprisoned on sentences of up to 13 years, although all were released within three years. Continue reading...
The actor, who is performing on the West End, was filmed telling theatre fans you can't come 20 times and sit in the front row, it'll drive me mad'Gillian Anderson has come under fire after the actor was filmed telling a group of fans that they were distracting" her by repeatedly sitting in the front row while she performs in London's West End.The Sex Education and X-Files star was filmed outside the Soho Place theatre where she's performing in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, telling a group of fans: You guys cannot sit in the front row. I do not care; you cannot sit in the front row. It's so distracting." Continue reading...
The announcement came hours after Iranian-backed Houthis reportedly cut a vital supply route to besieged city of TaizYemen's Saudi-backed government has announced the start of a new military operation to retake all territory held by the Houthis, even as the militant group made fresh gains on the ground, reportedly encircling a government-held city.Rashad al-Alimi, the head of Yemen's presidential council, said in a statement on Sunday: I announce today the start of military operations to retake the remaining territories of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory." Continue reading...
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is standing against Flavio Bolsonaro in the first round of the presidential raceThe incumbent, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is up against Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is in prison for plotting a military coup. The president in Brazil is directly elected, and candidates need more than 50% of the vote to avoid a second round. Continue reading...
by Tom Phillips and Tiago Rogero in Rio de Janeiro on (#78TWC)
Far-right challenger and son of disgraced ex-president Jair Bolsonaro put in a stronger than expected showing, with Lula calling the result unexpected'Brazil's presidential race will go to a second round after the far-right candidate, Flavio Bolsonaro, beat the incumbent leftwing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but failed to secure the outright majority he needed to avoid a runoff.With more than 99% of votes counted, the 45-year-old son of the disgraced former president, Jair Bolsonaro, had won 47.1%, meaning he will now face a 25 October showdown with his 80-year-old rival. Lula received 45%. Continue reading...
Union says staff left with no choice but industrial action after breakdown in pay talks with Texas oil firm ApacheA looming strike by oil workers in the North Sea could severely disrupt" UK fuel supplies, the Unite union has said, adding that staff were left with no choice after a breakdown in pay talks with the Texas oil company Apache.The union said Apache workers had emphatically" backed strike action after being given what it said was an unacceptable pay offer that amounted to a real-terms pay cut for many employees, at a time when the company was raking in eye-watering profits". Continue reading...
Many cases involve criminals using other people's identities to sell fake event tickets to friends and familyThe total amount stolen by criminals who hack into people's emails and social media accounts and then pretend to be them has risen by more than 400% in a year, official UK data shows.In many cases, the scammers are hijacking people's accounts in order to use their identity to sell fake event tickets - such as to sold-out gigs - to unsuspecting friends and family. Continue reading...
Only 150 of 2,189 titles published in UK for young children last year focused on minority ethnic, disabled or neurodivergent charactersThe number of children's books featuring Black main characters fell by almost 8% last year, according to research into diversity in UK publishing.Just 47 - or 2.1% - of the 2,189 books published for under-10s in 2025 featured a Black main character, a 7.8% fall from the previous year, according to Inclusive Books for Children. Black children make up about 8.5% of that age bracket in England and Wales. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#78TT4)
Shadow chancellor will also promise to scrap affordable homes regulations as part of strategy to refocus on growthThe Conservatives will announce a bonfire of regulations including abolishing affordable homes and community funding rules as well as scrapping Natural England and the Environment Agency.The shadow chancellor, Andrew Griffith, will say the party intends to streamline regulations" that protect nature and oblige developers to include affordable homes and community services such as GP surgeries, to speed up infrastructure and housebuilding. Continue reading...
Staunchly pro-Russia politician has dominated campaign and inflamed divisions despite not appearing on ballotBosnian Serb nationalist politician Milorad Dodik has declared victory for his party in an election in Bosnia shaped by economic pressures, the prospect of the Balkan nation joining the European Union and ethnic tensions that have divided the country since its brutal 1992-95 war.Dodik is a staunchly pro-Russia politician who, despite not appearing on the ballot, has dominated the campaign and inflamed divisions with separatist rhetoric that has sparked fears of renewed instability in Bosnia. Continue reading...
by Australian Associated Press and Andrew Messenger on (#78TD8)
Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe, 18, appears in court on dangerous driving offences after car struck Knights supporters lining streets to farewell their team
Home secretary warns people traffickers will exploit asylum seekers because they decide who comes to the UKNearly all women who try to reach the UK in small boats from northern France have been raped on their journey, Shabana Mahmood has claimed.In an interview with The Rest Is Politics podcast, the home secretary said far-right, balaclava-wearing activists would kill" or kick me out of my own country" if they took power. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Senior political correspondent on (#78TMB)
Motion calling for single Palestinian state, which is opposed by most Green MPs and expected to be challenged, passes by 1,022 votes to 813The Greens have formally adopted a policy that equates Zionism with racism and calls for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state, a move opposed by the bulk of the party's MPs and which is expected to face legal challenge.Zack Polanski, who heads the Greens in England and Wales and missed the vote at the party's conference in Brighton to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, has faced criticism for a perceived lack of leadership on a hugely divisive issue. Continue reading...
Party formally adopts policy which equates Zionism with racism, as all Green party votes to adopt policy that equates Zionism with racismOn Friday the Times revealed that Katie Lam, the communities secretary, told a meeting in private earlier this year that the state pension system needs a fundamental overhaul.Speaking in June, when she was a frontbencher but not yet in the shadow cabinet, Lam was asked at a meeting with activists if she thought the pensions triple lock was sustainable. She replied:Ultimately I think what we will need in the end is an entirely new pension system.I mean, a baby that is born today has a 20% chance of living to be 100 and I don't think we can fund one in five people half of their lives, you know, for the first 20 and the last 30 years. But obviously if you are 90 you probably can't go out and get a job right, so I think you have to be realistic about how you would taper that and bring that in across the population.The fact is, the triple lock and pensions are things that people have contributed to.Conservatives believe that if you have contributed, then you deserve to get your state pension. Continue reading...
Attack shortly after Friedrich Merz arrived on unannounced visit intended to underline Germany's backingRussia has struck another major bridge in Kyiv as the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, arrived in the capital in a show of support for Ukraine.A Russian drone hit Kyiv's key Northern Bridge over the Dnipro River, marking the fourth consecutive day that Russia has targeted bridges used by tens of thousands of residents commuting between the city's two banks. Video footage showed cars driving across the bridge as the drone plunged into the roadway and exploded in a burst of fire. Two people were injured in the strike, said Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko. Continue reading...
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