World news | The Guardian

Elon Musk is donating huge amounts to Donald Trump's re-election campaign. What might he want in return? Adam Gabbatt reports from New York City Continue reading...

Exclusive: Police investigate whether spies placed incendiary package that caught alight in BirminghamCounter-terrorism police are investigating whether Russian spies planted an incendiary device on a plane to Britain which later caught fire at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham, the Guardian can reveal.Nobody was reported injured in the fire on 22 July at a warehouse in the suburb of Minworth that handles parcels for delivery, and the blaze was dealt with by the local fire brigade and staff. Continue reading...

Two infants and two women were among group of 31 people trying to reach Italy from Turkish coastFour people, including two toddlers, died after falling overboard from an overcrowded speedboat in which they were travelling off the island of Kos, the Greek coastguard has said.After scouring the seas throughout the night, officials confirmed the fatalities on Wednesday, saying the two infants and two women" who had died had been among a group of 31 people trying to reach Italy from the Turkish coast. Continue reading...

Indigenous leaders say David Crisafulli's use of term is a racialised dog whistle', whether he knows it or notThe Queensland Liberal National party leader, David Crisafulli, has been accused of racialised dog whistling" for his repeated use of a phrase common in anti-crime social media groups, where it is used as a derogatory reference to Aboriginal children.First Nations academics and other experts says Crisafulli's repeated use of the phrase generation of untouchables" - whether known to him or not - has coded racist undertones".Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Continue reading...

Explosion and fire in residential Benwell and Elswick area destroyed house with six people also taken to hospitalA seven-year-old boy has died after what was described as a devastating explosion" destroyed houses in a residential street.Northumbria police confirmed that a child had died and six people were taken to hospital after a large fire in Newcastle in the early hours of Wednesday. Continue reading...

Drivers and other staff to stop work as Aslef union says management will not negotiate properlyWorkers on the London Underground, including tube drivers, plan to stage a series of strikes in November amid a dispute over pay.Members of the Aslef union, whose 2,000 members include tube drivers and instructors as well as those in management and engineering, will take action on different days during the first half of November. Continue reading...

The Slow Horses star will perform the monologue Krapp's Last Tape at York Theatre Royal in the springAfter decades away from the theatre, Gary Oldman is to return to the Yorkshire playhouse where he once starred as a pantomime cat. The Oscar winner, who is currently back on TV screens in Slow Horses, will perform Samuel Beckett's monologue Krapp's Last Tape at York Theatre Royal next spring.It is a long-awaited return to the stage for the star, who started his acting career performing in York and with Glasgow's Citizens theatre before moving on to London's Royal Court and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Continue reading...

Deputy premier says Gary Williamson, who is running in the seat of Redlands, should be disendorsed immediately'

Justin Welby warns new law risks turning right to die into a duty ahead of bill being formally introduced in parliamentThe archbishop of Canterbury has warned that legalising assisted dying is dangerous and risks turning the right to die into a duty.His intervention came before the formal introduction of a private members' bill in the Commons on Wednesday that aims to offer choice at the end of life. Continue reading...

LNP leader and Labor premier face off in second leaders debate ahead of Queensland election day on 26 October

Bureau of Meteorology expects damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall' to strike large areas of the country, particularly in the west and south-east

Institute for Public Policy Research says firms that fail to offer options such as subsidised nutritious food should face censureEmployers should be fined if they create unhealthy workplaces, as part of Wes Streeting's plan to get unemployed people fit to work, according to a leading thinktank.The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said employers that fail to provide a healthier work environment for their staff, such as subsidised nutritious food, should face regulatory action, including fines and public censure. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Rachel Reeves will meet senior City figures on Friday to discuss funding of national investment projectsThe chancellor will summon City bosses to Downing Street on Friday for the first post-election meeting of Labour's British infrastructure taskforce", as the government hopes to steer more private cash towards a string of national investment projects.Banking and asset management bosses - including Lloyds Banking Group's Charlie Nunn, HSBC UK's Ian Stuart and Phoenix Group's Andy Briggs - will gather in No 11 as the government asks private sector leaders for advice on how best to fund and implement a series of infrastructure programmes. Continue reading...

Minutes of meeting between then business secretary Badenoch and businessman James Dyson show her defending the flexible working billKemi Badenoch defended legislation introducing the right to flexible work in a conversation with the businessman James Dyson, despite being outspoken in her opposition to the measures during the Conservative leadership contest.Minutes of a meeting during her time as business secretary last June, seen by the Guardian, show the pair discussed the Tory government's plans for flexible working laws, with Dyson raising concerns about the impact they would have on his business. Continue reading...

Eon Productions, based at Pinewood Studios near London, reported pre-tax profits down by three-quarters in 2023Profit at the maker of the James Bond films fell by three-quarters last year as it went another year without a new blockbuster release in the multibillion-dollar 007 franchise.Eon Productions, which is headquartered at Pinewood Studios in the countryside west of London, reported pre-tax profits of 224,985 last year. Continue reading...

Peers say protections have been undermined by three immigration acts passed by the previous governmentLabour should restore protections for victims of modern slavery, which have been undermined by recent Tory immigration laws, a House of Lords committee chaired by former TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady has said.There are an estimated 130,000 victims of modern slavery in the UK, trapped in sectors including agriculture, prostitution and care. Continue reading...

Seventy-year-old comedian walks back contentious comments about PC crap', saying: You can't say certain words about groups. So what?'Jerry Seinfeld has backtracked on comments he made earlier this year blaming the extreme left and PC crap" for negatively affecting comedy, saying he now believes it is not true".The 70-year-old comedian told the New Yorker in April that he believed television comedy was suffering because people [are] worrying so much about offending other people". Continue reading...

Respectful relationships content will teach students how to recognise hate speech and coercive control, education minister Ben Carroll says

Magistrate finds Geason's story - that the woman hit her head while possibly inebriated - contrived'

Foreign affairs minister filmed walking away from podium as moderator asks some audience members to leave University of Tasmania venue

This blog has now closed. You can read our latest report on the Israel-Gaza war here and all our coverage from the region here.Israeli military strikes killed at least 40 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip as Israeli forces tightened their squeeze around Jabalia in the north of the enclave on Tuesday, amid fierce battles with Hamas-led fighters.Palestinian health officials said at least 11 people were killed by Israeli fire near Al-Falouja in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps, while 10 others were killed in Bani Suhaila in eastern Khan Younis in the south when an Israeli missile struck a house. Continue reading...

Airline says postponement will last until at least 31 March and is providing travel waivers to some customersDelta Airlines has postponed all flights between New York's John F Kennedy airport and Tel Aviv until at least 31 March because of the conflict in the Middle East, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.Delta is continuously monitoring the evolving security environment and assessing our operations based on security guidance and intelligence reports and will communicate any updates as needed," the airline said. Continue reading...

Learners trying to beat backlog can pay up to 195 with brokers who buy up slots and sell them on, according to motoring organisationThe RAC has issued fresh warnings to desperate learner drivers trying to beat the backlog by booking tests through unregulated websites after it found they could be paying up to four times the going rate.The average waiting time for a test across England, Scotland and Wales is about four and a half months and many learners have turned to brokers who book out slots and resell the tests for hundreds of pounds. Continue reading...

St John Ambulance research cites public concern about touching female breasts when giving chest compressionsWomen who go into cardiac arrest in public are less likely than men to receive chest compressions from bystanders as people worry about touching their breasts", according to a study.The research by St John Ambulance said nearly a quarter of the 1,000 Britons surveyed admitted they were less likely to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a woman in public, with a third of men worrying they would be accused of inappropriate" touching when giving CPR to a woman compared with 13% of females. Continue reading...

Exclusive: overhaul of system that imposed draconian penalties for innocent errors in benefit claims is expectedDraconian penalties that caused unpaid carers to rack up thousands of pounds of debt after unwittingly falling foul of benefit rules are to be overhauled, the government has announced.The move comes six months after a Guardian investigation revealed tens of thousands of vulnerable carers were being ordered to repay hefty overpayments - and even threatened with criminal prosecution - over minor breaches of carer's allowance earnings limits. Continue reading...

The soldier was also chief of the general staff and commander of British forces in the 2003 Gulf warGeneral Sir Mike Jackson, the former head of the British army who commanded troops in the 2003 Iraq war, has died aged 80.The former chief of the general staff died on Tuesday surrounded by his family. Continue reading...

The 3,800-seat Bradford Live to be part of city of culture 2025 activities but NEC Group backed out of deal to run itBradford council's leadership has seen off a vote of no confidence amid growing criticism over its handling of Bradford Live, a 50.5m publicly funded venue that has been completed with no operator in place to run it.The 3,800-seat Bradford Live building was due to open in November but performances were cancelled when NEC Group, which runs a number of large venues in and around Birmingham, pulled out of the deal. Continue reading...

Move reignites row over Labour figures with private interests having access to government

The PM is surrounded by Blairites, from Pat McFadden and Liz Kendall to Jacqui Smith and Jonathan Powell

European Commission president cites Italy-Albania deal as possible model for reducing irregular arrivals to EuropeThe European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has called for an exploration of return hubs" outside the EU in a letter to the bloc's national leaders on irregular migration, citing a deal between Italy and Albania as a possible model.EU leaders are to meet on Thursday and Friday for a summit on migration as the commission has said it will propose new measures. Continue reading...

Date for official opening still not announced for $1bn-plus mega-project more than a decade in the makingEgypt's vast and much-delayed antiquities museum will partly open its main galleries on Wednesday, including 12 halls that exhibit aspects of ancient Egypt.The Grand Egyptian Museum, a mega-project near the famed Giza pyramids that has cost considerably more than $1bn (765m) so far, will open its halls to 4,000 visitors as a trial run until the official opening date, which is yet to be announced, according to Al-Tayeb Abbas, assistant to the minister of antiquities. Continue reading...

Cost-cutting also includes axing of world affairs programme HARDtalk and BBC Asian Network's bespoke news serviceThe BBC has announced its latest round of job cuts, involving a net reduction of 130 roles across news and current affairs departments, as part of a wider cost-cutting drive.The chief executive of BBC News, Deborah Turness, announced the changes in an email on Tuesday, saying the corporation sought to cut 185 roles and open 55 new ones with the aim of saving 24m, amounting to 4% of the current news budget. Continue reading...

Classic ballad was played during bizarre campaign event in which Trump told audience: Let's just listen to music'The estate of Leonard Cohen has issued a cease and desist order to Donald Trump, after a recording of Rufus Wainwright singing Cohen's song Hallelujah was played at a bizarre campaign event.Wainwright has also condemned Trump's use of the song at the town hall in Oaks, Pennsylvania. The singer characterised Hallelujah as an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth. I've been supremely honoured over the years to be connected with this ode to tolerance. Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was the height of blasphemy. Of course, I in no way condone this and was mortified, but the good in me hopes that perhaps in inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen's masterpiece, Donald Trump just might experience a hint of remorse over what he's caused. I'm not holding my breath." Continue reading...

Abrupt landing comes a day after flight from Mumbai to New York was diverted to Delhi after a false bomb threatAn Air India plane bound for Chicago has made an abrupt landing in the Arctic city of Iqaluit, after a false bomb threat. The emergency stop before sunrise on Tuesday, came less than a day after Canada and India expelled senior diplomats in a widening feud between the two countries.The flight's 211 crew and passengers disembarked at the Iqaluit airport some 300km (186 miles) north of the Arctic circle, the Royal Canadian Mounted police said in a news release. According to local media in Iqaluit, an unspecified bomb threat from a person in India to Air India" was relayed to the flight's captain. Continue reading...

Court sees videos prosecution says show Martyn Blake got wrong key parts of claim fatal shot was fired in self-defenceThe Metropolitan police officer who shot dead Chris Kaba in south London with a supersonic" bullet to the head denied making false or exaggerated claims to justify opening fire.Martyn Blake, 40, denies murder. His evidence continued into a second day on Tuesday as he was questioned by the prosecutor Tom Little KC. Continue reading...

Downing St says decisions over protection for the singer were up to Scotland Yard and not the governmentKeir Starmer has has welcomed private investment of 550m to make it easier for people to find a home, PA Media reports. PA says:Schroders, Man Group and Resonance announced new impact investment funds on Tuesday - pots of money that aim to create social or environmental impact.These will help to address directly the shortage of homes by supporting the building of tens of thousands of new homes across the UK, the Treasury said.We've said as a government we're going to fix the foundations, rebuild our country, and expressly saying now is the time to back us'.Companies and investors are coming in today saying here's half a billion pounds'. We want to raise that, by the way, I want that to be up over 1bn before too long. Continue reading...

Met Office says up to 80mm of water could fall over six hours in some areas, potentially causing floodingThe Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for rain that may lead to travel disruption and flooding over the next two days.The first will stretch from Plymouth and reach as far north as Manchester, covering parts of north-west and south-west England, Wales and the West Midlands. Continue reading...

Gomorrah author and Meloni critic's non-inclusion in Italy's lineup angers writers amid claims of censorshipThe Gomorrah author Roberto Saviano will appear at the Frankfurt book fair this week despite being snubbed by the organisers of the official Italian delegation, setting the scene for a clash between the country's far-right government and its most prominent writers.Saviano, one of Italy's bestselling living writers and an ardent critic of the far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, was absent from the initial lineup of 100 authors representing Italy, this year's guest of honour, when it was announced in May. Continue reading...

Credit rating agency expects English and Welsh companies to challenge regulator's ruling with CMA watchdog

Interim report finds little evidence of changes in response to case of necrophiliac killer David FullerRepeated failures to prevent dead people from being abused in funeral parlours and mortuaries highlight the urgent need for regulation of funeral services in England, an inquiry has found.Sir Jonathan Michael is chairing the second phase of an inquiry into how the necrophiliac killer David Fuller was able to sexually abuse the bodies of scores of women and girls in hospital mortuaries. Continue reading...

Setbacks mean UN goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030 is impossible to hit, report findsWars, debt, the climate crisis and the pandemic have combined to halt progress in the fight against poverty, the World Bank has warned.The Washington-based institution said on current trends it would take more than three decades to lift the near-700 million people living on less than $2.15 (1.64) a day above the widely accepted definition of extreme poverty. Continue reading...

Italian PM demands security guarantees for her country's Unifil troops after series of attacks by Israel

Mike Young said he saw saw only minor bugs and glitches' and defended ability to remotely access branch accounts

Deputy children's ward manager says she had never seen a response like that' to death of a childLucy Letby responded to the death of a newborn baby in a manner that a children's nurse said she had never seen" before or since, a public inquiry has been told.Letby was heard discussing in an excited" way the death of two triplet babies in 24 hours in June 2016. Nicola Lightfoot, the deputy children's ward manager at the Countess of Chester hospital, said she heard Letby say in an animated way to a colleague immediately after the second death: You'll never guess what just happened." Continue reading...

Raji Sourani says west is jeopardising something precious' by shielding Israel from legal consequencesA prominent Palestinian human rights lawyer whose Gaza home was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in the early weeks of the war has called on western powers and global institutions to do more to prevent the territory becoming the graveyard of international law".Raji Sourani, who founded the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in 1995 and was a key member of the South African legal team that took Israel to the international court of justice on a charge of genocide, met the UK attorney general last week to urge him to assume a leadership role in defending humanitarian law. Continue reading...

Adriana Brownlee, 23, reaches summit of Shishapangma three years after setting target at top of EverestA 23-year-old has become the youngest woman to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre-plus peaks.Adriana Brownlee reached the 8,027-metre summit of Shishapangma in Tibet on 9 October, becoming the second British person to complete the gruelling feat. It came three years after Brownlee reached the top of Everest and resolved to climb all 14 of the world's highest peaks, the Times reported. Continue reading...

Image dispersed during Monday's military drills likened to sexual harassment or abusive partnerA Chinese propaganda image dispersed during Monday's military drills around Taiwan was supposed to send a positive message to the island's people, but instead has been decried as weird, creepy, and akin to sexual harassment".On Monday China targeted Taiwan with major military exercises, surrounding its main island and outer territories with planes and ships to practise a blockade and attack. Alongside a record number of warplanes, dozens of navy and coastguard vessels, and cyber-attacks, China also launched a torrent of propaganda. Continue reading...

Health secretary announces trials to assess impact of medicines such as Ozempic on worklessnessNew weight-loss jabs could be given to unemployed people to help them get back into work, Wes Streeting has suggested.The health secretary said widening waistbands" were placing a burden on the NHS. Continue reading...

Some woke with dread while others played music to prepare - but ultimately HSC English examinees were met with few surprises

One man received burns to his hands and two others transported to hospital as a precaution, before Hazmat crews decontaminated site