World news | The Guardian

Linda Burney calls on Australia to keep listening to First Nations people, while Warren Mundine says result is not a celebration'

Finance minister offers standing invitation to intensify your trade relationship to the EU'The German finance minister has issued an open invitation to the UK to reach a new deal to improve Brexit trading relations that would reduce trade barriers and obstacles in daily business life".Christian Lindner told the BBC: This is a standing invitation for the UK. If you want to intensify your trade relationship to the EU, call us. We really appreciate the United Kingdom and its values, its people ... and I would really, really appreciate it if we can intensify [the trade relationship] again." Continue reading...

Head of Honywood school says building of temporary structure is a near miracle after crisis it facedThree and a half weeks ago, there was nothing here," said James Saunders, the headteacher of Honywood school, looking with pride - and disbelief - at the scene unfolding in front of him. It was a field!"Before us is a brand new school, built in the space of six weeks - a temporary home for the 800 pupils at Honywood in Coggeshall, Essex, one of the schools most severely affected by the recent concrete crisis that threw the start of the new term across England into chaos. Continue reading...

After losing its editor this week, programme faces shake-up that critics say could have long-term impactIt has skewered royals, asked political leaders the same question a dozen times, occasionally got stories wrong and been accused of a lack of impartiality, but Newsnight now faces a more insidious prospect: death by a thousand cuts.The long-running flagship BBC news and current affairs programme this week lost its editor, and staff are braced for announcements about deep cuts to its budget next week. Critics argue the cuts will leave Newsnight a shadow of its former self and risk weakening the argument for the licence fee. Continue reading...

London-based Noam Sagi and Sharone Lifschitz hope against hope for safety of their parents, missing after kibbutz massacreAs Noam Sagi watched footage of journalists reporting from the Nir Oz kibbutz near the border with Gaza last Saturday, his heart sank when he saw his 75-year-old mother's burnt-out car in the background.His family had not heard from Ada since she called in distress earlier that morning to say Hamas gunmen had stormed the kibbutz and she was sheltering in a safe room. Continue reading...

Driver is charged non-refundable sum of 747 when basic cover for a new customer would be 170If you have ever had a subscription auto-renewed without realising, then spare a thought for Ben Wright*. His family's AA car breakdown cover was rolled over for an incredible 747. Had he gone on to the AA website as a new customer, he would have paid just 170 for the same policy.While many firms offer discounted prices to entice customers only to charge dramatically more in subsequent years, it seems few can match the private equity-owned AA for the increases it hands out to longstanding customers. Continue reading...

Opposition calls for independent investigation by watchdog to prevent repeat of funding errors

PM to visit India for Cricket World Cup and host AI summit, though an expected reshuffle is likely to be pivotalIt might not be a direct response to Keir Starmer's jibe about inaction man", but one thing Rishi Sunak definitely will be this autumn is busy. Extremely busy. It remains to be seen, however, whether voters will notice or care.Fresh from his Conservative party conference pledge to be the man who can reset UK politics, Downing Street is planning a flurry of activity in the coming weeks with the prime minister very much at its centre. Continue reading...

British-organised repatriation flights cancelled but other countries' flights are able to land in UKBritish citizens trying to escape the war zone in Israel are having their repatriation flights repeatedly cancelled by the British government, while emergency flights arranged by US and Australian authorities are landing in the UK.The government has failed in its attempts to organise repatriation flights for British nationals to return home from Israel because of problems obtaining insurance, an aviation source told the PA news agency. Late on Friday it appeared the government had turned to using military transport to evacuate citizens. Continue reading...

Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces clash in several areas before expected ground offensive

Cameron says she was threatened with being bricked' in the street after joining Conservatives on ThursdayLisa Cameron, the SNP MP who defected to the Conservative party on Thursday, said she and her family have been forced to go into hiding in Scotland after she was threatened with being bricked" in the street.Cameron, her husband and their two daughters have moved to a secret location in the Scottish countryside after the MP was emailed threats of violence, including I hope someone throws a brick at you in the street", I hope you burn" and Think your mental health is bad now - wail til you see what abuse and nastiness yer [sic] going to have to put up with". Continue reading...

South-east counter-terrorism policing unit investigating speech made by a woman at protest last SundayA woman has been arrested under terrorism laws on suspicion of supporting Hamas at a protest in Brighton on Sunday.The 22-year-old was held on Thursday over allegations that she supported a proscribed terrorist organisation, the south-east counter-terrorism policing unit said. She was released on bail on Friday. Continue reading...

Pulitzer prize winner and former US poet laureate was known for her sharp, austere lyrical workLouise Gluck, the Nobel prize-winning author and a former poet laureate of the United States, has died at the age of 80.Her death was confirmed Friday to the Associated Press by Jonathan Galassi, her editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux.This article was amended on 13 October 2023. A previous version erroneously stated Gluck was the first American Nobel prize literature winner since 1948. Continue reading...

Officials removed passengers on Copa Airlines aircraft bound for Florida and identified diaper as cause after emergency inspectionA Copa Airlines aircraft bound for Tampa, Florida, from Panama City turned back following a suspected bomb threat and the 144 passengers on board were disembarked, but the scare turned out to be a false alarm, authorities said on Friday.Officials carried out an emergency inspection of the aircraft, and identified a disposable diaper for adults as the object that prompted the scare, the Central American country's police said on X, formerly Twitter. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereRussian forces have continued to pummel the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka from the ground and air on Friday, the fourth day of intense fighting in the biggest offensive by Russian forces in months, Reuters reports.Ukraine said its forces were holding their ground but Vitaliy Barabash, the head of Avdiivka's military administration, said the town was under constant attack from air, artillery and large numbers of troops.The battles have been going on for four days now. Fierce and really non-stop ... They are firing from everything they have available.It was a very hot night in Avdiivka. There were several airstrikes on the city itself ... the attacks do not stop day or night. Continue reading...

Yaz Ashmawi says that if even for a second he was worried about his safety then that is horrible'

Emmy Somauroo, 16, was at school when replicas of goalkeeper Mary Earps' jersey went on sale on MondayA 16-year-old football fan who was instrumental in getting Nike to sell replicas of the England goalkeeper Mary Earps' green jersey says she is really disappointed" at not managing to buy one after they sold out within hours this week.Emmy Somauroo set up a petition on Change.org that was signed by 170,000 people calling on the sportswear firm to reverse its decision not to sell the shirts. Continue reading...

Theme park played wails, screams and spooky music for 12 hours, prompting one man to put ear defenders on his dogThorpe Park has been forced to apologise to nearby residents after it kept them awake all night by blaring Halloween sound effects - with one local putting ear defenders on his dog.The theme park in Chertsey, Surrey, played wails, screams and spooky music for 12 hours straight after a technical glitch led to noise from its Fright Night event continuing into the early hours. Continue reading...

Human Rights Watch says verified videos show multiple airbursts of artillery-fired white phosphorus' from Israel's militaryHuman Rights Watch has accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, saying the use of such weapons puts civilians at risk of serious and long-term injury.Asked for comment on the allegations, Israel's military said it was currently not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorus in Gaza". It did not provide comment on the rights watchdog's allegations of their use in Lebanon. Continue reading...

Israel warns people to leave before expected ground assault but Hamas says to stay put, warning of second Nakba

Appeal follows emptying of shelves in apparent misunderstanding at fill a bag with books for 1' eventVolunteers at Batley library who watched helplessly as the shelves were emptied in a book sale misunderstanding are urging those who took books to come back and help save the Grade II-listed building.An advert posted on social media said customers could fill a bag with books from a sale table for 1, but sections of the library were decimated" as people loaded library books into their bags, believing the library was closing down. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Relations said to be improving with Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, who praised Gray's input

Elizabeth El-Nakla travelled from her home in Scotland last week to visit family in Gaza and first minister says she is now trapped

Loose-fitting, button-up shirts are said to be flying off the shelves' into trendspotters' autumn wardrobesIt has long been a permanent fixture in the boardrooms of financial institutions but now the button-up business shirt is manspreading its way from the square mile to the high street - making the boyfriend shirt" a must-have fashion item.In the new Netflix Beckham documentary that has gripped people this week, Victoria Beckham endorsed the trend choosing an XXL white shirt to wear for her at-home interviews. Continue reading...

Day commemorating 1986 People Power Revolution omitted from official list of holidays for 2024The Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, has dropped a public holiday marking the anniversary of a revolution that toppled his dictator father, further fuelling concerns his family is seeking to whitewash" history.Ferdinand Marcos Sr ruled the Philippines for more than two decades until he was ousted by the peaceful People Power Revolution of February 1986, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets. The Marcos family was forced to flee the country, and sought exile in Hawaii. Continue reading...

High court hearing comes days before Home Office is due to return asylum seekers to barge in PortlandDorset council is facing an urgent high court challenge by its own local mayor about the use of the Bibby Stockholm barge to accommodate asylum seekers in Portland.The case has reached the high court in two daysand is the first time the council has been challenged directly in the high court in relation to the barge. It comes days before the Home Office is due to return people to the barge, which has been empty for more than two months after deadly legionella bacteria was discovered onboard. Continue reading...

Prosecutors allege Sharon Graham was architect' of alleged plan to murder Bruce Saunders and get money from his insurance

NSW police could lock city down' for Hyde Park rally but commissioner says force won't go that far

Suspected suicides of the five who were undergoing gender affirming processes to be examined starting next month

Museum's re-creation of Wolverhampton institution marks 75 years of national health service and Windrush generationFrom the exact shade of the orange juice to the colour of the lino, every last detail of a new 1960s replica of a Wolverhampton infant centre has been researched thoroughly by staff at the Black Country Living Museum (BCLM).The Lea Road Infant Welfare Centre, open to the public from Monday, will commemorate 75 years of the NHS and the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush arriving in the UK, through stories and characters from the period. Continue reading...

Fans seen singing the Cranberries' hit in stadiums but some Irish republicans are unhappy at revivalTwenty years after a lethal IRA bomb inspired its stark, chilling lyrics, the Cranberries' song Zombie has experienced an unlikely rebirth as a Rugby World Cup anthem.Ireland fans have belted out its chorus in stadiums across France and hope to do so again on Saturday after a quarter-final tie against New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris. Continue reading...

Nutritious lunches should be seen as an effective way to address obesity, chronic illness and poverty, says coalition

Nothing controversial' in stance, opposition leader declares after Asio boss warns that words matter'

Bans on pro-Hamas celebrations and pro-Palestinian protests announced in several countries amid tensions

Rule that applies to school buses with standing passengers should be applied across all services, taskforce says

Supporters of author, who castigated PM over migration policies, say verdict will have chilling effect' on mediaThe Italian anti-mafia writer Roberto Saviano has been found guilty of libelling the prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and fined 1,000 (865) for calling her a bastard" over her migration policies.Supporters of the author criticised the verdict, saying it highlighted Italy's draconian defamation laws and warned of a chilling effect" on the media. Continue reading...

Animals and plants feature heavily in coinage that allows everyone to celebrate British nature'A new collection of coins bearing the face of the king has been unveiled by the Royal Mint, breaking tradition with designs inspired by plants and animals found across the four nations.The eight designs, overseen by King Charles, depict the flora and fauna found in different parts of the UK and reflect his interest in conservation and nature. Continue reading...

Unconfirmed reports say flight from Nairobi, which was diverted from Heathrow to Stansted, was intercepted by RAF fightersArmed police have surrounded a Kenyan Airways flight at London Stansted airport after a security alert.The Boeing 787 from Nairobi was due to arrive at Heathrow this afternoon but was diverted to Stansted in Essex 45 minutes before its expected arrival. Continue reading...

President says university student, 21, who died days after being tied to a fence and beaten, was murdered simply for being himself'Joe Biden has marked the 25th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard, a gay 21-year-old University of Wyoming student who died six days after he was beaten by two young men, tied to a fence, burned and abandoned in a remote part of the state.Shepard's death has long been memorialized as a hate crime that helped fuel the LGBTQ+ rights movement. Lamenting a brutal act of hate and violence that shocked our nation and the world", Biden, in a statement on Thursday, said Shepard was murdered simply for being himself". Continue reading...

Yousaf renews calls for UK government to urge ceasefire as he describes his family's fears for trapped relatives

Jon Holt says some employees simply didn't do their job properly' in run-up to one of UK's biggest corporate failuresThe UK boss of KPMG has said he simply cannot defend" the firm's auditing work on the failed government contractor, Carillion, describing it as very bad," as the accounting giant was hit with a record 21m fine by Britain's accounting watchdog.The fine comes almost six years after the outsourcing firm collapsed with 7bn debts. Carillion had been one of the UK's biggest construction and facilities management companies, with several major government contracts. Continue reading...

At Nato meeting of foreign ministers, ongoing saga of Sweden's bid to join organisation in spotlight againOne issue defence ministers will discuss today is the implementation of the alliance's new military plans - and how equipment and troops will be placed on Nato's sensitive eastern flank.The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, assured other Nato defence ministers that it was possible to give strong support to both Israel and Ukraine, a US official and a European diplomat told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Volunteer says some people decided all stock was available to take' despite his protestations at West Yorkshire eventA 1 book sale at a town library was sabotaged" when people filled their bags with dozens of library books.The fill-a-bag sale at Batley library in West Yorkshire was decimated" when people raided the shelves, taking children's books, adult fiction, cookery books and graphic novels - as well as Lego from the library's Lego club. Continue reading...

First minister says Cameron's decision to cross floor is betrayal of constituents and SNP activists

Wise Employment questionnaire also asks jobseekers about employment barriers, potentially including being overweight or lazyA taxpayer-funded course run by one Australia's biggest employment service providers gives jobseekers instructions on how to shower properly and asks them in a questionnaire if one of the reasons they are unemployed is because they are overweight" or lazy".Wise Employment is among dozens of privatised job agencies contracted by the federal government to run the $500m Employability Skills Training program to help jobseekers become job-ready by providing intensive pre-employment training". Continue reading...

Two sides suspend negotiations with no resolution over artificial intelligence and other issues at core of three-month work stoppageNegotiations between Hollywood studios and the Sag-Aftra actors' union were suspended on Wednesday as the two sides clashed over streaming revenue, the use of artificial intelligence and other issues at the core of a three-month work stoppage.The breakdown in talks interrupted attempts to end labor tensions that have put most US-based film and television production on hold, cost the California economy billions and left thousands of crew members without work. Continue reading...

Indigenous affairs editor Lorena Allam and political editor Katharine Murphy among journalists named as finalists

Case involves tycoon's alleged failure to declare 400m worth of overseas assets to HMRCFormer Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has pleaded guilty to fraud at Southwark crown court after failing to declare more than 400m of overseas assets to the UK government.Ecclestone had pleaded not guilty to the charges in August, but changed his plea at a case management hearing on Thursday. Continue reading...

Cases are rising in many parts of the country and critics are blaming chronic water shortages and poor sanitation systemsThe Zimbabwean government has banned large gatherings in parts of the country and increased surveillance at ports of entry in an effort to contain a rise in cholera cases.With 100 suspected deaths, most of them in September, and nearly 5,000 possible cases of the water-borne disease in more than 41 districts, including Harare, authorities fear a repeat of the 2008 epidemic where 4,000 people died. Continue reading...

About 70 people were displaced and 47 homes in Maribyrnong inundated last October