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Australian Communications and Media Authority says telco did not do welfare check on 369 people who tried to make a call while lines were down

Reform UK leader to give speech in Wales while US election result was also celebrated by Tommy RobinsonNigel Farage will on Friday address his party's first big rally since Donald Trump's election win as Britain's emboldened populist right seek to drive momentum and build on links with the US president-elect.In an offer that has been declined by Labour, the Reform UK leader has already suggested he could work behind the scenes" to build ties with Trump's administration on behalf of the UK government. Continue reading...

Profits are up 4.7% but extra 140m on national insurance bill could mean more expensive groceriesFood sales at Sainsbury's have been boosted by a return to the office and fewer people dining out in restaurants, as the retailer warned of possible price rises as a result of having to pay 140m more next year in national insurance contributions [NICs].The supermarket chain's pre-tax profits were 356m for the six months to mid-September, up 4.7% on the same period last year, driven by a 5% increase in sales in its grocery business. Continue reading...

Partner in company due to receive shipment arrested after 13 tonnes of drug discovered at port of AlgecirasSpanish police and customs officers have intercepted the largest known consignment of cocaine ever to reach the country, seizing more than 13 tonnes of the drug, hidden in a cargo of bananas shipped from Ecuador.Spain's Policia Nacional said the seizure was the second largest recorded in Europe and one of the largest anywhere in the world. Continue reading...

Angela Rayner says restrictions may be placed on new social housing to prevent loss of stockMinisters may stop new council houses in England from being sold under the right to buy scheme, Angela Rayner has indicated.The deputy prime minister said the government would introduce restrictions on new social housing so we aren't losing that stock". Continue reading...

A nationwide abortion ban could become a reality, and access to other forms of reproductive healthcare are at riskAbortion, the issue thought to be the magic bullet that would mortally wound Donald Trump's chances at a second presidency, instead failed to stop him on Tuesday. Now, two years after a conservative supermajority on the US supreme court ended federal protections for the procedure, the future of American abortion access is facing a new chapter of extraordinary peril.While seven states passed ballot measures to amend their state constitutions and protect abortion rights, Trump's return to the White House means those hard-fought efforts may amount to nothing. Despite the gridlock in US Congress, a nationwide abortion ban could soon become a reality: anti-abortion advocates hope that Trump will resurrect a 19th-century anti-vice law to effectively implement a nationwide ban. Access to other forms of reproductive healthcare, such as contraception and in vitro fertilization, are also at risk. Continue reading...

Pat McFadden say he thinks UK and US governments will get on well' despite past comments by senior Labour figures

Half-year pre-tax profits drop 10% to 967m in competitive retail environment'

Reeves's budget could slow demand but prices have not fallen significantly since post-pandemic race for space'

A fierce contest can be a good thing, as long as it's a contest about substance', PM tells global democracy conference in Sydney

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Party leader threatens to take Labor's Emily Kim to Human Rights Commission over racial comments'

PM fully briefed on potential outcomes' of US election and says Australia is prepared for Trump's policies on security, economic and other issues

Stone memorial at church in Withnell tells story of Pte James Miller who was killed at Battle of Somme in 1916A granite stone cross in the boundary wall of an otherwise ordinary English churchyard has been given listed status because of the extraordinary" story it reveals of first world war heroism.Most war memorials are dedicated to numbers of people, but the memorial at St Paul's church in Withnell, Lancashire, is dedicated to just one. Continue reading...

Some residents in the Western Downs region in Queensland have been told to prepare to leave amid a fast-moving fire

Joshua Creamer says ceasing inquiry's work continues 165 years of government failing to listen to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples'

The Guardian's Washington bureau chief, David Smith, explains how Donald Trump won a second term and what he intends to do with itDonald Trump won a decisive victory in the US presidential election on Tuesday night, becoming the first man in 150 years to have been voted out as president and then win office again.The Guardian's Washington bureau chief, David Smith, explains to Lucy Hough how the night unfolded at Trump's victory rally in Florida, and how the former president even managed to win the popular vote after months of polls predicting a knife-edge contest. Continue reading...

Island's national power company says strong winds from category 3 hurricane caused disconnectionCuba's national power grid has suffered a country-wide blackout as Hurricane Rafael made landfall on the island's south-west coast as a powerful category 3 hurricane.In a brief statement on Wednesday, the country's national power company, Union Electrica, said: Strong winds caused by the powerful Hurricane Rafael have caused the disconnection of the national electrical system. Contingency protocols have been applied." Continue reading...

Missouri, which voted for Trump, backed increasing minimum wage, while blue California said yes for a tough-on-crime proposition

Dollar up and renewable energy stocks down, while shares in president-elect's media business rise by more than a third

Tribunal ruled in May that Roz Adams was constructively dismissed by Edinburgh Rape Crisis CentreA rape crisis worker who was found to have been unfairly dismissed over her gender-critical views has received 69,000 in compensation.In May, a tribunal ruled Roz Adams was constructively dismissed by the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) after suffering harassment and discrimination. Continue reading...

Several bodies pulled from sea after boat got into difficulty off coast of Audresselles on Monday nightMore than 50 people have been rescued after attempting to cross the Channel and the bodies of several others were found floating at sea.The French coastguard said 51 people were rescued on Monday night after a boat got into difficulty when its engine failed off the coast of Audresselles in northern France. Those rescued were met by emergency services at Boulogne-sur-Mer quayside and taken to safety. Continue reading...

Jake Wray pushed a flaming wheelie bin into police and stopped drivers to check they were white during the summer riotsAn overtly racist", attention-seeking yob who stopped drivers to check they were white during the summer riots has been jailed for 38 months.Jake Wray, 23, from Middlesbrough, admitted violent disorder in the town on 4 August, including trying to set a car on fire, making racist chants and pushing a flaming wheelie bin into police lines. Continue reading...

Jurors told Urfan Sharif had made comments 18 months before 10-year-old Surrey schoolgirl was killedThe father of Sara Sharif had said his daughter had made his life hell" 18 months before she was killed, a court has heard.Urfan Sharif said his wife, Beinash Batool, had accused Sara of misbehaving while he was at work, alleging the 10-year-old had cut up his clothes and shoelaces and hidden his keys. Continue reading...

Two men in their 30s and one in his 50s detained on suspicion of manslaughter and cannabis productionThree men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and the production of cannabis in connection with a house explosion which killed two people, including a seven-year-old boy, in Newcastle.Northumbria police on Wednesday said two men in their 30s and one man in his 50s were in police custody. Continue reading...

More than 70,000 people reportedly evacuated and military mobilised with hurricane close to making landfallCuba is bracing for Hurricane Rafael, which is expected to make landfall on Wednesday and compound the misery wrought by a recent blackout and Hurricane Oscar.Early on Wednesday it was about 160 miles (260km) south-east of Havana and packing winds of 99mph (160km/h), making it a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Five is the strongest. Continue reading...

Major cross-party push under way to win over significant number of undecided MPs

Anthony Albanese, Peter Dutton, Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison send messages as Adam Bandt criticises dangerous demagogue' and calls on PM to cancel Aukus

GP in inheritance row aimed to kill his mother's partner by wearing disguise to administer a fake Covid booster jab

Live election results and map as Trump wins several states critical to electoral success

Home affairs minister says he will introduce new legislation after visa conditions for those released from immigration detention were ruled unconstitutional

If she wins, Harris would become the first president to graduate from a Historically Black College and University

Rising costs and demand are a huge strain on council budgets and services face intolerable pressures', says AdassEngland's overstretched and creaking adult social care services need urgent government intervention to stabilise them financially as rising costs and demand play havoc with council budgets, care bosses have warned.The financial challenge facing adult social care continued to be as bad as it has been in recent history", the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) said, and services are under intolerable pressures". Continue reading...

With contradictory proposals unlikely to mesh, leaders to decide whether there is scope for alliance to continueWhen, in 2021, Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats went into a traffic light" coalition with the Greens and pro-business Free Democrats, the new government was riding high on an enthusiastic spirit of cooperation.There were promises to modernise, reinvigorate and green-proof Europe's largest economy. Germany, the coalition partners said, had sleep-walked into a complacent state during 16 years of rule under Angela Merkel. The new trio in power would jolt the country out of its hubris, and deliver it into a new era of vigour and creative transformation. That, at least, was the idea. Continue reading...

Israel's war in Gaza, funded with substantial US support, has inspired some to back the Green party, while others call Kamala Harris the the best of the worst'

Documentary about Billy Mail's connection with orphaned pup Molly airs on National Geographic next weekNational Geographic will be streaming a new documentary about an unlikely bond between a man and an otter in Shetland.Billy Mail met Molly, a starving pup, in 2021 when he saw her jumping off a pontoon into the sea near his Shetland home. Mail wanted to see how close he could get to her before she fled. But it turned out that Molly had no intention of running away.Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story will be available from 14 November on Disney+, and will air on 15 November on National Geographic Continue reading...

Experiment for a term prompted by research showing that sharing every result put added pressure on studentsA secondary school in the Netherlands is blocking parental access to children's grades for a term in an attempt to reduce the pressure on pupils to perform.Like many countries, the Netherlands has a system under which students need a certain grade average to progress to the next year, but Jordan - Montessori Lyceum Utrecht found that a widely-used app which shares every mark with parents was increasing stress among children. Continue reading...

National Literacy Trust finds only 35% of eight to 18-year-olds enjoy reading in their spare time, a sharp drop on last year to the lowest figure yet recordedChildren's reading enjoyment has fallen to its lowest level in almost two decades, with just one in three young people saying that they enjoy reading in their free time, according to a new survey.Only 34.6% of eight- to 18-year-olds surveyed by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) said that they enjoy reading in their spare time. This is the lowest level recorded by the charity since it began surveying children about their reading habits 19 years ago, representing an 8.8 percentage point drop since last year. Continue reading...

Democrats only need to flip a handful of seats to get back control of the lower chamber - here's what to keep an eye onMuch attention has been paid to the historic race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, but the results of down-ballot elections will determine whether the new president will actually be able to implement a legislative agenda next year.With Republicans defending a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, Democrats only need to flip a handful of seats to wrest back control of the lower chamber, and both parties are going all out to win. Continue reading...

Doctored intelligence files allegedly leaked by Israeli PM's office harmed the achievement of Israel's war aims'

Spokesperson says Dowden will not take part in the rest of the competition owing to foot injuryThe professional dancer Amy Dowden will not be continuing with this year's season of Strictly Come Dancing to recover from a foot injury.The development was revealed on the spin-off show Strictly It Takes Two on BBC Two on Monday and comes after a period of absence from the show for Dowden. Continue reading...

Strong current took child trying to cross The Entrance channel with father and three younger brothers

Polling shows that Australians prefer renewables, climate change and energy minister says

Lead singer takes backwards tumble as Coldplay perform fourth and final show at Marvel StadiumThe lead singer of the British rock band Coldplay has fallen into a hole in the stage while performing in Melbourne.Chris Martin was talking to the crowd at the fourth and final Melbourne show at Marvel Stadium as part of the Music of the Spheres tour when he walked backwards into a large open hole in the thrust stage. Continue reading...

Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster likely to make at least 50m from leasing land to services such as NHS and schools, according to investigationKing Charles and Prince William's property empires are taking millions of pounds from cash-strapped charities and public services including the NHS, state schools and prisons, according to a new investigation.The reports claim the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, which are exempt from business taxes and used to fund the royals' lifestyles and philanthropic work, are set to make at least 50m from leasing land to public services. The two duchies hold a total of more than 5,400 leases. Continue reading...

Muhammad Hassam Ali, 17, was killed by stranger after a four-minute conversation in city centreA 15-year-old boy who followed a teenager he did not know through Birmingham city centre and stabbed him to death after a four-minute conversation has been jailed for life with a minimum of 13 years.Muhammad Hassam Ali, known as Ali, was 17 when he died in hospital on 20 January, hours after he and his friend were confronted by two masked 15-year-old boys they had never met as they sat in Victoria Square, drinking hot chocolate and chatting about cricket. Continue reading...

Chancellor, on a post-budget visit to Newcastle, says markets move all the time'The growth in UK house prices slowed unexpectedly last month, Nationwide said, as it warned buyers to expect a rush in transactions early next year sparked by changes to stamp duty rules in the budget.The building society's monthly index showed that annual house prices grew at a rate of 2.4% in October, a slowdown from the near two-year high of 3.2% recorded in September.The main impact of the stamp duty changes is likely to be on the timing of property transactions, as purchasers aim to ensure their house purchases complete before the tax change takes effect.This will lead to a jump in transactions in the first three months of 2025 (especially March), and a corresponding period of weakness in the following three to six months, as occurred in the wake of previous stamp duty changes."I spoke to him this morning. He said the Border Force officials who had escorted him were very good to him and told him he had conducted himself very well, had adhered to the bail conditions and they didn't have to come look for him this morning.But why give someone three days to pack up their life? You would think they would at least give them 28 days so he could mount a legal case. Continue reading...

Chancellor's clothing choice shrewdly followed fashion footsteps of Thatcher, Harris and 17th-century menswearIt was a budget the chancellor said would match the greatest economic moments in Labour history", and for the occasion Rachel Reeves chose to wear a garment to match the moment: a pussybow blouse.The UK's first female chancellor knows more than most how the way female politicians dress can be picked over and weaponised. While researching her book Women of Westminster, a history of what women in parliament have achieved, she was struck by the way female MPs have used fashion and appearance to tell us something about them and their politics, often to great effect". Her choice of neckline is unlikely to have been an afterthought at such a historical moment. Continue reading...

Weather agency says four regions remain under amber alert because of risk of rains and stormsThe death toll from the floods in Spain this week has risen to 205, as residents in the Valencia region were warned to brace for more rain and an additional 500 soldiers were earmarked to help with the rescue operations.Authorities in Valencia raised the death toll there to 202 on Friday afternoon, bringing the overall toll to at least 205 in what was the deadliest episode of flooding in Spain's modern history. Continue reading...

Shootings in Poitiers are latest to injure children, with minister saying country at tipping point' on drug violenceA shooting and massive brawl linked to drug trafficking has seriously wounded five people, including three teenagers, in western France, officials and media said, in the latest such gunfight to injure children.The shooting began at about 10.45pm on Thursday in front of a restaurant in Poitiers and rapidly escalated into a mass fight, the interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, told BFMTV/RMC radio on Friday. Continue reading...