This blog has now closed. You can read our latest report on the conflict in the Middle East here and all our coverage from the region here.As Israel continues its war in Gaza and assault on Lebanon, a growing number of international airlines are suspending flights to the region or to avoid affected airspace.Reuters has helpfully compiled a list of some of them:Aegean Airlines: The Greek airline cancelled flights to and from Beirut until 6 November and to and from Tel Aviv until 5 November.AirBaltic: Latvia's airBaltic cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv until 30 November.Air Algerie: The Algerian airline suspended flights to and from Lebanon until further notice.Air France-KLM: Air France extended its suspension of Paris-Tel Aviv flights until 29 October and Paris-Beirut flights until 30 November. KLM extended the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv until the end of this year at least.Air India: The Indian flag carrier suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until further notice.Bulgaria Air: The Bulgarian carrier cancelled flights to and from Israel until 31 October.

Broadcaster vows to never shy away' from asking questions after opposition leader accuses journalist Bridget McArthur of playing games'

Lehrmann has sought to appeal against his defamation loss to Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson but his lawyer said he was unable to afford his legal costsThe federal court has ruled Bruce Lehrmann will be allowed to continue his appeal against the dismissal of his defamation suit against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.On Wednesday Justice Wendy Abraham paused a costs order of $2m made by Justice Michael Lee against Lehrmann after the trial until the appeal in the proceeding". Continue reading...

Leading animal rescue charity describes situation as a deepening crisis', as cost of caring for pets risesThe number of cats and kittens being abandoned in the UK has soared by more than 30% this year, according to a leading animal rescue charity, which described the situation as a deepening crisis".Last year Cats Protection helped a total of 184,000 cats, which equates to about 500 a day. However, the charity has launched an urgent appeal for donations as staff struggle with a 34% increase in abandonment cases in the first seven months of 2024. Continue reading...

Moral threshold coming down,' warns Mo Ibrahim, as his index of governance reveals widespread decline in 10 yearsThe global rise of populism and strongmen" has led to an increase in authoritarianism in Africa that is holding back progress in governance, the businessman and philanthropist Mo Ibrahim has said.According to the latest edition of the Ibrahim index of African governance, 78% of Africa's citizens live in a country where security and democracy deteriorated between 2014 and 2023. Continue reading...

Russian president willing to gamble on food security' by stepping up strikes on grain ships, says UK prime ministerKeir Starmer has accused Vladimir Putin of disrupting food supplies to Gaza after British intelligence suggested Russia had stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian ports.Starmer said it was clear the Russian president was willing to gamble on global food security" after several grain ships en route to developing countries were damaged by Russian strikes. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Campaigners say calls to redraw rules are cynical attempt to secure effective immunity' for officersPolice chiefs have formally asked the government to make it harder to investigate and prosecute officers after the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba led to a Scotland Yard sergeant being acquitted of murder, the Guardian has learned.Campaigners have criticised the move, saying calls to redraw the rules were a cynical attempt by police leaders to secure effective immunity" for their officers.Making it harder for the Crown Prosecution Service to charge officers, with police chiefs proposing prosecutors would have to prove training or approved professional practice was not being followed before taking action.Changing the standard of proof required for a verdict of unlawful killing before the inquest into Kaba expected as early as next year. Currently the ruling is made on a balance of probabilities, the civil standard. Police chiefs want it to be the criminal standard, which is beyond reasonable doubt.Making it harder to disprove a claim of self-defence in misconduct inquiries, by changing the standard to the higher criminal test, rather than the current civil test. Continue reading...

Exclusive: NSW Council of Social Services report finds dramatic increase' in number of people delaying or not seeing GP due to cost

Watchdog issues warning over misinformation after trouble that flared following killing of three girls on MerseysideSocial media algorithms must be adjusted to prevent misinformation from spreading, the chief executive of Ofcom has warned, responding to the rioting that broke out after the killing of three girls in Southport this summer.Misinformation about the Southport killings proliferated despite tech firms and social media platforms' uneven" attempts to stop it, wrote the Ofcom chief executive, Melanie Dawes, in a letter to the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, Peter Kyle. Continue reading...

Israeli strikes near Rafik Hariri hospital and its claims second Beirut facility hiding Hezbollah stash cause anxiety and panic

While Martyn Blake was acquitted of murder, questions have been raised about why he didn't face alternative chargeIn the fallout from the acquittal of Martyn Blake, the police firearms officer who stood trial for the murder of Chris Kaba, many questions have arisen. One of them is why the he was not charged with manslaughter.The theory goes that it was always going to be difficult to get a jury to convict a police officer of the most serious form of homicide, whereas manslaughter may have been an easier to prove and more palatable option. Continue reading...

Decision affects secondaries and primaries approved by previous government using its free school' application process

Edith Duncan, who was 91 and had dementia, held full licence at time of Edinburgh crash that killed three-year-oldA Scottish judge has called for compulsory testing of all motorists over 80 years of age as a matter of priority" after an elderly driver with dementia killed a toddler in Edinburgh.The sheriff principal Nigel Ross said Edith Duncan, who was 91 at the time, should not have been allowed to drive because she had undiagnosed but significant cognitive impairment from dementia, yet legally held a full driving licence. Continue reading...

Rahima Mahmut, in exile in the UK, disappointed' at failure to describe Beijing's crackdown on minority as genocideA leading Uyghur activist has accused the Labour government of falling behind" its allies in failing to stand up to China, after ministers backtracked on plans to push for formal recognition of the country's treatment of the minority group as genocide.Speaking after David Lammy's first visit to China as UK foreign secretary, the human rights activist Rahima Mahmut, who has lived in exile in the UK since 2000, said she had hoped there would be a shift in UK policy once the party came into power, including following the US in declaring a continuing genocide in Xinjiang. Continue reading...

Model and daughter of Paul Gascoigne says former Harrods owner attacked her when she was 16 and working at storeBianca Gascoigne has told how Mohamed Al Fayed subjected her to an alleged horrific" sexual assault after she started working at Harrods as a 16-year-old.The 37-year-old daughter of the England footballer Paul Gascoigne said she had not spoken out before because of embarrassment and shame". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Queensland LNP leader faced questions at leaders' debate after saying in 2023 he would allow MPs a conscience vote on changes to legislation

Judge rules details of Kaba's criminal past can be reported after police officer who shot him was cleared of murderChris Kaba, the unarmed man killed by a police firearms officer, was pictured on CCTV shooting a man on a nightclub dancefloor and was alleged to be a core member of a London gang, it can be revealed.A judge ruled on Tuesday that details of Kaba's criminal past could be released, a day after a Metropolitan police officer, Martyn Blake, was cleared of murdering him. Continue reading...

The bank will also divide into four businesses as it seeks to cut costs and navigate rising geopolitical tensions

The Gurnai Gunditjmara and Djab-Wurrung woman accused the crown of a range of crimes against Indigenous people at Parliament House

Exclusive: Lee Hsien Yang says Singapore is no paradise' after fleeing authoritarian regime that his older brother inherited and still holds sway over through their revered father's legacyA senior member of the family that has dominated Singapore since independence has been granted asylum in the UK after fleeing what he says was a campaign of persecution.In an exclusive interview, Lee Hsien Yang told the Guardian the authoritarian regime founded by his father turned on him as he endorsed the opposition following a family rift. Continue reading...

Program that ties new infrastructure to housing projects will start in 2027 in 10 Melbourne activity centres', premier says

Poetry in protest event on 30 October will showcase how political change can be brought about through verseThe British Academy is to pay tribute to the late poet Benjamin Zephaniah next week as part of a night of discussion and performance.The award-winning poet Jackie Kay is among guest speakers at the first Poetry in protest event on 30 October, which explores how political change can be brought about through verse. Continue reading...

HMRC and FCA asked to look into property deals with Saifuzzaman Chowdhury now under investigation for corruption in DhakaBritish regulators have been urged by MPs to examine the relationship between London estate agents, lawyers and lenders and a former Bangladeshi government minister under investigation for alleged corruption.Saifuzzaman Chowdhury was the land minister in Bangladesh until earlier this year, when the government of Sheikh Hasina was spectacularly toppled, after her regime's violent suppression of student protests. Continue reading...

Survey shows many consumers unaware that previously standalone businesses now owned by big corporationsSmall breweries in the UK are ditching the term craft beer" in favour of indie beer", warning that global corporations have bamboozled many drinkers into believing that formerly independent brands are still artisanal hidden gems.In a survey by YouGov that marks a new phase of the bitter war over what constitutes craft beer", consumers were asked to say whether 10 beer brands were made by independent craft breweries". Continue reading...

Gardeners' World presenter is bucking the trend to make the event more inclusiveSome gardeners at the Chelsea Flower Show may balk at the idea of a dog scrabbling around near their prize roses.But Monty Don is designing his first Chelsea garden for next year's event - and making it dog-friendly. Continue reading...

4.3m hoard acquired for the nation by South West Heritage Trust will be displayed at British Museum next monthIt began with a speculative trip to a soggy field in south-west England by a seven-strong band of metal detectorists more intent on figuring out how to use some new kit rather than unearthing anything of great historical importance.But the friends came upon an astonishing hoard of coins - 2,584 silver pennies - from the time of the Norman conquest, which has been valued at 4.3m, making it the highest-value treasure find ever in England. Continue reading...

Government issues official document to Peruvian-born character, listing him as Bear' under its observationsHe has been one of the UK's favourite and most prominent refugees for two-thirds of a century. Now Paddington Bear - official name Paddington Brown - has been granted a British passport.The co-producer of the latest Paddington film said the Home Office had issued the document to the fictional Peruvian-born character - listing for completeness the official observation that he is, in fact, a bear. Continue reading...

Independent senator, who made international headlines for heckling King Charles about Indigenous injustices, says people should get used to truth-telling'

Justin Welby says ancestor owned enslaved people in Jamaica and was paid compensation upon abolitionJustin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, has revealed that his ancestor owned enslaved people on a plantation in Jamaica and was compensated by the British government when slavery was abolished.Welby disclosed his ancestral links in a personal statement that reiterated his commitment to addressing the enduring and damaging legacies of transatlantic slavery. Continue reading...

X-ray add-on at estimated 1 a scan aimed at reducing missed diagnoses in initial assessmentMillions of patients in England with suspected broken bones could have their X-rays checked with a 1 artificial intelligence scan to help NHS doctors avoid missing fractures.Overlooked broken bones are among the most common mistakes made in A&E units and urgent care centres, with as many as 10% of fracture cases either not spotted at all by medical professionals or diagnosed late. Continue reading...

Government analysis says those on low pay stand to benefit most, with some potentially earning extra 600 a yearEmployment rights reforms could cost businesses up to 5bn a year, according to the government's own analysis, which also found the changes will benefit low-paid employees the most, with some shift workers potentially earning an extra 600 a year.In the analysis the government acknowledges that businesses will end up paying more, including for changes to sick pay, paternity leave and zero-hours contracts as well as on administrative costs. Continue reading...

Ovidio Guzman and Joaquin Guzman Lopez may become cooperating witnesses in case against drug lord El MayoTwo of drug lord Joaquin El Chapo" Guzman Loera's sons have confirmed they are negotiating for a plea deal with the US government, an attorney for the pair confirmed during a federal court status hearing in Chicago on Monday.The hearing confirmed an August report from the Mexican news organization Milenio that Ovidio Guzman and Joaquin Guzman Lopez were negotiating a deal for a more lenient sentence and to become cooperating witnesses for the US government. Continue reading...

Documents obtained by Ottawa Citizen show officials were concerned about negative media in case of Kristen AdamsCanada's military decided not to apologize to an employee after she was sexually assaulted while working with Nato allies, over fears that any apology would be reported by an Ottawa newspaper.For years, the country's armed forces has publicly acknowledged a culture that bred abuse and assault, and a longstanding failure to root it out. The crisis, which prompted a shake-up at the most senior ranks, has eroded public trust in the institution and weakened morale within the military's ranks. Continue reading...

Move by Italian PM overturns ruling by a Rome court that could have blocked deal to curb migrant arrivalsItaly's far-right government has passed a new law to overcome a court ruling that risks blocking the country's multimillion-dollar deal with Albania aimed at curbing migrant arrivals.On Friday, a court in Rome ruled to transfer back to Italy the last 12 asylum seekers being held in the new Italian migration hub in Albania. The ruling has cast doubt on the feasibility and legality of plans by the EU to explore ways to establish migrant processing and detention centres outside the bloc as part of a new hardline approach to migration. Continue reading...

Martyn Blake shot Kaba, who was unarmed, in 2022, saying he feared Kaba would use car to kill officers

Deluge causes landslides and tears house roofs as engineers try to get country's electricity grid up and running againHurricane Oscar has dumped heavy rain across the eastern end of Cuba, adding to a list of woes already besetting the Caribbean's biggest island, which was hit over the weekend by a huge power cut.The deluge caused landslides, and winds of 75mph tore the roofs off houses, making work even more difficult for the engineers trying to get Cuba's electricity grid up and running again, after a weekend when the entire country of about 10 million people was plunged into darkness. Continue reading...

Suspects are accused of photographing and collecting information about Israeli bases and facilities

In pitting millennials against boomers, the Victorian premier is setting the stage for a 2026 election fought on housing

Former Verve frontman says the songwriting talent of Noel and Liam's pure spirit as a lead singer helped to inspire me to create some of my best work'Richard Ashcroft has been named as the support act for Oasis's 2025 reunion tour in the UK and Ireland.The former Verve frontman will appear at the 19 dates in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin between July and September, confirming earlier rumours of his appearance.As a fan from day one I was buzzing for many reasons when the news of Oasis's return was announced. I can say with no exaggeration that the songwriting talent of Noel and Liam's pure spirit as a lead singer helped to inspire me to create some of my best work. It was the perfection of Live Forever that forced me to try and write my own. They dared to be great, made the dreams we had real and I will always remember those days with joy. Now it's time to create more memories and I'm ready to bring it. See you next summer. Music is power. Continue reading...

Ahmed Ouf, a pharmacist from Egypt, says local election success means he can take Blaxland from Jason Clare

Charles and Camilla entered the Great Hall from a door behind the stage - not from the foyer, down the centre aisle, and past Thorpe. Now we may know why

King says Australia's climate leadership of critical importance' in Parliament House address disrupted by Indigenous senator's protest

Seoul demands immediate withdrawal of elite soldiers reportedly helping Russia in its war against UkraineSouth Korea has summoned the Russian ambassador to Seoul to protest in the strongest terms" about the reported dispatch of thousands of North Korean troops to help Russia in its war against Ukraine.The first vice-foreign minister, Kim Hong-kyun, told the Russian envoy Georgy Zinoviev that the participation of North Korean troops in the war violated UN resolutions and demanded their immediate withdrawal, South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday. Continue reading...

Trial begins of second teen accused over stabbing death of 41-year-old on Boxing Day 2022

Oscar, 10th hurricane of 2024 season, batters Turks and Caicos and Bahamas and threatens Cuba and CanadaHurricane Oscar has become the 10th hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, battering the Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday night and the far southern Bahamas on Sunday.The disturbance that eventually became Oscar was initially given a low chance of tropical development by the US National Hurricane Center. It began on 10 October as a tropical wave across western Africa, bringing thunderstorms and gusty winds to the Cabo Verde Islands, before moving westwards over the Atlantic. However, it struggled to become sufficiently organised at it progressed, as dry air inhibited further thunderstorm development. Continue reading...

Motoring organisation estimates introduction of graduated driving licences would save at least 58 lives a yearNew drivers under 21 in the UK should be banned from carrying passengers of a similar age for six months after passing their test, a motoring organisation has urged.The AA estimated that introducing a graduated driving licence (GDL) would save at least 58 lives and prevent 934 people being seriously injured in road crashes each year. Continue reading...

Premier announces stamp duty cut on off-the-plan apartments, townhouses and units purchased in next year

Those aged 50 to 69 will be the worst affected, with some left in such pain that they cannot workAlmost 2 million more people will be suffering from sore backs, necks and other body parts by 2040 due to a surge in chronic pain caused by England's ageing population, new research shows.The number of people in England aged 20 and over with chronic pain is set to soar from 5.345 million in 2019 to 7.247 million by 2040, according to projections by the Health Foundation thinktank. Continue reading...

Health secretary launches consultation on government's move to transform NHS in England from analogue to digital'Wes Streeting is to unveil plans for portable medical records giving every NHS patient all their information stored digitally in one place on Monday, despite fears over breaching privacy and creating a target for hackers.The health secretary is launching a major consultation on the government's plans to transform the NHS from analogue to digital" over the next decade. It will offer patient passports" containing health data that can be swiftly accessed by GPs, hospitals and ambulance services. Continue reading...

Autumn price bump failed to emerge as buyers spoiled for choice, with properties on market at a 10-year highThe number of homes being sold is up almost a third, year on year, so far this month, although the traditional autumn price bump has failed to emerge due to buyers being spoilt for choice, with the number of properties for sale at a 10-year high, according to Rightmove.The number of sales agreed is up 29%, with the number of house hunters contacting estate agents up 17%, despite some market uncertainty caused by the looming budget at the end of October. Continue reading...