World news | The Guardian

Man, 66, pronounced dead at Allens Rivulet home on Sunday night, while a woman has serious injuries

Centre-right party ousted Labour in election but outstanding votes will determine if National needs populist party NZ First to governNew Zealand could be stuck in political limbo for weeks as the newly elected National party waits to see if it can govern solely with its preferred coalition partner, Act, or whether the final vote tally will force it to work with populist party New Zealand First.Saturday night's election brutally ousted the governing Labour party, with preliminary results giving the centre-right National party 50 seats, and its traditional coalition party Act, 11 - just enough to reach the 61 seats needed to govern. Continue reading...

Luisa Gonzalez, handpicked by Rafael Correa as successor, loses to 35-year-old banana heir who promises tough line on violent crime and cocaine traffickingDaniel Noboa, the heir to a banana fortune who pledges a hard line on rocketing violent crime, employment for the young and foreign investment, will become Ecuador's youngest ever president at 35 after winning by a margin of around five points over his rival, the leftist lawyer Luisa Gonzalez.With 90% of votes counted on Sunday night in Ecuador, Noboa had 52.29% of the vote against 47.71% for Gonzalez, according to Ecuador's electoral council. Continue reading...

Actor, first diagnosed with breast cancer in her 50s after battling skin cancer in her 30s, was also known for role in American GraffitiSuzanne Somers, the actress whose career encompassed five seasons on the 1970s TV sitcom Three's Company, a Las Vegas revue show, a role in American Graffiti, two autobiographies, four diet books, a book of poetry, and a spell as an exercise-equipment spokeswoman, has died after a long battle with cancer. She was 76.The actress died early Sunday morning, Somer's publicist, R Couri Hay, told the New York Post. Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years," he said. Continue reading...

Civic Coalition expected to have got fewer votes than ruling Law and Justice party but is likely to ally with other parties

Open letter rebukes LitProm decision to cancel award ceremony for Adania Shibli due to war started by Hamas'

The party's supporters feel like it got a kicking from everyone. After a dire result, analysts pointed to its inability to meet its lofty aspirationsIt was an assessment with a distinctly New Zealand flavour. At the end of the day, there's one unavoidable reality," said Chris Hipkins, the defeated Labour prime minister, speaking to reporters after he conceded the country's election on Saturday. We lost because not enough people voted for us."But that was only part of it. Hipkins' ruling, centre-left Labour party had crashed from the historic highs of its 2020 election result, in which it won 50% of the vote, to a dismal 27% on Saturday, nearly halving its seats in parliament. However, the punishing loss was not only a clear defeat by the right-leaning parties that will form the next government - the size and shape of which will be determined when a final vote tally is announced on 3 November; the blows also came from Labour's left. Continue reading...

USS Eisenhower sent to region to deter anyone seeking to escalate' war after Hamas attack

Coroner says Harry Colledge, 84, would probably be alive if council had acted on warnings about 87-metre-long crack in the roadA council has been severely criticised by a coroner over the death of a cyclist who suffered fatal head injuries after hitting a pothole that had been visible on Google Street View for 14 years.The Lancashire area coroner, Kate Bisset, concluded that Harry Colledge, 84, would probably not have died last January if Lancashire county council had acted on warnings to fix the 87-metre-long crack on Island Lane near the village of Winmarleigh. Continue reading...

Netanyahu promises to dismantle' Hamas; IDF confirms 126 Israeli hostages are being held in Gaza; death toll in Gaza stands at over 2,300 as humanitarian aid remains blocked at Rafah crossing

Evil Does Not Exist, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, is about community's fight against glamping' developmentA Japanese eco-drama about a lakeside community's resistance to a corporate glamping" development in their beautiful unspoilt village has won the top prize at the London film festival.Evil Does Not Exist, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, tells the story of a community fighting to preserve its principles and the integrity of the natural world. They are up against a Tokyo company that has bought up swathes of nearby land, intending to turn it into a destination for well-off city tourists. Continue reading...

Nostalgic treats are the name of the game for makers keen to repeat the high sales volume they enjoyed last DecemberThe current market is tough for chocolatiers, but they are hoping for a happy Christmas this year thanks to the revival of a number of classics and recent sales figures that suggest this could be a bumper festive season.In a nod to those of a nostalgic bent, Quality Street is bringing back the coffee creme, while Cadbury Dairy Milk Coins are returning for the first time since 2014. The Malteser is also set to defend its surprise title of the UK's favourite festive chocolate with a new offering for 2023. Continue reading...

As Islamophobia and antisemitic attacks grow, people wait anxiously for news of their loved onesFor Brighton resident Adam Ma'anit the horrors of the last week have - as they have for many Jewish and Palestinian families in the UK - reprised previous tragedies.Ma'anit's 18-year-old cousin, Maayan Idan, was among the first civilians to be killed as Hamas's attack unfolded last Saturday. Her father, Tsachi Idan, remains missing, presumably held hostage within the embattled Gaza enclave, 500m from the kibbutz from where he was taken. Continue reading...

Analysis of aerial photos and social media posts confirms attack on road identified as safe by Israeli army

Hospital staff said procedure could not be done at weekends and gave her aspirin. But help was available just a short drive awayA primary school teaching assistant died from a stroke after hospital staff told her family that the life-saving treatment she needed was not available at weekends.Jasbir Pahal, 44, who had four children and was known as Jas, died in November last year after suffering a stroke. Her family was told she could only be treated with aspirin because a procedure to remove the blood clot was only available from 8am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Continue reading...

Covid inquiry expected to quiz Simon Case over treasure trove' of official correspondenceCivil service chief Simon Case - who described the government as a terrible, tragic joke" in private WhatsApp messages at the height of the pandemic - is expected to be questioned over a treasure trove" of further correspondence when he appears before the official Covid inquiry.Case, who became cabinet secretary in September 2020, having previously served as permanent secretary in No 10, will give evidence to Lady Hallett's inquiry either on 30 or 31 October, or in the first week of November. Continue reading...

Saturday's referendum vote reinforces sense that contemporary Liberal party has decoupled from its blue-ribbon metropolitan heartland

Rallies held in Sydney's Hyde Park and also in Melbourne and Adelaide

Manchester scientist Mohammed Ghalayini was visiting his family in the enclave when Israeli missiles struck - and now he is staying by their side

Price claimed there was manipulation' in remote communities but electoral commission says ability to campaign at any polling place ... was the same for everyone'

While electorate-level results play no part in the overall Indigenous voice referendum outcome, polling data reveals interesting demographic trends

No agreement by Saturday night on how to bring aid to trapped Palestinians before Israel's expected ground assault

US urges restraint amid bombing of civilian evacuation convoy that left a reported 70 people dead, including women and childrenDesperate Gaza City residents fled south in cars and lorries, carts and on foot on Saturday, risking death by airstrikes on the road to escape the even greater threat of an imminent Israeli ground attack on the north of the besieged enclave.The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told troops massed in southern Israel that the next stage is coming", in a video shared by his office. The Israeli military announced on Saturday evening that it was preparing significant ground operations". Continue reading...

Government's closing loopholes bill yet to include superannuation theft, estimated to cost workers $5bn a year

Labour leader's personal popularity jumps after party conference speech in Liverpool was interrupted by protesterKeir Starmer appears to have enjoyed a glitter-bomb bounce" from the Labour conference, a new Observer poll suggests, amid Tory concerns that only an economic upturn can reverse their party's fortunes.The Labour leader was covered in glitter by a protester at the start of his Labour conference speech in Liverpool last week. He responded by taking off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves and telling delegates he favoured power, not protest". Continue reading...

Use of portable buildings and more doubling up in cells could be part of package to be announced next weekPrisoners in England and Wales could be moved into portable buildings or released early as part of a huge extension of the electronic tagging scheme, as the justice secretary considers creative measures to solve the overcrowding crisis.Alex Chalk KC is expected to reveal a package of measures on Monday that could add 1,000 prison places across the estate, the Guardian understands. Continue reading...

Party leader tells conference DUP will not revive power-sharing in Northern Ireland unless concerns are addressedThe Democratic Unionist party (DUP) is making progress" in talks with the UK government over post-Brexit trading arrangements but the party will not revive power-sharing in Northern Ireland unless its fundamental concerns are addressed, Jeffrey Donaldson has said.The DUP leader told the party's conference in Belfast on Saturday he wished to restore devolved government in Northern Ireland but would not be afraid to say no" to any deal he deemed inadequate. Continue reading...

Protesters in Scottish cities also shrug off home secretary's warning that waving Palestinian flag might be a criminal offence

Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russian forces had regrouped after suffering lossesHere's a roundup of the key developments from the day so far:Fighting in Avdiivka on the eastern frontline enters a fifth day, as Russia continues to deploy new forces in an attempt to surround the city, according to Vitaliy Barabash, the head of its military administration.Russia's defence ministry says its forces shot down two Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea near the southern resort city of Sochi on Saturday morning. The city's mayor, Alexei Kopaigorodskyi, said there had been no casualties or damage and that the situation was under control.A top Ukraine general said fighting in the north-east had significantly worsened" as daily Russian attacks continued.Russia has detained three lawyers of the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny and raided their homes, aides said, a step that comes as pressure on the Kremlin's critics increases. The move was an attempt to completely isolate Navalny", his ally Ivan Zhdanov said on social media.The US has claimed North Korea delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia for the war in Ukraine. The White House national security council spokesperson, John Kirby, said the US believed Kim Jong-un was seeking sophisticated Russian weapon technologies in return for munitions to boost North Korea's nuclear programme.Vladimir Putin dismissed the idea that Russia damaged a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia and suggested such claims were made up to divert attention from what he said was a western attack on Nord Stream.EU leaders meeting later in October will demand decisive progress" on using Russian assets frozen by sanctions to help Ukraine, according to their draft statement.The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, while visiting the Black Sea port of Odesa on Friday, vowed to improve Ukraine's air defences and to increase the security of a humanitarian corridor" for grain exports. Continue reading...

Closure comes after decision to put France on high alert following fatal school stabbing by suspected extremistThousands of visitors have been evacuated from the Louvre in Paris after museum staff received a written threat.The warning on Saturday came as France is on its highest alert for terrorist attacks after the killing of a teacher by a suspected radical Islamist in the north of the country on Friday. Continue reading...

Palestine Action says it was behind incident in London, accusing BBC of manufacturing consent for Israel's war crimes'

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...