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More than 500 Victorian homes damaged and 500 others cut off in flooding. This blog is now closed

Five contenders who could succeed Truss as the Conservative party’s fifth leader since the Brexit vote in 2016Astonishing as it may sound to someone who has not paid attention to politics since about 2016, after little more than a month in office, a consensus is building that Liz Truss could be finished as prime minister. But who could succeed her as the Conservatives’ fifth prime minister since Brexit, and third since the 2019 general election? Continue reading...

Commissioner says not all officers have had a safe workplace as critics label complaints procedure a jokeThe Queensland Police Service continues to employ frontline officers whose actions resulted in payouts worth millions of dollars to victims of bullying and harassment, Guardian Australia has learned.The commission of inquiry into Queensland police responses to domestic violence has revealed dozens of instances where officers were found to have engaged in racism, sexism, misogyny and bullying. In many of these cases, officers were repeat offenders and not subject to disciplinary action. Continue reading...

Study says the NSW government project could lead to the ‘total loss’ of some sites due to flooding

Unions NSW to release survey results suggesting voters believe healthcare and transport are worsening

Coalition has pledged $19bn more than the government, while claiming it is the better economic manager

Weekly rent on this ‘room with a poo’ is up $140 since 2020, a reflection of Australia’s rental crisis

Adeshina Adio, 20, from south-east London, was arrested after jumping into Thames to evade policeA 20-year-old man has admitted sexually assaulting a young woman by exposing himself and pushing into her from behind as she waited in the queue to attend the Queen’s lying in state.Adeshina Adio, from south-east London, jumped into the River Thames to escape arrest after assaulting the woman at Victoria Tower Gardens as she waited in the queue to pay her respects to the late monarch. He was detained by officers when he came out of the water. Continue reading...

Judges say Home Office’s unlawful targeting of people arriving in small boats was ‘failure of governance’More than 1,300 asylum seekers who arrived in the UK in small boats and had their phones unlawfully seized by immigration officials can claim compensation, the high court has ruled.Judges said on Friday there was “a failure of governance” over the unlawful phone seizures. Continue reading...

Russian president says any direct clash with Nato troops would be ‘global catastrophe’ as he says 220,000 will be called up. This live blog is now closedHere are some of the latest images of the war that have been sent to us over the newswires from Ukraine and beyond.Today is Defenders Day in Ukraine, and the US ambassador to Kyiv, Bridget A Brink, has issued a video message. In it she says:We honour the brave men and women who have served in the defence of Ukraine’s freedom. This year, this holiday has a special symbolic meaning. Since 24 February, virtually every citizen of your country has in some way become a defender of your land, your lives, your future.I know Russia’s war doesn’t stop at the line of contact. And I honour the bravery and resolve of all Ukrainians, men and women, children and the elderly, professional soldiers and volunteers, representatives of every aspect of society from the home front to the frontline. All of you play a vital role in defending Ukraine. We know Ukraine will prevail. Continue reading...

Former PM creates 13 Conservative peers but widely expected honour for former Mail editor goes missingBoris Johnson’s political honours list has seen peerages awarded to a string of former Tory MPs and other allies and party donors – although not to Paul Dacre, the former editor of the Daily Mail.Dacre had been widely tipped to be made a peer, but there had been calls for this to be delayed or suspended after legal action begun by a series of prominent people over alleged intrusion into privacy by the Mail’s publisher. Continue reading...

Crisis is considered unlikely but officials re-examine plans to provide support for fearful populations

After PM’s latest U-turn, we look at 10 other reversals since her days as a Lib Dem activist

Labour leader says government is ‘completely at end of the road’ and his party is preparing for power

Operator insists service will be turned round by Christmas as travellers report late and overcrowded trainsAvanti West Coast bosses have admitted “we’re still not good enough”, a week after its contract was controversially renewed, but insisted that the failing intercity train service will be turned round by Christmas.The train operator cut back its schedules and stopped selling advance tickets in August, blaming a lack of staff overtime – causing enormous disruption to Britain’s major rail artery linking cities between London and Glasgow. Continue reading...

Watchdog provisionally concludes former Tory MP broke transparency rules when he lobbied on behalf of RandoxThe disgraced former Conservative MP Owen Paterson faces being fined after a Whitehall watchdog provisionally concluded that he broke transparency rules by failing to register as a lobbyist for a healthcare firm.On Friday, Harry Rich, the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, said he proposed to conclude that Paterson had acted unlawfully when he lobbied ministers on behalf of Randox. The watchdog intends to fine Paterson up to £7,500 but gave the former MP an opportunity to overturn the decision. Continue reading...

Images from Netflix series also show Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth and Dominic West as CharlesWhen John Major was prime minister in the 1990s, the actor Jonny Lee Miller was best known for playing the peroxide-haired Sick Boy in Trainspotting and for his tabloid-friendly marriage to Angelina Jolie.Almost three decades later, the first image has been released of Miller portraying the former Tory prime minister – nicknamed “the grey man” – in the new series of The Crown, complete with side-parting and large glasses. Continue reading...

Biopic imagines Brontë’s life in the years leading up to her writing one of English literature’s most feted novelsA new, sensuous drama about Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë is a chance to introduce the Brontë sisters to younger audiences, one of the film’s stars has said.Released in cinemas on Friday, Emily – directed by Frances O’Connor and starring Sex Education’s Emma Mackey in the titular role – imagines Brontë’s life in the years leading up to her writing one of English literature’s most feted novels. Continue reading...

In England about one in 35 people had Covid in week ending 3 October, according to ONS dataCovid infection levels are rising across much of the UK, with more than 1.7 million people thought to have had the virus in the most recent week, data has revealed.About one in 35 people in England – 2.8% of the population – had Covid in the week ending 3 October based on swabs from randomly selected households, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. It is an increase from one in 50 the week before. Continue reading...

ICRC responds to Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticism, saying it is frustrated at being refused entry to notorious Olenivka prison

Chancellor shares letter saying he has accepted prime minister’s request for him to stand aside

Some attribute Labour’s loss in North Evington to its candidate’s apparent support for India’s ruling BJP partyA Leicester council byelection resulted in a huge swing towards the Conservatives, as they took the seat from Labour who were knocked into third place in an area gripped by civil unrest last month.The Conservatives took 49.6% of the vote in North Evington, with a 32.7-point swing in their favour, while Labour received just 22.5% of votes. Continue reading...

Neil Maxwell, who killed himself in 2019, suspected over disappearance of woman who went missing earlier that yearThe prime suspect in the murder of Leah Croucher, who disappeared in February 2019, has been named as convicted sex offender Neil Maxwell, who killed himself in April that year.Thames Valley police launched a murder investigation after discovering human remains at an address in Milton Keynes on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Survey shows strong support within alliance for tougher sanctions and Nato aid, but more pro-Russia views elsewhere

Move marks rise in younger consumers investing in classic sustainable pieces rather than buying disposable fashionBen Affleck wore a dark suit, while his wife, Jennifer Lopez, chose a pinstripe dress. Laura Dern was in black tie, while Sylvester Stallone was in a smoothly brushed suede jacket.On the eve of his 83rd birthday, the Bronx-born Ralph Lauren, who is in his seventh decade as a designer, staged his first ever catwalk show on the west coast of the US, in the gardens of the Huntington Library in California, and Hollywood dressed up for the event. Continue reading...

Retired teacher from Saxony is suspected of having been the ‘ideological brains’ behind the groupA pensioner believed to be the ringleader of a terrorist group planning to launch attacks on German politicians and power infrastructure has been remanded in custody.Identified only as Elizabeth R in accordance with German legal norms, the 75-year-old retired teacher from the eastern state of Saxony is suspected of having been what investigators have called the “ideological brains” behind the far-right group, which had planned kidnappings and attacks on power facilities meant to cause blackouts across the country. Continue reading...

Andrew Walker’s report says government should consider separate platforms for adults and childrenThe coroner at Molly Russell’s inquest has recommended that the government considers separate social media platforms for children and adults as he called for a review of child use of online content.The senior coroner Andrew Walker, who presided over the inquest into 14-year-old Molly, has issued safety recommendations that focused on child access to social media content. Molly, from Harrow, north-west London, died in November 2017 after viewing extensive amounts of material related to suicide, depression, anxiety and self-harm on platforms including Instagram and Pinterest. Continue reading...

Leave is set to increase by two weeks a year from the present scheme of 18 weeks at minimum wage and can be split between partners

Huge montage in Tehran taken down within 24 hours after protests by those depicted or their relativesThe Iranian authorities suffered a PR fiasco after being forced to take down a giant billboard in a central square in Tehran when women in the poster, or their relatives, objected to being depicted as supporters of the government and the compulsory-wearing of the hijab.The billboard controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps was a montage of about 50 Iranian women wearing the hijab under the slogan “Women of my Land”. It was taken down within 24 hours after at least three of the women pictured said they objected to their image being misused. Continue reading...

Exclusive: IGP&I says Greek shippers are acting legally, in rebuff to Ukrainian anti-corruption agencyA City of London body whose members comprise the world’s biggest shipping insurers is embroiled in a row with Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency over enabling the export of Russian oil, the Guardian can reveal.The International Group of Protection and Indemnity Clubs (IGP&I), whose members insure 90% of the world’s ocean-going tonnage, has enraged Ukrainian officials after failing to dissuade its members from insuring the transport of the Russian fossil fuel. Continue reading...

Sydney’s Inner West council aims to train 1,000 people for a civic education program that could become a model for other jurisdictions

IMA says millions could lose right to live in UK post-Brexit if they do not reapply for settled status and this is ‘unlawful’British government ministers are being taken to court by a body chaired by the former leader of the Conservatives in the EU parliament, over allegations the government is breaking the law on EU citizens’ rights post-Brexit.The Independent Monitoring Authority claims 2.6 million EU citizens are at automatic risk of losing their right to live, work and retire in the UK and may face deportation because of an alleged “unlawful” interpretation of the withdrawal agreement (WA) by the Home Office rules. Continue reading...

Prospective prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, says three parties will ‘cooperate’ with the Sweden DemocratsThree Swedish rightwing parties have agreed to form a minority government with the unprecedented support of the far-right Sweden Democrats, conservative leader Ulf Kristersson has said.The incoming government immediately announced plans for nuclear reactors to meet Sweden’s rising electricity needs. Continue reading...

Mel Stride says that markets won’t be settled if government’s policy change just ‘nibbles at the edges’A senior Conservative MP has said that Liz Truss must not “nibble at the edges” but instead perform a “powerful” and “significant” U-turn with its so-far disastrous economic plan.Mel Stride, the chair of parliament’s Treasury select committee, told the BBC’s Today programme: “My personal view is that it [a U-turn] should happen, we have reached a point where we need this very powerful and significant signal to the markets that fiscal credibility is firmly back on the table, and I think that means doing something right now and not delaying. Continue reading...

Shane and Sheldon Shorey, aged six and seven, died after Jacob Steven Donn crashed a car in Wellington, in central west NSW, while he was drug-affected

Daniel Andrews says 500 homes have been flooded and another 500 have been isolated. This blog is now closed

The bill would amend laws to include a ‘pattern of behaviour’ and update the definition of stalking

Postal service expects operating loss of about £350m in year to end of March, which could rise to £450mRoyal Mail said it may need to cut up to 10,000 roles by next August, blaming strike action by its workers and the continuing decline of its core business.In an unscheduled trading update a day after Royal Mail workers staged a 24-hour strike over pay and conditions, its parent company International Distributions Services said thousands of roles would have to go at Royal Mail because of damage and disruption caused by industrial action, as well as declining parcel volumes. Continue reading...

Comes after Katarina Carroll was last week confronted with dozens of cases that were dealt with via ‘local management resolution’

Classified document alleges Frontex involvement in cover-ups and illegal pushbacks of asylum seekers from Greece and MaltaA classified EU report on Frontex, the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency, details serious allegations of cover ups of human rights violations in EU member states by the agency and its staff.The report, more than 120 pages long, is the result of a months-long investigation and a score of witness interviews by Olaf, the EU anti-fraud agency. The findings, in part, led to the dramatic resignation of Frontex executive director, Fabrice Leggeri, in April this year. Until now the classified document has been available only to members of the European parliament under strict conditions. German freedom of information specialists Frag Den Staat, Lighthouse Reports and Der Spiegel, to whom the report was leaked, have now published the document in full, citing reasons of public interest particularly for the European taxpayer, whose taxes help to fund the agency. Continue reading...

Scramble to censor posts about Sitong bridge incident in Beijing where defiant banners were hung and a fire lit in lead-up to Communist party congressChinese authorities have strictly censored discussion of a rare protest in Beijing on Thursday that saw large banners unfurled on a flyover calling for boycotts and the removal of Xi Jinping, just days before China’s most important event of its five-year political cycle.Photos and videos of the protest on the Sitong bridge emerged on social media on Thursday afternoon, also showing plumes of smoke billowing from the bridge over a major thoroughfare in the Haidian district of the capital. Continue reading...

Exclusive: halt to production of Shanchol vaccine alarms WHO amid ‘unprecedented’ global outbreaksThe manufacturer of one of only two cholera vaccines for use in humanitarian emergencies is to halt production at the end of this year, just as the world faces an “unprecedented” series of deadly outbreaks, the Guardian has learned.Shantha Biotechnics, a wholly owned Indian subsidiary of the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi, will stop production of its Shanchol vaccine within months and cease supply by the end of 2023, causing alarm among health officials. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Eight firms that received pandemic contracts to be urged to withdraw due to ‘clear conflicts of interest’Families bereaved by Covid will write to eight PR companies that received hefty government contracts during the pandemic asking them to withdraw from a tender process to manage part of the inquiry.The tender process is to run the Listening Project, announced earlier this year as a formal part of the Covid-19 inquiry, which is to be awarded to one of 12 firms on a pre-approved government list. Many of those firms also undertook work for the government during the pandemic, the Guardian revealed last month. Continue reading...

Secondary school competition ‘did not demonstrate the relevance to the contemporary art context of Aotearoa’New Zealand’s arts council has pulled funding for a Shakespeare festival that has been running in secondary schools for roughly three decades, after questioning its relevance to the country and because it focuses on “a canon of imperialism”.Every year, the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand runs the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare festival – a secondary school competition where students perform excerpts from Shakespeare’s plays. Continue reading...

Government critics and activists intimidated by police ahead of Sunday’s Communist party meeting, where Xi Jinping is expected to gain third term

Basic with Ads will launch in Australia on 3 November as the streaming service hopes to recoup its first subscriber losses in more than 10 years

Regional development minister Catherine King says uncontracted funding awarded by the Coalition is being heavily scrutinised

Higgins resumes giving evidence in trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who has pleaded not guilty

Court hears former Liberal staffer, who has pleaded not guilty, told police neither he nor Higgins was very drunk when they went to Parliament House in the early hours of the morning

Former minister’s chief of staff tells court Lehrmann, who denies rape allegation, told her later he went back to the office to drink whisky