World news | The Guardian

Russian attacks on energy plants across Ukraine left more than a million households without electricity, officials said on Saturday

Blackouts across Ukraine after Russian missile attacks on energy facilities and other infrastructure

Boris Johnson arrives back in UK from Dominican Republic but Penny Mordaunt so far only confirmed runner to succeed Liz Truss

Ireland’s taoiseach says party should honour mandate of people of Northern Ireland ahead of election deadlineIreland’s taoiseach has called on the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) to “honour” the mandate of the people of Northern Ireland by contributing to the restoration of the Stormont institutions as the election deadline looms.Micheál Martin said it does not appear that devolved government at Stormont will be restored by Friday’s deadline. He added that it is “not satisfactory” that the powersharing institutions are not functioning. Continue reading...

Iranian shopkeepers and factory workers said to be on strike as 80,000 protesters in Berlin hear calls for sanctionsShopkeepers and factory workers reportedly went on strike in Iran on Saturday as women-led nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini entered a sixth week and solidarity rallies were held around the globe.The death of 22-year-old Amini, after her arrest for allegedly breaching Iran’s strict dress code for women, has fuelled the biggest protests seen in the Islamic Republic for years. Continue reading...

36 rockets launched in a ‘massive attack’ on Ukraine, says Zelenskiy; Russia targets energy facilities in western Ukraine

Ukrainian president says most missiles fired overnight were shot down; over 1 million people without electricity after attacks on power stations

Nearly all avoidable deaths in surgery exhibit a breakdown in communication and cooperation, research shows, as doctors call for system reform

After three riders died in September and injuries rise, doctors are pushing for better helmet compliance and a rethink on regulations

Clubs NSW says the scheme will be used to combat problem gambling, but experts warn of a lack of safeguards and regulation

Incident comes after a knife attack in East Jerusalem that left Israeli man serious conditionSoldiers shot dead a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, hours after a knife attack in East Jerusalem left an Israeli man in a serious condition.The Palestinian health ministry said Rabi Arafah Rabi, 32, was hit by “a bullet to the head” at a checkpoint south-east of the city of Qalqilya. Continue reading...

Anti-Brexit rally sees crowds from across UK waving EU flags and blaming Britain’s crises on departure from unionThousands of protesters have marched through central London calling for the UK to rejoin the EU.The national rejoin march on Saturday saw large crowds of people walk from Park Lane to Parliament Square. Marchers from across the UK travelled for hours to attend. Continue reading...

Heads say they will run out of money over the next academic year, even without cuts Jeremy Hunt is planningNine out of 10 schools will have run out of money by the next school year as the enormous burden of increased energy and salary bills takes its toll, the Observer can reveal.Early data from the National Association of Head Teachers – results of a survey of its members are due later this month – shows that 50% of heads say their school will be in deficit this year, with almost all expecting to be in the red by next September,when their reserve run out. This comes as Jeremy Hunt has made clear that all departments, including education, will be expected to make cuts as part of the government’s debt reduction plan, to be announced on 31 October. Continue reading...

School leaders’ mood turns to despair at funding crisis amid growing povertyJonny Uttley, CEO of the Education Alliance academy trust, which runs seven schools in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, was shouting and swearing at the television news on Wednesday evening. The fracking vote in the Commons had descended into noisy chaos, with allegations that Tory backbenchers were being manhandled into voting with Liz Truss’s ailing government.The contrast between the Westminster circus and what was happening in his primary and secondary schools couldn’t have been starker. Earlier, Uttley had met his headteachers to make an impossible choice: should they cut vital teaching staff or feed hungry children who weren’t entitled to free school meals. Continue reading...

In the health secretary’s Suffolk Coastal constituency, GPs struggle to meet demand and waiting lists for surgery stretch past a yearWaiting 24 hours for an ambulance when you have a broken leg isn’t much fun wherever you are. In a market town such as Saxmundham, about half an hour’s drive from the nearest hospital, there aren’t many other options.Saxmundham is at the centre of Suffolk Coastal, the constituency represented by Thérèse Coffey, the health secretary, and offers a microcosm of the issues facing the health service. Continue reading...

In Uxbridge, locals were divided on their MP’s desire for a second stint as Tory leader, with some fearing he would forget all about their problemsOn her way to get a flu jab in Uxbridge town centre, Debbie Cusmans, 57, spots a reporter with a notebook. “Bring back Boris!” she shouts, with a grin and a thumbs up. “Make sure you get that in.”We are in Johnson’s west London constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, where he has been MP since 2015. It has been a Conservative seat since its creation in 2010: he won here with a majority of 5,034 in 2017 and 7,210 in 2019, by which time he was prime minister. On Saturday, as the rumour mill raged about whether he would attempt a return to No 10, locals were contemplating a potential further spell with a PM who’s also their local MP. Continue reading...

17-year-old boy arrested in Edinburgh after Kane Moses, 19, was killed in TottenhamA teenage boy has been charged with murder after a man was stabbed to death in north London.Kane Moses, 19, was killed in Tottenham High Road on Friday 30 September. The cause of death was confirmed as a stab wound to the chest after a postmortem examination on 2 October. Continue reading...

Tory leadership candidate describes reliance on self, NHS and people of Portsmouth in video pitch for No 10Pulling pints, playing pool, at the helm of a ship and hugging constituents: Penny Mordaunt has released a new campaign video which she said represents “the real me”.The Conservative leadership candidate, who was trailing Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson for MP nominations by a significant margin on Saturday, describes in a voiceover how she has spent her life in Portsmouth. Continue reading...

Essex police say the child died at the scene despite the best efforts of paramedicsA 12-year-old boy has died after a garage wall collapsed in Clacton-on-Sea.Essex police said a man in his 30s had been rescued from the rubble with an injury to his arm but despite the best efforts of paramedics the boy had died at the scene. Continue reading...

Meloni took the oath of office as Italy’s first female PM at the presidential palace on SaturdayThe government of Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s first female prime minister and leader of a party with neo-fascist origins, has been sworn in.Meloni, 45, and her cabinet took the oath before the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, on Saturday. Continue reading...

Former deputy PM says country ‘cannot go backwards’ as he throws weight behind Rishi Sunak

Aderonke Apata says she has Home Office to thank for career as she fought removal to NigeriaA refugee who has just been called to the bar says she has the Home Office to thank for her career after she became an amateur legal expert while locked up in a detention centre.Aderonke Apata, 55, from Nigeria, said she was proud to take part in a ceremony last week where she, along with dozens of other newly qualified barristers, were formally called to the bar. Continue reading...

Former PM Johnson and ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak dominate front pages as the contest for the Conservative party’s top job intensifies

Late evening declarations from Hancock, Dowden, Ellwood and Tugendhat for former chancellor. This blog is now closed

The Oscar-winner will play the opera singer in a film that explores the ‘tumultuous, beautiful, and tragic’ story of her lifeAngelina Jolie is set to play opera singer Maria Callas in a new drama from Chilean film-maker Pablo Larraín.Maria will tell “the tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest opera singer, relived and re-imagined during her final days in 1970s Paris” with a script from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, who last collaborated with Larraín for Princess Diana drama Spencer. Continue reading...

Move will trigger byelection in Chester after panel finds he breached Commons’ sexual misconduct policy

One of Boris Johnson’s most vocal backers to guest-host Uncensored in week of Tory leadership contestNadine Dorries will stand in for Piers Morgan on his TalkTV show, Uncensored, next week as the Conservative leadership contest is expected to play out.The Tory MP and former culture secretary, who is one of Boris Johnson’s most vocal and prominent supporters, will guest-host on Monday and Tuesday joined by Emily Sheffield, the former editor of the Evening Standard. Continue reading...

Former PM dominates debate as contest to replace Liz Truss begins, only six weeks after he left office

A dozen people were rescued from burning homes after a tanker truck crashed into a railway overpass in the central town of AguascalientesA huge blaze erupted in central Mexico after a fuel tanker truck crashed into an overpass by a rail line, scorching homes, engulfing the area in thick smoke and leading to a mass evacuation, but causing no fatalities, authorities said.Video footage of the fire on social media showed a cargo train hurtling through the flames after Thursday’s accident in the city of Aguascalientes, as stunned drivers at the scene retreated from their cars holding children close. Continue reading...

Exclusive: British Dental Association chief says there is ‘no more fat to trim’ amid fears for health budgetJeremy Hunt has been told that any cuts to the health budget will in effect “kill” dental services across the UK and deny millions of patients access to a dentist on the NHS.The chancellor has told members of the cabinet that “everything is on the table” as he seeks to find tens of billions of pounds in savings after ditching the economic plan of Liz Truss, who said on Thursday she was standing down as prime minister. Health is one key area expected to be hit. Continue reading...

Exclusive: peers to table more than 20 changes to proposed legislation when committee stage beginsLabour peers are to step up their campaign to stop the “reckless” Northern Ireland protocol bill being passed with demands for more than 20 changes.Jenny Chapman, the shadow cabinet minister in the Lords, told the Guardian the bill was “an abomination, undermining the UK’s hard-won reputation as a responsible, trustworthy partner” and called on the government to “scrap this reckless legislation”. Continue reading...

Gregory Lee Roser has been found guilty of the 2017 murder at a property north of Brisbane

Mélanie Joly tells meeting of female foreign ministers that they must help ‘amplify the voices of women in Iran’Canada’s foreign minister has said democracies have a “moral obligation” to help the “incredibly brave” women taking to the streets of Iran in protest, as she met other female foreign ministers to condemn the ongoing violence that has rocked the country for weeks.“As women foreign ministers we have a responsibility to help amplify the voices of women in Iran,” Mélanie Joly told a gathering of 14 of her female counterparts, according to a readout of the event provided to the Guardian. “As women leaders from around the world, we can make a powerful statement of support for women’s rights in Iran, and by extension, women’s rights everywhere.” Continue reading...

The UK newspaper front pages cover another historic day in politics and speculate on who is in the running to replace Liz TrussThe resignation of Liz Truss after 45 chaotic days as prime minister leads the front page of every major newspaper in the UK on Friday.The Guardian’s front page says that “After 45 days of turmoil, prime minister bows to the inevitable”, and calls this moment “The bitter end”. Continue reading...

NSW state coroner unable to establish if his death was an accident or involved foul play but says no reason for him to ‘vanish intentionally’

The 87-year-old Australian author, who won the ARA Historical Novel prize, says he ‘wanted to help some of the other writers’ because of how hard it is to make a living as a writerThomas Keneally, one of Australia’s most acclaimed novelists, says he will share a $50,000 literary prize with his fellow nominees.The 87-year-old novelist, who has previously won the Man Booker prize and the Miles Franklin, was announced on Thursday as the winner of the ARA Historical Novel prize for his latest novel Corporal Hitler’s Pistol. Continue reading...

One in four adults either in financial trouble or at brink of difficulty, FCA survey findsMillions of people in the UK are struggling to pay their bills, according to the City watchdog, which said a growing proportion of the population is having trouble making ends meet.A survey by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) laid bare the impact of the cost of living crisis, saying about one in four (24%) of adults in the UK were either in financial difficulty or would fall into trouble if they suffered a financial shock. Continue reading...

Demand has soared in past 12 months while total number of available properties fell by 9%Average private rents in Britain have soared to record highs, with severe shortages of properties resulting in more tenants paying above the asking price and stretched budgets forcing more people to downsize to studio flats, data shows.The average advertised rent in Greater London is 16.1% higher than a year ago, which is the highest rate of growth of any region on record, according to the property website Rightmove. Continue reading...

Icelandic singer will bring her Cornucopia tour to Western Australia only, playing a purpose-built 5,000 capacity tent

Nominations for next Tory leader will close at 2pm on Monday before next prime minister is confirmed on 28 October

Sanna Irshad Mattoo says she was barred from taking a flight to New York where she was scheduled to receive the 2022 Pulitzer PrizeIndian authorities have been criticised after a Kashmiri photojournalist said she was barred from taking a flight to New York where she was scheduled to receive the 2022 Pulitzer prize.Sanna Irshad Mattoo, 27, was in a team of Reuters photographers who had won a Pulitzer for feature photography for their coverage of the coronavirus crisis in India. Continue reading...

Parliamentary committee has processes to declare any potential conflicts of interest, then deputy chair Anne Aly says

As Starmer calls for general election, candidates scrabble to win nominations from at least 100 MPs to join raceLiz Truss announced on Thursday she was quitting No 10 after a calamitous 45 days in office, triggering a Tory leadership contest, with Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Boris Johnson battling it out to become Britain’s next prime minister.At a lectern outside Downing Street during another tumultuous day, Truss admitted that she could not deliver the radical economic mandate on which she was elected by Conservative members. Continue reading...

Local ‘stabilisation blackouts’ will take place around country at times between 7am and 10pm

Survivors of St Anne’s Indian residential school allege government withheld key evidence in determining compensation for victimsCanada’s supreme court has declined to hear an appeal brought by a group of Indigenous residential school survivors, dealing a major blow to their decade-long fight against federal government over thousands of unreleased documents.Survivors of St Anne’s Indian residential school had hoped the country’s top court would take their case, which alleges Canada’s federal government withheld key evidence in determining compensation for victims of abuse at the school in northern Ontario. Continue reading...

UK implements new sanctions on Iran for supplying Russia with drones; Ukrainians prepare for hours-long power outages. This live blog is now closed

Vanuatu Election Commission yet to declare official results but Julia King likely to be lone female voice in 52-member parliamentVotes are still being counted in Vanuatu’s snap election, but with the preliminary votes tallied, one change seems certain: Vanuatu’s all-male parliament is no more, with the first woman elected to office since 2008 likely to be announced within days.“I’m excited for Vanuatu women of course,” Julia King said. King looks set to be returned as the MP for Mele on the outskirts of the capital of Port Vila. “I’m happy for women in general to know they have a voice that can be represented up there. That’s the part I can be excited about.” Continue reading...

‘Rebels’ accused of setting fire to ruling party HQ during demonstrations calling for faster democratic transitionSecurity forces in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, have violently dispersed banned protests calling for a quicker transition to democratic rule, leaving at least 50 dead and dozens injured, according to the country’s prime minister.Palls of black smoke could be seen in some areas in N’Djamena and the crack of teargas grenades could be heard throughout much of the day. Several roads had been blocked with barricades and burning tyres and most shops closed their doors to avoid looting. Continue reading...

Despite the departure of her home secretary, the PM could probably have clung on, but then came the extraordinary unforced errors

Abolfazl Adinezadeh reportedly shot at from less than a metre away by security forces in city of MashhadA 17-year-old schoolboy has died in Iran’s second largest city, Mashhad, after reportedly being shot at close range by state forces during anti-government protests.Abolfazl Adinezadeh’s death certificate showed that he died of liver and kidney damage caused by birdshot, according to a BBC Persian report. A doctor was cited as estimating the distance from which the teenager was shot on 8 October as less than 1 metre. Continue reading...