World news | The Guardian

Former president organised stage-managed departure from his Paris home before becoming first French postwar leader to be jailed

Poland's foreign minister says Putin's plane could be escorted down as attacks continue with four killed in drone strike in ChernihivA lawyer for Nicolas Sarkozy said a motion had been filed for his release moments after the former French president entered jail, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.Attorney Christophe Ingrain told reporters:A request has been filed for Nicolas Sarkozy's release. Continue reading...

Ecuadorian officials say they found no evidence the man had committed a crime, after Trump called people on the submarine terrorists'

Exclusive: Poverty rapporteur says governments must rethink welfare state as essential to fabric of societyDecades of efforts by mainstream politicians to roll back welfare programmes have given rise to an extremely dangerous" discourse that has helped fuel the rise of the far right and rightwing populists in countries around the world, a top UN expert has told the Guardian.From London to Lisbon, politicians from centre-right and centre-left parties alike had steadily eroded social programmes, fostering a sense of scarcity and creating fertile ground for the stirring up of anti-migrant sentiment, said Olivier De Schutter, the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. Continue reading...

Flight returned to Omaha airport minutes after departing for Los Angeles, after intercom was left on by accidentPilots aboard a US commercial jet mistakenly thought someone was trying to invade the cockpit on Monday, leading the flight to return to the Omaha airport fewer than 40 minutes after departing for Los Angeles.The misunderstanding on American Airlines Flight 6469 came about because the intercom that pilots and flight attendants use to speak to each other had been left on by accident, an American Airlines spokesperson said. The pilots heard some static sound over this intercom, and they mistakenly thought it meant someone was trying to break in. Continue reading...

Detroit automaker expects 2025 adjusted core profit to be between $12bn and $13bn as it faces weakening EV marketGeneral Motors lifted its financial outlook for the year and slightly lowered its expected hit from tariffs, as the automaker awaits expected relief on tariffs in the US while confronting a weakening market for electric vehicles.The company now expects its annual adjusted core profit to be between $12bn and $13bn, compared with its prior estimate of $10bn to $12.5bn. The Detroit automaker said tariffs would hit its bottom line less than anticipated, lowering its updated impact to a range of $3.5bn to $4.5bn, from a previous $4bn to $5bn. Continue reading...

New leader had promised levels of female representation comparable to those in Iceland and FinlandSanae Takaichi made history on Tuesday when she became Japan's first female prime minister. But hours after she was elected by MPs, it was evident that female under-representation in the country's political establishment would continue when she appointed just two women to her cabinet.Takaichi had promised levels of female representation in her government comparable to those in Iceland, Finland and Norway. Continue reading...

Former French president will reportedly be held in isolation and has a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo for company

Idea that apes at closed-down zoo have been abandoned is ridiculous, says CEO, after urban explorer's video made headlinesA rainy afternoon in Bristol but the troop of western lowland gorillas did not seem to mind the damp and were foraging for snacks of lettuce and cereal scattered around their zoo enclosure.To the untrained eye, their expressions might be described as lugubrious, but Sarah Gedman, the curator of mammals at Bristol Zoological Society (BZS), insisted the apes were perfectly relaxed and in tune with each other. They're not sad at all," said Gedman. Continue reading...

Central Land Council chief executive Lesley Turner alleges the Liberal senator defamed him in a 2024 press release

Lobby groups tell Victorian inquiry legitimate churches could be caught up in any proposed crackdown on coercive practices

Ex-home secretary says work and teach' visa, which thinktank finds could help reduce public concerns about immigration, is a serious, pragmatic plan'The former home and education secretary David Blunkett has backed calls for skilled migrants to train British workers in an effort to improve public feeling towards immigration.A report by the Good Growth Foundation, a thinktank with links to Labour ministers, has called for the creation of a visa route where skilled migrants spend part of their time mentoring and training British workers. Continue reading...

Pause on move to freeze preferential trade pact comes amid scramble to shore up fragile ceasefireThe EU has been criticised for pausing sanctions against Israel's government in response to Donald Trump's peacemaking efforts in the Middle East, as the fragile ceasefire came under threat.After meeting EU foreign ministers on Monday, the European foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, announced a pause on efforts to suspend preferential trade with Israel and sanctions against people responsible for fuelling the conflict on both sides. Continue reading...

German chancellor rebuffs critics and insists anyone with daughters would agree we have to change something'Critics have accused Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, of adopting dangerous" rhetoric on immigration, after he championed very large scale" expulsions of people from cities - and claimed that anyone with daughters would agree with him.Merz, who took office in May with a pledge to beat back the rise of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party, on Monday chastised a reporter who asked if he wished to revise his hardline remarks on migration from last week in light of widespread criticism, or apologise for them. Continue reading...

Police make more than 180 arrests and capture 281 privately manufactured weapons and parts, including those made by 3D printers

In first interview since Glastonbury, frontman Bobby Vylan tells Louis Theroux the backlash was minimal' compared to the plight of PalestiniansBob Vylan frontman Bobby Vylan is not regretful" of his death, death to the IDF" chant at Glastonbury and said he would do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays".The outspoken punk duo sparked controversy when they led chants of death, death to the IDF", referring to the Israel Defense Forces, at the festival in June. The chant was condemned by Glastonbury and the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, who described it as appalling hate speech". Continue reading...

Myanmar's military moved in to tackle a major online scam operation near the Thailand border, state media reportedMyanmar's military has raided a major online scam operation near the border with Thailand, detaining more than 2,000 people and seizing dozens of Starlink satellite internet terminals, state media has reported.According to a report in Monday's Myanma Alinn newspaper, Myanmar's army raided KK Park, a well-documented cybercrime centre, as part of operations starting in early September to suppress online fraud, illegal gambling, and cross-border cybercrime. Continue reading...

Chancellor to tell business leaders at government's first regional investment summit she plans to cut pointless admin'The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is poised to launch a renewed blitz on business bureaucracy" ahead of next month's budget to target savings for companies worth 6bn.With Labour under pressure to reboot the economy, Reeves is expected to tell business leaders in Birmingham for the government's first regional investment summit that she plans to cut pointless admin". Continue reading...

Maccabi say rivals to blame for crowd trouble while UK government still wants ban lifted for Aston Villa gameBritish police will investigate whether fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv bear any blame for violence at an Israeli football match on Sunday that led to the game being abandoned.Police and authorities have faced criticism over a decision last week to ban Maccabi fans from attending a Europa League game against Aston Villa in Birmingham on 6 November. Continue reading...

Parliamentary rules forbid debates about the conduct of royals, which some consider a fig leaf for inactionThe shocking new allegations about the extent of Prince Andrew's connections with Jeffery Epstein have dominated front pages and airwaves but there is one powerful institution which is effectively barred from discussing it - parliament.There is growing disquiet among MPs about strict guidance that means the disgraced royal cannot be the subject of any parliamentary debate - including whether he can be formally stripped of his titles. Continue reading...

President says US has no better friend than Australia but tells ambassador Kevin Rudd I don't like you'

Ex-girlfriend alleged Adam Aspinall Da Encarnacao shared footage from cases of Natalie Shotter and a second womanA Metropolitan police officer has been cleared of two counts of misconduct in public office after standing trial accused of sharing footage from two rape cases.PC Adam Aspinall Da Encarnacao, 33, from Buckinghamshire, attached to the Met's Sapphire unit dealing with rapes and serious sexual assaults, had pleaded not guilty to both counts. He has acted as a sexual offences investigation trained officer supporting rape victims. Continue reading...

Feud casts doubt on future of counter-narcotics and security cooperation between two countries, analysts warnColombia has recalled its ambassador to Washington amid a furious war of words between Colombian president Gustavo Petro and Donald Trump over deadly US strikes on boats in the Caribbean.The row took a sharp turn this weekend when Petro accused the US of murdering" a Colombian fisher in an attack on a vessel in its territorial waters. Petro and his administration said the mid-September strike was a direct threat to national sovereignty" and that the victim was a lifelong fisherman" and a humble human being". Continue reading...

Subscriptions dropped at an increased rate after backlash from late-night host's temporary removal, new data showsDisney's short-lived suspension of Jimmy Kimmel under pressure from the Trump administration may have had a permanent impact on the company's subscription numbers.According to data released by Antenna, an analytics firm that tracks subscription and viewership data for major streaming services, cancellation rates for Disney+ and Hulu doubled from August to September - from 4 and 5% to 8 and 10%, respectively. So-called churn rates for Disney+ have hovered at 3-4% all year, with Hulu at 4-5%. Continue reading...

Firm behind venues falls into administration but Yum! Brands buys remainder of operation in Britain

East London Mosque received hateful emails after event for men, boys, and under-12 girls only - but organisers say women's race was undersubscribedA female leader at a British mosque accused of excluding women from a charity run has said women in the community have a voice and do not need saving" by critics who lack an understanding of Muslim values.East London Mosque, in Tower Hamlets, found itself at the centre of a media firestorm and received dozens of hate mail messages after staging the Muslim Charity Run, open to men, boys of all ages and girls under 12". The communities secretary, Steve Reed, later said he was horrified". Continue reading...

Typhoo tea owner Supreme acquires business from Irish nutrition and food firm Glanbia for 20mThe owner of Typhoo tea has snapped up SlimFast's UK and European business in a 20.1m deal as it seeks to expand in the weight management market despite fierce competition from GLP-1 weight-loss jabs.The Irish nutrition and food company Glanbia has sold the low-calorie meal replacement shakes business to the British company Supreme after putting it up for sale earlier this year. Sales at the European operations have dropped, weighing on stronger trading in the US. Continue reading...

High rate of spoilt ballots also probable as poll shows 49% of voters do not feel represented by either candidateWith four days until Ireland's presidential election there are growing fears that a lacklustre campaign will prompt many people to spoil their vote or boycott the ballot.Opinion polls give Catherine Connolly, an independent leftwing candidate, a wide lead over Heather Humphreys, who represents the ruling centre-right establishment. However, they also show frustration and disillusionment about their campaigns. Continue reading...

Harley Pearce, 21, who worked in farming and was described as a cherished son and devoted brother', died at scene in WitcombeThe son of the former England footballer Stuart Pearce has been named as the victim of a fatal tractor crash in the Cotswolds.Harley Pearce, 21, died at the scene of the collision on 16 October on the A417 at Old Birdlip Hill, in Witcombe, near Gloucester, Gloucestershire police said. Continue reading...

Protests have been banned and opposition figures sidelined as 83-year-old president ignores calls to step downThis is worth several more terms," the Ivorian president, Alassane Ouattara, joked while opening a bridge named after him in the country's commercial capital, Abidjan, in 2023.The appearance in recent years of several new bridges in west Africa's second most populous city has been hailed by the president's supporters as symbolic of an era of modernity and stable leadership under his watch. Continue reading...

Victorian premier insists city is safe and police have necessary powers after two officers hospitalised on Sunday

Collapse in construction activity causing alarm but mayor and Whitehall face pushback over extreme solutions'Sadiq Khan has known for a while that he has a problem with housebuilding in London. But last week a consultancy published figures about the scale of the problem, which prompted full-scale alarm in City Hall and Whitehall.The analysis from Molior showed that new housebuilding in the capital had collapsed. Only 40,000 homes are under construction - two-thirds the normal rate - and in the first three months of the year builders started work on just 3,248 private sector units. Continue reading...

Linden Kemkaran told fellow Kent councillors those who disagreed with decisions would have to suck it up'

Wave of Israeli airstrikes leaves nine-day truce teetering as residents recall previous dashed peace hopes

Rachael Maskell says a lot of clarity' needed over how Prince Andrew funded settlement of sexual abuse case

Driver lost control of bus in Saloa in Pernambuco state and cause of accident is under investigationA passenger bus in north-eastern Brazil has crashed into a sand embankment and flipped on its side, killing 15 people, local authorities have said.The bus was carrying about 30 passengers, police said on Saturday, but the number of injured, who were taken to nearby hospitals, was not immediately clear. The vehicle departed from the state of Bahia and crashed in Saloa, a city in the neighbouring state of Pernambuco. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Footage reveals Kent leader berating councillors amid rows over budgets and bullying claimsBitter divisions in Reform UK's flagship county council have been laid bare in a leaked video of a chaotic internal meeting where members were told to fucking suck it up" if they did not agree with decisions.Councillors can be seen complaining about backbiting" and being ignored by their leader, Linden Kemkaran, who tells them they will be screwed" and that Reform can forget about winning the general election if they don't balance Kent's budget. Continue reading...

Exclusive: firms run by five of the party's councils have used legal loophole to serve section 21 noticesLabour-run councils have used a legal loophole to issue almost 200 households with no-fault eviction notices since the party was elected on a promise to ban the practice, a Guardian investigation has found.Scrapping these orders, known as section 21 evictions, was one of Keir Starmer's main pledges before last July's general election but, more than a year later, they remain lawful. Continue reading...

One of the largest mussel exporters in Britain lose 150,000 after three lorries were prevented from entering the EUOne of Britain's largest mussel exporters has suffered a 150,000 loss, after three of its shipments to the EU were rejected in recent weeks by French customs.Family-run business Offshore Shellfish, based in Devon, has continued exporting blue mussels to its European customers since Brexit, despite the administrative burden and onerous paperwork requirements. Continue reading...

Remains of Eliyahu Churchill' Margalit, who was killed on 7 October 2023, identified after being passed to Red Cross by HamasThe body of a 75-year-old hostage handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza late on Friday has been identified by Israel's military as Eliyahu Churchill" Margalit.The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Margalit was killed at Nir Oz kibbutz on 7 October 2023 during Hamas's assault on southern Israel and his body taken into the Gaza Strip. His death was confirmed in December 2023. His daughter, Nili Margalit, was also kidnapped and returned as part of a deal in November 2023. Continue reading...

Club and Penguin bars are now chocolate flavour' after owner McVitie's cuts cocoa content amid soaring pricesIf you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit you can no longer join our Club or pick up a Penguin, as the lunchbox favourites have reduced the amount of cocoa in their recipe so much they are now only chocolate flavour".The two snacks, both made by McVitie's, changed their recipes earlier this year amid soaring cocoa prices - which have prompted manufacturers to try a number of different tactics to keep prices down. Continue reading...

Normalisation of far-right stances likely to affect success of such parties at ballot boxes across Europe, say researchersMainstream parties are increasingly allowing the far right to set the agenda, researchers in Germany have found, describing it as a shortcoming that had unwittingly helped the far right by legitimising their ideas and disseminating them more widely.The findings, published in the European Journal of Political Research, were based on an automated text analysis of 520,408 articles from six German newspapers over the span of more than two decades. Continue reading...

MP tells supporters he won't run for his seat of New England at next election and is free to now consider all options'

Deal comes after county in April agreed to pay $4bn to settle historical claims - largest such settlement in US historySix months after approving the largest sexual abuse settlement in US history, officials in Los Angeles announced the county tentatively agreed to pay another huge sum, nearly $1bn, to settle more than 400 additional claims against county employees.In April, Los Angeles county approved a historic $4bn settlement with about 11,000 claimants and allegations of sexual abuse in LA juvenile facilities that dated back decades. On Friday, the county said it had reached another major settlement for $828m, pending approval by the board of supervisors, the county governing body, and the county claims board. Continue reading...

In statement released by Buckingham Palace, Andrew says he will give up titles and honours

Salesforce CEO faced intensifying backlash after saying national guard will make California city saferMarc Benioff, the billionaire CEO of Salesforce and owner of Time magazine, apologized on Friday for saying he supported Donald Trump sending national guard troops to San Francisco.Benioff, who has been facing intensifying backlash in California, said in a post that after he listened closely to my fellow San Franciscans and our local officials ... I do not believe the National Guard is needed to address safety in San Francisco". Continue reading...

Ex-Trump labor secretary Alex Acosta defends not taking case to trial in September testimony to House lawmakersAlex Acosta, the former US attorney for the southern district of Florida who negotiated a plea deal in 2008 with Jeffrey Epstein, testified before the House oversight committee last month that going to trial would have been a crapshoot" due to lack of cooperation from victims.In a transcript of the six-hour interview released on Friday, Acosta, who later served in the first Trump administration as labor secretary, described the evidentiary hurdles a federal prosecution of Esptein would have faced, and told why his office turned the case over to Florida state prosecutors, which resulted in the disgraced financier pleading guilty to charges of soliciting sex from a minor. Continue reading...

Ex-royal cherished his titles and status but Buckingham Palace faced risk of reputational spillover

It is not the party's first foray into the dystopian territory, with Trump having posted AI videos of his ownThe National Republican Senatorial Committee crossed into dystopian new territory for political campaigning on Friday after releasing an attack ad that features an artificially generated video of the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer.The deepfake video, posted on Friday to the Senate Republicans' social media account, shows an AI-generated Schumer robotically repeating the phrase every day gets better for us" in reference to the ongoing government shutdown. A small disclaimer tucked in the corner acknowledges its artificial origins. Continue reading...