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Most businesses were closed on Friday as officials blamed deteriorating infrastructure and fuel shortages for failureCuba's entire national electrical grid has shut down after one of the island's major power plants failed, Cuba's energy ministry said, plunging the entire country into a blackout.Earlier on Friday, the communist-run government had closed schools and non-essential industry and sent most state workers home in a last-ditch effort to keep the lights on for residents. Continue reading...

Call Me by Your Name and Challengers film-maker to bring new interpretation to hit novel to the screenLuca Guadagnino, the Italian film-maker, will bring a new interpretation of Bret Easton Ellis's novel American Psycho to the screen.According to Deadline, the acclaimed director of Call Me by Your Name and Challengers will work with screenwriter Scott Z Burns to find an updated way into the material. Burns is known for his many collaborations with Steven Soderbergh including Contagion, Side Effects and The Informant. Continue reading...

Deputy leader says group's conditions for a ceasefire will be maintained, as Israel shows no sign of accepting themHamas has acknowledged the death of its leader Yahya Sinwar but vowed to keep fighting, in the face of international calls for an immediate ceasefire.We are continuing Hamas's path," Khalil al-Hayya, Sinwar's deputy said from exile in Qatar, adding that the slain leader's conditions for a cease-fire would not be compromised. Continue reading...

Whitehall source says it would only allow NHS to stand still' on waiting lists rather than reduce themThe NHS is set to get an inflation-busting 4% rise in its budget next year but health chiefs have said it may not allow them to cut waiting lists for another 18 months, the Guardian has learned.The health service is on course to be one of the big winners in Rachel Reeves's spending review on 30 October if it gets a proposed 4% real-terms uplift from the Treasury. Continue reading...

Mohamed Iidow attacked Natalie Shotter after she apparently passed out in park in Southall after night outA man has been convicted of the rape and manslaughter of a woman while she lay unconscious on a park bench in west London after a night out.Natalie Shotter, 37, an NHS worker, was attacked after apparently passing out in Southall in July 2021. Mohamed Iidow orally raped her until she died", his trial heard. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Welltower deal comes as private providers lobby government for a greater role in NHSOne of Britain's largest care home chains, Care UK, has been sold to an American property investment company, the Guardian can reveal, in a deal that comes as private providers lobby the government for a greater role in the NHS.Care UK, which operates more than 150 residential homes for older people, has been the subject of sale speculation since 2018. Continue reading...

PM meets Biden, Macron and Scholz at pivotal moment for global conflictsRachel Reeves is considering raising the tax on vaping products in her budget this month as figures show that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds in England have used e-cigarettes.The chancellor is looking at increasing the tax after a consultation carried out by the last Conservative government.I myself am supporting Robert Jenrick because I think he's brought more energy and commitment to the campaign, and being leader of the opposition is a really demanding job.Much as I like Kemi, I think she's preoccupied with her own children, quite understandably. I think Robert's children are a bit older, and I think that it's important that whoever leads the opposition has got an immense amount of time and energy." Continue reading...

Judges' decision on 12 men held in Italian migration hub in Albania also casts doubt on EU's hardline plansThe last 12 asylum seekers being held in a new Italian migration hub in Albania must be transferred to Italy, a court has ruled, in a heavy blow to a controversial deal between the far-right Rome government and Tirana aimed at curbing migrant arrivals.The decision casts further doubt on the feasibility and legality of plans by the EU, discussed on Thursday, to explore ways of establishing migrant processing and detention centres outside the bloc as part of a new hardline approach to migration. Continue reading...

Force says unmarked vehicle collided with car driven by 38-year-old woman in Eltham, south-east LondonThe Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an investigation after a heavily pregnant woman and her unborn child were killed in a collision with an unmarked police car in London.The Metropolitan police said an unmarked vehicle collided with a car on the A20 in Eltham, south-east London, at about 6.15pm on Thursday near the junction with Kidbrooke Park Road. Continue reading...

Ben Foat tells inquiry into Horizon IT scandal that issue had been whipped up' by former chair Henry StauntonThe Post Office's legal chief has denied he ever regarded branch operators as guilty until proven innocent", as had been alleged in an internal email written by a former chair, the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal has heard.Ben Foat, the general counsel at the Post Office who has been on leave due to a combination of ill health and preparation for his appearance at the public inquiry, said the issue had been whipped up" by Henry Staunton. Continue reading...

Sara Duterte makes threat against remains of Ferdinand Marcos's dictator father in searing verbal attackThe Philippine vice-president, Sara Duterte, has threatened to dig up the remains of President Ferdinand Marcos's dictator father and throw them into the sea, launching a scathing attack on her rival.Duterte was once allied with Marcos Jr, and ran on a joint ticket with him in the 2022 election, winning a landslide victory. However, she resigned from the cabinet in June and the two powerful dynasties are now engaged in a bitter struggle for power before next year's midterm elections, with both also preparing for presidential polls in 2028. Continue reading...

Senators upheld five of 11 charges in unprecedented vote while Rigathi Gachagua was treated for chest painsKenya's senate impeached the deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua, while he was in hospital on a day of high political drama in Nairobi.Senators upheld five out of 11 charges against Gachagua in a vote late on Thursday, making him the first deputy president in the country to be ejected from office through impeachment. Continue reading...

John Lyttle will stay as CEO of fashion group, which includes Debenhams and Karen Millen, until successor foundBoohoo's chief executive is stepping down as the online fashion retailer launches a strategic review of its brands, which include Debenhams, Karen Millen and PrettyLittleThing, that could result in a breakup of the company.Shares in Boohoo fell 7% on Friday as investors reacted to news of the surprise departure of John Lyttle, who joined from Primark in 2019 and has agreed to remain in post until a successor is found. Continue reading...

Designer's 27-piece collaboration launched on Thursday, was gone on Friday and will not be restockedMarks & Spencer launched its much-anticipated collaboration with Bella Freud on Thursday, with fans quickly buying up items from the 27-piece collection.By lunchtime, coveted items like the pleated pinstripe skirt had been bought in most sizes from the website, and by Friday morning the majority of the items had sold out in most sizes online. The retailer says the collection will not be restocked. Continue reading...

Boy detained for minimum of 12 years for attempted murder at private Blundell's school in DevonA teenager who who attacked two sleeping students and a teacher with hammers at a private school in Devon has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 12 years after being found guilty of attempted murder.The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was armed with three claw hammers and waited for the two boys to be asleep before attacking them at Blundell's school in Tiverton, Exeter crown court heard. Continue reading...

Exclusive: CEO Will Hayward calls comments appalling' and that he would no longer be publishing his work'

Shane Simmonds jailed for minimum of 32 years and will serve 12-year terms for two rapes of a separate womanA man from London has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 32 years after he admitted stabbing his wife to death and leaving the body in his attic.Shane Simmonds, 39, had walked into a police station in Lewisham in the early hours of 3 January and told officers that he had killed his wife at their home. Continue reading...

Hopeful Republicans are calling it the farewell tour', as the king toes the tried and tested constitutional lineAs the king arrives in Australia for the first time as head of state, republican rumblings are once more on the media radar.Will it be, as the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) optimistically opines, the monarchy's farewell tour"? Continue reading...

Beckham is hot on heels of Ed Sheeran, Alice Cooper and Kim Kardashian as consumers develop appetite for spicy saucesFirst came tequila. Then rose. Now the latest celebrity-backed brand isn't booze but a hot sauce.Recently, Brooklyn Beckham made his debut into the spicy market with Cloud 23. Continue reading...

Former Daily Record editor says he could not make personal commitment to lead changes party requiresThe chief executive of the Scottish National party, Murray Foote, has unexpectedly quit in the best interests of the party" after it suffered its worst election defeat in nearly two decades.Foote, a former editor of the Labour-leaning Daily Record newspaper, said he did not believe he was the right person to oversee a reorganisation of the SNP and to run the party during the critical" 2026 Holyrood election campaign. Continue reading...

Exclusive: George Carey's position in stark contrast to that of current head of C of E and that of Islam and the Catholic church

Witnesses said Craig Laidley had almost reached safety when a wave dragged the 56-year-old back into heavy seas

Archie York died in blast at residential properties, which also killed Jason Laws, believed to be in his 30sA family member has paid tribute to a beautiful, funny and caring" seven-year-old boy who was killed in an explosion at a property in Newcastle.The boy has been widely named locally as Archie York. Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: The architect of the 7 October attack is dead, but Benjamin Netanyahu gave no indication that the war is about to end Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Yesterday, Israel confirmed that its forces had killed the Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, architect of the 7 October attacks that killed 1,200 Israeli civilians and in which a further 250 were taken hostage.Budget | Rachel Reeves is considering raising the tax on vaping products in her budget this month as figures show that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds in England have used e-cigarettes.Home Office | The Home Office has recruited 200 staff to clear a backlog of 23,300 modern slavery cases left by the last government, a minister has told the Guardian. It follows reports that some have been waiting years to be defined as victims of modern slavery.China | Labour has backtracked on plans to push for formal recognition that China's treatment of the Uyghurs is genocide in the run-up to David Lammy's trip to the country. The foreign secretary is expected to arrive in Beijing today for high-level meetings before travelling to Shanghai on Saturday.AI | Child sexual abuse imagery generated by artificial intelligence tools is becoming more prevalent on the open web and reaching a tipping point", according to the Internet Watch Foundation, a safety watchdog.Conservatives | Almost half of Conservative councillors polled this week have said neither Robert Jenrick nor Kemi Badenoch will be able to win the next election, while a significant minority said they did not plan to vote in the leadership contest. Continue reading...

Bureau of Meteorology warns parts of Victoria to brace for dangerous' storm and intense rainfall that could lead to life-threatening flash flooding'

Law Enforcement Conduct Commission says 29-year-old was denied his right to silence and was fed false information during interview

Contender says it is about being brave and not being scared that the Guardian is going to mock us'Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, has told MPs that magistrates are getting powers to sentence offenders for longer - to reduce the number of prisoners being held on remand and to cut the backlog in crown courtsIn a statement to MPs, she said that, although this would increase the prison population slightly, by reducing the number of offenders being held on remand it would free up spaces in reception prisons where overcrowding is particularly serious.Unless we address our remand population, we could still see a collapse of the system, not because of a lack of cells, but because we do not have those cells in the places that we need them. It is therefore crucial that we bear down on the remand population.This government inherited a record crown court backlog. Waits for trials have grown so long that some cases are not heard for years.The impact on victims of crime is profound. For some justice delayed is, as the old saying goes, justice denied as victims choose to withdraw from the justice process altogether rather than face the pain of a protracted legal battle.I have made it my personal mission to constrain the Kremlin, closing the net around Putin and his mafia state using every tool at my disposal. Continue reading...

Jenrick pledges to end the drama', while Badenoch calls his plan to exit ECHR a distraction from bigger worries'

Goal seems to be for people to lose confidence in the system', says head of industry body after devices found in Birmingham and LeipzigIf Russia is proved to be behind an incendiary device plot that caused fires at two parcels warehouses in July, it will be evidence that Moscow is aiming to disrupt western confidence, an expert has said.The dangerous packages, which caught light at DHL sites in Birmingham and Leipzig, are not thought to have been sophisticated but in both cases appear to have evaded security checks. German authorities warned this week that a plane could have been downed if the devices, which were both sent by air, had ignited in flight. Continue reading...

Firms such as Klarna to be required to do affordability checks, but campaigners question delay in new rulesShoppers who use buy now, pay later" loans are to get new safeguards against unaffordable borrowing and credit card-style protection for their purchases, under rules outlined by the UK government.However, campaigners have questioned why the BNPL changes will not take effect until 2026, warning that consumers need to be wary" in the meantime. Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak's wife may have to pay as much as 3m to the Treasury after Indian software company's latest results

Kamala Harris put distance between herself and the president, using Fox News to give her spikiest interview yet. Adam Gabbatt reports Continue reading...

Reform UK leader received support for his American activities after becoming an MP but has not declared the services as a benefitNigel Farage has used a team of three US advisers to help him with perception management" and public relations in America, as well as with settling a $3,500 hotel bill this summer, new documents show.The official filings, made in the US, reveal that the leader of Reform UK and MP for Clacton has been assisted at least 15 times by CapitalHQ, a firm led by Alexandra Preate, who is a former press spokesperson for the controversial former Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon. Continue reading...

Reports that Rachel Reeves likely to increase taxes have spooked customers, say investment firms

Scottish multimillionaire said the former first minister had devoted his life to Scotland'

Parliamentary analysis shows benefit of change, party says, and calls Anthony Albanese biggest blocker' to change

Exclusive: Party drops plan for formal recognition laid out last year by David Lammy, who will visit Beijing on Friday

Fears among landlords and second home owners that tax would rise in budget said to be unfounded

Education secretary says she won't accept further freebies and recognises her privilege to receive free tickets UK politics live - latest updatesBridget Phillipson has said she does not know of any cabinet minister who turned down free Taylor Swift tickets amid a row about freebies and the pop star's security arrangements.The education secretary said she would not accept more free tickets after the controversy, which has dogged Labour's first few months in government. Continue reading...

Kim Leadbeater writes to Justin Welby after he described a change in the law as dangerous and a slippery slope'

Remarkably frank independent report paints Nine's broadcast division as a workplace in which sexual harassment, bullying and abuse of power is systemic

Winning design has seven gardens weaving around the gallery on the shores of Canberra's Lake Burley Griffin, doubling its showcase space

Officer, who can only be referred to as AB under 40-year court order, allegedly crashed police car in Sydney tunnel after getting drunk at work function

Two people have died and multiple people are injured after a bus and multiple cars collided on Thursday

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Contentious proposed bill would exclude professional news content, but News Corp worried that it would be considered a media service

Man, 54, charged with sexually assaulting two women, aged 41 and 55, in Sydney's inner west

Nine board commits to implementing all recommendations for a reset of culture'

Some government MPs called for a rethink amid concerns about the Copacabana purchase ahead of an election expected to be fought over housing

Group of wealthy investors argue it would have no impact on investment in the UK and would raise vital funds for public servicesRachel Reeves has been urged by a group of millionaire business owners to raise 14bn from an increase in capital gains tax at this month's budget, arguing it would have no impact on investment in Britain.Ahead of the chancellor's set-piece event on 30 October, the group of wealthy investors said increasing the tax rate on asset disposals would help to raise vital funds for public services and would not lead to slower economic growth. Continue reading...