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Leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defeated the far-right senator and was elected president of Brazil for a fourth non-consecutive term

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Report from commonwealth ombudsman finds technological black box' ignores transparency recommendations from robodebt royal commission

The fifth plenum comes against a backdrop of years of purges that have had some analysts wondering if the issue is corruption or a lack of loyaltyWhen Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, he pledged to stamp out corruption all through the ranks of the Communist party. More than a decade later, the pace of investigations has not slowed. Last year, China's disciplinary authorities opened investigations into more than 1 million people, including more than 100 officials at or above ministerial or provincial level.As Chinese Communist party (CCP) officials prepare for an important meeting this week discipline - and party loyalty - is high on the agenda. For those who try to read the tea leaves of elite Chinese politics, concern about the apparent lack of discipline is dominating CCP discussions. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor and Barnaby Joyce reject calls for change in parliamentary practice to cool political debate

Leftist incumbent Lula stages unprecedented comeback weeks after narrowly losing first round of election to Bolsonaro

After a shock defeat in the first round, the incumbent Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has turned the election around to win the runoff.Live blog: latest analysis and reactionBrazil's president is elected purely by the popular vote. A winning candidate needs one more vote than 50% of votes cast; there is no role for the parliament and no electoral college. Continue reading...

Paul Edbrooke says he fears for family's safety amid heightened concerns for MPs after alleged attack on Helen Haines

Vui's 12-year reign looks to have been ended by record turnout of voters in election provoked by student-led protestsThe long-serving leader of Serbia, Aleksandar Vui, has conceded defeat, ushering in a seismic political shift after a historic election that saw the increasingly authoritarian leader pitted against a student-led movement that had spent two years protesting against his government.Vui pointed to preliminary results that suggested voters had overwhelmingly backed the students, potentially giving them a majority in the country's 250-seat parliament. Continue reading...

Student List movement projected to have 141 seats in the new parliament, well clear of the 126 required for majority

Chancellor is in favour of North Sea project, but energy secretary has said she is leaning towards rejecting itA cabinet split has emerged over whether to approve drilling at the Rosebank oilfield, with the chancellor, John Healey, in favour of the controversial North Sea project.The energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, is ultimately in charge of the decision, and the Guardian reported last week that she was leaning towards rejecting it after granting permission for the smaller Jackdaw gasfield. Continue reading...

Making innocent protesters liable for damage would be bad for rule of law and play into far-right hands, say opponentsEmmanuel Macron has been accused by trade unions of trying to curb the fundamental French right to protest as the government fast-tracks a bill to make protesters pay for damage caused by vandalism at street demonstrations even if they did not directly cause it themselves.The French president, who leaves office next spring, has faced more than a month of protests in which high-school students have blockaded schools demanding a response to teacher absences, repairs to decrepit buildings and changes to the university applications platform. Continue reading...

PM's plea supported by Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband and business leaders, while some red wall' MPs voice concernAndy Burnham's call for the UK to consider a return to free movement with Europe has been backed by senior cabinet ministers but risked a rift with red wall" Labour MPs, who say it could jeopardise Brexit-voting seats.The prime minister made his plea for an honest discussion" about freedom of movement in an interview with the Sunday Times, making clear that staying out of it would no longer be a red line in talks with the EU. Continue reading...

Nobel peace prize winner's return after almost a year in exile is unlikely to please interim president Delcy RodriguezThe Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has announced she has returned to Venezuela almost a year after she left the country to receive the Nobel peace prize.I'm here. With you," she wrote on X on Sunday lunchtime. Continue reading...

Lana Nusseibeh has Palestine's endorsement but faces criticism over the UAE's human rights record and alleged funding of the RSF in SudanAn Emirati diplomat who as UAE ambassador to the UN helped secure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza has entered the race as a late contender to succeed Antonio Guterres as the world body's secretary general.Lana Nusseibeh, who is of Palestinian heritage, is widely noted for her advocacy of the Palestinian cause and the two state solution and has won the endorsement of the state of Palestine. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Joshua Loudermilk says suspicions first raised during filming by gun shaped like wearable plastic bottom: You're gonna put a butt on top of a butt? You can't run in that' This article contains spoilers for Ali G: Who Iz I?Joshua Loudermilk, one of two men apparently discredited by the new Ali G movie Ali G: Who Iz I?, has said that he was in on the joke, but that the film-makers didn't realise this.Loudermilk, a 54-year-old aspiring actor from North Carolina, has told the Guardian he recognised star Sacha Baron Cohen early in the shoot but continued pretending to be a hard-right Maga sympathiser prepared to defend the US border at all costs. Continue reading...

More than 30 people arrested as officers clear at least 100 tents in central Lisbon and about 50 in PortoPolice in Portugal have dismantled housing protest camps in Lisbon and Porto, baton-charging campaigners in the early hours of Sunday and arresting more than 30 people.The raids were the latest incident in days of clashes between police and campaigners who - inspired by similar camps in Spain - had sought to pitch tents in central squares to protest against the country's deepening housing crisis. Continue reading...

Incumbent president lost in first round to senator and son of convicted ex-presidentBrazilians are going to the polls on Sunday in a highly unpredictable runoff in which the leftist president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is attempting an unprecedented comeback against the far-right senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who won the first-round vote.Bolsonaro's surprise victory despite not leading most polls made him the favourite three weeks ago, but since then Lula's campaign has gained ground, and the two go into the contest virtually tied. Continue reading...

Exclusive: RACGP survey reflects Medicare investments, but experts caution quality of care and outcomes also matter

Number of videos about British trains doubles in three months as creators find audiences interested in workings of railwaysThey are not just gathered at the end of your local train station platform any more. Now they are on your social media platforms too.Trainspotters have played a part in more than doubling the number of videos about British trains on TikTok in the last three months. According to the platform, the rise in rail content is also down to more people seeking information on cheap tickets, facts about the London Underground and tales from train staff. Continue reading...

Exclusive: People from marginalised groups more likely to be diagnosed via urgent referral or in emergency setting, research findsPeople from minority ethnic backgrounds in England are up to a third less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer via routine screening, and are more likely to be diagnosed in an emergency setting, analysis has found.The research, carried out by academics at the University of Surrey and funded by the charity Breast Cancer Now, involved analysis of 86,564 adults diagnosed with the disease between 2009 and 2019, from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and the Cancer Registration Tumour and Treatment datasets. Continue reading...

Sources close to Tory leader say Jack Ross, who faces party investigation after undercover report, worked as social media consultantA former Conservative election candidate who was suspended after he was filmed discussing the cost of hiring contract killers worked as a consultant in Kemi Badenoch's office as recently as last year.Jack Ross is facing an investigation by the Tories after he was filmed apparently asking an undercover reporter: What do you want done?" and apparently offering to broker" the services of an alleged far-right paramilitary group. Continue reading...

Almost 1,000 arrested as police charge crowd in Paris and teargas used to stop protesters reaching other city centresHundreds of thousands marched in cities across France on Saturday in largely peaceful protests to support schoolchildren's demands for more teachers and repairs to dilapidated buildings, as Emmanuel Macron faces a social and political crisis in his final months as president.The prosecutor's office in the southern city of Nice said on Sunday that 59 people had been taken into police custody, including 11 suspected of belonging to extreme-right groups. They were alleged to have gathered with the intent of committing violence. Some were arrested in two vehicles with masks, gloves, gas sprays and truncheons, the prosecutor's office said in a statement to public broadcaster FranceInfo. Continue reading...

Experts say Bank of England unlikely to increase rates by full percentage point - and could lower them by end of 2027Financial markets are wrong to predict the Bank of England will raise UK interest rates by a full percentage point or more by next summer, City economists believe.According to market-implied interest rate expectations, the Bank is likely to raise interest rates at least four times over the next year, lifting the bank rate from 3.75% today to 4.75% by the end of July, and possibly to 5% - meaning five rises - by December 2027. Continue reading...

Irish and Welsh authors Chris Haughton and Nicola Davies show solidarity over Rooney's support for Palestine ActionThe children's laureates for Ireland and Wales are donating royalties from their works to Sally Rooney in a show of solidarity after she was forced to stop selling books in the UK because of her support for Palestine Action.Chris Haughton, Ireland's children's literature laureate, said he also wanted to demonstrate the absurdity" of the bestselling author being unable to receive royalties from her own UK sales because of her public support for the direct action group. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Forensic analysis of found images continues as Meghan's father denies possessing child sexual abuse imagesAll signs point to Thomas Markle Sr being a possible sex offender of the grossest kind" although a full forensic investigation will give a definitive picture", the Philippine interior minister has told the Guardian.Authorities in the south-east Asian country are analysing digital images allegedly belonging to the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex that were said to have been found at his former home in Cebu. Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, reported to authorities last week that he had apparently discovered a stash of child sexual abuse images. Continue reading...

Stakeholders concerned more people at risk of food insecurity after One Big Beautiful Act took effectEnrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) has decreased significantly over the past year in the US following restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, which has forced more people to seek help from food banks or go hungry, stakeholders say.The number of people who receive food stamps has dropped from 41.6 million in July 2025, before the One Big Beautiful Act took effect, to 36.5 million in June 2026, a 13% decrease, according to the latest data from the US Department of Agriculture, which administers the program. Continue reading...

Police closed case of Andrew Frederick despite autopsy report ruling his death a homicideA time-critical investigation into the death of a British man whose body was found in a ransacked property on the Caribbean island of Grenada has stalled because of diplomatic delays between the two countries.Charity workers supporting the family of Andrew Frederick are demanding immediate government intervention to clear the path for a full investigation to begin almost 10 months after his death, which has been ruled a homicide by a pathologist. Continue reading...

Teesside town has come out worst in children's commissioner's report, but residents say such rankings are demoralising and counterproductiveIt's disappointing, it's just another kicking," said a youth worker after the town in which they work was labelled as the hardest place in which to be a child in England.It suggests our children are living unhappy lives," said a teacher, who described her pupils as joyful. Continue reading...

Exclusive: research for the Guardian shows pre-pack' deals with former management also pay far less to creditors

Andrew Woosnam took millions from his recruitment firms before creditors, including HMRC, were left out of pocket

Reality TV show returns to focus on childbirth, diversity and the sharing of stories in a social media ageWhen One Born Every Minute first aired in 2010, viewers loved its fly-on-the-wall take on life in a maternity unit, from midwives idly chatting about unusual pregnancy cravings to parents squabbling over whether to call their child Zeus.Almost two decades later, as the show is rebooted for a generation who spend their lives on social media, much has changed. Parents now share far more about their struggles with miscarriages, infertility and mental health; audiences have to be lured away from watching reels on their phones with more rigorous storytelling. Continue reading...

Novelist says demise of Britain's incredible' welfare system and housing struggles have led to deeper divisionsThe novelist Zadie Smith has said that inequality has made culture clashes feel existential", adding that it has become natural to look to your left and think who the fuck are you?'"In an interview with Dua Lipa as part of the Southbank Centre's London literature festival, Smith argued that the demise of Britain's incredible, historic" welfare system has led to greater divisions. Continue reading...

Sewage samples and crime statistics paint a picture of established users taking more cocaine, more often

Exclusive: Wastewater analysis in England suggests people took roughly 2.5bn lines of drug in one year

PM Benjamin Netanyahu vows to destroy this place' in retaliation for militant attack on army checkpointIsraeli troops have levelled a neighbourhood in Hebron, driving out hundreds of families in collective punishment for a militant attack on an army checkpoint outside the West Bank city, local Palestinian authorities said.The Hebron municipality estimated that 35 hectares (86 acres) had been destroyed or marked for destruction and about 1,500 people had been evicted from their homes by Saturday afternoon in the district of Ein Deir Baha. The whole city of 250,000 people was sealed off by checkpoints on every point of entry. Continue reading...

The story of the emirates' presence in Manchester winds from the Arab Spring to some of the most deprived places in England - with complicated results

Humanitarian catastrophe largely ignored as rivals Gadi Eisenkot and Benjamin Netanyahu vow to end Hamas ruleAs Israel prepares to go to the polls, Palestinians in Gaza are bracing for an outcome that could shape their future, knowing their fate rests with the country that has reduced much of the territory to rubble and killed nearly 75,000 people.Gaza, where nearly a million displaced Palestinians face dire sanitary conditions, water shortages and the constant threat of Israeli strikes, has been largely absent from the election campaign. Continue reading...

BoM predicts hail, damaging winds, flash flooding and power outages across southern Queensland, western NSW, the ACT and eastern Victoria on Sunday afternoon

Commissioner Krissy Barrett says women are more often singled out, often with threats of sexual violence

Kim Aris tells the Guardian chance to speak with detained Nobel laureate was public relations' move from military leadersMyanmar's former democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi appears to be in good physical and mental health but is living in near-complete isolation, her son has said after the first call with his 81-year-old mother in more than five years.She still sounds certainly all there mentally, and physically she sounds strong," Kim Aris said. I don't think she has anybody outside of the military or the police around her, so essentially she's been held in solitary confinement from what I gather." Continue reading...

Offenders still at large after shots fired from vehicle outside licensed premises in Loganholme

Prime minister is considering different options for new relationship with Brussels ahead of summit in NovemberAndy Burnham says he wants an honest discussion" with the British public about the possibility of a return to free movement between the UK and the EU as part of his plans for a new relationship with the bloc.The prime minister has been open about his desire to revisit the relationship between Britain and Brussels. He has said a new deal could mean the UK goes all the way" and rejoins the EU. Continue reading...

Fresh deluge of wet weather comes after Storm Austen brought strong winds to many regions on FridayAmber weather warnings have come into force as the worst of Storm Boelo could be set to hit parts of the UK.Storm Boelo's winds will peak from Saturday evening, leaving areas in the warning zone, including Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England, braced for gusts of 60-70mph and even 80mph in exposed coastal spots, the Met Office said. Continue reading...

Chancellor will build on Burnham's promise that local leaders in England will no longer have to come cap in hand to Westminster'Andy Burnham has promised that local leaders in England will no longer have to come cap in hand to Westminster" ahead of a fresh drive to devolve spending power in next week's budget.In his statement on Wednesday, the chancellor, John Healey, will include plans for a new 1.5bn borrowing facility, to be drawn up in collaboration with mayors over the next two years. Continue reading...

Nearly 159 million people to head to polls on Sunday in battle between leftwing incumbent and Flavio BolsonaroMore than one million supporters of Brazil's leftwing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, have streamed on to Rio's most famous beach for a giant protest they hope will propel him towards a historic election fightback against his far-right rival, Flavio Bolsonaro.Nearly 159m Brazilians will vote in the election's runoff on Sunday, with the pair tied in the polls after Bolsonaro won the first round on 4 October by 47% to 45%. Continue reading...

French police have made 1,000 arrests and Italian officers have raided homes in Milan, with protests also taking place in Spain and AlbaniaJesse, 40, a charity worker from the north of Paris, had turned out for the street march.She said: I'm so angry. I'm here to support schoolchildren's demands for better conditions. I'm so proud of them and we have to stand together." Continue reading...

Met police say Anthony Lloyd, 38, was last seen on Friday in south London, and poses a risk to himself and the public'A manhunt is under way to locate a prisoner who police say poses a risk both to himself and the public" after he absconded from a medical facility in London.Anthony Lloyd forced his way out of a health unit in Lewisham, in south-east London, shortly after 4pm on Friday, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Fender criticises stadium pricing, calling it bollocks' and says it won't be happening' on his tourSam Fender has responded to criticism by fans about ticket prices for his 2027 stadium tour by promising he would lower the cost, telling followers on Instagram: They're getting changed."The 32-year-old musician announced his Proper Massive stadium tour earlier this week. Continue reading...

Fund will support feasibility study for potential bid to host Games in 2040s, backed by northern mayors and top athletesJohn Healey is to announce a 7m fund to examine a potential future bid to host the Olympics in northern England in his first budget as chancellor.The fund will be used to carry out a full feasibility study for a northern Games, which, if successful, would be held in the north of England in the 2040s. Continue reading...