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Resolution Foundation says 2020s set to be the worst decade, by far, for more than half a century for rising living standardsSelling nicotine-free vapes to children under the age of 18 has become illegal from today, the government has said.Children were already banned from buying vapes containing nicotine. But, under the Tobacco and Vapes Act, shops across the UK will now be banned from selling nicotine-free vapes, and nicotine pouches, to children.Vaping can be a way to help established adult smokers who are already addicted to nicotine from tobacco to swap to a less dangerous product. Vaping is considered safer than smoking, but that is a low bar. Vapes should therefore never be used by children or non-smokers.Some children have already come to harm from bad reactions to vapes. The long-term health harms of vaping in today's children will only become clear over time. They are however unlikely to be good; inhaling multiple, often heated, chemicals into the lungs may well do irreversible harm. Continue reading...

Republican governor Mike Dunleavy orders the inquiry into whether Mary Peltola's campaign recruited candidates to draw votes from the Republican incumbent

Isaac Herzog responds to Netanyahu's claim of foreign interference in election as count of absentee ballots continues

Giving evidence at her husband's rape trial, Laura Brand says couple previously split up over his promiscuityRussell Brand's wife has told a court that they previously split up over his promiscuity but that he was a wonderful father" and an amazingly attentive husband".Giving evidence at her husband's rape trial, Laura Brand, 39, said they fell in love after meeting in 2006 but that the comedian found monogamy difficult. Continue reading...

Republican Mike Dunleavy plans search after Peltola accused of recruiting Dan Sullivan to confuse votersThe Republican governor of Alaska announced plans to launch a criminal investigation after a report accused the campaign of Democratic senate candidate Mary Peltola of trying to confuse voters by recruiting a candidate with the same name as her opponent.Governor Mike Dunleavy wrote on social media that he was directing the Department of Public Safety to investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska's laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted". Continue reading...

Growth is in sharp contrast to households' assessment, reflected in Trump's record-low approval ratingsThe US economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter as resilient consumer spending and AI-driven business investment more than offset the impact of higher oil prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.Gross domestic product (GDP) increased at a 3.4% annualized rate last quarter, the commerce department's bureau of economic analysis said in its advance estimate of the third quarter GDP on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast GDP advancing at a 3.2% pace. Continue reading...

Vana-Reese Schuster-Togiatau was injured during the shooting outside Fitzy's Loganholme pub on Saturday

As John Lewis reports a 96% rise in searches for CD players, music fans share their reasons for ditching streamingCDs appear to be having a resurgence. John Lewis said searches for CD players are up 96% since July, while another report on trends in music and film this year found that CD sales are up 16%.With this in mind, we asked music fans why they favour discs over other formats, and if it is a new preference or a lifetime habit. Continue reading...

Emergency services, drones and dog unit continue to comb carriages as Civil Guard sets up clinics for relatives to provide DNA samplesSpain has begun three days of mourning to commemorate the 69 people who died in a high-speed rail collision as hospitals continue to treat dozens of injured passengers and relatives wait for news of their loved ones.The trains - one from Spain's state-owned Renfe and the other from the private rail company Iryo - were heading from Madrid on Wednesday to the southern region of Andalucia on the same line when they collided just before 9am. After the Iryo train came to a halt, the other slammed into its rear, knocking several carriages off the track near the town of Urda in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha. Continue reading...

Miracle' cache of letters written by French scientist who died in ill-fated La Perouse mission give personal account of 1785 voyageAs he prepared to climb the scaffolding to be publicly executed by guillotine on 21 January 1793, Louis XVI is reported to have asked: Is there news of Monsieur de la Perouse?"He was referring to Jean-Francois de Galaup, the count of Perouse, a naval officer and navigator whom the French king had dispatched in 1785 on a round-the-world scientific mission to rival discoveries made by the English explorer Captain James Cook. Continue reading...

Owner Gordon Brothers is filing notice of intent to begin process after rejecting management-backed rescue bid

Departure of Lagarde, seen as candidate to take over World Economic Forum, comes as eurozone struggles with weak growth and inflationChristine Lagarde, the eurozone's top central banker, is stepping down nine months early, ending months of speculation about her future.The European Central Bank (ECB) announced on Thursday morning that Lagarde would step down as its president on 7 February 2027; her term was scheduled to run until the end of October next year. Continue reading...

Chief financial officer says he hopes budget measure is temporary as sector provides loans that fuel growth

Healey's attempt to provide breathing space' gives rich almost as much as poor, says Resolution Foundation

Sanrio ends association with TV drama Vivant after China says portrayal of ruthless Chinese agents is deliberate smear'The company behind the successful Hello Kitty franchise has apologised and ended its commercial tie-up with a Japanese TV drama after Chinese state media and netizens condemned the show's deliberate smears" against China.Sanrio, a Japanese firm whose characters are popular around the world, said in a post on the Chinese social media site Weibo that it had decided to end its association with the TV drama Vivant after concluding that it contained elements inconsistent with Sanrio's core values". Continue reading...

Energy firm to return $5bn to shareholders as climate campaigners criticise high profitsShell has doubled its profits in the last quarter after the Middle East conflict drove up the price of oil and gas and created shortages in the global market.Shell reported on Thursday morning that it made an adjusted profit of $10.8bn (8.1bn) in the July-September quarter, up from $5.432bn in the third quarter of 2025. The results beat analyst expectations for a rise to $10.33bn. Continue reading...

The 2026 budget has been revealed; how will it affect you personally, will it change the country and has chancellor John Healey done enough to prepare for the challenges ahead? Our money and economics editors Hilary Osborne and Heather Stewart will be answering your questions from 3pm (GMT) today.

Chancellor's comments come as fiscal watchdog says disability benefits will cost 100bn a year before end of decade

From a young chef and a single father to business owners and a pensioner, Guardian readers reveal how John Healey's measures will affect them

Prime minister vows not to slash health and education funding amid political problem over handling of economy

Richard Norton, 75, went into cardiac arrest in March 2025 after injecting prescribed but unapproved CJC1295 and ipamorelin

Exclusive: Backbenchers voice alarm over intolerable position' faced by Miatta Fahnbulleh over oilfield decisionFurious Labour MPs have been lobbying the prime minister and chancellor not to overrule the energy secretary should she decide to block the Rosebank oilfield.MPs say they are alarmed at the cabinet splits that have emerged over the issue after sources told the Guardian that Miatta Fahnbulleh was minded to refuse environmental permission for the field. Continue reading...

Survivors tell rights group that serving officers who worked as guards administered electric shocks and beatingsCambodian police and military officers worked as private security guards in scam compounds where thousands were forced to work in the online fraud industry, according to a report by Amnesty International.The global rights group alleged they worked for security companies as part of a system that enabled slavery and rape in the compounds, with some guards using electric batons to keep people trapped. Continue reading...

Case in Pimlico is latest instance of tensions between small countries seeking a space in capital and residentsIt is not a classic neighbour-from-hell dispute, what with the protagonist inviting everyone over for evening drinks and canapes. But the sudden conversion of a five-bedroom family home in Pimlico, central London, into the embassy of Montenegro has triggered a neighbourhood row that has gone all the way to the desk of a high court judge.The first stirrings of trouble came when one resident argued in a submission to the council this spring that the new embassy's flagpole and rather tacky-looking flag stick out like a sore thumb" among Cambridge Street's Grade II-listed homes. Continue reading...

Official's controversial September request for Senate hearing footage to not be shared on social media has been heavily criticised

Concerns raised about appointment of former federal senator who has previously supported the rights of people accused of sexual assault

After two years of protests, a student-led movement has defeated Serbia's authoritarian leader, Aleksander Vui, at the ballot box. But can a leaderless movement govern a country? Send your comments and questions to tif.questions@theguardian.comSerbia's political landscape has been upended. On Sunday, record numbers of people went to the polls and voted to end the 12-year rule of Aleksandar Vui. And who did they back instead? A list of candidates, half of whom have PhDs, put forward by student activists whose protests have rocked the Balkan country for the past two years.Helen Pidd speaks to the Serbian-American journalist Ana Milosavljevic, the student activist Tara Blagojevi and the MP-to-be Milica Jovanovi about how the Student List managed to defeat Vui's increasingly authoritarian regime. Continue reading...

The fine - six times the average monthly salary - will apply to people present at violent protests, even if they don't personally commit violent actsAlbania has introduced fines of more than $6,000 for demonstrators who participate in a protest that turns violent, even if they don't personally commit violent acts, as the government tries to clamp down on the gatherings calling for the prime minister's resignation.The capital, Tirana, has been racked by months of anti-government protests that in recent days have deteriorated into pitched battles between the security forces and protesters. Continue reading...

Nothing done to stop planting weapons on dead Afghans, ADF inspector says, as breakdown of command' allowed egregious behaviour'

This live blog is now closed - you can read the latest elections news hereOne apparent loser from Tuesday's election was far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was expected to better his party's result of six seats from the 2022 elections.But instead there was stunned silence at the watch party for Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) in central Israel as results from the exit polls flashed across the screen, with most channels suggesting the party would remain on just six seats. Continue reading...

NSW government imposes water restrictions after Menindee water volumes fall below 2021 levels

CBS News editor-in-chief sidesteps viewership concerns and says flagship show doing tremendously well'CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss has spoken publicly for the first time about the ratings challenges the network has experienced under her year-long tenure, sidestepping concerns about diminished viewership at the Sunday show 60 Minutes by saying it was not her top priority.I could never build anything if I were focused on the precise number of people that happen to tune in to the second feature on 60 Minutes on a given Sunday," she said at an industry conference on Wednesday organized by the tech publication the Information. The news organization did not offer press credentials. Continue reading...

Far-right senator and family land in US after crossing from Brazil into Argentina and then flying via EcuadorFlavio Bolsonaro declared himself the true president" of Brazil after losing last Sunday's presidential election and fleeing to the United States.After landing on a private jet with his family in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday morning, the far-right senator published the claim in a letter - even though his own party has recognised the legitimate victory of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as have all of Brazil's institutions, and international observers who monitored and endorsed the vote. Continue reading...

Former comedian, in court on rape and sexual assault charges, says he misused position but consent is more important than sex itself'Russell Brand has told a court that he was wrong to have used his fame and success to facilitate" sexual activity with women.The 51-year-old comedian said he had misused" his position very selfishly" and dedicated his life to reckless philandering and idiocy". Continue reading...

Watered-down version of statement to be issued at end of Montreal summit instead offers ever closer association'The EU has backed away from its offer to Canada to start talks on becoming an associate member" after disagreements between members states just as an EU-Canada summit was set to begin in Montreal.A draft of a joint statement to be issued after the end of the summit, which runs Thursday and Friday, showed a watered-down version offering an ever closer association of Canada to the EU, short of full membership itself". Continue reading...

Bush Heritage hopes to buy Wooroora station, which links wet sclerophyll forest and savanna woodland and is home to 12 endangered species

Pedro Sanchez says the government will act with urgency to clarify what has happened, why this tragedy occurred'

Projections show votes for Palestinian parties surged in a tight contest that drew highest turnout in decades

Anthony Williams is accused of attempting to murder passengers and staff on board a London-bound train last NovemberA knifeman caused terror and fear on an unimaginable scale" to passengers when he stabbed 10 people on board a London-bound train, a court has heard.Anthony Williams, 33, is accused of attempting to murder 10 passengers and staff on board an LNER train on 1 November last year and stabbing four people in the 24 hours before. Continue reading...

Republicans have condemned the presence of two Dan Sullivans on the ballot, calling it a ploy to split votesAlaska Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign was behind an effort to recruit a challenger with almost the exact same name as the Republican US senator Dan Sullivan, both of whom will appear on the ballot in next week's midterm elections, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.Republicans have condemned the presence in the race of two candidates named Dan Sullivan - one the two-term US senator, the second a retiree living in south-eastern Alaska with scant political experience - calling the newcomer a ploy by Democrats to cost the incumbent re-election by splitting his supporters. Continue reading...

OBR says that living standards are forecast to rise by just 1% over the whole post-Covid decade

Passengers describe carriages full of seriously injured people after crash that has claimed at least 68 livesJosimar Medina woke a little before 9am on Wednesday to find himself airborne and hurtling through his carriage on the fast train from Madrid to Seville.I remember flying through the air and looking for my girlfriend, who was also shooting through the air," said Medina, a 37-year-old tourist from the northern Peruvian city of Chiclayo. Continue reading...

James O'Keefe and Cam Higby were trying to show vulnerabilities in allowing a voter to vouch for anotherTwo rightwing influencers have been charged with felonies in Minneapolis over attempts in the state's election primary to disguise themselves in what they called Muslim garb" and claim they were local voters.James O'Keefe and Cam Higby went to polling places in Minnesota during the state's August primary in an attempt to show vulnerabilities in the practice of vouching", where a registered voter from the same precinct can vouch for another voter's eligibility. Continue reading...

Research looked at prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in 2,362 players who died in 2008-2023A new study published on Wednesday estimates that about 75% of former NFL players who died over a 15-year period had evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).The research, published in Jama Network Open and conducted by a Boston-based team, examined the estimated prevalence of the degenerative brain disease among NFL players who died from 2008 through 2023. Researchers found that the estimated rate of CTE among these players was substantially higher than the rates observed in brain samples collected from the general population. Continue reading...

Brand, 51, who has been charged with three counts of rape says he acted consensually'

The $72.5m suit alleges Scott Jennings falsely told listeners Piker had a plan of returning our country to lynchings'The prominent socialist political commentator and influencer Hasan Piker is suing his conservative counterpart Scott Jennings for $72.5m over comments on a podcast that he said portrayed him as a violent racist" who advocated the lynching of Black people.Piker's defamation lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in US district court for the District of Columbia, states that Jennings misrepresented his comments in a podcast and subsequent social media post in August. Continue reading...

Judge says he will consider all options to sentence far-right activist who trial heard deployed bullyboy, intimidatory tactics'Tommy Robinson faces up to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of harassing two journalists to the point it caused them fear of violence.Journalists from the Daily Mail and their family members fled their homes after bullyboy, intimidatory tactics" were deployed by the far-right activist, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, his trial was told. Continue reading...

Questions were raised before Toledo crash over rail safety in a country where train travel has surged by 40%

As USS Colorado showcases the program in Perth, Peter Briggs says personnel is just one of the huge issues' it faces