World news | The Guardian

Downing Street delivered a rare rebuke to a senior member of Donald Trump's administrationAsked why the Lib Dems were opposed to a third runway at Heathrow when they professed to be in favour of growth, Cooper said she did not accept that a third runway would produce all the benefits its supporters claimed.She explained:On Heathrow, it is clear from looking at all of the economic analysis of airport growth over the last few years that many of the promises made by all sorts of different airport companies simply haven't come to bear.The promise of higher wage jobs hasn't been substantiated. Often it's lower paid jobs, and often not as many as they've claimed. Continue reading...

Scottish university's annual tradition once involved giving out raisins but fancy dress and shaving cream now in vogueNobody at the University of St Andrews in Scotland seems to remember how Raisin Monday became a giant foam fight. For 600 years, first-year students have taken part in the ritual of thanking older students for mentoring them through their first few weeks of university life.Traditionally, freshers would give their elders a pound of raisins - hence the name. This Monday however, hundreds wore fancy dress as they streamed on to St Salvator's lower college lawn at 11am armed with cans of shaving foam, covering one another in soapy clouds as they have for the past few decades. Groups of students dress as Smurfs, mice, bananas, grandmas, sunflowers and chefs to participate in the annual rite of passage. Continue reading...

Downing Street emphasises sacrifices of UK troops and reasserts unwavering' support for Ukraine amid softening US policy towards Russia

Opposition to US-led quarantine center in Kenya follows sweeping funding cuts and withdrawal from WHOAn eighth person in Kenya has tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the country's first-ever cluster of cases of the virus, as the second-largest outbreak in history kills more than 4,300 and sickens more than 9,000 people in the region.It highlights the diminished role the US has played in the worsening Ebola outbreak by building a controversial quarantine center in Kenya, pulling back health support globally, and banning travelers from certain countries. All of this has also reduced the ability to identify and respond to the outbreak and exacerbated mistrust. Continue reading...

Sebastien Lecornu says new measures will be put in place from tonight

Dearth of bananas coincides with poor apple harvest and lack of summer stone fruit

Monitoring tools common in a range of workplaces, including factories, office jobs, delivery work and in retail - often without employees being informed

Trump's approval rating reaches new low; 66% of Americans think Trump is using position of power for monetary gain, including 34% of Republicans

Far-right activist is charged with two counts of harassment causing fear of violence to two MailOnline reportersThe far-right activist known as Tommy Robinson used bullyboy, intimidatory tactics" to threaten journalists and cause them to fear for their safety, a court has been told as his harassment trial got under way.Robinson, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is charged with two counts of harassment causing fear of violence to two MailOnline reporters, Andrew Young and Jacob Dirnhuber. He denies all charges. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Chris Hinchliff urges environment watchdog to block rules that will allow almost 16,000 new homes in one of UK's most protected areasThe environment watchdog is being urged to intervene in cash to trash" planning rules that will allow almost 16,000 new homes in the Norfolk Broads despite the damage to one of the UK's most environmentally protected areas.Labour's flagship planning reforms allow damage to protected habitats and species to be overlooked if developers pay into a central nature restoration fund, which is used for conservation actions at a later date. These environmental delivery plans (EDPs) have been called cash to trash" by critics, who say they roll back decades of environmental law and are a licence to kill nature". Continue reading...

Rachel de Souza names Middlesbrough and Hounslow among hardest places in which to grow up and says some children are being radically failed'Services for children in parts of England are in a state of emergency", according to a report that identifies what it claims to be the hardest places in the country for young people to grow up in.The children's commissioner, Rachel de Souza, said in some local authorities individual service failures or systemic problems meant no child could reasonably be expected to thrive and those that do thrive do so against the odds". Continue reading...

Comedian, who is on trial at Southwark crown court, allegedly sexually assaulted woman within minute of meeting herRussell Brand had a weird maniacal" grin on his face like a clown when he grabbed a woman's breasts before dragging her into a toilet and raping her, a court has heard.The 51-year-old comedian is accused of orally raping the MTV worker as he told her: You want to do this," and: Come on, don't be a spoilsport." Continue reading...

This blog is now closed

Condemnation across political spectrum after incident in Wangaratta, as Nationals MP from nearby electorate says Haines not a divisive figure'

Officer in stable condition after incident in city centre in early hours of SundayFour people have been arrested after a police officer was shot in the foot in Nottingham city centre.The officer was struck by a projectile believed to have been fired from a shotgun after approaching two suspects in the early hours of Sunday morning. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese says his thoughts remain with Indi MP after arrest of driver at the scene on Monday afternoon

Hamptons says figure of 56% is highest in at least a decade, with mortgage rates rising since start of Iran warA majority of first-time UK buyers now pay more towards their monthly mortgage bills than they used to pay in rent, the estate agent Hamptons has found.Last month 56% of first-time buyers said their monthly mortgage bills exceeded their previous rent, the highest proportion in at least a decade, according to Hamptons. They paid 39 more on average. Continue reading...

Deputy mayor of Saijo died after becoming trapped under float, days after two similar incidents elsewhereThere is mounting concern over the safety of Japan's traditional festivals after the death of a senior local official who was reportedly crushed beneath a float at the weekend, days after two men died in similar incidents in another part of the country.Akihiro Nabae, the deputy mayor of Saijo, in western Japan, was carrying a giant float with other participants in a festival on Saturday when he became trapped beneath the structure, Agence France-Presse reported. Nabae, 62, was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead, local media said, adding that no one else was injured. Continue reading...

Scott Peyton joined the Anglicans after the crime against his son. Then the Catholic church officially expelled himThe Roman Catholic church has upheld the excommunication of a Louisiana deacon who resigned from the clergy after a priest molested his son.Scott Peyton learned of the decision by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) - the Vatican entity in charge of Catholic clerical discipline - on Friday in a meeting with the bishop of the diocese of Lafayette, J Douglas Deshotel. The DDF cited technical grounds in rejecting Peyton's appeal, saying he had joined an Anglican congregation, published [that] fact ... on social media" and therefore refused to submit to the Catholic pope, who since May 2025 has been Leo XIV. Continue reading...

After Macron condemned unbridled violence', difference between French and German 10-year borrowing costs widens

NSW tribunal upholds liquor authority's decision preventing Manthos Papadopoulos from entering Sydney Elements and ShowgirlsA Sydney strip club owner has failed in a bid to overturn a ban on entering venues - including his own businesses - in the nightlife precinct of Kings Cross.Manthos Papadopoulos, the owner of Sydney Elements and Showgirls, was banned by the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority in July after a request from New South Wales police, the NSW civil and administrative tribunal said in a decision published on Monday. Continue reading...

Despite recent progress, almost a fifth of air travellers with disabilities are still dissatisfied with their experienceDisabled passengers will have better safeguards when flying, the government has pledged, including protection from damaged wheelchairs and support from trained staff.A report from an industry-led accessibility group said there was much more to be done" but progress was being made, a year after a review led by Tanni Grey-Thompson demanded action to improve air travel in response to numerous incidents in which passengers had been left stranded without assistance. Continue reading...

Conservation work by RSPB has led to recovery of terns, gulls, plovers and oystercatchers on England's south coast

In today's newsletter: Violent riots and looting have dominated the headlines, but the unrest gripping the country and beyond reflects deeper public anger over everyday issuesGood morning. I bet your weekend was better than Emmanuel Macron's. On Friday, the evening before mass protests that were planned across France, he attended a Celine Dion concert in Paris with his wife, Brigitte, prompting comparisons to Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette. On Sunday evening, he was forced to give a televised speech condemning the unbridled violence" and riots that erupted in French cities over the weekend.The rioters that burned makeshift barricades of bicycles in Paris, destroyed the steeple of Limoges' town hall and set fire to Lyon's tourism office were described as LE CHAOS" on the front page of La Tribune Dimanche, and SCENES D'INSURRECTION" on Le Parisien Dimanche. By Sunday, protests had also taken place in Spain, Portugal and Italy.The Vatican | Pope Leo told a crowd gathered in St Peter's Square on Sunday that he would gradually resume" his activities, at his first appearance before the faithful since undergoing an operation to remove a cancerous tumour from his lung.UK news | A well-known individual" is trying to secure a permanent injunction against the Guardian and ITN to prevent them from publishing details of serious allegations made against him.US politics | Donald Trump fired his immediately embattled new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, on Friday evening after just five days in the job. The conservative commentator becomes the shortest serving occupant of the role in US history.Reform | A Reform UK mayor is under police investigation for allegedly showing naked and sexualised" images of himself to a female member of staff. Luke Campbell, a former Olympic boxing champion, is understood to have been questioned under caution by Humberside police.Energy | The development of a huge AI datacentre hailed by the UK government has received a fresh setback after Microsoft pulled out of the project over concerns about power supplies.Monday | The two-week biodiversity summit, Cop17, begins in Yerevan, Armenia, as countries come together to seek to protect nature.Tuesday | The Covid-19 inquiry publishes its report on the adult social care sector.Sunday | Incumbent Lula da Silva takes on Flavio Bolsonaro in the run-off of the Brazil general election. Continue reading...

Accused asked fellow police officer how law enforcement would respond to reports of gunshots days before alleged murders, court hears

Voters to be asked whether province should remain part of Canada or hold second binding independence voteAlbertans are going to the polls to decide their place in Canada, in a referendum that has exposed deep divisions within the province, not least in the separatist movement itself.On Monday, voters will respond to the question of whether Alberta should remain in Canada, or hold a second binding independence referendum. Continue reading...

Letter from 150 scientists, MPs and activists calls for action to protect lower-income and minority-ethnic communitiesThe government must hold an inquiry into the unequal impacts of air pollution, 150 scientists, MPs and activists have urged.Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that across England, lower-income areas have persistently higher levels of air pollution than wealthier areas. Continue reading...

Warning for other Arctic communities as residents told not to use water in Longyearbyen in Svalbard, one of the fastest-warming places in the worldResidents of a remote town in Norway that is in one of the fastest-warming places in the world have been told they must no longer drink tap water due to heavy metal contamination that scientists have linked to the thawing permafrost.Longyearbyen, in the archipelago of Svalbard, gets its main drinking water supply from a 1.5 mile-long (2.5km) dammed lake called Isdammen, or ice pond". Higher temperatures as a result of the climate crisis have thawed permafrost, leading to newly exposed bedrock leaching metals into the pond. Continue reading...

Consultancy says companies quoted on London stock market issued 65 in three months to end of SeptemberThe number of profit warnings from UK-listed companies has risen to the highest level in two years, as the war in the Middle East triggers a surge in costs for businesses before the budget.With less than a fortnight before John Healey's tax and spending statement to the Commons, the consultants EY-Parthenon said companies quoted on the London stock market had issued 65 warnings in the three months to the end of September. Continue reading...

Exclusive: NHS Alliance's acute care director says centralisation of services inevitable' to ensure safe care

Bill to authorise production expansion at Mount Pleasant coalmine, subject to a landmark high court decision, criticised as legislative overreach'

The new Greens leader says it is his understanding the West Australian senator agreed' to take leave from the party roomGreens leader David Shoebridge has said it was his understanding Jordon Steele-John agreed to take leave from parliament while misconduct allegations against him are investigated, and that it's appropriate" that he does so, despite the Western Australian senator saying overnight that he was not on leave and had never agreed to stay away from parliament.Steele-John released a lengthy, explosive statement on Sunday night claiming Shoebridge pressured him to take leave after complaints about his conduct were made public last week, and accused an internal faction within the Greens of playing nasty political games". He has denied any allegations of misconduct. Continue reading...

McClelland, who served in the Rudd government, named as boss of National Anti-Corruption Commission after Paul Brereton quit in May

One Nation leader said Tasmanian senator should get over it' and claimed the cartoon was satirical'

Amid police brutality allegations, inquiry hears protesters against visit of Israeli president were largely peaceful'

Premier Ben Carroll says two-year limited cap will start on 1 January if re-elected, while Greens say there should be no fares

Prime minister Mark Carney describes blaze as one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime'Four people have been killed and dozens more seriously injured after a violent, fast-moving" fire tore through one of Canada's busiest military training bases in Alberta, the country's prime minister said on Sunday.Mark Carney called the incident one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime". Continue reading...

Passengers urged to share the carriage, not the noise' as guidance sets out 100 penalties for nuisance behaviourAndy Burnham has announced a crackdown on headphone dodgers" who play loud music on public transport, as he extends his promise to give voters breathing space" in the confines of a train carriage.The prime minister will unveil a campaign against nuisance behaviour on public transport on Monday, alongside guidance allowing local transport authorities to levy fines of up to 100 for non-compliance. Continue reading...

Premium paid over French counterparts has risen to almost 30 a megawatt hour, analysis by lobby group findsBritish steelmakers have been pushed further behind European rivals on electricity costs after the US-Israeli war on Iran caused a surge in global gas prices.The premium paid by the British industry over its French counterpart has risen to almost 30 a megawatt hour (MWh), its highest level in three years, according to analysis by the lobby group UK Steel. Continue reading...

Agency changes wording on website as Texas-based firm continues manufacture of plastic container barriersThe Environmental Protection Agency has quietly backtracked on a claim that the US has phased out two of the most dangerous Pfas compounds - Pfoa and Pfos.The EPA has found that virtually no level of exposure to either in drinking water is safe, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies Pfoa as carcinogenic to humans" and Pfos as possibly carcinogenic". Still, the EPA is allowing Houston-based Inhance to produce containers from which Pfoa has been found to leach at high levels into the containers' contents. The company makes up to 200m barriers annually for plastic containers used across the US economy.This article was amended on 18 October 2026 to correct Patricia van Ee's title, and the story previously stated that Inhance manufactures plastic containers. They make the containers' barriers. Continue reading...

Family post emotional statements to Instagram a month after their son and brother died at a rehab facilityCindy Crawford and Rande Gerber have said they are beyond heartbroken" in a tribute to their sweet beautiful" son, Presley.Their eldest child died aged 27 at a rehab facility on 20 September, according to Los Angeles county medical examiner records. The cause of his death has not been disclosed. Continue reading...

Police responding to reports of an alleged stolen car in Dulwich Hill were told a man was armed with a firearm

Antibody patterns in the blood may help doctors identify people at risk so they can be treated earlier, research showsPatterns of antibodies in people's blood could predict the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) a decade before diagnosis, according to research that raises hopes for catching the condition early.Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the two main forms of IBD, are typically treated only after symptoms appear, when the gut has already been damaged. But scientists found that the immune system sends warning signals up to a decade before diagnosis, paving the way for potentially earlier detection and even prevention. Continue reading...

Wichita police awaiting toxicology results and mechanical exam of pickup truck driven by the 34-year-old womanA woman who was arrested on Saturday after she drove a truck through a youth soccer game in Wichita, Kansas - killing a boy and a man - has been released from custody without charges pending further investigation, according to authorities.In a statement on Sunday, the Wichita police department said investigators were awaiting the results of toxicology testing on the driver, whom the agency would only describe as a 34-year-old woman. Police said they were also waiting for a mechanical examination" of the pickup truck that the woman was driving at the time she struck and killed six-year-old Cole Adrian and Nicholas Schafer, 35. Continue reading...

Ministers, officials and police under pressure over response to protests as government holds crisis talks amid colossal failure of the state'The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has criticised unbridled violence" after one of the most violent days of unrest in years left public buildings burned, hundreds of shops destroyed and looted and more than 2,000 people arrested in cities across the country.Watching these images, we have all asked ourselves how could French people do this to France?" he said in a televised address. Continue reading...

New video footage of Israeli settler assault on European delegation as Netanyahu attempts to raise doubtHours after Israeli militants attacked a delegation of European diplomats, French clerics and a visiting mayor in the occupied West Bank, Israel's leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, responded by questioning the delegation's account of the assault.Serious accusations require serious evidence" was the all-caps headline of a social media post from the office of the prime minister. As news of the attack spread globally there was no pledge to find those accountable and bring them to justice. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Former health secretary says upfront investment in support is needed if we are going to end the Neet crisis'Ministers should cut welfare spending to fund more employment support if it wants to end the youth Neet crisis, the author of a government-led review has said.Alan Milburn, the Tony Blair-era health secretary, told the Guardian he believed ministers should reduce benefits payments to help pay for more employment support, opening a potentially contentious debate within the Labour party over welfare cuts. Continue reading...

UK home secretary's meeting comes after PM said he wanted to rejoin European law enforcement databasesThe UK home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, will meet the EU's home affairs commissioner on Monday for further talks just days after Andy Burnham said he wanted to rejoin European law enforcement databases from which the UK has been locked out of since Brexit.According to the European Commission, they will discuss migration, border management, law enforcement cooperation and counter-terrorism", with the latest Frontex data published on Monday showing a 43% decline in small boats crossing the Channel. Continue reading...

Green leader in England and Wales calls debates about words' unhelpful and denies recent motion was controversialZack Polanski has said Zionism in its current form is racist, that no country has a right to exist, and that the Green party motion on the issue was not controversial.The leader of the Green party in England and Wales gave an unapologetic interview to the BBC on Sunday two weeks after his party approved a motion equating Zionism with racism. Continue reading...

Capt Smit Machchhar said he screamed for help as he reached to open the cockpit door on flight FZ1073The captain of a flydubai flight who was attacked by a co-pilot who intended to crash the plane has described blocking axe blows to his head and screaming for help as he reached to open the cockpit door.Capt Smit Machchhar has been hailed as a hero for his role in averting disaster on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month, helping to thwart what the UAE attorney general has said was an attempted suicide attack by the co-pilot who had intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion airport. Continue reading...