World news | The Guardian

Police arrest three more people, bringing the total to six, Justice secretary faces calls of shame on you' as crowd gathers to remember victims of terror attack

Pentagon chief says strike - fourth by US military in recent weeks - targeted boat with substantial amounts' of drugsThe United States carried out a strike against an alleged drug-trafficking boat on Friday that killed four people, US defense secretary Pete Hegseth said, a day after the Trump administration told Congress it was entering a new non-international armed conflict" with cartels.The strike, which Hegseth said he directed on Donald Trump's orders, appears to be at least the fourth in recent weeks. Hegseth gave few details about the boat or the evidence that it was carrying narcotics, other than saying the US had confirmed it was carrying drugs. Continue reading...

Writing before a planned protest against Palestine Action ban, PM says activists should recognise a time of mourningThe prime minister has called for protesters to respect the grief of British Jews this week" after the Manchester synagogue attack.Ahead of a planned demonstration against the ban on Palestine Action this Saturday, Keir Starmer wrote in the Jewish Chronicle that activists should recognise this is a time of mourning. Continue reading...

Injured man was with Community Security Trust, which protects UK's Jewish community and combats antisemitism

President and his defence chief took aim at the fat generals', but some doubted there was much substance to the swagger on showThis week marked an inflection point in Donald Trump's relentless politicisation of the US armed forces, as he delivered a partisan - if scattershot - campaign speech to the very room of people he is not supposed to: the commanders of the most powerful military in the world.For those declaring a five-alarm authoritarian fire in the US, there was plenty of smoke: the anti-woke rhetoric that has become a commonplace of the political right, the threats to summarily dismiss the generals who disagree with him, the transparent pleasure at deploying the military to perform police actions in major US cities. Continue reading...

Hamas reportedly split on response to deal as US president sets Sunday deadline for militant group to replyEgypt and Qatar are working to convince Hamas to accept Donald Trump's ultimatum to end the war in Gaza, Egypt's foreign minister has said, as Trump gave a Sunday deadline to reply.Badr Abdelatty said the time had come for Hamas to disarm, and that Israel should be given no excuse to continue its offensive in Gaza, where it killed another 28 Palestinians on Friday. Continue reading...

Rapper to be sentenced on two counts that each carry maximum 10-year term - what might the judge decide?Sean Diddy" Combs is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday morning by a federal judge in New York, following his conviction earlier this year on federal prostitution-related charges.Here's a recap of his criminal case: what he was indicted for, what happened at trial, and what might happen next. Continue reading...

Liberal MP resigns as shadow home affairs minister, increasing pressure on opposition leader Sussan Ley

Attack at Heaton Park synagogue that killed two people has been declared a terrorist incidentAt 9.31am on Thursday, a member of the public rang the police saying they had witnessed a car being driven towards members of the public, and one man had been stabbed" outside Heaton Park shul, a synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, where people had gathered to observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish faith. Continue reading...

Travel was disrupted for thousands on eve of national holiday in latest drone incident to hit European aviationMunich airport has reopened after drone sightings over the facility on Thursday evening forced air traffic control to suspend operations, leading to the cancellation of 17 flights and disrupting travel for nearly 3,000 passengers in the German city on the eve of a national holiday.Another 15 arriving flights were diverted to Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Vienna and Frankfurt, the airport said in a statement, marking the latest drone disruption to European aviation after sightings temporarily shut airports in Denmark and Norway last week. Continue reading...

Tributes paid to late British primatologist whose institute trained thousands of Chinese on protecting animalsJane Goodall has been remembered as a guiding light" in China, with hundreds of millions of people paying tribute online to the conservationist who died this week, aged 91.The British primatologist and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute was well known in China, and her research and findings were ubiquitous in Chinese educational materials, which listed her among women of achievement" in text books. Continue reading...

The six Australians received no government assistance in their 500km journey from the violent Al-Hawl detention camp to Lebanon

Vladimir Putin denounces seizing of the vessel as an act of piracy and warned it could provoke confrontationThe captain of an oil tanker that authorities in France have detained off the country's Atlantic coast and that President Emmanuel Macron has linked to Russia will go on trial in February over the crew's alleged refusal to cooperate, a French prosecutor has said.Macron has alleged that the tanker belongs to Russia's shadow fleet" of ageing tankers of uncertain ownership that are avoiding western sanctions over Moscow's war in Ukraine. He also did not rule out that it could have been involved in drone flights over Denmark as it was sailing last week off the coast of the Nordic country. Continue reading...

Police say phone lines have been inundated' with calls about Gus and ask public to only contact them with actual information'

State EPA and food safety authority say no evidence of insecticide was found and researcher's 2024 results were unreliable'

Exclusive: Despite being signed up to a new alert system, the South Australian emergency service was not notified during September's triple zero outage

Witnesses screamed he's got a bomb' and shoot him' before suspect was killed by armed policeWorshippers had arrived early for a special morning service at Heaton Park shul in north Manchester. It was Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and rabbi Daniel Walker was leading prayers in his long white robes. By 9.31am, they were stained with blood.As people made their way to the synagogue, they saw a small black car being driven erratically before it crashed into the gates. At first, some thought the driver had suffered a heart attack. But within seconds he had jumped out of the vehicle, dressed all in black, and had started stabbing those nearby. Continue reading...

William tells interviewer Eugene Levy of hopes to do work my son is proud of' as well as sparing him press intrusionPrince William has said change is on my agenda - change for the good" when he becomes king.In one of his most personal interviews yet, the Prince of Wales set out his approach to the monarchy. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester police name Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen, and say three people are in custody on charges of preparing acts of terrorism

Activists from Global Sumud flotilla including Greta Thunberg arrested as final boat is presumed intercepted in Palestinian watersIsrael says it has stopped a pro-Palestinian flotilla carrying aid from reaching Gaza, with its navy intercepting all but one of the vessels trying to breach the blockade.Of the 42 vessels being tracked online by the Global Sumud flotilla (GSF), 41 were listed as having been confirmed or assumed to have been stopped by Israeli forces. Continue reading...

The 10,000 award, whose judges include Mark Haddon and Megan Nolan, recognises mould-breaking' fictionSarah Hall, Charlie Porter and Yrsa Daley-Ward are among the writers shortlisted for this year's Goldsmiths prize.The 10,000 award recognises fiction that breaks the mould or extends the possibilities of the novel form". Continue reading...

Research found 35% of Jews felt unsafe in Britain and 32% reported at least one antisemitic incident in 2024Feelings of safety in the UK's Jewish community have declined sharply in the last couple of years, according to the largest survey of British Jews since 7 October 2023.The research, conducted in June and July, found 35% of Jews felt unsafe in Britain in 2025, compared with 9% in 2023 before the Hamas attacks. Continue reading...

PM calls attack in Manchester an act of antisemitism and says country will stand up to hatred behind it

Israeli PM calls for strength and unity' while foreign minister accuses UK of inaction against antisemitism

Exclusive: Organisers say protest will go ahead as planned and it is up to Met whether or not it prioritises arrestsPolice have asked organisers of a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action to postpone it so that resources can be used to protect Jewish and Muslim communities after the terror attack at a Manchester synagogue.Defend Our Juries, which has been organising the protests in London, said it intended to go ahead with its action on Saturday and it urged the police to focus on protecting those communities fearing reprisals or follow-up terror attacks. Continue reading...

Former One Direction members to reunite for docuseries set on the road in US after death of bandmate Liam PayneFormer One Direction members Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson are set to reunite for a Netflix road trip series.According to the Hollywood Reporter, the docuseries will follow the pair as they travel across the US. The show will be directed by Nicola Marsh, who was also behind the Demi Lovato documentary Child Star. Continue reading...

Much-loved' film and TV performer played dim-witted Mickey Pearce in classic BBC sitcomPatrick Murray, the actor best known for playing Mickey Pearce in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, has died aged 68.In 2021 Murray revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer and had an operation to remove a lung tumour in its early stages. He said in 2022 that his oncologist had told him his lung cancer was cured and that the tumour in my liver was shrinking", but in April 2023 he revealed it had returned. Continue reading...

Turkey and Qatar putting pressure on group to make concessions - but condition it disarm a sticking point

Move to come if Conservatives win next election and is calculated to head off growing support for Reform UKKemi Badenoch is expected to announce a plan this weekend to leave the European convention on human rights (ECHR) if the Conservatives win the next election, as the party attempts to halt a loss of support to Reform UK.The move will be seized on by political opponents as evidence the Tories have lurched to the right - Russia and Belarus are the only two other European countries that have opted out of the ECHR - while it could lose the party support from the political centre. Continue reading...

Exhibition at National Library of Wales marks historic event that has also inspired a wave of activism

Tehran considers move as part of multi-pronged offensive after bombing of nuclear sites and restoration of sanctionsIran is considering releasing hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees across its western borders with Iraq and Turkey. It would be part of what officials describe as a necessarily more offensive and unpredictable strategy in the wake of the bombing of its nuclear sites and the European reimposition of UN sanctions.The multi-pronged offensive includes expansion of its missile programme, strengthening air defences, suspending cooperation with the UN weapons inspectorate and on 18 October blocking the establishment of a UN committee to oversee the administration of the reimposed sanctions. Officials remain opposed to reopening talks with the US, believing the talks would fail. Continue reading...

North of England editor Josh Halliday reports from the scene of the attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, in which two people were killed and three others seriously injured, in what appears to be the worst antisemitic incident in the UK in living memoryOn Thursday morning at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue - as in synagogues all over the world - Jews congregated to mark Yom Kippur.Then the very worst happened: a terror attack. A car was driven at members of the public and a man was stabbed. At the time of writing, two people have been killed and three others seriously injured. Police shot dead the suspect. Continue reading...

Watchdog's report highlights growing dangers of slot machines and in-play betting on matchesAn estimated 1.4 million adults in Great Britain have a gambling problem, according to landmark figures released days after the chancellor hinted at plans to increase taxes on the 11.5bn betting and gaming industry.The Gambling Commission's annual survey found that 2.7% of adults scored 8 or above on the problem gambling severity index, a widely accepted measure analysing negative consequences of betting. Continue reading...

Pair had crossed border to support presidential campaign of reggae singer Bobi WineTwo Kenyan activists have been abducted in Uganda after attending a presidential campaign event for Bobi Wine, a reggae musician turned politician.Heavily armed security operatives detained Bob Njagi, the chair of Free Kenya, and Nicholas Oyoo, the movement's secretary general, at a petrol station near Kampala on Wednesday afternoon. Continue reading...

Retailer manages to up full-year profit expectations by 100m after luring shoppers with price cuts over summer

Mark Rowley says Met is dealing with misogynist and racist officers who undermine force and want him out'The Metropolitan police commissioner has said he will not resign after secretly filmed footage revealed racist, misogynistic and violent behaviour and views at a police station known for its toxic culture for more than three years.Sir Mark Rowley said BBC Panorama footage was vile to watch" and that it showed incontrovertible evidence" to support fast-track dismissal for the officers involved. Continue reading...

Unions aim to keep up pressure on new PM, who has still not formed a government, over budget and super-rich taxFrench trade unions are leading a day of strikes as they try to maintain pressure on the new prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, to rethink budget cuts and consider a form of wealth tax on the super-rich.Lecornu has still not formed a new government after being appointed on 9 September amid a political crisis when his predecessor, Francois Bayrou, was dramatically ousted over proposed budget cuts. Lecornu's unprecedented delay in announcing a new cabinet has angered opposition parties and trade unions, who have voiced concerns over budget cuts and protecting public services. Continue reading...

Creditors in control of firm say they will write off loans, invest more and commit to paying pollution fines

Exclusive: 1,680 football pitches of protected natural land in England, Wales and Northern Ireland lost in five years

Researchers say machine learning tool can help boost flood prediction accuracy as much as sixfoldJust over a week ago, Super Typhoon Ragasa ripped through communities in the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong and southern China. In Taiwan, a lake burst resulted in a deadly wall of water pouring down a mountain, killing at least 14 people, injuring 18 and leaving 33 people unaccounted for.Now, a new AI flood forecasting tool is giving hope that earlier warnings can be given and lives saved. Continue reading...

Six asylum seekers placed in homeless shelter say they are frightened' they will be forcibly returned to home countriesThe first group of asylum seekers deported to France under Labour's one in, one out deal" have spoken of their fear of being pursued by smugglers and being forcibly returned to their home countries.The men spoke just hours before a larger group of asylum seekers were due to be forcibly removed to France on a private charter flight to Paris early on Thursday morning, with a second drop off in Albania planned. It is thought that at least seven people will be removed in a significant ramping up of one in, one out' removals. Continue reading...

Country moves to deepen policing ties with China as Australia continues negotiations on Nakamal agreement, which was not signed last month as hopedVanuatu remains open to signing a wide-ranging deal with Australia but must assert its sovereignty and will not be subject to pressure or bullying" from larger countries, the country's internal affairs minister, Andrew Napuat, said.Australia failed to seal the $500m Nakamal agreement in Port Vila last month amid concerns from Vanuatu that it would block other countries providing infrastructure funding. Weeks later, Vanuatu said it planned to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen policing cooperation with China. Continue reading...

Campaigners urge ministers to close tanning salons across country over dangers posed by UV radiationSunbeds are so dangerous they should be banned in the UK, cancer experts and campaigners say.They have urged ministers to order the closure of the thousands of tanning salons operating across Britain, using public funds to compensate owners if necessary. Continue reading...

Satellite images of damaged area show no sign of shelling that Moscow says prevents repairRussia has been accused of deliberately sabotaging the last remaining power line into the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, after satellite imagery of the damaged area showed no sign of Ukrainian shelling that Moscow says is preventing a repair.Outside power, normally used for cooling, has now been down for a record eight days, forcing the Russian operators of the plant in occupied Ukraine to rely on back-up diesel generators to avoid a meltdown of its six reactor cores. Continue reading...

Sheff G, who took stage with Trump in the Bronx last year, pleaded guilty on three countsA New York City rapper who joined Donald Trump during a campaign rally last year has been sentenced to five years behind bars after he admitted he used earnings from his music career to fuel gang violence in Brooklyn.Sheff G, whose legal name is Michael Williams, also must serve five years of supervised release once he is freed, under the terms of the sentence imposed on Wednesday. He had agreed to the prison term after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors earlier this year. He pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and a conspiracy charge. Continue reading...

Fisheries minister says rehoming Marineland's cetaceans in China would only perpetuate the treatment' the whales have enduredCanada's government has refused a request by the beleaguered Marineland theme park to export its remaining 30 beluga whales to China due to concerns that the whales will face further mistreatment.Marineland, an amusement park, zoo and aquarium in Niagara Falls, has one of the largest captive whale populations in the world, and has long been mired in controversy amid reports of poor conditions for the animals on display. Continue reading...

Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give was taken off year 10 reading list at Budmouth Academy after parent complainedA bestselling black American author has condemned a Dorset school's decision to drop her critically acclaimed novel from a reading list.Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give was removed from Budmouth Academy's year 10 reading list after a complaint from a parent. Continue reading...

Defence minister issues warning, while Hamas reportedly considers seeking amendments to Trump planThe Israeli military has issued what it said was its final warning for Gaza City residents to flee as it intensified its bombardment and offensive on Wednesday, while Hamas was reportedly considering requesting amendments to Donald Trump's ceasefire ultimatum.Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, said the warning was the last opportunity for people to move to southern Gaza as the military encircled the city. Gaza's civil defence agency said on Wednesday that Israeli forces had killed at least 46 people, including 36 in Gaza City. Continue reading...

Handcuffs and police uniform also among items Peter Windsor is accused of sending to Classic FM studiosThe TV and radio presenter and former pop star Myleene Klass has told a jury of the sheer terror" and sense of violation she felt after being sent items in the post including an air pistol, handcuffs and a police uniform by an alleged stalker.Klass was giving evidence against Peter Windsor, 61, of Stechford, Birmingham. Windsor is accused of stalking Klass and her fellow Classic FM presenter Katie Breathwick between 2020 and 2024 by sending items to the radio station's studios in central London. He denies the charges. Continue reading...

Trump budget director blamed DEI principles' while another official pointed to the government shutdownThe Trump administration said on Wednesday that it was putting a hold on roughly $18bn to fund a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey and the city's expanded Second Avenue subway project - because of the government shutdown.The White House budget director, Russell Vought, said on a post on X that the step was taken due to the Republican administration's belief that the money was based on unconstitutional DEI principles", a reference to diversity, equity and inclusion. Continue reading...