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The number of pharmacies stocking the MS-2 Step medication increased from 2,228 to 4,107 after rules relaxed in 2023

Exclusive: 11 facilities shut, seven for lack of staff and four over issues such as infestations or lack of running waterEleven bail hostels that were supposed to have housed dangerous prisoners during the early release of stalkers and domestic abusers in England and Wales have been closed, the Guardian can disclose.Seven of the halfway house facilities, known as approved premises, were shut because of a lack of qualified staff, and the other four because of problems such as infestations or lack of running water, Whitehall sources said. Continue reading...

At Conservative conference, some worry about becoming a one-woman party, while others say party should thank their lucky stars they have her

Conservative leader says proposed measures would halve the number of families paying inheritance taxChris Philp, the shadow home secretary, is speaking now at the conference. He described Nick Timothy as the Bob the Builder" of the next parliament on the basis of the Tory pledge to build 50,000 prison places.Can he fix it? Yes he can," Philp said. He went on:I know we didn't get everything right in government, but we now have a plan to make things better, whereas Labour is making them worse.Dangerous men released early from jail. Police numbers down by 2,000. Stop and search opposed. 92% of crime unsolved. Illegal immigrants and foreign criminals not deported.So many parts of government are corrupted by radical identity politics and a deference to clan culture.We can no longer trust our institutions to work for us all, to uphold the principle that justice is blind, that we're all equal before the law. Continue reading...

Campaigners set up in more than 1,200 tents in Puerto del Sol square say challenge now is to translate a groundswell of public support into concrete changeAt a makeshift lunch counter tucked within a maze of tents at a housing protest camp in Madrid, Selpide San Luis pointed to the dizzying pace of change.We built a city in a week," said the 26-year-old, whose videos documenting day-to-day life at the encampment have attracted tens of thousands of views on social media, as she pointed to the more than 1,200 tents set up in the central Puerta del Sol square. We have urban planning, the streets have names and we've put surveillance systems in place. And thanks to what we're doing here, media have not stopped talking about the issue of housing - something that we've been trying to get on the agenda for so long." Continue reading...

Postal service says cuts will focus on head office and support function roles'

Celebrated for his earnest, dextrous voice, Jackson crossed into the pop charts with the hits Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake) and You Are My LadyFreddie Jackson, the US singer whose smooth and romantic take on R&B found a huge audience in the 1980s, has died aged 70.A statement from his family on social media reads: Freddie was more than a legendary voice. He was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, his family, his friends and his music with everything he had. For decades he gave us the songs that became the soundtrack to our love stories, our celebrations and our most treasured memories. That gift will live on for ever." No cause of death was given. Continue reading...

An initiative on November's ballot aims to overturn the 9.9% tax on earnings above $1m - who's winning the fight?Voters in Washington state will soon decide the fate of the state's so-called millionaire tax" - a 9.9% income tax on earnings above $1m that was signed into law in March and is now facing a conservative-backed effort to repeal it.An initiative on November's ballot aims to overturn the tax, claiming that the tax represents a slippery slope, and would eventually result in taxes for more than just millionaires. A coalition of advocacy groups and unions opposing the initiative say taxing the state's 20,000 highest-earning households could raise approximately $3.5bn in necessary annual revenue to fund core priorities like education and healthcare, and expand tax credits and sales tax exemptions. Continue reading...

Lack of majority for Parti Quebecois puts any referendum in doubt, especially amid bruising trade war with TrumpThe victory of the Parti Quebecois in Monday's election in Quebec might seem to bring its signature goal, of separating the French-speaking province from Canada, much closer - but Canadian unity may not be nearly as threatened as may first seem.The PQ's victory was both impressive and disappointing. The party added 56 seats to its roster and more than doubled its vote share compared to the 2022 election, giving it its first taste of power in 14 years. Crucially, however, it was left five seats short of a majority, making its promise to hold a referendum after Donald Trump leaves office in 2028 nearly impossible. Continue reading...

Record prices caused by global shortages amid shutdown of war-damaged refineries in Middle East and RussiaShell's refineries are expected to make almost double the profit from every barrel of fuel produced owing to record prices caused by shortages around the world.In a market trading update on Wednesday, the energy supermajor forecast profit margins of $42 a barrel in the July to September period, far above the $24 a barrel of the second quarter and the previous high of about $28 in mid-2022. Continue reading...

Average cost of home in September was 298,441, says Lloyds - about the same as year earlier and in August

Models walk runway at the Louvre with flying cars hovering above as designer envisions city life in a warming worldIn silk slip dresses, breezy vented tunics and gossamer layers of chiffon, the models on Louis Vuitton's catwalk were perfectly dressed for an unseasonably warm October evening in Paris. As the show began at sunset it was still 24C.This summer's record temperatures were on designer Nicolas Ghesquiiere's mind. The world is getting warmer, this definitely had a strong influence" he said. Continue reading...

High court finding in favour of Hunter Valley community group sets precedent other environmentalists should follow, advocate says

Angus Taylor says opposition worked closely' with Parliamentary Budget Office but Liberal sources say it has not yet conducted a full analysis of the policy

Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in Sydney in February 2024

Uneeb Ullah, 28, from Logan, has been remanded in custody after his arrest on Tuesday evening for the alleged murder of the child

Hamam al-Hammami spent 175 days in New Zealand until May 2019, as Australian Jewish group calls for full investigation into his time in MelbourneNew Zealand authorities have launched their own investigation into the flydubai co-pilot who allegedly tried to hijack an Israel-bound plane, after police confirmed he underwent flight training there about a year after he abandoned a degree in Australia.Disaster was narrowly averted on 30 September when passengers and crew intervened to stop the alleged attempt of the co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, 29, to take control of a flight to Tel Aviv with 182 people onboard. Continue reading...

Exclusive: 10-year sponsorship extension at a 50% premium on last agreement crowns bonanza year for live venueO2 has struck a record 200m deal to retain the naming rights to the London venue the O2 in what is thought to be the largest renewal of its kind in UK history.The 10-year agreement will extend O2's relationship until at least 2038. It cements the sponsorship as the second longest-running UK stadium naming rights deal after Arsenal's partnership for the football club's London ground, Continue reading...

Reminders of banished Reform UK defector were all around the Conservative party conference in BirminghamAs Kemi Badenoch basked in the applause of the Tory faithful at the close of her pivotal speech at Conservative party conference last year, one member of her shadow cabinet looked less than enthused.Robert Jenrick, bested by Badenoch in the leadership contest a year earlier, looked on, and - as one shadow cabinet member now recalls - had to be prodded by Lord Ashcroft to applaud. If you're plotting against someone, then you at least pretend to like them," they say. The thing about Robert is he's not even a good machiavellian." Continue reading...

Teenagers Eva Wishart and Emily Smith launch project to breed and release 250 of the tiny animals by SeptemberChildren in Devon are being invited to become citizen captive breeders", rearing harvest mice at home for release into the wild to help revive endangered nature.Wild Pets, a new conservation project launched by two 14-year-old friends, is seeking 20 Devon-based children to rear hundreds of mice after the duo's own successful restoration efforts. Continue reading...

Christopher Alan Saunders becomes highest-ranked Catholic in Australia convicted of sexual abuse over his time as member of clergy

Mood in trade talks said to have changed as EU member states harden demands for protection against Chinese importsEU trade negotiators are heading to China for two days of crunch talks aimed at sealing a breakthrough deal tackling Beijing's record 1bn-a-day trade surplus by curbing its exports of cheap hybrid electric cars into Europe.Trade commissioner Maro efovi and his team fly out on Wednesday and will be negotiating up to the wire in talks scheduled to start the following day and continue late into Friday. Continue reading...

Ruling on Mount Pleasant coalmine shows we cannot continue to dig up coal ... and pretend the consequences have nothing to do with us', group says

Entertainer alleges complaint made about in-kind' donations over Victorian fundraisers, where he has been railing against Labor

Anthony Albanese fondly recalls the passionate environmental advocate keeping an infant flying fox under his desk as he presented the news

Ellison admits good relationship' with administration in remarks to reporters about newly merged media companyDavid Ellison, the chief executive of the newly formed media conglomerate Skydance, denied that he has politicized" the company despite the close connection he has forged with Donald Trump's White House over the 20 months of his administration.We have a good relationship with this administration," Ellison acknowledged to reporters at a Tuesday press briefing focused on the now-consummated merger of Paramount Skydance and CNN parent company Warner Bros Discovery. Continue reading...

World Health Organization detects no sign of further outbreak since Darya Shipilova died last weekThe World Health Organization has said the risk of an epidemic in Russia is low after the sudden death of a lab technician who worked at a plague research institute in Siberia.Darya Shipilova, who was 28, died last week, two days after falling ill. Russian media reports suggested she may have become infected after an accident at her workplace, where dangerous pathogens are kept and studied. Continue reading...

Government report finds the country could be hit with more frequent and intense heatwaves, as well as damaging storms and cyclonesNew Zealand could be hit with more frequent and intense heatwaves and catastrophic glacier melts in the near future, as greenhouse gas levels hit record highs, a new report about the nation's climate has revealed.Released on Wednesday, the Our Atmosphere and Climate 2026 report shows New Zealand is experiencing mounting climate pressures, which will have wide-reaching implications for the environment, native species and communities. Continue reading...

Service to be tested in Spain and Portugal this year, with a UK rollout if successful, as pre-loved markets boomIkea is to test an online version of its buy-back service where the retailer offers vouchers for unwanted secondhand furniture.The service will be tested in Spain and Portugal before the end of December and will be launched in the UK if it proves successful. Ikea already offers buy-back in stores, including in the UK. The online version will extend it to a much wider audience, with Ikea predicting pre-owned goods are likely to grab 16% of the UK homewares market by next year Continue reading...

Manager who removed Macdonald announces she will replace the late James Valentine from March

Landmark roles were in 50s classics directed by Elia Kazan and Alfred Hitchcock, before going on to play Superman's adoptive mother in later lifeEva Marie Saint, one of the last survivors of Hollywood's golden age of the 1940s and 50s, has died aged 102. Her screen work spanned six decades: Saint made her screen debut opposite Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, starred in Alfred Hitchcock's celebrated thriller North by Northwest, and in one of her last screen appearances played Superman's adoptive mother Martha Kent in the 2006 superhero film Superman Returns.A family spokesman said on Tuesday that Saint had died of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles. Continue reading...

President floats idea as voter anger over rising costs threatens Republican hopes in November midtermsDonald Trump said on Tuesday his administration was considering suspending the federal gasoline tax, a sign the president is noticing voter anger over fuel costs a month before the midterm elections.We're thinking about that," Trump said when asked whether the tax should be suspended. Continue reading...

Leader also says party is not out of the woods' and she would rather have another election than form coalition with ReformKemi Badenoch has denied she compared a new air defence system proposed by the Conservative party to Israel's Iron Dome, despite using the term in her press release and a newspaper article.The Tory leader said the party's proposed Britannia Shield" would not be comparable to the missile defence system in Israel, which is primarily designed to counter short-range attacks. Continue reading...

White House denies the allegations as false' and says first amendment does not protect violent rioting'

Jaafar Ashtiyeh was covering violence against olive farmers when settlers set upon him with the butts of their riflesArmed Israeli settlers beat a photographer in the presence of Israeli soldiers, hospitalising him, as he covered worsening settler violence against olive farmers in the occupied West Bank.Jaafar Ashtiyeh, a 58-year-old veteran photographer for Agence France-Presse in Palestine, was assaulted by a group of settlers, who beat him with the butts of their rifles, despite him being marked as press. He was assaulted in view of about a dozen armed Israeli soldiers. Continue reading...

Relations have soured between the two countries over a number of issues since 2023, but Hillel Newman says a reset' is possible

Exclusive: Officials working on further radical changes that would change how much energy companies could charge customersJohn Healey is considering a major intervention to cut energy bills for poorer households at this month's budget, after ministers became alarmed at forecasts which show bills rising by hundreds of pounds in January.The chancellor is working on plans to spend more than 1bn to help energy consumers, the bulk of which is likely to go towards increasing the discount given to households on certain benefits. Continue reading...

School trustees appoint Sally Yates to review policies as university grapples with fallout from alleged frat gang rapeA former high-ranking Department of Justice official will look at how Cornell handles sexual misconduct complaints, university trustees announced on Tuesday as they tried to address an outpouring of anger over allegations of a 2024 gang rape at a fraternity house.Sally Yates, who was a deputy attorney general in the Obama administration, will spearhead the review, the trustees said. The assessment is to include how the Ivy League university investigates reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment, how the disciplinary process works, the adequacy of campus police responses, and more. Continue reading...

Letter from more than 40 signatories says university has backed away from promised thorough review of events before deathSenior Cambridge academics have criticised the university's plans to investigate Prof Jason Arday's death as inadequate, and said those responsible for serious failures of leadership" should face consequences.In a letter to Chris Smith, Cambridge's chancellor, the academics said it is not yet clear" how the proposed review will answer difficult questions about the university's involvement in the events leading up to Arday's death, including its handling of the criticism Arday suffered after his appointment as professor of sociology of education in 2023. Continue reading...

Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan had 15 children, aged between two months to 13 years, removed from their homeA California couple has been arrested on child abuse charges following an investigation into a surrogacy scheme involving at least 21 kids, police said on Tuesday.Silvia Zhang and her husband, Guojun Xuan are expected to face conspiracy to commit child abuse charges, according to the Los Angeles county sheriff's department. Continue reading...

Minister says they could not see parties cooperating, while official says coalition should be formally ruled outSenior Labour party figures said it was very unlikely their party would cooperate with the Greens in the future after they adopted a policy treating Zionism as a form of racism.One Labour minister said they could not foresee how the two parties could work together, while a government official said Labour should formally rule out a future coalition or other arrangement. Continue reading...

Counter-terrorism police say 22-year-old detained in London on suspicion of terrorism offencesA seventh man has been arrested in London on suspicion of terrorism offences as part of the investigation related to threats to RAF Fairford, police have said.The 22-year-old British national was arrested in Westminster, central London, on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, counter-terrorism police said. Continue reading...

Shares in fashion company fall nearly 10% after its app systems are accessed by unidentified third party'Asos is investigating unauthorised access to its app system after shoppers received a notification claiming hackers had fully compromised" its data.The online fashion retailer said basic personal information including name and contact details might have been accessed by an unidentified third party but it did not believe payment card records or passwords had been compromised. Continue reading...

Mostafa Sepahvand, Farhad Javadi Manesh and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori did not dispute they surveilled targetsThree alleged Iranian spies carried out surveillance and reconnaissance to target journalists in the UK as part of a plan to commit serious violence", a court heard on Tuesday.Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, are charged with offences under the National Security Act. Continue reading...

The war with Iran is reshaping America ahead of the midterms - how will it affect US voters at the polls? Guardian political and foreign correspondents answered your questions

Trio and 17-year-old boy convicted of rape after they persuaded girl to travel into Bristol alone and got her drunkThree men who raped a 17-year-old girl before escaping from the UK to France in the back of a lorry have been sentenced to a total of 33 years in detention.Mehrab Safi, 21, Salman Habibkheil and Awal Ahmadzai, both 19, and a 17-year-old boy plied the girl with alcohol after she had been persuaded to travel into Bristol alone, and all four raped her at a house in the city. Continue reading...

The Conservative party leader said the party would halve employer national insurance on jobs worked by young peopleAsked if she will propose tax cuts in her speech tomorrow, Badenoch tells McCann that she will have to wait until her speech tomorrow at 11.15am.(This is getting confusing. On BBC Breakdfast, Badenoch told Jon Kay the speech was at 12pm.)It's not going to be exactly like the Iron Dome. We haven't called it an Iron Dome. Continue reading...

Journalists are calling for an urgent amendment to the Special Operations Bill, which boosts police search and seizure powersJournalists in Trinidad and Tobago have called for an urgent amendment to a sweeping new bill that boosts police powers of search and seizure, which they argue threatens the country's much-vaunted freedom of the press.The government says the Special Operations Bill 2026, passed on 24 September, is designed to tackle alarmingly high crime and murder rates in the Caribbean nation. Continue reading...

Unprecedented protests that began in low-income banlieue are turning ugly, with investigations under way into police brutality

Tobias Rausch secures role of president in Saxony-Anhalt after AfD's election breakthrough