World news | The Guardian

Exclusive: chancellor's plan to change rules to allow more borrowing for investment comes as cost of government debt risesRachel Reeves is pushing ahead with plans to borrow billions of pounds extra for infrastructure investment, the Guardian has learned, despite concerns about the rising cost of UK government debt.The chancellor told the cabinet on Tuesday she wanted to change how the Treasury accounted for capital spending to reflect its benefits, as allies say she intends to finalise her debt rule in the coming days. Continue reading...

More than a million people told to evacuate as category 4 storm projected to hit Tampa Bay region by Wednesday

Nigel Railton tells inquiry it is possible post offices could still be using Horizon in 2030 despite efforts to replace itThe chair of the Post Office has told a public inquiry that the state-owned body has a strained" relationship with Fujitsu, the company that supplied the faulty Horizon system at the centre of the IT scandal.Nigel Railton, the interim chair of the Post Office, said it was possible" that post office operatives could still be using the Horizon IT system in 2030 despite efforts to replace it. Continue reading...

Ken McCallum says agency facing one hell of a job' to counter efforts to stage assassinations and terror attacksThe head of MI5 has said his agency has one hell of a job" to do as the threat from Islamic State has returned while Iran and Russia engage in intensifying efforts to undertake assassination and sabotage plots in the UK.Ken McCallum said a revival of IS in Afghanistan in particular had brought a resumption of efforts by the Islamist group to export terrorism, and a bit of an upswing" in Britons seeking to travel abroad to learn from the group. Continue reading...

Hezbollah acting leader says its military capabilities still fine' as Israel sends more troops and keeps up airstrikes

Hezbollah has been a past source of tension between the two countries, but Riyadh wants to improve relations with TehranThe Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, will meet his counterpart in Saudi Arabia to discuss the growing threat of an Israeli attack on Tehran and what steps, if any, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon can take to secure a ceasefire in the face of growing evidence that the US currently supports Israel's efforts to dismantle Hezbollah and force it to disarm.In what is becoming a multi-front war, Iran and Saudi Arabia are probably the two key regional players. Continue reading...

Please don't tell anybody,' Russian president advised, according to new book from veteran Watergate reporter

Coleen Rooney's barrister says tab ran to two bottles of water, after Rebekah Vardy's lawyers call Rooney's legal costs extraordinary'Coleen Rooney's lawyers did not commit misconduct, a judge has ruled, after the lawyers were accused of knowingly misleading" Rebekah Vardy by allegedly deliberately understating her extraordinary" legal costs during their Wagatha Christie libel fight.Vardy, the wife of the Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy, lost the high-profile case in July 2022, having sued Rooney for libel. Continue reading...

Former security minister eliminated, leaving Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly and Kemi Badenoch in the runningTom Tugendhat has become the latest candidate eliminated from the Conservative leadership contest in a vote among Tory MPs, leaving Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly and Kemi Badenoch to fight it out for the job.Tugendhat finished fourth in the third round of MPs' voting, a result that had been expected. Another round on Wednesday will leave a final two candidates, from whom Conservative members will select a winner in a ballot. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Hollywood director is one of several leading creatives to speak of Bacon's influence ahead of an exhibition at the National Portrait GalleryHeath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was based on one of Francis Bacon's triptychs, the Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan has revealed ahead of a new exhibition of Bacon's work.Nolan is one of several leading creative figures who have spoken of Bacon's influence on their life and practice to mark the opening on Thursday of the National Portrait Gallery exhibition, Francis Bacon: Human Presence. Continue reading...

Country's new president to set out public security plans after murder of Alejandro Arcos Catalan in ChilpancingoMexico's new government has been shaken by the murder of a city mayor who was attacked and beheaded just days after taking office.Alejandro Arcos Catalan was sworn in as the mayor of Chilpancingo, the capital of the southern state of Guerrero, on 30 September, a day before Mexico's first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, took power herself. Continue reading...

Twenty-five MPs tell home secretary urgent reflection' is needed after report on origins of Windrush scandalTwenty-five black, Asian and minority ethnic MPs have written to the home secretary telling her that the framing of Britain's immigration legislation cannot be uncoupled from racism and the exclusion of people of colour".The MPs were responding to the publication last month of a previously suppressed Home Office report on the origins of the Windrush scandal, which highlighted how three decades of British immigration legislation between 1950 and 1981 were designed at least in part to reduce the number of people with black or brown skin who were permitted to live and work in the UK". Continue reading...

Deal for electric zero-emission vehicles worth 500m supports 500 jobs in Northern Ireland and 2,000 more across UK

Payouts at state-owned, commercially funded broadcaster come after its biggest job cuts for 15 years

Fast radio bursts identified by Prof Matthew Bailes and his team allow scientists to count number of atoms in the universe

Green campaigners welcome delay to 9bn road tunnel, but businesses say move is deeply concerning'

Government is drafting change that will require more vetting beyond existing checks for misconduct

Ten children reportedly among those killed during intense aerial campaigns last monthMyanmar's military has launched some of its heaviest aerial campaigns since the 2021 coup in recent months, killing at least 26 people in a series of attacks in early September.The military, which has repeatedly been accused of indiscriminate aerial bombardments, launched at least seven airstrikes in four days between 3 and 6 September. According to Unicef, 10 children were among those killed. A pregnant woman also lost her unborn child.

FTSE 100 company says profits will lower for the next three years because it underestimated building costs

Riyadh accused of killing hundreds of Ethiopian migrants, jailing women's rights advocates and murdering criticsSaudi Arabia is on the brink of being elected on to the United Nation's Human Rights Council, warn campaigners, in a move they say would undermine its ability to demand justice for rights violations and would feel like a slap in the face" to the many victims of the Saudi regime.While the Saudi Arabian government has attempted to present itself as a reformed country that has made progress on gender equality and human rights, its record on both has been fiercely criticised by activists. Continue reading...

Christian Bruckner found not guilty in Germany of three charges of aggravated rape and two of sexual abuseThe main suspect in the disappearance of the British toddler Madeleine McCann has been found not guilty of all charges in a separate rape and sexual abuse case.Christian Bruckner was acquitted by the district court in Braunschweig, northern Germany, of three charges of aggravated rape and two of sexual abuse of children in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. The 47-year-old could not be convicted of the acts he is accused of", the presiding judge, Uta Engemann, said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Environment groups urge government to stick to its promises and refuse pesticide applicationUK ministers are considering allowing the use of a bee-killing pesticide next year despite promising during the election to ban it.Neonicotinoids are banned in the EU because they are toxic to bees, but have been authorised for use every year in the UK since 2021. Continue reading...

Ex-PM criticises Starmer's decision to accept gifts, while defending award of PPE contracts during CovidKeir Starmer's decision to accept clothing freebies looks greedy", according to Boris Johnson.The former prime minister criticised his Labour successor's decision to accept gifts of clothing and glasses, saying Starmer must be worth a bob or two" as a result of his legal career. Continue reading...

Follow today's news live

Cambridge council says Glen Hutchinson's daughters cannot access flat until they have been granted probateThe family of a social housing tenant who has recently died fear losing his life's work because bureaucratic red tape has barred them from entering his flat.Glen Hutchinson, a performance poet, was found dead in his home in August but Cambridge city council has refused to allow his two daughters to access the property until it has been granted probate. Continue reading...

Financial pressures mean many councils are reluctant to issue top-up funding from high-needs budgets, say expertsPupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools are increasingly being refused additional funding from councils in England unless they have legal documents supporting their claims.Experts say that increasing financial pressures have made many councils reluctant to make top-up funding available from high-needs budgets - creating a vicious cycle" between parents and councils over who gets support. Continue reading...

Victorian government defends temporary' campus for University High year 9 pupils amid increase in enrolments

Youth advocates condemn $50m election pledge, likened to former Newman government's failed bootcamps, as overreach of power'

Zoe Daniel votes for motion condemning Hamas attacks and mourning Palestinians killed, saying the pain of more than one group can coexist'

In today's newsletter: Gray was supposed to help Starmer govern in a structured way. Three months into power and she is already out - what happened? Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Keir Starmer promised to usher in a new era of stability and moderation" when Labour won the election, after years of Conservative failure, chaos and division". His grownups are in charge' leadership style was supposed to mark the end of the psychodrama that dominated previous governments. Instead, in the first 100 days of Starmer's administration, the prime minister has had to contend with leaks, infighting and scandals about gifts from donors.Middle East | Israel launched an intense wave of air raids on southern Lebanon on Monday, with 100 aircraft targeting about 120 sites in the space of an hour, according to the Israeli military.US election | Kamala Harris in a 60 Minutes interview has defended her economic plans, refused to call the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, a close ally and said she would not meet with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, for peace talks if Ukraine was not also represented.Environment | The destruction of global forests increased in 2023 and is higher than when 140 countries promised three years ago to halt deforestation by the end of the decade, an analysis shows.Economy | Ticket sales for the Oasis reunion tour helped to increase non-essential spending by British consumers to the highest level this year in September, alongside a bumper month for retailers.Transport | Building HS2 all the way to London Euston and Crewe could save the government money by enabling it to lease the line out for much more, rail industry leaders have told ministers, as the Treasury weighs up whether to fund tunnels to central London. Continue reading...

Woman, 58, died in hospital nearly a week after being found at a Coffs Harbour property with severe facial injuries

Charity launches fundraising appeal to care for and document eclectic store of more than 1m artefactsAnimal bones found in the ruins of a North Yorkshire monastery that could, thrillingly, be the remains of England's last known wolf are part of the collection. As are a celebrated Vermeer masterpiece, the Duke of Wellington's false teeth, more than 60,000 coins and almost 300 dessert plates.It is eclectic," said Kevin Booth, English Heritage's head collections curator of the more than 1m objects in the charity's care. It is a slightly random collection and is just so intriguing. It is such a broad spectrum of material that has, in some ways, been accumulated, unlike a classic collection where there might be an element of selection." Continue reading...

Retail sales show strongest growth in six months as shoppers buy clothes and computers for new academic yearTicket sales for the Oasis reunion tour helped to increase non-essential spending by British consumers to the highest level this year in September, amid a bumper month for retailers.In a sign of resilience despite a pre-budget hit to consumer confidence, industry figures show retail sales and discretionary spending on entertainment, meals out and little luxuries rose sharply last month. Continue reading...

Oscar-winning actor speaks about the life-altering' operation she underwent in Mexico with no anaesthetic in 1964: How you can go back to that?'Sally Field has spoken about the hideous" and traumatic" illegal abortion she underwent as a 17-year-old in 1964, as she called on voters to get behind Kamala Harris in the upcoming US presidential election.The Oscar-winning actor first revealed her abortion in her 2018 memoir In Pieces, but wrote in the caption of her video, shared on Instagram, that she had been so hesitant to do this, to tell my horrific story". Continue reading...

Airline to pay 86,000 customers between $225 and $450 each, on top of previous refunds, as part of remediation

Critics of Chris Minns say singling out protests as a financial burden completely flies in the face of government obligations under human rights laws'

Marsupial caught on camera at Casula in city's south-west, where urban development threatens wildlife

Lamarre-Condon is charged with the domestic violence-related murders of former TV presenter Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies in Sydney

A mechanic working at the LAM museum in Lisse assumed the artwork, entitled All The Good Times We Spent Together, was rubbishA Dutch museum has recovered an artwork that looks like two empty beer cans after a staff member accidentally threw it in the rubbish bin thinking it was trash.The work, entitled All The Good Times We Spent Together by French artist Alexandre Lavet, appears on first glance to be two discarded and dented beer tins. Continue reading...

Move could unlock up to 57bn in additional spending on infrastructure in October's budgetRachel Reeves must decide by Wednesday whether to change the government's fiscal rules to potentially unlock up to 57bn in additional spending on infrastructure at this month's budget.Sources close to the Treasury said the chancellor would need to make a decision before submitting the major measures" for her tax and spending event on 30 October to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Continue reading...

Two other male occupants of Ford Fiesta pursued by police driver remain in hospital after crashAn investigation has been launched after a 17-year-old boy died after a police chase.The teenage passenger was one of three males taken to hospital after the crash outside Central Middlesex hospital in Harrow, north-west London, at about 5.25am on Monday, the Metropolitan police said. Continue reading...

Plans would put mayors at forefront of delivering public sector improvements in areas such as health and educationMayors should be given major new powers, according to a report by the Starmerite thinktank Labour Together, which comes as officials put the finishing touches to a devolution paper due in the coming weeks.The report recommends using city and regional mayors to road-test new public sector schemes before they are rolled out nationally, and giving them more control over their budgets and allowing them to commission more local public services. Continue reading...

Band will play Melbourne and Sydney in October and November 2025Oasis have expanded their phenomenally successful reunion tour to Australia, with a pair of gigs in Melbourne and Sydney.The band will play Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on 31 October 2025, followed by Sydney's Accor Stadium on 7 November. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 15 October, with hopeful fans now able to register for presale access. Continue reading...

Kais Saied secured 90.7% of the vote in election on a turnout of just 27.7%, after detaining rival Ayachi ZammelTunisia's president, Kais Saied, has secured a second five-year term with a landslide victory, although the election had one of the lowest turnouts in the north African country's history.The Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) declared on Monday evening that Saied had won 90.7% of the vote in Sunday's election, on a turnout of 27.7%. Continue reading...

New sighting of 34-year-old revealed in CCTV footage from Malton bus station, as officers focus on River Derwent areaPolice searching for Victoria Taylor have said there is no information to suggest any form of third-party involvement" in her disappearance, as they revealed a new sighting of the 34-year-old on the day she went missing.Taylor disappeared from her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on Monday 30 September, and a number of her personal possessions were found close to the River Derwent in the town. Continue reading...

Janine Parody billed surprised owner 500 for treatment of eight-month-old cat she could not bear to put downAn experienced vet has been reprimanded for taking home a patient's cat that she was told to euthanise and charging nearly 500 for the animal's care in Suffolk.Janine Parody decided against putting down the ill eight-month-old feline named Shadow in 2021 and, contrary to the owner's wishes, treated him. Continue reading...

Acclaimed gospel singer who performed with Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley dies in New Jersey hospice careCissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians such as Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91.Houston died on Monday morning in her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer's disease, her daughter-in-law, Pat Houston, told the Associated Press. The acclaimed gospel singer was surrounded by her family. Continue reading...

Linguistic body has relaxed rules on use of apostrophe to show possession, not traditionally correct in GermanA relaxation of official rules around the correct use of apostrophes in German has not only irritated grammar sticklers but triggered existential fears around the pervasive influence of English.Establishments that feature their owners' names, with signs like Rosi's Bar" or Kati's Kiosk" are a common sight around German towns and cities, but strictly speaking they are wrong: unlike English, German does not traditionally use apostrophes to indicate the genitive case or possession. The correct spelling, therefore, would be Rosis Bar", Katis Kiosk", or, as in the title of a recent viral hit, Barbaras Rhabarberbar. Continue reading...

Sources say Morgan McSweeney plans slew of changes as PM attempts to shore up top team after months of rowsKeir Starmer's new chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, is preparing to make radical changes" to the Downing Street operation as the prime minister attempts to shrug off internal rows and put a tumultuous period behind him.No 10 sources said that nothing was off the table" when it came to ensuring the machinery of government was fit for purpose, heralding a slew of changes that could reshape the Downing Street organisation. Continue reading...