World news | The Guardian

President's comments were greeted with laughter as diplomatic pressure valve finally released

Top transport safety regulator to determine if self-driving vehicles failed to follow traffic laws for stopped busesThe US's main transportation safety regulator said on Monday it had opened a preliminary investigation into about 2,000 Waymo self-driving vehicles after reports that the company's robotaxis may have failed to follow traffic safety laws around stopped school buses.The investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the latest federal review of self-driving systems as regulators scrutinize how driverless technologies interact with pedestrians, cyclists and other road users. Continue reading...

Charities accuse government of sliding backwards' on child mental health after ONS findingsSuicide rates among children and young people in England have increased by 50% in the last decade, figures show.The Office for National Statistics analysed data covering almost 12 million children and young people aged between 15 and 25 from 2011-12 to 2021-22. There were 4,315 suicides across the whole period.In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...

Father Ted co-creator to sue force for wrongful arrest after CPS drops proceedings over social media posts about trans issuesThe Met police have said they will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents as the Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan was informed that no further action would be taken after his arrest over social media posts.Five armed officers detained the 57-year-old comedy writer at Heathrow in September on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to three posts about trans issues. Continue reading...

Culture secretary responds to urgent question in Commons and says policing resources will not be an issue at matchThere will be two urgent questions in the Commons this afternoon, followed by a statement. Here is the running order.3.30pm: A Home Office minister will respond to a UQ from Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, about the China spy case.The family of Virginia Giuffre, whose life was destroyed, are angry and aghast. The public across these isles are angry and aghast and they both deserve to know that some MPs share their outrage.So I won't sit silent. If an act of parliament is required to strip the likes of Peter Mandelson and Prince Andrew of their titles then there can be no justification from this Labour government as to why that is not immediately happening.Public funds, police protection and royal privilege have long buffered Prince Andrew from the consequences of his actions. And we've paid for all this.I will support any efforts to hold royals to the same standards and laws as everyone else - parliament must have the power to remove privileges from abusers of position. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president will seek to win security guarantees at coalition of the willing' meeting before any US-Russia talks

Justice minister says we have failed' after thieves take seven minutes to steal priceless jewels from museum

Prisoners say they have no other option and issue demands to Home Office including immediate bailPro-Palestine Action activists have threatened to go on hunger strike on the anniversary of the Balfour declaration in protest against being held in prison while awaiting trial.Prisoners for Palestine have said an undisclosed number of inmates will begin an open-ended hunger strike on 2 November if their demands are not met. Continue reading...

US seeks to downplay seriousness of attacks over weekend as Palestinian officials arrive in Cairo for further peace talks

Group says it will release body on Monday evening as delay in returning hostage remains causes outrage in Israel. This live blog is closedThe Guardian's global affairs correspondent, Andrew Roth, has written an interesting profile on Jared Kushner in which he explores his central role in the ceasefire negotiations and his extensive business dealings in the Middle East. Here is a snippet:The soft-spoken heir to his father's real estate empire has quietly become a key conduit for Trump's outreach to the Middle East, leveraging his Rolodex of leaders in the region and positioning himself to win a lucrative windfall if the goal of redeveloping Gaza ever comes to fruition.It has been a notable return to the political fold after Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, effectively swore off politics after the January 6 riots at the US Capitol that followed Trump's loss in the 2020 elections. Continue reading...

Members of Reform's showcase county council will be investigated after evidence that they brought the party into disrepute'Reform UK has suspended four councillors on its showcase county council after a leaked video showing bitter divisions in their ranks.Councillors on Kent county council were seen in the footage, first published by the Guardian, complaining about backbiting" and being ignored by their leader, Linden Kemkaran, who told them to fucking suck it up" if they did not agree with decisions made by her. Continue reading...

Securing historic public-facing buildings has never been easy, and is even less so in times of economic constraintTo break into the world's most-visited museum in broad daylight, grab eight pieces of priceless Napoleonic jewellery and vanish into the Paris traffic on humble scooters may seem like the most audacious of crimes, carried out for international notoriety and ensuing Hollywood film treatments.Experts who observe trends in international art crime, however, see Sunday morning's heist at the Louvre as something more prosaic: the latest in a series of smash-and-grab thefts focused more on the material value of precious stones or metals than the artifacts' significance, continuing a pattern that has emerged over the last decade in Germany, Britain and the US. The location, they suggest, would have been of secondary concern to the criminals. Continue reading...

Comedy writer was arrested at Heathrow in September on suspicion of inciting violence over social media posts about trans issuesThe Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has said he will face no further action" after being arrested by the Metropolitan police at Heathrow in September on suspicion of inciting violence over social media posts about trans issues.More details soon ... Continue reading...

Source says working group stuck to requirement that definition must not interfere with freedom of speechA new definition of Islamophobia being considered by UK ministers is expected to protect the freedom to criticise Islam, the Guardian understands.The government launched a working group in February to define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim." Continue reading...

Documents indicate they came from Sde Teiman, which already faces allegations of torture and unlawful deaths

Patients who had more cells had better outcomes, particularly for aggressive types such as triple-negative breast cancerIn the 18th century, physicians noticed nuns had some of the highest rates of breast cancer. It was one of the earliest clues that led scientists to suspect that child-bearing and breastfeeding could protect against the disease.Modern data has confirmed the centuries-old observation but the biological reasons behind it have remained unclear. Explanations have often focused on pregnancy-related hormonal changes, but research published Tuesday in Nature has found breastfeeding provides long-lasting immune protection. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president criticises choice of Budapest as location for meeting as Trump suggests Kyiv must cede land to end warAn investigation into the Lisbon funicular crash will publish its first report today into the causes of the derailment, which killed 16 people in early September.Portugal's air and rail accident investigations bureau (GPIAAF) had previously found that a cable linking two cabins disconnected shortly before the September 3 crash, in a note published three days after the tragedy. Continue reading...

Volunteers defy their government and public opinion in China to risk their lives for an adversary of Beijing's main geopolitical partnerIn a war that has been characterised by merciless attacks on civilians, one of the worst took place on 8 July 2024. Russia missile strikes killed at least 43 people in cities across Ukraine in one of the deadliest days of the war last year. One of the most shocking blows was to the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in central Kyiv, which reduced the country's largest paediatric clinic to rubble.Tim, 43, was delivering aid on the outskirts of Kyiv when he heard a missile fly overhead. A short while later, he saw the news on his phone that the children's hospital had been hit. Along with a British friend, the Chinese national, who asked to be referred to by just his English name, rushed to the scene to help with the recovery efforts. Seeing the severed limbs, some of them belonging to children, I started crying," the father-of-two said, tears in his eyes at the memory. I thought about the kind of anger that Chinese people have. Once it's ignited ... It's intense. I decided to join the army." Continue reading...

Officials confirm reports that Takaichi's Liberal Democratic party will join forces with rightwing Nippon IshinSanae Takaichi is on course to become Japan's first female prime minister this week after her party agreed to form a new coalition with a minor party.Officials confirmed on Monday that Takaichi's Liberal Democratic party (LDP) had joined forces with the rightwing Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation party), which shares her hawkish stance on China and support for restrictions on immigration. Continue reading...

Tens of thousands evacuated amid significant damage from intense rainfall and storm surgeEight people have died and 27,000 have been evacuated after Tropical Storm Fengshen hit the Philippines during the weekend. Fengshen made landfall from the western Pacific Ocean near the municipality of Gubat on the southern tip of the island of Luzon, and while it remains on the weaker side in terms of sustained winds, the intense rainfall and a storm surge have caused significant damage across the region.Anticipated waves of 2 metres (6ft) led the Philippines weather bureau, Pagasa, to issue a risk warning of moderate coastal flooding for the region. Twenty-seven thousand people were evacuated from the Albay province because of these warnings and moved to a safer area further inland. Despite the precautionary measures, five people died when a tree fell on to a house near Pitogo on Sunday morning. Continue reading...

The actor has renewed his vocal opposition to the US president and spoken in support of the millions-strong No Kings' street protestsRobert De Niro has renewed his vocal opposition to Donald Trump, saying there's no other way to face a bully".The actor spoke to MSNBC on Sunday in support of the anti-Trump No Kings" protests, which saw millions take to the streets across the US. De Niro said there needed to be much more" resistance, adding: The politicians are going to recognise that: either face the wrath of Trump or the wrath of the people - and they have to be more afraid of the wrath of the people." Continue reading...

High-profile lawyer Sue Chrysanthou SC is representing the Central Land Council boss in the case against NT senator

Women's health academics at UCL call for national education programme to combat misinformation and unregulated adviceMillions of women are being exploited by a menopause gold rush" as companies, celebrities and influencers take advantage of a dearth" of reliable information on the issue, experts have said.Healthcare companies and content creators saw menopause as a lucrative market" and were trying to profit from gaps in public knowledge, women's health academics at UCL said. Continue reading...

Authorities say Emirates plane collided with patrol vehicle, taking it with it as it ditched in seaTwo people were killed in Hong Kong on Monday after a cargo plane hit a ground vehicle while trying to land and skidded off the runway into the sea.The Emirates airlines plane had flown in to Hong Kong international airport from Dubai at about 4am, when it veered off the runway and crashed through a fence, according to airport officials. It then collided with the security patrol car, taking the vehicle with it as it ditched into the sea. Continue reading...

Richard Marles condemns Chinese military after flares let off very close' to Australian surveillance aircraft over South China Sea

Discount retailer looks for successor for Mike Schmidt, who is stepping down as chief financial officer

Chief statistician David Gruen says bureau did not censor anyone and is trying to take the side of truth' after misuse of overseas arrivals figures

In today's newsletter: Trump's stance on the war continues to oscillate while Zelenskyy's infantry face gruelling stints at the zero line' amid increasingly lethal Russian attacksGood morning. It looked, for a moment, as if Donald Trump had finally taken a clear side in the war between Russia and Ukraine: with hints that he might be ready to provide Tomahawk missiles, and a vaunted White House meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, some observers thought he was on the brink of rowing in behind Ukraine in a decisive way.Then he got on the phone with Vladimir Putin, and agreed to a face-to-face meeting within the next two weeks. And, after the White House meeting on Friday, Trump downplayed the idea that the missiles would be provided. Later reports suggested that the meeting was a shouting match" in which Trump echoed Russian talking points and added: If [Putin] wants it, he will destroy you."Israel-Gaza war | Israel launched waves of lethal airstrikes on Sunday and cut off all aid into Gaza until further notice" after a reported attack by Hamas, in escalations that marked the most serious threat so far to the increasingly fragile ceasefire. Israel later said that it had begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire".Royals | The Metropolitan police are looking into claims that Prince Andrew asked his taxpayer-funded close protection officer to uncover information about Virginia Giuffre hours before the emergence of a bombshell picture of them together. The news follows Friday's announcement that Andrew had relinquished his royal titles.China-UK relations | Approving a Chinese super-embassy in east London could be unlawful if ministers gave Beijing assurances about the project in advance, a top planning lawyer has concluded. The news came as the government denied any political interference in the decision to drop charges against two men accused of spying for China.France | French police are hunting four thieves who carried out a highly professional daylight robbery on the Louvre, breaking into one of the museum's most ornate rooms and escaping with eight pieces of priceless" historic jewellery, including a necklace given by Napoleon to his wife.Reform UK | The leader of Reform UK's flagship local authority has told councillors that she has launched a hunt for the cowards" who leaked a recorded meeting in which she said those who disagreed with decisions would have to fucking suck it up". Bitter divisions among Reform members of Kent county council were laid bare at the weekend by the Guardian. Continue reading...

The prime minister says it is wonderful to be here' ahead of long-awaited meeting with the president in the Oval Office at the White House

Exclusive: Housing secretary and capital's mayor face calls from within party for rethink on homebuilding plansLabour MPs are urging ministers and the London mayor to drop controversial plans to reduce affordable housing quotas in the capital in order to boost homebuilding.MPs have said they are concerned about the proposals being drawn up by the housing secretary, Steve Reed, and the mayor, Sadiq Khan, in response to a sudden drop in new development in the capital. Continue reading...

Plans to secure loan with Russian funds moving to happy resolution', says Polish foreign ministerEuropean leaders, including in the UK, are increasingly confident a proposal to lend Ukraine 140bn (159bn) secured on frozen Russian central bank deposits can be agreed by the end of the year, in a move deemed critical for Kyiv to maintain its defence effort.Proposals from the European Commission were discussed at a meeting of G7 finance ministers in Washington last week and will be debated at an EU leaders summit on Thursday in Brussels. US participation remains uncertain. Continue reading...

AEC data shows $1.1m raised by Alex Dyson's campaign was left unspent, which he says was an administrative error

Trump made the comments after a tense meeting with Zelenskyy in which the Ukraine leader failed to secure supplies of Tomahawk missilesDonald Trump has suggested the best way to end the war in Ukraine would be to cut up" the country's Donbas region in a way that would leave most of it under Russian control, after reportedly pushing Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a White House meeting to give up swaths of territory.Let it be cut the way it is," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. It's cut up right now," he said, adding that you can leave it the way it is right now". Continue reading...

Multiple locations across Australia's eastern states are facing temperatures up to 18C above average over the coming week, BoM says

Burning object made of carbon fibre discovered on desert road near mine site close to Newman on Saturday

Sunday's election marked the first time since 2005 that no candidate from Evo Morales' Mas party was on the ballotCentre-right senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira, 58, won Bolivia's presidential runoff on Sunday and will be the country's next president, marking a shift to the right after nearly 20 years of dominance by the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas) party.With just over 97% of ballots counted in the electoral court's preliminary" tally, Paz Pereira secured 54.6% of the vote, while rightwing former president Jorge Tuto" Quiroga received 45.4%. Continue reading...

Post-summer bounce in activity fails to materialise as buyers and sellers, in the south especially, opt to wait and see'The UK's housing market is showing signs of slowing down amid speculation that Rachel Reeves could announce tax increases on property in next month's budget.In a sign of growing caution among house hunters, figures from Rightmove showed that both the number of new buyers contacting estate agents about homes for sale, and the number of new sellers coming to market, slumped by 5% in September compared with the same month a year earlier. Continue reading...

Former Nationals leader insists nothing locked in' for next step after announcing intention to leave party

Ukraine's president calls for meeting of European-led coalition of the willing' on his return from talks with TrumpUkraine's president has urged allies against appeasing Russia after returning from a trip to the US, where he failed to secure long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles.Volodymyr Zelenskyy had flown to Washington after weeks of calls for the weaponry, hoping to capitalise on Donald Trump's growing frustration with Vladimir Putin after a summit in Alaska failed to produce a breakthrough in the war. Continue reading...

IDF says attack followed Hamas forces killing two soldiers, but both sides say they are committed to ceasefireIsrael launched waves of lethal airstrikes on Sunday and cut off all aid into Gaza until further notice" after a reported attack by Hamas, in escalations that marked the most serious threat so far to the increasingly fragile ceasefire in the devastated territory.Two Israeli soldiers, including an officer, were killed in the Hamas attack. Palestinian officials said dozens died in the retaliatory airstrikes. Continue reading...

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Veteran leftwinger Tufan Erhurman wins after campaign on reviving stalled talks to reunify islandTurkish Cypriots have handed the pro-European leftwing leader Tufan Erhurman a resounding victory in a presidential poll likely to inject renewed vigour into the deadlocked peace process on Cyprus.Erhurman, 55, who campaigned on reviving stalled UN-brokered talks to reunify the island, defeated the incumbent nationalist, Ersin Tatar, by nearly 27 percentage points - a landslide win that surprised even his most ardent supporters. Continue reading...

Calls grow for parliamentary rule changes to strip Andrew of titles and ask questions of royalsParliament is under mounting pressure to examine what the royal family knew about Prince Andrew's links to Jeffrey Epstein and introduce a mechanism to strip him of his titles.There were calls on Sunday night for Andrew to face a police investigation and for ancient rules barring parliament from freely scrutinising royals and formally removing their titles to be revisited. Continue reading...

Necklace given by Napoleon to his wife among items taken from Paris museum in highly professional daylight raidFrench police are hunting four thieves who carried out a highly professional daylight raid on the Louvre, breaking into one of the museum's most ornate rooms and escaping with eight pieces of priceless" historic jewellery, including a necklace given by Napoleon to his wife.The world's most-visited museum was suddenly closed for the day on Sunday after the break-in targeted pieces in two glass cases in its Apollon gallery, where the French crown jewels are held. Continue reading...

Trump's 20-point plan is forcing regional rivals to set aside differences and collaborate after years of competition

Nu-metal group says Rivers brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced'Sam Rivers, the bassist and backing vocalist of the US nu-metal group Limp Bizkit, has died at the age of 48, the band has said.Limp Bizkit announced the death in a social media post, describing Rivers as the band's heartbeat" but not disclosing where Rivers died or the circumstances. Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat," the band wrote. Continue reading...

Former French president set to start five-year sentence for scheme to obtain campaign funds from Muammar Gaddafi's regimeThe former French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, will go to prison on Tuesday after a court sentenced him to five years for criminal conspiracy over a scheme to obtain election campaign funds from the regime of the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.Sarkozy, who was the rightwing president of France between 2007 and 2012, will become the first former head of an EU country to serve time in prison, and the first French postwar leader to be jailed. Continue reading...

Five Yemenis and 15 foreign workers held as Iran-backed group steps up its campaign against international agenciesHouthi rebels have detained 20 employees at a UN facility in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen.They are holding five Yemenis and 15 international workers but released another 11 after questioning them on Sunday. It was the second raid on a UN building in Sana'a in 24 hours. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Mandatory company disclosures show one bonus amounted to $2.5m, more than double their annual salary

Fake reviews, forged certificates and stolen corporate identities being used to lure victims, KwikChex findsSuspected scam investment companies are exploiting Trustpilot's review system by giving themselves five-star ratings to persuade would-be investors that they are legitimate businesses, a report has warned.An investigation by the verification firm KwikChex found operators using fake reviews, forged certificates and stolen corporate identities to lure victims. Continue reading...