The Guardian World

Jump fuelled by fears of further Middle East supply disruptions amid reports of US-Israeli plans to strike Iran European gas prices have jumped to levels not seen since 2022 as fears continue to grow around the continent’s supply this winter and ongoing conflict in the Middle East.Wholesale gas prices hit €97 (£81) per megawatt-hour on Monday, as temperatures across Europe fell and traders priced in stronger demand for heating. Continue reading...

PM says talking about changing the relationship with the bloc would not be divisive but ‘can start to bring people together’Andy Burnham’s pledge to reindustrialise Britain is doomed to fail unless it is driven decisively from his new No 10 North outpost in Manchester, a group of more than 90 backbench Labour MPs is warning. Heather Stewart has the story.Andy Burnham has said the budget will set out a “path” to higher defence spending. Continue reading...

Hopes raised for a reset in relations with EU and other partners following the defeat of authoritarian presidentSerbian leader ousted by student movement in seismic electionPress freedom organisation Reporters without Borders welcomed the defeat of “press freedom predator” Aleksandar Vučić and said it offered “a historic opportunity to restore media freedom.”Here is their first take on last night’s results:“The defeat of press freedom predator Aleksandar Vucic by the opposition movement Student

Industrial action by senior doctors to begin on 25 November, with only emergency cover provided, union saysSenior doctors in England plan to go on strike for two days in November, the British Medical Association has said.The industrial action by consultants is to begin at 6.59am on 25 November, with only emergency cover to be provided. Continue reading...

Rapid Support Forces strike five power stations in three states controlled by Sudanese armySudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have launched a coordinated drone attack against five power stations, causing mass power outages across the country’s east, a government official said.The drones hit two power stations each in the states of Al-Jazira and Gedaref and one in White Nile state, “resulting in power outages across large parts of these three states”, the official said on condition of anon

Faced with a stagnant jobs market, many are spurning children or pets in favour of ‘raising bricks’Chinese young adults looking for a cheaper, low-maintenance alternative to having pets or children have found an answer: raising bricks.Bricks may not be as cuddly as cats or as life-affirming as human offspring, but they also cost next to nothing. “No cats, no dating, I started raising a brick,” wrote one brick parent on social media. Continue reading...

Ninety-plus Labour MPs warn civil service lacks skills to drive growth where it is needed and plan should be steered by Louis Haigh from ManchesterBusiness live – latest updatesAndy Burnham’s pledge to reindustrialise Britain is doomed to fail unless it is driven decisively from his new No 10 North outpost in Manchester, a group of more than 90 backbench Labour MPs is warning.The PM has suggested that rebuilding the UK’s industrial capacity will be central to meeting his pledge to bring “good gr

EU exit has damaged economy and failed to bring promised benefits, says PM, but he rules out big pre-election changesUK politics live – latest updatesEurope live – latest updatesBrexit has not “played out” like it was promised to the public, has weakened the economy and the current deal is not good enough, Andy Burnham has said, while ruling out any major changes in the current parliament.The prime minister said Britain had ended up with a “harder Brexit than was proposed in the referendum campa

With industrial action over job cuts heading into its 21st week, students at famed London college are unhappyStudents arriving at Goldsmiths, University of London this autumn found a campus embroiled in a bitter industrial dispute that has upended timetables and disrupted courses.“I was really excited to start my studies at Goldsmiths,” one international student told the Guardian at a gathering of unhappy students on Friday. “But when I first arrived, I was quite shocked because almost all the i

Many rivers and roads left flooded after torrential downpours across QueenslandGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man’s body has been found in flood waters following an unusual weather system that delivered multiple storms and a days-long deluge to parts of Australia.Emergency services were called to a creek at Boompa on Queensland’s Fraser Coast shortly after 11am on Monday after reports a man had been found unresponsive. Continue reading...

Families forced to flee as Netanyahu tries to prove security credentials after two Israeli soldiers killed days before electionHebron, the biggest city in the West Bank, had paid little attention to Israel’s looming elections until it found itself suddenly in the midst of them, a proving ground for Benjamin Netanyahu’s security credentials in the run-up to Tuesday’s vote.A gun attack on an Israeli military checkpoint on Friday in which two soldiers were killed brought immediate televised visits

Calculations from the Center for Global Development say spending next year is likely to be £410m less than anticipatedThe UK is on course to miss its target of spending 0.3% of national income on international aid by an estimated £400m by the end of next year.Calculations from the Center for Global Development (CGD) found the UK was on course for a large shortfall in promised official development assistance at the end of 2027. Continue reading...

This blog is now closedGet our daily political email, free app or daily news podcastSteggall calls for civility and respectIndependent MP Zali Steggall has called for more respect in times of disagreement, telling ABC that leadership and words matter.We absolutely need to make sure there is more civility and respect.Social media is a platform where they can send abuse and threats through direct messages, call my electorate office, or send pretty revolting stuffIt’s just quite shocking how discon

In today’s newsletter: As Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured victory in the presidential race, we look the implications for democracy, the environment and international relationsGood morning. Chances are you woke this morning to news of two momentous election results. In Serbia, a student-led movement has ousted the country’s long-serving leader, Aleksandar Vučić (which you can read more about here). And just hours ago, Brazil’s president staged a sensational turnaround against his far-right oppo

Zali Steggall and Monique Ryan say Coalition leader was wrong to deny link between parliamentary debate and political violenceAngus Taylor has been criticised for his response to the alleged attack on Helen Haines, with crossbenchers Monique Ryan and Zali Steggall labelling a speech by the opposition leader “tone deaf” and saying he did not “read the room”.Parliament returned in Canberra on Monday, a week after an alleged attack outside the Indi MP’s northern Victorian electorate office, which l

Exclusive: Ministers planning overhaul of apprenticeship funding to increase cost of over-25s training, Guardian understandsBritain’s largest employers have told the government that forcing businesses to pay more to train older workers risks damaging its goal to tackle the youth jobs crisis.The Guardian understands ministers plan to overhaul Labour’s apprenticeship funding scheme to increase the cost of training a worker over the age of 25 in England by 25%, to encourage firms to train young peo

Robert John Crawford on trial after wife found near ride-on lawnmower on their Toowoomba propertyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA former RAAF pilot was a “love rat” and “master manipulator” who staged his wife’s death to make it appear like an accident, a jury has heard.Robert John Crawford, 49, pleaded not guilty on Monday to murdering his wife, Frances Elizabeth Crawford, at Upper Lockyer on 29 July 2024. Continue reading...

Nobel peace prize winner’s return after almost a year in exile is unlikely to please interim president Delcy RodríguezThe Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado, has announced she has returned to Venezuela almost a year after she left the country to receive the Nobel peace prize.“I’m here. With you,” she wrote on X on Sunday lunchtime. Continue reading...

Victorian coroner hears Emily Lal told Stacey Warnecke that her ‘condition and mindset’ needed to be ‘solid’ to avoid a hospital birthFollow our Australia politics live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA birthkeeper who allegedly “groomed” pregnant women to fear hospital could be referred to prosecutors to face potential criminal charges, a Victorian coroner has heard.Stacey Warnecke died in September 2025 at Frankston hospital in Melbourne after

Leftist incumbent Lula says unprecedented comeback was a ‘defeat for denialism’ as Bolsonaro refuses to accept election resultLula wins election in stunning comeback – live updatesLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, has staged a dramatic election fightback, defeating his far-right opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro, to claim a historic fourth term in power.With 100% of votes counted the 80-year-old leftist received 4.4m votes more than Bolsonaro, with a 51.79% share to his 45-year-old ri