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Politics
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Ukrainian soldiers in combat have access to Starlink satellite internet restricted
Outage of terminals managed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX comes as Russia launches ballistic missiles at Ukraine without any advance warning from US Ukrainian soldiers in combat have suddenly had their access to Starlink satellite internet terminals restricted as the Trump administration has increased pressure on Ukraine to halt long-range strikes on Russia’s oil industry immediately. The terminals, which are distributed and managed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, are a key component of Ukraine’s military operations and the sudden restrictions on the high-speed terminals on Tuesday evening led to the failure of several combat missions, said an adviser on military technology to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Continue reading...
Burnham says UK to increase supply of anti-drone missiles to Ukraine, ahead of PMQs and Zelenskyy – UK politics live
Prime minister to face MPs at PMQs before hosting Ukraine’s president in London Good morning. Andy Burnham is taking PMQs this afternoon, but he will regard his most important engagement as the meeting he has with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, later in No 10. Peter Walker has a preview. When Keir Starmer talked about his best achievements, he said one of the things he was most proud of was being able to embrace Zelenskyy outside No 10 only 24 hours after President Trump humiliated him in the Oval Office as an unequivocal show of UK support for Ukraine. The circumstances are not exactly the same today, but Trump called for Zelenskyy to be replaced at the weekend, and Burnham is signalling he does not agree. Our rock-solid support to Ukraine is vital for keeping us safe here in the UK and ensuring those on the frontlines have the equipment they need to push back Russia. My message to the Ukrainian people could not be clearer, we are with you for as long as it takes, and we will go further and faster in our support to back your courageous fight for peace in Europe. The [Russian] drones are faster and can fly far higher than propeller-driven Shaheds, making them harder to detect and destroy before they hit targets. The UK has already committed £1.6 billion to deliver more than 5,000 LMMs to Ukraine over the next four years and will accelerate £10m of the £45m package of missiles announced today to meet Ukraine’s most urgent winter requirements. Continue reading...
Labor’s bill to cut private health insurance rebate blocked by Greens over pensioner carve-out
Almost 80,000 older Australians expected to end private health cover by 2028-29 as a result of Albanese government’s proposal Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Labor’s bid to cut the private health insurance rebate for over-65s has been blocked in parliament, with the Greens insisting they will withhold support unless pensioners receive a carve-out from the new rules. The proposed changes, which were due to take effect from April 2027, would save the federal budget $3bn. Continue reading...
Russia showing ‘ostentatious disrespect’ towards US with latest attacks on Ukraine, Zelenskyy says – Europe live
Zelenskyy says Russia attacked ‘infrastructure covered by the ceasefire announced by the American president’ “Russia has never before shown such ostentatious disrespect toward the United States,” Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, after a night of relentless attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure, despite Donald Trump’s claims of an energy ceasefire. “A targeted Russian ballistic missile strike specifically against energy infrastructure – the very infrastructure covered by the ceasefire announced by the American President. The strike was entirely deliberate and demonstrative in its scale, ” he said. “ Our defence forces received no warning about this restriction, and it led to the disruption of a number of missions. Clearly, this action cannot be a coincidence and is linked to the current political situation.” Continue reading...
John Healey ‘targets tax crackdown on online marketplaces’ in first budget
Firms such as Amazon and eBay would be responsible for collecting tax owed by retailers selling on their platforms A tax crackdown on online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay that could raise up to £1bn more for the Treasury is reportedly being drawn up for John Healey’s first budget. The chancellor is said to be preparing to announce that online marketplaces will be made responsible for collecting tax owed by retailers selling on their platforms. Continue reading...
Video recording device found in cabin of HMAS Leeuwin navy ship in Cairns
Defence announcement comes after Jacqui Lambie tells parliament a camera had been found concealed in a women’s shower on board Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A “video recording device” was found in the cabin of an Australian navy ship in Cairns, the defence department has revealed, just hours after senator Jacqui Lambie alleged in parliament that a camera had been found concealed in a women’s shower on the vessel. The department confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that a device had been found aboard the HMAS Leeuwin three days earlier. In a statement after Guardian Australia had contacted the department for response to Lambie’s allegations, a spokesperson said police were investigating but did not reveal further details about where the device was located. Continue reading...
This civil war on the British right is a charade – its politics are more united than ever | Jonathan Liew
Don’t be fooled by its bickering leaders. Their calibrated fake fighting will probably end in coalition Kapow! In a warmly received conference speech, Kemi Badenoch turns her fire on Reform UK, describing it as “weird”, and ruling out an electoral pact. Slap! Not to be outdone, her former colleague Robert Jenrick derides Badenoch as a champion of the wealthy, which is quite rich for a guy who looks like he’s just accidentally ingested a bundle of £50 notes through his sphincter. Bosh! Reform’s Richard Tice and Restore’s Rupert Lowe clash online over the result of a council byelection in Derbyshire, in which the Greens profited from a split rightwing vote. “Vote Restore get Islamists,” Tice chides. “Vote Reform, get some random Bangladeshi bloke,” Lowe responds. Meanwhile, the Conservatives are back. The Kemibounce is real. The Keminaissance is true. We’ve all got a severe case of the Kemirrhoids. And you may wonder why much of the media are talking about a Badenoch revival in a year where her party lost 563 councillors and 40% of its councils, remains about four points below its apparent nadir of 2024, and in which the leader herself appears incapable of doing a broadcast interview without looking like a restaurant diner who received exactly what she ordered and is inexplicably furious at it. The point is that the Conservatives are a serious party of government again, and the reason is that we all said so. Continue reading...
Scale back on hake and coley, seafood charity tells shoppers
Declining stocks and increased fishing pressure have led to lower sustainability ratings for two popular cod alternatives UK shoppers have previously been urged to avoid UK-caught cod and to buy European hake or coley instead – but now these fish are in trouble, too. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), an environmental charity, publishes its Good Fish Guide to help consumers and businesses make sustainable seafood choices. It uses a traffic-light system to rate seafood according to the health of fish stocks and environmental impact. Continue reading...
Pollinating insects flock to plants gardeners might think of as ‘weeds’
Citizen scientists on UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme recorded insect visits to flowers during 10-minute surveys Ubiquitous urban plants often derided as “weeds” are the most attractive to pollinating insects. The autumn blooms of common ivy, rich in pollen and nectar, are the most visited by insects including bees and butterflies, according to an eight-year study. Continue reading...
Decoding America: Everything you need to know about the midterms – video
In this episode of Guardian Australia’s US politics podcast, co-hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy take a look at the midterms, which are coming up in early November. All 435 house seats are up in this election as representatives only serve fixed two-year terms. In the Senate, 35 of 100 seats are up for grabs too, as senators serve six-year terms. There are many predictions of a blue wave – a big win for the Democrats, who are tipped to take back the House and Senate. But are pollsters being too optimistic? What are the factors that could instead allow the Republican party and the Trump administration to hold onto power in Congress? They also look at why the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, has been ousted from her job – and whether criticism of the new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, is fair Abdul El-Sayed: Democrats must ‘win by massive numbers’ to fend off Trump election denial Federal judge orders temporary halt to taxpayer-funded pro-Trump TV ads Continue reading...
Businesses could be barred from non-essential water use amid supply threat
Golf clubs, private schools and car washes may face tighter rules from water companies as England’s drought continues Three water companies are seeking to impose severe restrictions on businesses as the drought continues across most of England, putting rivers and wildlife under huge pressure. Golf clubs and private schools could be barred from using mains water to irrigate playing fields and courses, and commercial car washes stopped from operating, under “non-essential use bans” being sought by the companies. Continue reading...
Ukrainian soldier to go on trial over sabotage of Nord Stream gas pipelines
Special forces officer Serhii Kuznetsov denies involvement in the 2022 blasts that left pipelines badly damaged A Ukrainian soldier is to go on trial in Hamburg accused of taking part in one of the most brazen acts of sabotage in postwar European history – the 2022 attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany. Serhii Kuznetsov, a special forces officer from the Ukrainian military, is accused by prosecutors of being an accomplice to war crimes by attacking civilian infrastructure, causing an explosion, damaging property and disrupting public services. Continue reading...
Australian industry reliant on gas for ‘foreseeable future’, resources minister tells press club
Madeleine King says national gas reservation scheme, expected to come into effect from 2028, will reduce power prices Follow our Australian politics live blog for latest updates Get our new political email , free app or daily news podcast The resources minister, Madeleine King, says Australian industry will be reliant on gas for the “foreseeable future”, and that the national gas reservation scheme will push down power prices. But the Western Australian MP did not put a price tag on the cost of gas under the proposal– as the former opposition leader, Peter Dutton, once did – nor predict when households and businesses would start to see that financial relief. Continue reading...
Wednesday briefing: Why small boat crossings are here to stay
In today’s newsletter: The collapse of the UK’s ‘one in, one out’ asylum deal with France exposes the limits of border enforcement that did little to stop crossings, and only made them more dangerous Good morning. You’d be forgiven for missing it. Earlier this month, the government quietly scrapped its “one in, one out” deal with France. The partnership was supposed to eliminate small boat crossings by deterring asylum seekers from making the treacherous journey across the world’s busiest shipping channel. The deal, which lasted just 423 days, was beset with problems, had a negligible impact, and now joins a long list of policies that have tried and failed to address highly visible, often tragic small boat crossings. This morning, the Home Office announced that it would be doubling the number of riot police along the French coast in lieu of the deal. UK news | Extremists holding anti-immigration opinions are becoming increasingly likely to consider carrying out terrorist attacks against immigration centres and asylum hotels, the head of MI5 has warned. UK politics | Nigel Farage has denied that a Reform UK government would authorise lethal force against small boat crossings in the Channel. Ukraine | Andy Burnham will host Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Downing Street on Wednesday as the UK seeks to further underline its support for the Ukrainian president, in contrast to his difficulties with Donald Trump. US politics | Kimberly Guilfoyle is stepping down as US ambassador to Greece after weeks of reports that she sought payment from a Trump donor in exchange for access to administration officials. Pope Leo XIV | Pope Leo has lung cancer , the Vatican said late on Tuesday. Leo, 71, underwent an operation and had the lower lobe of his right lung removed, with tests confirming a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said. Continue reading...
Trump urges Alaskans to vote for the ‘real’ Dan Sullivan in tight midterms battle
Republican senator Dan S Sullivan is vying for re-election against Democrat Mary Peltola – and another candidate called Dan J Sullivan Donald Trump has encouraged Alaskans to vote for the “real” Dan Sullivan, as he sought a breakthrough for the Republican incumbent senator in a tightly fought Senate race complicated by a rival candidate with a near-identical name. Sullivan’s re-election campaign this year against Democrat Mary Peltola, a former US House lawmaker, has turned into one of the most hotly contested battles of the midterm elections, in which Democrats are hoping to seize back control of Congress and hamper Trump for the final two years of his presidency. Continue reading...
Leaders of India’s Cockroach party jailed for violating ban on protest site
Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das will spend spend five days in prison for entering Delhi’s Jantar Mantar – a historic protest site that has been closed by authorities Two leaders of India’s youth-led Cockroach movement have been sent to jail for five days for violating a ban on protests at a site in central Delhi. A court ordered that Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, leaders of the Cockroach Janata party (CJP) movement, spend five days in Delhi’s Tihar prison for jumping over police barricades, holding up slogans and waving the Indian flag at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Continue reading...
Barriers facing black and south Asian music events ‘cost London up to £141m a year’
Exclusive: Investigation finds racial inequality in live music industry rife and many genres labelled ‘high risk’ despite lack of evidence Black and south Asian music events in London face disproportionate cancellations, restrictions and licensing barriers compared with white events, according to a two-year investigation into racial inequality in the capital’s live music industry. The Race Equality in Music Event Licensing (REMEL) report, led by Black Lives in Music, estimates that cancellations, displacement and events prevented from taking place cost London £127m to £141m annually, with projected losses exceeding £650m over five years. Continue reading...
Global financial system is failing developing countries, says Ed Miliband
UK foreign secretary will call for World Bank and others to help governments trapped by hefty borrowing costs The foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, will claim the global financial system is failing developing countries, as he calls for a “new deal” for governments struggling under the burden of debt. Promising to throw the UK’s diplomatic weight behind urgent reform, he will evoke the example of the Gleneagles summit under the last Labour government in 2005 – the culmination of the Make Poverty History campaign. Continue reading...
UK will not put tariffs on Chinese vehicles, says Jonathan Reynolds
Exclusive: Business secretary says he will not change trade rules due to EU pressure and denies UK will become a ‘back door’ for cheap imports The business secretary has hit back at European demands for British tariffs on Chinese imports, saying the government will not change its trade rules because of pressure from Brussels. Jonathan Reynolds warned that the government would not bow to calls from other countries for the UK to hit Chinese vehicles with import taxes, despite political pressure to align with the EU in exchange for deeper future economic ties. Continue reading...
Palantir is worming its way into the British state – it’s time to curb this controversial US company’s influence | George Monbiot
Tom Watson has said ‘mob rule’ must not decide public contracts. Perhaps he should take a look at his new employer What a world we live in. Imagine: gangs dragging civil servants off commuter trains and beating them up because they handed government data jobs to the wrong contractor – and the government is changing its procurement decisions as a result. Well, OK, it might not have happened yet, but it’s only a matter of time. As the former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson asks : “Do you want to let the rule of law lead procurement practice, or do you want mob rule to lead procurement practices?” No, I absolutely don’t want the latter, and it’s always good to get ahead of trouble. But then I remember there are two common meanings of mob rule. One is intimidation by crowds of thugs. The other is a pejorative term for democracy. And while I’ve yet to see government procurement practices in the UK determined by pitchforks and flaming torches, democratic transparency could be a genuine threat to certain contractors. One might have hoped that Watson, who once took on the Murdoch empire , would have recognised the distinction. But then again, one might have hoped that Watson would not have taken a job as a senior vice-president at Palantir. Continue reading...
Judge extends White House access to banned media outlets CNN, MS Now and Politico
District court judge Timothy Kelly was ruling after the Trump administration blocked access to the three outlets in September A federal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to continue allowing journalists from CNN, MS Now and Politico to access the building as the media coalition’s lawsuit against the Trump administration plays out. Timothy Kelly, a district court judge, had on 24 September granted a 14-day reprieve for the news organizations, which six days earlier had been banned by the president in an extraordinary move from entering the White House grounds “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS”. Continue reading...
$20m public liability insurance to rally in a park: how council red tape hinders the right to protest
Public gatherings stymied by bureaucracy, Australian Democracy Network and Deakin University researchers find Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Council red tape is stymieing the right to protest, a report has said, after a regional New South Wales council told a protest organiser they needed a $20m public liability insurance policy to hold a rally in a park. A report released on Wednesday, co-authored by Australian Democracy Network (ADN) and Deakin University’s Centre for Law as Protection, raised concerns about incidents in which councils have required protest organisers to obtain insurance when rallies are held on council land. It also expressed concern about the power some regional and urban councils have to issue financial penalties if public gatherings are held without a council permit. Continue reading...
Iranian woman handed death sentence for ‘blasphemy’ in social media post
Rights groups warn of Tehran regime’s increasing use of executions to suppress dissent, with at least 600 this year Human rights groups have raised the alarm over the growing number of death sentences and executions in Iran, after reports that a 23-year-old woman, Najmeh Amini, has been sentenced to death for blasphemy over a social-media post. Amini, an accounting student, is being held in Vakilabad prison in the north-east city of Mashhad. She has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison and death in separate cases heard by a revolutionary and a criminal court. Continue reading...
Ukraine is littered with landmines on a scale last seen in Vietnam. How can they be removed?
Faced with deadlier threats, demining groups are coming up with new ways of working using drones and AI Crouched over on her hands and knees in a field of weeds, Olena Kabanova is digging into the ground. With a shovel and a steady hand, the 58-year-old digs out a neat square around the spot where a mine detector has sensed a suspicious object. Four years ago, this field in eastern Ukraine was occupied by Russian soldiers. Now back under Ukrainian control, it is littered with landmines. Civilians such as Kabanova are trying to make the land usable again. Continue reading...