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BMW warns on profits as it counts cost of plan for 8,000 job cuts
German carmaker slashes profit margin to between -0.5% and 0.5% this year in face of competition from China The German carmaker BMW has issued its second profit warning in a year, blaming the costs of a restructuring programme including significant job losses in the face of continuing competition from China. The company is the latest to issue a profit downgrade in the German car sector, with Mercedes-Benz last week cutting its profit outlook. Western automakers have struggled to keep pace with lower-cost domestic rivals in China, which has led to reduced sales there and a rise in exports to Europe. Continue reading...
Firework noise limit should be drastically cut to protect wild animals, UK government told
Ministers urged to go further than proposed cut to 110 decibels to ease acute stress on birds and others animals Campaigners are calling on the government to protect the welfare of wild animals by cutting the maximum noise level of fireworks sold to the public from 120 to 90 decibels. The Center for Wild Animal Welfare (CWAW) has said lowering the limit to 90 decibels – which is about one-eighth of the loudness of 120 decibels – would help to protect millions of wild animals from acute stress by reducing the area over which a firework disturbs surrounding wildlife. Continue reading...
Ten historic firsts: the winning US midterm candidates making waves
US voters elected the first black female governor and the first Muslim to the Senate on a night of history The US midterm elections have ushered in a slew of historic wins, shattering racial and gender ceilings, among other barriers, for races at the state and national level. Here are some of the ways winning candidates are making history: Continue reading...
US midterm elections 2026: is this the end of Trump? - podcast
The Democrats have had a resounding win, taking control of the Senate and the House of Representatives in a historic midterms result. Hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy examine what went wrong for the Republicans and why voters turned out in droves to deliver the blue wave so many predicted. But perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was Donald Trump accepting the result and vowing to work with the Democrats. So will he? Or could this make him more dangerous? Read more: Democrats win control of Senate as US voters reject Trump’s agenda US voters rebuke Trump as Democrats win control of Congress in ‘blue wave’ Analysis: Resounding wins for Democrats a wholesale rebuke of Trump’s Maga movement Continue reading...
First Thing: Democrats sweep into control of Congress after historic midterm victories
Both the House and Senate will be under Democratic control for the rest of Donald Trump’s term in office. Plus, the French Homer and Marge who found true love in real life Continue reading...
Woman charged over alleged stalking and attempted extortion of Greens senator Jordon Steele-John
Exclusive: Police will allege the woman, 40, is the former partner of Steele-John and she is expected to face court in Perth on Thursday A 40-year-old woman has been arrested and charged by Western Australian police for allegedly stalking and attempting to extort the Greens senator Jordon Steele-John. WA police said on Wednesday detectives from the family violence investigation squad charged the Perth woman with one count of aggravated stalking with intent to intimidate and one count of demanding property by written threats, commonly known as extortion. Continue reading...
The new Congress must hold Trump accountable | Claire Finkelstein
An impeachment investigation would enhance transparency and allow Congress to reassert its authority In Tuesday’s midterm elections, voters sent the Republican party an unmistakable message: their love affair with Trumpism is coming to an end. The overwhelming victory for Democrats in both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, was foreshadowed by a number of polls showing growing disenchantment with Donald Trump – and it was personal. Continue reading...
‘The point was to dehumanise’: London Holocaust archive examines world’s first ‘viral’ antisemitism scandal
Dreyfus affair has echoes of how anti-Jewish hatred manifests itself today, say curators at Weiner Library It was the world’s first experience of antisemitism “gone viral”, said Barbara Warnock, co-director of the oldest Holocaust archive, the Wiener Holocaust Library, in London. It was 1894 and printing presses were faster than ever before. France’s prohibitive censorship laws had been lifted, and then along came the Dreyfus affair: a public shouting match that followed the wrongful conviction for treason of Alfred Dreyfus, a 36-year-old French army captain. Continue reading...
‘A true icon of the hair industry’: celebrity hairstylist John Frieda dies aged 75
Businessman styled stars such as Twiggy, Madonna and Joanna Lumley and created popular hair care line Frizz Ease John Frieda, the celebrity hairstylist who launched his own bestselling hair product range, has died aged 75. In an Instagram post, his salon wrote: “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that our dear John passed away peacefully … surrounded by his family. Continue reading...
US dollar slides after Democrats’ midterm election win as growth fears rise
Concern over greater AI regulation, while investors move into US treasuries as Trump faces political gridlock Business live – latest updates US midterm elections – live updates The US dollar has fallen sharply after the Democrats won control of the Senate and the House in the midterm elections, sparking fears that greater regulation of AI could slow economic growth. The dollar hit a one-month low on Wednesday while coming under pressure from falling bond yields, as investors moved into US treasuries, viewed as a safe haven from the political gridlock anticipated during the rest of Donald Trump’s final term in office. Continue reading...
Tell us: how do you feel about the US midterm election results?
We’d like to hear from people in the US and around the world about their reactions to the results and what they could mean for the future We’d like to hear from people in the US and around the world about their reactions to the midterm election results, which saw Democrats win control of both houses of Congress after a series of sweeping victories over Donald Trump’s Republican party . Were you surprised by the scale of the Democratic victories? How are you feeling about the outcome, and what does it mean to you? Continue reading...
EU to lead talks on support for Ukraine with US, Nato, partners – Europe live
European Commission will hold talks with the US, France, Germany, Britain, Nato, and the World Bank in Madrid Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez – who has been Donald Trump’s most vociferous European critic – is celebrating last night’s results in the US, hailing them as proof of a progressive fightback and of the “crumbling” of what he called the “ultra wave”. “It happened in Brazil. It just happened in the US. And it will happen soon in Spain.” Continue reading...
‘Not been this excited in a long time’: US expats ride the blue wave at Australian midterms watch parties
US voters, their Australian partners and British spectators crowd around pub TVs to watch the historic election results roll in On the second floor of a Sydney pub, the mood shifts from nervous, browser-refreshing anxiety to champagne-popping within a matter of hours. More than 100 US expats and election enthusiasts pack into the function space at the Keg and Brew in the inner-east suburb of Surry Hills to watch the midterm results roll in. Continue reading...
Miliband criticises Blair’s slavery statement and defends Burnham’s plan for proper apology – UK politics live
The foreign secretary added that the UK will not shift its position on reparations Good morning. Wednesdays are normally the most exciting day of the week at Westminster, because it’s PMQs, but today (unless we get some mega surprise) all the action is taking place somewhere else. In part, that’s because Andy Burnham is still at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua. But mostly because anyone in SW1 with even a passing interest in politics will be far more interested in the outcome of the US midterm elections. You can catch up with all the drama on our US politics live blog. While the US results are undoubtedly fascinating, quite how relevant they are to the UK is a bit harder to discern. Donald Trump is still president for the next two years, and none of the chaos he has caused for Britain and other European allies is going to go away; conceivably, he could end up even more disruptive. Trump was first elected president in 2016 only months after the UK voted for Brexit and there will be progressives in Britain hoping the US results show that what Ed Davey is this morning calling the “politics of hate, division and economic harm” might be on their way out this side of the pond too. Maybe? But it is probably too soon to get carried away. Our US coverage is all here . In so far as there is any interesting UK reaction, I will post it here. People have been honestly a bit bruised by the past, what happened in the past, the sense that we just really just wanted to sweep this issue under the carpet and not confront it. My sense is there’s a bit of a sigh of relief that, OK … at least there’s a sense of we’ve got a shared interest now in moving the Commonwealth on. No … For us, that’s never been what it’s about. And that’s why it’s been important that … I did have this conversation with our partners in advance. I said, ‘Look, we are going to say we are willing to say that we’re open to an apology, but we’re not going to shift our position on reparations.’ It’s not for us. It’s not the right answer. It’s not practical. It’s not feasible for us, but there are things we can work on co-operatively. Continue reading...
M&S takes more than a year to recover from cyber-attack as profits bounce back to £355m
Sales and profit from clothing and homeware remain below two years ago but ‘brand is in good health’ Marks & Spencer has said a devastating cyber-attack that shut down its website last year continued to hurt clothing sales over the summer, more than a year after the hack. The retailer said profits bounced back to £355m in the six months to 26 September from only £3.4m a year before as it partly recovered from the hack. The attack, which began over Easter 2025, forced it to shut its website, which sells clothing and homewares, for more than six weeks. Continue reading...
Resounding wins for Democrats a wholesale rebuke of Trump’s Maga movement
Democrats of all stripes declared victory on Tuesday night in clearest sign yet voters have had enough of Trumpism No single Democratic coalition can claim victory after Tuesday’s resounding midterm results – all parts of the Democratic coalition can. Their wins were so sweeping, so resounding, that factional divisions fail to explain them. This year, the most important thing Democrats had to be to win was, simply, not Republicans. Continue reading...
These cruel new plans to ‘stop the boats’ show the government completely misunderstands refugees like me | Anonymous
Harsher settlement rules wouldn’t have stopped me fleeing hell in Syria to reach the UK. Now I’m here, they will just pile trauma on top of trauma I am a refugee and I am in shock at the home secretary’s announcement that people like me will now have to wait up to 30 years before they can apply for settlement in the UK – a sixfold increase on the current time period. It feels like a pile-on at a time when asylum seekers and refugees are already facing a barrage of hostility in this country. Even before the announcement, refugees felt under siege. With the withdrawal of the right to ever become citizens for those of us who have “made a dangerous journey” and with frequent reviews of our refugee status to check if we are still deserving enough of protection or if we should be deported, our security in the UK is more vulnerable than ever. As told to Diane Taylor Continue reading...
Democrats’ blue wave and a bad night for Trump: key US midterms takeaways
Republicans suffered historic losses, Democrats won control of Congress – and Trump backed away from losing candidates Democrats swept key US midterm races on Tuesday evening, flipping long-held Republican seats and securing a majority in Congress after voters rebuked Donald Trump’s policies at the ballot box. In an unexpected performance, Democrats defeated incumbent Republicans candidates for historically conservative Senate seats in Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. Continue reading...
Progressive Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate race to become first Muslim US senator
Democrat defeats Mike Rogers in race marked by Islamophobic attacks from Trump and Republican allies Abdul El-Sayed, the doctor and progressive insurgent, has made history in winning the closely watched US Senate race in Michigan, defeating the Republican Mike Rogers and becoming the country’s first Muslim senator. El-Sayed’s victory adds to a decisive Democratic majority in the Senate after the party wrested control of the upper chamber on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Wednesday briefing: What the Democrat midterms victory tells us about Trump’s future as president
In today’s newsletter: A thumping night for the Democrats has seen the party take control of Congress, altering the course of Trump’s second presidency Good morning. While you were sleeping, a political earthquake hit the United States and it’s still climbing up the Richter scale. Voting in Alaska and Hawaii wrapped up only hours ago, but early midterm results streaming in from across the US are making history for the Democrats, as they cash in on Trump’s plummeting popularity. Democrats have taken control of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the scale of their successes are far larger, and the speed at which they’ve materialised far quicker, than had been expected. Some of the most hotly contested races of the night have already been called, with Democrats flipping seats in Texas, Ohio and Kansas. EU trade deal | Andy Burnham is preparing to announce billions of pounds of trade deals with the EU covering everything from youth visas to pet passports under his vision of a much closer relationship with the bloc. UK news | A “well-known individual” has failed in his bid to stop two media organisations from publishing allegations of inappropriate sexual activities, the high court has ruled. UK politics | Reform UK’s leader on Hampshire county council has been charged with 12 counts of rape and one of distributing indecent images of a child. UK news | King Charles has said that deepening his understanding of the horrors of slavery has made him more determined to address the wrongs of the past, as Caribbean leaders and campaigners intensified demands for an apology and reparations from Britain. Climate crisis | Countries can start to break their dependence on fossil fuels now without needing to wait for new technologies or economic changes, Brazil’s government has said ahead of a global climate summit. Continue reading...
First 10 Australian songs inducted into the National Songbook after ‘very robust’ judging
Yothu Yindi’s Treaty, Midnight Oil’s Beds Are Burning and Helen Reddy’s I Am Woman are among the first songs to be honoured on new list that will grow every year Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains images and names of Indigenous Australians who have died Midnight Oil’s Beds Are Burning, Yothu Yindi’s Treaty and Helen Reddy’s I Am Woman are among the first 10 Australian songs to be inducted into the National Songbook – a new digital archive that celebrates and preserves songs that have shaped Australia’s national cultural identity. Launched on Wednesday night at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) in Canberra, the songbook is a joint initiative between NFSA and the music rights organisation Apra Amcos. The first 10 songs were selected by a panel of 11 music experts including broadcasters Richard Kingsmill and Zan Rowe, composer Cornel Wilczek and musician Mo’Ju. Continue reading...
James Talarico wins Senate race in Texas, securing historic victory – video
Democrat James Talarico has won the US Senate race in Texas, securing an astonishing and historic victory. Talarico, a state representative, beat the scandal-plagued attorney general Ken Paxton in the most expensive race of this midterms cycle. He is also the first Democrat to win a US Senate seat in the Lone Star state since 1988. Continue reading...
‘Democrats need to not blow it’: our panel reacts to the historic midterms | Panel
Democrats should take the right lessons from their great night – but will they? Trump has been a disaster for our country. His economic plans are incoherent, the Iran war is making inflation worse, and his complicity with Israel’s crimes in Gaza and other acts of lawlessness, from the extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean to the kidnapping of Maduro, have been combined with a continuing coarsening of American culture. Bhaskar Sunkara is the president of the Nation, the founding editor Jacobin, and the author of The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in An Era of Extreme Inequalities Osita Nwanevu is a Guardian US columnist Jill Filipovic is an American author Continue reading...
Democrats retake House in ‘blue wave’ amid Trump’s historic unpopularity
String of wins sees party pass 218 threshold needed to win majority, as American anger mounts over cost of living US midterm elections – live updates Track live results from all 50 states The Democrats have retaken control of the US House of Representatives as a “blue wave” of opposition to Donald Trump swept the party’s candidates to victory in congressional districts across the country. A string of wins in Republican districts across North Carolina, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New Jersey saw the party pass the 218 threshold needed to win a majority in the 435-member chamber, the minimum goal in achieving its aim of reining in Donald Trump’s presidential power. Continue reading...