Costa’s coffee shops return to profit with iced drinks and matcha on the menu 04. October 2026 (11:50) Costa Ltd reports operating profit of £20m in year to 31 December 2025 after losses of £13.5m in 2024Costa’s main coffee shop arm has returned to an operating profit after revamping its high street outlets and broadening its menu with iced drinks, matcha and fresher pastries.The chain, which has 2,700 outlets in the UK and Ireland out of 4,000 globally, and employs about 20,000 people, also opened a net 50 new outlets in the UK last year – its first net increase in several years. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Friedrich Merz begins unannounced Kyiv visit as Russia continues strikes on Ukraine’s capital – Europe live 04. October 2026 (11:49) German chancellor tours city with president Zelenskyy after Moscow strikes city’s North Bridge this morning amid his arrivalMerz travelling to Kyiv this weekend is an important display of support, especially as the bombardments intensify.
As Pjotr Sauer also noted in his report: Western diplomats say publicly that they intend to remain in Kyiv, mindful that leaving would hand Moscow a propaganda victory and risk creating the impression that Ukraine was being abandoned. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cornell University to take ‘serious look’ at fraternities after rape allegations 04. October 2026 (11:43) Ivy League school’s president promises action after woman alleged she was drugged and raped by fraternity membersCornell University will examine the role of fraternities and sororities on campus after an outcry over the school’s handling of a student’s rape allegations, the Ivy League school’s president said on Saturday.A civil lawsuit filed last month by the woman, who alleges she was drugged and raped in 2024 by several members of the Chi Phi fraternity, has sparked outrage and soul-searching at Cornell over its campus culture at the school in Ithaca, New York. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Glasgow council workers face pay cuts in fire-and-rehire plan after union talks break down 04. October 2026 (11:13) Unison refuses to ballot members on offer that would see thousands of council employees worse offThousands of Glasgow council workers face being sacked and reappointed under less favourable terms in one of the UK’s biggest ever “fire-and-rehire” exercises, after union negotiations broke down once again this week.About 23,000 workers – all of the council’s non-teaching staff – first heard they were affected last week when talks between the SNP-led council and the GMB, Unison and Unite unions fell apart. Those negotiations concerned a new pay and grading system designed to resolve historical pay equality issues. Unison refused to ballot its members on an offer that would see pay cuts for 11% of council employees, prompting the council to begin issuing fire-and-rehire letters. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Brazil goes to polls in decisive election for future of Latin America 04. October 2026 (10:53) Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro face off in battle between leftwing incumbent and far-right son of jailed ex-presidentBrazilians go to the polls on Sunday in the first round of a highly polarised and high-stakes presidential election that could change not only the direction of Latin America’s largest country but that of the entire region.The election pits the leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, against the far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro, an ally of Donald Trump and the son of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup after his failed 2022 re-election attempt. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lack of inspections at fish slaughterhouses a ‘disgrace’, says Animal Equality UK 04. October 2026 (10:00) Charity calls for faster progress on humane slaughter laws for farmed fish in England and WalesUp to 77m fish are slaughtered each year in the UK but there are no routine or mandatory inspections of fish slaughterhouses in England and Wales, it can be revealed.Concerns within government about the way fish are slaughtered date back decades but all of the official bodies responsible for animal welfare and food standards in England and Wales said they do not undertake regular inspections. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Welsh racing ban rehoming standoff sparks fears for greyhounds’ welfare 04. October 2026 (10:00) Industry says a phased end to racing, to avoid sudden jump in caring responsibilities, is unworkableWales’s greyhound racing ban – a UK first – has run into difficulties regarding how and when to wind down the practice, potentially risking the animals’ welfare, a charity has warned.The law, which received royal assent in April, includes a three-year window for the ban to come into effect and is overseen by a Welsh government working group, which includes racing industry representatives and animal health and welfare organisations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
