BoM says October will be hottest ever for Queensland and NT as heat records tumble 31. October 2025 (05:43) Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin are predicted to hit hottest October in terms of maximum temperatures, the Bureau of Meteorology saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereQueensland and the Northern Territory are on track for their warmest October on record against “every measure”, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.Across the country it had been a “pretty unusual month”, a senior climatologist at the BoM, Hugh McDowell, said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Two found dead in flooded basements as New York hit by rainstorm 31. October 2025 (04:53) Separate incidents see bodies pulled from basements in Brooklyn and Manhattan as heavy rain closes roads and causes delays Two people died in flooded New York City basements Thursday during a rainstorm that shut down roadways and caused airport delays, authorities said.A scuba team recovered the body of a 39-year-old man after firefighters received a call of a person trapped in the flooded basement of a townhouse in Brooklyn at about 4.30pm, police said. A video posted online showed firefighters carrying the victim away through calf-deep water on the street. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia’s first formal treaty with Indigenous traditional owners passed in Victoria 31. October 2025 (03:52) Step towards reconciliation hailed as ‘a historic moment’ with premier Jacinta Allan saying it gives Aboriginal Australians the power to shape policies that affect their livesThe Australian state of Victoria has taken a historic step towards reconciliation, passing the nation’s first formal treaty with Indigenous traditional owners.After two days of debate, the upper house of Victoria’s parliament passed the statewide treaty bill without amendment by 21 votes to 16, just before 9pm on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
More than half of Americans disapprove of Trump demolishing East Wing – poll 31. October 2025 (02:50) Survey, in which one-third respondents voted for the president, found 56% disagree with moveMore than half of Americans disapprove of Trump’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing and the construction of a new ballroom, according to a new poll from the Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos.The survey was conducted between 24 and 28 October and indicates 56% of the respondents disagree with Trump’s recent move while 28% are in favor of it. Most of the survey’s respondents were white, one-third of them voted for Donald Trump and another third for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Yes, we’ve been to the moon before’: Nasa rebuffs Kim Kardashian conspiracy theory 31. October 2025 (02:25) Nasa chief Sean Duffy confirms 1969 landing was indeed real after US celebrity on TV show says ‘I think it was fake’Nasa has rejected comments made by Kim Kardashian about the 1969 moon landing and confirmed that it did, in fact, happen.During Thursday’s episode of The Kardashians, the Skims founder questioned whether the space mission ever took place while noting her interest in conspiracy theories. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Radio Free Asia suspends news operations amid cuts and US government shutdown 31. October 2025 (02:13) RFA will begin closing overseas bureaus, as well as laying off and paying severance to staff members, with the hope that it could return in the futureRadio Free Asia (RFA) has said it is suspending its news operations due to the US government shutdown and the Trump administration’s cuts to government-funded news services.“RFA has been forced to suspend all remaining news content production – for the first time in its 29 years of existence,” said Bay Fang, RFA’s president and CEO, in a statement. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Former NSW MP Gareth Ward sentenced to almost six years in prison for sexually abusing two men 31. October 2025 (02:00) Ward appeared via video link from Cessnock prison, having resigned as the member for Kiama in early AugustGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFormer New South Wales MP Gareth Ward has been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison after he was found guilty in July of sexually abusing two young men.Ward was sentenced by judge Kara Shead on Friday in the Parramatta district court. Ward, who had been remanded in custody while he awaited sentencing, appeared via video link from Cessnock prison. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nearly 150,000 aged 90 and above wait 12 hours in England’s A&Es each year 31. October 2025 (01:01) Older people left in their own excrement and wet beds for hours and forced to watch others die, Age UK report findsAlmost 150,000 people aged 90 and over in England are forced to wait longer than 12 hours in A&E every year, with some experiencing “truly shocking” waits of several days stuck in corridors, a report warns.Older people are also being left in their own excrement and wet beds for hours, denied pain relief and forced to watch and hear other patients die next to them because they end up waiting so long for care, according to Age UK. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Paint me cool: scientists reveal roof coating that can reduce surface temperatures up to 6C on hot days 31. October 2025 (00:39) Sydney researchers commercialising a product they say can cool indoor spaces and will cost little more than standard premium paintsSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereAustralian scientists have developed roof coatings that can passively cool surfaces up to 6C below ambient temperature, as well as extract water from the atmosphere, which they say could reduce indoor temperatures during extreme heat events.Heatwaves are becoming more intense, more frequent and more deadly due to human-caused global heating. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hamas hands over bodies of two Israeli hostages amid fragile Gaza truce 31. October 2025 (00:00) Remains of Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch returned to Israel for burial after identification process, Israeli military saidHamas handed over two bodies of deceased Israeli hostages on Thursday, a day after the tenuous Gaza ceasefire was shaken by deadly Israeli strikes across the strip.The bodies of the hostages Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch were returned to Israel for burial after an identification process was completed, the Israeli military said late on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
