Ethiopia launches drone attack against Eritrean troops who crossed into Tigray 08. October 2026 (18:11) Government forces’ attack raises risk of internal conflict in Ethiopia that could trigger regional war Eritrean troops who crossed into Ethiopia’s Tigray region have come under drone attack from government forces, raising the risk that renewed internal conflict in Ethiopia could trigger an all-out regional war between the neighbouring countries.Military vehicles carrying soldiers drove across Eritrea’s southern border into Tigray on Wednesday, reaching the town of Adigrat 25 miles (40km) south, according to civilian witnesses, a militia commander and the conflict monitoring group Acled. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Florida judge allows lawsuit against Shah of Iran’s alleged ‘chief torturer’ to move forward 08. October 2026 (18:00) Parviz Sabeti denies allegations he led Savak intelligence agency under shah and directed torture of thousandsThe alleged “chief torturer” for the deposed Shah of Iran is a step closer to trial for human rights abuses after a Florida federal judge rejected his demand to halt a lawsuit brought by three former political prisoners.Parviz Sabeti, who was reported last year to have lived in a quiet upscale central Florida community, is accused of being the former head of Savak, the shah’s secret police and intelligence agency. The plaintiffs say they discovered his whereabouts only after a photo of Sabeti at a 2023 protest against the Iranian government was posted on social media by his daughter. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump says he is considering asking FBI to investigate the death of Nolan Wells 08. October 2026 (17:35) Lawyers for Wells’s family have called for a federal investigation into 18-year-old’s disappearance and deathOn Wednesday, Donald Trump said he was considering asking the FBI to investigate the death of Nolan Wells, a Black college freshman who was last seen alive on a 4 July boating trip with friends.Wells, 18, went missing while on Horn Island, a barrier island off the coast of Mississippi. His body was found on the island two days later. Wells’s cause and manner of death are still undetermined. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
BBC pays compensation to PinkNews couple over false sexual misconduct allegations 08. October 2026 (17:23) Broadcaster apologises after admitting claims against Benjamin Cohen and Anthony James were defamatoryThe BBC has apologised and paid “substantial” compensation to the couple behind the PinkNews website, after conceding that stories accusing them of sexual misconduct were false and defamatory.In a sweeping admission, the BBC accepted at the high court that a 2024 iPlayer documentary about the PinkNews founder Benjamin Cohen and his husband, Anthony James, called PinkNews: Behind Closed Doors, had made “a series of very serious, false, and defamatory allegations”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thousands to march in Madrid after death of evicted pensioner Maricarmen 08. October 2026 (17:15) Rally to remember woman, 87, whose rent battle with investment firm triggered nationwide protests over housing crisisThousands of people are expected to march through the centre of Madrid on Thursday evening in memory of María del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman whose eviction from her flat in the capital a fortnight before her death triggered mass protests over Spain’s housing crisis.The pensioner, whose flat had been bought by an investment firm that sought to increase her rent by 230%, had become the public face of the crisis before her death in hospital on Wednesday night. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ex-police chief who had affairs with two officers guilty of gross misconduct 08. October 2026 (17:11) Scott Chilton, who led Hampshire and the Isle of Wight police force, barred from becoming a police officer againA former chief constable showed a sense of entitlement, dishonesty and lack of integrity by having sexual relationships with two subordinate officers, including engaging in sexual activity while on call to lead major incidents, a misconduct hearing has ruled.The panel found that the behaviour of Scott Chilton, 53, who retired as chief constable of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight before the hearing, amounted to gross misconduct. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Search warrants used in Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor raids were unlawful, court rules 08. October 2026 (17:05) Judge makes ruling after former prince brought judicial review of operation linked to Jeffrey Epstein investigationAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor has won his legal challenge against Thames Valley police over search warrants that led to his arrest.The former prince brought a judicial review of the legality of the force’s actions and those of the central criminal court, which granted the warrants. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
French students vow to continue protests, saying ministers’ pledges not enough 08. October 2026 (17:00) Schools blockaded again across country as teenagers and teachers demand more investment and ‘concrete measures’ to improve conditionsEurope live – latest updatesHigh school students have again blockaded schools and marched through cities across France, promising to continue their campaign despite government pledges to address the grievances underlying 10 days of protests that have left hundreds injured.Large crowds took to the streets on Thursday for mainly peaceful demonstrations in cities including Lille, Rennes, Nantes, Lyon, Toulon and Marseille, while in Paris a procession marched through the city centre to arrive at the Place de la Bastille. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
BBC axes long-running Radio 4 show You and Yours in push towards podcasts 08. October 2026 (16:48) Thinking Allowed, The Artificial Human and Free Thinking among other programmes hit by £500m cutsBBC Radio 4’s consumer rights show You and Yours is to be axed after more than 50 years, becoming one of the latest victims of the corporation’s £500m cuts plan.The programme, once described by the former Radio 4 controller Mark Damazer as “one of the most important” on the station, is one of a handful to be cut as the BBC searches for shows that can be more easily adapted as podcasts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hurricane Isaias forecast to bring dangerous storm surge, with millions under warnings in US 08. October 2026 (16:22) Residents in areas from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Florida urged to ‘evacuate if told to do so’Millions of people from Louisiana to Florida are under hurricane warnings on Thursday as Hurricane Isaias looked set to head towards the US Gulf coast with weather officials warning of dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding.Isaias intensified into a hurricane from a tropical storm on Wednesday night, becoming the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
