Rachel Reeves admits breaking rules by renting out her house without a licence 30. October 2025 (00:47) Chancellor is backed by prime minister after saying she ‘inadvertently’ failed to pay fee required by London councilRachel Reeves has admitted to “inadvertently” breaking housing rules by renting out her south London home without the specific £945 licence required by the local council.The chancellor admitted the error to the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and to parliamentary ethics officers, after it was first disclosed by the Daily Mail. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Centrist D66 party will win most seats in Dutch election, exit poll predicts 30. October 2025 (00:28) Result would pave the way for the Netherlands’ first out gay prime minister and end far-right populist Geert Wilders’ time in powerThe liberal-progressive D66 party was on track to become the largest in the Dutch parliament, according to an exit poll, after a snap general election in which Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom party was predicted to lose a third of its seats.The exit poll, with a one- to two-seat margin of error, gave the centrist party an estimated 27 MPs in the 150-seat assembly, possibly clearing a path for its 38-year-old leader, Rob Jetten, to become the Netherlands’ youngest and first out gay prime minister. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teenage cricketer in Australia dies after being hit with cricket ball in Melbourne’s east 29. October 2025 (23:33) Ferntree Gully cricket club confirms death of 17-year-old Ben Austin after incident in cricket nets on TuesdayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA Melbourne teenager has died after reportedly being struck in the neck with a ball during cricket practice earlier this week.Emergency services were called to Wally Tew Reserve in Ferntree Gully, in Melbourne’s east, on Tuesday at about 4.45pm, where 17-year-old Ben Austin was practising before a cricket game. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian man living in Washington DC pleads guilty to selling trade secrets to Russian broker 29. October 2025 (23:06) US department of justice says Peter Williams, 39, stole material over three-year period working for US defence contractorFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian man pleaded guilty in US court on Wednesday to stealing trade secrets from his employer and selling them to a Russian cyber-tools broker.The US Department of Justice said on Wednesday that Peter Williams, 39, an Australian living in Washington DC, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of the trade secrets. The agency said Williams stole the material over a three-year period while working for a US defence contractor, including information on national security-focused software. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Meta reports mixed financial results amid spree of AI hiring and spending 29. October 2025 (22:57) Tech company brings in record quarterly revenue but major tax bill dampens earnings per shareMeta reported mixed financial results for the third quarter of 2025. The company brought in record quarterly revenue but reported a major tax bill that dampened earnings per share, the company announced on Wednesday. The financial results come as Meta ends a multibillion-dollar hiring spree focused on artificial intelligence talent.The tech giant earned $51.24bn in quarterly revenue, beating Wall Street’s expectations and the company’s own projections for third-quarter sales. However, it reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.05, far below Wall Street expectations of $6.70 in EPS. The major drop was due to a one-time non-cash income tax charge of $15.93bn. The EPS would have been $7.25 without this one-time charge, the company said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Google parent Alphabet beats forecasts with first $100bn quarter 29. October 2025 (22:18) Strong demand for ads and cloud services powered tech giant’s growth as it makes multibillion-dollar AI investmentGoogle’s parent company, Alphabet, displayed steady growth in its core advertising business and cloud computing division as it reported third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, beating Wall Street estimates as it reported its first quarter of $100bn in revenue.The company thrilled Wall Street – shares rose in after-hours trading – even as it announced that it would spend billions more than previously predicted. Alphabet raised its capital expenditure guidance in financial filings, declaring it would spend between $91bn and $93bn in the upcoming year, nearly all of it on infrastructure like datacenters to support artificial intelligence products, which are becoming an integral part of the company’s business. That estimate is up from an original declaration of $75bn in February and a revised figure of $85bn announced in July. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Donald Trump praises ‘great’ Washington meeting with Anthony Albanese as leaders dine at Apec 29. October 2025 (21:54) US president tells reporters he and Australian PM ‘working on a lot of things together’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAfter waiting a long time to meet Donald Trump, Anthony Albanese has now done so twice in 10 days, as his US counterpart talks up cooperation on rare earths and other issues.Albanese followed last week’s trip to Washington by sitting next to the US president on Wednesday evening at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit dinner in Gyeongju, South Korea. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘The novelty will wear off’: Labour hopes publicity will be Farage’s downfall 29. October 2025 (21:36) Government still struggling to win the agenda from Reform, leaving planners trusting voters will sour on what they seeAfter Nigel Farage dominated the summer headlines with weekly press conferences while his rivals were on their sunloungers and the news agenda was light, Labour strategists swore they would never let it happen again.Labour MPs had returned to Westminster after recess, fuming that the government had vacated the public arena and allowed Reform UK to shape the narrative to the extent that the mood hardened against Keir Starmer. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teenager found guilty of killing Harry Pitman, 16, during new year’s altercation 29. October 2025 (21:29) Areece Lloyd-Hall stabbed Pitman in the neck at a gathering in Primrose Hill, London, to watch a fireworks displayA teenager has been found guilty of murder after stabbing Harry Pitman, 16, in a central London park during New Year’s Eve celebrations two years ago.Areece Lloyd-Hall, now 18, stabbed Pitman in the neck after a fight broke out between the two strangers at a midnight gathering in Primrose Hill, a famous viewpoint for the city’s fireworks displays. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Illinois deputy found guilty of murder for shooting Sonya Massey after she called 911 29. October 2025 (21:07) Sean Grayson shot Massey in her home after confronting her about how she was handling pot of hot waterAn Illinois jury on Wednesday convicted a former sheriff’s deputy of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 asking for help.Sean Grayson, 31, could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, or probation. Sentencing is scheduled for 29 January. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
