Oil prices rise sharply on Middle East tensions and US hurricane threat 08. October 2026 (10:44) Global bond market sell-off continues and stocks fall amid another wave of potential strikes against IranBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices have risen sharply amid fears about escalating tensions in the Middle East and a squeeze on production from the threat of a hurricane off the US coast.Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose by 3.8% to $104 a barrel on Thursday, triggering a wave of selling in the global bond and stock markets. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
French minister invites UK to ‘come all the way back’ to the EU 08. October 2026 (10:24) Finance minister, Roland Lescure, welcomes Burnham’s pledge to explore closer ties with blocEurope live – latest updatesThe French finance minister has invited the UK to “come all the way back” to the European Union after Andy Burnham raised the prospect of a new referendum to reverse Brexit.Roland Lescure was speaking after the prime minister used his Labour conference speech to pledge that the government would explore closer ties with the bloc at a summit later this year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tesco lifts profit forecast and says consumer confidence is resilient 08. October 2026 (08:52) Sales rise 2% to £33.8bn in the past six months, helped by strong trade onlineBusiness live – latest updatesTesco has raised its annual profit forecast as the supermarket group said consumer confidence has remained relatively resilient this year despite ongoing geopolitical tensions “creating uncertainty”.The UK’s biggest grocer said sales rose just 2% to £33.8bn in the first six months of its financial year but underlying profit was up 6.5% to £1.8bn. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
British consulate in East Jerusalem will stay open as UK mission, says Ed Miliband 08. October 2026 (08:51) Foreign secretary says former consulate general will remain independent, operational and serving Palestinian peopleThe foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, has said Britain’s consulate general building in East Jerusalem will not be closing but will be known as a UK mission, remaining independent, operational and serving Palestinian people.Israel had ordered the British consulate in East Jerusalem to close on Thursday over the UK’s plans to impose sanctions on settlements in the West Bank. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
University students say procrastination is biggest threat to their academic performance 08. October 2026 (08:00) More than half of US students surveyed said the problem damaged their ability to do academic work, study findsProcrastination is the biggest problem that can harm students’ academic performance at university, according to a study of more than 65,000 young people who placed it above issues such as ADHD, anxiety or financial worries.The study found that nearly half of the students surveyed named procrastination as the thing damaging their ability to do academic work, more than twice the number who named depression, while the same proportion said procrastination caused them significant distress above any other problems including family pressures or bullying. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Voting opens in high-stakes Holborn and St Pancras byelection 08. October 2026 (08:00) Zack Polanski has led energetic campaign for the Greens, while Labour will hope to hold on to Starmer’s old seatVoting has opened in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, a contest seen as a key gauge of Andy Burnham’s ability to energise voters and whether Zack Polanski’s Greens can still peel off support from Labour’s left.Polanski, who leads the Greens in England and Wales, is standing for his party in the north London constituency, previously held by Keir Starmer before he stood down as an MP shortly after resigning as prime minister. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK’s military needs to focus spending on domestic defence, not overseas missions – report 08. October 2026 (08:00) Exclusive: Thinktank says Britain’s drive towards global commitments is symptom of ‘outdated foreign policy’The UK’s military is too focused on global commitments at the expense of domestic defence, meaning the government’s planned increase in defence spending is likely to result in even greater waste, a thinktank report has warned.According to an analysis by researchers at the Transition Security Project, Britain has the most overseas-oriented military among European nations, with almost a quarter of the defence budget spent on commitments across five continents. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bachelor star Sam Wood denied bail as police allege he choked woman until she ‘thought she would die’ 08. October 2026 (07:58) Court hears police attended Wood’s Victorian home over a similar allegation about three years ago, but the woman had not complained then out of ‘fear of retribution’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA woman who was allegedly choked and assaulted by the former Bachelor star Sam Wood told police she “thought she was going to die”, a Queensland court heard on Thursday.
The court also heard that police in Victoria had attended Wood’s home in relation to a similar incident about three years ago, but that the woman had not wanted to make a complaint at that time out of “fear of retribution”.Wood, a 46-year-old wellness influencer from Melbourne, was denied bail in a Queensland court on Thursday and will be held in custody indefinitely awaiting trial, after police argued his behaviour was “escalating” and that he posed an unacceptable risk. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
NSW police commissioner made last-minute bid to hold closed-door hearings into Sydney anti-Herzog protest 08. October 2026 (07:30) Police watchdog says Mal Lanyon’s timing in raising the issue was ‘regrettable’ and led to delaysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales police commissioner made a last-minute bid to hold hearings into Sydney’s anti-Herzog protest behind closed doors, delaying the inquiry, the police watchdog has revealed.The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (Lecc) has said that its inquiry into the February protest at Sydney’s town hall, launched after widespread allegations of police brutality, would go ahead this month with a mix of public and private examinations, saying the timing of issues raised by police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, was “regrettable”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK motorists can now see live fuel prices on Google Maps 08. October 2026 (07:00) Move expected to make pump pricing more transparent and encourage competition after diesel hits record £2 a litreDrivers will be able to see live petrol prices on Google Maps for the first time from Thursday, in a move that will help motorists shop around for the cheapest fuel.Millions of motorists will be able to find the cheapest petrol and diesel prices by searching for a local forecourt in the Google app, in what could prove to be “a major development” in making fuel prices more fair, according to campaigners. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
