Ukraine says Russia bombed apartment block as birthday gift for Putin 07. October 2026 (13:14) Building in Pryluky destroyed, killing nine people including three children, officials say, night before Russian president’s 74th birthdayVolodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia’s military of deliberately killing civilians and bombing residential buildings as a macabre gift for Vladimir Putin, who celebrates his 74th birthday on Wednesday.Ukraine’s president described Russia’s overnight drone and missiles strikes, which killed at least 15 people, as “despicable”. “The Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively,” he said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Separatists win in Quebec – but does that bring separation from Canada any closer? 07. October 2026 (13:00) Lack of majority for Parti Québécois puts any referendum in doubt, especially amid bruising trade war with TrumpThe victory of the Parti Québécois in Monday’s election in Quebec might seem to bring its signature goal, of separating the French-speaking province from Canada, much closer – but Canadian unity may not be nearly as threatened as may first seem.The PQ’s victory was both impressive and disappointing. The party added 56 seats to its roster and more than doubled its vote share compared to the 2022 election, giving it its first taste of power in 14 years. Crucially, however, it was left five seats short of a majority, making its promise to hold a referendum after Donald Trump leaves office in 2028 nearly impossible. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Constitutional expert labels Albanese government’s golf club grant ‘grey corruption’ 07. October 2026 (12:59) Anne Twomey says $6m for Marrickville golf club given under ‘farcical scheme’, which Labor has defended as within rulesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastA leading constitutional expert has labelled an Albanese government decision to award a $6m grant to a golf club in the prime minister’s electorate as “grey corruption” and called the scheme under which it was given a “farce”.Anne Twomey, a University of Sydney professor emerita, submitted the scathing assessment to a Senate inquiry into an opaque $560m invitation-only grants scheme used to fund projects Labor promised at the 2025 election, and which largely went to Labor-held seats.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...(The Guardian)
IMF chief urges governments to tighten belts as global debt levels soar 07. October 2026 (12:14) Kristalina Georgieva says big economies will have to make ‘very touch choices’ as soaring bond yields hit budgetsBusiness live – latest updatesThe head of the International Monetary Fund has called on governments across big economies to tighten their belts as soaring bond yields hit budgets.Speaking in Singapore, the IMF’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, said global debt-to-GDP ratios were at their highest level since the second world war and on course to hit 100% in the coming years. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Badenoch expected to announce plan to cut inheritance tax and claim UK faces ‘battle of ideas’ over spending – UK politics live 07. October 2026 (11:59) Conservative leader will deliver her keynote speech to Tory conference laterIn his speech, Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, suggested that people were killed in Southport and Nottingham as a result of “Labour’s ideology” on diversity.He said:So many parts of government are corrupted by radical identity politics and a deference to clan culture.We can no longer trust our institutions to work for us all, to uphold the principle that justice is blind, that we’re all equal before the law.Everywhere I go, people tell me how much they love Kemi, including in my local pub, that place where I go to drink my far-right fantasy pint. With my far-right fantasy black lab. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Russia ‘pursuing strategy of terror’, EU’s von der Leyen says after deadly strikes on Ukraine – Europe live 07. October 2026 (11:54) Ukraine president confirms series of attacks on Pryluky, Dnipro, Kremenchik, Zaporizhzhia and KyivFrench chemist Henri Kagan and Japanese chemist Kensō Soai have been awarded the 2026 Nobel prize in chemistry “for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.”Here’s more from the organisers:“Henri Kagan discovered a new way of manipulating chemical reactions, allowing a greater excess of one of the mirror images to be created than was previously assumed possible. His discovery has been revolutionary for chemists who develop reactions for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, flavours, scents and new materials.Kenso Soai designed the first chemical reaction in which only one of the potential mirror images was formed. Other than life itself, no one had ever achieved this feat. The Soai reaction is one of the most spectacular chemical experiments ever conducted.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Royal Mail to cut up to 2,500 jobs amid restructure and fall in letter deliveries 07. October 2026 (11:50) Postal service says cuts will focus on on head office and ‘support function roles’Business live – latest updatesRoyal Mail is to cut up to 2,500 jobs as the embattled company seeks to restructure its business amid intense competition and the continuing decline in letter deliveries.The postal service, which has been fined a total of £37m since 2023 for missing delivery targets set by Ofcom, said the job cuts would focus on head office and “support function roles” with the restructure to be completed by the end of next year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
French police suspend use of stun grenades after high-school protester loses hand 07. October 2026 (11:09) Minister says use of grenades has been stopped ‘until we know what happened’ as protests across France continueHow dilapidated are French schools and how bad is inequality in the education system?Europe live – latest updatesFrance is suspending the use of stun grenades by police at high-school demonstrations, the interior minister has said, amid mounting accusations of police brutality during a fortnight of protests marred by often violent clashes that have injured hundreds.Laurent Nuñez told RTL radio on Wednesday that he had ordered a temporary halt to the use of the grenades “in the context of the high-school students’ movement” after a 15-year-old lost a hand during a protest in Lens, northern Fance, on Monday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Shell expects refineries to almost double the profit from every barrel of fuel made 07. October 2026 (10:30) Record prices caused by global shortages amid shutdown of war-damaged refineries in Middle East and RussiaShell’s refineries are expected to make almost double the profit from every barrel of fuel produced owing to record prices caused by shortages around the world.In a market trading update on Wednesday, the energy supermajor forecast profit margins of $42 a barrel in the July to September period, far above the $24 a barrel of the second quarter and the previous high of about $28 in mid-2022. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police routinely failing to investigate ‘revenge porn’ in England and Wales 07. October 2026 (10:00) Lawyers launch super-complaint after research shows officers frequently dismiss image-based abusePolice forces are routinely failing to investigate complaints about the circulation of image-based abuse, previously known as “revenge pornography”, according to research that has triggered a super-complaint over the way such crimes are handled.Lawyers have gathered evidence from 100 people who reported intimate images being shared online without their consent. Their research suggests that image-based abuse is still frequently dismissed or not recognised as criminal offending, despite being described by the former prime minister Keir Starmer as a national emergency. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
