Friday, 16 October 2026

Hawkeye Vintage, an online vintage retailer that has operated for 14 years, is returning to Melbourne with a physical pop-up event running until Sunday at 362 Little Collins Street in the CBD. The event features over 1,000 luxury designer items including handbags from Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Fendi. Founder Danielle Goodwin, who has been running the business from Tokyo, is simultaneously launching Hawkeye Beauty in Sydney and Melbourne with 75 Korean skincare brands starting at $10.

Two RAF aircraft had close encounters with unidentified drones during separate military exercises over the North Sea in February, occurring only days apart. One object was spotted at 17,000 feet, more than 40 times the legal height limit for commercial drones. Neither drone appeared on radar. The first incident occurred on 18 February when an RAF Airbus Voyager tanker refuelling a Typhoon fighter jet off Cromer, Norfolk was passed closely by the unidentified object, prompting the pilot to duck. A second encounter happened five days later involving a Typhoon during simulated air combat training. The RAF reported both sightings to police, with incident logs showing multiple external investigations remain ongoing. It is unclear whether the drones were hostile.

Two men have been sentenced after breaking into an Ann Summers store in Nottingham's Long Row in the early hours of August 14 and stealing £12,000 worth of stock. Jason Kamal, 48, received a three-year prison sentence; Ashley Hillsley, 21, received a community order. Police said they were caught within minutes of receiving the report.

Eintracht Frankfurt ended their six-game home winless run with a 1-0 victory over Cologne in the Bundesliga, with Younes Ebnoutalib scoring in the 77th minute. In Serie A, Antonio Raimondo scored a hat-trick as Frosinone beat Sassuolo 4-2, lifting them to fifth place. Toulouse won 3-0 away at Le Mans in Ligue 1, scoring three times in the second half.

White powder was discovered at Senator Pete Ricketts' Omaha office on Thursday afternoon. The substance was tested and determined not to be dangerous. The FBI is investigating the incident, which comes after federal authorities issued warnings about letters containing suspicious substances sent to congressional and election offices across the country.

An unidentified well-known individual is suing ITN and The Guardian to prevent them publishing allegations about his conduct, including a claim that he committed a sexual offence. He is seeking a permanent injunction at the High Court, arguing that publication could lead to him attempting suicide. His legal team says he suffers serious mental health problems and has already attempted suicide twice in recent months.

The Trump administration is warning California officials that processing ballots from suspected noncitizen voters puts them at risk of criminal investigation and prosecution ahead of next month's midterm election. The Justice Department letter from acting deputy attorney general Trent McCotter states that noncitizen voting in federal elections is a federal crime, and that knowingly tabulating such ballots makes officials 'aiders and abettors' to that crime. The warning follows a Justice Department lawsuit filed after California officials failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to review a password-protected thumb drive containing a list of 20,000 names.

Benjamin Satterley, the British wrestler known as Pac, died from bronchial asthma, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed. He was found unconscious in a rental car outside a restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, on 27 September, the day after wrestling Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship in Chicago. His death was ruled natural.

Apple has expanded its App Store moderation rules to explicitly ban AI-generated nonconsensual intimate imagery, including so-called 'nudify' apps that create sexually explicit images of real people without consent. Developers must now proactively prevent and remove such content, with apps risking removal from the store if they fail to implement adequate safeguards. The rule changes follow criticism over xAI's Grok chatbot being used to create deepfakes, including of minors.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has described the investigation into Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar as a 'strong case', stating that federal agents served multiple search warrants on the same day they searched her Washington home. Mullin said investigators expect to present the case to a grand jury. Omar has not been charged and has called the investigation politically motivated.

Raul Jimenez has undergone successful knee surgery, announcing the news on Instagram. Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrated a win.

Arizona is joining Nevada in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior over federal Colorado River cuts that could devastate water supplies to Phoenix, Tucson, farms and businesses. Governor Katie Hobbs said the state wants a seat at the table in negotiations and will not accept federal plans that force cuts onto Lower Basin states. The lawsuit demands the federal government require Upper Basin states to send promised water to Lake Mead instead.

Australian radio and television star Andy Lee married model Rebecca Harding in New York City on Wednesday following a 12-year relationship. The ceremony took place at the Nine Orchard hotel. Harding wore a strapless white gown designed by Steven Khalil, while Lee wore a P. Johnson suit. The guest list included Hugh Jackman, Hamish Blake and his wife Zoë Foster Blake, and Nova radio host Lauren Phillips.

A bill to make Chiricahua National Monument Arizona's fourth national park is on President Donald Trump's desk for signature. The Chiricahua National Park Act cleared the Senate on 30 September and arrived at Trump's desk on Thursday. Trump has 10 days, not counting Sundays, to decide. If he signs it, the 102-year-old monument in Cochise County becomes a national park. If he does nothing and Congress stays in session, it becomes law automatically. If he vetoes it, the bill returns to the House, where two-thirds of both chambers would need to vote for it again for it to pass.

Lil Wayne's concert scheduled for Friday evening at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center in Charleston, West Virginia was postponed due to inclement weather and travel delays. Previously purchased tickets will be honoured for the rescheduled date, which has not yet been announced. Ticketholders will be notified by email when the new date is confirmed.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have exited the playoffs earlier than they have in three years, with their exit completed by a Milwaukee Brewers sweep in the National League Championship Series. Star player Shohei Ohtani was troubled by injuries to his left knee and right biceps during the second half of the season and into the playoffs, rendering him ineffective at the plate and preventing him from pitching after the All-Star break. Ohtani acknowledged that offseason surgery is possible, though whether he needs it remains uncertain. The timing of any recovery could extend into next season. An additional complication looms: a potential MLB lockout if the collective bargaining agreement expires on 1 December without agreement, with owners proposing a salary cap that the players' union has rejected.

Nissan is evaluating both leaf-spring and coil-spring rear suspension options for its upcoming Navara Pro PHEV plug-in hybrid ute, which launches in Australia and New Zealand in 2027. The company has not yet confirmed which setup will be offered, though both remain a possibility. The different suspensions would cater to varying customer needs, from heavy-load work use to everyday comfort.

The 2026 Paris motor show was dominated by Stellantis, the European-American automotive giant, which displayed distinctive concept cars across six of its 14 brands. The show refuted rumours that Stellantis planned to divest any of these marques. Other manufacturers including Renault, Alpine and Chinese luxury brand Avatr also unveiled vehicles at the event.

President Trump is campaigning across several states ahead of the midterms, beginning with a visit to Wichita, Kansas on Monday to support incumbent Senator Roger Marshall. A recent YouGov poll shows Marshall trailing Democrat Adam Hamilton by three points. Trump will also travel to North Carolina, South Carolina and Iowa this week.

Troy Aikman's contract with ESPN expires after he and Joe Buck call the Super Bowl in February, and Aikman has said ESPN has not engaged him in contract negotiations. Both outlets report that Aikman expects to become a free agent at that point. The New York Post adds that Aikman's advisory role with the Miami Dolphins also lacks a formal ongoing agreement. Industry speculation suggests Buck may have wanted a new broadcast partner after signing his own $100 million extension with ESPN before Aikman's situation was resolved.

Yemen's Houthi group fired two missiles at Aden International Airport on Friday, landing 500 metres from a Yemenia Airways flight preparing to take off for Cairo. The Iran-aligned Houthis said they had targeted a military command headquarters and weapons depot in the Badr camp. No casualties were reported. The attack came a day after the Houthis struck the presidential palace in Aden, killing five people.

Campaigns for and against Amendment 3 have raised millions of dollars ahead of a November election on a proposed Missouri constitutional amendment. Her Health, Her Future, which supports the amendment, reports more than $5 million in donations, mostly from in-state donors. Stop the Ban, which opposes it, reports over $27 million in donations as of this week's financial reporting deadline.

Australian country pop singer Melanie Dyer, 32, has released her third studio album Daisies From Dirt, drawing inspiration from her parents' decision to sell their family sheep farm near Inverell in northern New South Wales. Dyer grew up singing with her mother during car journeys and performing with her sisters at their Mount Russell home. She was planning a move to Nashville when her family sold the property, which had been in her family for four generations. The album includes the song Take It From Me, which reflects on the farm sale, with Dyer singing 'Thank you for setting me free'.

Former NFL All-Pro running back Todd Gurley travelled aboard Air Force One with President Trump to a campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia on Friday ahead of November's midterm elections. Gurley, who starred for the Georgia Bulldogs between 2012 and 2014, was the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and became the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 with the Los Angeles Rams. The appearance continues a pattern of Georgia football figures aligning with Trump; quarterback Gunner Stockton previously attended a Trump rally in Rome, Georgia in February, and legendary running back Herschel Walker, whom Trump backed in an unsuccessful 2022 Senate campaign, became US ambassador to the Bahamas.

Chancellor John Healey has said there is a pro-growth case for building a third runway at Heathrow, describing airport expansion as having been 'a big part of jobs and growth' in recent decades. This represents a more explicit position than Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has declined to back the project and suggested it should be 'a matter for London and Londoners'. Speaking at the International Monetary Fund summit in Bangkok, Healey said the government would study responses to a public consultation that recently closed, with further announcements to follow. Heathrow's chief executive Thomas Woldbye has warned that investors could reassess their backing for the £33bn project if it does not receive the prime minister's support.

New York's Plaza Hotel is closing in January for at least four years for restoration work, leaving couples with booked weddings scrambling for alternatives. Brides discovered the news through social media and text messages rather than direct contact from the hotel. One bride, Chicago-based Christine Carney, had booked her 200-guest wedding for May 1 after planning it for almost a year, only to learn of the closure from a friend's text.

Navraj Singh, 34, died Thursday morning when his vehicle left New River Road in rural north Phoenix and rolled multiple times. Phoenix and Peoria police were called to the crash around 7:30 a.m. near Saddle Mountain Road. First responders found Singh dead at the scene. Detectives believe he was driving north when his vehicle left the roadway; no other vehicles were involved, and the cause of the crash remains unclear.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has removed Denver Broncos pass rusher Jonathon Cooper from the commissioner's exempt list, making him eligible to play in the team's next game against Arizona on 25 October. Cooper had been sidelined for the Broncos' first six games following domestic violence arrests in June. The NFL said its review of potential personal conduct policy violations remains ongoing.

The NFL has removed running back Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers and linebacker Jonathon Cooper of the Denver Broncos from the commissioner's exempt list on Friday, allowing them to return to play. Both players were suspended at the start of the season following domestic abuse allegations. However, the league's investigations remain open, and both players remain subject to further discipline if new information emerges. Jacobs pleaded no contest in September to battery and criminal damage charges. Cooper faces a felony charge and three misdemeanors from two separate incidents.

Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, 65, has proposed to actress Elizabeth Hurley, 61. The couple began dating after reconnecting in February 2025 and went public with their relationship on Easter Sunday that year. Hurley sparked engagement rumours by posting an Instagram selfie showing a large diamond ring on her ring finger, which a source told Page Six is genuine and not a prop for her filming of 'The 'Burbs'.

Defending Champions Cup holders Bordeaux drew 36-36 with Gloucester in a dramatic opener at Kingsholm Stadium. Will Trenholm scored twice for the hosts, but tries from Louis Bielle-Biarrey kept Bordeaux level. Gloucester led 24-17 at half-time before Bordeaux fought back in the second half, with neither side able to find a winning score.

Rose West, the serial killer serving a whole-life sentence for murdering ten women and girls with her husband Fred in Gloucester, is reported to be in poor health at HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire. The 72-year-old, who has been imprisoned since 1995, is said to be unable to move without assistance and can 'barely move', according to unnamed sources. Prison staff have put in place a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) for her, a measure described as extremely rare and typically reserved for those in the greatest danger during emergencies. Sources told The Sun that West is in a 'really bad way' and 'does not have long left' because of her deteriorating health. She is reportedly resigned to dying in jail.

The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday to reach the World Series. They will face either Cleveland or Tampa Bay in a best-of-seven series beginning 23 October, marking the first World Series between two bottom-half payroll teams since 1991. The Dodgers, Mets and Yankees, which each have higher payrolls than the three remaining teams combined, have been eliminated.

Wolves came from behind to beat Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor. Substitute Tawanda Chirewa scored seconds after being introduced to secure the dramatic victory for the visitors.

New York City lawmakers are expected to vote next week on a bill to ban horse-drawn carriages from Central Park by June 2028, ending a tradition dating back over 150 years. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced the agreement, saying it includes protections for workers in the industry. However, carriage drivers and industry leaders argue the ban threatens livelihoods and represents unfair treatment compared to other city transport businesses.

Play was suspended at the DP World Tour India Championship in Delhi on Friday because of darkness, with half the field still to finish the second round. The suspension left four Australians unable to start their second rounds. Patrick Reed, the Race to Dubai leader, shot 69 in the early wave and was projected to make the cut at level par. The tournament faced additional delays on Thursday from a five-hour weather suspension due to lightning.

Drogheda United defeated Derry City 2-0 in a football match in which Derry were unable to reverse their poor record at Drogheda. Gavin Whyte returned for Derry in the fixture. Separately, Strabane and City of Derry drew in an Ulster Rugby Championship Two match, with Strabane scoring an injury-time try.

Nebraska's Supreme Court has upheld a 2005 law allowing U.S. citizens who have never resided in Nebraska but have a parent registered to vote in one county to register there. In a 6-1 decision, the justices rejected a Republican-led challenge from the Republican National Committee and two voters, who argued the law diluted Republican votes. The court ruled the challengers failed to prove the statute unconstitutional. The court also unanimously upheld the validity of a 2026 ballot measure seeking to require sex-separate school sports in Nebraska's constitution.

The NCAA filed a federal lawsuit against Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Friday, three days after he signed an executive order allowing state universities to let athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 play a fifth college season, contrary to the NCAA's new eligibility rules. NCAA President Charlie Baker called the lawsuit an 'extraordinary step' to prevent the governor from making it 'impossible for all schools to compete on a level playing field'. The NCAA accused DeWine of giving Ohio athletes 'a hall pass' from following the rules, whilst the governor's office declined to comment on the litigation.

A New Mexico judge has dismissed child sex abuse charges against West Wing and Field of Dreams actor Timothy Busfield, ruling that prosecutors failed to act fairly during grand jury proceedings. Busfield was indicted in February on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, stemming from allegations by twin boys who worked as child actors on the Fox series The Cleaning Lady, which Busfield directed from 2022 to 2024. Judge Joseph Montano found that prosecutors improperly instructed the grand jury and withheld witnesses the jurors requested to hear from. Busfield has repeatedly denied the allegations, calling them lies motivated by revenge after the child actors were not invited back for the show's final season. Prosecutors said Friday they were evaluating whether to pursue a new indictment.

Elizabeth Struhs died in January 2022 in Toowoomba, Queensland, after her parents stopped her insulin treatment, believing God would heal her type 1 diabetes. A coronial inquest has now examined why government authorities allowed her to return home despite doctors' pleas and a previous near-fatal hospitalisation in 2019 when she suffered diabetic ketoacidosis. Fourteen people were later convicted of her manslaughter.

Maribel Loera was sentenced to 32 years in prison plus lifetime probation on Friday for the second-degree murder of adopted daughter Charisma Marquez, aged 9, also known as Ana Loera. Her skeletal remains were found after a fire at a Phoenix home in Maryvale in January 2020. Surviving siblings described in court the lasting trauma they suffered, including night terrors and scars from abuse. A sister testified that Loera hit children with sticks, slammed their heads into walls and floors, and once sewn a head wound shut with a needle and alcohol instead of seeking hospital treatment.

Senator Mike Rounds' Sioux Falls office was evacuated Friday after staff received a letter believed to contain a suspicious substance. Rounds said his team followed proper protocols and contacted Sioux Falls Police, who responded immediately to investigate. Officials had intercepted other similar letters and warned staff, allowing the team to recognise the letter before opening it. The office will remain closed Friday and reopen Monday morning.

Elon Musk and his America PAC political action committee have settled two lawsuits filed by Arizona residents accusing them of fraud. The lawsuits alleged that the $1 million daily giveaway promised during the 2024 election was not random as claimed, despite Musk's initial statements to the contrary. Settlement terms remain undisclosed.

Josh Kangley has walked from Omaha to Lincoln along the MoPac Trail to raise awareness of Regina Bos, who disappeared 26 years ago from Duggan's Pub in Lincoln. The walk, which took place over several days in wind and rain, ends on Saturday at the pub where Bos was last seen. Kangley, who hosts a podcast called 'Keeping the Light On' about Nebraska's missing persons cases, has worked with Bos' sister Jannel Rap, an advocate for missing people. Rap and families of other missing Nebraskans plan to meet Kangley to finish the walk in Bos' honour.

A 25-year-old man arrested over the death of Alisha Samuels, 26, has been released on police bail and is no longer a suspect for murder, Greater Manchester Police said. Ms Samuels died after a disturbance on Dorking Avenue in Newton Heath at about 02:00 on Thursday. Police are continuing to seek other people believed to have been involved in the incident. A 61-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

A culturally informed diversion program is helping Pasifika youth in Australia avoid crime and prison. The initiative draws on experiences of ex-prisoners, including a 26-year-old Samoan-Australian man released in January who credits the program with helping him stay on the 'right path' after spending over two years in jail. People of Pasifika heritage account for approximately 3.5 per cent of New South Wales's adult prison population, despite making up only 1.6 per cent of the state's population.

The deadline to register to vote in South Dakota's 2026 general election is 5 p.m. local time on Monday, 19 October. The early voting or absentee ballot deadline is 5 p.m. on 2 November. As of 18 September, the state had 625,934 registered voters, including 330,853 Republicans and 134,722 Democrats.

Portadown won 2-1 against Cliftonville in a dramatic finish. Portadown manager David Jeffrey said his side were 'building slowly but surely' after the victory, whilst Portadown's boss noted they 'got the wee bit of good fortune that you need'. Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton demanded his team show the same qualities in their next fixture.

A stolen employee password caused last week's cyberattack on North Platte, Nebraska city and county computer systems. Mayor Brandon Kelliher said the city's IT team caught the breach quickly and brought in state and National Guard cyber experts to review the systems. No resident data was lost and residents' information remains secure.

Christian music band MercyMe is heading to Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska on April 23, 2027. The tour aims to bring Christian music fans an evening of familiar hits and shared experiences. Ben Fuller and Peter Burton will join MercyMe on the tour. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, October 21 at 11 a.m. CT.

Donald Trump campaigned in Georgia on Friday, appearing at a rally with Senate candidate Mike Collins and gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson. Georgia is a critical battleground state, unlike other solidly Republican states Trump has recently visited. Collins's Democratic opponent, Sen. Jon Ossoff, said he was surprised Republicans wanted Trump to visit, arguing the president's policies had driven up costs for groceries, fuel and healthcare.

Australian copyright law prohibits using songs for political or commercial purposes without the author's permission, yet artists say enforcement remains difficult. The issue has resurfaced after 'I Am Australian', co-written by Bruce Woodley and Dobe Newton, was used at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference in Brisbane featuring Senator Pauline Hanson. Newton says the use misrepresents the song's values of unity and gives the false impression that its authors endorse the event's anti-immigration message. Australia introduced moral rights protections in 2000 to prevent such 'derogatory treatment' of creative works.

President Trump hosted comedian Bill Maher, sports commentator Stephen A. Smith and musician Kid Rock for dinner at the White House on Thursday night. Trump told reporters the gathering was 'great' and 'very informative', saying his guests enjoyed themselves despite their public differences. Kid Rock described the dinner as 'epic', saying the four men—two Democrats and two Republicans—discussed issues including socialism, communism, foreign policy and racial inequality.

Oil prices rose sharply on Friday as Iran escalated military operations. Brent crude futures hit $110 per barrel for the first time since May, closing at $109.86, a 3.7% gain. Attacks included Iranian assaults on at least nine tankers in the Strait of Hormuz since Sunday and Houthi missile strikes on Saudi Arabia, including one targeting the oil export terminal Yanbu. Iran sank the container ship GFS Pride on Wednesday; the crew was safely evacuated.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has created a federal political action committee called New Path PAC, fuelling speculation about a possible 2028 Democratic presidential bid. The PAC will help Shapiro raise money and contribute to Democratic congressional campaigns in Pennsylvania, including races in the 1st, 7th, 8th and 10th districts. Shapiro's campaign said the PAC is a 'new tool' to support critical congressional campaigns in the state.

The Pittsburgh Steelers face a depleted receiving group for Sunday's game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wide receivers Roman Wilson (finger) and Ben Skowronek (calf) are ruled out, whilst Michael Pittman Jr. remains on injured reserve with a foot injury. DK Metcalf, who did not practise Friday due to illness, was initially listed as questionable but has since been cleared to play. Tight end Pat Freiermuth was added to the injury report Saturday with a calf injury and is listed as questionable after recording five receptions and two touchdowns in the previous week's victory over Indianapolis.

Test Valley Borough Council's weekly food waste recycling scheme, launched in October 2025, has helped cut household waste by 18 per cent. Residents recycled around 4,000 tonnes of food waste in the first year, averaging 345 tonnes monthly. The recycled waste is processed through anaerobic digestion to produce biogas for renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser for farmland.

Violent protests have gripped Albania's capital Tirana for six consecutive days. Demonstrators are demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation, citing poor university conditions, high tuition fees, lack of jobs and alleged government corruption. Rama has refused to step down, instead claiming that 'foreign hands' are driving the unrest and warning that the violence threatens Albania's bid to join the European Union by 2030.

Selma Blair has responded to her arrest following an alleged altercation on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York, stating through representatives that she 'did not intend to harm anyone' and experienced a medical emergency. She was accused of assaulting two flight attendants, a police officer and a nurse, and pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault. Her representatives denied media reports that she attempted to open the aircraft door.

The NFL announced Friday that Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs will be removed from the Commissioner Exempt List on October 19, allowing him to return for the Packers' Week 7 game on October 25 after missing six games. Jacobs pleaded no contest last month to misdemeanor battery and criminal damage charges stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend. The NFL's ongoing investigation under the Personal Conduct Policy is not affected by his removal from the exempt list.

Fat Head Honey, a Nebraska bee-to-bottle operation with more than 800 beehives located near Clarkson, featured at the fall edition of Junkstock near Waterloo. The business was voted the number one stop on the Nebraska Passport last year and was featured in Country Living magazine. Brian Suchan is a fourth-generation beekeeper; his wife Kathy creates craft infusions. The company's name comes from one of their English Bulldogs, Pork Chop, nicknamed 'Fat Head'.

The Sioux Falls community is supporting the family of fallen Minnehaha County Deputy Katherine Frank. A fundraiser at multiple South Dakota Taco John's locations on Friday morning raised over £40,000, with customers able to make free-will donations. The Minnehaha County Deputies Association is also selling memorial T-shirts, with all proceeds going to Frank's family.

Miranda Hart became emotional during Friday's episode of Celebrity Traitors as she spoke about overcoming myalgic encephalomyelitis, the chronic fatigue syndrome that left her bedbound. The 53-year-old comedian said that three or four years ago due to illness she thought she might never have a gentle walk again, but that she has now come to a point where she feels well enough to step out. She explained she is still living with elements of ME, which brings fatigue and pain to manage.

Lebanese authorities are investigating the abduction of Ali Kayali, a former Syrian militia commander, from the Lebanese town of Mansouriyeh and his transfer to Syria. Syria's intelligence department said it had detained Kayali as he attempted to flee across the border, alleging he was responsible for killings in the coastal town of Baniyas in 2013 that left hundreds dead. Lebanese authorities are examining telecommunication records to determine whether Kayali was taken to the Syrian Embassy in Lebanon before being moved to Syria.

Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito was a bat boy for the Milwaukee Brewers when they last reached the World Series 44 years ago. The Brewers have now returned to the Fall Classic after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. Zito has since built a Stanley Cup dynasty with the Panthers, winning back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025.

Stanley Tucci leads Masterplan, an Amazon Prime Video heist comedy in which a criminal mastermind recruits two expert thieves—one a cybersecurity hacker, the other an explosives specialist—to steal the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. The two thieves, played by Simona Tabasco and Victor Belmondo, meet for the first time during a heist and discover they are half-siblings, with Tucci playing their shared parent. The film features elaborate twists and spy gadgetry.

Arizona is joining Nevada's lawsuit against the federal government's plan to reduce Colorado River allocations to Nevada, California and Arizona during a historic drought. The legal challenge concerns how the federally mandated cuts are divided among the seven basin states, with Arizona facing the deepest near-term reductions.

Governor Patrick Morrisey and Workforce West Virginia announced that Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to qualifying individuals in Fayette, Harrison and Kanawha counties who were affected by severe storms and flooding from 14–18 August 2026. The assistance covers those who lost their jobs or had work interrupted, as well as self-employed workers including farmers who are not typically covered by regular unemployment insurance. The deadline to file a claim is 7 December 2026.

Gift Osondu was sentenced after Essex Police stopped him riding an illegal e-scooter in St Martin's Square, Basildon on May 5. Officers found a knife concealed in his waistband, along with cash and a mobile phone linked to drug dealing. The 23-year-old admitted possession of a knife in a public place and being concerned in the supply of cannabis at Basildon magistrates' court on October 9, receiving a suspended sentence of 21 weeks in prison for 18 months. The knife, cannabis and mobile phone were ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.

Jasprit Bumrah has been recalled to India's Test squad for the two-match series in New Zealand beginning on 19 November. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was also named in the squad subject to fitness clearance after a left-side strain. Shubman Gill will captain the side, with the core team retained including Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

A 16-year-old shot and killed three children aged 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon on Thursday. According to law-enforcement sources cited by the New York Post, the gunman was a former special-needs student at the school. He threw his shotgun over the school fence, was blocked from entering through the front door by a bystander who then opened fire on him, before the teenager ran to a back door and forced his way inside, heading straight for his former special-needs classroom.

An all-female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance ensemble led by Wala Connections creative director Thara Brown will perform at the Sydney Opera House in their DanceRites debut. The Boonwurrung Ngargee Dance Group, comprising girls and young women aged 13 to 22, will share Boonwurrung stories through traditional and contemporary dance. The national competition will bring more than 300 performers to the Opera House Forecourt, representing around 50 nations and clans.

Lloyds Banking Group has launched a cashback trial offering 10 per cent back when eligible Lloyds customers spend at participating independent businesses in York. The scheme connects customers with businesses through the bank's rewards programme, with cashback paid directly into accounts. Participating venues include bars such as The Clifton, Thor's and Dusk, plus other independents including the Durham Ox in Crayke and Chris Sellers Tyres in Scarborough. York and Exeter are the first two cities in the UK to pilot the scheme.

Sussex Police and British Transport Police deployed extra officers for Brighton and Crystal Palace's Premier League match on Sunday, October 18, with a Public Space Protection Order in place for the city centre. Police warned that alcohol outside licensed premises could be seized. Six people had been arrested by 5pm, with the operation including mounted officers, dog units and tactical vehicles, alongside railway patrols and some station closures.

Western Australia's 59th annual Telethon launched with the RAC Arena opening to hundreds of fans. The 26-hour fundraising event was broadcast on Channel 7 across Australia for the first time. The Little Telethon Stars set a goal of $100 million, with Minderoo Foundation's Nicola and Andrew Forrest pledging to match donations over one hour. Jessica Mauboy, Phil Burton and Morgan Evans performed in the opening act.

Kenya has confirmed seven cases of Ebola Bundibugyo virus, with three of the latest cases among healthcare workers who treated the country's index patient. The cases are linked to a man who travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and died in Nairobi on 5 October. Kenya's Health Ministry says 98.5 per cent of the first patient's 130 contacts have been quarantined and there is no evidence of community transmission.

Brazil's government has recorded the lowest level of Amazon deforestation since records began in 1988, with 3,335 square kilometres cleared in the year to July—a 41.8 per cent drop from the previous year. The figures represent a 71.2 per cent decline since 2022, when President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office pledging to end illegal deforestation by 2030. Environment Minister João Paulo Capobianco called it an 'absolutely stratospheric drop'. The announcement comes days before an October 25 presidential run-off election between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, whose administration saw deforestation surge to a 15-year high.

Apple's iPhone Duo, its most expensive iPhone ever at $1,999, went on preorder and saw launch-day pickup inventory sell out with delivery estimates already extending into late 2027. Apple called the preorder demand 'nothing short of extraordinary'. The foldable is expected to appeal to a small group of high-spending customers rather than become a mass-market product, with foldables forecast to account for nearly 7% of industry smartphone revenue this year despite representing just over 2% of units.

Sixteen people were rescued from the Pacific Ocean on Friday after a boat sank about 140 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico, with eleven others still missing. Survivors told officials there were 27 people on board. Several of those rescued were treated for suspected shark bites, with two in critical condition.

Cliff Hagan, a Basketball Hall of Famer who won NCAA and NBA titles, has died aged 94. No cause of death has been disclosed. His death comes weeks after his former St. Louis Hawks teammate Bob Pettit died at 93; both were the last living players from the Hawks' 1958 championship team.

President Vladimir Putin has declared that Russia is establishing a 'security zone' inside Ukraine along their shared border, which will be non-negotiable in any future peace talks with Kyiv. Putin, speaking in military uniform at a command post on Friday, said the operation was in response to Ukraine's 2024-25 incursion into Russia's Kursk region. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the planned security zone spanned 660 kilometres, of which 70 per cent was currently under Russian control, though he did not specify how deep it would extend into Ukraine. The zone would require Russia to occupy territory in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, which it has not claimed as its own since launching the war in 2022.

Australian world champion Molly Picklum is set to face teenage Canadian star Erin Brooks in the quarter-finals at Rip Curl Portugal. Brooks, 19, has won 15 consecutive World Surf League events, including three straight victories at recent tour stops. Picklum reached the quarter-finals by defeating Portuguese surfer Yolanda Hopkins Sequeira on Friday.

Eric Underwood plans to launch 15 petitions for Nebraska's 2028 ballot under the label 'Make Nebraska Even Better'. The first proposal, the 'Harvest Fuel Tax Holiday', would suspend the state fuel tax for two months each year (September 1 to October 31) and cap the maximum state fuel tax at 35 cents per gallon permanently. The current state tax is 31.8 cents. The broader petition effort covers property taxes, local unfunded mandates, education and election administration.

Fraizer Campbell, who played for Manchester United and several other Premier League clubs, has revealed he became addicted to snus during his career. Campbell said a team-mate first introduced him to the tobacco-based nicotine product while he was at Crystal Palace between 2014 and 2017. He initially used it to relax after matches but gradually increased his use to before training sessions as well, eventually becoming addicted. Campbell reported experiencing a 'slump in the afternoon' and feeling constantly exhausted as a result of the addiction.

Ali Fallahi, 46, from Ilford, east London, pleaded guilty to arson in August over a fire on 27 April at a memorial wall in Golders Green. He attempted to burn a photograph of Reza Pahlavi, the former Crown Prince of Iran, whom he blamed for his cousin's death in anti-government protests in Iran. The fire damaged a cabinet in front of the memorial wall established by the Miga Rally community group as a tribute to thousands of Iranian protesters killed in a crackdown in January, and partly dedicated to those killed in the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival in Israel on 7 October 2023. The group said the flames were quickly extinguished and did not spread to the wall. Counter-terrorism police investigated the incident. Judge Lana Wood said there was 'no wider political motivation or hate element' in the offence.

A 16-year-old identified as Griffin J. John killed three students and one teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon on Thursday. He used a pump-action shotgun that his mother had purchased. A man named Kaylub Giamanco followed the shooter into the school's special education classroom and fatally shot him, stopping the attack. The shooter's mother told reporters she had no warning signs and said she would have prevented the attack if she could.

Brazil's government announced Friday that annual Amazon deforestation fell to its lowest level since 1988, with the rainforest losing 3,335 square kilometres from August 2025 through July 2026. The decline reflects the success of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's efforts to curb deforestation, reversing a surge under his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, under whom deforestation rose by about 60% from 2019 to 2022. Under Lula, deforestation has fallen 71% since 2023.

The Kansas City Chiefs have ruled out wide receiver Rashee Rice and left tackle Josh Simmons for their game against the Chargers on Sunday. Rice strained his hamstring against the Raiders two weeks ago and did not practice during the week. Simmons returned to practice after nearly two months away with a back injury but was not cleared for full participation.

Lamar Jackson is ruled out for a second straight game with an ankle injury as the Ravens prepare to face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Tyler Huntley will start again, coming off an overtime win against Atlanta last weekend where he threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens, who are 4–1, are showing little concern about Jackson's absence.

Selma Blair was arrested on Sunday after an incident on a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to New York and charged with two counts of second-degree assault. The 45-year-old actress allegedly assaulted two flight attendants and later kicked a police officer and bit a nurse. Blair pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. Her representative says she experienced a medical emergency and did not intend to harm anyone, citing her multiple sclerosis diagnosis and missed medication doses.

Nicholas Mather, 34, who worked at B Livesey Funeral Directors in Chorley, Lancashire, removed the priesthood ring from Father Peter Crowther's body on 8 March and sold it to a pawnbroker. The ring, worth between £3,000 and £3,500, was melted down and could not be recovered. Fr Crowther's parents had given him the ring when he was ordained in 1971, and he had wished to be buried wearing it.

President Vladimir Putin agreed to cooperate with Pope Leo on delivering vital supplies to the Russian-controlled Ukrainian town of Oleshky after the pontiff phoned him on Friday to request help. The Pope asked Putin to arrange a ceasefire to allow aid and food into the town, which Russian forces captured in February 2022 and where residents report a deepening food crisis. The Kremlin said it supported the Vatican's intention to ensure the town's safety and organise vital supplies, though it did not mention a ceasefire in its statement.

Frontier Cooperative has opened a safety training and innovation facility in Lincoln, Nebraska, designed to help employees understand hazards in the agriculture industry. The centre includes a grain engulfment simulator and truck driving simulator, and CEO Jeremy Wilhelm said the company created it to equip employees with knowledge to work safely and protect themselves and their communities.

The PSNI has confirmed it is investigating six unnotified processions that occurred across Northern Ireland, including a Loyalist march in Derry's Waterside area. The processions took place in locations including the Shankill Road in West Belfast, Dunloy, Tennent Street in north Belfast, Bangor, the Waterside area of Derry and Newtownabbey. Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally said proceeding without lawful notification may constitute an offence, and reminded organisers of their responsibility to comply with notification requirements and engage with police.

Perth's annual Telethon charity event returns this weekend for its 58th year, running for 26 hours from 7pm Saturday to 8.40pm Sunday on Seven and 7Plus. Last year the event raised over $90 million for charity. This year's broadcast will feature performances by Jessica Mauboy, Reece Mastin, The Ten Tenors and new Australian Idol judge Morgan Evans, along with lip sync battles featuring Channel Seven personalities and returning segments including a pie-throwing act and a late-night Slumber Party from 2am to 7am hosted by Famous Sharron.

My Kitchen Rules has staged a ratings comeback, with Monday's episode reaching 2.02 million viewers and topping its time slot. The cooking show has surged 34 per cent year-on-year and scored its biggest overnight audience since 2019, beating its long-running rival The Block. Viewers aged under 18 have increased 57 per cent this year.

Riley Shawcross, from Western Australia, lives with an extremely rare genetic condition that causes strokes. She is being featured in the 2026 Telethon appeal, with those who know her describing her as brave and determined.

Reform Wales will raise concerns in the Senedd about people using full-face coverings to hide their identities in public, following a request by Newport councillors to examine adding face-covering restrictions to Newport's city-centre Public Spaces Protection Order. The party says criminals use coverings to conceal identity and enable antisocial behaviour and crime. Jason O'Connell MS will lead a 30-minute debate on 21 October, supported by fellow Reform UK members Andrew Griffin and Art Wright. The proposed restrictions would exempt coverings worn for legitimate religious, medical or weather-related reasons.

The Kilda disappeared on Tuesday near Port of Ness off the north coast of the Isle of Lewis. The body of Douglas Craigie, 49, was recovered from the sea on Wednesday, but crewmates Norman Murray, 40, and Murdo Morrison, 23, remain missing. Police have identified an 'area of interest' where a remotely operated vehicle was searching, but operations were paused on Sunday due to sea conditions and anchoring challenges. Searches will resume when conditions permit.

Kevin Kisner has accused Rory McIlroy of playing in the DP World India Championship in Delhi primarily for a reported $10 million appearance fee rather than to grow golf globally. Kisner, speaking on the Fore Play podcast, said McIlroy's stated ambition to promote the game in India was disingenuous, suggesting players receive scripted talking points as part of their payment. McIlroy has fired back at Kisner's accusations, though the outlets do not provide details of his specific response.

Ards and North Down Borough Council is divided over mechanical beach cleaning equipment costing approximately £125,000. Council officers recommended against the purchase, citing regulatory, ecological and financial concerns, and instead proposed a nature-based management approach. DUP Alderman Robert Adair led efforts to reject the officers' recommendation, whilst all other parties opposed the equipment purchase.

Wolves are making six changes for their clash against Burnley, with a teenage loanee included in the starting line-up.

The Kansas City Chiefs are among three unbeaten teams in the NFL heading into Week 6, whilst the Los Angeles Chargers are 0-5, their worst start in more than two decades. The Chargers, who won back-to-back 11-win seasons under Jim Harbaugh, come to Kansas City where the Chiefs are among the league's highest-scoring teams. Coach Andy Reid's teams have a 22-5 regular-season record after bye weeks.

Robert Kelker-Kelly, the actor best known for playing Bo Brady on Days of Our Lives, died suddenly on 3 October at age 62 after suffering cardiac arrest at his Missouri home. His wife, Allison Kelly, told police she picked him up from Spirit of St. Louis Airport around 7:30pm when he began complaining of chest, neck and left arm pain during their drive home. He declined her offer to go to the hospital, requesting instead to go home and rest. After arriving home, he asked for aspirin, and when Allison returned to their bedroom she found him unresponsive and not breathing. She called 911 and began CPR. Paramedics responded but Kelker-Kelly was pronounced dead at 9:09pm. Police found nothing suspicious at the scene.

Birmingham's bin boss insists no final decision has been made on moving to fortnightly collections, despite concerns raised by opposition councillors about the potential change.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs, 56, has been transferred from FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey to FCI Allenwood Low in Pennsylvania, a low-security federal correctional facility. The move comes after reports that Combs was accessing contraband including mobile phones and alcohol, and that he had paid other inmates to cook, clean and provide massages. NBC News also reported he was involved in two fights. Combs is serving a 50-month sentence following his conviction on prostitution-related charges for transporting people across state lines for sexual encounters. His spokesman said the transfer was made 'with safety and security in mind', whilst a prison union official cited 'disruptive behaviour' as the reason for the move.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner expressed confidence that Prime Minister Andy Burnham's pledge to offer all rough sleepers a bed by Christmas would be achieved. Rayner told The Mirror the commitment is not a seasonal gimmick and the government will continue the effort beyond Christmas. However, rough sleepers themselves are sceptical: the Daily Mail reports that those on the streets say the plan will 'never work'.

Wolverhampton Wanderers face Burnley in a Championship match at Turf Moor as Wolves look to return to winning ways.

Netflix is returning to Scarborough next week to film Tales of the Unexpected, a six-part series based on Roald Dahl's work. The cast includes Nicola Coughlan, Naomi Scott, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West. The series is known for dark humour, crime, horror and twist endings.

Whalefall, adapted from a 2023 novel by Daniel Kraus, follows Jay Gardiner, a college student played by Austin Abrams, who dives into the ocean to find his estranged father's remains. His father, a scuba diver portrayed by Josh Brolin, died by suicide. During the dive, Jay is swallowed by a giant sperm whale and must fight for survival inside the whale's stomach with limited oxygen.

A nightclub in Wembley called Spice Klub, also known as VT Club and Basement, has had its licence suspended and been served with a closure order following a shooting on Douglas Avenue on 3 October. A 24-year-old man was found with gunshot wounds and taken to hospital; This Is Local London reports his injuries were described as potentially life-changing. The closure notice remains in force until 20 October, when a magistrates' court hearing will consider the matter further. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

DC Studios is blending horror and superhero genres with Clayface, a film based on a lesser-known Batman villain. Writer-director Mike Flanagan pitched the fusion to James Gunn and Peter Safran, who were launching their era of DC Studios. The film, directed by James Watkins, will be part of DC's first wave of releases alongside Superman and Supergirl.

Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves has expressed confidence that his team will win an NBA championship. Edwards told the Associated Press: 'I don't really have hope. I just got will,' emphasising his determination and belief that no team can beat the Timberwolves. The NBA has seen eight different franchises win the last eight championships, creating what Edwards calls a 'parity era'.

North Yorkshire Council is introducing a trial 'School Street' scheme at Norton Community Primary School, closing Grove Street to traffic during term time between 8.15am and 9am and 2.45pm and 3.30pm from Friday, October 23. The pilot aims to improve safety at drop-off and pick-up times. Exemptions include residents with permits, emergency vehicles, health and care workers, and school staff. Councillor Keane Duncan said the council is seeking public views before deciding whether to make the scheme permanent.

Nebraska is bracing for its coldest night of the season Friday into Saturday morning, with Freeze Warnings in place across most of the state. Temperatures will drop to the upper 20s and low to mid 30s statewide, with wind chills potentially reaching the mid 20s Saturday morning. After the cold snap, temperatures will rebound quickly into the 60s on Saturday afternoon and climb into the 70s by early next week.

Husker fans played a round of golf inside Memorial Stadium on Friday. Tee boxes were set up around the upper deck with custom greens on the same field where the Husker football team plays. The event, run by Upper Deck Golf, benefits Stand Up To Cancer.

Prediction market traders have increased odds of a Tesla-SpaceX merger above 50% for early 2027, following a Barclays note outlining how such a deal could work. Odds for a merger before March jumped to 56% by Friday, up from 29%. Barclays analysts expect an announcement could come before Tesla's annual general meeting, scheduled by 6 December 2026.

Multiple traffic incidents are causing disruption across Essex. A crash on the M25 clockwise between Junctions 28 and 29 near Brentwood is affecting travel, whilst a collision on Chelmsford Parkway at the Army and Navy Roundabout is partially blocking the route into the city centre. On the A12, a stalled vehicle has closed one lane between Junctions 18 and 19 near Howe Green and Danbury, and a separate crash near Colchester is causing severe southbound delays with lane closures reported between Colchester United and Avenue of Remembrance. A broken-down vehicle outside Scott's of Southend on Sutton Road is also causing heavy delays.

Television producer Chuck Lorre has published a memoir called Sitcom, reflecting on his career creating hit shows including The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men and Young Sheldon. Lorre initially resisted writing the book but was persuaded by a friend that his journey was worth documenting. He describes the writing process as cathartic, saying it gave him distance and perspective on his experiences and allowed him to understand them better. The memoir includes actual scripts with Lorre's handwritten notations to show readers what sitcom scripts look like from the inside and to communicate how he felt about them during production and in retrospect.

Kaylub Giamanco, 36, was driving past Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon on Thursday when he heard gunshots. He entered the building, confronted the 16-year-old shooter and fatally shot him. The gunman had killed three students aged five, eight and eleven, and a teacher. Another teacher and a seven-year-old student were injured. Giamanco's family said he is not seeking recognition and feels guilty he could not save more people.

Johnathan Greenwood, aged four, is facing 78-mile journeys from his home near Dover to the Royal Marsden hospital in Sutton for cancer treatment. His brain tumour, identified as a rare type involving a PLAG1 fusion, was removed in November but regrew by June or July. He has now started chemotherapy. His mother Molly Greenwood said the initial surgery went smoothly and her son recovered quickly, with seizures stopping after the operation.

Michael Stone, 34, has been charged with wounding with intent following a fight in Rose Lane, Norwich on December 4 last year, in which another man sustained a head injury. Stone has denied the charge and is due to stand trial on January 4 next year. At a case management hearing at Norwich Crown Court this week, Judge Katharine Moore indicated she wanted Stone to be assessed to see if he was fit enough to stand trial, after he appeared animated in the dock and expressed unhappiness with his legal team.

A collection of Beatrix Potter 50p coins has been listed on eBay for £25,086.70 by a private seller in Middlesbrough. The Royal Mint's Beatrix Potter series, first released in 2016 to mark the 150th anniversary of the author's birth, has become one of the most popular modern commemorative coin collections. The coins feature characters from Potter's children's stories, including Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Squirrel Nutkin. While some coins can command premiums among collectors, values vary considerably depending on rarity, condition and mintage numbers. However, eBay price listings do not always reflect market value, and the Royal Mint has warned that asking prices may not reflect coins' true worth.

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce has won UK Chamber of the Year at the 2026 British Chambers of Commerce Chamber Awards, one of the UK chamber network's highest honours. The award recognises the organisation's work supporting businesses across Suffolk, which has benefited from a £1bn boost from the Sizewell C nuclear power project.

The FA Cup first round draw takes place on Monday 19 October, with coverage beginning at 6:30pm on TNT Sports 1 and via free streaming on TNT Sports' YouTube channel and the HBO Max app. The draw will be hosted by Matt Smith, with Martin Keown and Fara Williams conducting. Non-league clubs will be hoping for upsets against League One and League Two opposition, with last season seeing shocks including Macclesfield eliminating holders Crystal Palace.

A delivery van has reportedly hit a tree on Wigginton Road in York, between the city centre and the outer ring road, causing delays in the area. It is not yet known if anyone was injured in the incident. Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been contacted for comment.

Colin Sutton, Norfolk's police and crime commissioner, has disputed official notes recording what he told senior staff about his planned theatre tour. Documents from a meeting on 10 August show he told chief executive Mark Stokes and director of governance Sharon Lister the tour would involve just 14 dates. Mr Sutton claims his staff misheard him and that he believed the tour would be far smaller in scale than the 127-date tour eventually announced. He initially said he could manage the tour alongside his £79,000-a-year job in his 'spare time', prompting public criticism, before abandoning the plans following a Freedom of Information request.

Nether Stowey Fire Station in Somerset has appealed for the return of firefighters' personal items and decorative lighting stolen from a communal welfare area. The station said the team had worked hard to create a space where firefighters could unwind after incidents, and the items had been bought by staff using their own money. The station said they hope not to involve police and are asking whoever took the items to return them. If the items are not returned, the station may be forced to increase security to protect emergency workers' belongings.

About a dozen girls from Camas High School in Washington walked out of a cross-country race on 13 October after their transgender teammate switched from boys' to girls' competition. The athlete had competed in the boys' junior-varsity division as recently as September before moving to girls' races, where performance rankings improved significantly. WNBA star Sophie Cunningham praised the protesters, writing 'Good work girls' on social media. Supporters are organising a rally for 21 October, with organisers hoping to build momentum for Initiative 638, a ballot measure Washington voters will consider in November.

Gerry Carroll, a People Before Profit assembly member for West Belfast, was interviewed by police investigating alleged criminal offences related to protests on Garvaghy Road in Portadown during the Drumcree parading dispute. Carroll attended voluntarily with his solicitor and said he was exercising his right to free expression and peaceful assembly. First Minister Michelle O'Neill and other Sinn Féin politicians have also received police letters seeking interviews over their involvement in the same protests.

Winnie-the-Pooh reached its centenary this week, marked by special Radio 4 programmes introduced by the queen, a collection of Royal Mail stamps and a Google doodle. The bear, created by AA Milne and illustrated by EH Shepard, was published on 14 October 1926 and had sold 150,000 copies in the United States by the end of that year. Despite its enduring popularity, the character was resented by both Milne, whose dramatic work was eclipsed by the bear's success, and his son Christopher Robin Milne.

Ofgem has launched a consultation on a Market Stabilisation Charge (MSC) that could require energy suppliers to pay rival companies when they take on customers and wholesale prices fall sharply. The charge could come into force as early as November. Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, has warned the plan could make cheaper energy deals more expensive and act as a 'switching penalty' for customers.

A senior Rockstar Games executive has denied allegations that the company's president Sam Houser ever screamed at staff during an employment tribunal. Twenty-three former employees are claiming they were unfairly dismissed for trade union activities after 34 people were dismissed from the company in October last year.

Kenya's Ebola cases have risen to seven, including three health workers who contracted the virus while treating the country's first confirmed case, a 40-year-old man who died on 5 October after arriving from Congo. The other cases include family members of the first patient. The health ministry said the new patients were in isolation and receiving care, with two others in stable condition.

City Electrical Factors Limited has been fined £4m after a 40-year-old worker from Telford suffered life-changing brain and spinal injuries when a 231kg forklift load fell on him in October 2024. The man, who was acting as a spotter during loading operations at the company's Proteus Switchgear division, can no longer communicate and now requires round-the-clock care in a residential home. The Health and Safety Executive found the lifting operation had not been properly planned or supervised, with no risk assessment or lift plan in place.

Nicholas Mather, 34, prised the ring from Father Peter Crowther's hand on 8 March at B Livesey Funeral Directors in Chorley, Lancashire. Fr Crowther's parents had bought the ring in Rome when he was ordained in 1971, and it was his dying wish to be buried with it. Mather pleaded guilty to two counts of theft at Preston Magistrates Court and was given a community order, ordered to complete 300 hours unpaid work, and to pay £6,500 compensation. Magistrates said it was the worst theft case they had heard in their court given the emotional impact on those affected.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) is close to signing a deal to purchase Doncaster Sheffield Airport from the Peel Group. Insiders described the proposed acquisition as 'great news for Doncaster' and a 'good deal', though no financial figures were disclosed. The move marks a significant shift in strategy following a year of negotiations between Doncaster City Council, SYMCA and Peel over a new lease agreement.

Sydney FC coach Patrick Kisnorbo has remained evasive about the future of defender Marcel Tisserand, who is managing a hamstring injury and was absent from the team's season-opening 0-0 draw against Western Sydney. The 30-year-old has not been seen at pre-season training and has not played since the round-22 loss to Newcastle Jets in March. A report claimed Tisserand was expected to announce his retirement within weeks, but Kisnorbo declined to confirm this, saying the comments 'didn't come from my mouth'.

VG Pendagron Ltd, based in Malvern, will phase out rigid box production by the end of 2026 as part of a review of its manufacturing capabilities. The site will remain open as a regional base for sales and design services. A consultation process has begun to determine how many jobs will be affected.

Two members of staff at Yorkshire Ambulance Service accessed or attempted to access the medical records of William Chapman, 24, who died after being mauled by a tiger at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster on October 10, without a legitimate reason. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said staff responsible for any breaches should be sacked and suspended pending investigation. An inquest heard Chapman had schizophrenia, suffered previous psychosis, and his family had expressed concerns about his mental health care.

South Africa have admitted they failed to make Australia's bowlers toil sufficiently in the opening Test at Durban, which they lost by 214 runs. The hosts vow to do better in the second Test at Gqeberha on Sunday, welcoming back pace bowler Kagiso Rabada. South Africa's batting was the main problem, with only Aiden Markram passing 50 in the match. South Africa No.3 David Bedingham said the side must take Australia's attack to 80, 100 or 120 overs to tire the bowlers, noting that the ball became softer later in innings.

Australia's 'big four' bowlers—Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon—have become the first group to surpass 600 Test wickets played together, a milestone reached during last week's 214-run win over South Africa in Durban. As they approach their tenth consecutive year as Australia's first-choice attack since Cummins' return for the 2017-18 Ashes, Hazlewood believes they are entering a 'golden age', feeling free from pressure. The bowlers have been reflecting on their cricket mortality, with Lyon vowing to give up alcohol to 'squeeze as much of the lemon as possible', and Cummins acknowledging the quartet are relishing their time together whilst knowing it cannot last for ever.

The EU is working to resolve disputes over a youth mobility scheme that would allow British under-30s to work in any job across Europe. Brussels is negotiating with individual EU member states, which have final say over work visas, to ensure young Britons face no tighter restrictions than EU nationals coming to the UK. A deal is expected to be discussed at a UK-EU summit next month.

A passenger became unwell at Glasgow Subway's Cowcaddens station on Wednesday afternoon. A witness claimed the woman fainted and fell onto the tracks, and said they jumped down to help her as a train approached. The operator SPT confirmed the passenger became unwell and praised the 'quick-thinking actions' of staff and members of the public who ensured she was 'clear of any danger immediately'. The trains were temporarily halted during the incident.

The NBA has ordered its sportsbook partners, including DraftKings and FanDuel, to ban several types of bets exploited in recent gambling scandals. The banned wagers include same-player parlays on statistical unders, under bets on players expected to play fewer than 12 minutes, bets on the opening tip, and certain 'first of' markets. The move follows federal cases involving NBA players Jontay Porter and Terry Rozier. Porter pleaded guilty to intentionally leaving games early to benefit bettors, including one who built an $80,000 parlay that paid $1.1 million. Prosecutors allege Rozier was involved in a similar scheme in March 2023; he has pleaded not guilty.

Victoria's Electoral Commissioner Sven Bluemmel says the best defence against online disinformation is to educate voters to tell truth from falsehood. Speaking at a Monash University forum ahead of Victoria's November 28 election, he suggested that young people, who make up about 10 per cent of the electorate and get most of their news from social media, are more media-savvy than often assumed. He argued that regulation and technical measures alone cannot work, and that making the public more informed is more effective than trying to prevent false information spreading.

Australia's competition regulator has warned a parliamentary inquiry of emerging risks from artificial intelligence in retail. The ACCC raised concerns about companies using AI surveillance to charge different prices to different shoppers, particularly vulnerable consumers, and about shopping bots that may collude to steer shoppers away from genuine best deals. David Abkiewicz, the ACCC's digital markets general manager, told Canberra hearings on Friday that whilst personalised pricing has positives, granular pricing based on personal data poses real harm. He said giving different prices to certain groups is not against Australian consumer law, though restrictions on surveillance pricing are emerging in other jurisdictions including the United States. The watchdog also flagged concerns about AI making online scams more convincing and reducing barriers to entry for scammers.

Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad has opened at York Theatre Royal as the centrepiece of the theatre's autumn programme. The all-female production, directed by creative director Juliet Forster, retells Homer's Odyssey from Penelope's perspective, with the Maids—enslaved women—playing an active role in challenging Penelope's account of her story after death in the Underworld. Amelia Bullmore plays Penelope, delivering the character's dry wit and restraint against the Maids' disruptive energy, with the production incorporating diverse performance styles from puppetry and tap dance to aerial acrobatics and girl group singing.

Victoria's 2023 decriminalisation of public intoxication has produced no related deaths in custody or people locked up solely for being drunk in public, according to a Monash University evaluation released on Friday. The reform has been praised for police maintaining a health-led approach, though Aboriginal people remain twice as likely to be arrested as the general population. The change was partly motivated by the 2017 death of Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day, who died after being arrested for public drunkenness and hitting her head in a police cell.

A hostile social media environment is turning women and young people away from standing for local government office, raising concerns about the future of council races. Online abuse and toxicity are pricing out potential candidates from public service.

Ministers are considering extending the £180 TV licence fee to online streaming platforms including Netflix, YouTube, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video under proposals to overhaul BBC funding. A White Paper on the renewal of the BBC royal charter is expected before Christmas, setting out how the broadcaster will be funded from 2028. The BBC has argued the current funding model is outdated and needs reform, while the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it is examining a range of options but no final decisions have been made.

The FTSE 100 made further gains on Friday, rising 41.55 points to 10,881.90, as Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey played down inflation fears at the International Monetary Fund's annual meeting in Bangkok. Mr Bailey said that evidence of second-round inflation effects was 'quite subdued' and that it was 'too early' to draw conclusions. He added that BoE policy was already restrictive and that the UK economy was 'more resilient than we expected it to be'. However, bank stocks fell amid fears of a potential tax hit.

Irish novelist Sally Rooney's books will no longer be sold in Britain over her plans to donate royalties to Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian group proscribed by the British government under terrorism laws last year. Rooney, author of bestsellers including 'Normal People' and 'Conversations with Friends', has been a vocal supporter of the organisation even after it was banned.

The Milwaukee Bucks have moved their 23 October home opener against the Chicago Bulls from 7 p.m. to 3 p.m. to avoid conflicting with Game 1 of the World Series, which the Milwaukee Brewers are hosting that evening. The Brewers clinched their first World Series berth since 1982 by sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Bucks said the Brewers' return to the World Series 'for the first time in 44 years is a special moment for Milwaukee and sports fans across Wisconsin'.

Pete Hill, founder of the Black Country Ale Tairsters, has reached his 25,000th pub visit at the Old Royal Library in Malvern, marking a milestone in what he describes as the world's longest bar crawl spanning 42 years. Mr Hill said the achievement felt 'absolutely amazing' and that he never expected to get this far. He plans to continue, saying he was heading to The Weavers next door for his 25,001st visit.

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Saturday night to even the ALCS at two games apiece. Yandy Diaz hit a two-run homer in the ninth to seal the victory. Game 5 takes place Sunday in Cleveland, with Game 6 set for Monday in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Communities across Buckinghamshire have received kits to help them prepare for potential flooding this winter.

Lena Dunham has announced a surprise reboot of the cult series Girls, which ended 10 years ago. Five new episodes are in production, with the original cast returning: Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet and Andrew Rannells. Production begins in summer 2027.

Thousands of runners will participate in the Market to Market Relay this weekend, running from Omaha to Lincoln. The first wave starts at Seymour Smith Park in Omaha at 5 a.m. on Saturday, with waves continuing every 20 minutes through 9 a.m. Runners are expected to arrive in Lincoln around 1:15 p.m., with arrivals continuing until 8:45 p.m.

A driver who was caught speeding at 131mph on the A64 between York and Malton has been sentenced. North Yorkshire Police caught the unnamed man driving an Audi TT at Barton-le-Willows, between York and Malton, on a road with a 70mph speed limit. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £1,551 and given six penalty points at Harrogate Magistrates' Court.

Brandon Lee O'Neill, 24, was jailed for nine months plus nine months supervised licence and banned from driving for three years after pleading guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and theft of a Playstation 5 console. His co-accused Dearbhla Conlon, 36, received a two-year probation order and 12-month driving ban. The silver Skoda Kodiaq was stolen from outside Mairtin MacGabhann's west Belfast home on 17 December 2025 while laden with Christmas presents; repairs cost £9,000. The vehicle was later driven at police officers during the suspects' detention.

A 16-year-old resident of Bend, Oregon opened fire at Silver Rail Elementary School on Thursday, killing three children aged 5, 8 and 11, and a teacher. A 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher were also wounded and taken to hospital in critical condition. A community member chased down the gunman, and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said this intervention likely saved lives by ending the rampage. The suspect was found dead inside the school minutes after the first calls for help. Police said he entered by shooting through locked doors and used a pump-action shotgun purchased by his mother.

Associated British Ports (ABP) has withdrawn its Solent Gateway 2 project from the Planning Inspectorate's development consent process, citing strong customer demand. The firm said it needs to accelerate capacity delivery sooner than the development timeline allowed, and will instead focus on creating more space at existing Southampton and Solent Gateway sites at Marchwood. ABP indicated it still aims to develop the Dibden Bay scheme in future.

ModuleCo has been named as the contractor for a new operating theatre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. The 240 square metre facility will include an ophthalmic operating theatre with an Ultra Clean Ventilation canopy and a two-bed recovery area. Construction using modular methods, with ninety percent completed off-site, is expected to finish in early 2027.

The NBA told sportsbooks on Friday that they cannot offer certain types of wagers this season, including bets on which players record the first statistic of a game, the outcome of the opening tip, and 'under' wagers involving players not expected to play substantial minutes. The league also prohibited parlays with multiple 'under' wagers on a single player. All NBA players, coaches and training staff must attend mandatory in-person training on sports betting rules. The same restrictions will apply to WNBA games starting in 2027.

A man was removed from the Pavement Vaults pub on Piccadilly in York city centre on 16 October after behaving confrontationally. North Yorkshire Police attended and dealt with the matter through a community resolution for disorder. An eyewitness reported seeing a commotion outside the pub shortly after 2pm, with security guards appearing to have the situation under control before police arrived.

Warrington Borough Council's cabinet has approved a development framework for up to 4,200 new homes across six neighbourhoods in south east Warrington. The South East Warrington urban extension, led by Homes England, will also include schools, medical centres, leisure facilities, parks and shops. The six neighbourhoods—Stockton Heys, Green Heys, Lumb Brook Heys, Broad Heys, Pewterspear Heys and Stretton Heys—will contain between 250 and 950 homes each. Separately, plans for 240 affordable apartments at the former DW Sports site on Bank Street in Warrington town centre have been approved, though with affordable housing requirements removed after Homes England said it could not provide expected grant funding for 20 per cent of the units.

Carlisle Cathedral's Christmas Tree Festival will run from 5 December to 4 January, featuring over 40 uniquely decorated trees designed by local charities, businesses, schools and community groups. Now in its third year, the festival has grown from 30 trees in 2024 and will include a Farmers' and Makers' Market, a Cathedral Café, and free family activities.

Campaigners fighting plans for an asylum centre at the former RAF base in Linton-on-Ouse have called for a Treasury investigation, claiming the facility could cost taxpayers more than £270m despite potentially operating for just two years. The Linton-on-Ouse Action Group wrote to the Chancellor demanding a full financial review before public money is used to convert the site into accommodation for asylum seekers. The group claims the centre could cost between £443 and £853 per occupied bed per night, significantly more than hotel accommodation. The Home Office says its programme to move people into alternative accommodation is saving taxpayers money.

Walker Street in Preston, near the Crown Court, will remain closed for five more days until Wednesday 21 October due to a burst water main that closed the road on 13 October. Lancashire County Council said considerable work is required to repair damage to the surface caused by water and material being washed onto the carriageway. United Utilities is carrying out the repairs, though the council warns the reopening date remains subject to change as the full extent of damage becomes clear.

RB Imports Ltd, a family-run Brazilian butcher and grocer at 1056 London Road in Thornton Heath, has applied for permission to sell beer and spirits between 10am and 10pm daily. The shop wants to add Brazilian beers and cachaça to its existing offerings of fresh meat and frozen foods. However, the premises lies within one of Croydon Council's five Cumulative Impact Areas, zones designated where licensed premises concentration contributes to crime, disorder and public nuisance. Local resident Graham Mitchell has objected, citing council policy that presumes new takeaway alcohol applications will be refused in these areas when representations are made, though this is not automatic.

Matalan will open its first Clacton store at Brook Retail Park in November, creating more than 30 jobs. The 3,000-square-foot store will sell affordable family clothing, footwear and homeware, including school uniforms. Annette Ormandy, manager of Matalan Clacton, said the store would bring 'Matalan's latest ranges to Clacton' and help give 'customers even more choice'. Tendring District Council approved the plans, noting the store would boost footfall to neighbouring businesses including Tesco, B&Q, KFC and Currys. American fast-food chain Popeyes is also opening at the retail park, taking over the former Pizza Hut site and creating at least 60 jobs, though its opening date has not been confirmed.

Jo King from West Mersea has seen her customised Tesla Model Y become an internet hit, reaching more than 600,000 views on Instagram. She and husband Matt modified the electric car with a bright pink wrap, custom features and bubble-blowing exhausts. Jo bought the Tesla to reduce commuting costs to London but wanted something distinctive. The couple, who bonded over their shared love of cars a decade ago, were surprised when a video of the car went viral, reaching half a million views overnight.

Russell Brand is on trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of three rapes, three sexual assaults and indecent assault. A woman testified that in 2001, after complimenting Brand's T-shirt, he grabbed her forearm and tried to pull her into a men's toilet, becoming what she described as a 'wild-eyed maniac'. She said she managed to free herself from his grip.

Norfolk ranks tenth among the most haunted places in the UK, with 293 recorded ghost reports. Travel specialists Ski Vertigo compiled the rankings using data from the Paranormal Database. Norwich has the highest number of sightings in the county with 26, followed by King's Lynn with 17 and Great Yarmouth with 12. Blickling Hall is one of Norfolk's most famous haunted locations, said to be visited by the headless ghost of Anne Boleyn on May 19 each year.

Owen Filer, believed to be the oldest man in Wales, has attributed his longevity to a diet of fish and chips and a life of hard work as he approaches his 107th birthday on Monday. The Second World War veteran, born in 1919, served with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and then the Military Police. On Friday, he was presented with a commemorative statuette by SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, at Tredegar Veterans Support Hub, and later received a red carpet welcome at Market Hall Cinema in Brynmawr.

Tyler Carrington, 24, of Clipstone, was stopped by police while driving along the A350 near Chipstone at 11pm on 15 July with no headlights or rear lights. He claimed he was unfamiliar with the vehicle and did not know how to turn the lights on. Officers smelled alcohol and requested a breath test, which Carrington refused. He was arrested on suspicion of failing to provide a breath sample and appeared at Salisbury Magistrates Court on 15 October, where he pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to a 17-month driving disqualification and fined £1,038, plus £450 costs and a £415 victim surcharge.

The government has reached an out-of-court settlement with Sir Olly Robbins, who was sacked as the top Foreign Office civil servant in April over his role in Lord Mandelson's security vetting. The Guardian reports Robbins received a six-figure payout. He had requested a judicial review after being dismissed by Sir Keir Starmer, who said he did not accept Robbins's explanation for why Mandelson was granted security clearance despite vetting officials raising concerns.

Two members of Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust staff may have accessed or attempted to access the medical records of William Chapman without legitimate reason, the trust said. Chapman, 24, died last Saturday after climbing into the tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster. The trust has launched an investigation and reported the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office.

Taste of Italy, at Northern Gateway Leisure Park in Colchester, has reached the final of the Independent Italian Restaurant Award at the 2026 PAPA Industry Awards. The restaurant opened in March 2025. PAPA Awards judges conduct incognito visits to assess the real customer experience, evaluating food, service, atmosphere and attention to detail without revealing their identity. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at London Marriott Grosvenor Square on 6 November.

YouTuber Jack Dean, known as JaackMaate, will switch on Norwich's Christmas lights with his Happy Hour podcast co-hosts Stevie White and Robbie Knox on Thursday 19 November. The Lord Mayor of Norwich surprised the trio with an invitation after Dean revealed the ambition on a podcast episode. The event will feature live entertainment including music, comedy and dancing.

The South Yorkshire Mayor is to purchase Doncaster Sheffield Airport, a significant change in direction after a year of lease negotiations.

Sahra Noor, the sister of US Representative Ilhan Omar, skipped a scheduled book tour event at the University of Minnesota Rochester on Thursday night, citing a family emergency. Noor was reportedly subpoenaed in relation to a federal investigation into Omar's potential immigration fraud. Omar also faces a separate investigation into her financial disclosures. Noor, who lives in Nairobi, Kenya, is touring to promote her memoir 'Salt in the Snow: A Somali Immigrant Story'.

Daniel Christopher Rausch, a 35-year-old man, has been reported missing by the McKenzie County Sheriff's Office in North Dakota. He was last seen on 9 October walking along US Highway 85 South, south of Watford City, and told people he was leaving the state to travel to Dickinson before continuing to Florida by bus. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff's office.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said Friday that the Fed is 'not in that business anymore' of providing forward guidance on interest rates, leaving traders uncertain about an October decision despite most expecting a pause. His refusal to signal a decision came after recent inflation data, which some analysts say could justify a rate hike. Other Fed officials have indicated they see little urgency to raise rates.

Leeds City Council has rejected an application by telecoms firm Cornerstone to install a 25-metre 5G mast at Gipton's Fearnville Leisure Centre and playing fields. Council planners said the mast would be an 'incongruous and unduly prominent feature' that would adversely affect the character of the area. Cornerstone had argued the mast was needed to replace an existing installation on nearby Oak Tree House, which is being demolished to make way for flats, and warned of 5G coverage loss if not installed.

Everett School District in Washington has agreed to pay $275,000 in attorney's fees and issue a public apology to settle a lawsuit over policies that required elementary students to keep Bibles concealed in sealed envelopes. LifeWise Academy, which provides privately funded Bible instruction to public school students with parental permission, challenged restrictions that also required weekly permission slips for attendance. The district will also undergo religious liberty training.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has come under fire from Real Madrid after comparing the club's media output to Nazi propaganda methods. In a social media post on Friday, Tebas criticised Real Madrid TV's coverage of refereeing decisions, saying the club's approach of selecting plays that favour it, repeating grievances and naming enemies 'recalls propaganda mechanisms exploited by Goebbels'. He clarified the comparison was with propaganda techniques rather than ideology. Real Madrid responded by demanding Tebas's immediate resignation from both his La Liga position and his vice-presidency of the Spanish Football Federation, calling the comparison 'intolerable and extraordinarily serious'. The club said his conduct demonstrated a lack of neutrality incompatible with his responsibilities. This is the latest clash between Tebas and Real Madrid, following previous disputes over his comments on the club's refereeing complaints.

The Cleveland Guardians lead the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 in the AL Championship Series after Petey Halpin's two-run homer secured a 3-2 victory in Game 3 on Thursday. Shawn Armstrong will open for Cleveland and Nick Martinez will start for Tampa Bay in Game 4 on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET. The game's start time was moved back two hours, and there is expected to be rain in Cleveland most of Friday, though a weather window between 8-11 p.m. ET may allow the game to be played.

Ukraine's military-grade Starshield internet service experienced unexpected speed restrictions on 12-14 October that disrupted its ability to intercept Russian drone attacks. A bipartisan group of US senators has demanded an investigation into whether the restrictions were ordered by the US defence department. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the slowdown was a 'dangerous and unpleasant surprise' and that speeds have not yet been fully restored. President Donald Trump denied ordering the restrictions, but Reuters reported the order came from inside the White House. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated that Starshield systems are controlled by the US government, implying the restrictions must have come from that level.

Trading Standards has warned that 90% of children's Halloween costumes sold online break UK safety law. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute tested 11 costumes bought from third-party sellers on major marketplaces and found 10 failed to meet legal requirements. Issues included missing safety warnings, strangulation risks and costumes that caught fire rapidly when exposed to naked flames in tests with London Fire Brigade.

An estimated 550,000 people took part in protests across France on Saturday demanding action on rising living costs and poor conditions in schools. Most demonstrations were peaceful, but groups of masked rioters set fires to buildings and vehicles, looted shops, and clashed with police who deployed tear gas and water cannons. At least 1,800 people were arrested nationwide. President Emmanuel Macron said there was 'no place for violence' and vowed those responsible would be 'prosecuted and punished'. The unrest follows weeks of student-led protests that had also become violent at times.

Southend police have seized nearly £17,000 of illegal cigarettes and tobacco from a red Nissan Micra during an operation in Warrior Square, following a report from a member of the public. Officers from the Southend Neighbourhood Policing Team searched the vehicle and found hundreds of packets of illegal cigarettes and more than half a kilo of illegal tobacco stored in a large holdall and a Just Eat bicycle courier bag. The goods will be destroyed.

Michael Mullins, a 56-year-old head teacher from Weaverham, died from multiple injuries after being struck by a Volvo, a court heard. Simon Richardson is on trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, accused of his murder. A forensic pathologist told the jury that Mr Mullins suffered severe blunt force trauma to the chest, extensive rib fractures on both sides, bruising and a tear to both lungs, and internal bleeding after being struck, dragged underneath the vehicle and run over. He was pronounced dead at 6.50pm on 20 April.

Warminster Police have been targeting speeding drivers and shoplifters as part of a continuing crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour. Officers have been conducting patrols across the area, working with businesses to tackle retail crime and speaking with residents about their concerns. Road safety has been a particular focus, with officers conducting speed enforcement activity and targeted patrols aimed at reducing dangerous driving.

Ayden Cooper, a 25-year-old father-of-two, was stabbed to death in the car park of the Beggars Bush pub on Chester Road, Sutton Coldfield, shortly before 2am on Sunday. His family described him as a 'happy lad' with a 'heart of gold' who was just weeks away from his 26th birthday. No arrests have yet been made and a manhunt remains ongoing.

David Allingham from Eglinton has become British Superstock 1000 champion after winning his tenth race of the season in the penultimate race at Brands Hatch in Kent on Saturday. The Northern Ireland rider secured the title in dominant fashion.

Boldon CA boosted their bid for promotion into Northern League Division One with a 4-2 home win against rivals Seaton Carew. Their manager hailed the result as 'massive three points' in their push for promotion.

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust projects a combined shortfall of 84 beds during winter, with 52 beds missing at York Hospital and 32 at Scarborough. The forecast comes as emergency department waits of more than 12 hours doubled from 5.9 per cent in April to 14.6 per cent in August. Health bosses expect improvements in same-day care and discharge rates could free around 43 beds between the two hospitals, leaving a residual shortfall of 41 beds. The trust said plans were in place to manage the pressures and create additional capacity if needed.

The US Coast Guard rescued at least 16 Mexican nationals after a boat capsized off Baja California on Friday. Authorities are searching for 11 others believed missing. One person was treated for shark bites and two for cold exposure. Survivors said 27 people were aboard.

Ards and North Down Borough Council has agreed to add the name of Flight Lieutenant Brian Kenneth Levinge Fuge to the war memorial in Bangor. Fuge, aged 28, died on 19 March 1945, months before VE day, while flying photographic reconnaissance sorties over Bremen and Berlin. He was a prisoner of war who escaped and returned to service, and had a local connection through his wife Olive Fuge of Bangor.

Norfolk County Council has put forward seven proposals to address dangerous driving on Britannia Road in Norwich, with two suggesting closure to through traffic from the north. Tim Day, Reform UK councillor for Crome Ward, warns the closure could cause 'havoc' for residents and other users including parents and tradesmen. The road currently has no traffic calming measures and is a hotspot for boy racers, though no prosecutions have been made under the Public Spaces Protection Order renewed in June.

Stenson Fields Primary School in Derbyshire has been praised by Ofsted for its happy and caring pupils, with inspectors noting that children 'arrive happy and keen to start their day'. The school met expected standards in three out of seven areas inspected: attendance and behaviour, inclusion, and leadership and governance. However, four areas—achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, and personal development and wellbeing—were identified as needing improvement. Parents were reported to be 'overwhelmingly positive' about the school.

Sinn Féin MLA Aisling Reilly has announced she will not stand in the 2027 Northern Ireland Assembly election, citing health reasons. The Belfast Telegraph reports that the Belfast Lord Mayor could be a potential candidate to replace her.

Wolverhampton Wanderers came from behind to beat Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor on Friday night. Manager Cesar Peixoto praised his team's mentality and highlighted the performances of Fer Lopez and Tawanda Chirewa in the comeback victory. Peixoto also reflected on the lengthy international break before the match.

Elon Musk has given $276 million to Republican groups since July, including $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund and $158 million to Texas PAC backing Republican Ken Paxton. The America PAC, aligned with Musk, spent $35.8 million on field operations across seven Senate battleground states in the third quarter. Yet with three weeks until Election Day, Democrats lead in polling averages across nine competitive Senate races, little changed from before the Republican spending surge, according to CNBC's analysis. Republican operatives say the spending has not had the expected effects on voter sentiment.

William, known as Billy, a 48-year-old from Erith, has been found dead a week after he was reported missing on 9 October. His family confirmed the death and asked for privacy. He previously worked at Morrisons and was described by his sister as 'the most amazing, chatty, lovable person, and everybody knows him'.

Faisal Razzaq, jailed in 2006 for acting as getaway driver in the 2005 robbery that resulted in PC Sharon Beshenivsky being shot dead in Bradford, sold guns to criminals after being released on parole in 2017. Razzaq, now 45, was given life with a minimum of 11 years but was released after serving part of his sentence. After parole, he ran a luxury car hire business in north London while obtaining and selling banned firearms to gangs. He has since been convicted of conspiracy to sell or transfer banned guns, possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life, and two counts of possessing a firearm and ammunition when banned.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service is investigating whether two members of staff breached the medical records of a man who died after entering a tiger den. The Trust has commenced an investigation to establish the full circumstances of the potential breaches.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been moved from FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey to FCI Allenwood Low, a low-security federal prison near Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Last month, NBC News reported that the hip-hop mogul was enjoying aspects of his millionaire lifestyle behind bars, including smuggling in Hennessy, having fellow inmates cook and clean for him, and using a contraband cellphone. Combs is serving a four-year, two-month sentence for his conviction on prostitution-related charges.

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed quarterback Joe Milton to their 53-man roster from the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad. Milton, a 2024 sixth-round pick by the New England Patriots, was traded to Dallas earlier this year. The move comes after Jalen Hurts was ruled out indefinitely with a superficial blood clot. Tanner McKee will start Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, with rookie Cole Payton as backup.

A crash on the A55 westbound near Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan has closed one lane for vehicle recovery. North Wales Live reports the collision involved two vehicles and emergency services are on scene, with queues stretching back towards St Asaph.

Stoke City manager Mark Robins says supporters are seeing positive signs from an improved culture at the club. The Potters are eighth in the Championship after losing 3-2 to Middlesbrough on Tuesday, ending a six-game unbeaten run. Robins believes the club's summer recruitment and work behind the scenes is paying off, with players developing better habits that reflect on the pitch.

Alan Feeney has resigned from Solihull and Birmingham councils after an ITV undercover investigation captured him making racist remarks during the run-up to May's local elections. Feeney, who held posts including deputy mayor of Solihull, was recorded calling Asian homeowners 'parasites' and saying no more than 1% of the UK population should be non-white. He has apologised, saying his comments 'were wrong, offensive and completely unacceptable'. The Ministry of Justice has also suspended him from his job with the prison service, describing the remarks as 'despicable'.

Sainsbury's will provide a half-year update to shareholders on Thursday October 22, when it is expected to face questions about reported merger talks with rival Morrisons held earlier this year. The two firms are no longer in talks. The supermarket giant also agreed to sell its Argos arm. Sainsbury's holds a 15.3 per cent share of the UK grocery market, significantly behind Tesco's 27.9 per cent.

Sophie Cunningham criticised WNBA referees for failing to penalise Angel Reese during Atlanta Dream's Game 3 playoff win over New York Liberty. Cunningham said Reese should have received a technical foul for chasing down Sabrina Ionescu and shouting in her face after Ionescu committed a foul.

NHS organisations across England are rejecting the controversial US firm Palantir's patient data platform, according to freedom of information responses. Health bodies from Gateshead to Truro said they were declining to use it or had reverted to old systems after trials. The National Data Guardian has warned that patient distrust of Palantir could affect patient care, though Tom Watson, Palantir's UK boss and former Labour deputy leader, argues the watchdog ignores critical facts.

Manchester City defeated Ipswich 3-2 at home, with Erling Haaland scoring twice to keep their perfect Premier League record intact and move six points clear at the top of the table. Phil Foden also scored for City, while Daizen Maeda and Zian Flemming replied for Ipswich. Haaland's double took his season tally to 12 goals. Manager Enzo Maresca set a new Premier League record by winning his first seven games in charge. However, City suffered multiple injury concerns in the closing stages, with Haaland, Antoine Semenyo, Nico O'Reilly, Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic all pulling up with problems. Maresca said Haaland told him he was okay after limping off the pitch.

Emma Dutton, 43, from Berinsfield, fell asleep at the wheel of her blue Nissan Qashqai on Stadhampton Road in Little Milton on 5 February whilst under the influence of cocaine. She veered off the road on a bend and hit a telegraph pole. Dashcam footage captured the moment of impact. At Oxford Magistrates' Court on 8 October, Dutton pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drug driving. She was sentenced to a year in jail suspended for two years, received a 22-month driving ban, and was ordered to pay £85 in court costs and a £187 surcharge.

Brothers Fayaz and Imtiaz Ahmed absconded during a child sexual offences trial in Bradford in January 2025. Fayaz Ahmed, 45, was found guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in his absence. Imtiaz Ahmed, 61, was convicted of rape and sentenced to nine years in his absence. West Yorkshire Police have now arrested seven people on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, with four men and three women aged between 28 and 52 arrested at addresses in Keighley, Bingley, Birmingham and the Nelson area of Lancashire. All have been released on conditional bail.

Over 100 protesters marched in Torrington on Friday to oppose a £13 billion AI data centre and battery energy storage system planned by energy company Xlinks. The complex, which would cover 850 acres and include 40-metre-high buildings, would be among Europe's largest sites of its kind. Local residents and Devon County Council oppose the development, citing concerns about farmland loss, visual impact, wildlife damage, water use and fire risks.

A 42-year-old school employee from Atlanta, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, was thrown from the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday. The park is reopening Friday evening as previously scheduled, though the Goliath will not be running. Authorities are investigating the incident; the coaster passed its latest annual state inspection in March with no safety violations found.

Amber Guyger, 38, was released from prison in Gatesville, Texas on Friday after serving seven years of a ten-year sentence for the September 2018 shooting of Botham Jean, 26, in his own apartment. Guyger claimed she had accidentally entered Jean's apartment on the wrong floor after finishing a 15-hour shift, mistaking him for an intruder. She was convicted of murder in October 2019. Jean's family opposed her early release, with their attorney stating they wanted her to serve her full sentence. Guyger will remain under strict parole supervision until 2029, including travel restrictions, home visits and employment requirements, and is prohibited from living in Dallas County or contacting Jean's family.

Analogue announced new versions of its Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis retro consoles with redesigned cases and built-in wireless connectivity for controllers. The Super Nt Plus and Mega Sg Plus use FPGA processors to play original cartridges without emulation and cost $219.99 each, with preorders starting 19 October and shipping in December. Both add USB-C power, USB-A ports and allow cartridge swapping without powering down.

The wife of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's national security adviser, author and journalist Sarah Helm, posted on X on Thursday: 'God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.' Helm was responding to a discussion about Irish novelist Sally Rooney, whose publisher Faber has withdrawn her books from UK sale after she announced plans to donate royalties to Palestine Action, a group proscribed as a terrorist organisation since July 2025. The Campaign Against Antisemitism called for police investigation, but Metropolitan Police determined on Saturday that Helm's post did not meet the criminal threshold and took no further action. Downing Street distanced itself from the post, saying Helm 'does not represent the government in any capacity'.

A study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people who ghost feel guilty and sad about their actions. Those who are ghosted underestimate how bad their conversation partners feel, researchers from Cambridge and the University of California discovered. The study authors suggest this adds complexity to understanding ghosting and could reduce potential for reconciliation.

Chilean President José Antonio Kast arrived in Bolivia on Friday for the first state visit by a Chilean leader in more than seven decades, marking a thaw in relations between the neighbouring countries. Both leaders, recently elected conservatives, are seeking to strengthen ties despite Bolivia's longstanding territorial dispute over its lost Pacific coastline. The two governments agreed to focus on cooperation in trade, mining, energy and border security, with plans to sign agreements on these issues.

A five-bedroom house in Cleadon is being offered for sale with three reception rooms. The property is described as 'ideally placed for access to a superb range of amenities'.

Eight teenagers have been arrested after a disturbance involving a large group of young people in Chatham High Street on 8 October. A dispersal order has been put in place across Chatham and Rochester town centres until 11.15am on Sunday, giving police powers to move on anyone causing a nuisance and arrest those who return.

Darlington Borough Council and developer Cityheart are proposing a four-storey office building on the former Sports Direct site off East Street, designed to attract businesses to the town centre near a new Government building. The former Wilko building across East Street would be demolished, with the land initially used for car parking. The council has approved £410,000 towards professional services and fees for the project.

Journalist Fran Winston has written in the Daily Express that supermodel Jerry Hall is unlikely to win BBC's Celebrity Traitors. Winston, who met Hall several years ago at an after-party in Dublin, described the 70-year-old Texan as 'incapable of paying attention to anything that doesn't fit her own narrative' and 'playing an entirely different game in her head'. Fellow contestant Miranda Hart has described Hall as 'living in Jerryland'.

Mulgrave Estate has applied for emergency stabilisation works on a 40-metre stretch of Sandsend Valley Road near Whitby, where an embankment beside Sandsend Beck is continuing to fail. The deterioration poses a risk to the road, pedestrians and neighbouring land. The proposed retaining structure would use gabion baskets—wire cages filled with natural stone—reaching up to three metres in height. The design was chosen to blend with existing stone structures in the conservation area.

Essex Police has warned residents about fraudsters making phone calls while impersonating police officers and requesting bank details, PINs or cash. The force has reminded residents that genuine police will never ask for bank account details, PINs, information about financial products, or requests to withdraw cash or hand over bank cards.

Christian Horner, 52, was dismissed as Red Bull Racing's chief executive and team principal in July 2025 after two decades, receiving a £67 million payout. He described his departure as "particularly brutal and sad", attributing it to an internal power struggle and declining team performance rather than a texting scandal from 2024 in which he was twice cleared of misconduct. His departure coincided with personal tragedy: his ex-wife Beverley Allen died from eye cancer a week before he left.

Mayor David Skaith has announced the Mayor's Gateway Scholarship, which will initially support two students from Mumbai to study in York. The scheme was announced during a regional trade mission to India and is funded by the University of York Mumbai. The scholarship includes work experience placements in local business and industry.

St Edmund Hall at Oxford University has officially opened Norham St Edmund, a 127-bedroom student accommodation block in North Oxford. The college broke ground on the project three years ago and completed it in October. The development comprises three Passivhaus certified buildings: the Willis Building, Ashton House, and Elliot House, plus a low-carbon retrofit of an 1874 Victorian villa called Dunabin Lodge. St Edmund Hall is the first Oxford college to build Passivhaus certified student accommodation in the city. The strict certification requires exceptional performance in insulation, airtightness, heating and cooling, energy efficiency, glazing and ventilation. The three new buildings have 70 per cent lower energy demand than typical modern buildings, creating what the college describes as 'climate-resilient' designs. Principal Professor Baroness Willis said it gave her 'enormous pride' to see the new accommodation open to students.

TGJones, a stationery and bookshop formerly known as WHSmith, is closing its Whitgift Centre store after launching a closing-down sale. The closure continues a pattern of departures from the shopping centre, which counted 93 empty units in August. The number of vacancies has risen sharply in recent years, from 46 in September 2024 to 93 by August of this year.

Hawkstone, described as the fastest growing beer brand in the UK, has expanded its availability at Waitrose. The Premium Lager, made with British-grown ingredients sourced largely from the Cotswolds, is now sold in 10-bottle packs priced at £17.95 at Oxford's Waitrose on Botley Road, alongside existing four-bottle packs. The range also includes Hawkstone Black, a stout produced by Jeremy Clarkson's brand, which is stocked at Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Waitrose.

Sharone Parnes, a Jewish, Israeli and Zionist councillor in Woodstock, has written an open letter to Green Party members Barry Wheatley and Cynthia Muthoni following the party's adoption of a motion describing Zionism as racism. Mr Parnes said he supports Jewish self-determination and Israel's continued existence, without endorsing every Israeli government policy. He is seeking clarification of the councillors' individual views so that Jewish, Israeli and Zionist residents can have confidence they will be treated fairly.

Plans to re-naturalise a section of the River Evenlode in Oxfordshire have been put forward to tackle worsening flooding that has left the valley a 'sink' for water. The proposal includes building a 'naturalistic landscape bund', water basins and channels to store flood water in a field, away from a Grade II listed building on the river's banks. The scheme also calls for removal of a weir as part of the re-naturalisation process. The plan has been submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council, citing increasingly frequent and rapid flood events in the valley between Shipton-under-Wychwood and Ascott-under-Wychwood.

Twenty specialist chairs that convert into beds have been installed on the postnatal ward at Worcestershire Royal Hospital. The 'Buddy Beds' allow birth partners to rest more comfortably while supporting new mothers. The addition was funded by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity's Hold the Moment – Maternity Appeal, which raised £223,000 to improve maternity care facilities across the NHS Trust.

Robert Mackie, chief finance officer and deputy chief executive at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, is to retire later this year. The trust has begun advertising for a replacement. Chief executive Ellen Rule said there was still 'plenty of time' before Mr Mackie leaves and the trust would formally recognise his contribution later in the year.

Newcastle United lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa on Saturday evening. Aston Villa midfielder Johan Manzambi scored the winning goal in the 36th minute, heading past Newcastle goalkeeper Hornicek unchallenged. Manzambi had almost joined Newcastle in the summer, with a £51 million fee agreed with SC Freiburg and contractual terms verbally accepted, but the move collapsed when he chose to join Aston Villa instead. Newcastle failed to recover from a 4-1 defeat to Coventry City on Monday.

Police have renewed their appeal for Catherine, 37, from Thurrock in Essex, who has been missing since September 3. Her car was discovered in the Eastbourne area on the same evening, around 65 miles away. Police say there have been no reported sightings of her since.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited Nottingham yesterday for a series of engagements at youth charities, marking their first joint public appearance since returning to the UK in late August. During the visit, Harry revealed that his son Archie, seven, dislikes mathematics and had asked to attend a school that 'doesn't do maths' before enrolling at his new school in Britain. Meghan said their daughter Lilibet, five, 'loves gymnastics'. The couple undertook engagements including at the youth charity Epic Partners, where they decorated cupcakes and participated in a bracelet-making workshop.

A 51-year-old man riding a Yamaha moped died after a collision with a Vauxhall Zafira on Lea Bridge Road in Clapton at 7.05pm on 15 October. The driver of the car, a 64-year-old man, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remains in custody. Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage.

Jofra Archer has signed a one-year contract extension with Sussex, extending his stay at Hove to 12 seasons. The 31-year-old England paceman has taken 223 first-class wickets for the county since his 2016 debut and 83 Test wickets for England in 23 matches. After returning from injury to play for Sussex in June 2025, Archer has taken 23 wickets in five recent Test matches against New Zealand and Pakistan.

Rafael Jodar, a 20-year-old Spanish player, has become the youngest semi-finalist in Shanghai Masters history after defeating Casper Ruud. Jodar rallied from losing the first set to win 4-6 6-4 6-3 in two hours 20 minutes, breaking Ruud's serve five times in the final two sets. He will face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final after the Russian defeated Tommy Paul 6-3 1-6 6-3.

A man has been fatally stabbed outside a pub in Sutton Coldfield. Staff at the venue attempted to save his life. The pub has issued a message updating customers on the investigation and offering reassurance.

Stephen Sellars, 62, from Hibaldstow, North Lincolnshire, has been jailed for 16 months after pleading guilty to sexual penetration of a corpse. He was interrupted by the woman's son and nephew at her home. The victim, who had died of cancer weeks earlier, was being kept in her living room pending funeral arrangements. Sellars told officers he was under the influence of drugs and claimed he did not know what came over him.

Sweeping changes to England's planning system will come into force from October 31, meaning only 'significant' planning applications will be decided by planning committees, with all other applications decided by planning officers instead. Councillors have said they are 'really uncomfortable' with the changes, which will see the vast majority of planning applications decided behind closed doors, even if they attract large numbers of objections. A Cleckheaton councillor has described the new rules as 'a backwards step'.

Gbar, a Liverpool city centre gay bar, has been allowed to reopen following a stabbing outside the venue last month in which three men were injured. Liverpool Council's licensing sub-committee permitted the bar to open until 8am, rejecting Merseyside Police's request for a 6am closure. Three men were charged in connection with the incident.

Martin Stokes, 20, has been jailed for driving a Mustang at 140mph the wrong way down the M4 with a 15-year-old passenger during a police chase from Bristol to Swindon on 8 July. Stokes was on conditional bail and disqualified from driving when he was spotted driving erratically by Avon & Somerset Police and collided with another car. He continued onto the M4 where he drove into head-on traffic, narrowly avoiding multiple crashes at speeds of 140mph on the A419 and A420 near Swindon.

Daniel Barlow, 30, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He crashed his DAF lorry into a Volkswagen Polo on the M6 on 2 December 2022, killing Chloe Williams, 19, from Dudley, who was travelling to a concert. Two other occupants of the Polo sustained serious injuries. Barlow was logged into a gambling website at the time and did not attempt to brake until 0.5 seconds before impact.

The Met Office has said snow in Wiltshire and Swindon is 'highly unlikely' this year, with no snow expected until at least January. The coming weeks are forecast to be wet and windy rather than snowy. Changing weather patterns caused by climate change mean this winter is expected to be wetter and milder than in the past, with snow becoming increasingly rare.

A medical incident at the Tesco Extra store in Coulby Newham on Friday, 16 October prompted emergency services to attend. Police, paramedics and the Great North Air Ambulance Service responded to reports of a person unwell at the shopping centre. One patient was taken to James Cook University Hospital by road ambulance.

Power Consulting Midlands Ltd has applied to amend planning permission for a waste incinerator at Kingspan Insulation in Sherburn in Elmet, North Yorkshire. The proposals would add carbon capture equipment capable of capturing 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually and a hydrogen production facility. The developer says these improvements would enhance environmental performance without increasing waste throughput, but the North Yorkshire Green Party has questioned whether such significant changes to a development originally approved in 2017 should require greater scrutiny from elected councillors and the public.

A powerful synthetic opioid called cychlorphine has been linked to its first confirmed overdose death in Los Angeles County in February. The drug can cause fatal respiratory depression in extremely small quantities and cannot be detected by standard fentanyl testing strips. The New York Post reports the drug is ten times more powerful than fentanyl, whilst the Independent World describes it as 'significantly stronger'. Health officials warn it may be mixed into illegal drugs without users' knowledge.

Police are appealing for help to trace a missing teenage girl last seen in Buxton, Derbyshire. They are concerned for her safety.

La Liga president Javier Tebas criticised Real Madrid's club television channel for regularly airing clips of refereeing errors ahead of upcoming matches, comparing the tactic to Nazi propaganda techniques used by Joseph Goebbels. Real Madrid responded by demanding Tebas's immediate resignation, stating his conduct showed a lack of neutrality incompatible with his responsibilities. Tebas said the comparison was with propaganda techniques rather than ideology or Madrid fans.

Student protests originating in France have spread across Europe to Italy, Albania and Belgium. In Italy, demonstrators clashed with police in multiple cities, throwing petrol bombs, firecrackers and rocks, while police deployed water cannons and tear gas. Students protested against poor school conditions, high living costs, defence spending and education funding, with some also calling for caps on foreign students. In Rome, protesters marched to the Ministry of Education chanting against education minister Giuseppe Valditara. Al Jazeera reports that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama blamed demonstrations in his country on 'foreign hands', while policy analyst Alberto Alemanno suggested the protests reflect a broader 'generational claim' among students who feel their future is being disregarded.

Police have released a 61-year-old man under investigation following the death of a man in his 30s at Ranelagh Grove in St Peter's, Broadstairs on Wednesday. The man was arrested on suspicion of murder after officers responded to a report of concern for a person. Chief Inspector Ian Swallow said there is 'nothing to suggest any wider threat to the public' and that enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.

An extensive search is underway for Rachel Lenton, 43, who was last seen on CCTV at 12.40pm on Friday at Harrogate District Hospital in North Yorkshire. She was wearing a knee-length dark-coloured Karrimor jacket with a hood. North Yorkshire Police describe her as white, 5ft 6in tall, with short curly greying hair, and are asking anyone who has seen her or has information about her whereabouts to contact them immediately on 101, or to call 999 if they spot her.

A one-year-old dachshund named Louis was found on Mythe Bridge in Tewkesbury on Friday morning, more than 10 miles from where he was taken. Both dogs were stolen from the Three Counties Showground in Malvern between 9pm and 9.30pm on Wednesday night. Louis's family said they were relieved to have him back but remain concerned about Milo, a saluki greyhound taken at the same time. West Mercia Police confirmed they received a report of the abduction and said enquiries are ongoing.

A Co Antrim pensioner in his 70s has been jailed for five years and four months for an intergenerational campaign of sexual abuse against his daughter and two granddaughters. He pleaded guilty to 17 charges spanning almost 40 years from December 1984 to July 2023, including rape and indecent assault. The victims, all in their early teens when abused, reported that he told his daughter the abuse was 'their secret' and threatened suicide if she told anyone. One granddaughter said he paid her 'hush money' to prevent disclosure. He will serve a further one year and four months on supervised licence after release.

The play area at National Trust Croome in the Midlands has closed to allow for upgrades. A new play area is set to open in 2027.

Cumberland Council is consulting families and young people on proposed changes to post-16 SEND transport in the county. The new approach would offer financial contributions based on the cost of a bus pass instead of arranging council-funded taxis or minibuses. The council said individual needs would continue to be assessed and no decisions have been made. The consultation runs until November 20, 2026.

Former Brookside actor Philip Foster has been jailed after running a fraud involving sham modelling agencies across the UK. Over more than eight years, the 51-year-old exploited more than 6,000 would-be models and their parents of £13.6 million. He operated from Spain, where he lived a lavish lifestyle, before being extradited to the UK in October and sentenced to a total of nine years in jail.

St Bees School is inviting applications for its Full Circle Scholarship, which offers 30 per cent fee remission for one Year 7 entrant in September 2027. The award recognises academic excellence, leadership and emotional intelligence, and is open to pupils currently in Year 6. Applicants must submit a 500-word essay answering 'What is bravery?' and take part in an interview with headmaster Laurence Gribble.

The Savannah Bananas have announced they will return to Kansas City in June 2027 for two games against the Indianapolis Clowns at Kauffman Stadium. The Bananas previously played in Kansas City in May 2025. The revived Indianapolis Clowns are part of a Banana Ball partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum established in October 2025 to honour the historic barnstorming team.

Police are searching for Nana Bereko, 53, wanted on recall to prison with links to Thurrock, Felixstowe and Barking, according to Suffolk Police. Essex Police are separately seeking Scott Butcher, who has links to Colchester's Shrub End area. Anyone with information can contact police or Crimestoppers anonymously.

North Yorkshire Police is appealing for information after criminal damage to a parked car in Burdyke Avenue, Clifton, on 27 September at about 1.45pm. Officers have released an image of a man they believe may have information about the incident. Anyone who recognises him can contact police by emailing mark.burrows@northyorkshire.police.uk or calling 101, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

MapQuest has added a 'Surveillance Layer' to its Android and iOS apps that shows the locations of known outdoor surveillance cameras and licence plate readers, including those from Flock, Vigilant, Genetec and other providers. The layer sits alongside existing traffic and incident viewing options. TechRadar reports that Flock alone has more than 120,000 cameras installed across the US, suggesting users may see significant numbers of surveillance points in their areas.

Gloucester Rugby drew 36-36 with Champions Cup holders Union Bordeaux-Bègles at Kingsholm in Round One of the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup on Friday night. Gloucester, top of the Gallagher Premiership, led 24-17 at half-time with tries from Arthur Clark, Max Llewellyn and George Barton. Will Trenholm scored twice in the second half to push Gloucester ahead 36-29, but Louis Bielle-Biarrey's second try, converted by Maxime Lucu, secured a draw with neither team able to score a winning point.

Laken Snelling, 22, a former University of Kentucky cheerleader, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter of her newborn son in August. The baby's body was found in a trash bag in her college dorm room closet in August 2025 after roommates heard loud noises. Snelling told the court she 'deprived him of oxygen' and said she was under emotional stress when her baby came unexpectedly, adding 'instead of helping him I ended his life and afterwards I cleaned up and didn't tell anyone.' She is not eligible for probation but will be eligible for parole after serving 85 per cent of her sentence.

Linda Evans, 73, was killed in a crash with a motorbike on London Road, Hadleigh, Essex on October 9. A man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs. Her family described her as 'a kind, loving and generous person'.

Lamborghini will launch the Urus SE Performante in Australia in early to mid-2027. The premium SUV is engineered for performance on racetracks and straight-line speed, with an electronically limited top speed of 312km/h. Pricing has not been confirmed but is expected around the $500,000 mark, representing a 10 per cent increase over the base Urus SE.

Stanislav Carpiuc, 28, has been deported from Britain after being convicted of conspiracy to damage property by fire in a series of arson attacks on Sir Keir Starmer's home and car in north London in May 2025. Carpiuc and accomplice Roman Lavrynovych, 22, were hired by a Russian-speaking handler known as 'El Money' via the encrypted app Telegram, with Lavrynovych offered £3,000 in cryptocurrency to carry out the attacks. The fires targeted a car Starmer had previously owned, two houses linked to him, and damaged the home then occupied by his sister-in-law Judith Alexander. Carpiuc was sentenced to two years in prison in June; Lavrynovych received seven years. A BBC investigation linked the El Money account to a 23-year-old diplomat whose father is a senior Russian official. The Home Office confirmed Carpiuc's deportation on Friday and said he is subject to a re-entry ban.

Organised gangs are stealing around £1 million worth of luxury watches each month from Londoners and tourists in the West End, according to Metropolitan Police figures revealed at court. There were 97 watch robberies or attempted robberies across Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham between January and June this year, with a further 70 watches stolen from July to September. Violence is common, with victims punched, kicked or threatened with knives in about one in five cases.

Philip Foster, 51, who played Christian Wright in the Channel 4 soap Brookside, has been jailed for nine years for a £13.6m modelling fraud after being arrested in Spain and extradited to the UK. He had fled before his trial and was originally sentenced in absence to eight and a half years in February 2025, with six months added for absconding. Foster ran fake modelling agencies that deceived more than 6,000 victims, mainly young people and their parents, who were promised paid work but lost substantial sums of money. At Sheffield Crown Court, Judge David Dixon called him a 'coward' for hiding abroad while his co-defendants faced sentencing.

Scottish Citylink is launching a new direct bus service between Aberdeen and Edinburgh Airport on 24 October. The M6 service will operate four times daily in each direction, with the journey taking approximately two hours and 40 minutes, compared with almost four hours on the existing route which requires two changes. Fares start from £35 return between Aberdeen and Edinburgh Airport.

Meta updated its commercial terms to remove language that legal experts interpreted as permission to scrape and use content from news sites and other websites to train its AI products. The provision, which went into effect on 30 October, initially stated Meta could use content from business customers' domains to 'develop, improve, research, train' its services. Meta said it was consolidating existing ad and business product terms, but experts including Cornell law professor James Grimmelmann argued it could bypass robots.txt blocking instructions. After backlash, Meta removed the controversial language, stating the crawling terms only applied to ads and business products and did not represent a change in how it uses web crawlers.

Alan Feeney, who won the Shard End seat for Reform UK in May's local elections with over 1,200 votes, has resigned from both Birmingham City Council and Solihull Borough Council. BirminghamLive reports that he was recorded in an ITV News investigation describing an area as 'infested' with Asian families, calling them 'absolute parasites' and stating no more than 1 per cent of the UK population should be non-white. Feeney quit Reform earlier this week before the comments were made public. By-elections will follow in both councils, likely within weeks.

Police are searching for Nana Bereko, 53, who is wanted on recall to prison. He is described as black, around 5ft 9ins tall, with a small scar on his left cheek. He has links to Felixstowe in Suffolk, Thurrock in Essex and Barking in East London.

Jim Chalmers, Australia's treasurer, is under pressure from colleagues over stubborn inflation, rising interest rates and the unintended consequences of the May budget. Guardian Australia reports that a senior Labor figure said 'the feeling of warmth that has existed for the government since the election is turning to heat'. Some Labor MPs are questioning the government's political strategy and want a strategic reset on economic settings rather than a fresh sales push.

A fight broke out on a Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Ibiza on October 5 as the aircraft prepared to land. Police met the aircraft when it arrived in Ibiza and one man was removed. According to passenger Harry Watson, 28, trouble began when a man got out of his seat to use the toilet despite the seatbelt sign being illuminated, and other passengers challenged him, escalating the situation into violence.

Boris Johnson has criticised US President Donald Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Russian fuel, which is reportedly aimed at helping stabilise global fuel prices. Johnson said the decision is 'sickening' and argued that it would effectively help finance Russia's war in Ukraine. He also announced publication of a Ukrainian translation of his memoir.

Dame Judi Dench, 91, has said she has no plans to retire and hopes to work until her final days. In her new autobiography, Is It Too Late to Make a Run for It?, serialised in The Times, she said: 'Retire, vintage, old – let's banish those words. I want to be like Newton Blick, who died in his dressing room after a performance.' The memoir, published on 22 October 2026 by Penguin Books, covers her upbringing in York, her parents, her brother who encouraged her to act, and her teachers.

Marsha's, Philadelphia's first women's sports bar, is closing after little more than one year in business. Owner Chivonn Anderson announced the closure on social media, with the bar's final day this Sunday. The bar, named after LGBTQ+ activist Marsha P. Johnson, opened in September 2025 to significant excitement, with a three-hour queue on opening night. However, its management was accused of fostering a hostile work environment against female and minority employees.

A man in his 30s was taken to hospital with face and hand injuries after being robbed on Prince of Wales Road in Norwich at 2.30am on Friday 16 October. The attacker stole a bag from the victim. Norfolk Constabulary said enquiries are ongoing and a police cordon remains in place.

North Yorkshire Police arrested a man at Pavement Vaults pub in York's Piccadilly on Friday afternoon. An eye-witness reported seeing commotion outside the pub shortly after 2pm, with security guards assisting before police arrived around ten minutes later. Officers were then seen taking the man away.

A man's body was found in the garden of a property on Lambley Lane in Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire at 7.24pm on Wednesday. Nottinghamshire Police are investigating the death, which is being treated as unexplained. Detective Inspector Clare Gibson said the force was working to understand the circumstances and believed it to be an isolated incident posing no risk to the wider community.

Cornwall Council's chief operating and finance officer Annabel Scholes has resigned after six months in the role, following the departure of chief executive Kate Kennally and service director Rachael Rother within the same week. The council's Liberal Democrat leader Leigh Frost acknowledged the departures are problematic but said the organisation has interim leadership in place and insisted it does not depend on any single person.

Three men have been jailed for robbing a £137,000 Richard Mille watch from Romanian businessman Catalin Botezatu outside Amazonico restaurant in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, in January. Police revealed that an average of £1m worth of watches are stolen monthly from people's wrists across Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith and Fulham. Younes Djoudi, 34, received five years and nine months; Ali Eldahouzze, 22, received three years and six months; and Abdel El Habchi, 30, received five years and six months.

Dame Judi Dench and more than 100 current and former cast members of The Archers have written to BBC director-general Matt Brittin urging the corporation to keep recording the show in Birmingham. The BBC scrapped plans to build a bespoke studio at its Tea Factory in Digbeth as part of cost-cutting measures and is instead considering existing studios elsewhere in the UK. The signatories warn that moving production would pose an 'existential threat' to the show's future and end its 75-year relationship with the city.

Councillor Scott Cameron is intensifying his campaign for all Warwickshire County Council members to undergo and publicly disclose enhanced criminal record (DBS) checks and drugs tests, arguing that those in positions of trust and corporate parents of children should meet this basic requirement. The council leader has cited legal constraints preventing the authority from requiring such checks of all councillors, though cabinet members and those on fostering and adoption panels already complete them. Cameron has published his own clear DBS certificate online.

Michael Carrick has brushed off suggestions that his job is under threat, insisting the squad believes in him despite United's worst Premier League start in 40 years. The club have won just one of their opening six league games and lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. Lisandro Martinez's recent criticism of the club's hierarchy has dominated the build-up to Sunday's match at Leeds, but Carrick said the players are in 'a fantastic place'. He added that external speculation does not reflect what is happening within the group. Leeds manager Daniel Farke backed Carrick, saying he has done an 'excellent job'. Carrick also said he has no timeframe for making United champions again, despite chief executive Omar Berrada's aim of winning the Premier League within two seasons.

Three serious road crashes occurred in North Yorkshire on Friday, resulting in three people being taken to hospital. A crash at the junction of Skipton Road and St John's Road in Harrogate at 8.56am closed the road in both directions. A second collision on the A64 near Castle Howard at 1.37pm involved two people, requiring an air ambulance; the road was subsequently reopened. A third incident on Wigginton Road in York at 5.38pm involved an electric vehicle that struck a tree.

More than 500 people gathered in King's Lynn on Saturday to protest against plans that could see the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and James Paget University Hospital lose their A&E departments. Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group is considering how care should be delivered when £1.4bn replacement facilities open in the early 2030s. The hospitals group says no decisions have been made yet, but one proposal would route emergency patients to Norwich instead.

A vehicle fire on the M4 between junctions 17 and 16 is causing severe traffic delays and queues. Emergency services are at the scene. Traffic is building in the area.

Emma Gardner, 47, a detective inspector based in Rhyl, has been jailed for eight months after illegally accessing North Wales Police computer systems. Gardner repeatedly accessed digital records about a friend, Simon Acton, a Rhyl bouncer, between January and September 2022, and passed information to him. She also accessed records about three women: Stacey Roberts, Sarah Davies and Rhian Chalk. Messages showed Gardner telling Acton 'I have my uses' and assuring him 'I've not said I know you, as I can't be seen to be heavily involved'. She was found guilty of computer misuse in July and barred from policing in August.

Matty Jones has left his role as Wales Under-21s head coach following an unsuccessful European Championship qualification campaign. The 46-year-old, who took charge in September 2022, oversaw a fourth-place finish in qualification with Wales winning only two of eight group-stage fixtures and suffering heavy defeats including 7-1 to Austria, 7-0 to Belgium, and multiple losses to Denmark. The Football Association of Wales thanked Jones for his commitment and noted his success in developing players including Lewis Koumas and Dylan Lawlor into senior internationals.

Elmbridge Borough Council has paid out more than £60,000 in refunds for parking fines erroneously issued in several of its car parks over six years. More than 1,800 refund claims have been filed since the scheme launched in June, with the overwhelming majority approved or scheduled for payment. The council estimates more than 9,000 fines were incorrectly charged and says the total refund scheme will cost approximately £308,000.

Holland & Barrett has launched a Beauty Advent Calendar for £60 containing 26 beauty and wellness products with a stated value of over £266, representing a potential saving of more than 77 per cent. The calendar features 16 full-size products from brands including Antipodes, Weleda, Trilogy, Q+A, OGX, Hairburst, Fussy, UpCircle and Nature Spell. It contains 25 doors to open plus two special surprises for Christmas Day.

Conwy County Council has voted to implement a seasonal dog exclusion zone on Cayley Promenade beach in Rhos on Sea from May to September, rather than year-round. The decision follows a public consultation where 65% of respondents opposed a permanent ban. In August, hundreds of dog owners protested against the original proposal.

One of six women accusing Russell Brand of sex offences has testified at London's Southwark Crown Court that in 2001 the actor and comedian tried to drag her into the male toilets at MTV Europe, where she worked. She said Brand became a 'wild-eyed maniac' after she showed him where the bathrooms were, grabbing her arm and pleading with her to go into a cubicle with him. The woman said she was able to wrench her arm free and refused, and the incident lasted about 20 seconds. Brand, 51, denies three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault against six women between 1999 and 2009. His lawyers argue her experience was 'short lived'.

Happy Suwali, a 38-year-old self-employed massage therapist in Norwich, had admitted three counts of sexual assault on a woman during a two-hour session at his home. He now claims to have concerns about the legal advice he received and wants to withdraw his pleas, his lawyer told Norwich Crown Court on 16 October. A hearing is set for 16 November to consider the application.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has updated its menopause treatment guidelines for the first time since 2014, now recommending hormone replacement therapy as the primary treatment for hot flashes, night sweats and sleep problems. The therapy works by replacing estrogen and progesterone, which drop sharply during menopause in women's late 40s or early 50s, causing symptoms and increasing osteoporosis risk. However, research shows that 46 per cent of women still report having menopause symptoms dismissed by others.

Emmanuel Emegha, signed by Chelsea for £21 million, has yet to play for the club since arriving from Strasbourg in the summer. The Dutch striker scored in pre-season friendlies but suffered a hamstring injury and has not featured in a competitive match. Manager Xabi Alonso confirmed Emegha felt 'a little thing' in training this week and will not be available for the Everton match, though will resume training next week. Alonso described the 23-year-old as 'very special' when fit, praising his height, pace and ability to attack space.

Fans have commemorated the second anniversary of Liam Payne's death with tributes in Wolverhampton and worldwide. The former One Direction star, from Wolverhampton, died on 16 October 2024 after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His former partner Kate Cassidy posted their final video together on Instagram, while bandmate Harry Styles performed an unreleased song, 'What Is Enough', written for Liam during a show at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White is doubtful for Sunday's Premier League match against Arsenal after picking up a calf injury in last weekend's 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace. The England international has not trained all week but is expected to participate in a squad session on Saturday, when manager Oliver Glasner will make a final decision on his availability. Defender Nikola Milenkovic could also feature after returning to training following a bone bruise.

Daniel Barlow has been jailed for eight years and four months at Chester Crown Court for causing the death of 19-year-old Chloe Williams in a crash on the M6 in Cheshire on 2 December 2022. Chloe, from Dudley, was a front seat passenger in a Volkswagen Polo that collided with three other vehicles and was travelling to start a career with British Airways. Barlow was also convicted of two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and received a 10-year, four-month driving disqualification with an extended retest.

Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust in Surrey is facing a very high number of patients attending its emergency department and is under significant pressure, according to the trust's Chief Medical Officer Dr Mark Roland. He has asked the local community to use NHS services appropriately, suggesting people choose the right service for their needs, whether that is a GP, pharmacist, urgent treatment centre or A&E. The trust operates a 24-hour A&E at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey and an urgent treatment centre at Ashford Hospital.

Carl Rundle, 41, of Harwell has been found guilty of the murder of his mother Helen Rundle, 64, at their home. A jury at Oxford Crown Court returned a unanimous verdict after a three-week trial. Judge Ian Pringle KC said the sentence will be life imprisonment but indicated he needs time to determine the minimum term Rundle must serve, with sentencing set for 23 October.

Waitrose has signed an exclusive deal with chef Rick Stein to create his first supermarket range. The collection of nine British-sourced fish and seafood dishes launched on Waitrose shelves and online, with a display at the Oxford Botley Road branch offering a 20 per cent discount. Stein said the range focuses on 'fish you can feel confident about – thoughtfully sourced, full of flavour'.

The A10 between Cambridge and Ely, a congested single carriageway, has been removed from the government's list of funded road upgrades. The Department for Transport said the project offered lower value for money than other schemes and lacked sufficient analysis. Local politicians including Liberal Democrat MP Charlotte Cane and Conservative mayor Paul Bristow said they were disappointed but would seek alternative funding sources.