The Guardian

Reports emerge of similar withdrawals in UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain amid concerns about a return to conflict with Iran after US midterm elections The US state department has ordered some diplomats and the families of US government employees to leave Saudi Arabia, as the gulf kingdom faces a barrage of near-daily attacks, with at least three people killed at an airport and oilfield on Wednesda…

USDA says screwworm found in elk in Texas, and warns hunters and ranchers to be vigilant to help stop spread The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Wednesday it had ⁠confirmed the ⁠first detection ​of flesh-eating parasite the New World screwworm in US wildlife in an ⁠elk in Pecos county, Texas. The elk was located on a game ⁠ranch and was reported after being harvested by ​a hunter, the…

Some in UK’s security services questioned why Welsh Labour firebrand was of interest Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, the Welsh Labour firebrand who spearheaded the creation of the NHS, was monitored by security services for more than two decades, though his personal file was “remarkably tame”, according to official files released to the public. Bevan came to MI5’s attention in the 1930s over concerns about …

Committee cites shortfalls of submarines and warships and says ‘dramatic progress’ needed by end of decade Britain risks failing to deter future Russian aggression in the high north beyond the UK because of shortfalls in the number and availability of Royal Navy submarines and warships, MPs on the defence select committee have said. The committee focused on the slow deployment of HMS Dragon to Cy…

Musk says ‘there’s a lot of merit’ to potential merger that would require approval of 50% of all Tesla shareholders, but he declined to elaborate Investors were paying close attention to Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday afternoon, after chief executive Elon Musk floated the idea of merging the car company with his rocket and AI company, SpaceX. But they didn’t glean further inform…

Former speaker is latest target of mailings sent to various Congress members in the lead-up to the midterm elections California representative Nancy Pelosi’s office received “a suspicious letter” on Wednesday in what appears to be the latest incident of ill-intentioned mailings targeted at US Congress members before the midterm elections. The offices of more than three dozen members of Congress a…

House prices in Sydney are at a two-year low after falling 4.7% in the September quarter to $1.66m, according to Domain report Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast House prices are falling across every capital city for the first time in 15 years and the second time on record, according to figures from Domain’s September Quarter 2026 House Price Report. House prices in Sydn…

With ICE arrests and detentions at their highest levels, immigration remains a key issue for voters less than two weeks before election day Sign in or sign up to join the conversation From mass raids to quiet crackdown: a timeline of Trump’s strategic ICE pivot It’s our last US midterms live Q&A before election day on 3 November, and our reporters are answering your immigration questions. Since D…

Apes in study more likely to choose treats linked to sound of peers having fun, suggesting emotions influence learning Orangutans base their food choices on whether others appear to be having a good time, research suggests. Scientists studying captive orangutans have found that when the great apes heard the sound of their peers laughing before they searched a bowl for a tasty treat, they valued t…

The southwest metro extension will open on Friday 30 October, more than two years after the former T3 heavy rail line closed A long-awaited extension to Sydney’s metro line will open on Friday next week, bringing an end to more than two years of replacement buses for residents in the city’s south-west. In a video shared on Instagram on Thursday morning, the New South Wales premier, Chris Minns an…

Leaders criticised for spreading misleading information as France prepares for further protests this weekend Emmanuel Macron has accused Donald Trump and other foreign leaders of making “stupid comments” about France’s street unrest for political gain, as the country prepared for more protests this weekend. Speaking during a visit to Qatar, the French president did not name names but said “manipu…

Australia-first laws provide a third legal option other than burial and cremation for the treatment of bodies Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Several New South Wales MPs say they want their own bodies turned into “human compost” after Australian-first laws were passed allowing the unusual practice. The laws, passed on Wednesday, provide a third legal option other than…

Relatives recount distress and loneliness their loved ones went through in pandemic as a result of isolation policy “At the time it felt like a devil’s bargain – it was horrible, but it was what [we thought] we had to do to keep people safe,” says Amy of the “devastating” and “terrifying” restrictions that led to her maternal grandparents being locked down in separate care homes during the early …

Steve Witkoff’s flattery of the Russian leader could be just the start of a mendacious stratagem from a US president who says Moscow ‘has been fine on Ukraine’ They say the first casualty of war is truth. For the Trump administration, the road to peace with Russia now encompasses some extraordinary lies. Steve Witkoff delivered one as he sat down with Vladimir Putin in his native St Petersburg on…

US photojournalist describes ‘protective shield’, vows to return to work in West Bank and criticises Netanyahu comments on incident The Washington Post photojournalist who was attacked and seriously injured by Israeli settlers on the West Bank on Friday has described how she was saved with the help of local Palestinians. Heidi Levine sustained four fractured vertebrae, two broken ribs and four pu…