The Guardian

City council emphasises economic case for Madring amid local outrage over disruption and environmental impact Opponents of Madrid’s newly constructed Formula One circuit have accused the regional authorities of putting profit before people’s wellbeing after tests for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the track later this month yielded noise levels that were almost twice the legal decibel limit.…

A yes to membership would have given Brussels a boost but Icelanders have not voted to isolate themselves Iceland’s 52.8% to 47.2% vote against reopening EU accession talks is, undeniably, a blow for Brussels. But claiming it as a Brexit-style victory for “national sovereignty” or evidence of broad rejection of the EU misrepresents the reality of the island’s relationship with the bloc. For the E…

Chancellor says he wants everyone from apprentices to senior economists to take part in brainstorming exercise John Healey has asked junior Treasury staff – including IT workers and apprentices – to send him ideas for his October budget, saying he will listen to all suggestions regardless of grade or profession. The chancellor’s unorthodox approach comes as he faces a tricky autumn with expected …

Exclusive: FCA pressures firms to do more to sort 760,000 accounts as watchdog urges families to use free tracking service Child trust fund providers are being put under the spotlight to check they are treating savers fairly and doing all they can to reunite young people with lost accounts. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said about 760,000 accounts worth an average of £2,000 were yet to be…

Sally Dowling tells budget estimates that Michael Daley called to tell her he was appointing a senior counsel and ‘raised quite a number of names’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The top prosecutor in NSW says she discussed a list of barristers to lead an independent review into controversial findings against her …

Critically endangered New Zealand bird enjoys record breeding season triggered by mass fruiting of native tree, pushing its numbers to 325 The population of the world’s heaviest parrot, the kākāpō , has surpassed 300 birds for the first time in 75 years, after a record breeding season triggered by the mass fruiting of a native New Zealand tree. Ninety chicks were officially added to the populatio…

A Las Vegas jury on Monday found Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis guilty in the 1996 murder of the hip-hop icon Jury finds Duane Davis guilty of murder of Tupac Shakur Thirty years after the killing of Tupac Shakur, conspiracy theories and rumors about the perpetrator’s identity, one man has now been held criminally responsible for the rap icon’s death. A Las Vegas jury convicted Duane “Keffe D” Davis, a 63…

Phantom Ranch, set up by Teddy Roosevelt, has welcomed exhausted hikers to its famed cabins for over a century Two dead and nearly 80 rescued after Grand Canyon flash flood Phantom Ranch has been a solitary refuge visited by some of the most famous names of history. More typically, it’s been a beacon for the half-collapsed, exhausted and overheated hikers trudging down the Grand Canyon for more t…

Flash flooding in Arizona tourist destination was likely triggered by compounding climate factors, such as drought and warming in Pacific Ocean Remote Grand Canyon lodge hit by deadly flash flood boasts fabled history A deadly flash flood in the Grand Canyon over the weekend was likely driven by a confluence of climate factors, including drought, wildfire scarring and warming temperatures in the …

Alleged offenders at large after man in his early 20s fatally shot in early hours of Tuesday Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A man in his early 20s has been fatally shot in an alleged home invasion in Sydney’s south-west that police believe was a “targeted attack”. A homicide investigation is underway, with the al…

‘Opera House of the west’ still slated to open to the public as scheduled on 7 November, NSW arts minister says Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An investigation is under way into allegations of misconduct involving senior executives at the soon-to-be-opened Powerhouse Parramatta. The $915m museum in western Sydney…

National Park Service confirms second death from weekend flash flood as area braces for more storms A second death was confirmed by National Park Service officials on Monday after a flash flood sent a surge of water and debris through an area of the Grand Canyon over the weekend. Dozens of visitors had to be evacuated by helicopter during the deluge, which consumed trails and infrastructure. Fift…

Report calls for legally binding targets to cut microplastic pollution as soil ‘is a complex living ecosystem’ The accumulation of microplastics in soil presents an emerging threat to the UK’s food security, according to scientists, MPs and campaigners who have called for legally binding targets to cut microplastic pollution. UK agricultural soils have been identified as among the most contaminat…

Premium of nearly 10% paid by housebuyers comparable with cost of a cheaper private school over seven years A house near a top state secondary school costs an extra £40,000 on average, according to research that reveals education premiums that rank alongside some private school fees. The average property in a postcode district that includes a top 50 state secondary commands a price tag of £415,79…

In a 5-4 decision, the court granted the Trump administration’s request to block a lower court ruling that would have prevented work from being done on the ballroom US supreme court allows Trump to keep building $400m White House ballroom Sign up for US Breaking News emails Chris Hippensteel We’re watching today as Scott Bessent , the US treasury secretary, and Kevin Warsh , the chair of the Fede…