World News Hub

EU backs trade ‘kill switch’, China exports surge, third-quarter GDP

European Union leaders supported creating a tool to potentially shut out Chinese goods as a growing flood of low-cost imports pushed the bilateral trade deficit to a record. Officials could start work on developing a trade “kill switch”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signalled to EU leaders at a Brussels meeting on Thursday, the South China Morning Post reported, citing uniden...

Indonesia’s central bank insists it is independent. Investors want proof

Indonesia has spent months trying to persuade investors that its economy is on the right course. A weakening rupiah, mounting budgetary pressures and a series of contentious policy decisions have made that task harder. Doubts about the management of Southeast Asia’s largest economy have now coalesced around its central bank, whose independence has come under intense scrutiny recently as President ...

Nicolas Maduro and wife deny new torture charges as 'false accusations'

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has rejected newly unsealed torture allegations against him and his wife as "false accusations".

Infantino told by top Fifa figures to scrap or depoliticise peace prize after Trump furore

Backlash greeted award of prize to US presidentFifa committee to make recommendations this yearDonald Trump is likely to end up as the only political leader awarded the Fifa peace prize after Gianni Infantino was told at Thursday’s meeting of the Fifa council to make major changes or scrap the controversial award.The Guardian has learned that several council members demanded the award be abolished...

99-year-old Helga Duffy breaks wing-walking record, raises £1,300 for air ambulance

France to witness a 'crossroads of anger' as mass protests expected on Saturday

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, October 16: French papers look ahead to Saturday's call for mass protests, which will bring together a number of social movements. Next, climate change has devastating consequences on communities in Afghanistan. Also, Libération publishes a special edition written in the style of Georges Perec. Finally, this year's animal of the year has been named.

Flash floods kill five and destroy villages in central Nepal

Landslide blocks river and triggers downstream flooding, while summer temperatures persist in PortugalFlash floods have swept through Nepal’s central Gorkha district after a pre-dawn landslide on 11 October blocked the Budhi Gandaki River, triggering severe downstream flooding. At least five people have died, and almost 100 have been rescued. Two villages in the worst-affected Chumanubri rural mun...

Zelensky rallies EU support as Trump says Ukraine leader 'more difficult to deal with than Putin'

The US president launches a new wave of blistering criticism at Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.

China tells Israel to stop 'forced establishment' of West Bank settlements

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to Israeli President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of a conference.

At least 12 dead after migrant boat sinks off Gambia

The IOM says increased controls in traditional departure spots in Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal have pushed some migrants seeking to reach Europe further south, towards countries such as The Gambia.

Ukraine unveils flying ambulance drone that could save lives in minutes

A Ukrainian company has demonstrated an unusual new battlefield rescue system: a drone capable of carrying a wounded soldier inside an enclosed cabin. Developed by SkyFall, the aircraft, named StarGate, was filmed taking off, flying and landing with a person on board.

Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia still on, organisers say, but golf tour postponed

Asian Cup preparations continue for January, but Asian Tour delays golf's Saudi Invitational after Houthi attacks.

No, this oil tanker didn’t carry Russian diesel to the United States

Following US President Donald Trump's October 9 announcement of an agreement signed with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel into the United States, a number of pro-Russian social media accounts began claiming that a Russian oil tanker was already carrying thousands of barrels of diesel to the United States. The ship was actually carrying fertiliser. 

A Maine couple grew their own wedding flowers in a backyard garden

Mariah Reading and David Mainero chose to grow their wedding flowers instead of buying them to save expenses. They planted a garden in Hampden, Maine, with various blooms including dahlias and amaranth. The couple learned about gardening while preparing for their September wedding and received help from friends and family. Reading picked her bouquet from this garden, adding a personal touch to the...

Norway wealth fund urged to ease nuclear arms ban after Gaza investment row

The review called for Norway's sovereign wealth fund to lift ethical risk limitations on its investments.

Thai raid foils cross-border cable ruse powering Myanmar scam centre

Authorities in Thailand have uncovered an audacious scheme involving hundreds of metres of internet cable sent over the Thai border to keep a suspected Myanmar scam compound online, after finding two ramshackle village homes using enough daily bandwidth to power an entire village. Officers raided the homes in Nong Lu, a Thai border village in Kanchanaburi province, which is the gateway to the Thre...

Sacha Dench: ‘Human Swan’ wins 2026 RSPB medal for lead ammunition ban

Families of 34 children killed in Pakistan school roof collapse demand justice

A senior official in Peshawar told the AFP news agency that initial reports suggested the roof collapse was due to "weak infrastructure".

Families of 32 children killed in Pakistan school roof collapse demand justice

A senior official in Peshawar told the AFP news agency that initial reports suggested the roof collapse was due to "weak infrastructure".

LVMH touts ‘special bond’ with China as ‘subdued’ backdrop weighs on sales

French luxury giant LVMH Group kicked off a global open-house event showcasing its craftsmanship in Shanghai on Thursday, as the event’s founder Antoine Arnault hailed a “special bond” with Chinese customers at a launch event in Paris. It came as the group faced pressure from sluggish demand in China and a backlash over a lawsuit against a local tea company. At the launch event at the Samaritaine ...

Ofgem could force energy suppliers to pay rivals if they lure customers with cheaper deals

Regulator for Great Britain weighs up reintroducing market stabilisation charge to prevent firms going bustEnergy suppliers could be forced to pay a charge to rivals if they lure customers with cheaper deals, as the industry regulator for Great Britain attempts to prevent suppliers going bust this winter.Ofgem has published a consultation on a proposal to reintroduce the market stabilisation charg...

British man fined for causing death of his two-year-old son in Cyprus

A British father has been fined €3,000 (£2,500) for causing the death of his two-year-old son when he fell from the fourth floor of a hotel in Cyprus.

Indonesian stocks plunge 11% as MSCI proposes emerging market downgrade

The index provider is weighing reclassifying the country from emerging market to standalone status, potentially forcing funds tracking MSCI's emerging market indexes to sell their Indonesian holdings.

EU’s von der Leyen pledges to ‘not lift any sanctions unless Russia stops the war’ as leaders discuss Ukraine – Europe live

European leaders are meeting in Brussels amid worsening relations between Washington and KyivLatvian PM Andris Kulbergs drops an early quote of the day contender, as he explains the stakes on Ukraine in direct and practical terms:“It is a super important moment because, well, if we want comfort in Europe and [be able to] eat croissant, drink coffee in the morning, and don’t think about the threats...

Jenrick claims Farage has done more to stand against racism than ‘almost anybody’

Reform MP defends leader after ITV footage shows official warning Farage he is ‘protecting’ candidate over racist David Lammy commentsThe Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick sought to defend the party against fresh allegations that it hosts extremists by claiming that Nigel Farage had “probably done more than almost anybody to stand against racism and the far right.”The remarks came after Farage was berat...