Latest articles

The GuardianScandalSouth West England
Russell Brand is not a ‘psychopath who rapes people and thinks it’s normal’, court told

Russell Brand is not a ‘psychopath who rapes people and thinks it’s normal’, court told

Defence barrister says earlier allegations about comedian’s sexual conduct ‘poisoned the wells’ of justice as trial continues Russell Brand is not a “psychopath who rapes people and thinks it’s normal” and is respectful when women say no, a court has heard. Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter KC, said allegations about the comedian’s sexual conduct in 2023 had “poisoned the wells” of justice. He also said there had been “monstrous delays” in the women in the criminal trial coming forward to police.

1d ago
The GuardianCrime & SafetyLondon
‘Well-known individual’ fails in bid for injunction against Guardian and ITN

‘Well-known individual’ fails in bid for injunction against Guardian and ITN

Person’s anonymity remains in place subject to any appeal against high court decision A “well-known individual” has failed in his bid to stop two media organisations from publishing allegations of inappropriate sexual activities, the high court has ruled. The legal team for the anonymous individual, known in court only as PPT, claimed he was “highly likely” to attempt suicide if the allegations were published by the Guardian and ITN. PPT denies the allegations.

3h ago
BBCCelebrity lifeLondon
Celebrity loses injunction bid but will stay anonymous pending appeal

Celebrity loses injunction bid but will stay anonymous pending appeal

A celebrity who asked the High Court to permanently prevent two news organisations from publishing his identity and allegations of sexual misconduct has lost his case, with the court saying the man's claim for an injunction was denied. But the judge Mr Justice Nicklin said a temporary injunction preventing the man from being named and the allegations published should remain in place, in order to allow the celebrity to appeal against the judgment, with anonymity and reporting restrictions remaining in force during the period allowed for any appeal.

3h ago
The GuardianElectionsLondon
King tells Commonwealth leaders that Britain’s role in slave trade was ‘shameful’ but stops short of apology – UK politics live

King tells Commonwealth leaders that Britain’s role in slave trade was ‘shameful’ but stops short of apology – UK politics live

Speech by Charles marks formal opening of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Antigua Q: Do you think the UK should reconsider Commonwealth membership, given other countries just keep asking us for slavery reparations? Badenoch said she did not agree with that “because most Commonwealth countries aren’t doing this”. China did all sorts of things. It’s not out there apologising. The purpose of the apology is to make us look weak. It is to make this country look weak. And once we start looking weak, then we have every man and his dog making demands and sending us an invoice, which the British taxpayer has to pay.

2h ago
Irish IndependentPoliticiansSydney
Australia's highest court hears challenges to social media ban for children

Australia's highest court hears challenges to social media ban for children

Australia’s highest court has strated hearing constitutional challenges to the nation’s world-first legislation banning children younger than 16 from popular social media platforms. The seven High Court judges began hearing two challenges to the ban that took effect last year on young children holding accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Kick, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch.

10h ago
The GuardianPublic PolicySydney
Australia’s social media ban ‘ill-thought-out’, Reddit argues in high court challenge

Australia’s social media ban ‘ill-thought-out’, Reddit argues in high court challenge

Reddit challenges ban on grounds it impinges implied freedom of political communications for teens Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Australian government’s rush to pass the under-16s social media ban legislation in 2024 led to “ill-thought-out, over-broad legislation” that has since been narrowed after Reddit sued the government, lawyers for the social media company told the high court on Tuesday. Reddit, one of the top 10 websites visited in the world, has challenged the teen social media ban on the grounds it impinges the implied freedom of political communication for under-16s.

11h ago
The GuardianPublic PolicySydney
Reddit and libertarian group challenge Australia’s under-16s social media ban in high court

Reddit and libertarian group challenge Australia’s under-16s social media ban in high court

Social network and Digital Freedom Project, led by NSW state MP John Ruddick, seek to overturn ban on grounds of implied freedom of political communication Australia’s world-leading under-16s social media ban will face its first major legal challenge on Tuesday, as Reddit and an advocacy group headed by a libertarian politician seek to overturn the law in the high court. Nearly 11 months ago, 10 platforms – Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Kick, X, Twitch and Threads – were required to deactivate or suspend the accounts of users they determined to be aged under 16 years.

1d ago
The GuardianFootballUnited Kingdom
Nuno Espírito Santo under threat at West Ham after poor start to the season

Nuno Espírito Santo under threat at West Ham after poor start to the season

Favourites for promotion sit eighth in Championship Key figures at club losing patience with manager Nuno Espírito Santo’s future at West Ham is under threat after a disappointing start to the season. West Ham are struggling to live up to their billing as Championship favourites and dropped to eighth after losing 3-1 to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. West Ham are intent on an instant return to the Premier League after Nuno failed to save them from relegation last season, but the setback against West Brom put another dent in their promotion push. West Ham occupy the final playoff spot after two consecutive defeats at home and are four points below second placed Swansea City. Nuno is expected to be given time to turn the situation around but key figures have become increasingly impatient. The manager faced unrest from supporters during the West Brom game.

1d ago
The GuardianImmigrationNorth West England
Migration is a moral issue for Burnham – but is he trying to please everyone?

Migration is a moral issue for Burnham – but is he trying to please everyone?

PM wants to tie Shabana Mahmood’s hard line on borders to recognition of the value of migration, but he may need to shout his conviction How will UK immigration rules change under Shabana Mahmood’s latest plans? While out on the campaign trail in Makerfield, Andy Burnham gave a glimpse into where he might land on Labour’s plans for immigration reform, which had already been decried by the left of the party as unfair while described on the right as electorally necessary. Asked what he thought of Reform’s attack on “open borders Andy” – Nigel Farage’s early attempt to define him as soft on migration – the then Manchester mayor dismissed the charge as “ridiculous” and went on the defensive.

21h ago
The TelegraphElectionsUSA
Trump ends Israel aid as Americans vote in midterms

Trump ends Israel aid as Americans vote in midterms

Ballot-machine glitches in a key swing district are hampering voters in New York. Americans are voting in the midterm elections on Tuesday, with Democrats widely expected to take control of the House of Representatives.Westchester County voters are filling out paper ballots and placing them into a security box instead of using the machines, Fox 5 NY reports.“My office is monitoring this issue with scanners in Westchester and is in touch with the state and local Boards of Elections as they work on a solution,” Letitia James, the New York Attorney General, said.

1h ago
The GuardianElectionsLondon
Prediction market bettors are the new political pundits. Why are we listening to them? | Judith Levine

Prediction market bettors are the new political pundits. Why are we listening to them? | Judith Levine

Sites like Kalshi and Polymarket offer faux populism as elites reap the benefits – and voters risk being misled Online betting is a bit like Donald Trump. The prediction markets – platforms where users bet on whether events will occur – pretend to be populist, pushing the nabobs aside and representing the “wisdom of the crowd”. “This data is bottom-up, not elites-driven,” a Kalshi ​spokesperson told Reuters. But in fact, the markets are controlled by a few, skillful traders.

1d ago
The TelegraphHumanityLondon
MI5 won’t be prosecuted for lying in court over neo-Nazi case

MI5 won’t be prosecuted for lying in court over neo-Nazi case

MI5 will not face contempt of court proceedings over false evidence it provided during cases involving a neo-Nazi on its payroll. The Security Service previously admitted that it gave evidence based on lies to three courts about whether it had breached its policy of neither confirm nor deny regarding Agent X, a Right-wing extremist working for MI5 who used his status to abuse his partner known as “Beth”.

4h ago
The GuardianHumanityUnited Kingdom
British people don’t need to apologise for slavery – but the government does | Olivette Otele

British people don’t need to apologise for slavery – but the government does | Olivette Otele

Andy Burnham’s intervention is important. Because when it comes to Britain’s role in the transatlantic trade, the collective amnesia is stunning Departing from his predecessors’ stances, the UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, surprised us all when he stated he was open to listening to calls for an apology for the UK’s role in centuries of transatlantic enslavement. King Charles is expected to speak with “unflinching honesty” and “sincere sorrow” about the UK’s role in the transatlantic slave trade at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda today. Burnham was quick to add that financial reparations were off the table. But he was in favour of discussions about debt restructuring – one of the key concerns of the Caribbean community (Caricom) and the African Union. The opposition, led by Kemi Badenoch, argued that apologies were a distraction. Beyond political bickering and point-scoring lies a deeper question. Why does Britain struggle to fully understand its colonial past and to grapple with the negative impact of its legacies? One the one hand, the country celebrates its historical conquests as far back as the Battle of Hastings and applauds the wealth that derived from the products of colonisation, such as cotton. On the other, it refuses to accept that harm was caused to populations whose lands it forcefully occupied – and that the trafficking of African captives has changed how we think and what we assume about different racial groups to this day. Olivette Otele is a historian and distinguished research professor of the legacies and memory of slavery at Soas University of London Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

4h ago
The GuardianScandalColorado
US supreme court to hear arguments in Catholic preschools’ LGBTQ+ exclusion case

US supreme court to hear arguments in Catholic preschools’ LGBTQ+ exclusion case

A decision could reshape the relationship between religious freedom and nondiscrimination laws in the US The US supreme court will hear arguments on Tuesday over a challenge brought by two Catholic preschools in Colorado, arguing that they should be admitted to the state’s free education system despite their rejection of children with LGBTQ+ parents. A decision in the case, St Mary Catholic Parish v Roy, could reshape the relationship between religious freedom and nondiscrimination laws in the US.

4h ago
The GuardianCompaniesSeattle
Amazon gives Wall Street mixed financial picture in earnings report

Amazon gives Wall Street mixed financial picture in earnings report

E-commerce company posts high cloud computing sales but gives a cautious sales forecast for the fourth quarter Amazon offered a mixed picture of its financial health on Thursday in its quarterly earnings report. The e-commerce company gave a cautious sales forecast for the current fourth quarter, which encompasses the critical holiday shopping period, after delivering fiscal third-quarter results that came in below Wall Street analysts’ expectations.

4d ago
The GuardianHumanityJapan
‘Men know they won’t face consequences’: rise of street sex work in Tokyo is fuelling calls for change

‘Men know they won’t face consequences’: rise of street sex work in Tokyo is fuelling calls for change

The boom in international tourism has fuelled a new phenomenon of women soliciting on the streets of Tokyo’s Kabukicho night-time district Kabukicho is not known as “sleepless town” for nothing. The bustling centre of Tokyo’s night-time economy is a magnet for tourists and locals in search of a bite to eat, a few drinks and a karaoke session. But behind its famous neon entrance lies a darker side: backstreets populated by women offering sex in exchange for money. Tokyo has an established fuzoku commercial sex industry that revolves around regulated establishments catering to an array of peccadilloes, from “soapland” bathhouses to “pink salons”.

16h ago
The GuardianHumanityIsrael & Palestine
‘Our aim is that children are protected’: besieged West Bank school fortifies its defences against settler violence

‘Our aim is that children are protected’: besieged West Bank school fortifies its defences against settler violence

After deaths of five students at hands of Israeli settlers in last academic year, al-Mughayyir’s teachers and pupils are on high alert This year, parents in al-Mughayyir had to be persuaded to send their children back to school. Israeli settlers had killed five teenage students last academic year – one of them at the school gates. To reassure parents, teachers of the public secondary school gave a tour of the facilities, which they had spent the summer break fortifying. Metal fences now towered over the schoolyard’s walls and the door had been replaced by a sturdy metal gate. A new wall shielded the classrooms from a hilltop where last academic year a settler had shot dead two people, including a student.

12h ago
The GuardianDiplomacy
Trump’s troubles with Iran could open the door to China

Trump’s troubles with Iran could open the door to China

Beijing launches diplomatic salvo to woo Gulf leaders and bolster its influence in the region China has held a flurry of meetings with Gulf leaders in a sign that Beijing is stepping up its diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. The diplomatic salvo comes before a highly anticipated meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping when the US president is expected to attend the Apec conference in Shenzhen, China, on 18 and 19 November.

5h ago
The GuardianPoliticiansLondon
Brent crude slides 3% after Trump says US will stop military funding to Israel ‘by end of this year’ – business live

Brent crude slides 3% after Trump says US will stop military funding to Israel ‘by end of this year’ – business live

US president tells Fox News he made deal with Netanyahu ‘months ago’ Dearden responded to Snell’s question: It is deeply concerning to see the uncertainty about Poundland’s future. That’s why I, the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister, have been keeping a close eye on what is an extremely worrying situation for the staff, their families and communities up and down the country. We’ve been demanding to know what is happening, particularly for Gordon Brothers to explain why they haven’t accepted any offer to keep the company going. We continue to establish the facts.

3h ago
The GuardianElectionsUSA
Midterm elections 2026: what time do the polls close today?

Midterm elections 2026: what time do the polls close today?

Here’s an hour-by-hour rundown of when polls close around the US, and some of the key races taking place In the 2026 US midterm cycle, there are 35 Senate seats up for election, 36 governors’ races and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives up for grabs. There are also several ballot measures across the country on issues ranging from election administration to abortion access. Democrats are looking to reclaim control of both chambers of Congress. They’ll need to gain four seats in the Senate to secure a 51-seat majority, and win at least 218 seats to take back the House.

8h ago
The GuardianPoliticiansDetroit
How Israel is at the heart of Haley Stevens’s extraordinary reversal

How Israel is at the heart of Haley Stevens’s extraordinary reversal

The issue runs through almost every twist and turn and has come to define the congresswoman’s political persona For Haley Stevens, the road from Democratic Senate candidate to campaigning alongside a Republican she once called a rubber stamp for Donald Trump has been remarkably short – and the issue running through almost every twist and turn has been Israel. Having failed to stop Abdul El-Sayed in the primary, Stevens chose to back Republican Mike Rogers on Sunday, a candidate who she previously warned would enable Trump’s agenda – apparently because the Democrat who won refuses to share her position on Israel.

23h ago
The GuardianWar & ConflictEngland
Russia bombs humanitarian hub in Ukraine, killing at least 31 people

Russia bombs humanitarian hub in Ukraine, killing at least 31 people

Other overnight strikes targeted power plants across Ukraine, damaged hospitals and wounded scores of people Russia has bombed a humanitarian hub in southern Ukraine, killing at least 31 people and leaving dozens missing, as part of a wave of strikes across the country. Other overnight Russian strikes targeted power plants across Ukraine, damaged hospitals and wounded scores of people, as the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, warned that the US was distracted by its midterm elections.

5h ago
O GloboPoliticiansBrazil
Bets: 34 thousand illegal sites remain operating 39 days after the prohibition

Bets: 34 thousand illegal sites remain operating 39 days after the prohibition

About 34,000 illegal betting platforms continue operating in the country this Monday, 39 days after the measure prohibiting bets on national territory was enacted. A survey by the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL), via the LegitBet monitoring platform, will be presented by the association at a public hearing held today at the Supreme Federal Court (STF) to discuss the sector’s future in Brazil.

3h ago
The GuardianElectionsUSA
Trump’s midterm campaign has distilled his vile message | Sidney Blumenthal

Trump’s midterm campaign has distilled his vile message | Sidney Blumenthal

The president has spewed vulgar and hateful rhetoric even as he reveals his disdain for his followers Far from veering off his track, Trump in his ceaselessly vile midterm campaign statements has attained an optimal level of Trumpism. He has distilled the raw elements of misogyny, racism and nativism to the purified essence of his political philosophy. The Republican candidates and his vice-president have followed him down the trail of “defining deviancy down”, as explained by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, in his essay in The American Scholar in 1993, about lowering the bar to make abnormal criminal behavior seem normal, coping through denial of its obvious presence, and through that process trivializing “the manifest decline of American civic life”.

7h ago