Top World News
English councils warn of ‘catastrophic’ Send debts forecast to hit £10bn by 2028
Surge in EHCP applications poses risk to public finances and may lead to deteriorating levels of supportCouncils are warning of potentially “catastrophic” debts, which are forecast to reach a record £10bn over the next 18 months, as a result of rapid growth in demand for special educational needs and disability (Send) support in English schools.Although the government recently cleared more than £5bn in historic council Send debts, a surge in requests has led to authorities predicting they will have re-accrued that debt figure by April, and doubled it by 2028. Continue reading...
Queensland ombudsman backs away from calls to close youth prison so ‘unsuitable’ some children self-harm to get transferred
Inmate advocacy group attacks watchdog’s ‘gutless retreat’ on Wacol youth remand centreGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland ombudsman has backed away from calls to close a youth prison so “unsuitable” for children that some are self-harming in an attempt to get transferred, amid concerns that the Crisafulli government’s hardline bail laws could create a new crowding crisis in police watch houses.The ombudsman, Anthony Reilly, published an inspection report last week that raised serious new concerns about the suitability of the Wacol youth remand centre to hold children for extended periods, including the fact that young people were being held in conditions where there is “a lack of space, privacy and natural light”. Continue reading...
"Almost Certainly": UK PM Says Iran Guards Behind Airbase Scare
The United States abruptly withdrew all its B-1 bombers from Royal Air Force Fairford last week after the mysterious incident at the base on September 27
Barbie Packaging Sparks Controversy After Shopper Spots Alleged 'Nazi Symbolism'
When the woman looked at the illustration of the people, the figures had their arms positioned in a way that she claimed resembled a 'Nazi salute'.
Disbelief after Trump utters 'exceptionally stupid' claim about enforcing his 'ceasefire'
President Donald Trump astounded analysts on Monday after he uttered what some described as an "exceptionally stupid" claim about Russia's war against Ukraine. Trump was asked about his recently announced energy "ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine while speaking with reporters outside the White House. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Russia carried out a barrage of attacks against the country's energy infrastructure after Trump announced the ceasefire. "How will make Putin abide by the ceasefire?" the reporter shouted. "Well, I think that's happening is that [Putin] wants to make a deal, and we have to get Zelenskyy to want to make a deal," Trump replied. Trump has repeatedly blamed Ukraine for prolonging the war and blamed the country for the rising cost of diesel fuel in the U.S. because of its attacks on Russian oil refineries. The president's comments also seem to contradict recent history. In a recent call with Trump, Putin vowed to continue the war and rejected the idea of holding peace talks, The Kyiv Post reported. Trump's comments caused a firestorm on social media. "You have to be exceptionally stupid to believe this," Pradheep Shanker, a National Review contributor, posted on X. "How delusional and sinister," Laura Rozen, a foreign policy reporter, posted on X. "If only Trump defended Americans as hard as he defends Russia," Joni Askola, a Finnish geopolitical analyst, posted on X. "Based on what? Because Putin told you that in one of your long, loving phone calls?" Garry Kasparov, founder of Renew Democracy, posted on X. "Zelenskyy keeps agreeing to deals, Putin keeps rejecting them and increasing Russian attacks on civilians. Putin could end the war in an instant. He doesn’t want to."
Chinese Man Arrested For Spreading Fake Rumour About Child's Grave On Apartment Roof
Chinese police confirmed there was no grave, but rather an ordinary flower bed containing animal remains.
BBC to stop recording The Archers in Birmingham for first time in its 75-year history
Plans for a new theatre for world’s longest-running soap in Digbeth scrapped as part of cost-cutting measuresThe BBC is set to stop recording The Archers in Birmingham for the first time in the show’s 75-year history, after scrapping plans for a radio drama theatre that was to be the new home of the world’s longest-running soap opera.A pledge to move recordings to the so-called Tea Factory, the BBC’s new Birmingham hub in Digbeth, has become the latest victim of the corporation’s £500m cuts plan. Continue reading...
Shadowy deals and Trump's Kennedy Center at the heart of MAGA couple's quick union: report
A recent report from the New York Times sheds new light on the speedy marriage between a Turkish billionaire and one of President Donald Trump's former lawyers. Alina Habba, a former U.S. attorney in the Trump administration, and 29-year-old Turkish businessman Turhan Mildon married last month after getting together earlier this year. While the MAGA power couple's wedding was attended by high-ranking Trump officials like FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Todd Blanche, the timeline of the couple's relationship raises questions about some of the shady deals that were up in the air around the time Habba and Mildon got together, according to the report. For instance, the Times noted that Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez had her sights set on Mildon's business interests before she learned of his relationship with Habba. Rodríguez had planned to audit one of the state-owned cement factories that Mildon operated, "citing a failure to meet investment targets," the report noted. She had also supported the U.S.'s efforts to sanction Mildon, which could have crippled his businesses, according to the report. "But there was a bright spot: Mr. Mildon had met Ms. Habba, one of Mr. Trump’s most prominent legal defenders," the report reads in part. "They started dating this year, soon after Mr. Maduro’s downfall. By this past summer, the couple’s burgeoning romance had begun to draw attention. Specifically, it caught the eye of Ms. Rodríguez, according to two people close to her. Mr. Mildon was in a serious relationship with a woman who had high-level access to Mr. Trump — the one person keeping Ms. Rodríguez in power."Mildon also made some intentional steps to further integrate himself within Trumpworld, like frequently attending the Kennedy Center and networking with its president, Richard Grenell. Mildon met Habba at one of the events in 2025, according to the report. Mildon also used his experience as a back-channel diplomat between the Maduro regime and the Trump administration to get closer to Republican officials who helped him repair his relationship with Rodríguez, according to the report. "When Christopher Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax, a pro-Trump news channel, secured a meeting with her in February, Mr. Mildon tagged along. The spokesman for Mr. Mildon said he has spoken with Ms. Rodríguez several times since," it reads. These circumstances raised questions about the quick wedding that Habba and Mildon threw together, which the Times noted took just 60 days. Habba denied advocating for her husband's businesses in her meetings with Trump. “I have never, under any circumstances, got involved with this White House or administration on behalf of my husband, nor would he ever ask me to,” she told the outlet.
Trump's 'certainly traitorous' deal could fund two of America's enemies at once: expert
A plan to import Russian diesel would route American money to Moscow that might wind up helping Iran in its fight against U.S. forces, argued Daily Beast columnist and security expert David Rothkopf in an analysis published Monday.Rothkopf said the purchase, which he wrote was already moving with a first cargo of about 300,000 metric tons, won’t make a dent in prices at the pump. That shipment, he calculated, covers about half a day of the country’s diesel use. He added that the U.S. is likely paying more than it would to proven suppliers like Canada, that Russia’s own diesel supply is under strain, and that the arrangement relaxes sanctions on Russia.His main concern is where the money ends up. In his telling, the cash would help sustain a Russian economy under pressure and bankroll its war in Ukraine. He then cited reports that Russia is rebuilding Iran’s missile stocks and passing along intelligence Iran could use to target U.S. and allied forces. The column doesn’t specify the sources for those reports.“Trump is funding an enemy to help an enemy,” Rothkopf wrote.He argued Trump’s comments about the deal deepened the worry. Per the column, Trump said Ukraine, not Russia, bears responsibility for the war and that Ukraine should dump its president. Rothkopf inferred that’s aimed at finding a leader more willing to accept Russian terms. He also faulted envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for leaning toward Moscow.Rothkopf conceded the legal charge of treason wouldn’t apply without a declaration of war, but calls the move “certainly traitorous.”The column placed the diesel deal inside a longer critique of Trump’s posture toward Russia, from his early courting of Putin to the Alaska summit and strained ties with allies. It also noted Trump’s announced “energy ceasefire,” which Rothkopf said collapsed almost immediately.It’s unclear what other understandings may sit behind the deal, Rothkopf added, urging voters to hold Trump and his party accountable in November.
Andy Burnham promises ‘serious dialogue’ over UK’s relationship with EU
PM hails next month’s ‘reset’ summit as first step to closer ties, but tensions over trade may prove problematicAndy Burnham has promised a “serious dialogue” over the UK’s future place in Europe, saying the existing relationship is “not good enough” as he framed next month’s Brussels summit as a possible first step to EU membership.The prime minister said Britain must take a “clear-eyed rational look” at its long-term relationship with the bloc to boost economic growth and control immigration, which needed to go beyond Labour’s existing red lines. Continue reading...
'Not happy': Trump considers firing Ambassador Guilfoyle
President Trump said he is considering firing Kimberly Guilfoyle as U.S. ambassador to Greece over a report that she asked one of his donors for $100,000 to pay off a personal debt.
Congo's ex-President Kabila launches an anti-government front including M23 rebels
Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila has launched a new political and military coalition against the current government
