Revealed: Government quietly dropped plan to prepare England for wildfires 04. October 2026 (09:00) FOI request shows wildfire risk scheme scrapped, as survey highlights many fire services lack proper protective gearThe government quietly scrapped plans to prepare the countryside in England for wildfires, it has been revealed. This was despite new data showing fire crews do not have the proper protective gear to tackle them.This summer has been a potent reminder of the scale of the threat posed by the climate crisis, with the UK experiencing record-breaking wildfires after punishingly hot and dry weather turned large parts of the countryside into a tinderbox. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Party conference will be more upbeat than last year, Tories say – but that’s not the whole story 04. October 2026 (08:00) The mood is better but ‘overhyped’, says one Conservative MP as party remains a distant third in pollsThe forthcoming Conservative conference will be, almost everyone in the party agrees, notably more upbeat and unified than last year. There is a similar consensus that Kemi Badenoch is doing well as party leader. That is, however, not the whole story.“The mood is better but the facts are still very poor,” one Conservative MP said. “We are still a distant third in the polls, and if there was an election tomorrow we would lose, and badly. That means the mood is overhyped.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘You have 10 minutes to decide’: answering the life-changing call to become a kinship carer 04. October 2026 (08:00) Those who have stepped in to keep young family members from going into care in England and Wales say the decision has brought them joy and hardshipClive vividly remembers the day when, without warning or time to work out what he was really letting himself in for, he became a kinship carer.“The social worker left, the door closed and Savannah was lying there in a carry cot, wrapped up in a pink blanket. She looked so calm and so comfy, absolutely oblivious about what’s just happened. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Polish activists launch abortion pill locker to bypass near-total ban 04. October 2026 (07:00) ‘AbortOmat’ in Warsaw offers novel way to challenge country’s restrictions and allow women swift, anonymous access They call it the “world’s first parcel locker for abortion pills”. Polish campaigners have launched a new means of distribution as part of their ongoing effort to skirt the country’s near-total ban on abortion.Painted pink and framed by zebra-striped curtains, the 22-compartment “AbortOmat” in Warsaw allows women to access the pills swiftly and anonymously using a six-digit code. The service was envisaged for those who cannot or do not want to wait days for mail delivery due to a missed miscarriage or health complications, or who worry about receiving the pills at home. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK car industry faces ‘difficult trade-off’ between Chinese and EU markets 04. October 2026 (07:00) Britain under pressure to put tariffs on cheap Chinese vehicle imports ahead of protectionist trade measuresBritain’s car industry is grappling with a “difficult trade-off” between China and Europe, as manufacturers struggle to balance the benefits of both markets ahead of looming trade measures that could restrict UK exports to the EU.The UK is an outlier in choosing not to put import taxes on Chinese vehicles, even as the US has shut them out almost entirely, and the EU imposes duties of up to 45%. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
No bail for P-plater over Newcastle crash that left five-year-old in induced coma and injured nine other NRL fans 04. October 2026 (05:29) Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe, 18, appears in court on dangerous driving offences after car struck Knights supporters lining streets to farewell their teamGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA driver whose car careered into a crowd of Newcastle Knights supporters – leaving children as young as five injured – will be kept in custody as the community rallies to support those hospitalised after the crash.Ten people were left injured after a car allegedly driven by 18-year-old P-plater Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe careered into the crowd near a major roundabout on Saturday morning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Chalmers says global economic turmoil will drive budget cuts, but Australia should avoid recession 04. October 2026 (03:41) Treasurer says ‘very substantial and intensifying pressure’ on federal budget as he points finger at private sector for driving up inflation amid Middle East conflictGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastJim Chalmers has warned of “very substantial and intensifying” economic pressures on the horizon but insists he’s not planning for a recession, as he prepares to find new ways to cut the budget ahead of its mid-year update.The treasurer on Sunday called on critics of government spending to name the services that should be cut, as he points the finger at the private sector for driving up inflation in Australia amid the protracted conflict in the Middle East. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Flydubai co-pilot’s time in Australia being investigated by security agencies after alleged cockpit attack 04. October 2026 (03:26) Police confirm investigation into period the man reportedly spent in Australia before alleged attempted terrorist attackGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian security agencies have launched an investigation after it emerged that the flydubai co-pilot who allegedly tried to hijack an Israel-bound flight spent about two years in the country as a student.Disaster was narrowly averted on Wednesday when passengers and crew intervened to stop the co-pilot’s attempt to take control of the flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, which had 182 people onboard and plunged 16,625 feet (5,067 metres) in just over 30 seconds. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man shot dead at London memorial service in ‘senseless act of violence’ 04. October 2026 (00:04) Forty-year-old victim declared dead at the scene in East Acton in a ‘senseless act of violence’A murder investigation has been launched after a 40-year-old man was shot dead in a “senseless act of violence” during a memorial service in west London, police have said.Police were called on Friday at 7.47pm after multiple shots were heard in East Acton. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tories would expand free childcare to high earners, Badenoch says 03. October 2026 (23:00) Kemi Badenoch says those earning more than £100,000 should not be discouraged from working moreThe Conservatives have unveiled a proposed £700m childcare giveaway for high earners ahead of their annual conference, saying they would end the “cliff edge” where free entitlement ends at salaries above £100,000.The plan, set out the day before the event begins in Birmingham, follows the earlier proposal by Kemi Badenoch’s party to abolish most stamp duty, another change to taxation that would disproportionately benefit wealthier people. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
