California coastal homes battered and bruised after weekend of intense waves and flooding 13. October 2026 (20:25) Boardwalk destroyed in Long Beach and homes damaged, while Baja California in Mexico and Las Vegas also affectedSouthern California coastal communities are picking up the pieces after a weekend of extreme weather brought flooding that overtook city streets and intense waves battered beachside homes.The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel hit Mexico’s Baja California over the weekend as well as southern California and Las Vegas. While meteorologists noted that Rachel weakened into a post-tropical cyclone as it approached California, it still left a trail of destruction. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Far-right and Iran add to mix of terror threats UK faces – not to mention AI 13. October 2026 (19:58) Annual update from MI5 chief highlighted a complex cocktail that could have real-life consequences for BritainMI5’s annual threat update covers so much ground it is easy to feel anxious. The terror threat has become more diverse, with far-right anti-migrant threats on the rise; while Iran has now firmly emerged alongside Russia as a country seeking to undertake violent and deadly plots in the UK.“There is no law of physics dictating that rising state threats will be accompanied by diminishing terrorist threats,” MI5’s director general, Ken McCallum, said, although one of his core messages was that people and the country at large needed to focus on being more resilient. “In this new world, we should expect to be tested.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK high street bosses urge chancellor to cut cost of employing young people 13. October 2026 (19:43) Retailers call on John Healey to reduce national insurance contributions threshold in his first budgetSome of the UK’s biggest retailers and hospitality businesses, including Tesco, Costa Coffee and the Co-op, have met John Healey to urge him to cut the cost of employing young people in his first budget.At the No 11 event on Tuesday morning, the chancellor heard from sector leaders – including the boss of Marks & Spencer, Stuart Machin, and Sainsbury’s chief executive, Simon Roberts – about the impact of the rise in employers’ national insurance contributions (Nics). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Florida carries out execution amid scrutiny over botched Tennessee attempt 13. October 2026 (19:41) James Robertson was the state’s 17th execution this year, amid scrutiny over failed lethal injection of Christa PikeUS plan to livestream execution elicits global condemnationFlorida put to death a convicted murderer in the state’s first execution since September’s botched attempt involving Christa Pike in Tennessee, on Tuesday.Officials said James Robertson, 63, was pronounced dead after he received a three-shot series of lethal injections at a Florida state prison in Raiford. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Saudi Arabia strikes oil depots in Yemen as conflict with Houthis escalates 13. October 2026 (19:26) Civilians warned to leave target area near Sana’a before attacks following deadly strike on Riyadh airportSaudi Arabia has launched a series of strikes on a strategic oil depot on the outskirts of Yemen’s capital Sana’a, in a fresh escalation of the conflict between Riyadh and the Iran-backed Houthi forces.Before the attack on Tuesday, a Saudi spokesperson warned civilians to leave the target area, in an apparent attempt to strike fear into the local population ahead of the biggest attack so far on Houthi energy infrastructure. Continue reading...(The Guardian)