Poland looks to economic heights in a country transformed since Soviet days 15. October 2026 (07:56) In the final part of our series on the country, Poles tell how wages have soared – along with the cost of livingWill military spending help or hinder Poland’s growth story?Poland’s push for EU energy resilience amid Russian aggressionAbove the rain-soaked streets of Warsaw, the observation deck of the Varso tower overlooks Joseph Stalin’s gift to Poland that has divided opinion for decades.For some, the Soviet-era Palace of Culture and Science is a drunk confectioner’s nightmare; standing as a relic of oppression that should have been demolished. For others, it is an icon on the skyline and a monumental warning from history. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Beau Lamarre-Condon allegedly asked celebrity chaser friend if he could post phone to her in WA to throw in water, court told 15. October 2026 (07:29) Stacey Parker was contacted following alleged murders, years after meeting Lamarre-Condon in Sydney and bonding over scepticism of Covid vaccinesFollow our Australia politics live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastBeau Lamarre-Condon asked a friend in Western Australia if he could post her a phone to be thrown into a body of water, and told her he’d been “set up” over the disappearance of two men, a court has heard.Lamarre-Condon, 31, has been accused of fatally shooting Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies with his police service weapon in Baird’s Paddington home on 19 February 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK households have paid extra £13,961 on bills since 2021 amid soaring inflation, TUC says 15. October 2026 (07:00) Trades Union Congress urges chancellor to tackle rising additional living costs in this month’s budgetUK households have paid almost £14,000 on average in additional costs for mortgages, loans, energy and water bills over the past five years, according to a report urging the chancellor to tackle soaring living costs at the budget.With less than a fortnight before John Healey’s first budget as chancellor, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) said the cost of living crisis was weighing on the economy as hard-pressed households held back on spending. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Indonesia fights fire with dry ice as toxic haze spreads across region 15. October 2026 (06:25) Having tried cloud seeding and water bombing, one pilot project will see dry ice dispersed by plane across the province of South SumatraAs fires ravage Indonesia, emitting a toxic smoke that has drawn the ire of regional neighbours, the government is testing an unusual new approach to tackle the haze: dry ice.Having tried cloud seeding, water bombing and sending in army personnel to fight the fires, Indonesia’s coordinating security minister said dry ice would be dropped on the province of South Sumatra on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Verse from the waste land: Rotterdam’s poetic bin lorries granted cultural status 15. October 2026 (06:00) Lyrical lines printed on side of city’s fleet of rubbish trucks now recognised as one of Netherlands’ proud traditionsIt is best known for its rich migration history and striking modern architecture. But now the Dutch city of Rotterdam is seeking recognition for a rather different characteristic: its tradition of printing poetry on bin trucks.Since a poetry festival first came up with the idea in 1988, lines of verse have been printed on all of the city’s waste vehicles. The practice was this week elevated to the status of intangible cultural heritage, with formal recognition from a Dutch body that guards the nation’s traditions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Texas Democrat James Talarico faces grilling from voters at town hall in tight Senate race 15. October 2026 (05:08) Talarico casts himself as a moderate who would put Texans’ needs over party allegiances amid close contest against Republican Ken PaxtonJames Talarico, the Texas Democratic nominee for Senate, sat face to face with several undecided voters who grilled him on a slew of contentious issues including Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, abortion and foreign aid, during a CNN town hall on Wednesday evening.One voter, a devout small business owner, questioned the authenticity of Talarico’s faith, referencing a past remark where he described God as nonbinary. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Brazil cuts work week to 40 hours in win for Lula ahead of runoff 15. October 2026 (04:45) Congress approves constitutional amendment that bans six-day workweeks, which could effect up to 30 million Brazil’s congress has approved a constitutional amendment to shorten the working week to a maximum of 40 hours, a move that could affect 30 million workers and that will hand a political victory to the leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of the presidential runoff in under two weeks.In an attempt to overturn the first-round lead secured by his opponent, far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro, Lula has strongly championed the amendment, which will give some workers an extra day off each week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Senior Victorian public servants hid loss of up to $285m from Covid grants given to ineligible businesses 15. October 2026 (04:39) Whistleblowers applauded as Ibac finds ‘decisions were made to withhold information about the magnitude of the loss’Senior public servants in one state covered up losses suspected to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars arising from flawed Covid-19 business support payments, an investigation has found.During the pandemic, the Victorian government spent an estimated $257m on support grants to 9,000 ineligible businesses.Follow our Australia politics live blog for latest updates Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Labor and Coalition block bill that would ban incarcerated women being shackled in childbirth 15. October 2026 (02:22) Liberal Paul Scarr breaks ranks to condemn major parties, saying he will write to Queensland attorney general Labor and the Coalition have blocked a vote on a bill that would have banned the shackling of incarcerated women during childbirth, with the government saying it was the responsibility of the states and territories.Independent senator Lidia Thorpe introduced the bills into the Senate, which would prevent shackling and stop children being strip-searched. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
As One Nation rises, Victorian Labor has promised to make abortions free. Is the timing pure politics? 15. October 2026 (02:17) Facing the prospect of election defeat, Labor is hoping to make abortion a defining issue as the Liberals attempt to stave off claims they would oversee a rollbackFollow our Australian politics live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian Labor’s plan to make abortion free has been years in the making. But make no mistake: the timing of the announcement is pure politics.On Thursday morning, the state’s health minister, Ingrid Stitt, announced if re-elected in November, Labor would invest $30m over four years to remove the out-of-pocket cost of abortion care, which can quickly add up to more than $1,000.Benita Kolovos is Guardian Australia’s Victorian state correspondent Continue reading...(The Guardian)
