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)
Paddington: The Musical is coming to Sydney in 2027 15. October 2026 (01:34) Hugely successful West End show will open at Capitol Theatre in September 2027, with dates in other Australian cities yet to be announcedGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailAustralia, prepare to start guarding your marmalade reserves: the award-winning Paddington: The Musical is on its way.The acclaimed theatre production, which has been running in London’s West End since 2025, will land in Sydney in September 2027, where it will be performed at the Capitol Theatre for 10 weeks.Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Sunday morning Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sexual assault reported at frat house near University of Chicago 15. October 2026 (01:32) Alleged assault follows report of gang-rape at frat house at Cornell, which ignited national uproar and criticism onlineA 21-year-old woman reported being sexually assaulted last weekend at a fraternity house near the University of Chicago, as Greek life nationwide faces renewed scrutiny for recurrent misconduct.The incident allegedly took place on Sunday at about 1.50am at the off-campus Alpha Epsilon Pi residence, according to a university daily crime log. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Illegal tobacco increasingly hard to spot, with some fakes in plain packaging featuring Australian health warnings 15. October 2026 (01:32) Government warned that counterfeit tobacco produced by criminal organisations in south-east Asia is becoming more sophisticatedGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe black-market tobacco trade continues to thrive as sellers turn to counterfeit packaging to skirt bans, prompting calls for the urgent passing of tougher laws.Intelligence provided to the federal government shows cigarettes in plain Australian-style packaging are being produced illegally at an industrial scale in south-east Asian warehouses. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sydney hospital patient charged with attempted murder after allegedly setting fellow patient alight 15. October 2026 (01:30) NSW police allege Raymond James Dungay doused three patients in petrol before setting one alight at Prince of Wales hospital in RandwickFollow our Australia politics live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA patient at a Sydney hospital has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly pouring petrol on three fellow patients before setting one on fire.Raymond James Dungay, 48, was charged with two counts of attempted murder following the alleged attack at Prince of Wales hospital in Randwick on Tuesday evening. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
