Imran Khan’s party decries ‘coup’ after Pakistan suspends provincial government 12. October 2026 (02:22) Suspension of provincial government escalates standoff with Khan’s PTI party a week after his supporters began marching to demand his releasePakistan has declared a state of emergency in a province led by Imran Khan’s PTI party and suspended its government, a move a party spokesperson described as “more of a coup disguised as emergency”.President Asif Ali Zardari declared the emergency in the north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, after the federal government said authorities there had failed to tackle Islamist militancy in the province bordering Afghanistan. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Total fire ban for Sydney, with 37C temperatures and risk of bushfires from ‘dry lightning’ 12. October 2026 (02:18) Thunderstorms coupled with hot and dry conditions mean ‘fire danger is going to be right up today’, Rural Fire Service saysFollow our Australia politics live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastA total fire ban is in place across greater Sydney, with temperatures forecast to reach 37C in the city’s west.The Bureau of Meteorology said Sydney faced extreme fire danger due to hot, dry conditions and the chance of thunderstorms, with little rainfall. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pennsylvania shooter who killed eight was a grandfather, says slain child’s dad 12. October 2026 (01:48) Father of toddler killed in Erie mass shooting says reported gunman never seemed distressed or out of the ordinaryThe man who killed eight people, before turning the gun on himself, in a mass shooting in a home in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Friday was a grandfather who had not shown signs that he was capable of such violence, according to people who knew the shooter.A man whose toddler was among those killed said on Sunday that the man never seemed distressed or out of the ordinary, the Associated Press reports. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sacha Baron Cohen to star in Quentin Tarantino’s West End play The Popinjay Cavalier 12. October 2026 (01:27) The production marks the Hollywood director’s first play written for the stage, which he will also directSacha Baron Cohen will headline Quentin Tarantino’s play The Popinjay Cavalier when it premieres on the West End in London in March 2027.The production marks the Hollywood director’s first work written for the stage – which he will also direct. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK to strengthen cyber defences as minister calls for AI firms to increase safety efforts 12. October 2026 (01:01) Kanishka Narayan to say Britain cannot rely entirely on tech companies amid rising global concern over AI dangersCompanies building the most advanced AI systems must increase safety efforts, the UK’s AI minister will say, as he announces a strengthening of Britain’s cyber defences.Kanishka Narayan will call on companies developing frontier AI to do more to make sure it is safe. He will say Britain cannot rely entirely on technology companies to police their own models and will argue the UK needs to build more of its own AI infrastructure. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Failure to fit tags left 5,000 offenders unmonitored in England and Wales, report finds 12. October 2026 (01:01) In first half of this year 1,600 tags also had no signal for over two weeks, highlighting scale of probation crisisMore than 5,000 offenders went unmonitored in the first half of the year because probation staff failed to install electronic tags, while 1,600 tags had no signal for more than two weeks due to faults, a report has found.The Institute for Government (IfG) has revealed the full scale of the crisis in the probation system in England and Wales, concluding that “rationing probation supervision” due to a lack of staff meant sentences imposed by the court had become “essentially a fiction” for most offenders. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
