Saudi Arabia to execute man for being at protests and funerals when he was 15 16. October 2026 (07:00) Rights group says Youssef al-Manasif was tortured and first met his lawyer five years after arrest for non-violent crimesA young man faces imminent execution in Saudi Arabia for attending protests and funerals when he was aged 15 to 17, say human rights groups, in the latest example of the kingdom’s surging use of the death penalty for non-violent crimes.Youssef al-Manasif was arrested in 2017 and accused of crimes including joining demonstrations for religious freedom by the Shia minority and attending funerals that the Saudi authorities deem to be protests. He was convicted and sentenced to death by the specialised criminal court, a secretive tribunal set up for terrorism-related cases. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Repairing Brexit economic damage should be Burnham’s top priority, business chief says 16. October 2026 (07:00) Shevaun Haviland argues PM is right to revisit Labour’s EU red lines as current trading relationship is bad for businessRepairing the economic damage of Brexit should be the top priority for Andy Burnham as he reconsiders Labour’s red lines on EU membership, the head of one of Britain’s leading business groups has said.Shevaun Haviland, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said she welcomed the prime minister reopening the Brexit battle lines despite the uncertainty it could create, arguing that the UK’s current trading relationship with the EU was bad for business. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
They fled Russia, but the West sent them back 16. October 2026 (06:57) Over the past year there has been a stark rise in anti-government activists deported to Russia from the EU and US where they were seeking refuge.(BBC News)
‘It’s about the underdog’: Ben Roberts-Smith launches brand to support family amid legal battle 16. October 2026 (06:55) Accused war criminal announces venture with video on Instagram of him walking along beach and working outGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAccused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith has launched a brand, saying he needs the income to support his family and fund his legal expenses after being charged with murdering or ordering the murders of five unarmed detainees while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.Roberts-Smith launched the label with a video on Instagram of him walking along a beach on the Gold Coast and working out, soundtracked by media reports about him being awarded the Victoria Cross and his subsequent arrest. The video included the caption: “Get ready….the time has come. #neveroutofthefight #underdog”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
College football player Tyler Ulrich dies five days after ‘traumatic injury’ during game 16. October 2026 (06:12) 21-year-old was treated on field after injury during gameCoach pays tribute to player’s ‘quiet strength’Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma announced on Thursday that sophomore safety Tyler Ulrich has died five days after sustaining what the school called a “traumatic injury” during a game against Ouachita Baptist. Ulrich was 21.The Division II school based in Bethany, Oklahoma, did not reveal the cause of death or the nature of Ulrich’s injury. Ulrich was hurt during a 49-14 loss on Saturday, with the game delayed for nearly an hour while he received medical attention before being transported to a hospital. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Number of cloned number plates on UK roads at record high, data shows 16. October 2026 (06:00) More than 11,400 drivers last year were fined for offences they did not recognise as RAC says system needs reformThe number of reported “cloned” vehicles involved in offences on UK roads has reached a record high, official data shows.More than 11,400 drivers contacted the DVLA last year after being issued with fines for offences they said they did not recognise or accept responsibility for – most of which are believed to be down to cloning, where a number plate is copied fraudulently on similar vehicles to avoid enforcement cameras. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Is JD Vance campaigning for the midterms … or 2028? – podcast 16. October 2026 (06:00) The US vice-president is following the Donald Trump playbook, attacking the Democrats, attempting to make jokes and even swearing more. Jonathan Freedland talks to Arwa Mahdawi about why Vance is making such an effort to court votersBuy your tickets to the Guardian’s post-midterm live event, hosted by Jonathan FreedlandWatch Jonathan Freedland on our new Politics Weekly YouTube channelSend your questions and feedback to politicsweeklyamerica@theguardian.comWatch Today in Focus’ episode on the Trump administration investigation into Rep. Ilhan OmarRead David Smith’s piece on Katie Zacharia’s first press conference Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Future of western security is at stake in Yemen civil war, says country’s former PM 16. October 2026 (06:00) Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed says Iran-backed militia’s use of drones represents ‘new era of radical terrorism’The future of western security is being fought out in the mountains and hills surrounding the south-western Yemeni city of Taiz, the country’s former prime minster has said.Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, now an adviser to Yemen’s president, said it would be catastrophic if the city fell to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, since control of the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait in the Red Sea and the road to Aden – the site of the UN-recognised government – would be lost. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
French police accused over war-like injuries to teenagers in school protests 16. October 2026 (06:00) Four children allegedly ‘mutilated’ by explosive weapons and lawyers say unprecedented number held in custodyFrench lawyers and rights groups have said that several teenagers have suffered war-like injuries from police weapons used during school protests, and an unprecedented number of children have been held in police custody, some of whom reported being hit or racially insulted.France is in the fourth week of its biggest youth protest movement in decades, during which hundreds of high schools across the country have been blockaded as students demand the replacement of absent teachers and repairs to decrepit buildings. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
