UK economy unexpectedly grows in August despite fall in consumer spending 15 October 2026 at 02:05

UK economy unexpectedly grows in August despite fall in consumer spending

By: Richard Partington Senior economics correspondent

15 October 2026 at 02:05

Latest data showing surprise 0.1% growth is boost to John Healey a fortnight before his first budget

Business news – live updates

The UK economy unexpectedly continued to grow in August despite a fall in consumer spending before John Healey’s first budget as chancellor.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.1% last month, compared with 0.4% growth in July. That confounded a forecast by City economists of a 0.1% contraction.

‘I must continue until I die’: inside the fight to bring Iran’s thriving art scene to the world 14 October 2026 at 10:00

‘I must continue until I die’: inside the fight to bring Iran’s thriving art scene to the world

The Guardian

By: David Smith

14 October 2026 at 10:00

Amid economic sanctions and ongoing conflict, a new initiative is returning Iran’s artists to the international spotlight

When the call came early one morning, Tehran resident Elham Issari knew it must be urgent. The voice on the line was offering something precious. “Miss Elham,” he said excitedly, “I have a single tube of white paint! It’s overpriced and I know it’s overpriced but, if you want it, you have to buy it right now because there’s this other guy in this other city who wants it and you have to tell me within the next five minutes.”

The tube of white paint would have cost Issari 5m tomans (about $36), she recalls. “I was like, I don’t think so, because that’s overpriced, and the next thing you know is it’s 4am and I’m on YouTube watching how to make lead white in your backyard without getting lead poisoning.”

The Internet’s undersea backbone is slipping into the danger zone 14 October 2026 at 07:15

The Internet’s undersea backbone is slipping into the danger zone

Ars Technica

By: Jeremy Hsu

14 October 2026 at 07:15

Despite the expansion of Starlink and other communications satellite services, most of the world’s Internet traffic still travels through subsea cables crisscrossing the ocean floors. Those fiber-optic cables coexist with a network of oil and gas pipelines and submarine power cables—and all these crucial links connecting countries and continents now face growing sabotage risks as gray-zone warfare and open conflicts have become widespread.

The rising risks to the world’s invisible infrastructure beneath the waves are the main subject of a new book by Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who leads the Threats to the Global Maritime Order Initiative. Her book, titled Undersea War, explores the modern rise in suspicious incidents in which ships dragging their anchors for unusually long periods have cut or damaged undersea cables and pipelines, from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

Braw acknowledges that about 60 percent of undersea cable damage is primarily due to human error during fishing and shipping activities, when weighted nets or anchors drag across the seabed. Natural hazards like storms and undersea landslides also account for a smaller proportion of such incidents. In total, between 150 and 200 cables are damaged each year and usually repaired quickly.

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‘From liabilities to goldmines’: refineries eye record profits from diesel shortage 14 October 2026 at 08:26

‘From liabilities to goldmines’: refineries eye record profits from diesel shortage

The Guardian

By: Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent

14 October 2026 at 08:26

Firms turning crude oil into the ‘workhorse’ fuel stand to gain most despite economic fallout from record prices

Business live – latest updates

Days after Donald Trump announced a deal to import Russian diesel into the US in an effort to lower soaring pump prices, the world’s energy watchdog has warned that the global fuel shortage will drag into 2027.

Trump’s temporary sanctions reprieve was criticised for offering “too little, too late” to temper the sky high pump prices triggered by the shutdown of war-damaged refineries in the Middle East and Russia – once the world’s second-largest diesel exporter behind the US.

How Top Trump Officials Stoked Fears of a Nuke That Could Fry the Power Grid 14 October 2026 at 12:59

How Top Trump Officials Stoked Fears of a Nuke That Could Fry the Power Grid

NYT: Science

By: William J. Broad

14 October 2026 at 12:59

For more than a decade, conservative activists held that a single atomic bomb could, without killing Americans directly, lay waste to the country — a claim that built fervor for war with Iran.

The test detonation in 1962 of a hydrogen bomb lit up the night sky over Honolulu and knocked out some of the city’s electrical systems. Experts linked the unanticipated damage to what they came to call the electromagnetic pulse.

Iranian woman handed death sentence for ‘blasphemy’ in social media post 14 October 2026 at 00:00

Iranian woman handed death sentence for ‘blasphemy’ in social media post

The Guardian

By: Deepa Parent

14 October 2026 at 00:00

Rights groups warn of Tehran regime’s increasing use of executions to suppress dissent, with at least 600 this year

Human rights groups have raised the alarm over the growing number of death sentences and executions in Iran, after reports that a 23-year-old woman, Najmeh Amini, has been sentenced to death for blasphemy over a social-media post.

Amini, an accounting student, is being held in Vakilabad prison in the north-east city of Mashhad. She has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison and death in separate cases heard by a revolutionary and a criminal court.

Far-right and Iran add to mix of terror threats UK faces – not to mention AI 13 October 2026 at 13:58

Far-right and Iran add to mix of terror threats UK faces – not to mention AI

The Guardian

By: Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor

13 October 2026 at 13:58

Annual update from MI5 chief highlighted a complex cocktail that could have real-life consequences for Britain

MI5’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.”

Saudi Arabia strikes oil depots in Yemen and says missiles launched toward location of Saudi Aramco HQ 13 October 2026 at 13:26

Saudi Arabia strikes oil depots in Yemen and says missiles launched toward location of Saudi Aramco HQ

The Guardian

By: Patrick Wintour

13 October 2026 at 13:26

Civilians warned to leave target area near Sana’a before attacks as conflict between Riyadh and Houthi forces escalates

Saudi Arabia has launched a series of strikes on a strategic oil depot on the outskirts of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, while later on Tuesday it said it had intercepted missiles launched toward Dharan, location of the headquarters of the huge national energy company Saudi Aramco.

The attacks on both sides were a fresh escalation of the conflict between Riyadh and the Iran-backed Houthi forces. Before its offensive on Tuesday, a Saudi spokesperson warned civilians to leave the target area, in an apparent attempt to strike fear into the local population before the biggest attack so far on Houthi energy infrastructure.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards ‘almost certainly’ behind RAF Fairford threats, says Burnham 12 October 2026 at 13:08

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards ‘almost certainly’ behind RAF Fairford threats, says Burnham

The Guardian

By: Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor

12 October 2026 at 13:08

UK to bring further sanctions against Tehran and IRGC after assessment Iran was likely to have coordinated incident

Andy Burnham said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were “almost certainly” behind threats to RAF Fairford, the firmest attribution of responsibility made so far by the UK after an incident late last month.

The prime minister told MPs the UK would bring further sanctions against Tehran and the IRGC in the aftermath of an ambiguous episode that, despite over a fortnight of police investigation, has yet to lead to anybody being charged.

Why are the Houthis attacking Saudi airports and how are the missiles getting through? 12 October 2026 at 09:41

Why are the Houthis attacking Saudi airports and how are the missiles getting through?

The Guardian

By: Jason Burke

12 October 2026 at 09:41

Attacks by Iran-backed group come amid counteroffensive by Yemeni government supported by Riyadh

The Gulf has entered a new era of instability. If its leaders think they can rely on old alliances, they are wrong | Nesrine Malik 12 October 2026 at 02:00

The Gulf has entered a new era of instability. If its leaders think they can rely on old alliances, they are wrong | Nesrine Malik

The Guardian

By: Nesrine Malik

12 October 2026 at 02:00

The latest attack by Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia may prove to be more calamitous for the region than the world imagines

On Saturday, Houthi rebels launched a shocking and deadly attack on Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Riyadh. At the time of writing, the missile strike on King Khalid international airport has killed at least 13 people and left 300 injured, marking a significant turn in a regional conflagration that is only getting more intense. It was the single most deadly attack on any Gulf country since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran in February. In Saudi Arabia, a country that is unaccustomed to such fatalities, the death toll is bewilderingly high and likely to prompt a bloody response.

Over the past year, the Gulf has entered a new era of instability that is not temporary and cannot be reversed. This may feel like an overstatement – casualties have been relatively low, after all, compared with Gaza and Iran – but the gradual erosion of peace and security in places such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE has changed the region more dramatically than its leaders would like to acknowledge.

Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist

Fixated on AI, the world has forgotten what is staring it in the face: nuclear annihilation | Simon Tisdall 11 October 2026 at 05:00

Fixated on AI, the world has forgotten what is staring it in the face: nuclear annihilation | Simon Tisdall

The Guardian

By: Simon Tisdall

11 October 2026 at 05:00

This is no scoffing matter. The accelerating proliferation of advanced nuclear weapons is bringing ‘end times’ closer by the day

Humankind has fearfully and sometimes joyfully anticipated the end of the world ever since it began. The Bible’s Book of Revelation speaks of “end times”, a period of tribulation, war, famine, plague, floods and environmental catastrophe that may seem a less absurd prospect today than perhaps it once did. Islam, too, posits a fateful day of judgment or day of reckoning. Christian evangelicals believe that, in the final rapture, a chosen few – the righteous or the “elect” – will be saved while sinners burn. It’s a minority view. Matthew’s gospel predicts most people will defy, ignore or ridicule warnings of imminent Armageddon. Peter, another of Jesus’s disciples, agreed: “In the last days, scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” Yet such worldly scepticism does not mean a universal cataclysm is less likely. It may make it more probable.

Donald Trump’s blanket denials of the dangers ostensibly posed by artificial intelligence, whose uncontrolled development is seen by some as the latest harbinger of apocalypse, could be interpreted as fulfilling Peter’s prophecy. This US president, the nearest thing the world has to a one-man doomsday machine, is a great one for scoffing and evil desires. In Robert Harris’s 2019 novel, The Second Sleep, a worried scientist lists half a dozen ways the world might end. They include devastating climate change, pandemic disease, a giant asteroid collision with Earth, or some other overwhelming calamity. Few heed the fictional scientist’s fears. In the event, what destroys him and almost everybody else is a disturbingly plausible cyber crash – a global digital and internet meltdown.

Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator

After RAF Fairford incident, how big a threat to the UK is Iran? 11 October 2026 at 05:00

After RAF Fairford incident, how big a threat to the UK is Iran?

The Guardian

By: Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor

11 October 2026 at 05:00

Although there is scepticism about Tehran’s capabilities, it has become clear it wants Britain to feel it poses a risk

Britain may have been only peripherally involved in the bombing of Iran that Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu started, but in the past fortnight it has become clear that Tehran wants to pose a threat inside the UK in response.

In the aftermath of the confused incident near RAF Fairford, western officials are weighing up whether to warn publicly that Iran now has US military targets in Europe on its mind, such as the air force base in Gloucestershire.

A national verdict on Trump 2.0 is coming. Nine midterm voters share where they stand 9 October 2026 at 06:00

A national verdict on Trump 2.0 is coming. Nine midterm voters share where they stand

The Guardian

By: Rachel Leingang · George Chidi · David Smith · Fabiola Cineas and Ed Pilkington

9 October 2026 at 06:00

From cost of living to the Iran war, these are the issues that matter most to US voters across the political spectrum

US voters are about to deliver their first national verdict on the second presidency of Donald Trump. On 3 November, millions of Americans will vote in midterm elections to decide control of the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as the governorships in 36 states. The results could have a huge impact on Trump’s final two years in office.

Today, the Guardian launches its 2026 midterm voter panel. Our reporters have interviewed nine voters across the country and the political spectrum about the issues that matter to them, from the cost of living, immigration and healthcare to the war in Iran and whether they trust their political leaders.

The Guardian view on Ethiopia’s return to conflict: civilian catastrophe and a spiralling regional polycrisis | Editorial 8 October 2026 at 13:49

The Guardian view on Ethiopia’s return to conflict: civilian catastrophe and a spiralling regional polycrisis | Editorial

The Guardian

By: Editorial

8 October 2026 at 13:49

The escalating violence reflects deep domestic rifts – but is fuelled by broader geopolitical power games

When the Nobel peace laureate is announced on Friday, the committee will be hoping that its choice ages better than 2019’s. Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, won the prize for ending the 20-year border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea – signing a peace agreement with President Isaias Afwerki. A year later, their new relationship facilitated a war with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that killed as many as 600,000 people, displaced millions more, led to atrocities by both sides, and pushed Tigrayans into famine.

Both sides bear responsibility for failing to properly implement the deal that ended that conflict in 2022, and the African Union and US did little to ensure that a piece of paper became a durable settlement. Now violence has resurged in northern Ethiopia, and old foes are forming bizarre new pacts. Last month, seven Ethiopian regional groups announced an “Alliance for Survival” to remove the federal government. Mr Abiy’s coalition is held together by his patronage, but so far may be faring better than his rivals, united solely by shared loathing of him and riven by deep disputes. The TPLF, which controls Tigray, has previously battled the Fano militia of Amhara, and their territorial dispute endures. Ethiopia accuses Eritrea – previously accused of atrocities against Tigrayan civilians – of backing the rebel alliance. Despite Asmara’s denials, there are multiple reports of Eritrean troops in Tigray.

Not since 9/11 has the UK faced such a security crisis – and threat to our liberal principles | Gaby Hinsliff 8 October 2026 at 12:55

Not since 9/11 has the UK faced such a security crisis – and threat to our liberal principles | Gaby Hinsliff

The Guardian

By: Gaby Hinsliff

8 October 2026 at 12:55

The combination of Iranian, Russian and Chinese aggression is deeply worrying: just how much more concerned about security should the country be?

The first time the window-rattling roar of a B-1 bomber woke me up this summer, I thought for one crazed second we were under attack. By the second time, I’d learned to recognise the sound of US planes taking off from their base at RAF Fairford for what it was: a reminder that although Britain wants no part in this war with Iran, we cannot quite escape the consequences.

We’ll feel them at the petrol pump, or in the supermarket this autumn, or in this winter’s heating bills. But living under the flight path adds an extra edge to it. The skies finally fell silent last week, but only because the bombers have been hastily summoned home after an alleged terrorist plot to attack Fairford, in which (according to the prime minister) there are “strong indications that Iran played a part”. If Fairford is now a target of war, did that threat disappear when the Americans did? Nobody knows.

Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Florida judge allows lawsuit against Shah of Iran’s alleged ‘chief torturer’ to move forward 8 October 2026 at 12:00

Florida judge allows lawsuit against Shah of Iran’s alleged ‘chief torturer’ to move forward

The Guardian

By: Richard Luscombe in Miami

8 October 2026 at 12:00

Parviz Sabeti denies allegations he led Savak intelligence agency under shah and directed torture of thousands

The alleged “chief torturer” for the deposed Shah of Iran is a step closer to trial for human rights abuses after a Florida federal judge rejected his demand to halt a lawsuit brought by three former political prisoners.

Parviz Sabeti, who was reported last year to have lived in a quiet upscale central Florida community, is accused of being the former head of Savak, the shah’s secret police and intelligence agency. The plaintiffs say they discovered his whereabouts only after a photo of Sabeti at a 2023 protest against the Iranian government was posted on social media by his daughter.

Oil prices jump 5% on Middle East tensions and US hurricane threat 8 October 2026 at 07:11

Oil prices jump 5% on Middle East tensions and US hurricane threat

The Guardian

By: Lauren Almeida

8 October 2026 at 07:11

Global bond market sell-off continues and stocks fall amid reports White House has asked to see options for more strikes against Iran

Business live – latest updates

Oil prices have risen sharply amid fears about escalating tensions in the Middle East and a squeeze on production from the threat of a hurricane off the US coast.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose by 5% to $105.3 a barrel on Thursday, triggering a wave of selling in the global bond and stock markets.

Tanker attacked off Qatar as Iran claims route transporting oil through strait of Hormuz will be ‘closed’ 7 October 2026 at 23:15

Tanker attacked off Qatar as Iran claims route transporting oil through strait of Hormuz will be ‘closed’

The Guardian

By: Mark Saunokonoko

7 October 2026 at 23:15

Oil rises above $100 as attacks on ships hit new high, amid reports Trump is discussing launching strikes before the US midterms

A tanker sailing off the north coast of Qatar has been attacked, causing an unknown number of casualties, a British maritime security agency said. The attack came as Iran declared it would close a route in the strait of Hormuz being used to circumvent Tehran’s blockade of traffic.

The vessel was in the Gulf, about 500km (300 miles) west of the strait of Hormuz, when it reported being struck “by multiple projectiles”, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said on Wednesday. The UK authority did not specify the origin of the ship.

Mourners gather at Nova music festival site as Israel marks three years since 7 October attack by Hamas – live 7 October 2026 at 05:58

Mourners gather at Nova music festival site as Israel marks three years since 7 October attack by Hamas – live

The Guardian

By: Taz Ali

7 October 2026 at 05:58

1,200 died in attack that led to launch of devastating war in Gaza

‘All I want to do is cry’: trauma of 7 October survivors three years after the attacks

The Israeli military said it launched several security operations across the West Bank overnight, arresting dozens of people suspected of being involved in terrorism, including expressing support for the 7 October attack, the Israeli military said.

A young man was shot and wounded by Israeli soldiers during one of the campaigns in Jenin, according to Wafa, the Palestinian news agency.

How Seriously Should We Take Trump's Threats to Annihilate Iran? 24 September 2026 at 13:14

How Seriously Should We Take Trump's Threats to Annihilate Iran?

MetaFilter

By: subdee

24 September 2026 at 13:14

Via Dropsite News: During his speech before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, President Donald Trump threatened to "annihilate the Islamic republic" of Iran if the two countries fail to reach a deal. Responding in a statement carried by Mehr, Iran's General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Command accused Trump of using the UN podium to justify U.S. "aggression" and described his threats as evidence of Washington's "strategic desperation," warning that Iranian forces were prepared to strike the U.S. and Israel with attacks more severe than those carried out earlier in the war.

Via Zeteo: In Iran, the Revolutionary Guard said it had information that a new attack was coming, and added that if so, "all U.S. bases and interests in the region will become targets of continuous, effective and painful attacks without any limitations or considerations." Furthermore, amid stark reporting on the "cascade of preventable failures" that led U.S. forces to annihilate at least 123 children at a school in Iran on day one of the war – the Trump administration hasn't owned up, but the evidence is overwhelming – multiple outlets reported regional preparations for renewed U.S. bombing. [Finally], as the Wall Street Journal depicted 'Veep' levels of mania in the White House – the president off the leash and alarming aides in the absence of departed press secretary Karoline Leavitt and chief of staff Susie Wiles, who has been addressing health concerns – the State Department issued a security alert to citizens across the Middle East, a common move ahead of military action. For Zeteo, Swin hit the phones, working his Washington sources, testing the strength of reports that Trump is looking for "foreign policy victories" ahead of the midterm elections. (Paywalled content I recommend throwing into archive.is or another paywall bypasser).

Or, Why Diesel's price is outpacing Gasoline's 23 September 2026 at 17:43

Or, Why Diesel's price is outpacing Gasoline's

MetaFilter

By: ChurchHatesTucker

23 September 2026 at 17:43

How Volkswagen's Flagrant Fraud Screwed Over Russia's Refineries a Decade Later [YT ~17 min.]

William Spaniel is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh. His main YouTube channel, now just branded William Spaniel, was started to supplement his textbook/course Game Theory 101: Game Theory Made Easy*. It is currently focused on international affairs, covering topics such as Why the U.S. Is So Bad at Negotiating Peace Deals and Inevitability: The Critical Strategic Concept Both Wars Hinge On. A side channel, Lines on Maps Extra, recently ended a months-long streak of (combined with the main channel) daily videos that was initially prompted by the Iran war. * Game Theory 101 and the early iteration of Spaniel's channel were featured previously in 2012

Iran and China Create First-of-Their-Kind Autonomous A.I. Influence Campaigns 18 September 2026 at 10:20

Iran and China Create First-of-Their-Kind Autonomous A.I. Influence Campaigns

NYT: Technology

By: Sheera Frenkel · Eli Tan and Dustin Volz

18 September 2026 at 10:20

The countries, along with Israeli firms, combined Chinese open-source A.I. models and A.I. agents for the campaigns, foreshadowing future online manipulation.

Gold, Flights, Cryptocurrency: U.S. Vows to Go After More Than Iran’s Oil 26 August 2026 at 08:46

Gold, Flights, Cryptocurrency: U.S. Vows to Go After More Than Iran’s Oil

NYT: Technology

By: Zane Irwin

26 August 2026 at 08:46

The United States threatened sanctions for any country or entity that engages with Iran’s gold, digital assets, aviation, shipping and tech industries. Here’s why that matters.

A gas station in Tehran on Tuesday. The United States imposed a monthslong blockade on Iran’s shipments of oil, the nation’s economic engine.

The U.S. Start-Up Making Low-Cost Interceptors for the Iran War 23 August 2026 at 05:00

The U.S. Start-Up Making Low-Cost Interceptors for the Iran War

NYT: Technology

By: Farah Stockman and Ismaeel Naar

23 August 2026 at 05:00

For Florida-based Powerus, becoming a global supplier of counterdrone technology has meant involving the Trumps, a golf course and a new way of doing business.

The Iranian YouTube Show Posing Questions Few Dare Ask 15 August 2026 at 05:30

The Iranian YouTube Show Posing Questions Few Dare Ask

NYT: Technology

By: Yeganeh Torbati

15 August 2026 at 05:30

Azad, a popular online debate program, has tackled topics that push the limits of Iran’s authoritarian system. Some question how it has remained on air.

Iran Cyberattacks Against Minnesota Water Systems 4 August 2026 at 15:00

Iran Cyberattacks Against Minnesota Water Systems

Schneier on Security

By: Bruce Schneier

4 August 2026 at 15:00

Attribution is preliminary, and so far it seems no real damage.

And it seems like this is a campaign that has targeted at least seven states. And, because this is where the US is right now, Trump doesn’t believe it’s Iran and thinks Minnesota…I guess…hacked itself.

“I think I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent,” Trump said. “I would blame it on Minnesota and the governor, the corrupt governor of Minnesota. They like to say, ‘Oh, it’s Iran.’ Iran should be so lucky. Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota.”

No word on whether he believes the other six states have hacked themselves as well.

Slashdot thread.

Normal view