The housing crisis is now global. It shows just how undemocratic our nations have become | Leilani Farha 19 October 2026 at 01:00

The housing crisis is now global. It shows just how undemocratic our nations have become | Leilani Farha

19 October 2026 at 01:00

When we can’t even afford to rent or buy somewhere to live, we have to ask: did we give the financial sector too much power?

Leilani Farha is the former UN special rapporteur on adequate housing

In the summer of 2021, I visited a homeless community in a park in Toronto, Canada, and spoke to one of the residents. He was living in a tent in the shadow of brand new skyscrapers, and had been homeless for about five years. At one point he swivelled around, pointed up at a crane on the skyline, and said: “Who are they building those for? Definitely not for me.”

He was right. And he captured something experienced by ordinary people around the world: the growing conviction that the housing system is no longer tethered to their needs. What he was pointing at is not just a housing crisis. It is a crisis of democracy.

Leilani Farha is the 2026 CBC Massey lecturer. This piece is based on her new book: Housing Inc.: A Global Takeover and Our Fight for Home. She is the former UN special rapporteur on adequate housing and the global director of the international human rights organisation, The Shift

‘We are suffocating’: protests spread to Lisbon and Milan as housing and living cost tensions intensify 18 October 2026 at 07:02

‘We are suffocating’: protests spread to Lisbon and Milan as housing and living cost tensions intensify

The Guardian

By: Sam Jones in Madrid and agencies

18 October 2026 at 07:02

Hundreds at Lisbon tent camp demand action, as Giorgia Meloni says march in Italy was exploited by ‘hooligans’

The angry protests that have convulsed Spain and France in recent weeks have spilled over to Italy and Portugal, with rioters clashing with police and setting property on fire in Milan, and a tent encampment springing up in Lisbon over the weekend.

A march in central Milan on Saturday to protest against rising living costs began peacefully but ended with masked rioters throwing stones, paving blocks and other objects at riot police and setting fire to barricades made from bar tables.

Isabel Allende wins €1m Spanish literary prize under pseudonym 17 October 2026 at 09:01

Isabel Allende wins €1m Spanish literary prize under pseudonym

The Guardian

By: Emma Loffhagen and Ella Creamer

17 October 2026 at 09:01

Chilean-American author awarded Premio Planeta for sequel to her 1982 debut novel, The House of the Spirits

The Chilean-American author Isabel Allende has won Spain’s €1m (£843,000) Premio Planeta, one of the world’s most lucrative literary prizes, under a pseudonym, with a sequel to her celebrated debut novel, The House of the Spirits.

Allende, 84, won the 75th edition of the award on Thursday with La hora antes del alba, which returns to the characters of her 1982 novel, a multigenerational family saga set against political upheaval in a country inspired by Chile.

‘A direct cultural threat’: your questions on the rise of the right across Europe answered 16 October 2026 at 05:00

‘A direct cultural threat’: your questions on the rise of the right across Europe answered

The Guardian

By: Jon Henley · Ashifa Kassam and Lucy O’Brien

16 October 2026 at 05:00

With support for far right politics well established across Europe, how might upcoming elections shape its future? Europe correspondents Jon Henley and Ashifa Kassam answered Reddit users’ questions about their reporting from the continent

Support for far-right parties has been growing across Europe, with radical right, populist parties in coalition governments in Croatia, Czechia, Italy and Finland, and leading in the polls in Austria, Belgium, France and Germany.

The Guardian reported this year that nearly a quarter of voters in Europe voted for far-right parties in their most recent national elections, a fivefold increase since 1995.

Your full attention: Jesse Eisenberg’s 10 best film performances – ranked! 15 October 2026 at 07:00

Your full attention: Jesse Eisenberg’s 10 best film performances – ranked!

The Guardian

By: Peter Bradshaw

15 October 2026 at 07:00

As his new movie The Debut closes the London film festival, we count down the best of the actor’s shy, sly and sometimes hairy outings

A doppelganger role can be a trap for an actor: either the two roles are not sufficiently distinct, or they are too hammily different, and either way the result can look like a film school graduation project. But Jesse Eisenberg gives a stylish split-personality turn in Richard Ayoade’s adaptation of the Dostoevsky novella. He plays Simon, a nerdily shy and self-effacing computer programmer in a grim futureworld, ignored by his employers and by co-worker Hannah (Mia Wasikowska), with whom he is hopelessly in love. But then his carbon copy, James, arrives, also of course played by Eisenberg. James is a confident alpha-achiever who impresses his bosses and entrances Hannah – to Simon’s gibbering despair.

The Guardian view on Spain’s snap election: high stakes for Europe as Pedro Sánchez gambles again | Editorial 14 October 2026 at 13:25

The Guardian view on Spain’s snap election: high stakes for Europe as Pedro Sánchez gambles again | Editorial

The Guardian

By: Editorial

14 October 2026 at 13:25

The Spanish prime minister has been a lonely champion of progressive values in the EU. But the polls look ominous

When it comes to risk-taking, Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has a formidable track record. In 2018, the Socialist party leader swept to power by triggering a no-confidence vote that unexpectedly ousted his centre-right predecessor Mariano Rajoy. He held on to it against the odds after calling a snap election in 2023, at a time when the popularity of his own party had plummeted and the far right was on the rise.

As he endures another rocky period in office, Mr Sánchez has once more rolled the dice. Last week, he announced a snap poll for November after his minority government was blocked from passing measures to ease Spain’s chronic housing crisis. The eviction of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal from her Madrid home sparked nationwide protests over soaring rents and prices. The outrage grew with news of her death last Wednesday. Mr Sánchez clearly hopes that campaigning on a national cause célèbre gives him a chance of winning a stronger progressive mandate next month.

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.

Zelenskyy says Russia ‘did not heed’ Trump’s call for ceasefire and Ukraine had ‘no early warning’ before strikes on Kyiv – Europe live 13 October 2026 at 09:45

Zelenskyy says Russia ‘did not heed’ Trump’s call for ceasefire and Ukraine had ‘no early warning’ before strikes on Kyiv – Europe live

The Guardian

By: Jakub Krupa (now) and Yohannes Lowe (earlier)

13 October 2026 at 09:45

Ukraine’s president says his country has halted strikes on Russian oil refineries for two days after Trump’s energy ceasefire announcement

On frozen Russian assets, Poland’s Sikorski says the use of frozen Russian assets is “a complicated issue,” but takes a very clear stance in response to any suggestion of releasing them back to Russia.

“We are working on it, but there is also some rumours that some people are expecting these assets to be released back to Russia.

I don’t think I’m speaking just for myself in saying: over our dead bodies.”

“Russia right now is not ready for ceasefire, but still, this only can encourage us to stay with Ukraine and to, strengthen, the pressure on Russia and always be ready for conversations, but and also especially for, for ceasefire negotiations.

But, until this doesn’t happen, we are with Ukraine. We are with the president the German government is is backing the Ukrainian government and the president, completely. He is the person to lead Ukraine, and we are with him.”

Miriam González Durántez launches new centrist party in Spain 13 October 2026 at 09:41

Miriam González Durántez launches new centrist party in Spain

The Guardian

By: Sam Jones in Madrid

13 October 2026 at 09:41

Wife of former British deputy PM Nick Clegg promises liberal alternative to the PP and Socialists before snap election

The Spanish lawyer Miriam González Durántez has launched a new liberal, centrist party, vowing to clean up politics and give voters an alternative to the dominant socialist and conservative parties as the country gears up for next month’s snap general election.

González Durántez, an ex-EU adviser who is married to the former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, says her new party, Democracia21, will offer a modern, transparent kind of politics that “doesn’t feed on fear, insults or nostalgia”.

Latin American organised crime ‘may operate in 16 European countries’ 13 October 2026 at 03:00

Latin American organised crime ‘may operate in 16 European countries’

The Guardian

By: Andrei Netto in Paris

13 October 2026 at 03:00

Cocaine seizures in Europe are up more than fivefold in 10 years as a host of cartels take root. A four-month Guardian investigation reveals the true scale of a continent-wide shift

A four-month investigation by the Guardian has revealed that the surge in cocaine trafficking to Europe is directly linked to the expanding presence of Latin American criminal networks in Europe, where they have forged close ties with local mafia organisations.

The investigation, utilising databases, police and intelligence agencies, along with interviews with judges, prosecutors and experts from eight countries, shows that cartels and factions from Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico and the US are active in at least 12 European countries. Between 2014 and 2024, there was a 471% rise in the quantity of cocaine seized and more local laboratories processing cocaine derivatives were dismantled.

Europe’s big election season is about to kick off. It could change everything | Nathalie Tocci 13 October 2026 at 00:00

Europe’s big election season is about to kick off. It could change everything | Nathalie Tocci

The Guardian

By: Nathalie Tocci

13 October 2026 at 00:00

If far right nationalists gain power in four big countries simultaneously, we are in for a dramatic Trumpian tilt

When it comes to Europe’s economy or its peace and security, it is obvious that decision-making has to be done largely at the European level to be meaningful. Yet electoral politics is still conducted mostly at the national level. The silver lining of this mismatch is that from country to country in Europe we have governments with different political priorities and leanings. Unlike in the US, where one presidential election can radically change the entire country’s course, as we have seen so vividly under Donald Trump’s leadership, the same drama has not so far unfolded in Europe. This may be about to change.

Pedro Sánchez rolled the dice in Spain last week, calling a snap election for next month after an unholy alliance of the conservative People’s party (PP), the far-right Vox and Catalan pro-independence party Junts blocked his big housing reform package in parliament. If the socialist prime minister, hailed by progressives globally but demonised by Europe’s right and Trump’s US, loses his election gamble, Spain could fall into the hands of a conservative/far-right coalition, which is currently ahead in the polls.

Nathalie Tocci is a Guardian Europe columnist

‘It gave me a superpower – question everything’: as punk turns 50, bands from China to Greenland explain how it fires up their lives 9 October 2026 at 03:00

‘It gave me a superpower – question everything’: as punk turns 50, bands from China to Greenland explain how it fires up their lives

The Guardian

By: As told to Dave Simpson

9 October 2026 at 03:00

Whether on the frontline in Ukraine or skate parks in Soweto, the genre is still a vital outlet for disaffected people everywhere. Here, musicians explain how they rage against the machine

Andriy Zholob, vocalist/guitarist, Beton: When MTV arrived in Ukraine, I heard Nirvana, the Offspring, Bad Brains, Social Distortion and thrash metal, and realised that all this started from punk rock. Our drummer and I were in a ska-punk band first, but when our vocalist became pregnant we started Beton in 2017 and played lots of festivals.

An elderly woman’s death after eviction is rocking Spain. Will public outcry help its socialist PM stay in power? 8 October 2026 at 08:16

An elderly woman’s death after eviction is rocking Spain. Will public outcry help its socialist PM stay in power?

The Guardian

By: Sam Jones in Madrid

8 October 2026 at 08:16

Recent death of 87-year-old woman likely to focus attention on crisis in run-up to election at end of November

Even before María del Carmen Abascal died on Wednesday night, a mere fortnight after her eviction from the Madrid flat where she had lived for most of her life, the frail 87-year-old woman had become the enduring face of Spain’s housing crisis.

Her plight – and the wider issue it embodied – had led to street demonstrations, the creation of a protest camp in the middle of the Spanish capital, and spurred the socialist-led government to propose emergency measures to facilitate and protect access to housing. When rightwing and far-right parties voted down those measures in congress last week, the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, responded by announcing a snap general election for the end of November.

French high school protests continue despite PM’s promise of action – Europe live 8 October 2026 at 03:46

French high school protests continue despite PM’s promise of action – Europe live

The Guardian

By: Jakub Krupa

8 October 2026 at 03:46

Demonstrators have rejected a promise by Sébastien Lecornu to present a plan to fix the country’s education system by the end of the month

High school protests across France show no sign of slowing down, with nearly 400 educational establishments facing disruptions this morning.

Demonstrators have rejected a promise by prime minister Sébastien Lecornu to present a plan to fix the country’s education system by the end of the month, demanding he fully engages with their demands sooner than that.

María del Carmen Abascal, symbol of Spain’s housing protests, dies aged 87 7 October 2026 at 16:57

María del Carmen Abascal, symbol of Spain’s housing protests, dies aged 87

The Guardian

By: Ashifa Kassam and Sam Jones in Madrid

7 October 2026 at 16:57

Maricarmen’s eviction from Madrid apartment after over seven decades set off wave of protests against housing crisis

‘Now is the moment’: housing activists at Madrid encampment pin wary hopes on Spain’s early election

María del Carmen Abascal, the 87-year-old whose eviction set off a nationwide wave of protests against Spain’s housing crisis, has died.

News of her death came two weeks after Maricarmen, as she had come to be known across Spain, was evicted from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for more than seven decades.

Pedro Sánchez is a master of the political comeback. But calling a snap election in Spain may be a gamble too far | Paolo Gerbaudo 6 October 2026 at 10:57

Pedro Sánchez is a master of the political comeback. But calling a snap election in Spain may be a gamble too far | Paolo Gerbaudo

The Guardian

By: Paolo Gerbaudo

6 October 2026 at 10:57

A thriving economy, a model green transition, social advances – Spain’s PM shouldn’t be in trouble. Yet he is, and it’s a lesson for progressives everywhere

To progressives across the west, Spain has been a rare glimmer of hope in a world where far-right parties are increasingly entering government. Under Pedro Sánchez, who became prime minister in 2018, the country has combined a post-Covid economic boom with a bold green energy transition programme, and a pro-immigration stance with a principled opposition to the war agenda of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. Yet, at the end of next month, this rare beacon of democratic progress could fall.

On Monday Sánchez called a snap general election, set for 29 November, after two decrees to address the country’s housing crisis were voted down in the lower chamber by politicians from rightwing parties. Speaking from the staircase of the Moncloa palace, Sánchez admitted that his government had not achieved all it had set out to do. “Many injustices remain to be corrected … particularly regarding inequality in public services and access to housing,” he said, adding: “To do more, we need to renew and expand public support.”

Paolo Gerbaudo is a senior researcher at the faculty of political science and sociology of Complutense University in Madrid and a lead researcher at the Alameda Institute

Renfe Cyberattack Hits Spain’s Rail Network as AI Role Probed 28 September 2026 at 05:23

Renfe Cyberattack Hits Spain’s Rail Network as AI Role Probed

Cybersecurity News and Magazine

By: Ashish Khaitan

28 September 2026 at 05:23

Renfe cyberattack

Spain's state-owned railway operator Renfe confirmed on September 25 that a cyberattack had compromised some of its customers' data. Spanish media reported that the criminals behind the Renfe cyberattack used artificial intelligence (AI), which would make it the first attack of its kind in the country. Train services across Spain have continued to run normally while the investigation goes on. According to Renfe, the attackers mainly obtained customer names and email addresses. "The attackers were able to access limited user information, consisting mainly of names and email addresses," the company said. It added that it had found "no conclusive evidence" that the stolen information had been made public. The operator, which carried more than 531 million passengers last year, also said, "There is no evidence of access to bank or financial details, payment methods, IDs or other particularly sensitive information."

Breach Traced to Adif's Systems

Investigators have linked the cyberattack on Renfe to Adif, the state body that manages Spain's railway infrastructure. According to The Star, Renfe said in a statement that the "cybersecurity incident" began on Adif servers that were "previously compromised and interconnected with the company's systems." Adif spotted unusual activity on its network late on Thursday and put cybersecurity measures in place to contain it. Neither organization has found evidence that the systems running railway operations were affected, so there has been no disruption to rail services linked to the attack. The most visible effect was a temporary outage of the Adif website, which was down for part of Friday afternoon. Renfe's website stayed online.

Weeks of Attempted Intrusions Preceded Renfe Cyberattack

Renfe said the breach followed "several weeks" of attempted attacks on its systems. Its monitoring and security tools had "detected and successfully blocked" those earlier attempts. Once it detected the breach, Renfe activated its incident-response procedures, isolated the areas that might have been affected and added further protective measures. Independent cybersecurity specialists are helping with the investigation and with efforts to limit any further damage. Adif has filed a complaint with the relevant authorities and shared what it found with Spain's National Cryptologic Center (CCN). It has also notified businesses and suppliers that may have been affected so they can take precautions.

Reports of AI Involvement and a Foreign Link

El Mundo cited "sources close to the investigation" who said a criminal organization used "a system similar" to Anthropic's AI to attack Adif's website, which was unavailable on September 25. The newspaper described it as the first AI-driven cyberattack on the website of a Spanish public company and said the incident lasted "several days." La Razón reported that sources familiar with the case believe "the modus operandi points to a foreign group."

Wider Concerns Over AI and Hybrid Threats

The cyberattack on Renfe comes as concern grows worldwide about what advanced AI tools can do, following a series of hacking incidents involving models from OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, and its rival Anthropic. Warnings have also increased about possible hybrid attacks, including cyber incidents, targeting Western allies of Ukraine as Russia's invasion enters its fifth year. Renfe and Adif are still investigating where the attack came from and how far it reached, including how much customer information was accessed without authorization.

Psilocybin May Prevent Nerve Damage Caused by Chemotherapy, Study Finds 3 September 2026 at 17:46

Psilocybin May Prevent Nerve Damage Caused by Chemotherapy, Study Finds

NYT: Science

By: Andrew Jacobs

3 September 2026 at 17:46

The preliminary research was conducted in mice, but scientists were optimistic the results would apply to humans. Clinical trials begin this month.

Normal view

Breach Traced to Adif's Systems

Weeks of Attempted Intrusions Preceded Renfe Cyberattack

Reports of AI Involvement and a Foreign Link

Wider Concerns Over AI and Hybrid Threats