Japan Launches Mission to Bring Back Rock From Mars Moon Phobos

Motorists will get 10 minutes to leave a private car park without a penalty, plus 5 minutes to decide whether to park. Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a new code for private car parks across England, Scotland and Wales on Monday, laid before Parliament. Firms that break the code risk losing access to DVLA data, which they use to chase owners.

Unverified social media posts claim North Korean leader Kim Jong-un suffered a brain haemorrhage and was treated in Beijing, with some even alleging he has died. The claims began with a Chinese dissident who offered no evidence. North Korea, China and South Korea have not commented. Kim was last seen publicly on 10 and 11 October, and Seoul's spy agency recently reported no health problems.

Prosecutors say former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, accused of planting a hidden recording device at the company, had considerable support from Saudi Arabia. A court filing claims a Saudi royal contacted him frequently and that a Saudi military official paid for his wife and son to fly out after his arrest. The US government wants him held in custody, arguing he is a flight risk.

Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh appears to have criticised home secretary Shabana Mahmood's plan to make migrants wait longer for settlement. A write-up on her constituency website quoted her warning that longer waits could slow community cohesion. The post has been removed, with her office saying it paraphrased her badly. The government wants to double the standard wait for indefinite leave to remain to ten years.

Sam Fender has teased a huge 2027 stadium tour with a Lord of the Rings-style video titled The Beacons Are Lit. The clip shows flames shooting from St James' Park, the Etihad, Cardiff's Principality Stadium, Murrayfield, Malahide Castle and Wembley. No dates or ticket details have been released. The Newcastle singer's hit Rein Me In with Olivia Dean recently became Britain's longest-running number one single.

More than 160 offshore workers at oil firm Apache are set to strike for 24 hours from 6am on Wednesday in a pay row. Unite says the walkout across seven Forties and Beryl platforms could halt the Forties pipeline, which carries about 29% of UK oil, and severely disrupt fuel supplies. Apache says its 4% offer is fair and contingency plans should keep oil flowing.

Ofcom is investigating a complaint from former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards about Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards, a Channel 5 drama starring Martin Clunes. Edwards says it gave a wholly misleading and unfair account. The drama, shown in March, was the channel's highest-rated show this year. Edwards, 65, admitted accessing indecent images of children in 2024. Channel 5 says it stands by the programme.

Northern Ireland's First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, will be interviewed by police this week over her part in the Garvaghy Road protest in Portadown. Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald will also be questioned. Protesters blocked an Orange Order parade there last month, which was later banned. O'Neill said she was proud to stand with residents. Unionists accuse her of breaking her ministerial pledge of office.

Secretly recorded footage reveals Dan Jukes saying Nigel Farage deviated from the press office script by admitting a five million pound gift was a thank you for Brexit. The Reform UK leader received the money from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, which he previously claimed was solely for security costs. Parliamentary rules require MPs to declare donations, and watchdogs are currently investigating whether the funds should have been registered.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN's London-born chief international anchor, says she will leave the network after 43 years. Her show Amanpour will end in May, and she departs at the end of June, while her PBS programme, Amanpour and Company, ends this year. She joined CNN in 1983 as a junior desk assistant. CNN's chief executive, Mark Thompson, thanked her for decades of remarkable journalism and loyalty.

An independent inquiry has found significant cultural and governance problems at Neso, the body that runs Britain's electricity grid. Control room staff had accused bosses of hiding the true risk of blackouts during June's heatwave. Investigators found no proof of meddling in operational decisions, but said engineers faced high stress over keeping the grid balanced. Ofgem's boss, Tim Jarvis, called the findings important and concerning.

Undercover footage shared with the Guardian shows a close aide to Nigel Farage saying the Reform UK leader's description of a £5m gift as a reward for Brexit was not the agreed press line. Farage has said the money from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne was solely for his security. A parliamentary standards watchdog is investigating whether the gift should have been declared under Commons rules.

Accounting giant PwC pulled in over $60bn globally for the year ending in June, driven by strong growth across most regions. However, business in Europe and the Middle East slowed down due to regional conflict and a temporary consulting ban in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific led the network with the highest regional growth rate at 7.7 per cent.

Zak Brown, the racing team's boss, explained that keeping the vehicles locked away in storage does a disservice to their legacy. Tom Hartley Jnr, an auctioneer who previously managed Bernie Ecclestone's massive vehicle collection, will handle the private ownership sales process. The lineup features a 2023 model driven by Lando Norris alongside iconic 1991 editions raced by Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger.

The Conservative leader will meet with founders, investors, and chief executives at the Wall Street bank on 5 November. The gathering follows the Autumn Budget delivered by Chancellor John Healey, where bank tax hikes are widely anticipated. The Tories have recently ramped up their outreach to the financial sector with various deregulation proposals.

As many as 300 educational institutions in Northern Ireland received the message, and Police Scotland reported over 300 calls after similar emails were sent to schools. Police in both nations say the email came from outside the UK and carries only a generalised threat. Some Northern Irish schools closed on Monday, but most stayed open.

European football's governing body Uefa has told Fifa to hand over documents about its governance and decision-making by 2 November. In a letter seen by BBC Sport, Uefa general secretary Theodore Theodoridis said Fifa had failed to answer several fundamental questions. President Gianni Infantino apologised last week for his World Cup sell-off plan but released no papers. Uefa's concerns also include the Fifa Peace Prize.

Food delivery app Just Eat has paused a trial of AI-generated menu images and apologised after the tool produced bizarre pictures. One Northern Ireland cafe's sausage and bacon soda bread was shown as meat and eggs floating in pints of cola, while salt and pepper chips appeared as plain potato snacks. The company said it is removing inaccurate images while it further develops the tool.

Southport killer Axel Rudakubana will face trial next year accused of throwing boiling water mixed with sugar at a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh. Appearing by videolink at the Old Bailey on Monday, he spoke only to confirm his name. He also faces two further assault charges and a weapon charge over sharpened stone shards. A provisional trial date is set for 8 October 2027.

England and Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White must pay more than £1,000 after his Range Rover was filmed going through a red light in West Bridgford in January. He was convicted of failing to name the driver after he ignored two police letters. Magistrates fined him £660, added six penalty points and ordered costs and a surcharge. He received a six-month driving ban last year.

At least 53 people were killed and more than 200 injured when Houthi rebels fired three ballistic missiles at a training camp for Yemeni government forces in Shabwa province. Most victims were young recruits lined up in formation. It is the deadliest single attack since Yemen's civil war flared again in September. The UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, is due in London on Tuesday.

Reality star Kylie Jenner made her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut on Sunday wearing the brand's Fantasy Bra, said to be worth $50m (£37m) and made from 18-carat gold and 4,410 diamonds. Some fans cheered the choice, but many argued the honour should have gone to a seasoned supermodel. Victoria's Secret's creative chief described Jenner as a cultural powerhouse whose appeal reaches far beyond fashion.

Mohammed Yaseen, an Iraqi man jailed in Germany for Islamic State membership, has been returned to prison after reports that he was living at a bail hostel near Windsor Castle. He had served six months of a two-year UK sentence for arriving illegally by small boat. A Ministry of Justice source said he breached a good-behaviour condition. His fresh asylum claim has paused deportation efforts.

A drone strike near a market in al-Dibab, in Sudan's West Kordofan state, killed 80 people on Sunday evening, mostly commuters catching rides home. A witness said the drone struck a transport hub twice, ten minutes apart. The RSF-run administration blamed the army, which has not commented. It is one of the deadliest attacks since Sudan's war between the army and RSF began in 2023.

Austrian Airlines flight 82 was over Romania with 51 passengers and six crew when the alert came, and it diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria's capital. On Sunday night, Bulgaria's air force dispatched a MiG-29 fighter jet to accompany the Airbus A320 as it descended, and passengers were subsequently evacuated. Officials searched the plane and found no threat, so it carried on to Vienna with everyone aboard.

Accountancy, law and consultancy firms have promised 22,400 apprenticeships annually over the next five years for under-25s. These firms will also offer 20% more work experience for young people. Construction firms will provide 40,000 placements a year, part of an earlier goal of 100,000 job opportunities annually in that industry.

Central Milan was cleared by police on Saturday using water cannon and teargas, with approximately 50 individuals detained, many of whom were minors. A peaceful march against rising living costs turned violent when masked protesters hurled stones and paving blocks at riot police. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said protesting is a right but "setting our cities ablaze is not".

Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Aberfan Monday, laying a wreath with survivor Jeff Edwards and Welsh Secretary Stephen Kinnock days before the 60th anniversary. On 21 October 1966 a colliery spoil tip killed 116 children and 28 adults. Burnham said the community was not properly treated by authorities and stressed coal-tip safety, citing £140m for Wales. King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William visit Wednesday.

Left-wing news site The Canary said it is closing indefinitely after 11 years, blaming bank blocks and disputes with ex-staff for making operations unsustainable. Founded in 2015 in the Corbyn era, it reported Lloyds and Metro Bank freezing funds and late pay. Journalists told the Guardian £2m of fresh investment was mismanaged. Managers say permanent staff are paid and promise a fuller account this week.

More than half a million people joined protests over the weekend about living costs and public services, with over 2,400 arrests. Macron stayed on his three-day Gulf tour, stopping in Kuwait and the UAE on Monday to talk energy supplies. Prime minister Sebastien Lecornu urged local authorities to bring in "partial curfews" and blamed the "ultra-left".

Manganese in the supply hit 25 times the recommended limit in September last year, and sulphate and nickel have since topped safe levels. Scientists link it to thawing permafrost exposing pyrite-rich rock, which turns acidic and washes metals into Isdammen, the lake supplying the town. Mayor Terje Aunevik says a whole new water supply may be needed, and he calls the options “extremely expensive”.

Nearly 1,500 casinos hold Anjouan Gaming Authority licences, many offering crypto gambling, but the Comoros central bank calls the scheme "illegal activities". The Guardian traced a link to the Sherm Group, a London property firm run by 57-year-old Elliot Sorsky. The Comoros government is preparing court action at home, and the sources say the island also wants Britain's help.

The Office for National Statistics, the official data body, reported that 16 to 24-year-olds not engaged in education, employment, or training numbered close to a million. Prime Minister Andy Burnham wrote in the Times that the state should back young people's ambitions rather than pay for failure through benefits. Ministers are expected this week to announce 22,400 apprenticeships a year and 40,000 construction placements.

Londoners can pick a pumpkin without leaving the city, as the Parsons Green patch runs 10am to 7pm daily until 1 November. The patch this year adds a play zone with pumpkin bowling and giant Connect Four, plus a Trick-or-Treat Lane. If you'd rather head out of town, Stanhill Farm in Kent charges £7.50 per car or group of up to eight.

The 34-year-old singer told fans on Instagram on Sunday that she vaped nicotine "a lot" and doesn't expect her voice to change back. She also said she has recently stopped, finds it "really hard", and hopes she can keep going. Gomez has lupus, an autoimmune condition, and last December blamed her voice partly on her throat swelling at times.

The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning for Friday covering south-west England, south-west Wales and the south coast, as the UK could see its first named storm of the autumn. Gusts of 50 to 60mph are expected, reaching 70mph in exposed spots, with possible travel disruption, building damage and power cuts. Heavy rain is also forecast across much of the UK this week.

Sarina Wiegman has signed a two-year contract extension as England women's manager, keeping her in charge of the Lionesses until the end of Euro 2029. Her previous deal was due to end after next summer's World Cup in Brazil. England must first beat Ukraine in a two-legged play-off to qualify. Wiegman has already led the team to two European titles and a World Cup final.

Amanda Bland has quit Reform UK to sit as an independent member of the Scottish Parliament, leaving the party as the third-largest group at Holyrood. Bland, a list MSP for Central Scotland and Lothians West, has not yet publicly explained her decision. A Reform source said she was difficult to work with, and the party has now called on her to resign her regional seat.

Anthony Williams, accused of a mass stabbing on a Doncaster to London train near Huntingdon last November, has pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wounding with intent. The 33-year-old also admitted other offences, including affray and possessing knives. He denies 14 counts of attempted murder linked to the train and incidents in London and Peterborough, and a six-week trial is due to start next Monday.

Bereaved families waiting for civil service pension payouts could face an unjust tax bill, the chair of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has warned the government. Lump sums must be paid within two years of a death to stay tax-free, but the scheme run by Capita still has a large backlog. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has asked ministers to promise affected families will not lose out financially.

Downing Street has said US defence secretary Pete Hegseth was wrong to suggest most non-American Nato troops in Afghanistan did very little fighting. In a speech at the University of Tennessee, Hegseth claimed only one or two countries were involved in combat by the end. The prime minister's spokesperson said more than 450 British personnel never returned and it was wrong to diminish their role.

Two pallets of Zotac GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards worth about $470,000 have gone missing at São Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport. Brazilian distributor Grupo Oderço says the shipment, worth R$2.5m at cost, arrived but then vanished, and it has had no conclusive explanation. Airport operator GRU Airport said it reported the loss to authorities and is awaiting the importer's documents before processing any compensation claim.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has asked prefects to impose partial, localised curfews in some urban areas from Monday night to protect shops after weekend riots. He said a state of emergency remains possible but curfews suit the situation better. At least 3,000 businesses were damaged or looted, and Lecornu said full state-funded furlough for their staff begins on Tuesday, alongside a dedicated support fund.

Protests led largely by young people are spreading across Europe over failing schools, housing and the cost of living. French pupils have clashed with police over teacher shortages, while Spanish and Portuguese activists demand lower rents. Italy's Milan saw two days of looting, with more than 200 detained. Albanians are protesting over corruption and poor education, and Belgium held its first cost-of-living marches on Saturday.

Transport for London is considering closing Angel Tube station in Islington for up to a year to replace its three escalators, the longest on the Underground. The 200ft escalators are almost 35 years old, and one has been out of service since April. TfL may first make the Northern line station exit-only at off-peak times from November, stopping passengers boarding in evenings and at weekends.

Eight other people survived and went to hospital after the crash 3.5 nautical miles south of Agrilia, on the island of Lesvos. The boat came from Turkey, and Greece's coastguard says it swerved suddenly during a chase, hitting the patrol vessel. A 37-year-old Turkish man, one of the survivors, was detained on suspicion of being the smuggler.

Bird flu wiped out the Pagham Harbour colony in 2022, but conservation work has helped seabirds recover along England’s south coast. RSPB staff and volunteers protected nesting sites across 52,000 hectares of coastline and estuary, using fencing, patrols and new islands to keep predators away. Black-headed gulls also produced 504 fledglings in 2026, up from 51 last year.

Barclays shares fell 2.7% after the Financial Times said the Bank of England was examining how traders described risky private credit loans. Brent crude remained above $107 a barrel, keeping inflation worries high. Industrial metal miners and aerospace and defence stocks each lost about 2%, while investors awaited UK inflation and retail sales figures.

France’s political instability and rising natural gas costs weakened the euro, while stronger UK economic figures supported sterling. On Monday, the pound climbed to 83.95 pence per euro, its strongest level since May 2025, before settling at 84.11 pence. Investors are watching Britain’s 28 October budget, as doubts over government finances could weaken confidence in sterling.

Several schools across Northern Ireland were evacuated on Monday after more than 100 received an anonymous email claiming an explosive device had been planted inside their buildings. The PSNI said it was carrying out urgent enquiries. Parents at some primary schools were told to collect their children, while other schools stayed open after being advised the email was spam, and local politicians condemned the threat.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage warned that Britain faces the same disorder as France unless it changes course. In a post on X on Sunday evening, he wrote that "the carnage in France is our future" if the country does not wake up, calling for a return to "law, order, and borders". The post followed a weekend of riots, looting and arson across French cities.

Israeli police have arrested 10 suspects after masked settlers attacked a Washington Post photojournalist and French, Belgian and Polish diplomats in the occupied West Bank over the weekend. Photographer Heidi Levine needed surgery on her finger after being beaten while covering an olive harvest. The US demanded a crackdown, and its ambassador welcomed the arrests, although prosecutions of Israeli settlers for such attacks remain rare.

Young people aged 16 to 24 make up 30% of those who started claiming Personal Independence Payment for anxiety disorders in the past two years, a Press Association analysis of government figures shows. More than half of these recent claimants in England and Wales are under 35. A psychiatrist warned the data may miss wider conditions, while ministers say a review will reshape the benefit.

Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has gone on trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of harassing two MailOnline journalists. He faces two counts of harassment causing fear of violence over posts on X, direct messages and a phone call in August 2024. He denies both charges. The trial is expected to last five days, and he remains presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

Independent Australian MP Helen Haines is in hospital with critical injuries after being hit by a 4x4 outside her electorate office in Wangaratta, Victoria. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it appeared to be a deliberate act. A 43-year-old local man was detained by a passer-by and police found a knife in the vehicle. Counter-terrorism officers are helping to investigate, but no motive is yet known.

Chancellor John Healey is considering taxing family firms passed from parents to children as income rather than capital gains, according to the Telegraph. The change could raise the effective rate on such transfers from about 24% to as much as 45%, adding hundreds of thousands of pounds to bills on larger businesses. No decision has been announced ahead of his first Budget on 28 October.

More than half of UK first-time buyers now pay more each month on their mortgage than they did in rent, according to estate agent Hamptons. The 56% figure for September is the highest in at least a decade, driven by mortgage rates climbing since the Iran war began. Buyers in their 40s saw the sharpest jump, while newly agreed rents rose 2.7% over the year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that within two years a US president 'very hostile to Israel' could take office. Presenting his security doctrine nine days before Israel's 27 October election, he urged using Donald Trump's remaining term to strengthen Israel and build new alliances with India and Latin America. He announced plans for 450 billion shekels in extra defence spending over a decade.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau has vowed to track down everyone behind the violence and looting that has hit the French capital since Saturday. Speaking to TF1 on Monday, she said prosecutors would stay mobilised as long as needed, with preliminary investigations into the most serious crimes. She urged looted shopkeepers to send evidence to the courts and said she could not confirm detainees were ultra-left.