Drumcree talks break up without agreement on fifth day of standoff

• Iran prepared for an escalation of tensions on October 1, 2026, contributing to a rise in global energy prices. • Brent crude oil prices topped $102 per barrel as geopolitical risks increased.

• Government and business leaders met at the Council on Foreign Relations during the UN General Assembly to discuss global security and financial reform. • Former Ghanaian President John Mahama highlighted the Accra Reset initiative to expand vaccine and medicine production across Africa.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly pressed for an end to the conflict in Ukraine. • Modi told reporters that both President Putin and President Zelenskyy have spoken with him to share their perspectives on the war.

• Renewed fighting has broken out in northern Ethiopia, raising fears that the domestic conflict could expand into a regional confrontation. • The instability threatens to involve neighboring Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt in a broader crisis.

Kathy Hochul said she no longer has faith in the local district attorney’s ability to handle the case, which has restarted a national conversation about sexual assault on college campusesSign up for the Breaking News US emailThe governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, has named New York attorney general Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate an alleged gang-rape at Cornell University in 2024, saying she had lost faith in the local district attorney’s ability to handle the case.Both Hochul and James are due to speak today to provide an update on the investigation following the attorney general’s appointment. Continue reading...

Motorists and small businesses struggle with costs as Iran war drives up cost of oil worldwide‘Half my day’s pay goes to filling up my car’Business live – latest updatesBritish motorists face more pressure at the pumps after the average price of diesel climbed to a record £2 a litre.The price at UK forecourts has risen sharply since late February, when the US-Israel war on Iran began disrupting supplies of crude and refined oil products from the Gulf, leading to cost increases across the economy. Continue reading...

Attack accessing historical data on bushfires occurred in June but not disclosed by the tech company until ThursdayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastArtificial intelligence company OpenAI has disclosed another unauthorised hack on a government department in Australia.In June, an OpenAI agent hacked into a New South Wales state government department and accessed historical non-public data on bushfires without authorisation. Continue reading...

Platform ‘for the curious’ says users outside the UK account for nearly 90% of its revenuesBusiness live – latest updatesFeeld, a UK-based dating app aimed at non-monogamous, queer and kinky users, has reported strong sales growth and paid its founders their largest-ever dividend as it attracts users from more “vanilla” rivals.Revenues jumped by 24% to £64m following a surge in interest from what it called “open-minded people exploring love, desire, and alternative relationships in a safe, inclusive space”. Continue reading...

In effort to avoid panic at pumps, Keir Mather insists supply of fuel to Britain is ‘inherently resilient’Business live – latest updatesThe government has moved to avert panic at the pumps, insisting that the UK is not facing a diesel shortage after Donald Trump threatened to cut off US supplies of the fuel.The transport minister Keir Mather said on Friday that the UK has a wide range of sources of the fuel and is in talks with other European countries over the potential release of emergency diesel stockpiles. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Martha Dalton worked closely with Burnham’s team on byelection that secured his return to parliamentA recent lobbyist for the controversial $450bn US tech company Palantir played a senior role in helping Andy Burnham become prime minister, it has emerged.Martha Dalton, whose company Lodestone worked for Palantir in 2024 and 2025, campaigned for Burnham in the Makerfield byelection that secured his return to parliament. She worked closely with his team on strategic communications and rebuttals, and was among supporters who clapped him into Downing Street in July. Continue reading...

Artwork created in Tahrir Square for Chinese president’s state visit to Egypt is painted over amid allegations it revived Afrocentric claims about Pharaohs’ originsOn the eve of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s state visit to Cairo last month, the city authorities were busy removing a 66-metre-long mural from the esteemed guest’s line of sight.Depicting the Pharaoh Tutankhamun and Queen Nefertiti, the painting was among 40 murals commissioned to beautify the city for Xi’s arrival and was painted by volunteer youth group Rasmet Basma, in Tahrir Square. Continue reading...