Howard Phillips was looking for money when he offered his services to officers who were posing as agents, judge says

A man found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service after handing over personal details of the then defence secretary, Grant Shapps, to two undercover officers he believed to be Russian agents has been jailed for seven years.

Howard Phillips, 66, was convicted in July after jurors heard that he had been seeking “easy money” when he offered his services to the undercover officers, known as Dima and Sasha.

Airlines had already started cutting services ahead of today’s 6am ET directive to reduce traffic at 40 major airports

Andrew Roth in Washington and Flora Garamvolgyi in Budapest

Viktor Orbán will visit the White House today as Hungary’s far-right prime minister tries to broker another summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin that Orbán’s advisers claim could help end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, found dead at scene of incident on A48 in St Mellons in 2023

Six police officers will face disciplinary proceedings for misconduct in relation to a crash that claimed the lives of three people.

Eve Smith and Darcy Ross, both 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, were found dead at the scene of the incident on the A48 in the St Mellons area of Cardiff in March 2023 – almost 48 hours after they were all last seen.

A police sergeant has a case to answer for gross misconduct for their supervision of the missing persons inquiry.

A police constable has a case to answer for gross misconduct for allegedly failing to carrying out basic inquiries, including not recording and sharing information with their supervisor.

Two police constables have a case to answer for gross misconduct after allegedly failing to conduct house searches and then giving dishonest accounts to their supervisor and IOPC investigators.

A police constable has a case to answer for misconduct for allegedly not carrying out adequate house searches.

A police sergeant has a case to answer for misconduct relating to allegations of failing to review all available information at the time of conducting a risk assessment for the missing women.

Boris Pistorius warns that Russia continues to seek to ‘sow doubt, divide us and influence elections’ in Europe

The 35-year-old French man suspected of ramming his car into pedestrians and cyclists on Île d’Oléron earlier this week have been charged with attempted murder, French media reported.

The local prosecutor’s office has also asked for him to be detained ahead of the trial.

Accidental release of Brahim Kaddour-Cherif had added to pressure on justice secretary after similar incident involving Epping sex offender

Rachel Reeves has unnecessarily blocked her options of what to include in her budget, writes Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, the chief executive of the New Economics Foundation and author of Power to the People in this Guardian Opinion piece:

Ed Davey has called for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, to give evidence before the US Congress and UK parliament over his links to pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and his victims.

It’s right Andrew Mountbatten Windsor appears before US Congress over his links to Epstein and his victims. He should also give evidence to our parliament. The public deserve answers and full transparency about this scandal.

Spokesperson says ‘reflection is still ongoing’ over whether to postpone ‘targeted parts’ of legislation

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The European Commission is considering plans to delay parts of the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act, after intense pressure from businesses and Donald Trump’s administration.

The commission confirmed that “a reflection” was “still ongoing” on delaying aspects of the regulation, after media reports that Brussels was weighing up changes with the aim of easing demands on companies.

Treasury-backed provider raises returns by up to 0.31 percentage points but experts say better deals are available

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National Savings and Investments has bucked the trend in the savings market by increasing interest rates on fixed-term accounts.

The provider, which is backed by the Treasury and tasked with raising funds for government projects, has increased the returns it will pay savers by up to 0.31 percentage points, with the biggest rise available to those willing to lock in for five years.

Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who was accidentally released on 29 October, arrested in north London on Friday

A convicted sex offender who was released from prison by mistake a week ago is back in custody.

Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, from Algeria, was accidentally freed on 29 October from Wandsworth prison in south London. He was arrested in Finsbury Park on Friday, the Metropolitan police said.

Revelation comes as LNP accused of ‘intimidation’ after demanding sensitive medical details from parents of transgender children

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The Queensland government released private information about the mother of a transgender teenager – information she says potentially “outed” her child – to a stranger.

The revelation came as the state government was accused of “intimidation” and “an invasion of privacy” after demanding confidential medical information from parents of transgender children who are considering a further legal challenge to its controversial ban on puberty blockers.

Public spending can drive inflation, but from healthcare to education, Australians expect more and better public services – and Labor provided

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Inflation is back, rate cuts are off the menu, and the Coalition are claiming that Labor’s “spending spree” is to blame.

Liberal staffers even handed out stickers blazoned with “Jimflation” to the Canberra press gallery this week. Tagline: “Chalmers’ creation wrecking the nation”.

Sacrifices made to reach final – defying social stigma, lack of resources and juggling jobs between training – makes victory still more extraordinary

Growing up in rural India, Shafali Verma always knew she had a hunger to play cricket. But in her small town of Rohtak, in the north Indian state of Haryana, cricket was not a game for girls. Aged nine, desperate to play, she cut her hair short, entered a tournament disguised as her brother, and went on to win man of the match.

Verma’s determined father, Sanjeev, in the face of refusal from every cricket academy or training centre who would not accept his daughter, enrolled her as a boy. “Luckily, nobody noticed,” he recalled, as Verma made her debut for the national women’s team at 15 years old.

Dispute began with Dutch government takeover of Nexperia and China halting exports, threatening car production

The vital flow of chips from China to the car industry in Europe looks poised to resume as part of the deal struck last week between Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

The Netherlands has signalled that its standoff with Beijing is close to a resolution amid signs China’s ban on exports of the key car industry components is easing.

Investigation ongoing after package was sent to the home of the US president’s Air Force One

Seven people were briefly hospitalized after a suspicious package containing “a white powder” was sent to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, home to the US president’s Air Force One, on Thursday.

According to a spokesperson for the base, someone opened the package sometime in the afternoon, and it was cleared up by early in evening.

Travellers forced to adjust their plans as longest shutdown on record continues with no sign of a resolution

• US politics live – latest updates

A US government order to make drastic cuts in commercial air traffic amid the government shutdown has taken effect, with major airports across the country experiencing a significant reduction in schedules and leaving travellers scrambling to adjust their plans.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said the move is necessary to maintain air traffic control safety during a federal government shutdown, now the longest recorded and with no sign of a resolution, where air traffic controllers have gone without pay.

Glen Casada and his ex- chief of staff were accused of running scheme to win taxpayer-funded mail business from lawmakers

Donald Trump has pardoned the former Tennessee state House speaker and a onetime aide of public corruption charges after the White House said the Biden administration justice department “significantly over-prosecuted” both for a minor issue.

Glen Casada, a former Republican state representative, was sentenced in September to three years in prison, and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren, was also convicted and received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence. The case centered on their actions after both had been driven from their leadership roles and were accused of running a scheme to win taxpayer-funded mail business from lawmakers.

Self-styled ‘ultra-Maga’ Republican representative has recently ramped up attacks on Democrat Kathy Hochul

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Elise Stefanik, a Republican New York representative and staunch supporter of Donald Trump, has officially launched her long-anticipated campaign for governor.

Reports indicate that Stefanik has already been working behind the scenes to secure endorsements from key Republican figures and local officials.

Severe conditions caused by deep area of low pressure to north-west of Spain in the Atlantic Ocean

Severe thunderstorms developed across the Iberian peninsula on Wednesday, with Aemet, the Spanish meteorological service, issuing an orange weather warning across much of the country.

These thunderstorms were triggered by a cold front passing eastward across Iberia, due to a deep area of low pressure situated just to the north-west of Spain in the Atlantic Ocean, which at its lowest had a central pressure of 989hPa.

Experts say hi-tech Fujian will help expand country’s military influence and reach farther beyond its own waters

China’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier officially entered service this week, signalling a new era in Chinese military expansion after a ceremony overseen by the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, state media has confirmed.

The Fujian is China’s first domestically designed and built aircraft carrier, and the third for China’s rapidly expanding navy, which is already the world’s biggest by ship count.

Dozens of US state and local leaders will be at talks in Brazil with president’s team expected to send no representatives

The Trump administration appears to be sitting out this month’s United Nations climate talks known as Cop30, telling the Guardian it will not deploy any high-level representatives to the negotiations.

But dozens of US subnational leaders attend to promote their climate efforts.

Military experts say facility on Christmas Island would be valuable asset to monitor Chinese submarine and naval activity

Google plans to build a large AI datacentre on Australia’s remote Indian Ocean outpost of Christmas Island after signing a cloud deal with the Department of Defence earlier this year, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and interviews with officials.

Plans for the datacentre on the tiny island located 350km south of Indonesia have not previously been reported, and many details, including its projected size, cost and potential uses, remain secret.

Hungarian PM also seeking exemption on US sanctions on Russian oil as he faces domestic challenge before elections

Viktor Orbán will visit the White House on Friday as Hungary’s far-right prime minister tries to broker another summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin that Orbán’s advisers claim could help end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Orbán, who has proposed hosting the summit in Budapest, will also seek an exemption from US sanctions against Russian energy in what will be a major test of Trump’s tougher line on the Kremlin after he accused Putin of slow-rolling negotiations to end the conflict.

About 150 people evacuated from Melbourne airport lounge after device overheats and ignites, burning the man’s leg and fingers

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Qantas says it has reopened its business class lounge at Melbourne airport after it was evacuated due to a passenger being set on fire by an exploding power bank in his pocket.

The man was in the lounge in the airport’s international terminal on Thursday morning when the overheated power bank ignited, burning his leg and fingers and creating smoke in the room.

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• Liberal MPs insist Sussan Ley’s position safe for now despite senator claiming leader is ‘losing support’

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Henderson tells Sky that the Coalition ‘can turn things around’

Henderson adds that while she thinks Ley is losing support, things could change again in her favour. She told Sky News earlier:

Things are not travelling well. I do have to say, really honestly, I do think Sussan is losing support, but I do believe in miracles.

We can turn things around.

Well I can’t back in the way things are, Pete, and I’ve got to be authentic and I’ve got to be honest about that.

Exclusive: British government adopted ‘least ambitious’ option months before RSF’s massacres in El Fasher

Britain rejected atrocity prevention plans for Sudan despite intelligence warnings that the city of El Fasher would fall amid a wave of ethnic cleansing and possible genocide, according to a report seen by the Guardian.

Government officials turned down the plans six months into the 18-month siege of El Fasher in favour of the “least ambitious” option of four presented.

US strikes have destroyed at least 18 vessels, but Washington has yet to make public any concrete evidence that its targets posed a threat to America

US forces struck another alleged drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean, killing three people, defense secretary Pete Hegseth has said, bringing the death toll from the Trump administration’s controversial campaign to at least 70.

The US began carrying out such strikes – which some experts say amount to extrajudicial killings even if they target known traffickers – in early September, taking aim at vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

James Marape skipped the meeting last year in protest but will attend Cop30 due to ‘encouraging signs’ on climate finance

Papua New Guinea’s prime minister, James Marape, has criticised Cop climate summits as “long on talk and short on action” but will attend the upcoming meeting of world leaders in Brazil, after pulling out last year in frustration with big emitters.

The leader of the Pacific nation of about 10 million people skipped the meeting in 2024 in “protest at the big nations” for failing to support to the victims of climate change. Marape will take part in the annual UN climate summit, which officially beings in Belém, Brazil on 10 November, due to “encouraging signs” emerging from developed nations on climate finance.

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• Trump news at a glance: administration reduces US flights as shutdown stretches on

• US judge orders Trump administration to fully fund Snap benefits in November

It’s now day 37 of the ongoing government shutdown, the longest on record, with both parties continuing to blame the other for the lapse in funding.

For his part, Donald Trump has turned his attention to the filibuster – the procedural mechanism that requires 60 votes in the Senate to end debate on a piece of legislation and bring it to the floor for a vote. He’s hammered home his wishes on Truth Social, and in front of lawmakers at a White House breakfast on Tuesday.

Resolution fails 49-51 with only two Republican senators voting in favor as president increases military buildup

The US Senate on Thursday blocked a Democratic war powers resolution that would have forced Donald Trump to seek congressional approval to launch strikes in Venezuela, allowing the president to remain unchecked in his ability to expand his military campaign against the country.

The 49-51 vote against passing the resolution, mostly along party lines, came a month after a previous effort to stop strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats in international waters similarly failed, 48-51.

Country’s top court declines to block controversial cull of hundreds of birds amid fears of an avian flu outbreak

Canada’s food inspection agency says it plans to begin a “complete depopulation” of hundreds of ostriches at a farm after the country’s top court declined to block the controversial cull.

On Thursday, the supreme court said it would not take up a case that has catalyzed a fierce protest by the farm owners and protesters – as well as senior figures in the Trump administration, who have decried the public health effort as government overreach.

Three towns attacked despite truce with Hezbollah in what Israeli military says was effort to prevent group rearming

The Israeli military has carried out a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon in what it described as an attempt to prevent Hezbollah rearming.

Israeli warplanes struck the towns of Kfar Dounine, Tayr Debba and Zawtar al-Sharqiya on Thursday, about an hour after issuing evacuation warnings to residents. No deaths had been reported at the time of publishing.

Exclusive: Woman who accused Karim Khan of misconduct was subject of covert operation involving two British private intelligence firms

The woman who alleges she was sexually abused by the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court has been targeted by private intelligence firms as part of a covert operation said to have taken place on behalf of Qatar.

The Guardian can reveal details of the intrusive operation, which has obtained sensitive information about the woman, who works at the ICC, and her family members.

International mediators broker three-month halt to civil war as further evidence emerges of mass civilian killings

A Sudanese paramilitary group accused of killing thousands of unarmed civilians in an ethnically motivated massacre has agreed to a truce.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is facing mounting criticism over apparent war crimes committed by its fighters in the city of El Fasher last month, said it had agreed to a “humanitarian ceasefire” put forward by the quad countries of the US, Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

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EU’s digital spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the European Commission “takes note of the decision taken in France” regarding the Chinese online retailer Shein (10:42), noting that the EU had already expressed similar concerns before.

“We are in touch with Shein, but we will also be in touch today with the French authorities.

I can confirm now, as we speak, that in the next two hours, [executive vice-president] Virkkunen will meet with the digital minister of France Anne le Henanff.

Men aged 20 to 39 ‘lured to join mercenary force’ in Donbas region have requested assistance to return home

South Africa is launching an investigation into how 17 of its citizens ended up in the war-torn region of Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

The office of the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said it had received distress calls from 17 men, aged between 20 and 39, who had been “lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts” and were now requesting assistance to return home.

Namewee detained after Hsieh Yu-hsin found dead in a Kuala Lumpur hotel room on 22 October

A well-known Malaysian rapper and film-maker, Namewee, has been arrested in relation to the alleged murder of a Taiwanese woman in Kuala Lumpur.

Hsieh Yu-hsin, 31, a former nurse turned internet celebrity who posted under the name Nurse Goddess, was found dead in a hotel room on 22 October. Police this week reclassified her death as murder, after unspecified new evidence emerged.

South Sudanese people with temporary protected status now have 60 days to leave

The US is ending temporary deportation protection for South Sudanese nationals, which for more than a decade allowed people from the east African country to stay in the US after escaping conflict.

In a notice published on Wednesday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said conditions in South Sudan no longer met the statutory requirements for temporary protected status. The agency said South Sudanese nationals with status through the programme had 60 days to leave the US or face deportation.

Ugandans react with joy after Kampala-born Mamdani’s victory during a trying time for democracy in east Africa

Ugandans reacted with joy and hope to the news that Kampala-born Zohran Mamdani had been elected mayor of New York City, amid a stormy democratic and rights environment in east Africa.

Mamdani, who was born in Uganda 34 years ago to a family of Indian origin, on Tuesday defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa to become the city’s first Muslim mayor and the first of south Asian heritage.

Reliance on overseas students’ tuition fees under scrutiny as scholars describe chilling effect of being targeted

UK academics whose research is critical of China say they have been targeted and their universities subjected to “extremely heavy” pressure from Beijing, prompting calls for a fresh look at the sector’s dependence on tuition fee income from Chinese students.

The academics spoke out after the Guardian revealed this week that Sheffield Hallam University had complied with a demand from Beijing to halt research about human rights abuses in China, which had led to a big project being dropped.

Cheney, who served under presidents from Nixon to George W Bush, will be remembered for controversial role after 9/11

• Dick Cheney created the ground for Trump’s excesses, despite their differences

Dick Cheney, the divisive US vice-president under George W Bush who helped lead the country into a disastrous invasion of Iraq, died on Monday, his family has said. He was 84.

Cheney at various times held the roles of member of Congress, White House chief of staff and secretary of defense, but it was as one of the country’s most powerful vice-presidents that he had the biggest impact, wielding great influence over the less experienced Bush.

Nasser Abu Srour says prisons became like ‘another front’ in Gaza conflict and tells of struggle to adjust to life outside

A celebrated Palestinian author who was freed last month after more than 32 years in Israeli prisons has said the use of torture increased dramatically during his last two years of captivity as Israel came to treat its jails as another front in the Gaza war.

Nasser Abu Srour, whose prison memoir has been translated into seven languages and is tipped to win a major international literary prize this month, was among more than 150 Palestinians serving life sentences who were freed as part of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and then immediately exiled to Egypt, where most remain in limbo.

Resolution may be delayed without agreement over the force’s mandate and a timetable for Israeli withdrawal

A UN security council resolution mandating the introduction of an international stabilisation force into Gaza is likely to be ready within two weeks, but may be delayed if disputes cannot be resolved over the force’s mandate, including the question of US military leadership, its relationship with the Palestinian civil police force and a timetable for Israeli military withdrawal.

At a meeting in Istanbul of Muslim countries considering offering troops on Monday, the Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said: “The countries will shape their decisions based on the mission and authority of the International Stabilization Force. I believe that if the mission conflicts with the principles and policies of the countries that will send troops, it will be difficult for these countries to send troops.”

Bad weather hampering rescue efforts after avalanche that swept through Mount Yalung Ri base camp on Monday

An avalanche has swept through a camp on Mount Yalung Ri in Nepal, killing five foreign climbers and two Nepali guides, officials said.

Shailendra Thapa, an armed police force spokesperson, said five other people had been hurt at the base camp, located at 4,900 metres (16,070ft).

Northern provinces of Balkh and Samangan worst hit by magnitude 6.3 quake, which also damaged Mazar-i-Sharif’s Blue Mosque

A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook northern Afghanistan before dawn on Monday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 640 others, 25 critically, a disaster management official said. Health officials said the numbers could rise.

The US Geological Survey said the quake’s epicentre was located 22km (14 miles) south-west of the town of Khulm, and that it struck at 12.59am at a depth of 28km (17 miles).

• Two players were walking to a cafe from their Indore hotel

• A man has been arrested after being identified on CCTV

A man has been arrested for approaching two of Australia’s women cricketers and allegedly touching them inappropriately in Indore, Indian police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on Thursday in Indore, a day off for the team after their six-wicket victory over England.

Bharatiya Janata party launches first test flight as brown haze blankets city after Diwali – but experts decry ‘gimmick’

The Delhi regional government is trialling a cloud-seeding experiment to induce artificial rain, in an effort to clean the air in the world’s most polluted city.

The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has been proposing the use of cloud seeding as a way to bring Delhi’s air pollution under control since it was elected to lead the regional government this year.