World
The prime minister has previously emphasised military preparedness as central to his government's ambitions.
The prime minister has previously emphasised military preparedness as central to his government's ambitions.
CONTINUE READING
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tells Al Jazeera Tehran doesn't rule out attack, is ‘prepared for all scenarios’.
<p>Legal experts welcome judge’s rejection of firing of James Comey’s daughter prosecutor but warn an appeal is likely</p><p>A recent legal ruling against an effort to fire the star-prosecutor daughter of a former FBI chief targeted by Donald Trump could send a strong message about politicized firings – and influence other judges weighing similar cases, legal veterans said.</p><p>Judge Jesse Furman ruled this week that the Department of Justice’s firing of assistant US attorney Maurene Comey without cause was unlawful. Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, successfully litigated numerous high-profile cases during her tenure at the southern district of New York, including guilty verdicts against Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean “Diddy” Combs.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/31/maurene-comey-firing-ruling-legal-implications">Continue reading...</a>
<p>But select Democrats, too, are being accused of having ties to the late sex offender as country prepares to vote</p><p>In races across the country, Democratic candidates or groups that support them have released ads accusing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/republicans">Republicans</a> of protecting pedophiles by voting against legislation to release files related to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/jeffrey-epstein">Jeffrey Epstein</a>.</p><p>The ads appear intended to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/22/trump-epstein-tucker-carlson-turning-point-usa">evoke an emotional response </a>by accusing candidates of “protecting” Epstein, a notorious pedophile accused of running a sex-trafficking ring involving minors.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/31/political-ads-midterms-epstein-republican-candidate">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Tucked away in John Healey’s budget is decision to ringfence preventative projects where future savings outweigh initial cost</p><p>It merited the briefest of mentions in John Healey’s speech and just one paragraph in the 166-page <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ae20b85460c1346f7be784e/E03668986_HMT_Budget_2026_ELAY__2_.pdf">budget document</a>, but some believe it could revolutionise not just public spending but the very process of government itself: a new focus on long-term outcomes.</p><p>The idea in the broad sense is very simple. Any spending deemed to be “preventative” – that is, the initial outlay will be more than made up for by future savings – will from now on be ringfenced, meaning it cannot be raided for more immediate needs.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/31/spending-plan-long-term-focus-uk-government">Continue reading...</a>