The UK government has introduced a statutory code for private parking operators after cases such as Rosey Greenwood’s, who faced a £1,906 demand despite having paid to park. Many protections in the proposed code already appear in the parking sector’s voluntary code, and the new rules are still subject to parliamentary scrutiny.
Key Facts
Greenwood was told to pay £1,906 after paying more than five minutes after entering a Derby car park, despite having paid for parking and having bank records to show it.
The parking sector later banned the five-minute payment rule in its own code of practice.
The government’s statutory code was laid before Parliament and is subject to a 40-day period for MPs and peers to object.
The proposed code gives drivers at least five minutes to decide whether to park and a 10-minute grace period to leave after their permitted stay; the sector’s code already provides both.
The proposed code sets a maximum parking charge of £100, reduced to £60 if paid within two weeks, matching the sector’s existing code.
Under four specified circumstances, charges should be reduced to £20 on appeal; the sector’s code already includes those reductions.
Operators may still add a £70 debt recovery fee, as well as court fees and legal costs, if drivers do not pay.
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Wastewater estimates indicate that cocaine consumption in England rose 26% from 2021 to 2025, reaching an estimated 123,000kg in 2024-25. Survey data suggests the number of users has not grown in step, while treatment figures point to more people seeking help and a shift toward older age groups.
Key Facts
Home Office scientists estimated that people in England consumed 123,000kg of cocaine in 2024-25, with an estimated street value of £9.8bn.
Wastewater samples indicated a 26% rise in cocaine consumption between 2021 and 2025.
Crime survey data shows reported past-year use has remained flat or fallen slightly since the pandemic, though surveys may miss some users.
The National Crime Agency said wholesale prices reached historically low levels in 2025 and showed signs of rising in 2026.
An expert tracking advertised prices found that an ounce fell from about £1,300 in March 2022 to about £700 in September 2025, then rose to about £1,000 in July 2026.
In England, 33,612 people started treatment for cocaine problems in 2024-25, 57% more than in 2019-20.
People in their 30s were the largest age group seeking treatment; a decade earlier, people in their 20s were the largest group.
Guardian-collected figures from 39 police forces showed a 10% rise in recorded crime rates mentioning cocaine since 2019.
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Novelist Zadie Smith told Dua Lipa that rising inequality and the decline of public services have made cultural differences feel more threatening. At a London literature festival, Smith also reflected on multiculturalism, her novel “White Teeth” and the value of public education, health care and literary criticism.
Key Facts
Smith linked sharper divisions in Britain to inequality, unemployment and problems with housing, schools and hospitals.
She said that when people have secure housing and access to health care, differences can feel interesting rather than existential.
Smith said her state education helped her communicate with people from different backgrounds.
She argued that people could look back to the social democracy of earlier decades while rejecting the era’s racial prejudice and LGBTQ+ discrimination.
Smith began writing “White Teeth” at 21 and published it at 24 in 2000.
She said she finished the novel on Valentine’s Day after a breakup and then went out clubbing.
Smith called literary criticism essential because it helps develop taste.
The Southbank Centre’s London literature festival runs through 1 November.
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Cookie theft occurs when malware steals active session cookies from a device, letting fraudsters access accounts without entering a password or triggering some login checks. Logging out, limiting downloads, clearing cookies, and using a password manager can help reduce the risk; suspected victims should scan devices, end active sessions, and change passwords.
Key Facts
A session cookie keeps a person logged into a website as they move between pages.
An active stolen cookie can let a fraudster use an account and may bypass multifactor authentication.
The article says malware, often hidden in downloaded software or browser extensions, can steal cookies from a browser’s database.
Fraudsters may use hijacked sessions to access bank accounts, redirect purchases, or scam a victim’s contacts.
Signs of possible malware include unusual slowdowns, fast battery drain, crashes, browser redirects, pop-ups, or a changed homepage.
Closing a browser tab does not necessarily end a session; manually logging out invalidates the session cookie.
The article recommends careful downloading, using a dedicated password manager, and clearing cookies regularly.
If an account may be compromised, run an antivirus scan, log out of accounts on all devices, and change passwords.
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Police forces across Britain recorded a 10% rise in crimes mentioning cocaine between 2019 and 2025, while estimates show cocaine use has increased in England. The figures include drug offences, violence, sexual offences and driving offences, but a cocaine mention in a crime report does not establish that the drug caused the offence.
Key Facts
Police recorded at least 29,922 crimes mentioning cocaine in 2025, or 63.4 per 100,000 people, compared with 57.7 per 100,000 in 2019.
Home Office estimates indicate cocaine use at sites across England rose 26% between 2021 and 2025.
Wastewater analysis estimates that people in England consumed 123,000kg of cocaine in 2024–25.
Of crimes mentioning cocaine in 2025, 18% were violent offences and just under 4% were sexual offences; the reports included 344 rapes.
Nearly six in 10 people arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse who received a police drug test between July 2025 and June 2026 tested positive for cocaine.
In 2025, 30,707 drug-driving offences were added to driving licences, up 28% from 2022; 29,769 drink-driving offences were added, down 17%.
The article notes that drug tests in domestic-abuse cases are not representative and that a cocaine mention in a crime record does not prove the drug caused the offence.
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The article argues that Israel’s election will change the government’s leadership but not its policies toward Palestinians. It says candidates across the political blocs oppose a Palestinian state and broadly support continued occupation, while the campaign focuses on differences such as military service and the treatment of Palestinians.
Key Facts
The article says Israeli politics is framed as a contest between a bloc led by Benjamin Netanyahu and parties opposing him.
It argues that neither bloc offers a different policy toward Palestinians or supports establishing a Palestinian state.
The article cites campaign slogans and statements by candidates that it says advocate force, expulsion, or settlement expansion.
It says Netanyahu rival Avigdor Liberman has made statements denying that there are innocents in Gaza and has supported taking over Lebanon.
It says opposition politician Yair Golan has criticized international recognition of Palestine and supports Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The article says the election is expected to focus on issues such as Haredi participation in wars and the treatment of Palestinians, rather than Israel’s broader policies.
It attributes the persistence of these policies to their normalization in Israeli society and the lack of consequences for past actions.
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The article says polls suggest Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition may fall short of a parliamentary majority, while opposition parties may also struggle to form a government because most have ruled out relying on Arab parties. It argues that a government led by Gadi Eisenkot could differ from Netanyahu’s on Gaza and cooperation with U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, but says major policy change would remain uncertain.
Key Facts
Most polls cited in the article forecast that Netanyahu and his far-right and ultra-Orthodox partners will not win a parliamentary majority.
Most opposition parties have ruled out forming a coalition with parties that mainly represent Israel’s Palestinian citizens.
The article says the opposition could also lack enough support to govern if it excludes those parties.
The article identifies retired Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief of staff, as a possible leader of a new government.
Eisenkot and Benny Gantz joined Netanyahu’s emergency government after the October 7 attacks and later left, according to the article.
Netanyahu faces trial in three corruption cases on charges including fraud, breach of trust and bribery.
The article argues a government without Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich could be more likely to cooperate with Donald Trump’s peace plan.
The article says a new government might improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza and allow some Israeli withdrawal, while a complete and immediate withdrawal remains unlikely.
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Ahead of Chancellor John Healey’s first Budget, Ipswich resident Dawn Fazackerley-King says her family has little left to cut as they prepare for a possible rise in their mortgage rate. The article describes household cost pressures and cites Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts of modest growth in real disposable income from 2026 to 2030.
Key Facts
Fazackerley-King, 42, is a self-employed Pilates instructor and lives in Ipswich with her husband and two children, aged six and eight.
The couple’s household income is about £70,000 a year.
Their mortgage rate could rise from 1.4% to about 5.3%, which she estimates could add about £250 a month.
She says the family has already cut spending and has no regular meals out.
In an August survey, 55% of adults who responded to the Office for National Statistics said their cost of living had risen from the previous month; the article reports 62% in August 2025 and 79% in April this year.
Among respondents reporting higher costs, the most common reasons were food shopping, fuel and energy bills.
The article says Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a £2 cap on most single bus fares in England, a cut to VAT on domestic electricity bills, and plans to remove gas standing charges.
The Office for Budget Responsibility forecast average annual growth of 0.75% in real household disposable income from 2026 to 2030, compared with average annual growth of 3% from 2000 to 2007.
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A shooting near Florida A&M University in Tallahassee on Saturday night left 11 people with gunshot wounds and one other person injured, authorities said. Police said a physical altercation came before the shooting and reported that at least three victims had serious injuries; the department’s violent crimes unit is investigating.
Key Facts
The shooting happened near Florida A&M University’s campus on Perry Street in Tallahassee.
Police counted six adults and six juveniles among the injured.
At least three victims had serious injuries, while nine others were reported in stable condition, police said.
Police said initial findings showed a physical altercation preceded the shooting.
The university said students, faculty, and staff safety remained its highest priority.
The department’s violent crimes unit is investigating the circumstances.
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Brazilian voters are choosing between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in a presidential runoff on October 25, 2026. The result will decide whether Lula wins another term or Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, takes office; polls show a close race after Bolsonaro led the first round without securing a majority.
Key Facts
Flávio Bolsonaro received 47 percent of the first-round vote, compared with Lula’s 45 percent.
Neither candidate won an outright majority in the first round, requiring a runoff.
Lula, 80, has served as president from 2003 to 2010 and again since 2023.
Lula’s approval rating fell as low as 24 percent during his current term, amid concerns about crime and living costs.
Lula increased payments through the Bolsa Família welfare program by 15 percent and cut fuel taxes ahead of the runoff.
Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, has campaigned on hard-line security policies, including building large prisons modeled on those in El Salvador.
Flávio’s father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence for attempting a coup to prevent the end of his presidency.
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A Guardian analysis says UAE government entities and Emirati developers have greatly expanded their property and business interests in Manchester over the past decade. It traces part of that growth to a 2013 UK government effort to secure UAE investment, including a £1bn housing scheme with Abu Dhabi.
Key Facts
UAE government and Emirati developer property holdings in Manchester reached an area equal to about 260 football pitches at their peak in 2023, according to the analysis.
In 2013, the UK government asked Manchester city council to prepare three investment proposals for the UAE amid tensions over Britain’s approach to the Muslim Brotherhood.
One proposal became Manchester Life, a planned £1bn development involving 6,000 homes.
Under the deal, the council sold Abu Dhabi a prime piece of city-centre land for £5m and granted it a right of first refusal on other projects.
Former council leader Richard Leese said housing development in and around the city centre had stalled for several years and other developers were unwilling or unable to proceed.
Sheikh Mansour, owner of Manchester City, has built a wider portfolio in the city that includes an indoor arena, a hotel, apartment blocks and investment in university research.
The article says scrutiny of Manchester City’s cheating scandal has drawn attention to Abu Dhabi’s broader influence in Manchester.
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Palestinians in Gaza fear Israel’s upcoming election will not improve their conditions, as the leading candidates have focused on defeating Hamas and offered no clear plan for Gaza’s future. Residents say food, water and medical care remain hard to obtain, while renewed hunger fears grow as markets run short of essentials.
Key Facts
The article says nearly a million displaced Palestinians in Gaza face poor sanitary conditions, water shortages and the threat of Israeli strikes.
It reports that nearly 75,000 people have been killed in Gaza.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party have both focused on destroying Hamas and support Donald Trump’s peace plan.
Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot has set out a clear plan for Gaza’s future.
Eisenkot previously championed the Dahiya doctrine, which advocated overwhelming force against civilian areas where militants operated.
The Arab-led Joint List released an election video showing drone footage of Gaza’s destruction and pledged to speak out.
Residents interviewed in Gaza said they expect little change regardless of who wins the Israeli election.
The article says markets in Gaza are running short of fresh produce and other essentials, raising fears of renewed hunger.
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The article outlines tax options Chancellor John Healey could consider to raise revenue in the Budget without increasing income tax, VAT or National Insurance rates. The excerpt discusses higher taxes on banks and gambling machines, and requiring online marketplaces to collect VAT.
Key Facts
Economists estimate the government’s fiscal headroom may have fallen from about £24bn to as little as £11bn in six months, partly because borrowing costs have risen.
Labour’s 2024 election manifesto pledged not to raise the rates of income tax, VAT or National Insurance.
Tax Policy Associates estimates that raising the bank corporation-tax surcharge from 3% to 5.5% could raise an additional £1bn to £2bn a year.
Banks warn that higher taxes could discourage investment; research also suggests banks might pass some costs to customers through lower savings rates or higher borrowing costs.
The Social Market Foundation estimates that doubling the tax on electronic gambling machines from 20% to 40% could raise £275m to £460m, depending on how gamblers respond.
The article says gambling machines are clustered in some deprived UK high streets and cites research finding that one in four people who play casino games on them gamble at risky or harmful levels.
The Treasury estimates it misses about £12bn a year in VAT that companies should pay; reports say large online marketplaces could be made responsible for collecting VAT from retailers selling through them.
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The CBS News listing describes a “48 Hours” report about a man who is murdered and his wife, who is found dead near Dale Hollow Lake. The deaths fuel a local legend that a nearby house is cursed; correspondent Peter Van Sant reports on the case.
Key Facts
The report is titled “The Mansion Above Dale Hollow Lake.”
It is a “48 Hours” segment from CBS News.
The story involves a murdered man and his wife, who is found dead.
The deaths feed into a local legend that a house is cursed.
Peter Van Sant is the correspondent.
The listed segment runs for 41 minutes and 54 seconds.
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At least 12 people, including six children, were injured in a shooting near a football stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday during Florida A&M University’s homecoming weekend. Police said a fight preceded the shooting and that no arrests had been made.
Key Facts
The shooting occurred near the Florida A&M University campus after a football game in a crowded area.
At least 12 people were injured, including six children.
Families in northeastern Nigeria continue to search for relatives who disappeared during years of conflict involving Boko Haram. Relatives described searches that have brought no confirmation of whether their missing family members are alive or dead.
Key Facts
Falmata Mohammed disappeared in 2011 while travelling with her mother from Maiduguri to Port Harcourt; her brother said unidentified gunmen abducted them.
Kashim Mohammed said a man later claimed Falmata had been found in Benin, but he could not verify the claim or locate the man.
Adam Muhammad Bashir, known as Bakura, went missing around 2012 or 2013, according to his younger brother, Muhammad.
Muhammad said his family took Bakura’s photographs to a rehabilitation centre in Bulumkutu but no one recognised him.
The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Nigerian Red Cross Society have supported efforts to trace missing people and reconnect separated families.
Advocates cited an estimate of 17,000 people missing across northern Nigeria, while Kashim said his association’s records showed about 10,000 missing in Borno State.
The article says the estimates’ sources, geographic coverage, reporting periods and compilation methods have not been independently established.
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Israeli tourism, property purchases and political activity in Cyprus have increased, drawing attention from residents and analysts. Data cited in the article show rising Israeli investment and travel, while local sources describe a growing Israeli community and new political ties.
Key Facts
Israelis made nearly 600,000 trips to Cyprus in 2025, more than twice the number in 2022, according to the Cyprus Statistical Service.
In August, Israelis accounted for nearly one in four tourists arriving in Cyprus, a 28.4 percent increase from August 2025, according to the article's cited statistics.
Israeli buyers made 850 property purchases in Larnaca district in the 12 months to September 2025, more than buyers of any other foreign nationality, according to Cyprus Ministry of Interior data.
The Central Bank of Cyprus reported that Israeli investment rose more than sixfold from 2017 to 2024, reaching 5.1 billion euros.
Israel's embassy in Nicosia estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 Israelis consider Cyprus home, while the 2021 census recorded slightly more than 1,000 Israelis living in or registered on the island.
In October, six Cypriot lawmakers formed a pro-Israel caucus, according to The Jerusalem Post.
A billboard near Larnaca airport promoted Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot ahead of Israel's October 27 election.
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Severe thunderstorms affected large areas of eastern Australia on Sunday, with risks including hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. The Bureau of Meteorology said storms and flood risks could continue in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland through Monday.
Key Facts
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of severe storms across southern Queensland, western New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and eastern Victoria.
Wind gusts of up to 100 km/h were recorded in central-western New South Wales around midday Sunday.
Eight flood warnings were in place across southern Queensland after days of heavy rain.
The Mary River downstream of Gympie was forecast to reach major flood levels at Tiaro on Sunday evening and into Monday.
Some areas around the Sunshine Coast received 200 to 400 mm of rain in the week before Sunday.
The bureau’s outlook for November to January indicated above-average rainfall was likely across most of Australia, with the far north and much of Tasmania as exceptions.
The bureau’s long-term climate data shows Australia has warmed by about 1.5°C since 1910.
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Israeli election campaigns are using social media ads and AI-generated or doctored videos to influence voters, as polls show the blocs led by Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot in a close contest. The article also reports on a Likud turnout app and concerns about privacy and unequal access to campaign technology.
Key Facts
Polls cited in the article showed Netanyahu’s bloc and the opposition bloc led by former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot in a virtual tie before the election.
Haaretz reported that online bots originally created to undermine Iran’s government were being repurposed to promote Netanyahu and Likud and criticize opposition figures.
Both political camps were using AI-generated and deepfake videos on X, including videos about Netanyahu’s record before the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack.
Likud planned to use an app called Victory 26 to identify areas with low turnout and help activists target people who had not yet voted.
The Central Elections Committee restricted Likud’s use of the Elector app over privacy concerns; the article says Elector revealed voter identities, while Victory 26 does not.
Palestinian citizens of Israel make up about 20 percent of the population, and the article says they face particular privacy concerns because their political activity is monitored.
The article describes significant technology and campaign resources being used against the Joint List and Ra’am, two blocs generally supported by Palestinian citizens of Israel.
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A shooting near a football stadium in Tallahassee injured at least 12 people, including six children, on Saturday during Florida A&M University’s homecoming weekend. Police said three victims had serious injuries and nine were in stable condition; no arrests had been made.
Key Facts
The shooting happened in a crowded area after a football game.
Police said a fight broke out before the shooting, according to the preliminary investigation.
At least 12 people were injured, including six children.
Three victims had serious injuries, and nine others were reported stable.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said no arrests had been made.
Florida A&M University said the shooting happened near campus and that the campus remained safe.
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