UK Trading Standards said tests of 50 seized counterfeit beauty products found potentially harmful substances, including mercury, lead, nicotine and methanol. Authorities reported that counterfeit cosmetics and toiletries are often bought online and announced a campaign to warn consumers about the risks.
Key Facts
Tests found 13,200 parts per million of mercury in one counterfeit skincare product.
Some counterfeit lipsticks, eyeshadows and contour products contained high levels of lead.
A counterfeit fragrance was about 80% methanol, a toxic alcohol that can cause serious poisoning.
The IPO tracker found that 20% of 18- to 24-year-olds who bought beauty products last year knowingly purchased counterfeits, up from 6% in 2023.
Trading Standards surveys found that nearly three in four people who bought counterfeit cosmetics and toiletries purchased them online.
Police and Greater Manchester police seized 1,666 counterfeit hair products in July.
A raid in Bolton uncovered counterfeit goods worth £2 million, including perfume, cosmetics, clothing and vapes.
The IPO is launching a campaign called Face the Fakes with content creators and the beauty industry.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Unison general secretary Andrea Egan said the UK government gives North Sea oil and gas jobs more political attention than jobs in public services. She criticized approval of the Jackdaw gasfield and called for investment in renewable energy jobs and services such as health care, education and local government.
Key Facts
Egan said public sector workers are often treated as an “afterthought” compared with North Sea oil and gas workers.
She cited job cuts in local government, the NHS and education in recent years.
The government approved the Jackdaw gasfield, while a decision on the Rosebank oilfield is expected before the end of the year.
Egan called the Jackdaw decision a serious misstep and said it sent the wrong signal about the UK’s climate commitments.
Unison supports moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy and creating secure, well-paid jobs in the sector.
Unite and GMB back more North Sea drilling licences, while Unison and the National Education Union oppose further drilling.
Unison recently secured a union recognition deal with Octopus Energy, the UK’s largest energy company.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente said he would not resign after a high-speed rail collision killed at least 69 people. He said his focus was resolving the disaster and answering questions, while investigators examine the crash and calls for his resignation continue.
Key Facts
The collision happened near Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday morning.
A state-operated Renfe train struck the rear of a stationary train operated by Iryo.
A preliminary investigation found the Renfe train was travelling at 160 to 200 km/h when it collided.
Puente said a computer failure halted six moving trains before the crash.
Leaked audio appears to show a train being cleared to move while another train had stalled farther ahead.
Spain is observing three days of mourning for the victims.
Political rivals, a trade union and demonstrators have called for Puente to resign.
Spain’s prime minister said public trust in the high-speed rail network had been broken and noted that a similar crash killed 46 people in January.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said his government plans to establish a body to study possible futures for Northern Ireland, including remaining in the United Kingdom or joining a united Ireland with some autonomy. He said he would bring the first steps to cabinet before the end of 2026 and argued that planning should hear from all communities rather than assume Irish unity is inevitable.
Key Facts
The proposed body would research models and challenges for different possible outcomes for Northern Ireland.
The 1998 Good Friday Agreement requires the British government to call a referendum on Irish unity if it appears likely that a majority of Northern Irish voters would support one.
Martin said he would bring the first steps of the proposal to cabinet before the end of 2026.
The article says opinion polls consistently show a majority favoring Northern Ireland remaining in the United Kingdom, though the gap has narrowed since Brexit.
Sinn Féin and other Irish nationalist parties have increased calls for a referendum on unity.
Fine Gael is expected to present a blueprint for a unified island at its annual conference the following week.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Ceilidh events are drawing more young people in London and elsewhere as attendees seek social, in-person activities. Organizers and participants say the group dances are welcoming, fun, and offer a way to meet people away from screens.
Key Facts
Eventbrite reported that UK ticket sales for ceilidh events rose 16% from 2024 to 2025, while global sales rose 15%.
A ceilidh event at the Ivy House pub in south-east London raised money for Link Age Southwark, a local anti-loneliness charity.
The South East London Folk Orchestra provided music at the Ivy House event.
Organizers said many attendees at recent ceilidhs have been under 30.
London Ceilidh Club founder Ed McCabe said the events had grown in popularity since the Covid pandemic.
Ceilidh comes from a Gaelic word meaning “visit” or “gathering” and originated in Scotland and Ireland in the 19th century.
Ceilidh the Musical began a tour at Shoreditch Town Hall in east London.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Senior Rapid Support Forces commander Siddiq Ander says he has defected from the group, according to a video obtained by Al Jazeera. He is the latest RSF commander reported to have broken away.
Key Facts
Siddiq Ander is a senior commander in Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Ander says he has defected from the RSF.
Al Jazeera obtained a video in which Ander announces his defection.
The article says Ander is the latest in a line of RSF commanders to leave the group.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Swedish academic Andreas Malm says the UK Home Office barred him from entering the country, telling him his presence was “not conducive to the public good.” Malm suspects the decision relates to a planned London panel with Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, but also said earlier remarks about the 7 October 2023 attacks could have played a role.
Key Facts
Malm is a senior lecturer in human ecology at Lund University in Sweden.
The Home Office did not give Malm further details about its decision and said it does not comment on individual cases.
Malm said he is not a member of Palestine Action and has not publicly endorsed or financially supported the group.
Palestine Action is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK; the group’s legal challenge to that designation is ongoing.
The UK Supreme Court is due to review the ban, and the Home Office says it will defend the decision.
More than 3,700 people are believed to have been arrested in the UK over alleged support for Palestine Action, and about 2,500 have been charged.
Malm previously described the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks as “fundamentally an act of liberation,” while also condemning the killing of civilians.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The article reports that actor Sir Patrick Stewart died at 86 at his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday, after living with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Friends and people in Yorkshire remembered his acting career, his ties to the region and his support for Huddersfield Town.
Key Facts
Stewart was born in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, in 1940.
He was known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.
Stewart said producers rejected the idea of using his Yorkshire accent for Picard.
He became chancellor of the University of Huddersfield in 2004 and held the role until 2015.
The university named its drama building after Stewart in 2016.
Stewart supported Huddersfield Town from childhood.
Ian McKellen said Stewart never forgot his Yorkshire roots.
Stewart left school at 15, worked as a reporter and obituary writer, then won a scholarship to Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
An Australian appeals court rejected Erin Patterson’s challenge to her convictions and ruled she must serve life in prison without parole for poisoning her husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms. The court also upheld prosecutors’ appeal against her earlier 33-year minimum term, citing the severity and planning involved in the crimes.
Key Facts
Patterson was convicted of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson, and attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson.
The poisonings followed a family lunch at Patterson’s home in Leongatha, Victoria, in July 2023.
The Victoria Court of Appeal dismissed Patterson’s appeal against her convictions.
The court agreed with prosecutors that Patterson should have no possibility of parole.
Patterson had previously received three life sentences for murder and a 25-year sentence for attempted murder, with a 33-year minimum period before parole consideration.
Justice Stephen McLeish said the crimes involved sustained intent and an elaborate series of deceptions.
Patterson said she added the death cap mushrooms accidentally.
Australia’s High Court is Patterson’s final appeal option.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The article asks whether new leaders can reverse Israel’s growing international isolation. Its only provided text says Americans may not care who holds power in Jerusalem but argues that they should; it gives no supporting details.
Key Facts
The title asks whether new leaders can stop Israel’s slide into isolation.
The article refers to a change in Israel’s leadership.
The text says Americans may not care who holds power in Jerusalem.
The text argues that Americans should care about who holds power in Jerusalem.
The provided article text does not identify any leaders or describe events behind Israel’s isolation.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A jury convicted Simon Richardson of murdering cyclist Michael Mullins after Richardson struck him in Greater Manchester and drove more than a mile with him trapped beneath his car. Richardson was also convicted of dangerous driving related to a police pursuit the next day, and will be sentenced on Monday.
Key Facts
Mullins, 56, was cycling home from Stretford grammar school on 20 April when Richardson drove through give-way markers and struck him.
Mullins became trapped beneath Richardson’s Volvo XC90 as Richardson drove away.
Prosecutors said Richardson drove to a farm track in Lymm, 1.3 miles from the collision site, and tried to dislodge Mullins.
Mullins was eventually freed but was run over as Richardson reversed and drove away.
A motorcyclist found Mullins on a grass verge; he later died from multiple injuries.
Richardson denied murder and said he did not know Mullins was beneath his car.
Richardson was arrested the following day after a police vehicle pursuit and was separately convicted of dangerous driving.
Richardson is due to be sentenced on Monday.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran to discuss reviving a ceasefire in the conflict between the United States and Iran, according to Iran’s state news agency. The visit follows a reported letter from Vice President JD Vance proposing a framework for negotiations, while President Donald Trump has reportedly warned Gulf allies to prepare for a possible military campaign.
Key Facts
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that the Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday morning.
The delegation was headed by a senior adviser to Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister and was coordinating with U.S. officials.
The delegation reportedly carried a letter from Vice President JD Vance to Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei.
The letter reportedly proposed a new diplomatic process but did not set out specific peace terms.
Sources told Al Jazeera that Iranian officials welcomed the letter’s more respectful tone, though Tehran had not issued an official response.
Qatari officials were thought to be in Tehran to receive Iran’s response and discuss a possible diplomatic path.
Sources said a meeting could take place within a week in Doha or Istanbul.
The Wall Street Journal reported that President Donald Trump warned Gulf allies to prepare for a brief, high-intensity military campaign after the U.S. midterm elections.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A deadly train collision in Spain has shifted the debate ahead of the November 29 election toward rail safety, infrastructure and the government’s delivery of public services. The opposition Popular Party has called for accountability, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government faces questions about the crash and the rail-control system.
Key Facts
The article reports that 69 people died in the collision.
A high-speed train traveling from Madrid to Seville struck the back of a stationary train on the same track near Toledo.
The crash happened at 8:53 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the article.
Spanish officials pointed to a failure involving the LZB train-control system, used on the Madrid-Seville line since it opened in the 1990s.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente described Spain’s railway system as reliable and safe while acknowledging limits related to equipment and human error.
Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for answers and said his party would suspend campaign activities for two days.
Vox leader Santiago Abascal blamed Sánchez’s government, while hundreds of mostly far-right demonstrators called for the prime minister to resign.
The crash has changed the campaign focus from issues including housing to railway safety and government competence.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies says Gulf states should reconsider their defence plans after Iranian attacks damaged regional infrastructure and exposed gaps in their military capabilities. It questions whether US bases and arms purchases provide enough protection and says the war has prompted debate in the US about rebuilding bases in the region.
Key Facts
The report says 12 regional states faced 4,670 Iranian one-way attack drones and more than 1,400 ballistic missiles in the weeks before the 8 April ceasefire.
Nearly half of the reported attacks were aimed at the United Arab Emirates.
The report cites an estimate that damage to energy infrastructure could reach $58 billion.
It identifies reliance on US-supplied air and missile defences, weak regional coordination, limited minesweeping and costly weapons as Gulf defence shortcomings.
The report says US bases and defence partnerships did not ensure adequate protection from Iranian attacks.
US Senator Chris Murphy said the US military was debating whether to rebuild damaged Gulf bases and argued that any rebuilt presence should be limited to what the US can protect.
Murphy suggested relocating at least some US bases in the eastern Mediterranean farther from Iranian missiles.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Police Scotland says it is conducting active inquiries into information about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s visits to Balmoral. The force says the inquiries are at a very early stage and has not confirmed details of the allegations that women were trafficked to the residence.
Key Facts
Police Scotland said it had received information and that active inquiries are ongoing.
The force said its inquiries are at a very early stage and would not comment further.
The Daily Express reported that the inquiry concerns allegations that women were trafficked to Balmoral Castle.
Flight logs cited by the Express reportedly show Mountbatten-Windsor and Maxwell flew from Luton to Edinburgh on Epstein’s private jet on 1 September 2006.
U.S. prosecutors released a photograph of Epstein and Maxwell at Balmoral during Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial.
An email sent to Maxwell in August 2001 and included in the Epstein files said the sender was at Balmoral and asked for “new inappropriate friends.”
Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges; Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for her role in procuring girls for him.
Mountbatten-Windsor has denied wrongdoing linked to his association with Epstein.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Former Palestine Liberation Organisation official Xavier Abu Eid said strong Palestinian voter turnout highlighted how Arab citizens are treated in Israel’s democracy. The article also refers to allegations surrounding the vote and says Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking to remain in power, but it gives no details about the allegations or election results.
Key Facts
Xavier Abu Eid is described as a former Palestine Liberation Organisation official.
Abu Eid said Palestinian voter turnout was strong.
Abu Eid said the turnout highlighted the treatment of Arab citizens in Israel’s democracy.
The article refers to allegations surrounding the vote but does not specify them.
The article says Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking to remain in power.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Qatari officials returned to Tehran on Friday to promote a deal ending the war between Iran and the United States, with the talks coordinated with Washington. The effort comes as President Donald Trump maintains the threat of renewed major strikes and reports emerge of incidents involving tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Facts
Qatar's delegation was led by a senior adviser to the country's prime minister and foreign minister and was scheduled to meet senior Iranian officials.
A U.S.-coordinated Qatari draft deal was presented to Iran, but a senior Iranian official described the ideas as unacceptable.
Iran wants the United States to lift its blockade of Iranian ports and remove sanctions limiting Iranian oil and gas sales.
Iran has said it will not change its position on the nuclear issue, which Washington wants included in negotiations.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said two oil tankers encountered unspecified incidents and were halted while using a route Tehran considers unauthorized.
Iran said four ships had hit sea mines while attempting to use shipping lanes promoted by the United States.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations center reported that a tanker was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Novaya Gazeta, a prominent independent Russian newspaper, says it is shutting down after receiving an eviction order and losing access to a system for collecting reader donations. The outlet blames Russian authorities for forcing it to stop work, following years of restrictions that included the revocation of its licence and the blocking of its website.
Key Facts
Novaya Gazeta announced that it was closing after about three decades of publication.
The newspaper said it received an eviction order and could no longer collect reader donations.
Russian authorities had revoked the newspaper's licence and blocked access to its website.
The newspaper said six journalists connected with it had been killed for their work, including Anna Politkovskaya.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia adopted laws that the article says were used to punish dissent and criticism of the war.
Police searched the newspaper's office earlier this year, and investigative journalist Oleg Roldugin was arrested and charged with unlawful access to computerised information.
Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov was questioned by police, and authorities searched his home.
Novaya Gazeta co-founder Dmitry Muratov received the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize and was designated a foreign agent by Russian authorities in 2023.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
France, Spain and Germany are preparing for Halloween-weekend demonstrations and possible unrest on Oct. 31. French authorities plan to deploy 70,000 security personnel, Barcelona police are monitoring calls for another gathering after recent violence, and German organizers expect more than 100,000 young protesters in at least 23 cities.
Key Facts
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Oct. 31 carries a high risk of public disorder and said demonstrations would be barred from city centers.
France plans to deploy 70,000 police officers and security personnel on Saturday.
Authorities said 410,000 people joined marches across France the previous Saturday.
In Barcelona on Oct. 24, more than 600 young people gathered; authorities reported at least 23 businesses looted or vandalized and 33 small fires.
Authorities reported 130 arrests in weekend unrest in Spain, including 76 minors; about 20 more people were arrested after disturbances in Bilbao.
A Telegram group using the name Blocus BCN circulated calls for another gathering in Barcelona on Oct. 31, according to the article.
Germany expects more than 100,000 people to attend youth-led demonstrations in at least 23 cities.
The German demonstrations are organized by Gen Z Regelt and will address education, healthcare, climate action, living costs, military conscription and austerity.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta says it will shut down after pressure from authorities. Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov said the outlet plans to turn off its servers and close its offices on November 9.
Key Facts
The newspaper’s editorial board said Russian authorities and intelligence services forced it to cease operations.
Novaya Gazeta said it would shut down its servers and offices on November 9.
Authorities searched Sokolov’s home and questioned him on October 15.
The search was linked by authorities to a criminal case involving colleague Oleg Roldugin, who was arrested in April and charged with unlawful access to computerised information.
Moscow has designated Novaya Gazeta a “foreign agent,” a label the article says is used to stifle dissent.
The paper had already reduced its operations in Russia after authorities revoked its media licence following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Former editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.
Reporters Without Borders said six Novaya Gazeta journalists and staff members had been murdered.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
