Top World News

Oct 2, 2026 - World

Thousands gather in Mumbai with heavy police presence as concerns mount that millions will be denied voting rightsIndia’s youth-led Cockroach movement kicked off more nationwide protests on Friday as thousands of people gathered in Mumbai, amid mounting concerns that millions of citizens are being unfairly stripped of their vote.The movement, which calls itself the Cockroach Janta party (CJP) and has massive support among the country’s gen Zs, returned to the streets to demand the resignation of the chief election commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar. Continue reading...

Oct 2, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump's hands-off approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and the tech billionaires behind it are running into unexpected resistance from one of his own staunch allies in the Senate, according to Politico.Sen. Josh Hawley's (R-MO) "populist push" against AI is exposing a schism in the GOP as lawmakers try to balance backing Trump's preference for voluntary industry standards against mounting voter anxiety over the technology's risks. Hawley's "call for AI safety legislation this week" — including imposing corporate liability when AI causes harm — stands in direct contrast to Trump's approach of letting the industry police itself."I think everyone kind of feels like the impact that this is going to have — not just on our economy but on how we live our lives — is reason to be concerned," GOP strategist Jason Roe told Politico. "I think the politicians that seize on it are going to probably reach beyond their base, to voters outside of their respective parties that care about where we're going on this."Republicans remain divided on how to respond. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has said at least "light touch" regulation will eventually be needed, even while broadly praising Trump's approach, while House Speaker Mike Johnson prefers a voluntary framework that matches Trump's own instincts.Hawley's skepticism of Big Tech isn't new — he's gone after social media companies over alleged censorship of conservatives, battled Flock's traffic-camera surveillance network, and raised alarms about chatbots endangering children."Hawley used a hearing this week on rogue AI to call for companies to be liable for the harm their AI models cause. His comments drew praise from Democrats, highlighting the bipartisan role Hawley could play in crafting legislation next year regardless of who wins the midterms," Politico reported, adding, "That collegial atmosphere was the latest sign that Hawley has rekindled tech-minded alliances across the aisle, which had frayed in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol given his vote against certifying the 2020 election."

Oct 2, 2026 - World

Government struggling to deal with worst crisis in months after being taken by surprise by massive demonstrationsAs dozens of school pupils sat on top of a pile of wheelie bins blocking a high school entrance in north-eastern Paris, Sophia, 17, was on the frontline of the barricade, when she would normally have been attending Spanish class.“We hope this grows into a massive youth protest movement,” said the final year baccalaureate student at Paris’s Lycée Voltaire, who did not want her real name published. She was on her second day of blocking the school entrance along with hundreds of others, ensuring all lessons were cancelled. “We just want to be listened to by the government. We’d rather stand here doing this than have to learn in poor conditions. It’s the only way to make ourselves heard.” Continue reading...

Oct 2, 2026 - World

Baird, father of former NSW premier Mike Baird and journalist Julia Baird, helped win the Olympics for SydneyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBruce Baird, a former federal Liberal MP and deputy leader of the party’s New South Wales branch, has died aged 84.Baird, who also served as the NSW transport minister from 1988 to 1995, is the father of former state premier Mike Baird, the ABC journalist Julia Baird, and the marketing executive Steve Baird.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...

Oct 2, 2026 - World

The Trump administration has “quietly” set the stage in recent weeks to potentially “resume major combat operations against Iran,” Axios’ Barak Ravid reported on Thursday night, citing multiple U.S. officials.On Sunday, the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and an accompanying strike group "quietly" left California toward the Middle East region, one U.S. official told Ravid. And, within the past few weeks, the Trump administration sent Patriot missile batteries to U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which Ravid noted carried major implications.“The U.S. will need Saudi Arabia to allow it to use the country's airspace if major combat operations resume,” Ravid wrote. “But the Saudis are unlikely to grant permission if they feel oil facilities won't be protected.”In late July, President Donald Trump was “seriously considering” launching a “massive attack” on Iranian energy targets, but ultimately decided against it after being pressed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who feared retaliatory strikes on Saudi energy sites. As suggested by Ravid, the Trump administration’s shipment of Patriot missile batteries “to protect oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar” could be a sign that Trump is preparing to finally move forward with those plans. U.S. officials further supported the suggestion, telling Ravid that bin Salman’s pleas were a key reason for Trump opting for an economic pressure campaign against Iran over military strikes.On the departure of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, one U.S. official told Ravid that the U.S. military would be well equipped should hostilities resume.“This means the Middle East region could potentially have up to three aircraft carrier strike groups. This is much more firepower,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.