Saturday, 17 October 2026today, still filling

Game 4 of the American League Championship Series was postponed because of rain Friday night. The Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians will resume their series Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. The Guardians lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 after Petey Halpin's two-run homer gave them a 3-2 victory in Game 3 on Thursday.

A new real ale trail invites enthusiasts to visit 20 pubs across Staffordshire and the Black Country using train and bus transport.

Several venues across the West Midlands are holding bonfire and firework displays as bonfire night approaches. Both Birmingham World and Express & Star have covered the upcoming events in the region.

A ruined Shropshire priory that once sheltered a king is now maintained by English Heritage and open to visitors for free. The site may be home to a ghost.

Ten bank branches in the West Midlands have been identified as the lowest-rated based on Google Reviews. The rankings were compiled by Birmingham World and the Express & Star.

The Cosford museum in Shropshire has been named fifth among the UK's most underrated attractions. It joins two other museums in Birmingham in the list of the country's most overlooked destinations. All three are free to enter.

Early snow on the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, Arizona, has raised hopes for a strong winter season. A powerful El Niño forming in the Pacific is expected to bring extra moisture. The previous two winters saw low snowfall, which damaged the local economy; snow activities typically bring almost $20 million to Flagstaff annually.

Shoppers across Australia are encountering empty banana shelves at Coles, Woolworths and Aldi as unseasonably cool weather in Far North Queensland has slowed crop growth. Woolworths said the weather has limited stock and predicted supply would return by November, whilst Coles noted that banana variety may vary due to challenging growing conditions. Nearly 95 per cent of Australia's bananas are grown in North Queensland, primarily from the Cassowary Coast and Atherton Tablelands, and require high heat and tropical humidity to develop properly.

The distinctive white cardboard Chinese takeout container seen across America originated from an 1894 patent for oyster pails by inventor Frederick Weeks Wilcox. The design uses a single piece of cardboard folded to provide structural stability and prevent leaking, often with a wire handle and sometimes decorated with a Chinese-style pagoda. Chinese immigrants arriving in the mid-1800s established Chinatowns and restaurants serving Americanised Chinese food, with the container becoming widely used after World War II as Chinese restaurants proliferated.

College football has moved closer to a 24-team postseason after a 'handshake agreement' between the College Football Playoff and ESPN. ESPN would pay an additional $345 million a year on average over six years to compensate major conferences for lost revenue from eliminating conference title games. The deal includes 12 more games than the current 12-team format, with details and an official contract still to be finalised.

Jordie Barrett has been ruled out of the Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney on Saturday with a calf injury sustained after last week's 50-19 win over the Wallabies in Auckland. The All Blacks are dealing with mounting injuries, having already lost captain Ardie Savea and flyhawks Ruben Love and Richie Mo'unga. The Wallabies are also affected, with flyhalf Ben Donaldson ruled out and Len Ikitau missing due to concussion.

Bunnings stores across Western Australia are running a sausage sizzle on Saturday from 8am to 4pm, with all funds raised going to Telethon, which supports Western Australian children living with illness, disability and disadvantage. The event follows last year's sausage sizzle, which raised $102,000. Bunnings staff will operate the barbecues, and the company hopes to exceed last year's figure.

LeBron James, aged 41, made his first preseason appearance for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Boston Celtics on Friday night. The 24-year NBA veteran, who joined the team in July, performed his signature chalk toss and received a roaring ovation during his introduction. He dunked off a half-court pass from team-mate Tyrese Maxey.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission issued new guidance to the state's 1,800 local clerks on responding to federal law enforcement at polling places during the November election. Law enforcement should not be present unless voting, conducting legitimate law enforcement actions or responding to a clerk's request. The commission approved the guidance five to one, with Republican Commissioner Bob Spindell voting against it, saying the memo could scare voters away.

Police investigating a series of groping attacks on women at Narrabeen on Sydney's northern beaches have released images of a suspect who allegedly fled on an e-bike. At least five incidents have been reported between October 1 and 8, with women accosted on walking trails and groped before the man rode away. In one case he also made inappropriate sexual comments. Police say the suspect is believed to be under 25, about 175cm tall and of medium build.

Robert Enos, 19, a member of the Gila River Indian Community, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on 8 October for the June 2024 shooting that killed Gila River Police Officer Joshua Briese, 23, and Alicen Apkaw, 23. Enos pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The shooting occurred around 2 a.m. at a home in Santan, south of Phoenix, after officers were called to an unruly party. A total of six people were shot; four others survived. Enos's brother, Joseph Notah, 19, has been indicted on separate charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Australia is on track to record its wettest El Nino year yet, with widespread showers and thunderstorms forecast to soak large parts of the country over the coming week. More than half the country could see showers and storms in the next seven days, with parts of Queensland and Northern NSW forecast to receive more than 50mm of rain. The wet conditions are unusual given the strong El Nino in the Pacific and positive Indian Ocean Dipole, climate patterns typically associated with drier conditions across Australia.

Actor Selma Blair's representatives have stated she did not intend to harm anyone during a Delta flight from Los Angeles to New York on Sunday that led to her arrest. They say she experienced a medical emergency on the flight and deny she attempted to open the aircraft door. Blair has been charged with assaulting two flight attendants, a police officer and a nurse.

A teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School in Oregon threw her phone at a 16-year-old former student who opened fire in a special needs classroom, then tackled him and fought to take his shotgun. Three children aged five, eight and eleven, and a teacher were killed, with two others wounded. A parent who witnessed the shooting outside the school followed the gunman inside and shot him dead. Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said the teacher's actions almost certainly prevented further bloodshed, calling her response 'true heroism'.

Two Bismarck men, 19-year-olds Cameron Schestler and Sidney Seidel, have been arrested after a crash on 2 October that killed two Mandan teenagers, 16 and 17 years old. Police say Schestler and Seidel were racing at high speed near West Main Avenue when Schestler's car hit a Chevrolet Equinox. The two victims in the Equinox died; its driver, a 15-year-old, was seriously injured but has been released from hospital. Police found no connection between those in the Equinox and the two drivers.

President Trump's proposal to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building as part of remaking the nation's capital would diminish the historic character of the White House complex, according to a draft environmental assessment published by the Trump administration. The plan, estimated to cost at least $7.5 million, has alarmed preservationists and historians who argue that painting the granite building would trap moisture and degrade the stone. Trump has previously described the building's gray exterior as a 'really bad color'.

Australia will become the first touring team to win a Test series in South Africa in almost seven years if they win the second Test starting on Sunday in Gqeberha. The victory would rank as one of Australia's best overseas series wins in more than a decade, with their 1-0 win in Pakistan in 2022 currently at the top of that list. It would also mark a significant achievement given that South Africa are ranked second in the world and beat Australia in last year's Test Championship final.