Sunday, 18 October 2026today, still filling

Mick Jagger, Benedict Cumberbatch and other celebrities attended the second annual British Museum Ball on Saturday, an event raising money for the London museum. The ball's red-themed dress code drew inspiration from autumn exhibitions including the Bayeux Tapestry, loaned from France. Multiple protests occurred outside, with groups opposing the museum's sponsorship by BP and demonstrators calling for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, which have been held at the museum for over 200 years.

Australia is introducing a 30 per cent minimum tax on discretionary trusts after the government argued the structures were subverting the tax system. The assistant treasurer, Daniel Mulino, admitted small businesses would face thousands of dollars in compliance costs to restructure their arrangements. The government estimates economy-wide adjustment costs at about £50 million.

Liberal frontbencher Sarah Henderson has defended a $1069 parking claim she billed taxpayers, saying members of parliament are entitled to claim parking costs for parliamentary business. The charge, incurred over 13 days, exceeds Melbourne Airport's most expensive published option of $809 for the same period by more than $260. Senator Henderson told News24 she generally incurs parking costs when travelling from regional Victoria to Tullamarine Airport for trips to Canberra.

Central Coast Mariners drew 2-2 with defending premiers Newcastle in their opening A-League Men fixture on Saturday night. The young squad conceded a second-half own goal that prevented a potential upset. New coach John Hutchinson, a former club captain and all-time appearance record holder, praised his team's performance and said they have nothing to lose this season, with the squad having been written off due to their youth and lack of resources.

The Snooze Slumber Party for Telethon has wrapped up with celebratory cake and a giant cheque presentation. The skit-filled overnight broadcast, hosted by Ben O'Shea and comedian Famous Sharron, has become a staple of the Channel 7 coverage. The five-hour event from a bed in RAC Arena included performances such as a lip sync to KPop Demon Hunters' 'Golden' and comedy sketches involving a cardboard cutout of regular Matt Tinney.

No. 9 Mississippi beat No. 13 Missouri 31-3 on Saturday. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss accounted for four touchdowns, completing 20 of 36 passes for 241 yards with touchdown passes of 10, 21 and 17 yards, and a five-yard rushing touchdown. Ole Miss was never threatened after trailing 3-0 early, building a 21-3 halftime lead.

Apex Keighley has won the British Taekwondo National Championships overall team trophy for the first time in the club's history. Founder Rick Simpson achieved his 20-year dream after establishing his own club around two decades ago. The team earned 12 gold medals, 10 silver and 12 bronze across two days of competition at Manchester Velodrome, and also claimed the Novice Team prize.

A 'No Kings, Vote Early' rally took place at the intersection of 10th Street and Cliff Avenue in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with dozens of participants encouraging people to vote. Organisers provided information on early voting locations in Minnehaha county and educated residents on voting by mail and in person. Craig Brown with Indivisible 605 warned that mail-in voters must send ballots within days due to postal service concerns, emphasising the need to meet the November 3rd deadline at the auditor's office.

South Dakota's pheasant season opened on Saturday, drawing hunters from across the United States and beyond. Lodges throughout the state welcomed visitors, including hunters from Kansas and Massachusetts. Participants highlighted the appeal of the hunt itself, the chance to work with hunting dogs and spend time with friends and family, alongside the opportunity to support local economies.

Victoria's opposition has vowed to scrap Labor's ban on gas appliances within 100 days of winning the upcoming election. Opposition leader Jess Wilson claims the ban adds up to $15,000 to new home building costs and will increase household gas bills by up to $300 a year. From January 2027, all new homes and most commercial buildings must be all-electric; from March 2027, replaced hot water systems must be electric. Simonds Group, one of Australia's largest builders, supports the opposition's stance, arguing families should choose between gas and electricity based on their needs and budgets.

Auburn upset top-ranked Georgia 27-24 with a walk-off 34-yard field goal by Alex McPherson as time expired. It marked the second consecutive week the nation's top-ranked team lost to an unranked opponent, following Texas's defeat to Oklahoma. Georgia had led 14-0 early but failed to score on its next five drives, allowing Auburn to score 24 unanswered points.

Police rescued six people after their boat ran aground, leaving them stranded for eight hours. Police have urged boaters to check conditions before going out on the water.

Li Huifang, owner of Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Gansu Province, has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of poisoning 247 children. She and five staff members instructed kitchen workers to add inedible, lead-containing pigments to food to make it more visually appealing for promotional materials. The children and more than 20 staff members developed abnormally high blood lead levels in July 2025, showing symptoms including stomach pain, fatigue and developmental delays.

Australian Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John faces an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour toward women spanning almost a decade. He has taken leave from the party room and denies the claims. Senior Labor and Coalition parliamentarians are calling on Greens leader David Shoebridge to answer questions about his knowledge of the allegations. Reports revealed the Greens' Western Australia branch had prepared a 47-page crisis management plan for handling media coverage of potential allegations against Senator Steele-John.

Thousands of people attended 'No Kings' rallies across the United States on Saturday, two weeks before the midterm elections. The No Kings Coalition says more than 3,000 demonstrations took place across all 50 states. Organisers focused their message on encouraging voter participation, with speakers emphasising that power belongs to the people only if they use it. Some attendees cited concerns about the economy as motivation for participating.

Auburn defeated top-ranked Georgia 27-24 on Saturday in Athens with a last-second 34-yard field goal by Alex McPherson. The upset came after Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown led the team down the field in the closing moments. McPherson's kick ended the game with Georgia on the losing end of the dramatic finish.

Fire crews in Southern California worked to contain the Norte Fire, which sparked Friday in San Clemente amid strong Santa Ana winds and spread to San Juan Capistrano, burning at least six coastal homes. The fast-moving blaze charred hills and forced the evacuation of about 16,000 residents. Hundreds of firefighters worked through the night, with the fire about 5 per cent contained and conditions increasing fire risk expected to last through Saturday night.

'No Kings' protests took place across the United States on Saturday, with hundreds attending events in Nebraska's Omaha and Lincoln. The rallies served as voter outreach efforts, with about 20 organizations promoting voter education in Omaha ahead of the midterm election. Organisers said the events aimed to bring communities together and encourage early voting.