Friday, 23 October 2026today, still filling

Lewis Hamilton says the possibility of racing in Africa could extend his time in Formula One. The seven-time world champion, who will be 42 in January and has a contract through 2027, made the comments in Austin, Texas on Thursday. Formula One has secured a deal with Rwanda for a grand prix in the early 2030s. Hamilton, the sport's first and only Black champion, has long advocated for a race on the continent, which last hosted a grand prix in South Africa in 1993.

Russia has pounded Kyiv with ballistic missiles while Ukraine launched hundreds of drones towards Moscow, despite moves towards renewed talks. President Zelenskiy said three of the missiles carried cluster munitions, which are banned by many countries. The two sides exchanged war dead, with Moscow handing over 252 bodies and Ukraine handing over 25. Russian President Putin confirmed Russia was ready to resume US-mediated talks with Ukraine next month, with the first negotiations since February potentially taking place early in November.

Subaru will reveal a WRX sedan with an STI manual gearbox in November 2026, the first of three new manual models promised by 2027. The car will use the TY85 transmission, a six-speed unit last fitted to the WRX STI before its discontinuation in 2021. The model is likely to be Japan-only, where Subaru does not currently offer a manual WRX, despite manual versions being available in other markets including Australia.

Etsy has banned the sale of AI-generated recipes, patterns and instructions on its platform, citing buyer and seller concerns about AI-generated content eroding trust. The company is also requiring sellers to include unedited photos of actual items and prohibiting bot-generated listings. Sellers offering AI-generated art must still disclose this and cannot misrepresent it as handmade.

A man has been arrested after leading police on a high-speed chase through Sydney's west on Friday morning. The Nissan X Trail, which had allegedly stolen number plates, crashed into a Volkswagen sedan on Brown Road in Bonnyrigg Heights and caught fire around 8.30am. The occupants of the Volkswagen, a 50-year-old man and 10-year-old girl, were not injured. A 30-year-old man was arrested later on Dransfield Road and remains uncharged.

Kimi Antonelli, a 20-year-old Mercedes driver, is on the verge of becoming Formula One's youngest ever champion. With a 102-point lead and a maximum of 150 points remaining, he could secure the title at the US Grand Prix in Austin this weekend if he wins and results elsewhere fall his way. Lewis Hamilton, now a Ferrari driver who previously drove for Mercedes, praised Antonelli's talent and approach.

The managing director of Continental Tyres Australia has warned that deteriorating road conditions, particularly in Victoria, are the greatest road safety issue for drivers. Mitchell Golledge said poor road surfaces present challenges that tyre products alone cannot overcome. He also called on motorists to check tyre pressure regularly and maintain proper inflation as a fundamental safety measure.

Mazda has expanded its CX-30 small SUV range with two new model grades and added driver-assistance technology, wireless smartphone connectivity and new paint options to both the CX-30 and Mazda 3. Prices have risen by up to $1000 across the ranges. The entry-level CX-30 G20 Pure now starts at $34,760 before on-road costs, an increase of $400, with higher-spec variants rising more substantially.

Thomas Markle Snr, 82, estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex, is being investigated by Philippine police after his son reported finding alleged child sexual abuse material in four cardboard boxes at his former home in Cebu City. Thomas Markle Jnr, 60, told police he discovered 'hundreds, if not thousands' of images and videos while searching his father's belongings. The FBI has reportedly confirmed it received Markle Jnr's sworn statement and could launch its own investigation. Specialist investigators in the Philippines are preparing to seize the boxes for forensic examination.

Major League Baseball faces a potential lockout starting December 2 over a proposed salary cap, which could result in cancelled games in 2027. The World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays may be the last games played before the dispute. MLB says a cap is needed to help all teams compete more consistently, but players argue the method owners use to define expenses would give management a greater share of the sport's revenue.

Chandler Blanchet carded a career-low 9-under 62 to hold a one-shot lead after the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. The American PGA Tour rookie made two eagles, including a 50-foot eagle on the 17th, and added six birdies. He led by one shot over fellow Americans Ben Kohles and Danny Walker and Canadians Corey Conners and Ben Silverman.

Sydney FC has reversed its decision to block teenage winger Akol Akon from representing Australia at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar next month. The club initially prevented the youngster from participating, which drew criticism from Australia's football community. A-League clubs are no longer required to release players for national youth duty.

Australia's largest renewable energy project, Snowy 2.0, may now cost up to $25 billion, according to a new reassessment, up from an original $2 billion estimate when first proposed in 2017. The completion date has been pushed back to late 2029. Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher confirmed the revised figures on Friday, with the new price including a $2.8 billion contingency buffer on a $22.2 billion cost target.

Amanda Camm, the Queensland MP for Whitsunday, has resigned from her post as minister for domestic and family violence after sustained pressure over her portfolio's performance. The resignation follows a series of child safety failures, including a nearly 60 per cent rise in deaths of Queensland children known to child safety services in one year, children in state care sleeping on mattresses in government offices, and a botched $183 million IT system rollout that left officers unable to access vital information.

Reigning world surfing champion Molly Picklum reached her first final at a World Surf League event in Peniche, Portugal, after defeating American Lakey Peterson in the semi-final on Thursday. She will face American Caitlin Simmers in the final. If Picklum wins, she can take the season-leader's yellow jersey from Hawaiian Carissa Moore.

A suspicious fire destroyed a grocery store on Ballarat Road in Deer Park, Melbourne, early on Friday after offenders broke in. Fire Response Victoria crews arrived within four minutes and contained the blaze to the shop, though five neighbouring businesses sustained smoke damage. The grocery store was located next to a tobacco shop recently shut as part of Victoria's crackdown on illegal tobacco trading.

Actor Rebel Wilson has won a legal dispute with co-producers of her debut film The Deb in an Australian court. Justice Elisabeth Peden awarded the co-producers Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron, and Vince Holden only $10 in damages and dismissed their case, while awarding Wilson $359,000 plus interest. The co-producers had alleged Wilson sabotaged the film and made false statements about them online to devalue it; Wilson countersued, claiming they engaged in theft, bullying, and sexual misconduct.

Bournemouth earned their biggest win in their first European campaign by beating 10-man AC Milan 3-0 in the Europa League. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan was sent off for shoving US midfielder Tyler Adams in the face during a corner, leading to a penalty. Marcus Tavernier converted both penalties to double Bournemouth's lead, and substitute Amine Adli added a third with a curling free kick.

The New York City Council voted to ban horse-drawn carriages by June 2028, ending a tradition spanning nearly 170 years. The vote was 40-7, with two abstentions. The legislation, named after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan who died in June after being thrown from a runaway carriage in Central Park, requires the city to develop a transition programme for over 150 carriage drivers. President Trump criticised the ban, and the Transport Workers Union threatened federal court action.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 releases on Friday after last year's edition underperformed with fans and critics. Last year's Black Ops 7 dropped to seventh place in US video game sales and eighth in the UK, down from Call of Duty's usual top positions since 2009. Publisher Activision is attempting to restore the franchise's reputation ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6's imminent release.

Parents who sign on as guarantor for their child's home loan could be trapped for up to 13.5 years if house prices fall without recovering, according to Primara Research data. A guarantor is normally released once the loan balance falls to 80 per cent of the property's value. House prices have already fallen 3.3 per cent from their peak over six months, driven by rising interest rates and tax changes, and forecasts predict a further 10 per cent drop over the next year.

Warhound, founded by Palmer Luckey of Anduril and Ben Lamm of Colossal Biosciences, emerged from stealth on Thursday with $200 million in funding to genetically engineer working dogs for the U.S. military, law enforcement and emergency responders. The company aims to reduce American reliance on European dog breeders, more than 80 per cent of working dogs used by the U.S. military currently coming from Europe. Initial gene-editing will focus on eliminating health conditions like hip dysplasia that affect military dog breeds. Warhound plans to produce its first puppies in early 2027.

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck China's Tibet region on Thursday evening, killing at least 16 people and injuring 32, with 11 in serious condition. At least 339 homes collapsed in the northern city of Nagqu. It was the largest earthquake to hit the region in five years.

Europe experienced its deadliest summer on record in 2026, with over 50,000 heat-related deaths across the continent. Italy was hardest hit. Researchers estimated that two-thirds of these deaths were directly linked to climate change intensifying the extreme heat.

Children in England are experiencing some of the sharpest increases in healthcare waiting times in NHS history, according to the Care Quality Commission's annual state of care report. More than 80,000 children and young people are waiting longer than a year for community health services – almost 11 times higher than for adults. While some adult waiting times have improved, children and young people are being hit hardest by soaring demand and falling staff numbers, with conditions getting worse and harder to treat as a result.

Four in five UK drivers are concerned about bright headlight glare affecting their driving, with one in four affected motorists planning to reduce or stop driving at night, according to RAC research. The clocks go back on Sunday, bringing earlier sunsets. A government-commissioned study confirmed that brighter modern vehicle headlights are more likely to cause glare to oncoming drivers.

Great Britain has enough gas and electricity to power the winter months despite growing reliance on overseas supplies affected by the Iran war, according to analysis from the National Energy System Operator. The electricity system is forecast to have a surplus of 5.9 gigawatts between the end of October and March next year, representing a 9.5% buffer against peak demand during cold spells, though slightly lower than last winter's 10% buffer. However, there may still be 'tight days' during winter, most likely in December or January, when the operator may need to use system notices to bring in additional generation.