Articles

Pacific Summit No Shows Won’t Impact Albanese Visit

The prime minister will still attend a summit of Pacific nations despite several key leaders pulling out at the eleventh hour. Anthony Albanese will fly out to Palau on Monday to attend the Pacific Islands Forum at a time of growing tensions in the region. But Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale will be a no-show at the event, after a no-confidence motion was lodged against him by Home Affairs Minister Manasseh Maelanga. Australia has been in negotiations with the Solomons on a security treaty, with the hopes further negotiations could have taken place on the sidelines of the summit. Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and his Vanuatu counterpart Jotham Napat will also not be attending, with Samoan leader La’auli Leuatea Schmidt another notable absence.

Tuscany’s treasured islands: five to explore

Want to avoid the crowds in Florence and Siena? Escape to these islands, from lively Elba to tiny, car-free Giannutri

Iceland votes on resuming EU membership talks as Trump's push for neighboring Greenland looms over debate

President Donald Trump's push to acquire Greenland added a new security dimension to Iceland's EU referendum, with 275,000 eligible voters weighing in.

The president and the penthouse: how Madrid’s government spent €6.3m on a temporary ‘office’

Saga surrounding purchase for outspoken rightwing regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso refuses to go away

‘I was miserable for a lot of this century’: Stewart Lee on divorce, his adoption and the twisted children’s poem that explains his life

After a rocky few decades, the standup is nearing 60 – and finding contentment at last. But what does his grotesque retelling of The Owl and the Pussy-cat tell us about his inability to connect with people?

Arms and the £5m man: Farage megadonor Christopher Harborne’s military empire

Reform UK denies donor and crypto-billionaire’s global interests in arms and military could present a conflict of interest over its defence spending policy

‘You’re at war when you get attacked’: Mark Carney shows combative nature in face-off with Trump

The Canadian PM is one of the few world leaders to stand up to the US president. Former colleagues say they are not surprised

The Prophecy of Paul Kingsnorth

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Make your bed

Is your place crying out for some TLC? Housekeepers reveal how to keep it looking its best – and when it’s OK to let standards slip

Messina mystery: theft of Renaissance art from Sicilian museum leaves investigators baffled

How did thieves pull off robbery of Antonello da Messina’s 15th-century masterpiece – and why did they leave part of it behind?

Tom Cruise, Olivia Colman and the return of Rocky: the best films of autumn 2026

Old favourites Shaun the Sheep, Dune, Jane Austen and Godzilla join Charles de Gaulle, the Peasants’ Revolt and queer identity in Spain

Big tech goes to Hollywood: is Silicon Valley ready for a silver-screen reckoning?

Its moguls are ripe subjects for drama, and there is huge anticipation for forthcoming features The Social Reckoning and Artificial. But other projects have failed as the film industry is increasingly colonised by IT empires