Parents face childcare 'postcode lottery' as more schools extend October half-term break

The Independent - Oct 19, 2026

More schools are moving to a two-week break in October, a new survey has revealed

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Netanyahu basks in Trump endorsement week before election
Oct 20, 2026
Netanyahu basks in Trump endorsement week before election

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday basked in Donald Trump's endorsement days before close-fought elections, airing a call in which the U.S. president predicted he would win and suggested they may again attack Iran together. A day after Trump publicly endorsed Netanyahu for the October 27 vote, Netanyahu put out a video of a telephone call in which the two right-wing leaders lavish praise on each other. "I think you're going to have a tremendous victory, actually," Trump can be heard saying on speakerphone. "You're the man I want by my side, Bibi," Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. Netanyahu — while reminding the famously loose-lipped president that they were on an open line — hailed Trump for joining Israel in attacking Iran in late February. "Donald, we have a job to finish," a beaming Netanyahu said. "We'll finish it together. We'll finish it, and no one else will do it." Netanyahu did not elaborate but again described Iran's clerical state, which remains in power nearly eight months after the joint attack, as "the greatest danger." Net

US highlights quantum technology cooperation with S. Korea, other partners
Oct 20, 2026
US highlights quantum technology cooperation with S. Korea, other partners

WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department on Monday highlighted cooperation with South Korea and other partners on quantum technology, underscoring the importance of joint research, secure supply chains and international standards in the emerging strategic industry. The department's Bureau of Economic Affairs said in a post on X that Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Adam Cassady and Brad Blakestad of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy led a U.S. delegation to the sixth Quantum Development Group (QDG) meeting held in South Korea. "Quantum will reshape how we secure communications, discover new medicines, and strengthen our economy. Who sets the rules matters," the department said. It said the U.S. delegation worked with trusted partners on research, supply chains and standards during the meeting, highlighting Washington's efforts to shape the global development of quantum technologies. "By investing in American ingenuity, the United States is making sure quantum breakthroughs strengthen our security, grow our economy, and create high-paying jobs at

France announces curfews in Paris, other cities
Oct 20, 2026
France announces curfews in Paris, other cities

PARIS — France announced partial curfews in Paris and other cities on Monday after weekend demonstrations over soaring prices degenerated into some of the worst street violence in recent years. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu did not rule out imposing a state of emergency after the interior minister said police had "lost control." Tourists in Paris had a taste of the disruption on Monday when they found the Louvre closed because of a small group of student protesters. Facing accusations that it failed to anticipate and respond to the violence, the government has vowed to re-establish order, while officials scrambled to contain public anger. The unrest, erupting just six months before France elects a successor to President Emmanuel Macron, threatened to continue, with organisers calling for a new round of protests next Saturday. Authorities said partial curfews would be enforced from Monday evening to Tuesday morning in a number of cities including Paris, Lille and Lyon, to protect businesses. In the capital, a curfew was ordered from 11:00 pm (2100 GMT), while demonstrations were banned

Nasdaq climbs as chip and AI-linked stocks bounce back
Oct 20, 2026
Nasdaq climbs as chip and AI-linked stocks bounce back

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite led Wall Street gains on Monday as investors returned to the chip sector and other AI-related stocks following last week's bruising selloff, while investors waited for key corporate earnings reports. The benchmark S&P 500 and Nasdaq had posted their biggest weekly drop since late June on Friday, as concerns that higher interest rates could curb investments in AI infrastructure weighed on technology stocks, particularly data center operators. The selloff reflected mounting investor unease over how the costly AI build-out will be financed, a question that has increasingly pressured companies underpinning the U.S. bull market, which recently marked its fourth anniversary. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index was last up about 2 percent, putting it on course to snap an eight-day losing streak in which it fell about 15.7 percent for its longest run of declines since October 2008. "Rubber bands can only stretch so far in one direction before they snap and start reversing, and you finally saw that enough-is-enough moment in the semiconductors after Friday's close

US ties with Ukraine hit new low as Trump slights Zelenskyy and eases up on Russia
Oct 20, 2026
US ties with Ukraine hit new low as Trump slights Zelenskyy and eases up on Russia

WASHINGTON — The U.S.-Ukraine alliance is careening toward a possible breaking point, with Moscow strengthened by President Donald Trump's recent rejection of new Russia sanctions and Kyiv undermined by disruptions in satellite support for its drones during the war. Trump's relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has always been a moving target , while the Republican president has frequently boasted of his rapport with Russian leader Vladimir Putin . But relations between the U.S. and Ukraine appear to be at a new low, threatening to tip the balance of the war to Russia's favor and imperil America's security interests across the globe. “At this moment in time, things look blacker than they ever had regarding this administration’s policy towards Russia and Ukraine,” said John Herbst, a former ambassador to Ukraine under President George W. Bush and now a scholar with the Atlantic Council. Trump has been lobbing insults at Zelenskyy for over a week and turning to policies that benefit Putin, while Ukraine's president has said he feels betrayed and worries for his

Kenyan cult leader guilty on all charges over 191 starvation deaths
Oct 20, 2026
Kenyan cult leader guilty on all charges over 191 starvation deaths

MOMBASA, Kenya — A self-proclaimed Kenyan preacher and his associates were on Monday found guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult in an infamous starvation cult. Hundreds of bodies have been discovered since 2023 at the cult base inland from the Kenyan beach resort of Malindi, in what became known as the "Shakahola Forest Massacre". Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie was alleged to have incited his acolytes to starve to death in order to "meet Jesus". He was impassive in the open-air Mombasa courtroom as he and 28 others were found guilty of murder. "I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved the case against all the 29 accused persons for the murder of 190 children and one adult," judge Diana Kavedza Mochache said. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions welcomed the "momentous" verdict, with director Renson Ingonga telling reporters: "Getting a conviction of such counts...is not something that comes that easily". In the three years since the grisly discovery, more bodies of children, women and men have been unearthed, bringing the total to well over 400. Mackenz

Trump approval falls to record low of 31% as midterms near, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Oct 20, 2026
Trump approval falls to record low of 31% as midterms near, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's approval rating fell to a record low as Americans worried about high gasoline prices and appeared ready to punish his Republican Party in the November 3 congressional elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday. Some 31% of Americans approve of Trump's performance in office, down a percentage point from two weeks earlier and the lowest level in either of his presidential terms, the four-day poll showed. Asked which party they would vote for if the congressional elections were held today in what is known as a "generic ballot" question, some 47% of registered voters in the nationwide poll picked Democrats and 35% chose Republicans. The 12-point Democratic advantage was the widest over the current election cycle and could bolster Democratic hopes of seizing control of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. For Republicans, losing control of either chamber could complicate Trump's agenda in the last two years of his term. Generic ballot polls are national polls that provide an overall view of which party poll responde

US orders removal of China's DeepSeek products from federal civilian agencies
Oct 20, 2026
US orders removal of China's DeepSeek products from federal civilian agencies

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove products developed by Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepSeek from their information technology systems and barred them from procuring such products, according to a federal notice released Monday. The order, detailed in a notice scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, applies to information technology products and services developed by Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Co. and its affiliated entities. The restrictions also cover third-party products and services developed using DeepSeek implementations. The department said the order was issued under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018 following a review of a recommendation by the Federal Acquisition Security Council and related evidence. The order applies to federal civilian agency IT systems and procurements, rather than imposing a general ban on the use of DeepSeek products by private businesses or individuals in the United States. The South Korean government also

France in turmoil: What might follow a weekend of riots?
Oct 19, 2026
France in turmoil: What might follow a weekend of riots?

Elections next year will see President Emmanuel Macron step down after a decade in power. The unrest is likely to give a boost to far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, the frontrunner in polls who has long talked tough on law and order.

Morocco's first female prime minister caught between the king, clerics, and feminists
Oct 19, 2026
Morocco's first female prime minister caught between the king, clerics, and feminists

Will Fatima El Mansouri advance women’s rights amid religious and political barriers?

Louvre closed and curfews imposed as France cracks down after protest violence
Oct 19, 2026
Louvre closed and curfews imposed as France cracks down after protest violence

The French government has not ruled out the possibility of imposing of a state of emergency.

Makeup for grey hair: 6 expert tips to brighten your complexion and look your best
Oct 19, 2026
Makeup for grey hair: 6 expert tips to brighten your complexion and look your best

Your trusty lipstick suddenly looks too strong and your complexion seems a little washed out. Makeup artists explain why going grey can change your beauty game – and the simple tweaks that will bring your face back to life.

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