10 spine-chilling places to visit in Britain for Halloween

31 October 2026 at 10:00

Ghostly shipwrecks, an abandoned nuclear bunker, a haunted folly … we dare you to visit these weird and ghoulishly eerie sites

A derelict, 24-metre tall redbrick and flint folly outside Chichester, Racton Monument (known locally as Racton Ruin) is said to be one of the most haunted places in Sussex and has been the site of many paranormal investigations. George Montagu Dunk, the second Earl of Halifax, commissioned the folly, but there is no conclusive account as to why he had it built. Some say it was as a summerhouse, others a viewing point to watch ships come in from the Solent. A ghostly woman walking in the grounds and eerie sounds such as sudden manic laughter are among reported spooky happenings. Now completely gutted and roofless, it’s on private land and unsafe to enter, but still easily seen from nearby footpaths.

The cursed cruise: how the dream of never-ending luxury at sea became a nightmare

World news | The Guardian

By: Oliver Holmes in Bangkok · Daniel Boffey in London and Adeshola Ore in Melbourne

31 October 2026 at 06:00

The MV Odyssey was billed as the ultimate escape from Donald Trump. Instead, the oil shock caused by his war has left passengers unceremoniously dumped in Cambodia

The idea was a never-ending retirement at sea, a continuous voyage around the globe. The promise to the passengers of the MV Odyssey cruise ship – many approaching the autumn of their lives – was that on the open seas they could cut loose from the troubles of the world. But the world had other ideas.

The end came in an announcement as stark as it was brief: they had seven hours to get off. They were going no further than Cambodia.

The cursed cruise: how the dream of never-ending luxury at sea became a nightmare

The Guardian

By: Oliver Holmes in Bangkok · Daniel Boffey in London and Adeshola Ore in Melbourne

31 October 2026 at 06:00

The MV Odyssey was billed as the ultimate escape from Donald Trump. Instead, the oil shock caused by his war has left passengers unceremoniously dumped in Cambodia

The idea was a never-ending retirement at sea, a continuous voyage around the globe. The promise to the passengers of the MV Odyssey cruise ship – many approaching the autumn of their lives – was that on the open seas they could cut loose from the troubles of the world. But the world had other ideas.

The end came in an announcement as stark as it was brief: they had seven hours to get off. They were going no further than Cambodia.

‘Expect goosebumps!’: to celebrate Halloween, readers choose the spookiest places in the UK

The Guardian

By: Guardian readers

30 October 2026 at 10:00

From a ghostly hill fort on the South Downs to a haunted farmhouse in remote Northern Ireland, you guide us to some frightfully scary places

• Tell us about an escape in the wilds of Scotland – the best tip wins a £200 holiday voucher

Dunnottar Castle, perched on cliffs above the crashing North Sea, is one of Scotland’s eeriest places. The most haunting part is the Whigs Vault, where more than 160 prisoners were confined in dreadful conditions in 1685. Standing in that dark chamber, it’s impossible not to imagine their fear and suffering. With my Fraser ancestry, the castle’s history feels especially poignant. The names of multiple Frasers are recorded, their details written on the wall. The wind whistles through the stonework, the waves thunder below, and there’s a sense that the past hasn’t quite left. It’s beautiful, tragic and wonderfully spooky, especially beneath Aberdeenshire’s brooding grey skies.
Rosie

‘It all happened in a split-second’: survivors recount details of deadly train crash in Spain

World news | The Guardian

By: Sam Jones in Urda

28 October 2026 at 21:12

Passengers describe carriages full of seriously injured people after crash that has claimed at least 68 lives

At least 68 killed in Toledo train crash – full report

Josimar Medina woke a little before 9am on Wednesday to find himself airborne and hurtling through his carriage on the fast train from Madrid to Seville.

“I remember flying through the air and looking for my girlfriend, who was also shooting through the air,” said Medina, a 37-year-old tourist from the northern Peruvian city of Chiclayo.

Passengers stranded in Cambodia after cruise halted due to high fuel costs

World news | The Guardian

By: Marina Dunbar

28 October 2026 at 18:30

The luxury MV Odyssey ship slated for a years-long voyage around the world suspends operations amid high fuel prices

A luxury cruise ship that had embarked on a years-long voyage around the world was forced to suspend its operations and leave passengers stranded in Cambodia because of high fuel prices.

The ship, known as the MV Odyssey, had been carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members, Cambodian officials told the Associated Press. The ship has a 650-passenger capacity.