Greek authorities seek answers after six killed in Athens apartment block explosion 26. September 2026 (18:54) Emergency teams discovered victims after two-storey building in historic Plaka district collapsed ‘in seconds’Greek authorities say they are trying to discover what caused a two-storey apartment block in the heart of ancient Athens to collapse “in a matter of seconds”, killing six people.Emergency teams found the victims, including four American tourists, on Saturday, more than 24 hours after the early morning explosion in the historic Plaka district. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I can deliver’: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conference 26. September 2026 (18:35) Exclusive: UK prime minister says delivering fiscal stability would be ‘crucial’ to be able to fix bigger problemsAndy Burnham has said he can deliver on his promise of radical change for the country despite severe economic headwinds, telling the Guardian: “There’s always things you can do; it’s just whether you’re prepared to do them.”The prime minister acknowledged public finances were “challenging” ahead of next month’s budget but said delivering fiscal stability would be “crucial”, because only then would the government be able to focus on fixing bigger problems. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andy Burnham announces new homes scheme for first-time buyers 26. September 2026 (18:19) Exclusive: Policy initiative for England will help more young people on to property ladder, prime minister tells GuardianA new help-to-buy scheme aimed at giving first-time buyers who cannot rely on the “bank of mum and dad” is to be introduced in a big policy announcement by Andy Burnham.The programme, called “Your first home”, is intended to help buyers in England who have a regular income but have been unable to save for a large deposit or don’t have financial support from their family. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ranulph Fiennes’ stepson appeals for funds to ‘locate and safeguard’ the explorer 26. September 2026 (18:15) Alexander Millington-Cotes is concerned for welfare of the 82-year-old, who hasn’t been seen in public for two yearsThe stepson of Sir Ranulph Fiennes has launched a crowdfunder to pay for “specialist legal advice” in an attempt to locate the explorer, who hasn’t been seen in public for more than two years.Alexander Millington-Cotes, 31, has set a target of £55,000 for the fundraiser, to enable him to instruct lawyers to “locate and safeguard” Fiennes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US strikes on Ecuadorian fishing boats raise humanitarian concerns but Trump admin not wavering 26. September 2026 (18:00) Attorney says fishers ‘losing their livelihoods’, but Marco Rubio maintains US still willing to ‘blow up ships if need be’While the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, was being decorated in Quito by Ecuador’s president for “helping to promote peace in the region”, 10 Ecuadorian fishers whose boat had been blown up by US forces were adrift in the eastern Pacific.On 8 September, a day before Rubio arrived, a US patrol vessel intercepted the fishing boat Don Rufo in international waters near Ecuador. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pope Leo celebrates open-air mass before 700,000 people in Paris 26. September 2026 (17:50) Crowds line Place de la Concorde on second day of pontiff’s first official papal visit to France in 18 yearsHundreds of thousands of people lined the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris on Saturday to attend an open-air mass with Pope Leo, on the second day of his visit to France.The Vatican estimated 700,000 people turned out for the outdoor mass with the 71-year-old American pope – about 100,000 more than the number of people who had registered to attend. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California man charged in the killing of his ex-wife – two decades after she vanished 26. September 2026 (17:28) Authorities discovered a body hidden in a home’s crawlspace in 2020, 13 years after Jill Maiorca disappearedA man was recently charged in California with the killing of his ex-wife six years after her remains were discovered in a crawlspace beneath a home – and about two decades after when she went missing, according to investigators.Jeff Maiorca, 53, faces a charge of murder in the death of Jill Maiorca, who was 29 when she was killed, authorities said in discussing what could be one of the latest cases in the US to be solved with modern DNA techniques. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jill Dando murder: technological advances allow police to review CCTV 27 years later 26. September 2026 (17:15) BBC broadcaster was shot in 1999 in case detectives have previously said may never be solvedTechnological advances are allowing police to review old CCTV footage in the unsolved murder of the BBC broadcaster Jill Dando, Scotland Yard has revealed.Advances in CCTV enhancement technology have allowed detectives to return to 27-year-old footage of Putney Bridge Underground station, Scotland Yard said. But detectives stressed that the review was part of existing inquiries – not a new investigation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pennsylvania measles outbreak spreads, with 55 new cases reported since Wednesday 26. September 2026 (16:10) 173 people hospitalized and four deaths in state so far, with less than 1% of those infected having been vaccinatedThe Pennsylvania department of health (DOH) announced on Friday that 55 new measles cases had been reported in the state since Wednesday, with officials continuing efforts to contain an outbreak of the disease that has spread across dozens of counties.In a news release, the DOH said that 890 measles cases had been confirmed across 39 counties in the state so far for the year. The outbreak had resulted in 173 hospitalizations in the state and four measles-associated deaths, the statement added. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Power outages and flooded roads as major storm bears down on US north-east 26. September 2026 (15:35) Thousands already without without power as New Jersey, Massachusetts, Delaware and New York brace for nor’easterMore than 70,000 customers were without electricity in the north-eastern US on Saturday, a major sign of a powerful storm known as a nor’easter that was expected to create dangerous conditions through the weekend.Forecasters warned of gale winds that could down trees and heavy inundations that could flood roads. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
