UK minister warns of impact of Trump’s Iran war on next month’s budget 20. September 2026 (11:15) Bridget Phillipson says Burnham’s past criticisms of US president not an issue as PM prepares to meet Trump at UNNext month’s budget will be made more difficult by Donald Trump’s war with Iran, one of Andy Burnham’s cabinet ministers has said, while adding she did not expect the prime minister’s previous disparaging comments about the US president to be an issue.Burnham is expected to meet Trump early next week at the UN general assembly summit in New York, the pair having previously spoken twice by phone since Burnham entered No 10. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The gunzels’ grand final: Melbourne Tramaroos’ campaign derails at European TramDriver Championship 20. September 2026 (10:16) The Warsaw event saw 26 teams compete across a series of demanding tasks, inspired - to varying degrees - by tram drivers’ day-to-day tasksGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt’s the grand final for gunzels. But despite having one of the largest tram networks in the world, Melbourne’s Tramaroos finished second last at this year’s European TramDriver Championship, just ahead of London.The event, held in Warsaw on Saturday, saw 26 teams compete across a series of demanding tasks, inspired – to varying degrees – by tram drivers’ day-to-day work. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Victims say Home Office attempt to curtail spycops inquiry will result in a ‘cover-up’ 20. September 2026 (10:00) Shabana Mahmood is concerned about length and £144m cost of inquiry into intrusive police surveillanceVictims of intrusive police surveillance have accused the government of seeking to cut short the spycops public inquiry that has been examining widespread misconduct committed by undercover officers.The independent judge-led inquiry is scrutinising how officers, who spied on tens of thousands of political activists over more than four decades, carried out abuses such as deceiving women into sexual relationships and fathering children. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Earl Spencer says media treatment of Harry and Meghan ‘echoes’ Diana’s experience 20. September 2026 (09:55) Comments come after he accused King Charles of gaslighting him in response to claims made in new memoirEarl Spencer has said the relationship between the press and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “echoes” the way the media treated his sister Diana, Princess of Wales.In an interview with the BBC to be aired on Sunday evening, Spencer described the press’s coverage of Harry and Meghan as having a “cancerous influence”, adding it would be “beholden on people to learn from Diana’s example”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hundreds of drones target Moscow on last day of voting in Russia’s parliamentary election 20. September 2026 (08:04) Authorities accuse Ukraine of trying to disrupt poll and say 1,600 drones in total intercepted, while at least two people killed and oil refinery damagedHundreds of drones targeting Moscow and its surrounding region killed at least two people and damaged a major refinery on the final day of the country’s parliamentary elections, authorities said on Sunday.The capital’s mayor said that more than 1,600 drones had been intercepted and shot down, 450 of which were aimed at Moscow. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why China is pushing back on US warnings over rapid AI development 20. September 2026 (08:00) Beijing believes slowdown calls aim to lock in US advantage, and is pursuing a different balance between safety and paceAbout two years ago, education entrepreneur Boris But had what he calls a “penny-drop moment” – that, like countless others in China, his company needed to embrace AI before it was made obsolete by it.His clients, well-off parents looking to send their children to study overseas, had begun arriving in his office reeling off information and opinions gleaned not from rival firms, but from chatbots. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thousands of pregnant women in England are reporting domestic abuse. Midwives are struggling to cope 20. September 2026 (08:00) Exclusive: Analysis ‘lays bare’ something midwives already know from their day-to-day workAbout 20,000 disclosures of domestic abuse are estimated to be made to maternity services in England every year, analysis has found.The figures are likely to be an underestimate of the true scale of disclosures, according to experts, highlighting the role maternity professionals play in identifying abuse. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Farage says he wants to ‘hijack’ Trump’s ICE czar to help secure UK border 20. September 2026 (08:00) Reform leader also tells US event Europe should have ‘more sensible view’ of president’s administrationNigel Farage has said he wants to “hijack” Donald Trump’s hardline ICE adviser and bring him to the UK “to secure our borders”.Speaking at an event in the US, the Reform UK leader also called for Europe to take a “more sensible view” of the US president’s administration rather than seeing it as “villainous”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Chiltern Railways enters public ownership in Labour nationalisation push 20. September 2026 (08:00) Operator that runs services between London Marylebone and Birmingham is sixth to be nationalised since 2025Chiltern Railways has become the latest train operator to enter public ownership as the government closes in on its ambition to renationalise all major passenger rail services.The operator, which runs commuter rail services on the Chiltern mainline between London Marylebone and Birmingham, on Sunday became the sixth to be nationalised under Labour, with the remaining four to follow by the end of 2027. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Flip the table and rise up’: Lib Dems’ president in combative mood as party gathers in Brighton 20. September 2026 (08:00) Josh Babarinde wants to target big tech and crypto billionaires while giving power and cash back to the publicStanding outside Toynbee Hall in the East End of London, Josh Babarinde doesn’t exactly look like a rabble-rouser. But despite the well-cut suit and disarmingly large smile, the president of the Liberal Democrats is, apparently, up for a fight.“There are big modern giants that are getting in the way of people’s ability to thrive, and it is the job of Liberal Democrats to address that,” says the 33-year-old. “How are we going to do that? Well, first of all, we’ve got to flip the table over and rise up.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
