‘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)
Watch: Bangkok declared flood disaster zone 26. September 2026 (17:34) Heavy rain over the last two days has overwhelmed Bangkok's water systems, with more rain forecast on Sunday.
(BBC News)
