Trump reportedly rejects Iran’s seven-day peace deal to reopen strait of Hormuz 26. September 2026 (11:31) Tehran awaits official response to plan, but US president is said to expect renewed strikes after midtermsIran is awaiting an official US response to its proposal to reopen the strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the Middle East war as Donald Trump was reported to have rejected the deal.Iran raised the diplomatic initiative at the UN general assembly in New York, saying it had been transmitted to the Americans via Qatari mediators and could reopen the strategic waterway and put an end to hostilities in the region within seven days. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Severely disabled young people should get fast-track access to benefits, Milburn says 26. September 2026 (11:00) Alan Milburn said 16- to 24-year-olds with most complex needs should not have to keep proving they cannot workYoung people whose complex disabilities mean they have little prospect of getting a paid job should get fast-track access to disability benefits, an official review of youth employment will say.The review, by the former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn, will say 16- to 24-year-olds with the most severe lifelong needs should be guaranteed swift and unconditional benefit support rather than having to prove they cannot work. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Three-quarters of UK’s popular plug-in hybrid cars unable to use rapid chargers 26. September 2026 (11:00) Only 26% of PHEVs sold across top 20 models can use chargers with power of 50kW or more, analysis findsThree-quarters of the 20 top-selling plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the UK cannot use rapid chargers, research has found, amid concerns that many are essentially “petrol cars pulling round a heavy battery”.The cars, which can run on electric batteries as well as combustion engines, have been promoted by carmakers as a way to cover long distances in a single drive – unlike fully electric cars – while still reducing emissions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lula bans fixed-odds sports betting a week before Brazilian elections 26. September 2026 (09:58) President’s ‘hard, drastic and necessary measure’, likely to attract widespread public support, polls suggestThe Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has signed an order banning fixed-odds sports betting just over a week before the first round of the presidential election, in a move he said was designed to tackle the pervasive problem of families falling into debt.The decision ends the operation, offering, intermediation and advertising of betting. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
