From hotel suites to virtual reality, museums turn to licensing deals as costs rise 05. October 2026 (07:00) Natural History Museum and British Museum among cultural institutions leveraging collections and exhibitionsThey are often free to visit but museums are bolstering their finances by putting their stamp on everything from upmarket hotel suites to trendy jumpsuits and virtual reality experiences.Forget buying a T-shirt. If you can afford the “from £724” price tag, you can spend the night in the Natural History Museum family suite at the Park Plaza London Riverbank hotel, which has an interior inspired by the museum’s founder, Sir Richard Owen, complete with Tyrannosaurus rex bunk beds. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Skull fractures suggest servants of Egypt’s ancient kings were sacrificed 05. October 2026 (06:00) Study of remains taken from royal cemetery at Umm el-Qa’ab appears to confirm early Egyptologist’s theoryCourt officials and craftspeople serving early Egyptian kings may have been sacrificed when their ruler died, according to research that found fractures in several ancient skulls.The royal cemetery of Umm el-Qa’ab near Abydos features the tombs and enclosures of the First Dynasty rulers of Egypt, and dates as far back as 3,000BC. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ball in UK’s court: EU ambassador says Brussels will be ‘ready to engage‘ after country decides what it wants 05. October 2026 (06:00) Jukka Salovaara, who served in London during Cool Britannia era, will be ‘very close’ to negotiations as Burnham government resets relations with EUJukka Salovaara, the newly installed European Union ambassador to the UK, is likely to become a ubiquitous figure in national politics as the Andy Burnham government grapples with the question of its future relationship with the European Union.Burnham has been clearer than his predecessor Keir Starmer in saying that what exists now is not working and that a full range of options, including rejoining, has to be on the table ahead of Labour’s next election manifesto. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Exiled separatist leader is likely to return to a very different Catalonia 05. October 2026 (06:00) Nine years on from a failed independence push, former president Carles Puigdemont will find times have changedAfter years of legal wrangling, Spain’s constitutional court is expected to remove the last obstacle to the return of the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont after nearly nine years in exile this week.Puigdemont fled in 2017 to avoid being jailed for his part in the failed and illegal independence push for which nine of his colleagues were imprisoned on sentences of up to 13 years, although all were released within three years. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
One Nation to establish headquarters in multimillion-dollar Brisbane office bought by Gina Rinehart 05. October 2026 (04:35) Barnaby Joyce defends move, saying party will lease space from mining billionaire’s company at commercial ratesOne Nation celebrated stunning success in Queensland in 1998 – then it all fell apart. What happened?Listen to episode 4 of The Populist podcastGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastBarnaby Joyce has defended One Nation’s plan to move its headquarters to a multimillion-dollar Brisbane office building bought by the mining billionaire Gina Rinehart.The One Nation MP said the party’s national head office would pay the market rate to Rinehart’s company to rent the space, claiming there would be no mate’s rates. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man shot dead after crashing car and allegedly pointing gun at NSW police 05. October 2026 (03:31) Officers were responding to reports a car had driven into a tree 84km north of Yass on SundayGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man has been shot dead by police in regional New South Wales after allegedly aiming a loaded rifle at officers responding to a car crash.NSW police were responding to reports that a car had driven into a tree on a road 84km north of Yass about 2.50pm on Sunday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gillian Anderson responds to backlash after telling ‘distracting’ fans to stop sitting in front row 05. October 2026 (03:02) The actor, who is performing on the West End, was filmed telling theatre fans ‘you can’t come 20 times and sit in the front row, it’ll drive me mad’Gillian Anderson has come under fire after the actor was filmed telling a group of fans that they were “distracting” her by repeatedly sitting in the front row while she performs in London’s West End.The Sex Education and X-Files star was filmed outside the Soho Place theatre where she’s performing in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, telling a group of fans: “You guys cannot sit in the front row. I do not care; you cannot sit in the front row. It’s so distracting.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Former Bachelor star Sam Wood charged with domestic violence 05. October 2026 (02:56) Fitness influencer, 46, faces court on Monday after his arrest in Noosa at the weekendThe fitness influencer and reality TV star Sam Wood has been charged in Queensland with domestic violence offences.The personal trainer and star of the third season of reality TV show The Bachelor was charged on Sunday and spent the weekend in police custody after an alleged incident on Saturday night. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Yemen’s Saudi-backed government launches military drive to retake all Houthi-held territory 05. October 2026 (02:38) The announcement came hours after Iranian-backed Houthis reportedly cut a vital supply route to besieged city of TaizYemen’s Saudi-backed government has announced the start of a new military operation to retake all territory held by the Houthis, even as the militant group made fresh gains on the ground, reportedly encircling a government-held city.Rashad al-Alimi, the head of Yemen’s presidential council, said in a statement on Sunday: “I announce today the start of military operations to retake the remaining territories of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Brazil’s presidential race to go to second round as Flávio Bolsonaro leads incumbent Lula 05. October 2026 (02:16) Far-right challenger and son of disgraced ex-president Jair Bolsonaro will now face leftwing president in runoff voteBrazil’s presidential race will go to a second round after the far-right candidate, Flávio Bolsonaro, beat the incumbent leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, but failed to secure the outright majority he needed to avoid a runoff.With more than 99% of votes counted, the 45-year-old son of the disgraced former president, Jair Bolsonaro, had won 47.1%, meaning he will now face a 25 October showdown with his 80-year-old rival. Lula received 45%. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
