€1m Picasso painting to be won for €100 in charity raffle 13. April 2026 (06:00) Number of tickets to win Tête de Femme will be capped at 120,000 and proceeds will go to Alzheimer’s researchA raffle in France is offering the chance to win a portrait by Pablo Picasso for the price of a €100 (£87) ticket, with proceeds going to Alzheimer’s research.Picasso painted the gouache-on-paper Tête de Femme (Head of a Woman) in 1941. The raffle organisers’ online sales platform says the number of tickets will be capped at 120,000, meaning the draw could net €12m if they are all sold. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mysterious Lake District barn joins national treasures on heritage list 13. April 2026 (06:00) Officials grant Grade II* protection to ‘rare building that raises more questions than it answers’It is an elite list with some of the most significant and beautiful buildings and structures in England, including Battersea power station, Middlesbrough’s Transporter Bridge and the London Coliseum.Now the Grade II* landmarks are being joined by a mysterious, limestone rubble “barn” on a grassy knoll in the Lake District, which was most recently used as a shelter for sheep and cows. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran war could plunge 32 million into poverty, says United Nations 13. April 2026 (06:00) ‘Development in reverse’ taking place involving rising energy and food costs and weaker economic growthMore than 32 million people worldwide could be plunged into poverty by the economic fallout from the Iran war, with developing countries expected to be hit hardest.In a report issued amid doubts over a fragile ceasefire, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said the world was facing a “triple shock” involving energy, food and weaker economic growth. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Donald Trump launches extraordinary attack on Pope Leo calling him ‘weak’ and ‘terrible’ 13. April 2026 (05:31) In unprecedented attack on the leader of the Catholic church, president says the US-born pope is ‘not doing a very good job’ and is ‘a very liberal person’President Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, saying he didn’t think the US-born leader of the Catholic church is “doing a very good job” and that “he’s a very liberal person,” while also suggesting the pontiff should “stop catering to the Radical Left.”Flying back to Washington from Florida, Trump used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticise Leo, then kept it up in comments on the tarmac to reporters. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Hungary has chosen Europe’: EU leaders jubilant after Péter Magyar’s victory over Orbán 13. April 2026 (05:00) Congratulations pour in from across EU, with leaders from Spain, Poland, France, Britain, Denmark, Romania, Sweden and beyond hailing a new chapterFull report: Hungarian opposition ousts Viktor Orbán after 16 years in powerEU leaders heaped praise on Péter Magyar after his decisive election victory in Hungary against the long-serving prime minister Viktor Orbán, who many saw as a direct threat to Europe’s peace and prosperity.The outpouring reflected a deep frustration with Orbán across the EU’s 27 member states and its institutions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Susan Coyle to be first woman to lead Australian army in ‘deeply historic moment’ 13. April 2026 (04:34) Appointment part of senior defence changes as navy chief Mark Hammond promoted to chief of defence forceFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLt Gen Susan Coyle, an officer of more than three decades standing, will become the first woman to lead the Australian army.Coyle has been announced as the new chief of army, with her term beginning in July. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Viktor Orbán's Hungarian experiment runs out of steam 13. April 2026 (03:58) Péter Magyar's historic win offers peace for a country exhausted by the tensions of Viktor Orbán's rule, Nick Thorpe reports from Budapest.(BBC News)
Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja among 500 arrested at Palestine Action protest 13. April 2026 (03:29) Musician says he wanted to attend the protest despite the consequences a potential arrest could have on his music careerMassive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja has been arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation after attending a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action in central London on Saturday.Del Naja, also known as 3D, was among hundreds of fellow demonstrators in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon, holding a sign that read “I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Eric Swalwell quits California governor race after sexual assault allegations 13. April 2026 (03:08) Democratic congressman, running to replace Gavin Newsom, has faced multiple accusationsRepresentative Eric Swalwell, the Democratic frontrunner in the fiercely contested race to be governor of California, has suspended his campaign amid a series of sexual assault and misconduct allegations by a former staff member and at least three other women.The woman who worked for Swalwell said the California congressman had sexually assaulted her twice when she was too inebriated to consent, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, which was published on Friday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
