Work intensifying on UK laws to stamp out concert ticket touts, say sources 26. September 2026 (13:00) Artists including Tinie Tempah and the Smiths’ drummer Mike Joyce ramp up pressure on government to keep its pledge to outlaw for-profit resalesThe government has stepped up work on new laws to stop ticket touts fleecing fans, as the prime minister came under pressure from artists including the drummer from the Smiths, one of his favourite bands.Keir Starmer said last year that the government would “stop fans from being ripped off” by outlawing the for-profit resale of tickets on sites such as Viagogo and StubHub, a pledge Labour first made in its 2024 election manifesto. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
We followed five people in Gaza from dawn to dusk – this is what the headlines don’t tell us 26. September 2026 (13:00) Behind the stories of bombings and mass deaths, the everyday challenges facing Palestinians living under siege portray a quieter tragedy we rarely hear What does it take to make a morning cup of tea in Gaza?For Alaa Hessi, in her final month of pregnancy, this small ritual begins with a calculation of gas rations. Her family gets a ration of 6kg of gas every three months – enough to heat a pot for 18 precious minutes a day. That’s needed for cooking – so for tea, a fire must be built instead. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thomas Jefferson letter goes on the market – containing a prescient warning for Trump today 26. September 2026 (13:00) Third US president wrote in 1787 about importance of peace, paying off debt and supporting agricultureA remarkably prescient letter written by Thomas Jefferson, the third US president, advising how the newly created country could prosper, has been put up for sale by a private collector. The handwritten document from 1787 warns specifically against many of the missteps Donald Trump has taken to drag down his own second term of office.Written in Paris, where Jefferson was the fledgling government’s minister to France, the note to David Rittenhouse, a friend and fellow member of the American Philosophical Society, muses on the priorities and principles he believed future presidents should follow. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
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)
Rare sale of David Hockney painting of beloved dog Stanley could fetch £2.5m 26. September 2026 (09:00) Exclusive: Dog Painting 17 is believed to be one of only six of works from Dog Series in private hands and first to be auctionedDavid Hockney adored his dachshunds Stanley and Boodgie and let them run riot – so much so that after one had an accident in the LA home of the actor Dennis Hopper, the painter is said to have quipped: “It’ll be dry in the morning, luv, and you can just pick it up.”But Hockney did not just indulge his four-legged companions, he treated them as portrait subjects for a series of paintings, one of which is to be sold by Christie’s. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I felt shame’: former BA worker locked in legal battle after losing job of 30 years 26. September 2026 (09:00) Cabin crew worker was among thousands of staff laid off during pandemic in what MPs called a ‘national disgrace’During a 30-year career as a member of British Airways’ cabin crew, Tess De Mello took pride in a job well done, saying she regularly went above and beyond to make passengers more comfortable. To her, the role was more than just employment – it was part of her identity.“I took pride,” she said. “I really took pride in myself, I took pride in my role, I took pride in everything because it was everything I wanted to be.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘The weaker he gets, the more dangerous he gets’: Trump lashes out as his power wanes 26. September 2026 (08:00) Trump tries to dominate at the UN as his approval ratings plummet and even some Republicans stray from the scriptDonald Trump stood before the United Nations on Tuesday and threatened to “annihilate” Iran. Yet even as the most powerful man on the planet flexed his military muscles, he was powerless to keep the gravitational pull of domestic politics at bay.Heading into the UN building in New York, the US president was questioned by Kaitlan Collins, an anchor at CNN, which he had banned from the White House before a judge ruled against him. “I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me,” the 80-year-old snapped. “You should not be here covering me.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
