Pressure builds in Spain to deny US extradition request for leftwing donor 13. September 2026 (14:00) Key government meeting this month will consider US bid to try James ‘Fergie’ Chambers over alleged support for HamasAttorneys for James “Fergie” Chambers, the US citizen and wealthy donor to leftwing and humanitarian projects worldwide who is currently imprisoned in Madrid and sought in extradition, have submitted a brief ahead of a decisive government meeting on the case.Meanwhile, Chambers’ partner, the actor and activist Stella Schnabel, met last week with multiple members of the Spanish parliament to assert his innocence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Only slim chance target of building 1.5m homes in England will be met, minister says 13. September 2026 (13:23) Angela Rayner says manifesto pledge is not being dropped but focus is now on building council housesUK politics live – latest updatesThe government is unlikely to meet its target of building 1.5m homes in England, Angela Rayner has acknowledged, saying there was only a “slim chance” enough houses would be built before the next election.The manifesto pledge to build 1.5m houses by the next election was a “stretch target”, the communities secretary added, but said it was not being ditched and she was “definitely not giving up”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Voting under way in Sweden with far right eyeing first role in government 13. September 2026 (13:17) Party with neo-Nazi roots is in line for key ministerial positions if rightwing bloc wins the electionVoting is under way in Sweden in a high-stakes election that could lead to the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) entering government for the first time.It comes after an unusually heated and polarised campaign punctuated by personal attacks between leaders, accusations of misinformation and Maga-inspired ads. Polls suggest an extremely tight race, with one showing just 0.3 percentage points between the left and right blocs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Dover unrest exposes serious flaws in Britain’s handling of far-right extremism 13. September 2026 (13:00) Authorities were caught off guard by the disruption, which they labelled a ‘protest’ despite mass intimidation tacticsTo anybody watching the videos of a group of masked men, all wearing black, descending on the port of Dover last weekend, it was immediately obvious that something novel and disturbing was happening: a mass intimidation in uniform not seen in Britain since the 1930s.Yet to the police and the rest of the UK’s intelligence apparatus, the arrival of the men chanting “stop the boats” was a surprise, despite the fact that residents of a village 18 miles away tried to report that dozens of men were congregating there on the Friday, threatening to go to Dover and “attack Muslims”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lawyer charged over alleged insurance fraud after Hurricane Ida poised to plead guilty 13. September 2026 (13:00) Richard Huye charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in apparent scheme linked to 2021 storm aftermathThe first defendant charged in connection with an alleged major property insurance fraud scheme in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in 2021 in Louisiana appears poised to plead guilty, if federal criminal court records are any indication.Richard William Huye III, who faces a count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud while working as an attorney for Texas law firm McClenny Moseley and Associates (MMA), is scheduled to tentatively appear at a rearraignment hearing on 28 September, filings in New Orleans’s federal courthouse show. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
George Osborne calls for UK to rejoin EU customs union and boost trade 13. September 2026 (12:48) Ex-Tory chancellor says economy has ‘fallen off a cliff’ since Brexit but rejoining union could be ‘quite simple’The former chancellor George Osborne said Britain’s economy had “fallen off a cliff” since Brexit and that rejoining the European Union’s customs union would be the fastest route to recovery.Osborne, who resigned as chancellor after being part of David Cameron’s cabinet at the time of the referendum, said it was important to rebuild links with the EU. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sour times: pickled onions enjoy revival as Britons think outside the jar 13. September 2026 (12:00) With sales up 12%, pickles are moving beyond traditional role as a side to become an ingredient in their own rightThe humble pickled onion, long associated with classic pub culture, the ploughman’s lunch and cold festive buffets, is enjoying a revival as Britain’s appetite for pickles grows.About 8.5m UK households bought pickled onions over the past year, according to the consumer data firm Worldpanel by Numerator, with particularly strong momentum in recent months. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Reform’s Robert Jenrick ‘very confident’ £72m donations are ‘perfectly legal’ – UK politics live 13. September 2026 (11:41) Party’s economic spokesperson says donations are a ‘breakthrough moment’ as Labour’s Angela Rayner warns of possible retrospective actionChristopher Harborne matches £36m Reform donation of Ben DeloAnalysis: Donations of £72m make Reform’s prospects both rosier and riskierOver on Sky, Conservative Tom Tugendhat was asked if the Tories were “rattled” by the money going into Reform.He says he “welcomes people supporting political activity” in a democracy- at this point, Sky’s Rachel Johnson cuts in – “even crypto billionaires who live in Thailand?” (referring to Harbourne). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Female asylum seekers report being sexually assaulted by British men 13. September 2026 (11:14) Women say they are too fearful to pursue criminal prosecution of rapes, for fear of having their claims refusedFemale asylum seekers are reporting rapes and sexual assaults by British men but many say they are too fearful to pursue criminal prosecutions.Their voices are rarely heard but some have spoken to the Guardian at a time when the far right is intensifying tropes about endemic rape of English women and girls by “fighting age” male asylum seekers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Really helpful’: the AI bootcamps aimed at addressing UK youth unemployment 13. September 2026 (11:00) Pilot project in Preston comes with apprenticeship offer for Neets at end of three-week courseIn a youth centre opposite Preston bus station, the UK government is trying to address two of the greatest challenges facing the national economy: AI and youth unemployment.The hope is that one will solve – rather than cause – the other. In a room at the recently opened Vault, a community hub in the Lancashire city, an “AI bootcamp” is under way – part of a trial in the north-west to give 16- to 24-year-olds AI training. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
