Reform UK activists squabble over Farage’s plan for £72m donations

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a review of how the organization deploys and supports peacekeeping operations during a Security Council debate in New York. • Guterres stated that current mission mandates are limited because they lack political agreements, credible ceasefires, and unity within the Security Council.

• Saudi Arabian authorities issued an emergency air raid warning in Riyadh on Saturday, September 19, 2026, after explosions were heard across the capital. • Residents received mobile phone notifications alerting them that the region was under enemy air threat following direct warnings from the Houthi movement in Yemen.

• Aid agencies reported on Friday that renewed fighting in Yemen is causing a spike in displacement as civilians flee shelling and gunfire. • The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reports that years of conflict, economic collapse, and environmental disasters have already displaced nearly 4.8 million Yemenis.

• Anti-Houthi forces in Yemen have launched an official inquiry into a sudden military collapse that led to a rapid rout. • Some politicians claim that billions of dollars were offered to persuade military forces to abandon their positions.

Much of the UK is still in drought after its hottest summer on record, but grasslands are slowly recovering their colourThe landscapes of southern England and Wales are slowly regaining their colour after this summer’s extreme heat.The UK’s hottest summer on record left the south of the country dried out and brown, making the impact of the drought particularly visual. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lib Dem leader bullish ahead of party conference despite static poll ratings and MPs’ frustrationsThe Liberal Democrats have begun work on a new manifesto in case of a possible snap election, as Ed Davey said he understood the frustrations of some of his MPs who fear that the party’s message is currently at risk of being lost.But Davey also urged his party not to panic at static polling numbers, arguing that with tactical voting and fragmented political loyalties, he fully expects the party to do even better at the next election than in 2024, when it won 72 seats, the highest total for a century. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Survivors say luxury store’s attempt to recoup money is at odds with its public acceptance of responsibilityHarrods is seeking to recover the cost of the compensation paid to hundreds of women allegedly sexually abused by Mohamed Al Fayed from his estate, the Guardian understands.The luxury department store is seeking full indemnity from the late billionaire’s estate for any settlements it is required to pay, according to evidence seen by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Thinktank calls on chancellor to end housing allowance freeze with typical two-bedroom household facing £158 week shortfall amid rent risesMore than 1.1 million low-income families in rented homes face a “cost of housing” crunch without action from John Healey in next month’s budget, the Resolution Foundation thinktank has warned.Local housing allowance (LHA) has been frozen in cash terms since autumn 2024. Continue reading...

As Gaza documentary wins cinematic acclaim, its directors face vitriol in Israel amid a febrile election campaignFirst there was a moment of stunned silence. Then, in the Sala Grande, the main screening hall of the Venice film festival within the Palazzo del Cinema, the audience stood almost as one and turned to applaud the film-makers for 25 minutes.The film the audience had watched for 80 harrowing minutes was the Gaza documentary NAZA, which has been produced by the Guardian. Continue reading...

Exclusive: In her first media interview since fleeing Russia, Rita Flores describes her three years of being run by the FSBFirst came the blackmail and death threats to secure cooperation, then came a series of tasks, each more sinister than the last: to inform on fellow activists, to elicit personal information from protest-minded artists and – eventually – to help with a plot to kidnap and murder a Kremlin enemy.That is how Rita Flores, a 29-year-old Russian artist, activist and former member of the Pussy Riot collective, described her recruitment and three-year handling by officers from Russia’s FSB security service, a cooperation she only broke when she fled the country last month. Continue reading...

Demonstrators gathered outside the building in Washington, after the president was spotted holding a placard that read: ‘Kennedy Center DEMOLIS ...’On Friday evening thousands of protesters gathered outside the Kennedy Center in view of the marble facade that remained concealed by scaffolding and tarpaulins, to protest Donald Trump’s plans for the facility and express alarm that he might make good on his threat to tear down the institution.Crowding streets in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington and locking down traffic as they walked, many carried signs, as they joined in the “Hands Around the Kennedy Center” protest. Some wore costumes and booed when the president was mentioned during the program. Continue reading...