Faces

Marzban, who won a best actress award for her portrayal of a woman held hostage by her father in Falling House, has received condemnations from authorities after dedicating her prize to ‘the women of Iran’An Iranian actress who won the best newcomer award at the Venice film festival has come under severe attack from the country’s authorities and state media after highlighting the plight of women in Iran in her acceptance speech.Laleh Marzban last Saturday won the best actress award in the Orizzonti sidebar competition for emerging talent, for her role in Mohsen Gharaei’s Falling House, a film revolving around three generations of women who are incarcerated in their own home by the family’s father. Continue reading...

• Persimmon shares fell 1.07% to trade at GBX1,150.50 following shifts in UK monetary policy sentiment. • Asktraders reports that easing inflation data has lowered expectations for an imminent Bank of England interest rate hike. • Lower borrowing costs may increase residential demand, which typically supports the share performance of homebuilders.

• House lawmakers returned to Washington for a four-day session to address legislation on Russia sanctions, Iran, and data center energy costs before the November midterm elections. • This session serves as the final opportunity for the House to pass major bills before members leave for campaign activities through Election Day. • The outcome of these votes will determine the immediate U.S. policy stance on foreign adversaries and the regulation of energy use for data centers.

• Reform UK is facing scrutiny over its funding sources as political opponents attempt to frame the party as a vehicle for foreign-linked donors. • The party received a record £72 million donation from crypto billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne to expand its staffing and policy work. • These overseas financial links provide an opening for centre-left leaders to use patriotism as an electoral weapon against the right.

• Saudi Arabia is struggling to balance military deterrence and diplomacy as conflict escalates with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. • The kingdom faces increasing security and economic pressures resulting from the ongoing instability in its neighboring country. • Geopolitical stability is required for Saudi Arabia to successfully host major international events, including Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

• Scott Bessent testified before Congress recently as lawmakers questioned the Treasury Department regarding its economic agenda. • Members of Congress focused their scrutiny on specific issues including inflation, national debt, and fuel prices. • The testimony highlights the political pressure on the Treasury to manage fiscal policies that directly impact consumer costs and market stability.

Reform UK’s economic spokesperson talks to Sky News and BBC after record donations Christopher Harborne matches £36m Reform donation of Ben DeloAnalysis: Donations of £72m make Reform’s prospects both rosier and riskierGood morning and welcome to the Guardian’s politics live blog in what is a fairly tumultuous period in electoral financing. To recap: In the past 48 hours, Reform UK has received a staggering sum of £72m from two crypto billionaires, the largest single donations in British political history. Christopher Harborne’s £36m donation, which he announced in the Telegraph newspaper yesterday, matches that given by another cryptocurrency investor Ben Delo on Friday.The huge injection into Reform’s coffers obviously help fund the anti-immigration party’s operations leading into the next general election, to be held by 2029. But it has also further muddied the reputation around the party’s finances and who it says it serves. Reform has pledged more crypto-friendly policies i.e. greater adoption of the unregulated currency across the UK if the party were to come into power. Continue reading...

• Swedish voters are heading to the polls in a tight contest that could move far-right parties from political isolation to coalition partners in government. • This shift follows a recent victory in Germany where the AfD party surged into first place in a state election for the first time since World War II. • The political trend reflects growing public anxiety over mass immigration and could fundamentally alter Sweden's reputation as one of Europe's most liberal nations.

• The Social Democrats are currently leading in the polls for Sweden's upcoming election, though their advantage is narrowing. • A victory for the Social Democrat-led coalition would provide a rare win for Europe's center-left political movement. • The tightening race creates uncertainty for the Swedish government's future policy direction and the broader European political landscape.

• India will host the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026. • The event will test whether the expanded and more diverse group of nations can effectively wield its political influence. • The summit represents a balancing act for India as it manages relationships between China, Russia, and Western powers.

The payments amounted to 30% of each aides’ $150,000 annual salaryDonald Trump may have committed “serious” ethical violations by giving three officials including his close personal aide Natalie Harp cash gifts of $45,000 each, according to a former White House “ethics czar”, as a watchdog group called for an investigation.The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the US Office of Government Ethics over the US president’s handouts to a handful of staff, arguing that an investigation is “clearly warranted”. Continue reading...

Bronwen James, 30, admitted offences against two girls at schools in Wiltshire and Hampshire, and found guilty of charges involving boyA former PE teacher is facing a lengthy jail sentence for grooming and sexually abusing three pupils at two schools.Bronwen James, 30, admitted offences against two girls at schools in Hampshire and Wiltshire and was found guilty by a jury of charges involving a boy. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Treasury announced a $6 billion buyback of government bonds, which caused a pullback in the bond market. • This decision disappointed investors and has led analysts to question if the European Central Bank will follow a similar policy path. • The outcome of these central bank decisions directly affects the valuation and stability of the Euro against other global currencies.

• India is attempting to build consensus among member nations at the BRICS summit to overcome deep global divisions. • Harsh V Pant of the Observer Research Foundation notes that India will prioritize the developmental challenges of the Global South to foster unity. • The outcome determines whether BRICS maintains its credibility as a representative bloc for emerging economies or succumbs to internal rifts.

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is pushing unpopular economic reforms after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won a landslide victory in a regional election. • Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the result a historic win that will put migration under control. • The victory creates a high probability of the first far-right state government in Germany, signaling a shift in the political landscape of Europe's largest economy.

• The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won a landslide victory in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt this past Sunday. • The party has remained excluded from state and federal governments for 13 years due to a political "firewall" against cooperating with anti-immigrant groups. • This victory puts pressure on the German chancellor as the AfD establishes itself as a dominant political force in eastern Germany.

Hamza Chowdhury says most of his fellow Green Camden councillors back him to contest 8 October byelectionUK politics live – latest updatesZack Polanski is facing unexpected opposition from his own party in his attempt to fight the Holborn and St Pancras byelection for the Greens, with a local councillor saying he is also seeking the nomination, and that the seat does not need “a politician you’ll only see on a leaflet”.The intervention by Hamza Chowdhury, a Green representative on Camden council in north London, came as the date for the byelection was confirmed for 8 October, after Keir Starmer’s formal resignation as an MP. Continue reading...

Protest using 10 coffins to symbolise struggling manufacturing industry to take place in BrusselsJob losses in EU manufacturing will rapidly increase unless Brussels stops the “colonisation” of industry by Chinese component manufacturers, a leading industry trade body has warned.Eurometal predicts 300,000 job losses in manufacturing in the rest of 2026 because of expanding competition from China, which is now enjoying a record €1bn-a-day trade surplus with the bloc. Continue reading...

Queensland capital forecast to hit 34C with local fire bans issued for Ipswich and Lockyer Valley, while Sydney sees reprieve from record heatGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastEarly spring fire bans have been put in place as Australia’s eastern states reckon with unseasonably hot conditions for the start of the season.The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) warned of unseasonal heat in the low to mid-30s in north-eastern New South Wales and south-east Queensland. Continue reading...

Bangladeshi complainants allege Rampal power station’s pollution and climate risks threaten the Sunderbans, a world heritage siteBarclays Bank is facing a formal complaint over its financial links to a coal-fired power station near the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest and home to millions of people in Bangladesh and India.Three complainants from the region have submitted a case to the UK government’s Office for Responsible Business Conduct, alleging that the British bank breached international guidelines by underwriting companies involved in the emission-heavy Maitree super thermal power project, also known as the Rampal power plant. Continue reading...

Reform leader said inquiry had been widened but watchdog is not believed to have decided whether to do soNigel Farage is facing questions about why he claimed his finances were the subject of a second standards investigation, as he was sworn in again as Clacton’s MP.The Reform UK leader said when he resigned in July that the standards system had become a “political tool” because “yet another standards investigation is under way” into his finances. Continue reading...

Tyler Robinson has not yet entered a plea, but should a judge find probable cause, an arraignment could followSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailNearly a year after Charlie Kirk was shot dead at a Utah university, a judge on Tuesday is expected to rule ⁠on whether the Utah ⁠man accused of ​killing the conservative activist will stand trial and whether he should face the death penalty.At a 10 am hearing in Provo, Utah, judge Tony Graf ⁠will decide whether there is sufficient evidence to try Tyler Robinson, 23, and allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty for the murder of one of the US ⁠right’s most prominent figures. Continue reading...

Rollback of ‘roadless rule’ expected to benefit companies US Forest Service chief, Tom Schultz, previously lobbied forDonald Trump this month announced plans to rescind a landmark rule that has protected old-growth forests in the US for 25 years. If finalized, the rollback is expected to benefit the companies that Tom Schultz, chief of the US Forest Service, represented in his previous roles as a timber industry lobbyist and executive, according to research by consumer advocacy non-profit Public Citizen.The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, more commonly known as the “roadless rule”, was adopted in 2001 to limit development in roughly 45m acres of national forest. Industry interests and Republican representatives have long lobbied for the rule’s rescission, which would open up those swaths of untouched land to road construction, drilling and logging. Continue reading...

• U.S. lawmakers are preparing for a busy fall legislative session as they navigate critical deadlines before the upcoming election cycle. • Congress is expected to pass necessary funding measures to avert a government shutdown, ensuring continued federal operations. • This period is critical as political tensions rise ahead of the campaign trail, making bipartisan cooperation essential for budget approvals.

• The U.S. Congress is scheduled to return to session next week to address a significant backlog of pending legislation. • Political analyst Loren Duggan notes that lawmakers facing upcoming re-election bids may struggle to support controversial bills due to political risks. • This tension highlights a growing difficulty in passing key laws as members prioritize their electoral viability over legislative compromise.

Smartglasses with cameras can benefit the vision impaired but companies might pit ‘accessibility benefits against safety and privacy’, eSafety saysFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s online safety regulator has urged smartglasses companies to automatically blur people’s faces filmed on the devices, and make it clearer when someone is filming, as the federal government faces pressure to ban the technology.In advice to industry published on Monday, the office of the eSafety commissioner warned that while smartglasses with cameras, such as Meta’s Ray-Ban, can offer accessibility benefits to low vision or blind people, companies might pit “accessibility benefits against safety and privacy considerations”, and noted there was already a backlash to the technology. Continue reading...

The ‘alt-right’ agitator and former Trump backer deported from US is said to be too extreme for GB News and ReformAs he arrives back in the UK after being deported from the US by the Trump administration, the far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos may be wondering what lies ahead for him in his native country.The “alt-right” agitator, 41, made his name in the US by promoting Donald Trump and associating with his allies before the 2016 election. Continue reading...

Breakdown recovery group’s private equity owners reportedly in talks with various suitors to sell companyGermany-based financial services company ⁠Allianz is considering a £5bn takeover swoop for AA, ⁠the breakdown ⁠recovery ​group, Sky News has reported.Allianz is ‌one of a small number of parties holding talks with advisers to the AA about a deal, Sky News said, adding that ‌the private equity outfit EQT was another bidder. Continue reading...