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Germany’s far-right AfD says ‘democracy demands’ parties work with them after state election win
Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has claimed a historic win in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt and is now pushing other parties to co-operate with it, arguing that “democracy demands” they do so. Preliminary results give the AfD 43.8% of the vote, leaving it three seats short of an outright majority, and it is…
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More Labour councils chaos as Angela Rayner halts controversial shake-up of local authorities amid legal challenges
Angela Rayner, in her new role as Communities Secretary, has halted Labour’s contentious reorganisation of English local councils, throwing the process into fresh disarray after several authorities launched or threatened legal challenges. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it was withdrawing decisions already made in some areas and pausing others while it…
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Pretending to be gay, false domestic abuse claims and faking relationships with their prime minister’s daughter: The ‘scripts’ migrants are using to claim asylum in Britain
A former Home Office whistleblower has claimed that only one in 100 asylum seekers in Britain has a genuine case, alleging that many applications follow repeated “scripts” designed to game the system. These include hundreds of Iraqi Kurds allegedly claiming relationships with the same daughter of the Kurdish prime minister, Pakistani men submitting matching accounts…
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Queen of the Civil Service: Andy Burnham ‘to give top official Antonia Romeo new powers to overrule Whitehall departments’
Andy Burnham is reportedly set to grant his Cabinet Secretary, Dame Antonia Romeo, expanded legal powers to direct permanent secretaries across Whitehall departments, according to a report in The Times. The move would mark a significant centralisation of authority in the civil service, addressing long-standing complaints from prime ministers about their limited ability to push…
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Lumière Summit establishes shared cinema standards and Korea fund
The Lumière Summit, held on 7 September 2026 at the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, concluded with countries and screen-industry bodies adopting five declarations covering artificial intelligence, piracy, gender equality, image education and environmental sustainability. Opened by President Emmanuel Macron, the gathering also launched the IRIS independent cinema initiative and announced a $1.16 billion France-Korea…
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Kenya minister warns foreigners against ‘misusing’ visas to trade
Kenya’s trade ministry has warned foreign nationals that entering the country without a visa does not entitle them to work, as President William Ruto’s government pushes ahead with a crackdown on unlicensed small businesses run by foreigners. The deadline set by Ruto for such traders to stop operating fell today, prompting Burundi’s embassy in Kenya…
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Wildfires ravage Borneo, Trump’s new hair colour sparks buzz, OpenAI faces newspaper copyright suit
Volunteer firefighters battle Borneo’s wildfires while Trump’s hair colour and a Portland Thorns transphobia row grab US headlines; plus OpenAI/Microsoft face a newspaper lawsuit, stately homes turned cannabis farms, HBO Max’s 25th and a wildcat’s press-up marathon.
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Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s husband dies
Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has died while receiving treatment at a hospital in Zanzibar, officials have announced. Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi said he had been suffering from a heart condition, and that funeral arrangements are under way in the village of Kizimkazi. Ameir, an agricultural academic who kept a low…
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UK cyber bill excludes personal liability for executives despite peers’ demands
Peers in the House of Lords have pressed the UK government to explain why the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill does not allow regulators to hold senior executives personally liable when compliance failures involve their consent, negligence or connivance. Baronesses Kidron and Ludford backed amendments to impose personal civil liability and formal board-level responsibility for…
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France Launches Global Initiatives to Support Independent Cinema and Establish Framework for Alliance of State Film Commissions: Lumiere Summit
France has launched a new global initiative called IRIS (International Resilience Initiative for Independent Screens) to support independent cinema worldwide, unveiling it on Monday at the Lumiere Summit in Saint Paul de Vence. Backed by an array of leading filmmakers including Jane Campion, Pedro Almodóvar, Wim Wenders and Jafar Panahi, the scheme aims to strengthen…