Politics — Pete

The Guardian — Politics Sep 3 · 7 min read

‘I would rather die than return to France’: the brutal reality of the UK’s one in, one out scheme

Aso and Baran fled Iran, crossed the Channel together and were both returned to France. After risking their lives to reach Britain again, the friends found themselves facing very different fates At the end of last year, two men fled Iran. Aso and Baran* were strangers at the time. The way their stories would cross, then diverge, reveals the cruel arbitrariness of the UK asylum system in general, and the government’s controversial one in, one out scheme in particular. Before he left Iran, Aso, 28, had converted from Islam to Christianity, putting his life in imminent danger. “I had to keep my conversion to Christianity a secret,” he says. “I knew if I was caught, I risked being executed by the Iranian regime … one of my relatives, who I trusted, paid smugglers to get me out last November.” Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 3 min read

UK mortgage borrowers brace for rate jump amid global bond sell-off

Swap rates rise to three-year high as increase in oil prices leads to fears of higher inflation Business live – latest updates Homeowners in the UK are braced for a jump in mortgage rates, driven by higher inflation and interest rate increase expectations amid turmoil in the global bond markets. UK swap rates, which lenders use to price mortgages, have risen to a three-year high, as this week’s global bond market sell-off ripples through the economy. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 7 min read

Greens’ Zack Polanski to stand in byelection for Keir Starmer’s seat – UK politics live

Green party leader announces run in Holborn and St Pancras constituency in north London following the resignation of former PM Zack Polanski has confirmed that he wants to be the Green party’s candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection in an interview with the Camden New Journal – the local paper where Keir Starmer also announced he was standing down as the constituency’s MP. He said: I have lived and worked in this community over many years, I know it well and I love it It represents so many of the things that make London so special. I am so excited by the prospect of representing this place in parliament. It’s a clear fight between Labour and the Green party. We know that people are struggling – that the things we used to afford are increasingly out of reach – and this is a chance to send a very clear message that we won’t sit by as we get poorer and extreme wealth is concentrated at the very top. What voters in Holborn and St Pancras will get with me as their MP is someone totally dedicated to standing up for them. Put simply I will use my place in parliament to force the current Labour government into making life more affordable for the people who live here. Continue reading...

The Guardian — Politics Sep 3 · 1 min read

Zack Polanski to stand in Keir Starmer seat as Green party candidate

Green leader will stand for election in Holborn and St Pancras in byelection triggered by former PM’s resignation The Green party leader, Zack Polanski, has said he will stand in the byelection triggered by Keir Starmer’s resignation as MP for Holborn and St Pancras. More details soon … Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 3 min read

Guitar used by George Michael in Faith video goes up for auction

Gretsch Synchromatic 160 acoustic guitar expected to sell for as much as £120,000, as star lot in auction of items owned by late personal assistant Siobhan Bailey One of the most iconic items in George Michael’s career, the acoustic guitar he energetically strummed in the video for 1987’s Faith, is going up for auction. The guitar, a Gretsch Synchromatic 160 with a sunburst finish to the body, has an estimated sale price of £60,000-£120,000. It comes with a case featuring the words Rockabilly Rebel pasted on it – a reference to the twangy, 1950s-referencing sound of Faith, which topped the US charts for four weeks and became a foundation stone of Michael’s post-Wham! solo career. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 4 min read

New musical to give intimate portrait of Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller’s marriage

Misfits Together, by Bastille’s Dan Smith and To Kill a King’s Ralph Pelleymounter, is set amid the 1950s’ ‘red scare’ It was lampooned as the union of the “hourglass” and the “egghead” – the marriage, in the summer of 1956, between Hollywood superstar Marilyn Monroe and Pulitzer-winning playwright Arthur Miller. Now, a new stage musical is to give a nuanced and intimate portrait of that famous relationship, treat each as trailblazers in their own way and reveal parallels between the volatile state of the US during the 50s “red scare” and now. The production, which opens next autumn at Leicester’s Curve , is called Misfits Together, a reference to the film Miller wrote for Monroe that was released shortly after their divorce in 1961. It is a foray into musical theatre by two indie musicians, Dan Smith of the band Bastille and Ralph Pelleymounter from To Kill a King, who have recorded the score as a studio album. The first track, Oh America, is out on Thursday. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 6 min read

Charles Perrottet repeatedly denies taking payments from developer for political outcomes in Icac hearing

Brother of the former premier says he lied to developer Jean Nassif about doing political work for him and rejects accusation he is fabricating evidence Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Charles Perrottet has repeatedly denied taking payments from the property developer Jean Nassif to achieve political outcomes for him, telling a corruption inquiry he cannot explain a message sent after a Nassif development was refused, which said: “Charles fucked this whole thing.” Charles, the brother of former New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet, has previously told the Independent Commission Against Corruption he would lie to Nassif about doing political work for him. On Thursday, he said he may also have regularly lied to close friend Christian Ellis, who is named in Icac’s allegations. He rejected the accusation he was fabricating evidence to Icac. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 5 min read

Wife of British man at risk of deportation from Sweden calls on Burnham to intervene

Case is latest in string of post-Brexit deportations from country, which has been criticised for high refusal rate for British people to remain The wife of a British man detained by police in Stockholm on Tuesday ahead of a threatened deportation has pleaded with Andy Burnham to get involved in the Brexit catastrophe unfolding for many British citizens in Sweden. Charles, who does not want to be fully identified, and his Swedish wife, Lily, were summoned to the police station at 10am on Tuesday, where he was told he would be held at a detention centre and deported within the next two weeks. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 4 min read

Coalition plan to cut tobacco excise by 80% ‘will kill people’ Labor says amid public health alarm

Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan claim drastic cut to price of cigarettes and moves to legalise vapes will combat illicit tobacco trade Leading public health experts, the Australian Medical Association and Labor have rejected Angus Taylor’s plan to cut tobacco excise by 80%, labelling the move to curb soaring illegal cigarette sales as a backward step on tobacco control. Taylor and Nationals leader Matt Canavan on Thursday announced plans for an 80% cut to excise, as well as moves to legalise and regulate vapes and nicotine pouches. The announcement comes weeks after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson proposed a 75% cut. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 6 min read

From ‘psyops’ to ‘hysterical hysteria’: how GB News and Talk TV lost their cool in the heatwaves

Thousands of heat-related deaths in record-breaking temperatures appeared to only intensify hosts’ climate denials As the first heatwave of the record-breaking summer arrived on 23 May, GB News host Cristo Foufas was not happy : “I am sick to death of the naysayers saying firstly that we’re all going to die and that we have to put out heat alerts, because, you know, just drink some water and drink a bit less rosé in the sunshine.” “We used to call it Darwinism,” replied co-host Renée Hoenderkamp. She is a medical doctor. Continue reading...

The Guardian — US News Sep 3 · 6 min read

Columbia’s Michael Zheng comes full circle as Americans advance at US Open

Former Ivy League star wins US Open debut Shelton and Tiafoe advance to third round Pegula cruises past Kenin in 56 minutes Michael Zheng spent years making the long trek from northern New Jersey, first by bus across the Hudson River to the Port Authority bus terminal and then nearly the full length of the No 7 subway line, all for the opportunity to train at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. On a rainswept Wednesday afternoon in Queens, the destination was the same but the purpose had changed entirely. The 22-year-old American wildcard and two-time NCAA champion from nearby Columbia University brushed aside Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to win his rain-interrupted US Open debut, providing one of the more unlikely highlights on a busy day for the home contingent in New York. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 3 min read

Gang violence is not ‘out of control’ in Sydney, police minister says after two shootings in two days

Yasmin Catley says ‘we will not be surrendering our streets’ after as many as six suspected mistaken identity shootings since the start of last year The New South Wales police minister denies that gang violence is out of control in the state, despite two people being shot dead in suspected cases of mistaken identity in as many days. The police minister, Yasmin Catley, told a media conference on Thursday that while the recent deaths were unacceptable, the force had the resources they needed to tackle organised crime gangs. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 4 min read

Proportion of secondary school students in England placed in ‘internal exclusion’ almost triples in three years

Exclusive: new data shows poorer pupils and those with Send are disproportionately affected by the measure The proportion of secondary school students in England removed from class and placed in “internal exclusion” as a disciplinary measure has almost trebled in three years, according to new data. The data shows the proportion of secondary pupils removed from normal lessons went up from 5% in the 2022/2023 academic year to 13% in 2025/26 – a 160% increase. Continue reading...

The Guardian — World Sep 3 · 4 min read

‘I was never taught Welsh history’: Michael Sheen on reclaiming rebel leader Owain Glyndŵr

Actor will play 15th-century hero in sweeping production about Welsh rebellion against English crown There are myriad films, plays and books focusing on heroes of English, Scottish and Irish history but far fewer that tell the stories of the great figures of Wales. A major new play about the Welsh nobleman Owain Glyndŵr’s early 15th-century rebellion against the English crown will help redress the balance this autumn. Continue reading...