4 h. ago Hostage review – five hours of fast, furious fun, featuring Suranne Jones as prime minister

Kidnappings, terrorists, blackmail: this globetrotting political thriller is a rollicking, propulsive yarn and its take on female leaders is deeply refreshingYou know how it is. One moment you’re on a romantic walk in the woods with your saintly, supportive husband as he convinces you to stand for election as prime minister, the next you are that prime minister (with the shorter but still flattering haircut to prove it). You’re knee-deep in a cancer drug supply crisis and about to meet with the French president who alone can solve your problem, when news arrives that your saintly, supportive husband – who is, of course, a doctor with Doctors Without Borders – and his team have been abducted by unknown terrorists in French Guiana. What is a Suranne Jones with a Netflix budget behind her to do?That is the set-up from which five punchy hours – Hostage fully swerves the curse of streamer-bloat – of great, globetrotting fun proceeds. Jones is the no-nonsense (in a good way, not a Thatche...

Politics

5 h. ago Suranne Jones: How the punky soap star became one of Britain’s greatest actors

From a 19th-century lesbian in ‘Gentleman Jack’ to an under-pressure PM in ‘Hostage’, Jones inhabits women who go through the wringer in their determination to make themselves heard, writes Claire Allfree

Politics

6 h. ago Angela Rayner hit with legal challenge over datacentre on green belt land

Exclusive: Campaigners complain no environmental assessment made for 90MW Buckinghamshire facility The deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, has been hit with a legal challenge after she overruled a local council to approve a hyperscale datacentre on green belt land by the M25 in Buckinghamshire.Campaigners bringing the action are complaining that no environmental impact assessment was made for the 90MW datacentre, which was approved as part of the Labour government’s push to turn the UK into an AI powerhouse by trebling computing capacity to meet rising demand amid what it terms “a global race” as AI usage takes off. Continue reading...

Events

8 h. ago New Zealand to spend $3bn upgrading helicopters and ‘embarrassing’ defence planes

Government says country will buy five Seahawk helicopters and two Airbus A321XLR aircraftNew Zealand will spend nearly NZ$3bn ($1.7bn) upgrading its ageing defence fleet, including replacing its “embarrassing” planes that have left multiple prime ministers grounded during international travel, the government has announced.The defence minister, Judith Collins, said NZ$2bn would be spent buying five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and another $700,000 to buy two Airbus A321XLR aircraft. Continue reading...

Economics

10 h. ago Israel calls up 60,000 reservists with invasion of Gaza's largest city imminent

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli military to prepare for a major ground assault on Gaza City, where almost half of the territory's displaced residents are now sheltering

Politics

12 h. ago Majority of public back housing and developments in their area – poll

The research found that Labour backers (72%) and young people aged 25-34 (67%) were most likely to be ‘Yimby’ (yes in my backyard).

Politics

20 h. ago Japan proposes 'economic zone' linking Indian Ocean to Africa, seeks greater role in the region

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has proposed an economic zone linking the Indian Ocean to Africa

Economics

20 h. ago National Trust among charities warning Keir Starmer they face being 'crippled' by new consumer rights rules

In a letter to the Prime Minister, the charities outlined how provisions under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act might see them lose out on critical funding.

Events

22 h. ago What could US and European security guarantees look like for Ukraine?

British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has met with 30 international leaders to discuss the next steps for ensuring Ukraine’s security

Events

23 h. ago Government’s deal with Iraq to return illegal migrants will ‘deter small boat arrivals’, says Starmer – UK politics live

Prime minister says ‘strengthened partnership with Iraq will secure our borders’ as more councils in England plan to challenge asylum hotelsTrain fares in England are now expected to rise by a higher-than-expected 5.8% next year, causing concern among passenger groups.Rail ticket increases are usually calculated by adding one percentage point to July’s inflation reading on the retail prices index (RPI), which came in 0.2 points above forecasts on Wednesday at 4.8%. Continue reading...

Politics

24 h. ago Israel to call up 50,000 reservists before planned offensive on Gaza City, says Israeli military official – Middle East crisis live

Call-up notices sent as Israeli plans to increase its offensive; Israel studies Hamas’ response to proposal for 60-day ceasefireGood afternoon, Israel will call up 50,000 reservists before a planned offensive to take Gaza City but most forces that would operate in the Gaza Strip’s largest urban centre would be active duty soldiers, an Israeli military official said on Wednesday. The call-up notices could be sent in the coming days, with reservists to report for duty in September, the military official said.“Most of the troops that will be mobilised in this new stage will be active duty and not reservists,” said the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday that he treats leaders of other countries with respect after his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu attacked him over his decision to recognise a Palestinian state. “I don’t take these things personally, I engage with people diplomatically. He has had similar t...

Events

26 h. ago Migrant returns deal struck with Iraq in latest bid to deter small boat Channel crossings

The agreement signed during a visit to the UK by Iraq’s deputy prime minister will allow for the ‘swift’ return of failed asylum seekers.

Economics

29 h. ago Netanyahu brands Australia's Albanese 'weak' over Palestinian state recognition

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed accusations from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the Australian leader a "weak politician" for recognizing a Palestinian state

Politics

33 h. ago Australian minister says ‘strength not measured by how many people you can blow up’ as row with Netanyahu escalates

Australian home affairs minister’s criticism comes after Israeli prime minister calls Anthony Albanese a ‘weak politician who betrayed Israel’Netanyahu lashes out at AlbaneseFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s government has rejected Benjamin Netanyahu’s incendiary criticism and accused some Israeli politicians of “bigoted” views about Palestinians as the extraordinary political fight between the two nations turns uglier.The home affairs minister, Tony Burke – whose refusal of a travel visa for the far-right Knesset member Simcha Rothman stoked criticism from Jerusalem – backed in his decision and criticised the Israeli prime minister over the war in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israel’s military and bombing campaign. Continue reading...

Politics

35 h. ago That didn't take long: Labour now as unpopular as Tories were on the eve of wipeout

Just over a year after handing him a landslide win, only 13 per cent of Britons now approve of the Prime Minister's record in office, YouGov polling found.

Politics

36 h. ago Government strikes returns deal with Iraq in latest bid to deter small boats

The agreement signed during a visit to the UK by Iraq’s deputy prime minister will allow for the ‘swift’ return of failed asylum seekers.

Politics

39 h. ago ‘Delulu with no solulu’: Australian PM Anthony Albanese channels his inner Gen Z:

Resurfaced footage shows Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese channelling his inner Gen Z by using a popular slang word that has just been added to the Cambridge Dictionary in parliament.

Politics

41 h. ago Australian PM Anthony Albanese channels his inner Gen Z: ‘Delulu with no solulu’

Resurfaced footage shows Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese channelling his inner Gen Z by using a popular slang word that has just been added to the Cambridge Dictionary in parliament.

Politics

46 h. ago Spanish judge charges Pedro Sánchez's wife with embezzlement

Charge is the latest blow for prime minister dogged by corruption scandals against his close family and aides

Events

47 h. ago MP who 'took his own life' in Finnish parliament is pictured

The country’s prime minister said the politician’s death was ‘truly shocking news’

Politics