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AMAZON has blindsided shopper with a shock device sale, days before its Prime Big Deal Days sale is due to kick off.

One of the best deals is on a premium Fire tablet, which has been reduced to £69.99 in an epic 53% price cut.

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Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet, £69.99 (was £149.99)

The next big Amazon sale starts next week, running from Tuesday to Wednesday (October 7th-8th).

Tons of prices will be slashed during Amazon Prime Day but only, of course, if you’re a Prime member.

But Amazon has launched an early device sale across its range of smart items, including Echo speakers, Kindles, Ring doorbells, Blink cameras Fire TV streaming sticks, and Fire tablets.

And better yet, these are deals open to all shoppers, not just those with a Prime membership.

The Fire HD 10 tablet (the newest generation) usually costs £149.99, but has now been slashed to an impressive £69.99.

This 10-inch device is now the best-selling tablet on the Amazon website – little wonder, with that enormous price drop.

Amazon’s line of Fire tablets are great, all-purpose devices for browsing and streaming – especially for shoppers who want to stay away from the big bucks of more powerful devices like Apple iPads and Samsung Tabs.

It also doubles up as an e-reader, though dedicated book-lovers should gravitate towards the retailer’s Kindle range.

These will all invariably go on sale next week when Prime Day begins (though a few select models are already discounted).

Read our Amazon Fire vs Kindle tablet explainer if you’re not sure which to buy.

The Fire HD 10 is perfect for watching, reading, and gaming, and it’s 25% faster than the old model.

Basically, its engine got a major upgrade – it now has a powerful processor and 3 GB of RAM, which helps everything run super-smoothly.

You get awesome HD entertainment on a big 10.1-inch screen that makes all your games and shows look great with brilliant colour.

(By the way, if you want something smaller and cheaper, the 8-inch Fire HD 8 is also on sale for just £49.99.)

The tablet has serious stamina: you can binge-watch for up to 13 hours without needing to plug into its charger.

The tablet is durable, too, with a strengthened screen that Amazon claims to to be 2.7 times tougher than the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (2022) in a drop test.

Need a good device to chat with friends and family? The 5MP front camera is way better for video calls than squinting at your small phone screen.

For storage, it comes with 32GB or 64GB of space, which is expandable by up to 1TB with a separate microSD card.

And this being an Amazon gadget, you can operate it via Alexa – it can help you out with streaming videos, relaying the latest news and controlling other smart devices in the same connected ecosystem.

Amazon Prime Day: early Fire Tablet Deals

• Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet (newest gen), £69.99 (was £149.99) – buy here
• Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet (newest gen), £129.99 (was £249.99) – buy here
• Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet (newest gen), £49.99 (was £99.99) – buy here
• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro tablet (newest gen), £79.99 (was £159.99) – buy here
• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids tablet (newest gen), £69.99 (was £149.99) – buy here

The Fire HD 10 has already racked up over 2,700 five-star reviews on the Amazon website, with customers heaping praise on the device:

“The Amazon Fire HD 10 is a fantastic budget-friendly tablet,” writes one shopper.

“The 10.1-inch screen is bright and clear, perfect for watching videos, reading, or browsing.

“The battery easily lasts up to 13 hours – ideal for all-day use.”

Another delighted customer added: “Quality item… I can’t get over the size of the screen, it’s 10 inches but looks bigger.

“The tablet is lightning-fast, and it does everything that I expect from an Amazon Fire… Well worth the investment.”

A lot more deals are on the way when the Prime Big Deal Days sale starts next week, and it’s worth keeping in mind that these early device deals might become exclusively for Prime members.

So, while this current deal is marked on the Amazon site as ending on October 14th, it’s not impossible it will only be available for Amazon Prime members soon.

Anyone without a Prime account who’s interested shouldn’t hold off for too long on buying.

Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet, £69.99 (was £149.99)

Make sure you bookmark our best Amazon Prime Day deals page, where we’ll be listing all the top bargains when the two-day sale kicks off.

For our top pick of smart gadgets available to snap up right now, head to our Amazon device deals page.

Oct. 4 (UPI) — Billionaire Andrej Babis is poised to return to power as prime minister in the Czech Republic in a four-year comeback that mirrors U.S. President Donald Trump.

Known as “Czech Trump,” Babis earned a decisive victory Saturday in a parliamentary election after being voted out of office. Elections took place on Friday and Saturday.

Babis’ populist ANO party, which means yes in Czech, took 36% of the vote, which is the party’s best-ever result, according to Czech Statistics Office with about 95% of precincts counted.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala conceded defeat as head of the Spolu (Together) Party with 23% followed by the STAN liberal, centrist party. There was a turnout of 68.9% in a nation of 10 million residents.

“I’m surprised they received so many votes,” Babi said in Prague. “I didn’t believe it at first. I hoped we would reach 30%, as our poll suggested 26.”

No major Czech party will outright majority in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament. Only parties that win at least 5% of the votes can enter parliament.

Czech President Petr Pavel, who largely is in a ceremonial role, has said will begin forming a coalition on Sunday. Babis wants support from the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy coalition and the populist Motorists party.

The Freedom and Direct Democracy captured 7.9% and Motorists 6.78%.

There could be a “a nightmare scenario for international, European partners” should Babis invite the right-wing parties to join the government, Daniel Hegedüs, director for Central Europe at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin, told The New York Times.

“There could be a huge reluctance to continue support to Ukraine, and to play the same constructive role in the European Union and NATO” as the Czech Republic has before, he said.

The 71-year-old former premier backs policies similar to Trump to spur economic growth.

He wants to cut taxes, increase pensions, cap energy prices, freeze politicians’ salaries and end funding for public television.

Babis capitalized on voter frustration with the current government’s response to a cost-of-living crisis. He also would promote the country’s place in Europe by focusing on transactional politics over values espoused by the EU.

Last year, he co-founded the Patriots for Europe, a right-wing main opposition party in the EU with Hungary’s Fidesz party, France’s Rassemblement National and Austria’s Freedom Party, both far-right groups.

Babis is riding a wave of populist politicians, including Prime Ministers Viktor Orban of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia.

But unlike Trump and those leaders, Babis has never aligned himself with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Babiš is not an extremist but a dealmaker and populist who wants to have a catch-all party and he believes that he can offer something to everybody,” Petr Kolar, a former Czech ambassador to Russia, told the Financial Times before the vote.

“I don’t think Babiš will be against [more] sanctions” on Russia, adding “I believe that Babis is inspired by Orban, he admires him, but he doesn’t want to be perceived as a troublemaker in Brussels so much.”

Like those leaders, Babis has vowed to buck the EU on defense spending and immigration.

Babis became wealthy with an agribusiness with the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia in late 1989.

Czechoslovakia dissolved on Jan. 1, 1993, into Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Babis wants to resurrect the so-called Visegrad Four — the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia — as a regional force uniting 65 million citizens for a better say in the 27-member EU. Czech Republic joined the bloc in 2004.

Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland at one time were communist nations, like the Soviet Union, which included Russia.

“We will never drag the Czech Republic to the east, never leave the EU or NATO,” Babis said in his last televised pre-election appeal to voters.

Pavel, a former NATO general, faced off against Babis in a 2023 presidential election won by Pavel.

Oct. 4 (UPI) — Sanae Takaichi, a hardline conservative, is set to become Japan’s first female prime minister after being elected by her Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday.

The 64-year-old former economic security minister defeated four other candidates to lead the LDP after two rounds of voting. She has served as party president this year.

If elected by both houses of the parliament later this month, she will replace Shigeru Ishiba, who announced last month he would resign after being in office for less than one year. Ishiba is a member of the LDP.

In the past two elections, the party became the minority among representatives and councillors in parliament, which is known as the Diet.

Takaichi has 32 years of political experience, including serving Nara, which is in Japan’s main island of Honshu, in the lower house. She was the economics minister from 2022 to 2024.

In a runoff, Takaichi defeated Shinjiro Koizumi, the 44-year-old agricultural minister seen as the favorite going into Saturday’s election. She received 149 lawmaker votes and 36 LDP chapter votes, ahead of Koizumi’s 145 votes from lawmakers and 11 from the prefectural chapters.

Other candidates were Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi .

“I’m feeling how tough it’s going to be from here on, rather than feeling happy,” Takaichi said after her election. “We won’t be able to rebuild the party if I don’t get everyone’s help, from all generations. I will scrap my work-life balance and work and work and work and work and work.”

Takachi wants to broaden her support, saying “everyone, and of all generations” — including election rivals — need to help mend the divided party.

Takachi is a protege of Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister assassinated in 2022.

She is vowing to bring back an economic vision known as Abenomics, which includes high fiscal spending and cheap borrowing. Japan currently has a sluggish economy of high inflation and stagnant wages.

In addition, she has to contend with a tariff deal worked out with U.S. President Donald Trump that includes a 15% duty on its exports in exchange for a commitment of $550 million in the U.S. economy.

She must work out how to spend that money, including investments, loans and loan guarantees.

Takaichi was the only candidate to consider renegotiating the deal, saying “we must speak out firmly.”

Tkaichi, who is more conservative than the other candidates, is a former TV host.

“I think she’s in a good position to regain the right-wing voters, but at the expense of wider popular appeal, if they go into a national election,” Professor Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Tokyo, told the BBC.

She is a member of the “hardline” faction of the LDP, whose support has imploded “because it lost touch with its right-wing DNA,” Kingston said.

But he noted Takaichi won’t have much success “healing the internal party rift.”

Takachi is an admirer of Margaret Thatcher, who became Britain’s first female prime minister in 1979.

“She calls herself Japan’s Margaret Thatcher,” Kingstone said. “In terms of fiscal discipline, she’s anything but Thatcher. But like Thatcher she’s not much of a healer. I don’t think she’s done much to empower women.”

Takachi has opposed legislation that allows women to keep their maiden names after marriage. Also, she is opposed to same sex marriage, which is not a national law in Japan.

Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will choose the country’s fifth leader in five years on Saturday following the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

After governing Japan almost continuously since the 1950s, the conservative party has been in disarray following successive election defeats and a series of political scandals.

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The LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito lost their governing majority in lower house elections in October last year, a defeat followed by a drubbing in upper house polls in July.

After leading a badly damaged minority government for nearly a year, Ishiba announced on September 7 that he would step down.

Whoever takes over the LDP will face a public frustrated over the cost of living, an ascendant populism epitomised by the “Japan first” Sanseito party, and the headwinds of US President Donald Trump’s trade war.

LDP lawmakers and some one million rank-and-file party members will choose from five candidates, ranging from the son of a former prime minister to the protege of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Their choice could determine whether Japan will enjoy a period of political stability or continue down the path of the “rotating prime ministership,” which marked Japanese politics in the late 1990s and early 2000s, said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Japan’s Kanda University of International Studies.

“Even though it’s not historically abnormal for Japan to have a high turnover rate, this is a very bad time for Japan to not have stable political leadership,” Hall told Al Jazeera.

Here’s a look at the candidates:

Shinjiro Koizumi

Koizumi, 44, is the son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and one of two frontrunners in the race.

Earlier this year, he stepped in as the minister of agriculture at a time when the price of rice – Japan’s beloved staple food – was rising sharply.

Koizumi’s work on Japan’s “rice crisis” won him a surge in public support, and he is also popular with a large swath of the LDP, said Kazuto Suzuki, a professor at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Public Policy.

“Mr. Koizumi is supported by traditional LDP heavyweights and the centre of the party. He does not have a particular policy position, so he is flexible to meet demands from older LDP values,” Suzuki told Al Jazeera.

Viewed as a political moderate, Koizumi has pledged to work with opposition parties to reform the tax system while lowering the public debt ratio, and to pursue balanced policies geared towards economic growth with fiscal discipline.

His relatively young age and educational background could still keep him from winning the leadership despite his popularity, said Stephen Nagy, a visiting fellow with the Japan Institute for International Affairs.

Koizumi attended Kanto Gakuin University and later Columbia University, but three of his rivals – Toshimitsu Motegi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Takayuki Kobayashi – graduated from the more prestigious University of Tokyo and Harvard.

“Whether we like it or not, educational pedigrees bring respect in society and in the LDP,” Nagy told Al Jazeera.

Sanae Takaichi

Takaichi, 64, is the only woman in the race and the leading challenger to Koizumi.

A former economic security minister, Takaichi skews towards the right-wing flank of the LDP and has “strong conservative credentials” as Abe’s former protege, Nagy said.

All the candidates have focused on how to revive Japan’s economy after decades of stagnation, putting forward broadly similar expansionary policies, said Sota Kato, research director at the Tokyo Foundation.

Still, Takaichi is “closer in stance” to “Abenomics”, the three-pronged strategy of fiscal expansion, monetary easing and structural reform championed by her mentor, Kato told Al Jazeera.

Takaichi is known for conservative views on social issues, including immigration and same-sex marriage, and foreign affairs, including China-Japan relations.

While her views have earned her the support of the conservative wing of the LDP, they are at odds with more centrist members.

“Some believe she is exactly what the LDP needs to pull support away from the opposition parties, such as Sanseito … Others believe she will push more centrist voters away,” Nagy said.

Yoshimasa Hayashi

Hayashi, 64, is considered the “dark horse” of the election due to his experience and amenable personality, according to Kato of the Tokyo Foundation.

Currently serving as chief cabinet secretary, Hayashi previously held high-profile posts including defence chief and minister of foreign affairs, and is campaigning on an economic policy focused on fiscal discipline.

Like Koizumi, he is viewed as a political centrist.

“From the perspective of LDP lawmakers, Hayashi provides a sense of stability compared to figures like Koizumi or Takaichi,” Kato said.

“If Hayashi secures more votes than either Koizumi or Takaichi in the first round of voting and proceeds to the second round, his chances may improve.”

Hayashi cited his extensive ministerial experience while campaigning and argued that Japan should strengthen its cooperation with “like-minded” democratic countries to push back against China, Russia and North Korea.

Toshimitsu Motegi

Motegi, 69, is a former secretary-general of the LDP who also did stints as minister of foreign affairs and minister of economy, trade and industry.

His platform includes cuts to petrol and diesel prices, wage increases for nurses and childcare workers, and incentives to encourage investment.

His economic policies “fall somewhere in between” those of Takaichi and Koizumi, the latter of whom has placed greater emphasis on fiscal discipline than his more conservative rival, according to Kato of the Tokyo Foundation.

Motegi and Hayashi both have factional support within the LDP, but this may not translate into enough votes to win the leadership position, according to the University of Tokyo’s Suzuki.

“Mr Motegi and Mr Hayashi are very experienced politicians, but they represent the old-fashioned LDP. They have certain support within the party, but they are not popular among the public,” he said.

Takayuki Kobayashi

Takayuki Kobayashi, 50, is a former economic security minister and previously ran for leader of the LDP.

His platform has heavily focused on economic growth and assisting citizens with cost-of-living issues.

Kobayashi has the support of many younger LDP members, but his youth and experience are potential handicaps, according to Nagy.

“Kobayashi is seen as very accomplished, smart, internationally minded, but still too young to fight with the 80-year-old sharks in the LDP,” he said.

His view was echoed by the University of Tokyo’s Suzuki.

“Mr Kobayashi is a new generation politician who has been a rising star, but not yet popular enough,” Suzuki said.

“Motegi, Hayashi and Kobayashi are very competent in policies and their sharpness in discussion, but these qualities are not the issue for this party leadership contest. The most important issue is the popularity and reactivation of the LDP,” he added.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking to the media in Downing Street, London after he hosted a video conference call with international leaders to discuss support for Ukraine, in March. Starmer Sunday called a proposed migration policy “racist” and “immoral.” Photo courtesy of Britain’s Prime Minister Press Office/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 28 (UPI) — Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called a policy that could lead to the indefinite deportation of thousands of people from the country “racist” and “immoral.”

Currently, migrants can apply for indefinite leave from other countries for five years, and allow them to live, study and work in Britain permanently, according to the BBC.

But a plan by Reform UK would abolish the status quo and require migrants to apply for new visas with more stringent guidelines. Right now, indefinite leave gives people more rights and access to benefits

Starmer said he did not think supporters of Reform UK are racist, but said he remains “frustrated” following 14 years of “Tory failure.” Starmer said he needed “space” to pursue and fulfill pledges he made during last year’s general election, which the Labor party won with a large majority.

“I do think it’s a racist policy, I do think it’s immoral,” Starmer said in an interview with the BBC. “It needs to be called out for what it is. It’s one thing to say we’re going to remove illegal immigrants, people who have no right to be here. I’m up for that. It’s a completely different thing to say we’re going to reach people who are here lawfully here and start removing them.”

Starmer called people in Britain under the current policy “neighbors” who contribute to the economy and changing the policy will “rip this country apart.”

A YouGov poll published Saturday shows that 58% of Britons oppose removing indefinite leave from those who already hold it. More than 44% say they support ending the policy, while 43% are opposed.

Deion Sanders confirmed that son Shedeur Sanders was called by at least three teams during the 2025 NFL draft and suggested that the former Colorado quarterback turned two of them down before being selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round.

Shedeur Sanders had been considered by many to be a potential first-round pick before plummeting to the Browns at No. 144 overall, after Cleveland had already selected former Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round.

Earlier this month, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Baltimore Ravens had planned on drafting Sanders with the No. 141 overall pick until he let them know that he didn’t want to sit on a roster behind quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is a two-time league MVP and only 28 years old.

Last week, former NFL quarterback Cam Newton said on his podcast “4th&1 ” that he had heard that the Philadelphia Eagles had also wanted to draft Sanders at some point. Like the Ravens, however, Philadelphia also has a superstar quarterback who may not have even reached his prime in 27-year-old Jalen Hurts, who was named the MVP of Super Bowl LIX in February.

Deion Sanders, an NFL legend who coached his son at Colorado, seemed to confirm all of that during an appearance on Jason and Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, which was published Monday.

“Philly called us on draft day. They didn’t mention that. I just let a cat out of the bag,” Coach Prime told the Kelce brothers. “Philly called. Who [else] was it? Baltimore and the Browns. … I played for Baltimore, so me and [Ravens executive vice president of player development] Ozzie [Newsome] are cool … and he wanted to talk to Shedeur as well as he wanted to talk to me.

“I put Shedeur on the phone. And Shedeur — I don’t want to say it went, but how in the world can somebody fault him for saying or thinking, ‘Why in the world would I go back up Lamar for 10 more years?’ Like, who comes in with that mindset?”

Sanders added: “Where do these guys come from, that sit on these platforms and say, ‘Oh, you should have sat in behind and learned the game and been what they developed.’ When have the pros ever developed anybody? By the time you get to the NFL, they expect you to know what you need to do and to do it, or somebody else gonna get in there and do it.”

The 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee summed it up this way: “I’ve never sat on a bench and said, ‘Well, I learned a lot today.’ Who learns sitting on the bench?”

Sanders said he’s been preaching patience and preparation to his 23-year-old son, who currently sits behind 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco and 24-year-old Gabriel on the Browns depth chart and has yet to see the field during the regular season.

“Be patient and be ready,” Sanders said he’s told Shedeur. “They call your name and you ain’t ready — we ain’t built like that. Sanders, we ain’t built like that. We always ready. We don’t have to get ready. And I want you to be patient. You don’t force nothing that ain’t that it may not be time [for].”

Sanders also said he has a feeling that patience will pay off for his son sooner rather than later.

“It’s coming up,” he said. “I got a prediction. I ain’t telling nobody. I got a feeling when it’s gonna go down. But it’s gonna go down this year. He gonna get a shot.”

Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan’s Agriculture minister and son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, announced his candidacy for president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Tokyo on Saturday. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 20 (UPI) — Shinjiro Koizumi seeks the presidency of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, which would enable him to become the nation’s youngest prime minister if he wins.

Koizumi, 44, is Japan’s minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and is the second to declare his candidacy for the party’s leadership role, according to The Chosun Daily.

“I am challenging the presidential election to rebuild the LDP into a party that realizes the safety and security demanded by the people,” Koizumi said during a press conference on Saturday.

“My role is to break through the conventional wisdom of economic management from the deflation era and build a new approach suited for the era of inflation,” he added, as reported by The Japan Times.

Koizumi wants to raise the average annual wage for Japanese workers by a million yen by the 2030 fiscal year and ensure pay increases stay ahead of inflation.

To do that, he wants to enact a supplementary budget for the 2025 fiscal year that would counteract inflation.

He also wants to eliminate the provisional gas tax as quickly as possible.

Koizumi sought the top post within the LDP a year ago but lost to current Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Ishiba on Sept. 7 announced his intention to resign as Japan’s prime minister.

Former Economic Security Minister Takaichi Sanae previously announced her candidacy to become the LDP’s president.

AMAZON has just slashed the price of a powerful MagSafe power bank.

This fast-charging essential usually costs £139.99, but right now it’s down to just £24.99, a hefty saving that’s making it a hit with shoppers

Gxorul MagSafe Power Bank, £139.99 £24.99

The catch is, it’s exclusively for Prime members, and the kind of discount that doesn’t hang around for long.

More than 2,000 of the Gxorul MagSafe power banks have been snapped up in the last month alone.

If you’re not a member yet, it’s well worth signing up for free for 30 days, and nab this saving while you’ve got it.

The compact charger packs a hefty 10,000mAh capacity into a device that weighs just 220g, keeping your phone powered all day without feeling like lugging around a brick.

It uses magnetic suction technology to grip firmly to the back of your iPhone, creating a seamless MagSafe connection that makes charging on the move feel effortless.

Compatible with Apple’s latest line-up from iPhone 12 through to the just-dropped iPhone 17, it’s built to snap on securely even if you’re using a magnetic case.

The Gxorul charger doesn’t just look slick, it’s fast too, with USB-C and USB-A ports capable of powering devices up to 55% in just half an hour.

Better still, you can charge three gadgets at once thanks to its combination of wireless charging, USB-C, and USB-A outputs, making it the perfect travel or commute addition.

There’s also a handy LED display that shows your remaining battery level and lights up with a green fast-charge logo, so you’re never left guessing.

It has a handy built-in stand, so you can prop up your phone at a 60-degree angle, ideal for video calls and catch-ups while your device gets a boost.

Portable enough to slip into your bag and airline-friendly at 38.5Wh, it’s a smart buy for workdays, weekends away, and even long-haul flights.

Shoppers are giving the Gxorul a near-perfect 4.8 out of 5-star rating on Amazon, which tells you everything you need to know about just how well it delivers.

Amazon buyers have been quick to praise its mix of muscle and portability, with one calling it “a powerful thing despite its diminutive size” and hailing it as “powerful and fast.”

Another reviewer noted, “The MagSafe connection is strong and the LED display makes it easy to track power.

“The 10,000mAh capacity easily gives my iPhone multiple charges, and the 22.5W fast charging is noticeably quick.”

A third impressed shopper summed it up perfectly: “Brilliantly designed magnetic wireless charging that grips and fits onto the back of the phone perfectly, even with a normal case on it.

This isn’t the only deal I spotted with serious savings.

Apple fans have also been rushing to pre-order the iPhone 17 with a free pair of AirPods thrown in.

If you’re keen to see what else is worth your money, check out my tried and tested guide to the best power banks UK buyers love.

Empire of the Sun was released in 1987 and is based on J.G Ballard’s novel of the same name. It stars Christian Bale and is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video

The war epic that catapulted Steven Spielberg into the ranks of Hollywood’s top directors is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Empire of the Sun, which hit cinemas in 1987, features a glittering cast including Christian Bale.

Adapted from J. G Ballard’s novel bearing the same title, this 2hrs 32 min spectacle chronicles the life of Jamie ‘Jim’ Graham – portrayed by the erstwhile Batman actor – a well-heeled British lad residing in Shanghai during the early stages of World War II.

Separated from his parents amidst the Japanese invasion, he is ultimately captured and dispatched to an internment camp where he encounters the intriguing American wheeler-dealer, Basie, enacted by Of Mice and Men (1992) actor John Malkovich.

Striving to endure the severe conditions, Jim aspires to preserve his youthful innocence amid the turmoil and loss, reports the Express.

The cast also includes Southport-born Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers known for Coronation Street (2009-2019) and Chariots of Fire (1981), and The Matrix (1999) star Joe Pantoliano.

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has awarded Empire of the Sun a critic score of 77%, while the audience score stands at a commendable 90%.

The film was highly acclaimed upon its release and is often hailed as the hidden jewel in Spielberg’s trove of blockbusters, with some asserting it surpasses the likes of Jaws (1975), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and Schindler’s List (1993) as his finest work.

Don’t just take our word for it, with one critic saying: “One of Steven Spielberg’s most ambitious efforts of the 1980s, Empire of the Sun remains an underrated gem in the director’s distinguished filmography.

“Stephen Spielberg’s graduation to grown-up film-making,” added a second, while another added: “Empire of the Sun is a great, overwrought movie that leaves one wordless and worn out.”

Matt, a superfan of the movie, posted on Rotten Tomatoes: “This is one of my favorite films of all time. I’ve been watching it since it came out and it’s just as good each time I see it.

“Absolute stellar cast and should have won a lot of awards. This is actually my favorite Speilberg WWII movie.”

Empire of the Sun is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.