Schools forced to shut amid burst Thames Water pipe ‘leaking 750 litres a second’ 28. September 2026 (14:53) Leak causes outages and low pressure in parts of London and Surrey, affecting 6,000 properties and leaving some without waterSchools, businesses and homes across seven boroughs in England were hit by a Thames Water outage on Monday, from a burst water main reportedly leaking 750 litres a second.About 6,000 properties across five south London boroughs and two Surrey boroughs had no water supply or low pressure, Thames Water said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US response to UN pandemic talks ‘severely weakens’ global planning, says leading health expert 28. September 2026 (14:49) The US says it is unable to support a major global text on pandemic prevention and preparedness put forward at UN general assemblyThe United States government’s decision to block a major global declaration on pandemic preparedness “severely weakens” the effort, and signals intent to disrupt international cooperation, says Prof Lawrence Gostin, a leading expert on global health law from Georgetown University.The United Nations general assembly had been due to adopt a political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response on 25 September after a high-level meeting on the subject. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Healey vows to stick to fiscal rules in budget built on hope 28. September 2026 (14:25) Chancellor tells Labour conference it’s ‘not progressive’ to fail to balance books amid rising welfare bill as borrowing costs climb to record highBusiness live – latest updatesPrice of diesel on UK forecourts reaches all-time highJohn Healey has pledged to use next month’s budget to inject hope into Britain’s economy while sticking to the government’s fiscal rules, arguing there is “nothing progressive” about losing control of public finances.In his first speech as chancellor to Labour conference, Healey warned that next month’s highly anticipated tax-and-spending event would need to take into account a challenging global backdrop. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran says it ‘has no plans to negotiate with US’ despite Trump claims – US politics live 28. September 2026 (14:24) Trump had told Axios he expected talks to resume a day after he rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the strait of HormuzSign up for the Breaking News US emailTrump also spent some of Sunday posting about his frustration with the US supreme court, after the justices repeatedly blocked Missouri from using a Republican-friendly congressional map for the upcoming midterm elections that the president had backed.“They continuously, three times now, overrule Judges who came to the correct decisions,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, in another stunning rebuke of the judiciary. The president has increased his pushback against the top court, particularly after rulings Trump considers unfavorable in the last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nor’easter storm floods coastal areas from New Jersey to New England 28. September 2026 (14:03) Powerful weather system pummels shoreline for a second day, knocking out power to tens of thousandsResidents of coastal communities in the US’s north-east slogged through floodwaters for a second day as a powerful storm known as a nor’easter pummeled the shoreline on Sunday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes.Tidal surges swamped low-lying neighborhoods in New Jersey while wind gusts toppled trees on New York’s Long Island, damaging homes and bringing down utility poles. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Decades of fossil fuel influence paved way for Trump’s assault on university research, study says 28. September 2026 (14:00) Fossil fuel firms have spent years trying to regulate climate research by donating to US universities, study authors argueRecent attacks on US universities by the Trump administration have built on decades of efforts by libertarian donor networks, fossil fuel companies and conservative thinktanks to reshape university governance and increase outside influence, according to a new study.The authors of the new perspective study argue that the erosion of university autonomy has left colleges more vulnerable to corporate interests, especially within climate and energy research. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teachers at Euan Blair firm report ‘horrendous stress’ after AI used to rate their work 28. September 2026 (13:57) Exclusive: Instructors at tech training company Multiverse hit out at ‘remorseless’ and ‘unnerving’ monitoring systemTeachers at Euan Blair’s £1.6bn tech training company, Multiverse, have blown the whistle about “horrendous stress” and feeling constantly watched after bosses started using AI models to surveil and rate their teaching.Staff delivering apprenticeship training in computer and AI skills to thousands of UK public and private sector workers now have transcripts of online classroom sessions analysed and scored by an AI programmed to alert human managers when they are suspected of doing things wrong. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Three people dead, including a child, in attempt to cross Channel to UK 28. September 2026 (13:45) Official says deaths – and dozens of injuries – were probably caused by crushing on boat carrying 105 peopleA 10-year-old child and two women died attempting to cross the Channel on Monday, French authorities have said.Their deaths and the injuries of dozens of others in a large dinghy were probably caused by crushing, according to a French official. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Larissa Waters steps down as Greens leader due to ill health 28. September 2026 (13:41) Ballot for new leader expected next week after Waters quits to manage pre-existing kidney disease that has ‘declined significantly’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGreens leader Larissa Waters has announced she will step down due to ill health, with a party room meeting scheduled for next week to choose her successor.Waters revealed on Monday night she has been managing a pre-existing kidney disease, but that her health had “declined significantly over the course of recent months”.Get our new political email, free app or daily news podcast Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israel does not have right to close UK consulate in Jerusalem, Foreign Office advised 28. September 2026 (13:28) Former attorney general Dominic Grieve says Israel is not entitled to shut mission in occupied Palestinian territoryUK politics live – latest updatesIsrael does not have a legal right to act on its plan to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem, the former attorney general Dominic Grieve has advised the UK Foreign Office.Israel has said it intends to shut the consulate on 8 October in response to the sweeping ban on trade with goods from Israeli settlements announced by the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, this month. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
