Top South African police officer charged with raping woman, 18, and grooming 16-year-old girl 23. September 2026 (11:38) Arrest of Shadrack Sibiya comes as country reels from cases of femicide and alleged police corruption and criminalityOne of South Africa’s most senior police officers has been charged with raping an 18-year-old woman and grooming a 16-year-old girl, as the country’s police face allegations of corruption and failing to tackle violence against women and girls.Shadrack Sibiya, who was already suspended from his role as deputy national police commissioner over allegations he interfered with political killings investigations, was arrested on Monday. He is facing charges of rape, people trafficking, promoting the sexual grooming of a child and two counts of grooming a child. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Ghost patient’ policy wrongly removing at-risk people from GP lists, doctors say 23. September 2026 (10:00) NHS England initiative to reduce cut-off period to three months ‘disproportionately affecting’ most deprived areasAn NHS policy to remove “ghost patients” from GP lists is inadvertently leaving some of the poorest people in England without vital healthcare, analysis has found.Under previous NHS rules, inactive patients at risk of being removed from their GP practice were given six months to respond to outreach. But under NHS England’s accelerated list validation timeline, introduced last October, patients now have only three months to reply. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK to launch military squadron to protect satellites in space 23. September 2026 (09:57) New RAF unit will warn of incoming missile attacks, and support offensive and defensive operationsA new military unit dedicated to defending satellites, protecting services people need on Earth and potentially supporting offensive operations is being launched by the UK.The No III Space Effects Squadron will be announced on Wednesday, with the defence secretary, Wes Streeting, warning that Britain needs to “keep pace in the new space race”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gus Lamont’s parents make emotional plea as $1m reward offered for information about disappearance 23. September 2026 (09:21) No trace of Gus has been found since he went missing from his family’s South Australian farm on 27 September last yearThe parents of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont have made an emotional plea for any information about their “unique little boy” as authorities offered a $1m reward over the disappearance.No trace of Gus has been found since he went missing from his family’s enormous sheep farm in the South Australian outback almost a year ago. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Angry Anderson dies aged 79: Rose Tattoo frontman was a ferocious rock ’n’ roll singer and youth advocate 23. September 2026 (08:32) The singer, songwriter, actor and advocate, who has died following a cardiac arrest while touring in Europe, kept his band’s flame burning until the endAngry Anderson has died aged 79, after he was hospitalised following a cardiac arrest while on tour in Germany with the band Rose Tattoo.Gary Anderson was not a nice boy growing up. As one of the founding members of Melbourne motorcycle club the Vigilanties, he initially earned the sobriquet Mouse, on account of his diminutive stature. Determined to prove himself a man, he developed a penchant for taking on blokes twice his size. It earned him a new nickname: the Angry Ant. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Glimpses into lives of Roman suburbanites in Bath revealed in rare finds 23. September 2026 (08:00) Exclusive: Restoration work at Bath Assembly Rooms unearths Roman ditches containing pottery, coins and fragments of a military helmetThe restoration of a Georgian building in Bath once frequented by Jane Austen has unexpectedly provided a tantalising glimpse into the life of the city’s Roman suburbanites.A network of Roman ditches containing pottery, coins, glassware and a fragment of a military helmet has been found beneath Bath Assembly Rooms in the north of the city. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bikies, ‘moral compass malfunctions’ and corruption cost: Victoria’s Big Build royal commission holds first public hearing 23. September 2026 (07:52) Inquiry investigating allegations of corruption and criminal conduct on state’s $150bn pipeline of infrastructure projects to leave ‘no stone unturned’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe opening public hearing of the royal commission into Victoria’s Big Build has shown Jacinta Allan knew of allegations the construction union allowed criminals and bikies on to state projects as early as 2023.It was also revealed that the inquiry – officially named the royal commission into the integrity of major public and civil infrastructure construction projects in Victoria – held “closed” hearings following its launch in August, and plans to hold public hearings during the November state election campaign. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
New UK agency to fight ‘information warfare’ from likes of Russia, Burnham tells UN 23. September 2026 (07:00) PM aims to ‘stem poisonous tide’ of disinformation and deepfakes with National Centre for Information DefenceSecurity chiefs will set up a new national centre to tackle disinformation and deepfakes from hostile states such as Russia, Andy Burnham has announced, saying the government had a duty to “stem the poisonous tide” from damaging British interests.The National Centre for Information Defence will “detect, attribute and disrupt” information attacks by foreign powers, many of which are enabled by AI, bringing together the intelligence agencies, law enforcement and social media companies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Critics of UK government’s economic forecaster are ‘shooting the messenger’, say MPs 23. September 2026 (07:00) Treasury committee rejects calls for fundamental reform of independent watchdog the Office for Budget ResponsibilityAttacks on the government’s independent economic forecaster from left and right of the political spectrum are akin to “shooting the messenger”, according to an influential group of MPs.The Treasury committee rejected “siren calls to fundamentally reform” the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and said it should not be blamed when policymakers had to make tough decisions because of tight public finances. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thinktank linked to Reform UK calls for abolition of state pension 23. September 2026 (06:00) ‘Radical’ report likely to influence party’s platform also proposes abolishing inheritance and capital gains taxesA thinktank linked to Reform UK has called for the abolition of the state pension and £75bn worth of sweeping tax cuts in a “radical” report likely to influence the party’s platform for the next election.The Centre for a Better Britain’s (CFABB) report – which also calls for weaker rules for UK banks and Trump-style investment accounts offering £1,000 to newborns – will be formally launched at a private event with City executives on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
