Why the CDC is excluding measles deaths in Pennsylvania even as outbreak appears to be ‘accelerating’ 22. September 2026 (13:00) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention refuses to count four measles deaths in the state though doctors are ‘seeing new forms’ of diseaseThe US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its measles dashboard on Friday – but it’s still not counting four measles deaths in Pennsylvania, where the outbreak appears to be accelerating and cases are appearing in ways providers have never seen before.Members of Congress on Monday requested an “immediate briefing” on the decision to change how measles deaths are reported as cases continue to rise throughout the United States, reaching levels not seen in decades. A possible measles exposure was reported in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia last week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘The choice was prison or exile’: journalists who fled Russia publish grim portrait of Putin 22. September 2026 (12:58) Roman Badanin and Mikhail Rubin, who were forced to move abroad in 2021, tell of president capable of ‘limitless cruelty’At 6am on 29 June 2021, the Russian journalist Roman Badanin was woken by a knock on the door of his family’s Moscow apartment. “Come quickly, someone has scratched your car in the courtyard,” a voice shouted from outside. As he opened the door, masked men pushed their way in.Across the city, a similar raid was happening at the home of Badanin’s colleague Mikhail Rubin. The masked men were officers of the FSB, the Russian intelligence service, instruments of the “climate of fear and violence” that the journalists say Vladimir Putin has imposed on Russia in their forensically detailed biography of the Russian president. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
EU deadlocked on changes to Russia sanctions ahead of key Ukraine, Greenland talks - Europe live 22. September 2026 (11:54) Without an agreement sanctions on nearly 3,000 entities accused of supporting the war on Ukraine will lapse at the end of the dayMeanwhile, the Kremlin said it considered all western sanctions on Russian individuals to be illegal and that they should all be revoked.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was answering a question about a push by some EU countries to lift sanctions on Russia-linked billionaires Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman in return for keeping thousands of other individuals and businesses under sanctions related to the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported (11:15). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Middle East crisis live: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warns it will ‘change geography of war’ if US escalates conflict 22. September 2026 (11:45) The US president said in an interview ahead of the United Nations meeting that he was considering ‘wiping Iran out’The UK has agreed to provide defensive air support to Saudi Arabia to help counter Houthi fighters and restore stability in the Middle East while driving down the cost of living at home, Andy Burnham has said, ahead of his first meeting with Donald Trump.The prime minister said he had agreed to a request for air-to-air refuelling of Saudi jets to defend energy infrastructure against the Iran-backed rebels and help keep oil flowing from the Gulf to ease global economic turmoil. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK not ‘on the slide’, Burnham to tell UN as he gears up for first meeting with Trump – UK politics live 22. September 2026 (11:42) Burnham is heading to New York for the United Nations general assemblyThe comment from Andy Burnham criticising Donald Trump from 2017 quoted earlier (see 9.58am) referred to the prospect of Trump visiting Manchester during his state visit. In fact, he never went near the city. But next year he may be there, because No 10 has announced that it will host the G20 summit.In its report on the story, the Manchester Evening News says:The move to host the G20 in Manchester was reportedly set up months ago after Andy Burnham became prime minister, using his first phone call with Mr Trump to invite him to the city, and which is said to have been accepted by the American President.It is understood that planning has already started for the enormous gathering, which will require the biggest security operation the city has ever seen …We have received a request from Saudi Arabia for military support and … I agreed to that request for defensive air-to-air refuelling. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
AI could be a bubble and is not yet making Australia more productive, Michele Bullock says 22. September 2026 (10:54) RBA governor says AI is ‘great white hope’ but its adoption is so far adding to inflation, rather than economic growthGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Reserve Bank governor said AI could be a bubble and there was no evidence it is making the economy more efficient, as the Albanese government claims the technology will solve Australia’s economic malaise.Ahead of an expected interest rate rise next week Michele Bullock also said the slump in house prices was deeper than others in Australia’s recent history. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jacinda Ardern and husband Clarke Gayford buy $5.3m home in Sydney’s northern beaches 22. September 2026 (10:54) Former New Zealand prime minister’s purchase is the highest sale price recorded in suburb of Dee Why this yearGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJacinda Ardern and her husband, Clarke Gayford, have bought a $5.3m home in Sydney’s northern beaches, according to a source with knowledge of the sale.The former New Zealand prime minister settled on a home in Dee Why after looking at properties in the area including in nearby Curl Curl. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mother charged after allegedly fatally stabbing one child and seriously injuring two others in Blue Mountains 22. September 2026 (10:33) A woman has been accused of murder and two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent to cause murderGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA mother has been charged after allegedly fatally stabbing one child and seriously injuring two others in the Blue Mountains.Emergency services responded to reports on Sunday that three children and a woman had been found in a vehicle in Valley Heights with stab wounds. New South Wales police said bystanders who were first on the scene attempted to perform first aid while contacting triple zero. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Terry Denton, beloved Australian illustrator best known for Treehouse series, dies aged 76 22. September 2026 (10:16) The illustrator and author ‘gave joy to millions of children around the world’, his family saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe beloved Australian illustrator and author Terry Denton, most famous for his work on the Treehouse series, has died aged 76.His publisher, Curtis Brown, released a statement on social media saying Denton died surrounded by his family on Monday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Caution versus ambition: strategy debate dominates Lib Dem conference 22. September 2026 (10:00) Party strategists say careful targeting of seats has paid off and should continue, but some say a wider vision is neededOne of the more dramatic moments in a Liberal Democrat conference otherwise short of them came late on Sunday, when the party frontbencher Lisa Smart told the polling veteran John Curtice that, in effect, he no longer understood modern politics.Curtice had warned the Lib Dems they risked being left behind, with the lack of a coherent national message seeing them all but ignored outside a few electoral strongholds. Smart’s response? In the new era of five- or six-party politics, and mass tactical voting, this does not matter. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
