Houthis move to seize strategic terrain after Trump calls off airstrikes at last minute 21. September 2026 (18:14) US president reportedly changed his mind over Saudi Arabia’s pleas for assistance as bombs were being loadedHouthi fighters are moving to seize strategic heights in Yemen that would cut the Red Sea coast off from areas held by Saudi-backed forces after Donald Trump called off US strikes on the group at the last minute, reportedly as bombs were being loaded on to aircraft.Amid increasingly heavy fighting in Yemen, which has displaced tens of thousands of people in recent weeks, the New York Times reported on Monday that the US president had flip-flopped wildly in recent days after a call from Saudi Arabia for US strikes on the Houthis. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US strikes on alleged drug boats may constitute ‘crimes against humanity’, UN finds 21. September 2026 (17:54) Dozens of US attacks on boats in the Pacific and Caribbean have killed more than 230 people since September 2025A special rapporteur for the UN human rights council has concluded that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that the United States attacks on boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Pacific and Caribbean “constituted crimes against humanity”.The boat strikes, carried out since September 2025 on the stated grounds of stopping drugs being trafficked by sea to the US, have killed more than 230 people. The latest, on Saturday, killed four people in the Caribbean. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
No avoiding the cost of inaction on climate, Anthony Albanese says in New York 21. September 2026 (17:09) Ahead of United Nations meeting, prime minister says Australians knows the impact of global heating as well as anyone Australia understands the dangers of global warming and the urgency of climate action as much as any other country, Anthony Albanese has said in a keynote speech ahead of the United Nations general assembly.Speaking at the opening of the Climate Week event at the United Nations in New York on Monday, the prime minister said Australians had experienced the impact of climate change up close with a series of disastrous bushfires and floods in the past decades. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Inquest into British aid workers killed in Gaza may call on Israeli and UK military chiefs 21. September 2026 (17:02) Lawyer tells hearing that families wish to know whether weaponry involved in deaths was made in BritainIsraeli and UK military commanders could be requested to give evidence to an inquest concerning three British workers killed in Gaza when aid vehicles they were travelling in were hit by an airstrike.It is also possible that the inquest into the deaths of John Chapman, 57, Jim Henderson, 33, and James Kirby, 47, may examine whether the weaponry that killed the men was made in the UK. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
More than 150,000 underwater explosives used to deter seals at Tasmanian salmon farms since 2016 21. September 2026 (17:00) Salmon companies operating in Tasmanian marine areas deployed almost 1,800 explosives in first half of 2026, government figures revealGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMore than 150,000 underwater explosives have been used to deter seals at Tasmanian salmon farms since 2016, according to new government data.Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE Tas) data released last week revealed salmon companies directed almost 1,800 underwater explosives at seals at fish farms in the first half of 2026. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Discovery of new Australian stick insect species reveals case of mistaken identity 21. September 2026 (17:00) New study describes two species, Anchiale robusta and Anchiale mabiensis, both found in far north QueenslandGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo new large stick insect species have been identified by Australian researchers, in a discovery they say illustrates how little we still understand about insect diversity.The two species, both found in far north Queensland, are described in a study published in Austral Entomology. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man and police officer wounded in exchange of gunfire near Ontario synagogue 21. September 2026 (16:56) Officials say man was critically injured and officer was wounded in Yom Kippur incident near Belleville synagogueA police officer and a man were wounded in an exchange of gunfire on Sunday near a synagogue in Ontario as members of the Jewish community marked Yom Kippur, authorities said. The man was hospitalized in life-threatening condition.The Canadian province’s special investigations unit said the exchange of gunfire happened near the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, about 110 miles (160km) east of Toronto. Belleville police said the officer encountered the man at about 7.10pm and that both were taken to a hospital. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pakistan jails sisters of Imran Khan before protest seeking his release 21. September 2026 (16:48) Police crack down on family and political supporters of former PM who say authorities are ‘slowly killing’ him in prisonThree sisters of Pakistan’s incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan have been arrested amid a heavy-handed government crackdown on plans for a nationwide protest to demand Khan’s release.The lawyer for the three sisters, Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, said on Monday that they had all been detained and jailed for 30 days under a warrant that accused them of being a threat to public order. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Edward Colston’s remains likely to stay at Bristol church that could become community space 21. September 2026 (16:43) Exclusive: Slave trader is interred at All Saints, which may be given a change of use after being closed for yearsBones of the enslaver Edward Colston are likely to remain interred in a church in Bristol if and when the currently unused building is given a new lease of life as a community resource, it has emerged.The dean of Bristol, the Very Rev Mandy Ford, said Colston’s remains would probably stay where they were in All Saints church on one of Bristol’s busiest streets. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘So surreal’: woman gives birth while stuck in heavy San Francisco traffic 21. September 2026 (16:17) Doula stopped to assist couple with birth while first responders were also stuck in traffic and arrived on footA woman stuck in heavy traffic in San Francisco went into labor and gave birth to a healthy baby girl, local authorities have said.The San Francisco fire department said in a statement that a couple had been snarled in heavy congestion near the city’s Golden Gate Park when they were forced to pull over due to the imminent birth. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
