‘Planetary boundaries’ necessary for flourishing of life have been massively breached, scientists warn 21. September 2026 (16:00) New report shows key indicators of Earth’s health are ‘outside the safe operating space’ as climate disaster loomsThe planetary life support systems relied upon by humans have deteriorated to their worst levels ever recorded amid ongoing pollution and habitat destruction, according to a key yet grim annual update by scientists.Of the nine “planetary boundaries” that help determine whether life can flourish on Earth, seven are being breached at their highest ever levels of transgression, according to the latest planetary health check, a process that was established in 2009. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Putin consolidates grip on Russia as 49 Ukraine war veterans elected to parliament 21. September 2026 (15:40) United Russia party’s record victory in tightly controlled vote likely to be used as evidence of support for war against UkraineRussia’s new parliament will include 49 deputies who have taken part in the war against Ukraine, officials have said after a landslide victory by the ruling United Russia party in widely criticised elections.The pro-Kremlin party won a record 355 seats in the country’s 450-seat Duma lower house of parliament, according to preliminary figures. The result further consolidates Vladimir Putin’s grip on power and gives United Russia a super-majority bigger than its previous 2016 record of 343 seats. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US hunter charged after fatally shooting woman he mistook for a deer, police say 21. September 2026 (15:37) Walter Moorhead, 74, jailed on suspicion of manslaughter after allegedly shooting a woman while hunting in DelawareA Maryland hunter was recently jailed on suspicion of manslaughter after he allegedly fatally shot a woman whom he mistook for a deer, according to authorities in Delaware.Walter Moorhead, 74, was hunting from a ground blind in a field near Ellendale, Delaware, at about 7.40pm on Friday when he believed he saw a deer and fired his rifle, state police said in a statement. Yet it was actually a woman whom Moorhead fired at and struck as she walked across the field with two children, the statement added. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Illinois authorities investigate possible ICE wounding of US citizen 21. September 2026 (15:34) Police responded to altercation and found injured man and another person who identified himself as a federal agentAuthorities in Illinois are investigating a case on Sunday in which a US citizen was detained by federal immigration agents before ending up at a hospital with injuries.It came the same day that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot and seriously wounded a man in Austin, Texas. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Helen Jenner unveiled as Reform UK’s new leader in Wales after arrest of Dan Thomas 21. September 2026 (15:13) Nigel Farage dismisses loss of previous leader as ‘bump in the road’ and says party will ‘carry on as if nothing has happened’UK politics live – latest updatesNigel Farage dismissed the loss of Reform UK’s leader in Wales last week as a “bump in the road” as the party unveiled a replacement.Helen Jenner replaces Dan Thomas, who stood down last Tuesday after he was arrested on suspicion of assault and controlling or coercive behaviours. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump denies ‘assault’ on free press as three outlets plan to sue over White House ban – live 21. September 2026 (14:54) Three news outlets to sue to protect First Amendment rights; Trump claims to ‘cherish’ free press but also attacks ‘fake news’ media Sign up for US Breaking News emailsPresident Trump is set to depart for New York later today ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, kicking off a busy week of international diplomacy.Trump is expected to meet with several key figures on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders. Among them will be Delcy Rodriguez, the interim president of Venezuela, who took charge after the US raided her country and arrested her predecessor, Nicolás Maduro, in January. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
German chancellor meets CDU leaders to shore up support after more defeats 21. September 2026 (14:44) Friedrich Merz clinging to power after Christian Democratic Union loses two state electionsEurope live – latest updatesGermany’s beleaguered leader, Friedrich Merz, has sought to shore up support for his flagging chancellorship among senior members of his conservative party after its drubbing at the polls in two state elections.Merz, who has vowed his fractious coalition government will plough ahead with an unpopular reform agenda, held an early meeting in Berlin with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)’s leadership on Monday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Converse apologizes and pulls ad that critics said evoked racist imagery 21. September 2026 (14:03) Sneaker company removes social media ad after backlash from critics who said it resembled KKK imageryThe sneaker company Converse has removed a social media ad that sparked outrage among critics who viewed it as evoking the Ku Klux Klan and lynching.The Instagram ad photo showed K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers. Critics lashed out online, saying that a white triangular image created by lighting on the skirt resembled a KKK hood – and that the way she held the sneakers made them look like the dangling feet of a lynching victim. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fears over interest rate rise and jobs send UK consumer confidence to three-year low 21. September 2026 (14:00) Blow to John Healey before budget as UK households face ‘notable strain’ on their financesBusiness live – latest updatesFears of a steep rise in mortgage payments and increasing job insecurity have sent UK consumer confidence tumbling to a three-month low, according to a leading survey.In a blow to John Healey before next month’s budget, the S&P Global consumer sentiment index dropped to 42.7 in September from 42.9 in August, indicating “a notable strain on financial confidence across UK households”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I have to keep reliving it’: infected blood claimants being asked to prove eligibility 21. September 2026 (13:48) Claimants having to find decades-old medical records to prove they qualify for compensation despite inquiry’s recommendationsSuzanne Morgan will never forget the day her mother died. It was nine months after she had gone into hospital with gallstones, where she received a routine blood transfusion.“She went downhill rapidly,” Morgan recalled. Her mother haemorrhaged in her liver, and the next day she was dead. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
