House votes for a third time to end Iran war in symbolic move as conflict drags on – US politics live 16. September 2026 (14:46) The action is likely the last House vote on issue ahead of the midterm electionsSign up for the US Breaking News emailOn Capitol Hill today, Dr Nicole Saphier, Donald Trump’s third pick to be the US surgeon general will face lawmakers on the Senate health, education, labor and pensions committee for a confirmation hearing at 10am ET.A reminder that the president withdrew his last two nominations for the top doctor position – Casey Means and Dr Janette Nesheiwat. While Means’ nomination fell apart after she was grilled by senators in February, Trump withdrew his support for Nesheiwat after questions circled around her academic credentials. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US to bar some South Africans over claims of anti-white discrimination 16. September 2026 (14:35) Announcement of visa restrictions follows Trump’s false claims of ‘white genocide’ taking place in South AfricaThe US has announced visa restrictions on some South Africans as Donald Trump’s administration continues to claim that South Africa’s government racially discriminates against white minority Afrikaners.The announcement did not specify individuals who were barred from the US. Trump has spent his second term falsely claiming there is a “white genocide” in South Africa and railing against its affirmative action policies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Texas to execute man convicted in triple murder as a Georgia execution is put on hold 16. September 2026 (14:32) Texas execution would be the fifth in the state in 2026, while Georgia has yet to put anyone to death this yearA man convicted in the shooting deaths of three people is set to be executed Wednesday in Texas. Meanwhile, another execution that was scheduled for the same time in Georgia has been halted by a judge.This would be the fifth execution in Texas, while Georgia has yet to put anyone to death this year. The nation’s busiest death chamber is in Florida, which accounted for more than half the 25 executions already carried out in the US this year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK inflation rises to 3.1% as motor fuel prices jump by almost a quarter 16. September 2026 (14:18) Financial markets predict one-in-five chance of quarter-point rise in interest rates when Bank of England decides on ThursdayBusiness live – latest updatesUK inflation has returned above 3% as soaring fuel and transport prices triggered by the Iran war heap renewed pressure on British households.Figures from the Office for National Statistics show inflation as measured by the consumer prices index rose from 2.9% in July to 3.1% in August. The increase, which matched City forecasts, was driven by motor fuel prices rising by almost a quarter. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Colonel cleared of not properly handling allegations by soldier who killed herself 16. September 2026 (14:07) Samantha Shepherd faced court martial over case of 19-year-old Jaysley Beck, who had made a sexual assault claimA senior army officer has been cleared by a court martial of failing to deal properly with allegations made by a teenage soldier who went on to kill herself.Col Samantha Shepherd had been accused of “conduct prejudicial to good order and service discipline” over the case of 19-year-old Gunner Jaysley Beck, who took her own life in December 2021. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump EPA’s arguments for letting power plants spew unlimited pollution ‘dead wrong’ 16. September 2026 (14:00) Claims that dismantling pollution rules will lower energy bills and have little climate impact are far from convincingIn allowing US power plants to emit any amount of planet-heating pollution they wish to, the Trump administration made two striking claims – that this will cut Americans’ electricity bills and that the pollution itself doesn’t really matter anyway. Both claims struggle to stand up to even basic scrutiny.On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it would erase any limits on emissions from coal and gas plants that are dangerously heating up our planet. This move, which follows a similar dismantling of pollution limits from cars ands trucks, is part of a broader push to eliminate the longstanding legal authority of this, or any future, US administration to deal with the climate crisis. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The ‘Ossoff angle’: media-savvy senator borrows from Obama as 2028 chatter builds 16. September 2026 (14:00) Pictures of Georgia Democrat looking into middle distance proliferate – and social media skills have boosted his profileDelivering a speech in Atlanta last month, Jon Ossoff accused Donald Trump of corruption, incompetence and fecklessness, and peppered his remarks with substantive observations of dates and times and places. But the comment that ricocheted across the internet – a clip of just a few seconds – was an almost-throwaway reference about how the US president wants to “travel with Natalie” onboard Air Force One.The crowd cheered the US senator, who is running for re-election in battleground Georgia and is increasingly seen as a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2028. But his target audience that day – and this year – spanned far beyond the concert hall. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Microplastics in soil pose global threat by acting like ‘Trojan horse’ to deliver toxins 16. September 2026 (14:00) Exclusive: Plastic surfaces form hotspots with an increase of antibiotic-resistant genes, study findsMicroplastics act like a “Trojan horse” delivering pollutants, pesticides and bacteria through the soil, a five-year multinational research project has found.The EU-funded project, which has so far resulted in 22 peer-reviewed studies, found microplastics in the soil of all 227 agricultural fields it tested across 11 European countries. The researchers said this poses a global threat, with healthy soils essential for life on Earth. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Scotland imposes mandatory environmental assessments on new datacentres 16. September 2026 (13:55) Government announces before vote on moratorium that any projects above 50MW must submit assessments in planning processLarge-scale datacentres will face mandatory environmental assessments before they can go ahead, the Scottish government has announced, amid growing public concern about the impact of the AI boom.Ahead of a vote on a moratorium on new hyperscale datacentres in Holyrood on Wednesday, the Scottish government has tightened rules for new projects by requiring any above 50MW to submit environmental impact assessments, but stopped short of agreeing to an outright halt. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least 20 killed after Israeli-hit building in Gaza City collapses 16. September 2026 (13:34) Rescue workers say search for dozens of people hampered by lack of heavy machineryA building housing about 100 displaced Palestinian families has collapsed in Gaza City, killing at least 20 people, as rescuers search the rubble for dozens of people believed to be trapped, including children.A rescue team from Gaza’s civil defence said they had recovered the bodies of five children among the victims, while 25 injured people were taken to hospital. Medical sources said rescuers could hear the voices of people trapped beneath the rubble as they tried to reach them. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
