Conservation ‘gateway drug’: farmers embrace ancient craft of hedge laying 15. September 2026 (09:00) Grant applications in England surge as interest grows in habitat that captures carbon and helps reduce flood riskThe ancient craft of hedge laying is experiencing a strong revival as farmers use techniques that peaked in the 18th and 19th centuries to boost wildlife, capture carbon and help tackle flooding.Hedge laying, which restores and revives mature hedges to keep them fresh, was among the four most popular categories of capital grants selected by farmers out of a total pot of £225m provided by the government this year to support practical environmental improvements on farms and across the countryside. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK pay growth slows to 3.9% before crunch interest rates decision 15. September 2026 (08:31) Figure likely to dictate rise in state pension triple lock, as workers face inflation squeeze fuelled by oil price risesBusiness live – latest updatesWage growth in the UK slowed in July as workers came under pressure from a renewed cost of living squeeze fuelled by the Iran war, highlighting the challenge for the Bank of England as it prepares to set interest rates.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show average growth in total earnings, including bonuses, eased to 3.9% in the three months to July, down from 4.1% in the three months to June, matching the forecasts of City economists. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
What would it take to make India’s cities better – and safer? 15. September 2026 (08:30) After a five-storey building collapsed in Delhi, focus is on how urban areas can adapt to growing populations. Plus, Ahmedabad’s ace newspaper delivery driver goes viralRecently, I may have saved a woman’s life on the road. Somehow, this was something I had expected to happen.On that day, I saw a truck leave a construction site with a tangled wire trailing behind. I frantically looked to see what the wire was attached to and spotted the scaffolding a few meters ahead. I shrieked and grabbed the hand of the woman walking in front of me just as the metal pipes came crashing down. We hugged for a brief second, and then walked our separate ways. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I was being polite’: prominent athlete continued texting Alan Jones after alleged assaults due to his reputation, trial hears 15. September 2026 (08:08) Witness tells court he sent Jones friendly messages after two alleged assaults because he had been generous to himListen to the podcast Alan Jones on TrialGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA prominent athlete who has accused Alan Jones of twice kissing him without consent has told a Sydney court he continued to text the broadcaster after the alleged assaults because Jones was powerful and had been generous to him.The witness, who is appearing for a second day in the seventh week of a lengthy trial, agreed he had sent Jones friendly messages after the two alleged assaults. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jean Nassif swears during Icac evidence and declares ‘no one can make me shut up’ 15. September 2026 (08:02) Fugitive property developer beams in from Beirut bedroom to declare ‘I’m not corrupt’ and waves handwritten notes at counsel assisting Peggy DwyerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFugitive property developer Jean Nassif has declared he cannot be silenced as he ranted about “crook” politicians and proclaimed his innocence during an expletive-laden tirade at the New South Wales anti-corruption watchdog.Nassif, 58, on Tuesday dialled into the Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry via video link from his Beirut bedroom. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Help-to-buy scheme delivered ‘very high value for money,’ review finds 15. September 2026 (08:00) Exclusive: George Osborne’s programme to reduce costs for first-time buyers delivered £25bn in social value in UK last yearGeorge Osborne’s scheme to reduce costs for first-time buyers represented “very high value for money”, according to a government review, bolstering the case of senior government figures who have been arguing to resurrect the idea.An official audit of the help-to-buy programme has calculated it provided £25bn of social value to the UK in the last financial year, despite criticisms it was overly expensive and only served to inflate house prices. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man allegedly breaks into Darwin military base, assaults ADF member and flees in stolen car 15. September 2026 (07:54) NT police say person ‘unlawfully gained access’ to the base in the suburb of Winnellie and is still on the runFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn intruder remains on the run after allegedly forcing their way on to a Royal Australian Air Force base in Darwin, assaulting a member of the defence forces and fleeing in a stolen car.Defence confirmed in a statement that on Monday afternoon a person “unlawfully gained access” to the base in the suburb of Winnellie. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pauline Hanson says she’s sorry ‘if I offended people’ with Indigenous Australians remarks 15. September 2026 (07:42) One Nation leader had been condemned by figures from across the political spectrum over the resurfaced podcast commentsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson has made a qualified apology after describing Indigenous Australians as the “most primitive race on Earth”, saying she did not intend to upset people and said she was sorry “if I offended people”.The One Nation leader has been under fire from figures across the political spectrum after the comments from a podcast released in September 2025 resurfaced.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Houthis seize strategic Red Sea islands as analysts warn of impending oil crunch 15. September 2026 (06:22) The militant group in Yemen captured the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish, near the chokepoint of the Bab al-Mandab straitYemen’s Houthi militants have seized two strategic islands in the Red Sea, reinforcing the Iran-backed group’s ability to control a key shipping route, as concerns mount that the world is facing a new oil supply crisis.The seizure of the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish is the latest in the militant group’s swift advance across Yemen’s Red Sea coast, after the capture of the port of Mokha and Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I believed the hype’: the white South Africans denied refugee status in the US 15. September 2026 (06:00) Drive to save thousands of Afrikaners from false claims of ‘white genocide’ appears to show signs of slowingWhen Donald Trump announced in February 2025 that the US would accept Afrikaners from South Africa as refugees, many white South Africans who believed that they were victims of racism in their country thought that their prayers had been answered.However, in the past few months, dozens of applicants to the refugee programme have been rejected, with many left dismayed and confused as to why they would be left to face what Trump has falsely claimed is a “white genocide” in South Africa. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
