Pupils missed 15m hours of school time during UK’s June heatwave, study finds 11. September 2026 (12:00) At least 760,000 children in England and Wales missed lessons as more than 1,700 schools closed or finished earlyThe gruelling heatwave that hit the UK in June caused pupils to miss more than 15m hours of lesson time as soaring temperatures forced hundreds of schools to close, according to a study.The research found that at least 760,000 schoolchildren in England and Wales missed lessons owing to closures during the heatwave – one of five to batter the UK this summer – as temperatures inside some classrooms topped 40C, leaving pupils and staff suffering from heat stress, nausea and headaches. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Greens select Zack Polanski to run in Holborn and St Pancras byelection 11. September 2026 (11:52) Leader has said Greens are underdogs in race for Keir Starmer’s former seat but he is confident they can beat LabourZack Polanski, the Green party leader, has been selected as its candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras byelection on 8 October.The seat became vacant this month when the former prime minister Keir Starmer announced he was leaving parliament. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Russia accused of ‘rapidly growing’ attacks on civilian infrastructure after five killed in Ukraine – Europe live 11. September 2026 (11:31) Ukraine’s foreign minister says Russia is deliberately targeting civiliansThe Russian state news agency RIA has cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who has threatened that Lithuanian territory may “come into the sights” of Russia’s nuclear arsenal should Vilnius decide to host similar Nato weapons.Reuters reports Lithuania earlier this year said it would move to remove a prohibition on the deployment of nuclear weapons from its constitution by the end of the year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Missouri UPS worker two weeks from retirement fatally struck by company vehicle 11. September 2026 (11:30) Paul Roberts, who was employed by UPS for 44 years, was working at a customer care center when he was struckA longtime United Parcel Service (UPS) employee less than two weeks away from retiring was struck and killed by one of the company’s vehicles while he was at work in St Louis, triggering a federal labor investigation along with an intense outpouring of grief from his family and colleagues.Paul Roberts, 63, was on duty at the UPS customer care center in Earth City, Missouri, on the night of 4 September when a company vehicle hit him, authorities said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Emma Bonino, radical Italian politician who stood up to Vatican, dies aged 78 11. September 2026 (11:21) Militant feminist led campaigns to legalise abortion and divorce and went on to become foreign minister Emma Bonino, the radical Italian politician who led campaigns to legalise abortion and divorce against the objections of the Vatican, has died aged 78.“Today we lose not only our leader but also one of the most clear-sighted, courageous and free figures in the political history of our country,” the small party she founded, More Europe, said on Facebook on Friday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pressure grows on Burnham to commit to increasing statutory paternity leave 11. September 2026 (10:00) Exclusive: Calls from Labour grow as 105 MPs write to PM urging ‘obvious’ step to alleviate cost of living crisisAndy Burnham is coming under increasing pressure from his own MPs to commit to improving paternity leave in the UK in the next budget, with more than a quarter of Labour MPs writing to the prime minister to urge him to take action.Ahead of the chancellor’s first budget next month, 105 MPs have written to Burnham calling on him to increase statutory paternity leave to help alleviate the cost of living crisis and arguing that lowest-paid fathers are the hardest hit by meagre paternity leave provision. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Remembrance ceremonies to be held across the US to honor victims of 9/11 11. September 2026 (10:00) Memorials and remembrances will mark the 25 years since the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 on 11 September 2001The United States is marking the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on Friday, with memorials and remembrance ceremonies taking place across the country to honor the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks.In New York City, the national September 11 memorial and museum will hold its annual commemoration ceremony, with the families of victims gathering at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza and reading aloud the names of those killed in the 9/11 attacks and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK economy defies forecasts with surprise 0.4% growth in July 11. September 2026 (08:02) Welcome boost for chancellor with unexpected rise put down to rapid growth of AI in services sector outweighing Iran war fallout The UK economy grew in July as the rapid growth of AI appeared to outweigh the economic damage from the Iran war, in a welcome boost for the John Healey before next month’s budget.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed a surprise 0.4% increase in gross domestic product (GDP), compared with 0.3% growth in June. City economists had forecast zero growth. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian fuel prices set to rise by 30c as global markets react to ‘deadly cocktail’ 11. September 2026 (08:00) Global oil price at its highest since May while investors dump stocks and bonds after Donald Trump’s $5,000 ‘dividend’ promiseFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFuel prices are on track to climb a further 20-30 cents per litre over the coming weeks, after the escalating Middle East conflict pushed the global oil price to its highest since mid-May.As investors dumped stocks and bonds in an increasingly febrile environment, Donald Trump’s promise to give every US adult citizen a US$5,000 “dividend” after the November midterms if Republicans win added to alarm around the parlous state of the country’s finances. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Speed up electricity grid upgrade or else face higher bills, warns UK watchdog 11. September 2026 (07:00) National Audit Office says failure to implement £70bn modernisation would also hold back economic growthThe ‘great grid upgrade’ is off track – ministers should spell out the risks for billsConsumers will pay higher energy bills unless the UK government speeds up work on a vast programme of upgrades to the electricity grid to enable the switch to renewables, the public spending watchdog has warned.The National Audit Office (NAO) said that without faster action the extra costs associated with managing the ageing power network, which are ultimately passed on to the public, could reach £7.8bn a year by 2030. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
