‘Way too many guns around’: experts say firearm access key factor in spate of US family killings 19. September 2026 (14:00) Acts of ‘familicide’ have increased dramatically this year – in the US, the killer is more likely to have easy access to a gunThe US is often known globally for its shocking levels of violence, but acts of “family annihilation” or “familicide” rank among the most disturbing of crimes.They occur when an assailant kills four or more of their own family members and often see the killer also kill themselves. These types of crime have increased dramatically this year, according to data from Northeastern University. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US fashion CEO resigns after physically restraining animal rights activists 19. September 2026 (13:58) Steven Kolb of the Council of Fashion Designers of America was filmed during an altercation at New York fashion weekThe chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Steven Kolb, has resigned after he was filmed physically restraining two animal rights activists during an altercation at New York fashion week.“After 20 years leading the CFDA, I have made the difficult decision to step down as CEO and president,” Kolb said in a statement. “I am enormously proud of what we have built together and believe this is the right moment for both me and the organisation to begin a new chapter.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Michael Marra elected Scottish Labour leader – and faces uphill battle to reverse party’s fortunes 19. September 2026 (13:14) Marra vows to ‘reconnect’ with Scotland after succeeding Anas Sarwar, who quit Holyrood to join Westminster governmentMichael Marra has been elected as the new leader of the Scottish Labour party, winning almost two-thirds of the vote to lead the party in Holyrood.The MSP for North East Scotland is Scottish Labour’s 11th leader, replacing Anas Sarwar after his shock decision to resign in July to join Andy Burnham’s new government as a trade minister. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Students scramble for accommodation after provider goes bust in Dundee 19. September 2026 (13:00) Case highlights severe financial strain on sector across UK as string of university housing schemes failAre you having problems with your accommodation provider?Nearly 70 students in Dundee have been left scrambling to find accommodation for this academic year after the latest in a string of university housing schemes went bust amid severe financial strain on the sector.Students in the city have been forced to find alternative housing and rapidly move their possessions as term begins this month after the collapse of the owner of Marketgait Apartments, a city centre block. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
The US air force admitted to deploying weapons in space. Don’t expect the White House to explain why 19. September 2026 (13:00) The revelation ‘left experts scratching their heads at exactly what Donald Trump has in his cosmic arsenal’In Hollywood at least, space weapons are a relatively simple concept. The good guys, from Captain Kirk and his crew in Star Trek, to Luke Skywalker’s rebel alliance in Star Wars, battle intergalactic villains with an array of colorful lasers and particle-beam cannons, then the bad guys get dispatched in a spectacular, explosive finale.The messaging coming out of the White House on the subject, by contrast, could not be more vague. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kevin Warsh may be the adult in the room. But can he calm the US economy? 19. September 2026 (13:00) Fed chair presided over unanimous decision to raise interest rates despite intense campaign from White HouseIn the end, Kevin Warsh’s Federal Reserve acquitted itself well. For all the uncertainty he had sparked at the previous meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, when he refused to provide any indication of what he was prepared to do to tame stubborn inflation, the chair on Wednesday presided over a unanimous decision to raise interest rates for the first time in three years.“Today’s action starts to show that we’re serious about this,” he said at the press conference after the meeting, with “this” meaning inflation in excess of the Fed’s 2% target for over five years. Welcome though it was, his embrace of economic orthodoxy nonetheless did little to dispel the Keystone Cops quality of governance in Donald Trump’s US. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Unease in ‘newly independent’ Piddington as world media and Danny Tommo descend 19. September 2026 (13:00) As villagers take stock following symbolic vote, some fear far-right weaponisation of asylum dispute and influx of ‘masked people like in Dover’The first significant event in the newly independent principality of Piddington was a decision to select the newt as the national animal, reflecting optimism that the amphibian’s endangered status might help block plans to open a centre for 1,250 asylum seekers on neighbouring land.The choice was announced on Thursday morning, the day after Piddington announced that villagers had voted overwhelmingly to leave the UK. Parish councillors were also thinking about asking local children to design a flag and considering whether the new principality’s national sport should be cricket or football. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
