‘Hugely exciting’ finds on tiny Scottish island shed light on spread of Christianity 01. October 2026 (01:00) Community-funded archaeological excavations of ‘really important’ sixth-century monastery also rewrite story of LismoreTo the residents of the Scottish island of Lismore, population 190, history is never very far away. The tiny island near Oban in Argyll has no row of shops or even a pub – if islanders want to meet for a coffee, the only place to do so is in the lively Gaelic heritage centre that records the many centuries of community life on the island.This quiet place, documentary evidence records, was home to a monastic settlement in the sixth century AD, when missionaries from Ireland were first moving into northern Britain to spread Christianity. But apart from a few fragments of an early carved cross, there was almost nothing to see from this period of history. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia news live: ATO finds one-quarter of big firms pay zero tax; credit and debit surcharges scrapped 01. October 2026 (00:00) Follow the day’s news live.Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastShoebridge says people are sick of ‘messaging without substance’David Shoebridge, the new Greens leader, says Australians are “sick of the messaging without substance”.People are sick of the messaging without substance. What they’re asking for is they’re asking for a political party that’s going to go and fight for them and take on the 1% and take on the corporations. They want to see us fighting for that.We have an incredibly united membership base. We have an incredibly united party across the country. And I expect that to be how we operate as a party room, how we operate as a leadership team and how we operate as a growing movement.The ATO is committed to helping taxpayers transition to alternative payment methods and will continue to support those experiencing financial hardship or other circumstances that make it difficult to meet their obligations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hegseth confirms plan to cut 20% of US top military brass and rails at ‘beardos, weirdos and wimps’ 30. September 2026 (23:20) Pentagon head hails military with ‘no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals’ in anti-DEI rantSend us your questions about how the Iran war will affect US voters in the midtermsThe US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has confirmed plans to cut 20% of generals and admirals and declared “no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps” would be tolerated inside the country’s military.Delivering his latest extraordinary attack on diversity, and dismissing reports of low morale within the US armed forces as “false claims”, Hegseth also suggested they were retaining service personnel at “record” rates. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pete Hegseth appoints Elon Musk to US taskforce on future of warfare 30. September 2026 (23:18) A year after his explosive tenure at Doge, the SpaceX CEO is back in the Trump administration’s good gracesPete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that Elon Musk will co-lead a government project to study the future of warfare, marking the SpaceX CEO’s first return to government since he ran the chaotic, so -called “department of government efficiency”, or Doge. Musk will be joined by Palmer Luckey, CEO of the defense tech company Anduril, and Newt Gingrich, the former Republican speaker of the House.A defense department press release on the effort, called Project Meridian, described its goal as “identifying the capabilities required to achieve absolute technological dominance on the next-generation battlefield”. The project will run for 120 days and culminate in an unclassified public report of its recommendations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Parents of toddler who had loaded pistol in bag at Detroit daycare to face charges 30. September 2026 (22:45) No one was injured at Children’s World Early Learning Center and parents will appear in court, police saidThe parents of a Detroit-area toddler who pulled a loaded pistol out of his backpack at a daycare will face charges in the case, police said on Wednesday.In a statement, police in Canton Township said the parents would make an initial court appearance on Thursday. The Wayne county prosecutor’s office declined to offer details or additional comment, saying it would wait until a judge signs off on the charges. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Senate blocks Republican bill restricting stock trades by US Congress members 30. September 2026 (22:36) Democrats block measure they say didn’t go far enough – and was bundled with ‘poison pill’ voter ID rulesThe US Senate on Wednesday blocked a Republican bill restricting stock trading by members of Congress, after Democrats refused to advance a measure they said would let lawmakers keep their portfolios and was bundled with voter ID rules they called a “poison pill”.The 53-47 vote fell seven short of the 60 needed to open debate on the Stop Insider Trading Act, which the Republican-controlled House passed in July. Every Democrat and independent voted no, and the failure comes five weeks before the 3 November midterms. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
In-laws charged with murder of New York Times games engineer in California 30. September 2026 (22:31) Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, charged days before Jonathan McKinsey and wife were set for hearing in divorce caseA California couple have been charged with murder after authorities say they shot their son-in-law to death on Saturday in a public park, days before he and the couple’s daughter were set for a hearing in a bitter divorce case.Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, were due in court on Wednesday for an arraignment on the charges. The Associated Press was not able to reach an attorney for the couple before the court appearance. Their daughter, Candice Jang, could not be reached, though she appeared virtually at Wednesday’s hearing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nurse charged with helping man in hospital escape from ICE custody 30. September 2026 (20:57) FBI accuses Chloe Freeman of federal misdemeanor in case of undocumented Mexican migrant arrested in MichiganThe federal government is charging a Michigan nurse accused of illegally helping an undocumented immigrant, who was being treated in a hospital, escape from immigration officials, court records unsealed this week show.An FBI agent’s declaration submitted in a federal court accuses Chloe Renae Freeman, 33, of “instigating or assisting escape”, a federal misdemeanor, by helping a patient leave an Ann Arbor hospital while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in May. The patient, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, had been arrested around two hours earlier by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) border patrol agents. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Stella McCartney makes waves with ‘sea life, not sea food’ theme in zero-wool Paris show 30. September 2026 (20:47) Designer showcases wool alternatives and ocean-inspired clothes and says ‘kindness requires real work’Stella McCartney has been talking about animal rights at fashion week for 30 years. She is usually a lone voice, but the issue is back in the headlines this season. Outcry over the physical restraining of a Peta protester at a catwalk show by Steven Kolb, the president of New York fashion week’s governing body, has put cruelty in wool production – previously considered niche compared to the hot button topic of fur – on the news agenda.“There is no wool on the runway this season, and I’m proud of that,” McCartney said after her show. She has been working on wool alternatives, including Brewed Protein, a fermented alternative to cashmere and wool developed in collaboration with the Japanese biotech firm Spiber, which was first used in her collections a year ago. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US trade regulator opens investigation into AI giants including Anthropic and OpenAI 30. September 2026 (20:35) FTC move is first official US enforcement action on rogue AI agents, following surge in incidents first reported in JulyThe US’s main trade regulator is conducting an industry-wide investigation into Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI labs to uncover the potential dangers their technology poses to consumers.The investigation by the Federal Trade Commission is the first official US enforcement action that delves into rogue AI agents, following a surge in incidents first reported in July that have stoked fears among the public that uncontrolled AI could one day harm humans. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
