‘Intimidatory’ far-right marches should not be allowed, says Angela Rayner 29. September 2026 (06:00) The UK communities secretary decried protests by ‘men in black wearing face masks’ and those ‘whipping up hatred’ towards lifeboat volunteersFar-right marches led by the self-styled “Danny Tommo” should not be treated like normal protests, the communities secretary, Angela Rayner, has said, calling the marches “intimidation” that should not be permitted.Rayner said the behaviour of some masked marchers – who have blocked roads and transport hubs – was not an acceptable form of protest. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rubio says foreign actor was ‘clearly’ behind suspected RAF Fairford bomb plot 29. September 2026 (05:29) The US secretary of state offered no evidence for his claims, and also said many people were ‘disturbed’ that the five suspects had been released on bailUS secretary of state Marco Rubio has said unequivocally that a foreign actor was involved in the suspected UK bomb plot at RAF Fairford, hours after the five suspects arrested close to the airbase were released on bail.“What could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News on Monday evening, adding that it “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘New kind of cyber incident’: OpenAI apologises for Medicare hack and reveals extent of attack 29. September 2026 (04:51) Chief strategy officer to fly to Australia to front joint committee on AI after breaches of government websitesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastOpenAI has apologised to Australians for its agent attack on Medicare, and will front parliament next week, as the tech company revealed more details about its June hack of Australian government websites.In a blog post released on Tuesday, OpenAI said it should have handled its response better. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Looked like dried blood’: worker tells Beau Lamarre-Condon trial about finding suspicious belongings in skip 29. September 2026 (03:28) Former Sydney police officer, 31, has pleaded not guilty to murdering AFL umpire Jesse Baird and flight attendant Luke DaviesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBrand new AFL shorts, a Qantas card and other bloodied belongings were found in a dumpster two days after football umpire Jesse Baird and flight attendant Luke Davies were allegedly murdered, a Sydney court has heard.Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, has been accused of fatally shooting the couple with his police service weapon in Baird’s Paddington home on 19 February 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tennessee to execute a woman for first time in 200 years after governor denies clemency 29. September 2026 (02:52) Lawyers for Christa Pike, 50, convicted of killing classmate in Knoxville in 1995, ask supreme court to grant stayChrista Pike, a woman who was convicted of murder 30 years ago, is set to be put to death on Wednesday after her request for clemency was denied by Tennessee governor Bill Lee on Monday. If the execution goes through, she will be the first woman executed in the state in 200 years.Pike, who is now 50, was 18 when she and her boyfriend, who was 17 at the time, killed 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, one of their classmate at Knoxville Job Corps in 1995. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Vietnamese government accused of abducting Melbourne human rights activist 29. September 2026 (02:08) Tran Hiep, a 50-year-old Vietnamese Australian anti-human trafficking campaigner, not heard from since 18 SeptemberVietnamese authorities have detained three activists, including an Australian, on what have been described as “fabricated” charges.The Vietnamese government said the three confessed to being members of Viet Tan – a pro-democracy organisation – which it describes as a terrorist organisation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
In-laws arrested on suspicion of murder after New York Times engineer shot dead in California 29. September 2026 (01:17) Police arrest couple in their 70s after Jonathan McKinsey, 40, found dead in park in Bay Area city of DublinA married couple in their 70s have been arrested for allegedly shooting and killing their son-in-law, a New York Times engineer, in broad daylight at a suburban Bay Area park.A police officer found Jonathan McKinsey, 40, lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds in a park in Dublin, California, a small city about 35 miles (56.3km) east of San Francisco. Around the time the officer discovered him, 911 calls began pouring in from witnesses reporting the shooting. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
OpenAI scraps release of new model over safety concerns in internal testing 29. September 2026 (01:02) GPT-6.1 Astra showed deceptive behavior and tried to use external tools despite knowing it would be unsafeOpenAI is scrapping the release of GPT-6.1 Astra, a next-generation AI model planned for an October debut, over safety concerns raised by researchers during internal testing, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.The model, expected to appear in ChatGPT and Codex, was designed to handle more complex tasks without human assistance, the report said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Samuel Alito steps aside in a major climate case amid scrutiny over oil stock holdings 28. September 2026 (23:47) Decision from conservative justice comes before court hears case on whether fossil-fuel firms deceived US publicSupreme court justice Samuel Alito recused himself Monday from a major climate-change case after facing calls to step aside due to stock holdings in oil companies.A letter posted in the case did not specify a reason, but the conservative justice has previously recused himself from other cases involving companies where he holds stock. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia news live: Chalmers defends record as RBA’s cash rate decision due; killed police officer Mia Lay remembered 28. September 2026 (23:35) Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe wife of an Australian activist missing in Cambodia has implored the Albanese government to find him and bring him home, Australian Associated Press reports.Tran Hiep, a 50-year-old Australian-Vietnamese democracy campaigner, was due to return to Bangkok, Thailand, to reunite with his wife Chloe Dang after a short trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to meet with human rights defenders.My husband deserves protection, and I really hope the Australian government will continue to put pressure on Cambodia to do an investigation to find out where he is right now. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
