‘Starship is in orbit’: cheers go up as huge SpaceX rocket circles Earth for first time 28. September 2026 (16:44) Mission goes ahead despite some fears an initial engine failure after the Texas launch would scupper the attemptSpaceX has sent its enormous Starship rocket into Earth’s orbit for the first time on a milestone flight intended to pave the way for future missions to the moon and Mars.The rocket, the largest and most powerful ever built, blasted off from SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility in Texas at 7.48am local time (1.48pm BST), marking its 14th test flight and first attempt to circle the planet before falling back to Earth. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Foie gras, live dolphins and toasters: China and US cut reciprocal tariffs on $30bn each of goods 28. September 2026 (16:02) World’s biggest economies release lists of products in latest move away from trade war – but no strategic goods are includedThe US and China have released reciprocal lists of goods worth about $30bn each on which they plan to cut tariffs, ranging from consumer electronics and agricultural products to artificial flowers and live dolphins.The announcements are the latest tack away from the intense trade war between the world’s two largest economies that dominated much of last year, though major strategic products are not included and no timeline has yet been given for the reductions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Heat pump sales soar across Europe after states cut electricity taxes, data shows 28. September 2026 (15:53) EU to push members to cut tax rate below duty on gas, with 10%+ surge in sales also put down to fallout from Iran warBusiness live – latest updatesEurope live – latest updatesSales of residential heat pumps jumped across Europe in the first six months of the year as the Iran war sent oil and gas prices rocketing and some countries lowered electricity taxes.Homeowners bought 1.16m heat pumps across 12 European countries, up from 1.05m in the first half of 2025, according to the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Schools forced to shut amid burst Thames Water pipe ‘leaking 750 litres a second’ 28. September 2026 (14:53) Leak causes outages and low pressure in parts of London and Surrey, affecting 6,000 properties and leaving some without waterSchools, businesses and homes across seven boroughs in England were hit by a Thames Water outage on Monday, from a burst water main reportedly leaking 750 litres a second.About 6,000 properties across five south London boroughs and two Surrey boroughs had no water supply or low pressure, Thames Water said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US response to UN pandemic talks ‘severely weakens’ global planning, says leading health expert 28. September 2026 (14:49) The US says it is unable to support a major global text on pandemic prevention and preparedness put forward at UN general assemblyThe United States government’s decision to block a major global declaration on pandemic preparedness “severely weakens” the effort, and signals intent to disrupt international cooperation, says Prof Lawrence Gostin, a leading expert on global health law from Georgetown University.The United Nations general assembly had been due to adopt a political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response on 25 September after a high-level meeting on the subject. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Healey vows to stick to fiscal rules in budget built on hope 28. September 2026 (14:25) Chancellor tells Labour conference it’s ‘not progressive’ to fail to balance books amid rising welfare bill as borrowing costs climb to record highBusiness live – latest updatesPrice of diesel on UK forecourts reaches all-time highJohn Healey has pledged to use next month’s budget to inject hope into Britain’s economy while sticking to the government’s fiscal rules, arguing there is “nothing progressive” about losing control of public finances.In his first speech as chancellor to Labour conference, Healey warned that next month’s highly anticipated tax-and-spending event would need to take into account a challenging global backdrop. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran says it ‘has no plans to negotiate with US’ despite Trump claims – US politics live 28. September 2026 (14:24) Trump had told Axios he expected talks to resume a day after he rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the strait of HormuzSign up for the Breaking News US emailTrump also spent some of Sunday posting about his frustration with the US supreme court, after the justices repeatedly blocked Missouri from using a Republican-friendly congressional map for the upcoming midterm elections that the president had backed.“They continuously, three times now, overrule Judges who came to the correct decisions,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, in another stunning rebuke of the judiciary. The president has increased his pushback against the top court, particularly after rulings Trump considers unfavorable in the last year. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nor’easter storm floods coastal areas from New Jersey to New England 28. September 2026 (14:03) Powerful weather system pummels shoreline for a second day, knocking out power to tens of thousandsResidents of coastal communities in the US’s north-east slogged through floodwaters for a second day as a powerful storm known as a nor’easter pummeled the shoreline on Sunday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes.Tidal surges swamped low-lying neighborhoods in New Jersey while wind gusts toppled trees on New York’s Long Island, damaging homes and bringing down utility poles. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Decades of fossil fuel influence paved way for Trump’s assault on university research, study says 28. September 2026 (14:00) Fossil fuel firms have spent years trying to regulate climate research by donating to US universities, study authors argueRecent attacks on US universities by the Trump administration have built on decades of efforts by libertarian donor networks, fossil fuel companies and conservative thinktanks to reshape university governance and increase outside influence, according to a new study.The authors of the new perspective study argue that the erosion of university autonomy has left colleges more vulnerable to corporate interests, especially within climate and energy research. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teachers at Euan Blair firm report ‘horrendous stress’ after AI used to rate their work 28. September 2026 (13:57) Exclusive: Instructors at tech training company Multiverse hit out at ‘remorseless’ and ‘unnerving’ monitoring systemTeachers at Euan Blair’s £1.6bn tech training company, Multiverse, have blown the whistle about “horrendous stress” and feeling constantly watched after bosses started using AI models to surveil and rate their teaching.Staff delivering apprenticeship training in computer and AI skills to thousands of UK public and private sector workers now have transcripts of online classroom sessions analysed and scored by an AI programmed to alert human managers when they are suspected of doing things wrong. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
