Cost of raising two children in Australia has risen 134% in two decades, study says 22. September 2026 (21:00) Parenting advocate Georgie Dent says rising childcare cost has pushed the overall burden to $36,500 a year and calls for more paid parental leaveFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe cost for Australian families of raising two or more children has risen to at least $36,500 a year, according to new research, with the money needed to run a family increasing by 134% in two decades.Data released by advocacy group The Parenthood on Wednesday shows household income has only grown by 102% in the same period, with childcare costs making up 33% of the total cost of having children today. In 2003, the figure was 27%, according to the analysis by firm Connell Griffin. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump’s threat to annihilate Iran to UN general assembly is stunning, even for him 22. September 2026 (20:23) US president may have upstaged the ghost of Soviet leader Khrushchev by musing destruction of fellow member stateDonald Trump has a habit of discomfiting delegates to the United Nations general assembly. But this year, he may have upstaged the ghost of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev by openly contemplating the annihilation of a fellow UN member state.Eleven minutes into a 40-minute address, the US president announced he had “a big decision to make” over Iran, which has staged a much more determined resistance than Trump anticipated when he decided to go to war against the country in February. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Six-year-old Chinese girl ‘sets new women’s Rubik’s Cube world record’ 22. September 2026 (20:10) Lian Yunzhi solves 3x3 puzzle on several occasions in average time of under 4.5 seconds, according to state mediaA six-year-old Chinese girl has set a new women’s world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube in just over four seconds, state media reported.“Speedcuber” Lian Yunzhi broke the women’s 3x3 average world record twice this month at two World Cube Association certified competitions in Wuhan and Guangzhou, according to state broadcaster CCTV on Monday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Donald Trump praises ‘natural businessperson’ Andy Burnham after first meeting 22. September 2026 (20:09) US president says British PM has a ‘lot of assets on his side’ as pair meet at UN in New YorkDonald Trump has praised Andy Burnham as a “natural businessperson” and said the UK was “more up” than under Keir Starmer. But he berated the UK for its decision to give up the Chagos Islands.In their first face-to-face meeting, Trump gave a warm assessment of the relationship, saying he thought Burnham had a “lot of assets on his side” and would be a “great prime minister”, adding: “We talked about everything from Rolls-Royce to energy to immigration – we covered a lot.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
EU removes two oligarchs from Russia sanctions list as deadline looms 22. September 2026 (20:07) Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman delisted in what Ireland’s EU presidency calls ‘a difficult compromise’ for the blocThe EU has agreed to remove two Russian billionaires, Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, from its sanctions list, while extending restrictions on nearly 3,000 individuals and companies accused of supporting the war on Ukraine for the next three years.With an end-of-Tuesday deadline looming to preserve the Russia blacklist, the EU’s 27 member states found a compromise that meant delisting the two oligarchs in spite of very few countries wanting this outcome. EU sanctions have to be approved unanimously. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police believe they have foiled ‘imminent’ attack on Manchester’s Jewish community 22. September 2026 (19:50) Counter-terrorism police say ‘long-running investigation’ disrupted alleged plot days after two men arrested on eve of the holy day Yom KippurPolice believe they have stopped an imminent plot to attack Jewish communities in the Manchester area.The announcement on Tuesday follows the arrest of two men on Sunday at 2.45pm in Manchester and comes during the Jewish holy month. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Worse than the scramble for Oasis tickets’: England’s sustainable farming funds run out in just six hours 22. September 2026 (19:22) Entire £233m budget for 2026 allocated in less than a day, leaving thousands of farmers disappointedThousands of farmers have been left empty-handed with the government’s 2026 nature funding spent in just six hours.The £233m sustainable farming incentive (SFI) scheme opened for applications from farmers at 10am on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Donald Trump scolds CNN anchor for covering him at the UN 22. September 2026 (19:09) President chided Kaitlan Collins for asking him question at UN after White House ban on CNN, MS Now and PoliticoDonald Trump has scolded a CNN anchor for covering him at the UN in New York after banning the network and two other media outlets from the White House.Kaitlan Collins asked the US president on Tuesday when the Iran war would end, citing a poll that claims two-thirds of Americans don’t think the US is winning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump calls on allies to enforce ‘complete economic isolation of Iran’ in UN speech 22. September 2026 (19:05) US president threatens to ‘annihilate’ Tehran and dismisses threat from AI as a ‘hoax’ in bellicose addressUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump has called on nations to unite to isolate Tehran and bring down global energy prices, as he gave a bellicose defence of his administration’s foreign policy and decision to strike Iran.“I call on all nations to help to enforce the complete economic isolation of Iran,” Trump said in a speech to the UN general assembly on Tuesday. “If we stand united, we will soon see a world free of the last 51-year menace of Iranian terror … and oil prices will come plummeting down even lower than they were at the start of the conflict.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US fighter jet crashes at air base in western Germany 22. September 2026 (18:49) Officials say one pilot safely ejected as F-16 believed to have crashed on approach to Spangdahlem after training drillAn F-16 fighter jet assigned to the US air base Spangdahlem in western Germany crashed on Tuesday, the US military said, adding that one pilot had ejected safely and was receiving medical treatment.The cause of the incident is under investigation, the military said in a statement, with emergency response personnel at the scene of the crash. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
