US veterans have greater levels of Pfas in their blood than civilians, new study finds 18. September 2026 (16:00) Soil and water around military bases show elevated levels of Pfas pollution due to chemicals used in firefighting foamMany US military veterans have much higher levels of Pfas “forever chemicals” in their blood than non-veterans, new peer-reviewed research finds, raising more questions about health risks the nation’s service members face after serving at polluted bases.Ground water, surface water and soil around military bases show among the highest levels of Pfas pollution in the US because the chemicals are used in firefighting foam deployed during training and emergencies. While the problem has been clear for over a decade, the new Brown University-led study is the first to compare levels in veterans’ blood with those in civilians. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
British Sikh man granted bail in India nine years after arrest 18. September 2026 (15:02) Jagtar Singh Johal, from Scotland, was arrested after wedding in Punjab on alleged terrorism offencesJagtar Singh Johal, a British Sikh man who was arrested in India in 2017 in connection with alleged terrorism offences, has been granted bail by a Delhi court.Johal, from Scotland, was arrested for his alleged role in funding the Khalistan Liberation Force, which had carried out targeted killings in India’s Punjab region. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Early voting begins in midterms as campaign shifts focus to cost of living and Iran war – US politics live 18. September 2026 (14:38) Campaigning or control of Congress is expected to ramp up as some states open early votingSign up for the US Breaking News emailJD Vance is back on the midterm campaign trail today, slated to head to Iowa to speak at a rally in Council Bluffs.Republicans in the state are fighting to hold on to a Senate seat and the governorship, both of which appear too close for comfort. Vance will be joined at the rally by the Republican candidate for governor, Zach Lahn. The GOP’s Senate nominee, Ashley Hinson, has said she will not attend due to a previously scheduled commitment. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Poorest countries hit hardest by UK aid cuts under Keir Starmer government, new figures reveal 18. September 2026 (14:01) Aid to lower-income countries fell by almost 7%, while higher-income countries saw their share of Britain’s aid budget increaseThe world’s poorest countries were worst hit by British aid cuts under Keir Starmer’s government, while higher-income countries saw their share of aid increase, new figures reveal.The latest figures released by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office show a 6.7% decrease in funding to the least-developed countries and low-income countries, amounting to cuts of £118m. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
British woman who was kidnapped in Malawi rescued by police after shootout 18. September 2026 (13:21) Four of Nurat Osman’s alleged abductors were killed during rescue after she was taken from outside her home last weekA British woman kidnapped in Malawi last week has been rescued by police after a shootout in which four of her alleged abductors were killed.Nusrat Osman was abducted outside her home in the southern city of Blantyre on 11 September at about 12.30pm. Police had offered a reward of 30m Malawi kwacha (£12,950) for information leading to her rescue and the arrest of the perpetrators. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
OpenAI ‘ethically hacked’ with help of Anthropic’s Claude chatbot 18. September 2026 (13:20) US cybersecurity researchers who conducted hack say ‘scope of what we could theoretically access was huge’Cybersecurity researchers have hacked into OpenAI with the help of Anthropic’s Claude chatbot, in the latest example of security issues at the company.A team at a US-based startup compromised a number of OpenAI employees’ ChatGPT accounts, starting a process that enabled them to access their target’s software cache – and potentially more. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Clear retribution’: dismay as key Alzheimer’s study cancelled amid Trump attacks on science 18. September 2026 (13:00) Participants in Pittsburgh may never learn the results of their cognitive tests – and funding cuts that target ‘DEI’ have the potential to delay vital diagnosesRoderick Blair was surprised when scientific researchers appeared on his doorstep in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Here, on a recent summer day, police cars, an ambulance and a TV reporter crowded into a driveway on the edge of the neighborhood. A helicopter swung overhead. Saplings peeked over rooflines from gutters, windows were broken, screens tattered, doors boarded up and rippling sidewalks crumbled. Bedraggled chain link fences held back the season’s tall grass. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US wheat farmers navigate uncertainty amid drought and geopolitical chaos 18. September 2026 (13:00) Some experts worry factors affecting wheat exports could push global food prices even higher than they are nowWheat prices are at their highest level in three years, which means farmer Merrill Nielsen should be getting more for his crops out of his 2,500-acre (1,010-hectare) Kansas farm.Yet even as future prices for bread-type wheat are up 39%, Nielsen is unsure whether increased prices will raise his bottom line. The price of diesel fuel, which he needs to run his tractor, has hit record highs. Then there’s the erratic weather that made him lose his entire wheat crop in the spring, and drought has overtaken the southern Great Plains. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Disabled people need right to travel abroad, say UK MPs amid ‘ridiculous’ restrictions row 18. September 2026 (13:00) Outcry over ‘brazenly discriminatory’ funding practices among NHS care boards and local councils, with wide variations in rulesOpinion: An effective ban on disabled people leaving Britain? We will not settle for itDisabled people must have a guaranteed right to travel abroad, MPs and peers have said, as further cases emerged of individuals barred from taking holidays as a result of “ridiculous” rules imposed by local NHS care boards and local councils.Leading figures have called on the government to bring in clear national guidelines to ensure people who require full-time personal assistants (PAs) are not prevented from using funding for their 24/7 support team for breaks and work trips. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Workers in New York seek to create first AutoZone union as company resists 18. September 2026 (13:00) Company may have spent about $200,000 to fight union effort in White Plains, where 11 people can vote to join UAWWorkers at an AutoZone in White Plains, New York, are seeking to become the first store at the US’s largest auto parts retailer to win a union election, set to begin 25 September, despite a heavy-handed union opposition campaign from the company.LaborLab, a non-profit workers’-rights watchdog, estimates AutoZone has spent around $200,000 to oppose the unionization effort at the White Plains store, where 11 workers are eligible to vote to join the United Auto Workers Local 259. The estimate is based on external attorney costs and internal costs of executive salaries based on reports from workers at the store. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
