Help-to-buy scheme delivered ‘very high value for money,’ review finds 15. September 2026 (08:00) Exclusive: George Osborne’s programme to reduce costs for first-time buyers delivered £25bn in social value in UK last yearGeorge Osborne’s scheme to reduce costs for first-time buyers represented “very high value for money”, according to a government review, bolstering the case of senior government figures who have been arguing to resurrect the idea.An official audit of the help-to-buy programme has calculated it provided £25bn of social value to the UK in the last financial year, despite criticisms it was overly expensive and only served to inflate house prices. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man allegedly breaks into Darwin military base, assaults ADF member and flees in stolen car 15. September 2026 (07:54) NT police say person ‘unlawfully gained access’ to the base in the suburb of Winnellie and is still on the runFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn intruder remains on the run after allegedly forcing their way on to a Royal Australian Air Force base in Darwin, assaulting a member of the defence forces and fleeing in a stolen car.Defence confirmed in a statement that on Monday afternoon a person “unlawfully gained access” to the base in the suburb of Winnellie. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pauline Hanson says she’s sorry ‘if I offended people’ with Indigenous Australians remarks 15. September 2026 (07:42) One Nation leader had been condemned by figures from across the political spectrum over the resurfaced podcast commentsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastPauline Hanson has made a qualified apology after describing Indigenous Australians as the “most primitive race on Earth”, saying she did not intend to upset people and said she was sorry “if I offended people”.The One Nation leader has been under fire from figures across the political spectrum after the comments from a podcast released in September 2025 resurfaced.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Politics, really newsletter here Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Houthis seize strategic Red Sea islands as analysts warn of impending oil crunch 15. September 2026 (06:22) The militant group in Yemen captured the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish, near the chokepoint of the Bab al-Mandab straitYemen’s Houthi militants have seized two strategic islands in the Red Sea, reinforcing the Iran-backed group’s ability to control a key shipping route, as concerns mount that the world is facing a new oil supply crisis.The seizure of the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish is the latest in the militant group’s swift advance across Yemen’s Red Sea coast, after the capture of the port of Mokha and Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I believed the hype’: the white South Africans denied refugee status in the US 15. September 2026 (06:00) Drive to save thousands of Afrikaners from false claims of ‘white genocide’ appears to show signs of slowingWhen Donald Trump announced in February 2025 that the US would accept Afrikaners from South Africa as refugees, many white South Africans who believed that they were victims of racism in their country thought that their prayers had been answered.However, in the past few months, dozens of applicants to the refugee programme have been rejected, with many left dismayed and confused as to why they would be left to face what Trump has falsely claimed is a “white genocide” in South Africa. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ebola outbreak in DRC has peaked, say authorities, as infection rates slow 15. September 2026 (06:00) Almost 3,500 people have died in outbreak and experts say more must be done to ensure Bundibugyo is under controlAuthorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have announced that the Ebola outbreak ravaging parts of the country has reached its peak.For the first time since the epidemic was declared in May, the numbers of people becoming infected is slowing down, according to officials. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Bank of England urged to slow or halt bond-selling to slash UK borrowing costs 15. September 2026 (06:00) Economists urge John Healey to press Bank to change policy that is costing the exchequer billions of poundsEconomists have urged the chancellor, John Healey, to press the Bank of England to slow down its bond-selling programme that has already cost the exchequer billions of pounds.The Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) meets this week to not only decide the level of interest rates but also whether they should freeze or slow the sale of government bonds, known as gilts, bought as part of the rescue operation after the 2008 banking crash. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Youngest Snowtown murderer to walk free from jail after 26-year sentence as parole upheld 15. September 2026 (05:57) James Vlassakis was 18 when he became involved in the Snowtown killings, later pleading guilty to four of the 11 murders The youngest person jailed over the notorious Snowtown killings will walk free after serving a 26-year sentence behind bars.A decision to release James Vlassakis by South Australia’s Parole Board was upheld by the state’s court of appeal on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nato jets shoot down drone violating Lithuania’s airspace 15. September 2026 (05:36) The drone, which reportedly entered from Belarus, was shot down near Pratkunai village in central-southern LithuaniaNato fighter jets shot down a drone over Lithuania after an alert was issued in the capital, Vilnius, and surrounding region, while Poland scrambled fighter jets less than a day after retrieving a suspected Russian drone adrift in its waters.The Lithuania drone was shot down near the central-southern village of Pratkunai outside the city of Kaunas, said emergency authorities early on Tuesday. The drone came from neighbouring Belarus and was heading west, according to information from Lithuania’s crisis management centre that was reported by national radio LRT. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Panama canal traffic to be cut again as drought from El Niño worsens 15. September 2026 (04:43) Latest daily reductions will further choke one of the world’s most important shipping lanesThe Panama canal plans to again cut maritime traffic due to worsening drought caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon, further choking up one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.The canal handles 5% of global maritime trade and about 40% of US container traffic; it is favoured by shippers because it usually reduces cost and transit times, especially for companies trading between China, Asia and the US. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
