Deadly Philippines ferry fire leaves scores of people missing 10. September 2026 (04:23) Forty-three people rescued and early death toll stands at five after blaze aboard MV June Aster in waters off Coron, Palawan, says coast guardFive people were confirmed dead in early counting and more than 80 were missing after a ferry caught fire off Palawan island in the western Philippines on Wednesday night, the Philippine coast guard said.Forty-three people were rescued from the MV June Aster in waters off Coron, Palawan, the coast guard said. Footage showed flames engulfing parts of the vessel and responders placing victims in body bags. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Instagram boss says users will be ‘overwhelmed’ with brand content in algorithm-free world 10. September 2026 (04:10) Adam Mosseri says platform’s algorithm ‘feels like a black box’ but company trying to give users more control after Labor announces opt-out planFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastInstagram’s chief executive has said users will have a worse experience in an algorithm-free world, seeing more brand-related content, and spend less time on the app.The comments come as the Australian government plans to give users the option to opt out of algorithms, with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announcing plans on Tuesday to require social media platforms to prompt users to choose between a feed of algorithm-recommended content or a reverse chronological feed of the pages users follow. Labor also plans to introduce a range of measures designed to address online harm on the sites. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
SMH columnist Peter FitzSimons tells Alan Jones trial alleged victim was ‘revolted’ by abuse 10. September 2026 (04:09) FitzSimons tells court that complainant C told him Jones, who has pleaded not guilty, would touch his penis and he ‘kept pushing it away’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSydney Morning Herald columnist Peter FitzSimons has told the Alan Jones trial an alleged victim he spoke to in 2019 was “tearful” and sounded “emotionally traumatised” when detailing alleged assaults by the 2GB broadcaster.The commentator and author gave evidence in the Downing Centre local court on Thursday about a telephone call he had with the alleged victim known as complainant C in October 2019. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jacqui Lambie says Pauline Hanson a ‘bloody coward’ after One Nation cartoon calling Andrew Hastie a traitor 10. September 2026 (03:57) Lambie, a veteran and Tasmanian senator, says One Nation leader is showing her ‘true colours’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastJacqui Lambie has accused Pauline Hanson of being a “coward” for a One Nation cartoon calling the Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie a traitor, amid a growing spat between the One Nation leader and the former SAS captain.Lambie, a crossbencher and army veteran, defended Hastie on Thursday, after he called on Hanson to take ownership for a One Nation animated cartoon on social media in which he is repeatedly described as a traitor for giving evidence against Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith in his failed defamation case. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rubio says US will work with allies to stop drug-trafficking as three killed in latest boat strike 10. September 2026 (03:02) Rubio visits Ecuador and welcomes cooperation after campaign of unilateral strikes on alleged ‘narco-terrorists’US secretary of state Marco Rubio gave new clarity on the approach toward combating drug trafficking in Latin American waters, saying the Trump administration was focused on working with allied countries and aligning with their laws but insisting the military will “still blow up ships if need be.”The public acknowledgment of a shift in US strategy comes a year after Washington began a campaign of unilateral deadly strikes against those it calls “narco-terrorists” operating boats in international waters. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rhode Island’s Democratic governor loses primary amid anger over bridge 10. September 2026 (02:35) Helena Foulkes beats incumbent Dan McKee after criticizing handling of Providence’s Washington bridge, now expected to be completed in 2028Rhode Island’s Dan McKee became the first sitting governor to lose a primary in nearly a decade, bested not by a more progressive challenger or a more youthful upset but by frustration over a bridge.McKee lost his Democratic primary to Helena Foulkes, a former longtime executive with Rhode Island-based retail pharmacy CVS, the Associated Press said on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Democrat John Fetterman makes surprise appearance at Republican convention 10. September 2026 (02:24) Senator praises ‘great friend’ Dave McCormick and says he will work with him and Trump to support steel in PennsylvaniaDemocratic senator John Fetterman made a surprise virtual appearance at the Republican midterm convention, delivering a video address supporting Dave McCormick, a Republican senator in Pennsylvania.Fetterman, who has increasingly broken with his party since his election in 2022, said he would always reject “extremes and socialism” in the video, repeating an oft-used Republican critique of the Democratic party’s increasingly popular left wing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lawmakers blast AI companies after researcher warns of human extinction by 2030 10. September 2026 (02:19) Former Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon said AI will become ‘superhuman systems’ that can cause human extinction by the end of the decadeJust a day after three Anthropic researchers warned that artificial intelligence could kill off humanity within the decade, lawmakers have begun lashing out about the risks of the burgeoning technology.Ted Cruz, a republican senator from Texas, said in an interview on ABC’s The View, that AI poses a “catastrophic risk” and that he “read that whole tweet thread that that developer put out. It was highly concerning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teachers say holidays in term can be worth more than time in school 10. September 2026 (01:01) School staff tell focus groups they believe school system in England and Wales cannot deal with attendance crisisTeachers have so little belief in the importance of pupils’ full school attendance that they would take their own children on term time holidays if they could, staff have told a three-year research programme.Frontline staff do not believe the school system is set up to deal with an ongoing attendance crisis in England and Wales, where nearly one in five children are now missing at least 10% of school, according to a report based on in-depth conversations with teachers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK chancellor urged to remove £100k childcare ‘cliff edge’ prompting parents to cut work hours 10. September 2026 (01:01) Critics say threshold pushes higher-paid staff to cut back on work and often mothers to stop working to avoid losing entitlementJohn Healey has been urged to fix the £100,000 childcare “cliff edge”, that means some higher-paid employees cut back on work to avoid losing their entitlement.Since the latest expansion of taxpayer-funded childcare in 2024, families with young children in which both parents earn less than £100,000 a year can be entitled to 30 hours a week of care - or none at all, if one of them cross that threshold. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
