Syrian reactor could have been used for nuclear weapons if completed, UN says 07. September 2026 (18:37) Chief of nuclear watchdog says secret Assad-era facility would have been able to produce fissile material A nearly complete nuclear reactor built secretly during the rule of the toppled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad would have been able to produce fissile material for possible use in nuclear weapons, the chief of the UN nuclear watchdog has revealed.Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last month visited two sites, one in Deir ez-Zor and a second in an undisclosed location identified to them by Syrian authorities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
No 10 condemns ‘thuggish’ far-right activists after Portsmouth unrest 07. September 2026 (17:34) Hundreds of men, some in balaclavas, try to prevent asylum seekers’ processing, two days after similar scenes in DoverUK politics live – latest updatesDowning Street has condemned the “thuggish and intimidating behaviour” of far-right activists who blocked roads in Portsmouth when a boat carrying asylum seekers arrived in the city, two days after similar scenes in Dover.Hundreds of men, some dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, tried to stop the arrivals from being transported for processing until 3am, when police removed them with threats of arrest. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Europe’s centre fears nationalist wave after far-right AfD wins state in Germany 07. September 2026 (17:32) ‘Historic’ win in Saxony-Anhalt may show voters’ discontent with political centre, but sweeping conclusions cannot yet be drawnEurope live – latest updatesThe numbers speak for themselves: Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), a party that dabbles in Nazi imagery, distinguishes between “biological” and “passport” Germans, and is too extreme even for France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen, nearly doubled its score in Sunday’s state election in Saxony-Anhalt to 43.8% of the vote.Meanwhile, the centre-right CDU of the chancellor, Friedrich Merz, collapsed to 17.2%, less than half its total in the same race five years ago, and the centre-left SPD – Germany’s other main party of government for the past 60-odd years – scraped 9.3%. The least that can be said is that the centre did not hold. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
French winemakers forecast 30-year low harvest after severe drought and heat 07. September 2026 (17:10) Estimates suggest drop in production with vineyards also concerned ‘smoke taint’ from wildfires may affect qualityFrench vineyards hit by severe drought and heatwaves are expected to report a 30-year low in wine production after the country’s hottest ever recorded summer, according to the agriculture ministry.Initial estimates suggest winemakers will produce just under 34m hectolitres from this year’s harvest: a drop of 6% on last year, and 17% less than the 2021-2025 average. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Stolen Generations survivors have more health challenges than other First Nations people 07. September 2026 (17:01) Indigenous Australians forcibly removed under government policies more likely to have severe or profound disability, report findsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe tens of thousands of Indigenous Australians and their descendents who were forcibly removed under government assimilation policies have far greater physical and health challenges when compared to the wider Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, according to a new report.The report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) was commissioned by peak advocacy body the Healing Foundation, which supports Stolen Generations survivors and their families, and builds on existing data released in 2023. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Record strength El Niño could mean bigger supermarket bills for Australians, experts warn 07. September 2026 (17:00) Predicted hot and dry weather in growing areas in eastern Australia identified as ‘one of the key issues’ that will affect food prices over next 12 monthsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe most severe El Niño weather event on record threatens to push food prices higher this year, experts say, piling pressure on households already struggling with the post-pandemic spike in grocery bills and complicating the Reserve Bank’s efforts to bring inflation back under control.The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast El Niño will peak in late spring or summer and “reach levels above the warmest observed since reliable records began in 1950”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Grassroots Labor group urges Albanese government to chart course away from ‘American war machine’ 07. September 2026 (17:00) Pressure follows revelations US military and weapons manufacturers control or have access to more than 100 bases across Australian continentWhy can the US access so many Australian military bases? – podcastGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe US has “led Australia into wars of aggression” for 50 years, internal party campaign group Labor Against War has argued, urging the government to chart a foreign policy independent “from the American war machine”.The Australian government has defended the growing presence of the US military on the Australian continent, insisting the defence sites “are Australian bases under Australian control”, despite evidence the US military controls more than a dozen bases on Australian territory. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Architect of UK’s AI policy quits after Anthropic conflict of interest concerns 07. September 2026 (16:42) Matt Clifford forced to stand down amid disquiet from senior MPs over his new full-time job at AI company The chair of the UK government’s “moonshot” science and technology research unit has been forced to stand down after taking a job with the San Francisco AI firm Anthropic, in a move senior MPs called a “clear conflict of interest”.Matt Clifford announced last week that he was taking a full-time job working for the company behind the Claude chatbot, “leading its engagement” with governments outside the US – including the UK. But he retained his leadership at the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria), which funds frontier science and tech projects. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Netflix announces production of third Inbetweeners film 07. September 2026 (16:40) Creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris return as writers and directors, with the original cast reprising their rolesNetflix has announced that production has begun on a new Inbetweeners film, with the original cast members reprising their roles.It will be a continuation of the popular Channel 4 sitcom, which aired on E4 from 2008 to 2010, followed by two films in 2011 and 2014. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Plans for local government overhaul on hold after legal advice 07. September 2026 (16:25) Angela Rayner to announce review into local government shake-up as decisions on four areas withdrawn and 16 paused UK politics live – latest updatesPlans for a large reorganisation of local government have been put on hold after the government received new legal advice that suggested they might not comply with the law.The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said the review was to ensure the process was robust and aligned with the new government’s aim to “rewire the state”, and followed “updated and privileged legal advice”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
