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Politics
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North Carolina teenager dies from rare infection caused by brain-eating amoeba
Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm freshwater, and if it enters through the nose, can cause brain damage A North Carolina teenager has died after contracting a rare and often fatal brain-eating amoeba. The state’s health department (NCDHHS) confirmed the boy’s death on Monday, saying: “NCDHHS has been informed that the teen who developed a rare illness, caused by Naegleria fowleri died on Aug. 31, 2026. We extend our condolences to the family, friends and community impacted by this loss.” Continue reading...
Remote Grand Canyon lodge hit by deadly flash flood boasts fabled history
Phantom Ranch, set up by Teddy Roosevelt, has welcomed exhausted hikers to its famed cabins for over a century Two dead and at least 15 missing in Grand Canyon flash flood Phantom Ranch has been a solitary refuge visited by some of the most famous names of history. More typically, it’s been a beacon for the half-collapsed, exhausted and overheated hikers trudging down the Grand Canyon for more than a century. The sole lodge at the very bottom of the Grand Canyon, the cabins long had a near mythical reputation. Located along the Bright Angel Creek, which tumbles into the mighty Colorado River at the base of the canyon, they served as a reminder of the long history of one of America’s most spectacular but savage environments. Continue reading...
US military has no plans to send troops to midterm polling sites, Dan Caine says
Letter from chair of joint chiefs of staff addresses concerns over Trump officials using military to interfere with vote The highest‑ranking US military officer says there are no plans to deploy troops to polling places during the November midterm elections – responding to Senator Elissa Slotkin’s request for information amid concerns about whether the Trump administration might send service members to election sites. In a letter obtained by the Guardian, first reported by the Associated Press, Gen Dan Caine, chair of the joint chiefs of staff, told Slotkin “the Joint Force has no plans to send Federal military personnel or Federalized members of the National Guard to polling places during the 2026 elections”. He added that there are also “no plans to use such personnel to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election‑related material”. Continue reading...
Teen charged with murder for recording San Diego mosque shooting livestream
North Carolina DA says girl, 17, who disseminated attackers’ manifesto charged with murder by aiding and abetting A 17-year-old North Carolina girl who recorded a livestream of a shooting that killed three people at a San Diego mosque and disseminated the attackers’ white-supremacist writings has been charged with murder by aiding and abetting, a district attorney said on Monday. Forsyth county district attorney Jim O’Neill said at a news conference in Winston-Salem that the girl, whose name was not mentioned during the news conference, was arrested last week. On Monday, just before she was due to begin the school year, a grand jury indicted her on three counts of murder and one count of conspiracy. Continue reading...
News live: Penny Wong has ‘grave concerns’ for missing Australians in Nepal; capital city house prices fall below $1m
Australian flight transporting aid supplies leaves for Nepal this morning. Follow updates live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An RAAF flight containing hygiene kits, shelter, and solar lights will leave for Nepal this morning, as the foreign minister and acting prime minister, Penny Wong , says grave concerns are held over the 43 missing Australians after the Nepal-Tibet flash flood. More than 4,400 people are still missing on both sides of the border , with more than 930 people confirmed dead. Wong told ABC’s 7.30 program last night that the federal government is urgently seeking to find the whereabouts of the 43 missing Australians. We are deploying an RAAF aircraft to deliver these kits which are designed to support people in circumstances of natural disasters that destroy infrastructure and their shelter. Whether it’s shelter kits, lights, hygiene kits, these are the things needed for those people who are facing the devastation of their homes and their communities. I first want to again express what I’ve been expressing to the families and friends of the 43 Australians who are not accounted for, that this is such a difficult time, it’s an incredibly distressing, traumatic time. I think all Australians are with you. And certainly we are with you. We are working to do whatever we can and to provide any information we obtain. Continue reading...
Pabst offers reward for return of 40,000 pound haul of beer stolen from California warehouse
The company is offering a cash reward worth half the value of the beer, which was stolen in two separate warehouse heists Pabst is offering a reward after tens of thousands of cans of its Blue Ribbon beer were stolen from the company’s southern California warehouse two weeks ago – if it is all safely returned. In Instagram posts , Pabst put the weight of the stolen cargo at 40,000 pounds (18,000kg) and started a countdown seeking its return. Continue reading...
US supreme court allows Trump to keep building $400m White House ballroom
Justices’ 5-4 ruling permits Trump administration appeal to block lower court order halting above-ground work A divided US supreme court has permitted Donald Trump to continue building his controversial $400m White House ballroom amid legal challenges. In a 5-4 ruling, the justices permitted the Trump administration’s request to block a lower court order which had halted above-ground construction of the project while a lawsuit by a historic preservation group seeks to block it. Continue reading...
Tennessee to wear Dolly Parton tribute on helmets during 2026 college football season
Beloved singer died last week at the age of 80 Parton was born 30 miles from college campus The Tennessee Volunteers will be honoring Dolly Parton with a helmet sticker this season, the college football team’s head coach, Josh Heupel, announced on Monday. Parton, a Tennessee native, died last week at the age of 80 from cancer. Continue reading...
US health officials exclude measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania from counts
RFK Jr, the health secretary, has suggested the death were ‘fabricated’ while the CDC claimed it was reviewing them Top US health officials and government agencies are currently not including the two recent measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania in their counts. “This is highly unusual,” said Debra Houry, former chief medical officer of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She noted that this did not happen with the three deaths reported from measles in Texas and New Mexico last year. Continue reading...
Defense lawyers for singer D4vd withdraw from murder case
Singer, accused of murder and sexual abuse of teen Celeste Rivas Hernandez, to be represented by LA public defender Singer D4vd lost his high-profile private lawyers on Monday at a hearing where he entered a new not guilty plea to charges that he killed, sexually abused and dismembered 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. It’s not clear why Blair Berk and her colleagues Marilyn Bednarski and Regina Peter parted ways with the singer, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke. They were replaced by a lawyer from the Los Angeles county public defender’s office. Continue reading...
Lionel Messi’s international retirement serves as a reminder: Watch him while you still can
The Argentine’s career with Argentina was singular, and his exit is a reminder that all good things come to an end It was among the defining moments of the 2026 World Cup: Lionel Messi standing arms akimbo, looking up towards Argentina’s fervent supporters after losing the final . Tears streamed down his face after his team’s embarrassing loss to Spain in what we now know was Messi’s final match wearing that famous Argentina kit. It was not the first time he’d cried at the tournament. There had been tears of joy in Argentina’s opening match, when Messi rolled back the clock to his glory days with a trio of spectacular goals against Algeria. There had been more when his brace against Austria pushed Argentina through to the knockout round as group winners, and even more when his equalizer against Egypt threw la Albiceleste a much-needed lifeline. Later, the world found out that Messi had been struggling all the while with the health struggles of his father , Jorge, a fact that clearly weighed heavily on him as Argentina made a dramatic return to the final in a bid to defend their 2022 title. Continue reading...
Conservative reshuffle: who’s who in Kemi Badenoch’s top team?
From a darling of the Tory right to a moderate former army officer, we profile the key players Kemi Badenoch has kicked off the return to parliament with a reshuffle of her top team in order to take on Andy Burnham and Reform UK. She has made sweeping changes to the shadow cabinet and ruthlessly axed her shadow chancellor. Here is a run down of the new characters sitting across from Labour on the opposition front bench. Continue reading...
Turkish deep-sea search vessel joins efforts to retrieve 20 still missing after Cyprus ferry disaster
TCG Isin expected to play vital role in locating Filo Jet’s voyage data recorder 514 metres below surface A deep-sea search and rescue vessel is on its way to Cyprus as Turkey joins efforts to retrieve the 20 people still missing after a passenger ferry capsized off the island’s northern coast. The TCG Isin will join the vast operation to find survivors after the high-speed ferry sank on Sunday barely four nautical miles outside the port town of Kyrenia. Continue reading...
Kalshi bans ex-congressman George Santos from prediction platform for life
Santos was accused of profiting from bets tied to his attendance at Trump’s State of the Union address George Santos, the former Republican congressman whose political career collapsed under a mountain of lies, has become the first person ever handed a lifetime ban by the prediction-market platform Kalshi. The company announced the permanent suspension on Monday, along with a $71,356 fine, after federal regulators accused Santos of profiting from bets tied to his own attendance at Donald Trump’s State of the Union address earlier this year. Continue reading...
Burnham to tell Commons more public ownership is only way to grow UK economy
Exclusive: Prime minister wants to ‘bring back hope’ by tackling cost of living as MPs call for electoral reform Andy Burnham will drive home his pledge to bring more essential services back into public control, telling MPs in the Commons on Tuesday that it will be the only way to improve growth across the country. Burnham will address the house for the first time in 16 years from the frontbench, and six weeks since he became prime minister, after spending the summer recess announcing a slew of policies that will now be put before MPs. Continue reading...
Congressional nominee Brad Lander heckled over Israel stance at New York protest
Lander screamed at and verbally abused as he protested against Hindu nationalist rally in Madison Square Garden New York Democratic congressional nominee Brad Lander was screamed at and verbally abused by protesters over his stance on Israel as he protested a Hindu nationalist politician speaking outside Madison Square Garden. As Lander attended a demonstration on Saturday against the event, organized by the Hindu nationalist RSS movement and where Mohan Bhagwat, leader of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was speaking, he was confronted by several protesters demanding that he leave the rally. Continue reading...
Police appeal after unidentified woman’s body found in Liverpool park
Body of victim thought to be in her 70s found in bin bag in walled garden area of Stanley Park on Friday Police in Liverpool have urged members of the public to come forward with information after the body of an unknown woman believed to be in her 70s was found in a black bin bag in a popular park. Merseyside police were contacted by a passerby who had found the woman’s body in Stanley Park, in the Anfield area of Liverpool, at about 5.25pm on Friday 28 August. Continue reading...
Who would fall in love with a fake NFL player? Plenty of sensible people
The FBI has charged Daejon Love after he allegedly pretended to be a 49ers receiver. Although football isn’t as glamorous as it looks, it easy to see the attraction Is romance dead? Yeah, probably. There have never been more options for finding a mate – dating apps, Instagram DM slides, hanging out next to a gas station at 2am – but it’s also never been harder. Meeting someone who is compatible, stable, and even remotely attractive is akin to putting a square peg in a round hole. Blindfolded. From a mile away. Underwater. So, I can’t blame anyone for falling for an elaborate hoax like the one allegedly perpetrated by Daejon Love. Love is now infamous around the world for allegedly posing as an NFL player in order to scam more than 20 women out of $1.3m . Now that Love and his alleged accomplice, Taylor Jamie Chen, have been charged by federal authorities , prosecutors are claiming they are a flight risk. They certainly seem like they have the money to flee the country. According to court documents, Love managed to fabricate an entire online persona as a San Francisco 49ers player – posting photos and videos in Niners gear, posing with expensive cars, and even performing football drills (badly) to bolster the alleged grift. Love allegedly used AI to trick search engine results to add credibility to his claims on football success with the 49ers. There’s even a video of Love running wide receiver routes on the beach. In a helmet. Do real NFL players carry their helmets in the car, just in case? You never know when you may risk a concussion while laying in the sand . Continue reading...
Trump attacks datacenter pushback, saying opponents ‘want to end up being backwards and poor’
Three-quarters of Americans said in a recent poll that they oppose datacenters being built next to their homes Donald Trump has criticized communities pushing back against datacenter projects across the US amid a growing backlash, warning those that reject them risk becoming “backwards and poor”. As controversy surrounding local datacenter plans continues to swirl around election campaigns nationwide ahead of November’s midterm elections, the US president declared Americans “will only have yourselves to blame” if they are canceled. Continue reading...
Trump threatens further action as US and Iran exchange fire in new flare-up
Washington says it acted after observing Iran was planning to deploy fresh mines in strait of Hormuz Middle East crisis live – latest updates The US and Iran have exchanged fire for the first time in a month, with missiles and drones fired at Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the strait of Hormuz, and Iran targeting US military bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates in response. The US president, Donald Trump, on Monday threatened further action. The US is to trying to prise open Tehran’s grip on shipping going through the strait, which before the war accounted for a fifth of the world’s seaborne energy supply. Washington claimed that Iranian control over the waterway had been loosened by repeated US attacks on Iranian missile launchers and radars. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on Trump’s immigration crackdown: who will have fewer rights next? | Editorial
The president’s deportation machine is creating a class of people inside the US who have fewer protections against the power of the state Is the Trump administration creating a group in the US with fewer protections against executive power owing to their immigration status? Its often openly racist actions suggest so. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) claims to target “ the worst of the worst ” – undocumented migrants who commit violent crimes. Yet the Guardian reported that over half of those arrested in July had no criminal convictions or pending charges. That month, ICE made record arrests and deportations, apprehending 1,500 people and removing 1,100 daily. When campaigning, Donald Trump falsely claimed that Haitians were “ eating the pets ”. In office, his administration moved to end temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians. In June, the supreme court let the protection expire, leaving about 350,000 people at risk of deportation to a country gripped by violence and instability. The court’s decision means more than 1 million TPS holders from 13 nations previously considered too unsafe to return to are now at risk of deportation. Many have lived and worked legally in the US for years. Continue reading...
Head of Viktor Orbán’s favourite thinktank quits over unpaid wages
Frank Furedi announces resignation from MCC Brussels after organisation’s staff ‘not paid in July or August’ The head of Viktor Orbán’s favourite Brussels thinktank has quit, citing unpaid wages since the change of government in Hungary. The sociology professor Frank Furedi said he was resigning as the executive director of MCC Brussels with “immediate effect” on Monday over “persistent failure to provide the contractually agreed funds”. Continue reading...
James Clyburn says supporting Clarence Thomas for supreme court ‘was mistake’
Congressman says Thomas abandoned his principles to become an extremist, hard-right member of bench Senior Democratic congressman James Clyburn said his decision to support Clarence Thomas for a US supreme court seat “was a mistake” and called for the expansion of the nation’s highest legal panel to 13 justices. Clyburn, of South Carolina, spoke up for Thomas at his fiery 1991 confirmation hearings , calling him “a personal and professional friend” who would use their shared experiences lifting minorities and advancing civil rights to become a respected and accomplished jurist. Continue reading...
Thousands of cans of Pabst beer stolen in two separate heists in California
Both thefts occurred on 17 August at a distribution center east of Los Angeles Thieves made off with tens of thousands of cans of Pabst beer in two separate heists from a southern California warehouse on the same day, police said. Pabst Blue Ribbon has turned the thefts – valued by police at $70,000 – into a lighthearted social media promotion. But police in Montclair said Friday that investigators are trying to determine whether they were part of a single operation. Continue reading...