US army secretary Dan Driscoll resigns over reported friction with Pete Hegseth

• China and Indonesia have agreed to deepen military cooperation and expand strategic ties in technology, energy, and minerals to strengthen bilateral relations amid Asian geopolitical competition. • The Dutch public broadcaster Avrotros has withdrawn from the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, citing concerns that the event's independent and neutral character has been compromised.

Report calls for legally binding targets to cut microplastic pollution as soil ‘is a complex living ecosystem’The accumulation of microplastics in soil presents an emerging threat to the UK’s food security, according to scientists, MPs and campaigners who have called for legally binding targets to cut microplastic pollution.UK agricultural soils have been identified as among the most contaminated by microplastics in Europe, often as a result of repeated applications of sludge from water treatment works as fertiliser, according to a report published by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on microplastics. Continue reading...

Premium of nearly 10% paid by housebuyers comparable with cost of a cheaper private school over seven yearsA house near a top state secondary school costs an extra £40,000 on average, according to research that reveals education premiums that rank alongside some private school fees.The average property in a postcode district that includes a top 50 state secondary commands a price tag of £415,791, compared with £375,217 across the wider local authority areas in which those schools are located, a UK-wide analysis by the estate agent Yopa found. Continue reading...

Dale Sanders said he fell 71 times on the trail, but completed the journey as ‘people are motivated … by my efforts’A 91-year-old hiker has reclaimed his record as the oldest person to complete the more than 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail.By his count, Dale Sanders, of Tennessee, fell 71 times during the feat, six of which he said were hard falls and one which required a brief hospitalization and another just 200 yards from the end. The 2,193-mile trail runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. Continue reading...

Flash flooding in Arizona tourist destination was likely triggered by compounding climate factors, such as drought and warming in Pacific OceanRemote Grand Canyon lodge hit by deadly flash flood boasts fabled historyA deadly flash flood in the Grand Canyon over the weekend was likely driven by a confluence of climate factors, including drought, wildfire scarring and warming temperatures in the Pacific Ocean that can supercharge storms.At least two people have died and 15 remain missing or unaccounted for after a surge of water and debris swept through the immensely popular tourist destination on Saturday, fueled by torrents of rain that hit the national park’s Bright Angel Creek area. Continue reading...

Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm freshwater, and if it enters through the nose, can cause brain damageA 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...

Phantom Ranch, set up by Teddy Roosevelt, has welcomed exhausted hikers to its famed cabins for over a centuryTwo dead and at least 15 missing in Grand Canyon flash floodPhantom 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...

Letter from chair of joint chiefs of staff addresses concerns over Trump officials using military to interfere with voteThe 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...

North Carolina DA says girl, 17, who disseminated attackers’ manifesto charged with murder by aiding and abettingA 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...

Australian flight transporting aid supplies leaves for Nepal this morning. Follow updates liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn 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...

Justices’ 5-4 ruling permits Trump administration appeal to block lower court order halting above-ground workA 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...