What the rest of the world is reading today.

A digest of top world and technology headlines, pulled from a handful of publisher feeds once a day and stored here. Every link goes straight to the original story.

September 4, 2026

81 stories published this day.

Around the world

Trump threatens to halt trade with some countries unless the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates – US politics live

The Guardian

Trump appears to be picking up interest rate fight again with new Fed chief after long-running feud with previous incumbent Sign up for US Breaking News emailsPresident Trump threatened in a social media post on Friday to stop trade with some countries unless the US Federal Reserve moves to cut interest rates.Trump cited August’s strong jobs report as sufficient justification to lower rates, and warned that, if the central bank didn’t go along, he’d halt trade between the US and any nations with which it maintains a trade deficit. Continue reading...

Democrats demand that DHS comply with inquiry into death of Rohingya refugee abandoned by border agents

The Guardian

Lawmakers say agency hasn’t released ‘meaningful’ records concerning death of nearly blind refugee in BuffaloDemocratic lawmakers are demanding that the Department of Homeland Security turn over records and fully cooperate with an investigation into the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a nearly blind Rohingya refugee who died after US border agents left him outside a closed coffee shop on a freezing night in Buffalo earlier this year.At a press conference in Buffalo on Friday, standing just a few feet away from where Shah was found dead, Tim Kennedy of New York was joined by Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the ranking Democrat on the House homeland security committee, Lou Correa of California, and Nellie Pou of New Jersey in calling on DHS to cooperate with the Erie county district attorney’s investigation. Continue reading...

Judge declares mistrial in Lindsay Clancy murder case after jury fails to reach unanimous verdict – as it happened

The Guardian

This blog is now closed. You can find more of our reporting on the mistrial of Massachusetts mother who killed her three children here:Full report: Judge declares mistrial in Lindsay Clancy caseExplained: Lindsay Clancy mistrial – what happens next?Five key moments from ‘America’s saddest murder trial’If you’re just joining us, the judge in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children, plans to declare a mistrial after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict and remained deadlocked after a week of deliberations.Jurors in Plymouth state court spent more than 38 hours in deliberations over the charges against the 36-year-old mom, which came on the heels of a weeks-long trial that directed national attention to maternal mental health issues that can occur postpartum.Closing arguments ended last Thursday in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother who admitted killing her three young children – Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months – in January 2023. Her attempt to kill herself after killing the children left her with spinal injuries that paralyzed her from the waist down. Clancy pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder due to lack of criminal responsibility, also known as an insanity defense. She faced life in prison if convicted. The tragic case has sparked a national conversation about the state of postpartum mental healthcare in the United States.The charges up for consideration were first-degree murder, which involves “deliberate premeditation” or “extreme atrocity or cruelty” and is punishable by life in prison without the possibility of parole, or second-degree murder, without either of those conditions, punishable by life in prison with the possibility of parole. They also considered lesser manslaughter charges, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. If they had found Clancy not guilty, she could have spent the rest of her life in hospital, with the eventual possibility of release at a later time if the court determined she was not a danger to others.Jurors began deliberating last Thursday on whether to accept her insanity defense, but, almost 40 hours on, they have now declared three times that they could not reach a unanimous decision. A jury note indicated that jurors were split 11-1 toward an acquittal but a holdout juror “has acknowledged doubt but refuses to apply it to the verdict”. The prosecution argued this indicated a disagreement among jurors over how to weigh the evidence, while the defense argued the juror had “lied” when they swore to the judge to properly follow the law. But the judge ultimately declined to question the juror further or have them removed.After the jury declared today that, “with a heavy heart”, it still cannot “and will not be able to” reach a verdict, the judge said he intends to declare a mistrial. That has now been thrown into limbo after the defense asked for an emergency stay from Massachusetts’s highest court. The judge gave him one hour. We’ll bring you the latest as that unfolds.At the heart of what has been called America’s saddest murder trial is Clancy’s mental health following the birth of her third child. Her defense, led by attorney Kevin Reddington, argued that Clancy should not be held criminally responsible for killing her children because she was suffering from postpartum psychosis – a devastating condition estimated to affect around two women per 1,000 births. He called Clancy “a darn good mother” and argued that she received “lousy” medical care when she sought help for her deteriorating mental state. She was in “the depths of despair” when she killer her children, he argued, and was compelled to kill them and herself by a persistent male voice during a spell of psychosis.Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued that Clancy “deliberately and meticulously” killed her children, and acted “intentionally, rationally, and swiftly”. Prosecutors acknowledged Clancy’s mental health struggles but in its closing statement argued that Clancy was a “functioning mom” who knew “right and wrong”. The prosecution pointed to the medical resources and treatment available to her, and also downplayed the severity of Clancy’s suicide attempt. She put a level of planning into the killings that indicates she was not psychotic, they argued. Continue reading...

Trump’s ‘retribution’ could now include Falklands as favor to Milei – and revenge on the UK

The Guardian

US president suggests he might support his Argentinian acolyte’s drive to reclaim sovereignty of disputed islandsDonald Trump has long embraced vengeance. “I am your retribution,” he declared to an admiring audience at the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) as he commenced his march back to the White House.It is unlikely Argentina, and far-flung holdovers of the former British empire, were on the US president’s mind at the time. Continue reading...

Six-week-old child in Pennsylvania dies from measles, coroner says

The Guardian

Officials decline to confirm whether death was one of two announced last week as Lancaster county outbreak growsA six-week-old child in Pennsylvania died from measles, the Lancaster County coroner has determined, following two measles-related deaths in the county last week.The determination comes as Lancaster county faces a growing measles outbreak. Continue reading...

Trump to take gifted Qatar jet to Ireland despite questions about its security

The Guardian

The president was moved to a separate aircraft during a July trip after officials learned of a possible Iranian threat, leaving questions about the plane’s defenses unansweredDonald Trump intends to use the Boeing jet gifted by Qatar for his trip to Ireland next week, marking the first time the aircraft will leave the US since concerns were raised over whether it can adequately protect the president from attack.The decision, a senior administration official told the Washington Post, comes weeks after Trump suggested the plane would be grounded for about a month while it underwent unspecified security upgrades. Continue reading...

Farage seeks to shore up damaged leadership as scandal engulfs Reform conference

The Guardian

Splits emerge within party after resignation of officials reported to police for apparent plot to evade donations lawNigel Farage sought to shore up his damaged leadership on Friday as he attempted to distance himself from two of his most senior officials reported to the police for apparently plotting to evade the law on foreign donations.As the scandal engulfed Reform UK’s party conference in Birmingham, Farage was forced to suspend close aides Dan Jukes and head of policy James Orr after an undercover investigation by reporters from a group called Verbatim. Continue reading...

Cambridge University examines conduct of academic suspended by Reform UK

The Guardian

James Orr, an associate professor, was shown in Channel 4 News footage apparently trying to sidestep electoral lawCambridge University has said it is examining the conduct of James Orr, its associate professor and a top Reform UK aide, after he was filmed appearing to try to circumvent electoral laws on foreign political donations.Orr, the suspended head of policy for Reform, is one of two senior officials to step aside after claims that he orchestrated a plot to have polling paid for by a foreign firm – something that is impermissible under British electoral law. Continue reading...

Cambridge University asks former chief crown prosecutor to open Arday review

The Guardian

Nazir Afzal to focus in review’s first stage on support given to professor in immediate period before his deathThe University of Cambridge has asked Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England, to lead the first part of its review into the death of the scholar Jason Arday.Arday died at his home in south London on 14 August, nine days after his resignation as a Cambridge professor amid swirling allegations of plagiarism and inconsistencies in statements about his career. Continue reading...

Farage gives speech at Reform conference after party officials suspended over donations sting – as it happened

The Guardian

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereBritish ministers have hit back after the Argentinian president said “winds of change” favourable to his country’s claim to the Falklands were “blowing around the world”, Kiran Stacey reports.The Electoral Commission has issued a statement this morning saying it is in touch with the police about the undercover investigation into Reform UK. In a statement, it said:We are considering all relevant information, in line with our regulatory remit, and we are in touch with the Met police.The Electoral Commission has not approved the donor vetting process for Reform, or any other party. Parties are responsible for ensuring their internal processes and controls are fit for purpose. Continue reading...

US diesel prices hit an all-time-high

BBC World

Fuel prices have soared since the Iran conflict began at the end of February, mirroring the surge in wholesale oil prices.

In tech

Audacity 4 is a complete revamp of the ‘world’s most popular’ audio editor

The Verge

Audacity 4 has been in the works for some time, and had its own mini controversy last year when an unfortunate redesigned logo started making the rounds. The final version of the new icon isn't nearly as bad as the early rendition that was circulating last October. But more importantly, all the promised improvements to […]

The White House is making arcade games racist

The Verge

The PR masterminds at the White House just released a series of vaguely policy-themed "arcade" games, some of which are racist - and modeled on real games whose copyright holders may not be too happy to be associated with the MAGA agenda. The Tetris Company has already responded to "Build the Wall," which is obviously […]

GoPro says it’s still committed ‘to your collective stoke’

The Verge

GoPro CEO Nick Woodman said in a letter to customers that making cameras is still his company's "core DNA," after a proposed $285 million acquisition by Starman was announced earlier this week. He claims the merger puts GoPro in a better position to continue developing its content creation tech, after saying in the deal announcement […]

Roland is getting into generative AI music with Melody Flip

The Verge

It's not quite the "push button; get song" of Suno, but Roland's new Melody Flip tool marks the company's foray into generative AI music. Available as a plug-in for your digital audio workstation (DAW), Melody Flip offers around 250 "Palettes," which are essentially themed collections of musical ideas sorted by genre. You can start from […]

What will Apple’s John Ternus era look like?

TechCrunch

It’s officially the Ternus era at Apple. Tim Cook stepped down as CEO this week, handing the company to former hardware chief John Ternus, whose first memo promised a “huge launch next week” — timing that puts Apple’s next iPhone event on his desk before he’s even settled in. Cook isn’t going far, though: he’s staying on as Executive Chairman, focused on the kind of policy […]

AGI is whatever you want it to be

The Verge

OpenAI announced its next big model, GPT-6 Astra, and also, by the way, that "the AGI era" is here now. Today on The Vergecast, we've got an all-star panel to break down the news of the week. First, senior AI reporter Hayden Field joins us to talk about our supposed AGI era and Nvidia's acquisition […]

Microsoft says virtually nobody was grabbing NYT articles through its chatbot

The Verge

Microsoft's Copilot rarely reproduces even full sentences from news articles and books, let alone substantive chunks that could substitute for the original, the company says in new legal filings as it fights copyright claims from publishers including The New York Times and book authors. As part of the lawsuit's discovery, Microsoft provided 8.2 million Copilot […]

Alienware’s refurbished 16 Aurora is almost $200 off at Woot

The Verge

Gaming laptop deals aren’t what they used to be (stares daggers at RAMageddon), which is why I consider Woot’s deal on a refurbished Alienware 16 Aurora gaming laptop with Nvidia’s RTX 5050 a pretty good deal at $927 for new Woot customers (with code WOOTALIEN used at checkout). It costs $1,029 for returning Woot shoppers, […]

What to expect at Apple’s September 9th launch event

The Verge

Apple's September 9th launch event could be one of its biggest in years. It will be Apple's first event since John Ternus took over as CEO on September 1st, stepping in for Tim Cook, and will likely feature the first models in Apple's iPhone 18 lineup. That could include the long-rumored foldable "iPhone Ultra," coming […]

Nintendo’s next two Direct events are both happening next week

The Verge

Nintendo just announced two Direct events for next week, scheduled back to back. First up is the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct on September 8th at 10AM ET / 7AM PT. It's set to last around 30 minutes, streaming live on Nintendo's YouTube channel or the Nintendo Today app. Images recently leaked showing a […]