Swimmer dies after being bitten by shark off popular Perth beach 18. September 2026 (11:52) Locals describe their shock at witnessing the incident at Sorrento Beach on Friday morningFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man has died after being bitten by a shark off Sorrento Beach in Perth’s north.Emergency services were called to the popular beach at about 10.30am on Friday after reports of a shark-related incident. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andrew Hastie says AI advised him to reply ‘congratulations!’ to man who planned to end life with assisted dying 18. September 2026 (11:05) Liberal MP speaks of AI’s shortcomings as cyber chief tells inquiry the tech is needed to fend off ‘highly capable malicious cyber actors’Get our new political email, free app or daily news podcastWhen a man with a terminal illness wrote to his local MP Andrew Hastie, telling him he planned on ending his own life with voluntary assisted dying, Microsoft Copilot suggested Hastie reply with “congratulations!”, “great to hear from you” or “that is wonderful news!”.Hastie shared the episode at a parliamentary inquiry on Friday to underline the shortcomings of the American-run software as he called for AI run by Australians. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Weather tracker: Thunderstorms hit Spain as Japan braces for typhoon 18. September 2026 (10:36) At least one person dead as stormy weather causes severe flooding in Barcelona and Valencia Intense and slow-moving thunderstorms broke out on Wednesday afternoon across parts of eastern Spain, bringing some severe flooding and killing at least one person.Storms first struck over the Castilla-La Mancha region during the afternoon before passing over Spain’s east coast, becoming very slow-moving and continuing overnight. Torrential rainfall, strong winds and large hail were reported in Valencia and Barcelona, causing widespread flooding in both cities. Weather stations west of Barcelona recorded some of the highest totals with more than 100mm (4in) of rain falling in the space of a few hours, and locally 70mm in just 30 minutes in the early hours of Thursday morning. Cars and roads were submerged, and flights were cancelled across the region. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
