UK News
View All 9Andy Burnham urged to make voting compulsory to avoid 'distorted' election results
Andy Burnham is being urged to make voting compulsory across Britain amid claims dwindling turnout is producing “distorted” election results.Former Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock has thrown his weight behind calls to introduce a legal duty to participate in elections, with Britons potentially facing a fine for failing to cast a ballot.Lord Kinnock said compulsory voting was becoming “increasingly justified and necessary” as he warned falling turnout risked weakening accountability.He said: “When turnouts have fallen for various negative reasons, election results are consequently distorted, accountability can be diminished and disengagement from community obligations becomes habitual. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say “Compulsion to use, or even to attend and abstain, is now increasingly justified and necessary.”Lord Kinnock pointed to Belgium, where voting is compulsory, after living in the country for a decade.He said: “I lived for 10 years in Belgium and saw compulsory voting in practice. The high turnouts and extent of engagement in the democratic process strongly assists democracy in a country with complex ethnic and political arrangements.”The Labour heavyweight said his experience had reinforced his belief that “democracy and citizenship in the UK would benefit greatly from a comparable system of legal obligation”.Turnout at Britain's 2024 general election stood at around 60 per cent, the lowest at a general election since 2001.By comparison, turnout at Australia's 2025 federal election was around 91 per cent under the country's compulsory voting system.Baroness Jan Royall has confirmed she intends to move an amendment on compulsory voting as the Government's Representation of the People Bill passes through the House of Lords.Proposals previously put forward during the Bill's passage included a £10 penalty for failing to participate without a valid exemption, while allowing voters to return a blank or spoiled ballot rather than vote for a candidate.Exemptions proposed under the model include illness or disability, absence from the UK and sincerely held religious or conscientious objections.Former Home Secretary Lord David Blunkett is also expected to back the push, alongside Lord George Foulkes.ANDY BURNHAM - READ THE LATEST:Andy Burnham accused of sending 'dangerous message' to Putin as Russia 'threatens to burn Europe'Labour set to slash taxes for high street businesses as PM vows to create 'symbol of resistance'Andy Burnham poised to tear up Keir Starmer's jury trial plans in major Labour U-turnMr Burnham himself previously refused to rule out compulsory voting while serving on Labour's front bench in 2012, warning that turnout was “getting too low to ignore”.The campaign comes as the Government pushes ahead with wider changes to Britain's electoral system, including lowering the voting age to 16 and introducing automated voter registration.Critics of compulsory voting have argued that forcing people to participate does not necessarily make voters more politically informed or engaged, while opponents also maintain that citizens should retain the freedom not to take part in elections.However, Charles White of the Campaign for Compulsory Voting described the proposal as a “common sense reform".He said: “When public apathy threatens the health of our democracy, waiting for turnout to fix itself is no longer an option.”A Government spokesman said: “Different democracies make different choices about how they encourage electoral participation. "Our focus is on removing barriers to participation and making it easier for eligible electors to register and vote.“Through our Representation of the People Bill, we’re taking steps to boost participation in our democracy, including giving 16 year olds the vote and moving towards an automated voting registration system so more people can make their voices heard.”The Representation of the People Bill is now before the House of Lords after completing its Commons stages.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Caribbean states plot to haul Britain to court in 'racial discrimination' case to force slavery reparations
Caribbean states are exploring plans to haul Britain before an international court in a bid to force the UK to pay slavery reparations.Legal experts in the region are examining whether Britain could face a case under United Nations treaties covering racial discrimination, The Telegraph reports.The potential action could see a state bring a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), arguing that Britain is breaching international obligations by refusing demands for reparations.It comes as Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley steps up pressure for the campaign to move beyond political lobbying and towards potential legal action. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Ms Mottley told supporters at a reparations conference in Barbados that it was time to “stop being advocates in a movement, and start being advocates in a case”.She added that campaigners could have an “in” with international courts.The three-day Caricom Regional Conference on Reparations was held in Barbados from September 17 to 19, bringing together leaders and campaigners from across the Caribbean and beyond.Caricom said the gathering would strengthen its reparations strategy and help develop an action plan for 2027 to 2031.Its revised Ten-Point Plan includes demands for monetary compensation and debt cancellation alongside healthcare, education and other forms of redress.Ms Mottley has also announced a technical committee tasked with developing economic evidence surrounding the impact of slavery on Barbados.The Barbados Prime Minister insisted campaigners were not seeking to financially ruin countries targeted for reparations.She said: “We have no desire to bankrupt anybody but we have a desire for justice.”LATEST DEVELOPMENTSBritain REFUSES Jamaica's £7.6bn reparations demand as delegation descends on Buckingham PalaceJamaica steps up push for £7.6billion in reparations for slavery with formal petition to KingReparations activists push British Museum to hand back Caribbean artefacts despite not being stolenOne possible legal avenue reportedly being examined centres on the UN International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.Campaigners argue the consequences of slavery continue to be felt through economic underdevelopment, health inequalities and contemporary racism.They could argue that Britain's refusal to provide redress therefore concerns an ongoing harm rather than solely events that took place centuries ago.Britain abolished slavery across most of its empire in 1834.Ms Mottley also suggested reparations could be delivered over generations rather than through a single cash settlement.Pressure on Britain is expected to continue at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda in November.Caribbean leaders are set to push reparations onto the agenda, with the King expected to attend the gathering.Downing Street has already rejected a separate reparations push from Jamaica after its Government lodged a petition with the King earlier this month.A spokesman for Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “The UK does not and will not pay reparations. "The transatlantic slave trade was abhorrent, and of course it’s right that we acknowledge the wrongs of the past. But we continue to face forward and work with other countries on current shared challenges.”Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Ed Sheeran says he contemplated quitting as an artist at first concert since Macklemore crisis engulfed tour
Showbiz Ed Sheeran says he contemplated quitting as an artist at first concert since Macklemore crisis engulfed tour Ed Sheeran admits he has made ‘mistakes’ as he returns to stage in Philadelphia after rapper was dropped from the tour for making pro-Palestinian remarks Allow Exco Player content This content is provided . Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to load the content. Allow and Continue Matt Watts, News Editor1 minute ago Ed Sheeran revealed he questioned whether he “wanted to be an artist at all” as the controversy over Macklemore’s removal engulfed his tour in crisis. Support acts and the backing band for the star’s current The Loop tour dropped out of the remaining dates after the US rapper was removed from the line-up following comments about the conflict in Gaza. Performing for the first time since the incident unfolded, Sheeran told the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia: “I really didn’t know whether this tour would be carrying on. “I really didn’t know whether I’d be even getting on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all. “In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it’s been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly.” He opened the show admitting he had made “mistakes” and condemning the conflict in Gaza as “catastrophic” and “unjustifiable”. Ed Sheeran addressed the recent controversy that has engulfed his tour as he returned to the stage Instagram / Ed Sheeran The English singer said he had tried in the past not to be a “political commentator” because he wanted his shows to be about “unity”. “I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,” he said. “What happened in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. “What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken ’ lives, children’s lives. “And the systemic injustice we are seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.” Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protested before the Ed Sheeran concert in Philadelphia Sheeran concluded the concert by saying: “The world is a scary place right now. America is a scary place right now. This gives hope.” Ahead of the show, attendees said they were sticking . James Webber IV from Scranton, Pennsylvania said: “I stand with Ed. All politics aside, we just like the music.
Revealed: London's hotspots for knife crime - how bad is it in your area?
News | London Revealed: London's hotspots for knife crime - how bad is it in your area? More than 13,000 knife related offences have been recorded . Please click 'Allow and Continue' below to load the content. Allow and Continue Tom Place, News Reporter1 minute ago Crime statistics released . The figures, taken from the Met’s monthly crime data statistics, show that a total of 13,649 knife related offences were recorded 2025 and August 2026. Of those offences, the Met have recorded 7,601 (55.6%) as being involved in a robbery, 1,490 (10.9%) involved threat to kill, and 4,190 (30.7%) are referred to as “assault with injury”. The other 369 incidents are classed as “other” offences, including homicides, attempted murder, sexual assault and rape. It comes as 28-year-old Reece Salmon was stabbed to death on a ‘Millionaire’s Row’ in Clerkenwell earlier this week. While seven teenagers and a man were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a “knife fight” in a KFC restaurant in south London earlier this month. The borough with the worst knife crime rate in the past year is Newham, with 824 offences logged. Southwark and Lambeth ranked second and third on the list, with 697 and 691 knife related offences recorded respectively. Westminster and Tower Hamlets also appear high on the overall list - highlighting central London’s problem with knife crime. Southwest London recorded low figures, with Richmond, Kingston, Sutton, and Kensington & Chelsea taking the bottom four spots. Of the 13,548 victims of knife crime in the past year, 2,319 (17.1%) were women and 10,677 (78.8%) were men, with the others not having their sex logged. Worryingly, of victims whose ages were recorded, almost half were under the age of 25. 6,791 victims (51.7%) of victims were 26 or over, while 3,211 were between 18 and 25 and 3,087 were between 10 and 17 years old. Met Police officer denies causing death of pregnant woman in high speed crash 'Nothing could prepare me for the discovery of my murdered friend' Rediscover your adventurous side on an exotic getaway There were 43 recorded knife crime victims under the age of 10. The investigation is continuing into the Bromley stabbings The Standard composite Bromley features fairly low on the list, with 276 total offences, but a 14-year-old boy has been charged after stabbings in the borough last week that left four people in hospital. Another six people arrested in the aftermath of the stabbings have been released on bail. Police were called to Bromley High Street at around 2.15pm on Thursday September 10, where three boys, aged between 14 and 17 and a 21-year-old man were found with stab wounds and rushed to hospital.
World News
View All 10Jammertest: Arctic exercise to counter satellite jamming
Defence and tech companies have been taking part in annual exercises in Norway aimed at countering the threat against satellite signal jamming, which can affect everything from aircraft and ships to financial markets. Paul Rhys explains from Norway.
Tunisian protesters demand release of four Sumud activists
Tunisian protesters march in central Tunis calling for the release of four Global Sumud Flotilla activists detained in a financial investigation, on September 19, 2026 [Ghaya Ben Mbarek/Al Jazeera] 20 Sep 202620 Sep 2026 Tunis, Tunisia – Dozens of people protested in Tunis on Saturday demanding the release of four Global Sumud Flotilla activists, as concern mounts over their deteriorating health after one of them entered his second month of a hunger strike.
Ed Sheeran apologizes for 'making mistakes,' says situation in Gaza 'unjustifiable'
Ed Sheeran apologizes for 'making mistakes,' says situation in Gaza is 'unjustifiable' Ed Sheeran breaks silence after Macklemore dropped from tour Andy Kropa/AP Photo ByJack Moore September 19, 2026, PM Ed Sheeran opened his concert in Philadelphia on Saturday apologizing to fans for "making mistakes" after his tour was thrust into controversy earlier this week and saying the situation in Gaza is "catastrophic and unjustifiable." The English superstar's comments come after opening act Macklemore was dropped from the tour over pro-Palestinian comments he made from the stage at an earlier show in New Jersey. In the wake of that decision, the rest of the opening acts for Sheeran's tour announced they would also be withdrawing from the tour. In his remarks to the audience at Lincoln Financial Field, Sheeran said he has had to make difficult decisions in the past week adding, "and I am making mistakes and I'm so, so sorry." Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran performs during "Ed Sheeran's Play: Live from New York" presented , Sept. 13, 2025. Andy Kropa/AP Photo Related Ed Sheeran speaks out after Macklemore dropped from tour over pro-Palestinian comments Sheeran said he has traditionally stayed out of politics. "I've never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet," he said. Addressing the Israel-Hamas war, Sheeran began . 7, 2023. "What happened in Israel at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain," Sheeran said. "What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken ' lives, of children's lives." The controversy began unfolding earlier this week when Macklemore announced on Monday he had been dropped from Sheeran's tour after making pro-Palestinian comments on stage at MetLife Stadium earlier this month, which the rapper also posted to social media. Prince Harry attends 1st official engagement since return to UK Sep 17 Woman found dead in suitcase is identified 2 days ago Twin sisters conjoined at head underwent successful separation surgery: Hospital Sep 16 In a video from the New Jersey show posted to his Instagram account, Macklemore says, "One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour, was because I wanted to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America, and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart.
'Devoted' father and grandfather-to-be swimming at popular beach killed in suspected fatal shark attack
close Video Beachgoer unknowingly records great white while filming family outing in California Soren Stevenson shares how a spontaneous decision to record every wave during an early morning trip to Newport Beach led to the discovery of a massive great white shark only after reviewing the footage hours later. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A "devoted" father and grandfather-to-be was reportedly killed by a shark this week while swimming at a beach in Australia. Greg O'Neill, 63, was swimming at Sorrento Beach in the northern suburbs of Perth in Western Australia on Friday when the attack happened in front of horrified beachgoers. "I couldn’t believe there was that much blood (that had) come out of a human body," Ryan Rowe, a resident who went to the beach soon after the attack, told The West Australian newspaper. AUSTRALIAN SURFER RISKED HIS LIFE TO SAVE FELLOW SURFER WHO HAD BEEN ATTACKED BY A SHARK A great white shark swims in a file photo. (Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via ) O’Neill’s death also prompted Australia's fisheries minister, Jackie Jarvis, to make the rare call for a catch-and-kill of the great white, which is a protected species. "In making that decision, I considered the exceptional circumstances of the attack, the hazard posed , and the potential recovery of coronial evidence," she said. MAN DIES AFTER ATTACK BY 13-FOOT GREAT WHITE SHARK NEAR POPULAR ISLAND RESORT: OFFICIALS Police haven’t said if O’Neill’s remains have been found, but added they were confident the "swimmer died as a result of the attack." Police stand on Sorrento Beach in Perth, Australia on Friday after a suspected fatal shark attack. (Andrew O'Connor/Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) Witness Darrel Haythornthwaite told Nine Network television that O’Neill was swimming with a friend when he was attacked. "I was just shocked. Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all round generous, witty guy," the family added. "The kind thoughts and support from everyone who has reached out are deeply appreciated." A surfer also suffered a serious leg injury on Monday in a shark attack about 250 miles north of Perth. O’Neill was the fifth fatal shark attack this year. DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Three spearfishing divers were killed between May and June in attacks and a 12-year-old boy was killed in Sydney Harbor in January.
Politics
View All 10Ed Sheeran calls situation in Palestine ‘catastrophic and unjustifiable’ at solo concert
Singer Ed Sheeran opened a solo concert in Philadelphia on Saturday by addressing the recent fallout over the removal of his tour’s opening act, Macklemore, due to the rapper’s pro-Palestinian comments. “I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be…
Trump returns to White House as State Department issues security alerts for Middle East
President Trump cut his weekend trip to Camp David short a day early, returning to Washington, D.C., on Saturday evening. The president touched down at the Ellipse just before 8 p.m., according to a White House pool report. The White House’s official social media account shared a video clip of Trump departing Marine One. The…
Trump Faced Loss After Loss. He Then Turned to a Familiar Target: The Press.
The president’s ban of three media outlets from the White House fits a pattern of using the apparatus of government to crack down on his perceived enemies.
A.I. Gone Rogue? Trump Proposes Not New Rules but an ‘A.I. Force.’
The president proposed a follow-up to his Space Force but continued to dismiss worries about A.I.’s pace or potential for harm.
Business
View All 10Cinema revival takes the big screen and makes it enormous
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Chinese owners launch €2.5bn sale of Luxembourg’s oldest bank
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The Gulf cargo trade that vanished
The Strait of Hormuz was a transit hub for goods from helium to corn. Businesses have battled to find alternative routes
Heavy Rain Disrupts Trains in Japan as Tropical Storm Approaches
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Technology
View All 10Marvel’s Finally Got Miracleman in Its Comics—Now What?
Books & Comics Marvel’s Finally Got Miracleman in Its Comics—Now What? 'Avengers: Armageddon' gave the publisher a reason to bring in Miracleman, just in a way no one likely expected. 19, 2026, pm ET Reading time 2 minutes © Jim Cheung/Marvel Comics Read Later Read Later Comments (10) For years, a question hovering over Marvel Comics has been when, not if, the publisher would incorporate Miracleman into its canon of heroes. Originally created 1954’s Marvelman #25, multiple legal battles prevented the hero from expanding and becoming more popular. But once those ended in Marvel’s favor, it got to work on republishing the old runs penned by Anglo, Alan Moore, and Neil Gaiman, and seeded his arrival in recent books every now and then. Days before release, this week’s Avengers Armageddon #4 from Chip Zdarsky, Delio Diaz, and Frank Alpizar had its big moment spoiled: Miracleman’s fully integrated into the Marvel Universe. Only, this man isn’t Mike Moran as he was in previous stories—it’s David Colton, the modern day Captain America previously built up in Zdarsky and Valerio Schiti’s Steve Rogers solo. Introduced in the first arc as a kid who enlisted because of 9/11 (and subsequently injected with the Super-Soldier Serum), Colton and Steve worked together in the early days of the latter’s modern day awakening. A covert mission to rescue U. S. diplomats from Latveria ended with Colton, already cynical from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, having a breakdown that ended with him killing dozens of Latverians and eventually defeated in a fight with Steve. During the current Armageddon event, Colton was shot . The box, which held the power of an unknown hero from the recent Ultimate Universe, both healed him and left him with a drive to fix the world. But it was only after Red Hulk exploded in his face, and seeing a vision of his mother, that Colton uttered the word “Kimota” to become Miracleman in full. © Delio Diaz & Frank Alpizar/Marvel Comics © Delio Diaz & Frank Alpizar/Marvel Comics © Delio Diaz & Frank Alpizar/Marvel Comics Thus, a long game has reached its conclusion, or at least part of it. However Armageddon ends, Marvel has already confirmed that Colton as Miracleman will join the Avengers team of Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s upcoming run alongside Captain Marvel and Spider-Man. Along with filling out a role of the team’s second god-powered person, there’s the question of what effects the Origin Box is leaving on him.
You’ll Never Guess What Trump Wants to Rename Now
Artificial Intelligence You’ll Never Guess What Trump Wants to Rename Now The President wants to give his favorite technology a rebrand, but he needs your help. 19, 2026, pm ET Reading time 2 minutes © Chip Somodevilla/ Read Later Read Later Comments (97) President Donald Trump simply has no patience for negativity around AI. He says it’s going to be the “Greatest Economic Development Engine in History — Bigger than Oil, Gold, Diamonds, or even the Internet.” But it’s scaring people lately, so apparently he’s decided to just rename it. Many people think that the words “Artificial Intelligence” are inaccurate, and very ineloquent, relative to AI, or Artificial Intelligence. A far more elegant and accurate description of this new phenomena would be Superior Intelligence (SI) or, Extreme Intelligence (EI) or,… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2026 The term “artificial intelligence” just isn’t cutting it anymore, so Trump has posted on X that he thinks a more “elegant and accurate description of this new phenomena [sic] would be Superior Intelligence (SI) or, Extreme Intelligence (EI) or, Supreme Intelligence (SI).” Hey, at least he didn’t go with “America Intelligence.” Trump wouldn’t be alone in criticizing use of the terms “artificial intelligence” and “AI,” at least when it comes to AI as currently understood. Reliant as they are on language to process information and solve problems, LLMs have been criticized for conflating language use and intelligence. “Yes, an AI system might remix and recycle our knowledge in interesting ways. But that’s all it will be able to do,“ wrote critic Benjamin Riley last year. It somehow seems unlikely that Trump shares Riley’s concerns. In a separate X post, he posted a poll about the renaming, graciously handing this momentous task to the people. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2026 The president didn’t include a “just show me the results” option, so you have to log in and vote to ’s in the lead. At time of publication, there was still not an overwhelming frontrunner, but “Superior Intelligence” was in the lead with 39.3%. Perhaps soon we will all be talking about Anthropic’s next “Superior Intelligence” model, but—if you’ll forgive me for editorializing—I sort of doubt it. Trump’s use of AI as a communication tool is an unnerving fact of life now. Over Labor Day weekend, the president went into some kind of fugue state and posted a long string of AI-generated images on Truth Social, including at least one fake image depicting Iran’s Kharg Island being blown up like Alcatraz Island in the movie the Rock.
Learning another language may be one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy
Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Learning another language is a highly complex mental activity. It requires people to remember words, distinguish unfamiliar sounds, recognize patterns, work out grammatical rules, and retrieve the right expression at the right moment. All of this happens while listening, interpreting, and preparing a response. Could all this mental activity also help keep an aging brain healthier? Concerns about memory and dementia can send aging adults looking for ways to exercise their brain and maintain cognitive function, whether it is solving crossword puzzles or playing a musical instrument. Language learning might not seem like the same kind of brain exercise, but it is a complex activity that engages several mental processes at once. I am a linguist who studies language acquisition, use, and loss. My new book, Beyond Words: How We Learn, Use, and Lose Language, examines language and the mind across people’s lifespans. Research increasingly suggests that language learning and bilingualism can offer cognitive benefits—including for older adults. Learning another language can also create opportunities for communication and social connection. A workout for the brain A person’s brain remains capable of change throughout their life. This ability to adapt in response to experience is known as neuroplasticity. Learning unfamiliar sounds, vocabulary, and grammatical patterns requires the brain to form and strengthen connections. Language learning engages several mental processes at once, requiring people to absorb and retrieve information, notice when something does not work out, and adjust. This sustained mental effort makes language learning a particularly rich form of cognitive exercise. Research on bilingualism has found differences in both the brain’s gray matter, which contains neurons and their connections, and white matter, which consists largely of nerve fibers linking different parts of the brain. Studies have shown greater gray matter density or stronger white matter integrity in bilingual people, compared with people who speak one language. These findings suggest that language experience can be reflected in the brain’s structure, as well as its activity. But brain differences are only part of the picture. The brain as it ages One reason researchers are interested in language and aging is the idea of cognitive reserve. This term refers to the ability to maintain cognitive function despite age-related changes or damage to the brain. Bilingualism has been proposed as one factor that can help the brain cope with the effects of aging, because managing two languages places ongoing demands on people’s attention and cognitive control—ultimately helping to strengthen cognitive reserve.
Forget the AI Slowdown—the Vulnerability Explosion Is Already Happening
CommentSave StorySave this story CommentSave StorySave this story Welcome to the inaugural edition of Kernel Panic! To receive this in your inbox each week, here. AI doomers have recently traded one worst-case scenario for another, putting aside a potential software vulnerability apocalypse to focus on the possibility of rogue AI causing mass human death in the next decade. As AI leaders consider a cooperative slowdown on frontier model development, though, one aspect of the cybersecurity sea change has already arrived thanks to existing, broadly available capabilities in mainstream AI products, including open weight models. A tidal wave of vulnerabilities uncovered using AI has only accelerated in recent months—piling more pressure on under-resourced, and very human, IT and security teams and straining volunteers who maintain crucial open source software. Researchers found and disclosed a vast array of vulnerabilities before the rise of AI-enhanced bug hunting as well, but the recent surge is clear. Microsoft said last week that it has issued patches for 974 CVEs so far this month, setting a new record. (CVEs, or common vulnerabilities and exposures, is cybersecurity jargon for confirmed software flaws.) In July, Oracle shipped 1,448 patches compared to 309 in July 2025. Google Chrome’s two major version releases in June included 1,072 patches, more than all of the vulnerability fixes shipped in the prior 23 big releases combined. And Mozilla said in April that it found 271 vulnerabilities in Firefox during one bug hunting sprint using Anthropic’s Mythos model. Across the board, there have been a stunning 66,401 CVEs recorded as of Wednesday this week, according to Jerry Gamblin, the head of research at Empirical Security and founder of RogoLabs, which runs the CVE analysis project cve. icu. By September 16 last year, cve. icu had logged a total of 33,512 CVEs—almost half the current total. For all of 2022, the year OpenAI launched its first version of ChatGPT, cve. icu recorded 25,000 CVEs. Among both security and AI researchers, experts have been divided about whether this spike and other impacts of AI on cybersecurity will be catastrophic or instead magnify existing dynamics and challenges. Some have pointed out that slow patch adoption and lagging investment in cybersecurity broadly already gave attackers many advantages that led to hacking disasters before the rise of AI. But as vulnerability discovery numbers have continued to rise, and the discussion has become less theoretical, the two sides have seemed to move a bit closer. “I don’t think it’s overblown,” Gamblin says of the apparent explosion in vulnerability findings across the industry. “What I would push back on is the idea that a bigger number is itself the harm.
Science
View All 10A deadly ebola relative is surging after years in the shadows
Date: September 19, 2026 Source: Boston University Summary: A growing Bundibugyo virus outbreak is showing how a little-known relative of Ebola can become a major threat when diagnosis and treatment options are limited. Experts warn that preparing only for familiar pathogens could leave the world vulnerable when rare but deadly viruses suddenly reemerge. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY A rare Ebola relative is surging again, revealing dangerous gaps in how the world prepares for the next deadly outbreak. Credit: Shutterstock A growing outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo is drawing attention to a broader problem in global health: how to prepare for dangerous diseases that appear only rarely but can still cause deadly outbreaks. In a review article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Boston University professor Nancy Sullivan argues that outbreak preparedness needs to extend beyond the infectious diseases that receive the most attention. A Rare Relative of Ebola Bundibugyo belongs to the filovirus family, the same group of viruses that includes the much better-known Ebola virus. Despite its potential severity, Bundibugyo has been linked to only two previously recognized outbreaks, one in Uganda in 2007 and another in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2012. The current outbreak, however, has already surpassed those earlier events in both its trajectory and scale. According to the WHO, 695 confirmed cases and 138 confirmed deaths had been reported in the DRC and Uganda as of June 11. Sullivan, a professor of biology and virology, immunology & microbiology at Boston University, explains that bringing an outbreak under control depends on several measures working quickly together. These include rapid diagnosis, isolating infected patients, tracing people who may have been exposed, strengthening infection control, and providing supportive medical care. Those steps become much harder when laboratory resources are limited. In settings where testing capacity is scarce, delays in confirming infections can give the virus more time to spread. A Severe Hemorrhagic Fever Bundibugyo can cause a severe form of hemorrhagic fever. Infection can trigger widespread inflammation, damage and failure of the cells lining blood vessels, uncontrolled bleeding, and failure of multiple organs. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. That creates particular risks for family members, caregivers, and health workers, especially when patients are being treated in hospitals without adequate infection control. The 2026 outbreak was formally recognized after the death of a nurse. Another major challenge is that Bundibugyo can initially resemble several far more common illnesses.
A giant crater may reveal the origin of Mars’ doomed moon
Date: September 19, 2026 Source: Universe Today Summary: A massive crater on Mars’ moon Phobos may hide a dense region of compressed material that could reveal whether the moon is a captured asteroid or debris from an ancient impact on Mars. Japan’s upcoming MMX sample return mission could provide the measurements and physical evidence needed to solve the mystery. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY The large impact crater known as Stickney is the largest crater on the Martian moon Phobos. Some scientists believe the grooves and crater chains are related to the formation of Stickney, whereas others think they may have formed as a result of the ejecta from impacts on Mars that later collided with Phobos. The lineated textures on the walls of Stickney and other large craters are landslides formed from materials falling into the crater interiors. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona Mars' innermost moon, Phobos, has puzzled planetary scientists for decades. One of the biggest unanswered questions is where it came from. Some researchers think Phobos is an asteroid that was captured by Mars, while others argue that it formed from debris thrown into orbit after a massive object slammed into the planet. Solving that mystery may depend on something scientists still know surprisingly little about: what Phobos looks like on the inside. Researchers are now trying to narrow down the possibilities , including its gravity and motion. At the recent European Geosciences Union general assembly in Vienna, scientists presented work modeling these geophysical measurements around one of Phobos' most dramatic features, Stickney Crater. Stickney Crater Could Hold a Key Clue The enormous Stickney Crater is central to the debate over Phobos' history. If Phobos formed from debris created by a giant impact on Mars, the collision that produced the 9 km (5.6 mile) diameter crater may have occurred roughly 4.2 billion years ago. If Phobos was instead captured as an asteroid, the Stickney impact could have happened much later, around 2.6 billion years ago. Current estimates suggest that Phobos has a porous interior that may contain water ice, according to Benjamin Haser and co-author Thomas Andert in a 2026 paper published in The Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS). One promising way to investigate those possibilities is to map Phobos' gravity in greater detail. The researchers are particularly interested in whether the Stickney impact created a concentrated region of denser material beneath the crater. The Stickney event is one of the most important episodes in Phobos' history, and learning more about it could help scientists determine where the moon came from, Haser, a doctoral student in planetary science at Germany's Universität der Bundeswehr München, told me in Vienna.
The US air force admitted to deploying weapons in space. Don’t expect the White House to explain why
Troy Meink, secretary of the air force, speaks as JD Vance listens at the US Air Force Academy graduation on in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Photograph: Michael Ciaglo/ View image in fullscreen Troy Meink, secretary of the air force, speaks as JD Vance listens at the US Air Force Academy graduation on in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Photograph: Michael Ciaglo/ Analysis The US air force admitted to deploying weapons in space. Don’t expect the White House to explain why Richard Luscombe The revelation ‘left experts scratching their heads at exactly what Donald Trump has in his cosmic arsenal’ In Hollywood at least, space weapons are a relatively simple concept. The good guys, from Captain Kirk and his crew in Star Trek, to Luke Skywalker’s rebel alliance in Star Wars, battle intergalactic villains with an array of colorful lasers and particle-beam cannons, then the bad guys get dispatched in a spectacular, explosive finale. The messaging coming out of the White House on the subject, by contrast, could not be more vague. This week’s attention-grabbing revelation – that the US has deployed some kind of weapons in space – carried nothing in the way of context or detail, and left experts scratching their heads at exactly what Donald Trump has in his cosmic arsenal. It could just be a building block, and the US is going to lay out more later with that. To me that would make logical sense, if that was the plan.” What the plan actually is has never been made clear, and Meink, in his announcement, stressed it was unlikely ever to be. “Me talking about the details of what we’re doing would actually not benefit deterrence, so we’re not going to talk about the specifics of what we’re doing, whether we’ve tested it, not tested it, or anything else,” he said. View image in fullscreen A solider during a ceremony for US Air Force airmen transitioning to US Space Force guardian designations at Travis air force base in California on . Photograph: Noah Berger/APBut as Russia and China, both US adversaries, have advanced their own aggressive outer space ambitions and agendas, Trump has responded -increasing focus on militarizing the heavens. During his first term of office, he created Space Force, the first new, separate branch of the US military in more than seven decades. Last month, he signed an executive order designating the first US Space Academy, a proposed joint civilian-military institution modeled on the army and navy training academies at West Point and Annapolis, to be sited at an as-yet unnamed location.
Archaeologists are racing to save precious artifacts in Alaska after last year's storm
Archaeologists are racing to save precious artifacts in Alaska Last year, remnants of a typhoon damaged homes, infrastructure and an archaeological dig site. Now, archaeologists are trying to get as many objects out as possible before the next storm. History Archaeologists are racing to save precious artifacts in Alaska after last year's storm September 19, 20265:01 AM ET By Samantha Watson A crew of volunteer excavators and archaeologists searches the soil for artifacts at the Nunalleq dig site near the coastal village of Quinhagak, Alaska, on June 8. MaryCait Dolan/KYUK hide caption toggle caption MaryCait Dolan/KYUK Last October, remnants of Typhoon Halong swept through western Alaska — causing widespread flooding and displacing over a thousand people in multiple far-flung villages off the state's road system. In the coastal village of Quinhagak, the storm shook houses and damaged some buildings and infrastructure. And the day after it hit, Jenny Matthew and her husband rode four-wheelers along the torn-up beach, assessing the damage. Only on NPR People's houses are collapsing into the ocean. FEMA gives them no other option The wind and floodwaters had peeled the tundra up like discarded carpeting. And as Matthew scanned the debris, suddenly, something caught her eye. "I said to my husband, 'Look, what's that?' We stopped. He got up and took it, and it was that bowl," Matthew remembered. The bowl was wooden and smooth. It was carved 400 and 600 years ago and was one of thousands of cultural objects scattered along the coastline. Science This High Arctic rhino may change what we know about ancient animal migrations The storm had unearthed it from an archaeological dig site called Nunalleq that sits near the village. It's renowned as one of the best examples of Alaska Native Yup'ik culture before Western contact and serves as an important link to Quinhagak's past. Not only had the storm scattered many objects from the site, it also increased the risks for what was still in the ground . This past summer, a team of archaeologists came to the village for an emergency dig to recover as much as possible before the next big storm. Principal archaeologist Rick Knecht examines an artifact found . MaryCait Dolan/KYUK hide caption toggle caption MaryCait Dolan/KYUK Charlotta Hillerdal holds up a wooden doll found in the soil at Nunalleq. MaryCait Dolan/KYUK hide caption toggle caption MaryCait Dolan/KYUK Precious objects slowly being excavated Archaeologists have been working at this dig site since 2009, according to lead archaeologist Rick Knecht.
Environment
View All 10Trump says US will form 'AI Force' and appoint an artificial intelligence tsar
US President Donald Trump has announced that he will form an "AI Force" and appoint an artificial intelligence tsar amid warnings about the emergent technology. In a social media post on Saturday, he said his administration "will not in any way hinder or stifle the growth" of the industry, and pushed back against calls to slow down the development of AI until better safeguards are put in place. His post came as a slew of warnings about the potential dangers of AI have spurred calls for coordinated action on the technology's development. Trump offered no details or a timeline for his plan. Why Trump is all-in on AI despite the warnings "AI is the next Industrial Revolution, or Internet, but will be even larger and more impactful, possibly as much as 25% of our Country's GDP," he said on social media, adding that he wants the US to continue leading China in AI. AI now sits at the heart of the US-China rivalry as the world's two largest economies seek to gain an edge in advanced tech, and it is expected to be discussed when Trump meets President Xi Jinping next week. Meanwhile, Trump said his administration would use the existing criminal and civil justice system to target any bad actors using the AI. He also repeated comments that criticism and concerns around the potential dangers of AI are a "hoax". This video can not be played Watch: Cyber Correspondent Joe Tidy considers if could AI wipe out humanity, and how it might do it Claims - with one suggesting there is a greater than 10% chance of it "killing all humans" - have raised alarm bells in recent weeks. Major AI companies have been racing to develop better systems, including creating what they call super intelligence - theoretical tech which is smarter than humans. AI titans Anthropic, OpenAI and Google - the tech companies behind Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini, respectively - have also disclosed instances of security breaches or incidents in which their chatbots were used for "malicious activity". Anthropic head Dario Amodei recently called for AI development to slow down and proposed industry-wide deceleration and regulation, as well as independent monitoring of AI model development. Sam Altman of OpenAI and Elon Musk of xAI have both said they agree with his recommendations. Jack Clark, co-founder of Anthropic, told BBC that a "kill switch" that can be checked by a third party may need to be mandatory for the industry.
Federal court rules there is no constitutional right to safe drinking water
This story was originally published by Capital B and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. A federal appeals court has used a decades-long water crisis in one of the Blackest cities in America to rule that the U. Constitution does not guarantee Americans the right to clean and safe drinking water. The September 4 ruling came even after Jackson, Mississippi, residents alleged officials knew the water was contaminated and assured the public it was safe. To this point, the appellate court also ruled that the Constitution does not offer citizens the “right to truthful information from officials during a public health crisis.” The ruling signals that Black residents may face the most serious consequences of unsafe or failing water systems while having limited ability to seek a remedy through the Constitution. At the same time, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has already determined that the city could not receive support through the Civil Rights Act of 1965. What is happening in Jackson matters because federal data shows Black communities are more likely than white communities to be served -based Safe Drinking Water Act violations. Research has also found that systems in communities with larger Black populations take much longer to be fixed or improved. Grist thanks its sponsors. To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. Here's How Read Next Chicago has the most lead pipes in the nation. Keerti Gopal, Peter Aldhous, Clayton Aldern, Amy Qin, & Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco “Jackson residents did everything this country tells poor people to do. They organized, they testified, they boiled their water, they filed suit, they trusted the courts. And at every step the answer has been no,” said Danyelle Holmes, a senior national organizer with Mississippi’s Poor People’s Campaign. Jackson is more than 80 percent Black and has a poverty rate that is more than double the national average. “What it signals is that the law has told a majority-Black capital city that its suffering is real but its remedy does not exist,” Holmes added. How did the court come to this decision? The lawsuit that spurred the federal appeals court ruling was first brought -contaminated water to reach their homes and then misled the public about whether it was safe to drink. The suit also alleged that state authorities violated civil rights law . To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist.
Spider season! Ten species you’ll see scuttling across Britain’s carpets and lawns this autumn
The world is suddenly full of webs and hairy legs. But why? And what do they belong to? Meet the spiders you’re most likely to encounter, from cardinals to false wolvesSummer is at an end, and suddenly spiders seem to be everywhere – in your house, in your garden, in your hair. Fresh webs hang from doorways, walls, shrubs and fence posts, creating invisible obstacle courses. Where do all these spiders come from, what kind are they and what, if anything, should we do about them?The short answer to the question “Why are there so many more spiders at this time of year?” is: there aren’t. They are just more obvious. Dave Clarke, an ectotherm (“cold-blooded” animal) specialist at the Zoological Society of London, says: “There are more spiders around in the spring, because that’s when they hatch from their egg sacs, and there are hundreds of babies in each egg sac. But they’re small and not very obvious. They grow up during the summer and, at this time of year, they reach their maximum size.” Their webs are also correspondingly larger. Continue reading...
When a beloved tree began withering away, locals suspected a killer in their midst
ByYujin Choi, BBC Korean, Reporting fromSeoul and Koh Ewe Every summer, Seoul turns a deep green, growing dense and lush under humid skies. But this year, one tree was visibly suffering. "Green leaves were falling to the ground, which shouldn't happen at that time of year," recalls Jung, who lives near the streetside ginkgo in Buam-dong, a largely residential neighbourhood in the north of Seoul. The tree is beloved by locals, who believe it has occupied its spot for more than 100 years. So Jung couldn't ignore what she was seeing. With each passing day, her curiosity turned to concern. A rotting carpet of familiar fan-shaped leaves soon surrounded the tree, a sight so alarming Jung and her neighbours formed a crew of amateur detectives to solve the mystery: what was ailing their hardy ginkgo? The whodunnit engrossed Buam-dong and piqued the country's interest, making national headlines. But the attention unsettled Jung, who spearheaded the campaign but has since requested anonymity - we are using a pseudonym. "Imagine a grandfather who silently embraces you every day, listens to you, and has always been strong and full of life," she says. "Suddenly, he begins to die. "How heartbreaking would that be?" So began one community's fight to save a cherished symbol of their neighbourhood. Their unlikely enemy, who they believe plotted a surreptitious attack, was a museum built to honour a pioneering, nature-loving Korean artist. Image source, Yujin Choi/BBC Image caption, As summer went by, the ginkgo's branches started to turn bare and brown Who is killing 'Grandpa Ginkgo'? Tucked between two mountains, Buam-dong is recommended , art galleries and cosy cafes - an escape from Seoul's bustle. Because of its proximity to the Blue House, the president's official residence, urban development has been restricted, allowing the neighbourhood to retain its quaint charm. In a place where you usually find ginkgo trees in private gardens or untamed forests, this one is special, Jung says, because it flourished on the side of the road. To her, it's "Grandpa Ginkgo". "I pass this tree whenever I come home. I would say, 'Grandpa, I'm home.' Or 'Grandpa, I'm heading out now'." Jung only moved here four years ago, but the grand old tree was the first thing she noticed, and she grew to love it. "It was the only tree in the neighbourhood that belongs to everyone." To Park Jeon-hee, who has lived here for nearly all his 74 years, the ginkgo is his "oldest friend".
Weather
View All 6Today: Sunny Intervals, Minimum Temperature: 9°C (49°F) Maximum Temperature: 17°C (63°F)
Search for a location Search Manchester - Weather warnings issued 14-day forecast Red Met Office Weather WarningsAmber Met Office Weather WarningsYellow Met Office Weather Warnings Forecast - Manchester Day Today , Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze Sunny Intervals Sunny Intervals , High17° 63° Low9° 49° , Wind speed10 mph17 km/h W10 mph17 km/hwesterly Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze Monday 21st SeptemberMon 21st , Light cloud and light winds Light Cloud Light Cloud , High19° 67° Low13° 56° , Wind speed2 mph4 km/h S2 mph4 km/hsoutherly Light cloud and light winds Tuesday 22nd SeptemberTue 22nd , Light cloud and light winds Light Cloud Light Cloud , High21° 69° Low14° 57° , Wind speed2 mph3 km/h SE2 mph3 km/hsouth-easterly Light cloud and light winds Wednesday 23rd SeptemberWed 23rd , Light rain and a gentle breeze Light Rain Light Rain , High17° 62° Low7° 45° , Wind speed9 mph15 km/h NW9 mph15 km/hnorth-westerly Light rain and a gentle breeze Thursday 24th SeptemberThu 24th , Sunny intervals and light winds Sunny Intervals Sunny Intervals , High19° 66° Low10° 51° , Wind speed6 mph10 km/h S6 mph10 km/hsoutherly Sunny intervals and light winds Friday 25th SeptemberFri 25th , Light rain and light winds Light Rain Light Rain , High21° 69° Low11° 53° , Wind speed5 mph8 km/h SE5 mph8 km/hsouth-easterly Light rain and light winds Saturday 26th SeptemberSat 26th , Sunny intervals and light winds Sunny Intervals Sunny Intervals , High20° 68° Low12° 54° , Wind speed4 mph7 km/h SE4 mph7 km/hsouth-easterly Sunny intervals and light winds Sunday 27th SeptemberSun 27th , Sunny intervals and light winds Sunny Intervals Sunny Intervals , High20° 68° Low12° 54° , Wind speed5 mph8 km/h SE5 mph8 km/hsouth-easterly Sunny intervals and light winds Monday 28th SeptemberMon 28th , Light rain showers and light winds Light Rain Showers Light Rain Showers , High19° 67° Low12° 54° , Wind speed6 mph10 km/h SE6 mph10 km/hsouth-easterly Light rain showers and light winds Tuesday 29th SeptemberTue 29th , Light rain showers and a gentle breeze Light Rain Showers Light Rain Showers , High19° 66° Low14° 57° , Wind speed9 mph15 km/h S9 mph15 km/hsoutherly Light rain showers and a gentle breeze Wednesday 30th SeptemberWed 30th , Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze Sunny Intervals Sunny Intervals , High20° 68° Low11° 53° , Wind speed8 mph13 km/h S8 mph13 km/hsoutherly Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze Thursday 1st OctoberThu 1st , Light rain showers and light winds Light Rain Showers Light Rain Showers , High19° 66° Low12° 53° , Wind speed6 mph10 km/h S6 mph10 km/hsoutherly Light rain showers and light winds Friday 2nd OctoberFri 2nd , Sunny
Monday: Light Cloud, Minimum Temperature: 13°C (56°F) Maximum Temperature: 19°C (67°F)
Search for a location Search Manchester - Weather warnings issued 14-day forecast Red Met Office Weather WarningsAmber Met Office Weather WarningsYellow Met Office Weather Warnings Forecast - Manchester Day Today , Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze Sunny Intervals Sunny Intervals , High17° 63° Low9° 49° , Wind speed10 mph17 km/h W10 mph17 km/hwesterly Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze Monday 21st SeptemberMon 21st , Light cloud and light winds Light Cloud Light Cloud , High19° 67° Low13° 56° , Wind speed2 mph4 km/h S2 mph4 km/hsoutherly Light cloud and light winds Tuesday 22nd SeptemberTue 22nd , Light cloud and light winds Light Cloud Light Cloud , High21° 69° Low14° 57° , Wind speed2 mph3 km/h SE2 mph3 km/hsouth-easterly Light cloud and light winds Wednesday 23rd SeptemberWed 23rd , Light rain and a gentle breeze Light Rain Light Rain , High17° 62° Low7° 45° , Wind speed9 mph15 km/h NW9 mph15 km/hnorth-westerly Light rain and a gentle breeze Thursday 24th SeptemberThu 24th , Sunny intervals and light winds Sunny Intervals Sunny Intervals , High19° 66° Low10° 51° , Wind speed6 mph10 km/h S6 mph10 km/hsoutherly Sunny intervals and light winds Friday 25th SeptemberFri 25th , Light rain and light winds Light Rain Light Rain , High21° 69° Low11° 53° , Wind speed5 mph8 km/h SE5 mph8 km/hsouth-easterly Light rain and light winds Saturday 26th SeptemberSat 26th , Sunny intervals and light winds Sunny Intervals Sunny Intervals , High20° 68° Low12° 54° , Wind speed4 mph7 km/h SE4 mph7 km/hsouth-easterly Sunny intervals and light winds Sunday 27th SeptemberSun 27th , Sunny intervals and light winds Sunny Intervals Sunny Intervals , High20° 68° Low12° 54° , Wind speed5 mph8 km/h SE5 mph8 km/hsouth-easterly Sunny intervals and light winds Monday 28th SeptemberMon 28th , Light rain showers and light winds Light Rain Showers Light Rain Showers , High19° 67° Low12° 54° , Wind speed6 mph10 km/h SE6 mph10 km/hsouth-easterly Light rain showers and light winds Tuesday 29th SeptemberTue 29th , Light rain showers and a gentle breeze Light Rain Showers Light Rain Showers , High19° 66° Low14° 57° , Wind speed9 mph15 km/h S9 mph15 km/hsoutherly Light rain showers and a gentle breeze Wednesday 30th SeptemberWed 30th , Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze Sunny Intervals Sunny Intervals , High20° 68° Low11° 53° , Wind speed8 mph13 km/h S8 mph13 km/hsoutherly Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze Thursday 1st OctoberThu 1st , Light rain showers and light winds Light Rain Showers Light Rain Showers , High19° 66° Low12° 53° , Wind speed6 mph10 km/h S6 mph10 km/hsoutherly Light rain showers and light winds Friday 2nd OctoberFri 2nd , Sunny
Tropical Depression Six forms over the North Atlantic, forecast to strengthen into Tropical Storm Fay
Satellite image of Tropical Depression 6 at UTC on September 19, 2026. Credit: NOAA/GOES-19, Zoom Earth, The Watchers Tropical Depression Six formed southwest of the Azores on September 19, with one minute-maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h (35 mph) at UTC, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). At UTC on September 19, its center was located approximately 845 km (525 miles) southwest of the Azores, with an estimated minimum central pressure of 1 009 hPa. The depression was moving northward at 4 km/h (2 mph). The system was forecast to become a tropical storm within 24 hours, followed a brief strengthening period. If it does develop into a tropical storm, it will be named Fay and become the sixth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The initial intensity forecast placed the cyclone at tropical-storm strength, with maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h (40 mph), by UTC on September 20. /NHC The NHC forecast further strengthening to 75 km/h (45 mph) by UTC on September 21, with that intensity maintained through UTC the same day. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect when the NHC issued its initial advisory, and the agency identified no hazards affecting land. The cyclone is forecast to remain over the open North Atlantic through its expected transition into a post-tropical remnant low on September 22. The depression was forecast to move generally northeastward during the first 24 to 36 hours following the September 19 advisory, before turning southwest around September 21. According to the NHC, a trough to the north was expected to weaken the ridge northeast of the cyclone, allowing the initial northeastward movement. The ridge was then forecast to rebuild around 48 hours into the forecast period, redirecting the system southwestward. The NHC forecast that the cyclone would move into a somewhat more favorable environment between two areas of strong wind shear, allowing a brief period of intensification. After approximately 36 hours, stronger shear associated with the trough to the north was expected to disrupt the cyclone’s organization and lead to gradual weakening. Vertical wind shear refers to changes in wind speed or direction with height. The official forecast reduced maximum sustained winds to 65 km/h (40 mph) by UTC on September 22. /NHC The cyclone was forecast to become a post-tropical remnant low by UTC on September 22, with maximum sustained winds decreasing to 55 km/h (35 mph). The NHC expected the remnant circulation to move southwestward on September 23, with sustained winds forecast to drop near 45 km/h (30 mph). Dissipation was forecast by UTC on September 24.
Lightning strike kills 19-year-old hiker and injures multiple on Mount Timpanogos, Utah
A 19-year-old hiker was killed and several others injured when lightning struck a small structure near the summit of Mount Timpanogos, where the group had taken shelter from an approaching thunderstorm on Sept. 18, according to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. The UCSO Search and Rescue Team responded to the incident at around MDT ( UTC) on September 18. Working with other responding agencies, personnel provided medical assistance and worked to evacuate those affected. The sheriff’s office said the summit location and severe weather complicated the rescue operation. The 19-year-old man sustained critical injuries and was pronounced deceased despite efforts to render aid, the sheriff’s office said. The sheriff’s office warned that small structures, including sheds and similar shelters, do not provide adequate protection from lightning. Hikers were advised to check weather forecasts before setting out, monitor changing conditions and allow enough time to leave exposed mountain terrain before thunderstorms develop or approach. The National Weather Service (NWS) advises people who hear thunder to seek shelter immediately inside a substantial building or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle. The same severe weather setup also spawned a tornado that touched down east of Fruit Heights, Utah, at approximately LT ( UTC) on September 18, 2026, as severe thunderstorms moved across Davis County and surrounding areas. Rain and damage was reported in the affected areas. Tornado touches down near Francis Peak in Davis County, Utah References: 1 Hikers struck by lightning – UCSO – September 18, 2026 Rishav Kothari I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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