The Guardian

Two years in limbo: the residents still paying mortgages on flats destroyed in east London fire

Spectrum Building leaseholders awaiting payouts after freeholder, Arinium, went bankrupt shortly after 2024 blazeSarah Williams vividly remembers the night in 2016 when she camped overnight in a car park to put down a deposit on a flat in the newly completed Spectrum Building in Dagenham, east London.“People started queuing for those flats 24 hours before they went on sale,” she said. “It was basically the only flat I could afford in London. This was a year before Grenfell, and the flats market

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Iran seeks to criminalise all contact with foreign media in latest ‘chilling’ crackdown

As photojournalist sentenced to 15 years, rights groups warn law would turn civic engagement into security crimeIran has taken the first step towards criminalising contact with foreign media, in a move human rights groups have said attempts to “sever the entire Iranian society from the rest of the world”.For journalists, researchers and even ordinary citizens, the proposed law being discussed by Iranian lawmakers this month could make speaking to international audiences and groups a potential cr

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

National lottery faces questions over new boss’s record in gambling industry

MPs tell regulator they are ‘deeply concerned’ over interim CEO Phil Walker’s roles at William Hill and Game NationThe national lottery is facing questions over its new boss’s record in the gambling industry, including a lucrative role in the 24-hour slot machine sector singled out by the prime minister as a blight on British high streets.Allwyn UK, which holds a licence to run the Lottery until 2034, said last week that it had appointed William Hill’s former UK and Ireland boss Phil Walker as i

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Two Dan Sullivans to appear on Alaska’s US Senate ballot in November’s midterm elections

The incumbent senator Dan S Sullivan has condemned ex-school teacher Dan J Sullivan, claiming he is running at the behest of Democrats to confuse supportersRepublican senator Dan S Sullivan will be joined on the November ballot in Alaska by a challenger with a nearly identical name from the same party, election officials confirmed on Tuesday, adding a twist to what is expected to be one of the most hotly contested races of the midterms.The Republican senator is running for a third term against

general  Aug 26, 2026

NY Times World

Confronting South Korea’s Violent Past and Its Echoes Today

The National Museum of Korean Democracy, which opened last year, documents an era of brutal suppression. But that dark history has resurfaced in troubling ways.

general  Aug 26, 2026

NY Times World

What to Know About Bank Melli, Singled Out in U.S. Call for Economic War

Bank Melli, Iran’s largest lender, already faces waves of sanctions that severely limit its ability to operate abroad. Every foreign branch must be shut down, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Call to ban marmot hunting in France as campaigners say they are ‘killed for fun’

Protests and petitions planned amid growing concerns over impact of climate crisis on numbers of Alpine rodentAnimal rights campaigners are gearing up for protests and petitions aimed at persuading the French government to ban the hunting of Alpine marmots.Open season on the rodents, members of the squirrel and groundhog family, begins in September, a few weeks before they go into a long winter hibernation. Continue reading...

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Man on trial for Daphne Caruana Galizia murder claims he was framed

Yorgen Fenech tells jury he had nothing to do with killing and alleges top adviser to Malta’s then PM was instigatorA businessman on trial for the murder of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has spoken about the charges for the first time in court since his arrest seven years ago, telling the jury he was framed by police and had nothing to do with the killing.During four days of questioning by defence and the prosecution lawyers, Yorgen Fenech, 44, accused the most senior adviser to Malta’s

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Iran faces strait of Hormuz paradox as strategic value of chokehold erodes

Internal calls to end war get louder as Gulf neighbours plan alternative pipelines to cut reliance on waterwayIs the strait of Hormuz, recently cited by the office of the Iranian supreme leader as “the pillar of Iran’s new security order”, and as transformative as possessing a nuclear weapon, in reality becoming a fast-diminishing asset, leaving Iran increasingly vulnerable to the new planned US wave of economic sanctions?It is the key debate that is raging inside Iran, with many different concl

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Antisemitism royal commission ends hearings but delays report to avoid ‘distraction’ from Bondi anniversary

Commissioner Virginia Bell resists push to extend antisemitism inquiry noting need for timely recommendationsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCommissioner Virginia Bell says she will delay – by four days – handing down her final report into antisemitism and social cohesion, in order not to distract from commemorations of the Bondi terror attack.On Wednesday, the last day of public hearings of the royal commission, Be

general  Aug 26, 2026

BBC World

Why Tesla has been caught up in a massive car recall in China

The country's biggest ever car recall affects more than four million vehicles made by Tesla, XPeng, Xiaomi and other firms.

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Fears for ‘gregarious’ local celebrity Sammy the elephant seal in Victorian bird flu hotspot

Seals and sea lions often communicate by touch and share spaces with wild birds, placing them at risk of infection from H5N1 virusFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSince H5 bird flu arrived in Portland, Victoria, the situation has been “pretty grim” with many dead and suffering birds on the beach, and the dilemma of how to dispose of the carcasses, according to local resident Lynn Murrell.But since the first confirmed

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Nine CEO confident new AI laws will deliver a ‘world of growth in publishing’ as network slashes costs

Matt Stanton says company has ‘good pipeline’ of AI deals ahead even as it aims to cut $160m in costsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe head of Nine Entertainment sees a “world of growth in publishing” on the horizon backed by laws designed to force tech platforms into commercial deals, even as the network cuts costs across its newsrooms.Parliament passed revamped media bargaining laws last week, clearing the way f

general  Aug 26, 2026

WSJ World News

How the Iranian Shahed Drone Transformed War—With China’s Help

The rapid rise of cheap one-way attack drones was made possible by a complex global supply chain that keeps leading back to China.

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Typhoon Narra: record flood waters submerge homes and force mass evacuations in China

Heavy rain expected in parts of Vietnam and southern ‌China, as another storm system, Typhoon Saudel, heads for Japan and TaiwanWidespread flooding triggered by Typhoon Narra has submerged homes and forced mass evacuations in southern China, as another storm system tracked towards Japan and Taiwan.Authorities in Chongzuo, in China’s Guangxi region – famous for its giant waterfalls and karst limestone mountains – on Tuesday evacuated more than 15,000 people after water ⁠levels surpassed a record

general  Aug 26, 2026

BBC World

Musk's SpaceX to build $100bn launch facility in Louisiana

It will be the firm's biggest site yet and aims to send rockets to space in 2029.

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Productivity Commission says ‘line was crossed’ when WA premier labelled them ‘east coast clowns’ over GST

Angela Jackson, a PC commissioner, also said it was ‘disappointing’ that Anthony Albanese had ruled out changes to Western Australia’s GST arrangementsThe Productivity Commission has slammed attacks on its integrity as “unacceptable”, after its scathing assessment of Western Australia’s sweetheart GST deal as a costly mistake sparked a fierce political backlash and name-calling.Angela Jackson, a PC commissioner and co-author of the report, said the country’s leading independent economic advisory

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

US halts all immigrant visa applications amid tightening restrictions

Move by state department to limit access is part of Trump’s crackdown on both lawful and undocumented immigrationAll US immigrant visa applications have been paused by the Trump administration as the state department moves to tighten restrictions and limit access to applicants who they deem could end up relying on US assistance, a state department official confirmed Tuesday.The agency launched the initiative at all embassies and consulates in early August, according to the official and visa appo

general  Aug 26, 2026

WSJ World News

The Canadian Bad Cop on the Front Lines of the U.S. Trade War

general  Aug 26, 2026

The Guardian

Suburban Rail Loop: Victorian government secretly increased public transport fares to help pay for controversial SRL

Labor put ‘levy on all public transport fares in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria’ since January 2025, auditor-general saysThe Victorian government secretly increased public transport fares to raise money to help pay for the Suburban Rail Loop and other Big Build projects, the state’s auditor-general has revealed.The auditor-general’s report, tabled in parliament on Wednesday, also questioned whether the first stage of the multibillion-dollar project – a 26km stretch of twin tunnels

general  Aug 26, 2026