The Guardian

Anxiety over war, wildfires and cyber-attacks leads to growth in cash stocks in EU

Value of banknotes in circulation rises from €1bn in 2016 to €1.6bn in 2026 as people advised to keep stash of cashThe number of banknotes in circulation in the EU is increasing despite widespread smartphone payments, new data shows, with wildfires ripping through parts of Europe fuelling demand for an emergency stash of cash.While cash plays second fiddle to contactless payments in many cities across Europe, the amount in circulation is actually going up, Philip Lane, the chief economist of the

general  Aug 21, 2026

The Guardian

Alleged rapist arrested after returning to Brisbane crime scene that night, police say

Man, 32, charged with six counts of rape, stalking and assault after woman was allegedly attacked in BrookfieldFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQueensland police say a man accused of raping and assaulting a young woman, who was taking a morning bushwalk, has been arrested after he returned to the crime scene in his vehicle later that evening.A woman, aged in her 20s, was walking in the semi-rural Brisbane suburb of B

general  Aug 21, 2026

BBC World

What happened to Harry and Meghan's American dream?

Harry and Meghan enjoyed some showbusiness success, but their Hollywood reign proved short-lived.

general  Aug 21, 2026

BBC World

Meghan could return to acting once back in UK

Sources close to the Sussexes have not denied reports that Meghan has been offered an acting role in the UK.

general  Aug 21, 2026

BBC World

Japan executes man who killed five in Pachinko parlour fire

This is the first time since June 2025 that the country has enacted capital punishment.

general  Aug 21, 2026

The Guardian

Tiananmen Square vigil organisers found guilty in Hong Kong of ‘inciting subversion’

Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung - leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance – were tried under under a 2020 national security lawTwo Hong Kong activists who organised annual vigils marking China’s deadly Tiananmen crackdown in 1989 were found guilty of “incitement to subversion”, in a case widely criticised as exemplifying the erosion of freedom of expression in the Chinese city.Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41 “incited other persons to organise, plan, commit or participate in acts by unlawful

general  Aug 21, 2026

WSJ World News

Hong Kong Court Convicts Activists Who Organized Tiananmen Vigils

The annual events drew large crowds before Beijing cemented its grip and outlawed dissent.

general  Aug 21, 2026

BBC World

Bali jails Swiss tourist for insulting sacred Day of Silence

The 26-year-old sparked anger with an expletive-laden post about the sacred holiday.

general  Aug 21, 2026

BBC World

HK's Tiananmen activists guilty in national security trial

Three activists were accused of inciting others to subvert state power under the China-introduced law.

general  Aug 21, 2026

The Guardian

Catholic Schools NSW boss sacked after appearance at Icac inquiry into alleged Liberal party corruption

Watchdog investigating whether Dallas McInerney arranged illegal political donations from schools to lobbying companies controlled by the ReformersThe chief executive of Catholic Schools New South Wales, Dallas McInerney, has been sacked after appearing at a watchdog inquiry into allegations of corruption in the state’s Liberal party.The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) is investigating the allegation that McInerney, who gave evidence to the inquiry this week and last week, a

general  Aug 21, 2026

BBC World

US sanctions more Cuban companies and officials

An international socialist institute and Cuba's construction ministry are subject to the latest US sanctions, Marco Rubio announces.

general  Aug 21, 2026

WSJ World News

The Controversial Academic Who Ignited the Jason Arday Furor

Nathan Cofnas doesn’t regret publishing allegations of plagiarism against the late professor, but says the media and Cambridge let Arday down.

general  Aug 21, 2026

WSJ World News

Is America Still Capable of Enforcing the World Order?

As the Iran war drains vital stockpiles of missile interceptors, American allies increasingly question Washington’s capacity to wage multi-front conflicts.

general  Aug 21, 2026

WSJ World News

Trump Wants to Revive Keystone XL. The Industry Has a Different Plan.

A trio of proposed pipelines would serve the same function—delivering heavy oil from western Canada to Gulf Coast refineries—without the hot-button name.

general  Aug 21, 2026

The Guardian

Court ends case against police charged over tasering and pepper spraying ‘vulnerable’ First Nations man

Court finds ‘defects’ in investigation of two senior constables charged over 2024 incident at Mareeba watch house in far north QueenslandTwo police officers charged with criminal offences over the use of capsicum spray, Tasers and restraints on a “cognitively and emotionally vulnerable” First Nations man in police custody have had the case against them permanently stayed, after a court found “defects” in the subsequent investigation.Andrew David Couchman, 54, and Ulrich Weiss, 45, both senior co

general  Aug 21, 2026

The Guardian

Sycophancy in stereo as former Trump hater Michael Cohen loses his nerve

Fawning, deferential, oleaginous – this was the Untruth and Reconciliation Commission as Trump called in to 77 WABC“Our next guest is a ‘racist’, a ‘conman’ and a ‘cheat’ – someone who behaves more like a ‘mobster’ than a president. Please welcome Donald J Trump!”That is how Michael Cohen could have introduced Trump on his New York radio show on Thursday. After all, Cohen used such terms to describe the US president in his testimony to Congress in 2019. But now Trump’s former personal lawyer and

general  Aug 21, 2026

WSJ World News

The Brains Who Powered China’s Surprising AI Leap

A university lab nurtured the computer scientists who are using ingenuity and imitation to chase down Anthropic and OpenAI. “They know perfectly how to monetize their work.”

general  Aug 21, 2026

BBC World

El Niño set to be 'strongest in living memory', says Met Office

Scientists say the growing El Niño weather pattern is an "unprecedented event" and means 2027 is likely to be the world's hottest year on record.

general  Aug 21, 2026

The Guardian

‘Keffe D’ told detectives years ago his nephew fired the shots that killed Tupac

The former gang leader was charged with planning the drive-by shooting that killed Tupac Shakur in 1996Jurors on Thursday heard Duane “Keffe D” Davis tell detectives in 2008 that his nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson fired the shots that killed Tupac Shakur.Davis, who said in the interview that he was also in the car with Anderson, is accused of orchestrating the 1996 killing of the 25-year-old hip-hop superstar in Las Vegas. At the time of the interview, his nephew had been dead for a decade.

general  Aug 21, 2026

BBC World

Broken toilets, leaking roofs: Why India's 'cockroach' party wants to fix schools

The poor state of government schools is the focus of a new campaign by India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

general  Aug 21, 2026