The Guardian

Death and alleged torture of man in detention sparks protests in Syria

Picture showing White Helmets volunteer unconscious and with bruises on his body went viralSyrians have protested over the death of a man who was arrested and allegedly beaten by security forces, sparking widespread anger at a practice thought to have ended under the regime of Bashar al-Assad.A crowd gathered in the city of Aleppo, demanding accountability for the security forces who carried out the alleged torture, with participants holding signs and slogans such as: “Do not repeat the same opp

general  Aug 18, 2026

BBC World

Pakistan top court orders ex-PM Imran Khan be moved to hospital from jail

Imran Khan has been imprisoned since 2023 on corruption charges which he says were politically motivated.

general  Aug 18, 2026

WSJ World News

Why Ukraine Is Ramping Up Its Aerial War Against Russia

Watch WSJ’s Thomas Grove explain how Ukraine’s targeted strikes on Russia’s retail and energy hubs are exposing the war’s hidden economic cost.

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens with stronger safeguards

Teen version is intended for children aged 13 to 17 and includes content protections on self-harm and sexual chatsOpenAI is launching a version of ChatGPT designed for teenagers – the first generation to grow up with artificial intelligence – who are already using it for schoolwork, questions about daily life and even companionship.The San Francisco-based company says ChatGPT for Teens, which launches on Tuesday, is tailored for children aged 13 to 17 with stronger protections including content

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

Christopher Berry-Dee dropped by publisher after allegations of abuse made against him

Bonnier Books will no longer publish UK’s top-selling true crime author following Guardian investigationThe main publisher of the bestselling true crime writer Christopher Berry-Dee has dropped the author following a Guardian investigation into allegations of violence and sexual abuse against him, which he denies. Waterstones has also removed his books from sale.“We are shocked and appalled by the very serious allegations relating to Christopher Berry-Dee, and our thoughts are with those affecte

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

PBS should fund drug to treat breast cancer, endometriosis and gender dysphoria, experts recommend

Triptorelin, already listed for prostate cancer, should have unrestricted use, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee saysGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government should fund treatment for thousands of women with breast cancer or endometriosis, and children with gender dysphoria, according to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme’s advisory committee.The committee met urgently in July in response to AstraZeneca’s announcement it would remove Zoladex

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

Heavy rain forecast will not reverse widespread drought conditions in UK

Forecasters say intense showers might cause flooding as rain falls on dry, hard groundFloods and drought could hit the UK at the same time this week, with heavy rain forecast to fall on hard, parched soil.While some parts of the UK will have the “first meaningful rain for a long time” in the coming days, it will not reverse widespread drought conditions that have put pressure on wildlife, farmers, firefighters and water resources. Continue reading...

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

UK risks running out of gas by 2030s, ministers told

Government assessment warns of supply shock that could leave homes and businesses without gas within a decadeGreat Britain risks running out of gas in the 2030s despite its growing clean energy sources, unless ministers take “unprecedented” action to guard against a future gas supply shock, according to an official assessment of the country’s gas security.The government is considering plans to provide direct financial support to safeguard the country’s ageing gas infrastructure after a consultat

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

Labour urges Gambling Commission to investigate firms linked to Reform UK donors

Bridget Phillipson writes to watchdog asking it to look into claims Tether.bet and Fispay operated without a licenceThe Gambling Commission has been urged to investigate claims that companies linked to Reform UK donors and allies of Nigel Farage have been operating without a licence.The Labour party’s chair, Bridget Phillipson, has written to the watchdog asking it to look into Tether.bet, a Montenegro-based gambling company, and Fispay, a UK company owned by Reform’s data protection officer, Mo

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

Philippine school shooter kills fellow student and himself in livestreamed attack

Country’s second fatal school shooting in two months took place in southern city of ⁠Zamboanga A student livestreamed himself shooting and killing another pupil in a classroom in the southern Philippines before taking his own ⁠life, ​the second school attack in the country in less than two months.The shooting took ⁠place at a school attached to Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the southern city of ⁠Zamboanga, a Catholic private institution in western Mindanao. Zamboanga city’s mayor, Khymer Ad

general  Aug 18, 2026

BBC World

Brazil's President Lula hails oil discovery near Amazon river

Environmentalists have heavily criticised the exploratory drilling in the sea off the mouth of the Amazon.

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

One person dead and more than 200 ill in UK salmonella outbreak

UKHSA rules out British produce as source of infections and says evidence points to consumption of imported eggsOne person has died and more than 200 others have fallen ill during a UK-wide outbreak of salmonella that health officials have linked to the consumption of imported eggs.The 207 people affected range in age from under one year to 90 years old, according to the UK Health Security Agency, which is leading an investigation into the outbreak. Continue reading...

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

ABC sues Trump’s media regulator over ‘politically motivated’ license renewals

Network alleges FCC demand for early license renewal is retaliation for content the administration disapproves ofAfter being forced to apply early to renew its license to broadcast on the eight local television stations it owns, ABC has sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), arguing that it is being retaliated against for content-based reasons.The network filed the lawsuit on Tuesday while it waits to hear whether the Brendan Carr-led FCC approves its renewal requests, or, more likely

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

Revealed: Toby Young free speech group crowdfunded over £60,000 for legal case fought by pro-bono lawyer

Staff members said Free Speech Union would “need to explain” how it spent money donated by its supportersStaff at a campaign group that claims to defend free speech in Britain said it would “need to explain” how it spent roughly £60,000 that was crowdfunded for a legal case that was ultimately fought by a pro bono lawyer.The Free Speech Union (FSU), an activist group founded by Conservative life peer Toby Young, last year took up the case of Julian Foulkes, a 71-year-old retired police officer w

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

Scientists who turned to OnlyFans to fund marmot research receive crypto boost

Funding boost worth $100,000 has recently materialized in form of new marmot-themed cryptocurrencyScientists who turned to OnlyFans to help save long-running research into marmots have raised more than $100,000 after harnessing the support of another, very modern, funding avenue – cryptocurrency.The 60-year project of continuous study of marmots – stout, ground-dwelling rodents that are the largest members of the squirrel family – across the US west was facing termination following science fundi

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

Phyllida Law, prolific performer across stage and screen, dies aged 94

As adept at comedy and musicals as she was drama, Law acted alongside daughters Emma and Sophie in a career spanning eight decadesPhyllida Law, whose prolific acting career encompassed a wide range of stage, TV and film roles – a number of which were alongside her daughters Emma and Sophie Thompson – has died aged 94. Her personal manager Jacky Leggo said in a statement that she “died supremely peacefully at home, surrounded by all of her family”.Born in Glasgow in 1932, Law was accepted at the

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

‘The truth about Diana’: Charles Spencer to publish book about late sister

Earl says he wanted to ‘write down my own thoughts and memories’ with 30th anniversary of Diana’s death ‘on the skyline’Charles Spencer is to publish about a book about his sister Diana in September.In the book – titled Swan Song: Diana, My Sister – Spencer recounts the story of Diana’s life and the week of her death. It marks “the first time that Earl Spencer has spoken openly and at length about his sister”, according to the book’s publisher, the Penguin imprint Michael Joseph. The book will b

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

Georgia man deported from Fiji to face $165m crypto Ponzi scheme charges

Edward Zimbardi, 59, who had fled US, will appear in court in Los Angeles on wire fraud and money-laundering chargesA man from Flowery Branch, Georgia, has been deported from Fiji to face charges in his home state accusing him of defrauding more than 6,000 investors and causing more than $165m of losses in ⁠a cryptocurrency Ponzi ⁠scheme, the ​US attorney in Atlanta said on Monday.Edward Zimbardi, 59, was indicted on 12 counts of ⁠wire fraud, 12 counts of money laundering and one count of money-

general  Aug 18, 2026

BBC World

Kariba ferry death toll rises to 93, making it Zimbabwe's deadliest transport disaster

Recovery efforts to recover bodies continue in what is the country's deadliest transport disaster.

general  Aug 18, 2026

The Guardian

UK retailers too slow to pass on fuel price falls, watchdog says

Competition and Markets Authority raises concerns about ‘passive pricing strategies’ used by some petrol stationsBusiness live – latest updatesSome petrol stations are still not passing on changes in wholesale prices quickly enough and more than 1,000 warning letters have been sent to retailers failing to give prices to the Fuel Finder service, the UK competition watchdog has said.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raised concerns in its latest quarterly update on the fuel market over

general  Aug 18, 2026