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US labels group ‘global terrorist’ as its legal challenge against proscription in UK nears supreme court hearingThe US ⁠has ​issued sanctions against ⁠the UK-based direct action organisation Palestine ⁠Action, describing it as a “transnational terror group”.The US Department of the Treasury labelled Palestine Action a specially designated global terrorist on Wednesday, which allows the US to freeze the assets of foreign individuals and entities. Continue reading...

Unannounced trip reported by US media is said to be Ratcliffe’s first known visit to Russia as CIA chiefThe CIA director, John Ratcliffe, has made an unannounced visit to Moscow, US media reported, after flight data showed an American military aircraft flew to the Russian capital, where a US diplomatic motorcade was later spotted.CBS News quoted sources familiar with the situation as confirming Ratcliffe’s trip, saying it was his first known visit to Russia as CIA chief. Axios separately confirmed the visit, quoting a US official. Continue reading...

• Walmart is utilizing a $2.9 billion tariff refund to lower prices and improve the customer experience to attract U.S. shoppers who are currently reducing their spending. • The company reported quarterly revenue of $187.9 billion, representing a 5.9% increase from the previous year, while U.S. comparable sales grew by 2.6%. • Management attributed the slower growth in sales to weaker consumer sentiment and the implementation of new pharmacy pricing regulations.

The director’s BBC hit opened the door to Hollywood action films including Hamburger Hill, The Dogs of War and Raw DealJohn Irvin, the British film-maker who directed the Bafta-winning BBC miniseries Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, as well as films including Hamburger Hill, The Dogs of War and Raw Deal, has died aged 86.Irvin died “peacefully at home” on 11 August, surrounded by his family, his producer Claire Evans confirmed to the Guardian. Continue reading...

• A new executive order regarding childhood vaccines has been issued, alongside the appointment of a permanent director for the CDC to fill a year-long vacancy. • The FDA has approved the first mRNA-based flu vaccine, while the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its official recommendations for the upcoming flu season. • These updates arrive amid a critical public health landscape marked by 20 consecutive months of measles outbreaks across the United States.

Storm expected to strengthen to hurricane as state of emergency declared amid danger of ‘life-threatening’ floodsTropical Storm Lala is set to hit Hawaii’s Big Island with hurricane force in a matter of hours, bringing dangerous winds, heavy rainfall and high surf in a sign of what a strengthening “super” El Niño in the Pacific may bring.The tropical storm is currently about 420 miles (675km) south-east of Hilo on the archipelago’s largest island, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said in its latest advisory, packing winds of 60mph (97km/h). Lala is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island. Continue reading...

Stephen Parkinson says court should have been told that sex offender was being investigated for even more serious offencesThe director of the Crown Prosecution Service has apologised and vowed to increase staff numbers after conceding that the court deciding whether to release Simon Levy on bail should have known the serial sex offender was being investigated for rape and murder.Levy, 40, was this week given a rare whole-life sentence for the murders of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, and the rape of another woman. Continue reading...

Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group acquires Knightsbridge-headquartered retailer after it went into administrationBusiness live – latest updatesThe owner of Sports Direct has bought Harvey Nichols out of administration after the upmarket department store chain warned it could run out of money if it did not find new funding.Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group said on Thursday it had bought the department store chain, which is headquartered at its store in Knightsbridge, for an undisclosed sum on the same day as it was placed into administration. It has 13 stores and 1,200 employees. Continue reading...

Surprise departure comes after department store chain’s chair warned of ‘really tough trading conditions’Business live – latest updatesThe managing director of John Lewis has quit the job after less than three years in charge of the British department store chain, as the company faces “really tough” trading conditions.Peter Ruis will leave the business in order to “pursue new projects”, John Lewis said in a statement on Monday. Continue reading...

Some in party are delighted by leader’s tack rightwards but opponents have savoured latest Conservative controversyThere was a moment in the middle of this week when a news alert raised eyebrows among the politically committed. It read: “Kemi Badenoch: Former neo-Nazi candidate would just be sorting out bins.” It was a collection of words that might prompt palpitations in the most sanguine of communications professionals, followed by panicked advice that retreat was necessary. But as a deeply weird week for the Conservative party came to a close on Friday, its leader appeared adamant she would hold the line.With Badenoch accused of aping Reform UK on policy and purging centrists from her party in recent weeks, her decision to stand by a man who was jailed after creating sexualised images of a Jewish MP and calling her a “rodent” has prompted concerns about the leader of the opposition’s political antennae and the Tories’ wider strategy. Continue reading...

• The House is proposing a measure to establish a dedicated office within the Defense Department to legally mandate and facilitate military cooperation between the United States and Israel. • This new office would oversee the joint development, testing, and rollout of advanced weapons and military technology. • A separate intelligence bill, likely to be merged with the defense legislation, would require the president and the director of national intelligence to expand intelligence sharing with Israel.

Schwartz, president’s third pick to lead top US public health agency, confirmed in 51-44 Senate voteDr Erica Schwartz was confirmed by the US Senate as director ‌of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a rare win for the Trump administration after a string of failed attempts to fill senior health posts.Schwartz was confirmed ⁠51-44 by senators. She is Donald Trump’s third pick to run ​the CDC. Continue reading...

After a bumpy confirmation hearing, Clayton replaces acting director Bill Pulte to head US intelligence agenciesUS politics live – latest updatesJay Clayton has been sworn in as the US’s top spy after a contentious Senate confirmation hearing during which ⁠he refused to directly ⁠acknowledge ​that Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.The oath of office was administered to Clayton on Tuesday by the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, in the Oval Office as the president looked on and applauded. He becomes the ninth director of national intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down in June. Continue reading...

• Asian markets showed mixed results on Tuesday, August 4, as investors balanced the potential for AI-related growth from strong U.S. corporate earnings against broader volatility. • Regional performance varied, with the Nikkei 225 rising 0.2% and S&P 500 e-mini futures up 0.3%, while MSCI’s Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) dipped 0.1%. • Oil prices rebounded following reports of attacks on shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, adding geopolitical tension to the market landscape.

• Attorney Alexandre Lazarègue reports that a new phase of the European Artificial Intelligence Regulation will come into force on August 2, 2026. • The regulation shifts accountability to business leaders, emphasizing that AI consequences extend beyond technical issues to include legal and ethical obligations. • Key areas of impact include data protection, cybersecurity, intellectual property, fundamental rights, and corporate civil liability.

A week after his elevation to premier and four months out from an election, the priorities of the Carroll government are becoming clearerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt’s been exactly one week since Ben Carroll became Victorian premier, promising to differentiate himself from his predecessors Jacinta Allan and Daniel Andrews. With his new cabinet sworn in at Government House on Tuesday morning, Victorians are beginning to see what that actually looks like.This was far more than tinkering at the edges. Four months out from an election, Carroll has made cuts and completely overhauled portfolios, and in turn, the priorities of his government. Continue reading...

• Wall Street investors are awaiting the release of the U.S. nonfarm payrolls report on August 7 and upcoming corporate earnings to determine the market's next direction. • Markets are currently navigating significant volatility driven by geopolitical tensions and uncertainty regarding the Federal Reserve's future interest rate policies. • The situation is critical because the Federal Reserve's most recent communication failed to provide a clear roadmap for monetary policy, leaving stocks without a definitive outlook.

• The U.S. is seeing a surge in vaccine policy activity, with over 400 state vaccine bills introduced and nine new laws enacted. • New federal charters have been established through July 2028, focusing on healthy lifestyle initiatives, dietary supplements, and FDA-approved off-label drug use. • To ensure impartiality, the charter mandates that members from academia with pharmaceutical funding cannot exceed one-third of the committee, while public members must comprise at least one-third.

More than 80 loved ones spoke of horrors of learning about Robert Bush’s crimes, including mother of a miscarried babyA funeral director has been jailed for 20 years for leaving dozens of bodies – including a miscarried baby – “rotting” in his mortuary and giving bereaved families the wrong ashes.Robert Bush, the owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Services in Hull, pleaded guilty to 67 offences spanning 12 years and affecting hundreds of families, including 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial. Continue reading...

New Victorian premier also considering ‘sensible changes’ to laws that would enshrine right to work from home two days a weekFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria’s new premier has not ruled out redirecting billions of dollars earmarked for the controversial Suburban Rail Loop to other projects, saying he’s seeking to pursue the “greatest value for Victorians”.Ben Carroll also used his second day in the top job to flag “sensible changes” to nation-leading laws that would enshrine the right to work from home two days a week, as he tries to distance himself from predecessors Jacinta Allan and Daniel Andrews. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Senate has confirmed Jay Clayton, the former U.S. attorney in Manhattan and a close ally of President Trump, as the Director of National Intelligence. • The appointment fills a role that has seen a decrease in relative significance during Trump's second administration. • Separately, a court ruling established that President Trump is entitled to substantial immunity from criminal prosecution regarding efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

At confirmation hearing, Clayton sidestepped questions about 2020 election and declined to say Trump lostSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe US Senate voted to confirm Jay Clayton as the director of national intelligence on Tuesday, giving Trump another key ally directing the nation’s intelligence apparatus.The tally, 51-47, fell mostly along party lines. Continue reading...

The new prime minister is linking the need for better vocational education in school with his belief in localismGood morning. In his last speech to Labour’s annual conference as party leader, Keir Starmer called for a fundamental shift in the way education in England operates. While saying he would never “denigrate the aspiration to go to university”, he said that aiming to get 50% of pupils into university was wrong and that it was finally time to show equivalent respect to apprenticeships and technical education. “So, today I can announce we will scrap that [50%] target and replace it with a new ambition, that two-thirds of our children should go either to university or take a gold standard apprenticeship,” Starmer said, to loud applause.So heaven knows what Starmer is thinking this morning as he hears his successor, Andy Burnham, announce his own plan for “a fundamental change to the education system” that sounds – well, very similar.For too long, we’ve built an education system around the idea that there’s only one route to success: university, a degree, a desk. That opened doors for millions of people, and rightly so. But somewhere along the way, we sent another message too: that if your ambition was to do something that required more technical skills, somehow you were aiming lower.I think that was one of the biggest mistakes this country has made. In the age of AI, practical and technical skills haven’t become less valuable — they’ve become more valuable than ever. Britain will need brilliant engineers, electricians and cybersecurity experts more than ever before.These new [technical education] routes won’t be designed by Westminster. They’ll be shaped by the people and places they serve. Working with mayors, local leaders, employers and schools, we’ll identify the industries driving growth in local areas and make sure that local kids have a clear route into them.We all want to see better opportunities for young people and a boost to technical education, but this announcement is all over the place. Labour have literally just legislated to strip schools of their freedom to choose what’s best for the pupils they’re teaching, yet now they imply it should be locally tailored. It’s not clear whether or not Labour intends to replace GCSEs, which would be a disaster. The focus should be on the knowledge rich curriculum that has helped the most deprived children. Continue reading...

• Director H Vinoth announced that the film *Jana Nayagan*, starring Vijay, will re-enter theaters next week with six previously deleted scenes. • The update was shared via Mint's live entertainment blog on July 28, 2026, as part of its real-time coverage of the global entertainment industry. • This move is significant as it provides audiences with additional footage and extended storytelling for one of the industry's major stars.

El-Sayed says in TV debate ‘ogre on a pike’ Zoom comment was in reference to John Fetterman, not Haley StevensThe Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said his comments that progressives need to put the head of an “ogre” on a pike was in reference to US Senator John Fetterman – not his opponent, Haley Stevens.In a televised debate on Monday, the final head-to-head before the state’s 4 August primary, the moderator asked El-Sayed whether he regretted his comments made in a Zoom meeting, in which he said, according to leaked audio published by Politico: “Ideally you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message, and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different.” Continue reading...

• The United States has halted military strikes on Iran for a second consecutive night as diplomatic discussions show positive momentum. • Oman and Iran are currently engaged in talks focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resolving disputes over territorial waterways. • Prime Minister Al-Thani emphasized the necessity of dialogue, diplomacy, and ensuring freedom of navigation to strengthen regional security and stability.

Robert Bush, owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, left bodies ‘rotting away’, family members sayA fraudulent funeral director broke the trust of families on an “almost industrial scale” as their loved ones’ bodies were left “rotting away”, a court has heard.Robert Bush, owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, appeared at Hull crown court on Monday for a five-day sentencing hearing. He previously pleaded guilty to 67 offences, including 30 counts of preventing lawful and decent burial. Continue reading...

• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have secured direct entry into the knockout stages of the 2026 Asian Games. • The women's tournament runs from September 17 to 22, beginning with quarter-finals featuring matchups such as India vs Japan and Pakistan vs Thailand. • The men's competition takes place from September 24 to October 1, featuring ten teams with opening group stages involving nations like Afghanistan, Japan, and Oman.