Ice

Half of border agents are Latino, and they are part of a long history of Hispanic support for – and enforcement of – harsh immigration policiesSince Trump’s return to power, more than 60 people have died at the hands of or in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including two Latino immigrants in one week: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine. Many Latinos have come to feel that their brown skin makes them targets, and they are not wrong.But there is another dimension of this story that we often fail to consider: many of those in charge of anti-immigrant operations also have brown skin, Hispanic names and links to the communities they terrorize. When the identities of the agents who killed Alex Pretti in January were revealed as those of two Hispanic men, many people reacted with shock. The irony seemed obvious, but it reflected a mistaken assumption: that Latinos are naturally opposed to restrictionist immigration policies. History suggests otherwise. Continue reading...

George Holmes was suspended in 2025 over allegations involving financial mismanagement and other misconductThe University of Greater Manchester’s embattled vice-chancellor has had his contract terminated by the university’s governing body, ending a period of uncertainty over the university’s leadership.Sir George Holmes, who had led the university for two decades, was initially suspended last year over allegations involving financial mismanagement and other misconduct. Continue reading...

• On August 5, 2026, public service leaders from ASEAN and ASEAN+3 met with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet in Phnom Penh. • The leaders reaffirmed their collective commitment to developing public services across the region that are more responsive, efficient, and people-centered. • This initiative matters as it aims to modernize governance and improve the delivery of essential services to citizens throughout the member states.

Coffee chain faced backlash over marketing promotion tied to anniversary of Gwangju massacreSouth Korean police have raided the headquarters of Starbucks Korea as part of an investigation into a marketing campaign accused of trivialising the country’s 1980s pro-democracy movement.Investigators searched the building in southern Seoul on Tuesday, police said on Wednesday. No further details were released, although South Korean media reported that officers also searched the homes of the Starbucks Korea executives. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump reported holding productive all-day negotiations with Iran on Tuesday to secure a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. • The proposed agreement aims to stabilize global oil markets and lower gas prices, which have remained high due to tensions in the region. • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Wednesday that Israel will take all necessary actions to ensure its own security, regardless of any U.S.-Iran deal.

• Motiva, SK Enmove, and Avista Oil have announced increases in posted base oil prices. • The price hikes are driven by recent spikes in crude oil costs and tight global availability of Group II+ and Group III base oils. • In a strategic shift, SK and Chevron have entered into new supply agreements with HF Sinclair.

• Asia-Pacific technology stocks experienced a broad rally on August 5, with indices in Japan and South Korea surging by over 3%. • The rebound was primarily driven by a sharp decline in oil prices and strong performance from AI-related sectors. • This shift signals a transition in the "AI trade," moving from initial infrastructure investment toward the practical deployment and application of AI in business processes.

A 45-year-old man and 23-year-old woman were found dead in the Charleville home after a near eight-hour siege by policeAn hours-long siege has ended in tragedy after a man and woman were found dead in an outback home.Several streets in Charleville, 600km west of Toowoomba in Queensland, were thrust into lockdown after police were called to investigate reports of a serious assault at the home around 6pm on Wednesday. Continue reading...

As NHS told to prepare for extreme weather, strain also felt in other areas including transport and farmingNHS must prepare for annual summer heat pressures, says Yvette CooperThe NHS has been told it must become more resilient to increasingly frequent heatwaves supercharged by the climate crisis, as the UK government puts adaptation to extreme heat high on its agenda. But what other public services are already feeling the strain? Continue reading...

• Wall Street indices climbed in early trading on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 487 points (0.9%), the S&P 500 rising 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite increasing by 0.3%. • This surge extends a record-setting momentum from Tuesday, when both the S&P 500 and the Dow closed at all-time highs. • The rally is driven by robust financial performance from companies as the latest earnings season nears its conclusion, providing a strong start to August.

• On September 27 and 28, 1995, activists from the "Offensiv" group and other Swedish left-wing organizations held a founding congress to establish the Socialist Justice Party. • The movement emerged from the Swedish labour movement, seeking to challenge the prevailing political landscape of the time. • The author, Nasser Paydar, argues that social democracy has historically misused the continuity of the labour movement to strengthen union reformism and social-reformist tendencies.

• The Euro zone economy showed resilience in July, with a revival in the services sector driving overall activity as indicated by the final Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI). • Readings above the 50.0 threshold signaled growth, though Chris Williamson of S&P Global Market Intelligence noted that the business climate remains heavily influenced by geopolitical shifts. • Despite the current growth, the economic outlook is clouded by instability and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, specifically involving Iran.

Filing by attorney general Raúl Torrez comes after DoJ appears to have ignored deadline for key Epstein ranch filesNew Mexico filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Justice and acting attorney general Todd Blanche on Wednesday for “stonewalling” its criminal investigation into the activities of the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at a remote ranch in the state.Raúl Torrez, the New Mexico attorney general, had said he was mulling the possibility of legal action if the justice department (DoJ) did not share with him by 31 July information about the alleged historical abuse of girls and young women at Epstein’s Zorro ranch about 30 miles south of Santa Fe. Continue reading...

Lahore police official says all personnel were responsible for preventing and reporting wrongdoing at stationThe alleged rape of a 20-year-old woman with intellectual disabilities in a police station in Lahore, Pakistan has prompted authorities to suspend all 78 police officers and staff at the precinct, in one of the country’s biggest-ever disciplinary actions against its police force.The woman alleges that an assistant sub-inspector apprehended her, took her to Ghaziabad police station, and raped her in a room on the second floor. The woman’s family said she disappeared on the street, before returning home in tears and stating that she had been sexually assaulted at the station. Continue reading...

Wayve Uber wins first minicab licence for autonomous cabs from TfL but vehicles will have a safety driver (at first)The taxi app company Uber and the autonomous technology developer Wayve have been granted the first minicab licences in London, allowing them to offer self-driving taxi rides to paying customers – but with a human safety driver in place, for now.The companies said they would start trips in the UK “later this summer” before the full public launch. Continue reading...

• President Trump warned that Iran will be "hit very hard" if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened soon to allow oil shipments to resume. • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reported that talks are currently progressing to resolve the blockade. • The situation is critical as the US has reportedly exhausted nearly all of its global stockpile of long-range precision missiles due to the ongoing conflict.

Exclusive: cases of Afghan man, Ukrainian man and Saudi woman show repeated nasogastric tube insertions and lack of legal representationOne hunger striker in an immigration detention center was force-fed for almost six months.One detained immigrant with mental health problems was about to be force-fed, until his attorney intervened and stopped the process.Read part one and part two of our Ice force-feeding series Continue reading...

• The Euro area services sector drove a rebound in business activity during July, according to the latest S&P Global PMI data released on August 5, 2026. • A significant drop in PMI price gauges may allow policymakers to delay further interest rate hikes until the inflation outlook becomes clearer. • In separate market news, SpaceX stock fell 10% following its debut earnings report.

• Euro zone business activity surged to an eight-month high in July, driven by a rebound in the services sector and a strengthening manufacturing sector. • New orders reached their fastest growth pace since November, while employment levels stabilized following a six-month trend of job losses. • Despite these gains, the overall economic outlook remains clouded by geopolitical tensions and the potential for war involving Iran.

Jake Richard acknowledges ‘unimaginable pain’ of Harper’s family but says government faces an ‘unenviable position’Good morning and welcome to the UK politics blog.Ministers continue to defend the release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers as part of the government’s early prisoner release scheme, despite a potential legal challenge from the Police Federation.Well, look, we understand that people are angry. The Harper family are, of course, angry. The police are angry too.We’re angry that we’re in this situation where we face the unenviable position of having to make sure that we have a sustainable prison system, which is so vital to a functioning law and order system in our country, but also that we do right by victims as far as possible.Because without a functioning prison system, it means it’s difficult for police to make arrests, it’s difficult for our courts to try cases, and it could mean to the collapse of law and order in this country.We cannot be in that situation, so that is the challenge that we face as government ministers and the prime minister faces ultimately.I feel sick to my stomach, if I’m really honest with you. I’ve had a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach the past couple of weeks with this, and it doesn’t go away.And arguably, I would say that many of my members across Thames Valley also have this gut wrenching feeling, even at the prospect of these two killers being released in the space of weeks, potentially.Ministers will scrap the requirement for companies to prove their green and progressive values before they are awarded government contracts, and instead ask firms to prove they will help young people back into work.Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an “ideal birth”, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals.An official investigation has been launched into charities in England and Wales donating funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.Andy Burnham has inherited a Labour membership that is sceptical about increased welfare spending, supportive of higher defence spending, and ranks the climate crisis as one of the country’s biggest challenges, according to new polling.BP’s chief executive has urged Andy Burnham to make use of the UK’s oil and gas resources even as the oil company prepares to sell its North Sea business after 60 years in the ageing basin.The Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has defended the selection of a former neo-Nazi activist as a candidate for a local election in Somerset despite him being jailed in 2016 after he was convicted of racially aggravated harassment of the former Labour MP Luciana Berger.Pupils in Scotland’s schools received their exam results this morning, with exam pass rates at all levels having risen this year, including a record number of National 5 passes. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Department of Justice is monitoring polling sites in Detroit, Hamtramck, Lansing, and East Lansing during the August 4 Michigan primary. • The agency notified Detroit, Lansing, and East Lansing of its intent to deploy election monitors via letters sent in late June. • This oversight ensures federal monitoring of the voting process to maintain election integrity and protect voter rights in key urban areas.

• Wall Street indices approached new record highs on Tuesday, driven by a surge in investor sentiment. • The rally was primarily fueled by a fresh round of strong corporate earnings reports and a decline in crude oil prices. • These factors combined to lift market confidence, pushing major US stocks toward peak valuations.

• U.S. stocks rallied toward all-time highs on Monday as falling oil prices reduced investor concerns regarding persistent inflation. • The surge is supported by strong corporate performance, with S&P 500 companies projected to deliver earnings per share 47% higher than the previous year. • This growth represents the strongest spring earnings increase since 2021, when the global economy began recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The U.S. Justice Department deployed election monitors to four Michigan cities on Tuesday to oversee a critical primary election. • The primary is essential for determining the November candidates for an open U.S. Senate seat, which is expected to be one of the most competitive races of the 2026 midterms. • This move ensures federal oversight of voting processes to maintain integrity and accessibility during a high-stakes electoral cycle.

• The U.S. Department of Justice has deployed election monitors to Michigan to ensure fairness and transparency during the 2026 primary elections. • High-stakes contests include a fractured Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate between Rep. Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed, as well as a competitive race for governor. • These primaries are critical because the Senate seat is currently rated as a "toss-up" by the Cook Political Report for the general election against Republican Mike Rogers.

UK’s Secret Intelligence Service praised for playing long game and having ‘a taste for dirty tricks’MI6 has been ranked as the most powerful foreign intelligence service in Europe ahead of France and the Netherlands, according to a peer review.The British intelligence agency scored 251 points in the research and was commended for its expertise in recruiting high-level informants and penetrating the ruling elites in Russia, China, Iran and Turkey, according to the review by 60 professionals from 25 countries. Continue reading...

S&P 500 shot up 1.8% and the main measure of Wall Street’s health topped its prior all-time high set a few months agoThe US stock market rallied to records on Tuesday as profits kept piling up for companies and as oil prices eased.The S&P 500 shot up 1.8%, and the main measure of Wall Street’s health topped its prior all-time high set a couple months ago. The Dow Jones industrial average added 907 points, or 1.7%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 2.6%. Continue reading...

Mount Vernon official is accused of driving getaway car after son allegedly opened fire outside Bronx courtA New York state police department fired its deputy commissioner on Tuesday after she allegedly acted as a getaway driver for her son in what is being investigated as an attempted murder.The city of Mount Vernon said in an Instagram post that it had terminated Jennifer Lackard, deputy police commissioner for safety, for conduct “unrelated to her duties”. Continue reading...