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• UK Prime Minister Burnham will join a delegation of world leaders to lobby US President Trump to increase the supply of Patriot missiles to Ukraine. • The diplomatic push follows urgent pleas from President Zelenskyy to bolster Ukraine's air defenses against ongoing Russian attacks. • The Kremlin has criticized Burnham's involvement, accusing the UK Prime Minister of attempting to prolong the conflict.

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 body welcomed criticism and comments on its work. Continue reading...

• China has indefinitely delayed the launch of its Chang'e 7 mission to the moon's south pole due to a storm near the launch site. • The ambitious mission is specifically designed for "ice-hunting" to search for water-ice deposits in the lunar south pole region. • This delay pauses a historic effort to expand China's lunar exploration capabilities and understand the moon's volatile resources.

Exclusive: Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire sites predicted to emit 4.5m tonnes a year when fully runningThe carbon emissions from just two planned datacentres in England will exceed all of the fossil fuel company ExxonMobil’s UK emissions, analysis has revealed.Experts have said this demonstrates the “serious threat” datacentres pose to the UK’s legally binding climate goals. Continue reading...

The flagship environmental project has achieved ‘negligible’ results. Why so little progress, and what are the risks as the planet gets hotter? Plus, fusion dance pioneer Usha Jey• Don’t get This is India delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereIndia set out to expand its forested areas a decade ago. Last week, however, we learned that the forest cover programme had barely taken root when the government’s auditors released their findings of the flagship Green India Mission. The shortfall of 97.57% from India’s initial pledge in 2014 was stark enough to alarm the government’s own auditor, who described the progress as “negligible”.Yet if you ask the government about forest cover, you’ll get a far greener picture. Continue reading...

UK PM to join delegation of leaders lobbying US president to step up suppliesBurnham plans trip to New York as Ukraine pleads for US-made missilesIt’s worth reading Zelenskyy’s social media post about Trump in full (particularly the last line). Here is what he wrote on X:I received warm and heartening congratulations from President Trump on the 35th Anniversary of the Restoration of Ukraine’s Independence:“Dear Mr. President: Continue reading...

UK prime minister ‘likely’ to travel to US in September, after meeting Zelenskyy and saying supply problem is ‘fixable’Andy Burnham has said he plans to travel to the US next month to join European leaders lobbying Donald Trump to supply Ukraine with Patriot missiles.The UK prime minister told Bloomberg he was “looking forward to going to New York” in September, which is when the UN General Assembly will meet. He said details of the trip were not “fully confirmed” but it was “likely” to go ahead. The trip would be Burnham’s first US visit since becoming prime minister in July. Continue reading...

Australia’s biggest oil and gas company recorded a 27% increase in sales profit to $1.67bn in the six-month reporting periodFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWoodside Energy has scrapped its long-term emissions and clean energy targets, even after enjoying a period of windfall oil profits caused by the Iran conflict.Australia’s biggest oil and gas company recorded a 27% increase in sales profit to $1.67bn ($A2.33bn) in the six-month reporting period, according to financials lodged on Tuesday, after the price of crude surged amid disruptions to global supplies. Continue reading...

• China has postponed the launch of its robotic Chang’e-7 mission, which was originally scheduled to take place during a planned window this year. • The mission aims to explore the moon’s south pole to search for water ice, a critical resource for sustaining human life and fueling spacecraft. • This delay occurs amid an intensifying international space race, as frozen water is essential for establishing permanent lunar bases and enabling deep-space exploration.

UK PM to announce support for France in setting up missile assembly lines during his Kyiv visit, as coalition of willing the meets later todayBurnham visits Ukraine with promise of boost for Kyiv’s long-range missilesHello and welcome to our live coverage of Europe. I am kicking us off but Jakub Krupa will be taking over a little later on.UK ⁠prime ⁠minister Andy ​Burnham arrived in ⁠the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Monday alongside a number of European leaders ⁠to mark ​the ‌country’s independence ‌day. Continue reading...

Poll also finds sizeable majorities who believe it should be easier to install air con in homesGiven the choice, more people across five major European nations including the UK favour encouraging the adoption of air conditioning over keeping carbon emissions down, a survey has found.After four extreme heatwaves that have caused thousands of excess deaths across the continent, the survey showed between 30% and 52% of people in six countries had feared for their household’s health in temperatures close to or above 40C (104F). Continue reading...

Press Association given list of 65 items from publicly owned collection that have gone missing since 2024A photograph of Benjamin Disraeli, an engraved portrait of William Wilberforce and a cartoon of Barbara Castle have all been misplaced by the UK parliamentary authorities, a freedom of information (FoI) request has revealed.The Press Association has been given a list of more than 65 works of art that have been missing since 2024. They also include a photograph of Margaret Beckett, the UK’s first female foreign secretary and the first woman to lead Labour, and a satirical cartoon by Martin Rowson from the Conservative leadership battle of 1995. Continue reading...

• Economics professor and financial crisis expert Tuomas Malinen has warned that the United States is currently on the verge of a recession. • Malinen highlights a critical indicator where private sector yields have risen above the bank prime rate, a trend that historically precedes economic downturns. • This specific pattern was previously observed prior to the 2008 financial crisis and again following the COVID-19 pandemic.

PM will use independence day trip to announce sharing of classified information about Storm Shadow componentsBritain will boost Ukraine’s capacity to make its own long-range missiles, Andy Burnham will announce on Monday, as he travels to Kyiv for the country’s independence day on his first foreign visit as prime minister.Burnham will arrive in the Ukrainian capital on Monday morning at a crucial time in the war, with Kyiv braced for another wave of Russian missile attacks and the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, facing his most direct domestic challenge. Continue reading...

Similar initiatives have been launched from Barcelona to Bogotá, but they have misinformation, political pressure and vested interests stacked against themTen years ago, Alastair Harper was an advocate for young people’s health sitting in a stuffy meeting room in London planning an air pollution campaign. “My phone started buzzing,” he said. “I took the call, and then told the room I needed to leave immediately.“I had to get to UCLH [one of London’s major hospitals]. My own child was headed there in a blue-lit ambulance because she was struggling to breathe London’s toxic air.” Continue reading...

• Brentford secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur during the opening Saturday of the 2026-27 Premier League season. • Despite the loss, Spurs debuted a "new-look" squad under manager Roberto De Zerbi, though Brentford managed the win even after missing a penalty. • In a separate development, Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris and player Granit Xhaka detailed their ambitious plans to compete on a European scale.

• AI-native lending platform Resolv raised $12.5 million (approximately Rs 120 crore) in a Series A funding round during the week of August 23. • The investment was led by Norwest, Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India, and 3one4 Capital. • Resolv provides technology that enables banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to automate critical lending workflows, including risk assessment, underwriting, sales, and collections.

• Premier League clubs are approaching a record-breaking summer spending spree, nearing the previous season's total of over $4 billion. • Everton have signed 32-year-old Danish international midfielder from Arsenal to replace Idrissa Gueye, who departed at the end of his contract. • The midfielder joins Everton after a limited role at Arsenal, where he contributed to the club ending a 22-year Premier League trophy drought.

• On August 21, 2026, Iran and Oman held discussions regarding the strategic security of the Strait of Hormuz. • Tehran officially dismissed threats made by Donald Trump amidst an ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. • The updates also covered continued Israeli military operations and attacks targeting Gaza and Lebanon.

• China is scheduled to launch its Chang'e 7 moon probe this weekend on August 24, targeting the lunar south pole. • The mission is described as the most ambitious and complex robotic lunar effort ever attempted, deploying a lander, a rover, a hopper, and various science experiments. • This mission matters as it represents a significant leap in lunar exploration capabilities and a strategic push to study the south pole's unique environment.

• NASA announced on Wednesday that a $30 million mission to rescue the Swift space telescope has failed after the rescue spacecraft became uncontrollable. • The unprecedented operation attempted to use a specialized robot to relocate the telescope and extend its operational lifespan. • The failure is significant as it leaves the Swift telescope without a recovery option, meaning it is now destined to fall back to Earth.

• JD Vance stated that the U.S. is entering a "new phase" of economic pressure against Iran, while Iran dismissed Donald Trump's threat of an "economic D-Day" as a repetition of failed policies. • In a separate diplomatic development, Canada and six European nations condemned a contentious Israeli settlement project located near Jerusalem. • The international community warns that this specific settlement expansion could effectively split the occupied West Bank in two, further destabilizing the region.

• A $30 million private rescue mission intended to save NASA's Swift Observatory has failed, leaving the telescope destined to crash back to Earth. • The Swift telescope, which has provided critical data on gamma-ray bursts, will now re-enter the atmosphere and be destroyed later this year. • This failure represents a significant loss of both financial investment and a vital scientific tool used for astronomical discoveries.

• NASA has canceled the "Swift Boost" mission, which was intended to extend the operational life of the Swift space observatory. • As a result of the cancellation, the observatory will eventually re-enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up. • The decision marks the end of the mission's efforts to maintain the telescope's orbit for further astronomical observations.

• European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has warned that the European Union must overcome market fragmentation to remain competitive in the global AI race. • Lagarde emphasized that a disjointed single market hinders Europe's ability to support and scale the technological infrastructure necessary for artificial intelligence. • This warning highlights the critical need for regulatory and economic cohesion to prevent the EU from falling behind global leaders in AI innovation.

• European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warned that Europe must not fall behind in the global artificial intelligence revolution. • Lagarde emphasized that AI is rapidly transforming the global economy, creating a critical need for the region to adapt and innovate. • The warning highlights the risk of Europe losing economic competitiveness and technological leadership to other global powers if it fails to integrate AI effectively.

Launches, detected by South Korea and Japan, came after US scaled back exercises with South Korea in apparent overture to Kim Jong-unNorth Korea launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the sea on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, a day after North Korea shrugged off Trump’s order to scale back military drills with South Korea in an apparent bid to resume diplomacy.The joint chiefs of staff said the launches happened from North Korea’s capital region around 5pm (0800 GMT) on Thursday. The military said the missiles were launched towards North Korea’s eastern waters. Continue reading...

The 18-year-old’s body was found in Nattai national park on Thursday – but initial police messages indicated she had been found alivePolice have blamed dense bushland and radio confusion for wrongly reporting to 18-year-old Lily Hooper’s parents, the New South Wales premier and the media that the missing bushwalker had been found alive.Hooper had last been seen on 12 August after leaving home for a hike in the rugged bushland of Nattai national park, 90km south-west of Sydney. She was reported missing that night, triggering a multi-agency search involving nearly 1,000 people, including hundreds of volunteers. Continue reading...