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• Catastrophic flash flooding struck the border region of China and Nepal on Wednesday, wiping out entire villages. • More than 1,300 people are currently reported missing, including at least 700 foreign nationals from approximately two dozen different countries. • The scale of the disaster highlights the extreme vulnerability of border settlements to sudden environmental crises and flash floods.

President’s directive stalls for a second time about a week before the first postal ballots are due to be sent outA federal judge on Thursday halted – at least for the moment – attempts to implement Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting.The president’s directive stalled for a second time about a week before the first mail ballots are due to be sent out for the rapidly approaching midterm elections. In the US district court, Judge Indira Talwani placed a 14-day hold on the government implementing the order in a case that could be headed back to the supreme court, which on Monday overturned an earlier ruling of hers that had blocked Trump’s order from taking effect. Continue reading...

• A military judge has ruled that the alleged mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks will officially stand trial beginning in June 2028. • This decision provides a definitive timeline for one of the most significant legal proceedings related to the 2001 attacks. • Separately, the Secret Service is currently conducting investigations into its own agents regarding allegations of potential misconduct.

• President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday, August 27, 2026, officially renaming Lake Ontario as "Lake America" within U.S. territory. • This move follows a similar 2025 action where the administration renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America." • The renaming is viewed as a strategic escalation in an intensifying trade war between the United States and Canada.

Symbolic move to rename lake bordering New York and Canada comes amid escalating trade war with northern neighborUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing the federal government to rename Lake Ontario, making it Lake America.The largely symbolic move comes amid an escalating trade war with Canada. Continue reading...

• Flash floods have devastated communities in Nepal near the Tibet border, resulting in more than 150 deaths. • The disaster caused widespread destruction across the region, triggering large-scale emergency rescue operations to locate survivors. • This event highlights the extreme vulnerability of border communities to sudden climate-driven weather events and geological instability.

• A new Verasight poll conducted from August 14–19, 2026, reveals a significant decline in President Trump's approval ratings across key policy areas. • Trump has hit new lows regarding prices and foreign policy, and has now become net negative on border security, which was previously his last positive issue. • The data shows a stark divide in public sentiment, with strong disapproval now outweighing strong approval by nearly 3-to-1 (50% vs 17%).

Judge ruled Jeanine John Taele, discovered with firearm days before Trump visit, was unfit to face felony chargeA judge in California has suspended criminal proceedings against a man found with a loaded gun near Donald Trump’s golf course in Los Angeles, and instead ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation.Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, California, was arrested for weapons violations days before the president spoke at a 5 August Republican fundraiser at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes. Continue reading...

Move from USPS comes amid Trump administration’s efforts to restrict mail-in voting in November’s midtermsThe US Postal Service (USPS) said on ​Thursday ‌that ‌new ‌requirements for mail-in ‌voting are ​now ⁠in effect as Donald Trump seeks to crack down on the practice. The move is expected to trigger a new round of legal challenges.The Trump administration has sought to impose new rules requiring state election leaders to submit their voter rolls for inspection as part of a broader bid to increase federal government oversight over voting and elections. Continue reading...

At least 160 people have died, while officials believe 340 foreign nationals from India, the US, UK, Australia, Malaysia and Ukraine among those missing. Follow the latest newsFlash floods on Nepal-Tibet border leave scores dead and hundreds missingTell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?Authorities in Nepal and Tibet have said they fear the death toll from catastrophic flooding could be much higher than 160 people already killed, as search and rescue efforts to locate the hundreds missing continue.A huge wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border of Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday, triggering the flash flood which washed away houses, roads and border crossings.Rescue teams are rushing on Thursday to find hundreds of people missing after the flood and landslides killed at least 160 people. Many of the missing were foreign tourists, officials said.Nepali police said they had recovered 157 bodies after “devastating floods”, with officers working to move families in flood-risk areas to safety. Chinese state media reported “major casualties” from a mudslide at a Tibet border hub, reporting three dead and another 265 missing. The overall death toll appears likely to rise.Tibet government officials mobilised nearly 800 emergency workers and 150 vehicles as well as sniffer dogs and speed boats to help the rescue efforts, China’s official Xinhua news agency said.At least 403 tourists – 341 of them foreigners – were unaccounted for several hours after the disaster struck on Wednesday morning, according to Nepal’s tourism ministry. The missing foreigners included 142 Indians, 33 from the UK, 47 from the US, 34 from Australia and 24 from Canada as well as others from South Korea, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Portugal and South Africa, the tourism board said. Nine ⁠South Koreans ⁠were missing, the country’s foreign ministry said.At least 28 Nepal police officials were missing, a police spokesperson said.Entire villages and markets were “wiped out”, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said. It was dispatching emergency supplies including blankets, first aid kits, stretchers and body bags.United Nations chief António Guterres said UN ⁠teams ​and ‌partners ‌were ‌mobilising supplies and personnel in Nepal ‌to support affected communities.Surveillance video from the Chinese side of the border showed a raging wall of mud and debris crashing over a building several storeys high, engulfing it as dozens of people flee for their lives below. The surge sweeps away buses and cars.Experts warned that a lingering blockage upstream on the Nepal-China border river could produce a second flood.The cause of the flooding was not immediately clear. Nepalese foreign minister Shishir Khanal said an earthquake likely triggered a landslide, which in turn blocked a river, sending water gushing downstream. Nepal’s disaster authority said satellite data indicated a “snow-rock landslide” on the Nepal-China border may have caused the flood. Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the region.Chinese leader Xi Jinping said “the most urgent task is doing everything possible to search for and rescue the missing people”, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.The US Geological Survey first reported a magnitude-4.4 earthquake early on Wednesday, about 66km (41 miles) north of Kathmandu, near the border. It later updated to call the shaking a 5.2-magnitude landslide. Continue reading...

• Two dozen Democratic-led states have filed a lawsuit to block a Trump administration order regarding the postal service's handling of mail-in voting. • The legal action follows a recent Supreme Court decision to lift an injunction that had previously blocked parts of the president's order. • Separately, polling indicates a tight gubernatorial race between Democratic state auditor Sand and Republican businessman Zach Lahn.

• A massive flash flood has swept through villages along the Nepal-China border, leaving hundreds of people missing. • Police have confirmed at least 17 deaths, though officials fear the casualty count will rise significantly as search efforts continue. • The disaster strikes a region known for pilgrimage routes to Mount Kailash, where access has already been unstable due to pandemic restrictions and geopolitical disputes.

• Democratic-controlled states filed a new lawsuit on August 26, 2026, to block an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. • The legal challenge targets a presidential order designed to limit the use of mail-in voting for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. • This action highlights an escalating legal battle over voting access and election integrity between state governments and the federal administration.

• Democratic-controlled states have filed a lawsuit to block an executive order from President Donald Trump that seeks to limit mail-in voting for the upcoming midterm elections. • The legal challenge follows Trump's long-standing efforts to restrict mail voting, which he falsely claims contributed to his 2020 election loss. • This move is significant as Trump has attempted to assert federal authority over election rules and suggested that Republicans should oversee vote counting in Democratic districts.

• Former President Trump issued an executive order aimed at altering mail-in ballot procedures and voter verification ahead of midterm elections. • Key measures include the federal government creating citizenship lists for states, the Justice Department prioritizing investigations into ineligible voting, and the Postal Service implementing tracking barcodes on ballot envelopes. • These changes matter as they seek to increase oversight of voter eligibility and improve the transparency of ballot delivery through the mail.

Death toll of nine likely to rise as floods and mudslide sweep away houses, roads, bridges and power projectsTorrential floods ⁠in the Himalayan border areas of ⁠Nepal and in ​Tibet in China have killed at least nine people and destroyed roads, bridges and power projects, as authorities in both countries braced for more casualties.Houses and roads were swept away ⁠in Nepal while officials in Tibet said they feared “major casualties” with some missing in the county of Gyirong after a mudslide hit a land crossing between the neighbours. Continue reading...

• The Supreme Court issued an order requiring the United States Postal Service (USPS) to initiate a proposed rulemaking process regarding election-related procedures. • The ruling clarifies that the president lacks the legal authority to unilaterally change election laws, countering various misconceptions circulating on the internet. • This decision matters because it reinforces the separation of powers and ensures that changes to election protocols follow established administrative and legal channels.

• The Supreme Court ruled Monday that it is too early for Democratic-run states to challenge a mail-voting order issued by President Donald Trump. • The order mandates specific formatting for mail-in ballot envelopes and requires states to use an electronic system to identify mail voters to the Postal Service. • This decision maintains the status quo for now but could force some jurisdictions to completely revise their ballot processes, potentially leading to "chaos" before the November election.

• The Supreme Court issued a narrow ruling on August 24, 2026, regarding mail-in voting, though it stopped short of addressing the constitutionality of a specific executive order from Donald Trump. • Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, warning that the decision creates a "Kafkaesque nightmare" by injecting unnecessary chaos and uncertainty into the electoral process. • Election law scholar John J. from Quinnipiac University suggests the ruling leaves critical legal questions unanswered, potentially complicating voting procedures for the upcoming midterms.

Philip Jerome, 49, repeatedly tried to contact the actor in the hope they would begin a relationship, court hearsA fan obsessed with Billie Piper has been jailed for 12 months after breaching a stalking prevention order.Philip Jerome, 49, had a sexual interest in the singer and actor and repeatedly tried to get in touch with her in the hope they would end up in a relationship, a court in Hampshire was told. Continue reading...

Arbitrator determined the Post improperly fired Karen Attiah, a union-protected employee, over social media postsAn independent arbitrator has ordered the Washington Post to rehire the high-profile opinion columnist Karen Attiah, abruptly fired by the news organization last September over comments she made on social media about Charlie Kirk, the then recently slain conservative activist.On Monday, an arbitrator ruled that the Post had violated her rights as a union-protected employee and ordered the newspaper to reinstate her and compensate her for lost wages. Continue reading...

Two studies will be used to shape government policy amid claims about a former franchisee who took his own life Ministers have commissioned a pair of in-depth reports into how franchising businesses are policed in the UK, as the government considers introducing new laws after high-profile allegations about conduct in the sector.The action follows a Guardian investigation last December, which revealed claims that Adrian Howe, a former Vodafone employee who had agreed to start a franchise in 2018, had taken his own life after pressure from the FTSE 100 telecoms group. Continue reading...

Company says decision comes after spate of antisocial behaviour since free travel scheme was introducedFor some, it is a quotidian nuisance that inevitably occurs when you are in the vicinity of teenagers. For others, it is an expression of modern-day lawlessness among young people.Whatever view you take, antisocial behaviour on public transport has become a hot debate – and with the introduction of free bus travel for kids aged 5 to 15 across England during August, matters have come to a head in Staffordshire. Continue reading...

Rule would require states to provide federal government with information on voters in return for delivering ballotsThe US Postal Service prepared to publish a final ⁠rule late ⁠on ​Friday to impose new requirements on states to provide the federal government with information on voters before the November ⁠midterm congressional elections, despite a ​pair of court ‌orders ‌that currently block the ‌changes from taking effect.The USPS acknowledged in the text of the final rule posted online Friday, which is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register next week, that two injunctions issued by federal courts in California and Massachusetts currently bar it from moving ahead with the changes to comply with a March executive order signed by Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Judge orders payment within seven days towards legal costs in failed case over alleged unlawful information gatheringThe Duke of Sussex and six other high-profile claimants must make a £9.54m interim payment by 4pm on 28 August towards the Daily Mail publisher’s legal costs after losing their high court case over allegations of unlawful information gathering, a judge has ruled.Associated Newspapers Ltd strongly denied the claims made by Prince Harry and co-claimants including Doreen Lawrence and Elton John. Continue reading...

Pima county figures show highest number of monthly migrant deaths in two years as critics condemn US policyAccording to newly released data from the medical examiner’s office in Pima county, Arizona, the remains of 19 migrants, including children, were recovered along the Arizona-Mexico border last month.The figure accounts for the highest number of monthly deaths in that area since 2024 and brings the number of total remains found to 73 this year, 14 more than the same time period last year. Continue reading...

• Pakistani authorities have petitioned the Supreme Court to review or withdraw a mandate requiring imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to undergo a medical examination at a private hospital. • Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated that while the government does not object to Khan receiving medical care, it challenges the specific requirement to use a private facility over prison-regulated treatment. • The government argues that health issues should remain separate from political disputes and maintains that Khan will continue to be treated according to established prison rules.

• The BWF Badminton World Championships 2026 will take place at the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi, India. • The event will be broadcast live via Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Select, with streaming available on JioCinema in India and Astro in Malaysia. • This tournament serves as a premier global competition where top badminton athletes compete for world titles across various categories.

Migration minister asked how he intends to stop deportations of people ‘who had lived in Sweden for decades’The deportation and removal of British citizens from Sweden over Brexit residency rights is damaging relations with the UK amid efforts to reset positive associations with London, a Swedish MP has said.Häkan Svenneling, representative for Vârmland, where a 78-year-old British widow, Joyce Thomas, has been given four weeks to leave Sweden after 21 years of residency, has written to the migration minister, Johan Forssell, asking what he “intends to do to stop the deportations”. Continue reading...