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The Guardian | international

TheGuardian.com/international is a section of the Guardian news site that focuses on international news and events. It provides coverage on a wide range of topics from different corners of the globe, including politics, business, culture, and more.
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RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Aug 19, 2024

Thread Of Notes

Joe Root’s masterful Hundred cameo shows risk England are taking with captaincy recall | Ali Martin

A trip to watch a strokeplay exhibition by England’s restored captain serves as a reminder of what can be lost amid the demands of leadership My wife and I walked the kids down the hill to Edgbaston last Saturday afternoon, where our latest attempt at cricket indoctrination was the Birmingham Phoenix versus Welsh Fire game in the men’s Hundred. Though a one-sided defeat for the hosts – the Phoenix women at least got the win earlier in the day – it was decent enough, with the youngest (six) the only one to get restless before some tactical popcorn lifted spirits towards the back end of the game. The kindness of strangers meant she was happy regardless, having been gifted two foam meerkat paws and a giant red/orange Phoenix flag that looks as if she now supports some obscure separatist movement in the Balkans.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/08/joe-root-masterful-hundred-cameo-england-test-captaincy-recall theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

Spanish mountain village braces for astrotourists lured by total solar eclipse

Somosierra will be prime spot to view celestial alignment on 12 August, an event that poses logistical challenges Little stirs in the mountains above Somosierra beyond the wind that lashes the flat peaks, the cows that graze on parched grass and the sun that beats down on the abandoned aerodrome where generations of glider pilots learned to ride air currents alongside squadrons of vultures and red kites. But all this stillness will disappear, albeit temporarily, on the evening of 12 August, when swathes of northern and eastern Spain and the Balearic islands experience a total solar eclipse, the likes of which has not been seen here for more than 120 years.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/08/spanish-mountain-village-braces-for-astrotourists-lured-by-total-solar-eclipse theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

A tale of two Murrays: when Ewan met Ewen to talk Tiger Woods, stiff gins and 15 years of mistaken identity

Guardian journalist Ewan Murray and Sky Sports Golf commentator Ewen Murray on being mixed up by irate fans and ‘canteen commandos’ It started with an email in early 2011. “I don’t know what it is like in your country, sir,” wrote angry of Arizona. “But here in America we SPIT!!!” The penny eventually dropped. Ewen Murray’s commentary on Sky Sports about Tiger Woods emptying his mouth on a putting surface in Dubai triggered a reaction fired directly towards Ewan Murray of the Guardian. Murray of Sky fame can still recall it.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/08/murray-ewan-met-ewen-tiger-woods-mistaken-identity-golf theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

Rising number of UK children report seeing explicit deepfakes of themselves

Exclusive: anonymous flagging service says cases have surged, as watchdog says AI is making sexualised or ‘nudified’ content easier to produce Children in the UK have reported a surge in explicit deepfake images featuring their likenesses, as a safety watchdog warned AI is making such content easier to produce. The Report Remove service, which blocks intimate images from appearing online, said there had been a rapid increase in imagery that had been digitally manipulated or “faked” in some way, including with AI and nudification tools.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/08/uk-children-explicit-deepfake-images-ai theguardian.com
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Why Super Furry Animals joined music’s dash to cross over football’s vinyl frontier | Emma John

The sponsorship deal between Cwmbran Celtic and the Welsh indie-rockers is part of a trend to monetise ‘adjacent audiences’ as much as it is a nostalgia trip As someone born on the cusp of the gen X-millennial divide, I am the perfect target for today’s 90s nostalgia. I played my modest, teenage part in the Battle of Britpop (verbal skirmisher, Blur division); I fervently sang – and, God help me, believed – that Things Can Only Get Better. Super Furry Animals were a band I knew only distantly, via the transgressive thrill of that song they had with all the swearing in. And yet the news they’ll be shirt sponsor for a Welsh football club this season has managed to whisk me straight back to a time when things seemed simpler, kinder and more hopeful. Nearly three decades have passed since Super Furry Animals last had their logo on a football kit. Back in 1999, their frontman Gruff Rhys and bassist Guto Pryce, both Cardiff City fans, persuaded their Bangor-born bandmates to lay down their north Wales allegiances for the duration of the Bluebirds’ Welsh Cup run – which was, incidentally, all they could afford. The cup shirts cost them £2,000 and were, according to Rhys, knock-offs made for ice hockey. This year’s beneficiaries are a more modest outfit: Cwmbran Celtic, just relegated from Wales’s second tier. Cwmbran is the town where the band send their stage props for repair, and given the props in question are giant inflatable bears, you wonder whether they could get one installed in goal.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/08/super-furry-animals-mogwai-football-cwmbran-celtic theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

Why do sloths hang upside down and what is time? The kids’ quiz

Five multiple-choice questions – set by children – to test your knowledge, and a chance to submit your own junior brainteasers for future quizzes​Submit a question Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a podcast answering children’s questions. Do check out her books, Everything Under the Sun and Everything Under the Sun: Quiz Book, as well as her new title, Everything Under the Sun: All Around the World.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/aug/08/why-do-sloths-hang-upside-down-and-what-is-time-the-kids-quiz theguardian.com
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Human Centipede director Tom Six reveals multiple sclerosis diagnosis in ‘final film’

The Dutch creator of the controversial trilogy set to detail struggles with neurological disease in homemade documentary, after spending six years ‘as a recluse’ Tom Six, the film-maker behind schlock horror phenomenon The Human Centipede, has revealed that he has been living as “a full-blown recluse” in a darkened Amsterdam apartment for six years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In The End of Tom Six, a homemade documentary that the Dutch director said would be his final film, he says that the stress over his failure to find a distributor for the follow-up to the Centipede trilogy significantly exacerbated his condition.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/aug/08/human-centipede-director-tom-six-multiple-sclerosis-diagnosis-final-film theguardian.com
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The night Belfast burned: how the Northern Ireland race riots unfolded

A horrific knife attack on a street in June sparked another summer’s night of racial violence, stoked by loyalist groups. How did the unrest erupt – and why do many fear it will happen again? Shortly after 10.30pm on Monday 8 June, as a summer twilight lingered over Belfast, a horrific scene unfolded on Kinnaird Avenue: a man straddled and repeatedly stabbed a figure lying on the ground in a bloody assault that ended only after onlookers intervened. Others captured the drama on cameraphones and uploaded the footage to social media. Once seen, the grainy images were hard to forget, and by dawn on Tuesday 9 June they were ricocheting around X, WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram and other platforms.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2026/aug/08/how-northern-ireland-race-riots-unfolded-belfast theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman appointed to which body? The Saturday quiz

The Saturday quiz tests general knowledge across various subjects. One question asks what was written between 1 January 1660 and 31 May 1669. Another inquires about the UK resort boasting the world’s longest pleasure pier. The quiz also probes who Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman appointed to. Furthermore, it seeks the origin of a painkiller's name from Greek. A question pertains to which driver won the F1 title in a car branded with his own name. The Trefoil Guild's affiliation with a specific organization is also referenced. Additionally, it asks about Savak, the secret police of which state. The largest island in a particular archipelago, Inishmore, is another query. The quiz then poses a question about what links specific items like Cloud Dancer, Mocha Mousse, Peach Fuzz, and Viva Magenta. Finally, it presents a series of letter-number pairings and lists of notable individuals, historical figures, and contrasting sets of items for a linking question.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/aug/08/sandra-day-oconnor-was-the-first-woman-appointed-to-which-body-the-saturday-quiz theguardian.com
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Union calls for robust review of OBR over fears it holds back economic growth

TUC will urge John Healey to order ‘root and branch’ assessment of watchdog amid claims its forecasts downplay investment benefits The TUC is urging the new chancellor, John Healey, to order a “root and branch” review of the Office for Budget Responsibility, claiming the forecaster’s approach holds back investment. With Andy Burnham promising “good growth in every postcode”, the union umbrella body is calling on Healey to use his first budget on 28 October to re-examine the assessments of the watchdog.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/08/tuc-review-obr-investment-economy-business theguardian.com
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‘I’ve always felt too old and too young at the same time’: The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey on swapping child stardom for cult television – and Celebrity Traitors

At 22, Ramsey has already been on our screens for a decade, and nominated for every award going. So why do they find it strange to be called an actor? Bella Ramsey often feels more comfortable around older people. The actor, 22, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, has been working professionally since they were 11, when they got their first TV job as the child noblewoman Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones. For half of their life, they have been in adult environments, talking to adults, working with adults. Even so, the London cafe in which Ramsey has chosen to meet makes any retirement home look like a creche. It is full of old men with their dogs, popping in for a cup of tea and a morning chat. “It feels like it belongs in the Midlands. It feels a bit, like, shit and familiar,” says Ramsey, who grew up in the East Midlands and can say that with affection. Their curly hair is short, pushed back off their face, and they have a single gold hoop in one ear. The plan had been to go for a walk this morning, but it is raining so we have a cup of tea and wait for the drizzle to pass. Ramsey seems both younger and older than 22, depending on the moment. Sometimes, within a single sentence, they sound ancient and wise, and also like a bookish teenager, discovering with amazement how they think they might feel about the world.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/aug/08/bella-ramsey-actor-the-last-of-us-sunny-dancer-maya-celebrity-traitors theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

Travelling through Iran reveals no single narrative about the US-Israel war

Some believe conflict strengthened national unity, others say it deepened repression, but all mourn the dead The excavator stops suddenly. One of the workers reaches into the rubble and pulls something free. It isn’t twisted metal or broken concrete. It’s a child’s exercise book. The pages are still intact, covered in neat handwriting. On the front is a name: Mahya Salari. She was eight years old. Five months after a missile tore through Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab, southern Iran, excavators are still clearing the site. Workers search for the remains of one young boy still believed to be buried beneath the debris.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/08/iran-journey-israel-us-war theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

Greenland issues ‘strong warning’ as Trump-linked oil firm prepares to drill

Island’s government says no approval given after Greenland Energy brings kit ashore for exploratory drillingAn American oil company connected to Donald Trump is preparing to sink wells in remote Greenland despite not having received permission from the local authorities. As the US president renews his threats to claim the vast Arctic territory, materials to prepare for drilling were brought ashore in recent days on Greenland’s eastern coast.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/08/greenland-iwarning-trump-linked-oil-firm-prepares-drill theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

Lime bikes hurtling around the city: is this the revenge of a priced-out generation? | Andy Beckett

From running red lights to dumping bikes, some Lime users get a bad rap. But many who grumble about them don’t appreciate their own privilege The night belongs to Lime bikes in the capital this summer. Buses and tube carriages are boiling, cars crawl between low traffic neighbourhoods and Thames Water roadworks, and pedestrians plod through the sticky heat. But Lime riders exist in a different, breezier realm: whirring along, chatting in pairs or blissfully alone, weaving through the city’s tree-lined maze, choosing impulsively between destinations, rarely stopping for anything or anyone. “My favourite part of a night out is Lime biking home,” writes Annie Lord, a dating columnist and author, in Freewheeling: Essays on Cycling. “As I ride up a hill, the bike’s electrics click … And, for a little while, I’m free.” Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/08/cities-lime-bikes-revenge-generation-london theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

Meera Sodha’s recipe for Limmat’s apple cake | Meera Sodha recipes

With its sweet, caramelised edge and soft, creamy apple centre, you’ll be thinking about this cake for months after the first bite For better or for worse (definitely for worse), this column is one-way. If we could talk, I’d ask you about the most mindblowing things you’ve eaten in your wild and precious life (feel free to use the comments). This year, for me, it was chef Lili’s apple cake at her restaurant, Limmat in Marseille. I’ve never had anything like it: a cake of pure apple – one and a half kilos – sliced and bound together with a breath of flour, a trickle of cream, a spoonful of sugar, a couple of eggs and a lot of time (in the oven). The result is a caramelised edge and a heavenly, scoopable, custard-like apple centre. Heavenly.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/aug/08/apple-cake-recipe-limmat-marseille-restaurant-meera-sodha theguardian.com
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‘We have no tents or blankets’: Ceuta migrants struggle to survive brutal heat and freezing nights

Authorities wrestle with fallout from mass border crossing, as tense Spanish enclave fears it will happen again Along the wide avenues and tree-lined plazas of Ceuta’s centre, there were few hints of the recent events that catapulted the Spanish enclave on the north African coast into global headlines. But less than a mile away from the bustling bars and restaurants, at the nearby El Trampolín beach, the lingering impact was impossible to ignore.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/08/we-have-no-tents-or-blankets-ceuta-migrants-struggle-to-survive-brutal-heat-and-freezing-nights theguardian.com
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‘I couldn’t breathe’: the deadly health burden of wildfire smoke

Scientists race to untangle complex links between exposure and mortality as fire weather grows more prevalent A thousand kilometres from the infernos gorging on northern Ontario’s boreal forests, Erin O’Connor watched the sky above Canada’s biggest city turn an “almost post-apocalyptic” orange as it filled with light-scattering particles of soot and ash. Stepping outside the halls of Toronto General hospital, where air filters were keeping patients safe from the worst of the fumes, she was struck by a smell so strong it felt like standing by a campfire. “It really hit you in the face as soon as you walked outside,” said O’Connor, who runs University Health Network’s emergency department and saw a rise in patients presenting with allergies and shortness of breath. “As the days progressed, it was like that everywhere. It seemed even inside you could smell that burning.”
https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/aug/08/wildfire-smoke-unknown-health-impacts theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Today

US promises $1bn in security aid to Colombia as new rightwing president pledges drugs crackdown

Trump ally Abelardo De La ‌Espriella vows to start ‘profound transformation’ of country’s destiny as he is sworn in The ​Trump administration plans to provide $1bn in security assistance to the ⁠government of Colombia’s new ​rightwing ‌president, the US state department announced, soon after Abelardo De La ‌Espriella was sworn in and used his inaugural speech to pledge a vigorous fight against drug trafficking, as well as austerity measures to restore confidence in the economy. De La Espriella, 48, won June’s runoff election with ⁠promises to crack down on armed groups, shrink ⁠the state by as much as 40% and ​revive the oil and gas sector.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/08/us-promises-1bn-in-security-aid-to-colombia-as-new-rightwing-president-pledges-drugs-crackdown theguardian.com
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Germans hogging the sunloungers? Poll finds Italians and French are worse

British and Germans themselves share stereotype but other nationalities are likelier to put out towels – or umbrellas Germans are sunlounger hoggers, or so the longstanding stereotype goes. But not only is that cultural trope mostly confined to British – and, even more so, German – perceptions, surprising new data reveals that in fact Italian and French holidaymakers are the ones most likely to use their towel to stake their claim to a sunlounger. A poll by YouGov of Europeans holidaymakers found that while many Germans (51%) and Britons (46%) associate Germans with the ritual of waking up at the crack of dawn to mark their spot, the perception barely exists elsewhere in Europe, with just 5-17% of those surveyed in other countries sharing the stereotype.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/08/sunlounger-hoggers-poll-germans-italians-french-british theguardian.com
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Wasted medicine in England could fill 75 swimming pools a year, pharmacy group says

Industry body calls for more regular reviews of repeat prescriptions to tackle ‘growing problem’ The amount of wasted medicines thrown away in England in one year could fill 75 swimming pools, according to a pharmacy group. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) estimated that 3,400 tonnes of partly used medicines were disposed of in England in 2024-25.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/08/wasted-medicine-in-england-could-fill-75-swimming-pools-a-year-pharmacy-group-says theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Yesterday

Five Great Reads: Perils of high-impact exercise, the journo taking on big tech and birthdayzillas

The Guardian’s weekend wrap of essential reads from the past seven days, selected by Jacqueline HousdenGet this in your inbox every weekend. Sign up for Five Great Reads here Good morning. Maybe you’ve been worrying about the rise of Silicon Valley billionaires and what it means for humanity, or whether your exercise regime is hurting your health, or if those adult birthday invites and plans are just getting way out of hand, or … maybe you have not. Regardless, that is where some of our best reporting went this week. Enjoy.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/07/perils-of-high-impact-exercise-the-journo-taking-on-big-tech-and-birthdayzillas theguardian.com
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Spain to introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy

Move comes in response to Rome imposing similar measures after mass migration rush to Ceuta Spain has announced it will introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy in response to Rome imposing similar measures after a mass rush of people from Morocco into Ceuta. The checks, which come “amid the persistent irregular migration pressure” facing Italy, will start at midnight on Saturday and last until 7 September, Spain’s interior ministry said in a statement.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/07/spain-to-introduce-temporary-border-checks-on-visitors-from-italy theguardian.com
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Idaho police release video of In-N-Out Burger mass shooting that killed three

Officials praise unarmed employee from nearby store for engaging 24-year-old gunman who later killed himself Police released video on Friday of a mass shooting that killed three people at an Idaho In-N-Out Burger restaurant last weekend, and praised an unarmed employee from a nearby store who engaged the gunman outdoors, slowing him down and possibly preventing more deaths as authorities were catching up. The video released by the police also showed at least three people confronted the gunman with their own weapons during the incident.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/07/idaho-police-shooting-in-n-out-burger-video theguardian.com
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Will Lankshear starts off in style to see Middlesbrough past Wrexham

Will Lankshear’s debut strike ensured Middlesbrough made a winning start to the season as they beat Wrexham 1-0 in the Carabao Cup first round. Lankshear, a £10m summer signing from Tottenham, scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute as he hooked home an excellent first-time volley. Middlesbrough almost claimed a seventh-minute opener but when Adilson Malanda prodded Sebastian Berhalter’s cross goalwards from close range, Danny Ward kept the ball out with a superb point-blank save.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/07/middlesbrough-wrexham-carabao-cup-match-report theguardian.com
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US police officer accused of killing three people in Mexico arrested at border

Chad Eberle of Texas charged over deadly shooting in Saltillo that officials say stemmed from custody dispute A Texas police officer has been arrested in Mexico after authorities there accused him of killing three people and critically injuring the mother of his child in what investigators say stemmed from a dispute over the custody of the minor. The Coahuila attorney general’s office said 35-year-old Chad Eberle was arrested on Wednesday at the border on a warrant accusing him of femicide and qualified homicide, according to La Razon de Mexico, a newspaper based in Mexico City. Under Mexican law, femicide refers to the intentional killing of a woman or girl because of her gender.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/07/chad-eberle-arrested-police-killings theguardian.com
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Who are the Trump allies running Latin America? – Stateside with Kai and Carter

An outspoken conservative endorsed by Donald Trump was sworn into office as Colombia’s new president on Friday. Abelardo de la Espriella is the seventh rightwing politician to take office in Latin America since the start of Trump’s second term. Kai Wright speaks to former US ambassador to Panama John Feeley about why the region is moving rightwards, and how it is boosting Trump’s foreign policy objectives, from immigration to containing China.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2026/aug/07/trump-allies-latin-america-panama-stateside-podcast theguardian.com
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US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill championed by Lindsey Graham

Late senator spent final days of his life working to advance bill that will now head to the House after 86-11 Senate vote By a large, bipartisan margin, the US Senate on Friday approved a bill intended to punish Russia and countries that buy its petroleum exports over the invasion of Ukraine, capping a legislative push that was spurred by the death of its champion, the Republican senator Lindsey Graham. The measure, renamed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act in honor of the late senator’s work on the issue, was approved by an 86-11 vote. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole Republican to oppose the legislation, together with 10 Democrats.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/07/russia-sanctions-senate-passed-petroleum theguardian.com
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Infantino’s World Cup sell-off debacle has rocked football but Fifa’s crisis has deep and rotten roots

It has been a remarkable few days for an institution that may be irredeemable but this is a story that stretches back to a decision in 2010 There are decades in which nothing happens, and weeks in which decades happen, and those weeks tend to result in leaders being toppled. Not even a fortnight ago, Gianni Infantino was taking his victory lap on Instagram, attacking “those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours” who had dared to question elements of his World Cup, which had generated a record $15bn in revenues. But the next day came the revelation of his plan to sell the World Cup to outside investors and a backlash that has him scrabbling to save his presidency. It has been a remarkable few days, but this is a story whose roots stretch way back, to the decision in Zurich in 2010 to award the 2022 World Cup not to the US but to Qatar, to a furious Bill Clinton hurling an ashtray across the room and demanding action, to an FBI inquiry into corruption, and to the flipping of the larger-than-life Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer, who had two apartments in Trump Tower, one for himself and one for his cats.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/07/gianni-infantino-world-cup-sell-off-debacle-fifa-crisis theguardian.com
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Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports making waves in European football transfer market

Vinícius Júnior and Yan Diomande are among more than 100 players at an agency owned by the hip-hop legend In the end there was a clear winner. And Jay-Z’s latest victory came only 24 hours after the first record featuring him actually rapping for four years had been released by his wife, Beyoncé, on an extended remix pack of Morning Dew (Donk). These days, the man who remains one of the most influential artists in hip-hop has his fingers in many pies, from the streaming service Tidal and his own streetwear brand, to champagne and cognac. But it is Roc Nation Sports – an offshoot of his entertainment company of the same name founded in 2008 – making headlines in the summer transfer window.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/07/jay-z-roc-nation-sports-european-football-transfer-market-vinicius-junior-yan-diomande theguardian.com
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Trump renews bid to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook despite supreme court ruling

White House continues to target Cook despite decision from justices that upheld Federal Reserve’s independence Donald Trump is attempting once again to oust the US Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud, despite a recent US supreme court decision that upheld the central bank’s independence. Cook reportedly received a letter from the White House this week that provided notice, in accordance to the supreme court’s June ruling, that Trump was “considering removing” her from her Fed position over the same claims of mortgage fraud that he levied against her last summer.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/07/trump-lisa-cook-fed-firing-scotus-ruling theguardian.com
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Millions in England face longer waits for mental health care as NHS providers plan cuts

Exclusive: Seven in 10 survey respondents expect services to be reduced or shut, while more than half anticipate job losses Millions of adults and children in England face being forced to wait longer for mental health care, with more than two-thirds of NHS providers planning to cut services and half expected to axe jobs, the Guardian can reveal. With mental health services already under extraordinary pressure amid soaring demand for support, experts warned the proposed cuts – drawn up by trusts to plug holes in their finances – would also have “significant” consequences for the wider NHS, the economy and public services.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/07/millions-in-england-face-longer-waits-for-mental-health-care-as-nhs-providers-plan-cuts theguardian.com
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French officers halted small boats at sea 10 times since spring

Disclosure challenges Conservative and Reform claims that police are refusing to intervene The French authorities have halted small boats at sea in the Channel on 10 occasions since the spring, officials said on Friday. Despite claims from the Conservatives and Reform that the French were refusing to intervene in small boat crossings, maritime prefect officers were using “intervention tactics” to board or control vessels at sea and take asylum seekers back to France.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/07/france-stop-10-small-boat-crossing-channel-since-spring theguardian.com
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Niewiadoma crushes Tour de France Femmes rivals on Mont Ventoux and takes overall lead

Pole leaves fellow contenders behind on iconic climb Demi Vollering trails by 15sec, Marlen Reusser by 39sec Kasia Niewiadoma took a spectacular solo victory on the legendary Mont Ventoux, securing a slim overall lead in the Tour de France Femmes after leaving behind her fellow race favourites Marlen Reusser and Demi Vollering. “It’s hard to describe my feelings because I’m still blown away by what just happened,” Niewiadoma, who won the yellow jersey in 2024, said of the first Tour stage victory of her career.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/07/cycling-kasia-niewiadoma-tour-de-france-femmes-mont-ventoux theguardian.com
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Businessman was ‘preparing champagne’ to celebrate Caruana Galizia murder, court hears

Taxi driver says he acted as middleman between Yorgen Fenech and three men already convicted of €150,000 contract killing The businessman accused of paying for hitmen to murder the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was impatient for the killing to take place, and once texted from his boat to say he was “preparing champagne” to celebrate, a jury in Malta has heard. Yorgen Fenech, the 44-year-old heir to a property empire that includes several Hilton hotels, is on trial in Malta for complicity in the murder of Caruana Galizia. She died in a car bombing in October 2017 after publishing a series of revelations about senior politicians that were so damaging they triggered a snap general election.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/07/yorgen-fenech-champagne-celebrate-daphne-caruana-galizia-murder theguardian.com
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‘Not braggadocious, not swaggerdocious’: Moses Itauma on why he lets his fists do the talking

The 21-year-old British boxer has the chance to become the second youngest world heavyweight champion after Mike Tyson when he fights for the IBF crown this month Moses Itauma was initially unmoved when hearing that his bout against Filip Hrgovic in London on 29 August had been upgraded to a fight for the vacant IBF world heavyweight title. “I didn’t really have any reaction,” Itauma said on Friday afternoon. “I was like, if I’m fighting Hrgovic and I’ve got the opportunity for it to be a world title, then yeah, chuck it on the line. I didn’t have any other feeling. I was taking Hrgovic serious – and, now the fight is for a world title, I’m still taking him serious. It’s still the same fight, innit?”
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/07/moses-itauma-world-heavyweight-boxing-champion-mike-tyson-filip-hrgovic theguardian.com
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The Guardian view on Jason Arday: diversity advocates must stand firm | Editorial

The article discusses serious failings surrounding academic Jason Arday's promotion at the University of Cambridge. Colleagues are rightly calling for an independent investigation into his appointment and the subsequent controversies. Allegations of plagiarism and questionable claims about his background and charity work are still being examined. His upcoming memoir, which reportedly details his triumphs over adversity including an autism diagnosis, is also under scrutiny. The university’s failure to conduct thorough due diligence before Arday's highly publicised appointment is highlighted. Furthermore, Cambridge's insufficient response to the challenges that arose has caused significant harm. This situation has negatively impacted efforts to increase the representation of black and neurodivergent scholars in esteemed academic roles. It also undermines the work of those who have strived to promote underrepresented groups in prominent positions. The publisher of Arday's memoir should consider pausing its release pending the outcome of the inquiries. Ultimately, these individual failings should not detract from broader progressive objectives.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/07/the-guardian-view-on-jason-arday-diversity-advocates-must-stand-firm theguardian.com
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The Guardian view on Gianni Infantino: in the interests of the game he professes to love, he should go | Editorial

The Fifa president’s attempt to brazen out the storm, after attempting to sell a stake in the World Cup to private equity, adds insult to injury “How did you go bankrupt?” a character is asked in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises. “Gradually, then suddenly” comes the reply. Right now, Fifa’s justly besieged president, Gianni Infantino, is experiencing something similar in relation to the loss  of his own authority. Since taking over the running of world football’s governing body in 2016, Mr Infantino has survived regular criticism of a monetising approach which has often come at a sporting cost. But since egregious plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law were leaked to the media, his credibility has been draining away at speed. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/07/the-guardian-view-on-gianni-infantino-in-the-interests-of-the-game-he-professes-to-love-he-should-go theguardian.com
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A ‘Keminaissance’ for the Tories is wishful thinking – Badenoch’s Reform-lite summer will only end one way | Jonathan Freedland

Conservative optimists have been anticipating Kemi Badenoch's political resurgence, forecasting a return for her party to prominence as the main right-wing force and potentially even a path back to government. These forecasts, dubbed the "Keminaissance," have been fueled by signs of strength from Badenoch, such as strong conference speeches and viral social media content. While Badenoch's personal approval ratings are better than her party's, and the Tories did win a Westminster seat in June, recent events suggest these optimistic predictions may be premature. The author points to a recent election result that should temper enthusiasm for Badenoch's prospects. Furthermore, a series of strategic and judgmental errors by Badenoch are highlighted as significant concerns. One such controversial decision involves hiring a convicted antisemite as an adviser. Additionally, Badenoch is criticized for engaging in rabble-rousing during a period of violent unrest. These actions are seen as indicative of a "race to the bottom" and suggest Badenoch is making too many mistakes. The author concludes that the anticipated "Keminaissance" will likely be delayed due to these issues. The article suggests a lack of strategic foresight and poor judgment on Badenoch's part.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/07/keminaissance-tories-wishful-thinking-badenoch-reform-lite theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Yesterday

Cambridge academics reject university’s attempt to end row over Jason Arday

Group calls for ‘thorough and transparent investigation’ of hiring of professor who resigned after his claims came under scrutiny The University of Cambridge has announced a review into the way it vets and hires senior academic staff in an effort to fend off external and internal criticism of its appointment of Jason Arday as a professor. But a group of Cambridge academics quickly rejected the university’s response, saying: “We strongly believe that a thorough and transparent investigation into the wider circumstances of this damaging episode is essential.”
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/07/cambridge-academics-reject-universitys-attempt-to-end-row-over-jason-arday theguardian.com
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Monsters of God review – a messy feud between rival reptile smugglers gets the Tiger King treatment

Director Eric Goode's new documentary, "Monsters of God," delves into the dark underworld of the reptile trade. Following the success of "Tiger King," this series explores the illegal animal market, drawing inspiration from Bryan Christy's book "The Lizard King." The documentary centers on two key figures who fueled the illegal reptile trade: Hank Molt and Tommy Crutchfield. Like their "Tiger King" predecessors, Molt and Crutchfield share a bitter rivalry marked by accusations and animosity. The series reveals their personal histories, including Molt's past as a mayonnaise salesman and Crutchfield's teenage work at a snake-themed establishment. "Monsters of God" uncovers not only their ongoing feud but also other conflicts within the illicit reptilian market. During the late 1960s, a "don't ask, don't tell" policy often prevailed in wildlife trading, with zoos overlooking the origins of their animals. The documentary highlights the severe consequences for endangered species, with Molt once burying live animals to evade police. Crutchfield, after Molt's arrest, became a prominent dealer, supplying cobras for movies and selling rare white albino alligators for substantial sums. While the initial episodes are gripping, the series later becomes less focused, incorporating tangential stories that dilute its core narrative. Despite its narrative looseness, "Monsters of God" showcases Goode's interest in conservation. The final episode addresses the plight of the ploughshare tortoise due to notorious dealer Anson Wong's smuggling operations. The documentary concludes with a hopeful note about nature's potential to heal.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/aug/07/monsters-of-god-review-hbo-max-documentary-reptile-smugglers theguardian.com
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AI, boy kibble and parasite cleanses: the 11 biggest wellness trends of 2026

Suggestions for improving your wellbeing are more plentiful than ever – and some may even be on to something Every year, the wellness industry churns out new products and practices that it claims are finally – finally! – the real secret to being well. Sometimes, these trends are legitimate. Sometimes they’re utter nonsense. Often they’re somewhere in between. These are the wellness trends that have provoked controversy and interest in 2026.
https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2026/aug/07/biggest-wellness-trends-2026 theguardian.com
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Kemi Badenoch’s weird week: defence of ex-neo-Nazi raises questions over Tory direction

Some in party are delighted by leader’s tack rightwards but opponents have savoured latest Conservative controversy There 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.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/aug/07/kemi-badenoch-joshua-bonehill-paine-conservatives-weird-week theguardian.com
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Tour de France Femmes 2026: Kasia Niewiadoma wins on Mont Ventoux and takes yellow – live

Updates as the riders head for the formidable Ventoux Stage six report | Follow us on Instagram | Mail Tom 114km to go Korevaar’s attack couldn’t hold. The peloton is back together as the road starts veering upward before we hit the category three climb up the Colombier. 122km to go We are seeing the first attacks of substance on the flat section to Col du Colombier. Jeanne Korevaar (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) has burst clear of the peloton and got herself a lead of about 15secs.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/aug/07/tour-de-france-femmes-2026-stage-seven-mont-ventoux-finish-live theguardian.com
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Prince to Madonna, Blur to Beth Orton: William Orbit’s 12 greatest recordings

The late producer’s gift for bringing in elements from dance music’s cutting edge drew all manner of music royalty – and he often made them sound better than ever before • William Orbit, pop producer for Madonna, All Saints and more, dies aged 69 William Orbit’s first band were a curious business. Torch Song had one foot in the pop mainstream – their biggest success came about when one of their tracks was featured on the soundtrack of the Tom Hanks-starring sex comedy Bachelor Party – and one in the left field: they recorded at London’s anarchist hub Centro Iberico, famed for staging gigs by Crass and Throbbing Gristle; they covered the Velvet Underground’s Venus in Furs. Mothdoom Ecstasy is very much of its time – stuttering samples, booming drums – but in its hazy synth textures and ethereal female vocals, you can definitely hear intimations of Orbit’s future approach.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/aug/07/william-orbit-greatest-recordings-prince-madonna-blur-beth-orton theguardian.com
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Trump’s attorney general pick Todd Blanche appears to clear last hurdle for confirmation

Bill Cassidy, Republican who had been seen as a decisive holdout, announced that he is prepared to back BlancheUS politics live – latest updates Bill Cassidy, the US Republican senator seen as the decisive holdout on Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general, announced on Friday that he will support the pick, setting the stage for a major win for Donald Trump. Confirmation that Cassidy, of Louisiana, is prepared to back Blanche – Trump’s former personal lawyer, and a loyal ally of the president – appeared to clear the last hurdle of his confirmation process, which had been challenged by the defections of the Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/07/murkowski-todd-blanche-attorney-general theguardian.com
RSS Hunter RSS Hunter • Yesterday