‘It could only have been one person’: top former detective says system failed the murdered journalist Lyra McKee 21. August 2026 (14:00) Jason Murphy believes he knows who killed McKee in Derry, but culture of silence and mistrust of police is denying her family justiceWhen Lyra McKee was shot and killed on the night of 18 April 2019, approximately 150 people were in her vicinity. The 29-year-old journalist had watched in a crowd as rioting broke out in Derry, Northern Ireland. Police footage captured the grainy outline of a man firing a handgun.“Someone’s fucking shot,” a bystander could be heard crying in mobile phone footage shown as evidence in court. “There’s a fucking kid shot in the head.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Airbus bows to remote working demands after series of strikes 21. August 2026 (13:37) Aeroplane maker said to have watered down plans to restrict working from home to one day a weekAirbus has reportedly bowed to employee demands on remote working, after a series of strikes over its chief executive’s return-to-the office orders.The world’s largest aeroplane maker is said to have watered down plans to restrict remote working to one day a week from September. At present, staff are able to work remotely for two. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Daily Mail accused of stalking woman mistaken as White Stripes drummer Meg White 21. August 2026 (13:00) The tabloid boasted in a now-deleted article that they found White and promised to reveal her ‘secret new life’ The Daily Mail newspaper secretly tailed and photographed a woman in Detroit and then published an article and photographs falsely accusing her of being former The White Stripes drummer Meg White, even after she told the newspaper it had mistaken her identity, multiple sources have told the Guardian.The rightwing British tabloid quietly removed the article and photographs, first published on 6 August, from its website last week. The Mail did not issue a correction or editor’s note explaining the removal. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
He has a work permit, a coffee shop – and an ICE ankle monitor: ‘Is this America?’ 21. August 2026 (13:00) Business owner Assim Alkhawaja was arrested by ICE as he dropped off Lyft passengers at a military base. Now he’s stuck in a terrifying fight to stay in the USDeep within the bowels of San Diego’s federal courthouse, Assim Alkhawaja sat on the floor outside a nondescript office, waiting to be called for his ICE-mandated immigration appointment. He stared straight ahead, his posture tense, his face a mask.The hallway was brown, as was the carpet. Above Alkhawaja’s head hung a framed stock photo of a waterfall. A few paces away, official government signs encouraged people without legal status to self-deport. “Leave on your own terms,” they read, in several languages. “Claim a free flight and an exit bonus for each member of your family.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Strangers in their own land: Mexicans deported from Trump’s America find refuge in ‘Little LA’ 21. August 2026 (12:00) With plentiful jobs and community support, one Mexico City neighbourhood has become a haven for those who have lived much of their lives in the USWith its wide avenues lined with tall palm trees, its quaint cafes and old-school cantinas, as well as the mix of English and Spanish spoken on the street, the Tabacalera neighborhood in downtown Mexico City has a certain US feel – so much so that it is has become known as Little LA.The nickname is about more than appearances, however. In recent years, this corner of the metropolis has become a haven for many Mexicans deported from the US, particularly those who spent years or decades living across the border and for whom Mexico feels like a foreign country. In Little LA, they have found a more familiar place to belong. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Burnham to chair growth meeting call at No 10 North – UK politics live 21. August 2026 (11:46) PM will work alongside chancellor John Healey, Lou Haigh, Angela Rayner and Sally Jameson with regional mayors expected to be involvedThree Conservative council leaders in London have written to Andy Burnham, accusing the government of “devolving blame” for council tax hikes, PA reported.The leaders of Westminster, Wandsworth and Kensington + Chelsea councils say they are being forced to significantly increase council tax or slash services to plug a hole left by cuts to central government funding. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Durham art gallery opens with works by Tracey Emin and Steve McQueen 21. August 2026 (11:00) The Light aims to bring art of international significance to north-east EnglandWorks by Tracey Emin, Steve McQueen and Olafur Eliasson have gone on display at a new contemporary art gallery and museum in north-east England which aims to show works of international significance.The Light is a £17m redevelopment of a museum in Durham that closed 10 years ago to considerable local uproar. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Retail sales in Great Britain fall despite heatwave increasing food and drink demand 21. August 2026 (10:58) Volume of goods sold in stores and online dropped 0.5% in July, ONS saysBusiness live – latest updatesRetail sales across Great Britain weakened last month despite the men’s football World Cup and record temperatures boosting the demand for food and drink.The Office for National Statistics said the volume of goods sold in stores and online fell 0.5% in July. That is down from 0.7% rise in June – revised down from initial estimates of 1% – and a 1.3% rise in May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Weather tracker: Extreme rain deluges Japan and South Korea 21. August 2026 (10:19) Downpours break records and cause transport chaos, evacuations and deaths, as people get trapped inside vehicles South Korea and Japan were hit by extreme rain late last week and into this week. On 13 August in the city of Chiba near Tokyo there was a record-breaking 115mm of rainfall in just one hour, while the nearby city of Sakura broke its own record with 97mm in one hour. Local authorities issued a level 5 emergency warning for heavy rain, the highest alert level and the first time one has been issued since the system was implemented in May.More than 100,000 households were asked to evacuate, with more than 20,000 in the Chiba prefecture left without power, while thousands of people were stranded at Tokyo’s Narita airport. Thirteen people have been confirmed dead, at least three of whom were found trapped inside their vehicles. One person is still missing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Footage shows clash with French police on beach as dinghy tries to leave for UK 21. August 2026 (10:05) Film emerges as France says it has stopped 185 small boat ‘events’ in three months since new £660m deal with UKFootage has captured the moment French police officers clashed with people on a beach in northern France as the authorities tried to intercept a dinghy attempting to reach the UK.Men wearing lifejackets appear to throw objects at the police to try to keep them away from their dinghy. The officers then use Pava spray before slashing the inflatable boat with a knife. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
