NHS to offer free high-street cholesterol tests in England 31. August 2026 (07:00) Checks at pharmacies for people aged 40 to 84 are aimed at identifying those at risk of heart attack or strokeThe NHS in England is to offer free finger-prick blood tests for cholesterol on the high street for the first time under plans to reduce heart disease and stroke deaths by a quarter within the next decade.The seven-minute tests will be available at participating pharmacies as part of a national rollout to spot “ticking timebombs” earlier. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Man who murdered Molly Ticehurst will not face life in jail, judge says 31. August 2026 (06:00) Justice Natalie Adams says she is troubled by expert evidence about rape allegations in slain woman’s police statementFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMolly Ticehurst’s ex-boyfriend will not face a life sentence for her domestic violence murder, a crime which galvanised a national movement against gendered abuse.Ticehurst, a 28-year-old childcare educator, was found dead in her home at Forbes, in the NSW central-west, in the early hours of April 22, 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Everything’s smashed to bits’: Ukrainians turn anger on those storing weapons near their villages 31. August 2026 (06:00) As Russia hits another ammunition warehouse, killing at least 38, locals put blame on poorly placed depotsIt is a day and a half since a Russian jet-powered drone smashed into an ammunition dump in Myla, a village 15 miles outside central Kyiv. Volodymyr, 61, a security guard, leads visitors from his family’s badly damaged home, its roof blown off, back windows shattered, through the garden towards the impact site 300 metres away.The garden, like so many in Ukraine’s villages and suburbs, is a sizeable allotment. But today the greenhouse is shattered, a vegetable patch is blackened and crisp underfoot. Several metres of grapevine have been destroyed. Even so, Volodymyr finds two surviving bunches to hand to the Guardian. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Properties in UK national parks command 24% premium, study finds 31. August 2026 (06:00) Nationwide research also shows average 14% premium for housing in national landscapes of England and WalesHousebuyers are paying a premium of almost a quarter to own a property located within a UK national park, with the New Forest the most expensive national park to live in, according to Britain’s biggest building society.Nationwide found that a property located within a national park cost 24% more on average than a similar property elsewhere, while buyers were also stumping up a 6% premium for homes within three miles of a national park. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rejoining the EU, Burnham’s donors and the bedroom tax: Politics Weekly answers your questions – podcast 31. August 2026 (06:00) Will the UK ever rejoin the EU? Who is funding Andy Burnham? And will the bedroom tax be scrapped? In a special episode, Kiran Stacey and Peter Walker answer some of your questionsPlease keep sending your comments and questions to Pippa and Kiran at politicsweeklyuk@theguardian.com Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Victorian prisoners to be sent out to repair roads under Labor’s pothole plan 31. August 2026 (03:04) Inmates would take over ‘basic’ road maintenance duties, allowing skilled crews to focus on fixing 500,000 potholesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictorian prisoners will be put to work on road maintenance as part of Labor’s plan to fix the state’s potholes if re-elected.The state’s premier, Ben Carroll, outlined the plan on Monday off the back of an announcement on Sunday that the government would be increasing the road maintenance budget by $352m to fix 500,000 potholes by the end of January. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least 15 people may be missing after flash flood in Arizona’s Grand Canyon 31. August 2026 (02:01) Dozens evacuated after flash-flood event near Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch, officials sayAt least 15 people may be missing or unaccounted for after a major flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon national park in Arizona on Saturday afternoon, according to the National Park Service.The flash-flood event occurred in the area of Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch, where park staff and the Arizona department of public safety have evacuated more than 60 people as of Sunday morning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia news live: Joyce calls One Nation byelection win ‘decisive’ and ‘humbling’; Oscar Jenkins gives first interview since Russia conviction 31. August 2026 (00:02) One Nation MP says voters are disillusioned with traditional political parties. Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGovernment announces ID protection service and privacy reformsThe government says it will develop a digital identity service that will allow Australians to block or monitor the use of their ID documents that are used for verification through its document verification service.Whether their driver licence details have been exposed in a data breach or they are concerned about scams and identity theft, IDLock will give Australians an accessible and simple way to have greater visibility, control and confidence in how their identity documents are used.We know fraud and scams have been front of mind recently after several major data hacks including most recently Origin energy, but you might have to wait a bit longer before accessing this new ‘IDLock’ service - it’ll be tested later this year, and rolled out nationally in 2027. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
USDA reportedly shelves cyclospora research amid relocations and fund cuts 30. August 2026 (23:10) Trump officials shuttering three projects on foodborne parasite, two defunded by Congress, Politico reportsThe Trump administration is shuttering two of the three US Department of Agriculture research projects studying cyclospora after the foodborne parasite has sickened tens of thousands of Americans during the summer, Politico reported on Sunday.The two projects were defunded by Congress earlier in the year, while the third is due to be moved in coming months from Maryland to Iowa as part of a broader USDA reorganization, according to the report. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US strikes Iranian launchers on Larak island amid strait of Hormuz tensions 30. August 2026 (23:05) Attack was response to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps preparing rockets to launch sea mines into strait, says USUS forces have struck two Iranian launchers on Iran’s Larak island on Sunday, a US official said, marking the first known American strikes since late July.“I can confirm that earlier today US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait of Hormuz,” the official said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
