‘This whole thing’s a farce’: New Orleans Catholic church sex abuse settlement brings anger and shock 28. August 2026 (12:00) Survivors begin receiving letters with payment amounts months after $305m settlement agreement was struck Survivors of child rape and other sexual abuse within New Orleans’s Roman Catholic archdiocese learned that $641,000 or so is the most they can individually get under a settlement approved in December to resolve a years-long bankruptcy protection case.Those amounts were communicated in letters that hundreds of clergy abuse survivors participating in the New Orleans archdiocese’s bankruptcy began quietly receiving on Tuesday. The figures are well below a $2.4m jury verdict awarded to an unrelated Louisiana religious sexual abuse claimant in June 2025 after the state’s legislature temporarily eliminated filing deadlines for such cases. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
John Healey to duck meeting UK defence spending target in budget 28. August 2026 (12:00) Chancellor pledges ‘fiscal discipline’ as plan to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 deferred until 2027 reviewThe new chancellor, John Healey, will delay setting out when the UK will meet the target of spending 3% of GDP on defence until next year’s spending review, the Treasury has confirmed.Healey resigned as defence secretary in June under Keir Starmer’s leadership, accusing the then prime minister of being “unable” and the Treasury “unwilling” to “commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
ADHD and autism costs in England ‘running out of control’, NHS leaders warn 28. August 2026 (11:29) Soaring demand for services has led to tenfold increase in spending in a year in some areas, says NHS AllianceNHS leaders have warned that the costs of meeting soaring demand for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism services in England are “running out of control” and have become unsustainable, with spending in some areas rising by as much as tenfold over the course of a year.The NHS Alliance, which represents health managers, said the rise in demand since the coronavirus pandemic was forcing some to close waiting lists and look at reining in other services they provide. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teen boy allegedly messaged two others to join ‘degrading’ and ‘humiliating’ Sydney gang-rape, court hears 28. August 2026 (10:34) Two 17-year-olds accused of subjecting teenage girl to hours-long sexual assault granted bailGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo boys allegedly invited to join a “degrading” and “humiliating” gang-rape in Sydney have been granted bail.The pair are among three 17-year-olds accused of subjecting a teenage girl to an hours-long sexual assault on the night of 16 August. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘We praise God’: Australian woman feared missing in Nepal flooding makes contact with family 28. August 2026 (10:15) Cara Severino has spoken with her parents – but still faces a trek of more than 110km to reach Kathmandu on foot‘So desperately loved’: ADF member among dozens of Australians missing in Nepal floods as families pray for safe returnHow Nepali diaspora is responding to flood disaster and how Australians can help in relief effortGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAn Australian woman has made contact with her family, more than two days after she was reported missing in flash flooding in Nepal.At least 469 people have been killed and more than 1,500 are missing after a catastrophic flash flood hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday. Cara Severino, 25, is the first of 39 Australians reported missing in the tragedy to have been confirmed safe. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Weather tracker: More extreme rain in Japan and a tornado in France 28. August 2026 (10:02) Flash flooding and mudslides in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, while convective storms hit western EuropeAfter an “unprecedented” deluge in Chiba in mid-August, Japan has experienced further extreme rainfall in recent days. Moisture from the Sea of Japan brought relentless heavy rain to the prefectures of Ishikawa and Toyama on Thursday.In Himi, Toyama, 361.5mm of rain fell in 24 hours, equivalent to half the average annual rainfall in London and Paris. Several rivers burst their banks, triggering flash floods and mudslides, felling and damaging buildings. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nicola Coughlan and Matt Lucas among stars backing campaign against AI voice cloning 28. August 2026 (09:15) About 80 people sign open letter to Andy Burnham calling for legislation to protect voice ownershipNicola Coughlan, Hugh Bonneville and Matt Lucas are among a group of actors backing a campaign against artificial intelligence voice cloning.Save Our Voices Now, which is also being supported by Luke Evans, Jen Brister, Siobhán McSweeney and Pearl Mackie, aims to stop the practice in which AI technology is used to replicate a real person’s voice to say anything it is prompted to. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Norway’s King Harald dies leaving stormy succession over crown princess’s Epstein links 28. August 2026 (08:48) Crown Prince Haakon’s wife, Mette-Marit, corresponded with late US sex offender between 2011 and 2014, long after he was convictedKing Harald V of Norway has died at the age of 89, the palace in Oslo has announced, triggering the succession of his son, Haakon, whose wife Mette-Marit’s association with Jeffrey Epstein has sparked fierce recent controversy.“It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today. King Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, August 28 at 6.35 am,” the palace said in a statement. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘We execute the prick’: wife can’t say if Charles Perrottet text was plotting downfall of NSW Liberal minister, Icac hears 28. August 2026 (08:02) Brother of former state premier sent message to wife Anita Perrottet seemingly regarding plan to damage career of rival David ElliottFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCharles Perrottet wrote about a plan to damage a Liberal minister’s career following his brother’s accession to the New South Wales premiership in October 2021, stating “we execute the prick once party room is over”, a corruption inquiry has heard.Anita Perrottet told the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Friday she could not recall the meaning of messages exchanged between herself and husband Charles Perrottet in the days before Dominic Perrottet was elected premier by Liberal MPs following the resignation of Gladys Berejiklian. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Flood risk forces halt to rescues in Tibet, as Nepal death toll rises to 469 28. August 2026 (07:45) Lake has formed at epicentre of flood, forcing rescue teams to withdraw, Chinese state media reportNepal flash flood – latest updatesNearly 1,400 missing, mostly tourists, and hundreds killedVisual guide: how the deadly flooding unfoldedTell us: have you been affected by the flash floods?China has paused rescue work at the epicentre of the catastrophic flooding in Tibet this week amid fears that a lake formed at the site was at risk of bursting, as the overall death toll in Nepal rose to 469 people, with more than 1,300 missing.A lake formed by immense piles of debris has begun overflowing towards the area where rescue teams were headed, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Friday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
