US Forest Service chief reportedly pressed staff for more support for wildfire near his ranch 14. August 2026 (21:01) Michael Boren requested more aircraft for 7-acre Cabin Creek fire, some of which were diverted from other firesMichael Boren, the US undersecretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment who oversees the US Forest Service, reportedly pressed agency staff last month to deploy more aircraft to a 7-acre (2.8-hectare) fire that was burning near his Idaho ranch, according to a Washington Post report on Friday.The Cabin Creek fire in Idaho began on about 12 July as a result of an unattended campfire, and spread across several acres in Idaho’s Sawtooth national forest. By 15 July, the forest service said that the fire was 100% contained. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Madonna will not be playing Glastonbury in 2027, Emily Eavis says 14. August 2026 (20:38) Festival organiser says she has booked next year’s headliners but would not say if Taylor Swift is among themMadonna will not be performing at next year’s Glastonbury, the festival’s organiser, Emily Eavis, has said.The singer, who has the most top 10 singles in UK chart history of any female artist, has never featured at Britain’s biggest music festival. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hawaii braces for direct hit from Tropical Storm Lala 14. August 2026 (20:17) Storm expected to strengthen to hurricane as state of emergency declared amid danger of ‘life-threatening’ floodsTropical Storm Lala is set to hit Hawaii’s Big Island with hurricane force in a matter of hours, bringing dangerous winds, heavy rainfall and high surf in a sign of what a strengthening “super” El Niño in the Pacific may bring.The tropical storm is currently about 420 miles (675km) south-east of Hilo on the archipelago’s largest island, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said in its latest advisory, packing winds of 60mph (97km/h). Lala is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli military plans to transfer law enforcement in occupied West Bank to police 14. August 2026 (19:52) Palestine’s vice-president calls plan ‘flagrant violation of international law’ and a step towards full Israeli annexationIsrael’s defence minister wants to transfer law enforcement powers for Israelis in the occupied West Bank over to the police, a plan that Palestine’s vice-president described as a “flagrant violation of international law” and step towards full Israeli annexation.Israel Katz announced that he had ordered the military to draw up plans for the handover of responsibility for policing Israeli settlers amid domestic and international criticism of the army’s failure to tackle militants besieging three Palestinian families. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
National Rail says heat poses ‘exceptional challenges’ after two trains derail in 24 hours 14. August 2026 (19:20) Incident near Essex town of Wickford happens day after two passengers seriously hurt in East Sussex derailmentThe UK’s fifth heatwave of the summer has “presented exceptional challenges to the railway”, Network Rail has said, after two trains derailed in less than 24 hours.On Friday, British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed the rear carriages of a Greater Anglia train derailed “in an upright position” at Wickford railway station in Essex, adding that there were no reported injuries. On Thursday, two people were seriously injured when several Southern train carriages left the track near Lewes in East Sussex and ended up on their side, trapping passengers onboard. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
French court blocks Macron’s social media ban for under-15s 14. August 2026 (19:12) Constitutional council says curbs infringe freedom of expression and privacy as president vows to rework legislationFrance’s top court has blocked a ban on social media access for under-15s, ruling that it infringed freedom of expression and privacy.The decision is a blow to President Emmanuel Macron as momentum builds around the world for Australian-style restrictions on children’s use of social media. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Canadian plasma clinics pause collections after deaths of two donors 14. August 2026 (18:21) Grifols, which runs private chain of clinics, to temporarily stop taking donations after new government investigationA chain of private plasma donation clinics in Canada has said it is pausing collections after the deaths of two donors and a new government investigation into potential unsafe practices.Grifols, a Spanish healthcare company which runs 17 clinics in Canada and is the country’s only private clinic for plasma donation, said it informed Health Canada of its decision to temporarily pause collections on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Police Scotland warns ‘robust security’ needed to stop attacks on AI datacentres 14. August 2026 (18:05) ‘A great deal of public opposition is likely’ to a proposed datacentre near Edinburgh, the force saysPolice in Scotland have issued a stark warning about the need for “robust security measures” to stop proposed AI datacentres from being attacked by protesters.There has been mounting opposition to AI infrastructure globally, including in the US where such projects have become a significant political rallying point. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Belgian student strikes gold worth €9m while digging a new sewer 14. August 2026 (17:52) Kobe, 18, who made discovery on site of former brewery in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, at first thought trove was €1 coinsFor a student with a summer job working on a Belgian building site, “money down the drain” has taken on a whole new meaning: excavating the trenches for a sewage system, he stumbled across a hidden trove of gold worth an estimated €9m (£8m).“We suddenly saw something lying there,” 18-year-old Kobe told the Belgian news network VTM. “At first I thought it was €1 coins. So we started digging them up. Then we saw a gold bar. It turned out to be a bit more than we thought.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Luigi Mangione says ‘I shot Mr Thompson’ and pleads guilty on federal charges linked to healthcare CEO’s killing – live 14. August 2026 (17:45) Mangione tells Manhattan court ‘I knew what I was doing was illegal’ as he changes plea on federal stalking chargesat the courthouse in ManhattanMangione’s legal team is helmed by Karen Friedman Agnifilo and Marc Agnifilo. The team has scored several major legal coups in Mangione’s federal and state cases. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
