Baby with heart defect at center of US surrogacy dispute handed to parents 14. August 2026 (17:45) Biological parents given custody of child born in Texas amid dispute over surrogate mother’s claim of abortion requestA two-day-old baby with a rare heart defect at the center of a complex surrogacy dispute in Texas has been handed over to the parents’ custody and is receiving care, lawyers for the parents said on Friday.The baby has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a defect that requires surgeries to correct. The baby was born on Wednesday to surrogate mother McKenna West of Alaska after she reportedly refused requests to get an abortion from the biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed of California – requests they deny making. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Let’s see what he can do’: will Burnham bring Barnsley voters back to Labour? 14. August 2026 (17:25) With questions over Farage’s finances and a new face in No 10, could Barnsley council be a bellwether for changing Labour fortunes?Labour marked its worst performance in more than 50 years when voters went to the polls in Barnsley in May, but 100 days on from those seismic local elections, the political landscape has shifted drastically.Could the South Yorkshire town, where Reform UK reaped the benefits of dissatisfaction with Labour, prove to be a test case for whether the governing party has turned the tide? Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Thames Water plans to restart desalination plant – after drought has ended 14. August 2026 (17:08) Utility company’s plant, which has only run five times, now has an estimated total cost of £500mThames Water is preparing the UK’s only desalination plant to restart operations later this year – but it will not be ready until the winter, long after the current drought is likely to have passed.The utility company said that it was hoping to start operating its plant in Beckton, east London, “by the end of the year”, in order to help build up reservoir supplies over the winter for next summer. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iberian orca known for ramming boats seen with suspected gunshot wounds 14. August 2026 (17:07) Marine conservationist says deliberate attack would be ‘act of extreme cruelty’ against endangered populationSpanish officials have launched an investigation after the matriarch of an orca pod known for jostling and ramming boats off the Iberian Peninsula was spotted with wounds suggesting she had been shot by a pellet gun.On Friday, Spain’s environment ministry said Toñi, the oldest living member of the pod, had been seen swimming in the Strait of Gibraltar with markings on her dorsal fin that were “consistent with shots from a pellet gun”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Andy Burnham moves to cut new EV sales targets 14. August 2026 (17:04) Possible cut from 80% down to as little as 50% could add millions of tonnes of CO2 to emissions and comes amid UK heatwavesAndy Burnham’s government has said it will look at cutting electric vehicle sales targets, in proposals that could add millions of tonnes a year to the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions.The government launched a consultation on Friday on cutting the target for new EVs to as little as 50% of all new cars in 2030, down from 80% under existing rules. The consultation will include several options, including leaving the headline target unchanged, or cutting it to 70%, 60% or 50%. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
A Queensland man enjoyed soaring profits from a crypto trading app. Then his money started disappearing 14. August 2026 (17:00) The administrative work required to run an effective investment scam has been drastically cut by using merging technologyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastWithin days of clicking on an online ad for a cryptocurrency trading app, a 29-year-old Queensland man watched his dashboard soar with profits.Making investment gains was as simple as downloading the slick-looking app and browser extension linked to his crypto wallet. So he invested more. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Woman arrested after second world war memorial in DC vandalized 14. August 2026 (16:41) Suspect faces two felony charges after memorial filled with bubbles and spray-paint reading ‘Clean hands Dirty $’A woman was arrested on Friday morning in connection with the vandalization of the second world war memorial on the National Mall in Washington DC, the capital’s federal prosecutor announced.Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, announced mid-morning that a suspect was in custody and had been charged with federal crimes. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
BP to develop offshore gasfield in Venezuela with firms linked to Trump administration 14. August 2026 (16:04) Move will be one of first large-scale foreign investments in country since US ousted leader Nicolás Maduro in JanuaryBP has answered Donald Trump’s call for oil companies to help rebuild Venezuela’s fossil fuel industry with new plans to develop a large offshore gasfield.BP will partner with two oil firms with close links to the Trump administration to develop the second phase of the Loran gasfield, in one of the first large-scale foreign investments in Venezuela since the US ousted its leader Nicolás Maduro in January. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Italian police recover paintings by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse after heist 14. August 2026 (15:32) Artworks valued at total of more than $10m were stolen from Magnani Rocca Foundation near Parma in MarchItalian police have recovered three paintings by the French masters Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse that were stolen earlier this year from a private museum near the northern city of Parma, authorities have said.The raid took place overnight on 22-23 March at the Magnani Rocca Foundation, about 12 miles (19km) from Parma, after a series of high-profile thefts from other European museums. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Putin’s recruiters scramble to avoid second mass mobilisation as Ukraine losses mount 14. August 2026 (15:00) Russia is losing 30,000 casualties a month, and the country’s regions are under pressure to feed the ‘meat-grinder’. Experts say it may not be enoughIn kitchens and Telegram chats across Russia, the same question is being asked with growing frequency: will Vladimir Putin order another mobilisation?Nearly five years into the war, Russia is scrambling to find enough soldiers to replenish its ranks, as voluntary recruitment slows and its forces suffer heavy losses on the battlefield in Ukraine. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
