Transport watchdog investigates third near miss at Sydney airport 13. August 2026 (14:35) Two planes came close to collision on the runway on Sunday – hours after another near miss – making a total of three in recent weeksGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe transport safety watchdog is investigating a a third near-collision between two planes at Sydney airport – the latest incident occurring hours after one that made national news and raised concerns about air traffic control.The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said on Thursday night that it was investigating a second “runway incursion” on Sunday 9 August. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Sports Direct owner buys Harvey Nichols department store chain 13. August 2026 (14:22) Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group acquires majority of upmarket retailer’s sites from the administratorsBusiness live – latest updatesThe owner of Sports Direct has bought Harvey Nichols out of administration after the upmarket department store chain warned it could run out of money if it did not find new funding.Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group said on Thursday it had bought the chain, which is headquartered at its store in Knightsbridge, for an undisclosed sum on the day it was put into administration. Harvey Nichols has 13 stores and 1,200 employees. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump has amassed staggering wealth in ‘most openly corrupt’ presidency 13. August 2026 (14:00) Ethics experts and Democrats express alarm as Trump uses office to grow his personal fortune to ‘unprecedented’ level Donald Trump’s use of his second presidency to grow his personal fortune has alarmed legal and ethics experts and congressional Democrats as he has reaped an “unprecedented” $2.2bn in 2025 revenues by amassing big cryptocurrency holdings, benefitting from wealthy foreign interests, expanding his Truth Social business and more, while federal oversight of his actions has waned.Trump last year raked in at least $1.4bn from his crypto ventures according to financial disclosure forms he filed in June. Simultaneously, about one million investors in a Trump crypto scheme suffered almost $3.8bn in losses as their volatile crypto holdings tanked in value. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
California bans paraquat, highly toxic herbicide outlawed in more than 70 countries 13. August 2026 (14:00) State is US’s largest user of pesticide that is virtually proven to cause Parkinson’s diseaseCalifornia is banning paraquat, a highly toxic, controversial herbicide used across millions of acres of American cropland.Public health advocates characterize it as a deadly substance that is virtually proven to cause Parkinson’s disease. It is already outlawed in more than 70 countries, including China, the UK and the EU. Yet in the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reapproved it for use in 2021 and 2024. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Severe storms cut power supply to 540,000 homes in US midwest 13. August 2026 (13:49) Indiana faced most outages at 267,000, about 8% of its customers, with severe thunderstorms and wind aheadPower supply was cut on Thursday to about 540,000 homes and businesses across the US midwest as severe storms battered the region, data from PowerOutage.us showed.Indiana was the hardest-hit state, with more than 267,000 outages, representing about 8% of its roughly 3.3 million customers, the data showed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Melancholic fantasy’: Wong escalates Labor rhetoric against Hanson, condemning ‘monoculture’ comment 13. August 2026 (13:00) Foreign affairs minister and first Asian-Australian to serve in federal cabinet to use Lowy Institute address to criticise politicians stoking racial divisionsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLabor has escalated its pushback on One Nation’s surging political support, with the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, labelling Pauline Hanson’s push for a monoculture a “melancholic fantasy” that would harm national security.Wong, the first Asian-Australian to serve in federal cabinet, will use a major address at The Lowy Institute on Friday to criticise politicians stoking racial divisions, insisting the country’s multicultural success remains a national asset. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump administration finalizes rule to end federal support for gender-affirming care 13. August 2026 (13:00) Move blocking funds through Medicaid and Chip to make it harder for vulnerable children to get healthcare, experts sayThe Trump administration finalized a rule on Tuesday to end gender-affirming care through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Chip), a move that will make it harder for vulnerable children to access healthcare and that eschews evidence to advance an anti-transgender ideology, opponents say.The rule is set to take effect on 13 October – but legal challenges could delay or block it entirely. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK economy shows surprising resilience – but that might not last | Richard Partington 13. August 2026 (12:26) Weaker growth, rising energy costs and persistent inflation mean Britain could face tougher times in the autumnUK economic growth slows downBusiness live – latest updatesIn the spring the International Monetary Fund warned Britain faced the heaviest economic blow from the Iran war among the world’s most advanced nations. Almost six months into the conflict, on the surface, the UK appears to be proving the forecasters wrong.The latest official figures show the UK maintained its pole position as the fastest growing economy in the G7 in the first half of 2026. Despite the gloomy international backdrop and yet more domestic political uncertainty, consumers have largely continued spending and business investment has boomed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Lauf’ and ‘minceur’: the words that made a 13-year-old from Melbourne a world Scrabble champion 13. August 2026 (11:55) Dineth Fernando – who moved to Australia with his family in February – says he just needed to ‘find the word and play – that’s all’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDineth Fernando’s first language isn’t English and he only arrived in Melbourne six months ago – but already he’s claimed an international Scrabble title with an Australian flag draped around his shoulders.The 13-year-old won the 2026 world youth Scrabble championships in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi over the weekend, becoming the third Australian representative in the competition’s history to take out the prize. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
