FDA proposes new food ingredient rule but skips defining ‘ultra-processed’ 10. August 2026 (17:46) Move closes loophole but doesn’t include definition of ultra-processed foods, promised earlier this yearThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is changing its rules on how food manufacturers notify them of ingredients brought to the market – but the Trump administration has once again punted on defining “ultra-processed foods”, promising more details later.While the move would close a regulatory loophole, it falls short of the administration’s promises to reform food regulations dramatically even as one of the biggest foodborne illness outbreaks unfolds. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
At least 20 dead as powerful earthquake strikes western Colombia 10. August 2026 (17:38) Quake of 7.4 magnitude collapses and severely damages buildings in several major cities, including Cali and PereiraColombia earthquake live – latest updatesAt least 20 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia, collapsing and severely damaging buildings in major cities including Cali and Pereira.The US and Colombian geological surveys reported that a 7.4 magnitude earthquake had struck at 7.34 am local time (13.34 BST) on Monday, with its epicentre in the western department of Chocó. It was also felt in neighbouring Venezuela, which is still reeling from a deadly double earthquake on 24 June. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump admits reflecting pool makeover was rushed but renews vandalism claim 10. August 2026 (17:25) US president on Truth Social concedes contractor had cut some corners to finish $14m renovation project by deadlineDonald Trump has conceded his own administration’s renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool was rushed and shoddy, while insisting that alleged vandals were to blame for damage to the Washington landmark.In a post on his Truth Social platform, the US president said the pool’s contractor had cut some corners to finish the $14m repainting project in time for a 4 July opening. “As with many jobs, there was also some contractor error done by rushing the job,” he wrote on Sunday, claiming the resulting damage from this was confined to “a very small area” and “relatively inconsequential”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rare animals threatened as wildfire ravages New Forest heathland 10. August 2026 (17:21) More than 120 firefighters tackling blaze which started on Sunday after a van caught fire near habitat ‘more rare than rainforest’More than 120 firefighters are tackling a “devastating” blaze on internationally protected heathland in the New Forest.The area hit by the blaze, which started after a van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood on Sunday, is protected heathland that is home to a number of rare species, according to the New Forest national park authority. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ukraine drone strike on oil refinery deep inside Russia kills at least 13 10. August 2026 (17:12) Attack hundreds of miles from border one of deadliest launched by Kyiv as it steps up campaign to weaken Moscow’s economyA “massive” Ukrainian drone strike on an industrial city deep inside Russia killed at least 13 people, according to the local mayor, as Kyiv steps up its campaign of long-range strikes on targets far from the frontline.Kyiv said it hit the Taneko refinery in the industrial city of Nizhnekamsk, around 1,200km (750 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The raid was part of a campaign to reduce the “military potential of the Russian aggressor,” Ukraine’s general staff said. Footage circulating online appeared to show smoke rising from the refinery in the city. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia’s falling house prices are actually a good thing for mortgage holders. Here’s why 10. August 2026 (17:00) The RBA’s governor, Michele Bullock, has made it clear that the ‘easing’ property market is on her mindGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt’s the silver lining that’s not making headlines: falling home prices means another Reserve Bank rate hike is less likely.RBA board members will not be sitting on Monday and Tuesday discussing ways to prop up Sydney house values. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Dogs can distinguish between fearful and angry or sad human faces, brain scans suggest 10. August 2026 (17:00) Researchers analysed activity in regions of brain when dogs were shown images of different facial expressionsWhile dogs are known to turn the puppy eyes on their owners, it seems our pets are keeping a close eye on us too: research has revealed dog brains can distinguish different types of unhappy human faces.Dr Laura Cuaya, a co-author of the study from the University of Vienna, said previous behavioural studies had shown dogs could tell apart some human facial expressions, but such studies tended to only test two at a time, one positive and one negative. As a result, it was not clear if dogs could distinguish different types of happy or unhappy faces. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Car owners should challenge insurers on steep price hikes and ‘call their bluff’, Asic says 10. August 2026 (16:01) Regulator finds many insurers raising premiums faster than inflation and advises customers to ask for better dealsGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCar owners should challenge motor insurers over steep premium hikes, the corporate regulator advises, after finding many companies were raising prices faster than inflation.In a report released on Tuesday, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) found that none of the eight insurers it reviewed adequately explained the reasons behind premium calculations to customers or why prices had changed in quote or renewal documents. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
SpaceX plan for vast rocket launch site on Louisiana coast sparks backlash 10. August 2026 (16:00) Opponents fear Elon Musk firm’s plan to develop 18-mile strip of Pecan Island will badly damage fragile ecosystemPlans by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to build a vast rocket launch site on a stretch of Louisiana’s rapidly eroding coastline have stirred a backlash among some local opponents who fear it will badly damage the area’s fragile ecosystem.A deal for SpaceX to take control of 130,000 acres of coastal Vermilion parish is reported to be close to being finalized, allowing the company to escalate its number of launches, including of its new Starship mega rocket. SpaceX also has ambitions to deploy artificial intelligence datacenters in space, and while some experts have doubts about this, it has submitted regulatory filings to build a constellation of up to a million of them. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
From Dubai luxury to an Irish jail cell: Daniel Kinahan’s drastic lifestyle shift 10. August 2026 (15:54) Only spending outlet for man accused of helping to control a third of Europe’s cocaine supply will be prison tuck shopIt sounds like the penal equivalent of five stars: a private gym and library, daily outings to the exercise yard and a landing cleared of other prisoners.Daniel Kinahan’s first full day inside the walls of Portlaoise prison on Monday, however, marked a drastic change from his luxury lifestyle in the United Arab Emirates. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
