Trump appoints staff secretary Will Scharf as new White House counsel 10. August 2026 (00:28) Scharf, who helped president win approval for $400m ballroom, to replace David Warrington on 1 SeptemberDonald Trump announced on Sunday that Will Scharf, the staff secretary who helped secure approval for the $400m White House ballroom project, will become White House counsel and assistant to the president.Effective 1 September, Scharf will replace David Warrington, who will be leaving the administration to join the private sector. Warrington formerly served as a personal counsel and a lawyer for Trump’s 2024 campaign. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announces decision to freeze her eggs 10. August 2026 (00:06) US congresswoman to share journey online as she criticizes Trump administration’s attacks on reproductive careAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez has announced she is going to freeze her eggs and will be sharing the process online.The progressive New York congresswoman, 36, revealed her decision to undergo fertility treatment in a series of Instagram stories this weekend. “This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life,” Ocasio-Cortez said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australia news live: NSW schools may ban unsupervised take-home tests over AI concerns; minister calls urgent meeting over airport chaos 09. August 2026 (23:50) Intervention follows days of delays and a near-miss between two planes on the Sydney aiport tarmac. Follow today’s news liveCatherine King, the federal transport minister, has asked Air Services Australia to speak with her today about a “pathway forward” after two aircraft were involved in a near-miss at Sydney airport on Sunday.The two planes, owned by Jetstar and Qatar Airways, almost collided at Sydney airport, the nation’s busiest, on Sunday morning. A Jetstar spokesperson said its plane was following instructions from air traffic control when the pilots were forced to break “firmly” when another aircraft came within “close proximity”.We’re not happy. No one wants to see passengers disrupted in the way they have been. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Burnham vows crackdown on ‘rip-off’ business practices to ease cost of living 09. August 2026 (23:30) First of PM’s ‘everyday fixes’ to be banning fake discounts and making it easier to cancel unwanted subscriptionsAndy Burnham: I’ll end the rip-offs that people hateAndy Burnham has promised a series of measures to tackle the cost of living, including a ban on fake discounts and making it easier for people to escape unwanted subscriptions.The crackdown on “rip-off” business practices is expected to benefit consumers to the tune of £400m a year and will be the first in a range of “everyday fixes” to be implemented in the coming months. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Zuckerberg faces questions over why superyacht reportedly declined to help stranded boat 09. August 2026 (21:06) Small cruise ship rescued skiff in south-east Alaska even though Meta billionaire’s $300m megayacht was closerMark Zuckerberg has faced questions over why a small cruise ship in south-east Alaska rescued a stranded skiff and its crew when his 387ft superyacht had been closer.The Silicon Valley billionaire’s yacht, worth a reported $300m, is said to have “repeatedly” declined to assist when a nearby boat called for help last week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Perseid meteor shower set to dazzle northern hemisphere this week 09. August 2026 (20:43) Astronomers say viewing conditions promising for this year’s shower, and 50 to 100 meteors an hour may be visibleThe Perseid summer light show is back, and viewing conditions are especially promising across the northern hemisphere.The meteor shower’s is expected to peak on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, and coincides with a total solar eclipse across Spain, Iceland and Greenland and a six-planet parade – though the best time to view the fireballs will come after totality. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israel rejects US-led 15-point Gaza peace plan, says Netanyahu 09. August 2026 (20:35) In rare public break with Trump, Israel’s prime minister says IDF will not withdraw until Hamas is disarmedMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesIsrael’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has rejected a US-backed 15-point peace plan for Gaza in a rare public break with Donald Trump.In a statement on Sunday, Netanyahu said that he was confronting a “wave of rumours about Israeli weakness and Israeli withdrawals on all fronts” and rebuked US pressure to end wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran without Israel’s buy-in. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Canadian government steps in as ‘out of control’ wildfires force thousands to flee 09. August 2026 (20:20) British Columbia battling 102 fires day and night across province, as breakneck speed hampers firefighters’ effortsCanada’s federal government has announced it will provide urgent assistance to British Columbia after an onslaught of unprecedented fast-moving wildfires forced about 22,000 people to flee their homes in frantic evacuations.A total of 102 wildfires were raging across the province on Sunday, of which nearly half were categorised as “out of control”, according to the BC Wildfire Service. Of those fires, 78 ignited during the past week. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in China as its strongest storm this year 09. August 2026 (20:13) Tropical cyclone brings torrential rain and high winds to east coast after hitting Japan’s southern Okinawa provinceTyphoon Dolphin, the most powerful tropical cyclone to hit China this year, has made landfall on the country’s east coast, bringing torrential rain and strong winds and triggering warnings of flooding and landslides.The storm has already swept through Japan’s southern Okinawa prefecture, injuring six people and cutting power to more than 50,000 buildings. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lake Mead plummets to historic low water level as Colorado River struggles 09. August 2026 (20:05) Levels at reservoir along Arizona-Nevada border dipped below previous record set in 2022, amid water crisis in westLake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, has plummeted to its lowest water level since it was filled some 90 years ago, the latest sign of a deepening water crisis in the American west.Water levels at the reservoir, which straddles the Arizona-Nevada border outside Las Vegas, hit 1,040.4ft (317.1 meters) above sea level on Friday, according to federal data. That’s just below the record set on 28 July 2022, according to the US Bureau of Reclamation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
