White elephant in the room: Colombia swears in costumed anti-corruption activist as senator 04. August 2026 (12:00) Luis Carlos Rúa revealed himself to be Elefante blanco just three days before election for ‘his own safety’. Now he is tackling graft from senate floorWhen 102 senators were sworn in for Colombia’s latest parliamentary session, they included 32 women, 69 men – and one cartoon elephant.He had some difficulty making his way down the narrow central aisle of Congress’s ceremonial chamber, weaving past fellow senators in sharply tailored suits and dresses, before taking the oath in his pot-bellied white plush costume. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hungary comes ‘within millimetres’ of shutting down nuclear power plant amid drought crisis – Europe live 04. August 2026 (11:32) PM Péter Magyar says country nearly forced into decision as extreme heat and low water levels in Danube pose challenges in regionBack to discussions on Ceuta, now under way in Brussels (10:08), a senior Moroccan official claimed that Morocco had warned Spain that a recent Spanish court ruling that migrants arriving by sea would not face immediate removal was going to create “a problem,” AFP reported.Spain’s Supreme Court ruled on 8 July that migrants arriving by sea should not be returned as quickly as others and Madrid has blamed criminal gangs for spreading misinformation about the ruling. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Calls for UK bank tax to fund cost of living help as HSBC profits hit £7.5bn 04. August 2026 (11:10) Levy could raise £19bn to help pay for Andy Burnham’s support for those struggling with bills, say campaignersBusiness live – latest updatesCampaigners have renewed calls for a windfall tax on UK banks that could raise £19bn towards Andy Burnham’s cost of living agenda, after HSBC raked in $10.1bn (£7.5bn) worth of profits in the second quarter of the year.Bosses at HSBC reported on Tuesday that profits rose 60% year on year in the three months to the end of June, helped by fees from wealth management and insurance business, as well as higher interest rates, which allow the bank to charge more for loans and mortgages. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK plastic ‘waste colonialism’ found to be polluting Turkey’s farming heartland 04. August 2026 (11:00) A Guardian investigation finds irrigation canals polluted with microplastics in Turkey, a major destination for UK waste• ‘Nobody cares’: Turkish farmers bear the burden of UK’s plastic waste problemHigh levels of microplastics and other plastic contamination have been discovered in a waterway close to a major recycling hub in Turkey supplied with plastic waste by British companies.The polluted waterway, which floods into agricultural fields after heavy rain, feeds into a larger canal used for irrigating crops on the Çukurova plain, in the city of Adana, in the south of the country. It is one of the largest and most fertile agricultural basins in Turkey. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump accuses oil companies of ‘making too much money’ from his war on Iran 04. August 2026 (10:54) US president hits out at ExxonMobil and Chevron, saying they should ‘give some of that back to the public’Business live – latest updatesDonald Trump has criticised oil companies for “making too much money” from the global energy market disruption caused by his war on Iran.Brent crude had been trading at about $70 (£52) a barrel before the first US-Israeli strikes at the end of February, but by the end of April it had soared as high as $126 and is now trading at about $85 a barrel. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
About 1,000 fewer prisoners to get early release as Burnham tightens rules 04. August 2026 (10:16) Justice secretary says ministers would have liked to block more but doing so would cause prison system to ‘break’UK politics live – latest updatesAbout 1,000 fewer prisoners will be released early after Andy Burnham’s intervention to exclude those convicted of rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming from the scheme.The justice secretary, Alex Norris, said 5,000 prisoners would be released over 10 months from October in England and Wales, down from the government’s original plan for 6,000 from September. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump wants ‘fair treatment’ in fight over Labor’s levy on tech giants to pay for news, US trade group warns 04. August 2026 (09:06) National Foreign Trade Council ‘disappointed’ at move to expand News Bargaining Incentive but Australian experts say government is not going far enoughFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA major US trade body has rubbished the Albanese government’s plan to make more big tech platforms pay for Australian journalism, issuing a veiled warning about how Donald Trump may respond to the “deteriorating trend”.The National Foreign Trade Council said it was “disappointed” at the Australian government’s move to expand its News Bargaining Incentive (NBI) to take in Microsoft’s LinkedIn, amid trade tensions between Washington and Canberra including newly increased tariffs on Australian goods. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Daphne Caruana Galizia was investigating suspected corruption when killed, jury told 04. August 2026 (09:00) Journalist’s son says his mother was examining leak from Electrogas, part owned by Yorgen Fenech who is on trialDaphne Caruana Galizia was investigating suspected corruption by the businessman Yorgen Fenech and members of Malta’s government when she was killed, a jury has heard.The heir to one of Malta’s biggest fortunes, Fenech is on trial for murder, accused of commissioning and paying for Caruana Galizia’s killing in a car bombing in October 2017. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
BP profits more than double as Iran war sends oil prices soaring 04. August 2026 (08:54) Energy company’s $5.73bn quarterly profits come after Shell posted second highest quarterly earnings on recordBusiness live – latest updatesBP has reported its highest quarterly profits since the first year of Russia’s war on Ukraine because of rising oil and gas prices caused by the Middle East crisis.The oil company’s quarterly profits more than doubled to $5.73bn (£4.27bn) in the three months to the end of June, up $2.5bn from the quarter before, as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continued to disrupt energy exports from the Gulf. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Metro Bank customer fights for £14,000 refund after AI-linked fraud 04. August 2026 (08:00) Lender was told money was being taken without authorisation, with cash used to buy credits for Claude chatbotA Metro Bank customer has told of his fight to get more than £14,000 back after its systems failed to stop a fraud involving the AI chatbot Claude.Zoli Rutter, a businessman from Sussex, had a total of £14,244 taken from his bank account. The scam involved fraudsters buying credits to use Claude. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
