US airman accused of ‘spree’ of rapes on sleeping women avoided UK courts 28. July 2026 (07:00) Suffolk police ceded investigation into James Loubeau to the US military, leading to court martial acquittalA US airman accused of a “spree” of rapes and sexual assaults in England, drugging some women and breaking into the homes of others, was able to avoid British justice after local police handed over part of the case to the American military.Two British women went to Suffolk police in August 2019 to allege that James Loubeau and another US airman had drugged and raped them after they met in a nightclub in Bury St Edmunds, a local market town. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Cottage pie and glass of red, anyone? Britons shun salad despite heat in ‘reverse comfort eating’ 28. July 2026 (07:00) Nostalgic foods like toad-in-the-hole also in demand at Waitrose as people pivot towards familiarity amid climatic and political upheavalForget a crisp salad and glass of chilled rosé. Enervated Britons are seemingly more likely to crave a rich cottage pie and a robust red in heatwaves.In a trend termed “reverse comfort eating”, Waitrose’s cottage pie sales have soared 110% in the last month and South African red wine is up 68% compared with the same period last year. The surprise spike in demand for winter comfort foods also includes retro chicken, bacon and leek pie (up 41%), chicken korma (up 67%) and chicken and ham gratin (68%). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘We have lost everything’: extreme rainfall across Asia brings flash floods and typhoons 28. July 2026 (06:00) From Afghanistan to Taiwan, unprecedented deluge highlights devastating impact of climate breakdown“It rained for 10 days and 10 nights, non-stop – I’d never seen anything like it,” says Anar Gul, a construction worker who lives in the remote district of Dur Baba in eastern Afghanistan.The houses in his village are built from stone and mud, which makes them extremely vulnerable to heavy rains. After days of rain, Gul’s kitchen collapsed and his neighbour, Sayed Afsar Sadat, saw a large part of his house completely destroyed. “Rains like this are coming heavier and earlier each year,” says Sadat. “They are destroying the roads and washing away our crops. It’s impacting us directly.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
A dog saved Houssein Hamze from a bomb. When war returned, he stayed to care for Lebanon’s animals 28. July 2026 (06:00) In normal times the Mashala shelter founder takes in strays, but in wartime, he is the only lifeline for animals in the areaDuring Israel’s 2006 war against Hezbollah, Houssein Hamze woke up one night to the sound of barking. Alarmed, he got up to check on the dog – his first rescue pet. Moments later, a bomb dropped next to his home and a piece of shrapnel landed right where he had been sleeping.“I swear to God, he really saved me from death. Animals always possess a sixth sense we don’t have,” Hamze said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Train drivers in Great Britain consider strike action over lack of toilets 28. July 2026 (06:00) Unions say basic needs still not being met a year after regulator told operators to improve facilitiesTrain drivers are considering strike action over a lack of toilets, with unions saying basic needs are still not addressed a year after the rail regulator told operators to provide more facilities and breaks.Aslef said it was “putting the industry on notice”. The train drivers’ union added that companies had failed to deliver adequate toilets and reduce maximum driving times without a toilet break. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Hotelier stopped funding NSW Liberal ‘Reformers’ after deciding Morrison and Perrottet had ‘gone woke’, Icac hears 28. July 2026 (05:31) Michael O’Hara also tells corruption watchdog he was wrong to support young Liberals alleged to have solicited illegal donations, saying ‘I made a mistake’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA witness who allegedly made prohibited donations to young New South Wales Liberal powerbrokers who planned to move the party to the right has told the corruption watchdog he is now “disgusted” by the scheme and “made a mistake” supporting the group.The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) on Tuesday held its second day of Operation Rosny hearings into allegations of corruption against people associated with the NSW Liberal party. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
It’s the vibe: Australian comedy classic The Castle set to become a stage play 28. July 2026 (04:40) Working Dog team behind the 1997 film reuniting to write ‘new, fully updated’ version for the stage, which will premiere in Melbourne in 2027An announcement that deserves to go straight to the pool room: the beloved Australian comedy The Castle is set to become a play, written by the team behind the original film.Working Dog’s Rob Sitch, Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Jane Kennedy will write and co-produce the new theatrical production, which will again tell the story of the Kerrigan family and their fight against the Australian government to save their home from being bulldozed to make way for an airport expansion. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Meta disregarded its own research on teen harm, Tennessee lawyers tell jury 28. July 2026 (03:43) In opening statements, state argued Meta’s own research showed it harmed teens while firm’s attorneys pointed to transparencyThe long-awaited trial between the social media company Meta and the state of Tennessee began proceedings on Monday. Attorneys for Tennessee told a jury in Nashville that Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, disregarded internal research about its platform’s impact on teenagers, while the company sought to maximize profit from those young users.During opening statements in a seven-week trial in state court, the state’s lawyers said Meta researchers repeatedly flagged teenagers’ compulsive use of the platform – leading to eating disorders, depression and self-harm. But despite those warnings, Meta did not disable features such as autoplay, notifications and infinite scroll which, the lawyers said, were designed to keep teens on Instagram as long as possible and increase the number of ads they viewed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Asia ‘scraping the bottom of the barrel’ as Red Sea oil blockade worsens energy crisis 28. July 2026 (03:37) The Houthi threat to Saudi oil exports comes as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines are still reeling from the closure of the strait of HormuzGovernments in Asia are scrambling to avoid their second major energy crisis in six months, as another maritime chokepoint in the Middle East faces a violent blockade, leaving only the Suez canal completely open for the free movement of gulf oil.Countries like Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and South Korea – which rely on Middle East oil for up to 90% of their imports – are working to secure supplies after Yemen’s Houthis launched a blockade of Saudi Arabian shipping passing through the Bab al-Mandab strait, which forms the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Betye Saar, pioneering figure of Black arts movement, dies at 99 28. July 2026 (03:33) Leading assemblage artist was known for reclaiming Jim Crow-era memorabilia as images of Black liberationArtist Betye Saar, the pioneering figure of the Black arts movement, died on Sunday morning in her home town of Los Angeles. She was 99.Saar, a famous practitioner of assemblage, an artistic style that builds sculpture from everyday objects, was best known for reclaiming Jim Crow era memorabilia such as dolls and washboards and recasting them as images of Black liberation. Saar also worked in genres including printmaking and film, exploring themes from family to spirituality. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
