British Muslim student with valid visa refused entry to US after 23-hour detention 17. August 2026 (17:00) Laith Alani, who had booked week-long trip to visit theme parks and family, believes US border force profiled him on arrival in OrlandoA British student who was detained and deported after flying to the US claims he was profiled for being Muslim.Laith Alani said he felt as if he had been kidnapped when he was interrogated for nine hours and detained in a holding cell for another 14 hours by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Orlando international airport. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Top album releases linked to rise in fatal crashes as ‘distracted’ drivers access music 17. August 2026 (17:00) Harvard study finds traffic fatalities increase by 15% on release dates compared with similar days either sideThe release of a new album by Taylor Swift might be a cause for celebration among her fans, but such events have also been linked to a more sombre phenomenon: an increase in fatal car crashes.The team behind a new study say it sheds light on the impact of distracted driving. “You can’t randomise people into using their phones, and drivers rarely volunteer what they were doing in the seconds before a crash,” said Dr Vishal Patel, first author of the study based at Harvard Medical School. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why rightwing critics are wrong to say the Australian super system is broken 17. August 2026 (17:00) Spending on aged pension will be stable for decades to come, experts argue, despite claims by Bragg and HansonGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIs Australia’s superannuation system “one of the biggest policy failures since federation”? Is “the whole system broken”?Australia’s $4.4tn compulsory super regime is generally considered among the best in the world, yet conservative politicians such as Andrew Bragg, the Coalition’s putative shadow housing minister, and Pauline Hanson, One Nation’s leader, seem to hate it. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Alarm raised over ‘privacy dilemma’ of facial recognition technology at Coles and Woolworths 17. August 2026 (17:00) Supermarkets say they are exploring ways to keep people safe, but experts claim the tech is ‘normalising surveillance’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastConsumer privacy advocates have responded with alarm after Coles and Woolworths confirmed they were testing facial recognition technology that they could use in their Australian supermarkets to record shoppers’ personal biometric data.The supermarket giants on Monday confirmed they had tested the technology and said they were considering installing it in their Australian stores to crack down on retail crime including aggression towards staff. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Finland halts deportation of Russian family who ‘risked everything’ to oppose Ukraine invasion 17. August 2026 (16:04) Mother and son Olga and Nikita Belov say they were facing jail and potential torture after asylum case was rejectedA Russian family who were on the brink of being deported from Finland after repeatedly being denied asylum – despite the threat of arrest, imprisonment and torture for their pro-Ukrainian activism – have won a court appeal and will have their case reconsidered.Nikita Belov and his mother, Olga Belov, fled their homeland for Finland in 2022 after attracting the attention of Russian authorities – including a military summons, threatening messages and attempts to locate them – for expressing opposition to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Storm Lala damages bridges and more than 100 homes on Hawaii’s Big Island 17. August 2026 (15:59) Lala was downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm Sunday, but could become a hurricane again by WednesdayCleanup efforts started on Hawaii after Hurricane Lala rolled past the Big Island and dumped heavy rain across the US Pacific state.Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it grazed the islands, but it brought heavy rains and winds strong enough to sweep about 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teenager charged with murder after mass shooting at Kentucky park 17. August 2026 (14:55) Sixteen-year-old dead and four others wounded including two children at community celebration in LexingtonAuthorities in Kentucky charged an 18-year-old man with murder and several counts of assault after a shooting in Lexington park left a teenager dead and four others injured – one of multiple similar cases around the US over the weekend.Jametrius Griffin was arrested less than 24 hours after Saturday night’s mass shooting at Charles Young Park in the city’s downtown. According to the Lexington police department, officers responded to reports of gunfire in the park at about 7pm and found five people shot, including two adults, a 14-year-old and a four-year-old. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Donald Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it ‘gets in the way’ of ending Iran war 17. August 2026 (14:40) President issues threat to ‘bomb the shit out of them’ after previously threatening Gulf ally in MayDonald Trump has again threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of his effort to end the US-Israel war on Iran.The US president delivered the threat of Monday as he struggles to draw the conflict to a conclusion, almost six months after it was launched. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Support for Jason Arday’s family shows ‘Britain still cares’, says Windrush campaigner 17. August 2026 (14:02) Crowdfund passes £150,000, while Cambridge chancellor criticises ‘racist feeding frenzy’ around academic’s deathA Windrush campaigner who launched a fundraiser for Jason Arday’s family has said the outpouring of support shows “Britain still cares”.Arday, who was found dead on Friday, had resigned the previous week from his post as professor of sociology of education at the University of Cambridge after allegations of plagiarism were made against him. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Alzheimer’s research is latest casualty in Trump administration war against ‘DEI’ 17. August 2026 (14:00) Grant cancellations at leading research institutions appear to target study of impacts of racism on brain healthA new round of scientific grant cancellations has hit brain health and Alzheimer’s disease research at two leading research institutions, Emory University and the University of Pittsburgh.The latest cancellations are the Trump administration’s most recent effort to remove disfavored topics from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) $47bn scientific portfolio – and appear to target the study of the impacts of racism. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
