BT on track for estimated £2bn windfall from selling old copper amid AI boom 31. August 2026 (16:06) Telecoms company to benefit from soaring prices for recycled metal recovered from full-fibre broadband rolloutBT is on track for an estimated £2bn-plus windfall over the next decade from selling off old copper cabling, as it cashes in on soaring prices amid the AI market frenzy and switches the UK’s network to full-fibre broadband.Copper is one of the main beneficiaries of the “electrification of everything”, essential for the rapid growth of AI datacentres, electronics and the fast-growing renewable energy industry. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
South African airline defends dramatic low-level flyby before rugby union clash 31. August 2026 (15:44) Cape Town stunt sparks major debate over safety risksAirlink insist flyby conducted according to regulationsA pre-game stunt involving two passenger jets flying dramatically low over a stadium in South Africa drew huge cheers from the estimated crowd of around 56,000 people, but also sparked a major debate over safety risks.The flyby by two Embraer jets, operated by local airline Airlink, happened on Saturday before the second rugby union Test between South Africa and New Zealand in Cape Town. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
British family pleads with French authorities to release body of relative who died in Channel 31. August 2026 (15:36) Jasmeet Wadhwa, who fled Taliban persecution in Afghanistan, lost his life while trying to reach UK in AprilA British family is pleading with French authorities to release the body of a relative that officials have held for five months after he died in the Channel in April.Jasmeet Wadhwa, 32, died while attempting to reach the UK on a dinghy on 1 April with his mother, Harbans Kaur Wadhwa, after they fled Taliban persecution in Afghanistan in January. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran’s economy in crisis as US launches new sanctions campaign 31. August 2026 (15:00) Trump’s Operation Economic Outcast is expected to push many Iranians into deeper poverty as food inflation soarsFor many Iranians, the new US sanctions campaign, called Operation Economic Outcast, seems superfluous given the grim economic situation in their country.Iranians are facing runaway food inflation, closed petrol stations and a seemingly never-ending depreciation of the nation’s currency caused by a lack of foreign exchange reserves. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Smelling test: children need education in sniffing aromas, scientist says 31. August 2026 (15:00) Exclusive: Dr Will Tullett says better understanding of scents can improve wellbeing and perception of the worldChildren need a better education in sniffing aromas, a leading historian of smells has said, noting it may improve their wellbeing and help them understand the world around them.Dr Will Tullett, of the University of York, said pollution had been found to impair people’s olfactory abilities, while many objects and substances today – from margarines to car interiors and even our own homes – were stripped of their original smells and “reodourised” with synthetic scents. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
House Democrat to launch challenge to Trump’s ‘Lake America’ order – US politics live 31. August 2026 (14:53) Debbie Dingell plans to introduce her ‘Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act’ today following president’s latest escalation in US-Canada trade warSign up for US Breaking News emailsDonald Trump has claimed that Iran is a “Failed Nation” and that the regime is “DEAD” in a post on Truth Social today.This comes as Washington and Tehran exchange their first strikes in a month, after the US struck Larak Island in the strait of Hormuz, and Iran retaliated by targeting Jordanian airbases. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Badenoch appoints Andrew Griffith shadow chancellor in sweeping reshuffle 31. August 2026 (14:36) Tory leader expected to install Tom Tugendhat as shadow foreign secretary after sacking Mel Stride and Priti PatelKemi Badenoch sacked her shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, and shadow foreign secretary, Priti Patel, in a sweeping Conservative reshuffle on Monday, replacing Stride with Andrew Griffith, and is expected to install Tom Tugendhat as Patel’s replacement.Stride, who has been the shadow chancellor since Badenoch became leader, was widely seen among Tories as failing to make an impression at a time when Labour has been under pressure over the economy. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Grand Canyon braces for more storms after flash flood leaves one person dead 31. August 2026 (14:26) National park officials say body of a man, 46, was recovered and about 15 others remain missing or unaccounted forThe Grand Canyon area braced for more rain and thunderstorms on Monday after a flash flood that left one person dead and about 15 others missing or unaccounted for – with scores of visitors evacuated and the only water pipeline for tourists and residents destroyed.Emergency water restrictions that began on Monday prevented tourists from staying overnight at lodges and hotels within the park. Year-round residents were asked to conserve water. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Ministers consider closing social mobility watchdog as part of planned shake-up 31. August 2026 (14:23) Exclusive: Labour MPs believe SMC has become ineffective and its work ‘should be a core function of government’Ministers are considering a shake-up of the government’s social mobility watchdog that could range from giving it more teeth to abolishing it outright.The move comes amid concerns that the Social Mobility Commission (SMC) – originally conceived under Gordon Brown’s government in 2010 – has become ineffective. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Can Reform UK recover from its summer horribilis? 31. August 2026 (14:22) Clacton, funding, internal divisions – party prepares for annual conference next week after a season of misstepsSenior Reform UK figures like to boast that the summer time – and parliament’s longest recess – is when the party makes hay.Supposedly, it is when Nigel Farage and co can muscle in on the news cycle with provocative statements and new policies, painting “establishment” opponents as workshy layabouts. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
