Flooding devastated swathes of Indiana but response is hampered by politics 30. August 2026 (14:00) Record inundations wrecked homes and took seven lives but Trump has not approved emergency aid and the state has cut funds for environmental agenciesIt’s been 10 days since the floodwater receded from Cambridge City’s main street and yet signs of disaster are all around.Abandoned cars, toilets and bathtubs are strewn across parks and side streets on a recent visit to the city. Garages have been lifted from their foundations and moved by the rushing water. Dumpsters up and down the street are overflowing with people’s belongings, with red paint sprayed on homes indicating which houses have been cleared by water rescue teams. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Prosecutors consider charges against officers involved in spycops scandal 30. August 2026 (13:00) More than 100 undercover officers spied on tens of thousands of mainly leftwing activists over decadesProsecutors are examining whether to bring criminal charges against 12 former police officers who were involved in spying on political groups.The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is examining a file of evidence that the officers may have committed wrongdoing while working in controversial undercover operations. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK asks banks for feelgood stories about keeping out dirty money 30. August 2026 (13:00) City firms tapped for case studies to try to convince global watchdog that London has cleaned up its actThe government is asking bankers and lawyers to provide feelgood stories about how they blocked dirty money from entering the UK, as ministers try to prove the UK’s money-laundering controls are working.The Treasury’s call for evidence is meant to illustrate that the UK has upped its game when it comes to preventing financial crime, particularly since its last dismal assessment by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) global crime watchdog in 2018, which fuelled allegations that London had become a hub for “dirty money”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Train drivers secure 3.6% pay rise after threat of strikes on busy UK routes 30. August 2026 (12:32) Deal agreed between Avanti West Coast and Aslef is first to be approved by Burnham governmentTrain drivers have secured a significant pay rise after the threat of strike action was floated on busy routes across the UK, including on the busy London-Manchester line.The deal, which was agreed on Saturday between Avanti West Coast and the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef) union, is the first to be approved by Andy Burnham in his premiership. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Documents leaked by Trump official to bolster a conspiracy show ‘absolutely nothing’ 30. August 2026 (12:00) Inside the US state department, critics are still attacking a shuttered office established to counter foreign propaganda. Now, some of its work is also being resumedA botched leak of purportedly explosive government files to a prominent conservative online personality was supposed to offer proof of what the Trump administration and its allies have long alleged: that a little-known office inside the US state department, created to fight foreign propaganda, had secretly become a tool for domestic censorship.Two former high-ranking officials at the Global Engagement Center (GEC), a target of Republican ire that lost its funding in 2024 and was disbanded after Donald Trump’s return to office in 2025, say the documents show nothing of the kind. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Definitely no or maybe yes: what tipped the Icelandic referendum | Miranda Bryant 30. August 2026 (11:37) The no campaign was well-funded and accused of scaremongering, but the wording of the question may also have made a differenceIt was always going to be a close contest. But on the night, the figures showed just how divided Iceland was on the issue of whether or not to restart negotiations with the European Union.After a nail-biting overnight count, the well-funded no campaign rejoiced on Sunday morning as the broadcaster RUV declared it the winner with about 52.8% of the vote. Given the size of Iceland’s population- barely 400,000 – the margins were tiny. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
AA could face £5bn takeover move by German insurer Allianz, reports claim 30. August 2026 (11:26) Breakdown recovery group’s private equity owners reportedly in talks with various suitors to sell companyGermany-based financial services company Allianz is considering a £5bn takeover swoop for AA, the breakdown recovery group, Sky News has reported.Allianz is one of a small number of parties holding talks with advisers to the AA about a deal, Sky News said, adding that the private equity outfit EQT was another bidder. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Women in UK arts feel they do not have equal opportunities for roles, says report 30. August 2026 (11:00) Exclusive: Research says sector is fixated with young talent, with most women experiencing unconscious bias or sexismWomen working in the arts believe they do not have equal opportunities for roles, especially as they get older, according to a report saying that the industry is fixated with “young and emerging” talent.Nearly all (95%) women working in the arts thought gender inequality persisted, while three-quarters (75%) reported experiencing unconscious bias or sexism, according to a survey of 76 arts professionals. More than two-thirds (69%) felt that age negatively affected their career success – a figure that rose to 100% among those working in artistic rather than managerial roles. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iceland appears to have rejected EU accession talks in referendum, reports say 30. August 2026 (10:51) The no camp looks to have prevailed, holding 52.5% of votes with only a few left to be counted, says public broadcasterIceland appears to have rejected the government’s proposal to hold accession talks with the EU, the public broadcaster RUV has reported, with only a small number of votes left to count.The no camp had 52.5% of votes and the yes camp 47.5%, with only a few ballots left to be counted in one of Iceland’s six voting districts, which was already leaning towards no, online ballot counting on RUV showed on Sunday.Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this story. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Pet owners at risk of being ripped off by private equity firms as vet ownership rules change 30. August 2026 (10:00) Critics say changes by CMA will allow multinationals to obscure their ownership of vet practicesPet owners have been warned that they could be unknowingly ripped off by private equity firms who have bought local vet clinics, after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) removed requirements for multinational companies to disclose which practices they own.The CMA recently ran an investigation into the monopolisation of vet practices, and found that the lack of competition and transparency of ownership had led to high prices and a lack of information for customers. Pet owners were often unaware their local vet practice could be owned by an international private equity company. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
