Manuscript fragments hiding in plain sight shed light on medieval Guernsey’s literary life 23. August 2026 (13:00) Researchers say texts from 12th to 15th centuries ‘hint at a culture which has not even been imagined’Unprecedented insights into the literary and intellectual life on the island of Guernsey during the middle ages have been revealed through the discovery of 17 medieval manuscript fragments.Dating from between the 12th and 15th centuries, they offer evidence of wide-ranging reading tastes, with everything from an extract from a play and an Ovid poem to passages from the Bible and a travel text. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Personal care products are awash in unlabeled toxic chemicals, study finds 23. August 2026 (13:00) Even products labeled ‘eco’, ‘green’ or ‘natural’ can contain dangerous compounds including PfasCommon personal care products widely contain unlabeled toxic chemicals, results from a new peer-reviewed study suggest. The testing of more than 110 items ranging from shampoo to baby lotions found evidence of unlabeled toxic chemicals in about 85%.Many contained multiple ingredients known to be carcinogens or health hazards, and even 26% of products labeled “eco”, “green” or “natural” contained at least one dangerous compound. The products averaged more than three times as many chemicals than were listed on labels. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘No more!!!’: Trump lashes out after US-Canada talks devolve into trade war 23. August 2026 (13:00) PM Mark Carney says ‘we got attacked’ as tariffs come into force on items from hockey sticks to tongue depressorsDonald Trump has hit back at Canada after a breakdown in negotiations plunged the two countries into a trade war.In his first public comments since negotiations collapsed on Friday in Washington, the US president wrote on social media: “Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!!” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Russia withdraws ambassador to UK as Kremlin ratchets pressure over Ukraine support 23. August 2026 (12:37) Andrey Kelin left last month after seven years in diplomatic post with no sign yet of anyone replacing him in roleRussia has withdrawn its ambassador to the UK, it has emerged, as the Kremlin continues to try to put pressure on Britain over its support for Ukraine.Andrey Kelin left last month after seven years in the diplomatic post, with no indication about whether he would be replaced. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Artemis II crew to receive top US space medal for historic lunar journey 23. August 2026 (12:00) Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen broke record for farthest distance traveled from EarthThe crew of the historic Artemis II lunar flyby mission have earned the US’s top space medal, officials have announced.Cmdr Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen are set to receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor on 28 August, the US space agency Nasa said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Against the wind: despite Trump’s attacks, unions are fighting for good US clean energy jobs 23. August 2026 (12:00) Since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, a growing labor movement has addressed the climate crisis and economic inequalityRyan McElroen had spent years repairing the New York City subway underground when he got the opportunity to work in the middle of the ocean.“I had no views other than the darkness at work,” he said. “Then I went polar opposite.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘I hate Democrats, but I love Abdul’: voters who left over Gaza return for progressive push 23. August 2026 (12:00) Michigan Senate nominee and others have re-energized one-time Democratic voters who abandoned the party under BidenTwo years ago, Zainab Bibi Ahmed thought she had turned her back on the Democrats for good. Now, she is volunteering for the party’s US Senate nominee in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed.Ahmed was one of 100,000 people to vote uncommitted in the February 2024 Democratic Michigan primary, in a bid to send a message to then US president Joe Biden about his support for Israel, as people watched what Amnesty International later called a “live-streamed genocide” in Gaza on their screens. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran-linked hackers blamed for cyber-attack that shut down UK power plant 23. August 2026 (11:07) Incident marks apparent escalation by Tehran in its in retaliation against UK over allowing US to use British basesHackers linked to Iran have been blamed for a cyber-attack that caused a British power plant to be temporarily shut down.The incident involved a small-scale energy generator, according to the UK government and at no point was there there risk to the wider energy system. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘The line’s running half-empty’: Llanwern steelworks feels the heat from cheap steel imports 23. August 2026 (11:00) New quotas to protect UK firms and jobs appear to be having opposite effect in products such as galvanised steelAt Tata Steel’s factory in Llanwern, south Wales, production lines that should be running full-time are now falling quiet for parts of the day, with workers being put on to maintenance and cleaning work while machines sit idle.There aren’t enough orders to keep them running all the time, the company says, because of a surge of cheap steel coming from Asian countries that is threatening the viability of several UK sites that make similar products, and risk hundreds of jobs. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘These were brave officers’: tributes paid to police among seven killed in A66 crash 23. August 2026 (10:30) Redcar MP says Teesside community is ‘reeling’ as PM offers condolences and asks public to avoid speculationTributes are being paid to two police officers who died on Teesside when a car travelling the wrong way along the A66 crashed head-on into their vehicle, also killing five young men.PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed when the marked armed response vehicle they were in was struck by a Volkswagen Passat in the early hours of Saturday morning. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
