US Postal Service rule tightens mail-in voting despite court orders blocking changes 22. August 2026 (04:06) Rule would require states to provide federal government with information on voters in return for delivering ballotsThe US Postal Service prepared to publish a final rule late on Friday to impose new requirements on states to provide the federal government with information on voters before the November midterm congressional elections, despite a pair of court orders that currently block the changes from taking effect.The USPS acknowledged in the text of the final rule posted online Friday, which is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register next week, that two injunctions issued by federal courts in California and Massachusetts currently bar it from moving ahead with the changes to comply with a March executive order signed by Donald Trump. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump says he views strait of Hormuz as ‘American territory’ 22. August 2026 (03:24) President at rally in South Carolina makes comments on key strategic waterway and jokes about bombing IranDonald Trump called the strait of Hormuz “an American territory” on Friday, as the US continues its military blockade of Iran’s shipping and ports while Trump’s administration struggles to end its war with the country.“We don’t even know if we won, because I view the strait of Hormuz as an American territory right now,” Trump said, addressing a crowd in South Carolina. He was campaigning for senator Darline Graham, who is running to permanently fill her late brother Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Attack on Ukraine shopping centre that killed 16 is ‘terror by design’, says EU foreign policy chief 22. August 2026 (03:12) Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, threatens harshest sanctions yet on Russia after strike on Kryvyi Rih, the home town of Volodymyr Zelenskyy Russian drones have slammed into a busy shopping centre in central Ukraine, killing 16 people in an attack that Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned as “cynical and despicable”.The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, condemned Friday’s attack on Kryvyi Rih – the president’s home town – as “terror by design” and said she was “putting forward the most far-reaching Russia sanctions listings since the start of the war” when ministers meet in Ireland next month. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Girl, 6, dies three days after Shoreham sea incident that killed parents and sister 22. August 2026 (00:50) Saja El-Khawas had been in critical condition after being pulled from sea in West SussexA six-year-old girl has died in hospital three days after being pulled from the sea off Shoreham in West Sussex, in an incident that also killed her mother, father and sister.Saja El-Khawas died on Friday after the deaths of her sister Sara El-Khawas, 14, and her parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, on Tuesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
TikTok agrees to $400m settlement to resolve US children’s privacy litigation 22. August 2026 (00:05) The DoJ sued TikTok and its former parent company in August 2024 for allegedly failing to protect children’s privacy and collecting their informationTikTok and its Chinese former parent company ByteDance on Friday agreed to a $400m settlement to resolve the US Department of Justice’s allegations that the short-form video app violated children’s online privacy.The justice department sued TikTok and ByteDance in 2024 for allegedly failing to protect children’s privacy and illegally collecting their information. The defendants were accused of violating a law requiring online services aimed at children to obtain parental consent to collect personal information from users under age 13. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Darth Vader’ comes out in favor of Flock cameras at San Diego city council meeting 21. August 2026 (23:58) The dark lord – or someone dressed like him – said the technology would aid the empire in tracking ‘rebel scum’A man dressed as Darth Vader appeared to poke fun at San Diego officials for using Flock Safety automated license plate readers at a city council meeting this week, a stunt that comes as the company faces growing backlash linked to spying concerns.The man, whose real identity remains unknown, masqueraded on Thursday as the Star Wars villain at a San Diego public safety committee meeting. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Trump threatens $5bn lawsuit over liberal National Guard policy report 21. August 2026 (23:17) A report released by thinktank Cap argues the deployment of the National Guard failed to have a measurable impact on crime, despite costing billionsThe Center for American Progress (Cap) received a letter from Donald Trump’s lawyer threatening a $5bn lawsuit unless the liberal research organization retracts a report criticizing the effectiveness of the president’s National Guard rollout.The report released 13 July argues that the National Guard deployment in Washington DC, Memphis and Los Angeles failed to have a measurable impact on crime in these cities despite an estimated cost of $1.7bn. The report looks at the falling rate of crime in cities without a National Guard intervention and concludes that they are not statistically different from the rate of decrease in those that had the intervention, noting that violent crime began falling well before Trump took office in 2025. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Dutch regulator fines Uber $966m for automating driver suspensions 21. August 2026 (22:12) European regulators have imposed billions in penalties on US technology companies due to privacy, competition and digital market rulesThe Dutch data protection authority has fined Uber €825m ($966m) for deactivating driver accounts through automated systems without adequately informing them, according to a 17 August decision.The penalty would be the second-largest issued yet under Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lindsay Clancy murder trial: rebuttal witnesses called after defense rests 21. August 2026 (21:50) Closing arguments could come on Monday as prosecutors seek murder conviction over deaths of three young childrenLindsay Clancy’s defense in her murder trial rested on Friday after calling witnesses to testify about the ailing mother’s mental state and attempts to seek help before she killed her young children.The defense wrapped more quickly than some expected given that the prosecution rested their case on Monday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Experts raise alarm over Trump’s public consultation on vaccines policy 21. August 2026 (21:34) Asking people to weigh in on adoption of different categories in move that will sow confusion and create access challenges, say expertsThe Trump administration is asking for public feedback on changes to the ways it recommends vaccines – likely opening the door to greater access challenges and confusion, experts say.In a notice published by the health and human services (HHS) to the Federal Register on Friday, officials say they are now seeking comments from the public about the current categories for vaccine recommendations, which so far fall into routine, risk-based and shared clinical decision-making. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
