Retail sales in Great Britain fall despite heatwave increasing food and drink demand 21. August 2026 (10:58) Volume of goods sold in stores and online dropped 0.5% in July, ONS saysBusiness live – latest updatesRetail sales across Great Britain weakened last month despite the men’s football World Cup and record temperatures boosting the demand for food and drink.The Office for National Statistics said the volume of goods sold in stores and online fell 0.5% in July. That is down from 0.7% rise in June – revised down from initial estimates of 1% – and a 1.3% rise in May. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Weather tracker: Extreme rain deluges Japan and South Korea 21. August 2026 (10:19) Downpours break records and cause transport chaos, evacuations and deaths, as people get trapped inside vehicles South Korea and Japan were hit by extreme rain late last week and into this week. On 13 August in the city of Chiba near Tokyo there was a record-breaking 115mm of rainfall in just one hour, while the nearby city of Sakura broke its own record with 97mm in one hour. Local authorities issued a level 5 emergency warning for heavy rain, the highest alert level and the first time one has been issued since the system was implemented in May.More than 100,000 households were asked to evacuate, with more than 20,000 in the Chiba prefecture left without power, while thousands of people were stranded at Tokyo’s Narita airport. Thirteen people have been confirmed dead, at least three of whom were found trapped inside their vehicles. One person is still missing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Footage shows clash with French police on beach as dinghy tries to leave for UK 21. August 2026 (10:05) Film emerges as France says it has stopped 185 small boat ‘events’ in three months since new £660m deal with UKFootage has captured the moment French police officers clashed with people on a beach in northern France as the authorities tried to intercept a dinghy attempting to reach the UK.Men wearing lifejackets appear to throw objects at the police to try to keep them away from their dinghy. The officers then use Pava spray before slashing the inflatable boat with a knife. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Australian police charge man accused of attempting to share Ukrainian military intel with Russian agents 21. August 2026 (09:11) Vladmir Teslov, 27, charged after allegedly seeking to provide information about Ukrainian forces to ‘Russian intelligence services’Australian police have charged a man who allegedly joined the Ukrainian military and sought to provide information about its activities to people he suspected were Russian agents.Vladimir Teslov, a dual Russian-Australian citizen, appeared in court on Friday after the Australian federal police (AFP) charged him with an attempted foreign interference. The offence carries a 20-year prison sentence. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
We’ll never be royals: the California town where Prince Harry and Meghan lived says goodbye 21. August 2026 (09:00) As the couple plans their return to the UK, Montecito’s whirlwind stint on the global stage may be coming to an endThe bucolic coastal California town of Montecito was thrust into the limelight six years ago as the backdrop for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s second act following an acrimonious split from Buckingham Palace.But as the couple plans their return to the United Kingdom, Montecito’s whirlwind stint on the global stage may be coming to an end. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK reports unexpected deficit of £1.8bn as John Healey prepares for first budget 21. August 2026 (08:34) July data shows total public debt was £2.98tn, or 94% of GDP – up £96bn on a year earlierBusiness live – latest updatesThe UK government ran a larger than expected £1.8bn deficit in July, underlining the challenges facing the chancellor, John Healey, as he draws up his first budget.City economists had expected a shortfall of zero for July, a month when Treasury receipts tend to be swollen by self-assessment income tax payments. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli settler attacks shift to heart of territory earmarked for Palestinian state 21. August 2026 (08:00) Report says West Bank violence moving from Israeli-controlled areas to those under direct Palestinian ruleViolent Israeli settler attacks in the two areas of the occupied West Bank under direct Palestinian rule have almost doubled since 2025, as settlers pursue a self-proclaimed “great settlement revolution” in the very heart of the territory earmarked for a Palestinian state.According to a report by the Israeli human rights organisation Yesh Din, shared with the Guardian, data shows that almost two-thirds of incidents of settler violence so far in 2026 have taken place in the so-called Areas A and B – placed under Palestinian Authority governance in the 1995 Oslo accords. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Brethren church denies paying far-right activists to stage election stunts targeting Albanese and others 21. August 2026 (07:02) Church director tells parliamentary inquiry reporting by Nine newspapers a ‘complete lie’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has denied it secretly paid far-right influencers to stage stunts targeting Anthony Albanese and other politicians during an appearance at a parliamentary inquiry into the 2025 election.The church also refuted claims it had coordinated hundreds of volunteers to support Liberal candidates, including at polling booths across the country. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
UK men with heart disease at higher risk of developing and dying from cancer 21. August 2026 (07:01) Decade-long study finds stark gender difference in outcomes of people with heart diseaseMillions of men with heart disease have a higher risk of developing and dying from cancer, according to a decades-long study.The biggest drivers behind male cases were smoking, obesity and drinking too much alcohol, researchers said, with the link most pronounced in lung and oesophageal cancers. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Rewilded land remains green amid drought-stricken English countryside, images show 21. August 2026 (07:00) National Trust’s Holnicote estate says restored wetlands and rivers offer proof of resilience to drought, wildfires and floodingAerial footage of an estate in Somerset has revealed the benefits of rewilding land in the face of extreme weather brought about by the climate crisis.The area of the National Trust’s Holnicote estate where rivers have been returned to their natural courses and wetlands have been restored have remained green and lush during the five heatwaves across the summer. In contrast, the surrounding countryside has become parched and brown. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
