Top Democrat slams Trump’s ‘inane, haphazard’ cuts to US-South Korea drills – live 17. August 2026 (17:21) Senator Jack Reed slammed ‘another inane, haphazard decision’ after Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back military drills with South Korea aimed at deterring North KoreaSign up for the Breaking News US emailRepublican senator Thom Tillis deplored Trump’s decision to cut US military drills with South Korea, which comes despite military officials from both countries warning that Kim Jong-un’s regime is learning new battlefield expertise, including new drone tactics, from assisting Russia with its war in Ukraine.Tillis wrote on X:South Korea has been a solid military ally for over 70 years that possesses exquisite military capabilities. Reducing joint exercises with South Korea does nothing more than free up thousands of North Korea’s troops to support Putin’s systematic kidnapping, torture, rape, and murder of innocent Ukrainian citizens. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Leading economies’ borrowing costs hit highest since 2008 crisis 17. August 2026 (17:13) Concern over impact of Iran war pushes up government bond yields in US, UK, France, Germany and JapanGovernment borrowing costs in several advanced economies hit their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, or even earlier, on Monday as investors feared the Middle East crisis would keep inflation persistently high.Concerns over rising prices and government spending pushed up the cost of debt issued by Paris, Berlin, Washington DC, Tokyo and London as investors fretted that rising prices would push up interest rates. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
3M knew for more than 50 years that its products could harm humans, Australian government alleges in court documents 17. August 2026 (17:00) Exclusive: federal government court filings claim internal company documents included warnings about products being toxicGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastManufacturing company 3M knew more than 50 years ago that its firefighting products – including components in Pfas “forever chemicals” – could be hazardous to the health of humans and animals and damage the environment, the federal government has claimed in court documents.In filings as part of its $2bn lawsuit against the multinational company, commonwealth lawyers said products sold to Australia were known to stay present in water and soil, were persistent in the human body and in animals, and contributed to conditions including reduced kidney function, alterations in immune function, effects on fertility and puberty and lower birth weight in babies. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
British Muslim student with valid visa refused entry to US after 23-hour detention 17. August 2026 (17:00) Laith Alani, who had booked week-long trip to visit theme parks and family, believes US border force profiled him on arrival in OrlandoA British student who was detained and deported after flying to the US claims he was profiled for being Muslim.Laith Alani said he felt as if he had been kidnapped when he was interrogated for nine hours and detained in a holding cell for another 14 hours by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Orlando international airport. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Top album releases linked to rise in fatal crashes as ‘distracted’ drivers access music 17. August 2026 (17:00) Harvard study finds traffic fatalities increase by 15% on release dates compared with similar days either sideThe release of a new album by Taylor Swift might be a cause for celebration among her fans, but such events have also been linked to a more sombre phenomenon: an increase in fatal car crashes.The team behind a new study say it sheds light on the impact of distracted driving. “You can’t randomise people into using their phones, and drivers rarely volunteer what they were doing in the seconds before a crash,” said Dr Vishal Patel, first author of the study based at Harvard Medical School. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why rightwing critics are wrong to say the Australian super system is broken 17. August 2026 (17:00) Spending on aged pension will be stable for decades to come, experts argue, despite claims by Bragg and HansonGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIs Australia’s superannuation system “one of the biggest policy failures since federation”? Is “the whole system broken”?Australia’s $4.4tn compulsory super regime is generally considered among the best in the world, yet conservative politicians such as Andrew Bragg, the Coalition’s putative shadow housing minister, and Pauline Hanson, One Nation’s leader, seem to hate it. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Alarm raised over ‘privacy dilemma’ of facial recognition technology at Coles and Woolworths 17. August 2026 (17:00) Supermarkets say they are exploring ways to keep people safe, but experts claim the tech is ‘normalising surveillance’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastConsumer privacy advocates have responded with alarm after Coles and Woolworths confirmed they were testing facial recognition technology that they could use in their Australian supermarkets to record shoppers’ personal biometric data.The supermarket giants on Monday confirmed they had tested the technology and said they were considering installing it in their Australian stores to crack down on retail crime including aggression towards staff. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Finland halts deportation of Russian family who ‘risked everything’ to oppose Ukraine invasion 17. August 2026 (16:04) Mother and son Olga and Nikita Belov say they were facing jail and potential torture after asylum case was rejectedA Russian family who were on the brink of being deported from Finland after repeatedly being denied asylum – despite the threat of arrest, imprisonment and torture for their pro-Ukrainian activism – have won a court appeal and will have their case reconsidered.Nikita Belov and his mother, Olga Belov, fled their homeland for Finland in 2022 after attracting the attention of Russian authorities – including a military summons, threatening messages and attempts to locate them – for expressing opposition to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Storm Lala damages bridges and more than 100 homes on Hawaii’s Big Island 17. August 2026 (15:59) Lala was downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm Sunday, but could become a hurricane again by WednesdayCleanup efforts started on Hawaii after Hurricane Lala rolled past the Big Island and dumped heavy rain across the US Pacific state.Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it grazed the islands, but it brought heavy rains and winds strong enough to sweep about 100 homes off their foundations on the Big Island. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Teenager charged with murder after mass shooting at Kentucky park 17. August 2026 (14:55) Sixteen-year-old dead and four others wounded including two children at community celebration in LexingtonAuthorities in Kentucky charged an 18-year-old man with murder and several counts of assault after a shooting in Lexington park left a teenager dead and four others injured – one of multiple similar cases around the US over the weekend.Jametrius Griffin was arrested less than 24 hours after Saturday night’s mass shooting at Charles Young Park in the city’s downtown. According to the Lexington police department, officers responded to reports of gunfire in the park at about 7pm and found five people shot, including two adults, a 14-year-old and a four-year-old. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
