The Guardian

Blow to NHS as Royal Mail raises prices for bulk users by a third

Average 25% increase for letters such as marketing, bills and medical appointment notices from 5 OctoberRoyal Mail will increase the price of its wholesale postal service by as much as a third, in a multimillion-pound blow to the NHS and other large organisations.The postal company has warned customers who use its wholesale postal service for mail including marketing letters, household bills and medical appointment notices that it is raising prices by an average of 25% from 5 October. Continue r

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

World-class Jodrell Bank is under threat and UK risks a physics brain drain

Funding crisis could lead to an exodus that would be a blow for British science and national growthOn a chilly day in December 1945, Bernard Lovell, a physicist at the University of Manchester, struck out for the Cheshire countryside to study cosmic rays, the streams of high-energy particles that crisscross the universe. Peering at the signals from his army surplus radar, he made an unexpected discovery: radio reflections from the ionised trails of shooting stars.The work marked the birth of rad

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

US airman accused of ‘spree’ of rapes on sleeping women avoided UK courts

Suffolk police ceded investigation into James Loubeau to the US military, leading to court martial acquittalA US airman accused of a “spree” of rapes and sexual assaults in England, drugging some women and breaking into the homes of others, was able to avoid British justice after local police handed over part of the case to the American military.Two British women went to Suffolk police in August 2019 to allege that James Loubeau and another US airman had drugged and raped them after they met in

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

Cottage pie and glass of red, anyone? Britons shun salad despite heat in ‘reverse comfort eating’

Nostalgic foods like toad-in-the-hole also in demand at Waitrose as people pivot towards familiarity amid climatic and political upheavalForget a crisp salad and glass of chilled rosé. Enervated Britons are seemingly more likely to crave a rich cottage pie and a robust red in heatwaves.In a trend termed “reverse comfort eating”, Waitrose’s cottage pie sales have soared 110% in the last month and South African red wine is up 68% compared with the same period last year. The surprise spike in deman

general  Jul 28, 2026

BBC World

Hong Kong activist allowed to stay in UK after deportation threat

Wu was detained for hours at London's Heathrow Airport last week and refused entry, he told the BBC.

general  Jul 28, 2026

NY Times World

Massive Wildfires Draw Close to Madrid

Madrid is booming, culturally and economically, but the wildfires raging within a short drive of the capital have provided a reality check.

general  Jul 28, 2026

NY Times World

Drilling for Oil the Old-Fashioned Way in ‘Little Texas,’ Indonesia

Small pumps and truck engines are used to extract crude from the ground in parts of the country, which has tens of thousands of community-run oil wells.

general  Jul 28, 2026

NY Times World

Zelensky and Trump Will Meet at the White House. Has Their Relationship Thawed?

President Trump will meet his Ukrainian counterpart in Washington this week. President Volodymyr Zelensky will also attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham.

general  Jul 28, 2026

NY Times World

Southeast Asian Resort Towns Suffer as Iran War Keeps European Tourists Away

Soaring airfares and disruptions to Middle Eastern travel hubs are keeping many travelers away from destinations in Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia.

general  Jul 28, 2026

NY Times World

The Iran War Is Making Asia’s Street Food More Expensive

Some staple dishes in Asia are no longer as affordable to purchase or prepare. Customers and food sellers alike are feeling the pinch.

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

‘We have lost everything’: extreme rainfall across Asia brings flash floods and typhoons

From Afghanistan to Taiwan, unprecedented deluge highlights devastating impact of climate breakdown“It rained for 10 days and 10 nights, non-stop – I’d never seen anything like it,” says Anar Gul, a construction worker who lives in the remote district of Dur Baba in eastern Afghanistan.The houses in his village are built from stone and mud, which makes them extremely vulnerable to heavy rains. After days of rain, Gul’s kitchen collapsed and his neighbour, Sayed Afsar Sadat, saw a large part of h

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

A dog saved Houssein Hamze from a bomb. When war returned, he stayed to care for Lebanon’s animals

In normal times the Mashala shelter founder takes in strays, but in wartime, he is the only lifeline for animals in the areaDuring Israel’s 2006 war against Hezbollah, Houssein Hamze woke up one night to the sound of barking. Alarmed, he got up to check on the dog – his first rescue pet. Moments later, a bomb dropped next to his home and a piece of shrapnel landed right where he had been sleeping.“I swear to God, he really saved me from death. Animals always possess a sixth sense we don’t have,”

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

Train drivers in Great Britain consider strike action over lack of toilets

Unions say basic needs still not being met a year after regulator told operators to improve facilitiesTrain drivers are considering strike action over a lack of toilets, with unions saying basic needs are still not addressed a year after the rail regulator told operators to provide more facilities and breaks.Aslef said it was “putting the industry on notice”. The train drivers’ union added that companies had failed to deliver adequate toilets and reduce maximum driving times without a toilet bre

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

Hotelier stopped funding NSW Liberal ‘Reformers’ after deciding Morrison and Perrottet had ‘gone woke’, Icac hears

Michael O’Hara also tells corruption watchdog he was wrong to support young Liberals alleged to have solicited illegal donations, saying ‘I made a mistake’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA witness who allegedly made prohibited donations to young New South Wales Liberal powerbrokers who planned to move the party to the right has told the corruption watchdog he is now “disgusted” by the scheme and “made a mistake” sup

general  Jul 28, 2026

WSJ World News

Western Powers Race to Bring the Production of Explosives Back Home

The business of explosives is thriving in Western countries, as governments unleash spending to bring production home.

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

It’s the vibe: Australian comedy classic The Castle set to become a stage play

Working Dog team behind the 1997 film reuniting to write ‘new, fully updated’ version for the stage, which will premiere in Melbourne in 2027An announcement that deserves to go straight to the pool room: the beloved Australian comedy The Castle is set to become a play, written by the team behind the original film.Working Dog’s Rob Sitch, Tom Gleisner, Santo Cilauro and Jane Kennedy will write and co-produce the new theatrical production, which will again tell the story of the Kerrigan family and

general  Jul 28, 2026

BBC World

Johnson & Johnson offers up to $5.5bn to settle baby powder lawsuits

The proposed settlement aims to close a years-long legal battle over claims its talcs products cause cancer.

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

Meta disregarded its own research on teen harm, Tennessee lawyers tell jury

In opening statements, state argued Meta’s own research showed it harmed teens while firm’s attorneys pointed to transparencyThe long-awaited trial between the social media company Meta and the state of Tennessee began proceedings on Monday. Attorneys for Tennessee told a jury in Nashville that Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, disregarded internal research about its platform’s impact on teenagers, while the company sought ⁠to maximize profit from those young users.During ⁠opening stateme

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

Asia ‘scraping the bottom of the barrel’ as Red Sea oil blockade worsens energy crisis

The Houthi threat to Saudi oil exports comes as Japan, South Korea and the Philippines are still reeling from the closure of the strait of HormuzGovernments in Asia are scrambling to avoid their second major energy crisis in six months, as another maritime chokepoint in the Middle East faces a violent blockade, leaving only the Suez canal completely open for the free movement of gulf oil.Countries like Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and South Korea – which rely on Middle East oil for up to 90%

general  Jul 28, 2026

The Guardian

Betye Saar, pioneering figure of Black arts movement, dies at 99

Leading assemblage artist was known for reclaiming Jim Crow-era memorabilia as images of Black liberationArtist Betye Saar, the pioneering figure of the Black arts movement, died on Sunday morning in her home town of Los Angeles. She was 99.Saar, a famous practitioner of assemblage, an artistic style that builds sculpture from everyday objects, was best known for reclaiming Jim Crow era memorabilia such as dolls and washboards and recasting them as images of Black liberation. Saar also worked in

general  Jul 28, 2026