The Guardian Politics

Burnham expected to give mayors new powers over local planning decisions

Move would allow mayors to greenlight large-scale developments and have more say on national housing fundingAndy Burnham is expected to give mayors new powers to take control of local planning decisions and greenlight large-scale developments in proposals to be presented next week.The move would allow mayors to “call in” the decisions and direct councils to take them forward or refuse them. Continue reading...

politics  Aug 23, 2026

The Guardian

British corporation continued trafficking of enslaved Africans to Guyana 40 years after abolition

Letter written in 1847 to Sandbach, Tinne and Company’s Liverpool office reveals it engaged in practice after receiving taxpayer-funded compensation, book saysWhen Britain abolished slavery, plantation owners from powerful families notoriously received huge sums in compensation, while those who were enslaved got nothing.Now evidence has come to light that Sandbach, Tinne and Company – a corporation closely linked to the merchants who got the biggest taxpayer-funded compensation payouts – continu

general  Aug 23, 2026

The Guardian Culture

‘The country of my birth has lost its heart’: Miriam Margolyes on how to fix broken Britain

At 85, the actor has lived through much political upheaval. But, she writes, today’s hostile times feel like ‘the worst yet’. She reflects on her journey from teenage Tory to full-throated leftist – and says there’s still time to save the nation from the bad guysA funny thing happened on the way to 2026: I got old and the world turned nasty. It happened very quickly and it’s to do with politics (the world) and pelvic floor weakness (mine). It’s strange being this old. Sometimes when I look in th

entertainment  Aug 23, 2026

The Guardian Culture

A supreme being, the nearly naked show and politics with paws: Edinburgh fringe pick’n’mix

From Taiwanese steampunk dance to Australian climate comedy, here are 13 quick-fire fringe reviewsAll our Edinburgh festival reviewsFor new perspective on the strange ways we behave, we all know the thought experiment “if a visitor from space arrived on Earth, what would they think?” In Born Sexy Yesterday, Anna Leong Brophy plays a supreme being implanted into a grown woman’s body to experience life for the first time. Presenting like some sci-fi sex robot with the soul of a naive child, Brophy

entertainment  Aug 23, 2026

The Guardian Politics

Drill, Burnham, drill? The oil basin that is a totem for Trump - and a headache for Britain’s new PM

North Sea oil, once the driving force of the UK economy, may be dwindling but it remains a symbol of prestige and a rich resource for political debateWhen oil was first discovered off the north-east coast of Scotland in September 1969, industry folklore has it that the duty superintendent on the rig carefully poured it into a pickle jar commandeered from the canteen and took it back to Amoco’s Great Yarmouth office in Norfolk. There, it was emptied into an ash tray, sniffed and then set alight.F

politics  Aug 23, 2026

Bloomberg Markets

Mexican Governor Wanted by US Over Cartel Ties Seeks Leave Again

The Mexican governor accused by the US of conspiring with a cartel and abetting drug trafficking has once again requested leave, after returning to his post on Friday.

business  Aug 23, 2026

BBC Sport

Wales pushing the pain barrier in bid to improve

BBC Sport spends a day in Wales' pre-season camp, watching players put through their paces ahead of the new WXV Global Series.

sports  Aug 23, 2026

Yahoo Finance

Alibaba launches $10 billion Hong Kong share placement to fund AI spending

business  Aug 23, 2026

Science Daily

This common vitamin was linked to 13% better cognitive scores

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment and sleep problems who took at least 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily scored more than 13% higher on a cognitive test than those taking none. The preliminary findings suggest vitamin D could be worth studying as a potentially modifiable factor during an early window of cognitive decline.

science  Aug 23, 2026

Financial Times

US buyers snap up Europe’s asset managers at fastest rate in decades

European fund groups struggle as firms race to bulk up and expand globally

business  Aug 23, 2026

Bloomberg Markets

Australia Reports First Bird Flu Case in a Mammal as Seal Dies

Australia reported its first confirmed case of the H5 bird flu in a mammal, after a long-nosed fur seal was found dead in South Australia.

business  Aug 23, 2026

ESPN

Skubal fans 11 to score first win with Dodgers

Tarik Skubal overcame a rough first inning and struck out 11 to earn his first win as a Dodger, and Los Angeles rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Pirates on Saturday.

sports  Aug 23, 2026

Bloomberg Markets

India Rescues Two of Ship’s 24 Crew Members After Distress Alert

India launched search-and-rescue operations for crew members of cargo ship MV OCEAN WINNER in the Bay of Bengal after receiving a distress alert on Aug. 22.

business  Aug 23, 2026

Science Daily

Black holes keep tearing these stars apart, but they survive

Astronomers have found stars that repeatedly skim past supermassive black holes, surviving each encounter while producing a new burst of light. In some systems, those flares mysteriously fade with every return. Researchers now think the key may be stars that were already spinning extremely fast before being captured. That rapid rotation could explain both the fading flares and how the stars ended up in such extraordinarily tight black hole orbits.

science  Aug 23, 2026

NY Times Business

Four Years Ago, a Crypto Boss Went Missing. Now His Successor Has.

The mysterious collapse of a European cryptocurrency exchange helps to explain why the industry hasn’t shaken off its reputation as a magnet for criminals.

business  Aug 23, 2026

The Guardian

Liberal plan to split Victorian appeals court attacked as ‘thought bubble’ that would politicise judiciary

Opposition leader Jess Wilson says new dedicated court of criminal appeal would set precedents for tougher sentencesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA radical overhaul of Victoria’s highest court, proposed by the Liberal party to increase sentences, has been criticised by legal and human rights groups who warn it would politicise the judiciary.The opposition leader, Jess Wilson, on Sunday announced that if elected in November the Coalition would split the court of appea

general  Aug 23, 2026

The Guardian

The ‘ordinary’ woman accused of assassinating a Russian commander in Crimea

Friends close to Margarita Reutt are shocked she could allegedly plant bomb that killed Ukrainian defector Robert Shageev, while others recall a stubborn grit to see any plan throughIt was just after dawn in Sevastopol when a powerful explosion tore through a quiet square in a residential district of the Russian-occupied Crimean port city.Hidden inside a rubbish bin, a bomb containing the equivalent of about 500g of TNT detonated on 13 August as Robert Shageev, the deputy commander of a Russian

general  Aug 23, 2026

Financial Times

Are America’s vast Gulf bases worth rebuilding?

Iran’s attacks exposed vulnerability of US military footprint spanning the region since the 1990s

business  Aug 23, 2026

Financial Times

Why is the far right so obsessed with knights?

Medieval military monks have become a regular sight at political rallies and marches

business  Aug 23, 2026

Financial Times

India’s reliance on Russian oil hits all-time high

Middle East conflict exposes New Delhi’s energy security vulnerabilities

business  Aug 23, 2026