2026/08/09 Daily Edition

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is at the centre of an effort by the Trump administration that observers say is part of a broader attempt to reshape the stories of the United States as told by the country's cultural institutions.

Demi Vollering won stage 8 of the Tour de France and took the yellow jersey on the eve of the finish. The Dutch rider managed to distance her rival Kasia Niewiadoma.

Over 1,600 flights cancelled as Typhoon Dolphin approaches China's eastern coast, with winds reaching 162km/h overnight.

The 1956 march transformed women’s rights and political power, but millions still cannot fully enjoy those gains.

Probe under way on whether the aircraft developed a technical snag or if there were any other technical problems

Sumit Roy had remained untraced for weeks before appearing at the CID headquarters on August 8 for questioning on an order of the Supreme Court.

London City Lionesses’ headline signing talks expectations, the lure of playing in England and the prospect of being kicked by her former teammates Momentarily, Alexia Putellas appears somewhat nervous, stepping inside the cramped conference room in a Kent hotel to see 23 reporters squeezed inside, all eager to hear from the Women’s Super League’s newest global superstar, but she quickly composes herself. Within minutes, she is into her stride, asking for tips about roast dinners and drawing laughs from the room as she jokes that her friends who play for other English clubs have told her they are going to kick her. Welcome to the WSL. Speaking in English throughout the 20-minute session with ever-increasing proficiency, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner and four-time Champions League winner explains why she has swapped the prestige of Barcelona – where she has been idolised over a trophy-laden 14-year spell – for a team that finished 22 points adrift of the European qualification places last term...

A 1991 black-and-white portrait photograph has become an iconic symbol of impoverished Chinese students’ yearning for knowledge, profoundly altering the life of its subject. The photograph, titled “I Want to Go to School,” captures a poignant moment of an eight-year-old Primary One girl studying at a rural school in central China’s Anhui province. Her bright eyes gaze ahead, radiating an insatiable thirst for learning. Affectionately known as “Big Eyes,” the picture was taken by photojournalist...

Just outside the Nigerian capital Abuja, where Green Agriculture West Africa Limited (Gawal) is based, locals do not refer to the company by name, instead as the place where the Chinese supply “magic” rice seeds. Ahmed Yusuf, 42, credits the seeds with turning around his rice business for good. Before Gawal, Yusuf’s yields averaged just 2 tonnes per hectare, putting him on the verge of forsaking farming after more than a decade of toiling. “Each year I was making losses, and I couldn’t meet the...

Extreme rainfall triggered the disaster, but geological weaknesses and valley formations determined its scale, movement and destructive impact

The collaborators are targeting to attract an additional investment of ₹5,000 crore in 50 new GCCs and expanding existing GCCs in the State in the next five years

Restaurateur Ken Chu Ka-chun recorded a 20 per cent boost in business at one of his restaurants at Kai Tak Sports Park over the past month, thanks to pet owners dining in under a government scheme allowing dogs into nearly 1,000 Hong Kong establishments since July 9. “We saw more dog owners coming in because people frequently walk their dogs around here,” said Chu, owner of Asura group, which has two restaurants with pet-friendly licences. The restaurant has separate seating areas for diners...

As a tween, Hull’s finest learned the rap from Waterfalls – now she blubs to prog. But which song from a British singer-songwriter is her guilty pleasure? The first song I fell in love with Caravan of Love by the Housemartins, when I was four or five. They’re also from Hull, but I think I mainly liked it because my granny and grandad had a caravan in their garden that I used as a wendy house. The first single I bought I remember buying Thriller by Michael Jackson from HMV in Hull, even though it was before my time. Everyone loved Michael Jackson so I was probably copying somebody at school...

How do you deal with nerves or bad reviews? What if you don’t sell any tickets? For debutants, the list of potential worries is huge. So we paired a few up with veterans to talk past mistakes, coping strategies – and the odd celebrity encounter Binge on the fringe: the must-see shows at Edinburgh 2026 Explore the rest of our coverage of the Edinburgh festival 2026 Everyone has to start somewhere – even at the Edinburgh festival fringe. But what made Smack the Pony actor Fiona Allen take up standup in her 50s? Why is veteran TV entertainer Joe Pasquale making his fringe debut in his 60s in an ensemble comic play? How many taboos will newcomer Sepideh Kaav, a Berlin-based Iranian comic in her early 30s, break by talking about sex? And what will the 78-year-old, seven-time Edinburgh veteran Gyles Brandreth make of debutant Brandy Bex, a 50-year-old NHS nurse performing in drag? We paired six fringe stalwarts with relative newcomers to compare their hopes, fears and survival tactics for this year...

US-Iran war has stranded up to 20,000 seafarers, mostly Indian and Filipino crews, with none knowing when the nightmare will end The panicked crew of a cargo ship broadcast a distress signal late on Monday night from their location in the strait of Hormuz. About 20 nautical miles north of the coast of Oman, the Minoan Pioneer bulk carrier was hit by an unknown projectile, causing a blackout in the engine room and a fire in the accommodation area. The crew scrambled to put out the blaze and called for help from nearby vessels. When they managed to disembark from the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged ship on Tuesday morning, they realised the third engineer was missing. Days later, he is yet to be found...

Nagasaki Mayor says ‘humanity and nuclear weapons can't coexist’ as Japan marks anniversary of the US atomic bombing.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the Kanwar Yatra as an unparalleled example of devotion, dedication, social and national unity and harmony

EEMAGINE, a conclave that brings together members from India’s events and experiential marketing industry, gets under way

Chintada Ravikumar and 25 others were arrested over alleged misbehaviour with a woman Sub-Inspector during the former Chief Minister’s July 30 visit to Ampolu; families of some of the accused claimed they were not in town that day

The Quit India Movement was launched under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi on August 9, 1942 and gave a decisive impetus to India's quest for independence

The deceased was identified as Bharat, a resident of Bihar, who was crossing the road when he was struck by the vehicle at Gangyal on the outskirts of the city

The sisters were reportedly on their way to a temple in Nagercoil when the accident occurred

Iran on Saturday issued a list of demands for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which have been characterised as “new” preconditions. Reporting from Washington, FRANCE 24’s Fraser Jackson notes that many of the demands were “already agreed to by the US in the [Islamabad] Memorandum of Understanding that was signed back in June” between Iran and the US. “The difficulty was that the language then was quite broad.”

Total solar eclipse (1/4). A total solar eclipse will sweep across northern Spain on August 12 in one of Europe's most anticipated astronomical events of the decade. For Singaporean family Janet Tay, Koh Joo Beng and their son Jared, it will be the latest stop in a journey that has taken them around the world in pursuit of the Moon's shadow.

Of late, universities in the Global North have been recruiting people from underrepresented backgrounds in part on the strength of narratives of overcoming disadvantage and embodying the universities’ commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Deputy Defence Secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to industry leaders, giving them no more than 21 days to submit plans to “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities,” according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

Abdul Ghafoori was arrested at a Toronto airport on August 7, 2026 after returning to Canada following more than seven months on the run, CBC News reported

The Saudi Energy ‌Ministry did not immediately specify the cause of the fire

The incident occured in the wake of the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the temple town to offer prayers at the temple in the evening

The 1973 oil crisis prompted P.M. Bhargava to write directly to Dr. Nayudamma, the new CSIR Director-General, warning that India could not afford to fall behind in biotechnology (ethanol as a biofuel took off in 70s led by Brazil). This led to a committee, and on April 1, 1977, CCMB was formed on paper, evolving from the Department of Biochemistry

The Southern Districts Farmers Association urged the Centre to consider the demand of Tamil Nadu and execute it in totality to improve the surface water source in the State.

Cara Tejpal said she had examined the evidence in the case for 13 years and was convinced that her father was innocent

The former Watford player talks about his off-field pursuits, lessons from the World Cup and unfinished business When Maduka Okoye visited Paris fashion week for the Jean Paul Gaultier show, taking his seat in the front row alongside rapper Cardi B, the online reaction was swift. Within hours, footage of the Udinese and Nigeria goalkeeper was all over TikTok and Instagram – where his audience now stretches near to two million followers – transforming the appearance into a viral cultural moment that crossed beyond the boundaries of football. Yet ask Okoye to reflect on his sudden explosion into the fashion ecosystem, and he frames it not as a pursuit of celebrity or status, but as a genuine interest in art. “Being at the Paris fashion week was really impressive,” Okoye tells the Guardian. “It was my first time really coming into contact with high fashion, and it was fascinating. It’s a true art form. I enjoyed it immensely, and since that moment I’ve become a much bigger fan of fashion than I was before.”..

Never before has a big name rejected Istanbul for Trabzon, but former Liverpool striker was offered more than riches It began with a text sent during the World Cup. Ertugrul Dogan, the president of Trabzonspor, was watching Egypt when he picked up his phone and messaged his manager, Fatih Tekke. “Coach,” it read. “Do you want Mohamed Salah?” Tekke’s response was immediate enthusiasm, though Trabzonspor’s initial push for Salah went under the radar. For weeks, Besiktas looked most likely to land the former Liverpool striker. In Turkish football, Istanbul’s Big Three – Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas – have long held a financial and cultural monopoly on the Süper Lig’s marquee signings...

Ekaterina Alexandrov took down four-time Grand Slam singles champion Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set marathon in Toronto.

She was speaking at the launch of The People’s Sanctum, a book that documents the temple entry struggles over the last 100 years

The West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front, which led extensive protests following the discovery of the post-graduate trainee doctor's body on August 9, 2024, held a clinic for underprivileged people at Chitpur in north Kolkata

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that he was unaware of the directive, while Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said that only two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung in the State government’s events

From Mayo to Birmingham City, sports lore is rife with powerful hexes. There’s nothing mystical about the dread and self-doubt they can induce As the new season of Ted Lasso started, I was reminded of one of the show’s stranger storylines. When Dani “Football is life!” Rojas gets injured, his teammates blame the incident on a curse said to haunt the treatment room. Absurd? Perhaps. But sports curses aren’t just fictional plot devices. Football is fertile ground for stories of mysterious forces, blamed for everything from missed penalties to decades of failure. Helen Pilcher is a science writer and author of Life Changing: How Humans Are Altering Life on Earth and This Book May Cause Side Effects..

Natto toast, fresh fruit sandwiches and soufflé pancakes all part of growing interest in east Asian cuisine Golden brown and glistening with melted butter, a tray of freshly baked bread fills the screen in a TikTok video. The camera lingers on the glossy tops before one bun is gently pulled apart, revealing a cloud-soft interior. The clip is one of countless videos of Japanese milk buns that have racked up millions of views and thousands of comments and shares, helping to propel the pillowy rolls into UK supermarkets...

Those tempted to access fake websites run risk of phishing scams and having computer infected with malware The Odyssey is the hottest release this summer and you have been looking forward to seeing the much-acclaimed adaptation of Homer’s epic ancient Greek poem. But you have been unable to go to the cinema, so when you spot an ad to watch online, you jump at the chance. There are positive reviews posted on the site so you decide to sign up. Although it asks for your bank details – which is unusual for a “free” trial – you are so eager to watch the blockbuster you input your details...

New settlement tender in West Bank deepens Israeli efforts to sever Palestinian ties to Jerusalem, officials warn.

Rebeca Grynspan seen as continuity candidate with tacit support from current secretary general, António Guterres A Costa Rican diplomat and former vice-president whose parents were refugees from the Holocaust has become the surprise frontrunner to lead the United Nations as its first female secretary general. Rebeca Grynspan, whose parents emigrated to Central America from Poland – and whose maternal grandparents were killed by the Nazis – is the current head of the UN conference on trade and development (UNCTAD), a body that has exhaustively tallied the economic damage inflicted by Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories...

FIFA on Saturday issued a statement defending its president, Gianni Infantino, against what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine his leadership of the organisation. It came a day after a British newspaper accused the FIFA boss of paying off a fomer lover while at UEFA, allegations Infantino has categorically denied.

The IMD said light to very light rain is likely at some places in Delhi over the next two days

The Maldives recently called to revive a South Asian grouping, which has been suspended for over a decade. But given the tensions between two of the most influential countries in that region – India and Pakistan – that request is likely to go unheeded, according to observers. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu said on July 26 that his country was ready to help resume the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) meetings. The last one was held 12 years ago. Describing the bloc as...

Hong Kong police have arrested 147 people after uncovering a triad syndicate suspected of setting up centres to coordinate bank accounts and handle HK$600 million (US$76 million) in allegedly illicit proceeds. Police said on Sunday that they had conducted a citywide operation code-named “Rapidhorse” over the previous two days against the syndicate allegedly operating drug and illegal gambling dens in Kowloon and the New Territories. The operation involved undercover detectives, the force...

Hong Kong visitors spent HK$5.8 billion (US$739 million) during major events in the first half of the year, averaging HK$3,314 per traveller, the city’s finance chief said. In his weekly blog on Sunday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said about 1.75 million visitors were drawn to the city’s more than 130 events between January and June, generating around HK$5.8 billion in spending and contributing HK$3.3 billion in economic value added. “Art, cultural and mega-events have lifted the overall...

Mayawati urged the RSS to respect the Constitution and stop advocating any changes to the reservation system.

Ballari MP E. Tukaram said that he would continue to make efforts for ministerial position for his wife and Sandur MLA E. Annapurna, till the end

The police teams visited over 30 places across the city and initiated a verification process.

Khwairakpam Rojit Singh (21), a member of the banned Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup outfit and involved in the recruitment of cadres, was arrested from Thamnapokpi Makha in Bishnupur district

Searches were conducted in more than 20 residential houses linked to individuals associated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami

As residents, nature wardens and experts consider the damage to the heathland and how to restore it, the climate crisis is foremost in their minds A local community pulling together, emergency services saving homes and caravan parks from catastrophe, and farmers and nature reserve wardens working to rapidly create fire breaks to halt a marauding fireball 40 metres high – there was plenty to praise the week after a swathe of east Suffolk burned. But local people were also in tears at the blackened, ruined state of more than 112 hectares (277 acres) of Dunwich Heath, mourning the devastation of a much-loved nature reserve alongside neighbouring Minsmere. The rare birds that inhabit the reserve have lost crucial habitat, while the rare invertebrate species there will have been “decimated”, according to the reserve staff...

Missing payments suggest employment laws may have been breached by recruitment agencies used by courier company Low-paid temporary workers at one of the UK’s top courier businesses have missed out on entitlements to sick pay and pension contributions, internal documents suggest. The payments – typically included in the “charge rate” that large brands pay recruitment companies to supply them with temporary workers – are missing from internal spreadsheets calculating the cost of employing thousands of transient staff working at DPD...

A fast-moving wildfire has forced more than 20,000 people to evacuate parts of British Columbia’s Okanagan region.

A fresh delimitation will be triggered by the existing provisions of Articles 81 and 82 after the data of the 2027 Census is published, if they are not amended. Lok Sabha constituencies will be reallocated to States on the basis of the 2027 Census.

According to the complaint submitted at Gauriganj Police Station, the incident occurred on August 8 near Jamo turn, where three unidentified men riding a motorcycle allegedly attacked Shashikant Tiwari

He says it is also working to improve women’s participation in the workforce, particularly in rural areas, and strengthen nutrition programmes by promoting protein-rich foods and traditional millets

Addressing a gathering, the former Indian cricketer says every child is unique and should not be compared with others