2026/08/12 Daily Edition

The total solar eclipse, which will briefly plunge a small part of Europe into darkness in broad daylight, began Wednesday in a remote region of the Arctic, the Russian space agency Roscosmos has announced. It is the first total eclipse – the moment when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun – in mainland Europe in two decades. Follow our liveblog for updates and reactions.

Lionel Messi has raised "serious doubts" over his footballing future in a touching tribute to his father, Jorge, who died last week.

The Israeli military Wednesday failed to remove settlers from blockaded Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank. The siege began over the weekend, when a group of settlers blocked essential supplies from entering the Palestinian village of Qusra. The incident marked a ⁠rare confrontation between settlers and the Israeli military.

Following Australia’s first reported automated hacking accident, experts warn deployers – and possibly developers – of AI agents could be held liable for the actions of their bots Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The law is clear, says Prof Jeannie Paterson. “If I deploy an AI agent and it causes harm to someone else, I am responsible for that harm. “Even if I didn’t intend for that to happen, it was foreseeable, and I should be taking responsibility.”..

Voters in six US states went to the polls to choose their preferred candidates in primaries and special elections ahead of November’s midterms. In Wisconsin, moderate David Crowley narrowly defeated Democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the race for governor. On the Republican side, Darline Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, advanced to a runoff in the Senate primary. Yuka Royer has the story.

IRGC advisers say Iran has replaced more missiles and drones than it used, and cite falling US munition stocks.

The US health secretary has spent years saying the MMR vaccine caused autism despite no medical evidence.

Energy prices declined 1.5 percent in July but remain 14.7 percent higher compared with a year ago.

Just eight vessels crossed strait on Tuesday, down from 130 to 140 prior to the war as peace talks stall.

The president boarded a different plane in Turkey during a Nato summit to evade an Iranian threat.

Colombia on Wednesday declared three days of mourning after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake killed more than 200 people in the west of the country. Monday's quake was the strongest to hit Colombia this century, and the search for survivors under the rubble is ongoing.

Mark Walter bought team last year for $10bn Iger and Kushner aim to ‘compete at the highest level’ Josh ⁠Kushner and Bob Iger ⁠are purchasing ⁠the ​Los Angeles Lakers for more ⁠than $12bn in a record-breaking ⁠deal, ESPN reported ​on ‌Wednesday, citing ‌sources with knowledge ‌of the deal. Billionaire Mark Walter purchased a majority stake of the ‌NBA team last year from the Buss family in a ​deal that valued the club at $10bn, with ⁠the deal only ​having ​been approved ​by the board ​of ‌governors ​in ​October...

Regardless of its current hostile rhetoric, the Islamic Republic will likely reach a settlement with the US and Israel.

The legislation will 'exceptionally' reduce certain prison terms, says Lebanon's parliament speaker.

Female staff alleged company failed to maintain safe workplace, after allegations of sexual assault against pilot The Canadian airline WestJet has agreed to pay C$4.5m (£2.4m) to settle a decade-long sexual harassment class action lawsuit levelled by its female flight attendants, who alleged the company failed to maintain a safe workplace. The suit followed allegations by Mandalena Lewis, a former flight attendant, that a pilot had sexually assaulted her and a colleague, but that WestJet kept the pilot flying, thereby putting other employees at risk...

The killers of PC Andrew Harper had been set to partake in early release scheme as prison system on verge of collapse.

Efan Dafydd's love of the cosmos continued to grow after meeting his hero, astronaut Tim Peake.

PM to look at imposing restriction on devices in public spaces, though campaigners fear it does not go far enough The government will look at banning disposable barbecues as wildfires continue to rage across the country, prime minister Andy Burnham has said. Disposable barbecues have been the cause of a number of serious fires over the last few years, but campaigners were critical of the PM’s failure to link those fires more broadly to the climate crisis. Macclesfield, Cheshire, July 2026: A large woodland fire which was tackled by dozens of firefighters. Cheshire Fire and Rescue service said a discarded barbecue was the probable cause Three separate fires in one day around London, July 2026: In Feltham, six hectares of heathland close to houses were damaged. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has urged people not to use disposable barbecues and to properly extinguish cigarettes after crews tackled three grass fires on Wednesday. The Trossachs, Scotland, May 2025: Covered two hectares in the Glen Finglas region of the national park. Glen Finglas is the biggest Woodland Trust site in the UK. The BBQ understood to have sparked that fire was found with a burger still on the grill...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened retaliation over the West’s seizure of commercial vessels. Speaking aboard a Russian warship, Putin described the measures targeting Russia as an act of piracy and robbery. France 24 International Affairs editor Philip Turle shares further insights.

Mark Zuckerberg’s tech giant Meta is facing a $1.4 trillion lawsuit over allegations that it deliberately designed addictive features on its platforms to keep children hooked. Parents have long raised concerns about the impact of Facebook and Instagram on young people’s mental health, and jury selection begins this Wednesday.

Racist settler graffiti on West Bank homes and schools reveals a brazen ideological drive for Palestinian displacement.

Former Barcelona and PSG star Lionel Messi, who won the 2022 World Cup, hints at retirement following the death of his father.

The pristine white sand dunes of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park are bordered by thick jungle on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Thousands of lagoons fill up after the rainy season.

With temperatures set to soar as high as 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius) this week, Europeans and tourists say that summer in Europe has lost its appeal.

The Kemp's ridley sea turtle was flown home to the Caribbean Sea after being found washed up in Wales.

Sudanese army air defenses reportedly intercepted drones launched by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over el-Obeid.

The conflict in the Middle East has pushed up oil and fuel prices, and also disrupted supply chains.

From rejecting drilling licences to preparing communities for heat, drought and wildfires, here’s how Burnham can ready the UK for a hotter, drier climate From record-smashing temperatures, wildfires, hosepipe bans and thousands of premature deaths, the climate crisis has left its mark across the summer of 2026. Tackling the root cause – the burning of fossil fuels – and ending the crisis will take years. So will fixing the UK government’s calamitous failure to protect lives and livelihoods against the long-predicted affects of global heating...

La Liga officials are set to inspect the pitch at Celta Vigo's Estadio de Balaidos over a suspected fungus outbreak.

Pyongyang has repeatedly condemned US–South Korea military drills, claiming they are a 'rehearsal for invasion'.

Bakery business Janes Pantry confirms its plans to reopen at least 20 of the Coughlans shops.

Annual US inflation dipped to 3.4% in July, with food costs slowing and housing keeping prices slightly higher.

Lebanon's parliament on Wednesday passed a general amnesty law reducing sentences for inmates and people detained for more than 12 years without charges in a bid to reduce prison overcrowding. The legislation was passed a day after Lebanon became the first Middle Eastern country to abolish the death penalty.

Vietnam, a country of more than 100 million people, is facing a sharp decline in its birthrate. Once known for large families, the nation's fertility rate has fallen to just 1.9 children per woman. This figure worries the government, which for decades was obsessed with controlling population growth – for more than 40 years, a two-child policy was the norm in Vietnam. But in June 2025, that restriction was officially lifted.

Esmail Qaani held meetings over Iraqi government's plan to disarm armed groups and bring weapons under state control.

Energy is cheaper than at its peak in late April, but gas is still nearly $1 a gallon more expensive than before the Iran war US consumer prices cooled slightly in July as the annualized inflation rate dipped down to 3.4%, though prices still remain higher than levels seen before the war with Iran. Though inflation decreased 0.7% in June during a brief ceasefire between the US and Iran that brought energy prices down, consumer prices have remained elevated. Price increases hit a three-year high in May, with annual inflation reaching 4.2%...

Sadiq Khan has indicated the technology will be deployed on London’s Oxford Street despite human rights concerns The Metropolitan police are understood to be planning to use live facial recognition (LFR) technology on Britain’s busiest shopping street. In June the Met said it would introduce the technology in London’s West End by Christmas and into a further six areas next year. Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, has indicated that the newly pedestrianised Oxford Street will be included...

Zhu was renowned for reforms that sought to transition China from the post-Maoist years to a more global market-oriented financial system, without ceding party control over the economy.

Falling water levels linked to weather system are expected to limit number of slots to transit shipping lane Business live – latest updates Commercial ships travelling through the Panama Canal are facing a rise in costs amid disruption triggered by the Iran war and falling water levels linked to this year’s intense El Niño weather system. Highlighting the fragility of global trade, a container ship reportedly paid about $4m (£3m) to jump a queue of vessels waiting to pass through the vital maritime choke point...

Israeli security forces have reportedly withdrawn and about a dozen settlers are said to remain at the site where two families have been besieged since Sunday.

A total solar eclipse will sweep across northern Spain on August 12 in one of Europe's most anticipated astronomical events of the decade. From the Sun's corona to animal behaviour and human emotions, these rare celestial events continue to provide scientists with valuable insights more than two millennia after they were first observed. Head of Space Science at the Centre National d'Études Spatiales, Olivier Joie-La Marle, shares further insights.

Zhu brought China into the WTO and championed reforms that fuelled growth.

A remarkably well-preserved motorcycle and identification tags were found alongside the bodies.

From Iceland to Spain, people have flocked to places where, briefly, the moon will completely block the sun.

If European states seize vessels with Russian cargo, Moscow will respond in kind 'wherever necessary', says Putin.

It’s being described as social media’s “Big Tobacco moment”, with a major trial against Meta opening today. Mark Zuckerberg’s company is defending itself against allegations that it harmed children by designing addictive features for young users on Instagram and Facebook. France 24 journalist Delano D'Souza shares further insights.

We’re just hours away from a rare celestial event, a total solar eclipse. Day will briefly turn into night across parts of northern Spain as the Moon completely blocks out the Sun. Beyond Spain, millions more will see a partial eclipse across Europe, Canada, the northern US and northwest Africa. And we’ll have plenty of coverage for you throughout the day. Francis Monte reports.

$1.4 trillion in fines… That’s the astronomical sum four US states are seeking from Meta, the company founded by Mark Zuckerberg. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey accuse the company of deliberately making Instagram and Facebook addictive for minors. Wassim Cornet reports from Los Angeles.

Earlier this week, Zelenskyy accused North Korea of stepping up its support for Russia, with ballistic missiles from Pyongyang reportedly used in another deadly attack on Zaporizhzhia. Let’s get more on this from France 24’s correspondent in South Korea, Chloe Borgnon.

We’re just hours away from a rare total solar eclipse, with parts of northern Spain set to briefly turn from day to night as the Moon blocks out the Sun. Millions more will see a partial eclipse across Europe, Canada, the northern US and northwest Africa. But beyond the spectacle, eclipses also offer scientists valuable insights into the Sun and our universe. Ellen Gainsford has more.

When I was younger, female biology was seen as something to be overcome. Now we can talk about the reality of living in our bodies Have you got the “luteal uglies”? I’m not trying to insult you, merely deploying the latest hormonal buzz phrase on social media, which refers to the phase in a woman’s cycle, two or so weeks between ovulation and menstruation, when she apparently feels at her lowest and most unattractive due to a drop in oestrogen levels. Women’s hormones have become trending topics and, as someone who only found out what a “luteal phase” is when she Googled it, mid-fertility panic, in her late 20s, I am somewhat in awe of the expertise with which younger women discuss their menstrual cycles now. They’re just so incredibly literate. Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a Guardian columnist and the author of Female, Nude..

After President Trump took office, Andrew Tate proclaimed, "The Tates will be free." A year later, Tate is being held in federal prison after he was arrested following a U.K. extradition request.

South African scientist’s breakthrough research shows soil fungus could be used in fight against devastating crop pest Hearing about fields full of dead caterpillars enveloped in a mysterious white substance intrigued the South African scientist Letodi Luki Mathulwe. Something was killing off the African armyworm – one of the most devastating pests for farmers in east and southern Africa. The white substance was a naturally occurring fungus and it was wiping out the caterpillar, which gained its name from its march-like advance through fields of crops...

Calls for speed limiters or mandated helmet use after research into injuries at three paediatric trauma centres The number of children involved in crashes on e-scooters has soared in recent years, with some as young as nine involved in collisions, research has found. Researchers carried out a review of injuries among the under-16s at three specialist paediatric trauma centres – Alder Hey in Liverpool, and Sheffield and Royal Manchester children’s hospitals – between January 2019 and December 2024...

The new feature, starting from mid-September, will tell listeners if an artist is AI-generated.

Three-quarters of the world has abolished the death penalty in law or in practice, according to Amnesty International.

A 32-year-old woman was rescued after 36 hours under rubble following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia.

Iran says Hormuz stays closed until US meets its demands and changes its 'behaviour' as global energy prices rise.

The AI jobs apocalypse never showed up. Still, jobs are changing and economists expect more to come. The prediction was stark: artificial intelligence advancements would wipe out jobs en masse. “Half” of all entry-level white collar jobs would vanish, Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, said in May 2025. A month later, OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, went further, foreseeing the end of “certain job categories”. Companies began citing AI in their layoffs. Workers organized. And students reconsidered their future careers. But a year later, the mass carnage hasn’t shown up...

A Lebanon rescuer’s work is shaped by the daughter he lost in an Israeli attack on his station.