Top World News
Consumer confidence at near two-year high as World Cup and UK holidaying lift summer spending
Aug 11, 2026 - World 
Barclays says survey shows people feel more secure in jobs and have more leeway to spend on non-essentialsBusiness live – latest updatesConsumer confidence hit its highest level in almost two years in July, according to research that indicated the closing stages of the men’s football World Cup and more people holidaying in the UK lifted summer spending.A truce in the Middle East conflict in June and the arrival of a new prime minister in No 10 also gave a lift to consumers after a long period of heightened uncertainty. Continue reading...
Coalition divided over tougher gambling laws - with MPs warning Angus Taylor against overreach
Aug 11, 2026 - World 
Some Liberal and National MPs warned against over-regulation in party room discussion, while others argued for more stringent rulesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCoalition MPs have warned the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, not to overreach in talks with Anthony Albanese on Labor’s gambling advertising crackdown, insisting rules that are too stringent would not strike the right balance on personal responsibility.The prime minister and the opposition leader continued talks on Tuesday over a deal to advance Labor’s legislation to limit online gambling advertising, with betting inducements and more restrictions on advertising hours among possible avenues for movement. Continue reading...
Tuesday briefing: To drill or not to drill – Burnham’s first big climate test
Aug 11, 2026 - World 
In today’s newsletter: As we enter our fifth summer heatwave, Andy Burnham’s government is looking at what the UK should do with its remaining North Sea oil and gasGood morning. What a difference a new job can make. “To have a shot at staying within 1.5C global warming, we can’t have any new oil or gasfields … It’s irresponsible and shortsighted to be funding new #fossilfuels when we need to be getting to #NetZero.” This was the 2022 message from Miatta Fahnbulleh, now the secretary of state for energy security and net zero. It’s a testament to her remarkable rise that Fahnbulleh wasn’t even an MP when she posted it four years ago. Today, she is in the cabinet, facing (or is the face of, at least) one of the most challenging, and potentially controversial questions looming for the new government: to drill or not to drill, baby?Two sites are the focus of fierce debate. Yesterday, a public consultation on whether to greenlight extraction at one of them – Jackdaw – closed. Next Monday, it’ll be the same for the other, Rosebank. Andy Burnham has been silent about the climate crisis since taking office. As we enter yet another heatwave, what his government does next will be a defining signal of intent on the issue.Colombia | More than 100 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck western Colombia, collapsing and severely damaging scores of buildings in major cities including Cali and Pereira.UK weather | Almost three-quarters of England is now in drought, with four more regions officially declared, and as much of Europe braces for its fifth climate crisis-driven heatwave this summer.Crime | Police are investigating whether Joshua Kerry, the man charged with the murder of the former Reform UK and Conservative politician Ann Widdecombe, had any role in an attempted burglary last year at the then London home of Nigel Farage.China | More than a million people were moved to safety across eastern China by Sunday evening as powerful Typhoon Dolphin made landfall amid fears torrential rain would cause flooding and landslides.Ukraine | Russia has banned voting against the war in September’s elections, after the supreme court upheld a suit brought by a small pro-Kremlin nationalist party, and stripped voters of their last option on the ballot: Yabloko, the country’s only remaining anti-war party. Continue reading...
Colombia quake leaves more than 110 dead – as it happened
Aug 11, 2026 - World 
This blog is now closed – a full report is herePeople remain trapped in Cali, one of Colombia’s largest cities, after more than two dozen structures collapsed, mayor Alejandro Eder said. He added that the city had asked authorities in Bogota and Medellin to send disaster teams to support rescue efforts. Continue reading...
5 Killed, 20 Injured In Russian Attack On Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia
Aug 11, 2026 - World 
A Russian attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed five people and wounded 20, the regional governor said early on Tuesday.