BBC News

• Burnham unveils plan to get rough sleepers off streets for Christmas
  19 August 2026
  Rough sleepers in England will be offered housing, in a move likened to the “Everyone In” initiative during the pandemic.
• Sacked Ukrainian defence minister calls for presidential election
  19 August 2026
  Martial law has been in place in Ukraine since February 2022, under which elections are suspended.
• Demand for degree apprenticeships in England quadruples in three years
  19 August 2026
  The popularity of degree apprenticeships has grown as the cost of university has come under increased scrutiny.
• French civil servant drugged us to make us urinate on ourselves, say accusers
  19 August 2026
  More than 200 women accuse Christian Nègre of drugging them to make them urinate - two share their stories.
• Scientists 'stunned' by children's lung recovery in ultra low emission zone
  19 August 2026
  Children's lung capacity caught up with their peers in less polluted areas once a clean air zone came in, a study shows.
• Camilla admits it was 'difficult' to keep King's cancer diagnosis a secret
  19 August 2026
  In a video to mark the 30th anniversary of Maggie's cancer charity, Queen Camilla speaks about her husband's own diagnosis.
• 'I don't want to send you to prison', witness tells Tupac accused in combative testimony
  19 August 2026
  A member of Tupac Shakur's entourage said he was threatened with contempt of court if he did not testify in the murder trial of Duane "Keffe D" Davis.
• Rain arrives for some but is another UK heatwave on the way in September?
  19 August 2026
  Some long range forecasts are suggesting autumn could be hotter and drier than average. Simon King explores whether a warm spell might be on the cards.
• Mushroom murderer trial undermined by 'catastrophic' hotel mix-up, court told
  19 August 2026
  Erin Patterson's defence team appeal against her conviction for killing relatives with a beef Wellington laced with toxic mushrooms.
• Deaf patient given wrong jab due to sign language error, report says
  19 August 2026
  An ombudsman report says disabled people are being let down by a lack of accessible communication methods.

France 24 - International breaking news, top stories and headlines

• 🔴 Ebola in DR Congo: More than 5,000 cases reported amid fears of international spread
  19 August 2026
• Meta sued by US states for hooking and exploiting kids in pursuit of profit
  19 August 2026
  Meta is on trial for intentionally seeking to addict children to its Facebook and Instagram platforms in pursuit of profit, a lawyer for California said on Tuesday, at the start of a trial that could rehsape some of the most popular apps in the world. 
• Attempts to curb Ebola cases in DR Congo fail with more than 5,000 confirmed
  19 August 2026
  The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing the biggest Ebola epidemic in its history. Government data showed on Tuesday that cases now exceed 5,000. Efforts to contain the deadly illness are being hampered by weak health infrastructure, community resistance and instability. 
• Ukraine's sacked defence minister Fedorov calls for wartime presidential elections
  19 August 2026
  Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for wartime elections on Tuesday evening, stating that the nation was facing a crisis of governance. Fedorov was dismissed last month, sparking days of protests across Ukraine. It is the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 that a Ukrainian political figure demands presidential elections. 
• Champions League: Everything still to play for between Lyon and Fenerbahçe
  19 August 2026
  Olympique Lyonnais and Fenerbahçe drew 1–1 in the first leg of their Champions League play-off. The second leg will take place on Wednesday August 26 in Lyon.
• Palestinian-American citizen raises US flag over besieged West Bank home
  19 August 2026
  A Palestinian-American has raised the US flag on his home besieged by Israeli settlers, as the United States renewed criticism of the siege that has generated condemnation around the world.
• Middle East live: Iran army chief warns Gulf countries not to help US military
  19 August 2026
  Iran army chief Ali Abdollahi warned Gulf countries on Wednesday not to provide any assistance to the US military. Doing so would be tantamount to joining American military operations in Iran, Abdollahi said. Follow our live blog for the latest updates.
• Trump scales back joint military drills between South Korea and US
  19 August 2026
  South Korea and the US will cut the duration of their annual joint military drills to five days from 11 and scale back some field training, ​the allies said on Wednesday, ‌after President Donald Trump ordered a substantial reduction in US participation. Trump's move could reflect his hopes to re-engage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 
• Two French filmmakers held in Togo since July 27, Paris says
  19 August 2026
  Two French nationals have been detained in Togo since July 27 and are under judicial investigation, France's foreign ministry said on Tuesday. The pair are journalist-directors working for a French production company, according to local media. Paris did not provide details on the investigation or reasons for their arrest.
• Europe’s seas reach record heat as climate change threatens marine life
  19 August 2026
  Human-caused climate change was the main driver of record-breaking sea temperatures around Europe this summer, scientists said on Wednesday, warning of severe risks to marine ecosystems and coastal communities. The Mediterranean averaged a record 27 degrees Celsius in July, while waters near Mallorca reached 33 C in early August.

United Kingdom : Latest news on Le Monde.fr.

19 August 2026

• Fires and 'megaboats' fuel tensions over Channel crossings in northern France
  19 August 2026
  Since the beginning of 2026, the number of attempted crossings to England has fallen sharply, but larger boats have created significant safety problems. Meanwhile, some locals have accused migrants of starting fires.
• Moscow warns London over role in Ukraine conflict after UK-made drones strike Russia
  18 August 2026
  Drones supplied to Ukraine by a British defense firm were reportedly used to carry out strikes on Russian territory. In a statement on Monday, Russia's embassy in London accused Britian of becoming 'an accomplice and co-perpetrator' of the attacks.
• Thousands mourn ex-Cambridge professor Jason Arday in London vigil
  17 August 2026
  Star academic Jason Arday was found dead on Friday, August 14, amid growing furore over claims of academic plagiarism.
• Virgin receives track access to launch Eurostar rival in 2030
  17 August 2026
  British group Virgin received high-speed rail access through the Channel Tunnel, an element needed to launch a rival service to Eurostar, which has held a monopoly on passenger services through the tunnel since 1994.
• Belgium races to tame huge wildfire creeping toward Germany
  16 August 2026
  Firefighters from all over Belgium as well as from Germany have been deployed across the High Fens park, an area of boggy peatlands and pine forests near the German border, in an attempt to tame Belgium's largest modern-day wildifre.
• British PM calls for 'reflection' after death of Cambridge professor
  16 August 2026
  The family of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday, who was found dead days after resigning amid plagiarism allegations, has accused his critics of subjecting him to years of harassment.
• Probe into €5.8 million gift to Nigel Farage reopens as he wins by-election
  14 August 2026
  The leader of the far-right Reform UK party reclaimed his Clacton seat, triggering the reopening of a parliamentary standards probe into a £5 million donation from a crypto billionaire.
• PM Burnham says 'tinderbox' Britain must 'face up to the changing climate'
  14 August 2026
  His comments came during a visit to an area devastated by wildfires.
• UK firefighters 'under significant pressure' as multiple blazes rage
  14 August 2026
  The UK's National Fire Chiefs Council said firefighters battling several wildfires across the country were 'doing their absolute best' amid 'particularly difficult' conditions, with almost three-quarters of England in a state of drought.
• British far right's leader Farage beats Count Binface to win by-election
  14 August 2026
  Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won with 63% of the vote in an election that was boycotted by the major parties. A parliamentary probe into undisclosed gifts he received was subsequently reopened.

Observer

• Never Mind the Nannies, Drivers are the New Dads
  19 August 2026
  Manhattan's wealthiest families rely on drivers—often ex-cops and ex-Mossad—to chaperone, track and discipline their teenagers. Inside the K12 chauffeur economy.
• 11 Books That Trace the Contradictions Running Through Elite Higher Education
  19 August 2026
  Spanning a century of institutional history, these titles explore how America's universities have served as both engines of upward mobility and guardians of privilege.
• As A.I. Majors Grow, Universities Race to Keep Curricula Relevant
  18 August 2026
  More colleges are launching A.I. degrees as students chase future-proof skills. Schools are trying to teach fast-moving technology without sacrificing the fundamentals students will need long term.
• How the Bayeux Tapestry Became a Tool For Diplomacy
  18 August 2026
  France's loan to the U.K. offers a roadmap for how art and mutual understanding can bring nations together. Perhaps other countries could try it.
• Ho Tzu Nyen Wants the Gwangju Biennale to Honor the Past, Not Relive It
  18 August 2026
  "A trauma that you suffered in the past is constantly present," the artist-director reflected. "Revisiting Gwangju is important, but at the same time, it also repeats the trauma unless one can find a way to change—to take these histories, break the cycle or convert this energy into something positive."
• The Biggest Gifts to University Art Museums in 2026
  18 August 2026
  Anne and Arthur Goldstein, Kay Culbreath Heller and J. Roderick Heller, Nancy Delman Portnoy and other philanthropic collectors recently placed major holdings where they can be studied, displayed and folded into the future of art education.
• Grey Art Museum’s Alison Weaver On the Breadth of the University Museum Mandate
  18 August 2026
  "University museums are uniquely positioned to serve as the connective tissue between disciplines, engaging artists and audiences in unexpected ways."
• How A.I. Is Redefining the Computer Science Degree
  18 August 2026
  Warp’s Zach Lloyd explores why the debate over whether A.I. will replace programmers misses a larger transformation already underway. Lloyd argues that computer science is becoming more about cultivating the technical judgment needed to direct autonomous systems.
• A Grown-Up Guide to the Ivy League College Town Weekend
  18 August 2026
  From Cambridge to Morningside Heights, how to fill the hours between move-in, dinner and the football game.
• Grażyna Kulczyk Has Spent 50 Years Collecting Artists Who Were Difficult to Place
  18 August 2026
  With Observer, the Muzeum Susch founder reflected on the ideal conditions for viewing art, the feminist figures she most appreciates and how artistic importance does not always dovetail with historical visibility.

Europe : Latest news on Le Monde.fr.

19 August 2026

• Ukraine's former defense minister calls for elections and denounces corruption, defying Zelensky
  19 August 2026
  Mykhailo Fedorov, whose dismissal triggered a political crisis in Ukraine, called for presidential elections to be held despite the ongoing war, breaking a taboo since the start of Russia's invasion.
• Israel bombs Syrian airbase, sending warning to Damascus and Ankara
  19 August 2026
  With negotiations over a security agreement between Israel and Syria's new leadership at a standstill, Israel targeted a military site to prevent the country from rebuilding its air force with Turkey's help.
• Russia rebukes Japanese ambassador in Kuril Islands row
  18 August 2026
  Officials at Russia's foreign ministry warned Tokyo's emissary over the status of the Kuril Islands on Tuesday, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi affirmed sovereignty in response to Russian leader Vladimir Putin's visit to the disputed territory.
• Belgian firefighters push to 'encircle' fire in nature reserve
  18 August 2026
  Hundreds of firefighters, backed by water-bombing aircraft from several countries, have been deployed to try to contain and douse a historic forest fire that struck the High Fens nature reserve, located near the German border.
• Far-right rhetoric escalates in Italy as former general Roberto Vannacci gains ground
  18 August 2026
  The rise in the polls of the leader of National Future, a party with an identitarian and masculinist vision founded by the former member of the League, has prompted the parties in Giorgia Meloni's coalition to take a tougher stance.
• Moscow warns London over role in Ukraine conflict after UK-made drones strike Russia
  18 August 2026
  Drones supplied to Ukraine by a British defense firm were reportedly used to carry out strikes on Russian territory. In a statement on Monday, Russia's embassy in London accused Britian of becoming 'an accomplice and co-perpetrator' of the attacks.
• Thousands mourn ex-Cambridge professor Jason Arday in London vigil
  17 August 2026
  Star academic Jason Arday was found dead on Friday, August 14, amid growing furore over claims of academic plagiarism.
• France's foreign minister: 'The case of Xenia Fedorova highlights the interference threat we face'
  17 August 2026
  Following the expulsion order issued against the Russian propagandist at the end of July, Jean-Noël Barrot emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between opinion, which seeks to persuade; information manipulation, which aims to deceive; and interference, whose objective is to exert outside pressure on our freedom of choice.
• Virgin receives track access to launch Eurostar rival in 2030
  17 August 2026
  British group Virgin received high-speed rail access through the Channel Tunnel, an element needed to launch a rival service to Eurostar, which has held a monopoly on passenger services through the tunnel since 1994.
• Russian court sentences anti-war politician Shlosberg to 11 years in jail
  17 August 2026
  Prominent Russian opposition politician Lev Shlosberg has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and was charged over his participation in an online debate on the war as well as for sharing critical articles about it.